If you book your 2010 English course until the end of 2009 we’ll offer
you 2009 fees. Don’t miss this chance.
Thursday 19 November 2009
Book your English course in London now for 2010 and get 2009 fees!
If you book your 2010 English course until the end of 2009 we’ll offer
you 2009 fees. Don’t miss this chance.
Tuesday 10 November 2009
One-to-One English language immersion courses – do they work?
As an English school in London that offers One-to-One English language immersion courses, the question of do they work is often debated by our academic staff, and as with many subjects dependent on many variables, the resultant conclusion is often…it depends.
Depends on what…well, the main ingredients are the school and its ethos, which flows down into the teachers used and the academic management employed to oversee and direct the course. Equally important is the English language level and clarity of objective of the student and last, but of course not least, the motivation and expectation of the student.
Intensive One-to-One English language courses are typically at least 20 hours or more a week. It is quite common for English language schools to define an immersion type course as 30 hours a week or possibly more. One clear implication of this is the importance of the English language level of the student…if a student is of a particularly low level, beginner or elementary, the effectiveness of a 30 hour immersion course is questionable. The ability of a student to concentrate, particularly if the lessons are being conducted in English, is limited and a 30 hour course could well be counter-productive with the student running out of steam halfway through the day! This is an important consideration that needs to be sorted out before the course starts. A 15 hour semi-immersion course would probably best suit the low-level student on the basis of efficient learning.
Of course sales departments might take a different view…..If the customer wanted 30 hours per week then sell the customer student 30 hours per week I hear them say. Of course, this links to the ethos of the school and how professionally and rigorously they approach an individual’s course. Much ‘fancy talk’ surrounds the marketing of One-to-One English immersion courses, but in essence it boils down to establishing clearly and absolutely what a student wants as well as, through assessment, what it is that a student needs. Often referred to theoretically as a ‘negotiated syllabus’, once the ‘wants’ and ‘needs’ are collected and considered, an academic manager would discuss and agree on the syllabus of the course with the student as well as agree with student on realistic and achievable goals. As you might expect, this type of approach best suits students who have well-defined and specific needs and objectives. This often, perhaps a little lazily, is linked to Business English students, but in truth applies across the board to anyone who has a strong motivation to improve their proficiency in English.
An important complement to a thorough and high-quality approach to planning a course would be the selection of teachers to execute the programme. If well-qualified and experienced teaching staff are a given, then the task of matching teacher and student becomes paramount. If pronunciation work is the key focus then the main tutor should be the resident phonology expert. If a key objective is to better communicate in English within a financial context, then the tutor who comes from a financial background should be selected. This matching exercise does pre-suppose that the academic manager of the course is able to draw on a sufficiently large pool of teachers with a good range of backgrounds and expertise. This may or may not be the case and it would be advisable for the student to investigate this aspect when considering buying a course with a particular language school.
So a course gets completed, the student goes home and life goes on…did it work? Was it a successful course? Well customer feedback both written and verbal is a good starting point. One thing for sure, the school has to always set out with the intent of providing an excellent course and if that objective is adhered to in a steadfast manner then one is maximising the possibility of indeed providing an excellent One-to-One English language course.
Read more about our English courses in London.
Depends on what…well, the main ingredients are the school and its ethos, which flows down into the teachers used and the academic management employed to oversee and direct the course. Equally important is the English language level and clarity of objective of the student and last, but of course not least, the motivation and expectation of the student.
Intensive One-to-One English language courses are typically at least 20 hours or more a week. It is quite common for English language schools to define an immersion type course as 30 hours a week or possibly more. One clear implication of this is the importance of the English language level of the student…if a student is of a particularly low level, beginner or elementary, the effectiveness of a 30 hour immersion course is questionable. The ability of a student to concentrate, particularly if the lessons are being conducted in English, is limited and a 30 hour course could well be counter-productive with the student running out of steam halfway through the day! This is an important consideration that needs to be sorted out before the course starts. A 15 hour semi-immersion course would probably best suit the low-level student on the basis of efficient learning.
Of course sales departments might take a different view…..If the customer wanted 30 hours per week then sell the customer student 30 hours per week I hear them say. Of course, this links to the ethos of the school and how professionally and rigorously they approach an individual’s course. Much ‘fancy talk’ surrounds the marketing of One-to-One English immersion courses, but in essence it boils down to establishing clearly and absolutely what a student wants as well as, through assessment, what it is that a student needs. Often referred to theoretically as a ‘negotiated syllabus’, once the ‘wants’ and ‘needs’ are collected and considered, an academic manager would discuss and agree on the syllabus of the course with the student as well as agree with student on realistic and achievable goals. As you might expect, this type of approach best suits students who have well-defined and specific needs and objectives. This often, perhaps a little lazily, is linked to Business English students, but in truth applies across the board to anyone who has a strong motivation to improve their proficiency in English.
An important complement to a thorough and high-quality approach to planning a course would be the selection of teachers to execute the programme. If well-qualified and experienced teaching staff are a given, then the task of matching teacher and student becomes paramount. If pronunciation work is the key focus then the main tutor should be the resident phonology expert. If a key objective is to better communicate in English within a financial context, then the tutor who comes from a financial background should be selected. This matching exercise does pre-suppose that the academic manager of the course is able to draw on a sufficiently large pool of teachers with a good range of backgrounds and expertise. This may or may not be the case and it would be advisable for the student to investigate this aspect when considering buying a course with a particular language school.
So a course gets completed, the student goes home and life goes on…did it work? Was it a successful course? Well customer feedback both written and verbal is a good starting point. One thing for sure, the school has to always set out with the intent of providing an excellent course and if that objective is adhered to in a steadfast manner then one is maximising the possibility of indeed providing an excellent One-to-One English language course.
Read more about our English courses in London.
Thursday 5 November 2009
Ten Tips for Learning English as a Second Language
Through the years, St George International has hosted thousands of foreign students who have studied English courses in our English school in London. Although we like to think that SGI London is one of the best (if not the best) place on Earth to learn English, we’re aware that sometimes it can be difficult to learn a foreign language. Many students have asked the question: “What is the best way to learn a new language?” so we decided to write a few tips for you.
1.Wanting to learn
This may seem obvious, but if you’re not really committed to learn a new language, no class and no book in the world will be able to help you. You have to really want to learn the language otherwise it’s just too difficult. Just be honest with yourself, think about the reasons you want to study English and find your motivation.
2.Identifying your motivation
After you find your motivation, you need to identify it. Ask yourself “Why do I want to improve my English”? Is it to find a new/better job? To be promoted in your current job? Is it to travel around the world? To go to University? Considering living abroad? Make new friends? Watching a movie without the need for subtitles? There are many reasons to learn English and each person is different. If you think about your motivation and think how improving your English will help you to achieve your goals, it will be easier to stick to the task.
3.Setting your goals.
Once you have identified your motivation, you need to set up your goals to learn English. Those goals will help you to understand which areas you want to work on, see your progress and maintain your motivation.
It’s important to visualize your main goal, but it’s also important to set up small goals along the way that will motivate and encourage you to keep going. Learning a new language is a process.
4.Practice makes perfect
After you have set your goals, you know what you’ll need to practice. Now you need to focus on what needs to be done in order to achieve those goals and do it the correct way. You should understand yourself and how you learn better. For example, do you learn better by reading, doing, seeing or listening? Set time aside for study so you don’t have any excuses not to do it. Make sure to practice areas such as basic grammar, pronunciation and other aspects of the English language.
You should practice at least 5 days a week in order to see any progress. We say “Practice makes perfect, but only if it is the perfect practice”. This means not only practice the right way but having consistency. The more you practice, the better you become at it. For example, at SGI you can practice with other students as well.
5.Expose yourself to English as much as possible
The more you surround yourself with English the more you get used to it and the easier it will be to learn the language. Read books or magazines in English, listen to the radio in English (Windows Media Player has hundreds of radio stations in English), watch TV or movies without lyrics, speak to native English speakers. You will start to recognise sounds, words and phrases and it will become more familiar. Soon you’ll start thinking in English as well! Constructing the sentence in English in your head first is a good way to make fewer mistakes.
6.Increasing your vocabulary
Reading is an excellent way of increasing your vocabulary. You don’t need to read the Oxford dictionary from the beginning until the end, but consider reading everything you possibly can in English. You’ll learn new words.
Note: If you are a beginner, you may want to start off with a bilingual dictionary but once you are past the beginner stage of learning English as a second language, give it to a friend who is a beginner and get yourself a dictionary that is English-English.
7.Having fun
Why not? Learning a new language can be a fun thing to do. And the more you enjoy it, the easier it will be. Read comic books, play a game with a friend who is also learning English as a second language. At SGI for example, we have lots of fun social activities like boat trips, visits to museums, quizzes, etc, where we have lots of fun while also helping our students to improve their English.
8.Cultivate friendships with native English speakers
At SGI there are lots of opportunities to make friendships with other English students, but you can also do it in many other ways. The Internet for example is a wonderful way of meeting people that, like you, are learning English as a second language. Search for learning English groups and communities and find a learning buddy. You can also join the St Georges Facebook group.
9.Finding a good teacher
Using a qualified teacher that understands English is a step in the right direction. A teacher can set you goals and timelines for learning.
10.Acknowledge the progress you've made
If you follow these tips, your English will definitely improve. Remember, be patient….progress comes slowly but surely. Stopping at key stages and acknowledging your improvement is important to keep you motivated and also to celebrate your accomplishment. Sooner or later you will reach your goal!
Learning a new language is a skill that needs constant use. After you learn English and finish your course, you’ll need to continue to practice it otherwise you might lose it. Another language helps you understand the world, different cultures and different perceptions of life. Click here to know more about our English courses in London.
Please feel free to comment here or in our group English School in London on Facebook.
1.Wanting to learn
This may seem obvious, but if you’re not really committed to learn a new language, no class and no book in the world will be able to help you. You have to really want to learn the language otherwise it’s just too difficult. Just be honest with yourself, think about the reasons you want to study English and find your motivation.
2.Identifying your motivation
After you find your motivation, you need to identify it. Ask yourself “Why do I want to improve my English”? Is it to find a new/better job? To be promoted in your current job? Is it to travel around the world? To go to University? Considering living abroad? Make new friends? Watching a movie without the need for subtitles? There are many reasons to learn English and each person is different. If you think about your motivation and think how improving your English will help you to achieve your goals, it will be easier to stick to the task.
3.Setting your goals.
Once you have identified your motivation, you need to set up your goals to learn English. Those goals will help you to understand which areas you want to work on, see your progress and maintain your motivation.
It’s important to visualize your main goal, but it’s also important to set up small goals along the way that will motivate and encourage you to keep going. Learning a new language is a process.
4.Practice makes perfect
After you have set your goals, you know what you’ll need to practice. Now you need to focus on what needs to be done in order to achieve those goals and do it the correct way. You should understand yourself and how you learn better. For example, do you learn better by reading, doing, seeing or listening? Set time aside for study so you don’t have any excuses not to do it. Make sure to practice areas such as basic grammar, pronunciation and other aspects of the English language.
You should practice at least 5 days a week in order to see any progress. We say “Practice makes perfect, but only if it is the perfect practice”. This means not only practice the right way but having consistency. The more you practice, the better you become at it. For example, at SGI you can practice with other students as well.
5.Expose yourself to English as much as possible
The more you surround yourself with English the more you get used to it and the easier it will be to learn the language. Read books or magazines in English, listen to the radio in English (Windows Media Player has hundreds of radio stations in English), watch TV or movies without lyrics, speak to native English speakers. You will start to recognise sounds, words and phrases and it will become more familiar. Soon you’ll start thinking in English as well! Constructing the sentence in English in your head first is a good way to make fewer mistakes.
6.Increasing your vocabulary
Reading is an excellent way of increasing your vocabulary. You don’t need to read the Oxford dictionary from the beginning until the end, but consider reading everything you possibly can in English. You’ll learn new words.
Note: If you are a beginner, you may want to start off with a bilingual dictionary but once you are past the beginner stage of learning English as a second language, give it to a friend who is a beginner and get yourself a dictionary that is English-English.
7.Having fun
Why not? Learning a new language can be a fun thing to do. And the more you enjoy it, the easier it will be. Read comic books, play a game with a friend who is also learning English as a second language. At SGI for example, we have lots of fun social activities like boat trips, visits to museums, quizzes, etc, where we have lots of fun while also helping our students to improve their English.
8.Cultivate friendships with native English speakers
At SGI there are lots of opportunities to make friendships with other English students, but you can also do it in many other ways. The Internet for example is a wonderful way of meeting people that, like you, are learning English as a second language. Search for learning English groups and communities and find a learning buddy. You can also join the St Georges Facebook group.
9.Finding a good teacher
Using a qualified teacher that understands English is a step in the right direction. A teacher can set you goals and timelines for learning.
10.Acknowledge the progress you've made
If you follow these tips, your English will definitely improve. Remember, be patient….progress comes slowly but surely. Stopping at key stages and acknowledging your improvement is important to keep you motivated and also to celebrate your accomplishment. Sooner or later you will reach your goal!
Learning a new language is a skill that needs constant use. After you learn English and finish your course, you’ll need to continue to practice it otherwise you might lose it. Another language helps you understand the world, different cultures and different perceptions of life. Click here to know more about our English courses in London.
Please feel free to comment here or in our group English School in London on Facebook.
Tuesday 3 November 2009
Halloween English tips
Pumpkin: A large, orange vegetable associated with Halloween.
Jack-o-lantern: Traditionally people cut out scary faces in pumpkins and put a candle inside. These pumpkins with faces are called "Jack-o-lanterns." Jack-o-lanterns are made to scare away evil spirits on Halloween.
"trick or treat": On Halloween, children go from house to house and say "trick or treat." This phrase means give me candy or I will play a trick on you. Families usually give the children candy. If the children don't get candy, they sometimes play mean tricks like breaking the house's Jack-o-lantern or putting soap on its windows.
Costume party: A party where everyone dresses in scary costumes.
Goblin: An unkind spirit which plays tricks on people.
Witch: A woman with magic powers.
Warlock: a man with magic powers
Bobbing for apples: This is a traditional Halloween game. You put apples in a barrel of water and people try to take the floating apples out of the water using only their mouths.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
