TEACHING COMPARISON CHART
These days, there are many different ways to learn English. Whether in a classroom, a coffee shop, or online, each style has its advantages and disadvantages. But you should ask a few questions.
Are you getting what you paid for?
Are you learning what you need to be learning?
Are you getting enough speaking practice?
After working in the industry for almost 10 years, FarWest consultants have compared the various styles for their good and bad points.
We used the 5 Reasons Why English Training Fails as our method of comparison: Material, Planning, Motivation, Timing, and Implementation.
In addition, we added Cost to our comparison because we know how important it is to many students.
Click on any part of the comparison chart above to read more details.
What makes a Premium Service green and a Cram School red. At the bottom of the page there is a legend that describes the difference between what is expected of a good method of learning versus a bad method.
Click here to see our detailed Rating Legend. |
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Large class sizes limit the amount of speaking time with the teacher (local or foreign). And it is this precious time that students need to have a lot of to make vast improvements in their overall English ability. In terms of Implementation, Timing, and Cost, they did very poorly.
The execution of skills learned in the classroom are not as applicable in real life settings. The large classroom format was the reason for this. Cram school timing is often inconvenient. The schedules offered are almost always inflexible and students tend to skip class.
As a result, they lose their investment because these students have pre-paid, sometimes as far in advance as one year. Although the cost of some cram schools tends to be cheaper than other methods, the kind of practice and skills you acquire reflects the price. Low! |
Cram Schools - Material
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Most cram schools buy their course materials from other publishing companies.
Using grammar text books and conversation guides from external sources seems to be the cheapest method, as most schools cannot afford to publish materials themselves.
Often, school administrators will go to a local book store and buy what they think is the best source for English learning material.
However, this material is never customized for the student. It never directly addresses the student's life Goals and Gaps(mistakes). And that is the real test of good material. |
Cram Schools - Planning
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Typically, these types of programs are well laid out in terms of the class schedule.
They have a set syllabus for each class, and generally, the instructor follows the course calendar very closely.
In all, if you are looking for a very structured program, cram schools are good choices.
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Cram Schools - Motivation
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As was mentioned with timing, cram schools typically make you pay in advance and do not allow you to reschedule.
This gives a financial motivation to attend class. And this type of motivation can be powerful.
However, it does not give the deeper motivation of achieving your Goals and therefore only a small percentage of students get the most out of this method. A great program should be directly aligned with your life goals. |
Cram Schools - Implementation
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How do you apply what you learn in cram school to your real life? Can you ask your cram school teacher to edit your work email? Do they offer one-on-one training at your office? How about emergency editing?
This is where many English programs fail. They teach you some vocabulary and grammar but they do not assist you when you implement this in your real life.
And after all, that's why you are learning English in the first place. |
Cram Schools - Timing
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When it comes to scheduling an English class, timing is everything.
Often times, cram schools will offer a wide range of available times to the student, while others don't. But, one thing is for certain, these times are not very flexible, if at all. You can't reschedule or postpone the class and of course, there are no refunds or credits for those missed classes.
We all have busy schedules, so if you can't make it to a class, shouldn't you be able to re-schedule it? |
Cram Schools - Cost
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Although the cost of some cram schools tends to be cheaper than other methods, the kind of practice and skills you acquire reflects the price. Low!
Are you getting what you pay for? Probably not.
Class size is definitely a factor here. Many students will attend the class, but not speak because of lack of opportunity. Too many other students are competing for the chance to practice speaking.
As a result, you make little to NO effort in improving your spoken English. But hey, your writing might improve! |
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While private teachers are convenient and affordable, they aren't always organized. In terms of Material and Planning, many students complain about their private teacher.
Many teachers are doing this as a part-time way to make fast cash, a lot of cash. They are usually unprepared and inexperienced at teaching a language. They don't have the correct curriculum and they don't assess your life and your current English ability.
However, if all you want is some casual conversation, they are not a bad choice. They are just not the best choice. |
Private Teachers - Material
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Material is crucial to an English program and it is the number one failure of most private teachers. Many private teachers bring a newspaper or generic textbook to class while even more teachers bring nothing at all.
Why spend more money on a service that is minimally prepared or not at all? |
Private Teachers - Planning
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Again, planning is a serious flaw with private teaching. Organizing a study program takes time and many private teachers don't put in the time.
While a school has writers and administrators to help with planning, a private teacher usually works alone and does not have the support required to properly plan an English program. |
Private Teachers - Motivation
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There are several things that can motivate us to study English. The most powerful motivator is to see the results of our English study in our regular life. That is, does our English study help our life Goals?
Very often, a private teacher spends all their time in conversation and does not match their lesson to their students' goals. In addition, because private teachers usually don't charge in advance, money is also not a motivator to attend class. |
Private Teachers - Implementation
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Some private teachers can help apply English to your job by editing emails or coaching us on specific job functions. This is very helpful and possibly the most important step in an English program. However, the responsibility is usually on the student to ask their teacher to do this. Most private teachers will not do this unless their student asks them. |
Private Teachers - Timing
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This is the great strength of private teachers. As a student, you probably want a teacher who is flexible about time (and money) and a private teacher offers this. With today's busy lifestyle, this can be the best selling point for a private teacher. |
Private Teachers - Cost
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If your teaching is just bringing in the English newspaper once a week and discussing the headlines, then you shouldn't be paying more than NTD500 per hour.
If she is not challenging you or coming up with study plans, material and aligning your life goals, then they don't deserve what you are probably paying them. |
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Premium Private Teaching combines the organization of a university with the flexibility of a private teacher. You get the best of both worlds, but the pricing can be a little higher.
Nowadays, this is probably the most efficient way to study English. Flexible, highly customizable and convenient. |
Premium Consultancy - Material
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Premium services develop material that is designed to address a student's Gaps (mistakes) and move them towards their life Goals.
This type of material is very specific for each student, teaching them exactly what they need and wasting no time on unnecessary topics; then, adjusting the material in relation to the student's progress to ensure that the student still learns challenging and relevant material. |
Premium Consultancy - Planning
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Ideally, an English program will be centered on a student's Goals and Gaps. The detailed plan should move the student from their current English position (the Gaps) directly towards their Goals.
This should be done as efficiently as possible. A premium private teacher can create a customized plan that includes very specific and relevant material, assessments and feedback for each student. |
Premium Consultancy - Motivation
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A premium service can motivate a student in two ways. First, the plan and material will be aimed at the student's personal life Goals. Since this is a powerful motivator in a person's life, we can use this energy to learn English as well.
Second, by paying for a premium service in advance, the student is also motivated by their money investment. Students who pay in advance always have more success because they are more committed to the program. |
Premium Consultancy - Implementation
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This is the best quality of a premium private service. The entire program should be geared towards the student's life Goals. That is, the aim of the program is to execute this English in your real life. The plan and material are created with this in mind.
In addition, the private teacher can answer questions, edit emails, and offer general English support services whenever you require help. |
Premium Consultancy - Timing
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A premium private service should offer students flexibility in their learning schedule. This should be done in two ways.
Firstly, the in-class time and location should be favorable to the student. No one wants to travel to a school after a day at work.
Second, a premium service should offer online material at any time of the day so the student can learn independently. |
Premium Consultancy - Cost
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Premium consultancy is more expensive than Private teaching methods; however, what you get as a student is a lot more. Unlike regular private teachers, these premium consultants offer unique curriculum, study schedules, work outside the classroom and so on.
In comparison to cheaper cram schools, premium services are more expensive. However, in cram schools you can study for a year and only make a 25% increase in your overall ability; whereas, if you have a premium private teacher, you can make the same progress in 1/4 of the time. Everything depends on class size and speaking time per student.
This type of service goes beyond that of a regular English teacher or school. |
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Online teaching programs are the hottest new trend in Taiwan. However, they have also generated a lot of complaints from students (and their own teachers).
These companies usually employ teachers whose first language isn't English! If you are paying a lot of money for this type of speaking service, shouldn't you expect to have a teacher that is a native speaker?
We have also found that your teacher tends to change every class. That's right, a new teacher every time.
However, it is very convenient because wherever there is an internet connection, you can have your speaking class. But wait! That does NOT prepare you for face-to-face interactions that happen in the real world. |
Online Schools - Material
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These classes use the same types of materials that most one-on-one classes do, but like the planning aspect, they are very dependent on the experience and preparedness of the teacher. |
Online Schools - Planning
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Many online programs use levels (i.e. level 1-12) to classify students. This is fairly well organized and there is a general plan for each student.
However, most online programs regularly change the teacher. Some will change the teacher EVERY CLASS. For this reason, the plan is not always followed. Also, this makes it difficult to personalize this experience. |
Online Schools - Motivation
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Like cram schools, online programs motivate their students with money. Specifically, online courses are fairly expensive and money is paid in advance. In order to get your money's worth, you must use the service.
However, again, online programs are not aimed at your specific Goals so they lack a deeper motivation. |
Online Schools - Implementation
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Online programs train us to speak English over the computer, using a system like Skype. If that is your life Goal, then it is a very useful.
However, most people want to use English in a business meeting or in a university classroom. If that is the case, then online programs do a poor job of preparing us for the real world. |
Online Schools - Timing
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This is the great advantage of online programs. If you want to sit at home at any time of day or night and learn English, this is the best method. Timing is usually very flexible when using online services.
However, if your teacher is in America or the UK, there are time differences to consider. |
Online Schools - Cost
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Cost for this type of program is usually expensive. Often times you will need to prepay for the service and material, which is common.
However, these online services do not include any such VAT or taxes in their price. Moreover, these services state that there subscription fees can change without even notifying you. And to top it all off, they even charge during trial periods. |
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While universities have a great reputation, their biggest downfall is lack of execution. While they teach English skills, they don't teach how to use those skills in the real world.
Often students' written ability is much better than their oral ability for this type of learning environment. Again, the classroom setting is to blame here.
In addition, the price can be too high for many students. Perhaps you have already graduated from university and can only learn at specific times like during the evening or on weekends. Surely there are better options out there for people like that.
However, if you are 18 to 25 years old, unemployed with a lot of time on your hands, then university is a great environment for you to learn a language. |
University - Material
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Most universities have excellent material. Because they offer a number of different English classes, you can select the topics that are most useful for you to study. However, these topics are generally dealing in literature and writing.
In terms of business English, universities are not very relevant. |
University - Planning
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Again, universities usually have excellent planning. Their programs are well laid out so a student can spend 4 years in a structured program.
On the other hand, students who don't have the time for such an intensive program might want to look at other options. |
University - Motivation
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Attendance is usually factored into a university program's marking, which motivates students to attend class. In addition, university credits and degrees are respected by employers and other schools. This in turn motivates the student to finish their program. |
University - Implementation
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University programs are great for knowledge and theory, but are not always practical. So to compensate, many of these English Majors or Graduates find jobs teaching English to others in Cram Schools. It's a great way to practice the skill more in depth, especially your oral presentation skill.
However, they don't help very much when it comes to business meetings or writing business reports and emails. University programs lack the practical execution of English in your daily life. |
University - Timing
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Timing is a major drawback to a university program. Universities are famous for being inflexible. You can only enroll at specific times of the year, classes cannot be rescheduled, etc. |
University - Cost
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Tuition fees for universities are on the rise. Especially if you are applying to a private school. |
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A rating of green indicates above average or excellence.
The English Material is exceptional and extremely relevant to the student requirements and life goals.
The Planning of the course is well laid out such that the student effectively learns the required material in an efficient amount of time. Class sizes are small, usually less than 3 students; therefore students have a higher chance of learning more material in a smaller amount of time.
The Motivation for the student is high; students almost always attend class, study for tests and do assignments on time. Fees are paid up front by the student.
The Implementation of the course is very reliable; specifically, the student has no problem at all using their newly acquired English skills in a real environment.
The Timing of the courses is flexible and convenient for the student.
The Cost is affordable in relation to the quality of service and how quickly the student learns the material taught. Also, additional services are provided outside of class.
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A rating of yellow indicates average or satisfactory.
The English Material is average and not that relevant to the student's requirements or life goals.
The Planning of the course is not laid out well and strategies change frequently because of lack of experience by the teacher and too many students in the classroom. Students do not have enough time to practice speaking or ask questions because class sizes are too large.
The Motivation for the student is average; students do not always attend class, study for tests or do their assignments on time.
The Implementation of the course is very dependent on the teacher's experience and knowledge of the material and therefore is not very reliable.
The Timing of the courses are somewhat inflexible and inconvenient; when students don't attend class they lose their money.
The Cost is higher than usual in relation to the quailty of service. The student studies for a very long time but only makes some progress. No extra services are offered outside the class.
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A rating of red indicates below average or unsatisfactory.
The English Material is neither relevant nor challenging, and often times the materials are outdated, riddled with mistakes and not appealing or entertaining. As a result, most students end up quitting after a short period of time because of lack of interest.
The Planning of the course is non-existent and sporadic. Teachers change frequently or even every class, no assessments tools are used and the class sizes are usually too big. Therefore, students do not practice enough speaking with the teacher or classmates.
The Motivation for the student is below average; students rarely attend class, study for tests or do their assignments on time.
The Implementation of the material learned is not applicable to your life at all and doesn't focus on working toward your life goals.
The Timing of the course is very inflexible and inconvenient; students who miss class lose money.
The Cost is much higher than most other options in relation to the quailty of service. The student studies for a very long time but only makes some progress. No extra services are offered outside the class. |
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