| English proficiency provides an edge for many | | | | Various lessons are offered, and teachers can readily |
| non-native speakers in any profession, whether in their | | | | access online materials, according to the student's |
| own country or abroad. Thus, many of them continually | | | | capabilities and needs. Grammar lessons are given to |
| take lessons at different kinds of English schools, for | | | | beginner and intermediate students, facilitated by |
| many years even until their professional years for | | | | various online ESL resources. Listening exercises are |
| some. However, the most convenient, inexpensive, and | | | | also given, to train the sharpness of a student's |
| easily accessible of them are online English schools. | | | | listening skills. Pronunciation drills are ideal for people |
| ESL (or English as a Second Language) instruction is a | | | | with prominent accents influenced by local languages, |
| huge industry in non-native English speaking countries | | | | and difficulty in enunciating certain syllables and words. |
| such as Japan, Korea, Taiwan, Thailand, China, Russia, | | | | Article reading with discussions are ideal for |
| and many others. In Japan for instance, it is worth | | | | intermediate to advance students, to practice their |
| US$316 million in 2007 according to Yano Research | | | | conversational skills, pronunciation, vocabulary and |
| Institute Ltd, and it is steadily increasing for other | | | | sentence constructions. But of course, a free |
| countries as well. Using innovative technologies for | | | | conversation is the best for already fluent speakers |
| online ESL such as Skype, dedicated videophones, and | | | | who just want to maintain their English skills. Moreover, |
| others provide the much needed convenience for | | | | some English schools even offer reviews for English |
| millions of people around the globe. Both teachers and | | | | tests such as TOEIC, TOEFL, IELTS and EIKEN (in |
| students can even have lessons at the comfort of | | | | Japan). |
| their own homes. Moreover, this kind of online service | | | | English is a language increasingly needed by all nations |
| makes them less expensive than the classroom-style | | | | and cultures, as globalization occurs in all parts of the |
| schools, which costs 3-5 times more. Some schools | | | | world. And education will be continually revolutionized to |
| even follow flexible schedules, which mean that they | | | | answer the evolving needs of man, including basic |
| can choose the time when they can take or conduct | | | | human functions such as language. |
| lessons throughout the week. | | | | |