Improving/Learning to swim

Admittedly for adults learning to swim the frontcrawl can be quite daunting. This is probably why I’d always start to teach it first and then progress to the other strokes. The first thing I would ask is how comfortable you are in the water? The fact that people face is in the water, they tend to rush everything and never get any rhythm. I know it’s hard but you relax and just get used to the movements, then you can speed it up later. This is a hard balance as if you don’t move your arms or legs fast enough, you go nowhere.

I’d start by concentrating on legs only to get you started. When you’re comfortable with that and they come quite naturally, you can attempt to bring in the arms. Maybe one at a time. If you’re using a float hold it out on front and just practice your kicking. Then progress to holding the end of the board, kicking and do the pull with one arm and back to holding the board. In the same attempt, now try the other arm. By holding the board it slows everything down and gives you support (physical and mental )

The biggest thing by far is to relax and take your time in the beginning. If you’ve ever seen very good competitive swimmers, they make it look gracefully and easy. Long, smooth, relaxed strokes. I always see people build themselves up, throw themselves into a short burst of frontcrawl with arms flaying around and then trying to stand as quickly as possible with a look on their faces like “thank god I survived”. Relax.

I would always get in with my clients but it's not always the case with all teachers. Also there are some advantages to being on the bank to watch the strokes. So I'd end up being in and out during the time.

Floats and kickboards would be available at most pools. Just ask the lifeguard nicely to borrow one. They may just be keeping the bank tidy or stopping the kids messing with them.

One thing on the legs. Dont get too bogged down trying to get really fast at it. I'd focus enough so you can do it naturally and without thinking too hard at it. But you don't need to be flying along on kick only - not yet anyways. Plus I've seen adults where no matter how hard they try, they never get anywhere with the kick only. It doesn't stop them progressing with the stroke but when you're learning from scratch - learn correctly.

Kicking enough to stop your legs sinking and messing up your body position - anything over that is a bonus.

Good luck

Not totally sure what you mean by expect? As for the actual organisation or structure of the lessons – I’m not sure. It’ll depend on where you go. It’ll be adult lessons though so probably starting in the shallow end and the teacher may be in the water or on the bank.
As for progression and learning to swim, this will depend on how comfortable you are in the water. Just remember that the teacher is not going to ask you to do anything unsafe or outside your capability. So just try everything and try to enjoy it as much as possible because once you’re comfortable in the water, the rest will come much quicker.

Good luck.