Glossary
A
Access model
How a reading or listening platform limits what each subscription covers, from credits to a monthly hour cap.
Access months
Access months is how long a course or subscription stays open for you before your access ends.
Accreditation
Recognition from a professional body that a course counts toward that body's own standards.
AI conversation
Whether a language platform states that learners can practise in a spoken conversation with an AI partner.
Assessments
Graded tasks you must complete or pass, and the proof of work behind a certificate.
C
Cancellation hours
The notice you must give before a lesson or subscription change takes effect, measured in hours.
Catalogue titles
The number of titles a platform says its library holds, taken from the brand's own site.
Cert type
Cert type is the subject area your credential covers, in the provider's own words.
Certificate fee
A certificate fee is the charge for issuing the certificate, which may sit outside the course price.
Certificate types
A certificate type tells you whether a credential simply marks course completion or stands as a stronger professional qualification.
Completion weeks
How long a course says it takes to finish, in weeks, from the start to the last module.
Content types
The formats a platform actually carries, from ebooks and audiobooks to summaries and podcasts.
Course count
Course count is the number of courses in a provider's library, which tells you how much choice you get for your money.
Course hours
Course hours are the amount of study time a provider expects you to complete before you sit an exam or receive a certificate.
Course languages
Course languages are the languages lessons and support are delivered in.
Credit recognition
Credit recognition is the external acceptance of a course, which can count towards development credits or a regulated qualification.
D
E
F
Founded
The year a company was set up, which tells you how much track record sits behind a provider.
Free tier
Part of a platform that anyone can use at no cost, so you can judge the teaching before paying.
Free trial
A free trial is access at no charge, usually a free lesson or a short free course before you pay.
Free trial length
A free trial length is the number of days you can use a paid course or platform before you have to pay.
Full-length tests
How many complete practice exams a test prep platform offers, taken from the brand's own site.
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H
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K
L
Languages
Languages tell you which language a course is taught, assessed and certified in.
Legal entity
The registered company that stands behind a course brand and carries its contracts, invoices and refund duties.
Lesson format
Lesson format is the setting a lesson takes, from app-based self-study to a private or group session with a tutor.
Lesson minutes
The length of a single lesson at a language platform, taken from the brand's own site.
Lesson price from
The lowest price a provider lists for a single lesson, usually on the cheapest plan it offers.
Live classes
Live classes are scheduled sessions you join in real time with a teacher.
M
Markets
Markets are the countries a provider sells or ships to, which shapes currency, language and delivery for you.
Method
Method is the mix of media and live contact a course uses to teach.
Min age
The youngest age a provider will enrol, which decides if the course fits a child or an adult.
Money-back period
The window after you pay in which you can still ask for a refund because the course is not for you.
O
P
Platform type
How a provider describes its own business model, which decides how you pay and what you get.
Practice questions
Extra questions past the course, used to rehearse the exam and to measure where you stand.
Practicum
A practicum is supervised work experience attached to a course or certificate.
Price from
The lowest figure a provider lists for itself, taken from its own pricing or shop page.
Price month
Price month is the monthly subscription cost a provider shows for a single plan, in the currency your country is billed in.
Price year
Price year is the annual plan cost a provider lists for a single tier, billed once for the year.
R
S
Satisfaction guarantee
A promise from a course provider that refunds or replaces something if you are not satisfied with your lessons.
Score guarantee
A score guarantee is a written promise about the result of your study.
Speech recognition
Whether a language platform states that it can judge a learner's pronunciation as they speak.
Subjects
The topic areas a provider lists for its catalogue, grouped the way its own site groups them.
Subscription price
The amount a brand charges for its plan, listed here in the currency shown on the brand's own pricing page.
Support channels
The routes a course provider gives you for reaching help when a lesson, payment or certificate goes wrong.
T
Team plan
A team plan is the option a provider sells to an employer or a group of learners rather than to a single person.
Trial lesson
A trial lesson is a sample class before you pay, offered either free or at a reduced price.
Tutor count
The number of tutors a platform says it can draw on, taken from the brand's own site.
Tutor support
Tutor support means a named person answers questions about the material.
Tutor vetting
Tutor vetting is the checking a provider does on a tutor's identity, qualifications and teaching ability before they take classes.
Tutoring addon
An extra one to one service you can add to a course, priced or booked separately.