How to choose the right course to learn English
Making the decision to study English can be tricky especially when you’re not sure which course to select. Don’t worry, if that’s you then this article will help. The courses named here are typically available at all of our TALK English Schools – Atlanta, Aventura, Boston, Fort Lauderdale, Miami, Miami Beach and San Francisco. We’ll be back to in-person teaching in January 2021, however for now, given restrictions due to COVID-19, we are teaching online.
To begin with it’s very important to assess two things:
- Assess your current language skill level honestly and accurately.
Knowing the current level of your own fluency and understanding of the language is critical in selecting an English course – it will determine the type and intensity of the course that you can reasonably take. Here it is really important to be honest. If you overestimate your skill you may select a course that is too advanced, leading you to struggle but if you underestimate your skill you’ll be wasting precious time by taking classes you don’t need to. If you not sure we would recommend that you contact us.
- Assess your goal and objectives.
It’s also critical to know what exactly you want to have achieved by the end of a course. It makes no sense selecting a course that helps improve your vocabulary when you really want to improve your grammar skills. Below we consider some manageable English learning goals and the appropriate TALK Language course.
GOAL: I want to learn the English language or improve my current skills
Students in TALK class
For those seeking to learn the fundamentals in English speaking, TALK’s General English course is for you. This course will help you improve your pronunciation, grammar, and vocabulary with a guided learning path to English proficiency.
AT TALK you have the option of taking the General English course full time or part time.
- Part-Time Course: 16 lessons per week, from Monday to Thursday. This part-time course offers students who want to engage in other activities the flexibility to do so.
- Full-time Course: In contrast, the full-time course consists of 18 lessons per week, from Monday to Friday. An F-1 student visa is required for the full-time course.
Altogether, TALK’s General English course has 10 levels, from Beginner to Fluency with levels 7 to 10 providing an academic focus, ideal for students who wish to pursue further studies in a college or university.
GOAL: I want to achieve fluency and gain professional and academic opportunities and fast.
As already mentioned our Level 7 to 10 of the General English course is a great option for students pursuing further academic studies. For students who have limited time, then we believe that TALK’s Intensive English course, with Beginner to Fluency levels, is a great option. The course provides a focused and immersive experience with a 22 lesson/week schedule, from Monday to Friday.
In addition to providing extended support with pronunciation and grammar, improvement in vocabulary, our intensive course will cover the basics of developing listening, speaking, and reading and writing skills. It offers a very focused path to English proficiency. This advanced level is ideal for students planning to further their careers with our Professional Development Business Course .
An F-1 student visa is required.
GOAL: I want to prepare for a TOEFL proficiency test to enter a university
Students learning English at TALK
Most universities in America will require foreign students to take an English language proficiency exam like TOEFL. TALK offers the TOEFL ® iBT complete course to help students prepare for this test and obtain the highest possible score. In order to take this course you must be at a level proficiency of level 7 or higher. The course is offered full-time (18 lessons/week) and part time (16 lessons/week). Typically this course is offered at all seven of our school locations, but with COVID-19 safety measures certain restrictions have been put in place. To find out more about taking this course contact our office here.
Whatever your current level of proficiency or your goals are, TALK is here to help. We have dedicated and experienced teachers ready to help you reach your goals!
