Coming to Britain offers a unique opportunity not only to enjoy the wealth of cultural experiences Britain has to offer, but also to benefit from being in a country which many consider to be the 'home' of the English language. Learning or improving their English is one of the aims of many visitors to Britain. But where do you start looking for a school or teacher you can rely on? The British Council, together with ARELS (the Association of Recognized English Language Services) and BASELT (the British Association of State English Language Teaching) runs the 'English in Britain' Accreditation Scheme for centers running English language courses. Accredited centers may be private language schools, or EFL (English as a foreign language) departments in colleges of further education or universities.
'English in Britain' accreditation, as well as membership of ARELS or BASELT, offers you a guarantee that a centre meets quality standards. The British Council inspects all accredited centers every three years and, of course, they have to pass a tough initial inspection to join the Scheme.
When we inspect, we look carefully at those aspects of a centre which make a difference to their clients. We check that their publicity materials accurately reflect the reality of the centre. Inspectors check that student satisfaction is monitored and any problems are dealt with efficiently, that the premises are safe and suited to teaching, that the resources (from worksheets to computers) aren't just for show but really help you learn and that the teachers are properly qualified. Most importantly, our inspectors sit in on all the classes taking place during an inspection to make sure that the teaching is really helping the students learn.
If you're thinking of sending a young member of your family to learn English, then accreditation becomes even more important. Language schools often offer excellent courses for 'juniors' which combine a fun holiday with learning English. However, they are not normally routinely inspected by any other body apart from the British Council. Our inspectors take the care and teaching of juniors very seriously, particularly when they are staying in the school's residential or home stay accommodation. We check that the homes they stay in are suitable, that they are properly supervised at all times and that people who shouldn't work with children don't have access to them. We also check that the teachers are appropriately qualified and that the way that younger students are being taught, and the leisure activities provided, is suitable for their age group.
There are a number of resources available to help you find the course you want. A guide listing all the accredited centers, the 'English in Britain' Guide to Accredited Courses is available at British Council offices overseas and in the UK, as are the guides listing members of ARELS and BASELT, all of whom are accredited. The 2000 English in Britain Guide, available from September 1999, comes with a free CD-ROM which will help you choose an accredited course which meets your needs exactly. There are around 380 accredited EFL centers at the moment, so before you look at these resources, it will help if you have some idea of what you want. I
'English in Britain' accreditation, as well as membership of ARELS or BASELT, offers you a guarantee that a centre meets quality standards. The British Council inspects all accredited centers every three years and, of course, they have to pass a tough initial inspection to join the Scheme.
When we inspect, we look carefully at those aspects of a centre which make a difference to their clients. We check that their publicity materials accurately reflect the reality of the centre. Inspectors check that student satisfaction is monitored and any problems are dealt with efficiently, that the premises are safe and suited to teaching, that the resources (from worksheets to computers) aren't just for show but really help you learn and that the teachers are properly qualified. Most importantly, our inspectors sit in on all the classes taking place during an inspection to make sure that the teaching is really helping the students learn.
If you're thinking of sending a young member of your family to learn English, then accreditation becomes even more important. Language schools often offer excellent courses for 'juniors' which combine a fun holiday with learning English. However, they are not normally routinely inspected by any other body apart from the British Council. Our inspectors take the care and teaching of juniors very seriously, particularly when they are staying in the school's residential or home stay accommodation. We check that the homes they stay in are suitable, that they are properly supervised at all times and that people who shouldn't work with children don't have access to them. We also check that the teachers are appropriately qualified and that the way that younger students are being taught, and the leisure activities provided, is suitable for their age group.
There are a number of resources available to help you find the course you want. A guide listing all the accredited centers, the 'English in Britain' Guide to Accredited Courses is available at British Council offices overseas and in the UK, as are the guides listing members of ARELS and BASELT, all of whom are accredited. The 2000 English in Britain Guide, available from September 1999, comes with a free CD-ROM which will help you choose an accredited course which meets your needs exactly. There are around 380 accredited EFL centers at the moment, so before you look at these resources, it will help if you have some idea of what you want. I