Have you ever wanted to learn a new language but didn't know where to start? After travelling to Japan, I wanted to take Japanese language lessons online before visiting again in the future.
You might be tempted to try one of those free language learning apps that feel more like a game. I've done this in the past and poured hours and hours into it without making any real progress.
I would like to have basic conversations with locals and even be able to read some Japanese, too. I'm so glad that I discovered Preply because I feel like I'm actually making real progress into learning how to speak Japanese!
In this blog post, I'm providing a detailed guide about what Preply is and how it works. I'll demonstrate who should use Preply (and who shouldn't) while illustrating my personal experiences taking Japanese language lessons online with Preply.
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What is Preply?
Preply is a global online language learning platform and app. It connects students and expert tutors to study over 90 different languages.
There are over 100,000 tutors on the platform, and students receive 1-on-1 lessons that are completely personalized to them. It's a super effective way to learn a language through practice with teachers that are native or fluent speakers.
It's the fastest way to learn a new language and become immersed in learning that language right from your own home (or anywhere in the world).
From the 2025 Efficiency Study, students learned three times faster than industry expectations. For learners of the English language, 94% reported that they improved fluency and 97% reported feeling confident speaking English after 24+ lessons.
Of course, I wanted to test it out for myself to see if the claims held up!
How Does Preply Work?
Language learners connect with certified and qualified tutors from across the globe. You might be learning a language for work, to study, or for travel. By sharing your goals, you'll be able to customize your language learning experience with your tutor.
Every tutor sets their own rates and shares their expertise. Choose which one works best with your budget and your goals.
Then, you'll engage in real conversations over a video chat within the Preply platform. This is 1-on-1 tutoring catered precisely for your needs as a language learner.
Choose how frequent you'd like your lessons to be. I take Japanese language lessons online once per week, though you can have lessons multiple times a week. It's up to you!
After your lesson, your tutor will send you language materials from your lesson and might even send you some practice sheets. For instance, I'm beginning to learn hiragana, one of the three main writing systems in the Japanese language. My tutor sent me some hiragana practice sheets that I can print out to write on.
What are the Tutors Like?
Learning a language is a very human experience. Naturally, it's best to learn how to speak a language by conversing with people. For this reason, Preply is the most effective language learning platform and app.
Through Preply, their qualified tutors are focused on consistent and real progress. An excellent tutor helps keep you motivated and curious. It's a safe space to practice consistently without fear.
A good tutor is encouraging and provides a positive environment. The language learners on Preply can rate their tutors and provide insights about their experiences, so you can best choose a tutor that aligns with your goals.
Furthermore, Preply tutors can focus on a variety of topics:
- Business language
- Academic language
- Conversational fluency
- Grammar and writing
- Accent reduction
- Exam preparation (IELTS, TOEFL, DELE, DALF, Goethe, etc.)
- Interview preparation
- Language for relocation or immigration
Who Should Use Preply?
I feel as though Preply is perfect for anyone who wants to learn a language. If you're a beginner, intermediate or advanced student, Preply will help you learn and work towards speaking a new language.
It's great if you're just starting out or if you're focused on working towards communicating in the real world. Learning a language works best through conversation, and you'll be able to have real conversations with your tutor throughout your lessons.
It's excellent even if you have a busy life. As a full time travel blogger, I'm not able to attend language learning classes in real life that take place on a set day and time each week. My availability differs each week as I might be traveling, attending an event, or busy with life.
You can set your lessons according to your schedule and your tutor's schedule. This can change according to your availability. I love the flexibility at Preply.
Who Shouldn't Use Preply?
Preply isn't ideal for those who are looking for a free language learning program online. Since these are 1-on-1 lessons with tutors, you need to pay for this service. Fortunately, I don't find Preply to be terribly expensive, and there are tutors priced for different budgets.
It's also not great for those who are looking for language learning games or apps. In my past experiences, these can be fun for learning random words but they aren't great for speaking a language or any real life situations.
It's also not the same as learning from a textbook in a classroom situation. Preply tutors customize the lessons for your needs and won't follow a structured book or curriculum. If you'd prefer to follow through a standardized program, this won't be ideal for you.
Japanese Language Lessons Online: What I Wanted to Learn
I decided to take Japanese language lessons online with Preply. I knew a few basic Japanese phrases after traveling there, but that was about it. I'm a true beginner at learning how to speak Japanese.
I'm looking to learn some conversational Japanese before my next trip there. At the same time, I'd like to learn the writing systems of the Japanese language, specifically Hiragana and Katakana before moving on to the more difficult Kanji.
I'd like to practice speaking Japanese out loud with my tutor in real conversations. I'd also prefer to have a native Japanese speaking tutor who also is fluent in English. I believe this is helpful for communication and if I have any questions.
Getting Started with Preply
I've been studying Japanese on Preply for the last month and I'd love to share my impressions as a user of the platform. The first step was outlining my goals on the Preply platform.
There's a brief survey for new students to fill out on Preply. You'll mainly state your reasons for wanting to learn Japanese (or the language of your choosing) and your goals.
Next, Preply provides you with a big list of tutors. You can filter by language, price per lesson, their availability and their country of birth. Preply can sort the list by their top picks, popularity, number or reviews, price point or best rating.
How I Chose my Japanese Language Tutor
I reviewed many tutor profiles before I chose my teacher. I found many native Japanese tutors from Japan that spoke English well (proficient, advanced or native speakers).
Each tutor provides an "about me" section so you can learn more about their teaching experience and how they can tutor you. On their profile, Preply also chooses a few "highlights" based on student reviews. My tutor is: approachable, encouraging, engaging and adaptable.
Here's what I loved the most. You can view a short video by each tutor. They'll introduce themselves and share their style of teaching. I really enjoyed this because I could tell usually right away if I liked their personality and if they could be a good fit.
After browsing a number of tutors, I chose the one that I liked the most and booked a lesson with her. You can book a free trial lesson that's shorter and serves more as an introduction. I decided to book an introductory lesson (paid) where we could start right away.
What Happened During my Trial Lesson
Before my first lesson, I had the opportunity to connect with my tutor over Preply's instant messaging system. I filled out a brief questionnaire with more details about what I wanted to learn and my reasons for learning Japanese.
In my first lesson, we introduced ourselves to each other. I discovered that she had lived in Canada for a year studying at a university and learning English.
She has also taught the Japanese language for well over a decade and was very prepared with lesson plans. I started learning and speaking Japanese in this first lesson.
My tutor shared some notes on the screen and also wrote on the screen with more details. For instance, I learned how to order takeout at a restaurant or ask to dine-in. I also learned how to order coffee from a cafe, which is very important since I do that all the time when I travel.
After the lesson concluded, my tutor sent me a private message to follow-up. She included the lesson notes from that day so I could review them again anytime.
During the lesson, my tutor asked if I'd like to learn how to write in Japanese, too. I'd love to learn how to speak, read and write. She said she would include reading and writing in my upcoming lessons.
My Second Lesson: Hiragana and Everyday Phrases
I met with my tutor for my second Japanese language lesson online. At the beginning, we briefly reviewed our conversations about ordering coffee and takeout meals.
Then, she was prepared to move on to new helpful and useful topics. My tutor typed on the screen this time and sent me the notes after the lesson finished. I learned all about the weather this time: how to describe the different kinds of weather, how to ask about the weather and so on.
Next, we built on our takeout restaurant ordering from last time. I learned how to order specific kinds of fast food from a restaurant. This is super useful because ordering from a menu at a restaurant is something everyone does when they travel.
We concluded our lesson with some Hiragana. My tutor taught me the first five Hiragana, the five vowels. She brought up a screen and I was able to "write" them (with my mouse, on my laptop) on the screen.
Afterwards, I received all of my lesson notes along with Hiragana practice sheets so I could practice writing and reading them on my own.
Is Preply Worth It? My Verdict
Overall, I'm extremely impressed with Preply. I've taken in-person language classes in the past, which is usually the teacher speaking and then speaking as a larger group. There's a little bit of individual practice, but not much.
With Preply, I'm able to focus 100% of my time on my language learning. My tutor caters the class to my needs. Preply also demonstrates how much of the time is spent by the tutor talking vs the student talking. As I continue beyond my first few lessons, I'm hoping to increase the amount of time that I'm speaking.
I also love that this is an inviting and safe environment to learn a language without judgment. My tutor is incredibly encouraging and she's always cheering me on. It makes learning and speaking Japanese, a language that's quite difficult for a native English speaker to learn, feel very approachable and effortless.
I'm looking forward to continuing my Japanese language lessons online with Preply. Interested in giving it a try? You can access your free trial lessons and schedule your lessons at the Preply website.
This post is brought to you by Preply. I am a Preply student and have shared my own honest experiences. I highly recommend giving Preply a try if you're serious about learning a language.
More Blog Posts About Language Learning
Want to read more about learning languages online or teaching languages online? Check out the following blog posts:
Want more travel tips and inspiration? Follow me on Instagram! I share daily adventures, whether I'm at home in Ontario, Canada, or halfway across the world!
Don't forget travel insurance!
Heading out of the country? Don't forget to get travel insurance. It's best to be covered in case of an emergency, cancellation or accident.
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