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You’ve decided to kick off 2025 with business English classes at your company. You’ve surveyed the employees to find out who needs and wants classes. You’ve identified everybody’s (participant, company, department and team) needs and have run level tests. So what next?
1 Divide groups into similar levels and/ or similar goals, needs and interests. Ideally, everybody in a group class should have the same or a similar level. Even if you plan to run mixed level classes, you need to know what mix you have. You can also divide by similar goals e.g. to write better technical docs or by needs and interests e.g. English for public speaking
2 Set goals and measures of success. For every group, 4-6 goals generally work best. They can be SMART goals and should were appropriate cover language and communication skills. Adding strategic goals (that consider how people will reach and sustain their goals) is important. The trainer/ coach should help each group come up with measures of success which make sense for them.
3 Start your classes. Establish a time that works for each group and fits into their schedule for the next 3, 6 or 9 months. Consistency works best, but busy schedules often require some flexibility. Course planning should cover what will be done in and outside of class. The combination of time spent in class + time spent using English outside of class is what leads to the most successful outcomes.
4 Implement feedback loops and testing (where appropriate). After the initial enthusiasm of the first class or classes wear off, keeping the motivation and interest high throughout the course can be a challenge. Eliciting and documenting different types of feedback throughout the course is vital. Participant’s ideas for improvement and development should be put into practice. Participants should also rate their trainer/ coach to ensure continued satisfaction.
5 Foster autonomous learning so participants can set their next steps. When a course finishes, it’s important for participants to take control of their language learning. They should have an idea of their current level and competency. They should be able to decide on options on how to move forward. Fostering autonomous learning throughout a course gives learners the skills to do this. So they can continue to thrive in English. This will benefit them and have a positive impact on your business as well.