Language travel guide - Blog

So, you know you want to study a language abroad and you have an idea of where you would like to do it. But what size of language school would best suit you?

Some cities will have schools of all different shapes and sizes. The experience you have at each type of school will be different and your ideal learning environment will depend on the kind of person you are.

Small language schools

Studying in a smaller school with 30 to 70 learners brings with it various advantages: a relaxed friendly environment, small classes and, often, teachers who have been with the school for a number of years. The disadvantages can include a smaller variety of courses, but if you know what you are looking for, this shouldn’t be a problem. At a small language school, you can get to know every student (if you want to).

Medium language schools

With 70 to 100 students, medium-sized language schools combine the advantages of small and large schools. They usually have good technical equipment, a wide range of activities on offer, many levels of classes, personal contact with the other students and staff while offering good flexibility.

Large language schools

Schools with 100 to 300 students offer courses at all levels and have a wide variety of nationalities from around the world. They usually benefit from a strong infrastructure and are used to dealing with learners from different countries. Large language schools are also likely to have the latest technical equipment.

Extra-large language schools

Schools with over 300 students offer a wide range of courses at all levels, often including specialist courses. There are likely to be students from all over the world, including from your own country. While this can make it easy to make friends, it can make it harder to practise the language you want to learn. On the plus side, extra-large schools can organize extra-large events.

At the teacher’s home

There is a growing trend for language classes at the home of the teacher. These are usually offered in small groups or one-to-one and have the added benefit of being completely tailor made. This is probably the fastest way to achieve fluency but you will miss out on the social elements you could enjoy at a language school.

This article was published on Thursday, October 6th, 2011 at 2:14 pm and is archived in GSL. You can review all the responses to this article by RSS 2.0. You can add a comment, make a trackback from your own site.