The first week of September has something of the first week of January. Full diaries, yes, but also fresh energy, new plans and a training budget that is still largely untouched.
Starting a language programme in September also means an uninterrupted training rhythm ahead: no summer holiday that halts everything halfway through. The only risk is that September is over before you know it. Hence the playbook for starting now.
Why is September the best moment to start?
Three reasons.
Rhythm. Between September and December there is room for fourteen to sixteen consecutive teaching weeks, exactly the length of a complete programme, with results before Christmas.
Budget. This year’s training budget still has to be spent, and a programme starting in September falls neatly within this financial year.
Momentum. Teams are more open to something new after the summer than in November, when the December rush is already being felt.
What has to happen in week one?
Not the quote, but the measurement. The biggest delay in language programmes is the discussion about who has which level and who can be grouped with whom. An objective level assessment per participant settles that discussion in one go.
For business English you can do that immediately and free of charge with the Business English Team Scan. With the results in hand, the rest of the planning is largely a fill-in exercise. If you want to know what the different levels actually mean first, read our blog on language levels and the CEFR.
Start with measurement, not with quotes
The Business English Team Scan gives you an objective picture of your team’s level in a few minutes per employee. Free, available in Dutch and English.
What does a realistic planning look like?
Four weeks from first measurement to first lesson, if you keep it tight.
- Week 1: level assessment and goals per participant.
- Week 2: quote and group allocation. Which participants fit together in a group, and who needs individual training?
- Week 3: scheduling. Lock lesson times into the diaries of participants and trainers alike. This is the step that gets postponed most often and causes the most delay.
- Week 4: kick-off and first lesson. The participant meets the trainer, discusses learning goals and work situation, and begins.
Whoever starts measuring on 1 September has a running programme by the end of September and measurable results by mid-December. Whoever starts September by “asking around a bit” starts in November, right up against the holidays. Curious what such a programme costs? You will find the price factors in our blog on the cost of business language training.
Which mistakes come back every autumn?
The classics. Grouping participants by job title instead of by level, which leaves half the group bored and the other half dropping out. Scheduling lessons on Friday afternoon: the first slot free in the diary and the first to be sacrificed once things get busy. And a programme without a final assessment, so nobody in January can say what it delivered.
All three are preventable with one extra week of preparation. How to approach that preparation is covered in our blog on how a language programme is built up.
Ready to start this autumn?
Measure where your team stands first. After that we know exactly which programme is needed and what it will cost.
Frequently asked questions
Is October too late to start?
No, but the margin gets smaller. A programme starting in October runs into the new year. That is fine, but it requires alignment on how the budget is booked.
How long does it take from quote to first lesson?
At Language Partners you receive a proposal within two working days. After approval and the intakes per participant, an individual online programme can often start within a week. A group training typically starts within two to three weeks.
Can new employees join a running programme later?
That depends on the level and the point the programme has reached. Sometimes joining in is possible, in other cases it is better to start a new programme. We are happy to think along with you.
