NZEAS - English Schools in New Zealand

General

Fluency in the English language brings success in the international job market. New Zealand is popular as a destination for students from all ages that want to focus on learning English while being in an English-Speaking environment. New Zealand has a huge choice of Ministry of Education accredited language schools in many locations. This makes it possible to experience New Zealand as a holiday destination while studying English. The varied outdoor recreation opportunities offer a good balance to the modern study environment of the language schools. New Zealand is an economically and politically stable country far away from the unrest in other parts of the world. Moreover, the favourable exchange rate of the New Zealand Dollar makes studying here a cost effective choice.

Language schools cater for all levels of English, from absolute beginners to advanced English level. Students can also study for academic language requirements or business purposes. Full or part time study is available. Full time language school students qualify for a student visa.

Fees

Students can enter general English courses at any time. Specialised courses run several times a year and have specific starting and finishing dates. The cost of these varies between schools, but fees for 2003 range between NZ$ 280 – 360 for fulltime and NZ$ 160 – 250 for part time per week. This variation in prices is due to factors such as location, equipment and of course the number of students per class. Students will get more individual attention in a smaller class. Schools that set class numbers low have to raise the fees to meet the costs.

Schools also charge an application fee ranging between NZ$ 100 – 150.

Courses

Students can enrol in a range of courses. Some schools offer packages comprising of several components for a seamless upwards education path. Students will be tested by the school prior to commencing their course. This is done to ensure that they are enrolled at a suitable level.

Course	Duration Required	English Level	Description
General English	From 2 weeks upwards	Beginner to Advanced	This course will teach students general speaking reading and writing skills

IELTS (International English Language Testing System)	6 – 12 weeks	Upper intermediate – Advanced	Some of the shorter course s have an IELTS score of 4.5 as minimum entry requirement This course prepares for academic study in an English speaking country. The Test measures academic English skills. To be admitted to a New Zealand university a student needs to get a minimum IELTS score of 6.0 (out of a possible 9).

Academic Literacy	12 weeks	Upper intermediate - advanced	This course builds on your IELTS course to give you more skills for university study. The focus is on reseach skills, writing, listening and comprehension and essay/report writing.

TOEFL (Test of English as a Foreign Language)	6 – 8 weeks	Upper intermediate and above	This course is for students that are planning to go to university in USA. The focus of this course is on reading, listening and grammar in American English which is needed for the exam.

TOEC (Test of English for International Communication)	6 – 8 weeks	Intermediate and above	This course is very useful for business people as it focuses on international communication. As such the course teaches reading and listening skills for business life.

English for Business Purposes	6 – 8 weeks	Intermediate and below	This course teaches international business and communication skills.

Cambridge Exam Preparation FCE (First Certificate of English)	9 weeks	High intermediate	The University of Cambridge Exams are internationally recognized. This course prepares for stage 1 of the Exam.

Cambridge Exam Preparation ACE (Advanced Certificate of English)	12 weeks	Upper intermediate and above	The University of Cambridge Exams are internationally recognized. This course prepares for stage 2 of the Exam.

Cambridge PET (Preliminary English Test)	12 weeks	Low intermediate	This course prepares students for higher Cambridge courses.

Cambridge BEC1 (Business English Certificate)	10 - 12 weeks	Lower intermediate	This course prepares students to use English in an international business context.

Cambridge BEC2 (Business English Certificate)	10 - 12 weeks	Intermediate and above	This course prepares students to use English in an international business context.

Certificate in TESOL (Teaching English to Speakers of Other languages)	4 weeks	Complete fluency in all aspects of the English Language	This course is of an international standard. It is designed for trainees with little or no experience of teaching English in the classroom. A high level of spoken and written English competence is required. Good entry level course for people.

Certificate in TESOL (Teaching English to Speakers of Other languages) for non native English speakers	20 weeks	advanced	This course is based on the same principals as the native TESOL course. It does however allow extra teaching time to allow the trainee to consolidate the skills and principles taught.

High School Preparation	10 – 40 weeks	Elementary and above	This course prepares students to cope with the English to study at a New Zealand high school by combining general English with some high school subjects.