In the Mix at TALK English Schools – Miami Beach
TALK English Schools newest school, TALK Miami Beach, is situated in the heart of Miami’s pulsating South Beach, overlooking busy 5th Street from MacArthur Causeway which connects the City of Miami on the mainland.
TALK Miami Beach, which opened in July 2014, is a completely renovated modern complex with airy light-filled classrooms. Benefiting from its customized design, the facilities are perfectly suited to the students’ needs, inside and outside of the classroom, with areas in which to socialize, snack, do homework or meet tutors for individual lessons. At the front office and entrance Emilia Garth, Assistant Center Director, is there to help and direct students with everything from tuition questions to tourism tips.
Says TALK Miami Beach Director Jason Daily: “From just a couple of students when we opened, the school has seen real growth and every week we average 40 students attending class.”
TALK Miami Beach mixes it up
TALK Miami Beach Center Director Jason Daily and Assistant Director Emilia Garth
Continues Jason, “We have a very nice nationality mix here on the beach: Italy, Russian, Brazil, Spain, Venezuela, France, Serbia, Turkey, Japan, Colombia, Chile, Angola, Ukraine to name a few. It’s because Miami Beach is such a popular tourist destination for individuals from around the world. The beach, weather, and major events like Art Basel, Ultra Music Festival draw large crowds from all corners.”
As the school establishes itself on South Beach, Jason has discerned a pattern of enrolment which reflects the school’s unique location:
“We do see an increase in numbers of students starting each week in the summer. Students generally have shorter periods of study during those months as they are on vacation, and we also see a younger group then as we offer the family program. We had children from Turkey, Brazil, Italy, China and Angola this year.”
Outside of the summer, however, the student profile completely changes and TALK Miami Beach attracts business professionals, mostly but not exclusively from the Latin American countries. Of this more mature population – on average 35 years of age– some reside in Miami Beach or surrounding neighborhoods with their families, seeking better work opportunities in the USA which English proficiency can offer them. Others enroll at TALK Miami Beach to improve their English for business reasons, returning to their home countries upon completion of their course. Just like South Beach itself, TALK Miami Beach English School is all about welcoming international visitors from everywhere and being a melting pot for everyone who likes sun and fun – and of course to mix it up a little by learning English too!
