It can be really hard choosing where to study English in the UK. There are a lot of schools, colleges and university departments teaching English all over the UK, and they all sound great.
How can you make the right decision meaning that you'll get the best possible teaching, that your progress will be monitored, that you'll be looked after well and -- in the unlikely event that things go wrong -- that you're protected by a safety net?
One simple way to do this is look for language centres which are members of English UK, a not-for-profit organisation. Their mission is to ensure standards in UK language centres are among the highest in the world. Universities, colleges and schools can only join English UK if they pass the rigorous and wide-ranging inspections we run with the British Council: currently, over 470 are entitled to display our logo on their websites, brochures and publications.
English UK also works with some of the world's best study abroad agents (look for the Partner Agency Scheme logo) and they are listed on their website.
Source: © English UK
How does English UK protect students at its member centres?
- Quality is guaranteed: all members have to pass tough regular inspections. These check student teaching, progression and welfare, teachers' qualifications, the centre's resources and management, and that accommodation, including homestays, meet the required standards.
- You are protected by a complaints procedure if there are serious problems. (Complaints are very rare, and are usually resolved informally.)
- You are protected if your study centre closes. This is rare too, but our Student Emergency Support Fund will work to find you a place on a similar course in the same area for no extra cost.
This should take a lot of the worry of choosing a language centre thousands of miles away, leaving you and your family free to think about the best school for you.
So how do you go about finding the best centre for you?
It's really important that you start by thinking about your needs.
- What type of English language teaching do you need? Are you preparing for university entrance, or for a new career, or simply to improve your existing skills?
- Would you prefer to live in a big city or a small town? Somewhere on the coast, or in the countryside? Somewhere with lots of other international students, or somewhere where they are in the minority?
- What's your budget? English UK member centres all offer good quality, but costs can vary, especially living costs. It's cheaper to study outside London, for instance.
There is lots more information about studying in the UK on their website here.
Once you've narrowed down what and where you'd like to study, we can help you find the perfect course.
- Visit the course finder tool
- Put your requirements into our course finder, and look at the courses it suggests
- Choose the one that's best for you
Source: ENGLISH UK
