learn English online

It’s easy!

STEP 1: Complete the Contact Form

Before we plan your English learning journey, we need to get to know you better & learn exactly what you want and need. Complete the form and expect an email from us within hours.

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STEP 2: Do the online Placement Tests

To design a perfect course for you (your starting point, your destination and how to get there), we need to know all about your language level at the start.

That’s why you need to do a written test (online) first and then take an interview (online) with your teacher.

 

WRITTEN TEST

The online written test (language & listening) takes 50-80 mins.

Where? You get a link and the unique login info in an email from us.

When? The link is active for 24 hours. If you need longer, let us know.

How? You don’t need to prepare for the test – we need to see the real picture.

The test is adaptive so – depending on your answers – it takes you to either easier or more difficult questions. It is a professional assessment tool tested on 19,000 students from 60 countries.

Writing for exams? If you want an exam-preparation course, we also ask you to write a short text in English to see how advanced your written English is. You get a topic via email.

Results? You learn your exact results when we meet for the online interview.

How much? You don’t pay for the placement test. It’s on us.

 

INTERVIEW

The online interview (language& speaking) takes 30 mins.

When? We agree on a date and time when you are free to talk.

Where? You get a link to enter the online interview room in an email from us. For the interview, we are using the online application that we use for online meetups during the course so you can see how easy to use and intuitive it is.

How? It is a nice conversation in English. You talk to your teacher, who is also a qualified teacher trainer and oral proficiency consultant.

At the end, we tell you all about your language level, agree on the goals and suggest the best course for you.

How much? You don’t pay for the interview.

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STEP 3: Read and sign the agreement.

Why? You need to know what to expect and we need clear rules to guide you towards your goals. This is our map for your English language journey.

Technicalities

What equipment do you need to learn online?

• a PC or a mobile device (a laptop, an iPad, a tablet or a smartphone) with a video camera and microphone
• a reliable internet connection
• a set of headphones, earphones or earpodes
• a cup/glass of your favourite drink

And now … we’re good to go!

4-WEEK MODULES

The English Barrio model is simple, effective and flexible: Every 4 weeks, we start a new course module with new learning goals.

1 module = 4 weeks of organised learning

With 4-week modules, it is easier to monitor your own progress with shorter courses. You are in control and we can modify the map of your learning journey every 4 weeks. And you pay for the learning programme on a monthly basis.

 

 

ONE WEEK FOR FREE

At English Barrio, we are generous – we like to reward you for systematic work.

You get one week for free if:

• you don’t skip / reschedule a single lesson for 4 weeks in a row

• you don’t skip/reschedule a single self-study assignment for 4 weeks in a row

WEEKLY MILESTONES

Every week is a new exciting learning challenge

• you have 1 online meeting with your teacher (75 mins)
• you complete 1 self-study online challenge after the meeting (75 mins)
• you get detailed, personalised feedback from your teacher, who can now plan the next meeting based on your performance

 

ONE-TO-ONE

We believe in personal touches, flexiblity and personalised learning programmes. That’s why we strongly recommend individual (1-to-1) courses.

If you can’t afford an individual course or prefer to learn English with a friend or two, email us: hello@englishbarrio.com

WHAT WE SPECIALIZE IN

 

ENGLISH FOR PROFESSIONALS

Activate & advance your English to communicate with confidence in professional situations

• English for freelancers
• English for startups
• English for designers & creatives
• English for presentations
• English for networking

ENGLISH FOR INTERNATIONAL EXAMS (teens and adults)

Prepare for international exams with experienced teachers and examiners

• English for Cambridge Exams B2 (B2 First – previouly known as FCE)
• English for Cambridge Exams C1 (C1 Advanced – previously known as CAE)
• English for Cambridge Exams C2 (C2 Proficiency – previously known as CPE)
• English for IELTS (B2-C1)

ACTIVATE ENGLISH IN CONVERSATION

Communicate in English to express yourself, with a wide range of lexis and grammar 

• Activate English for teens (B1, B2, C1, C2)
• Activate English for adults (B1, B2, C1, C2)
• Activate English for senior learners (A1, A2, B1, B2)

OUR RECIPE FOR SUCCESS

• professional needs analysis: you know where you start and what you need to achieve your goals
• motivation is key: we set the rules that help you achieve your goals = no time wasted
• feedback & feedfoward: you know where you are, where you are going and how to get there
• cognitive science in action: we use the latest discoveries in how humans learn to organize your learning and keep your motivation high
• activating new language: you learn new language by using it in communication
• topics that make your heart sing: we don’t go by the book, you help us choose the topics that inspire you
• learning is non-linear: we help you remember what you learn during online meetups
• storytelling: we engage your memory through compelling stories

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A SPECIAL PLAN 

ONLY if you start

IN SEPTEMBER 2019

This is our special offer – it only works

if you start one of our courses in September 2019.

You get a complete package at a reduced price.

548 PLN or 128 EUR gross per 1 monthly module

4 weeks of learning

5th week for FREE (if no cancellations/rescheduling in weeks 1-4)

• free placement tests before the course starts
• your personalised learning plan – we know how to motivate
• private tutoring with expert lesson planning
• fun learning experience
• 4 weekly online meetings with your teacher (60 mins/week)
• 4 weekly self-study challenges (60 mins/week) with feedback from your teacher
• week 5 for free (if you don’t cancel or reschedule anything in weeks 1-4)
• free access to all your teaching resources – organised for you online
• free access to the online video-conferencing application
• your personalised learning recommendations for the future

If you’re interested in 75min meetings and 75min self-study challenges, let us know during the interview and we’ll make it happen, no problem!

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OPTIMUM PLAN

This is our standard, most popular plan.

665 PLN or 155 EUR gross per 1 monthly module

4 weeks of learning

5th week for FREE (if you don’t cancel or reschedule anything in weeks 1-4)

• free placement tests before the course starts
• your personalised learning plan
• private tutoring with expert lesson planning
• 4 weekly online meetings with your teacher (60 mins/week)
• 4 weekly self-study challenges (60 mins/week)
• weekly feedback from your teacher
• week 5 for free (if no cancellations/rescheduling in weeks 1-4)
• free access to all your teaching resources – organised for you online
• free access to the online video-conferencing application
• your personalised learning recommendations for the future

If you’re interested in 75min meetings and 75min self-study challenges, let us know during the interview and we’ll make it happen, no problem!

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PREMIUM PLAN

This is our comfort plan for the busiest students.

832 PLN or 194 EUR gross per 1 monthly module

4 weeks of learning 

5th week for FREE (regardless of cancellations/rescheduling in weeks 1-4) 

you don’t lose any classes rescheduled at the last minute

• free placement tests before the course starts
• your personalised learning plan
• private tutoring with expert lesson planning
• 5 weekly online meetings with your teacher (60 mins/week)
• 5 weekly self-study challenges (60 mins/week)
• weekly feedback from your teacher
• you lose no classes when you need to reschedule at the last minute
• free access to all your teaching resources – organised for you online
• free access to the online video-conferencing application
• your personalised learning recommendations for the future

If you’re interested in 75min meetings and 75min self-study challenges, let us know during the interview and we’ll make it happen, no problem!

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PAYMENTS

ONLINE PAYMENT METHODS

You can pay via PayPal and standard bank transfer.

CURRENCY

We accept payments in PLN and in EUR. If you pay in a different currency, you cover the conversion rates.

RECURRING PAYMENTS

We only accept down payments. There is a fixed monthly rate (for 4 weeks of the course). You get the fifth week for free if you have not skipped a single class and homework assignment for 4 weeks in a row.

CANCELLATION & REFUND POLICY The cancellation and refund policy is outlined in our service agreement. You sign it after completing the placement tests.

Hey

We are a team of experienced teachers with several decades of combined teaching experience. All this time, we have been discovering and exploring the most effective learning and teaching approaches.  And it’s life-long work in progress: in our profession, you never stop learning. And you need to adjust your tools and methods to help unique individuals – your learners.  For those reasons, we don’t believe in dogmatic approach to teaching, but we have some convictions 🙂

If – as teachers – we don’t enjoy the lesson planning part, you won’t enjoy the lesson enough. That’s the way we look at learning experience design. We put as much heart into planning as we do into online meetings, self-study materials design and feedback. It’s a whole package.

At the same time, we ask you for feedback on a regular basis so we can improve your experience every week. Your voice matters. You tell us what flowers you want to be planted in your garden.

Also, we don’t believe in teaching you about language.  (If we used a metaphor, that would be a bit like a gallery visit where you are just observing ready-made paintings on the walls.) Instead, at English Barrio, you learn English by using it actively and discovering new fascinating things about the world around us. At English Barrio, the floor is yours. (To return to the metaphor, you are actively creating your own masterpieces.)

Finally, we make sure you revisit and review the new language – expect a lot of revision hot spots in our online meetings and self-study challenges. You juggle the new language all the time, which makes your brain very happy!

Our teaching superpowers

• we like people
• we are lucky to teach awesome people
• we put our students first & we take pride in their success
• we love what we are doing
• we are team players
• we like to pull your leg from time to time
• we are happy to tackle new challenges
• we believe in connecting the dots
• we have the courage to experiment
• we offer and value respect
• we work and dream

We got a bunch of online elves to craft profiles of all the teachers on our team. Quality work takes time 😉 Here is a taste of what you can expect to find here … really soon!

Milada Krajewska

Qualifications

I hold an MA in English Studies & TEFL, a CELTA certificate and a postgraduate diploma in Business Training. I am a Cambridge CELTA Main Course and Assistant Tutor and a certified IH Online Tutor.

Experience

• enjoying teaching and learning from my students of English as a Foreign Language (YLs, teens, adults and seniors | English for Business & special Purposes, General English, Exam Preparation ) since 1997.
• worked as a Cambridge Assessment English oral examiner (Cambridge YLE  Tests, B2 First, C1 Advanced and  C2 Proficiency), Academic Director, Head of Teacher Training and course designer.
• training teachers and working as an author, designer and content editor of teaching & learning resources for a decade now.
• organising training events and conferences (incl. TEDxWarsaw) and coaching conference presenters since 2010.

Interests

• My professional passions: experimenting with creative lesson design; cognitive science translated into learning strategies;  serving cocktails of compelling stories, fresh knowledge about the world and juicy language to my learners
• My personal passions: travelling, cooking, doggies and cocker spaniels in particular, design, urban gardens, story-spotting, …
• My retirement plan: island life, running a playschool for dogs, writing & reading (in any order), taking carpentry classes, parachuting, learning Portuguese, …

beata palińska

Qualifications

I hold an MA in English Studies & TEFL, a CELTA certificate, a DELTA Module 1 certificate and I am a Cambridge CELTA Assistant Tutor and a certified IH Teacher Trainer.

Experience

• teaching English as a Foreign Language (adults, teens, young learners | General English, Exam Preparation, English for Business & Special Purposes) since 2002.
• a Cambridge Assessment English oral examiner (Cambridge A2 Key, B1 Preliminary, B2 First and C1 Advanced).
• training teachers, co-organising conferences and training events, designing teaching and learning materials since 2014.

Interests

• My professional passions: looking for stories and turning them into lessons, planning lessons and turning them into story-like experiences, incorporating most effective learning strategies, helping my students do better than they expected
• My personal passions: stories everywhere, using non-existent words, food (eating, cooking, reading about), note-taking, notebooks and yes, pens
• My retirement plan: long walks, writing short stories, reading with a notebook on my lap, pencil in hand and a cup of coffee nearby, becoming a professional ball thrower (ok, that’s my vizsla’s dream more than mine)

Stay tuned for more …