Knowledge of at least one foreign language today is becoming a necessary norm, without which it is difficult to do. A school or university program is often not enough to achieve the required level of language proficiency. Despite the fact that the Internet is full of announcements of language courses, it can be difficult to choose an organization that provides truly high-quality services. Numerous reviews about BKC IH - a representative of the worldwide network of language schools, make it possible to judge its high level.
Basic information
Today it is one of the recognized leaders in the field of teaching foreign languages to children and adults. The organization has existed for more than twenty years and since 1995 it has been part of the internationally renowned center for teaching foreign languages, International House, with offices in 50 countries. For 12 years, the center has been the official institution for receiving Cambridge exams in Russia. Today, the Russian network of foreign language schools BKC IH has more than 40 branches in Moscow and the region.
School language profiles include:
- English;
- French;
- Deutsch;
- Spanish;
- Italian;
- Chinese;
- Japanese;
- Greek.
The range of programs offered is extremely wide. You can choose the format of classes based on age, level of language proficiency, priority tasks, place of residence and schedule.
Adults can take a beginner course, a general course, an express program or intensively, increase their level of business English, become a member of a language club and more.
There are various programs for children from 3 years old and adolescents. The latter can prepare for the passing of the State Examination and the Unified State Exam and for international exams.
The organizers of the school consider a high level of teachers to be a prerequisite for quality training. At BKC IH Moscow, all educators are holders of Cambridge exam certificates. Some of them are native speakers.
Adult Essentials
The bulk of English courses at BKC IH is based on the application of a communicative technique. Its key principles:
- language skills develop in the course of communication;
- the emphasis is on the use of speech turns, rather than individual terms;
- in the classroom, specific language situations are worked out;
- authentic modern teaching aids are used.
In order to choose the most suitable course, you can pre-pass the test and determine your level of knowledge of the language. For this, a pan-European level system of 6 steps is used (from minimum A1 to maximum C2).
Quite often, the choice of students falls precisely on the “General course”. It is designed to develop basic language skills. The duration of the course is 6-8 months (up to 192 academic hours). Classes are held in groups of 5-12 people. The program includes: listening, grammar, speaking, reading, writing and phonetics. The difficulty level of the program is selected individually (from Pre-intermediate to Advanced). After completing the course, students receive a certificate confirming a certain level of language proficiency.
For beginners or intensive?
English courses at BKC IH are organized in such a way as to best meet the needs of a particular student.
For those who are just about to start learning a language, the English for Beginners course, designed in accordance with the program of Oxford University, is perfect. What is the focus of the learning process:
- communication in English only;
- the formation of the necessary reading and writing skills;
- listening comprehension;
- communication in everyday situations.
Upon completion of training, a certificate is issued. Duration of the course: from 60 to 144 academic hours. Before starting classes, you can take a test and determine your level, as well as attend an open lesson and evaluate the work of the teacher. Training takes place in small groups. You can choose a convenient schedule and venue.
If you need to learn the language as soon as possible - you should pay attention to various options for intensive programs for learning English. During such courses, the standard program is mastered 2 times faster due to an increase in the number of classes (without compromising quality). An intensive schedule contributes to a deeper immersion in the language environment.
Recruitment in groups takes place throughout the year, the time of classes is selected individually. The following programs apply:
- intensive course on weekdays / weekends (1.5-4 months);
- "English per month";
- super-intensive course (1-2 months);
- intensive English for a career (2 weeks);
- speaking courses;
- grammar course.
Express programs and trainings
Often there are situations when it is necessary to “pull up” a particular section or direction in the study of a language. A number of positive reviews about BKC IH are dedicated to the ongoing express courses and trainings. In the Moscow offices of the school network you can go:
- intensive course “Phonetics + listening”, developing the skills of perception of various dialects (3 days, 24 hours);
- "Grammar", aimed at replenishing the used speech grammatical forms;
- “Accelerated program for beginners” (3 days);
- Spoken English (fluent and competent spoken language skills);
- Business English (1 day).
You can also sign up for specialized trainings lasting one day (6 hours). For example, “Business Training” is intended for specialists in various fields of activity (marketing, management, advertising and more). They are held in the format of a thematic business game (business etiquette, negotiating, business correspondence, interviews, presentations). There are also trainings in phonetics (improving pronunciation), grammar (working out grammatical constructions), writing an essay (for admission to foreign universities).
Conversation Clubs and Business English
One of the most effective ways to learn a language is through constant communication. Conversations and dialogues on topics of interest to participants, as well as leisure activities, are especially effective. For this reason, conversation clubs and applied courses for learning English were created at BKC IH in Moscow.
To overcome the language barrier, you can attend club dialogue classes or the theme club "English + Theater" (2-4 months). You can work out and improve your speaking skills as part of a superinteresting conversation course. Enthusiastically immersed in the language environment will help literary and colloquial and film courses.
The following topics are discussed at conversational club meetings, depending on the level of knowledge: life abroad, art and culture, work, family, transport, vacation, world events, etiquette, sports, shopping, beauty, innovation, life changes, travel, cultural values , famous personalities, behaviors, and more.
A separate thematic area of conversation courses is business speech and communication situations. Duration of attendance of such courses: from 1 to 6 months. Here, the skills of business and business communication are worked out (terminology, etiquette, professional literature, business writing, etc.).
Foreign language for children: from 3 to 12
Specialists of the English school BKC IH pay special attention to working with children. It is early age that is the most favorable period for learning languages.
The school has developed a special course for kids 3-6 years old Playway according to the method "English + development". The course is aimed not only at learning English, but also developing horizons, memory, speech and thinking. Judging by the reviews of BKC IH, this program also takes into account the age-related characteristics of perception, working with children 3 years old differs from the methods used with older children. Teachers working under this program have undergone special training, have IHCYL certificates and can build an individual learning path for each child.
Classes are held in the morning and in the afternoon in the format of complete immersion in the language space (children draw, sing, play). The course lasts 192 academic hours.
Children 10-12 years old can take the Prepare course. The program is aimed at developing conversational practice, as well as writing and reading in English. Upon completion of all stages of the course, the student confidently speaks the language at an intermediate level (Intermediate), is free to communicate on everyday topics. The duration of the training is 144 hours.
Programs for teens
The English language school BKC IH offers a range of programs for teenagers and graduates:
- English in Mind (13-16 years old);
- preparation for the exam and exam (+ intensive course);
- preparation for IELTS, CAE, FCE and other exams.
The general course was developed according to the Cambridge program, aimed at the development of lexical, grammatical, communicative skills, writing, and includes 5 levels.
Cambridge exams preparation courses are taught by professional, experienced teachers. Examinations are held at the BKC IH Authorized Cambridge Center.
The course on preparing for the exam and exam includes all the necessary areas of language learning: listening, grammar, speaking and writing, reading. The program was developed by the author of a number of textbooks, W. Rimmer.
The program "Academic English" will be useful to those students who plan to study at universities where teaching is conducted in English (domestic and foreign). The emphasis is on the development of skills in public speaking, debate, and the study of specialized disciplines.
If a graduate plans to study abroad, he can take a special International Foundation Year course, which eliminates the differences in the duration of school programs in Russia and in the West.
Trainings for educators and corporate training
The list of proposed English BKC IH courses in Moscow has interesting options not only for students, but also for those who teach a foreign language themselves. Since 1996, the Center for Training Teachers of English as a Foreign Language has been operating on the base. It was opened with the support of International House (international linguistic organization).
Today it is the only center in Russia offering an extensive range of seminars and courses for English teachers. Among them there are Cambridge programs (CELTA, Delta) and trainings developed by the center’s specialists. The center also oversees the continuing education process for teachers at the BKC-ih school itself.
The program for teachers "Methods + Language". Duration - 3 months. It is aimed at teachers who are not native speakers. The course helps maintain the required level of foreign language proficiency, as well as introduces the latest teaching methods. Each lesson includes language practice (work on pronunciation and fluency of speech, analysis of speech errors and idiomatic expressions) and the methodological part.
Get Certificate: International Exams
Numerous reviews about BKC IH are often associated with another area of their activity - the organization of passing international exams at various levels. Here you can:
- learn in detail about all the main types of exams in the English language (there are about 15 of them);
- sign up for preparation for surrender;
- pass test exams;
- register for the Cambridge exams and IELTS.
Speaking about the latter, it is worth emphasizing that there are representative offices of the registration center not only in the capital, but also in a number of other cities. For example, you can sign up for this exam at the BKC IH Moscow IELTS Center in Samara. The main desire.
IELTS is an international English language exam. Often it is he who is handed over if it is planned to move abroad at work or for permanent residence. Its results are relevant for 9 thousand world organizations. The certificate is accepted in educational institutions, specialized companies in Australia, the UK, New Zealand and others. To pass the exam, you need the highest level of knowledge of the language (score on a 9-point scale). It provides two types of test: for everyday communication and professional communication skills.
English courses at BKC IH: reviews
Opinions about the network of schools teaching foreign languages and evaluations of their activities can be heard both from those who have been trained and from the staff and teachers of the center. And the vast majority of these ratings are with a plus sign. The BKC IH network really has something to be proud of. Many years of tradition, several dozen centers in Moscow and Moscow Region, professional teachers, many of whom are native speakers, a huge range of diverse training programs.
Most of the past courses at BKC IH note that their level has increased markedly, language barriers have disappeared. Some students successfully prepared for the international exams. Many note a special friendly and informal atmosphere in the classroom, an individual approach and the skill of teachers. For example, one of the students who attended the courses at BKC IH on Kantemirovskaya (metro station in Moscow) writes that the teacher’s extraordinary approach and her willingness to help every student were of great importance.
On the network you can also meet a number of grateful reviews from those English teachers who passed in the continuing education center.
BKC IH schools are located in Moscow at the following addresses:
- st. Kantemirovskaya, 12/1;
- st. Krasnaya Presnya, d.13;
- 1st Frunzenskaya, d. 5;
- st. Yablochkova, 21/3.
A new level of knowledge of a foreign language - new heights of life!