PEAK English offers both General English and Business English courses.
General English courses come in 20 unit lessons. The course can be studied alone, or with a teacher in an online classroom.
Executive English is a 20-unit course. Each unit should take about an hour. Additionally, there are over 250 hours of General English lessons available to you.
How long are these courses?
Unless otherwise specified, all courses from Chat run four months
Which Internet browser do I need for these online English courses?
You need Microsoft Internet Explorer, version 4.0 or higher, to use this online course. If you are an AOL customer, you should have the latest version of their browser. You can download any one of these browsers for free.
What hardware do I need for these courses?
Minimum system requirements:
200 Mhz Pentium (or equivalent) or PowerPC (Macintosh) processor
64 MB of RAM
Sound Card
A 56 Kbps modem
A Microphone (for speech practice)
What software do I need for the courses?
All software needed to take these courses is free of charge.
The ActiveGrammar lessons require a RealPlayer from RealAudio. You will need version 5 or later of RealPlayer. You can get the most recent version from http://www.real.com.
Avoid "beta" versions because they might have problems that have not been fixed yet. And you don't have to pay for a deluxe version of RealPlayer -- the basic free version is all you need.
How will I receive my lessons, quizzes and assignments?
Your lessons, tutorials, demonstrations, reference materials, quizzes, and assignments are available on your Student Home Page. You will be directed to your Home Page upon purchase of a course.
What extra educational features does a course offer?
PEAK English Students enjoy the additional benefits of the PEAK English World of English. The World of English consists of a long selection of multimedia games, fun academic exercises, educational tools, chat, forums, and much more.
What should I do if I have a question?
Each of your lessons is accompanied by an interactive discussion area. Post your question or inquiry in the appropriate course discussion area. An instructor or one of your fellow students will respond. Also, you may email your instructor, or where needed, the faculty at PEAK English.
How is taking an Internet course different from classroom instruction?
Online learning provides both with flexibility in today's fast-paced world. You can study and learn in the comfort and convenience of your own home and office. Just login to your online classroom when you are ready to read your lessons, complete your quizzes and assignments, or communicate with the learning community. Our Internet courses fit into your schedule: you can take them before breakfast, during lunch, late at night, or at any other time you find convenient — the choice is yours!
If I crash or leave the lesson, how do I start again?
If you crash or you leave the lesson, go back to your Student Home Page and select "start my lesson". Your work will be bookmarked.
What should I do if I cannot hear sound?
Make sure that your computer is able to play sounds. To do so:
Ensure that your speakers are properly plugged in.
Ensure that your computer has a sound card and that it is properly installed.
For Microsoft PCs:
You should be able to hear sounds by going to Start... Settings... Control Panel... Sounds.
Choose an event that has a speaker icon next to it and click the play button under Preview. If you still cannot hear sounds:
Check the User's Guide that came with your computer, or go to Start... Settings... Control Panel... System and choose the "Device Manager" tab.
Look under "Sound, video and game controllers" and make sure that there is some brand of sound card there that does not have a yellow "!" next to it which would indicate that it is not working.
Online Teacher
