St Giles International has been providing English language training for professionals for over ten years. We specialise in offering our clients high quality, tailor-made Platinum programmes at reasonable prices.

Business English, General English and specialist courses according to students' specific needs in small groups and one-to-one. Courses are offered in a superior suite of dedicated classrooms with comfortable coffee lounge and complementary services for executives/professional adults. Courses start every Monday except public and school holidays.

Requirements for Platinum English

Age: 21 years and over. The average age of our clients is 30 - 49 years.
Max group class size: 5

Platinum Clients

We welcome Platinum clients from all over the world and many different professional backgrounds; including managers, bankers, politicians, lawyers, doctors, footballers and research scientists.

Some of our existing corporate clients include:

American Express
• Argentine Parliament
• Bosch
• Citibank
• Colgate - Palmolive
• Danone
• Ernst & Young
• Esso
• Finnish Parliament
• Football Association of Serbia
• France Telecom
• Hewlett Packard
• Hitachi
• IBM
• KPMG
• Johnson & Johnson
• JP Morgan
• Kimberley Clark
• Mars
• Microsoft
• Philips
• Volkswagon

Platinum Locations

St Giles Platinum Courses are offered in Brighton, London Central, San Francisco and Vancouver. These cities are each known not only for their strong links with business, trade and industry, but also for their links with education and the arts. All three are lively, vibrant places in which to live and study - even for a short time.

Platinum Centres

At St Giles Brighton, London Central, San Francisco and Vancouver there are dedicated Platinum Centres which incorporate classrooms and Platinum lounges, equipped with:

• Computers
• Free broadband Internet
• Free email access
• TV and video
• Daily newspapers and business periodicals
• Complimentary light refreshments throughout the day

Before Your Course

You will complete a detailed "needs analysis" questionnaire before you start your course. This will help us assess your requirements and formulate a unique programme, tailored to your needs. Once your course has started, there will be regular opportunities for you to comment on your progress to date and influence future course content with your teacher.

On arrival at all St Giles Platinum Centres you are given a welcome pack, which consists of a special portfolio folder designed exclusively for our Platinum clients. You will also meet your teacher and the Platinum Course Director.

The Teachers

Our teachers are experienced and well-qualified, and frequently combine teaching expertise with experience in commercial and management positions. All teachers are given special guidance on the language and social needs of our Platinum clients.

Platinum Courses:

Platinum English Courses are designed to suit a variety of needs and objectives, but will commonly include:

• Professional or commercial communication skills
• Presentation skills
• Business negotiations and discussions
• Social English for professional or commercial purposes
• Making and receiving telephone calls in English
• Written communication - for example letters, faxes, emails and reports

Platinum courses are tailor-made to meet your specific requirements, whether for Business English, General English, or a combination of both. Our group Platinum courses are offered to all levels - from beginner to advanced.

Courses for beginner, elementary and pre-intermediate students typically include more General English study than courses for higher-level students.

Platinum Course Format

Platinum Courses start every Monday throughout the year, and are available for a minimum of one week. Start dates for Platinum Courses for Professionals (specific industries) are one per month, but other start dates may be available on request. Please contact St Giles Marketing at hq@stgiles.co.uk for further details.

We offer three formats of Platinum English programmes:

Platinum English Classes

Maximum 5 per group, for 15, 20, 25, 30 or 35 lessons per week. Choose this programme if you want maximum contact with international colleagues and require a more general approach to Platinum English.

Platinum English Plus

Platinum English classes as above, plus one private lesson per day (5 per week) for accelerated progress. Choose this programme if you want to combine contact with international colleagues with very specific input sessions relating to your particular professional field.

Platinum English One-to-One

15, 20, 25, 30 or 35 One-to-One (private) lessons per week. Choose this option for maximum intensity and progress, with a programme designed solely to meet your objectives and needs.

Platinum Courses for Professionals

For clients who work in a specific industry we offer specialist courses. These can be combined with General English and/or Business English as well as being taken by themselves. Examples of these courses are:

(Click on the titles for sample course timetables)

Business for Beginners - A specially designed Business English course for students with a very low level of English.

Finance - We welcome clients from a variety of financial backgrounds including banking, tax and accountancy.

Human Resources - Course focusing upon the areas of English language and vocabulary demanded by those working in the sector of Human Resources and recruitment.

Journalism - This course focuses on the language needed for research, interviewing and writing skills.

Law - Aimed at qualified barristers and solicitors, junior lawyers, law students and legal secretaries.

Medicine - English is fast becoming a pre-requisite for those working in the medical industry. This course is aimed at doctors, nurses and other professionals in this specialised field.

Military - Designed to meet the English language requirements of those in the Army, Navy, Air force, Police force and other military operations.

Secretaries, Personal Assistants and Administrative staff - Areas of focus in this course include telephone communication, meeting and event organising, note taking, email, fax and letter writing, customer relations and topic areas essential for the day-to-day inter-company communication where English is the common language.

Aviation - This course has been created for all Pilots and Air Traffic Controllers dealing with International Flights. It focuses solely on speaking and listening and the need for plain and clear English for non-routine aviation situations. It has been designed with the new language regulations in mind which have been introduced by the International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO) in a statement which gives March 5th, 2008 as the deadline for all concerned to reach Level 4 on the Language Proficiency Scale. It is highly practical and includes the use of aviation videos, tapes and role-play.

Preparation and entry for IELTS and TOEFL exams can also be organised on request.

On completion of your studies at St Giles you will receive a certificate specifying the specialisation of your course.

If you work in an industry that is not listed above we are happy to tailor-make a course specifically for your needs on a One-to-One basis.

Weekend Courses

We understand that many of our Platinum clients have busy schedules and need to fit their English language learning around other commitments. We are therefore pleased to now offer lessons at the weekends with flexible hours on a One-to-One basis, so you can schedule your week in a way that is convenient to you. Please contact St Giles Marketing at hq@stgiles.co.uk for more information and a quote.

In-Company Training

We also offer in-company training to fit around your existing commitments at work. One of our highly trained teachers will come to your office at a time that suits you. We are happy to provide specialist packages for companies at competitive rates. Please contact St Giles Marketing at hq@stgiles.co.uk for more details.

Telephone Lessons

To enhance your Platinum course taken at one of the St Giles Colleges, we can organise a package of pre- or post-course telephone lessons. Your teacher will call you for thirty minutes at a pre-arranged time to conduct the lesson. This is the perfect way to prepare for your course or to continue improving your English once you are back in your home country, in addition to being a confidence-building exercise for those who regularly have to speak English on the telephone. Please contact St Giles Marketing at hq@stgiles.co.uk for further information.

Platinum Accommodation

We offer Platinum clients a wide range of specially selected Platinum accommodation options.

3-4 star hotels
Hotels are offered to our Platinum clients at discounted rates. They are located within walking distance of our schools, in city centre/downtown locations, and rooms will include all the usual facilities of private bathrooms, TV, telephone etc.

Platinum/Superior Homestay - St Giles Brighton, London Central, San Francisco and Vancouver
These hosts are selected on the following criteria:

• Quality of house, its décor and facilities
• The professional interests of the hosts
• The location of the home - usually pleasant, professional suburbs
• Travel time to our school will vary from around 30-40 minutes in Brighton and San Francisco, up to an average of 45-60 minutes in London

For further details, please see our Accommodation Options leaflet.

Social Programme

A successful Platinum English programme is not simply about classroom study. We provide a range of specially organised social and cultural activities each week for our Platinum clients, which you can enjoy with your colleagues and teachers. This programme of activities is the ideal opportunity to practise your English in a more relaxed social setting. Typical activities will include:

• Visits to the theatre and opera
• Restaurants
• Museum and gallery tours
• Weekend excursions offered via our regular social programme

During your stay you receive one complimentary social programme activity per fortnight. One-to-one clients also enjoy a complimentary three-course lunch with their teacher at the end of their course.