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How To Book An Individual Programme Through Us

Between you first contacting us and starting your training course, there are certain key steps we need to get through. We are aware that everyone works slightly differently when it comes to booking their training. Tell us how you prefer to proceed and we can adapt the process accordingly. Here’s our checklist of what needs to be achieved before training starts.

:: 1. Level Assessment
:: 2. Needs Analysis
:: 3. Course Outline
:: 4. Course Proposal/Order Form
:: 5. Pre-Course Preparation
:: 6. Payment
:: 7. Organising Your Language Training
:: 8. Start of Training
:: 9. Feedback & Support
:: 10. Further Study

1. Level Assessment

This is a useful tool for us to gauge where you are in terms of the language you’ve acquired to date. If you’re a beginner, there’s no need for you to do this. If you have no time to complete a test, we can arrange for the assessment to take place during the first session with your trainer.

2. Needs Analysis

This is crucial before the training starts, as it gives us a clear idea of the subject areas and content you’d like to cover. For beginners we can still give a course a certain ‘flavour’, e.g. business, technical, financial, even if the main function of the course will be to build basic knowledge. For one-to-one training, we recommend you complete the online needs analysis which we can follow up by phone or email with any questions.

3. Course Outline

This is your first glimpse of what your training programme will look like. This will be further refined when you first meet your trainer. At this point, your course content and objectives can be adjusted, and we remain flexible throughout the remainder of the sessions should you wish to make changes.

4. Course Proposal/Order Form

This is your quote and it states exactly what the course will cost you. The proposal/order form includes a section for you to complete with your preferred lesson dates and times. Once completed, you can simply sign and return it to us to set your training programme in motion. We will then agree a start date with you and plan the finer details with your trainer.

5. Pre-Course Preparation

We’ll also be sending you a document which gets you into the right frame of mind to start your language training. We usually send this quite early on, as it can often shape your whole approach to the course. We want you to get as much benefit from your course as possible.

6. Payment

We like payment to be made before your course starts, at the time you send back your signed order form. This financial commitment to the project is an important part of the process and will underpin your motivation to learn and develop your language skills. You can pay by cheque (payable to 'Cactus Language Training') or by debit or credit card (a 2.5% card fee applies to all non-debit cards, e.g. Visa, Mastercard). It is also possible to pay by bank transfer: please contact us if you need our bank details.

7. Organising Your Language Training

Once we have your commitment to the project, we’ll get to work finalising your course programme and brief your trainer with a combination of the information you’ve given us and pedagogic pointers from our Academic team. Any additional elements, such as booking a training room or obtaining directions to your place of work, will be finalised at this stage.

8. Start of Training

The big day arrives and you meet your trainer for the first time. Expect the first session to be about getting to know each other and discussing your objectives. If you’re above beginner level, this will undoubtably take place in the language you’re learning, so you’ll definitely be having a ‘proper lesson’. If you are a beginner, you might enjoy spending just a few minutes talking in English, before you launch into your learning. Remember all ‘one hour sessions’ really last 60 minutes, so if you’re planning on having a break mid-way, please allow a little extra time at the end.

9. Feedback & Support

This is a constant process at Cactus Language Training, not just something which takes place at the end of your course. We’ll be in touch with your trainer soon after your first session to gain a pedagogic insight into how it went. The very first session can sometimes be a bit of a shock to the system, especially if you haven’t had a language lesson for some time. You can contact us at any time to talk to us and voice any questions or concerns.

10. Further Study

Towards the end of your course, we can discuss options for further study with you. This might mean extending your training sessions with us, or changing to a different permutation. We can also give you guidance and ideas on our international language holidays and weekend breaks overseas, which are one of the finest and most cost-efficient ways of putting your new language acquisitions into practice. We can also make recommendations on techniques and strategies to help you maintain your level of language. For example, have a look at our ideas for self-study.