Dear Niyi,
Thanks for your letter. I think going to a language school is a great way to improve your English. As you know, I’ve done quite a few English courses, so you've come to the right person for advice. There are definitely a few points you should consider before you enrol in a course.
The first thing I’d do if I were you is asking about the methodology. Some schools have you sitting in rows doing lots of written exercises. I don't think you should enrol at this type of school because lessons can be boring, and you don't get much oral practice. I'd suggest you choose a school that encourages lots of group work and speaking practice. You should check the school's brochure and talk to the staff and students if you can.
Also, you ought to find out what the maximum class size is. If I were you, I wouldn't enrol in a class with more than 20 students because you won't get enough attention from the teacher. What's more, big classes tend to be mixed ability, so you may find the pace is too slow or too fast for you. I think between 10 and 15 students is a good number.
And another thing you'd better think about is the intensity of the course. You could do an intensive 100-hour course in a month, but I wouldn't advise you to do this. If you've got the time, I think you should study over a longer period and allow yourself time to understand everything.
Anyway, I hope this is useful. If you need any more information, just drop me a line.
All the best,
Osa
Dear
Niyi
,
Thanks for your letter. I
think
going to a language
school
is a great way to
improve
your English. As you know, I’ve done quite a few English courses,
so
you've
come
to the right person for advice. There are definitely a few points you should consider
before
you enrol in a course.
The
first
thing I’d do if I were you
is
asking about the methodology.
Some
schools
have you sitting in rows doing lots of written exercises. I don't
think
you should enrol at this type of
school
because
lessons can be boring, and you don't
get
much oral practice. I'd suggest you choose a
school
that encourages lots of group work and speaking practice. You should
check
the school's brochure and talk to the staff and students if you can.
Also
, you ought to find out what the maximum
class
size is. If I were you, I wouldn't enrol in a
class
with more than 20 students
because
you won't
get
enough
attention from the teacher. What's more,
big
classes tend to
be mixed
ability,
so
you may find the pace is too slow or too
fast
for you. I
think
between 10 and 15 students is a
good
number.
And another thing you'd better
think
about is the intensity of the course. You could do an intensive 100-hour course in a month,
but
I wouldn't advise you to do this. If you've
got
the time, I
think
you should study over a longer period and
allow
yourself time to understand everything.
Anyway, I hope this is useful. If you need any more information,
just
drop me a line.
All the best,
Osa