FAQ

+ Why InterACT English?

Professionalism. We are continually striving to professionalize the sector and set the quality standard for in-school English projects.

Passion. We’re obsessed with quality. Our team is always focused on delivering the best experience possible for your students.

Experience. With over ten years of experience developing, planning and executing projects in German schools we understand teachers' working environments and how to support them in making the project a success.

Focus. We are Germany’s market leader for in-school English projects. This is our singular focus and specialization.

Mission. We are a non-profit organization. You can rest assured that when you support InterACT you're supporting an organization dedicated to the mission of education and not the pursuit of profits.

+ How will students improve their English?

Students will have a chance to use their English in a practical setting to solve real communication challenges. Students often tell us they are surprised with just how much they speak over the course of an InterACT project because we encourage students to work in the target language all day long.

We've witnessed that the connection to the Native Speakers and the program can fundamentally shift students' attitudes towards English. Teachers often tell us that after our projects students come back to their English classes with an increased motivation to speak English and a greater willingness to take risks, make mistakes and try to communicate.

Our programs also seem to be particularly effective for students who may not normally excel in regular language classes.

+ COVID-19?

To deal with COVID-19 we’ve implemented new policies and procedures.

• We adhere to all RKI guidelines and your schools internal hygiene policies while visiting your school.
• Our team has been well briefed on current hygiene regulations and will follow them.
• When the situation allows our instructors will be tested for COVID-19 prior to the project. (currently not possible due to temporary delays in test results)
• No cancelation fees for projects impacted by COVID-19. You can reserve a project now - risk free.
• Small groups, blended and e-learning options are available as optional alternatives.
• We are accepting late bookings and projects on short notice.

+ How much organization is required?

We have a streamlined organization process and employee a full-time Project Coordinator to make planning your project easy. Normally, 6-8 weeks before your program you will fill out a detailed online information form. You will then receive access to a shared project folder that includes: your project schedule and other important documents. The Project Coordinator will work with you on the final details and then we’re all set.

+ What is the student to teacher ratio?

It depends on the program.

• For English Project Weeks we recommend group sizes of 14-19 students per Native Speaker. Groups of 10-13 students are also possible for a slightly higher fee.
• Some projects, like the English Theater Week and Engish Film Week are co-taught with two instructors per class of 20-32 students.
• English Workshops and English Project Days are generally 14-24 Students per Native Speaker.

+ How many Native Speakers will come to my school?

It depends on the size of your program. We are able to work with multiple classes, entire grade levels, entire schools or with a single class or group. Our largest project week to date had 25 instructors simultaneously working across 18 classes.

+ Is the program for classes or individual students?

We recommend trying to establish InterACT as a class level project - when possible.

We’ve found this approach to be easier to plan and more sustainable in terms of winning the support of parents and colleagues. Of course we can work with multiple classes and/or grade levels at the same time. If you are considering adding InterACT as part of your annual program this is a great way to do it.

Some partner schools prefer to use our projects as an elective which students can choose to sign up for. For example during their schools annual Project Week or as a Holiday Camp. We’re also happy to work this way if it better fits your planning.

+ When should we reserve a project?

The earlier the better. We have a large number of returning partner schools each year so we recommend reserving 2-3 months prior to the program. In practice, we’ve seen that most schools begin planning much earlier than this. However, we are also open to working with you on short notice. Just contact us to check if we have capacity on your desired dates.

+ What equipment must the school provide?

As a rule we bring all the equipment with us. For some programs we require access to a projector or smartboard and a photocopier. However, your project coordinator will send you a detailed list of anything we might need well in advance of your project.

+ What spaces and rooms are required?

Each group requires a dedicated classroom. For project weeks it’s ideal if students can use the same space all week. For special lessons like sport or theater, access to a Sports Field, Aula, or Stage is helpful. We will send you our ‘wish-list’ of spaces for the project and you can let us know what is possible. We’re flexible.

+ What qualifications do the Native Speakers have?

Our Native Speakers generally hold degrees in diverse artistic fields. All of our instructors are carefully selected and receive training at InterACT. Some of our instructors are qualified to teach English as a foreign language. However, they are not traditionally trained teachers. We believe this is actually what makes their presence in the classroom and school unique and beneficial for students. They bring with them a different sensibility and approach than students may be used to in a more traditional school setting.

+ How can we fund the project?

The fastest way to fund a project is through the parents and your schools resources. Most schools fund programs through either parents, the Förderverein, school funds or a combination of both. When this is not possible we often support our partners in applying for grants.

+ How does payment work?

Payment is collected by the coordinating teacher in your school no later than 6 weeks prior to the program. InterACT will provide an invoice which should be paid 4 weeks before the start of the program. Exceptions can be made for funded projects. Parents are also offered an optional cancelation insurance which they can organize indepently with us for their portion of the program fee.

+ I'm interested. Now what?

Contact us.