Frequently Asked Questions

General FAQ

Teachers FAQ

Courses FAQ

Trial FAQ

Reading & Writing Club FAQ

Pricing & Payment FAQ

General

What teaching curriculum does U+ follow?
Our English courses follow the curriculum used in Ontario, Canada. The French courses follow the curriculum used in Paris, France. The Spanish courses follow the curriculum used in Spain/Mexico. These curriculums provide the basis for us to develop the teaching materials. In addition, all teaching materials will be personalized to each student by our highly experienced group of instructors.
What age groups are the classes intended for? Will the students be categorized based on their skill level?
Due to the unique features of our personalized teaching, the students who are currently attending U+ classes range from 2.5 years old up to adult. U+ will evaluate the language level of each student based on the trial class into 5 different categories (Level 1 – Level 5). Afterwards, we will assign instructors that correspond to the student’s language level as well as providing personalized teaching materials to ensure optimal learning experiences.
What class size format does U+ offer? What is the pricing for the courses?
We have 1 on 1 courses as well as group lessons where there will be 2 or 4 students per instructor. For detailed pricing, please refer to the pricing list.
What happens if a second student cannot be found for the 2-student class size format?

U+ will pair up 2 students to fill the 2-student class size format. However, there may be some delays depending on the number of students signing up for that particular class size format.

 

You may pair up a second student as well. In the case of this situation, U+ will offer you a 15% discount for that course.

U+ Teachers

How do you ensure your instructors have the appropriate qualifications?

We ensure that U+ instructors are native language speakers from North America, France, Mexico, etc. with higher education and valid teaching certification. All of our instructors go through a rigorous interview process and are trained to handle our course materials. The best way for the parents to evaluate our instructors is to partake in the trial class and listen to our instructors’ pronunciation and see the interaction in person. The video recordings of the trial class can also be provided to the parents for evaluation.

How are the instructors assigned to the students?
U+ will recommend a U+ instructor who is best suited to the student based on the questionnaire/evaluation given to the student prior to the trial class. Following the trial class, if the student is satisfied with the instructor, we will pair the student with that instructor to complete the course. If the student does not feel satisfied with the instructor, we will recommend another experienced instructor to the student.
Is the instructor permanent?
Yes, having a permanent instructor for each student will provide quicker learning progression and better efficiency since the student is already familiar with the same instructor.
Can we change the instructor in the middle of a course?
1 on 1 courses allow instructor changes during the course. If there is a need to do so, please inform us at least two weeks in advance.

Courses at U+

Why are the courses offered at U+ better and more attractive than other organizations?
U+ classes are designed based on a curriculum that is used in the native country. At the same time, U+ will take into consideration that each student is unique and will personalize course materials to fit their individual needs. Every student will obtain teaching materials that are designed and prepared by our elite teaching group (consisting of 5 instructors with PhDs, each with more than 25 years of teaching experience) to ensure top quality classes.
Is there any help if my kids do not understand the new language in the classroom and cannot follow?
For 1 on 1 classes, U+ can provide a translator for the first two classes to help the student to establish a foundation with the instructor. Afterwards, we recommend direct interactions between the student and the instructor since U+ is dedicated to providing a learning environment in which the student can be fully immersed in.  We ask that parents do not interrupt during classes and allow the student to answer all the questions by themselves. 
How are the courses designed?
Following the trial class, U+ will evaluate the student’s language skills. The U+ instructor will teach the course based on the student’s level. Throughout the duration of the course, our instructor will modify the teaching materials based on the student’s progress to accommodate the pace of the student.
What is the process following course signup?

Once you have signed up to a course:

  1. U+ will design a study plan based on the student’s needs, the course package, and the number of classes that you have purchased.
  2. We will need your address and contact information to provide you with an invoice.
  3. We will arrange a reoccurring time for the classes. Each class is 25 minutes long and the student would need to login to the platform 3-5 minutes prior to each class. For students who choose to take two classes consecutively, we will provide an additional 10 minutes at no charge (an increase in 20% class time) for the student each time totalling an hour of class.
Can we obtain the teaching materials ahead of time? What is the best way to review class materials?
When the student is exposed to new material every class, it creates an environment where the student can maintain interest while learning a new language. This helps the student to think in the language they are learning in and achieve quicker responses during conversational situations, allowing them to express their ideas more naturally. U+ will provide recordings of the class within 48 hours for parents to review class materials with the student. We recommend and encourage parents to review and practice words in which the student had trouble pronouncing during class. Reviewing course materials after the class is often better than reading the course materials before class.
Will there be evaluations following several classes? How do we know that the student is improving?
U+ will have instructors provide report cards periodically to evaluate the student’s progress. The evaluation will allow us to adjust the course materials for the next few classes to provide a personalized learning experience.
Will students obtain a certificate upon course completion?

Students who have successfully completed the course will receive a certificate. The certificate can provide a discount to other services that are offered by U+ (e.g. writing and editing services, summer camp), as well as discounts from U+ partners, such as OneHub.

Trial Classes

How long is the trial class?
The trial class is 25 minutes long.
What is needed prior to the trial class?

Please fill out the U+ trial class form completely. Our customer support team or advisors will reach out to you for the following information:

  1. Zoom, the official platform used for all U+ courses to improve sentence flow.
  2. Request payment for the trial class (if you were referred, the trial class is free).
  3. U+ advisors will evaluate the student’s language level and then design appropriate teaching materials for the trial class.
What type of feedback can we expect following the trial class?
The day following the trial class, our U+ instructors will provide an evaluation and suggest the appropriate course level for the student.

U+ Club Events

Is it a live class?
Yes, the classes are live with teacher/student interactions.
You can only choose one of the times given, right? Or can I join all of them?
No, you are given access to ALL classes during the week, and can join any class.
If students ask for leave/cancellation, will the class fee be deducted normally or can it be retained?
No refunds can be given. However, we will arrange for make-up sessions for club classes and each student is allowed to participate in up to 2 make-up classes per session.
Is the content the same for classes within the same week (e.g. Tues/Thurs)?
No, the content will be different for each class. For example, Tuesday classes will cover different content from Thursday’s content.
Are class materials shared?

Members will have access to a variety of great audiobooks as a supplement!

What is the recommended age for the virtual reading clubs?
Our beginner classes have an age minimum of 4 but are mixed with young students of a variety of ages (mostly 4-8 years old). The beginner level is tailored for students with less than 2 years of English/French immersion experience, and/or are new to the English/French language (Pre-level 1 – level 1). Our intermediate level is for students with 2 – 4 years of English/French immersion experience (Level 2 and above). (mostly 9-15 years old)
Are classes one-to-one or one-to-many? If it is one-to-many, how many students will there be?
The classes are in group format and usually are no more than 10 students.

Pricing and Payment

Does the course package expire? Can we request a refund?
1 on 1 courses do not expire and the classes can be postponed if needed. We do not provide a refund if three or more classes within a package have already been taken by the student. However, there is a one-time opportunity to transfer the package to another person. For 1 on 2 and 1 on 4 course packages, classes cannot be postponed or stopped and refunds will not be accepted once the course has started.
What happens if the student does not attend the class based on the pre-scheduled time?
If the student misses the class due to personal reasons, then the missed class will be deducted as a taken class. If the student informs us of any changes 48 hours prior, the class will not be deducted from the package.
Are there any discounts for referring friends?
You can recommend your friends to try our free trial class. If you are able to successfully refer a friend, U+ will give you free classes based on the package that your friend has purchased. For additional details, please reach out to the U+ advisors.
Are there any discounts for renewing a package?
If you renew your package before it finishes, you will receive our returning customer discount. For additional details, please reach out to the U+ advisors.