The Real Tips and Secrets to Choosing a Language School Abroad ...

Choosing a Study Abroad Program

There are many articles on the web that discuss how to choose a language school abroad and most of these articles discuss the same points: location, school size, price, hours per week of instruction and cultural activities which are all important items but are not necessarily going to help you have the best educational experience abroad.? If you?re serious about learning another language, these 5 tips will give you everything you need know to choose the right school for your study abroad program.

1. School Accreditation

Accreditation covers many of the most important aspects about the school and provides quality assurance with regards to teacher?s qualifications, curriculum, facilities, business and accounting practices, homestay & accommodation and student services among other items.? There are various quality assurance schemes in a variety of countries, and some international accrediting organizations as well.? All of these organizations audit their member schools regularly and have exceptionally high standards.? For example, look for accreditation from organizations such as the International Association of Language Centres (IALC), Languages Canada, Qualit? fran?ais langue ?trang?re (Qualit? FLE).? If you don?t know an accrediting organization in the country that you wish to study, contact us, and we will gladly point you in the right direction!

2.? Nationality Mix

What is the nationality mix at the school?? Where do the students come from?? Rarely is this mentioned in articles related to choosing a language school abroad, but it is often the first question asked by students from around the world.? The matter of nationality mix in the classroom is extremely important as students are often surprised and disappointed when they arrive at the school to find 30% ? 50% or more (gasp!) of any one nationality in their classroom ? especially if it?s their own!? As every language group and nationality has different challenges with regards to grammar, pronunciation and so on, you won?t want to be stuck in a class where your own language learning needs are left behind by the majority of student?s needs.? Nor do you want to be in a class where many of the pupils are speaking their own language ? which is likely to happen when there is not a good nationality mix.? You should look for a maximum of 20% ? 25% of any one nationality (less is better, of course!) in the school.? A well-established school with a good presence in many countries understands this? and will have an excellent mix of students from around the globe.

3.? English Only Policy / French Only Policy / Chinese Only Policy etc

No matter which language your are studying your school should have a strict ?language only? policy in place to ensure that the language being studied is the common language amongst all the students.? A strict policy may include warnings, fines, daily or weekly suspensions for speaking a language other than the one that is being taught in the school.? So along with good nationality mix, you will find that a strict language policy will help you to advance more quickly in the language you are studying.

4.? Levels of Instruction

Many schools teach only out of textbook and some without a textbook at all.? An accredited language school will have a well-balanced, structured curriculum that generally falls within an internationally recognized scheme of language levels such as the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages (CEFR) or Cambridge English for Speakers of Other Languages (ESOL).? These schemes provide some standardization in the levels of instruction and methods of measuring language learning achievements. Be sure you are tested upon entry, regularly through the course (usually every 4 weeks) and again upon exit of the course!

5.? Class Size

Class size is far more important than school size and generally a maximum of 15 students should be expected at a private language school; any more students than that and you will lose some of the important personal attention of the teacher as well as necessary interaction to be successful in your language studies.? Class sizes of 6 ? 8 are ideal for active participation and comfort especially if you are a beginner in the language.

Latitude International Education has 13 years of experience advising international students on study and work abroad programs in Canada and around the world.? Latitude International hand-picks and recommends only accredited language schools such as EC (Canada), France Langue (France), Expanish (Argentina) and Mandarin House (Shanghai).? For more information about accredited language schools and study abroad programs, contact Latitude International Education.

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