VIV'S ENGLISH NEWSLETTER
By Viv Quarry. Edition Number 19 The third of March 2001.
Study English in England with Cicero International - See Viv for information & discount.
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Happy Birthday!
March is a month with various birthdays, so Viv has decided to start a new section wishing Fernanda (the 14th), Paula (the 19th) and Guilherme (the 22nd) a very happy birthday. If I haven't confirmed the date of your birthday yet, don't worry, I'll be asking you over the next week or two.
What's new?
From now on, the Newsletter will only be sent by e-mail. If you'd like to read it in comfort, just print it out and keep it with the past editions. If you don't want to receive any more copies, or would prefer to have a copy on paper, just let Viv know.
How is my English course going?
Most of my students are working hard on improving their English, and making excellent progress. However, this is not the case with everyone. There are two potential problems: An efficient English language school would always change a group or student's teacher after the completion of a course (usually in one academic year). This is because when student and teacher know each other too well, the teacher may have problems in motivating the student to work hard enough on improving their English.
The second potential problem is that due to pressure of work, the English course may be under-prioritized, leaving the student insufficient time either to attend classes or complete homework. If this is the case, you should think seriously about asking to terminate your course (before Viv terminates it for you!). It doesn't matter whether you are enjoying your course or not. You contracted Viv to help you communicate in English better, and this is not possible if you can't attend classes or complete homework regularly. In short, you're wasting your time and money. Some students have been asked to sign a 'contract' regarding attendance and homework. If the contract is broken (as if the same progress test is failed twice), your course will automatically be terminated.
How can I evaluate my progress?
Complete this questionnaire. The questions are based the last 13 months of your course - one month can be counted as holiday. (Viv has past copies of your bills if you haven't got them).
In the 'teacher's notes' section of your bill, how many times has the following been mentioned?
Homework A) Never ___ B) 1 or 2 times ___ C) More than two times ___
Little/no progress A) Never ___ B) 1 or 2 times ___ C) More than two times ___
In the 'Attendance and class content section' how many times have you....
Had less than 4 hours of classes? A) Never ___ B) 1 or 2 times ___ C) More than two times ___
Failed a vocabulary test A) Never ___ B) 1 or 2 times ___ C) More than two times ___
Failed a progress test A) Never ___ B) 1 or 2 times ___ C) More than two times ___
A) answers = 0, B) answers = 2 C) answers = 5. If you scored less than 5 your progress is excellent. If you scored between 5 and 15 you have problems. If you got more than 15, you should terminate classes.
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