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It is now 53 years since the IH method was born. Our once highly innovative approach has been widely copied, and now forms the basis of a multitude of quality language courses all over the world. Many people, all possessing great vision and knowledge – including teachers, linguists, psychologists and sociologists worked to create what we now call the IH method. Their aim was clear – to find an effective teaching and learning method. The IH method was first popularised by the British Royal Society of Arts and later by Cambridge with their CELTA courses (Courses in Teaching English as a Foreign Language ). As time went by, the CELTA came to serve as a base for teacher training all around the world. The method combines logic and consequence with passion and spontaneity.

Central to IH thinking is that "Being English is not Enough"
(John Haycraft, IH Founder, The Times Educational Supplement, July 8, 1996)

• Lessons at IH are taught by professional teachers. This may sound obvious, however even today in some institutions groups are taught by people who are not professional teachers. This stems from the belief that being a native speaker alone qualifies one to teach a language. This could not be further from the truth.
• Among our teachers there is no place for random unqualified people. All our teachers are properly certified with the Cambridge CELTA - a specialist teacher training course accredited by a division of the University of Cambridge in the UK. For most teachers, English is their mother tongue; however irrespective of their first language, professionalism and focus on that for which they have been trained is key to their effectiveness.
• IH teachers are specialists in teaching English as a foreign language (to foreigners), and this is a very special skill. Imagine that you are to teach Polish to a group of Japanese. Even a teacher of the Polish language, without experience of teaching foreigners would encounter serious problems. Similarly, it is not enough to be English or American to be able to effectively teach English. This is an exact skill which must be carefully acquired.
• Every minute of a lesson at IH is a minute planned, carefully aimed at developing the learners’ command of the English language. The way in which the teacher manages each and every lesson is the result of careful preparation. IH Teachers work in school from the morning, so that in the afternoon they can guarantee you perfectly planned and carefully thought out classes which are a 100 % benefit to you.
  

We teach in small groups, with learners split accordingly into groups of similar age and level.

• We ensure a friendly and creative atmosphere, firmly focused on a clear educational aim.
• Placement of learners into groups is based on the learners’ age and level of English.
  To place students in the wrong level (for example just to be with one’s friend) can cause problems for everyone – students and teacher alike. We also know that it’s not very constructive to mix the ages of our students – a child would not want to be in the same group as their friend’s father nor would an adult want to be in the same group as their friend’s son! We therefore aim to keep ages within a group as similar as possible, and in younger groups we ensure that the age difference in a given group is no greater than two years.
  

From the very first lesson we teach only in English

The ‘English only’ rule along with a variety of pedagogical techniques allow the students to quickly accept communication in English as a completely natural and obvious thing. On first encounter, this can seem completely daunting, but with suitable preparation and a little expertise on the teacher’s part, this approach can quickly deliver excellent results. With increased exposure to this way of learning, students come to enjoy their lessons more and more.

At IH you will quickly break the language barrier . We teach you to overcome your fear of imperfection and how not let your inaccuracies to be a barrier to your further development. Accuracy in speaking is of course important but to reach this it takes practice. On this journey, it is important to learn from our shortcomings – more importantly though we need to focus on the positive and consider our achievements too. Inhibitions about using the language are therefore broken painlessly and almost imperceptibly. As a result everybody gets to SPEAK the language irrespective of their level.

We teach you how to think in English. This will firstly help you to avoid constantly performing laborious Polish – English translations in your head as you speak. Secondly, it will give you the confidence to avoid the scenario where you think you can only speak once you have acquired ALL the rules and principles. Our aim is to create conditions in which you will enjoy using your skills in practicing speaking as well as thinking in English – at every level of proficiency.

Our belief is that knowledge of a language is the art of using it in practice; we therefore place a great emphasis on the practical use of the language. We aim to show that English is a friendly language, and we strive to link its use in class with practical situations in everyday life, and to enable students to master these situations within the bounds of their capabilities. Even the most simple, everyday situations demand speaking, which is why irrespective of a student’s level of proficiency, they are encouraged to communicate in English.

We use elements of drama and theatrical techniques

• The teacher uses mime techniques and draws and illustrates words with gestures.
• Mini-role- plays are used, thereby creating a three dimensional context in which concrete language applications can be placed. As far as possible, we place greater emphasis on practice rather than on theory. You will talk on the phone for real, you will make a real fruit salad, you will put on make up or plan a metro journey itinerary, you will wear a judge’s robe acting as a prosecutor, you will get dirt on your fingers while planting seeds, and you will win in Blind Date!
• We make the lessons lively, full of practical examples of everyday situations where concrete words and phrases are necessary, and we encourage our students to use them fluently, without hesitation or spending too long thinking about them. The teacher’s task is to convince the students that using English lies within the range of the student’s practical capabilities and does not demand any special effort – that it is the most obvious and natural thing to do.
• To remember a particular phrase you will associate it with a vision, a gesture, circumstances, feelings and emotions and after a short while it will join your repertoire of known English words and expressions. English will become for you its own self-sufficient entity, free of ‘Polglish’ (Polish English) and other mistakes made by translating Polish to English under pressure in the heat of the moment.

Lesson Topics are selected according to the group’s interests.

• Central to the method is to activate learners. This cannot be done without taking into account the vital factor of interests, hobbies, aims, problems and experiences. We don’t introduce and drill vocabulary based on a topic which is of no interest of the learners.
• Learning English by the IH method consists of a cycle of engaging and motivating activities which are accompanied by positive emotions, and ultimately satisfaction.

We consider a group to be a collection of individuals

• Our individual approach to students is based not only on the teacher’s ability to spot the obvious. It is also the recognition and activation of what is hidden in every one of us.
• The teacher keep the student informed on a regular basis about their progress, paying particular attention to areas demanding more attention or effort.
• Every lesson is geared towards expanding the students’ capabilities and awareness.
• We help in solving English-connected problems and areas of difficulty by offering free of charge individual consultations.

The most important person is the student, the most important criteria – the student’s aims and interests.

Individual student needs are determined by factors such as age, character, interests and personal language requirements, and these in turn influence the topic and nature of the lesson, the choice of materials used and teaching techniques employed. Central to an IH lesson is the student and not the method – the method exists to respond flexibly to the individual needs of the student. This demands a higher level of competence on the part of the teacher than in a traditional method where the teacher is the centre of the lesson and the students spend a lot of their time in a more passive mode. With the IH method there is no time for boredom or indifference. Our aim is that our students simply can not wait for their next class!

The aim of the lesson is to interest, activate and motivate.

There is no place for theorising, for monotonous repetition or for time killing in an IH lesson. At every possible opportunity we reduce boredom and tedium to a minimum. This doesn’t mean however that we allow the student to relax their efforts and therefore their personal development.

We use elements of play and relaxation.

• During lessons there is always an element of fun and entertainment and hard work is interspersed with rewarding moments of relaxation, but this is still in English, and even these parts of the lesson are attributed with a clear aim to aid students’ language development.
• Many would say that to mix apparently contradictory aims of achieving several goals all at once (such as relaxing, having fun and working hard) cannot be done. This however is exactly what we set out to do – and we show that this is possible. This is a challenge we knowingly undertake and which we achieve over and over again.

Grammar is treated as a means not as an aim.

The intricacies of grammar must be clarified and students must get to know the rules – but at IH we do not stop here. We prove that far from being about dull exercises in a workbook, the English language is a user friendly means by which students can cope with practical situations of contemporary reality. IH teaches students how to quickly immerse oneself in them in a natural and productive way.

We use excellent material and the latest technology.

We use the best course books, authentic newspaper articles, radio and television materials, video techniques, songs - and of course the many possibilities offered by computers and the internet.

We value acceptance, friendliness, understanding and respect .

The teacher-student relationship is based on mutual acceptance, kindness, understanding and respect. Teachers at IH don’t play the role of the traditional battleaxe dictator or a that of a master or ruler. The teacher’s task is to unite the students with the language in a friendly way and to encourage them to get to know it better. This is achieved by the teacher creating the best possible atmosphere in the classroom, free of unnecessary tensions whilst at the same ensuring a lively and stimulating learning environment.

An important element of the IH method is a range of extra curricular activities.

An important element in the IH teaching concept is the use of extra curricular activities – conversation clubs, Kids’ Clubs, school parties – these all serve to create a great opportunity for students to activate and practice their English in a natural and authentic context beyond that of the classroom.