How to choose an English course

Signs of a good English course Key thoughts Useful information

"A good teacher knows how to bring out the best in his or her students." - Charles Kuralt

There are many English courses - face-to-face and remote, individual and group, with feedback or without support. Everyone chooses for themselves the format they like, but the main thing is that the product meets the key requirements of an effective training program.

We have already written separate materials about them, in this article we will summarize the question of what principles should be used to build an effective English course.

Signs of a good English course

The high price and the big name of the teacher or methodologist often says nothing about the quality of the course. And if you want to get real results from classes individually or in a group, before paying for admission, be sure to study the program and clarify the methods used.

So, it's great when the methodological program of the English course is built on the basis of spaced repetitions. It is also beneficial when spaced repetition is used by a tutor in one-to-one work with a student. And most importantly, first of all, the course should be aimed at ensuring that you become comfortable with the most common words, phrases and language structures. This way you can quickly learn how to write real sentences, just like the average native English speaker does.

It's ideal when the group is small, and individual lessons are held in a comfortable place. We will immediately mention the importance of compatibility between teacher and student: if you are not ready to listen to the teacher and delve into his or her words, then it is better not to spend money on the course - results will be more difficult to achieve.

Otherwise, courses are an accelerator for writing well in English. Some people learn the language unaided more effectively than others on long courses. Therefore, when choosing, proceed from your own preferences and the coincidence of views and goals with the author or teacher of the course.

Key thoughts

A high-profile teacher's name and aggressive advertising are not necessarily signs of an excellent English language course.
Before enrolling and paying tuition, you need to carefully study the program and compare it with your goals - whether the course will help you to achieve what you are striving for.
Only use courses if the format suits you, as this is just one approach to improving your written English proficiency.