What is Parent Pages? What is it for?
EF understands the importance of continuous assessment and providing you with feedback concerning your child’s progress. Parent Pages is a website that encourages EF parents to actively participate in their child’s development. The site provides classroom feedback as well as information related to academic development, EF products, and school events. The system has been designed to facilitate communication between you and your EF school.
To take our Site Tour click here.
How often should I check Parent Pages for feedback updates?
Teachers regularly input comments in the system. When you log into Parent Pages for the first time, you will be presented with your My Settings page where you can choose how and when to receive notifications on feedback updates.
To go to My Settings click here.
In addition to feedback content, Parent Pages offers a wide range of information for you to access, such as EF Methodology, Links to other sites and educational articles.
To take our Site Tour click here.
What information does Parent Pages provide me with?
The main aim of Parent Pages is to provide updated and personalized classroom feedback and assessment results. The Feedback page contains content that allows you to track your child’s progress.
To check the feedback site click here.
We also aim to deliver other kinds of relevant information in order to help you understand your child’s learning process and become more acquainted with our methodology and products.
To read about other products and our methodology click here
News and Announcements
Parent Pages gives you access to relevant information about the latest events and news at your EF school, so you can participate in EF school events and support your child.
To read about this month’s news and events click here.
Does Parent Pages show my child’s results and development in the classroom?
One of the latest additions to Parent Pages is the Progress Indicator, which clearly shows you the unit that your child is studying at the moment. This feature also allows you to view the grammar, vocabulary and structures that hev been presented in the classroom. Together, with the Completed Activities section in Practice & Play, this feature allows you to know, at any time, what your child is working on and his/her progress in the course.
To check the Progress Indicator click here.
What can I do if I forget my password?
If you forget your password, you can request a password reminder from the log in page. Just under the password box, you will see the link ‘Forgot your password?’ Click on the link and the system will send an e-mail to your personal account with your password reminder and information about how to change it. If you don’t receive this password reminder, please contact your course consultant for assistance. It is important that you provide your correct e-mail address in the My Settings page. You can update your personal contact information whenever necessary.
To visit My Settings click here.
Where can I find the homework?
After every lesson, the teacher assigns homework to your child through Teacher Pages. Every time there is new homework, all the details are displayed in the Classroom Feedback section of Parent Pages. These tasks should be completed before your child’s next lesson.
To see the homework assigned this week click here.
Why does the teacher assign homework?
Teachers assign homework for many reasons. Most importantly, homework can help children review and practice what they've learned in class and get ready for the next lesson. Besides helping a student’s learning progress, homework can also help children develop good habits and attitudes that can be transferred to daily life. Homework:
- Encourages self-discipline
- Teaches children to work independently
- Develops a sense of responsibility
- Teaches children to manage their time effectively
- Supports what the children learn in class and provides extra practice
- Enables children to acquire the new language more effectively
Is it compulsory to complete the homework?
English First’s Academic Research Center highly recommends that your child completes the assigned homework regularly. Children need to revise the material introduced in the classroom at home in order to truly acquire the language. If your child doesn’t complete the homework on a regular basis, it is quite likely that his/her performance in class will not reach the required standards. Self-study at home is essential for children to make the most of the course.
To read related questions click below:
My child doesn’t do his/her homework regularly? What can I do?
My child doesn’t complete homework correctly. What should I do?
What kind of homework does the teacher assign?
Depending on their course, age and ability, students may be asked to complete different tasks for homework:
- Practice the song/rhyme learned in class
- Review the unit vocabulary with parents’ assistance
- Review the unit structures with parents’ assistance
- Practice recognizing the unit vocabulary
- Practice the dialogue learned in class
- Listen to the story and follow the pictures in the Student Book
- Color the picture in the correct colors
- Draw a picture
- Complete related Practice & Play activities
Trailblazers and High Flyers:
- Read a specific page of the unit in the Student Book
- Complete an activity in the book
- Complete an activity in Practice & Play
- Complete a unit worksheet
- Complete project work
- Complete online research
- Re-do a given homework task
How often does my child have to do homework?
Homework is normally assigned through Parent Pages after every lesson. Your child will typically have one to two assignments per week depending on how many lessons he/she attends.
It has been proven that small amounts of homework completed regularly improve academic achievement. Therefore, the homework given does not usually require more than 20-30 minutes of work per day. We also recommended setting up a regular study routine for your child at home. This study time could involve any kind of activity involving English, such as watching an English educational video, reading a book, or reviewing language with a fun game.
Click here to learn how you can help your child achieve his/her own study routine.
Will my child learn the language without doing homework?
Continual exposure to English through practice and review is essential to language acquisition. Students must complete assigned tasks and practice at home in order to internalize the vocabulary and structures introduced in class. Devoting time to learning at home ensures that students will be able to incorporate the language they have studied into their speech. Our research shows that those students who complete their homework on a regular basis score significantly higher on tests, earn better grades, and have a much wider range of language than students who do less homework.
What can I do if my child is not able to complete the homework on his/her own?
We highly recommended that parents monitor while children are completing their homework and offer assistance if needed. First, check if assistance is genuinely required and, if so, offer your help. Ensure that you only assist and guide your child in completing his/her homework and avoid completing the work for your child as this will hinder his/her progression and ability to learn independently.
If you are not able to help your child with the assignments, we suggest you talk to your course consultant/teacher at the beginning/end of the lesson to make the teacher aware of the situation. The teacher will then assess your child's performance in class and suggest further actions. If necessary, a meeting will be arranged with you and your child to discuss how to help with homework.
Throughout the course, there are things you can do to help your child practice further at home:
- Complete all the required activities in Practice & Play and re-do them for extra practice.
- Listen to the class CD repeating aloud the language in: Let’s talk section in High Flyers and Trailblazers and Listen, point and repeat and Stories in Small Stars.
- Extra spelling and usage of the key vocabulary in each unit is found in Currently Studying.
Can my child do homework or log in P&P at school?
All EF schools are equipped with computers that allow students to log into Practice & Play before or after class and continue their practice at school. During breaks, students are also encouraged to use the computer rooms to practice. The computers have been programmed to only allow access to students' personal Practice & Play accounts with non-educational internet use restricted. Our schools also provide a sitting area where students can do their offline homework and study before or after class.
Is homework graded?
Written homework is carefully marked by the teacher and scores are recorded and used for assessment. Throughout the course, these scores will provide the teacher with an overview of the child’s development and give them a means to identify areas that need development or more emphasis in class. Therefore, it is extremely important for your child to complete his/her homework regularly. Scores recorded in Practice & Play activities are monitored by the teacher and sent to Parent Pages.
How can I help my child remember vocabulary?
- Children learn new words better in a meaningful context. Encourage your child to use new words within a context instead of just listing the new words.
- Instead of going over a long list of words in a repetitive way, make a game of it and offer praise and prizes to your child.
- Teach children to look up words in a dictionary and discover the meaning by themselves.
- Reading is an excellent way for children to learn vocabulary outside of the classroom, whenever possible, encourage your child to read the school materials or English books at home.
- Help your child label all the things in the house that he/she can name in English.
- Create a word bank and ask your child to add any new words he/she learns in his/her lessons.
- Encourage your child to be creative and write lyrics to the tune of a well-known song or create a rap using his/her recently studied vocabulary.
- Use acronyms to help your child remember the new words studied.
- Invite a ‘study buddy’ home so your child has someone to practice the language with.
- Have your child draw their own flashcards and teach you his/her new vocabulary.
- Use these flashcards to play a memory game or guessing the word.
How can I help my child achieve his/her own study routine?
Our EF/Cambridge Methodology Center recommends the use of the following routines:
- Find a regular homework time in the week. Ideally, children should devote 15-20 minutes per day to do their English homework and review the materials. If this is not possible, try to schedule English homework time three to two times a week.
- Pick a study area that is quiet and comfortable for your child, with lots of light and stationery supplies if possible.
- Encourage your child to decorate the study area with his/her favorite artwork.
- Remove distractions, turn off television and phones. Some children concentrate best with soft background music.
- Collect supplies: pens, pencils, erasers, book, paper, and a dictionary.
- Set a good example and read or do some activity which requires concentration while your child is studying. It would be highly motivating if you studied English with your child.
- Show interest in your child’s work and progress. Ask your child to show you his/her work and always offer praise for the effort made regardless of the result.
How can I help my child improve his/her spelling?
- Make sure your child wants to learn; encouragement and incentives always work well.
- Make sure they practice for their own enjoyment and they don’t fear being criticized for the result.
- Help your child feel safe about trying to learn new words by offering praise instead of just practicing words they already know.
- Ensure your child is familiar with the way words are built up with syllables. Get him/her to tap the rhythm of the word; it is less challenging to first write small chunks that make up the word.
- Ensure your child knows not only the meaning of a word but also how to use it, as it will help the child memorize the spelling.
- Ensure that your child is able to recognize the letter that matches the word. Read a word aloud and ask him/her to write the first letter.
- Create a misspelled word list, where your child keeps track of the words he/she misspells and then writes the correct spelling in another color next to them.
- Encourage your child to look up new words in the dictionary if he/she doesn’t know how to spell them.
- Write words using different media such as toothpicks, buttons, wool or play dough to make a game of it.
- Write words backwards so that your child has to carefully think about each letter in the word.
- Spelling cards: Ask your child to write on the cards the words he/she has difficulties with or he/she has recently studied.
- Cut out words and letters from magazines and keep them in an envelope. Use the letters to spell out words.
- Use the letter cut-outs to scramble words and ask your child to unscramble them and read them for you.
- Ask your child to use his/her finger to write words he/she has learned in the air and try to guess them.
- Write a word, letter by letter, on your child’s back with your finger and encourage him/her to guess it.
- Create a spelling notebook, where your child writes every new word he/she learns.
How can I help my child improve his/her listening?
- Encourage your child to listen to the audio CD tracks that he/she has already listened to at school. Help him/her listen, pause and have your child repeat what was said.
- To check comprehension, have your child tell you what the conversation was about using his own English words, or mother tongue if your child is not ready yet.
- If you can speak English and your child is between 3 to 7 years old, read the course book aloud for your child to listen and then tell you what you read.
- If your child is a High Flyer or a Small Star student, play the CD for him/her to be exposed to the language and encourage him/her to sing along. If your child is a Trailblazer student, look for English music he/she likes and play it at home.
- Play educational TV programs for your child but always make sure the content is appropriate for his/her level .
- Create an English speaking environment by using English songs, cartoons and movies. Watch them together with your child.
What can my child do to practice his/her speaking?
- Have your child attend Life Club sessions, which focus on developing communication skills.
- Encourage your child to speak to the mirror and practice the new language and structures he/she has learned.
- If you can speak English, role-play the Let’s Talk section of the High Flyers/Trailblazers books or the Look, Listen, Point, and Repeat section for Small Stars.
- Encourage your child to participate as much as possible in class and not to be afraid of making mistakes.
- Encourage your child to use his/her own language to tell you what he/she did at school during the day.
- Explain that translating from the mother tongue takes time and usually results in incorrect utterances.
- Encourage your child to name whatever he/she can see around them.
- Invite ‘study buddies’ to homework time at your home and encourage them to practice conversations together.
My child doesn’t do his/her homework regularly? What can I do?
- First, it is important to find out why your child doesn’t do his/her homework. It might be because they don’t have the skills needed and they need your help and encouragement. It could also be because he/she finds it difficult to set up a study routine or doesn’t remember when the homework is due, in which case he/she would need a diary, for instance. Here are some tips to help your child:
- Talk to your child and explain why homework is beneficial and how it will benefit her/him in the short-term instead of talking about it being important for his/her future.
- Sign a homework agreement with your child that states a reward or a point towards a prize will be earned for each day that homework is brought home and completed.
- Always praise your child when homework is completed and suggest further improvement.
- Decide with your child when homework should be completed and set up deadlines and standards.
- Set up a homework area for your child to feel comfortable while working.
- Don’t put your child under pressure if the homework is not completed or it contains errors.
To learn how to help your child achieve his/her own study routine click here.
How do you asses my child’s development? Can I test my child at home?
Your EF course integrates continuous assessment carried throughout the course, which allows the teacher to evaluate the student’s development and performance gradually. Moreover, students are given unit tests and end of stage tests in order to check that they have acquired the new language taught in class. These results will be reported in Parent Pages and, therefore, you will always be able to track your child’s development. In case you have any further questions about the test, you will be able to discuss your child’s development in the school’s Open Doors and Presentations.
To find out more click on What are Open Doors and Presentations?
If you wish to know what your child is studying, you can access the unit content and therefore be aware of what you child is learning in class.
To view the content your child is studying at the moment click on Currently Studying
Very young learners are assessed through continuous assessment as the course aims for students to achieve learning skills rather than specific language skills. For that reason, students are not tested but carefully assessed during the course by the teacher while performing certain tasks.
What is Practice and Play?
Practice & Play is a set of online activities and games. It provides an opportunity for your child to practice what they have learned in the classroom either at home or at school. Vocabulary and listening from the book is practiced in an educational and fun way.
In the Small Stars course, there are 32 activities per level and lots of fun learning time for your child.
In our High Flyers and Trailblazers, there are 396 activities that provide more than 100 hours of fun learning for your child.
Why is Practice & Play an important part of the course?
- Practice & Play provides an excellent tool for your child to keep practicing what he/she learned in class at home.
- It provides repetition by allowing your child to try and try again.
- Your child can study when, where, and how he/she wants.
- Activities have been designed by our academic experts to motivate your child.
- The program focuses on developing vocabulary and strengthening listening skills.
- Practice & Play reinforces the content of our books and it provides tailored homework for your child.
How does Practice & Play help my child’s learning progress?
Practice & Play develops your child’s listening and vocabulary skills by playing audio dialogues and asking questions related to the content of the dialogue. The audio dialogue provides input pitched at your child’s current language level. Additionally, in all activities, the pronunciation of word or word combinations will be modeled for your child.
Vocabulary plays a key role in the learning of any language and your child should meet and use the words in relevant contexts in order to ‘fix’ them in his/her mind. Practice & Play develops your child’s vocabulary by giving them the oppurtunity to practice using key words from the units in the book in various contexts. The more practice your child has with the language learned in class, the faster he/she will acquire the new language and be able to use it in his/her own speech.
How do I know how many activities my child has completed?
Each Unit has four different activities for your child to complete. Once your child completes a unit at school, the related activities will be made available in Practice & Play. You will be able to see which activities have been completed and choose activities for your child in Parent Mode.
Practice & Play has been designed to ensure that your child studies the activities and games in sequence and parallel to the course. Each time an activity is completed, a new one becomes available. Once all the activities in a level have been completed, a game gets unlocked. It should take between 5 to 10 minutes for your child to complete an activity. In the Classroom Feedback section of Parent Pages, you can see what activities in Practice & Play are related to the unit and how many of those your child has completed.
To check your child’s Completed Activities click here.
How can I assess my child’s performance in Practice & Play?
In Practice & Play results, you can monitor your child's online study performance. In the Study Pace section, the number of activities your child has completed is shown. The system also helps you see whether your child is studying at the correct pace by comparing what has been completed in class with what should have been done in Practice & Play.
After completing eight activities, a game is unlocked. Each game can be seen as a progress test. After completing a game, the point totals are communicated to Parent Pages. The system will also convert the high scores of your child into a percentage. This will help to assess how well your child is retaining knowledge.
To check the Progress Indicator click here.
How often does my child have to complete activities in Practice & Play?
Only the level that your child is currently studying is made available. All the other levels will be grayed out and, therefore, your child is only allowed to complete those activities with content that he/she has previously studied at school. The activities and games should be completed as they are released. Ideally, your child should log in to Practice & Play twice a week and complete an activity. It is not necessary to log in to Practice & Play and spend a long time practicing. Short periods of time spaced out are more effective.
Can I log in on two computers at the same time?
In order to log in to P&P, you will need your personal username and password, this means that you won’t be able to log in two computers at the same time.
What is Life Club?
Life Club is an hour of theme-based activities that aim to improve the language skills, develop the cultural awareness, and nurture the confidence of every student. The sessions follow a theme which runs for four weeks. Each theme focuses on a particular Speech and Drama skill. For example, the Little Green Explorer sessions explore news reporting, so that at the end of four weeks, the students will have been exposed to the basics of news reporting.
Life Club sessions are held in the Life Club Zone, specially created for young learners. The Life Club Zone, Life Club Challenge, Life Club Studio, Life Club Stage, and the Life Club Discovery Wall have been designed to allow students to interact among themselves and with the teacher freely and comfortably while reinforcing the language acquired in the classroom and from iLab.
What does my child do in a Life Club?
Life Club offers various activities such as speech and drama, social interaction, games, music, arts and crafts, visual presentation, and movement. Each session is composed of three to four of each of these activities. For High Flyers and Trailblazers, however, speech and drama is always the core. Every Life Club theme focuses on a speech and drama skill. For Small Stars, the combination of activities relies on the theme and the abilities of the age group.
How often are Life Clubs held and where?
Life Club for Small Stars is integrated into the course. Four sessions on each theme are conducted to maximize the material learned and to facilitate the advancement of necessary developmental skills. Aside from the sessions integrated into the course, Small Stars students can also avail of weekly Life Club sessions conducted in the Life Club Zone.
Life Clubs for High Flyers and Trailblazers are scheduled differently depending on the center and the availability of the students. Sessions are conducted once a week for either 60 or 90 minutes. Big Life Club events such as parties, contests, and outdoor activities are often announced at least one month in advance. You can find out about Life Club events and other EF school events in Parent Pages’ News and Announcements.
What skills does my child develop in a Life Club?
Every child develops uniquely and at a different rate. Life Club will expose students to various activities that help further communication and social skills.
Small Stars students will gradually learn to express themselves verbally and non-verbally through art and movement (exercise/dance). They will get to work with classmates, as well as with students from other classes.
High Flyer and Trailblazer students will get the chance to talk to an audience, listen to classmates, write short speeches, read dialogues, interview and lead a team, among others. They will be provided the opportunity to use and recycle the vocabulary and knowledge they learn in the EF classroom.
Does my child have the same teacher in every Life Club session?
Teachers conducting the sessions will vary from time to time. To simulate a more natural environment and real life experience, Life Club allows students to be exposed to different teachers with different accents, different personalities, and different skills to help the students become more comfortable and sociable in any situation.
How can I book a Life Club session?
To find out the schedule of sessions and book for your child, you may contact your center or book your session through Parent Pages.
To read about Life Club sessions and register click here
Can I purchase extra Life Club sessions?
For Small Stars, you may avail of Life Club sessions other than those that are integrated into your child’s course.
For further details, please contact your course consultant.
What are the different components of Life Club?
The Life Club components are tools and equipment that will make the implementation of Life Club sessions easy and successful.
The Life Club Stage is the physical structure designated for performances done during the session. This also refers to the speech and drama activities conducted.
The Life Club Studio is used for practicing speaking skills. The Life Club Studio is equipped with a camera, a monitor, lights, a microphone, a desk, and two chairs. With the Life Club Studio, students can simulate a TV news studio or an interview set.
The Life Club Challenge contains 27 different video games that may be played during Life Club sessions using two dance pads and a projector. The Life Club Challenge includes games that enhance the players’ vocabulary, grammar, pronunciation, comprehension, and other language competencies.
The Life Club Discovery Wall is composed of 26 wooden boxes attached to one side of the Life Club Zone. Each wooden box is almost as big as a shoe box and has a lid. The boxes may contain flash cards or real objects used during a session. The Discovery Wall is a colorful three-dimensional structure that invites the students to wonder and ponder.
Each of these components make the students’ Life Club experience fun and memorable!
How many courses and levels does EF offer?
With more than 40 years of experience in English Language teaching, EF has developed its own branded materials tailored for each particular age group. To learn more about each of these courses, please click in the links below:
- Small Stars 3 to 6 year olds
- High Flyers 7 to 10 year olds
- Trailblazers 11 to 17 year olds
- Real English above 18
What are the courses and how long do they last?
All our courses have a specific number of academic hours, each academic hour being 40 minutes. EF schools offer a wide schedule for you to choose the time that suits your needs best; some courses offer lessons once or twice a week, during weekdays or the weekend. In order to find out more details about course duration and the schedule available, please contact your course consultant:
- Small Stars: 96 academic hours per level
- High Flyers: 72 academic hours per stage and 148 per level
- Trailblazers: 72 academic hours per stage and 148 per level
- Real English: 48 academic hours per level
To visit our product pages and learn more about our courses click here.
When should I purchase a new course? Will I be notified beforehand?
A new course should be purchased before the current course comes to an end in order to ensure a smooth transition to the next level. EF groups have a limited number of students, and seats are booked on a first come first served basis. At any time throughout the course, you can consult your My Settings page in order to check how many academic hours you have left in your account. Before the end of the course, you will receive an e-mail reminder informing you that the course is about to finish and giving instructions on how to proceed in order to purchase the next level .
To visit My Settings click here.
Will my child get a certificate at the end of the course?
At the end of the level, all students that have successfully completed the course receive an EF Certificate with their name, course, level, date, teacher and Director of Studies’ signature .
To view these certificates check click here.
What if the level of the course is too high or too low for my child?
Before a new student enrolls in an EF course, he/she undertakes an Oral Placement Test with one of our teachers in order for us to assess his/her level. This Oral Placement Test is comducted by experienced teachers who are very familiar with our EF levels and, after conducting a short speaking interview with the student, will be able to assess the student’s level and place him/her in the most appropriate level available.
For some students, this might be the first time to be face-to-face with a foreigner, which can become a rather intimidating experience, especially for very young learners. For that reason, sometimes students don’t perform up to their optimum level or use only formulaic expressions. It is possible that students might be placed in a level which is too easy or challenging. In order to allow group changes in these cases, our EF policy allows teachers to consider a child’s level within the first 12 academic hours of a course and make changes if necessary . In such cases, you will be notified by your course consultant.
How many students are there in one class?
In order to ensure that our teachers are able to monitor all students’ progress in the same way, all our courses have a maximum number of students. The reduced classroom numbers enable us to create the best communicative environment. This ensures that all the students get a chance to participate equally in the lessons.
What should I do if my child is ill? Who should I contact?
If your child is ill and he/she can’t attend a lesson, please contact your course consultant and let them know. The course consultant will inform the teacher about the situation as it is important to maintain good communication.
It is recommended for you to check the content covered in class in the Currently Studying section and help your child review the structures and vocabulary so he/she does not fall behind in the lesson. The Currently Studying section will show you if a new unit has started, in which case it is even more important for your child to review the unit before the next lesson.
In the homework section you can check the homework given and ensure your child tries to complete it before the next lesson. If your child is not able to complete it successfully, this is only due to him/her missing a lesson and, once he/she joins the course again, he/she will easily catch up, as the content is reviewed several times over one unit.
Who is responsible in the school for monitoring my child’s progress?
At EF schools, one of a teacher’s main duties is to provide constant monitoring and help your child develop successfully while making the most of his/her time at EF. Each group has a teacher and a course consultant that are responsible for the group throughout the level. Teachers work closely with course consultants and they meet regularly to talk about individual students in order to discuss any issues or points for improvement. Your course consultant observes the lessons regularly and, therefore, they also know all the students in the group and are familiar with their learning development including their weak and strong points.
Besides regular lessons, can my child attend other events?
When a student joins EF, she/he joins not only regular classes but a whole range of activities in an English environment that will improve language skills as well as social and communication skills. These events provide the perfect setting for your child to interact with our team of teachers and to meet other students in the school.
- Summer & Winter Party: These are intensive Summer or Winter Courses held during the holidays, which usually end with a school party.
- Christmas & Halloween Party: Held around the 25th of December and 31st of October respectively, these events help children become familiar with festivals in English speaking countries.
- Life Clubs: Life Clubs are an extension of the classroom into real life experience and they help your child practice his/her English skills in a more social environment. There are Life Clubs running every week and each Life Club focuses on a different topic .
Click here to learn more about Life Club.
Where can I see news and upcoming events?
Throughout the course, there are many events organized by your school, course consultants and teachers that your child will be able to attend.
Click here to read a related question Besides regular lessons, can my child attend other events?
These events will always be shown in the News & Announcements section of Parent Pages, which is updated whenever a new event is coming up and it gives you information about what the event is about, when and where is held.
Click here to go to News & Announcements
Why are extra activities beneficial for my child?
When extracurricular activities became popular in the early 90’s, it was first believed that any activity outside of school hours or the classroom setting would be detrimental for children because recreation would prevent them from performing well in their studies. However, there are very good relationships between extracurricular activities, social skills and psychological development. Therefore, joining EF and all our events and activities could be extremely beneficial for the developing of the following skills:
- Achievement of higher grades
- Comfortable in front of crowds
- Higher confidence
- Leadership skills
- Better organizational skills
- Able to work both individually and with a team
- Social and communicative skills
- Problem solving
Does my child stop his/her lessons during the summer and winter holidays?
EF regular courses run throughout the year. Moreover, during the winter and summer time, EF also offers special Summer and Winter Academies for both new and current students.
Why does my child not learn at the same pace as other classmates?
Children, like adults, are individuals and they follow their own learning process. It is very common to have students in one class that have different ability levels. For instance, some children need more time when learning new words or they will take longer when learning to read than others. However, this difference in the development process does not mean that some students are more able than others. The child whose speech is most advanced at the age of 8 is not necessarily going to be a better English speaker at age 12 than the child who was slower to learn language. If your child is developing at a slower pace than other classmates avoid being overly concerned as this will make your child worry and lose confidence. Instead, show your support and encourage your child to keep practicing in order to find his/her own development pace.
Children should not be expected to reach some level of language or time frame that a teacher sets for them. They should compete only with themselves to achieve higher goals. Children won't learn anything which they are not ready for so trying to challenge your child too much will not result in faster language learning.
My child has been learning English for 4 years. Why does he/she not speak fluently yet?
When thinking about language acquisition, we need to consider how we learned our mother tongue. It takes usually 3 to 4 years for a child to start communicating with short utterances and our language skills will develop gradually during childhood, until we are able to communicate effectively and acquire a command of language. But we will not achieve efficient and completely developed language skills until adulthood. Likewise, learning a second language takes a long time and despite the desire the see immediate results, you might feel like your child is not advancing as fast as you expected. Give your child time and assess development by setting smaller goals, like learning a few new words or remembering new structures and songs, rather than considering fluency as the only means of success.
The more language immersion your child is exposed to, the better. Being in an English speaking environment will help your child feel comfortable with the new language, and trigger his/her interest to communicate using his/her English language ability. Try to interact with your children in as many different, engaging, fun situations involving English as possible, so that they realize that language learning is enjoyable.
My child doesn’t complete homework correctly. What should I do?
If your child is not able to complete the homework by himself/herself, never complete it for him/her since this will prevent your child from making an effort and thinking about possible answers. Homework helps children build a sense of responsibility, confidence and problem solving but completing their homework for them does not encourage these skills.
Instead, let your child complete the homework and encourage him/her to refer to the book and a dictionary as a guide. If you can speak English, go through the homework together only after it has been finished and ask your child to rethink again about any possible mistakes by himself/herself. If your child can’t give you the correct answer or he/she simply can’t complete the task, it just means that your child is not ready yet and he/she needs more practice on the subject which is something the teacher should be aware of. By marking the homework, a teacher is able to see clearly what point a student needs work on tailor the lesson accordingly. For that reason, it is important that a homework task reflects the child’s real skills.
How do children handle the language learning process?
Children will develop their own learning strategies when studying a second language. Every child is different and, there are different learners strategies through which all students learn a new language. Each child will usually rely on one of them more:
- Visual learner (remembers new language visually)
- Kinesthetic learner (remembers new language through movement)
- Auditory learner (remembers new language by hearing it)
There is nothing to worry about if your child doesn't sound like an adult or like his classmates. Children are often a lot more resourceful and creative than adults so they will find the right ways to make language work for them, just as you did when you were learning your first language. As regards teenagers, they have even more resources than young learners since they are in the process of mastering their mother tongue.
My child goes to school only once a week, is it enough to learn English?
The more time your child spends in an English speaking environment, the better. Usually, children attend EF once or twice per week just for a few hours, and that is the only time they actually spend in an English immersive environment. It is important to help your child create a routine to study English at home regularly. Children don’t need to spend long hours of study at home every day:
- 3 to 6 year olds: 15 minutes a day
- 7 to 10 year olds: 25 minutes a day
- 11 to 16 year olds: 35 minutes a day
To learn more click here.
During this time, encourage your child to do any kind of activity involving English that is pleasant for him/her. In order to help your child get used to this routine, it is recommended to set up an English studying space that your child feels comfortable in.
To learn more click here.
What will my child know after finishing the course?
During your child’s course, Parent Pages offers you the ability to check what your child is being taught in class. The Currently Studying page will allow you to not only learn which unit in the book your child is studying, but also what vocabulary and structures are being taught. When your child moves on to the next unit, you will still be able to access the content previously studied.
To visit Currently Studying click here.
What kind of methodology does EF use?
With more than 40 years of experience, EF has developed its own teaching methodology which has been proven to be successful in schools all around the world. Our teaching approach is designed to build each student’s confidence and fluency in speaking English naturally while emphasizing the study of the four key learning skills. Our Efekta System is a breakthrough in the advancement of English learning technology and it enhances students’ communication and language ability.
To visit EF Methodology click here.
What is Efekta?
EF’s EFEKTA System and modern communicative approach focuses on building student’s confidence and abilities to communicate in English naturally. Our approach to teaching and learning recognizes that students learn in different ways and therfore incorporates a wide range of activities and tasks that are designed to be enjoyable, motivating and to develop communicative competence.
To see a classroom demo click here
Do teachers always use the book?
Our curriculum emphasizes equipping students with practical, conversational English that they can use in their future. To achieve this goal teachers use a wide range of materials specially designed for the course and particular age group. Teachers are able to create interactive and creative lessons combining our branded materials, which include:
- Audio CDs
- Work cards
- Communicative activities
- Multimedia activities
Teachers are also encouraged to use their experience and familiarity with the students’ likes/dislikes to create their own materials and provide an even wider range of activities in their lessons.
What kind of structure do lessons follow?
Each lesson usually focuses on one of the four language skills: reading, writing, speaking and listening. In the EF classroom, the teacher becomes a tutor that helps the students learn the language in a much more effective and entertaining way. The student becomes the center of the lesson and oral interaction among students is strongly emphasized.
Thanks to our branded materials, our teachers carefully plan lessons to fit the students' needs and levels. Each lesson starts with the presentation of a topic followed by a practice section and ends with a production section where students use what they have learned.
Depending on the course, students spend a different amount of academic hours (40 minutes) to cover one unit:
- Small Stars: 12 academic hours
- High Flyers: 9 academic hours
- Trailblazers: 9 academic hours
- Real English: 6 academic hours
To read about how long courses last click here.
How often does my child practice listening/speaking/reading/writing?
Each of the units of the course contains a listening, speaking, reading and writing practice section and there are complementary materials that teachers can use in each unit to make sure students get enough practice in all of the four skills.
To read more about our lessons click here.
What qualifications do EF’s teachers have?
EF currently only employs native and near-native English speaking teachers in all of its programs. All of our teachers are qualified and hold a degree as well as an international teaching qualification that enables them to teach English as a second language.
Where are EF teachers from?
Our native and near-native teachers come from all around the world and bring with them extensive working and teaching experience.
How much experience do teachers have?
At EF we follow a structured and professional employment process with all our potential teachers. Our recruitment team carefully selects teachers with the required qualifications and then checks references. After that, an interview is conducted by our recruitment specialists who will check the teacher’s aptitude and reliability. Most of our teachers have a few years teaching experience and all teachers have been exposed to classroom teaching hours while earning their teaching qualifications.
Do you provide training for teachers?
When a teacher joins EF, the Director of Studies at his/her school is responsible for providing an induction, introducing him/her to our company structure, teaching methodology, courses and products. New teachers are not usually expected to teach during the first week, instead, they are scheduled to observe experienced teachers' lessons to become accustomed to our teaching methodology and students' levels. Once the teacher feels more confident, they gradually start taking on their own schedule.
The Director of Studies is responsible for providing teacher training, not only to the newly arrived, but on a regular basis in order to help teachers improve their teaching skills and develop.
How often do I attend parent meetings?
Generally parent meetings are conducted twice per course but this can depend on the school.
Open Doors is the first parent meeting and it is arranged after your child has completed the first two units of the book.
Presentations is the second meeting and is arranged at the end of the course.
What are Open Doors and Presentations?
Open Doors: This meeting with the teacher and course consultant will provide you with an opportunity to meet the teacher and see how your child is progressing in the group. You will be able to observe a short sample of a lesson and will be given the opportunity to ask the teacher any questions and discuss any concerns you may have.
Presentations: This event will start with a presentation by the students showing what they have learned during the course. After that, the teacher, course consultant and parents have the opportunity to discuss the child’s performance over the course and receive a printed progress report and EF Certificate, if any.
How will I be notified about any events and meetings?
Parent Pages provides a window into your EF center and, as your personal website, it gives you access to updated information about upcoming EF events and parent meetings.
The News & Announcements section allows you to see any upcoming events, such as parties or outdoor activities.
To read current News & Announcements click here.
The Course Management Procedure allows you to see when in the course you can expect to be contacted or attend a school meeting.
To check the Course Management Procedure click here
Also, the course consultant in charge of your group will contact you to ensure you are informed about important parent and teacher meetings.
How am I informed about my child’s development?
Open Doors and Presentations:
In these meetings, teachers, parents and course consultants meet and watch students’ brief presentations where they perform some activities to show what they have learned.
To read more about Open Doors and Presentations click here.
Your personal feedback page provides you with all the necessary classroom feedback from your child. You will receive feedback updates regularly on:
- Performance and development
- Results from tests and quizzes
- Homework given
- Currently studying