Treat 25 and 50 minutes as two different products
Preply currently allows students to book a first lesson of 25 or 50 minutes, and the duration is selected during booking. A 25-minute trial is not a 50-minute plan that you rush through. It needs a smaller promise. If you try to fit introductions, full level assessment, grammar instruction, conversation, platform explanation and long-term planning into 25 minutes, the student experiences speed rather than clarity.
Both formats should still answer the same three questions: What does this student need? What is it like to learn with you? What should happen next? The difference is how much evidence you collect and how large the sample activity can be.
Prepare two default structures so you do not redesign the trial after seeing the booking length.
A practical 25-minute structure
The diagnostic must be narrow. If the learner wants travel Spanish, do not attempt a general CEFR placement. Sample one or two travel interactions and observe comprehension, sentence building and repair strategies. If the learner wants conversation, ask a prompt with two follow-ups and see what limits the answer.
The sample activity should use a target that can change quickly. Useful options include extending an answer with reason + example, correcting one pronunciation contrast, using a high-frequency travel sequence, or choosing between two past-time forms in a short story.
- 0–3 minutes: rapport and one-sentence goal.
- 3–8 minutes: focused diagnostic conversation or comprehension check.
- 8–17 minutes: one small teaching activity tied to the goal.
- 17–21 minutes: second attempt or transfer task to show what changed.
- 21–25 minutes: observations, provisional plan and next-lesson recommendation.
A practical 50-minute structure
The extra time should deepen evidence, not double the amount of teacher talk. You can sample more than one function, compare how the learner performs with and without support, or allow a fuller communicative task.
A 50-minute trial is also long enough to demonstrate your normal class rhythm. If your recurring lessons use retrieval, focused input, speaking and a closing recap, let the student experience a compact version of that sequence.
- 0–7 minutes: goals, context and previous learning.
- 7–17 minutes: broader but still focused diagnostic.
- 17–34 minutes: sample lesson with input, support and production.
- 34–40 minutes: transfer task or second speaking round.
- 40–46 minutes: feedback and priority gaps.
- 46–50 minutes: learning plan and next lesson.
What not to squeeze into 25 minutes
Do not deliver a complete grammar lecture because the student mentioned grammar. Choose one contrast and let them use it. Do not administer a long placement test unless the student specifically booked for assessment and the platform flow supports that purpose. Do not spend ten minutes explaining subscriptions, scheduling and policies before the student has experienced teaching.
Avoid asking every intake question you might want to know eventually. The first recurring lesson can continue the diagnosis. The trial only needs enough information to make the next step credible.
Most importantly, do not apologize for the shorter format. A concise trial can feel highly professional when the scope is intentional.
Choose sample material by transfer value
The best sample material lets you observe and teach at the same time. A visual A1 conversation can reveal comprehension, vocabulary retrieval and willingness to speak. A short past-tense narrative can reveal event/background choices. A pronunciation task can show perception and production. A roleplay can reveal whether the student can repair communication when they lack a word.
Use resources modularly. You do not need to complete a 45-minute lesson during the trial. Select the opening prompt, one explanation or example, and one speaking task that demonstrates the teaching experience.
Keep one A1, one A2 and one B1/B2 sample resource ready so the trial remains fast to prepare without becoming generic.
End both formats with the same clarity
Whether the trial is 25 or 50 minutes, the student should leave knowing what you observed and what you recommend next. Use evidence from the lesson: “When you had sentence starters, your answer became much longer; I’d gradually remove that support over the next few lessons.”
State the next lesson in concrete terms. “Next time: past narration with your travel stories” is stronger than “We’ll continue improving your Spanish.” A specific next step turns the trial from an isolated sample into the beginning of a sequence.
Review the platform’s current trial rules periodically. Duration and booking mechanics are platform-controlled and can change; your teaching framework should remain adaptable even if those details do.