Course Information
1. When do the next courses
start?
Please visit our dates
and times page.
2. Why learn a language?
People learn languages for a number of reasons: some
for work or business, some for education or to put on
their CVs, and some merely for the pleasure of being
able to communicate with different people and cultures.
Any trip abroad is greatly enhanced if you can say a
few words, let alone if you can actually have a conversation
with the locals!
Tell me more about the languages I can learn...
Portuguese
:: Spanish
:: English
:: French
Italian
:: German
:: Polish
:: Greek
Russian
:: Chinese
::
Japanese
3. What can I achieve
during my course?
It all depends on the following factors: the level
you are when you start, how proficient you are at languages
in general, how much you participate in the class (and
do the homework!), and also how difficult the language
is (Spanish is the easiest language to learn for most
people).
4. Do teachers speak
English during the lessons?
Very rarely, because the most effective way to learn
or improve your language skills is through complete
immersion in the language. However, the occasional explanation
or vocabulary term may be explained in English, and
teachers are very used to teaching - and making themselves
understood by - students who may have little or no prior
knowledge of the language.
5. Do I receive a qualification
or certificate?
Yes, you will receive an end of course certificate
confirming the course you have taken and the level you
have achieved if you complete our online end of course
questionnaire. This will be sent to you by email.
6. How
much homework is typically involved?
Your teacher will give you approximately one hours
worth of formal homework per week but we would redeemed
you do ten minutes per day of self study in order to
assimilate and retain the information you are learning.
7. When will
I receive my coursebook?
Your teacher will give you your coursebook during your
second week at the school. We choose the book based
on the level of the class and the proficiency of the
students.
8. What should
I do if my class is too easy / difficult for me?
Please contact Cactus. We will see if your teacher
agrees with you and if we can offer you a place in a
higher or lower level class (subject to availability)
then we will. Otherwise our general refund policy will
apply.
9. Will I get
a copy of the CD / listening materials that are used
in the class?
No, our coursebook CDs are designed to be used in class
and with a teacher, they are not designed for self study.
However, if you would like to buy a copy of the listening
material that goes with your coursebook, you can either
order online or at the shop in London www.grantandcutler.com.
10.
Who do I contact if I am not going to be able to go
to a lesson?
Cactus regret that we are unable to pass on any messages
regarding absenteeism, homework etc. to teachers. Your
teacher may be willing to give you their contact details
in the first lesson. We recommend that the classmates
swap contact details for this purpose.
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Chris
graduated from Cambridge in Social and Political
Sciences, before spending 16 years teaching and
teacher training in Spain, Nepal, Pakistan, and
the UK. He has both CELTA and DELTA teaching qualifications.
He was Director of Studies in English schools
from 1994 to 2006, and was Head of a small school
in Brighton for 5 years. He has designed, written
and implemented a wide variety of language courses,
including general, business, exam and academic
language, in addition to teacher-training programmes
& seminars.
Shirley
graduated from Kings College London, in Applied
Linguistics and English Language Teaching. She
also has a CELTA and Trinity Diploma Licentiate
and has spent several years teaching overseas
and in the UK. She is a qualified CELTA teacher
trainer and has a keen interest in materials development,
integrating digital technology into the classroom
and teacher development.
Sabine
is from Cologne in Germany. She studied Tourism
and Languages in Cologne for 3 years which included
travelling to Spain and Sri Lanka. She has been
a vital part of the growth of the courses since
their early days in 2006, and has been a key point
of contact for students, centres, and teachers.
Sabine does an amazing job administrating the
courses across the 30 centres we now work with.
She also works constantly with student enquiries,
concerns & bookings, and provides a shining
example of excellent customer service to the Cactus
team.
Sophie
not only studied Law with Spanish at university,
but also did lots of teaching English as a Foreign
Language in her spare time and holidays. Following
her graduation, she completed her CELTA teaching
qualification at International House in Barcelona,
and then taught English at their school in Sabadell
for a year. Sophie performs an essential role
at Cactus, advising students on which course and
level to take and helping them through the booking
process. With Sabine, she also does an amazing
job administrating the courses across all the
centres we work with. She also plays a key role
in gathering student feedback and making sure
that all our students receive great service.