Frequently asked questions

There is no registration fee. Choose a Lesson Plan, Pay-As-You-Go block or Trial Pack. After payment you receive access to your private student page, where you book your lessons.

Yes. All lessons are private, one-to-one and online via Zoom. You don’t need to install any special software.

Yes. Lessons are normally available from Monday to Friday, from 12:00 to 23:00 Swiss time, and on Saturday afternoons. Your student page shows the real availability in your own time zone.

You can start right away, but places are limited. Message Mr Q on WhatsApp to check the current availability.

Absolutely. Everyone starts on page 1 of Stage 1, and the method is designed for complete beginners. The constant practice also helps with shyness, pronunciation problems and fear of speaking.

We accept students from age 12, but we recommend starting from age 14. Most of our students are adults.

“Fluent” means different things to different people. In the European job market, people are usually considered fluent at levels B2 and C1 of the CEFR, which correspond to Stages 10 to 12 of the Callan Method. The full course can take from 2 to 5 years, but dedicated students can finish in less than 2 years. Many students feel fluent after 200 to 400 hours of lessons.

Take more lessons per week and review between lessons. For example, a student who takes two lessons a day, without missing lessons or arriving late, can reach a good level in about a year.

If you have studied English before, we place you at the right stage of the Callan Method before you start. Complete beginners don’t need a test. Message Mr Q to arrange it.

Callan schools are independent, so we check your level to make sure you are in the right stage. If your previous school sends your lesson history and stage test results, that helps us place you correctly.

When you finish a stage, after a few lessons of review, the teacher gives you a surprise test with three parts: questions, vocabulary and dictation. You need an average of 7 out of 10 to move on. If you don’t reach it, you review and take the test again.

We issue a certificate showing the stage you have reached. For an internationally recognised certificate, we encourage students to take a Cambridge English exam at the end of the course. Our former students have passed exams such as IELTS, CPE, CAE, FCE and ICAO.

Yes. The whole lesson is in English. The Callan books include translations of new words in several languages, so you don’t need a dictionary.

The Callan Method was written by an Englishman and follows British English, but in the lessons the teacher uses a clear pronunciation without a regional accent. You will be understood by English speakers everywhere.

Very little. Speakers of standard British and American English understand each other perfectly. The main differences are intonation, some vowel sounds and certain words, such as pavement and sidewalk, petrol and gas, or lift and elevator. These are easy to learn once you know the basics. Trying to learn a specific accent while learning the language only makes it harder.

Homework is not required. But if you study the books and review your lesson recordings, you will finish the course faster, saving time and money.

The 12 Callan Method books, plus preparation books for proficiency exams when needed. Digital learning materials are included in the Lesson Plans.

The method is built on the basic words of English, the words you need to communicate in any situation. Robin Callan selected them carefully using word-frequency research and years of classroom results. The books were revised and updated in 2012. By the end of Stage 11 you will know about 4,300 essential words.

Yes. Online lessons are recorded automatically. When the recording is processed, a private link appears in your lesson history so you can review the lesson as many times as you like. A recording can occasionally fail because of Zoom or internet problems, so we can’t guarantee every single lesson.

Yes. With Pay-As-You-Go you buy a block of 8 to 40 lessons and book them whenever it suits you within the validity period. There is no monthly subscription.

Use the buttons on your student page. You can cancel or reschedule until 23:59 on the day before the lesson; we recommend doing it at least 24 hours in advance. After that, the lesson can no longer be changed. The new lesson must take place within the validity of your plan.

The teacher waits for 15 minutes. If you arrive late, the lesson still ends at the original time. After 15 minutes without contact, the lesson may be recorded as missed. If you are going to miss many lessons, it is better to pause your studies and come back when you have more time.

If the teacher is absent or late, your lesson is rescheduled or compensated.

All prices are on the plans and prices page, in Swiss francs. The more lessons per month, the lower the price per lesson.

No. The monthly plan has no minimum term: during your first cycle you can cancel at any time before the second payment, and from the second cycle you give 15 days’ notice before the next billing date. Quarterly, semiannual and annual plans are discounted fixed-term plans. All the conditions are explained on the plans page before you pay.

No. Schools that use the Callan Method are independent. Mr Q has taught with the method since 1998, was a consultant for new Callan Method schools from 2000 to 2011 and was recognised as an Authorized Trainer in 2014.

You have lessons with Mr Q himself, an experienced teacher who has used the method for over 25 years. Every lesson is recorded and registered in your history, so your progress is transparent.

Your progress is followed closely. You won’t pay for expensive materials or big advertising campaigns, and you won’t waste a minute of the 50-minute lesson. You can record your lessons, pause and restart when you want, and book everything yourself online. Read what former students say.