R.

Sandianes, Carmen (work exp)

1. How could the Spanish MLC network be better? The construction of the website is good and well-organised. It is simple and easy to use it. Information is clear and concise. It captures your attention and then, if you have five minutes to be in front of your laptop, you will read it completely. After all as the Spanish writer Baltasar Gracian said: Brevity is the soul of wit. But of course, if we talk about the possibility to improve the website, I think it could be fine to add more information and maybe, to create new folders or fields. After being here for three weeks as a work-experience student, I know there is too information that isnt included on the web page but it appears, for example, in the brochures from the agents. How about giving the opportunity to downloan all the information from websitei? Why not include a lessons calendar or maybe, the festive days in Kent during year?, or you could even add every month the Social Programme which is given to teachers and pupils? (Just a few details). MLC has an open group on Facebook. This is a really good option for everybody who has been in Margate and in the Language Center and moreover for everybody who only wants to go for a virtual walk for Kent coastal and surrounding area. Connecting people, showing photos, telling anecdotes or simply giving some information. Why not create a Twitter profile? Show the news happening around Kent or, if you want to be more specific, in Margate, plans going coming up in MLC: from the weekends excursions to the Fridays jazz concerts at The Hole, to the Turner Exposition. Little ways that can help MLC be more visible. In the cyberspace, the one way to become more tangible is by word by mouth. Everyone to talk about MLC. The more that its named, the more known becomes and that can result in POTENTIAL & PROBABLE GROWTH. If we write Margate and English words on www.google.com we obtain thousands of results but we can see the Spanish website (www.mlcengland.com) appears on 9th position down other companies who offer English courses too. But if we do the search on English we will find that is on first position: well done! If we wanted to get the position to go to the top of the search we would need some techniques of position SEOii. Even knowing that we are talking about languages courses, in this case English, I think it is very important to show the town to everybody. That is not too big, right, and a lot of students think only to go to study in big cities like London and they forgot about small magical places that have a lot to explore. They have a lot of advantages and the one thing to know is how to exalt them. Moreover it is also positive that so many languages agencies know that MLC exists and for this reason the MLC staff has done a great job. The MLC labor has to continue and keep doing and, why not, growing.

2. Why do Spanish students choose MLC?

There isnt just one reason that influence that decision. Even more in this case when the students going out from their country to learn another language and to have a new experience in a place different from their own. In some cases the new futures students come to Margate for the beach, also because it has a good conecction with London and big cities around here. It could also be because they are looking for a certain calm or to try different places, for the price or the cultural and social offer that Thanet island has Doing a very short research I could draw the following conclusion:

Most people (between 18-30 years old) come to MLC to study because MECiii of Spain gave them a grant. Well it may be curious but this type of grants for language courses (iv) is only given by the Goverment to students who had received a grant one or two years ago whether do university studies or not. During the course of 2011-2012 MEC has attributed 1.324 million of euros for grants and as people can see on the website: Todos los solicitantes que cumplan con los requisitos establecidos por las convocatorias tienen asegurada una beca(v). At the same time people who received any help during the course can ask a grant to study languages (between June and November included) both years 2012 and 2013. This is very well known nationwide. If we are lucky enough to be granted autonomy we can also get subsidies and, in some cases, some extra financial help is given to residents in some cities. Otherwise once you get the grant you can find innumerable agencies that offer packs just to do a language course. There is a lot of competitiveness and too much work during summer season.

These are some agencies that you can find on the web and they are used to send advertising across newslettters, universities, libraries, etc. Agencies http://www.ef.co.uk/ http://www.united-languages.com/ http://www.studytravel.com/ http://www.viajes-idiomas.es/ http://www.becasidiomas.org/ http://www.lenguaviajes.es/ http://www.lsi.edu/ http://mundoidiomas.com/ http://www.lsw-idiomas.es/ http://www.escuelasdeingles.es/ Does Margate appear in it? ? NO NO YES NO NO NO NO NO NO

Thinking at length, when I came to Margate for the first time it was for three reasons: There were advertising travel languages around the city I lived in. They offered courses for three weeks in Margate (and I felt in love just when I saw pictures of the city). PRICE. My grant was 1.600 euros and the course didnt cost more than 1100 euros. I could afford to pay the transfer from the airport to the place that would be my new home for 21 days and I still had money to let me some caprices. (I went to Dover, Ramsgate and Broadstairs frequently in the afternoon or evening, I travelled by boat in Sandwich, walked around Deal, spent my time in London)

So, in my opinion, it is important that Margate appear in brochures, websites and agencies so many times as possible. That wont ensure that people pick this school directly but, at least, this small coast town will have more chances to be known and visited, dont you think?

3. Could MLC get, more Spanish students in the future? How?

Yes. Its always possible to improve and its always possible to get something better even if we didnt think so. Maybe everything I suggested doesnt have sense or maybe cant be done for different reasons, although I thought about the following: Why not offer a free course (stay + classes) to someone?(Obviously I dont know what can be the selection method in that case), prizes for the best students in each class/group every 15 days? Without doubts, different strategies should be used, comparing with the rest of the schools and language centers which offering courses in UK to get MLC on the top, to get people to talk about the place and their work turn into a reality MLC exponential growth. Giving lessons outside when the English weather allows it, some in the park, in a coffee shop, a breakfast I dont know! Something different to try to pay attention to the biggest and the littlest people and turn MLC into a unbeatable and special language center.

Giving lessons are good: grammar, speaking, listening Of course, we need everything. Most of students from Spain have received English classes since they were 6, maybe even before that age, but when they had to face a real life situation where their skills to speak in English are essential they realize that they have some weak points in their language learning methods. Maybe one day we can include some songs to listen to, analyze and talk about and we could do the same with movies or concrete scene, sometimes could have conferences at the school I dont know, more real English in real life. I dont know if itd be possible to offer some discounts to some students. Maybe to those of them with more difficulties to pay the stay in an other country we could be propose options like work experience and show these options on the web page. Some people think that there is nothing to do in Margate but I believe differently. Like everything in this life all depends on the way the person is on their objectives, interests and what they are looking for. Its no the same for someone who comes for three weeks with a grant as it is for others who come six months for an intensive course. You must bear in mind the heterogeneity of the students and try to satisfy, in every particular way, their necessities (although it is being done perfectly everyday).

CONCLUSION: In short, to improve the website, in order to get Spanish students to come Margate more than any other English city is not a easy task and it isnt possible to solve in a couple of days. It must be a continuous work and in some cases itd be necessary to run trials and learn from some mistakes. Maybe one can have a brilliant idea and when it starts it doesnt work, then it would have to polish it up until finding the correct way. Margate is a good place to learn English however if the person doesnt make an effort to connect with people, integrate with students, English people and/or host family, if they dont have willpower Any place will be good to learn. I think, studying does not have to be a boring activity. MLC is here to help us learn but our improvement only depends on ourselves.

That doesnt mean you couldnt send information to whoever asked for it (agents or students). Its only one more option. ii http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Search_engine_optimization http://static.googleusercontent.com/external_content/untrusted_dlcp/www.google.com/es//webmasters/docs/searc h-engine-optimization-starter-guide.pdf iii Ministerio de Educacin y Ciencia / Education and Science Ministery iv http://www.educacion.gob.es/horizontales/servicios/becas-ayudas-subvenciones/para-estudiar/idiomas.html

All students have the requirement for announcement they have the grant ensure.