The secret of EF's success is our dedicated staff, working in both our schools
and offices around the world.
EF was founded in 1965 and has since then become
the world's largest education company, but it still feels
like a small organisation where everybody knows each other pretty well.
We all work to provide the best language education for our students.
With EF, students can choose between over 40 schools in 15 different countries.
They can learn English in the UK, Ireland, USA, Canada, Australia, New Zealand,
Malta or South Africa.
They can learn Spanish in Spain, Costa Rica or Ecuador.
Or they can study French, German, Italian or Chinese.
Wherever they choose to study, they will live immersed in the culture
and the country where the language is spoken.
With EF, students can start on any Monday,
Some students come and study for for two weeks intensively,
and others come and study for a full Academic Year abroad.
Because we use the same teaching methods in all of our schools,
if they wish to, students can easily transfer from one school to another
without any disruption to their course.
EF offers many different types of courses, but one thing
that they all have in common, is that classes are small.
So students are always with classmates at their own level.
The EF General Course offers 26 lessons per week.
Apart from regular classroom sessions,
courses also include classes in our multimedia labs,
as well as weekly lectures by interesting guest speakers.
The EF Intensive Course offers 32 lessons per week,
for maximum learning.
Here we give students extra time for special interest lessons.
If students are interested in studying for their business career,
we recommend the EF English for Business Course.
The EF Exam Course is for students who would like to prepare for a language exam.
And finally,
The EF Basic Summer Course offers 20 lessons per week,
and it’s perfect for students who want to combine studies with an enjoyable holiday.
We organise everything in house, and we all work together
whether we work in an EF school, or in an EF office.
The best way for a student to get advice is to call the nearest EF office,
or the nearest EF representative.
Our educational counsellors will then send the students a detailed
course catalogue, advise them on the different course types,
and help them to take a test to determine their language level.
Of course, this all comes free of charge.
Our EF office can also help them to arrange air tickets,
or airport transfers and help them obtain a visa.
When a student arrives at EF, the Academic Management Team
arranges everything for their language course.
The Accommodation Team makes sure the student has some comfortable place to stay.
And then, the EF Activities Organisers make sure there are lots of fun things
to do outside classes!
At the schools, we are in constant contact with the EF offices
all around the world.
We know each other really well because we communicate
all the time.
Over the years, we have developed our own method called the Efekta™ System,
and it combines classroom teaching with the latest interactive multimedia tools.
Our teachers are very experienced, and they are trained in our method.
We have also developed our own text books,
and they are tailor-made for language courses abroad. They combine
with our interactive language software, which we use
in our iLabs.
This allows students to focus on their own specific needs.
What I always try to do is to get students to communicate.
in the classroom.
I have seen it over and over again. Students arrive here, first
they are very shy, and not used to speaking in English,
even though they usually have a very strong grammatical skill
and writing skills.
So, I try to provide opportunities in the class where they can
use their spoken English and put them in real situations
similar to what they would encounter in the street here.
And then I find over time with this practice, they feel a lot more
confident and become a lot more fluent in English.
An important part of any language course abroad is the accommodation.
Apart from providing a comfortable home away from home,
EF wants to ensure that students have the best chance to practice their language.
A homestay means, living with a local host family:
a great way to get an insight into the local way of life.
Many of our host families have been working with EF for years,
and know how to make students feel truly at home.
Staying in the residence is also a good option for students
who want a more independent lifestyle.
Living in an international student environment still gives them
plenty of chances to practise their language.
And finally, some of our schools are located on a university campus.
Living in a dormitory on campus, gives students a chance
to really get into the local student life.
Another great way to practise the language and get valuable work experience
is to do an EF Internship.
All EF schools can arrange a part-time internship for students
in the afternoons, after class.
Some schools can also organise a full-time internship
to do at the end of the course, which can last up to 12 weeks long.
The EF Internship Coordinator at the school will work with the student and place them
in a work environment that matches the student's professional interests.
The reason why I am doing an internship is because I wanted
to get in touch with native speakers to improve my English in real life situations.
And I also wanted to do an internship in a field that I am really interested in
like the fashion business.
The internship coordinator found a few opportunities for me, and this was
my favourite one.
I just went to an interview, and I got the job.
After class, our students want a chance to explore their new country.
So that's why we have EF Activities Coordinators at every school to help them
get out and discover the fun things that their new city has to offer.
We try to plan something for every day of the week.
Such as sport activities or barbecues.
And on the weekends, we have dance parties for our students from
all over the world.
When students complete their course, they receive the EF diploma, and a
detailed progress report that shows how much they have learned during their stay.
These documents are certainly a valuable addition to their CV
when they apply to schools or for a new job.
But students bring back so much more.
New language skills, international work experience,
and some fantastic memories of their time abroad with EF.