SOME ADVICE

Here you are, planning a big adventure: You want to go and spend some weeks abroad, take a language class and enjoy yourself.

Maybe you have already done something similar, maybe it is the first time you leave your home school to add to your education.
Everybody can use a little advice on how to find the right langugae school.
Reading through the advice does not take a lot of time, but might save you from being disappointed when you are supposed to have the time of your life!

References

Size of the Course

Classification of Language Skills

Profile of the Group

Schedule

Content of the Course

Teaching Aids

Staff

Leisure Time

References

Your language school should have references and be recommended by organisations such as the British Council, America Centers or the DAAD.

Size of the Course

An intensive language class should include no more than six students. For standard courses up to twelve students are admitted.

Classifictaion of Language Skills

Before the program starts there should be a placement test. Changing from one group to another should be possible

Profile of the Group

Participants should have a similar backgrounds so that the group can work more efficiently.

Schedule

Basic courses should offer at least 20 hours of class per week. Intensive courses should have not fewer than 30 hours of class per week.

Content of the Course

The language school should provide detailed information about the content in their courses.

Teaching Aids

Every good language school should work with computers and language laboratories.

Staff

The language teachers should have a university degree in philology and should be native speakers.

Leisure Time

A good language school can be measured by its great variety of leisure time activities. There should be interactive oral discourse groups and extra lessons for practical grammar. Even in the evening and on the weekends, there should be a leisure time programme.