British Council plans to reopen teaching centres for young learners

British Council in Sri Lanka is preparing for the reopening of its teaching centres for face-to-face classes on 7 January 2022 in Colombo, Kandy, Jaffna and Matara. 

After a considerable period of closure due to the pandemic, students and teachers are keen to be back in classrooms to resume face-to-face learning.

“Since the onset of the pandemic, all of our classes have been online to make sure our students don’t miss out on their English learning journey. They have also been taking part in sessions with our teachers online with activities such as Keep Fit and Fun, baking, crafts, storytelling, quiz evenings, yoga and conversation clubs. With mainstream schools closed this interaction with peers alongside opportunities to try out new skills has been critical for the wellbeing of our young learners,” the Council said. 

“As we moved online this year, our young learners in Sri Lanka have celebrated success as winners in the British Council global international speaking competition and global art competition as well as taking part in exciting opportunities in their online classrooms to connect live with students in other British Council teaching centres around the world. This term students have been connecting with students in Spain, Taiwan and Korea to begin new friendships and learn about their cultures and way of life,” it added. 

British Council Sri Lanka Deputy Director and Teaching Centre Manager Helen Sykes stated: ‘’All our students have had a lot of fun and learnt just as much as in our classrooms, but we know that many of our learners have really missed their face-to-face classes and a significant number paused their learning with us waiting until we are back face to face to continue their learning with us. There is no substitute for face-to-face interaction, and it works wonders for building confidence and spoken skills in language learning. We know from feedback that our students and parents feel comfortable and are ready to return to our classrooms and so, with all the Government safety guidelines in place we are really excited and can’t wait to welcome past students back and new students into our four British Council teaching centres around the island very soon.’’

“Each year, the British Council teaches over 100 million students worldwide in our teaching centuries in over 100 countries. In Sri Lanka, we teach all levels from age three through to 18. We are also looking forward to opening back up face to face for our adult learners in 2022. It’s quick and simple to register for our courses with an online level check and consultation to make sure we place you in the right class before you register.”

“Our products, developed by our expert international teams and taught by experienced teachers, use a methodology that focuses on much more than just language skills. We focus on the development of leadership and collaboration skills, critical thinking skills, digital literacy and autonomous learning in a relaxed environment where our students can be themselves and have fun learning. Students who join the British Council become a part of a global network of English learners from across the globe with opportunities to interact with their peers from classrooms around the world built into our syllabus. As a supplement to our courses for young learners, we run events in our library, global competitions and a variety of online fun and free activities to have fun in English with our expert teachers. Our premises are a safe and secure space for children; a place to meet and interact safely with peers and develop self-confidence in an inclusive, diverse and fun learning environment,” the Council said. 

One parent stated: “My son’s experience at British Council has been amazing. Not only have I witnessed a massive and exponential growth in his English both in terms of speaking and writing, but I have also seen his confidence and fluency in using this language grow as well. This is the only class my son actually looks forward to. I believe that it is this passion for learning English that British Council has imbued in him through the relaxed, fun, and engaging environment present there that is responsible for his improvement.” Our pre-school courses, ‘Learning Time with Timmy’, developed in collaboration with Academy Award-winning Aardman Animations, is hugely popular with little ones and their parents. Fun and interactive, we have weekly classes for three, four and five-year-olds.

Our ‘Primary Plus’ course for six to 11 years focuses on developing your child’s creativity so that they can express themselves with confidence that goes beyond their English language skills. Our ‘Secondary Plus’ course for 12 to 16 years is packed with content and skills to build confidence and help your child reach their full potential in their future lives as young adults.