Main Specialist Course : Executive Intensive
This one or two-week experience is an opportunity to significantly raise a student’s level of English in a short time.
This one-to-one intensive immersion training guarantees rapid results leading to increased self-confidence in listening and speaking.
There is the possibility of progressing one full level in this time through the extensive teaching and daily out of lesson conversation hours.
Students speak and listen to English from morning to bedtime, with the potential of ten hours per day exposure to the language. It is very tiring, but it gets the desired result in a very short time.
Clear explanations of English tenses and grammar structures and intensive practice are the secret to the significant increase in confidence that occurs.
The course material is adapted to suit students starting at any level from beginner to advanced and lesson content is tailored to suit the professional requirements of each student. The intensive nature of the course enables people to make huge progress in only one week, whatever level they start at.
A residential week such as this involves students in an experience that is second to none in terms of quality and personal attention. Each visitor is welcomed as a guest, lives as part of the family and leaves having made new friends.
Over the last ten years, many business and professional students have progressed in their English through taking our courses and we have become specialists in training French speakers. This experience enables us to understand totally the unique and common native difficulties that each student has.
Through this understanding of the problems faced by French adults needing to speak English in international business, we are in a strong position to help them to overcome their fears. We give them the opportunity to discover new confidence in speaking more accurately and in understanding others.
One student described his problem in this way: he said that when he went to an important international meeting that was to be conducted totally in English, he felt like a knight of old, going into battle on a fine horse, protected by a good suit of armour – but carrying a broken sword!
One week course:
Total 60 hours of language input and output comprising:-
40 hours one to one lessons with personal teacher
10 hours private study
10 hours corrected social conversation with family and friends.
Two week course:
Total 133 hours of language input and output comprising:-
80 hours one to one lessons with personal teacher
23 hours private study
30 hours corrected social conversation with family and friends.
English is the only language spoken throughout their stay. Some clients who receive a phone call from France during the last part of their course are surprised to discover that it is difficult to remember the words in their own language!
Travel Arrangements
Students travel on Sunday from their point of departure to the airport or train/coach station where they are met by us and driven directly to their residence.
Lessons and excursions take place daily from Monday to Friday. Students are driven back to their point of departure on Friday afternoon or on Saturday morning. Flights can be met from Bournemouth or Southampton Airports.
Arrivals to London Heathrow can take a coach to Southampton. There is a Eurostar train connection from Lille or
Paris to London and meet students from our local train station of Brockenhurst.
Dates and travel arrangements can be tailored to suit individual cases.
Tel: +33(0)820 20 21 45 email: info@wissen.fr www.wissen.fr
The Tuition Programme
40 hours individual tuition per week
Formal lessons in the morning are followed by lunch with the teacher. Afternoon lessons are tailored to suit individual needs. Often they include an observed task where the student is required to use their language in a real situation.
This could be finding information in a shop or public place, booking a reservation or socialising with people in the locality.
The teacher monitors closely and gives the student feedback in a sensitive and encouraging way.
10 hours of private study
This work is based on language in the lesson and corrected the next day. Private study is usually done in the early evening before dinner.
1. The Study Plan
The study plan is made in advance. It is tailored to the individual needs of each client and it is created in advance of their arrival in the UK.
The plan is made following an in-depth interview/questionnaire. This information allows us to identify the specific needs of each student.
By knowing in advance their strengths and weaknesses, their particular roles and responsibilities at work (such as how, when, where and with whom they need to speak in English) and by knowing what they need to achieve
– we can prepare the syllabus and lesson content before the student arrives.
This means that that no precious time is wasted in assessment. The first lesson is therefore directly relevant to the needs of each student. The planned course is adapted daily according to their progress.
2. The Lessons
Lessons are usually four hours duration and start immediately after breakfast. There are no fixed break times and students usually agree with the teacher when is a suitable time to stop for a short break.
Students are encouraged to bring with them any material that is appropriate to their work so that we can adapt the lessons to their individual needs. Often they bring their laptops and use these to show typical emails or they may wish to practise a presentation of their company or a talk they need to make to colleagues or clients.
If students are particularly keen to work on speaking or writing with grammatical accuracy, we can focus on English tenses, vocabulary or sentence structure. Next, we make sure they are able to use this language functionally by using it in ways that relate to the students ’ professional working life.
If the student is advanced and wants to focus on intonation and idiomatic expressions, that will be the theme of their course. If they need to understand a particular dialect or accent, such as American English or Scottish, then suitable audio texts will be selected.
Some students need to prepare for an overseas visit which requires some cross-cultural awareness and this is something we can also provide.
Sometimes the student will have more than one teacher. This is more likely to happen in a 2-week course. When this happens the teachers collaborate closely so that each has a daily update of what the student has done, what was easy and what was harder and which areas may need further practice. Some students enjoy the variety of teaching styles.
Tel: +33(0)820 20 21 45 email: info@wissen.fr www.wissen.fr
3. Detailed Feedback
We believe in giving detailed feedback at end of course so that students and their sponsors know exactly what has been achieved and what needs to be developed.
Therefore, on completion of the course, companies and students will receive:-
A full account of lessons and activities with achievements and areas for further study described in detail
An end of Course Report with detailed recommendations for future study
A Heritage English Certificate
Optional extra: A personal CD recorded during lessons. Dialogues that are studied in lessons can be listened to regularly during car journeys or at home in order to consolidate newly acquired vocabulary, phrases and expressions.
Afternoon Excursions
Daily outings in the locality with your teacher are a vital part of the course. This is a pleasant and relaxing time when students can consolidate the language learned in lessons. We believe people need to feel happy and relaxed if they are to fully absorb the intensive input they receive.
After a good lunch, students can get out in the fresh seaside air, exercise the body and relax the mind after their demanding morning lessons. There is the opportunity to learn about the ancient culture of The New Forest National
Park or take a ferry boat to Hurst Castle where Henry V111 built a fort to protect British coasts against invaders.
Students who prefer shopping, museums or architecture can visit local towns and cities with their teacher.
The language practised at this time is just as important as the morning lessons.
The student will continue to converse with the teacher who will often incorporate the language of the morning lesson in the afternoon conversation. At this time, mistakes will be corrected and further explanation given if required.
People should ask questions and never be afraid of making mistakes … their teacher will gently correct them.
Our aim is to unblock their inhibitions; to help them use the language without fear – but to speak with accuracy at the same time.
Accommodation
Private bedroom / study with desk, chair and computer / TV. Wardrobe and bedside table. (details may vary according to host family specification which are sent at the time of booking the course).
Private bathroom with toilet/shower/bath and washbasin (details may vary according to host family specification).
All meals are taken with the teacher family or host family. We cater for all tastes and cuisine is international. We can make special allowances for diets on request.
Pets : Some families have cats or dogs and it is best to tell us if you have an allergy.
Family mealtimes are an important opportunity for conversation and students are encouraged to make the most of these times for language development.
Additional Options
Planned visits to local UK counterpart companies
Occasionally we are able to arrange for students to visit a local company and share cultural and professional practices with a counterpart in the UK.
For example a student from a well-known French supermarket visited the manager of Waitrose UK in Lymington. He was able to compare marketing techniques and to discuss customer care and services in a conversation that gave him new confidence in his ability to communicate in English.
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Tel: +33(0)820 20 21 45 email: info@wissen.fr www.wissen.fr