How to choose English courses?

If you have passed the English level test and realized that many of the tasks seem too difficult for you, do not despair! You can enroll in English courses and immediately after them it will be much easier for you to study with us for a TEFL/TESOL certificate.

But here a natural question arises.

Which courses do you prefer?

A large number of different proposals is confusing:

• How to navigate among the huge variety of English courses?
• How not to make a mistake with the choice of course?
• How to get the maximum knowledge at the end of training?

Let's figure it out.

Learning Format

If you want to attend offline classes, then you should select a list of those that are easiest for you to get to. Consider travel time and safe learning conditions: social distance, room size, windows for ventilation.

The best option, in our opinion, would be to choose online courses. In addition to significant savings in time and money on travel, it is much safer for your health. In addition, some organizations make discounts for the remote format, so be sure to ask if the selected company provides remote lessons.

Methodology

The most important aspect that is often overlooked is the method by which you will be taught. In this matter, it is worth starting from your goal. If you want to quickly master fluent English, then choose a communicative technique or the Igor Shekhter Method. If the main task is a well-learned foundation of English, we recommend giving preference to the method of Ilya Frank, Dragunkin or eidetics.

In any case, you need to choose those English courses, where 80% of the time is devoted to practice. Another important quality factor is the number of students in the group. The best effect of learning with a normal percentage of attention from the teacher is 6 people in the group.

Always check whether study materials are included in the price, because there are times when you have to spend extra money on books and workbooks. It’s even better to ask right away how textbooks are selected. The best option would be to choose an individual study guide based on your level and goals.

Control system

It is worth paying close attention to the attendance control and evaluation system. Is there a final test or working off missed classes? Do teachers give grades and how do they affect the certificate? An excellent indicator for courses is considered to be personally developed software with a personal account for the possibility of evaluating progress, receiving feedback on homework, as well as for reporting.

Rating and reviews

Google review analysis is just as relevant now as it was a few years ago. Read the comments in the company profiles, note for yourself the questions that arise in the process of analysis and ask them without hesitation.

Remember that bad indicators are employee turnover, hidden fees, negative feedback from students about the quality of teaching. Particularly advanced users can find those who have previously worked and ask them all their questions. We leave it up to you!

Trial lesson

If there is an opportunity to attend the first lesson for free, use it. During the lesson, you will immediately determine the attitude towards students, the quality of the teaching material, the level of knowledge of teachers, the number of students in the group or the quality of the remote lesson.

In addition to technical points, you will also understand whether you like the presentation of the material, whether the methodology suits you, whether the tutor is interesting to you.

Ask what bonuses you can offer. These include online libraries or access to paid video resources, conversation clubs or parties with native speakers, training, loyalty programs.

Teachers

The speed, completeness and quality of your result depends on the quality of knowledge of these people. There is nothing wrong with asking if the teaching staff has TESOL, TEFL, DELTA, CELTA, ICELT or IELTS/TOEFL. The last 2 indicate a high level of English proficiency, while the first 5 are preferable, because in these certification courses people are taught pedagogy.

No less important are Soft skills of the teacher - his communication skills, creativity, the ability to win over people and create a pleasant atmosphere in the classroom.

An indicative moment is the presence of its own methodological base for teaching teachers in the courses. Selection, advanced training, professional development of personnel are important factors that increase the credibility of the courses and indicate a high level of professionalism.

Cost of classes

Before making a payment for a month or a year, specify how long the lesson lasts - an hour or 45 minutes, or 120 minutes. The cheapest level is A1, all subsequent ones will be more expensive. This is fine.

Individual lessons, training in mini-groups or in regular groups also vary in price. A teacher-carrier will cost you 1.5-2 times more. There are no right options here - you should choose the one that suits you.

Purposefulness

If you have a specific goal, for example, to move abroad and take IELTS, choose courses where coaches have experience of successfully passing this exam and demonstrative cases with the results of their students. In addition, there is training for work and business, for tests like the USE, for travel, etc. Think about what you may need the language for in the future and go for it.

Why is it worth learning English?

English is no longer a luxury. This is a must for those who want to earn above average salaries and develop as a professional.

Even if you are worried that it is difficult for you to make time because of your studies or work, you can find courses with adaptive lessons and remote teaching. It all depends on your desire!

Thus, if you want to travel the world or plan to move to sunny San Francisco, work in an international company or teach students, you definitely need knowledge of English.