RIYADH — THE British Council has launched new online English courses in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia for both adults and children in response to COVID-19. The courses — Primary Plus, Secondary Plus and English Online — Adults — have been designed to help develop English language skills at home through a tailormade online learning platform. This platform offers virtual lessons with dedicated teachers, simulating regular lessons in the classroom. Students will also be provided with support between classes, their own personalised dashboard and a wide range of extra online resources. Primary Plus, which is suitable for children aged six to 11, is designed to be as child-friendly and intuitive as possible with high quality, engaging materials — including lots of varied activities, with songs, videos and quizzes. It will focus on critical and creative thinking, problem solving and citizenship alongside English learning. Secondary Plus, designed for those aged 12 to 17, will help develop students into assertive, independent global citizens. It features an exciting range of practical and challenging tasks to encourage self-expression and creative thinking in a digital world. Finally, English Online — Adults aims to deliver an engaging, flexible, high quality learning experience which builds learners’ confidence no matter their skill levels. Speaking about the new online platform, Grant Butler, director of English Language Services, British Council Saudi Arabia, said: “With the rapidly evolving COVID-19 situation, we are committed to supporting English language learners throughout Saudi Arabia and help give them a sense of normality and routine. “This innovative and intuitive platform has been designed with each age group in mind, and they will get the chance to experience real, face-to-face connections, using the same curriculum as in the classroom. All students will have lots of time to speak with their teachers and fellow classmates, with classes kept small with just eight to ten students in a class. “We are confident that this new approach will meet students’ needs at this uncertain time, help them get the most from online learning and provide them with the skills needed to tackle today’s global challenges.” The British Council also has an extensive range of free online resources for learners and teachers of English. They have something for kids, teenagers and adults at all levels of English. TeachingEnglish brings together everything busy teachers need for the classroom including lesson plans and worksheets, teaching tips, web links, teaching articles and lots of information about professional development. While Learn English Kids and Learn English Teens includes free online learning resources including videos, reading texts, listening and worksheets practise to help improve English at home. Courses are open now for Primary Plus, Secondary Plus and English Online – Adults. The classroom schedule will vary according to the age group of the students and communication skills, with learners initially provided with a free online English level assessment. All courses are accessible from a desktop computer and laptops. — SG