6 tips to getting the best out of your language training

Hundreds of companies purchase English language training for their employees. But with myriad schools, agencies and freelancers to choose from, how do you know you’re making the right choice? Could you be throwing your money away? Here are six tips on making the most of your training budget.

1. Set your goals
Don't kid yourself. You can't become fluent in English after one short course. So concentrate on one or two things that you really need to improve – and work hard on those.

2. Don't take your Ferrari to a Skoda garage
Nearly every language school offers a wide range of courses, from English for negotiations to English for lawyers. But in practice, an English for lawyers course often means the school will send whichever trainer is available at the time, armed with a book on legal English.

As a general rule, the more 'specialized' courses a school offers, the less specialized a course will be. Find a training supplier that specializes in your industry and has experience with teaching the skills you need to acquire.

3. Get the personnel right
The more people you have, the less each one will gain from it, so make sure the right people attend the course. Don't be tempted to pack the room with everyone that you feel it might be relevant for. Find the people who need the skills, and make sure they go.

4. Make sure the course is designed for you
If you want your course to be tailored specifically to your company, help the trainer as much as possible. Meet them before the course, discuss exactly what your company needs and provide them with relevant materials so they can plan exercises specifically for your requirements.

5. There's no point training the furniture
On longer courses, such as courses split over several weeks, the average attendance per session is 60 percent. It's a big commitment for employees to go to training sessions once a week – but if they don't, you’re flushing your money away.

6. Change faulty merchandise
Don't be afraid to change the trainer. Sometimes personalities clash, or teaching and learning styles don't match, or the trainer doesn't have experience in the relevant field. Talk to the trainer first and see if the problem can be resolved, but if it can’t, don't be afraid to ask your supplier for another trainer.