Technology has opened a gateway to online education. Learning English is not an exemption. The Internet has crashed the barrier of distance, making English courses readily available to those who need it. There is no doubt that English is a universal language and the demand of learning English as an additional language has increased with great deal. Thus, the number of English learning institutions has tripled in the World Wide Web since 2003, and continues to grow.

The trend of learning English has raised a question of how effective it is compared to traditional school set up. There are studies confirming that an online student shows a great deal of confidence over the language and is a better speaker than her traditional counterpart. Research also explains that learning at one's comfort zone decreases the level of stress during the learning period itself. As a result, students are able to learn faster and in a more effective way.

Here are some other reasons which make learning English online effective:

The great online English courses offer flexibility and variety - from conversational English, to grammar, to reading and comprehension - which are essential in learning. More of this method becomes effective because of the structured lessons specifically prepared to cater to each student's needs. This way, learning is not just a repetition of what has already been taught in traditional setting, but rather it serves as enhancement of and progresses from there.

As lessons are structured to individual learning needs of students, an online English course will also help you focus on areas such as reading, writing, listening and speaking. This will help you improve on certain areas that needs to be addressed and develop a better understanding of the English language as a whole.

Another contributory factor that proves learning English online to be effective is the one-on-one approach of the teacher to the student. This approach seeks to focus on the strengths and weaknesses of the student to further her development and progress.

Aside from the flexibility and convenience which learning English online offers, it is also affordable in many ways. It cuts expenses on travel, food and accommodation. And you also get to choose a schedule that will not clash with your daily activities.

While learning English in a traditional setting is effective in its own way, more and more people choose to take the alternate route - learning English online. Many students of the English language find it more attractive and beneficial to learn English online.

Jayson Pino Guevarra is currently the Chief Research and Development Officer of Executive English, an international company which assists global communication through the efficient use of technology. Executive English brings together people who want to learn English online http://www.learnonlineenglish.com, professionals who are qualified to handle English teaching jobs, and expert providers of online learning support http://www.onlinelearningsupport.org for distance education.