Generally, it is always easier to handle a small number of students rather than a big number and this holds true for most subjects. Before taking an English class, you should first find out the number of students you will be learning with. Remember that large classes are often out of control and hard to teach while with a smaller number, you will be able to get more attention from the teacher. The quality of learning and the ability to progress will also be higher so try for a course with a class of 15 students or less. Listen to what other people recommend It is ultimately important to speak to other people who may be more informed and experienced than you are. Ask your friends or family for advice or go online to look for reviews about English courses in various schools. If you choose this latter option, you should be careful about the source of such reviews since the schools can write some as part of their marketing services and they might therefore be biased and exaggerated. The question of native and non-native teachers Where the teacher comes from may influence the quality of learning. There are excellent native and non-native English teachers so it really all depends on what you prefer. For a beginner, non-native teachers might be best since they understand the challenges. However, for advanced English courses, a native teacher is usually better. Choose a class that focuses on speaking rather than grammar Learning English was traditionally focused on grammar. However, listening and speaking have been established as important parts of learning and actually communicating in English is more important in the long run. Understand that learning English will not be cheap Don’t choose a school only because it offers cheap courses as the price might actually reflect the quality ot teaching.