6 reasons to study with ABC Cambridge

At ABC Cambridge, we are big on preparation. We’re all about preparing you for using English in the future, whether that future is about studying, business, day to day life, travel, family life or more. Whatever you want your future with English to be, we can help you get there. So it should come as no surprise that we’re so prepared for you, you can start English lessons with us any week of term. Preparation is also important at the moment regarding Covid-19, but, as you can read in our blog ‘Re-opening our doors in times of coronavirus’, we are well-equipped to run a Covid safe school. Check that one out if you want more information about all things Covid, but for now, read on for 6 reasons to choose ABC Languages for your English learning needs. Prepare to be inspired.

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1. Location location location
Do you want a taste of what it’s like to study in a world-leading university city? Look no further. The University of Cambridge is regularly top of world league tables and what better way to experience it than to study and stay in the midst of it? Plus, your performance in class might improve just by living in one of the best educational destinations worldwide! At ABC Cambridge we are right at the heart of all of this. Based in the historic Cambridge Union Society, our office door is seconds from the famous Debating Chamber, where prominent figures from all different areas of public life give lectures throughout the year, and you can walk through the same hallowed halls! Nestled between the most renowned of Cambridge colleges – St John’s and Jesus, we are also just steps away from Cambridge’s main shopping district, where many of our students like to shop for souvenirs. Walk in the opposite direction and you’ll see the glorious River Cam, usually bustling with punts, and a perfect place to stop for a drink in the sunshine. As you can tell, we are at the epicentre of everything going on in Cambridge. If you want some more detailed ideas of things to do in your free time, check out my other blog posts, where you will find advice about summer activities, museums, hidden gems and more.

ESTABLISHED 1986

YEARS 

2. In safe hands
ABC Cambridge was established in 1986, which means we have been offering English classes for well over 30 years. In that time, we have grown numerous students from just starting out with their English to a high level of fluency, as well as preparing them and arranging for them to sit English-language exams. Our teaching team have tried and tested experience of what works, and our small class sizes mean that your 'teacher time' is double what you’d find in a typical language school. At the core of our values is a high level of care for the individual, meaning that what you get is tailored to you. We also offer all-inclusive packages of lessons and homestay accommodation, meaning that when you book a course with us, you can sit back and relax knowing that everything is taken care of.

3. Summer holidays
We are a small-medium-size school and, while we aren’t necessarily quiet, we mainly teach adults for most of the year. However, in the summer our walls fill up with laughter and chatter as we open our doors to children aged 5 and up for our International Summer School. The summer school is open to adults as well – check out our parent and child courses for more information. Unlike our year-round school, where standard courses are weekday mornings, most students at our summer school opt to add afternoon activities to their programme. It’s my job to design the activities for both children, teens and adults, and it’s the best part of my role! Last year there were visits to inflatable water parks, Clip ‘n Climb, the University colleges, the zoo and more! As well as these exciting excursions, our younger students made their own pizzas, watched a magic show and tried out cool science experiments right here at ABC Cambridge. As the Student Experience Manager, what stands out for me about our summer school when you compare it to those offered elsewhere, is the continued focus on education all through the day. Activities like science displays and art projects mean that your children are learning in the afternoon as well as the morning and, due to our broad nationality mix, they're all speaking in English too! Speaking of activities, all new for summer 2021 will be our ‘Wizardry Weeks’, which you may find out more about in a future blog!..

4. We are family
While it’s true that summer is when we cater to high numbers of children and their parents, we do offer family courses at all times of year. ABC Cambridge is a family-run business, and the importance of family is at the heart of what we do. That’s why if you book a family course with us, your lessons will be taught as a family, as your teacher guides you through exploring English, not only within the classroom walls, but out and about in Cambridge, meaning that little people don’t get bored! Working with your children on shared projects creates a new way to bond with them, and you will love watching them learn! As with so much of what we do, a family course will never be solely reliant on a course book, but will be specifically tailored to the level, needs and interests of your family group. You can look at the family courses page of our website to find out more.

5. Tailored to your needs 
You may have seen my last blog on ‘All things Group Study Holidays’, but if you haven’t, one of our key areas of business is organising package language holidays for groups. These can be school groups, larger family groups, groups of colleagues and more. The trips are completely customisable – from duration of stay, to hours of English classes, to afternoon activities, and accommodation provisions. The classes will also be tailored depending on the group’s learning targets, so if they are a school group taking an exam in English language, we might take a look at the exam material. If they are a group of colleagues needing to give some presentations in English, we’d be specifically focussing on developing the skills and language required. This flexibility is also applicable to our 1-2-1 classes options, which is our most rigorous and intensive choice for making fast progress with your English. The 1-2-1 classes are perfect if you don’t have time to take one of our group classes as, with the full attention of the teacher, you are likely to move through the syllabus faster. You don’t have to dwell on areas of confidence, and can spend more time on correcting any weaknesses. 

6. Flexibility is important to us
Now, more than ever, flexibility is important. While we would love for everyone to be able to have the full Cambridge experience, but we understand that that isn’t possible for everyone right now. Our online classes mean that you can learn with us from wherever you are in the world, at the time that suits you. We also offer optional exam preparation if you’re learning English with that goal in mind. For more information on online learning, check out the online page on our website.

Let us know what you thought of this blog and if it’s made you want to choose ABC Cambridge for your English learning experience, and follow our socials for more! We look forward to seeing you, in our classrooms or on our screens soon! 

Allegra Goodwin, Student Experience Manager