OCtober 2009
Group vs private lessons
It’s important to get what you want from your ski lessons. You only have a limited amount of holiday time and you want to make the most of it. Nearly all ski schools offer the choice of group or private lessons.
Which is right for you?
With a private lesson, you can choose when, where and how many people you want to learn with (and of course which people you want to learn with). Private lessons give you the chance to ask an instructor to work on a specific aspect of your technique. You could choose a particularly challenging slope that you’d like help in conquering. Or you can ask not to be taught anything at all and simply be shown around the mountain by someone who knows all the best spots to go to.
Group lessons (or ‘ski school’ as they’re sometimes referred to) offer a different learning experience. In a group lesson, you learn with other skiers of a similar ability. Although there is generally less flexibility in where the group meet / ski each day, they are usually more social times and improving with fellow learners is often very encouraging and supportive. Not only can you learn from your own successes and failures, but from those of your fellow learners too! The final reason to choose a group lessons is a financial one: Per hour, group lessons are always significantly cheaper than private lessons.
When choosing group lessons…
Most importantly, ask how many skiers or snowboarders are in a group. Large groups mean the instructor’s attention is diluted and they have less time to look at your skiing individually and give you personal feedback on your technique. That’s why an instructor with a large group might resort to asking a group to “follow me” or giving generic tips like “bend ze knees” (you won’t hear either of these phrases in a Summit group as we guarantee a maximum of 6 in a group).
Also, check out the format of the lessons. Do you want to spend your whole holiday in ski school? What time off do you have to ski with your friends, practice what you’ve learnt or visit the hotel pool?
Questions to ask when choosing a group lesson:
Is the group skiing at my level?
What am I going to learn?
Does the instructor speak a language I understand well enough to learn anything?
How many people are there in the group?
