Quick Answer
For long programmes in workplace English, Talaera is the closest fit: business English training with 1:1 coaching programmes (a $50 trial lesson), self-paced plans from $8 a month and an English for engineers course. Lingoda suits structured live classes (Business English from A1 to B2, including interviews and meetings), Engoo suits cheap, frequent 25-minute lessons, and tutor marketplaces such as Preply, italki and Verbling suit flexible conversation. Mockly English teaches business English for tech with coaches who are practising data engineers, so your practice is about real stand-ups, incidents and design reviews, and the same coaches run tech interview rounds when you need them.
What makes Mockly English different
Mockly English is built for one job: getting non-native engineers and data professionals through tech interviews, and through meetings, in English. Your coach is a practising UK data engineer who also teaches English. They run the real round (coding, system design, SQL and data, behavioural, HR), then correct your English line by line and have you say it again. The first 30 minutes are free with no card; after that it is $50 a session, with no subscription.
⚡ Quick Stats
What Business English Means in Tech
Most business English courses are written for sales, finance and management: negotiation, emails, presentations. Engineers and data professionals use English differently. The hard parts are usually:
- Giving a stand-up or status update that is short and clear.
- Explaining a technical decision to a product manager or a client who does not know the system.
- Disagreeing in a design review or code review without sounding rude, or too soft.
- Running an incident call: what happened, what you are doing, what you need.
- Talking about your own work in a performance review or an interview.
When you compare courses, check whether the practice material is about these situations, and whether the teacher can follow the technical content.
The Courses Compared
| Course | Format | Price (as checked) | Tech-specific? | Read more |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mockly English | Live 1:1 coaching on Google Meet: business English for tech, and tech interview English | $50 a 60-min session; packs of 5/10/20; free 30-min trial | Yes: coaches are practising data engineers | Pricing |
| Talaera | Business English platform: 1:1 coaching programmes, live group speaking practice, AI tutor, self-paced lessons | 1:1: $50 trial lesson, then 3- or 6-month programmes (price not shown); self-paced $8/month; with group practice $15/month | Has an English for engineers course | Mockly vs Talaera |
| Lingoda | 60-minute live classes, small groups (3–5) or private, with a CEFR curriculum | Plans by number of classes, renewing every 4 weeks; 7-day free trial | General business topics: interviews, meetings, negotiation | Mockly vs Lingoda |
| Engoo | 25-minute 1:1 video lessons with Business and Daily News materials | Monthly plans of 8–40 lessons; sale prices when checked | General business materials | Mockly vs Engoo |
| Preply, italki, Verbling | Marketplaces of independent tutors over video | Tutors set their own prices; Verbling lists English from $7 an hour | Depends entirely on the tutor | English tutors compared |
| Loora | AI English tutor app with Business English modules | US App Store: $14.99–$19.99/month | General business scenarios | Mockly vs Loora |
| Speak for Business | Business conversation courses and role plays in the Speak app, with an admin portal for companies | Company plans; consumer price shown in the app | General business scenarios | Mockly vs Speak |
Facts come from each provider's own site or US App Store listing, checked between 24 October and 10 November 2026. Several providers ran sales or showed prices in other currencies, so check before you pay.
Which Course for Which Situation
- You want steady improvement over six months, and your company may pay: Talaera's 1:1 programmes, or Lingoda's classes.
- You want to speak every day for little money: Engoo's 25-minute lessons or an AI tutor such as Loora.
- You want a flexible tutor you choose yourself: Preply, italki or Verbling. Book a trial and ask the tutor to practise a real meeting from your week.
- Your meetings are technical and general teachers cannot follow them: Mockly English. The coach understands pipelines, SQL and system design, so the feedback is about how you explain the actual work.
- You have an interview loop coming: switch to interview practice. Mockly's coaches run coding, system design and behavioural rounds in English. See what interview coaching costs.
Insight
In the trial, explain one technical decision from your last month at work, in two minutes. If the teacher cannot ask a sensible follow-up question, they cannot correct how you explain technical work.
Getting Your Employer to Pay
Many companies have a learning budget that covers language and communication training. Talaera, for example, says many of its learners are reimbursed and provides invoices and proof of enrolment.
- Tie the request to your work: clearer stand-ups, design reviews, client calls.
- Ask for a fixed number of sessions with a review date, not an open subscription.
- Bring a before-and-after: record a two-minute explanation of your work now, and again after the sessions.
Mockly prices (as of November 2026)
- Mockly: a free 30-minute trial with a coach on Google Meet. No card and no subscription.
- Mockly: live 60-minute 1:1 sessions are pay-as-you-go. One session is $50; packs of 5 ($237.50), 10 ($450) or 20 ($850) cost less per session. Credits last 12 months and work with either coach.
- Mockly: Premium is the self-study course at $9.99/month, or $59.99/year, with a 7-day free trial. It does not include a coaching session and you do not need it to book one.
Verdict
Talaera and Lingoda are the strongest general business English courses; Engoo and tutor marketplaces are cheaper and more flexible. If your English problems show up in technical conversations, a coach who is also an engineer, as at Mockly English, gives feedback a general teacher cannot.
Talk to an engineer-coach first
Book a free 30-minute Google Meet with Sophie or Tom. No card, no subscription. You practise a short interview-style prompt in English and leave with a plan for what to work on next.
Book a Free Trial →