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