Some providers also offer you the opportunity to learn English online and prepare for upcoming internationally recognized exams. Unlike many other language courses, online courses offer the advantage that the teacher focuses exclusively on you and you are required to study intensively throughout the entire lesson. This leads to greater learning success, so that you can complete the preparations for a diploma exam in a much shorter time than is the case in a conventional language course at a language school. In terms of content, there is little difference between the two types of course. You can learn all the English online that you would learn in a normal language course, sometimes even more, and in this way prepare optimally for Cambridge certificates such as the Preliminary English Test (PET), the First Certificate in English (FCE), the Certificate of Advanced Studies (CAE), the Certificate of Proficiency English (CPE) or other examinations. Preparation for TOEFL, TOEIC, IELTS or BULATS tests is also possible at some language schools.

Each school determines the duration of its English courses itself, so there is no one-size-fits-all answer. At many language schools, you can book language packages ranging from a few refresher lessons to preparation for special English language exams with around 50 lessons. These lessons can be taken at any time, depending on how quickly and intensively you want to learn English online. We recommend 4 to 6 months for online courses with around 50 lessons for people who are not in too much of a hurry. With other schools, you book courses for predetermined dates, for example every Tuesday from 6.30 p.m. to 9 p.m. over a period of perhaps 16 weeks. With this option, you are a little more tied down, but you can usually catch up on missed lessons.
It is worth comparing the offers of the language schools to find the best and most suitable offer for you.

If you want to learn English online, online language schools will be happy to prepare you for diploma exams. For language diplomas at a higher level, a passed diploma at the previous level is obligatory. These are the most common English language diplomas (but not the only ones) at level C1/C2:

• C1: Cambridge English Advanced (CAE)
• C1: Cambridge English Business Higher (BEC H)
• C1: TOEFL (Test of English as a Foreign Language) C1
• C1: TOEIC (Test of English for International Communication) C1
• C1: IELTS (International English Language Testing System) C1
• C1: ILEC (International Legal English Certificate) C1
• C1: ICFE (International Certificate in Financial English) C1
• C1: BULATS (Business Language Testing Service) C1

• C2: Cambridge English Proficiency (CPE)
• C2: IELTS (International English Language Testing System) C2
• C2: BULATS (Business Language Testing Service) C2

Some schools offer special courses in business English that you can also take online. In this way, you can learn exactly the English you need for your day-to-day work online, industry-specific and job-specific, from the comfort of your own home or anywhere else in the world. Such online courses are offered as conventional certificate courses or, if you are interested, can also prepare you for an internationally recognized diploma examination. This can be the BEC Business Certificate Priliminary, Business Certificate Vantage or Business Certificate Higher test. You choose your level depending on your previous knowledge of English. The language schools where you would like to learn Business English online will be happy to advise you on the appropriate level for you.

If you want to learn English online, you usually have several options for doing so. Depending on the school, different models are available to train you according to your needs. You can often learn English with a teacher via webcam so that you can combine one-to-one lessons with the convenience of learning flexibly wherever you want. The main focus is on oral communication and you are encouraged to speak freely and as much as possible.

There are also combined courses in which you receive individually compiled teaching materials and work through them at home. Various tools are available to help you with your learning, such as vocabulary optimizers, translators and dictionaries. You also have conversation courses where you can practise your pronunciation with a teacher live on screen and have questions answered. Instead of e-learning via webcam, you also have the option of taking telephone lessons to improve your fluency. You can find other models for learning English online directly from the relevant language schools and course providers.