The Bell Schools in the UK

1. In 1955 Frank Bell started a school of English for overseas students in Cambridge. This was so successful that in 1969 he opened another school in Bath and later others in Norwich and Saffron Walden. All the schools of the Bell group aim (стремиться) to combine good teaching in attractive and friendly surroundings. In 1973 the school in Bath became the Bell Educational Trust, a non-profit-making educational foundation.

2. The school accepts about one hundred students from many different countries. They all aim to improve their English. Students are accepted at all levels from complete beginners to very advanced. We ask that beginners should be able to read and write the English Alphabet. The minimum age for enrolment is 17 and the average age of the students is about 22. There are three terms of about eleven weeks each; these are October to December, January to March and April to June. There are three shorter courses in summer in July, August and September.

3. At the start of the course all students are given a test and an interview so that we can form the right group for learning. When the school decides on the groups they consider levels of English, nationality and the number of men and women so that each group forms a positive соherent learning unit. Each group has a group tutor. This is the teacher who is responsible for the group and who plans the course work. The teaching may be different at different levels. For example, advanced students often need more practice with written work and elementary students need more oral practice. However, the school tries to maintain a balance of four skills of listening, speaking, reading and writing and students are encouraged to use English as much as possible.

4. One of the features of the school approach to teaching English is the use of questionnaires, interviews and projects. The students are taken out of the classroom to use their English and they may find themselves interviewing people in the city centre or making a video film about life in Bath.

5. Here are some of the subjects the school offers: English Literature, Making a Magazine, Business English, the Media, Making a TV Programme, Music, Typing, Ecology, History, Photography, Technical English. The subjects may change each term but the School tries to offer as wide a range as possible. The aim of these lessons is to give students the chance to study something of interest to them in English and this encourages them to use English more.

At the end of the course each student receives a report which comments on progress, attendance and attitude.