Work experience and refined teaching methods
Nikolai TOLSTOY, director of the Lingvapax Training Center at Taras Shevchenko National University of Kyiv:
- When choosing a training center, try to find out how long it has been in existence, what methods are used there, and what recommendations it can boast of. I would advise great caution with accelerated methods of learning a foreign language: the result, as a rule, is not too encouraging, and there are side effects. It is worth relying on time-tested domestic and foreign methods. We, for example, adopted as a basis the methodology of the well-known foreign language courses at Taras Shevchenko National University, which in their time trained specialists (scientists, engineers, teachers) going to work abroad. It was both a general multi-level course and what is now called business English.
Of course, the center must constantly update teaching materials and improve the methods of presenting them. A good teacher always familiarizes students with foreign periodicals and current news. Also important is how well the learning process is organized - where, how, and when classes take place. The optimal schedule is two or three times a week for 2-2.5 hours. More intensive classes require too much effort from the student and may be justified only in cases of urgent need, for example, due to an imminent departure abroad.
A good indicator of a training center's work has always been the recommendations of its students and the list of organizations that have sent their employees to study there. A long period of operation indicates that the center enjoys respect and popularity.
And when you start classes, remember: a teacher can provide the necessary information in class, but he cannot teach you the language. You have to learn the language through your own efforts.
High quality teaching and individual approach
Irina TARASEVICH, director of the IBC Personnel Training and Education Center:
- Your goal in learning a foreign language determines your choice of an appropriate educational institution. Therefore, when choosing a center, pay attention to its specialization. Courses that promise to teach English to everyone (schoolchildren, directors, immigrants, etc.) do not inspire confidence. Such a wide range of training programs can only be provided by certain very well-known and large training centers. Secondly, I would warn against overly cheap courses. Highly qualified teachers know the value of their skills and are always in demand.
The most important factor in language classes is the level of the teacher's pedagogical skill. This is especially important for those who prefer individual lessons. By the way, a serious training center always provides such an opportunity. Our experience with corporate clients has shown that for a certain category (enterprise directors, top managers of large companies) group classes are psychologically uncomfortable. A good teacher is both a specialist, a teacher, and a psychologist. Whether classes will be a pleasure or a burden for you depends on how well you get along with each other. A professional teacher knows how to put a complex rule into a student's head in such a way that at the right moment he can easily retrieve it for practical application. A person who has an excellent command of the language but lacks a pedagogical streak will not be able to do this. This, by the way, is the big problem with so-called native speakers. Even certified teachers have difficulty adapting to our educational traditions.
Recently, most training centers offer trial lessons to students. This is a real opportunity to assess the level of teaching and to take a closer look at the teacher and his communication style. By the way, try to “test” your prospective teacher: at a trial lesson, ask him to explain a particularly difficult question for you. If you hear a sensible explanation, you can safely continue studying with him.
Creative atmosphere and tuning in to the listener's wavelength
Natalya SBITNEVA, director of the Lingua Plus International Contacts Center:
- First of all, pay attention to how attentively the training center's managers address your needs. They must determine the purpose of your language study and select the course that suits you best. In addition, every serious center provides the opportunity to take free entrance testing and attend one class. The effectiveness of your language learning depends on the quality of the testing. Sometimes knowledge falls between the usual levels of study. In that case, an experienced specialist will certainly take into account a person's psychological characteristics: someone will feel better in a higher-level group, immediately getting a powerful boost of new knowledge, while someone else, on the contrary, is more inclined to thoroughly check and consolidate their knowledge.
At a trial lesson, try to sense the learning atmosphere: how involved the students are in the learning process, how the teacher behaves, what teaching materials and techniques are used. It is good when in class students work on grammar, expand their vocabulary, listen to audio cassettes, and conduct dialogues.
I consider studying a foreign language in mini-groups of three to five people optimal. In such conditions, the teacher gets the opportunity to work with each student as effectively as possible. Therefore, the return is higher. Of course, you can also study in medium-sized groups of up to ten people, but then the language learning process will take more time.
An important factor in choosing a training center is the convenience of its location for you specifically. And finally, a friendly, welcoming atmosphere in the group, which is created by the teacher. Having decided to study, remember: English will enter your life for at least a few months, which means that you should enjoy this difficult but fascinating process!