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| Learning English in the UK |
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| In today's world English
is a must. Martin Roundell
Greene finds out why
there is no better place
to learn the English
language than in the UK |
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| Study abroad |
| Although most people learn some English in their home
country, more and more students are choosing to study in an
English-speaking country. They want to be surrounded by the
language, not just in the classroom but all the time. English
becomes the natural language of communication with friends
from other countries. As one student put it, 'I start my day and
end it with English and I learn a different culture, too.' |
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| Why the UK? |
More than 600,000 people come to study in the UK every year,
most to study English. The UK has a reputation for academic
excellence and UK qualifications are respected and recognised
all over the world, enhancing your study and career prospects.
Students who come to the UK to learn English for its own sake
are attracted by the modern teaching methods and the huge
choice of courses available.The UK offers more English language
courses than anywhere else in the world.
Location is another of the reasons students give for choosing
the UK. Students from Asia and Latin America often say they
have chosen the UK because they also want to travel around
mainland Europe during or after their course.
Last but not least, the UK itself is an attraction. Its famous
cities and beautiful countryside and coastline, its rich culture
and history make the UK an interesting and inspiring place in
which to live and learn. |
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| Where to study English in the UK? |
| For many students this is the most important question and 50
years ago, the answer was simple - there were only a handful of
language schools, all in London, Oxford and Cambridge. Today
you can find excellent language schools all over the UK. Many
colleges and universities also offer English language courses
where you can learn English and take advantage of the facilities.
The cost of living varies in different parts of the UK. London
and its surrounding counties are the most expensive areas. As a
general rule (and there are exceptions) the cost of living is
lower in the north and the west of England and in Scotland,
Wales and Northern Ireland. |
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| British Council Accreditation |
| Language schools and colleges can be divided into those that
are accredited by the British Council and those that are not. If
an organisation is British Council accredited, it means that it
has been inspected and has met an agreed set of standards. It is
a guarantee of quality. Unless you have some other information
that gives you confidence, it is important to choose only an
organisation that is accredited by the British Council. |
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| Prices and costs |
The sort of things that make an English language course more
or less expensive are class sizes, the number of hours of teacher
contact time, the school's location, the teachers' qualifications
and experience, the academic facilities such as technical
equipment and libraries and other general facilities.
It is important to remember that the price of a course is not
the same as the cost of a course and you should look at what is
included in the price. Will you have to pay extra for books,
examinations or extra lessons? Does the price include lunch,
social activities and weekend excursions? There is also the cost
of travel from your accommodation to your school or college.
A good plan is to ask the school or college how much spending
money they recommend students need per week. |
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| Private language schools and state colleges |
There are about 370 accredited organisations offering many
thousands of English language courses all over the UK.About 70
per cent are private language schools and most of these are
members of ARELS - the Association of Recognised English
Language Services. The other 30 per cent are state colleges
and universities and are members of BASELT - the British
Association of State English Language Teaching.
Some of the courses offered by private and state organisations
are very similar both in terms of content and cost. The main
differences are that private organisations usually offer only
English language courses for international students. State
organisations teach many different subjects, mainly to UK
students, and English language courses are usually only a small
part of their work. State organisations often have hundreds
and sometimes thousands of students studying on a campus;
private language schools are usually much smaller.
Other general differences between private schools and state
organisations are often the result of size and history. Private
schools can be more flexible with course dates and can offer
specialist courses at short notice. Their small numbers give a
more personal atmosphere. State organisations, on the other
hand, may have better libraries, computer centres and other
facilities. Finally, for many private schools, the summer is the
busiest time while for state organisations, their main work
takes place in the academic year from September to June. |
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| The choice of courses |
| There are language courses to suit students of every age, level
of English and interest. Some will help you with your general
English ability, others with the special language skills needed
for studies or work. |
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| Courses for children and young teenagers |
| Most of these courses take place in the summer holidays and
last for just a few weeks. The price usually includes lessons and
also sports, excursions and a busy social programme. At some
schools, the students stay in residential accommodation on the
campus while at others they stay with families nearby.
There are also a growing number of courses for children and
teenagers who want to study in the UK all year round. These
usually take place at boarding schools, with foreign and UK
students living and studying side by side, and they combine
English lessons with a range of other subjects to prepare the
students to move on to further education courses in the UK. |
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| General English courses |
| These are what most students need in order to develop their
general knowledge of the grammar, vocabulary and pronunciation
of English and their ability to listen to, speak, read and write it.
At many private language schools and some state colleges
you can join a general English course at any time of the year
and stay for as many weeks or months as you want.
Most full-time general English courses include 15 to 25 hours
of lessons per week plus private study. For an intensive course
you can study general English on a one-to-one basis with your
own teacher.A recent development is the 'home tuition course'
where you live as a paying guest in your teacher's home. |
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| Courses may have many different names |
| You will see courses with different names, for example, Exam
Preparation Course, Combination Course, English for Business
Course, Super Intensive Course, Academic Year Course and so
on. It is important to read the school or college's information
carefully because a name can mean different things for
different organisations. In one school, for example, an
examination preparation course might be devoted solely to
examination practice while in another it could be a general
English course with extra lessons in the afternoons to prepare
for the exam. Either arrangement can be very effective. |
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| Examiniation courses |
| Almost all schools or colleges give students the chance to
prepare for an internationally-recognised English examination,
for instance TOEIC, TOEFL or one of the Cambridge exams.
These courses often have an entry test and fixed dates. Check
whether the exam fee is included in the cost of the course. |
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| General English with other lessons |
| You may have the chance to combine other lessons with the
main English course such as English with Art and Design, English
and Computer Skills and English and Tourism. These extra
lessons may be included in the course fee or may cost extra.
For those students who want more individual attention, an
increasing number of schools now offer one-to-one lessons
(one student: one teacher) for an extra cost. |
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| English plus courses |
| This usually means the course includes extra study or other
activities away from the school. Typical examples are English
with Work Experience, where some weeks of study are followed
by some weeks working in a local business, and English with
Sport which might mean English lessons in the mornings and
golf or football or horse riding in the afternoons. |
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| Courses fo specific purposes |
| There are many courses for preparation to study at a university
or college of higher education. If you want to study other
subjects at an English-speaking college or university, you will
need to show that your English is good enough for the course.
Most UK universities require an IELTS score of 6.0, 6.5 or 7.0
(550 plus in TOEFL) depending on the university and subject.
The university will also want to be sure that you have all the
study skills you will need to complete the course successfully. |
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| University foundation courses |
To prepare for their degree course, many students follow a
university foundation course first. These courses are offered by
both private and state organisations and generally last for
about 30 weeks from October to June. They typically cost
around £7,000 for the course plus living expenses. Course
details vary from organisation to organisation but they tend to
consist of 16 to 24 hours of lessons per week with a similar
amount of guided private study.
A typical foundation course consists of about 25 per cent
English language work, 25 per cent study skills and 50 per cent
work related to the degree subject. The English language work
or English for Academic Purposes (EAP) includes extensive
reading practice, essay writing, note taking and listening and
speaking practice in the context of university studies. The work
on study skills such as time management, using the library
and computer centre efficiently and exploiting the university
language centre ensures that students are properly prepared
for the independent study required in UK universities.
For entry to a university foundation course, students need an
IELTS score of 4.5 or 5.0. A few organisations offer pre-foundation
courses but most students follow general English courses to
bring their language up to the necessary level. |
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| Pre-sessional courses |
| Even if your general English is of a high enough level, you may
need to improve your EAP and study skills before you start
your degree. Most universities and colleges of higher education
offer pre-sessional courses in the summer before their main
degree course begins. Pre-sessional courses typically last from
two to 10 weeks and are suitable for both undergraduate and
postgraduate students. |
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| Specialist courses for work (ESP) |
Specialist courses for work, sometimes referred to as English for
Specific Purposes (ESP), are available for almost any speciality
you can think of. Courses for air-traffic controllers, bankers,
doctors, hotel staff, marketing executives and petrochemical
engineers are fairly standard but if you want a course for
genetic engineers, marine biologists or military policemen,
there are specialist schools that can arrange it.
ESP courses are usually quite short - perhaps only a week or
two. Students work with a specialist teacher in small groups or
one-to-one and the work is very intensive. Some courses even
include a daily working lunch.
ESP students are often senior executives. 'Sometimes our
biggest problem,' says one ESP school principal, 'is to persuade
some of our students to leave their laptops at the hotel and
turn off their mobile phones.'
For more advice, you can ask at your own school or university
or there may be educational agents in your city or town. The
British Council has 218 offices in 109 countries around the world.
You can find their address in your country from their website
link 'Where we are' (www.britishcouncil.org/where/index.htm).
The British Council offers a free educational counselling service
(ECS) in most countries. You can arrange a meeting with an
experienced member of their staff who will discuss what you
need and recommend the best course for you.
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