FAQs

About learning and course organisation

• Can I just sign up online and come along to a course?

  No, we would like to get to know you personally before choosing the best group for you. You will learn most effectively in a group with people who have the same level of knowledge and the same goals as you. That’s why we have an evaluation appointment with each potential participant face to face.

• I only want to join a group for 8 weeks or so. Can I?

  We ask you not to join an open group if you can only stay for a short time. Regular, long-term contact with English is essential if you are to retain your skills. Also, each EnglishBusiness group is small and made up of similar people whom the trainer knows well. A high number of short-term participants would disturb the balance and hinder progress. We would be happy to offer you an effective, tailor-made solution that matches your available timeframe.

• Can I join my friend’s group?

  We do our best to meet our clients’ requests where we can. However, selecting the right group for you, we take many factors into consideration, including language level, trainer choice, personality and availability. It may be that your friend’s group is not the right one for you and would not benefit your learning curve.

• Why don’t you offer trial lessons?

  Each EnglishBusiness group is small and made up of similar people whom the trainer knows well. A high number of trial participants would disturb the balance and hinder progress. We will put you in a well-matched group and guarantee that if you are not happy, we will give you the chance to move to another group or trainer.

• How long will it take me to move up a (CEFR) level?

  It is impossible to say how long a certain person will need to move up a CEFR level. Everyone learns at a different pace, due to factors such as past experience, aptitude, time invested and exposure to the language.

• I need a trainer who can speak German when I don’t understand something. Is this possible?

  It is a proven fact that language learning is most effective when the target language is used exclusively. You may find this frustrating at first, but keep going and it will get easier – we promise!

• May I have an American / British / Irish trainer?

  We do our best to meet our clients’ requests where we can. However, the trainer’s nationality is just one factor in a list of many, including experience, personality and availability. All of our trainers are aware of the cultural diversity within the English-speaking world, and can teach you both British and American spelling and phrases.

• Why can’t we have more than 6 people in our company groups?

  We believe that a group size of between 4 and 6 people is ideal from a pedagogical perspective. Bigger groups mean less involvement, speaking time and commitment for each participant. Also, our groups mean high relevance for all participants, both in joint topics and individual interests.

• Do I have to pay for my course when I’m on holiday?

  If you are in an open group, we offer you 6 “missed classes” per year to cover times you may be absent due to holidays and illness, etc. If it is likely that you will miss 1 or 2 sessions every month, we would recommend other learning formats such as one-on-one training or workshops.

About translation and terminology work

• How is the price of a translation calculated?

  We take the total number of characters (including spaces) in the original document and divide this by 50 to determine the number of lines to be translated. This figure multiplied by our line price gives the cost of the translation.

• What should I take into account when commissioning a translation from you?

  Please tell us all details relevant for us in producing the translation. For example, target language (British or American English, German), deadline, intended use of the text, stylistic or linguistic preferences, existing glossary or reference texts, other similar existing texts, etc. This briefing helps us to generate a high-quality translation that meets your expectations.

• How fast can I get my translation?

  The time needed for a translation depends on a number of factors, including length, content and format of the text as well as our order levels. When you ask for a free price estimate, our project management team can also tell you how long the translation of your text will take.

• Can you provide notarised translations?

  Unfortunately we cannot provide notarised translations. These may only be prepared by one certified individual. We are thus prohibited from having the translation checked by a second native-speaking expert and as such are not able to apply our own quality standards.

• Will a one-to-one translation be enough?

  Our talented translators write very readable target texts every time. However, sometimes a text needs to be “adapted” beyond a one-to-one translation. Documents with a heavy use of marketing jargon, that explain a concept for a readership from a different culture, or contain many idioms and plays on words are cases in point. We can advise you on whether our adaptation product should be used for your translation.

• Can I speak directly to the person who translated my text?

  If you have questions about your text, just give us a call. We would be glad to put you through to the proofreader who double-checked your translation. Our proofreaders monitor the work of our translators and are responsible for recording the terminology and style preferences of each of our customers.

• Why is EnglishBusiness more expensive than an individual freelance translator?

  EnglishBusiness has very strict quality standards. We employ a range of highly qualified, native-speaker specialist translators. Their work is monitored by our in-house linguists, supported by our competent project managers. We can also record your terminology and style preferences so as to ensure consistency from one job to the next. Our professional team and multi-step process are guaranteed to satisfy your needs, which is why we cost a little bit more.

• Does our company need a corporate wording glossary?

  If your company publishes texts written by various different people, the corporate identity conveyed by these should be consistent and thereby persuasive. We can produce guidelines on what terms and style to use. The resulting glossary can be referenced by all of your company’s employees, service providers and partners in order to create documents that are highly professional in both German and English.