FAQ

Why should I take group classes?
What types of group classes do you offer?
Who should take a group class?
How many students are in an average class?
I want to learn a language for travel purposes. Do you offer travel classes?
What is the duration of your group classes?
How can I know which level I should take?
How soon should I register?
How long does it take to speak a foreign language correctly?
How much time should I spend studying outside class time?
What if I miss a class?
What if a class gets cancelled due to low enrollment?
Why are your classes less expensive than classes at some other language schools?

Why should I take group classes?
Unlike most other language schools we teach languages in very small group classes which give the students plenty of attention and possibilities to interact with each other and with the instructor. Imagine sitting in a classroom with 15 and sometimes even more students. How much time will you be able to speak and interact?
Our small class size - on average 6 students per class - will make the difference when learning a language. You can only learn a language if you actually try to speak it!
With us you will have the opportunity to speak and practice at least 100% more as if you were sitting in a classroom with 12-15 students. Good language instruction depends on quality instructors and quality speaking time.
With us you will learn to speak by speaking the language!

What types of group instruction do you offer?
We offer a variety of group classes. We teach Conversational Intro classes for Beginners, Level 2, Level 3, Level 4 and Level 5 classes on a regular basis. We will schedule higher classes if they are requested by at least 6 students. Students can also take these higher classes with our affordable private programs. 
Students who want to learn the basics of the language for travel purpose can take our popular Travel classes.
For our most advanced students we offer Discussion Group classes which are taught mainly in the target language and are designed to involve the students in real discussions.
In such classes the instructor may use newspaper articles, magazines, short stories, TV and radio excerpts in order to generate interest and questions which lead to real discussions in the target language.

Who should take a group class?
Group classes are for those students who want to learn a language in a small group setting, interacting with other students and with the instructor.
Usually group classes are most beneficial for beginning students or for those who want to learn the language on a long term basis.

How many students are in an average class?
Our classes have an average of 6 students and a maximum of 8-9 students. This small class atmosphere is what language learners should be looking for when trying to find a good language service.
Small class size means plenty of interaction and faster, individualized language learning.
Compared to some community colleges, where classes of 20 and more students are a common recurrence, with us you will find that the amount of “speaking and practicing time” in our classrooms will make a huge difference when learning the language.

I want to learn a language for travel purposes. Do you offer travel classes?
Yes we do. We have successfully helped many students to enrich and enjoy their vacations and trips. After our classes students are usually able to communicate on a basic level and can show appreciation to the people and culture they will be visiting.
For those students who have travel related language needs, we offer travel classes in Spanish, French, Italian, German and Mandarin. These classes last for 10 hours and give the students a basic understanding of the language. These classes will teach you to communicate in situations you may encounter when traveling. If students want to continue with a level 2 class upon their return, they can request few private lessons which will bring them to the same level as the students who have started to learn the language in a Conversational Intro class.

What is the duration of your group classes?
Our regular group classes are 20 hours long. These classes are for students who want to learn a language and have long term goals. Travel and Discussion Group classes last 10 hours.
Seattle Languages International also offers on a regular basis intensive programs of various class lengths.

How can I know which level I should take?
If the class description provided by us is not enough and if you are still not sure which class level is right for you, please email us and an instructor will contact you and assess your level via phone. By asking you very specific questions our instructors will be able to tell you which class you should take.
In case you are in between 2 levels, we recommend you to take the lower level as it will give you an opportunity to review and to strengthen your language foundation for the continuation classes. 

How soon should I register?
Due to our small class size – on average 6 students per class – our classes fill up very quickly.
As we work on the "first come, first served" basis, we strongly recommend our students to register as soon as possible in order to secure a space in the class.
Please note that our popular classes for languages such as Arabic, French, German, Italian, Mandarin and Spanish are highly requested and get full very quickly.
If you register late and we still have space in a class, we will not charge you a late registration penalty like some other language schools are doing.

How long does it take to speak a foreign language correctly?
Learning to speak a foreign language correctly takes a lot of time. Not weeks, not months but years.
Students who attend our classes are usually able to express themselves in simple phrases in the target language already after a few sessions. Our beginner classes, also called Conversational Intro classes, are geared toward speaking and becoming conversational within a short period of time. After only few classes students will be able to build their own sentences and will be surprised to already find themselves speaking with the instructor and with the other students in the target language.

How much time should I spend studying outside the class?
The answer is easy. As much as you can. The more you will study the faster you will progress.
Not only studying is important when learning a language, but also finding opportunities to immerse yourself in the language and culture. Our resource pages have many interesting links to websites which can help you to stay in touch with the culture and language outside the regular class time.

What if I miss a class?
Many students may miss a class or two. Students who have to miss a class can notify either our office or the instructor directly before or after the missed class. The instructor will usually let the student know what was covered during the class or classes that were missed.
If this is not sufficient, the student may request one or two private classes with the instructor before the continuing with future classes.

What if a course gets cancelled due to low enrollment?
Our minimum number of students is 5. Once in a while courses get cancelled if less than 5 students register for a class.
In such cases we are still able to offer the class for the tuition below.
Small study groups of 3 students cost $27/h/student.
Small study groups of 4 students cost $22/h/student.

Why are your classes less expensive than classes at some other language schools?
Unlike other schools where material cost may exceed 30% of the tuition, we try to keep material cost low and offer - when available - slightly used books for rent or for purchase at a very low rate. We offer such books for highly demanded languages such as French, German, Italian and Spanish. 
Students can also buy these books through other book vendors.