5 signs the English speaking course you attend sucks

[one_second] Not all English speaking courses are created equal. In fact, most don’t work. Most English speaking courses are designed using obsolete language teaching methods that do not work anymore. For a student trying to speak better English, picking the right English Course is critical, as it is a huge investment both in terms of time and money. Here are some easy signs to spot a bad English speaking course:

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• The teacher never stops talking
  

English speaking is not something you can improve by watching. It is something that you need to learn and improve by doing. In a lot of ways, it is similar to learning to ride a bike. You just can’t learn to bike by watching someone else ride.

If you are in an English speaking course where the teacher talks 90% the time, and expects you to watch and learn spoken English, you are most likely in the wrong class.

• You are asked to memorize hundreds of grammar rules

A English speaking course that focus too much on grammar fail in two ways. Firstly, they make students afraid of making mistakes and thus inhibit students from speaking freely and naturally. Second, they fail because they waste too much time on grammar they actually don’t get the students to practice speaking English.

If your English speaking school is obsessed with grammar, chances are you will never be fluent in English fast.

• You are asked to memorize role plays

A very common methodology used in English speaking programs, especially in Asia is providing students sample dialogues ready-made for various situations. For example, the class would provide a sample dialogue for a doctor’s visits. Then, the students are asked to memorize the role play and recite.

This method is flawed in so many ways. For this method to work, in the situation described above, the doctor should also have the same script! Good speaking English programs don’t employ role play memorization. Instead, they create opportunities to students to speak in English with real native speakers.

• The teacher gives instructions in your native language, and not English

This is a huge sign that you are in the wrong English speaking course. Learning to speak English is all about immersion so why would the teacher want to provide instructions in a different language? A better approach is making sure English is the only language used in the classroom, not just by the tutor but also between the students.

So if your English teacher is not using English to give instructions, it is probably not the right English speaking course to be in.

• There is a certificate given at the end of the English Speaking Course

We all love certificates and diplomas. However, English speaking courses that handout out certificates at the end of the program are really borderline fraud. (Most online English speaking courses are guilty of this too)

The fact is improving English speaking takes a lot of time. You are never going to make huge improvements within a few weeks. So awarding a certificate is both impractical as well as misleading in most cases.