Principal's Post - February 2021

Flexibility is the key advantage for learning English online.

Perhaps the two most obvious areas of flexibility concern the time and location of lessons. Learning and teaching can take place at a time that fits in with a student’s work schedule and is not restricted to a far-flung classroom abroad.

This means learning happens in more bitesized portions, allowing more opportunity for reflection between sessions and more time for learning, as there is no unnecessary commuting to a physical learning space.

When learning English online, the one-size-fits-all approach of the traditional classroom gives way to the use of more varied learning techniques and resources. This in turn leads to more flexible learning. Students themselves have more freedom to chose how and what they learn, working more independently and at their own pace.

ECS Scotland offers online courses in blocks of hours ranging from 30 minutes to 20 hours. If you are short of time but still want to keep your spoken English up to scratch, why not try a 30 minute lunchtime class once a week. If you are able to dedicate a little more time, book a block of classes and study for an hour or two each week.

What is synchronous and asynchronous learning?

Learning English online at ECS Scotland balances both synchronous and asynchronous sessions. Synchronous lessons are live, real time lessons full of active discussion and listening, with immediate feedback. Teachers and students interact rather like in the traditional classroom, but in a digital learning space.

Asynchronous work, on the other hand, enables students to work with a vast array of online resources, studying and reviewing in their own time and learning space between synchronous sessions. This ‘flipped learning’ approach makes for lessons that are dynamic, relevant and very individual.

Feedback and assessment

Finally, feedback and assessment of a student’s progress can also be delivered more flexibly using a range of digital tools that can easily correct and evaluate in ways not feasible in the education settings of the past.