Online language schools are everywhere these days. Are they still a viable option that provides the best results?
In this article, I will be discussing why you should still choose to learn English online (with a reputable company) and what makes Foreign Friend your best option.
After all my years of working with students from Europe, Asia, India, and South America, I have learned a lot from their foreign language learning experiences in their home countries.
After hearing all they have to say on the subject, I decided to put some universal points together for anyone who is asking the question “is it better to study English in class or online?”
Many English teachers in foreign countries are second language English speakers themselves. While we can respect their commitment and their intellect, it will still never be the same as being taught by a native speaker with a neutral accent who fully grasps the nuances of the English language.
As reported to me by an English teacher from France, second language English teachers have a strong tendency to regress in their accent and accuracy when teaching, despite their best intentions.
Similarly, Facebook and Instagram are littered with non-native speaking teachers and companies who continue to publish content with unnoticed mistakes.
Choosing an online native teacher guarantees you will learn English the correct way, first time round.
A few days ago, one of my students from France told me that the in-person classes she was doing before she began working with me were €600 per month for the same number of hours that we currently do together!
Add to that the transport costs to get to the venue, as well as all the extra time you lose travelling from place to place – who wants to sacrifice all that?
Additionally, many of these classes charge you high fees and make you learn on a computer anyway. For example, a company will charge you for 30 hours of teaching but only 12 hours will be with an actual teacher – the remaining hours are done digitally.
Online classes will cost you less than half of those insane prices and provide you with twice the quality of learning with a teacher who is present 100% of the time.
Why twice the quality of learning? Read the next point to find out.
If you choose one-on-one online classes, the entire session is there to benefit you and your English needs alone; no one else matters.
The teacher can support you in the exact ways that you need; this is impossible to do for every student in a group class. In online classes, all your mistakes can be explained to you carefully, the environment makes you feel more confident when speaking and, with all the focus on you for the whole class, your progress will soar compared to group-based learning.
Venue-based lessons are always done in groups. While there are undeniable benefits to this method of learning, these benefits may not outweigh the negatives.
Not one of my classes is the same. The content is different, the energy is different, the goals are different.
As a student you have a unique career and specific requirements for why you need to learn English. Why should you be in a group class that does not cater for your individual circumstances?
Each of my students is unique and so are the reasons they need to learn English. It is an online teacher’s job to design class content that matches those needs.
When you sign up for classroom-based lessons, you indirectly sign up for a fixed time and are held accountable to that time by the presence of all the other learners in your study group. If you miss a class, you often cannot recover it.
Alternatively, online classes are designed to fit into your schedule. You choose the days and times that suit you, you can do the classes from anywhere (even while travelling, sitting at your work desk, or confined to your home) and many online companies have reasonable cancellation policies that allow you to recover missed lessons.
The simple truth is that online classes reflect the modern world. They keep up with today’s pace of life and are as flexible as the world requires you to be. Contemporary life is intense! We have to manage so much these days!
So, you can easily see why online classes provide less stress, more opportunity, and consistent results. Group-based classes are full of obstacles.
They do not necessarily cater for your individual learning style (visual, auditory, kinaesthetic etc.); you have no control over the content that is taught to you; if you are shy, you usually get lost in the class because there is no time to help you overcome your insecurities; and they just add more rigidity to your already overwhelmed schedule.
All education is underpinned by pedagogy. What is the pedagogy of Foreign Friend?
I am a teacher but more than that, I am person, just like you. Being a conscious and loving human being, whilst still being professional and really good at my job, is what makes the difference to the classes I provide.
A learning environment is one of the most creative spaces in life, and it holds the potential for growth, innovation, and catharsis – no matter what you are studying.
Foreign Friend’s pedagogy values connection and conversation over rote learning and repetition. It places us both at the centre of our own exchange as unique individuals and marvellous outcomes are the result.
For language acquisition to happen there are many other elements needed to make that possible; large learning corporations have forgotten this, and it is reflected in the results they produce.
At Foreign Friend, language acquisition is a primary focus alongside true understanding, humility, respect, and humour. My approach to teaching is that I am here to learn from you as much as you are here to learn from me.
We are equals and I am excited to get to know you and how I can help you. I have an innate desire to know and understand you for who you are. My students are not just clients, they are friends.
Please feel free to contact me to find out more about learning English online with Foreign Friend.
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