Learn English Online or In-Person: Which Is Best for You?

Learn English online or in person – the best option depends on you

In this article, I’m going to share some opinions and information about learning English online versus in person. I’m Jim Ross, and I’m English. Therefore, please forgive me if my Spanish isn’t perfect.

I am one of the directors of EBC & Associates Languages ​​in Madrid. I have a degree in English Language and Literature and I am an English teacher within the British education system for students aged 11 to 18.

In recent years, learning English online has become very fashionable, but is it effective?

The effectiveness of anything depends on its composition. A rubber hammer won’t be effective at driving steel nails; it will be useless. Conversely, a metal hammer will be effective. Both are hammers, but they are not the same and have different uses. The same applies to English classes.

What am I trying to say? The effectiveness of a learning method does not depend on where you learn, it depends on the content and the presentation of what needs to be learned.

You can attend in-person classes. The materials might be terrible, and the teacher too. In these circumstances, attending very weak in-person classes will result in a total loss of your money.

You can take online classes. If the material is well-organized, presented, and of high quality, you can learn perfectly well. I’m not talking about those free classes you can find. They fall into two groups: 1) they teach superficially, or 2) they’re not high quality and therefore do more harm than good. EBC offers online English courses (initially developed to meet the needs of Spanish doctors). They are serious, multimedia courses. The only thing they can’t do is have a conversation with you.

This part of well-designed online courses can be complemented by conversation classes held in a classroom or via telephone, Zoom, WhatsApp, etc. The fact that an English course is online does not automatically make it inferior.

Quality guarantee for learning English online

Here we enter the realm of absolute logic. An online English course is a given. The course can’t be as convoluted as a teacher faced with a question they don’t know the answer to. The content of an online course must be accurate. The explanations of grammar points, sentence structure, examples, etc., must be perfect. In other words, a well-designed online English course is arguably better than learning from a teacher.

Today, an online course is a live learning resource. We are currently reviewing and updating our online English courses to make them as comprehensive as possible. The end result will be a learning system that does everything except converse. The system speaks, listens, and responds to you. There are quizzes, exams, and practice exercises, all with multimedia. All of this is supported by conversation classes with a teacher to complete the learning cycle, and at very affordable prices.

The advantages are obvious. You study at your own pace, whenever and wherever it’s most convenient. The course content is high quality. The course can be supplemented with conversation classes.

The advantage of learning English in person

Many people still think that in-person classes are the best. The only advantage is having a teacher physically present.

If you’re in a group, the teacher’s attention is very diluted. For example, if there are six people in a 60-minute class, the average amount of individual attention you’ll receive is 10 minutes. And if you can only take one class per week, it’s 10 minutes per week. Another problem with group classes is that the other students might be at a lower level than you, so you’ll receive even less time because the teacher has to give more support to the others.

In-person classes are no more or less effective than online courses, but they are certainly more expensive. The final problem relates to the teacher. If they haven’t been trained according to British Council standards, you’re paying a fortune to learn something from someone without proper training. Would you go to a doctor who hasn’t been trained? Learning English is less risky, but even so, if you’ve learned English from someone who hasn’t been trained, doesn’t speak correctly, and doesn’t write well, you could face serious problems in the future, both personally and professionally. Our teachers are trained according to British Council standards.

In-person classes have a social aspect. You’re with other people. It’s a sad day when people have to pay to be with others.

The ideal one is a mix

According to a recent study by the United States government The ideal is to combine online learning with classes with teachers.

“The study says the effects were significantly positive, favoring online or blended learning.”

1. The online component is always available 24/7/365. It never gets old and never ceases to be a source of knowledge.
2. The online part is capable of teaching: structures, grammar, spelling, vocabulary, pronunciation, and much more.
3. The part with the teacher is for finalizing things, polishing skills and bringing out the best in your abilities.

The best part is that the online system gives you real-time feedback on your progress. In addition to tracking your advancements, it can identify areas that need more attention and offer suggestions. At the end of the course, the system issues a certificate validating your level according to the CEFR standards.

So, is learning English online easy now? I’m sorry to say the answer is no. The effort and desire to learn are up to you. What we aim to do with our online English learning system is remove all the obstacles. The system is so easy to use that it gives you the great advantage of focusing on the challenge: learning English.

EBC offers hybrid courses that combine online learning with lectures given by professors.

Real case study and pricing indication

We provide this type of blended training to several companies, including GALP Energía. We started with them at the beginning of 2013 with 22 students. GALP has updated the training and doubled the number of students for 2014.

They are very satisfied with the results and the price of 470 Euros for a course that lasts 8 months. That is, less than 60 Euros per month for an online English course with private lessons taken weekly.

Conclusion

Highly prestigious universities around the world are investing in online training + the support of a professor.

Regarding the topic of learning English online, I’ve noticed there’s still a lot of room for change in Spain. The truth is, this blended learning approach can be very effective, and it’s a learning cycle that yields excellent results.

We need to change our mindset!

Some self-help “tips”

1. 1. Read what you can in English.
   2. If you have friends or acquaintances who speak English, practice with them often.
   3. Watch TV or DVD movies in English. Just set your TV to dual audio or select English from the DVD menu.
   4. Look for social gatherings or bars/venues where there are groups of English speakers.

I know it’s hard but you NEVER give up. It’s a tough road, but it’s worth it. I learned Spanish, and I have to say there’s nothing that gives me more satisfaction than understanding another language. For me, it has opened doors I didn’t even know existed. Good luck, and keep at it! I know my Spanish still has some foreign accents, but I’ll keep trying to improve. I wish you the same for my native language, English.

All the best, Jim

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