3 Questions to Ask When Joining a Spoken English School

Picking a great Spoken English School is not easy. Most English schools and English teachers only teacher grammar and vocabulary so students “study” English but end up not been able to speak fluently. In this post, we will talk about 3 things you should consider before joining a Spoken English school.

How much time will I get to speak in English?

If you join a Spoken English school where you only sit and take notes, you will NOT improve English speaking skills.

The key to improving Spoken English is to speak in English to as many people as possible. Remember, learning a new language is a cognitive skill that takes time to cultivate. You must develop confidence to speak English and you can only do this if you practice speaking in English a lot. Learn to present your thoughts without thinking in your first language. You must actively work on not letting situations and crowds intimidate you.

To achieve this level of confidence, your Spoken English School must create an environment where students are encouraged to talk freely.

Does your Spoken English School have teachers who are native English speakers?

Practicing English with anyone is better than not speaking in English at all. However, if you can find a Spoken English school that has English teachers who are native English speakers, you will improve faster and better.

There are a few unique advantages of practicing with native English teachers vs non native English teachers

• When you practice with a Native English teacher you will learn to speak at the right speed with the right pronunciation.
• You will develop an accent which is close to “Native” as possible.
• Since the teacher can’t speak your native language, you will be forced to speak ONLY in English!
• You will learn idioms and slang used by Native English Speakers – things that are hard to learn just by studying textbooks.

So always select a Spoken English school that offers lessons with native English teachers, at least for conversation practice.

Does the Spoken English School teach just grammar or do they focus on speaking practice?

After you’ve mastered the basics of grammar, you may find that it is not enough for you to speak fluently in English. Learning how to carry a simple conversation or ask for directions in English is a great start, but to improve your English speaking skills and achieve a higher level of fluency, you need to practice speaking.

So ask the Spoken English school you are considering how they balance between teaching grammar and conversational practice. If you an advanced English leaner who already knows grammar basics, it is a good idea to join a Spoken English school like Spoken English Practice which has a 100% conversation based approach.