Standard General English

ETC International College

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Free gift for some courses from 1-52 weeks Show details »

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Course description

General English courses at ETC each follow a syllabus which is primarily designed to develop the four skills of speaking, writing, reading and listening, and to increase your awareness of how English works.

You will also learn and revise new vocabulary, improve your pronunciation and polish your English grammar.

Standard Course (20 lessons = 15 hours per week). Lessons focus on reading, writing, listening and speaking. You will also learn and revise new vocabulary, grammar and pronunciation.

Course topics

Listening, Speaking, Pronunciation, Reading, Writing, Vocabulary and Grammar

Class schedule

Course duration
1-52 weeks
Start dates
Every Monday (except for beginners)
Classes per week
20 lessons per week (each lesson lasts 45 min)
Class days
Monday - Friday
School holidays
25 Dec 2024

ETC International College does not hold classes on the holiday dates above. The school does not compensate for these holidays, so make sure to choose your start date accordingly.

Class times

Morning session
08:45 AM - 10:15 AM
Morning session
10:45 AM - 12:15 PM

Class schedule may change depending on availability and season.

Class level

All levels, beginner to advanced
You will take a placement test on your first day to determine your class level. You may also take this test before your arrival in Bournemouth.

Class size

Average 14 students
Maximum 14 students

Student age

Age range 16 years old and older
Average 24 years old
(19 in the summer)

Certificate

A certificate of completion will be issued at the end of the course.
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school
photos

Photos

  • Library at ETC International College 1/18
  • Classes at ETC International College 2/18
  • Computer room at ETC International College 3/18
  • Classes at ETC International College 4/18
  • Classes at ETC International College 5/18
  • Classes at ETC International College 6/18
  • ETC International College 7/18
  • ETC International College 8/18
  • Classes at ETC International College 9/18
  • ETC International College 10/18
  • Building of ETC International College 11/18
  • Reception of ETC International College 12/18
  • Reception of ETC International College 13/18
  • Classes at ETC International College 14/18
  • ETC International College 15/18
  • Student residence offered by ETC International College 16/18
  • Student residence offered by ETC International College 17/18
  • Student residence offered by ETC International College 18/18
reviews

Reviews

90% recommend

based on 20 reviews
5 stars
8
4 stars
6
3 stars
5
2 stars
1
1 star
0
Quality of teaching
School facilities
Social activities
School location
Housing

"The course well organized and planned by good teachers."

Päivi Visuri, student from Finland

I liked to have good training in English. Especially I liked the people I met in the classes. The classrooms were small and quite old but everything were arrenged good.
I liked the food in ETC, it was really good, thanks! I was flabbergasted!
My special course in English was excellent.

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My ratings for this school

Quality of teaching
School facilities
Social activities
School location
Date of study
19 Aug 2024 - 23 Aug 2024
Would you recommend this school?
Yes
This is a verified review. This student has booked a course at this school through Language International.

"Good college in Bournemouth"

Adrian Zehnder, student from Switzerland

Good study groups. Nice location.
I made cool friends.

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My ratings for this school

Quality of teaching
School facilities
Social activities
School location
Housing
Duration of study
2 weeks
Date of study
8 Jul 2024 - 26 Jul 2024
Would you recommend this school?
Yes
This is a verified review. This student has booked a course at this school through Language International.

"Good"

Mourad Siddiq, student from Saudi Arabia

It was a good experience and I would definitely recommend it to new English learners as well as the private Aviation English classes were really helpful. Overall they are good.

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My ratings for this school

Quality of teaching
School facilities
Social activities
School location
Housing
Duration of study
3 weeks
Date of study
20 Nov 2023 - 15 Dec 2023
Would you recommend this school?
Yes
This is a verified review. This student has booked a course at this school through Language International.

"Experiences, option to meet new people and lot of fun."

Jan Gryc, student from Czech Republic

Overall, I found it useful because my English has improved and I met there lot of new friends. Every class was different, depends on the teacher. My favourite teacher was Philip Eliott, I liked his classes, he made them more funny. However, other classes were good, but not my type.
In my opinion location is very good for young people, you have there sea and gardens. In case of weather I didn’t swim in the sea. Activities that are school doing are great opportunity to make friends, so I liked. Finally, my host family was very friendly and experienced. Always I can talk to them and agreed on something.

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My ratings for this school

Quality of teaching
School facilities
Social activities
School location
Housing
Duration of study
3 weeks
Date of study
3 Jul 2023 - 28 Jul 2023
Would you recommend this school?
Yes
This is a verified review. This student has booked a course at this school through Language International.

"It was a great time, I learnt a lot."

Anne Rüggeberg, student from Germany

I felt very comfortable at the school, everyone was very nice and focused on making us learn a lot and feel comfortable. The host family accommodation worked really well and I was able to practice my English in everyday life. The lunch break on the beach was an extra highlight.

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My ratings for this school

Quality of teaching
School facilities
Social activities
School location
Housing
Duration of study
1 week
Date of study
13 Mar 2023 - 24 Mar 2023
Would you recommend this school?
Yes
This is a verified review. This student has booked a course at this school through Language International.

"Education was better than another things."

Saqr Awad S Alzahrani, student from Saudi Arabia

School doesn't health because it has three floors. I think when the school has one grand floor will be better.
Teachers ware friendly, helpful, give to me homework and many skills.
Location was the best in Bournemouth city.

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My ratings for this school

Quality of teaching
School facilities
Social activities
School location
Housing
Duration of study
7 weeks
Date of study
7 Jun 2021 - 30 Jul 2021
Would you recommend this school?
Yes
This is a verified review. This student has booked a course at this school through Language International.

"It was pretty good, but too short."

Pierre Bilodeau, student from Canada

The teachers were excellent and friendly. I found the school well located.

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My ratings for this school

Quality of teaching
School facilities
Social activities
School location
Duration of study
1 week
Date of study
2 Sep 2019 - 13 Sep 2019
Would you recommend this school?
Yes
This is a verified review. This student has booked a course at this school through Language International.

"Great school, the teachers and my family host were very friendly."

Charles Signoret, student from France

it was the first time for me to stay in a family host.
This experience was amazing and i met lot of people.

The city is beautiful, you have the choice to rent a bike or get a ticket for the bus.
you can walk around on the beach and enjoy the peer.

All the shops are there in the city center: food, gifts...

The others students were very friendly. some of them came from Spain, Arabia, Korea...

the teachers were very helpful.

The facilities were fine but need to be refresh.

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My ratings for this school

Quality of teaching
School facilities
School location
Duration of study
1 week
Date of study
5 Aug 2019 - 16 Aug 2019
Would you recommend this school?
Yes
This is a verified review. This student has booked a course at this school through Language International.

"Friendly and helpful teachers but not very well organised language course."

Stefanie Andreas, student from Germany

The location of ETC College is great, right next to the beautiful beach. The teachers very really friendly and helpful. Some lessons were too passive, no encouraging the students to speak a lot but some classes did.

The course itself was not organised that well. I was told to start the course on Monday and to be there at 10.20 a.m. When I went there I was asked why I had not been there at 08.00 a.m. to do the language test (the same one) again that I had already done online. The introduction into the week made me feel like a 13-year old. It was just not appropriate for grown-ups (topics such as dealing with homesickness, smoking...). Other than indicated online the classes took place in the afternoon. This was really disappointing because there was no possibility to visit nearby towns or areas. On Monday I only had one lesson which is sad when you have only one week to study.

The school area itself was nice and clean, unfortunately students can't enter the campus before 1 p.m.

The Medical English course was ok, the teacher tried to answer further questions but the problem is, that it is an ongoing class. This means that I just had the possibility to learn about one topic and that's it (other than indicated online). That was disappointing, too.

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My ratings for this school

Quality of teaching
School facilities
School location
Housing
Date of study
8 Jul 2019 - 12 Jul 2019
Would you recommend this school?
No
This is a verified review. This student has booked a course at this school through Language International.

"Good experience"

andrej glišič, student from Slovenia

I liked the class because in the classroom (the first three weeks of four) there were only 3-5 students, so communication and practice were very effective. The last week I was in the class of ten students and it was effective too. Classmates were great (coming from all over the world). I think my English has improved a lot in this month.
Teachers have done their job well. The emphasis was on the practical use of the language.
School location is good. Close to the coast and not far from the city center.
The school facilities are not new, but they are well maintenanced.
The apartment was also good.
The staff perform their work very well.

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My ratings for this school

Quality of teaching
School facilities
Social activities
School location
Housing
Duration of study
3 weeks
Date of study
4 Jun 2018 - 29 Jun 2018
Would you recommend this school?
Yes
This is a verified review. This student has booked a course at this school through Language International.

"Happy"

Freydis Kjartansdóttir, student from Iceland

Í like everthing but people There was not much funny .

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My ratings for this school

Quality of teaching
School facilities
Social activities
School location
Housing
Duration of study
3 weeks
Date of study
18 Sep 2017 - 13 Oct 2017
Would you recommend this school?
Yes
This is a verified review. This student has booked a course at this school through Language International.

"See the other comments please"

Mathias Rothenburger, student from Germany

It was good, but a little bit too much like in school times!
More phoning, meeting and small talk skills should be trained by speaking and listening.

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My ratings for this school

Quality of teaching
School facilities
Social activities
School location
Date of study
16 Oct 2017 - 20 Oct 2017
Would you recommend this school?
Yes
This is a verified review. This student has booked a course at this school through Language International.

"Could have been better"

Irina Ioshina, student from Russia

Advantages:
1. A very welcoming staff.

2. Good quality of teaching.

3. The location is perfect (10 minutes walk from the beach).

4. Excellent social program. Apart from a speaking club meetings provided by the college and organised in different pubs, you can also do a surfing class, visit a BBQ party, play football, etc.

5. I really enjoyed staying in Dorchester House (residence hall). It has all the necessary facilities. It's comfortable, there's a spacious kitchen area, all the rooms are en suite.

Disadvantages:

1. I wouldn't recommend this college to those who'd like to do a C2 course. Before booking a course at ETC, I had inquired about whether or not they had a C2 course. They assured me they had. However, on my arrival there I found out that I had been deluded. No C2 classes. I'm not sure if the classes I attended with a C1 group were really C1. They were too easy. This college can provide excellent teaching if you are A1-B2.2 / C1.

2. I wasn't happy with the number of students in the group. There weren't enough chairs in some classrooms. Besides, if there are more than 15 students in one class, speaking is impossible, you can't even hear your partner. I wish the groups had been smaller.

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My ratings for this school

Quality of teaching
School facilities
Social activities
School location
Housing
Duration of study
1 week
Date of study
7 Aug 2017 - 18 Aug 2017
Would you recommend this school?
Yes
This is a verified review. This student has booked a course at this school through Language International.

"Average"

Daniel Rothe, student from Switzerland

The facility is really run down. The school is trying to save money however they can, so they put together classes with students who don't want to study the same thing. Some teachers were not really good. They changed teacher too often and because of that the course isn't really well organised and consistent. At least I had two good teachers, especially John. He is really motivated and gives great tips for the exam.

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My ratings for this school

Quality of teaching
School facilities
Social activities
School location
Housing
Duration of study
3 weeks
Date of study
15 Aug 2016 - 9 Sep 2016
Would you recommend this school?
No
This is a verified review. This student has booked a course at this school through Language International.
Ed, Business Development Director at ETC International College responded to this review.
26 October 2016

Hi Daniel,
Thanks for posting your review on the LI website.
I'm sorry that your experience with us at ETC fell short of your expectations. I will do my best to address some of the areas you were not happy with below:
Having spoken with the Director of Studies about the question of changing teachers, they tell me that your course was booked to start at the end of one term and the beginning of another. This means that unfortunately the teacher for that class would have changed almost as soon as you started your course.
We have spoken about avoiding this in the future and we anticipate an automatic warning on our system that alerts us to short courses booked that may also straddle the end of one term and the start of another.
In terms of the buildings, we spend thousands every year investing in the infrastructure of the school and we do our best to make sure we offer a modern, stimulating environment in which to study. We have a full time staff of 2 maintenance men and we have a policy of investing in one project every year. In 2013 this was a newly equipped library and computer room, in 2014, it was high bandwidth wi-fi for students, in 2015 it was interactive whiteboards for 25% of the classrooms and this year we are installing a new management system which will allow students to log in and see timetables, attendance data, accommodation details and so on.

Thanks again for you review on the LI site, if you would like to contact us directly to address any other concerns we would be delighted to hear from you and will do our best to resolve things further.

Best wishes,
Ed Mitton.

"I'm very happy because I learned a lot of things and I met new people."

Serena Bongiovanni

I liked my lessons a lot. I'm very happy with my teachers and with my classmates who were both very friendly. The location of the school and residence was perfect because it was near the town center and everything was there. The house was good, and so were their breakfast and dinner.

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My ratings for this school

Quality of teaching
School facilities
Social activities
School location
Housing
Duration of study
7 weeks
Date of study
27 Sep 2015 - 20 Nov 2015
Would you recommend this school?
Yes

"My stay with ETC was unforgettable and I gained valuable experience whilst studying with them."

Iva Jiristova

I enjoyed my stay with ETC in every aspect. The staff were very helpful and friendly, teachers tried to do their best to make the lessons memorable and I can certainly say that they were successful. Most of the lessons were entertaining and all of them helped me improve my English and become more confident when using the language. The activities offered by ETC were a great opportunity to meet and spend some time with friends!

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My ratings for this school

Quality of teaching
School facilities
Social activities
School location
Housing
Duration of study
1 week
Date of study
5 Oct 2015 - 16 Oct 2015
Would you recommend this school?
Yes

"Best teaching, excellent atmosphere, friendly and helpful staff"

Pacharapan Ruksasup

The teaching was excellent and the atmosphere in this school was really nice and relax.

There were lots of interesting activities outside the class to join.

Overall, all the staff here were so friendly and helpful, and they gave me a warm welcome that made my time in the UK so wonderful.

Thank you. This was an unforgettable experience.

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My ratings for this school

Quality of teaching
School facilities
Social activities
School location
Housing
Duration of study
6 weeks
Date of study
3 Aug 2015 - 18 Sep 2015
Would you recommend this school?
Yes

"The staff and surroundings made me feeling comfortable right here."

Sabrina Hauke

When I arrived here, the staff was very friendly and obliging. I felt very comfortable all the time. There was always someone available to ask if I didn’t know something. I would really like to come to this place every day again.

I haven’t been to a class yet. For interns: I would like to do more different tasks and learn more about the marketing here. I would also appreciate getting some advantages inside of the school, like the staff here (such as paying staff price in cafeteria).

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My ratings for this school

School facilities
Social activities
School location
Housing
Duration of study
12 weeks
Date of study
5 Oct 2015 - 31 Dec 2016
Would you recommend this school?
Yes

"It was a good experience, with a different atmosphere from my country!"

Kamila Baltabekova

I like this atmosphere because you must speak English everywhere, so that you can learn language faster than in your own country. I like our classes because there are many different people from different countries. You can know many new things. All the people are very kind! Our classes are good, but a little bit disorganized. When our teachers are changing, we learn the same thing! We must continue our theme. The location of our college is very good, near the beach and centre. The residence is good too, but we have no place where we can cook, because sometimes I want to save my money, but I can't. It is very uncomfortable!

In general I can say that studying here is good!

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My ratings for this school

Quality of teaching
School facilities
Social activities
School location
Housing
Duration of study
11 weeks
Date of study
6 Sep 2015 - 26 Nov 2015
Would you recommend this school?
Yes

"My experience has been amazing"

Korielys kohler

My experience in ETC has been very good - my class, my teachers, and all activities are good. The location is perfect because I am near the residence and the square. I think I'm learning a lot with this experience because I'm meeting with people from different countries and cultures.

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My ratings for this school

Quality of teaching
School facilities
Social activities
School location
Housing
Duration of study
13 weeks
Date of study
14 Sep 2015 - 18 Dec 2015
Would you recommend this school?
Yes
housing

Housing

ETC International College offers the following housing types:
homestay

Homestay - 2-person shared room - Breakfast and dinner - 2 students must book together

S$ 293
weekly
Age range: 12 years old and older
Location: Outside the city center of Bournemouth
Housing type: Homestay
Room type: 2-person shared room
Board type: Breakfast and dinner (14 meals per week)
Facilities: Kitchen, laundry, and heating
Distance to school: 5 - 30 minutes by bus
Availability: January - December
Check-in: Sunday, anytime
Check-out: Saturday, anytime
Restriction: 2 students must book together
S$ 293
ETC can arrange homestay accommodation for you if you would like to stay with a local family. Many students who come to study at ETC choose this option, because living with an English family is a good way to practice your spoken English outside the school and a great way to find out how British people live.

You will have a comfortable, clean room with a desk to study at. Accommodation is half-board during the week (bed, breakfast and evening meal) and full-board at weekends (bed, breakfast, lunch and evening meal).

Homestay - Single-person room - Breakfast and dinner

S$ 330
weekly
Age range: 18 years old and older
Location: Outside the city center of Bournemouth
Housing type: Homestay
Room type: Single-person room
Board type: Breakfast and dinner (14 meals per week)
Facilities: Kitchen, laundry, and heating
Distance to school: 5 - 30 minutes by bus
Availability: January - December
Check-in: Sunday, anytime
Check-out: Saturday, anytime
S$ 330
ETC can arrange homestay accommodation for you if you would like to stay with a local family. Many students who come to study at ETC choose this option, because living with an English family is a good way to practice your spoken English outside the school and a great way to find out how British people live.

You will have a comfortable, clean room with a desk to study at. Accommodation is half-board during the week (bed, breakfast and evening meal) and full-board at weekends (bed, breakfast, lunch and evening meal).

Homestay for 16-17 years old- Single-person room - Breakfast and dinner

S$ 348
weekly
Age range: 16 - 17 years old
Location: Outside the city center of Bournemouth
Housing type: Homestay
Room type: Single-person room
Board type: Breakfast and dinner (14 meals per week)
Facilities: Kitchen, laundry, free internet, and heating
Distance to school: 5 - 30 minutes by bus
Availability: January - December
Check-in: Sunday, anytime
Check-out: Saturday, anytime
S$ 348
ETC can arrange homestay accommodation for you if you would like to stay with a local family. Many students who come to study at ETC choose this option, because living with an English family is a good way to practice your spoken English outside the school and a great way to find out how British people live.

You will have a comfortable, clean room with a desk to study at. Accommodation is half-board during the week (bed, breakfast and evening meal) and full-board at weekends (bed, breakfast, lunch and evening meal).

Homestay - Executive En-suite

S$ 495
weekly
Age range: 16 years old and older
Location: Outside the city center of Bournemouth
Housing type: Homestay
Room type: Single-person room
Board type: Breakfast and dinner (14 meals per week)
Facilities: Private bathroom, kitchen, laundry, free internet, and heating
Distance to school: 5 - 30 minutes by bus
Availability: January - December
Check-in: Sunday, anytime
Check-out: Saturday, anytime
S$ 495
ETC can arrange homestay accommodation for you if you would like to stay with a local family. Many students who come to study at ETC choose this option, because living with an English family is a good way to practice your spoken English outside the school and a great way to find out how British people live.

You will have a comfortable, clean room with a desk to study at. Accommodation is half-board during the week (bed, breakfast and evening meal) and full-board at weekends (bed, breakfast, lunch and evening meal).
student-residence

Student residence (on-campus) - 2-person shared room - Breakfast

S$ 348
weekly
Age range: 18 years old and older
Address: 26 West Hill Road, Bournemouth, Dorset BH2 5PG, England
Location: In the city center of Bournemouth
Housing type: Student residence (on-campus)
Room type: 2-person shared room
Board type: Breakfast (7 meals per week)
Facilities: Private bathroom, laundry, telephone, wireless internet, free internet, tV room, and heating
Distance to school: 1 - 2 minutes by walk
Availability: 18 Aug 2018 - 07 Jul 2019, 01 Sep 2019 - 30 May 2020, 31 May 2020 - 05 Jul 2020, 16 Aug 2020 - 01 May 2021, 01 Jan 2022 - 31 Dec 2022, 01 Jan 2023 - 31 Dec 2023, 01 Jan 2024 - 06 Jul 2024, 01 Sep 2024 - 01 May 2025
Check-in: Sunday, anytime
Check-out: Saturday, anytime
S$ 348
ETC Residence is located right next door to ETC- a very short walk from one building to the next! We have single, twin, triple and quadruple rooms available on a half board basis. Students who stay in the ETC Residence benefit from not needing to pay for any transport between their accommodation and the classrooms.

We offer wireless Internet in all rooms and there are study areas for those who want peace and quiet to work in.

Each bedroom is equipped with the following:

• Bedding
• Wardrobe
• Chest of drawers
• Radiator
• En-suite facilities (shower, washbasin, toilet)
• Wireless Internet.
Towels and mini fridges are available to purchase/hire from reception.

Reception open hours: 6am - 12am daily.
Out of hours emergencies should call ETC Emergency tel: (00447966) 380973

Summer Adult Residence (on-campus) - Single-person room - Breakfast

S$ 403
weekly
Age range: 18 years old and older
Address: 26 West Hill Road, Bournemouth, Dorset BH2 5PG, England
Location: In the city center of Bournemouth
Housing type: Student residence (on-campus)
Room type: Single-person room
Board type: Breakfast (7 meals per week)
Facilities: Private bathroom, laundry, telephone, wireless internet, free internet, tV room, and heating
Distance to school: 1 - 2 minutes by walk
Availability: 07 Jul 2024 - 24 Aug 2024
Check-in: Sunday, anytime
Check-out: Saturday, anytime
S$ 403
ETC Residence is located right next door to ETC- a very short walk from one building to the next! We have single, twin, triple and quadruple rooms available on a half board basis. Students who stay in the ETC Residence benefit from not needing to pay for any transport between their accommodation and the classrooms.

We offer wireless Internet in all rooms and there are study areas for those who want peace and quiet to work in.

Each bedroom is equipped with the following:

• Bedding
• Wardrobe
• Chest of drawers
• Radiator
• En-suite facilities (shower, washbasin, toilet)
• Wireless Internet.
Towels and mini fridges are available to purchase/hire from reception.

Reception open hours: 6am - 12am daily.
Out of hours emergencies should call ETC Emergency tel: (00447966) 380973
visa

Visa support

We cannot apply for visas on behalf of students. The school is also not authorized to issue documents to support your visa application. If you need a visa, you have to apply for a visitor or tourist visa on your own.

Flights and airport transfer

Please note that we do not book flights for our students. If you are researching airfare costs, we recommend using Kayak.com, a search engine that lets you compare flight options from your home country to Bournemouth based on your budget, schedule and preferences.

Travel insurance

Study abroad worry-free with Language International's health and personal effects insurance coverage. When you book a course with us, you can opt to purchase an international insurance plan that covers not only your health care cost but also loss of your personal belongings. You must book your insurance in advance when you register.

Learn more about our insurance plan »

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questions

Questions and answers

Have questions? Get answers from ETC International College staff, Language International student advisors, and past students.

Ask a question
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