INTERACTIVE ENGLISH LANGUAGE SCHOOL BRIGHTON & HOVE

Brighton & Hove is a small city and the school is located near the centre. Many of our students walk to the school from their accommodation, some cycle, others take a bus. There are four bus stops within 50 meters of the school, and buses from almost every part of the city stop at them (buses number 1,1a,2,2a, 5,5a,5b,6, 46,49, 49a stop near our school). You can arrive at the school from most parts of the city in less than 20 minutes, and from the very end of the city in less than 40 minutes. There is a taxi rank opposite the school, but taxis can be expensive here.

Please see Brighton & Hove Buses website for more information on our local buses

Please see National Express website here for more information on national buses schedule

Please see National Rail website here for all the information about trains

In the summer, there are about 100 students in the school at any time, but in the rest of the year, there are fewer.

All of our teachers are native speakers of English from the UK. They are all qualified to teach English as a foreign language, but, most importantly, they care about their students.

The normal maximum number of students in any class is fifteen, but in exceptional circumstances we may have up to seventeen for a very short period, up to two or three days. The minimum number of students is four, but the average is about eleven.

When you arrive, you will take a placement test and have an interview with a member of staff. This will tell us your level, and we will tell you which course is the best for you. You can try any class for a day for free before you decide which course you would like to take.

The minimum age is 18, and we sometimes have students who are over 60. Most of our students are in their 20’s, however, with an average age of about 25.

This changes all the time, but we have had students from Azerbaijan, Bangladesh, Bosnia & Hercegovina, Brazil, China, Columbia, Czech Republic, France, Germany, Guinea Bissau, Iran, Iraq, Italy, Japan, Kazakhstan, Libya, Poland, Portugal, Russia, Saudi Arabia, Slovakia, South Korea, Spain, Thailand, Turkey, UAE, Venezuela and Yemen and many others. We try not to have all students in a class from the same country or from countries that speak the same language.

You will receive tuition and practice in speaking, listening, writing and reading. You will also learn grammar, vocabulary, pronunciation and useful phrases to help you communicate with English speakers. If you are on an exam preparation course, you will learn the specific skills you will need to achieve a good score in the examination.

You will learn through using the language; talking, reading and writing about things that are important to you: family, culture, entertainment, etc. You will have a course book but use a variety of materials. You will have a lot of opportunities to practice your English in the classroom, but it is also important that you practice outside the classroom.

Our full-time courses are 15 hours a week; in the mornings from 9.15 to 12.30, and in the afternoons from 13.15 to 16.30, Monday to Friday.

All of our courses have rolling admission, this means that you can join and leave our courses at any time. Usually, students join the school on a Monday, when they will take the placement test and learn about the school and the city, then join their class on Tuesday.

We do offer Business English courses, both for classes and for individuals. The courses prepare students for the BEC Vantage and BEC Higher examination.

IELTS is an internationally recognised English language test. If you want to study at a university where tuition is in English, you will probably need to take an IELTS exam. The exam is in four parts: Reading, Writing, Listening, and Speaking, and you get a score for each part. The highest score possible is 9 and the lowest 1; most universities want you to get a score of at least 6 in every part, but this varies depending on the university and course that you want to study. IELTS exams are held about twice a month, and you receive your result two weeks after you take the exam.

Yes, you can. Many people like to have one-to-one classes because they have special needs, or they just don’t like being in a class with other students. In a private class you can learn what you want at a speed that is good for you. Of course, it’s more expensive, but many people feel it’s worth the extra money.

Yes, you can. The school has computers in the students’ lounge for the students to use when they are not in class. We also have free WiFi, so you can access the Internet on your laptop.

Cambridge ESOL (English for Speakers of Other Languages) is the part of the University of Cambridge that provides qualifications for learners of English. The exams are well known for their high quality assessment of real English, as used in everyday work, study and leisure situations. Here at Interactive English we offer FCE (Cambridge First Certificate). This exam has five parts: Reading, Writing, Speaking, Listening, and Use of English. In the exam you are given an overall grade: the highest is A, and the lowest is E, a grade of C or higher is a pass. You are also given a level in each part of the exam, from ‘Weak’ at the bottom, through ‘Borderline’, then ‘Good’, and ‘Exceptional’ at the top. The FCE exam takes place three times a year, in spring, summer, and winter.

If you are a full-time student, and enroll for at least four weeks, we will give you a coursebook free when you start your course.

If you are coming from abroad, you will need to pay all of your tuition and accommodation fees before you arrive, plus a small fee to cover administration which all of our students need to pay. If you are already in this country and don’t need a student visa, you can pay your tuition fees monthly in advance. The current price list is in the back of the brochure and on our website.

As well as 15 hours tuition per week, you will receive the first set of the learning materials that you will need for your course. The school provides free hot drinks during the breaks and free Internet access to students while the school is open. In addition to your tuition, we have administrative staff who are here to look after your other needs: accommodation, visa problems, trips and travel arrangements, doctors/dentists, etc.