English courses : everything you need to know

For those who made a New Year's promise to learn a foreign language, but still have not decided on the  English courses  and the form of acquiring new knowledge, we suggest that you familiarize yourself with the main criteria and pitfalls in order to facilitate your choice in an abundance of offers on the market for these services.

In this article we will try to give the most detailed answer to the question of how to choose en iyi ingilizce kursu şişli This will be especially useful for those who are looking for English courses for the first time.

Choosing English courses like a pro

Having a wide selection of English courses is, of course, great, but, on the other hand, such a number of options "increases the chances" of facing not the best specialists, self-taught or other unpleasant situations related to payments, guarantees or quality of education.

Let's start with a goal

As with any business or project, first decide on the goal you are pursuing and the time frame when you want to achieve the desired level and skills. Often, our goals in learning English are quite abstract: “I want to understand and speak”, “I want fluent English”, “I just want to speak, no grammar”, “I just want to communicate in English”. Decide why you need this modern communication tool:

• to move to another country;
• for business and business correspondence;
• for passing the international exam IELTS, TOEFL, GMAT;
• mastering narrow professional vocabulary;
• to work on the Internet.

You can learn English not only on courses

Based on the goal, you can start choosing a practical English course. Obviously, if you are interested in something very specific, it is better to double-check whether the language courses can really meet all your requirements.

You can conditionally divide the study of a foreign language into several forms:

• a full course of English at a school or university;
• studying in English courses , in private language centers, with the help of a tutor;
• independent study of English through films, video tutorials, songs, YouTube channels;
• learning English on internships abroad, participation in au-pair, Work & Travel programs;
• using mobile applications.

If in the past, offline methods of learning a language had the upper hand, that is, in the classroom, with a teacher or tutor. In recent years, online methods have become more and more popular, for example, skype classes. Young people, especially digital natives, i.e. people who were born and raised in the era of technology and the Internet are increasingly choosing an online English course instead of attending offline courses. But most still prefer traditional forms and methods.

What to look for when choosing English courses?

When looking for English language courses with a traditional form of study, i.e. in a classroom with a teacher, pay attention to the following basic criteria:

• The size of the group in foreign courses .  According to the teachers and the students themselves, the most comfortable number of group members is 6-8 people. It is with such a composition that it is convenient to practice basic skills, and everyone gets the optimal dose of attention, especially for a basic English course. After all, beginners need a lot of support and attention.
  
  
• The level of teachers in the courses .  Education, experience, teaching internships, availability of international certificates such as:
  
  TESOL (Teaching English to the Speakers of Other Languages),
  TKT (Teaching Knowledge Test),
  CLIL (Content and Language Integrated Learning),
  KAL (Knowledge about Language),
  CELTA (Certificate in Teaching English to Speakers of Other languages),
  DELTA (Diploma in Teaching English to Speakers of Other languages),
  ICELT (In-service Certificate in English Language Teaching),
  BULATS (The Business Language Testing Service)
  directly affect the quality and the speed of your learning.
  
  
• Teachers  are  native English speakers. Having a native speaker is undoubtedly an advantage for the image and rating of English courses . But do not rush to grab this "advertising duck". Very often, the word "native" means a person who simply does not know your native language, and not a true American or British. It can be African or German, for whom English is as foreign as it is for us. Moreover, the ability to speak English will not make an ordinary school bus driver a talented teacher of an English training course, that is, a native speaker must have teaching experience and use methodological tools, and not sit out classes.
  
  
• The cost of English courses c . Various English courses offer prices for every wallet. Before starting your search, decide what is more important to you, price or quality, and start your research. Based on the professionalism of the teachers, the popularity of the institution, the duration of the course, the price of training in  can vary significantly. The cost of English courses is  also influenced by the time of classes, the size of the group, and the location of the office. Oftentimes, evening classes are more expensive and groups will be overcrowded. Self-respecting English courses in offer flexible forms of payment, testing and a free trial lesson, working off missed classes, so-called "freezes", discounts, loyalty programs, the ability to visit conversation clubs, access to online resources or other courses platforms on the Internet. In any case, remember that good knowledge cannot be cheap, and too high a price should also raise several questions. However, inexpensive courses don't always mean poor quality. Find out about teachers, group composition, and program. You might be in luck.
  
  
• Location of English courses . In an era of total workload and lack of free time, locality can become the main selection criterion or demotivator on the way to achieving your goal. If the English courses suit you according to all of the above criteria, but are located at the other end , then sooner or later you will get tired of exhausting trips for the sake of a 1.5 hour lesson. The best choice would be an office close enough to work or home so that neither the weather nor traffic jams can prevent you from reaching the courses.