English Schools and Teachers

Choosing a new English school
A list of teachers and schools is available here.

First of all remember that different people want different things. Some of the things listed below will not be important to you. The italics show you the situation at KETC.

To begin please think about why you want to study English (a hobby, to travel, for work, to understand movies, to make friends, etc.) and what type of English you wish to study (conversation, writing, reading, TOEIC/test preparation, business English, etc.?). KETC served students wishing to study conversation for various purposes.

Fees
Is there an entry fee? no
Is there a test fee? no
What is the course fee? How often do you pay it? How many hours per payment?
1200-1700yen/hour. Fees paid once per course. Length of course usually 10 weeks.

Teachers
What are the teachers qualifications (experience, a degree)? experience teaching overseas and an MA in TESL/TEFL
Are the teachers full-time or part-time (sometimes part-time teachers don't have adequate preparation time)? all full-time teachers
How much preparation time do the teachers have? 18 hours of classes and 20 hours of preparation time

If teachers teach too many hours a day, they get burned-out and aren't able to fully concentrate on all their classes. If teachers don't have enough preparation time, they cannot check homework, create extra activities and tailor a class to a particular group of students.

Placement
How does the school place students into classes (test, self-assessment, meeting with a teacher, or class observation)? always the first two and sometimes the last two as well
Can you change classes if the level is wrong? sometimes
How often does the teacher recommend level changes? usually every ten weeks

Placement is VERY important. It is not only important that you are placed in the right class but also that your classmates were placed in the right class so that you can talk to together at the same level.

Courses
Can you choose from different courses at the same level? yes
How much information do you get about the courses (objectives, activities, etc.)? a paragraph
Do courses use textbooks? usually
Do courses have supplemental activities? yes
How often do the courses change (topics, books, etc.)? usually every ten weeks
What is the classroom language? English only
How many students per class? (remember small classes don't give you as many chances to practice your conversations) 6 to 16 students
Is there homework (remember even if you don't like homework it's important to maximize your time)? usually

If you can observe a class, check carefully to see who is talking. In a conversation class most of the students should be talking most of the time. If only the teacher or one or two students are talking, that's a bad sign.

Extras
Does the school have events (parties, etc.)? about twenty times a year
Does the school have computers and video decks? yes
Does the school have a library? yes
Does the school have parking? yes
Is the school easily accessible for you?
Where can you buy textbooks? at KETC
How do you pay your class fees? at the bank.
Are the class times convenient for you?
How old are the students? 16+
Can the school help you enter a foreign university and/or recommend study abroad options? yes

Last updated February 18th, 2003