British Council English Online Review

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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).

Official site: englishonline.britishcouncil.org

English Online is the world’s leading online language learning platform. Learn English with a global community of expert teachers in online, interactive classes. You can choose your own schedule and study in small groups or in 1-1 individual lessons. Earn online English language certificates after completing each topic. We offer proven, quality training that delivers real results.

How much does the British Council cost?

The British Council offers three main types of subscription to its teacher-led courses:

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

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

Silver
British Council Silver subscriptions start at $79.20 for the first four months (then $88 per month). This option gives you five lessons per month – all flexible to fit your schedule. As all lessons are 55 minutes long, you will learn 100% online using your computer or tablet.

Gold
The British Council Gold option starts at $129 for the first four months ($143 per month thereafter). With double credit for 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 your subscription at any time.

Platinum
The British Council’s best option for tutor-led learning, the Platinum subscription costs $159 for the first four months (then $177 per month). This option gives you 15 points per class and even access to premium content. As with the Gold subscription, you also get a 7-day free trial.

British Council Free Trial

British Council Gold and Platinum subscriptions give you a 7-day free trial (without being charged).

At this time, you have full access to the platform and its features. This means you can book group or private lessons and do additional material such as listening exercises and tests.

In the dashboard you will also have records of lessons/topics started, number completed and progress level. If you are interested in a particular topic (such as business communication or presentations), you can also book it as a private session.

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

The best classes of the British Council

The British Council offers a range of classes in different categories. All this corresponds to different educational goals and interests. At the same time, the most popular categories include:

  • Business communication
  • Money, ethics and social responsibility
  • Employment issues
  • Write with a purpose
  • Education and training

Since English Online tailors its courses to different goals, it makes sense that the most popular lesson topics reflect what English learners most want to achieve in their lessons.

Who are the instructors?

British Council teachers are highly qualified and experienced professionals. As learning specialists, they have worked with millions of students from around the world, and their quality is monitored by a team of experts.

Thanks to the British Council, you can sign up with a specific teacher or – as they advise – take lessons from several teachers with different dialects. You can also choose to study 1-1 or in small groups. There are even expert IELTS teachers if that’s your route.

Who is the British Council for?

In short, the English online version of the British Council is designed for those who want to speak English with confidence. In particular, this applies to those for whom the language is not their native language, and the emphasis is on learning English as a foreign language. As I see it, the platform is best suited for:

  • English language learners who want to improve their reading, writing and speaking
  • Professionals who want to better formulate their ideas in English
  • Anyone who wants to use English while traveling/moving
  • Companies that want to equip their employees with advanced knowledge of the English language

Tips for finding great courses

The British Council’s English Online platform has several ways to search for courses. And the more you browse, the more personalized your offers are. Here are some ways to find the best courses for you:

  • Check out the “Topics” section, which contains several topics and lessons on them
  • Search by date, time or even favorite teachers
  • Filter by group/private lessons or desired lesson topic
  • Use the dashboard to find recommended, best and upcoming lessons

Is the British Council worth it?

As with most eLearning platforms, the cost of the British Council really depends on your own goals and what you want to get out of it. Fortunately, the British Council teaches English as a foreign language for different proficiency levels and even creates themes around potential purposes (eg work, travel, socializing).

Not to mention that with the British Council, you’ll be studying in a world-renowned organization with qualified English teachers from around the world. You also have the option of self-study or a 100% instructor-led course.

However, in my own experience, immersing yourself in the conversation and listening is the best way to accelerate progress. And with the British Council’s subscription packages and progression charts, their English Online platform promises to do just that.

In general, the best way to find out if the British Council is right for you is to try it for yourself. And with a 7-day free trial for Gold and Platinum subscriptions, there’s really nothing to lose.

Official site: englishonline.britishcouncil.org