What is LRNGO?
HELP/FAQs

FAQs for Search
How do I contact users?
You can contact any user directly using the contact button on their profile page. This sends them an email with your message and your contact information so they can get back to you. They can then contact you directly at the email address you left in the message form. If you contact anyone, search profiles or otherwise use this website, you must abide by the website Terms of Use.
How do I sign up?
Click on the FREE SIGN UP button in the header. Put in your name (only first initial of your last name is shown), email address, city or zip, and at least one subject you could teach or want to learn.

You will receive a confirmation email. Click on the link in the email and then login to complete your profile. Profiles without pictures come up last. If you have trouble updloading a photo, email it to us and we will do it for you. You can list as much or as little contact information as you like.
What if I can't find what I'm looking for?
Our premium matching service can find you someone who is the right fit.
Search Tips
  • When typing a subject in the input field, use the dropdown box to choose a subject. If you are looking for a specific subject that is not included in the dropdown box, choose the general subject where the specific subject would be listed. (For example: if you are looking for 20th Century History, search for teachers under History.)
  • For very general subjects, choose subjects that have the word general in parenthesis after the subject name. For instance, searching on the keyword Math (General) will find tutors who entered math or mathematics as a subject.
  • For specific subjects or sub-categories not shown, use Advanced Search. First do a regular search, then go to Advanced Search at the right of the search results under the map. Type the specific keyword or keywords you are looking for in the keyword search box, and then click the Search button. If you can't find what you need, try our premium matching service.
  • When searching to learn the English language, speaking English as a foreign language, ESL EFL, how to read and write English, or handwriting, choose English. When searching to learn English poetry, literature or writing, choose English (Language Arts).
  • If you cannot find a Teacher or Tutor in your suburb or town, try selecting the nearest city in your region and look for teachers who are closest to you. In the case where there are no profiles who teach your subject that are close enough, consider contacting online teacher listings who come up in your search in various locations.
  • Do NOT repeatedly contact profiles who do not respond. Move on to an instructor who is more responsive and deserves your attention.
  • As we are a new and growing website, we do not have profiles in every area yet—so please return to LRNGO.com another time and try searching again. Also please recommend us to any of your friends if you think they should list their expert knowledge in a subject or activity on our site!
    • Safety Tips
    The overwhelming majority of people that use LRNGO are trustworthy and well-intentioned. Nevertheless, it's very important to take common sense precautions online as you would offline. When meeting someone for the first time, please remember the following:
  • Always insist on meeting in a public or neutral place for the first time and for lessons thereafter as long as you are comfortable. Do not meet in a secluded place or invite strangers you are not comfortable with into your home.
  • If you're going somewhere to meet someone, tell a friend or family member where you're going and take your cell phone along if you have one.
  • Consider having a friend accompany you.
  • Trust your instincts.
    • While LRNGO seeks to create a safe place for learning services on the Internet, LRNGO does not insure against losses from lessons contracted through LRNGO, does not mediate disputes between any users or students and any of the teachers listed on LRNGO, and cannot otherwise be responsible in any way for the actions of anyone listed on LRNGO or guarantee results or satisfaction from lessons received as a result of contacting any of the individuals listed on LRNGO. See more information on how to recognize scams.

    FAQs for Language Partners

    How does it work?
    If you can speak a language, you can help someone else who wants to learn or practice that language. Create a profile and list that language under a language you can teach. Then search for others who can teach a language that you want to learn. When you find an exact match, contact them through our messaging system and begin a conversation. Continue talking and exchanging messages through the website. Then when you feel comfortable to do so, arrange to meet online via Skype or in a public place (for instance, a public library). When you meet, you can teach or help your language partner to practice the language they want to learn for a ½ hour, and in return they can help you with the language you want to learn for the same amount of time.
    Is it free?
    Always. However, if you want to hire a teacher instead of trading lessons for free, do a search after clicking on the Private Instructors tab or the Private Instructors button on the search bar.
    Where do we meet?
    If you are meeting online, you can use Skype or any other platform you choose. If you are meeting in person, we recommend a public library as a first choice. If the library is closed, then an appropriate coffee house or a quiet restaurant.
    Why a language partner?
      Here are five great reasons:

  • 1. It's the quickest way to learn because you practice both listening and speaking at the same time, and are actually "using" the language.
  • 2. It's fun and you can make new friends from different cultures.
  • 3. You can learn real conversation & expressions you don't usually learn in a language class.
  • 4. You don't have to study boring books or homework alone.
  • 5. It's free, and you don't have to change your schedule for classes.
    • Can you give me an example?
    Sure! Jose is from Spain and wants to improve his English. John lives here and wants to improve his Spanish. Sure they can talk to people in these languages, but they don’t feel comfortable asking them to correct them or assess how they are doing. What they need to help them learn is real time feedback and guidance. In short, they need to practice with someone who is willing to help them improve and learn. Luckily, they both created a free profile in seconds and listed in Free Exchange. John searched and found Jose’s profile and contacted him through our messaging system and they began to chat. They decided to help each other out and try meeting in person at a local café, speaking ½ hour in English and ½ hour in Spanish. They continued doing this once a week, and both of them improved their language skills immensely. They became friends, learned faster than other methods, and at no cost. A win/win for everyone.
    How do I teach?
    If you have never taught before, don't worry! Like anything, you learn by doing. Here are some suggestions to get started. These are only general guidelines, feel free to do what works best for you and your language partner. Be sure to ask about their goals and how you can help.

  • Bring a notebook & pen/pencil
    • You or your language partner might want to practice what you learned later by yourself, and it can be much easier to remember if you write down a reminder. That doesn’t mean you have to write everything, simply a numbered outline of what to practice or anything of particular interest.

  • Get Acquainted
    • After you introduce yourself, you could ask why they are learning your native language, for how long, and what motivates them to learn it. It is always good to ask someone about their goals. Then you could ask how often and in what situations they speak, and to describe their first speaking encounter with a native speaker. Ask them in which area of the city they live and if they like it. Then you could both talk about what you do and how you enjoy your spare time.

  • Have Fun
    • People often remember things they find amusing or learn during a pleasant experience, so it can be fun to find an exchange partner that has similar interests and sense of humor. Also, it can be easier to remember a word or expression you've heard in an amusing situation specific to a story, time or place.

  • Topics
    • If your language partner is from another country, it’s always interesting to learn about each other’s culture. Comparing the differences between the two countries can be not only interesting, but also helpful to acquiring vocabulary and understanding how it’s used. Here are some other suggestions for topics of conversation: travel, ordering food, describing a person, shopping, money and items at home.
    What about safety?
    The overwhelming majority of people looking for language partners are trustworthy and well-intentioned. Nevertheless, it's always very important to take common sense precautions both online and off, as you normally would when meeting someone for the first time. Please remember the following:

  • Continue exchanging messages through the website without divulging your email address until you are comfortable communicating or meeting outside of the website.
  • If someone sends a message to you and does not have a LRNGO profile, tell them to create one before you talk further. Let them know it is recommended in our guidelines, and quick and free to signup.
  • When meeting in person, always insist on meeting in a public or neutral place for the first time and thereafter for as long as you are comfortable. Do not meet in a secluded place or invite strangers into your home.
  • If you're going somewhere to meet someone, tell a friend or family member where you're going and take your cell phone.
  • Consider having a friend drop you off or accompany you and wait while you meet.
  • Trust your instincts. While LRNGO seeks to create a safe place for learning on the Internet, LRNGO does not mediate disputes between users or language partners or insure against losses from lessons or interactions, and cannot otherwise be responsible in any way for the actions of anyone listed on LRNGO or guarantee results or satisfaction as a result of contacting any of the individuals listed.

    • Information on how to recognize scams.

    What if I can’t find anyone near me who is a match?
    Keep checking back. If you tell your friends to signup and they tell their friends, it increases everyone’s chances. We are just getting started and more & more people are signing up daily. You can also find users in all locations worldwide who want to find language partners to learn from online, using Skype or any online video chat. These profiles will have an icon that says online lessons on their profile.
    How do I get access to free language courses?
    If you complete your profile, you will have access to free language course links. Completing your profile means adding your picture and writing something about yourself. Here are the steps:

  • 1. Login with your email and password
  • 2. Click on Edit My Profile on the left
  • 3. Go to Step 3 page and write something about yourself in the About Me box.
  • 4. Scroll down and upload your picture. (Your picture must be of your actual adult face.)
  • 5. Click the Submit button.

    • Now your profile is complete with your picture and can be seen in search results, and you can access the free language course links when you log in. After you log in, just go to www.LRNGO.com homepage and click on Community in the header at the top. Then click on Language Exchange to go to the language exchange homepage. Then scroll down to the very bottom where it says Free Language Courses. You can also go to our CLASSifieds section and search for specific languages to view online courses.

    FAQs for People who Teach

    How do I create a profile on the site?
    Just click on this link, or click on the Free Sign Up button in the upper right hand corner.
    What does it cost?
    Nothing. A basic profile is completely free and always will be.
    Do I need to create a login?
    You are NOT required to create a login in order to sign-up and post a teaching profile. However, you will need to create a log-in if you want to reply to student inquiries without giving away your email address, or to edit and update your profile.
    How Do I Activate My Profile?
    After you signup, you will receive an email with a link to activate your profile. The link will be sent to the email address you used to signup. Please check your email settings to make sure you can receive emails from LRNGO.com. If you do not receive this email within 24 hours and you have checked your spam folder, please contact our admin on the Contact Us page.
    Editing Your Profile
    In order to edit your profile, you will need to create a password after clicking in the email that was sent to activate your profile. After you have logged in, click on “Edit My Profile” on the left hand side. You will see all of the information fields pre-filled with the current information that you gave when you signed up. Simply make any changes and complete the profile editing process, then click the submit button to save the changes. If you wish to change your profile picture, you will need to replace it with another suitable picture in order for your profile to be shown, or check the box for no picture to come up last in search results. A suitable picture is an actual photo of your face that does not conflict with our Terms of Use in a file size not exceeding 4MB.
    What Are the Guidelines for Creating a Profile? (What Is Not Allowed?)
    • 1. You must be 18 years of age or over to create a profile or interact with and contact users. Those over 14 are allowed to browse the website only with direct parental supervision.
    • 2. You are not allowed to list as an individual unless you can be contacted as an individual. If you are a company or school listing as an individual with a public email or phone number that does not go directly to the individual listed, your profile will be removed.
    • 3. You are not allowed to have more than one profile, regardless of whether it is registered under another name or another email address. Only one profile per person.
    • 4. You are not allowed to post inappropriate content or redirect to inappropriate content that does not meet our guidelines as defined in our Terms of Use. Inappropriate content includes profanity, racial slurs, false information, false claims, and any content that is blatantly offensive or of a harassing nature to others. LRNGO.com reserves the right to remove, edit, or ban any user profile or portion thereof from this website at any time for any reason and without notice.
    Is my address shown on my profile?
    Your physical address is NOT shown on your profile unless you check the box that says display physical address on my profile. Your address is used in our search algorithm when a student searches for a teacher in their area, and teachers show up higher in search results according to how far they are from the student. The radius that you are willing to travel is NOT factored into our search results. The map shown on your profile page shows only an approximate location of where you are to protect your privacy. If you want to show a physical address on your profile, you can either check the box to display your physical address, include it as contact information in the “About Me” box, or create or upload a resume with the information there. Please remember that you are responsible for any decision to show personal contact information in public view.
    Is my email address shown on my profile?
    No, by default your email address is not shown on your profile to protect your privacy, and we will not sell your email address to 3rd parties. When you sign up to create a profile, we only use your email address to contact you about important matters, and students can contact you through the contact form on your profile. If you create a login on our site, your username is the email address you used to create your profile. If you want to show your email address or an alternative email address on your profile, you can include it as information in the “About Me” box, or create or upload a resume and include the information there. Please remember that any personal contact information you elect to show is public.
    Is my last name shown on my profile?
    No, only your last initial is shown to protect your privacy. If you want to make your last name public to those who search for instruction, you can include it as information in the “About Me” box, or create or upload your resume PDF and the information will be included there. Please remember any personal contact information that you elect to show is public, and you are solely responsible for your decision to do so.
    Is my phone number shown on my profile?
    You can select whether to show or not show your phone number on your profile. This is optional and we do not require you to give us your phone number to sign up. If you do, we will never contact you by phone unless requested by you or unless there is a serious matter. If you want to show your contact phone number in a less conspicuous place on your profile, you can also create or upload your resume PDF and include the information there, or include it in the “About Me” box. As always, please remember that any personal contact information you elect to show is public, and you are fully responsible for your decision to do so.
    If I don’t want to show my email and phone number on my profile, how do prospective students contact me?
    Every profile page has a contact button on the right hand side, and prospective students can contact you through this pop-up form. The message will then be forwarded to the email address you used during registration. The forwarded email message will include the email address of the student, and you can email the student directly from your email address if you choose. If you have created a login through our site, you also have the option to reply to prospective students using our mailbox messaging system in case you want to keep your email address private. Unlike many other sites, there is never a charge for connecting with students. We want you to get more students and all interaction is free!
    Why is there a limit on the number of Subjects that a teacher can list?
    Believe me, we know there are multi-talented and capable teachers out there who may teach more than 5 or 10 subjects in addition to those who only focus on one! However, for search purposes, we would like you to primarily focus on what you are really an expert at and enjoy teaching the most instead of listing many subjects. This way, users are able to conduct a more functional search, and students are assured that instructors really want to teach the subjects listed. Of course, after establishing a student/instructor or learning exchange relationship, you may reveal or uncover other skills which you or another user want to explore, but use these choices as a starting point. If there are other subjects or sub-categories that you teach or wish to show, we recommend that you include all of that information in the “About Me” box. That way those who search will know that you also teach those additional subjects, and they can factor in that knowledge when making their decision to contact you.
    What if I teach lessons online?
    If you teach lessons online, click on the “I also teach lessons online” box when editing your profile. This allows your profile to be shown in search results in multiple locations to students who may not have teachers in their immediate area. Your profile will also be shown in all of your subject search results AFTER teachers within a 50 mile radius. In some cases, a user may be searching for a subject listing with very few teachers or in a rural area where instruction online is the only option. In these cases you will benefit. We do not facilitate, set up or provide any platform for online instruction on this website, so please make sure you have a way to teach lessons online when claiming your ability to do so. (In other words, don’t say you teach lessons online if you don’t!)
    How can I begin teaching lessons online?
    LRNGO does not provide nor require any specific platform for teaching online, so you are free to pick from the many choices on the web and activate yourself. Most instructors use Skype or some other form of live video chat. There are many platforms now for teaching on the web, so make sure to tell users who inquire which one you are using.
    How Do I Accept Payments?
    LRNGO does not facilitate payment transactions at this time, so you are free to use whatever system you wish and to charge how you like. Most instructors use Paypal. Some charge up front, and some charge after each lesson.
    What is “What would you like to learn”?
    We have a Free Exchange search function for those who wish to teach and learn from each other for free. If you are willing to teach a subject in exchange for learning a subject, list the subjects you are interested in learning under “What would you like to learn.” You can browse profiles and learn from others, or they can contact you if they want to learn a subject that you teach and can teach you a subject that you want to learn. In other words, you can learn from each other for free by exchanging expertise. If you are interested in the possibility of learning a subject from someone in exchange for teaching them one of your subject, please indicate what subjects you would like to learn. If you choose at least one subject under “What would you like to learn” (you may choose up to 10), your profile will also be listed under our Free Exchange search. Your profile under Free Exchange will be identical to your Private Instructors profile, except that rates will not be shown, and the subjects you would like to learn in exchange for something you can teach will be shown. Subjects you would like to learn are only shown in your profile when searching under Free Exchange. For more information about how this works, see What Is This Free Exchange Section? below.
    Profile Picture Guidelines
    Profile pictures must be a frontal photo of your actual face, and cannot include other people’s faces. When you browse and upload your profile picture, the photo will automatically crop to fit specifications. Photo file sizes are limited to 4MB. If you don’t like the way your picture looks, try uploading it again or try uploading another photo. You can also click on the Webcam button to take a picture using your computer's webcam. This feature will require you to click "allow" before the webcam is enabled to take your picture. Make sure that there is sufficient light shining on your face when you take a picture with the webcam.
    About Me Box Guidelines
    The “About Me” box on your profile is where you can write whatever you want about yourself, including your scheduling availability, credentials, and really anything you want, as long as it doesn’t conflict with our Terms of Use. The “About Me” box allows plain text only. Please be aware that any information you show on your profile is public, therefore you may elect to protect yourself against spam emails by not listing your email address. Students can still contact you through the contact form on your profile page. An active link to send people directly to your website of choice is available, and so are optional social icons linking to your pages on Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, LinkedIn and YouTube.

    Rules and Guidelines for uploading your Resume

    You can upload an existing resume to your profile. To do this, your resume needs to be in one of the following acceptable file formats: .doc, .txt, .rtf or .pdf. Your resume will then be converted to a PDF file and shown on your profile as a PDF icon. You can also create a resume from scratch using our resume template, and upon completion it will automatically convert and save on your profile as a PDF. Your PDF resume will be downloadable (but not immediately viewable on your profile) when a user clicks on the PDF resume icon. Please remember that any personal contact information you decide to include, while not immediately visible on your profile, is available to the public to view or download.
    What Are Premium Pay Features?
  • Listing in more than 5 subject categories: a one time payment of $5 for an extra 5 subjects.
  • Create a new category: a one time payment of $5 to create a new category of your choice.
    (Subject to admin approval.)
    • Can I Advertise Company or School Classes?
    Companies and schools with group classes can advertise in class listings on our CLASSifieds page. Local listings in subjects where there are no other ads are free. Please go to our Create an Ad page for more information. You can also access this page and get more information by clicking on the Advertise link in the footer.
    Safety Tips
    The overwhelming majority of people that use LRNGO are trustworthy and well-intentioned. However, it is always very important to take common sense precautions as you normally would in any situation online or offline. Trust your instincts. If you're going somewhere to meet someone, tell a friend or family member where you're going and take your cell phone along if you have one.

    While LRNGO seeks to create a safe place for learning services on the internet, LRNGO does not insure against losses from lessons contracted through LRNGO, does not mediate disputes between users and students or you and anyone who may contact you, and cannot otherwise be responsible in any way for the actions of anyone who contacts you or guarantee safety, results or satisfaction from lessons you may teach as a result of being contacted. We are not an agency, and are not involved in any way in transactions between you and any other individual, or you and any potential new or existing students.

    Avoid Scams

    If you receive a suspicious looking job request through our site, please be aware that it could be a scam. These scams are unfortunately common throughout the internet, and our site is occasionally a target as well. The good news is that they are easy to spot, and once you know what to look for, you can protect yourself and help keep scammers away from LRNGO.

    The most common scam to watch out for is if a "student" or someone on behalf of a student wants to send you a fake money order or cashiers check as pre-payment for tutoring (usually a large amount and often from a foreign location). They will later request a partial refund and hope you refund them with real money before discovering that the money order or cashiers check is fake.

    How to spot a scam:

    Most scams involve one or more of the following:

  • Inquiry from someone far away, often in another country
  • Western Union, Money Gram, certified checks, or a money order
  • Inability or refusal to meet face-to-face before completing a transaction

    • Follow these simple rules:

  • Never accept money orders or certified checks (cashier's checks) as payment
  • Never wire someone funds via Western Union or Money Gram, especially to a foreign country
  • Don't deal with clients or students who are reluctant to meet with you in person or speak on the phone
  • Authenticate the identity of all those you communicate with before making any online transaction or further plans to communicate outside of the site.
  • One way to authenticate whether a person you are communicating with is who they say they are is to contact them directly through their employer (via email or phone), or in some cases directly through LinkedIn.

    • By working together we can help keep LRNGO safe from scammers!

    If you receive a suspicious looking email:
    Flag it and the user will be blocked from sending email on our site. This is the number one thing you can do to keep LRNGO safe and prevent scammers.

    Information on how to recognize scams.

    FAQs for Free Exchange

    What Is this Free Exchange Section?

    Is there a subject or activity you can teach? Is there a subject or activity you have always wanted to learn or would like to improve? Search by subject and location to find others near you or online from anywhere in the world, then make a match and meet up to exchange knowledge and skills. For instance: I'll teach you a 1/2 hour of Spanish if you teach me a 1/2 hour of English, or I'll teach you an hour of photography if you teach me an hour of web design. Meet one-on-one in a public place to learn from each other, like a library or a cafe, or online using any live video chat (like Skype).


    When you teach you learn, and when you learn you teach—and that my friends, makes the world a better place. So go ahead and search for what you want to learn. Maybe someone nearby or online can help you with your interests, and is looking for someone to learn from with skills like you. Besides, if you make the right match, it costs you nothing but time—and we have yet to find anyone who can beat the price of free.

    Examples & Guidelines

    Examples: (fill in your own ideas)


    LANGUAGES: If you can help me learn Spanish, I can help you learn Chinese.

    HOMEWORK: If you can help me with calculus, I can help you with English literature.

    ACTIVITIES: If you can teach me a one hour piano lesson, I can teach you an hour of golf.

    HELP: If you can teach me to fix my computer, I can teach you website marketing.


    Guidelines:


  • If someone contacts you to exchange lessons and does not have a LRNGO.com profile, we encourage you to ask them to create one before you will trade. You can even tell them this is in our guidelines. Tell them you would have to wonder why someone won’t create a profile since it's free, and at least then you will have an idea of who you are talking to.

  • Use our messaging system to chat until you feel comfortable enough to meet in person. Before meeting in person, discuss in detail any questions about knowledge or prior teaching experience, what your goals are, and what is expected from both parties. Always insist on meeting in a public or neutral place for the first lesson or for any lessons thereafter for as long as you are comfortable (see Safety Tips).

  • The idea is to exchange lessons of the same amount of time (ie: 1 hour for 1 hour, or a 1/2 hour for a 1/2 hour). Start with one lesson and see how it goes before you put more on your calendar.

  • If the initial learning exchange turns into regular lessons, don’t give two lessons in a row or receive an extra lesson in advance without receiving one in return unless you have a clear understanding of what is expected.

  • Make sure you contact each other as soon as possible if you need to cancel a scheduled lesson or meeting and try to give each other plenty of notice. An emergency may happen once in a while, but nothing will end the deal faster than a no-show.

  • Do NOT contact any user repeatedly about trading lessons if they are not interested.

  • Remember the golden rule and treat others as you would have them treat you.
    • How do I Contact a User to Exchange lessons?
    You can contact users through the contact form on their profile page. This sends the user a message, and an email notifies them that a message was received so they can login to LRNGO and get back to you. Your profile picture will be included in the message, and the user can click on it to view your profile. As long as you are logged in, you can message back and forth through the site as much as you like without ever giving out your personal email. You can also choose to communicate directly through your personal email at any time if you decide you are comfortable enough with the other user to connect outside of the site.
    Safety Tips
    The overwhelming majority of people that use LRNGO are trustworthy and well-intentioned. Nevertheless, it's very important to take common sense precautions as you normally would online and offline. If someone wants to exchange lessons with you, make sure that they first have a LRNGO profile. When meeting someone for the first time, please remember the following:

  • Don't give out any personal information online.
  • Always insist on meeting in a public or neutral place for the first time, and for lessons thereafter as long as you are comfortable. Do not meet in a secluded place or invite strangers into your home.
  • If you're going somewhere to meet someone, tell a friend or family member where you're going and take your cell phone along if you have one.
  • Consider having a friend accompany you.
  • Trust your instincts.

    • While LRNGO seeks to create a safe place for learning services on the Internet, LRNGO does not insure against losses from lessons contracted through LRNGO, does not mediate disputes between any users or students and any of the teachers listed on LRNGO, and cannot otherwise be responsible in any way for the actions of anyone listed on LRNGO or guarantee results or satisfaction from lessons received as a result of contacting any of the individuals listed on LRNGO.


    Information on how to recognize scams.

    Still can't find an answer to your question? Contact Us!