Why You Can Trust CNET Take a $1,300, 90-day online language course from Lingoda for free
Here's the catch: You need to attend a one-hour class every day to get your tuition refunded.
Late night host Seth Myers observed the one-year pandemic milestone by quipping that last week was the "anniversary of everyone downloading Duolingo and never opening it again." It's funny because it's true -- the hardest part of learning a language is simply following through on the lessons. Lingoda has an incentive to help you complete an online language course -- a $1,300 incentive, to be specific. If you successfully complete a 90-day Lingoda Sprint, Lingoda will refund you the entire cost of the course, up to $1,300.
There are classes available in French, Spanish, German and English, with options from beginner to advanced. To qualify for the refund, you need to attend a one-hour class every day for the entire three months of the course. If getting to class every single day sounds like too much for you, there's also a less ambitious option in which you can get 50% of your tuition back if you manage 15 classes per month.
This isn't the first time that Lingoda has run a Sprint, and in fact you can find testimonies online from people who have taken the course (short answer: I read several, and past students seemed to genuinely like it). Yes, it's pricey, but putting money on the line can help you be more committed to a goal. If you're serious about learning a language, this can prod you to at least show up to class. And that's worth emphasizing -- Lingoda isn't requiring you to be fluent in the language you're studying when the course is over or even know your chapeau from your cheval; it simply requires you to make the effort to schedule and attend class.
Lingoda isn't a typical language app; it's an actual online language school with classes taught in real time by real instructors. Class sizes are small and you have flexibility with when you schedule your sessions. To take part, sign up for the Lingoda Sprint before April 16 (though space is limited and might sell out sooner). Classes begin on April 28.
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