Language School Reviews - Learn English in Valencia
Language School Reviews - Learn English in Valencia
If there is such a thing as an international language then it is
English. As a native Spanish speaker, I have always found the
language hard to come to terms with. At school I just about
learned enough to be able to hold a very basic conversation but
as I grew older I discovered that my natural career progression
lead me to a stage whereby having the ability to speak a good
standard of English was a pre-requisite for the type of jobs I
was applying for. With English being in high demand it wasn't
difficult to find courses I could attend and living just 20km
away from Valencia in a place called Sagunto, the
choice was abundant. My only problem was which course I should
choose, but in the end I decided to try one of the popular
schools in Valencia. The course was expensive, but I didn't mind
as I thought that the high price would guarantee that I would
learn English at a rapid pace but apparently I was wrong.
Although the standard of teaching was high, the problem was that
the course was over-subscribed with over 18 people in my class
alone. The biggest problem however, was that the class was of
mixed ability with some people speaking English to a high
standard and others barely able to utter a word making it very
difficult for the teacher to deliver a class that could cater
for everyone's needs. I fell somewhere in the middle of the
ability range, finding that some weeks I was learning a lot and
other weeks my progress being hampered by material that was
either too basic or too advanced.
Ultimately, to me it seemed that course was not value for money
and my English was not progressing at the rate I had expected so
I left and decided to try and find something else. After seeking
recommendations, I was lead to a place much closer to my own
doorstop here in Sagunto. Apparently a lot of people were
recommending the American
Cultural Center in the adjacent town of Puerto
Sagunto telling me that if I wanted to learn English, this
was where I should go.
Reserving my own judgement I decided to give it a go and quickly
found that the strong recommendations were reliable. The American Cultural Center was
excellent. The first thing that struck me about the American Cultural Center was
the pleasant, ambient and relaxed environment. It felt less like
a school and more like a place of work but at the same time
friendly and welcoming. Secondly, classes were organized by
ability, in groups of no more than 10 people, creating a more
intimate learning experience and making me feel as if each
lesson was a social event rather than a lesson at all!. The
teaching standard was also very good and the smaller groups
meant that the teachers were able to pay more attention to each
individual which is fantastic considering that the course was
also cheaper than the one I was attending in Valencia!
Another big selling point for me was the fact that native
English speakers were employed. Through my experience with the
staff at the American Cultural
Center, I have found that having the opportunity to learn
from native speakers is by far the best way to learn English
with the evidence of this being in this very article. Believe me
when I say that this time last year my English was very poor and
to write this article would have been impossible! The progress
that I have made in that short time has been nothing short of
remarkable and I urge my fellow Valencianos wishing to learn
English to try the American
Cultural Center in Puerto Sagunto. Check out their
website at;
www.itoweb.org