Eight Things to Expect When You Study English

At its simplest level, when you choose to study English you expect to learn the English language and have some level of confidence in writing and speaking English. However, English courses do vary in terms of quality and it is important to understand what you can expect from a reputable English school and high quality English course.

#1: Although there is a significant international demand to learn and know English, do be aware that not all English schools are the same. Do some research to find out all that you can about the providers in which you are most interested to ensure that their courses and approach to students will meet your needs.

#2: As with high quality courses of many different types, you should expect to be treated as an individual and for the English school to (within reason) tailor programs and courses to meet your needs.

#3: When you study English, you can and should expect attention to be given to the development of your ability to speak, comprehend and respond to everyday English. With this, your skill and confidence with the grammar that underpins the English language should simultaneously increase so that you have a greater range of structures and expressions to use when conversing or presenting in English.

#4: Many students embark on an English course in order to be able to read and write English more confidently and effectively. This may seem like an obvious thing, but it is an essentially important expectation. As a student studying through an English school, you can reasonably expect to see great improvements in your ability to read and write English.

#5: The ability to speak English well is important to many students. A quality course will support the expansion of a student’s vocabulary and help them to work on their pronunciation and expression when using the oral form of the language.

#6: One of the single most significant factors in whether an individual is able to read and write English well is confidence. Frequently, students begin a course with a low level of confidence and some trepidation about the studies that await them. However, a quality English course will help students to grow in confidence so that they are able to read and write English knowing that they are more skilled and capable. Carefully designed classroom activities are often effective in supporting students to grow in confidence with their use of the English language.

#7: It is one thing for an English course to up-skill students while they are active participants in the course, but the highest quality courses seek to provide students with the resources and opportunities to learn on an on-going basis and beyond the conclusion of the course. Ideally, students’ skills will continue to grow long after the formal course has finished.

#8: When you embark on a credible and high quality English course, the ways that assessments will be done should be transparent and explained to you. Many schools use tests, examinations and other means to measure students’ progress and mastery and it is important that you know exactly how your performance will be determined.

Studying English can lead to some incredible benefits in terms of business, your employment prospects and the opportunities that will be available to you wherever you are in the world. Before embarking on any English studies, it is important that you are clear about what you can and should expect from a quality course and the possible outcomes following your completion of a course.

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