Run an online English college

Can I learn English through internet?

by Shayan Shalileh, Site Manager of Open Learning Center - Iran

This is a first question will be appear in your student's mind, as soon as they see your advertisement. They are looking for a reasonable answer immediately. when you would provide an online course for teaching English, you should have the answer to this question.

During last 7 years in OLC this question was the most important question for every one. When we reply the question, students decide to use online learning and when we don't answer, students prefer to use the traditional method.

The first thing you should know is the difference between traditional teaching method and e-learning:

• In traditional teaching methods usually the teacher teaches and the student learns, but in modern methods (e-learning), the student tries to learn and the teacher helps him/her and controls the system.

The second thing is about, why the student can not learn English in face to face classroom?

• The student has a lot of stress and feeling of shame against the other students and the teacher. These feelings make the student not to talk in the class and so they can not learn English. But in virtual classes no one feel stress, because there is not any face to face communication with the other students and the teacher.

For 2 years, OLC worked on more than 400 students. They could not come to any face to face classes and never talked with their teacher vocally. But after 24 weeks, they did not have any problem with listening and speaking and also they could read and write as well.

Reading and Writhing Skills:

In each part we have many online exercises and references and also the online teacher can answer to the students at any time.

Listening Skill:

For improving listening we set up Internet Radio and our students can solve their problem about listening. They listen and repeat. They can download the sounds and listen to them whenever they want.

Speaking Skill:

For speaking skill we try to improve the students' listening and writing and then provide some exercises in speaking can be done by the student in front of a mirror.

First, we ask the student to provide a timetable in English. The student should not write it, just should think about it. We try to teach our students if they would like to speak in English, they should learn how to think in English.

The student's mind is more flexible than any teacher. You can role play all situations in your mind; your mind can be your partner same as your teacher. If your student can elaborate this procedure, they can learn English by online system.

We have provided Internet Radio for improving listening skill and Online Library for improving reading skill. They are 2 different way, but by merging these two systems you will have an online library with voice. It is more useful and great!

Many people all around the world use a self-study course to improve their English. If you offer online services, you have much more control over the system.

If you decide to run an online English college, never forget improving listening and speaking skills of your students. Listening and speaking are very important sections for applicants. Whenever you talk about e-learning, applicants think about internet and emails, consequently they image just they can improve their writing skill. So they avoid using e-learning as a method of learning any language. 

There are also some ones who apart internet and e-learning. But they should know that when you run an online college you can use all technologies and sources through internet in your college.

For example, when you use any sound system or laboratory in your English class, actually you use a real world technology in your college. First we had a green-board and then whiteboard and now we use smart board in our real classes. In these three periods of time we have changed our technology and find a better way to make and run a better class. But the characteristic of the class have not changed. The class is a place where a teacher and some students join together to learn.

Bloging and pod casting are two new technologies in Internet, and you can use them in your online college. Through these technologies, your student can have a blog or pod cast in your online college. Then your teacher can check the student's pod-cast for pronunciation and speaking in English.