We have prepared this guide to provide you with important information about our policies and procedures. You may click the links below for details or download  this guide.
To learn English effectively, your teacher, your course and your course book are important, but the most important element is, of course, you. The following advice will help you to benefit from your course.
A good language learner is organised
- Everyone has his or her own style of learning. It is important to find the way that best suits your personality and your situation.
- Try to be systematic in your studies. Remember to make notes on what you did in the lesson, record new vocabulary and do your homework.
- If you are not sure of something, make a note to ask your teacher. Always ask your teacher first if you are not sure about something. Your teacher is the person who knows you and your English best.
Attendance
- Please always arrive on time for class. If you miss 50 per cent or more of any one lesson, you will be marked absent for half of the lesson.
- Try not to miss any classes; if for some reason you cannot attend a class, call a classmate to find out what happened or ask in the following lesson and review the work at home.
- Let your teacher know in advance if you know that you will have to miss a class.
Homework/review
- Your teacher will give you homework as part of the course and you are advised to do it, as this will aid your learning. We know some people are very busy, but it is always possible to negotiate a manageable amount of homework with your teacher;
- To help you to learn most effectively, we strongly advise you to regularly review the work you do in class and reflect on the ways in which you learn.
Always speak English in class
- To be able to speak fluently, it is necessary for you to speak as much as possible, and the ideal place for that is in the classroom;
- Try not to worry about making mistakes. The more you relax and the more you practise, the sooner you will find many mistakes begin to disappear.
Use dictionaries, grammar books and vocabulary books
- We recommend you have your own dictionary, either Chinese/English or English/English, depending on your level and needs;
- Your teacher can advise you on which grammar or vocabulary book to buy if you want to have your own supplementary books at home.
Use English outside the classroom
Take every opportunity to use your English outside the classroom. There are many films on at the cinema and on television in English. English newspapers and magazines, some written especially for students of English, are available locally. The Internet has many websites to help you learn and we strongly recommend that you use LearnEnglish. Speaking English in your everyday life will help your fluency and also boost your confidence.
Free Study Centre membership
When you enrol on an adult English course, you automatically get free membership to our Multimedia Study Centre (MMSC) inside our state-of-the-art premises in Admiralty. This drop-in centre has a wide range of self-study materials including videos, reference books, CD-ROMs and much more. Special task sheets with answers will help you practise all your language skills. Please refer to our Student Bulletin Board for more details.
A Learning Assistant is available at all times to help you.
| MMSC opening hours |
|
| Monday |
1.00 p.m. - 7.00 p.m. |
| Tuesday to Friday |
1.00 p.m. - 8.00 p.m. |
| Saturdays, Sundays and public holidays |
closed |
MMSC opening hours differ during some periods (e.g. summer term). Please refer to our website for the latest opening hours.
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For all courses, you must attend at least 75 per cent of lessons in order to obtain a report or British Council certificate. If your report is lost or damaged, you can request a replacement report within one month from the date of your last lesson at a charge of HK$100. After the first month, you can request a certificate of attendance, which is available up to one year from the date of your last lesson at a charge of HK$50.
Assessment
Your teacher will be continually assessing you based on the core objectives of the course. You will be encouraged to reflect on your own performance with your teacher’s assistance. You will also be given regular language tests and written tasks. All of this will help you identify your strengths and areas of development, allowing your teacher to give you informed advice.
Reports and certificates
| Course |
Report |
Certificate |
Effective English General English |
Yes mid and end of the course-book |
Yes end of the course-book if you have completed 75% of the course |
Focus Course IELTS Language Preparation |
Yes end of the course-book |
Yes end of the course-book |
IELTS Modular IELTS One-day |
Not applicable |
Not applicable |
Progression
With Effective English and General English progress through a level is automatic unless your teacher advises you otherwise. To progress between levels such as Pre-intermediate and intermediate you need to have completed the level successfully. Focus courses have been designed differently and with a focus course it is not usual to move between levels. For example, moving from Listening and Speaking Pre-intermediate to Listening and Speaking Intermediate is usually not possible, except in special circumstances. After an IELTS course you can enter an appropriate course for your level. With all courses your teacher will advise you on your next course.
Please refer to our progression chart.
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While we make every effort to timetable the same teacher for a course, it may sometimes be necessary to change the class teacher without notice.
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Your student number, course number, class days, time and place, and the date of your first lesson are on your booking confirmation. Please make sure you bring this booking confirmation with you when you come for your lessons, as you may be asked to show it to British Council staff members or security guards. Please also bring proof of identity, as without this we cannot guarantee admission to class.
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If you feel that your class is not right for you, please discuss it with your teacher or come to our Customer Services Centre and talk to one of our Customer Services staff. We recommend that in the first place you speak to your teacher, who is in the best position to advise you about your options and help you transfer to a different class if there are places available. Generally, no class changes are possible after registration closes unless there are special circumstances. Where special arrangements are made, 10 per cent of the course fee will be charged as an administration fee.
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To gain the full benefit from your course, it is important that you do not miss class time. We understand that it may not always be possible to get to class on time, but we urge you to try. Student attendance is marked in class registers by teachers, and if you miss 50 per cent or more of any one lesson, you will be marked absent for half of the lesson. Please note we are unable to make up classes for lessons missed due to personal commitments or illness.
Please also note that if you are taking General English and applying for the CEF subsidy, your attendance rate must be at least 75 per cent as required by the CEF office.
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We ask you not to attend your lesson if you are suffering from a cold, flu or other infectious illness. Should the teacher feel that your health could compromise the health of other members of the class, you may be asked to leave the lesson. We thank you for your co-operation.
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Registered courses are neither transferable nor refundable except when a course is cancelled.
If your course is cancelled, you will receive a full refund. Please keep the original receipt in order to obtain this. When processing refunds, we ask you to provide us with your bank account details so your refund can be paid into your account within one month.
If your course is cancelled and you have purchased a course book from the British Council Shop, you can obtain a full refund by returning the unmarked, undamaged book to the shop within 14 days of the start of the course, along with the original receipt.
If a course cannot be run on the date or at the time specified in the timetable and you are unable to attend at the revised time, we will refund your course fee in full within one month of your course fee refund request.
Classes cancelled due to bad weather or teacher sickness will be made up whenever possible. If the make up classes cannot be run on the date or at the time specified in the timetable, and the revised times are unsuitable for you, we will refund the course fee on a pro-rata basis within one month of your course fee refund request.
Apart from the above circumstances, it is possible for special arrangements to be made. In these cases, 10 per cent of the course fee will be charged as an administration fee.
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Please turn off your mobile phone or pager during class so as not to disturb the teacher or other students. If you are expecting an important message, please set your phone to vibrate, and on silent.
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We reserve the right to suspend any student who disrupts a class through unacceptable behaviour. In such cases, the course fee cannot be refunded. We also reserve the right to take legal action against any student who damages British Council property.
Students are not allowed to use video or audio recording equipment in the classroom without the consent of their teacher and classmates. Please note that under British Data Protection Law, it is a criminal offence to make a recording without the consent of all parties being recorded. We reserve the right to suspend any student making unauthorised recordings in class. The course fee will not be refunded.
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It is important that we have your up-to-date contact information to allow us to communicate with you. Please provide us with your home and e-mail addresses as well as your mobile phone, home and work numbers. If any of your contact details change, please contact Customer Services staff immediately on 2913 5100 or e-mail enquiries@britishcouncil.org.hk so that we can update your details.
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For most of our courses, students need to buy a course book. You can buy your course book from the British Council Shop on the ground floor of our Admiralty building.
If you are taking a course at one of our offsite centres, you can order your course book by filling in the Course Book Order Form and sending it to our book shop by fax or post. For details, please refer to the British Council Book Shop web page.
As well as general course books, the book shop stocks other materials that can help students improve their vocabulary, grammar, listening and writing skills. We also have practice papers and preparation materials for English for Speakers of Other Languages (ESOL) exams, including Business English Certificates (BEC) and International English Language Testing System (IELTS).
Telephone: 2913 5122
E-mail:shop@britishcouncil.org.hk
| British Council shop opening hours |
|
| Monday to Friday |
9.30 a.m. - 8.00 p.m. |
| Saturdays |
9.30 a.m. - 6.00 p.m. |
| Sundays and Public Holidays |
Opens occasionally on Sundays - please refer to our shop webpage |
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We value your opinions and questions and are always happy to try to help with any problems you might have. If you have any questions about registration or would like to discuss course-related options and other student-related matters, please contact us on 2913 5100 or e-mail enquiries@britishcouncil.org.hk.
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In order to maintain and improve your English skills, it is better to study regularly over a longer period of time, rather than stopping and restarting your studies several times. Studying English regularly will help you use your time with us more productively and enjoyably. Near the end of each course your teacher will advise you on your next course.
Due to the popularity of our courses, we cannot guarantee that all students will be able to register into their preferred course. As places are allocated on a first-come, first-served basis, we strongly recommend that you re-register as early as possible to ensure that you can enrol in the class and at the time that is most suitable for you. You can find more information about re-registration and teaching centre locations.
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If the Typhoon signal No. 8 or the Black rainstorm warning is still in effect at or after 5:00p.m., all evening classes will be cancelled.
If in doubt, please check our website for information on the current signal status and cancelled class announcements.
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Study at any one of our seven centres, located around Hong Kong for your convenience.
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Liability
The British Council shall not be liable to any party in respect of the following:
- for any loss or damage to your property or any property in your possession in the course of engaging with the British Council or participating in courses as arranged by the British Council;
- for death, or any injury or incapacity (except as may be required by law).
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