ASC Education Group, which has provided language training in the region since 1974, has launched a new programme of fun, effective and affordable English classes for kids aged 5 years and above.
Called Wednesday PLUS, the programme will take place on Wednesday afternoons at 4 locations in Geneva, Vaud and neighboring France. With specific classes targeted at both Anglophones and non-native speakers, the programme will be divided into two strands, one for English-speakers following the English National Curriculum and the other aimed at students learning English as a Foreign Language. Non-native speakers will also have the opportunity to take the Cambridge Young Learner English exams (Starters, Movers, Flyers) from the age of 8.
ASC has been offering English lessons for kids for many years through its subsidiary school, Key English School. So what is special about this programme? Wednesday PLUS Programme Director, Sarah Pralong, told knowitall.ch,
“At ASC we believe children learn better when they are having fun, and that is certainly the case with the extra-curricular activities that we offer at Key English School. However, many of our parents have been asking for longer lessons. From the feedback we received recently we noticed that parents also wanted to see results, and quickly! So we decided to launch the Wednesday PLUS programme, which has a strong emphasis on the Cambridge exams, and is more intense, with classes lasting 2 or 3 hours instead of just 60 minutes.”
Wednesday PLUS classes are taught by qualified and experienced teachers, to small groups of children organized by age and level. In addition to focusing on spoken language, reading and writing skills, the programme also overs cultural aspects of the language, an important feature for Anglophone kids who may only rarely have the opportunity to visit the country of their mother tongue. But what makes Wednesday PLUS lessons special compared to many other programmes in the region is the length of the classes, and therefore the intensity of learning. Sarah explained,
“With the addition of our new programme, all students' needs are catered for. There will always be those who just want to learn English as a short, fun afternoon activity - and Key English School is perfect for them, but now we can support those who want to push themselves a little harder, with affordable lessons adapted to their individual needs that will help them make progress more quickly. The programme has also been set up to cater for the specific needs of English-speaking kids as well as those learning English as a foreign language. So Anglophone children who are at ease speaking the language can focus more on reading and writing skills, whilst EFL kids can concentrate on developing their conversation skills.”
Students enrolling on the new programme can expect to receive a short evaluation as part of their first lesson to check that they are in the right class. Depending on their age and level, they will receive between 30 minutes and an hour of homework per week. 3-hour classes will typically have a short break in the middle when kids can chill outside with their friends. 2-hour lessons won’t normally have a break, but the classes will be very dynamic so children aren’t likely to get bored!
Children’s progress will be assessed via tests taken just before the Christmas and summer holidays, with results sent to parents via email. At the beginning of the programme, parents will be invited to an information evening where they can find out more about the objectives of the various courses being offered. In January and June, parents will be invited to attend a short individual meeting with their child’s teacher.
The four schools that will be offering the new programme from September 2016 are: British School of Geneva in Châtelaine, Ecole du Valentin in Lausanne, Collège Jeanne d’Arc in Gex, and Ecole Saint Vincent in Collonge-sous-Salève. Only BSG is an ASC-affiliated school – the other 3 establishments are partner schools who have a strong belief in the programme and who are keen to offer their students the convenience of English classes within their own campuses. However, Wednesday PLUS classes are open to all students in the region, not just those attending the schools participating in the programme. All courses last the full academic year, with holidays following the location of each school.
To find out more about Wednesday PLUS, you are invited to visit the website at www.wednesday.plus/, where you can find more details on each of the programmes being offered as well as locations, class times, and prices.
Wednesday PLUS
022 552 90 90
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www.wednesday.plus/
