Blended Learning vs Elearning vs In Person

A fixed curriculum is followed, which is determined by the choice of textbook and the ability of the teacher. Progress is slow and often intangible.

The student can concentrate on their individual weaknesses, choosing which aspects of grammar and vocabulary are actually necessary to develop. However, students are often unable to speak or write English with confidence.

The student can choose which personal weaknesses to concentrate on, and also develop confidence and flexibility in speaking and writing. Hour for hour, improvement has been proven to be faster than with traditional lessons, and is also supported by regular testing and coaching.

A rigid schedule: the lesson times and days are fixed. This limitation often causes problems due to students' other work commitments.

Study is done at whatever time or place the student prefers.

The lessons with the teacher are scheduled as weekly sessions according to client availability and preferences, offering increased flexibility, reducing wasted time and so producing cost savings. The elearning lessons are done whenever and wherever the student prefers.

To guarantee effective language learning and interaction the number of students in the group must be limited, so the cost of each hour of learning per student is relatively high.

English lessons by elearning allow for study at an efficient, personalised pace, and at a low fixed cost.

The flexible timetabling of lessons reduces lesson cancellations, and so costs, and the elearning lessons provide large parts of the course efficiently and at a relatively lower cost.

The pace of student progress is determined by the slowest group member, not by individual student ability.

The amount of time dedicated to a topic or concept is determined by the individual ability of each student and not by the group or its slowest member. Effective application and practice is often not possible, so concepts are easily forgotten.

The time dedicated to a topic or concept in the presentation and comprehension stage is determined by the individual ability of each student. It is then practiced in small groups, so dramatically increasing retention.

Actual real-life situations and activities can be simulated in a classroom setting.

Opportunities to practice real-life situations are limited due to the fixed structure, generalised content and generic objectives of the software.

The course is specifically designed to integrate what has been learned and apply these concepts to real-life situations through role-play and feedback. The lessons with the teacher focus on speaking and on any specific Business English or Communication Skills training.

The presence of the teacher ensures constant progress monitoring. However, the teacher may not always have the time to give individual feedback during the lesson.

Feedback, correction and monitoring is limited and generic.

Students receive personalised feedback on their progress due to the constant presence of the teacher. They also receive advice on vocabulary and grammar after each lesson.

Constant contact with the teacher and the other students gives the group a sense of community and shared purpose.

There is no face-to-face contact with the teacher or other students, which often results in a sense of isolation and distance from the concepts being learned.

Constant face-to-face contact with the teacher and the other students gives a sense of community to the group. It's possible to add individual telephone or online lessons, and the teacher is also available via email and virtual classroom to offer regular feedback on written exercises.

The HR Department receives a list of students and their attendance, but doesn't know if they are progressing or not.

A quantified general report on student progress is available online every day.

The HR Department receives a detailed report with course statistics which also includes qualitative feedback and recommendations to evaluate the measured progress of each student. Moreover, a general report on student progress is available online every day.

Traditional classroom lessons cannot always take advantage of technology or use it appropriately.

Technology is often used for its own sake without considering appropriateness, adult learning principles, or their effective application to language learning.

Multimedia technology is used when appropriate and effective in order to support learning and improve the retention of concepts learnt. Technology is used as an efficient and useful tool to reach the objectives which are driven by the learner and client.