The British Council Qatar has announced several changes starting from the new academic year in September.
A new calendar will bring significant benefits to students and parents and provide the opportunity to progress faster and places will be opened for 6 year-olds on the Young Learner programme.
The new academic year at the British Council Qatar will begin in September, has a winter break at the end of January and will finish at the end of May. These changes ensure that students in Qatar will not miss British Council classes due to conflicting holidays and will have time to concentrate on their end-of-year exams in their respective schools after concluding their studies at the British Council.
From September 2015, there will be 4 terms in the academic year at the Council, as opposed to the current 3 terms. The terms will now be shorter, covering a span of 8 weeks instead of 10, and students will now be able to complete more terms in the year and complete an English level every year.
The British Council Qatar will also extend their programme to include 1st year primary children and introduce more refined student grouping. The newly formulated age groups now correspond to the school-age groups in Qatar.
It will also be encouraging parents to take a more active part in their children’s English language skill development by inviting them to attend workshops and events focused on practical ideas to support their children. These workshops will also offer insights to parents on the methodology used by the British Council in younger learner teaching.
The British Council Qatar is also planning to offer special, additional sessions to adult learners on a range of skills such as conversation, business workshops and IELTS writing courses to supplement the popular English for Life, English for Business, and IELTS Preparation courses. These top-up skills sessions will be held on Thursday and Saturday evenings and are poised to help customers who need improvement in specific areas.
Amanda Ingram, director English and Exams, said: “The British Council is constantly searching for ways to help our students meet their English language learning objectives and we listen carefully to their feedback and suggestions. I’m delighted that these practical changes for the new academic year combine sound educational principals with convenience and flexibility”.
Ingram also pointed out that the British Council Qatar will introduce new IT systems in October that will make it easier for students and parents to track their progress, communicate with teachers and other students and register and pay for courses on-line.
A learning session at the British Council Qatar.
