Learning foreign languages is a wonderful investment, it is one of the most useful things that you can “carry” when traveling, and also it can open a variety of job opportunities and increase your knowledge about other cultures. Learning the basics of the language such as the major skills in listening, speaking, reading and writing are essential in order for you to become fluent in the language.

If you are considering to enroll in a language course in a language school (perhaps abroad where the language is spoken as a native tongue), better read up on what kind of language courses are available and figure out which will be able to help you learn your target language faster.

Group Classes
The most common types of language courses are available in group programs. Group classes are oftentimes offered to a specific number of students in a group of 10 or more students. Group courses are offered in various levels from beginner to advanced and focus on the main language areas of reading, writing, speaking and listening. Majority of group lessons are based on oral conversation as well as studies in grammar and comprehension. Most of the students who enroll in group programs have limited time or would like to have a more intensive language study.

The advantages of learning a language through group classes is that you will be able to interact with your classmates; you will be able to participate in discussions, share your different views, learn to work with a group and most importantly, learn from each other’s strengths and weaknesses in your target language. The downside with group classes is that you might not learn what you specifically want to learn about the language and your progress and weaknesses might not be closely evaluated since there are many of you in the class who need the teacher’s attention.

One-to-One Classes
One-to-one or individual language classes are tailor-made courses which can be designed to a student’s own request. A one-to-one language course can be combined with the language needs identified during the diagnostic assessment and interview. The student will have the attention of the language teacher all to himself or herself! The course follows a set curriculum and the time and pace of the lessons will be adapted to the schedule of the student. This type of language learning course is ideal for students who are willing to learn the language in a longer period of time as long as it accommodates their time and comfort.

The main benefit of taking up a one-to-one language course is that you will be given close supervision by your language teacher. Other advantages include your faster development with one on one conversation and the intensive grammar support you receive in your target language; your teacher will be able to check up on your errors and your progress in real time compared to group classes where the teacher wouldn’t be able to identify each student’s individual progress. The disadvantage of a one-to-one course is that you will be interacting only with your teacher. You might get too accustomed to your teachers expressions, vocabulary and pronunciation. There is a possibility you might not enjoy your teacher’s company if you could not establish good rapport with each other. Also, usually one to one courses are more expensive than group courses.

Now that you know some of the pros and cons, you can take your pick between group classes and one-on-one courses and choose the one which you think will help you learn effectively and quickly. However, there is another type of program you might want to consider if you find it available in your prospected language school.

Combined Language Courses
There are some language schools offer combined language classes which incorporates the benefits of group classes together with the benefits of a one-to-one course. Language learners who want to focus on particular areas of their target language may tackle them during the individual lessons and they may also enjoy the dynamic activities and interactions during the group classes.

Whatever type of language course you plan to take, think things over carefully and decide on the course you think you will enjoy more. After all, if you are having fun, it will be easier to learn and improve your languages skills.

This entry was posted on Friday, March 27th, 2009 at 10:50 am and is filed under Learning Methods. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.