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Wonder: book review (B2)

Wonder is an honest, funny and moving book about a boy who feels ordinary but looks different.

Instructions

Do the preparation exercise first and then read the article. If you find it too difficult, try one of the lower levels. After reading, do the exercises to check your understanding.

Preparation

What’s wonder about.

Wonder tells the story of a year in the life of a ten-year-old boy called August who lives with his parents and older sister in New York. August, or Auggie as his family call him, is an ordinary boy in many ways. He rides a bike, has an Xbox and is a big fan of the Star Wars films. But Auggie was born with severe facial deformities and, despite having twenty-seven operations, he still looks very different from everyone else. On the first page of the book, he tells us 'My name is August. I won’t describe what I look like. Whatever you’re thinking, it’s probably worse.' Auggie’s appearance often shocks people. Some people stare while others look away as soon as they notice him. Both reactions hurt.

Because of the operations on his face, Auggie has spent a lot of time in hospital and has been taught by his mother. Now that he’s ten, she realises she can’t teach him any more and thinks it’s time for him to go to school. Auggie hates the idea of school at first - he worries he’ll be stared at or called names - but his parents persuade him to visit a school and meet the headteacher. During the visit, Auggie also meets three of the kids from his class and they take him on a tour of the school. Auggie has a small group of friends, but he isn’t used to meeting new kids and finds it really hard to talk to them.

Having decided to go to school, Auggie then has to face his first day. Like every child starting at a new school, he is really anxious. But because of the way he looks, it’s an agonising experience. Nobody wants to sit next to him and he notices other kids staring at him or talking about him behind their hands. Fortunately, he makes friends with Jack, a boy in his class, and Summer, a girl he chats with at lunch. But it’s not just the first day that’s hard. Auggie soon learns that his classmates don’t want to touch him for fear of catching 'the plague'. As he goes through the school year, Auggie goes through many intense ups and downs till finally an unexpected and traumatic event at a school camp changes things completely.

Is it a good read?

Wonder is a moving, inspiring and, at times, a very funny book. It’s also fast-paced and hard to put down once you get into it. I found myself getting the book out on the bus or in coffee shops, even when I only had time to read a couple of pages. It’s a book with wide appeal and is proving to be very popular with pre-teens, teenagers and adults alike. Auggie is a very likeable central character. He’s got a sense of humour and though readers will sympathise with him, I don’t think they’ll see him as a tragic character. More a regular kid who’s dealing with a world that’s not used to people who look different. One thing I really liked about the book is that it’s told from the point of view of different characters. We begin with Auggie, but then the story is told by his sister, Via, and his schoolmates till we come back to Auggie at the end. This works really well as we get to find out what it’s like for Via to have Auggie as a younger brother. We also learn what it’s like for Jack to be Auggie’s friend and how this means other kids don’t want to be his friend or that he can’t be in the 'popular group' at school.

A bestseller

Wonder is New Yorker RJ Palacio’s first novel. On her website, she explains that the idea for the book came to her after seeing a girl with facial deformities on the street one day. Wonder has been a bestseller in the United States and has already won several awards. Many schools are using it as a starting point for discussions about bullying, friendship and what it’s like to be different. A film version is being made, and many, including me, are waiting eagerly to see what RJ Palacio writes next.

Robin Newton

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Reviews 4.2.

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TRUST the trustworthy workers you have at the examination centres is what made me make this review. youy are the best in service delivery.

Date of experience : March 16, 2024

British Council Online Course - the best course I have ever had

I am happy with the course as it is informative and educative. It has helped me to improve my knowledge of the English language. English is my second language. I've become a much more confident speaker of the English language thanks to this course. I have enjoyed having classes in group as well as doing pre-class tasks on my own. I am happy that our group has had different teachers as we can improve our listening skills while listening to a new teacher and stay more focused on the material of the lesson. British Council teachers are professionals who help us a lot with learning and understanding the topics better. British Council, thank you for your work 🙏 🫠

Date of experience : April 27, 2024

A great IELTS Academic Experience

It was a very easy and smooth experience, not too complicated or bureaucratic. The staff working there were great and very friendly and surely made the experience nicer.

Date of experience : April 13, 2024

Unfair Customer service

I had 2 credits and booked a second private class with the teacher. I had to cancel it the day before and I did it more than 24 hours in advance. However, I lost the 2 credits. When contacted customer service, they gave me back only 1 credit. I wanted to buy more as I was enjoying the program and the teacher. However, this rigid approach of the school, made me change my idea. I will search for some other courses online, more flexible.

Date of experience : March 28, 2024

Reply from British Council English Online

Dear Rosella, Thank you for sharing your feedback with us. We're truly sorry to hear about your recent experience with our student platform. After reviewing your case, we noticed that the credits used for the booking had actually expired. While our policy does allow for bookings of class credits to be made beyond the expiry date, refunds of those class credits are not available in such instances upon cancellation. While we communicate this clearly when booking a class beyond the expiry date, we realize that we can further improve the communication more clearly when cancelling. We appreciate you bringing this to our attention. Improving our communication on the platform is a priority for us, and we are actively working on making this policy more transparent. A member of our customer service team will be reaching out to you personally to discuss this matter further. We value your input and strive to ensure our students have a positive experience with our courses. Thank you for your understanding. Kind regards, British Council English Online Team

British Council is amazing

British Council is amazing ! I have an amazing amazing experience with BC and my kids too! As in Italy as in Uk BC offers top quality , often my kids attended English courses at BC in Italy ! The offer on line and in class is very interesting and the staff gentle ! Professionalism is on top !! Roberta Messina

Date of experience : January 05, 2024

Big thanks to the British Council for…

Big thanks to the British Council for the knowledge and enhancement in my English proficiency. I'm deeply grateful to my teacher Iryna Bakaliar. Her teaching approach is impressive, and her passion for educating others is truly noticeable. Thanks to her guidance, I now possess a substantial amount of knowledge that I can confidently apply in my professional activities and daily life.

Date of experience : April 10, 2024

Great English lessons

Great English lessons! Intense and useful. Im very happy that I joined. Our C1 team is the best

Date of experience : April 19, 2024

Huge disappointment

Huge disappointment I mostly take private lessons. There are some good teachers, but many others are not attentive and show little interest in what I'm talking. Also the subscription system with flexible date of expiry/charge is very confusing and I ended up wasting hundreds of dollars. Despite the reputation of British Council, I can tell the service is of the least quality among three online English school I've tried.

Date of experience : February 28, 2024

Dear Yuto, Thank you for taking the time to share your feedback with us. We're truly sorry to hear about your disappointment and the frustration you've experienced with our subscription system and some of our private lessons. At the British Council, we pride ourselves on providing high-quality language education and customer service, and we are sorry to learn that we fell short of your expectations. We understand that the flexibility of our subscription system, designed to cater to the varying needs of our students by not binding them to a fixed schedule and allowing them to study at their own pace, can sometimes be confusing. We appreciate your input as it is crucial for us to continually improve our services and ensure clarity and transparency. Regarding your experiences with our teachers, we strive to ensure that all our teachers are attentive and engaged, providing a supportive and effective learning environment. We take your comments seriously and will be looking into this matter further to ensure our teaching standards are consistently upheld across all our lessons. We hope to have the opportunity to restore your faith in our services. Please feel free to reach out to our Customer Support team with any further comments, concerns, or suggestions you wish to share. Kind regards, British Council English Online Team

Great time with British Council , James Shambrook and Jude Harrison

Amazing teacher James Shambrook ❤️ I had a great time, I had a lovely people in my language group , fantastic lessons and also a very professional career coach Jude Harrison who did a lot for me. I really appreciate her support and patience, because unfortunately I was not the best and not the most punctual student. She is an incredible woman who helped me so much with my adaptation in UK Even after finishing the couching course, she continues to keep in touch with me and help me. I am very glad that I met these wonderful people in my life. Kind regards, Olha Ahel Marani

Date of experience : February 12, 2024

Had a 9.0 band yet I am displeased...

I wrote the IELTS Academic exam in 2017 and got an 8.5 band. Wrote the general training this year and got a 9.0 perfect band score. I sincerely don't get why the result should have a 2 year validity manacle. With all humility, it's borderline ludicrous to opine that one's prosodic, semantic and syntactic grasp of a language would attenuate over a 24 month timeframe, to such degree as to make exigent a revalidation via a standardised test.

Date of experience : February 21, 2024

Doulingo is much better than this

They care too much about money. Lesson are not worth it. You will learn (and retain specially) more lenguaje and skills with the free doulingo app. Costumer service is very bad as-well. They just copie and paste the “politics” to the chat. Very expensitfor what they provide

Date of experience : March 18, 2024

Hello, I have decided the English courses .It's my courses expected this courses past last months ago started so, may be it date and time I'm not sure thank you?

Hello, I have decided on the English course certificate at university. It was my expectation so fulfilling I, thought that it was due to some practice and. Homework. Don't worry manager, the important is the report suddenly why did, you tell me what it means was a report from Mary Christmas do enjoy it and have a good day thank you very much.

Date of experience : November 12, 2023

Worst experience the teachers doesn’t…

Worst experience the teachers doesn’t have good qualities for qualifications

Date of experience : March 31, 2024

Dear Laura, Thank you for taking the time to share your feedback with us. We're truly sorry to hear about your disappointment you've experienced. At the British Council, we pride ourselves on providing high-quality language education, and we are sorry to learn that we fell short of your expectations. We strive to ensure that all our teachers provide high quality lessons as well as a supportive and effective learning environment. We saw that you have registered for IELTS Ready member - our platform for free IELTS preparation material. This platform does not provide classes but webinars offered by the British Council IELTS team. A member of our customer service team did reach out to you, so please get back to them with further details so that we can improve the learning experience of our students. We value your input and strive to ensure our students have a positive experience with our courses. Thank you for your understanding. Kind regards, British Council English Online Team

My opinion about BC

British Council English Online help me a lot to feel more confident in english speaking. Before having class with them I made long pauses to find the best sentences or words but today this decreased. Only sometimes this kind of situation happen. Furthermore, the teachers don't be afraid to correct me and give feedback. Also they motivate you to go ahead. I strongly recommend them.

Date of experience : June 14, 2023

A humble Request

I I am not a very good student and my memory is not very good. I forget everything very quickly. Actually I have to manage housework and study altogether. I used to sleep only 3 hours a night. So I had to work hard and appear twice. That's why I request you kindly make this exam little bit easy because it is very expressive and I don't think it helps us in future. That's why this time I am hopeful and requested that kindly give me a favor in the form of 7 bands.

Date of experience : January 27, 2024

Grateful to British Council

I am very pleased with the English course, our teacher is very patient and encourages us to participate, the planning has been fulfilled as expected and I see that I am making progress.

Date of experience : April 04, 2024

I love the type of material

I love the type of material, besides, the way how you evaluate us is adequate because if I do not understand anything I can check the answers. Just one think I would like a class in which someone could explain me certain doubts I have.

Date of experience : November 27, 2023

I think it's very convenience to learn…

I think it's very convenience to learn English from British Council self-study course online. I can manage my own time and approach to the course from anywhere.I usually train my English via the online course and maybe plan to take an IELTS exam soon.

Date of experience : October 25, 2023

British Council English Online is the path to personal growth

There is an expression - how many languages ​​you know, so many times you are a person. Knowledge of the languages gives us the opportunity to gain new information, reach a new level of communication, culture, our existence as a whole. English helps you better understand people outside your country. And also get a new job, improve your skills as a specialist. I enjoy learning English with the British Council. British Council English Online is the best course that I know! I study every day and get inspiration, good mood, new perspectives. It's great!

Date of experience : March 31, 2023

My experience with British "My experience at British Council Council"

My experience with British Council Online has been very favourable.Hoffers you the opportunity to practice you English wihte people from all over the world.It's teachers are very dinamic,empathetic and highly trained.The class topic are very enriching and different,helping you in this way to develop your skills and put them into practice. And devolep fluent British English.You can take classes from anywhere in the world.You can choose your own classes in group or private one to one.And you also receive an English certificate upon completing each topic.I really appreciate this teaching plataform.I highly recommned British Council Online.

Date of experience : September 18, 2023

British Council English Online Review

by Rebecca Salter

When you buy through links on our site, we may earn a commission at no extra cost to you. However, this does not influence our evaluations.

British Council boasts the world’s best English teaching experts . Their English Online program lets you learn English online through high-quality courses and extra material like practice exercises that get you speaking English confidently. 

Though British Council offers children’s courses, English Online is specially designed for adult learners. Plus, it also caters to businesses and International English Language Testing System students (IELTS).

But, just how good is British Council’s English Online? And what are the best courses it has to offer? Can I get English Online for free? And if I’m not happy with my course, can I get a refund?

I decided to try the program out for myself to answer these questions and more in this British Council English Online review .

But first, here’s a quick overview:

Quick summary

• Three class types to choose from, including group/private/grammar specialisms
• Premium online exercises that you can do outside the classroom
• British Council badges and certificates
• Live classes and 24/7 support
• English placement test and goal options
• Renowned global organization

100% teacher-led interactive classrooms

Customizable lessons and timetable, self-study subscription option.

• 1-1 tutoring
• International English Language Testing System (IELTS) prep classes
• Some classes, like IELTS, not designed for self-study (they require full class attendance to access additional course material)
• 100% teacher-led might be a con if you prefer self study

Best for: Adult learners looking to sharpen their speaking, reading, listening, and writing. Some courses are designed for businesses or IELTS students, but all learning paths are customizable to your goals. British Council covers A1-C1 English and offers a placement test to ensure you’re getting the right content.

Overall: British Council offers a fully customizable learning plan and timetable, with a free English placement test. English Online recommends the best teachers for your goals and also gives you extra materials. So, with these features in mind, British Council is a great first port of call for learning English effectively.

And now for the details. In this British Council review, I’ll cover:

• What English Online is and who its instructors are
• How does English Online work and how much does it cost?
• English Online free trial
• What a English Online course is like
• Best English Online courses and offers
• How I reviewed English Online
• What I liked and thought could be better
• Alternatives to British Council
• What others have said about British Council

Is British Council worth it?

So, let’s get started.

What is British Council?

British Council is an international organization dedicated to sharing education, culture, and English globally. 

With relationships in over 100 countries and reaching over 650 million people in 2021/22 alone, British Council’s global influence is undeniable.

Plus, with live and self-study classes 24/7 , British Council’s English Online program is worth checking out.

How does British Council work?

With a range of themes to explore, as well as live 1-1 or group classes, there are different options for learning with British Council. That being said, the first step toward learning is to book a class (your first is free!).

British Council’s classes are 100% teacher-led and interactive. This means you’ll be engaging with teachers and students. By the end of the class, you’ll also gain access to extra course material.

Along with group classes, there are also some other specialist class options:

• Live25 classes (free 25-minute lessons focusing on English grammar/pronunciation)
• Private classes (1-1 tuition from British Council’s expert teachers, with personalized feedback and end-of-class reports)

British Council is also unique in that it offers learning paths by “Theme.” For example, one theme is “Education and Training.” This is a section that houses multiple classes on education-based topics.

In short, British Council not only covers the building blocks of language, it further encompasses subjects like business, government, arts and culture.

Plus, British Council organizes its resources by proficiency level. This means, if you place as a B2/Upper Intermediate learner, you can filter blog posts by your ability and get only relevant content to help you improve your skills.

The great thing about British Council is that you can design your own learning. Whether you benefit from 1-1 tutoring, self-paced learning, or want specific resources like IELTS, British Council has it all. By setting your goals, English Online also tracks your progress to ensure you’re getting the most out of the platform.

To break it down, British Council’s English Online has the following options:

Each option is payable monthly and can be canceled at any time.

How to open a British Council account

Signing up to British Council is easy (and free):

• Click the “ Register ” button in the top right corner of the page
• Fill out your name , email address , and user details .

From here, you can head to the online Learning Hub where you can read free blog posts, watch videos, and discover British Council’s full range of online and face-to-face courses . 

With a subscription sign-up, you can book a free trial lesson (and you cancel anytime). Your profile keeps track of how many lessons you’ve taken, and you can chart this alongside your own hourly goals per week.

How much does British Council cost?

British Council offers three main subscription types for its teacher-led courses: 

• Silver ($88 per month)
• Gold ($143 per month)
• Platinum ($177 per month)

These subscriptions offer class credits to allow you to book classes (group/private). As you’d expect, Platinum offers the most class credits, but see below for the full details:

British Council’s Silver subscription starts at $79.20 for the first four months (then $88/month). This option grants you five lessons per month – all flexible around your schedule. With all lessons at the 55-minute mark, you learn 100% online with desktop/tablet options.

British Council’s Gold option starts at $129 for the first four months (then $143/month). With a doubled credit of 10 lessons per month, the Gold subscription also boasts a 7-day free trial. As with all three options, you pay monthly and can cancel anytime.

British Council’s top option for teacher-led learning, the Platinum subscription costs $159 for the first four months (then $177/month). This option grants you 15 class credits and even gives you access to premium content. As with the gold subscription, you also get a 7-day free trial.

British Council free trial

With British Council’s Gold and Platinum subscriptions, you get a 7-day free trial (during which you won’t be charged).

In this time, you have full access to the platform and its features. This means you can book group or private classes and engage with extra material like listening exercises and quizzes .

Through your dashboard, you’ll also have a record of the lessons/themes you’ve started, how many you’ve completed, and your progress level. If you’re interested in a particular theme (e.g. business communication or presentations) you can also book this as a private class.

In short, British Council’s free trial gives you access to all features available during your subscription. This means you can use your class credits for private, group, and Live25 classes. And if you’ve opted for a Platinum subscription, you can also start using the additional resources and smaller group lessons.

British Council refund

British Council does not offer refunds for its classes or for any classes missed. That said, regardless of the package you subscribe to, you can cancel at any time and avoid being billed for the next period.

Plus, with Gold and Platinum subscriptions, you can sign up for a 7-day free trial and not be billed if you cancel during this time. If you cancel a class within 24 hours, you also won’t get this credit back.

Can I buy British Council as a gift?

If you know someone learning or keen to learn English, British Council has gift vouchers available. With varying package options, you can give up to 12 class credits a month to friends or family.

Each package includes group/private classes , access to online materials , and specialist grammar webinars .

What a lesson is like

British Council’s teacher-led classes are 55 minutes long and either private or group-based. Because you can take a placement test or search by themes, British Council makes it easy to find a class that’s right for your interests and skill level.

So, when you’ve booked a class, you’ll gain access to the lesson’s pre-class prep material. This will outline the class goals and the content you should expect. From there, a lesson will typically include the following:

• Teacher-student introductions
• Listening and speaking exercises
• Reading practice
• Fill-in-the blank assignments
• Formal speaking assessments

Best British Council classes

British Council offers a wealth of classes in different categories. These are all to suit different learning goals and interests. That being said, the most popular categories include:

• Business Communication
• Money, Ethics and Social Responsibility
• Employment Matters
• Writing with a Purpose
• Education and Training

Because English Online tailors its courses to different goals, it makes sense that the most popular lesson topics reflect what English students most want to achieve from their classes.

So, below are some examples of the top classes in various categories, reflecting what most students want to apply from their lessons into the real world:

Top Business and Communication Classes

Presentations for International Audiences

Learn: How to give an English presentation for international audiences. In this class, you get to hear from three different speakers on the best tips for giving presentations to international listeners.

Who it might be good for: International business professionals seeking to improve their English communication and clarity.

Internships

Learn: How an interview between a student and HR manager unfolds. You’ll also read information on internships and learn persuasive language choices.

Who it might be good for: Anyone learning English for interviews – whether for internships, work, or college.

Top Money, Ethics and Social Responsibility Classes

Current Issues

Learn: To partake in an informal debate on ethical issues. You’ll also look at how to construct arguments and use opinion-based language.

Who it might be good for: College students or enthusiasts who are required to debate or present an argument as part of their course/job.

Learn: Persuasive language to help people donate to a particular charity. You’ll also discuss why people give to charity, and analyze different charity appeals.

Who it might be good for: Social/Ethic students or those interested in charity work. This is also a great lesson to learn transferable speaking skills.

Top Employment Matters Classes

Staff Induction

Learn: How to organize a staff induction day over the phone. You’ll listen to two colleagues discussing their induction day preparations. From there, you’ll brainstorm what needs to be included and will also learn useful language for telephone communication.

Who it might be good for: Professionals at management level or employees entrusted with organizing staff induction days. It’s also useful for anyone looking to brush up on telephone speaking.

Creative Decision Making

Learn: How to go about making decisions. You’ll also take part in a discussion, exploring different viewpoints and decision-making techniques. As well as this, you’ll also learn new words and phrases associated with “think” and “decide.”

Who it might be good for: Any business professionals entrusted with decision-making. It also teaches you transferable skills that you can use in a range of English-speaking scenarios.

Top Writing with a Purpose Classes

Someone I Admire

Learn: How to write a feature article. In this lesson, you’ll look at cause-and-effect language, idiomatic expressions, and how to describe people’s personalities.

Who it might be good for: English students who are looking to develop their written skills. This class is a great exercise for developing your reading and writing skills. It’s also helpful for students who are looking to write as part of their work or studies.

Crime Rates

Learn: How to write a summary of data in a graphic organizer. In Sainz’s class, you’ll learn how to write an English summary of data represented in a graph. By reading a crime statistics report, you’ll also work on adjective/noun collocations and relations-based language.

Who it might be good for: Anyone who works with data as part of their job or studies. This is a helpful course for expressing data relations in English as part of a report or presentation.

Top Education and Training Classes

The Education System

Learn: How an education system works and how to explain this in English. You’ll also plan a blog post or video on an education system (UK/US). By the end of the lesson, you’ll understand how these compare and how to articulate those comparisons.

Who it might be good for: This lesson is equally good for those looking to study abroad and for those simply looking to practice their writing/speaking skills. You’ll grasp how to explain differences and similarities, as well as comparing strengths and weaknesses.

School Days

Learn: How to evaluate, discuss, and make decisions. In this class, you’ll undertake several reading and listening exercises, then match students to a particular school based on their profiles. You’ll also learn to articulate information about different types of schools and their pros/cons.

Who it might be good for: This lesson is in many ways practical for real-life situations, but it’s also helpful for anyone looking to improve their English comprehension by close-reading articles.

British Council for Business

For businesses and governments, you can book a free consultation with British Council’s English Online online. 

This helps to determine the best training path for your business. Once submitted, a member of British Council’s expert team will be in touch to recommend a customized package or assessment program.

As with its personal lessons, British Council for Business offers live online classes that focus on your business needs, bite-sized exercises, and customizable learning times tables to suit your workforce. You’ll also have a trusted partner supporting you through every step.

Who are the instructors?

British Council’s teachers are all highly qualified and experienced professionals. As teaching specialists, they’ve worked with millions of students from countries all over the world, with their quality monitored by a team of experts.

With British Council, you can book with a specific teacher, or – as they advise – take lessons from multiple teachers with varying dialects. You can also choose to learn 1-1 or in small groups.There are even IELTS teaching experts if this is the path you’re keen on.

What I liked about British Council

How i reviewed british council.

With a range of personal and group tutoring courses, English Online with British Council appeals to millions of learners all over the world. With that in mind, and with so many directions you can take, British Council is an abundant platform to explore.

That being said, I explored the platform with an open mind and with a range of proficiency levels/learning objectives in mind. I made sure to take into account varying goals, skill levels, and learning styles to see if this platform really has it all.

Led by the world’s leading English experts with around-the-clock availability, British Council’s teachers ensure you’re held accountable for your learning with pre-class prep, in-depth lessons, and out-of-class resources. So, this is a great learning option for those who don’t know where to start, or those who do best with a teacher-led learning path.

Plus, with group or private sessions available, there’s ample opportunity to practice your speaking and listening as close to a real-world scenario as possible. And, if you opt for private lessons especially, you get live, personalized feedback and tailored guidance on how to meet your goals.

One perk of English Online is that it offers 24/7 live learning and support. So, you don’t have to work around conflicting time zones or even sacrifice your personal schedule for classes. With LearnEnglish, there’s always availability regardless of what unsociable hours you’re free!

As a whole, the platform is also easy to navigate and you can search for classes with a range of filters. This increases your chances of finding a class that suits you – and if one is unavailable, there’s bound to be a convenient alternative.

British Council badges and certificates available

When you subscribe to British Council, you can collect badges and certificates for each course you complete. With these, you can showcase your personal and professional achievements to prospective employers and colleges.

While there’s a lot of focus on teacher-led learning, this isn’t the only learning path available on English Online. In fact, there’s a dedicated self-study subscription option for only $7 a month (with a 50% discount for your first month).

Of course, this lacks the personalized feedback and 1-1 teaching you get with the teacher-led options. But, if you’re more of a self-learner, this option is unrivaled. With it, you still get access to fun exercises created by English experts and you can earn certificates and badges as part of British Council’s global community.

1-1 tutoring available

If you do work best with teacher-led lessons, you also have further options within these classes. Namely, you can choose a group or private class (or alternate between the two). While group classes expose you to a range of accents and conversations, private classes are great for focusing on your own problem areas or goals.

So, if there’s a particular area you want to work on, British Council’s private tutoring grants you 1-1 real-time feedback and a whole hour of tailored learning. And, because you can choose your lesson style each time, there’s no need to make a permanent commitment to group or private lessons.

IELTS preparation classes

Another huge bonus for English Online is its IELTS coach. With specialized expert teaching and quantifiable results, English Online’s IELTS coach course can get you the score you need.

So, with regular course discounts and led by the co-creator of IELTS, this specialist course gets you on track toward the band score you need. English Online’s IELTS teachers have over 80 years’ teaching experience and 80+ million people have benefited from this course.

What could be improved

Some classes, like ielts, are not designed for self-study.

While self-study is a great option for many English students, some courses, like IELTS, really require the full commitment to the teacher-led classes. One drawback, for example, is that you must attend every IELTS class to gain access to the post-lesson material.

That being said, this is a specific course that understandably has stricter requirements than more casual learning. At the same time, this is definitely worth noting when choosing the course type for you.

100% teacher-led might be a con for some

As mentioned, British Council offers both self-study and teacher-led courses. But, there’s no real option to combine the two, and apart from supplementary pre- and post-class exercises, there’s very little focus on self-study.

Of course, if you’re more of a self-learner, it might just mean that the self-study course is best for you. But, at the same time, I definitely noticed a bias toward the teacher-led options, with British Council recommending as much group and teacher-led work on the platform as possible.

Who British Council is for

In short, British Council’s English Online Online is designed for anyone wanting to speak English with confidence. In particular, this applies to non-native speakers and focuses on learning English as a foreign language. As I see it, the platform is best for:

• English students looking to improve their reading, writing, and speaking
• Professionals who want to better articulate their ideas in English
• Anyone looking to use English as part of travel/relocation
• Businesses who want to equip their staff with advanced English skills

Tips to finding great courses

British Council’s English Online platform has a number of ways to search for courses. And, the more you browse, the more personalized your suggestions get. Here are a few ways to find the best courses for you:

• Browse the Themes section, which contain multiple topics and lessons within these
• Search by date , time , or even your favorite teachers
• Filter by group/private lessons , or your desired lesson topic
• Use your dashboard to find recommended , top , and upcoming lessons

Is British Council legit?

In short, British Council is legit. It’s a registered charity and a non-departmental public body. Both on and outside of English Online, British Council strives to promote global cultural relationships and education standards .

2021/22 saw them provide online resources to over 70 million English language learners and teachers . As well as this, they partnered with over 200 countries and territories , and their revolutionary learning program, Connecting Cultures , is rolling out to Primary and Secondary Plus students around the world.

British Council alternatives

As great as British Council is, it’s still one of many English-learning sites out there. So, if British Council doesn’t seem like the best fit for you, there are plenty of options. For simplicity’s sake, I’ll name just a few:

British Council vs. Lingoda

One popular alternative to British Council’s English Online is Lingoda . Like British Council, Lingoda is a huge global platform with over 1,500 tutors and 24/7 availability.

But, while British Council has few pre-class resources, Lingoda has a stronger focus on interactive quizzes and resources outside of the platform. Lingoda also prompts you to choose a weekly maintenance level and tracks this on your dashboard.

In contrast to British Council, Lingoda also has far more lessons and courses available. On British Council, I found that there were days with no availability, whereas with Lingoda there was always something available.

Another key difference between the two is their official test prep options. British Council offers support for IELTS test prep, whereas Lingoda is affiliated with Linguaskill from Cambridge. So, if there’s an official test you’re planning for, this difference is worth considering.

Overall, Lingoda is the most well-rounded of the two. Namely, this is because it offers a good balance of class practice and out-of-lesson resources. British Council’s class preparations are very basic, and I even found that quizzes would freeze or time out.

That being said, if you benefit from group learning and like to be held accountable with 100% teacher-led lessons, then British Council is best suited to your learning style.

Beyond Lingoda, there are of course many other options still. Preply is a similarly-styled option, which even has a free blog and Q&A community. And, if you’re more interested in trying a one-off course, Coursera and Udemy have some fantastic options.

British Council -what others say

My aim here is to present the most fair and unbiased review of British Council’s English Online out there. So, I’ve searched for reviews both on and outside of British Council to get some honest opinions.

While the majority of reviews were positive, there were some that were dissatisfied with the emphasis on British, rather than American, English. This formed part of one student’s unhappy review:

If you have a background in American English or don’t understand the differences between the two, having your work marked as wrong because it doesn’t reflect British English can be annoying. In my opinion, this isn’t a huge problem, but sites like Lingoda or Preply definitely cater more to US English!

All in all, though, British Council’s English reviews were positive. In fact, some students claimed the classes were even as good as in-person lessons and praised their flexibility:

Evaluating British Council

Features: 24/7 live classes and support, 100% teacher-led interactive classrooms, expert teachers, badges and certificates, English placement test, and self-study subscription option.

Content quality: 55-minute audio-visual lessons, multi-level content including quizzes, reading, and listening exercises.

Content breadth: A1-C1 proficiency levels, 16 main topic sections with multiple classes in each.

Teachers: Expert mentors including the co-creator of IELTS.

Supporting materials: Free Live25 grammar webinars, pre- and post-class resources including articles, quizzes, and word games.

Payment and refunds: Self-study subscription at $7/month with teacher-led packages ranging between $88 and $177/month. Non-refundable classes and credits but anytime cancellation policy.

Support: 24/7 live support.

As is the case with most e-learning platforms, British Council’s worth really depends on your own goals and what you want to get out of it. Luckily, British Council teaches English as a foreign language for a range of proficiency levels and even builds topics around potential goals (e.g. work, travel, networking).

Not to mention that with British Council, you’ll be learning from a renowned global organization with the world’s expert English teachers. You also have the option for self study or a 100% teacher-led course.

That being said, British Council is entirely in English. So, you’ll be expected to read, write, and speak English from the get-go. If this seems a bit overwhelming for you, a taster class on another site such as Lingoda might be a better starting-point.

In my own experience, though, being immersed in speaking and listening is the best way to fast-track progress. And, with British Council’s subscription packages and progress charting, their English Online platform promises to do just that.

All in all, the best way to know whether British Council is right for you is by trying it out for yourself. And, with a 7-day free trial for Gold and Platinum subscriptions, there really is nothing to lose.

Related article: Best Vocabulary Apps , Best online IELTS courses , Best TOEFL courses

British Council English Online -Frequently asked questions

Depending on your subscription type and learning path, British Council can cost between $7 and $177 per month.

If you don’t enjoy what British Council has to offer, you can cancel at any time to avoid being billed for the next period. But, their English Online platform does not offer refunds.

Overall, British Council’s English Online has 16 main topics – under which you’ll find 6+ mini lessons.

Yes. If you’re opting for the Gold or Platinum subscriptions, these come with a 7-day free trial period. You won’t be charged until your trial period ends.

British Council offers digital badges and certificates for each lesson you complete. You can display these on your Facebook/LinkedIn profiles.

At the time of writing, British Council only offers English. However, it does have a range of courses for different age groups and goals (such as IETLS prep).

Rebecca graduated from King’s College university with a first class honours in English Language, followed by a Masters’ Degree in Eighteenth Century Studies.

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Free online ielts listening practice tests.

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English books at home

Children can enjoy reading books and picture books at any age. Here are our top tips for reading English books at home.

• Read English books with your child as often as you can.
• If possible choose the books together at a bookshop or library.
• You can try to build up a small collection of English books at home.
• Let your child choose which book they would like to read each time.
• Watch our video tip to see how a young family uses picture books.
• Older children can enjoy reading with a parent too!
• Find out more in our article about using books with older children and teenagers.

Watch a video tip: https://learnenglishkids.britishcouncil.org/video-tips/picture-books Read an article: https://learnenglishkids.britishcouncil.org/helping-your-child/using-books-with-older-children-and-teenagers

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