Use the message to improve the lesson, not to perform friendliness
A pre-trial message should make the student feel welcomed and give you one or two pieces of information that change your preparation. A long questionnaire creates work for the learner before they know you. A generic “Looking forward to meeting you” is pleasant but does not help you choose a task.
Preply’s current Super Tutor documentation includes trial-engagement messaging criteria, and its trial guidance frames the first lesson around goals, level, a sample activity and a plan. A useful message supports those same functions.
Aim for a message the learner can answer in under a minute.
Ask for the real communication goal
Instead of “What is your level?” ask “What do you most want to be able to do in Spanish?” Level can still be useful, but the real goal tells you what to sample. A person moving to Mexico needs different evidence from a person preparing for a professional presentation.
One optional second question can clarify experience: “Have you studied Spanish before, or are you starting from zero?” That is usually enough to prevent choosing an obviously inappropriate activity.
If the learner already wrote a detailed goal in their booking information, do not ask them to repeat it. Acknowledge it and ask only for the missing piece.
Use short message patterns and personalize them
These are structures, not copy-paste scripts. Use the learner’s name and any goal already available. Keep punctuation and tone natural to you. The point is to collect information, not to sound like customer support.
- Beginner: “Hi, ___! Thanks for booking. Before we meet, what would you most like to be able to do in Spanish in the next few months? And are you starting from zero or have you studied before?”
- Conversation: “Hi, ___! I saw that your goal is speaking confidence. What situations feel hardest right now—small talk, telling stories, work, travel or something else?”
- Travel: “Hi, ___! I’d like to make the trial useful for your trip. Which situations matter most: airport, hotel, restaurants, transport, meeting people or another situation?”
- Advanced: “Hi, ___! For our first lesson, what kind of Spanish do you want to make more precise—professional communication, debate, writing, regional usage or spontaneous conversation?”
Do not overload the student with logistics
Avoid sending a long list of policies, homework, documents and technical instructions unless something is genuinely required before the trial. The student has not yet experienced your teaching; too much administration makes the relationship feel heavy.
If you need them to bring something, make it simple: “If you have a recent piece of Spanish writing you want feedback on, feel free to bring it.” Do not make optional preparation feel mandatory.
Keep off-platform contact details and links out of messages when platform rules require communication to remain inside the marketplace.
Turn the answer into a preparation decision
If the learner says “I understand a lot but cannot speak,” choose a speaking task with visible scaffolding and removal of support. If they say “I need Spanish for Argentina,” prepare a small Rioplatense sample. If they say “I have an interview,” prepare one roleplay question rather than a general grammar worksheet.
This is where reusable material saves time. You can maintain a small trial kit by level and goal: A1 beginner conversation, A2 travel, B1 storytelling, pronunciation diagnostic and advanced discussion. Personalization happens through selection and follow-up, not by rebuilding the asset.
Write one private note before the lesson: “What do I want to learn about this student?” That keeps the trial diagnostic rather than performative.