As a teacher I would say 'It depends on the student'. For a teacher from another culture (or persective) I can't really comment on what their process might be and I don't think it's possible to genetralise. I am not like most British teachers, even. I teach 4 and 5 year old Chinese kids (sometimes with no English as all and that is very demanding, but possible in time). Most kids come with some basics. When I teach adults, I attract and aim for older adults who know something about who they are, have concrete ideas about why they want what they want (from me or from themselves) and most of all have time and a desire for deeper conversations and broader purposes to the sessions. italki is a place where I only ocassionally meet students: Even more rarely are they the ideal I described. For every adult student I build an individual framework, based on their 'level' - and as the weeks progress, and we learn more about our interactions, so the framework is adjusted or modified until eventually it isn't generally necessary. For most Kids, I use base and ongoing assesments to gauge levels (which parents sometimes want to see). All my students keep to a strict weekly session schedule (but can arrange reshceduling or holiday breaks) and have 24/7 access to me with whatsApp or Wechat messaging. I work 7 days a week; 2-5 hours a day. Almost every new relationship starts at the place where the student is, and ideally every teacher applies in their personal skills to learn who their student is and continually adjusts as the student grows. Some of my students have been with me, weekly for 4 years: Sometimes, I have taught entire famillies over genrations and years. I love what I do - I think that matters. Variety proves the pattern of success.

Every teacher is different. They don't follow the same method or plan or curriculum. Italki isn't like a school, it's like a marketplace. Check each teacher's description. Every teacher has a "contact teacher" button, so you can send them a message.

I think most are happy to teach from square one. I have seen a couple who only teach advanced. Look at their details just to make sure.

If they offer A1/beginner's classes, they should be able to teach you from scratch. No need to have any prior knowledge.

On italki, teachers are happy to teach from square one. You don't need to know how to have a conversation in the language you're learning. They tailor lessons to your proficiency level, whether you're a complete beginner or more advanced.