So you’ve decided that you want to study English at an English language school? Once you’ve made this exciting decision, the natural next step is to do some research. You do an internet search, and there are tons of schools all over the United States. You’re in a pickle, and you have no clue which one to choose. This post will be your guide to picking a school. We will give you five different categories that will make your decision as easy as pie!
1. Location:
If you’re going to travel far away from home to the US to study English, you might as well go somewhere that you will like, right? Choose carefully. Do you want a big city or a small town? Do you want warm or cold weather? Do you want lots of sunshine, or rain? Do you want four seasons, or warm weather year-round? Do you want to be near the ocean, mountains, or desert?
2. Class Size:
All teachers will agree that small class sizes are ideal. Some language schools try to cram a lot of students into one class to make more money. This creates more work for the teacher so that they can’t spend a lot of individual time helping each student, and it can be very distracting and challenging for the students. At Q International School, most classes have about four to twelve students. This is the perfect size, because it’s big enough so that you can learn from each other’s knowledge and mistakes, but small enough that you can get lots of help from the teacher.
3. Teachers:
It’s best to go to a school that has teachers with different backgrounds and experience, and teaching styles. At Q International School, the teachers have experience teaching and living in many different countries, such as South Korea, Egypt, Ecuador, India, and Switzerland. This means that they know what it is like to live in a different country and learn a new language and culture. This makes them better and more understanding teachers.
4. Students:
One of the best perks of studying at an English language school in the US is that you get to live in the US and learn about theUS culture, right? This is true, but some schools offer the additional perk of also meeting classmates from all over the world. If you’re from China, you don’t want to study English in a room full of other Chinese students, do you? Wouldn’t it be more exciting and enriching to have students from other countries in your class, such as Saudi Arabia, Japan, South Korea, Brazil and Spain? It allows you to lean English while simultaneously making friends from all over the world. What could be better?
5. Community:
Since you’ll be so far from your friends and family, it is important that you feel at home at the school you study at. Choose a school that isn’t just a business trying to make money. You want a school that is going to treat you well and welcome you. Q International School is amazing for being a warm and welcoming community that feels like a family. At Q School, students come first. The teachers and staff members do everything that they can to help students feel comfortable and happy during their time there.
Good luck picking an English language school!
Buzzwords, Vocabulary Words, and Idioms:
Tons: a lot of something
In a pickle: (to be in a pickle) to have a problem, to be unsure
No clue: to have no idea about something
Easy as pie: something that is very, very easy
Year-round: something that happens during the whole year, all year
Ideal: perfect, exactly what you are looking for, the best
Cram: to put many people or things into a small space where there isn’t enough room Distracting: something that makes it difficult to pay attention, that pulls someone’s attention away
Challenging: something that is difficult to do
Perks: the benefits or positive aspects of doing something
Additional: another, in addition to
Enriching: something that makes life more rich and better
Simultaneously: at the same time
Feel at home: (to feel at home) to feel welcome by others, and comfortable, as if you are in your own home
