You've decided to study abroad to learn a foreign language or to improve your foreign language skills, and now it has come to choosing the best school for your purpose.  The task can be daunting with so many choices.  Here a few things to consider when making your selection. 

Class size

Class size is one of the most important considerations in choosing a language school along with the credentials of the teaching staff.  A school that advertises "small classes" and does not place a limit on the number of students per class usually means that as new students arrive the classes grow larger, sometimes to an unwieldy number, limiting the individual attention to questions and explanations.  The "right" size is about 6 students per class or less.  This gives the class a good flow, with just enough repetition (which is especially important at the low and intermediate levels) but not so much repetition for the class to become bogged down.

Small Group Classes

A misconception is that many people think that private classes or one-on-one instruction would be better than small group classes.  The opposite is true in most cases, especially for a beginning or an intermediate student.  Small groups (less than six) is superior to individual classes for the following reasons;
 

1.  When assimilating new information, repetition and reinforcement are imperative.  When in a small group an individual student has the opportunity to think out each question or response presented to others in the class.  As the other students respond to a question the student has the opportunity to answer the question to their self, thereby having the opportunity to respond 4 or 5 times mentally before having to respond verbally.  As the student hears the questions and responses they also hear the corrections to the other students thereby reinforcing a correct answer or correcting their own errors. 

2.  Individual attention to students can still be maintained if the class size is small.  Students can still ask any questions they have without interrupting the flow of the class and remain on subject.

3.  Small group classes allow more divisions into class levels.  A school that can offer more specific class levels based on a student's language skill level will be able to more directly focus training.   Effectively placing the student in the correct level or levels is crucial.  A language skill level test should be conducted prior to assigning a student to a class to assure students that all in the class will be a similar language skill level.  

Private Classes

Private classes definitely have their place and can be extremely effective in instances where a student has a particular problem understanding a certain aspect of structure syntax or grammar.  Also, private classes can be very effective for more advanced students that have a firm grasp of the basics of the language and wish to focus on a particular aspect.   Professionals that need to learn vocabulary or the vernacular of a specific profession can benefit greatly from private classes. 

Standard versus Intensive Classes

Often you'll find schools offering both Standard and Intensive courses.  Both should follow the same syllabi.  The Standard Class usually runs for 4 hours per day, and the Intensive Course for 6 hours.  You don't learn anything different in the Intensive class, you only receive more instruction.  If you do elect to take an Intensive Course consider limiting yourself to a few weeks at most.  Six hours a day of new information is just too much to assimilate for a very long time, be very wary of "burn-out".  A student that has a fresh and eager mind will acquire more information than one who's mind is still numb from weeks of six hours a day.  Just as an athlete must rest to let their muscles grow and their skill level increase, so must a language student rest, contemplate and digest new information so that a solid base will form on which to build further learning.


Location

There are many countries that a student will find offering a language school.  Political stability, safety, standard of health and ease of acquiring Visa's or required travel documentation should be considered.  The location of the school within the country is a very important part of a student's decision.  The school should be in a location that has a sufficient number of home stays within walking distance of the school so that students are not required to trek across the city or have to provide their own transportation to and from school.  Also, the neighborhood should be a safe one, preferably residential, and of at least middle class status so the appropriate accommodations for the students can be met.    The location should be convenient to restaurants, stores, and entertainment.  Having a location centralized in or around a major city is very useful for students who want to travel to other parts of the country,  since the major hubs of transportation are located central to the city.  For example, if a school is located in a remote part of a country, it would be nearly impossible for the student to travel to other parts of that country on the weekends and make it back in time for classes.  Remote areas just do not warrant the transportation resources because of location and low population.   Some places may sound exotic, but they also have limitations that should be considered.

Also very important, there are always a larger number of qualified teaching personnel residing in higher population areas. universities.  

Responses to your queries

The completeness of answers and the speed at which a prospective school provides a response to your queries can be a good indication of how a school values its students.  All schools should be able to proved references and contact information of former students.  It is always best to get a student's perspective of a school and its quality of its programs.

Emma Valverde
Director / IPEE Spanish Language School, Costa Rica 
e-mail:  ipeecr@racsa.co.cr 
Web Site:  http://ipee.com
Tel:  011 506 2283-7731


©1998 IPEE 

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