Dear all
We are opening a new IELTS course, thinking of students who are busy during the day and can only come to school in the late afternoon / evening. Classes are divided in two slots: from 4:30pm to 6pm, and from 6:15pm to 7:45pm.
Students are welcome to join both or either of the sessions!
We look forward to seeing you, if you need any information give us a call and our team will be pleased to answer your questions!
Spring is just around the corner and at least 95 in every 100 Londoners are really looking forward to it. Okay, the statistics may be just an invention from my not-so-creative mind, but I am sure most people who live here are really excited about having one of the most beautiful seasons in this country arriving!
The last days don’t give us big hope for a hot early spring, as England was hit by the worst spring freeze in more than 25 years just a couple of days ago. It is a very unusual March, with people more likely to stay at home with a hot chocolate than out in the park having an iced tea…
The weather during spring can be mixed anyway – March is generally windier, then April sees light rain with sunshine, and by the end of spring days are generally nice and warm.
Whatever this spring looks like, there are plenty of things to do in London during this period. Just remember to bring an umbrella with you even on a very sunny day (just in case!) and bring your camera, as the views can look pretty special at this time of year. Here are some suggestions:
- London Wetland Centre - great for seeing cute baby animals
- Hyde Park - going rollerskating, swimming in the paddling pool or just walking around to check the view can make a fun day. On a rainy day, the Serpentine muse
- Boat from Little Venice to Camden - riding a boat on its own is already fun, and doing it while enjoying the beautiful views in Little Venice is even better
- Sit down in a pub garden - if the pub is by the Thames, even better! Londoners love to spend whole afternoons at the outside area of their local pub chatting and checking the lovely views. And if it rains you can always go inside 
Learn the meaning of haggis, neeps and tatties with the Scots!
“Some hae meat and cannae eat
And some wad eat that want it
But we hae meat and we can eat
And sae the Lord be thankit…”
Tonight is a very special night for Scottish people: they celebate the contribution that Robert Burns has given to Scottish culture. Burns was a poet born in 1759 who wrote memorable poems and lyrics about the political life in Scotland. Aside from his political poems, he also wrote “Address to a haggis”, a funny ode to this tasty dish. Haggis is a meal made of the heart, liver and lungs of sheep or lamb, seasoned with herbs and spices.It is generally eaten with neeps (slang for turnips) and tatties (potatoes) as side dishes.
Every year on the 25th of January, people’s homes and pubs in Scotland and also around the UK serve this delicious dish in order to commemorate the date when Burns birthday would be celebrated. The most enthusiastic hosts also read the poem out loud before the meal begins.
“… Fair fa’ your honest, sonsie face,,
Great chieftain o’ the puddin’ race!
Aboon them a’ ye tak your place
Painch, tripe, or thairm: weel are ye wordy of a grace – as long’s my arm“
This post is dedicated to our beloved Hannah O’Donnell, previous ELSE teacher and a proud and devotee Scottish who now lives in Spain. We miss you and will think of you while eating our haggis!
“… But pleasures are like poppies spread,
You sieze the flower, its bloom is shed;
Or like the snow falls in the river,
A moment white–then melts for ever…”
As the year is coming to an end, our lovely (ad at times a bit wacky) staff would like to thank you all for making of 2012 the best year ELSE has had. It was great to meet so many nice students and we look forward to an even happier 2013!
Lots of love from the ELSE staff!
At ELSE we have students coming to us every day asking which exam we think is the most beneficial to them: the IELTS or the Cambridge ones (FCE or CAE). Well, that answer always varies: before replying to that question we have to considerate what is the main reason that led the student to decide to take the exam.
In most cases, if you are looking to study at a British University the answer would be IELTS – international students are required to have a minimum grade in IELTS in order to enrol in their course of choice (the score is marked with brands from 0 to 9, meaning there is no such thing as passing or failing the exam – it’s a general assessment of your English). The IELTS course is a much more exam-focused preparation that includes academic language and writing, and exam practice techniques. Keep in mind that the validity of your IELTS result is two years only, so after that you would have to retake the exam to regain the qualification.
That said, if you are looking to enrol in a course that will improve your English as well as get you a qualification for life, the Cambridge exams are another option to the IELTS. They are internationally recognised by employers, and also by universities. Some students also find that the exam itself is more enjoyable as it lifts your English skills as well as testing your academic language.
The higher Cambridge exams are the First Certificate in English or FCE, Certificate in Advanced English or CAE, and Certificate of Profiiency in English or CPE. There are also examinations for the less advanced levels; the Key English Test (KET) for Elementary students, and the Preliminary English Test (PET) for Intermediate students. The CPE is a really high qualification, popular with those who want to become teachers or translators.
We would love to help you make your final decision and help you obtain the best score at either the IELTS or the Cambridge, so contact us if you need assistance and good luck with your exam!
No more excuses, guys! Studying English can be (and is) fun!
Find below some songs that can help you understand some of the tricky aspects of the English language. Turn up the sound and let’s dance and learn!
Suddenly I see – KT Tunstall - Simple Present
Careless Whisper – George Michael - Passive voice
The Logical Song – Supertramp - Suffixes
Still haven’t found what I’m looking for – UK - Present Perfect
The Long and Winding Road – The Beatles - Comparison of past perfect and present perfect
Someone Like You – Adele - Phrasal Verbs
Bruno’s joined Movember. Will you?
Each November of the year, the streets of London and throughout the world are filled with moustaches adorning men’s faces. You may then be led to think that big moustaches are becoming fashionable again (and get a bit desperate maybe…), but actually the reason behind all the hairy faces is a lot more generous than that: they are trying to raise vital funds and awareness for men’s health, specifically prostate cancer and testicular cancer.
Movember (a joining of the words November and Moustache) is a charity programme created by the Movember Foundation in 2004. They started encouraging men (“Mo Bros”) to get involved, getting them to grow moustaches since the 1st of November and leaving them until the end of the month. The rules state that the moustache cannot become or look like a beard, and the Mo Bros have to behave like real gentlemen all the time for the whole period. They also have to commit to put their effort into making people aware of the project, raising funds and explaining about the issues. The intent is to increase early cancer detection, diagnosis and effective treatments. At the end of the month, Movember parties are held to celebrate their achievements (and the moustaches they’ve grown).
Bruno is our ELSE Mo Bro and is doing an amazing job promoting the cause here at the school. His moustache is already showing, so how do you think he should finish the month looking like??
Everyone knows that London is a city of mixed cultures. It is hard to find a place that defines that mix as well as Brick Lane though – at just a 10-minute walk from ELSE lies the famous street, heart of both the Bangladeshi community and of the trendiest London’s artistic crowd. The area is full of character, being at the same time home to cool and eclectic nightclubs and to the Great London Mosque; to the best British bagel shops and famous Bangladeshi curry restaurants; to old synagogues and the present memory of Jack the Ripper in all of its corners… the list of its contrasts goes on and on and on!
It is definitely a place that can’t be missed by anyone that comes to London. Pick a Sunday to go visit, as that is the day when the Brick Lane street market takes over several streets and attracts large crowds looking for a good bargain. The market is famous for the retro second-hand clothes and furniture, home accessories and every kind of antiques. It has a bit of everything you can possibly imagine! Our favorite thing, though, is the food market – it offers amazing food from all over the food, so your choice can go anywhere between an Ethiopian ndolé (a stew consisting of fish or beef, nuts and vegetables), some Japanese pancakes (yes, you heard it right!) and Venezuelan arepas (thick full of flavour cornflour tacos). Don’t worry, if you aren’t that adventurous you can still find lovely pasta, steaks, hot dogs and everything else!
So see you there, folks!
Halloween left us with lots of good memories and a lot of paint stains on our faces as well… Oh how hard it was to get all of that paint out! The halloween party was great and left us wanting more fun times…
Now that everyone is recovered from the tricks or treats, it’s time to spend the weekend enjoying the November cold weather by a bonfire. Today the celebrations for Guy Fawkes Night begin with lots of firework displays and bonfire parties all over town!
If you are not British you probably don’t know who this Guy Fawkes must have been or why there’s a night dedicated to him, so I will try to summarise it as it is quite an interesting and important part of British culture: Guy (Guido) Fawkes led a plan to blow up the Houses of Parliament and kill King James I and destroy his government, in 1605. This potential massive tragedy was only avoided because a member of the group had a friend who worked with King James I, and so sent him a letter warning him not to go to work on the 5th of November. That letter was found by the Kings’s soldiers, who discovered Guy hidden in the cellar, arrested and tortured him.
Ever since, the night of the 5th of November is celebrated all over Britain. It is really common for friends and families to get together, light a bonfire and burn a Guy Fawkes “guy” (see picture below) – a sort of mannequin with all of Guy Fawkes’ features. Firework displays also take over the city, and beautiful presentations can be seen everywhere.
If you want to check that for yourself here is a list of recommended Guy Fawkes celebration events, happening tomorrow and on Sunday:
3 November
Bishop’s Park SW6 3LA
Fulham celebrates Guy Fawkes Night in traditional style with a spectacular fireworks display plus a funfair and food stalls. There’s a special children’s show at 7.15pm.
From £5.00
3 November
Ealing Cricket Club W5 2HS
Located at the Ealing Cricket Club, the fireworks display this year celebrates the Diamond Jubilee year.
From £6.00
3 November
Enfield Town Park EN2 6TW
The 2012 display will be the Enfield District Scouts 38th year!
From £6.00
4 November
Millwall Park E14 3AY
Tower Hamlets Council is proud to present Three Community Fireworks displays across the borough in 2012.
Free
Our staff and students are going to see the Southwark fireworks exhibition next Monday in Canada Water. Wanna join us?
Hello everyone!
The ELSE blog is back! Bigger, stronger and even a bit happier!
We’ve had a lovely year so far- lots of great students, pub fun and not many angry teachers! To celebrate and remember one of the year’s highlights we decided to dedicate this post to the amazing Italian group that has just left us this week, posting some pictures of their stay with us (all donated by Michele – our massive thanks!). Saluti to the 40 students and 4 teachers that came all the way from Benevento to enjoy the East London vibe!
Arrival at the residence and placement test
Italians dominating David’s class!
Le ragazze taking over
Posing in front of the residence
Birthday happy times x 4! Buon cumpleanno guys!
The girls again
Shopping time
All together touring around London
All the best to you guys and hope we can go visit you very soon!
