With 40 schools and over 13,000 students across 9 school districts in the St. Louis area, many students benefit from personalized attention to develop speaking confidence—something that's challenging in traditional classroom settings with an average student-teacher ratio of 13.2:1. Conversational English tutoring provides one-on-one instruction tailored to your communication goals, whether you're building confidence for class presentations, preparing for college interviews, or improving your speaking skills for social and professional situations.

Many students struggle with pronunciation, speaking pace, and the anxiety that comes with making mistakes aloud. Others find it difficult to move beyond textbook English to natural, spontaneous conversation, or they lack confidence participating in group discussions. Personalized tutoring addresses these challenges by creating a judgment-free space to practice, receive immediate feedback on pronunciation and phrasing, and gradually build the fluency needed for real-world communication.

Your first session is designed to assess your current speaking level, understand your goals, and build rapport. The tutor will likely have you engage in casual conversation to evaluate your pronunciation, vocabulary, fluency, and listening comprehension, then discuss what you'd like to work on—whether that's reducing an accent, building confidence for presentations, or improving everyday conversation skills. This foundation helps the tutor create a personalized learning plan for your next sessions.

Most students see meaningful progress with consistent practice, typically one to two sessions per week combined with independent practice between lessons. The frequency depends on your goals and starting level—someone preparing for a specific event might benefit from more intensive sessions, while others focus on gradual, long-term improvement. Your tutor can recommend a schedule that fits your needs and helps you build sustainable speaking habits.

Varsity Tutors connects you with expert tutors who have strong communication skills, often with backgrounds in education, linguistics, or extensive real-world English experience. Many tutors have teaching certifications, advanced degrees, or professional experience in English instruction. When you get matched with a tutor, you can review their qualifications and experience to ensure they're a good fit for your conversational goals.

Progress in conversational English is often more noticeable than in other subjects—you'll likely notice improvements in your confidence speaking, reduced hesitation when responding, clearer pronunciation, and the ability to express ideas more naturally. Your tutor will provide feedback on specific areas like fluency, vocabulary range, and listening comprehension, and you can set measurable milestones like successfully leading a classroom discussion or completing a conversation without long pauses. Many students also track progress by recording themselves and listening back over time.

Getting started is simple—tell us about your conversational English goals and availability, and we'll match you with a qualified tutor who fits your needs. You can then schedule your first session at a time that works for you. Varsity Tutors handles the matching process so you can focus on improving your speaking skills with personalized 1-on-1 instruction.