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Language School Reviews - Learn English in Valencia
by: Miguel Sanchez If there is such a thing as an international language then it is English.
As a native Spanish speaker, I have always found the language hard to come to
terms with. At school I just about learned enough to be able to hold a very
basic conversation but as I grew older I discovered that my natural career
progression lead me to a stage whereby having the ability to speak a good
standard of English was a pre-requisite for the type of jobs I was applying for.
With English being in high demand it wasn't difficult to find courses I could
attend and living just 20km away from Valencia in a place called Sagunto, the
choice was abundant. My only problem was which course I should choose, but in
the end I decided to try one of the popular schools in Valencia. The course was
expensive, but I didn't mind as I thought that the high price would guarantee
that I would learn English at a rapid pace but apparently I was wrong. Although the standard of teaching was high, the problem was that the
course was over-subscribed with over 18 people in my class alone. The biggest
problem however, was that the class was of mixed ability with some people
speaking English to a high standard and others barely able to utter a word
making it very difficult for the teacher to deliver a class that could cater for
everyone's needs. I fell somewhere in the middle of the ability range, finding
that some weeks I was learning a lot and other weeks my progress being hampered
by material that was either too basic or too advanced. Ultimately, to me it seemed that course was not value for money and my
English was not progressing at the rate I had expected so I left and decided to
try and find something else. After seeking recommendations, I was lead to a
place much closer to my own doorstop here in Sagunto. Apparently a lot of people
were recommending the American Cultural Center in the adjacent town of Puerto
Sagunto telling me that if I wanted to learn English, this was where I should
go. Reserving my own judgment I decided to give it a go and quickly found that
the strong recommendations were reliable. The American Cultural Center was
excellent. The first thing that struck me about the American Cultural Center was
the pleasant, ambient and relaxed environment. It felt less like a school and
more like a place of work but at the same time friendly and welcoming. Secondly,
classes were organized by ability, in groups of no more than 10 people, creating
a more intimate learning experience and making me feel as if each lesson was a
social event rather than a lesson at all!. The teaching standard was also very
good and the smaller groups meant that the teachers were able to pay more
attention to each individual which is fantastic considering that the course was
also cheaper than the one I was attending in Valencia! Another big selling point
for me was the fact that native English speakers were employed. Through my
experience with the staff at the American Cultural Center, I have found that
having the opportunity to learn from native speakers is by far the best way to
learn English with the evidence of this being in this very article. Believe me
when I say that this time last year my English was ok, but nowhere near the
standard that it is now. The progress that I have made in that short time has
been nothing short of remarkable and I urge my fellow Valencianos wishing to
learn English to try the American Cultural Center in Puerto Sagunto. Check out
their website at; www.itoweb.org
About The Author
Miguel Sanchez. Language School Reviewer - Sagunto, Valencia. |
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