1 best winter courses in Cambridge

Choosing Cambridge as a place where you can send your child on winter holidays to improve their language has a number of advantages.

• Openness and accessibility

Most foreign language schools offering winter education in Cambridge have a minimum entry threshold - there are no requirements for the level of language training. How well your child speaks English before the start of the course will only determine the intensity and intensity of the program, the level of its difficulty. You can enter with any knowledge!

• World-class school and university campuses

9 out of 10 foreign language schools in Cambridge are branches or divisions of universities or prestigious international schools, so students get a unique opportunity to live and study on the campuses of the University of Cambridge / one of the local private schools, use libraries and sports facilities, and other infrastructure. Want to feel like you're at Hogwarts? Come to Cambridge!

• Classic English

In the United Kingdom, there are several dozen dialects, and some of them are difficult to perceive even by the British, not to mention untrained people! And if you remember that English, in addition to Great Britain, the United States and Canada, is spoken by billions of people in dozens of countries, and for hundreds of millions it is a native language... In the case of courses at Cambridge, you will be able to avoid communication difficulties, because it is here, in Oxbridge, that the literary norm of classical English is formed, one that will be equally understandable to everyone, both Americans and New Zealanders. and residents of India or Pakistan, and in Russia as well.

• Multiculturalism

Half of the Cambridge population are schoolchildren and students, half of them, in turn, are foreigners from all five continents. That is why studying here is a chance and an opportunity not only to learn the language, but also to make new friends, to get a holistic idea of the culture, everyday, culinary and other traditions of different peoples.

• Huge selection of programs and schools

In Cambridge, there are several dozen language schools offering both standard courses (such as General) of varying intensity, and specialized ones - everyone can find something suitable for them here.

The choice of course depends on the student's goals and objectives: for some, learning the language serves as a kind of hobby, while others study it out of academic necessity or for the sake of subsequently entering an international school or one of the British universities. The type of course, its length, intensity and costs will depend on these parameters.

• Basic programs for beginners

In some schools, they are taught separately, but most often they present the first level as part of the general General course - this is a study for the most beginners who need to start from the basics. The beginning and end of the course are usually fixed.

• General English

It is suitable for students with almost any level of the language (the concept implies that there is still some level), from beginners to advanced. Classes are held in groups with differentiation by age and level of training, each group follows its own special program: at the initial stage, it can be the analysis of elementary grammatical structures, and at more advanced levels, young people master vocabulary in a volume sufficient for free communication on a particular topic.

The duration of classes can be any, from 1-2 weeks to a year, although winter vacation programs are usually designed for no more than 4 weeks. The standard program includes 16-20 hours of weekly classes, supplemented by a variety of extracurricular activities - sports, educational, cultural and recreational. There are also semi-intensive and intensive programs - they differ from the basic one only in the number of academic hours (on average 24-28 and 30-40 hours, respectively).

Classes are usually held in small groups of 5-10 people, which guarantees an individual approach to each student; If necessary, the course can be supplemented with individual lessons. Intensive programs rarely last more than 2-3 weeks, because not all students can easily withstand such loads.

• Business English

Business programs rarely take place during the winter holidays, but Cambridge schools offer such programs. The courses are usually quite intensive — 25-30 hours per week at least — and are focused on practice: language classes are supplemented by the study of the intricacies of corporate ethics, the study of business law, management, and business correspondence skills. The program may be of interest not only to adults, but also to students of practice-oriented IB programs.

• Private lessons

One-on-one classes with a teacher, reminiscent of lessons with a tutor familiar to Russians, are one of the best ways to learn any foreign language. It is easier and faster to do this in this format than with any other. Classes can be flexibly adapted to the individual needs of the student: you can work on written and oral speech, correct pronunciation, even completely get rid of the accent. A personal tutor will work with the student at the desired pace, face-to-face or via Skype.

You can find a teacher in person, but it is recommended to contact a language school - this guarantees high quality and professionalism, often at a slightly lower cost.

• Family English

Another very popular (and very effective) scenario for learning a foreign language. In this format, the student lives with his teacher and members of his family, sometimes alone, sometimes with other students. In this case, theory is usually mastered in the classroom at school, and at home and in the city, the student has all the opportunities for diverse and intensive practice.

This format is often used when preparing for entrance exams.

Along with the obvious advantages in terms of the educational process, there are others: for example, the teacher can act as an official guardian, and parents do not have to worry about housing and food - they are already included in the cost of the program.

• English + Hobbies or English + Sports

Combining a language program with a sports training program or your favorite hobby is one of the most popular and interesting options for studying in winter in Cambridge. This format greatly facilitates the learning process and contributes to rapid success. The choice of programs is quite diverse, some schools offer several dozen areas - from dance and drama to cooking, photography or cutting and sewing courses. Also popular is a combination of English and another foreign language, sports programs, and the latter can be both universal, for general development, and professional, addressed to young athletes who need pre-season training, development of special sports skills and competencies or sports rehabilitation after an injury.

• Holidays for the little ones and family programs

Children's courses and family programs are similar in terms of their target audience: they are designed for children under 10 years old, and the minimum age depends on the school (in some, education begins as early as 3-4 years old, usually IB-based camps). The workload here is less, children usually study for 12-16 hours a week, and the maximum duration of the course does not exceed a month and a half (more often 2-3 weeks). The program is simple, the entertaining and educational component prevails over the educational process, although it cannot be called boring either.

Family programs are addressed not only to children, but also to their parents. This is the optimal for those who are not yet ready to send their child to a foreign school alone. The format depends on the program: if in some schools the task of parents is to pick up the child and bring him to class (and while teachers are engaged in the child, adults can devote themselves to shopping and other activities according to age), others offer language courses for both ages.