Studying English 1-1 is very different to taking a group English course.
Taking a group English lesson is like going to a restaurant. You go there for the food. You go there because you like the atmosphere. But you also go there to spend time with other people.
When you are choosing a group English course, you need to think about:
the teacher
the classmates
the fees
Taking a private English lesson is different. A private English lesson is like going to your friend’s house for dinner. You go there to see your friend. You go there to eat your friend’s food.
When you are choosing a private English course, you need to think about:
the teacher
the fees
That’s why we made this guide - to help you choose the right English Language School for you.
Everything you need to know about private English lessons in Singapore.
Private Lessons in Singapore Fee Comparison:
School Name | $ per hour | Packages (hours) | Summary | How to start |
$204 - $240 | 10 - 40 | SG’s most expensive | ||
$60 - $80 | 12 - 60 | Free 1-1 trial lesson - meet your teacher before you choose your school | ||
$70 - $100 | 12 - 20 | Closest School to Orchard MRT | ||
Unknown | Unknown | Part of a large language learning group | ||
$70 - $89 (daytime) $78 - $99 (evening and weekends) | 10 - 30 | Study English and Chinese | ||
$105 - $130 | 10 - 40 | $90 1-1 trial lesson | ||
$103 | 10 - 50 | No discount for larger packages | ||
NA | NA | Group lessons only | ||
$123 - $142 | 13 - 26 | SG's 2nd most expensive | ||
Unknown | Unknown | Closest to Somerset MRT | ||
$82.5 - $95 | 8 - 48 | Close to Clarke Quay and Raffles MRT | ||
$74 | 18 - 20 | $50 trial lesson (group classes) |
British Council
The British Council has been in Singapore since 1947. The teachers are CELTA qualified and you can study at any of their centres, your workplace, your home or online.
Private lessons for adults cost $2400 for 10 hours. There are discounts available, but the British Council is Singapore’s most expensive English Language School. Private lessons here are 2-4 times as expensive as every other English language school in Singapore.
Why is the British Council so expensive?
We don’t know. But you can find out if it’s worth it by filling in a form and requesting a course consultation.
Start English
Start English is a new school with experienced teachers. The English courses are fully flexible so you can take holidays when you need to. The classroom is nice and the building has a good atmosphere. Their teachers are passionate about language learning and the Start English app will help you to review new vocabulary. At Start English, you will learn to love English.
Private lessons at Start English range from $60 - $80 per hour. A 12-hour course costs just $840. Start English also offers a free 1-1 trial lesson for all students. That means you can meet your teacher before you choose your school. You can book a trial lesson online at a convenient time!
Why are the prices at Start English so good?
At Start English, we rely on word of mouth recommendations. We don’t spend a lot of money on advertising so we can keep our prices fair.
Canadian Education College
Canadian Education College has been in Singapore for over twenty five years. They offer private tuition for adults and children and also specialise in TESOL and IELTS. Their teaching staff are all native speakers and have been chosen for their ability and experience in teaching English as a second language, alongside their passion and enthusiasm for teaching.
Private lessons cost from $70 during the day and from $90 during the evenings and weekends. These are good prices in Singapore. But there is a $100 application fee.
English Express
English Express is part of Crystal Learning language schools. They see language, first of all, as a tool. Every small improvement makes a difference immediately. You may never be perfect, and that’s ok. Even native speakers make mistakes.
Their private English lessons are flexible and customised. They don’t state their prices online. If you want to find out more, you can contact them on WhatsApp.
School of Language International
School of Language International strives to deliver a language learning experience which will inspire you and equip you to achieve your goals. They have English and Mandarin Chinese lessons at their centre.
Private lessons at their school cost from $89 - $70 (daytime) and $99 - $78 (evening and weekends). You can buy one of their packages online or call or email to get started.
United Language Centre
ULC is a popular language centre in Singapore. They say that picking up a new skill or language usually involves a certain amount of embarrassing moments – wrong pronunciation, using the wrong words or simply due to lack of knowledge or understanding of the language.
Learning in private, in this case, can definitely help new learners eliminate their fear of speaking a new language in public to strangers or their colleagues at work.
Their packages range from 10 - 40 hours and cost from $105 - $130. You can book a course consultation online.
Inlingua
With over 250 language centres in 30 countries, inlingua is one of the world’s leading language training organisations. Since 1972, inlingua has helped people across all ages and language levels in Singapore by delivering learning experiences that matter.
They have packages from 10-50 hours and lessons cost $103 per hour. If you are interested in this school, you can apply online.
English First
Education First is the world’s largest private educational company with more than 50 years of experience. Since 1965, EF has helped people of all ages and nationalities become citizens of the world.
As far as we know, English First does not offer private lessons in Singapore. But you can check out their group lessons here.
Berlitz
Berlitz is another famous name. They use the Berlitz Method, which is the first-known immersive teaching method. You can find more information about the Berlitz Method here.
Berlitz is the second most expensive school in Singapore. Each lesson unit consists of a 40-minute lesson and a 5-minute break. That means that a 20 lesson package will give you 13 hours and 20 minutes of lesson time. This means that prices at Berlitz range from $123 - $142 per hour. They also charge $100 for a hard copy of the material. You can contact Berlitz for more information.
Native Hills
Native Hills is an established school in Singapore. Mr. Michael Stones & Ms. Jacinta Regan, established the school in order to provide high quality, tailored English lessons to students with a strong desire to improve their English communication skills and who want to learn in a school that puts its students first.
Native Hill offers online and in-person courses. The school does not state their prices online. You can contact the school online.
Ascend
Ascend Education Centre is a warm and friendly English language school with professionally qualified teachers and trained staff. They have students enrolled at Ascend Education Centre from all over the globe. Their job is to inspire their students so they can express themselves with confidence in English.
Their private coaching costs between $82.5 - $95. They have packages from 8 - 48 hours. You can enquire online or send them an email.
English Explorer
English Explorer has private English lessons which allow you the flexibility of 1 to 1 training in whatever areas you need. Their English courses in Singapore are designed to allow you to start learning useful skills immediately and use it to master it.
At English Explorer you can choose to take either 2-hour lessons or 90-minute lessons. 2-hour lessons are slightly cheaper. They cost $74 per hour. If you choose 90-minute lessons then the cost is around $82 per hour. They charge a one-time registration fee of $50 and a $50 fee for course material.
We hope this information was useful.
If you would like to try learning English, why not book a free 1-1 trial lesson at Start English?
Don't worry. We know that another school or teacher might be right for you. That's why we don’t have sales people at our school. We want you to make the right decision for you!
Good luck finding your school in Singapore!
NOTES:
These are schools which focus on English as a second language (ESL). They teach English to foreigners. In Singapore, this means they have English courses for Japanese speakers/Chinese speakers/Korean speakers/French speakers etc.
The information in this article is correct as of 25/04/2022. If you spot any out of date information or would like to add information to this article, then please let us know at rich@startenglish.sg.