About the Business
Scotland is famous for the warmth of its welcome, and we aim to continue this fine tradition in how we work with students. Edinburgh is a wonderful student city, with 4 universities and the biggest further education college in Scotland.
It’s also very cosmopolitan, and open to visitors of all nationalities. There are opportunities for sport and the outdoors, culture & the arts, and of course, pubs, bars, restaurants and night clubs – something for everyone, at every time of the day or night!
The Caledonian is a small, friendly school. However, we have recently become affiliates of Shane Global/Saxoncourt, and ME Learning. Working with these larger organisations will help the Caledonian to develop new courses and work with a wider range of nationalities. Shane Global also has UK schools in Hastings and London.
One of the main things that students comment on is how friendly the school is. We want to create a comfortable environment, so that students can relax and learn well. Teachers are friendly, and are interested in students’ progress. The office staff can deal with most problems not related to study, for example, finding a doctor or dentist, advice on accommodation or finding a job, or following your own sport while you’re in Edinburgh.
The school is open for students even when they don’t have classes, so that they can carry on studying in the self-access room, or using a classroom to practise listening. Computers are open access, so that everyone can keep in touch with friends and family at home. There’s also free wi-fi, if you want to Skype using your own lap-top or tablet.
Business Services
General English Courses
- Full-time General English (16 hours per week).
- Intensive General English (20 hours per week).
- Preparation for FCE, CAE and IELTS.
- Fluency practice.
- Part-time evening courses.
- Group courses.
- One-to-one courses.
These are available at four levels:
- Pre-Intermediate.
- Intermediate.
- Upper Intermediate.
- Advanced.
From September to June, most students take the day-time courses in 8-week periods, or terms, taking advantage of the high value fee for an 8-week course. However, it is possible to take the full-time or intensive course for a shorter period, minimum 3 weeks. Please contact us, to find out if your dates are available.
Placement testing:
It’s important to be on the right course, at the right level. Before you start an English course at the Caledonian Language School, you’ll take a placement test, to find out your language level. The test consists of a short, multiple choice grammar and vocabulary test, and an interview with a teacher to check your level of speaking and understanding.
Your placement in a level depends on how well you do in both parts of the test. We also take into account a student’s objectives: if you want to pass Cambridge First or IELTS, you will need to have good grammar and writing skills, and you may have to spend some time developing these, even if you already have a good level of spoken fluency. Or sometimes students are good at grammar exercises, but their speaking ability is at a much lower level. In that case, we will suggest that you study at a lower level until your active use of English reaches the same level as your mechanical grammar skills.
After the placement test, you‘ll join a class. In the first week in particular, the teacher will continue to assess your level, and will suggest that you should move up or down a level, depending on your performance. Even after a few days, students have made friends, and may not want to move; but the decision is made to help you improve your English as much as possible, so you should listen to your teacher.
Location & Hours
7 Torphichen Street
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Caledonian Language School
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7 Torphichen Street, Edinburgh, EH3 8HX
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