Why language schools cannot help YOU learn English?
Over the last 50 years there has been a significant increase in Language Schools, and today they are considered as the go-to place for learning languages. It estimated that the global language services industry is worth over $US 150 billion.
If managed well, a language school with seven classrooms and seven teachers, operating for only four hours a day could be generating revenues of €1 million per year. See below for a summary of their business model:
Typical Language School
Material: Coursebook
Length of Class: 55 mins
Teacher Input (Active): 10 mins
Student Input (Active): 5 mins
No of Students: 13 people
Cost per Class: 15 euros
Revenue per Class: 195 euros
Teachers at language schools will use a standardised textbook to direct the class. The premise behind such ¨method¨ is not because this is the best material for learning but rather this is the most efficient means for the teacher to prepare and control a large group. Most of the time, students will be following a piece of text or completing exercises. The person who benefits the most from this is the Teacher who can now relax for 10 mins and prepare the next activity.
The costs of attending classes are not only financial but also time and energy. Attending a one-hour class twice a week is about a seven-hour investment in time (travel, attendance, homework, etc.).
After an extensive review of the materials used by Language Schools where I evaluated the purpose and learning benefit of each of the activities I would estimate that the learning value from this seven-hour investment equates to about 10 mins, as most of the time you will be reading texts or completing exercises. So, let′s look at the ROI:
Cost of Two Classes = 30 euros per week
Time Invested = 7 hours per week
Learning = 10 mins per week
Before enrolling with a language school or working with a private teacher, it is very important for learners to understand their Why?:
1. Are you learning English to pass an exam?
2. Do you need to use English in real-life situations?
Either objective is fine but it is important to be clear as it determines your learning approach. If you only want to pass an exam then Language Schools can play an important role in teaching you and preparing you for the test. However, if your objective is to speak with people in real-life situations then you must learn to use English. This requires a very different learning approach, and I don′t believe Language Schools are able to help you learn English. Yes, they can teach you how to pass an exam, but their core purpose is to teach large groups. This prioritises the Method over the individual needs of the learner.
As adult learners you now have the ability to choose which learning model to follow: the traditional model, anchored in teaching and rote memorisation, or a learning based model geared towards self-discovery and experiential learning.
Listed below are the different objectives of the two approaches - I will let you decide which approach will help you to learn English:
Teacher-Centric Learner-Centric
Instruction Hierarchical Collaborative
Student Role Passive Active
Objective Knowledge Acquisition Utilisation
Priority Teacher / Method Person / Process
Emphasis No Mistakes Learn from Mistakes
Development One Dimensional Multi-Dimensional
Purpose Present Information Enable Learning
My objective is to help people understand that their current English level is a direct reflection of their learning methods and not their capabilities. You are capable of learning English.