Over the last few years, large online language-learning platforms have popularised a particular style of English teaching. Lessons are conversation-led, directed by the student and designed to be casual. On the surface, this seems sensible. Students want to speak more, gain confidence and feel comfortable using English.
The problem is that this teaching style has serious limitations, especially for learners at B1–B2 level who want to make real progress.
Conversation replaces structure
On these platforms, lessons are organised around conversation. Topics change randomly depending on what the teacher feels like talking about that day. There is no clear sequence, no sense of building, and no long-term direction. You may speak a lot, but each lesson exists in isolation. Nothing accumulates.
Your gaps stay hidden
At intermediate level, progress depends on identifying what you don’t know or don’t use – and then having your teacher constantly remind you of it when you don’t apply it. This requires a teacher who listens analytically, not just socially. In conversation-led lessons, teachers are focused on keeping the discussion flowing and avoiding tension, so that you feel comfortable and continue buying lessons. Gaps in grammar, usage and phrasing may be noticed, but some teachers avoid interrupting or telling you about them because they don’t want to upset you (their client). This is because the platform itself and previous experience with the teachers there have taught the student that corrections are bad and unwelcome interruptions.
Errors become habits
Many students think they will naturally improve by themselves, just by speaking to a teacher now and then. While your ability to respond and interact will improve, your accuracy will not. The result is that incorrect grammar and unnatural phrasing are repeated again and again. Over time, these errors are burned in. The student often thinks their English is much better than it is because they can speak at length about lots of topics. The problem is that their English is ugly, they don’t think pronunciation matters, and they have false confidence in their abilities. Even worse, they have been conditioned by these platforms to think this is the right way to learn.
Students try to run before they can walk
Free or low-cost trial lessons on these platforms encourage students to dictate the lesson focus themselves by having a long list of demands for the teacher. For example, a student may ask for lessons on how to speak persuasively in meetings with international colleagues about travel sales. This sounds empowering, but the demand is too niche and the student is not ready for it, because they do not even have the foundations of English. Often, the student is unaware of what they don’t know and simply wants to skip to the final stage of learning, which is far beyond their current competence. Because many teachers on these platforms overpromise, this makes teachers with more realistic aims appear unhelpful by comparison. The student has been conditioned to behave like the conductor of the orchestra, when at best, he should still be playing the cymbal at the back of the room.
Grammar you actually need is postponed indefinitely
A common experience on these platforms is this: a student asks their teacher to teach them something specific and useful, perhaps a tense or a structure they don’t understand properly yet. The teacher avoids teaching it and promises they’ll cover it in a future lesson that never comes. The most important, fundamental grammar topics are ignored in favour of random vocabulary or reading lessons. Over time, students stop asking for help with these things. You quickly learn that you can request conversation topics, but never more rigorous material. Progress stalls because you will not just magically pick up these structures through chatting.
Comfort is prioritised over progress
Conversation-based lessons are designed to feel pleasant. The teacher’s role is often reduced to listening, nodding and offering occasional corrections. Real progress, however, requires interruption, explanation, focused practice and challenge. Without those elements, lessons go nowhere in the end.
The illusion of improvement
Lessons on these platforms run like a mill – the work just needs to be done. The teacher processes the students mechanically. And the only way to do it efficiently is to standardise it, by giving the same generic lessons and activities to everyone.
The result
Many learners spend a long time on these platforms stuck at the same level, with huge gaps in their knowledge and competencies. Uneven skills are to be expected. Conversation has its place, but conversation alone does not lead to sustained improvement. Without a teacher who sets direction, identifies gaps and actively teaches, progress eventually stops. This is not a failure of the student. It’s a consequence of a teaching model that prioritises low-effort conversation over development.
My personal experience as a student on these platforms
Using large conversation-based platforms is now an unavoidable part of language learning. Finding people to speak to and practising regularly is necessary, and these platforms are the easiest and most cost-effective place to do that. They are best used for this purpose, without having high expectations of the teaching you will receive there. But it’s important to be fully aware of the built-in limitations of this kind of learning too.
Language learning also requires rigour and structure. You need someone to notice gaps, stop you, explain things properly and make sure learning accumulates. On these platforms, it can be very hard to find a teacher willing to do that, and might be impossible at lower price points. I repeat: You will not just gradually improve your English through random conversations.
There are good teachers on these platforms. That isn’t the issue. The issue is that the platforms themselves have changed what it means to be a “personal language teacher.” Teaching is shaped by ratings, time pressure and high student expectations. The result is that even capable teachers are pushed towards disposable conversational lessons rather than structured teaching that makes a difference.
So while these platforms have a place and must be used nowadays ‘to get the practice hours in’, they cannot be relied on for depth. You will eventually hit the intermediate plateau beyond which there is no progress, except by your own off-platform efforts.
Want progress from structured lessons instead?
If you recognised yourself in this article, my lessons may be a good fit.
I offer structured general English lessons for motivated adult learners at B1–B2 level who want real progress, not just more unfocused conversation.
In my lessons:
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I choose the lesson plan, topics and method
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I identify gaps and teach what you actually need
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I interrupt to correct, teach and explain
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Speaking is purposeful, not random
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Grammar is taught when it’s needed, not postponed
If you’re already taking lessons on large platforms to get your conversational hours in, I’m not suggesting that you stop. I’m suggesting that you deprioritise them and take my lessons alongside them. This is how you ensure progress as well as fluency.
More info and lesson purchases: General English lessons with Jade.
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