Maltese education provider EC has unveiled its digital learning platform, Fusion, which allows students to combine self-paced online learning with immersive classroom teaching.
Through the 12-week programme, EC aims to offer Executive English and Core English classes to students at a fraction of the cost and at their convenience over the course of a year.
“One of the drivers that we’re looking to address with these programmes are those students who find a premium full immersion programme price restrictive,” said Shabnam Shahani, executive vice president digital learning at EC.
“One of the drivers that we’re looking to address with these programmes are those students who find a premium full immersion programme price restrictive”
“We’re still able to guarantee students will progress by a minimum one EC language level provided they follow the structure that we’ve created”
EC hasn’t set a price for the programme that is set to roll out in January yet but a spokesperson said it will be between $2,000 and $3,000 – considerably lower than the company’s comparable “English for Work” course in New York City including accommodation which starts at $9,500 and climbs to over $10,000 in the summer.
Fusion consists of an eight-week adaptive learning course that includes self-paced study, group study and one-on-one lessons with an EC teacher.
Students then spend two weeks at an EC location in Europe or the US, followed by two more weeks of additional learning for students to focus on their personal points to improve.
Shahani explaining the features of EC Fusion at a launch party during ICEF Berlin Workshop
The courses can be completed at any time during a 52-week period and assessments are given throughout the year: before the immersion period, during it, after it and at the end of the 52 weeks.
Students can also top-up with additional online sessions or immersion classes at any point during the 52 weeks.
Initial courses will offer EC’s Executive English and Core English modules with students traveling to Malta for Core English immersion classes and London or New York City for face-to-face Executive English training.
Shahani said the company plans to expand beyond these two programmes in the future.
“We’ve taken the approach that we will be targeting both the B2B and the B2C market so we’ll be targeting governments, we’ll be targeting corporates,” she said.
“We are going of course via our existing agents channel but we’ll also be going direct to consumer.”
Founded in 1991, EC teaches some 45,000 students a year at schools in Malta, the US, Canada, UK and South Africa.
