The world is more connected than ever before, which is why for a global citizen, good communication skills is important to maintain an edge over your peers. However, communication skills without a mastery of an international language is of little use.
In Bangladesh, numerous institutions provide a range of English communication courses for enthusiastic learners. How credible and effective these courses are, however, begs questioning. Moreover, specialised courses for people of different ages and professions are hard to find. The British Council, in this case, stands a class apart.
“To learn English, the first important thing to understand is that it is one of the easiest languages to learn, which is why there is no reason to be intimidated by it,” says Imran Saifur, Teaching Centre academic manager of the British Council in Bangladesh.
The teaching centre is located in Fuller Road, along with satellite centres at Turkish Hope School in Uttara and Gulshan, which offer specialised English Language courses for people of all ages with varying levels of ability.
“We believe that teaching should be learner-centred and should help students develop strategies that work both inside and outside the classroom. We recognise that learners have different aims, world knowledge, learning styles and experiences and that motivation is crucial to successful learning,” continues Saifur.
The courses on offer at the teaching centres include Young Learners Courses, which are designed with young learners and their unique needs in mind. Dividing young learners into four groups (Senior: 15-17 years, Junior: 12-14 years, Primary: 7-11 years and Pre-school: 5-6 years), the learners are given English language lessons based on their interests and ability to learn.
The English Skills Courses for adults focus on overall English communication and confidence with a focus on reading, writing, speaking, and listening skills. The courses are offered at different levels that range from beginners to advanced level. The other courses on offer include IELTS preparation courses that offers comprehensive preparation to IELTS candidates, English for Work designed for professionals, Speaking English that helps to build learner’s confidence and spoken fluency, and customised business training courses for companies, both at their offices and the British Council’s teaching centres.
All the courses are held throughout the year, seven days a week at convenient times. Lessons start as early as 8:30 am and continue throughout the day until 8:45 pm. These courses, except some of the IELTS and Business Training ones, offer 32 hours of face to face teaching. One month intensive courses for adults are starting from May 7 and two month-long courses for adults and young learners are starting from June 7. We also offer a free course consultation for our customers that will help them to comprehend their current level of English and to have a distinct synopsis on their learning progress.
The style and technique of delivering English language courses at the British Council continuously evolve through innovations in teaching techniques. “We value different approaches, styles, techniques and personalities that each teacher brings to the classroom and encourage teachers to innovate and experiment, with new ideas and activities,” stresses Saifur. In addition, a healthy, interactive learning environment is maintained to make sure that the learners stay motivated.
If you are an ambitious member of the country’s workforce who wants to gain a competitive advantage over your peers to move ahead in life faster than the rest, now is a good time to visit one of the British Council’s teaching centres and choose the course that best suits your needs.
Thursday, April 25, 2024
