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General English (25 Hours p/w)

MC Academy
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Course description

The General English courses we provide at MC Academy are designed for students of all levels of English who want to improve their language skills in order to facilitate their everyday lives or improve their English level in order to further their careers or studies. Using a wide range of coursebooks and materials, MC Academy helps students to prepare for a life in English or for exam preparation classes. Classes range from Beginner (A1) to Advanced level (C2).

Aims of the course

The General English courses at MC Academy aim to:

Improve student grammar, speaking, listening, reading and writing skills
Develop student vocabulary and functional language skills
Ensure student participation and collaboration by using a communicative approach in classes
Give students an excellent understanding of British culture through varied class topics

Course topics

Listening, Speaking, Pronunciation, Reading, Writing, Vocabulary, Grammar and Activities

Class schedule

Course duration
1-52 weeks
Start dates
Every Monday
Classes per week
25 lessons per week (each lesson lasts 60 min)
Class days
Monday - Friday
School holidays
25 Dec 2024 - 01 Jan 2025

Class times

Morning session
09:00 AM - 10:30 AM
Break
10:30 AM - 10:45 AM
Morning session
10:45 AM - 12:15 PM
Lunch
12:15 PM - 12:30 PM
Afternoon session
12:30 PM - 01:30 PM
Lunch
01:30 PM - 02:00 PM
Afternoon session
02:00 PM - 03:00 PM

Class schedule may change depending on availability and season.

Class level

All levels, beginner to advanced
You will take a placement test on your first day to determine your class level. You may also take this test before your arrival in Manchester.

Class size

Average 14 students
Maximum 14 students

Student age

Age range 16 - 99 years old
Average 22 years old

Certificate

A certificate of completion will be issued at the end of the course.
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school

School description

MC Academy is an English Language Academy with a passion for teaching an excellent level of education. Our school first opened in Manchester city centre in 2005 and has continued to provide year-round English language courses to adults and young learners ever since.

MC Academy is accredited by the British Council and is a member of English UK. Every teacher at MC Academy is fully qualified with a recognised teaching qualification and a University undergraduate degree. Most of our teachers have over 2 years of teaching experience in the UK or abroad.

MC Academy's social calendar features a range of exciting and sociable activities each day, many of which are free of charge. Typically, each week there will be a get-together at a local cafe in the city centre, speaking clubs, museum visits, bowling, seasonal events, and visits to other cities such as Liverpool. One of MC Academy's qualified teachers will accompany the students at each social activity. MC Academy is located in the heart of Manchester's city centre in Piccadilly Gardens. We are within a 2-minute walk of Piccadilly bus station and Piccadilly and Market Street tram stops. We are also a short 10-minute walk from both Piccadilly and Victoria train stations. We have many of Manchester's famous shops, museums, bars and restaurants on our doorstep.

Our facilities include a computer room with free internet access, free wireless internet access, self-study materials, a library and a student lounge with drinks and snacks available for purchase.

Year opened
2005
Number of classrooms
9

Accreditations

Facilities

  • Library
  • Social Activities
  • Cultural Trips
  • Elevators
  • Wheelchair access
  • Eating Area
  • Free Internet
  • Wireless Internet
  • Computers
  • After-Class Seminars
  • Studying Area
  • Sports Activities

Teacher qualifications

Native English speakers
Over 50%
Teachers with English teaching certification
All
Teachers with college degrees
All

University partners

MC Academy has partnerships with the following universities and colleges in UK. You can gain full or conditional acceptance into one of these institutions.

Coventry University
De Montfort University Leicester
University of Greenwich
University of Wales, Bangor

Nationality and age mix

The nationality and age mix at MC Academy varies over different time periods, courses and levels. Throughout the year, the average age is 22. In the summer, the average age is 22.

School holidays

Open dates
Year round
School holidays
25 Dec 2024 - 01 Jan 2025

School location

MC Academy is located in the heart of Manchester's city centre in Piccadilly Gardens. We are within a 2 minute walk of Piccadilly bus station and Piccadilly and Market Street tram stops. We are also a short 10 minute walk from both Piccadilly and Victoria train stations.We have many of Manchester's famous shops, museums, bars and restaurants on our doorstep.

Take a video tour

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photos

Photos

  • Reception of MC Academy 1/25
  • Classroom at MC Academy 2/25
  • Common room at MC Academy 3/25
  • MC Academy 4/25
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  • MC Academy 13/25
  • Homestay housing offered by MC Academy 14/25
  • Homestay housing offered by MC Academy 15/25
  • Homestay housing offered by MC Academy 16/25
  • Homestay housing offered by MC Academy 17/25
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  • Homestay housing offered by MC Academy 19/25
  • Student residence offered by MC Academy 20/25
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  • Student residence offered by MC Academy 23/25
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  • Student residence offered by MC Academy 25/25
reviews

Reviews

75% recommend

based on 4 reviews
5 stars
2
4 stars
1
3 stars
0
2 stars
1
1 star
0
Quality of teaching
School facilities
Social activities
School location
Housing

"It was a fun and interesting experience."

Mario Auer, student from Switzerland

I took one class per day on intermediate level. My teacher was lots of fun, the atmosphere felt very relaxed yet productive. I didn't really go there to learn anything, however I did end up with some knowledge of grammar rules that I had forgotten. The administration wasn't particularly great as they asked for a confirmation of my payment which they should have had. They nearly blocked me from studying there for that reason. Therefore, the administrative part of the school could use some work but my overall experience of the school was very good.

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My ratings for this school

Quality of teaching
School facilities
Social activities
School location
Duration of study
2 weeks
Date of study
14 Aug 2023 - 1 Sep 2023
Would you recommend this school?
Yes
This is a verified review. This student has booked a course at this school through Language International.

"Amazing!!"

Martin Macias, student from Mexico

Amazing teachers, I booked for two weeks and I’m looking forward to return for more, i Learn a lot and also the accommodations was great such a wonderful people.

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My ratings for this school

Quality of teaching
School facilities
Social activities
School location
Housing
Duration of study
1 week
Date of study
13 Jun 2022 - 24 Jun 2022
Would you recommend this school?
Yes
This is a verified review. This student has booked a course at this school through Language International.
Krystian Griffiths, Marketing Manager & Social Activity Coordinator at MC Academy responded to this review.
19 December 2022

We are glad to hear that you have enjoyed your time studying at MC Academy! We will look forward to seeing you again in the future! Don't forget to visit MC Academy if you ever come back to visit Mancheter.

"Wanted more courses of business English but this was impossible to arrange."

Iina Vuorinen, student from Finland

I liked to study in a small group. I liked the two teachers (Charlotte and Paul) which I met during my studies.

I didn't like that school was a little bit dirty. I had paid all my studies include materials like book, registration fee and taxi return
airport - hotel-airport, but when I arrived to Manchester. There was no taxi and I had to paid once trip again.

Before I ordered this English course, it is possible at school tailor made to courses what I'll want. This wasn't true.

There were many students from Saudi-Arabia and they spoke Arabic to each other.

In my mind this school wants more students and their money. They don't care about the students needs at all.

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My ratings for this school

Quality of teaching
School facilities
Social activities
School location
Date of study
14 Oct 2019 - 18 Oct 2019
Would you recommend this school?
No
This is a verified review. This student has booked a course at this school through Language International.
Krystian, Marketing Manager, Social Activities Co-Ordinator & Sales Office at MC Academy responded to this review.
24 October 2019

Dear Iina,

Thank you for your review.
I am sorry that you felt that your time at the school was not satisfactory, however, there are a few points that I would like discuss regarding your review.

1. I am glad that you liked your teachers, Charlotte and Paul, they are both excellent teachers and they very much enjoyed your presence in both of their classes.
2. In regards to the airport transfer, I have been informed that there had been a mix up with your airport transfer, so on behalf of the school, I can only apologise for the inconvenience that this may have caused for you. This being said, I have been informed that a full refund of the taxi was offered to you from the school's Finance Officer.
3. The majority of the students at the school are Arabic-speakers, however, all students present at the school are encouraged to speak English to one another regardless of their native language in order to help improve their fluency in the language.
4 You stated in your review that you would have preferred to have studied a tailored-course, specifically Business English, however, my colleagues were not informed of a desire to study Business English during your studies at the school.
5. The school is cleaned every morning by the school's cleaners, so I can only apologise if you think the school was dirty, however, the school is cleaned to high standard every day.
6. I have noticed that you rated the school's social activities with one star, however, as the Social Co-Ordinator at the school, I can confirm that you did not attend any of the school's social activities during your week of studies and I therefore believe that this rating is unfounded based on this.
7. All members of staff at the school take great care when helping students so I can only apologise if you did not feel this way when studying at the school.

Thank you again for leaving a review of the school and I would be more than happy to assist you with any questions that you may have.

"It has been an interesting experience, funny and useful."

Elisabetta Rovera, student from Italy

The School is well organized and the employees are very friendly. I enjoyed my classes because my teacher was nice and kind. Moreover, the lessons were interesting and entertaining.

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My ratings for this school

Quality of teaching
School facilities
Social activities
School location
Date of study
19 Jun 2017 - 23 Jun 2017
Would you recommend this school?
Yes
This is a verified review. This student has booked a course at this school through Language International.
Krystian Griffiths, Marketing & Social Activities Coordinator at MC Academy responded to this review.
23 October 2017

Thank you for your response.

It is great to hear that you enjoyed your time studying at MC Academy.

I wish you all the best for the future.

housing

Housing

MC Academy offers the following housing types:
homestay

Homestay (18+ Years Old)

NZ$ 461
weekly
Age range: 18 years old and older
Housing type: Homestay
Room type: Single-person room
Board type: Breakfast and dinner on weekdays, 3 meals on weekends (16 meals per week)
Facilities: Private bathroom, kitchen, laundry, wireless internet, free internet, tV room, carpet, hardwood, air conditioning, heating, garden, and other
Distance to school: 20 - 45 minutes
Availability: January - December
Check-in: Sunday, anytime
Check-out: Saturday, anytime
NZ$ 461
Living with a British family is a great way to improve your English while living in Manchester. Our host families are very varied; you may stay with a single person, a family with one child, a family with many children, a retired couple, a young couple, a family with pets etc.

All our Homestay Hosts are inspected to British Council standards so whatever family you live with we guarantee that they will be friendly, passionate about helping you learn English and committed to ensuring you have a great time in Manchester.

If you choose Homestay Accommodation with MC Academy, you can expect:
- Your own bedroom (usually single)
- Breakfast and evening meal from Monday to Friday and three meals on weekends and public holidays
- Shared bathroom with laundry facilities
- Average of 40 minutes to MC Academy by public transport
- Host families are trained and provided with a copy of our Child Protection Policy. We work closely with them to guarantee the protection and welfare of our under 18’s.

Homestay for under 18’s may be provided by an external agency.
visa

Visa support

We cannot apply for visas on behalf of students. However, the school can supply you with all the documentation you need to support your visa application.

If you are studying in the UK for over 11 months, you will receive a reference number called a Confirmation of Acceptance for Studies (CAS) that you need to submit to the UK embassy along with your General Student Visa application. Students who have successfully booked a language course and have paid their fees will receive a CAS from MC Academy. Please note that UK law states that a CAS can only be issued to students who intend to pursue English language studies for over 11 months.

If you are studying in the UK for 11 months or less, you have to apply for a special visitor visa called a Student Visitor Visa. As a student visitor, you will not be able to work part-time while studying. If you plan to study in the UK for 11 months or less, a letter of acceptance will be sent to your home address by regular mail at no charge to you.

Learn more about how to get a UK visa »

Flights and airport transfer

Please note that we do not book flights for our students. If you are researching airfare costs, we recommend using Kayak.com, a search engine that lets you compare flight options from your home country to Manchester based on your budget, schedule and preferences.

Travel insurance

Study abroad worry-free with Language International's health and personal effects insurance coverage. When you book a course with us, you can opt to purchase an international insurance plan that covers not only your health care cost but also loss of your personal belongings. You must book your insurance in advance when you register.

Learn more about our insurance plan »

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questions

Questions and answers

Have questions? Get answers from MC Academy staff, Language International student advisors, and past students.

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