What is a reasonable monthly budget for elementary English education?

We are often asked how much families should spend on elementary English education each month. Ask around, and you will get different answers. Some families use just one academy, while others use three services by combining a tablet program with video lessons.

You cannot judge by comparing prices alone. Even for the same amount of money, the time a child spends engaging with English can differ. So this article does not suggest a reasonable amount. It explains how to assess the current state of your household’s spending.

The calculation is simple. Divide your monthly English spending by the time your child spent on English that month. Once you have this number, there is no need to compare your spending with other families.

01Convert it into an hourly rate

If you pay 50,000 won a month for one 40-minute lesson a week, the monthly learning time is about 2 hours and 40 minutes. That is around 19,000 won per hour. If you use a program for 20 minutes every day for the same 50,000 won, that is 10 hours a month and 5,000 won per hour.

Of course, time is not everything. Live lessons with a person have a different level of intensity. Still, if there is a large difference in the hourly cost, it is worth checking whether there is a good reason for it. Looking at how many times your child actually spoke and how much correction they received will also help you decide.

There is one point to keep in mind. Divide by the time actually used, not the time paid for. If you paid for two sessions a week but completed only five in a month, five sessions is the number to use in the calculation.

02Is an all-subject package cheaper?

An all-subject tablet program costs less in total than subscribing to each subject separately. That is natural because everything is bundled into one package.

However, the calculation changes when you look at English alone. If the monthly fee is 60,000 won and English accounts for 10 minutes of 40 minutes of daily study, one-quarter of the fee is effectively allocated to English. Converted into time, the monthly English study time is under 5 hours.

Whether an all-subject program is inexpensive depends on your goal. It is advantageous if the goal is to manage several subjects evenly. If the goal is to improve English alone, an accurate comparison requires calculating only the portion allocated to English.

03Hidden costs

This varies by company. Please check the official information before paying.

The third item is the one most often overlooked. Some providers require you to repay the discounts received if you end a discounted contract early. This is stated in the contract, so read it before you begin.

04How to set a budget

If you set the amount first and then look for something that fits it, the result is usually neither one thing nor the other. It is better to reverse the order.

First, decide how much time your child can make for English each day. 20 minutes on weekdays is a little over 7 hours a month. Then choose how to fill that time, and look at the cost last. This prevents you from adding an expensive service when your child does not have the time for it.

Use the same order when you have more room in your budget and want to spend more. Before increasing the amount, see whether you can increase the time. If the time does not increase and only the cost does, the hourly rate simply goes up.

05When you need to cut back

There may come a time when circumstances require you to reduce spending. A common response is to stop everything and start again later. But with English, a child falls back during the time away.

Even when cutting back, it is better not to stop completely. You could reduce two sessions a week to one, or temporarily pause live lessons and keep only self-study. If your child continues to engage with English every day, even briefly, they will not have to start from the beginning when they increase their study again later.

Ask whether there is an option to pause temporarily. Some providers charge an installation fee again or require another assessment if you cancel and then re-enroll. Pausing can sometimes cost less overall, but the maximum number of months and how many times per year it is allowed vary by company.

06When you have two children

The calculation becomes more complicated when you have two children. Separate services double the cost, while bundling them into one may not suit one of them.

If the service allows you to add an account, first ask how much it costs. It is often cheaper than opening another new account. However, separate accounts are needed to keep learning records from being mixed together, so avoid having two children share one account.

If there is a large age gap, it is difficult to place both children in the same program. In this case, it is better to give more weight to the older child and start the younger child with something less demanding. The younger child has time, so there is no need to rush.

If a learning device is provided, check whether both children can share one device. Some providers allow children to use it at different times, while others require one device per child. This can make a large difference to the total cost.