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Rolling out English online flexible course in your organisation
The power of international communication: How our flexible English Online course can supercharge your team
We live in a globalised world where communication is the key to building bridges and making connections. Studies have consistently shown that effective communication leads to improved workplace productivity, innovation, and a more engaged and empowered workforce, giving organisations a clear competitive edge. To that end, the British Council English Online course offers 24/7 flexible learning for 24/7 global teams.
Communication is the secret sauce
Why learn English? It is a lingua franca of the global business world and empowers individuals to break communication skills barriers in a globalised world. Employees who are powerful communicators can make their organisations stand out from the milieu and studies show that all other skills being equal, people with better English have consistently better job outcomes and workplace performance.
Organisations that invest in English language training can solve a critical problem in talent management – the talent pipeline bottleneck!
English Online: 24/7 premium learning for 24/7 teams
The course
Based on the British Council’s proven flipped-learning model, English Online is designed to give learners and organisations complete flexibility. Learners can choose when they learn, how they learn, and at what pace they learn, allowing organisations to deploy a training programme that can match any shift schedule.
Flexible learning to create autonomous learners
English Online comprises themes – core work and social speaking themes that fast-track spoken English skills, writing themes that help sharpen written English skills, and premium themes that focus specifically on business soft skills.
Each theme comprises six lessons. Speaking themes also have a free self-access test at the end and a teacher-delivered speaking test that can help you and your learners understand how well they are doing on the course. Upon completing a theme, the learner is awarded a theme completion badge and certificate endorsed by the British Council. At the end of their course, the learner can also download a British Council-endorsed certificate of attendance that states their level and number of classes attended.
A lesson is structured using our proven flipped-learning model that ensures learners can apply new language immediately in their daily life and work.
Our course packages are structured such that learners can take classes as quickly as they like, improving as rapidly as they want, or they can pace themselves to balance with their other commitments.
Beyond the core: Elevating the language journey
To enrich the learning experience, the course provides:
- Four monthly Live25 webinars: TED Talk-style sessions on grammar and pronunciation. These webinars are great for learners who want to understand these language topics in more detail.
- Extra Study section: Offers supplementary exercises on grammar and engaging mini-English lessons from our English teaching experts.
Launching for success: Your blueprint for implementation
Rolling out a flexible language program across your organization can be complex, but our proven approach ensures your learners are set up for achievement.
Pre-onboarding: Generating enthusiasm and understanding
Begin by addressing these key points for your learners:
- What are the program’s objectives and how do they align with individual and organizational goals?
- What is the expected time investment and program duration?
Onboarding: Crucial initial steps
Communicate the launch date to learners, informing them about forthcoming activation and welcome communications from the British Council. This phase is vital, with learners expected to complete their orientation promptly and schedule their first lesson. Learning coordinators may need to follow up with participants who haven’t engaged initially.
Monitor these crucial indicators:
- Onboarding completion rate: understand if everyone has completed their onboarding
- First class booking rate: Number of learners who have booked their first class
- Learners needing additional support
Engagement strategy: Initiate a friendly ‘quick-start’ challenge for swift orientation completion and first class booking. Acknowledge top achievers to foster motivation.
During the course: Sustain engagement
As learners settle into the course, continuous progress monitoring is essential. Access insights through your dashboard or request detailed reports from your British Council account manager.
Regularly track:
- Class booking rates
- Weekly attendance
- Engagement with online exercises and grades
- Assessment results
Engagement strategy: Integrate the training program with individual development plans and ensure line managers are informed of their team members’ engagement and performance in the course.
Group versus private classes
Now you must be wondering what the best way is to learn – in a group or 1-to-1. There is no single formula, and that’s why we give our English Online students both options in this flexible course!
Group classes are great when you want to improve your spoken fluency and confidence working with a diverse group of English speakers. Learners will meet a new set of classmates each time, being exposed to many different cultures, accents and perspectives, enhancing not only their English but intercultural fluency. Group classes also cost only one credit!
Private classes, although cost two credits, are an excellent way to improve an area of one’s communication skill that needs extra attention. Struggling with public speaking and need extra attention from the teacher? Book a private class on that topic. Have an important conference presentation coming up? Book a freestyle private class to receive targeted feedback.
Every learner is different! Empower your team with these tips so they can make their own decisions and feel more in control of their learning process. Research shows that learners who start to act and feel more autonomous have better engagement and learning outcomes.
Comprehensive support: Ensuring learner success
To maximise the learning experience, we offer a multi-faceted support system:
- British Council multilingual support team accessible via live chat, webform, and email
- Regular email communication from British Council to maintain engagement
- Your organization’s internal support channels
Engagement strategies: Keeping learners motivated
We employ various communication methods to keep learners engaged:
- Welcome email at course start
- Weekly emails with learning tips and important reminders
- Study tip and class booking reminder emails
For premium clients, we offer:
- Additional email reminders
- Special newsfeed messages visible upon course login
Collaborative Approach: Partnering for Success
Your role in learner engagement is crucial:
- Our account managers can help identify effective motivation strategies
- Utilize your organization’s communication channels (e.g., WhatsApp, intranet) for immediate outreach
Successful approaches to motivate learners include:
- Connecting the course to annual development plans
- Highlighting course benefits
- Sharing study tips
- Recognizing top performers
- Showcasing positive peer feedback
Remember, our support team is always available to assist learners who need additional help.
The ROI of flexible English online learning
Investing in employee language skills yields multiple benefits for your organisation:
- Expanded global business opportunities
- Enhanced team collaboration and productivity
- Increased employee confidence and job satisfaction
- Improved international customer relations
A leading Saudi pharmaceutical company and its employees share how they thrived in English online classes, and a leading university in Mexico reported how the course enhanced their students’ access to international education and job market prospects.
Take the next step
Ready to unlock your organisation’s global potential? Contact us today for a personalised consultation on how English Online can be tailored to your specific business or learning needs. Let’s work together to create a language learning program that drives real results for your organisation.
Remember, in the global marketplace, language isn’t just a skill – it’s your competitive edge. Invest in your team’s English proficiency today, and watch your organisation thrive tomorrow.