What to look for in language schools

Tuesday, June 26, 2018 Blog post author: Hamid

Hamid

You want to be aware of what you are committing to before enrolling in a language school. When you start learning a new language at a school you will be staying with that school for a while so doing some research in advance would be a good idea.

In another blog post we already discussed how to compare language schools. Here we go in more detail on what aspects of schools you should be evaluating for making a better decision. We have interviewed students, teachers and school managers to prepare this list of items to look for in a school.

Teachers

Try to find information on experience, certificates and expertise of teachers in your target language school. This might be a little challenging because not all schools and teachers want to share this kind of information. If you read reviews and rating on a school you might get a fair understanding of what is going on in a schools. This is why we categorize reviews per classes instead of schools on Demiks website to give you a better overview per program/course instead of a general overview on the school.

School Location

The location of a school is important because you will be travelling there all the time. If you are moving to a different city to learn a language and you don’t know the city, it could be hard to decide if the location is good for you. We recommend verifying your access to public transport or walking distance for your commute. At the same time, you don’t want to be far from activities and social hubs in the city. During your language classes, you will make friends and probably want to hang out after your classes and practice more. Parking situation could be important too if you drive.

Price

Obviously price is one of the main criteria for choosing a language program but there are a couple of things you should be careful about. Lower price does not necessarily mean cheaper. First of all you should understand what you get for that price. Some schools include registration fee, placement test and learning material in the price. Some language schools have perks like free WiFi or get you lunch deals for the restaurants in the neighborhood. Also you should consider the price per hour. Divide the total price by number of hours to see which program or school offers better pricing per each hour of education.

Facilities

If you are a technology enthusiast, check if the school is equipped with good audio and multimedia systems in the classrooms. Also verify if they use apps, smart boards or internet during the classes. Some non technological facilities like kitchen, lunch room, insurance, etc. could also be interesting.

Some schools arrange social activities to engage students with their host city and community. Museum days, sightseeing, games and volunteer work are popular among students who are learning a new language away from home.

Classes

Number of student in each classroom would change the amount of attention for each individual student. There is also sitting arrangement in the classes that influences the experience. For example some schools have round meeting tables, some use traditional “facing the teacher” setting and some other prefer horseshoe arrangement in which all students sit around the classroom.

To measure the size of a school you can check how many classes per semester they offer. You might prefer big language brands with more students, classes and facilities or you might look for a cosy and friendly atmosphere in smaller schools.