A boutique language school in beautiful Devon
Started in 1980, we have 37 years of experience in helping people of all ages to learn English and to find out about our English culture and way of life. Based in the iconic Gate House building in the heart of Totnes, the school offers a range of English courses for individuals and groups year from 4 years upwards.
Totnes is a beautiful, historic town in Devon, close to Bristol and Exeter airports. Our town has a rich and unique heritage where history and tradition blend with alternative living and sustainability-and we will help our students to experience both.
All our adult and junior courses are based in the Gate House so parents know they can easily contact their children as well as focus on their own English progress. Our Cultural Experience courses take students outside the classroom to learn English in different historic and tourist places.
There’s also no need for buses or trains as Totnes is a compact town- our adult host families are within walking distance of the school.
GENERAL ENGLISH:
The most popular course. Each week is focused on a particular topic. 2-15 students.
INTENSIVE ENGLISH:
This is an extension to the General English classes with a focus on developing Speaking, listening, reading and writing skills.
CULTURAL EXPERIENCE
This is a one or two-week course which is an increasingly popular alternative to GENERAL ENGLISH. 1-4 students per group.
The course is based mainly outside the classroom and includes visits to Totnes Guildhall, Dartington Hall, Cockington Village and Buckfast Abbey.
WORK EXPERIENCE
Many of our students opt for a work experience course. They can choose full-time work experience or part-time. If students do part-time they also have General English classes.
ONE TO ONE LESSONS
We arrange private lessons for students on demand to focus on specific areas of interest.
MINI STAY OUT OF SEASON GROUPS
Our mini stays are one or two week courses aimed at closed groups of young learners and are usually offered outside the summer season.
Each day is topic based and students learn following a very “hands on approach” to English.
SUMMER JUNIOR ENGLISH and ACTIVITIES or JUNIOR ENGLISH and ADVENTURE
The Junior English Syllabus is designed specifically for young learners with the aim of encouraging communication and real use of English. This course combines the use of text books with the use of our own syllabus, which is integrated with the afternoon activities.
For a little more per week, students can book our Adventure programme and add two extra afternoon excursions with an adventure focus such as paddle-boarding, surfing or canoeing…
SUMMER YOUNG ADULT ENGLISH and ACTIVITIES or YOUNG ADULT ENGLISH and WORK EXPERIENCE
The Young Adult Syllabus is designed for 16-21 year olds who want to acquire the language necessary to prepare for school examinations, university entrance and the world of work, at the same time as discussing current affairs and interesting topics.
Students choose between Part-time Work Experience and Activities for the other half of the day, which are connected to the English lessons.
SUMMER PLAY WITH ENGLISH
This is a lively course for young children incorporating English language learning through games, stories and songs in a fun and innovative way.
SUMMER KINDERGARTEN ENGLISH
This is an engaging programme, focusing on interesting and appropriate activities to give younger students a positive first approach to language learning.
"English in Totnes is a good and nice English school in the very centre of Totnes. I was very satisfied with my choice: they have friendly and well-prepared English teachers, they adapt the course according to your needs, they organize interesting practical extra-activities in the afternoon, very useful to learn a doing-things language and to socialize with other students and local people, and last but not least, you feel there like you are at home"
All our adult homestays are within walking distance of the school and offer a range of catering options from self-catering to full board. Our junior homestays are either in Totnes itself or in surrounding villages not more than a 10-minute drive by car away. If students are located outside Totnes, the families drive them to and from school every day.
Totnes is a beautiful, historic and, we think, unique town set on the River Dart, close to Dartmoor and the South Devon coast. It is an extraordinary community unlike any other, welcoming people from all backgrounds and places with a warm hearted openness unusual in a small country town. A thriving centre of music, art, theatre and all forms of alternative and natural health, the town is committed to sustainable living and environmental responsibility. Home to the Transition Town movement, Totnes embodies the idea of shared space and living with care. It is also steeped in history and sprinkled with magic.
You will not find McDonalds or Starbucks here - instead, small local artisan and boutique businesses, ancient historic buildings and a wide range of excellent bars, cafes and restaurants, not to mention its very own Narnia.
Totnes is a great place to spend time browsing and enjoying leisure time, and its Friday and Saturday markets, plus regular Elizabethan and food markets, make shopping an unexpected pleasure.
This really is a perfect slice of England. Totnes is a world away from the frenetic hub of London but with a life, heart and soul all of its own and still within easy reach of the capital.
We offer exam preparation for Cambridge and IELTS exams in our Intensive English option. These are normally small groups (2-4 students) so we can tailor the exam practice to a student’s particular needs. We offer plenty of exam practice materials and encourage students to stay and work independently in the school after class, knowing that our Academic Supervisor is on hand to advise and assist where necessary.
Our teaching ethos is based on discovering individual strengths and weaknesses and working towards personal targets, rather than a generalised approach that may or may not work for you. Our classroom settings are specially designed to encourage conversation and participation, integrating technology and maximising outcomes for everyone.
Our courses provide students with authentic English in context, which means that they can take the language from our input sessions and put it into practice and experiment with it on the same day. Our learners are fully immersed in the language and in the complex socio-cultural context of Totnes.
To find out more about this school or to book a course, contact the School today.