As we approach the start of 2018, ‘learning a new language’ is a popular New Year’s Resolution for many of us.
For the committed, finding a private teacher or language classes in your local city may be your first instinct.
But what if you don’t want to pay the obscene ~$300/week price and deal with the headaches of commuting?
Rype, a monthly subscription for private language lessons, may be the solution.
Members can book private language lessons online with handpicked professional teachers, anytime of the day, anywhere in the world.
Best of all, founder Sean Kim shares that it costs a fraction of the price that you would be paying at a leading language school.
Today, over 150,000 lessons have been taken by its members, and they’re constantly expanding its language offerings.
But starting Rype was not easy or sexy.
Before starting the company, Sean was living in South America after dropping out of college and flopping on another business.
“I’ve been living there for 5 months, and I could barely have a conversation with a native speaker,” he said. “Living in a Spanish-speaking country with native speakers didn’t help if I couldn’t find the time to learn consistently.”
That’s when the idea of Rype was born.
“Initially, I was basically a full-time matchmaker. I called up a Spanish teacher I used to work with, and introduced her to all of my friends who wanted to learn Spanish. She was the only teacher we had for weeks.”
What seems to differentiate Rype is the simple and affordable pricing it offers its members.
With a Rype membership you can book up to daily lessons and gain access to a diversified selection of handpicked professional teachers. Given this model, it’s a similar concept to the hot startup, ClassPass.
Sean says that the mission of Rype is to make lifestyle learning as ubiquitous as a gym membership. His long-term vision is to broaden out its membership offerings beyond languages, including health, music, and more.
“The magic we’ve created is getting two people to connect live online. The knowledge that gets transferred once this happens is limitless.”
Want to get inspired? Check out one of Rype’s members who recorded his journey to learning a new language in 180 days.
Support HuffPost
Our 2024 Coverage Needs You
Your Loyalty Means The World To Us
At HuffPost, we believe that everyone needs high-quality journalism, but we understand that not everyone can afford to pay for expensive news subscriptions. That is why we are committed to providing deeply reported, carefully fact-checked news that is freely accessible to everyone.
Whether you come to HuffPost for updates on the 2024 presidential race, hard-hitting investigations into critical issues facing our country today, or trending stories that make you laugh, we appreciate you. The truth is, news costs money to produce, and we are proud that we have never put our stories behind an expensive paywall.
Would you join us to help keep our stories free for all? Your contribution of as little as $2 will go a long way.
As Americans head to the polls in 2024, the very future of our country is at stake. At HuffPost, we believe that a free press is critical to creating well-informed voters. That's why our journalism is free for everyone, even though other newsrooms retreat behind expensive paywalls.
Our journalists will continue to cover the twists and turns during this historic presidential election. With your help, we'll bring you hard-hitting investigations, well-researched analysis and timely takes you can't find elsewhere. Reporting in this current political climate is a responsibility we do not take lightly, and we thank you for your support.
Contribute as little as $2 to keep our news free for all.
Dear HuffPost Reader
Thank you for your past contribution to HuffPost. We are sincerely grateful for readers like you who help us ensure that we can keep our journalism free for everyone.
The stakes are high this year, and our 2024 coverage could use continued support. Would you consider becoming a regular HuffPost contributor?
Dear HuffPost Reader
Thank you for your past contribution to HuffPost. We are sincerely grateful for readers like you who help us ensure that we can keep our journalism free for everyone.
The stakes are high this year, and our 2024 coverage could use continued support. If circumstances have changed since you last contributed, we hope you’ll consider contributing to HuffPost once more.
Support HuffPostAlready contributed? Log in to hide these messages.