Population: 3-18 years old
Recommended for: 7 years old and above
Founded in 1965, EF Education First is a global private education group with more than 50 years of experience in international education. EF not only provides professional English training, but also attaches great importance to language training methods, and has carried out research on language learning with authoritative academic institutions such as Cambridge University, Harvard University, Peking University, etc., and is committed to creating a unique learning system to help students around the world learn language. In addition, EF served as the official language training service provider for the 2008 Beijing Olympic Games and the 2014 Sochi Winter Olympics, and is the world's leading English language training provider. In Shanghai alone, EF has 20 English training campuses for young people, which are scattered in various areas of the city, and each campus is nuanced, so parents can choose from nearby.
A strong teaching team is the fundamental guarantee of teaching quality, EF has very strict requirements for the teachers it hires, and strictly controls the level of teacher qualifications, all of its teachers are bachelor's degree or above, including teachers with master's degree or above, and all hold TEFL and TKT qualification certificates. TEFL is an international certificate for teaching English in non-English speaking countries, while TKT is an English teaching competency certificate developed for primary and secondary school or adult English teachers in non-English speaking countries.
Compared with other children's English training brands, EF is in line with international exams such as Cambridge, TOEFL, IELTS, etc., and has set up a set of step-by-step training courses according to the physiological development characteristics of domestic children, which can cover the learning needs of children aged 3-18 years old. In addition, EF has its own curriculum research and development center, which is second to none in the industry, and its teaching materials will also have an update cycle, and its teaching materials for the early childhood exploration stage have been nominated for the ELTons Innovation Award, which is an incomparable advantage for a small institution with mediocre strength. EF's courses are subdivided into Early Childhood English Exploration Course (3-6 years old), Children's English Soaring Course (7-9 years old), Youth English Breakthrough (10-14 years old), and Youth English Leading Course (15-18 years old). The childhood stage (3-9 years old) focuses on cultivating children's interest in learning English, teamwork and problem-solving skills; At the youth stage (10-18 years old), it is in line with domestic textbooks, strengthens English test-taking ability and trains the listening, speaking, reading and writing skills necessary for overseas high schools and universities, and provides professional guidance for studying abroad.
EfektaTM is EF's proprietary teaching system that follows a "learn before you try" process to reinforce what children learn in the classroom. Taking the Early Childhood English Exploration Course as an example, the content is first taught through book content, classroom interaction and multimedia teaching, and the Life Club language use club activities are provided for children outside the classroom to "try" the language. In the classroom, EF has launched a total of four sets of lesson plans, blue and ABC, and different units cover different topics in life. Taking the animal theme as an example, it extends from the animals at home, the animals around you, the animals in the zoo to the animals in the ocean, helping to expand children's cognition and imagination. In the whole teaching process, more than 10 teaching methods such as story cards, coloring games, painting, singing, and doll interaction are used to allow children to play and cultivate their interest in English at the same time. Life club extra-curricular practice provides children with opportunities to "try" language and improve their social skills through a variety of themed activities. It is important to note that Life Club practices are not included in the Early Childhood Program and parents are required to pay an additional fee.
In the children's English training industry, most major organizations seize the anxiety of parents and forcefully sell various courses, and EF is no exception. It is worth mentioning that the current children's English training institutions are mixed, and choosing a brand institution is the foundation to ensure the quality of education. In addition, there is a common problem in this industry that it is difficult to get a refund, parents should carefully read the agreement contract when purchasing a course, and should communicate clearly with the course consultant to ensure their own rights and interests. In fact, it is the wish of every parent to give their children the best education, parents should understand their specific needs clearly, and listen carefully to their children's ideas, if they can cultivate their children's interest in English learning, but if children are not willing to learn, they can also try to develop in other directions, do not be confused by the exaggerated words of sales, and amplify anxiety.
