Who are you?
We are a group of experienced English teachers, professionals and IT people. We are from New Zealand, Japan, Canada, Australia, India, Trinidad and Tobago, the United Kingdom and the United States. We have all worked together, in some cases for a very long time. You can see our staff here, and our teachers here.
Who are the teachers?
The teachers are all professionals. We have been teaching English for years. We have lots of experience and take our jobs seriously. There is a list of our teachers here.
What do you do?
We teach one-on-one English lessons to professionals and businesspeople over Skype with a combination of reputable textbooks and our own original lesson content based on interesting and educational topics.
How much is it?
Lesson prices are here.
Do I need to buy a textbook?
No. You do not have to. If you just want to have conversation classes or to use our online discussion lessons, then you do not need to buy a book. We are creating new lessons all the time, and everything is current and up-to-date. If you want to study one of our textbook courses, you need to get a book, but the books are easy to find at a reasonable price.
How do I join?
You can join up right now on this page. Just answer some questions about your situation and your needs. After you create your account, we will give you a free lesson point to try a class. In that class, we will also do a simple skills assessment and give you some advice about how to improve your English.
What happens in the trial lesson?
There is a lot to do in the trial lesson. You can see the trial lesson here. We will help you plan a course and choose a textbook. We'll also make sure we have all the information we need to help you. You will do a trial lesson, based on one of our courses, and the teacher will check your skill level and create a skills assessment and study plan. We'll use your study plan to track your progress in your course. You will also have the chance to ask questions about The English Farm, your teacher and our system.
How do I cancel a lesson or change the time of my lesson?
Just go to the lesson schedule and cancel or change your lesson time there. You need to do that 12 hours before your lesson starts or you will lose your point. We send you a reminder 14 hours before your class to give you time to cancel if you need to. You get another reminder 2 hours before.
12 hours is too long! Why isn't it shorter?
Other schools have shorter times for cancelling classes. We know that this flexibility is sometimes good, but for your learning it is bad. You need to commit to your classes and learning. You need to take it seriously. We made this rule to encourage you to keeep up with lessons. If it is too easy to cancel, you will when you are tired or feeling lazy. That's bad.
Do I have to do the homework?
No, you don't. We know you are busy. We will always give you ideas for homework, review and preparation for your next lesson. If you don't do it, that's no problem. Take your class anyway. We can adapt if you are not prepared. It's more important to keep up the habit of learning and taking classes as often as you can.
Do I have to take classes with the same teacher?
No. You can choose any teacher any time. And we encourage it. It will give you a richer experience and you will learn more, because each teacher has a different teaching style, focus, knowledge and kind of English. We write in your lesson records where the next teacher should start the next class, so the next teacher will pick up exactly where you left off last class. Your experience is contiuous, smooth and organised. All the teachers have all the books, and your profile tells them everything they need to know about your situation and requirements (so you don't have to introduce yourself every time you have a class with a new teacher!). It also means that if one teacher is on vacation or you cannot reserve a lesson because they are too busy, you can keep learning with another teacher.
Can I take more than one class in a row?
Absolutely! We encourage it. More is always better. Our classes are short so you can fit them in on busy days, but if you have more time (on the weekend or vacations), you can take as many classes as you like. There is no limit!
If I take a double lesson, what happens with the break?
There are usually 5-minute breaks between classes, but if you are doing a double, your teacher will ask you if you want to take a break or continue. You can decide with your teacher on a case-by-case basis what is best for you!
How often should I take lessons?
More often is always better than more total time. For example, two days a week is better than two classes on the same day. If you want to improve, then you must take classes on a minimum of two days a week. One day a week is only enough to maintain your level.
How do I pay?
You can pay online using Paypal, or by bank transfer if you are in Japan.
What is Paypal?
Paypal is the largest online payment system in the world. It is fairly new in Japan, but has been around for a long time. Paypal makes it much cheaper and faster to take payments online and it is very secure. Using Paypal (and not other forms of payment, like bank deposit) helps us keep our costs low and lesson fees more affordable.
How do I pay by bank transfer?
This page explains how to pay by bank transfer.
Are there any joining or leaving fees?
No. You just pay for your classes. If you take a textbook course, you need to pay for the book. There are no other hidden fees.
How do I change my profile & settings?
Please click "Profile" in the top right corner in order to change your email address and password. You can also change your nickname, Skype ID and other parts of your profile by clicking on "Edit" after clicking "Profile". After you make the changes, please click "Save" at the bottom of the page.
How do I change my username?
You cannot change your own username. Please contact us via the contact form if you would like to change your username and we will do that for you.