If you need to significantly improve your English skills over a short period of time, intensive English courses could be the answer.
Intensive programs focus on accelerating the learning process so you cover a lot of material quite quickly. There are pros and cons to this style of learning, and it’s not suitable for every student, but it can be beneficial in certain circumstances.
Let’s take a look at some of the best intensive English courses available online and in-person, and what you should consider before you sign up.
What is an intensive English course?
Intensive English courses designed to fit a lot of learning into a relatively short period of time. For example, an intensive program may involve daily lessons for a 2-month period, covering the same material that students would normally learn in weekly lessons over a year.
Some courses are even more intense than this, allowing students to study full-time with up to 30 hours of lessons per week.
You can take intensive English courses online or in a language school or other learning institution, either at home or abroad.
These kinds of courses are generally suitable for people who need to learn English quickly. Reasons for this include:
- Achieving a certain grade on an upcoming exam
- Reaching a higher level of proficiency for a job
- Applying for university
- Moving to an English-speaking country
An intensive English program may also be referred to as an:
- Accelerated English course
- English boot camp
- English language crash course (to get beginners to intermediate level quickly)
- Immersion program (if it takes place in a country where the language is spoken)
In any case, the idea is that you learn a lot in a short period of time.
Do intensive language classes work?
Intensive English courses do work for many students, but they are not the right choice for everyone. These programs require a lot of hard work and dedication, because just turning up and listening to lessons doesn’t guarantee your English will improve quickly!
These are the main criticisms of intensive language programs:
- It’s harder to retain information when studying intensively.
- Heavy workload can be stressful and tiring for students, reducing learning efficacy.
- Students don’t have enough time to process and practice what they are learning.
- Students taking an intensive course may have the wrong motivation: wanting to complete it as soon as possible rather than being dedicated to long-term learning and improvement.
There are different ideas of how long it takes to learn English (and a lot depends on what level you want to reach), but there is an element of quality, not just quantity. It’s not just about how much time you spend studying, but how you are spending that time.
If you cram a lot of information into your brain over several weeks and then you don’t use it for a while, chances are you will forget a lot of it, as shown by this study, which also found that learning a language improves your ability to hold attention while switching between tasks.
Another study looked at French students learning English. One group received 500 hours of instruction over 5 months and another group received the same instruction over 10 months. The study found there was “no clear learning advantage” for either group, which suggests that intensive learning is just as effective if you need to complete the course quickly for some reason.
Ultimately, it’s important that you have clear goals and strong motivation to make the most out of the time you spend studying. You’ll also get better results by immersing yourself in the language in other ways, and by immediately putting into practice what you have learned.
Where to take intensive English classes
There are three main options for language students taking an intensive approach:
- Take an intensive English course online
- Find a language school offering accelerated English classes near you
- Visit an English-speaking country to learn English through immersion as you study
Your options may depend on your budget and where you live, but online courses are accessible to anyone, anywhere, and are available at a range of price points.
Let’s take a look at the best options for online and in-person learning through an accelerated English program.
The best intensive English courses online
British Council
- Group and private lessons available
- Up to 15 classes per month
- Access to premium learning materials
- From $12 per class
- Free 7-day trial
British Council offers live online classes and you can choose group classes, private classes, or a combination of both. The way it works is your monthly subscription gives you a certain number of class credits, and you use these to join whichever class type you prefer.
Your plan also gives you access to premium learning materials on their website, so when you are not in a lesson you can still be improving your English that way.
Their Gold and Platinum plans come with a 7-day free trial, so you can try it risk-free today! After that, lessons cost from $12 each, depending on which plan and lesson type you choose.
Busuu
- From $7/month
- Unlock all lesson materials
- Progress at your own pace
- Receive feedback on your speaking and pronunciation
Busuu is a language-learning app that lets you study at your own pace and practice with a community of over 120 million learners globally.
The curriculum is designed to help you progress from level A1 (beginner) to C1 (advanced), although you can jump in at any level.
Busuu’s courses focus on real-life scenarios to make the content relevant and contain a wide variety of exercises to keep things interesting for you.
Access starts from just $7/month, and there are often promotions offering a discount on this rate.
Lingoda
- Live language classes available 24/7
- Choose group or private lessons
- Join a 2-month Sprint challenge or take a regular subscription
- Intensive plan with 40 classes/month at $7.50 per class
Lingoda gives you access to English teachers all over the world, 24/7, so it’s an incredibly flexible way to take intensive English classes.
Their courses are structured around CEFR levels, with 50 classes per level. The most intensive plan gives you 40 lessons per month, so with this you could advance to the next level in just over a month. Lingoda issues a certificate for each level you complete.
Lessons cost between $7.50 and $35 each, depending on which plan you choose and whether you opt for private or group classes. You’re free to adjust your plan at any time.
Another benefit of this platform is that you’ll be able to connect with lots of different teachers from different countries and with different accents, so you’ll develop your listening skills better than if you were speaking to the same teacher throughout the course.
Udemy
- English courses from $14.99
- Study at your own pace
- Lifetime access
- Hundreds of specialties available
With Udemy, you can access pre-recorded classes on a wide range of topics, from grammar to writing to business English.
Although you don’t benefit from live interaction with a teacher, these are some of the most affordable intensive English classes available online, starting at just $14.99 for lifetime access.
Take a look at these to see if they would suit you:
- English for Beginners: Intensive Spoken English Course
- Intermediate-Advanced English Course | Intensive English
- English Speaking Intensive Course: Advanced Level Speaking
How to join an intensive English program in-person
Many universities offer intensive English classes, so you can check with those near you to find out what is available.
In the US and the UK, you can expect to pay between $3000 and $5000 for a 3-month course of this nature (not including accommodation). For this investment, you can be assured of a high standard of teaching and a certificate or qualification from a recognized institution.
There are also some language schools that offer specialist intensive English programs abroad, so you can study in an English-speaking country and benefit from immersion learning at the same time.
A couple of options include:
- Kaplan: Choose from language schools across the US, Canada, the UK, and Ireland. Intensive courses start from $4,650 for 4 weeks, including tuition and accommodation. They guarantee you will advance at least one level every 10 weeks.
- EF: A choice of destinations all over the world, with intensive courses consisting of 32 40-minute lessons per week. Courses include accommodation and meals with a local host. It’s recommended you commit for at least 4-6 weeks to make the most of the experience.
Are there any free intensive English programs?
Some libraries, community centers, and learning institutions offer free English classes, but they are unlikely to be intensive programs. Still, if you have little or no budget, it’s a good idea to check what’s available for free near you.
There are also some online options to consider:
Coursera
Coursera is an online learning platform with dozens of free English courses, including some excellent business English courses from top universities.
They are not specifically intensive courses, but there is no limit on how many you can take or how quickly you can progress through each module. So, if you wanted to spend a solid 2 weeks studying English, you could do it here for free.
Note that there is a fee if you wish to receive any kind of assessment or a certificate for your course completion.
Alison
Alison is another platform where you can learn English free online, with hundreds of English courses for all levels and covering all kinds of specialties.
Again, most of these are not intensive courses, but you can create your own accelerated program by selecting several courses of interest and working through them as quickly as you like. Most courses on the platform take just 2-3 hours to complete, so you could aim to complete one a day to give your English a boost.
As with Coursera, although you can access the course materials for free, you must pay a small fee to receive a certificate of completion.
Note that neither of these options give you the chance to practice what you are learning or to receive feedback from a teacher. Some online English programs are very affordable, starting from as little as $7 per month, and we’d recommend you look into these as well, for a more complete learning experience.
Conclusion: Is an intensive English course right for you?
We have looked at various pros and cons of taking intensive English classes, so hopefully you now have a better idea of whether this is a good option for you.
If you need to improve your English for a particular purpose, such as a job application or university admission, and you have a short deadline, then an intensive course might suit you well – especially if you will be able to use what you learn straight away.
With several good online English intensive courses available, you can get started immediately and for a very reasonable fee – although traveling abroad for an immersive course is also very effective if you have the time and funds available.
Also consider downloading an app for learning English which will help you retain your new skills and continue building your fluency over the long term.
