← All articles · Choosing a School · 22 October 2026 · 5 min read

What to Look for in a Free Trial English Lesson

A trial lesson is your best chance to judge a school. What to watch for in 20 minutes, the warning signs, and the questions to ask afterwards.

Before the trial

• Test the camera and microphone, and charge the device.
• Choose a quiet place with good light.
• Tell your child it is a game with a new teacher, not a test.
• Have a drink of water ready, and go to the toilet before.

During the trial: what to watch

• Who talks more? Your child should be talking, pointing and answering for a big part of the time.
• Does the teacher use your child's name and wait for answers?
• Is praise real ("Great, you said 'elephant'!") rather than only "Good job"?
• Are mistakes corrected gently, by saying it right, not by saying "No"?
• Is the English at the right level: not too hard, not too easy?
• Does the lesson move: words, a game, a story, questions?
• Does your child smile, and want to come back?

Warning signs

• The teacher talks most of the time.
• Your child is just watching a screen.
• The lesson is the same for every child, with no notice of your child's level.
• You are pushed to pay at the end of the lesson.

After the trial

Ask your child what they liked. Ask the school which level they suggest and why, what the next lessons will teach, and how you will see progress. Then decide calmly.

A Little Fluent trial lesson

Each new child can book one free trial lesson from the family page, without a card. It is a real lesson with a teacher, at your child's level. After the lesson you choose a plan if you like it; nothing renews on its own after a trial.