What is Nattive?

Every teacher on Nattive holds a teaching certificate, such as CELTA or TEFL, or a degree, and sends us proof of it. They also record a short intro video, speaking to camera. A person on our team reviews every application before a teacher can be booked, and not everyone who applies is accepted. Our Identity and Verification Policy sets out exactly what we check.

Teachers don’t have to be native speakers. They need a qualification, and they need to speak the language they teach well. You can hear that for yourself in their intro video before you book.

Teachers on Nattive are independent. Each one decides the lesson lengths they offer, the price of each and the times they’re open for bookings.

A lesson is one to one: you and your teacher, live on video, inside Nattive. You decide what the time is for. Some learners want relaxed conversation in a language they already half speak. Others are preparing for an exam, a job interview or a move abroad, and use the lesson to rehearse.

When you sign up, you tell us your level, from A1 for a beginner to C1 for an advanced speaker. We use it to show you the teachers who take learners at that level. A beginner and someone preparing for a promotion need different things from a lesson, and often a different teacher.

Each teacher sets their own price in pounds sterling (GBP) for each lesson length they offer, so prices vary from teacher to teacher. You see the full price before you book, and that’s what you pay. There’s no subscription, no membership and no bundle of credits to use up. You pay for one lesson at a time, by card, through our payment provider, Stripe.

If you cancel 24 hours or more before a lesson, you get a full refund, unless it has already been moved twice. If your teacher cancels, you always do. The Terms of Service set out the rest, including what happens if you cancel later or need to move a lesson.

10% of the teacher’s lesson price, included in the one price you see, goes to Nattive Classroom. It’s pooled until there’s enough for the next course: 8 hours of free group English courses for a small group of up to five learners in developing countries, with a teacher paid for every hour. Places are for learners in the developing countries we select for the programme, subject to funding and places. We’re building the first course now, and we’ll publish what has been funded and taught as it happens. See how Classroom funding works on Our impact.

This is why Nattive exists. We started Nattive to help people learn English. Along the way, we realised that wanting to learn and being able to afford lessons aren’t the same thing. So we built the funding into the lesson price. Our goal is 100,000 hours of live English teaching by the end of 2032. Our mission tells the longer story.

• People who want to speak a language with more confidence, at a pace that suits them.
• Learners with a goal and a date: an exam, an interview, a new job or a move.
• People who’d rather choose their teacher than be matched with whoever is free.
• Qualified teachers who want to teach independently. If that’s you, Teach with us explains how to apply.

Nattive is opening soon. Until then, Find a teacher opens a short form: leave your email and we’ll tell you the day lessons open.

We’re building the first Classroom course, and we’ll publish progress on Our impact as lessons are booked. To see the whole process step by step, read how Nattive works. Or start with a language: English, Spanish, French and German.