Written by: Olivera Tolimir
Well, hello there! It seems you’ve finally determined to start learning Serbian. Perfect! Investing your time and energy into learning a new language isn’t an easy decision. After some thinking, you’ve decided to go for Serbian private lessons.
It sounds good, but to be sure you’re not making a mistake that will demotivate you from ever learning Serbian again, stay with us for a bit.
So, you set some money aside for Serbian private lessons. You’re ready to invest, and since it’s the most expensive option, it has to be the best for you (and everyone else), right?
Ahem. Think about it some more. There isn’t a thing in this world that’s a perfect fit for everyone. We have to consider many variables, and that’s what we’re about to do right now!
Here are four ways Serbian private lessons can (and will) diminish your progress!
Lack of Pressure
No one likes pressure. Except on days when we’re utterly unmotivated to do the thing that’s good for us. For example, you know you’re supposed to have your Serbian private class. But you had a busy day at work. Or, maybe, it’s a nice day outside, so you’d like to go jogging instead.
Is skipping class good for you? No. Will skipping the class feel good at the moment? Yes. So, what do you do?
It depends on your motivation level. It’s easy to cancel an individual Serbian class. Since no one else depends on you, you can tell your teacher you’d like to reschedule. Provided you inform your teacher in time, they won’t see an issue moving the class. But someone will. And that someone is you.
If you keep skipping classes whenever you feel like it, you’ll lose the continuity and eventually quit learning Serbian forever. It’s the issue with private Serbian lessons – you don’t have the sense of accountability you’d have in group courses.
If you skip a group class, you’ll miss the lesson. Then, you’ll have to catch up alone, which is frustrating. But if you don’t, you’ll fall behind the group.
Because of this, if you’re unsure whether you have enough motivation to attend private Serbian classes regularly, opt for a Serbian group course. The group will motivate you and make you show up!
Lack of Peer Collaboration
Do you have someone to practice the Serbian language with? If you do, Serbian private lessons might be a good choice. But if you don’t, think again.
Serbian group courses are a great way to meet people having similar problems as you. By problems, we mean Serbian grammatical cases, tenses, and accents.
If you opt for Serbian private lessons (1:1), you’ll get a tailored plan. You’ll be able to focus on topics and grammar that you have issues with. That’s great if you, for example, can’t distinguish between some grammatical cases, so you need to practice exactly that.
But what if you’re just starting? You want to start learning Serbian and speak it as soon as possible. So, you still don’t have any specific issues or questions.
In that case, think about a Serbian group course. Two things are crucial for a successful group course. The first one is that it’s small (no more than five people), so the Serbian teacher can commit enough time to everyone. The second thing is that all students are on the same level. That way, you’ll be able to enjoy speaking Serbian without embarrassment.
You should never feel bad for making a mistake, of course. It’s an integral part of a learning curve. But sometimes even we, language teachers, feel uncomfortable speaking a new language. It’s a normal human reaction that you’ll successfully beat when you realize your peers make the same mistakes, and you’re on the same page.
This way, you can help each other and see with your own eyes there isn’t any reason to be uncomfortable!
Lack of Financial Plan
Of course, a financial plan isn’t the main issue since you already know you want to start with the Serbian private lessons. Especially if you breezed through the previous two reasons with a smile, thinking, Well, none of this applies to me. I’m ready for my Serbian private lessons.
That’s great! But be sure to realistically count the time needed to master Serbian using private classes. You won’t learn a language in a month or two. So, are you ready to continually set aside a certain amount of money for this cause? If you’re well-organized and motivated but unsure about this, think about a Serbian online course.
A Serbian online course is a beneficial option if you’d like to invest once but have all the perks of Serbian group classes, such as explanations, exercises, games, and videos. Also, it’s great if you have a busy schedule and want your timetable to depend only on you!
With a Serbian online course, you should be careful with only one thing: motivation! Be sure you’re organized and ready to fit Serbian lessons into your schedule with no one monitoring you. We can say that the levels of organization needed to learn Serbian are: a Serbian group course > Serbian private lessons > a Serbian online course.
Lack of Perspective
If your only goal is to learn Serbian, forget about this point. But if you like to acquire other knowledge incidentally, Serbian private lessons won’t be a perfect fit for you. It’s possible you’ll get bored considering it’s only you and your Serbian teacher.
Do you enjoy meeting people from various backgrounds who provide their points of view? If you do, opt for a Serbian group course! During a group course, you’ll meet people whose native languages are drastically distinct from yours.
You’ll be able to help each other and learn about new cultures. It’ll widen your horizons in a way you never imagined! Also, it’s fun to learn in a group of peers struggling with the Serbian grammatical cases together!
None of These Applies to Me!
Did you go through all these reasons and realized you are:
- motivated and organized enough
- in no need of extra people to communicate Serbian with
- financially ready to set aside a certain amount of money for Serbian lessons
- more interested in achieving your goal of learning Serbian than finding out about other cultures?
In that case, congratulations! We proved together Serbian private lessons are a perfect fit for you! You’re ready to choose one of our awesome Serbian teachers and book your first Serbian individual class!
