Why is Business English training beneficial?

Effective business communication in your own mother tongue is crucial, in English it is no different. You want to feel confident and at ease when presenting, negotiating with business stakeholders and have the necessary skills at your fingertips, to be able to react and take charge of a conversation.

Whether you have personal development aims in mind, or you are looking to advance your career opportunities, improving your Business English skills is a great place to start and is key to many roles in business. In a competitive job market, candidates with strong Business English skills stand out. Employers value employees who can communicate effectively with international clients, negotiate contracts, and represent the company professionally.

Many of us live and work in a multi-cultural environment and a better cultural understanding is vitally important in many aspects of life and business. “Knowledge is Power”. Harvey’s Academy lays great emphasis on this element of its training programs. We aim to help individuals understand the nuances of communication and behaviour in different business contexts, empowering them to be more successful in their role at work. 

Whilst there are many great apps and online programs nowadays, offering Business English Services, nothing will compare to face-to-face coaching and training in this field. Harvey's Academy offers you a business companion to take you by the hand and show you the way. 

How do I choose the best service for me?

Harvey’s Academy offers 3 products which cater to your needs. Firstly, we advise you to consider which type of learning environment is best for you (e.g. 1:1 or group, online or in-house). Secondly, what are your training requirements? (e.g. Do you require ultimate flexibility? Do you require your trainer to cover specific / current work topics and projects?). By reading through the product descriptions, you should be able to decide which product suits you and your requirements best. If not, please contact us and we will be happy to discuss this in more detail. 

We have hand-picked our highly qualified, experienced trainers. All trainers are CELTA qualified (a certificate and qualification issued by the University of Cambridge for teaching English as a foreign language and is the most widely recognised English teaching qualification in the world). Not only are our trainers CELTA qualified, but they have also worked in industry and come with an empathy and deeper understanding of the working world. 

Once we have had an initial consultation with you and have gained a good understanding of your needs and requirements, we will find the best suited trainer for you (considering their own business background and areas of expertise). 

Which topics and content are covered in the training?

A free 30-45 min initial consultation is offered to every new client. During this call or meeting, we conduct a Needs Analysis and listen carefully to your wishes. Based on this session, we create a training plan. We ascertain where the emphasis needs to be laid (fluency, grammar, intercultural learning etc), whether it is Harvey’s Academy led content or your own business content. We use current business material and training techniques, which ensure real-life scenarios and business news topics are at the centre of our training.

What is the duration of a session each week?

We offer 60 min and 90 min weekly sessions. We advise group sessions to always be 90 min, due to the larger number of people simultaneously learning. With 1:1 sessions, this should be decided according to your availability and we can best advise you on this, once we have understood your requirements. 

How many sessions are included in one course?

This is in your hands and you decide when you have reached your own goals. Most clients see the benefits and appreciate the help of the weekly exchange in their day-to-day business, so courses continue for months and years. We advise that a minimum of 3-4 months is necessary to ensure the time invested has been beneficial.

How can I measure my progress?

Every person learns differently. It is our aim to very quickly establish each person’s learning behaviour and adjust our learning model to best fit them. We usually find that after about 6-9 weeks you will start to notice a substantial difference in levels of confidence and understanding. You will see the benefits of the routine of practice and taking time out of your day for Business English training. Progress then continues at a steady rate as you delve deeper into material and our aim is to then reach the goals you set out at the very beginning within the dedicated timeframe.

We are able to issue ‘Academy’ Certificates of Achievement for completed courses, should the company or individual require this. 

What costs can I expect?

As you have probably already realised, our products are tailor made to meet your requirements. Whilst each service has an approximate costing, the final price can vary depending on whether the course is online or in-house at your offices (meaning travel costs etc. are included), the duration of each weekly session, number of participants etc.) Contact us for an individual, competitive quote and we can discuss your questions and thoughts best by phone or E-Mail.

Can I postpone or cancel my sessions?

It depends on the course that you have chosen. 1:1 and Group courses can postpone up to two sessions in a 3-month period, giving at least 24 hours notice. Any additional cancelled sessions will still be charged. 

If you are a member of the Executive Club, then it is possible to postpone sessions and re-arrange online to an alternative day and time of your choice. No additional fees or charges are made.  

Is training in house (at my office) or online?

We are flexible and will fit in with you. The common use of home-office and online meetings means that the vast majority of our clients prefer online training. It saves time for both the clients and trainer and is also cheaper, as travel costs can be avoided. We have a library of fantastic online learning tools and programs at our disposal, which ensures our training sessions are modern, interactive and inspiring for all participants. Should you however prefer in-house training sessions to take place, we can also happily offer you this service. 

How do you assess the level of my English before we start?

Clients who choose our 1:1 training product have an individual Needs Analysis session which enables us to also assess the level of English. Clients who choose the Group training product for their employees receive a free online English language test for each participant, before the course begins. This enables us to ascertain how many groups will be required and assign each team member to the correct level of course.

Why should I choose Harvey’s Academy?

This is a good question, considering there are a number of schools and training institutions in the market place. It needs to be the right people fit, you need to be convinced of the concept and the professional service you are investing into. We here, at Harvey’s Academy, believe in our products and that we can offer you what you need and can deliver 100% satisfaction. We strongly believe that our modern, innovative and personalised training techniques, which are brought to you by business experts and trainers, is a tried and tested recipe for success. We possess the perfect combination of training and business expertise in one. A mutual understanding and empathy is there from the start. Find out more about our story here.

How quickly can my course start?

This depends on a number of factors and availability of trainers. However, normally once the contract has been signed, we are able to start within 2-3 weeks.