At the English Studio we help many of our students find work to support themselves while they take an English course in London. Marco Paris, 23 is a recent mechanical engineering graduate from near Rome. He came to learn English in London for a few months before starting his Masters.

A friend recommended the English Studio to me and I feel it’s got a good balance between price and quality. Somebody at Reception told me about the recruitment event in May and I thought, ‘Why not?’ I was a little nervous at the beginning that my English wouldn’t be good enough because I hadn’t spoken any English for three and a half years, but it was great.

Veronica and another girl from Prime were really friendly and they had a relaxed conversation with me about who I was and what I wanted to do. I have studied all my life, so I had no experience in anything, but there was plenty of work available as a cleaner or attendant – and in the end I chose the job of spa attendant.

What I liked most was the fact that in nearly all the jobs I was offered, the managers were British and the staff came from all over the world, so everybody spoke English and it was good to practise my English in ‘The Real World.’

My classes with Sarah Chapman were really brilliant because she made sure that everybody spoke – we were almost forced to speak in our Upper-intermediate class and I noticed a big improvement in my two months at the English Studio. Because of the great work Sarah did and the confidence it gave me, I was able to use the language I learned in class in a working environment.

Another thing I liked about Prime is that they were very precise about payment; there were never any mistakes in my pay slip and I was always able to call the office with any problems or questions I had. London is expensive and I’m lucky I had a place to stay with my sister; otherwise,I would have to work many more hours, because of my lack of experience. Waiting staff and chefs, for example, can make a lot more money.

My experience with Prime has been a very positive one and I would recommend them to other English Studio students. The hours are flexible and working for Prime is perfect for foreign students in London.

Marco Paris