You child will take a short written and oral test. The test should take 40 to 50 minutes.  The results of this test will then help us place your child in a class appropriate to their age and ability. Office opening hours are Monday to Friday from 10.00 to 19.00 and Saturday from 10.00 to 14.00. Call us on 02 77 22 21. Please note that you do not need to book the test from 8 to 30 September. Simply come and visit us in via Manzoni 38.

The phrase ‘happy learners get results’ neatly encapsulates our approach to teaching and learning. Motivation is a key factor in learning and we believe that when the interest and creativity of learners is engaged they will learn better and faster and achieve better results. At the British Council Milan we have been teaching children with great success for over 50 years.  Our experience has enabled us to cultivate a strong understanding of the needs and concerns of parents. In Milan we are committed to making your child’s learning a successful, enjoyable and positive experience and our aim is to provide a structured English language ‘career’ that gives each child an opportunity to reach their full potential in a stimulating, secure and safe environment.

The British Council only employs the very best teachers, as we believe they are the key to your child’s successful learning.  Our teachers are highly qualified and specially trained to teach English to children. They have many years of experience in their field and understand the developmental needs and interests of children. Our teachers are caring and friendly and work towards developing positive relationships with children and parents. We believe that learning plays a pivotal role in being excellent educators and therefore our teachers regularly attend training programmes to ensure that they are at the forefront of their field.

The table below shows how our classes are divided according to age and level of English and illustrates the general progression of students. When we recommend your child for a particular level, we consider a wide range of factors which include, among others, knowledge of vocabulary, grammar and syntax combined with their overall speaking and listening ability. Our levels are related to the Common European Framework (CEF), which is a valuable and useful guideline as many schools, universities and employers globally recognise these levels.

Our Caterpillar Club, Primary, Junior and Lower Secondary courses are 45 academic hours, while Upper Secondary and Young Adults courses are 90 academic hours.

The British Council Milan is a centre of Cambridge ESOL exams and the table below indicates the appropriate exams for the different levels. Our teachers will be able to advise, in mid- year progress reports, which exam is the most suitable for your child and how to help them prepare. British Council courses and Cambridge ESOL exams are also recognised by an increasing number of schools and universities as crediti formativi.

At the British Council we use a communicative approach which means that the focus of our courses in on developing listening and speaking skills. Students use English to communicate with each other and the teacher in class. By encouraging the use of English in the classroom at all times, students continually practice their language skills and the teacher can better assess progress and ability. We combine this with the development of writing and reading skills depending on age.

We provide a modern learning environment with the most up-to-date learning technologies such as interactive whiteboards and computers to make lessons stimulating and motivating for all learners.

In class we aim to create a stress-free environment designed to help build confidence where achievement is praised and mistakes are accepted as a natural part of learning. We offer teaching methods designed to help develop the ability to learn English and become a more independent learner.

We teach how to communicate clearly and confidently in modern English by practising through creative and challenging tasks in a wide variety of activities such as pair and group work, interviews and projects.

Each course has an assigned course book, carefully chosen according to the students’ level of English and age, which forms the basis of your child’s syllabus. We also use a variety of materials; those produced especially for your child’s age and level of English, authentic sources (such as internet, stories or DVDs) and those written by our experienced teachers.  As we use a range of materials, you may find that your child does not complete every page in the course book or use it in every lesson.

To help your child communicate clearly and confidently in modern English we use a variety of different methods or activities.  Here are some examples of how we may work in class:

Group and Pair work
This provides more opportunities for students to speak and participate.  By working in groups, learners develop the skills of listening and co-operating and the teacher can evaluate progress and give help, advice and encouragement where and when it is needed.  Also, if a learner is less confident, they can be involved in the lesson without worrying about having to ‘perform’ in front of their classmates.

Songs, Rhymes and Chants
Young children live in a rhythmic world and the combination of words with the beat of a song or chant is an excellent way to learn the rhythm and pronunciation of English.  Even as we get older, songs are an invaluable way of learning and consolidating new vocabulary and grammar.

Games
Whether quizzes, board games or activities where learners physically respond to commands, the real purpose of ‘games’ is to provide an enjoyable and meaningful context in which to practice using specific language.  Games also develop teamwork, turn taking and co-operation.

Project work
This develops research skills and gives students an opportunity to focus on organising work and becoming more independent.

Creative Activities
While involved in creative activities, students are learning to listen for specific information, instructions and to ask for help if necessary.  Very young learners also develop observation and motor skills.

Stories
Stories are memorable and allow us to make links with other subjects your child may be studying at school, helping them build on their general education.

We place a lot of emphasis on both what students do in class and for homework. We follow a system of continuous assessment where learners complete regular assessed tasks throughout the year. Generally speaking, students must achieve a satisfactory level of learning (the equivalent of an average of 6/10 or more) to move to the next level.

Progress, however, is also dependent on regular attendance, completion of homework and, of course, attitude and level of interest. Therefore, if classes are continually missed and assessed tasks are not completed, it will be difficult to reach the level required to pass the year. The amount of English studied at school will also influence the rate of progress at the British Council.

Homework is an important part of courses at the British Council and will be set regularly, as we believe it helps to understand work done in class and makes learners more independent and responsible. At lower levels homework tasks should not take more than 30-40 minutes to complete and at higher levels and with exam groups, the workload will be more intense. You can check what homework your child has by looking in the relevant section of their notebook.

Parents will receive two written reports during the year and have the chance to discuss progress and behaviour at mid year parent-teacher meetings.

Before making any recommendations for further study we consider overall performance throughout the year rather than value the results of a final end of year exam. Occasionally we recommend a student continues in the same level, but equally we may also recommend a student jump a level from one year to the next if they make outstanding progress.