For some of us the end of school can often mean the end of us studying a foreign language. However after spending years learning English, does it not seem a bit of a shame to throw it away. Surely we should do what we can to keep it up, as the benefits of knowing a second language are endless.

Communication

English is the most widely spoken language in the world. With over 750 million people who know the language, it is clear that it is a huge benefit when it comes to communication. In fact, it is seen as the business language, so it couldn’t be more useful to know.

Employability

Knowing a second language always looks good on your CV Resume as it shows your potential employer that you have  good communication skills. Not only this but knowing a foreign  language can also open up many more career doors for you, giving you more choice when it comes to deciding what you want to do.

Travel

Knowing one of the most widely spoken languages in the world has huge benefits when it comes to travelling. If you go to an English speaking country, you can almost guarantee you will find an English speaker who can help you with whatever problem you have. This means all you have left to do is relax and enjoy the trip.

Learning English

Internet

Most of the information found on the Internet is in English. Knowing the language means you don’t have to rely on a bad translation to get access to the information you are searching for. Also it opens up the amount of information resources available to you.

Music and Films

Most of the biggest songs and films tend to be in the English language. For music, being able to hear and understand the lyrics can make a huge difference to the meaning of songs. When it comes to films, you can enjoy the original, without the dubbing.

As students money is always on our minds, whether its ways of saving it or making it, we are always interested in ways to make our budgets stretch a little further. If you are only in London for a short time, then budget planning is the key. However, if you plan on staying that little bit longer, a part-time job could be just the thing to stop you having to worry so much about what you’re spending. In fact, not only will it give you some pocket money, but just think about what it will do for developing your English as well!

So, what’s the first step

First of all, a CV will need to be made and lots of copies printed out. Remember the format of the British CV differs slightly. Once this is done, dress in your best and start your search.

Hit the streets

With your CV in hand, it’s best to start with the local recruitment agencies as they will help you in your job search. Another place to look is in any job centres near you, as they will have lists of the latest jobs, suited to what you are looking.

While walking around the streets, you should also keep an eye out for any job offers on the windows of businesses.

hitting the streets

Seasonal Work

If you plan on being in London over the Christmas or summer season then look for bars, restaurants or shops offering temporary posts. With so much happening in the city, there is nearly always a need for staff to help deal with the Christmas rush or summer buzz.

Little Money Makers

If you are only looking to earn a little extra money here and there, then teaching a foreign language, babysitting or even dog walking are all ways of doing this. Websites, local papers and even announcements in shop windows are just some places to look, if you want this type of work.

When it comes to the summer the first thing many of us think about is how we are going to spend our time in the sun, lazing around and having fun. However what happens with our foreign language while we are out of the classroom? Often when we get back to school we can find that we are a bit rusty. Going on a summer course can be just the thing to stop this from happening.

Spend time talking the language

While on the summer course you will get the chance to actively speak the language all the time you are here. This will be of such a benefit when it comes to going back to classes (or off to university- if you have just finished school.)

Experience what it’s like to spend time away

This is the perfect opportunity to experience what it is like to spend time away from home. This way if, with your degree for example, you get the chance to spend a year on Erasmus, you will already have an idea about what it is like to be away from home.

Make friends from all over the world

There are often people who come from all over the world to go on the summer courses. This makes it a great way to meet new people from different nationalities and you can learn about different cultures, while developing your English at the same time.

Live with a host family

For accommodation during the course, you can get the chance to stay with a host family.  This can be a huge advantage when it comes to picking up the language, as you will get to communicate in English the whole time. Aside from staying with host families there is accommodation available in halls of residence. This can be a great way to meet people and get to know people who are also on the course.

If you are under 18, you can also live the experience: check our Summer School

There’s an English saying that “you learn something new everyday.” When it comes to a foreign language, this is certainly the case. If you are lucky enough to be getting to spend time in London, then it’s so important that you make the most of this opportunity. In order to truly benefit from your time away, it’s important to remember that even out of the classroom, you are still learning. It’s true that even the small things can make a big difference, and here are just a few simple ways, that could really help to improve your English.

Be aware of what’s going on around you.

Perhaps the most obvious of tips, but a golden rule all the same. What it means is that, for example, when you’re out food shopping, by simply paying attention to the signs in the shop, the tickets on the shelf and the names of the food you are buying, you are actively learning new vocabulary everyday. This can be the same in clothes shops, restaurants, walking along the street…any situation really!  

Cinema, Papers and Magazines.

Sitting back and watching a film can be a fun way to spend the night (or even day.) The cinema is the perfect place for this, as you can enjoy all the action on the big screen.

Even if the cinema isn’t your thing, watching TV programmes in a foreign language is another way that will really help. It’s a great way to improve your vocabulary and pronunciation- just try not to become a British soap addict!

Eastenders, a BBC soap opera

Another good idea is to read local newspapers or magazines. Reading articles from papers not only keeps you up to date with the world, but it’s also a good way to improve your vocabulary and to help with grammatical structures. Alternatively, for that celebrity fix, the latest fashion and general Hollywood gossip, magazines are also a great way to help you learn even more English.

Live London, Learn English

A pen always at the ready

Everyday you are going to hear new words and phrases, so in order to remember them; it’s a good idea to always carry a pen and paper to write them down. It could be things you hear in the classroom, on the street, in the supermarket, so it’s best to always be prepared.

Another thing you should never be without is a dictionary. You never know when you might need it!

Just for fun

One way to help you to sound more fluent in English is to use idioms. The English language, like many other languages, has quite a lot of these and so they are an important part of the language. As a goal, you could try to learn and use one of these idioms every day.

For pronunciation practice, tongue twisters can be a fun and interesting way to really test you.

When it comes to learning a language, one of the biggest problems that most of us face is simply feeling confident enough to express themselves in a foreign language, even if it´s in a classroom! In fact, this is one of the main reasons that people often find themselves shying away from language schools in foreign countries. For many, there is a fear of not believing that they are good enough to cope! Speaking from experience, this is the on thing that may weigh heavily for people when making that all important decision about spending time away in a foreign country.

Drawing on personal experience, the first few days in a foreign country getting used to classes, adjusting to a new lifestyle and a different culture are the most important, and so feeling confident to speak with natives and even just classmates, is such an advantage to have. However, erasing these initial fears and worries through the English Language Studio Online Courses, is going to leave you feeling more confident about your language abilities. What’s more, with getting rid of your worries and fears before you arrive, there will be nothing else for you to do but enjoy your time here. And, really, who can argue with that?!

The courses are made to suit all levels and you can enjoy all the advantages of classroom teaching – right from the comfort of your own home! Courses are offered for all age groups and to suit all abilities- but most importantly are there to give us that confidence boost that we may need before we go.

For an hour a day, the courses give us the opportunity to talk with teachers and classmates, help with grammar and writing, and offer a general insight into how the classes are conducted at the school.

These courses are not just for those of you who are fortunate enough to spend your summer in the capital! With a certificate awarded at the end of the course, they are the perfect way to either start learning English or brushing up on what you already know. Who knows maybe they will prepare you for future visits to London or another English city.

The online courses are the perfect stepping stone for you to get started, before heading off, so why not find out more.

I think we could include this in our level test!!!

What do you think Rob?

“fi yuo cna raed tihs, yuo hvae a sgtrane mnid too

Cna yuo raed tihs? Olny 55 plepoe out of 100 can.

i cdnuolt blveiee taht I cluod aulaclty uesdnatnrd waht I was rdanieg.

The phaonmneal pweor of the hmuan mnid, aoccdrnig to a

rscheearch at Cmabrigde Uinervtisy, it dseno’t mtaetr in waht oerdr

the ltteres in a wrod are, the olny iproamtnt tihng is taht the frsit and

lsat ltteer be in the rghit pclae. The rset can be a taotl mses and you

can sitll raed it whotuit a pboerlm. Tihs is bcuseae the huamn mnid

deos not raed ervey lteter by istlef, but the wrod as a wlohe.

Azanmig huh? yaeh and I awlyas tghuhot slpeling was ipmorantt!”

David Vieira/ Brazil

Lessons don’t have to be boring, and they are far from it here at The English Studio. Check out this clip of VIcky playing a vocabulary game with her Cambridge Preparation class.

Games with Vicky

I had never been out of Brazil before coming to London. People used to classify me as crazy. A lot. But I didn’t care, all I thought was: I’ll be free. Free from myself. Weird, right? But, that was exactly what I thought. I would get rid of this person that people had always known as, me. Because, the truth is: you are known as what society thinks of you. And for society back where I come from, I am “the daughter”, “the sister” and “the granddaughter”. I wasn’t just a girl. The thing is, I didn’t know that the freedom would come at a prize. Not money or any material thing, but, tears, loneliness, emptiness.

I got here completely on my own, no friends, no family, no acquaintances, no one. At first, it was overwhelming. Living and sharing experiences with complete strangers. They didn’t know anything about me, most of them still don’t know. However, it was and it still is, everything I ever thought it would be: amazing. It’s like I’m a completely new person, a free one. Free from all the things that used to stop me from doing everything I thought wasn’t appropriate.

The thing the made all the difference was my school. At The English Studio I learned and I am still learning almost everything that I need to know about London, the English language, British culture, places to visit and experiences. It was here that I made my new friends, that I found my flat and, most important, it is because of my brilliant teacher Mike Mooney my English has improved considerably. It’s here that I learn new and exciting things everyday, especially with my adorable and so well educated teacher.

I still get shocked sometimes; I blame my “small town mentality”. But, after a minute or two, I get used to the idea, and sometimes even start applying it to my own life.

I used to cry everyday when I got here. I used to call my dad and say that I wanted to go home, that this was too much for me. That I would never love London, and that everything here was backwards. From the way they drive to the plug (I still have to use the adaptor to use my hair-dryer).

People used to say to give it some time, that London would eventually get me and in 3 months I would start loving it. And so it happened. Of course, with a lot of tears, phone calls, and family support, but here I am: loving every minute of it, free from all the pre-conceptions people would build in their minds the minute I’d introduce myself by saying my last name and free from all the assumptions.

Now I can really say that I’m truly living the “London experience”, and The English Studio and everybody that I met there is a really big part of this little part of my life.

Mariana Shayeb

I’ve always believed that the power of new perspectives and the ability of making the most out of them are what makes us who we are. They open our eyes and make us see a totally new world that was hidden before. Some people are not scared of this inner transformative power. And as their world get smaller, they find themselves gathering for new experiences.

London is the dream destination of many students world wide. And this is the kind of change that requires lots of preparation. You decide to leave the warmth of your home to celebrate a journey of exploration. And choosing your guides on this trip may be the most important topic to be concerned about. I chose the English Studio because first of all I needed to be confident about the language I was speaking on my conquer. It was not just a matter of communicate well but to do it like a native speaker, with all idiomatic expressions that just a person who’s always lived in an English speaker enviroment was able to.

It’s amazing how you start to appreciate school the very second you get your first compliment about your language skills coming from a native speaker. And thanks to the classes I’ve been having at The English Studio it didn’t take to long for this day to come. You feel like the time and money you spend to live and study here are totally worthy. No class is like the other. Partly because of the well-qualified teachers they trust on and partly because of the friends you make on the way. I couldn’t wish for a better “family” in London.

Being in such an amazing enviroment definitely helps me on my adventure. Because as much you explore everywhere, that’s where you discover yourself.

Evaldo

my job for today is to expand the school library, and I’ve been asking students what kind of books and films they’d like to lend from us! apart from some ridiculous requests for Japanese horror films, we’ve been happy to supply  students with the things  they  need to help them learn English- after all, it doesn’t all just happen in the classroom, you know!