BaseLangReviews of baselang.com

You should pay your teachers more. Baselang is good for people like me who already know Spanish and have plenty of time during the day--I am retired.

Baselang is better than some other grammar based systems – but, grammar based systems only work for a small percentage of people. That is a fact. After over a year of study, 5-6 days a week, on detailed grammar lessons, I still have a VERY limited ability to speak. I would prefer speaking to learn rather than trying to learn to speak by reading textbook style lessons. Speaking with the teacher should be mandatory at the beginning of every lesson- perhaps a review of previous words learned, etc. My teachers were great, but not always available because they were so good at their jobs. There are other good options out there – not the usual Duo or Bab, but others. I am going to try something else that I feel will work better for me. Also, I do not like that Baselang pays their teachers so little. Just because most are based in Central or Latin America is no reason to become successful at their expense.

The system does not allow for consistency of instruction. It’s difficult to schedule a set of lessons with one instructor and this causes the effect of always starting over with a new teacher. Although they have access to the students previous instruction, there is still disjointedness.

Baselang sells itself as a convenient way to learn at your pace with no limits, but there’s tons of disclaimers they don’t warn you about upfront. You can book a lesson with a teacher at many hours of the day (but not any time - if you work odd shifts and want to learn at night you’re out of luck). You can pick favorite teachers but you need to pick several and be flexible about who you work with. It can be nearly impossible to consistently book a good teacher given demand/supply issues, especially at certain times, or to book for multiple blocks of time in a row (classes are 30 minutes each so you may get just 30 minutes with a teacher, then someone else booked them so you have to pick another, then swap again the next half hour). There’s no option to book for recurring lessons at the same time each week. And if someone requests your teacher for Grammarless lessons they’ll suddenly be unavailable for a month or more with little notice.

I like how they improved their curriculum. Before, all the subjunctive were in level 5, which turned out to be an information overload. Now, they are spread through levels 5 and above. There are more exercises now after a lesson. That is something I like better than Babbel. However, what I don't like is my inability to book for my favorite teachers. It's like buying a limited edition ticket for a concert. You gotta have fast hands and internet. My favorite teachers got fully booked in the first minute they released the schedule. Not sure I will renew if I can only book okay teachers but not the best.

I love taking classes with Baselang and having live one on one classes has made a huge difference in my learning. But the Interface doesnt always work well, it can be slow, and the search filters dont work like they should. The advantages of the live classes and the curriculum out weigh working through the technical system issues.

I enjoy reading. I have 9 teachers and read a different book with each.

The BL program does not allow you to create a consistent and regular program of learning. It is not possible to schedule regular classes with any professor. You have to spend a lot of time looking for professors and scheduling classes. The program does not allow you to use the same professor on a regular schedule.