FAQs, cours d'anglais pour les adultes, British Council

Teaching centre



		English Courses for adults


		English courses for young learners


		Intensive English courses


		Teaching methodology


		Primary teacher training course

	FAQ’s Adults for Web

		What are the opening hours?

	Link to adults page opening hours.

		How many hours is a course, when are courses run and how much do they cost?

Our General English, Business English, Conversation and Cambridge Exam classes are one year courses which run from September to June each academic year and represent 120, 90 or 60 hours a course.

For further information please download our programme 2009/2010 .

A 45 hour IELTS preparation course is run over 15 Saturday afternoons.

		Do you have intensive courses for adults?

	The 16 hour intensive IELTS preparation course is offered as an intensive course over 4 days in certain school holidays.

		Are there adults courses at the same time as classes for children and teenagers?

	The adult classes start and finish 30 minutes later than the classes for young learners in the evenings. There are no classes for adults on Wednesdays. Saturday morning adult classes are at the same time as some of our classes for young learners and Saturday afternoon adult classes are at different times.

		How can I pay? Can I pay in instalments?

	- You can pay by cash or cheque We do not currently accept bank card payments. - You can pay in two instalments for 45, 60 and 90 hour courses and in three instalments for 120 hours courses.

		Can my course fees be paid for by ‘formation continue’, ‘DIF’ or ‘subvention’ ? What is the process to have fees paid by my company or another organisation ? When can I get a quote for my company ?

We allocate 80 places on our annual courses for sponsored students.

1.Your level is established by a certificate or a placement test.
2.A place in a suitable class at the correct level is available.
3.You pay 30 Euros (non-refundable) to reserve a place in the class and give us the details of the company or organisation which will be paying your fees.
4.We will prepare the quote for the company.
5.The company sends a letter accepting payment of the fees.
6.Your place in the class is confirmed

Please note that we must have written confirmation of payment before the course starts.

Once you have been placement tested (if a placement test is necessary) and have got a place in a class at your level, we will provide the quote for your company.

		How many students are there in each class ?

	Usually there is a maximum of 16 students in each adult class, though in certain exceptional circumstances this may go up to 17/18.

		Can I change my class if I have a timetable clash ?

	If this happens, we will do our best to find you a place in another class depending on places available, but we cannot guarantee that this will be possible.

		Are the teachers qualified ?

	All our teachers are native speakers of English and have teaching qualifications.

		What will be the level of the students in the class ?

	Our classes are organised by level according to the Common European Framework of Reference for languages so the students in the class will be around the same level. However, some students are stronger in certain skills than others so there may be a range of different abilities in any class.

		What is the difference between the courses ?

General English courses, 2 hours, 3 hours and 4 hours a week, (2 x 2 hours) develop all four skills in English.

Cambridge exam preparation courses prepare for the FCE, CAE or CPE exams.

Business English courses provide training in key business communication skills for people who need English for work

Conversational English courses develop fluency and understanding of spoken English.

IELTS 45 hour and 16 hour preparation courses prepare for the academic module of the IELTS exam.

For more details on these different courses, please see our English courses for adults.

		What will happen if I am absent from a class?

	If you know you are going to be absent, please inform your teacher in advance or send an e-mail to coursanglais@britishcouncil.fr to let us know. The teacher will keep copies of any handouts from the class (es) you miss.

		Do we have homework for all classes?

	Your teacher will set you homework on average once a week. It is up to you if you choose to complete homework tasks or not although we recommend you do so whenever time permits. Homework is more important in Cambridge exam preparation and IELTS courses for which writing practice is very important.

		How can I get a place in a class?

If you already have a certificate of your English level referenced to CEFR such as a Cambridge or IELTS certificate or a certificate from a recognised school, you will be able to register directly in a class at the appropriate level when we open registration as long as there are places available. You will find registration information on our website.

If you do not have a certificate of your English level, you will need to take a placement test to determine your level. We cannot guarantee that a place in a class will be available at your level or at the time you require.

		How can I know my level? How can I book a placement test? How long will the test take? Do I have to pay extra for the placement test?

If you do not already have a certificate of your English level reference to CEFR you will need to book a placement test to determine your level.

depending on your level, the test can take up to 2 hours.

No.

		How can I register?

Once your level is established you will be able to find out about availability of places in classes at your level. We cannot guarantee that places will be available. Once you have chosen a class, you can register by completing a registration form and returning it with payment to the teaching centre reception on the 4th floor.

		Do I have to buy books?

	Yes. Once you have registered for a class you will be informed about which books you need to buy.

		How is progress measured?

	We asses progress by a programme of continual assessment which includes both homework and work in class.

		What will I study in these courses?

	Link to methodology. More specific information will be provided at the start of each course

		Do the exam preparation courses for Cambridge exams give me the chance to pass the exam automatically at the end of the course?

No. We will offer a ‘mock’ exam and on the basis of this your teacher will be able to advise you on your readiness or not to take the exam. You need to contact the exams@britishcouncil.fr to register for the exam. We usually encourage students to aim for the exams taking place in June.

Link to exams page

		How can I contact the exams services?

	Link to exams page

		Does taking an exam preparation course mean I am automatically registered for the exam?

No. You will need to register for the exam with the exams@britishcouncil.fr .

Link to exams page

		Will I get a level certificate at the end of the course?

	At the end of a course you will get a progress report which details the level of the course, your attendance and progress and recommendations for further study.

		Does the teaching centre offer short courses during the year?

	Not at present.

		Can you recommend another school?

	You can find information about language schools in the United Kingdom on our website Education UK. We cannot recommend another school in France as we do not have official partners in France.