If you’re planning to go to college soon, and if you’re having trouble with college-level English, you should consider taking online English courses. With the help of online English courses, you can improve your ability to speak, write, and understand spoken English. Contrary to popular belief, academic English is a lot different from the English we speak in our daily lives, and the same can be said for any language in the world.
The language we speak is significantly different from the language we write. Some people don’t understand the difference between the two, and hence, their writing skills can be poor. If you’re planning to go to college, you need to know how to write quality essays, create detailed reports and analyze different situations. If you have great analytical skills, it doesn’t necessarily mean that you’re going to be a great writer. To be good at English writing, you need to know how to express your thoughts with clarity and as simply as possible.
Thanks to high-speed internet, it is now possible to take online English courses in the comfort of your home. It can be tough to take out time for a class when you already have a job and college. Taking a course online means that you can study whenever you want to, but would studying an online English course be the right choice for you?
Let’s find out!
Should You Take an Online English Course?
If you’re planning to go to college, you need to have basic skills of speaking, reading, and writing. People seldom realize this, but having excellent linguistic skills has many advantages, and online English courses make it easy to acquire these skills. But before you begin taking classes online, you need to determine if going online would be the right choice.
- If you’re an intermediate or advanced English learner, you should consider taking online English courses. Most of the courses online assume that you know basic English and have basic vocabulary.
- You also need to be able to spare some time to take an online English course. People often make the mistake of thinking that online courses are easier than traditional courses, but that is only a misconception.
- If you’re planning to go to university soon, or if you’re already in university – you should consider taking online English courses too. Sure academic English won’t come in handy when you’re writing a post on Facebook. But it can be useful in a professional setting when you have to send an email or craft a business proposal.
- Lastly, if you’re self-responsible and you can keep yourself motivated enough to take online classes every day – you should consider taking online English classes. Some online courses let you study at your own pace, and you can also build your own curriculum. If you study well on your own, an online English course can help you achieve your goals.
If all (or most of) of these points describe your preferences, then you’re going to enjoy studying online. If you’re still not sure, give it a go anyway! Many online English courses are free to take, so you have nothing to lose. Once you know what you want from an online English course, you’re ready to begin!
Academic English Online at MacMillan English
This course has no restrictions, and it has an average price ranging between $22 and $27 per course. The name of MacMillan is recognizable from its famous textbooks. Their online course stays true to their traditional format.
This online English course is a collection of the textbook material, and it can be accessed from any mobile device. This course is designed to facilitate teachers and students, but they can also prove to be helpful if you’re planning to study independently.
Academic English at Open Learning
This course is restricted to the people who are living in the US. It is free to learn from this course, and it can prove to be very helpful. This course mainly focuses on English writing, but it also has some emphasis on English speaking and reading. It also teaches you how to organize and plan your studies. This course is perfect for you if you’re planning to start college soon, or if you’re already taking courses and you’re struggling with them.
You can also use this course’s community of over 1,000 students to help you if you get stuck somewhere.
Academic English: Writing at Coursera
Students from Crimea, Sudan, Cuba, Iran and Syria won’t be able to register because they face restrictions, and the course content also changes every month. If you want the full 5-course bundle, you’ll have to pay $310, with $69 per course. But if that seems too much to you, you can also apply for financial aid - that way you can study for free. Coursera has gathered five courses that will teach you how you can write an excellent research paper for any college course.
You can choose to study the whole 5-course program, or you can study any single course you’re interested in.
English for Academic Purposes Online at the Open University
This course is offered on various occasions throughout the year. Current registrations for this course are closed, but keep an eye out! This course can cost you 1,852 USD. There is a high price because students can get credits for their university upon the course’s successful completion. Before you enroll in this course – check if your university will accept credits from this course.
This course combines tutor-led study and independent study, so it can be ideal for any student. Upon enrolling, each student will have a tutor that helps them through their course. The tutor moves through the course according to the student’s pace, and in the starting few weeks, you might have to take some time to find your pace. This course will cover many aspects of an academic English environment. From communicating entirely in English to writing research papers – this course has it all.
