Staff at Embassy

The lull before the storm

It is the week before the Embassy CES Oxford's summer launches.  The staff are getting ready to greet over 100 new faces on Monday 2 July.  We are checking - do we have enough Welcome Packs - do they have the right information to help our students? Do we have the classrooms set up comfortably for our students? Do we have enough coffee for the staff to keep them going through the busy day?

The busy summer period is one of my favourite times of year - an air of excitiment fills the school.  There is so much going on in the beautiful city of Oxford; it's busy and dynamic, when the sun shines it reflects off the beautiful old stone buildings - making them almost glisten.  The school's social programme brims full with things to do - fabulous trips to London, Stratford-Upon-Avon, Cambridge and Bath, hilarious trips on the river to try the famous punting and on a hot afternoon a stroll around the amazing Pitt Rivers Museum to cool off whilst looking at their collection of mummies!

Whilst sat at my desk it is sometimes easy to forget all that goes on around me, but then a student will burst into my office to tell me of their day - talk about what they have learnt or seen and I can see in their eyes the thrill of it all - the experience of living and breathing another country, another culture and another language and I remember - THIS IS A WONDERFUL WORLD FULL OF OPPORTUNITY.

I need to get back to work now, plenty still to do.

See you later!

Double click for definitions

You might notice a smart new feature of this blog. Double click on any word for an instant definition and the chance to hear the pronunciation! What do you think?

Cambridge punting and bowling

Amal Ouchikh, Activities manager from Embassy CES Cambridge, sent these photos from a recent student excursion. The students punted on the river and also went bowling. Click to see the photos bigger.

Raymond Butler, our Auckland Activities Manager, writes:

It can often be fun to get into the spirit of things and here are two students and a teacher having a laugh by putting on "different hats" before touring round the fort last week. Most of these outings have special moments like this and both teachers and students can get to know one another in a relaxed, informal setting. It's surprising how you can live most of your life in a city and still learn about where you live and it is a lot of fun discovering it with someone from another country.

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Onsite TOEFL® testing

As of January 2008, Embassy CES USA is proud to announce that it will partner with the Educational Testing Service (ETS) to provide on-site authorized TOEFL (Test of English as a Foreign Language ^TM) Internet-Based Tests to all interested students.

Internationally recognized as one of the most valid measurements of English language proficiency for students seeking admission to U.S. universities and colleges, the TOEFL was taken by more than 70,000 people last year.

The US Embassy CES centers are currently being outfitted with the necessary software and webcams to deliver the computerized exam. Staff in each center are being trained to administer and proctor the test. The exam will be given in 2008 at dates scheduled according to the ETS testing calendar (available in September 2007).

Pre-arrival, Embassy CES students can pre-book their TOEFL iBT exams through ETS on-line and request preferred dates.  After arrival, Embassy CES students can take advantage of the US centers' access to a sophisticated range of TOEFL study products to prepare for successful results on the exam.

The TOEFL iBT is the newest version of ETS' English language proficiency test.  Given through a secure internet-based delivery platform, the exam emphasizes integrated communication skills and communicative competence.

ETS, a nonprofit organization, is recognized as a global leader in providing fair and valid assessments and related products and services to support education and professional development for all people worldwide.

- David Tipmore, Embassy CES Fort Lauderdale

June 15th - Worldwide Graduation Day

As mentioned below, hundreds of students from all the Embassy CES schools across the world graduated from Diploma courses on 15th June. The photos have started coming in! It's just wonderful to see so many happy, relieved, celebrating, emotional students, and the amount of hard work that students and staff put in to making sure they had a proper send-off.

A Student of the Year was also chosen in the USA, the UK, and in Australasia, and each one was awarded a prize.

You can read more and see all the photos on the main Embassy CES website. If you have photos to submit, please send them to myday @ embassyces.com (removing spaces from the address).

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Worldwide Graduation Day

Hundreds of students at Embassy CES schools all around the world will be graduating from Diploma courses on June 15th. We're extremely excited to think of the hard work and achievements of so many students, all being celebrated on the same day.

The Diploma is a long-term course, running for six or nine months, so you can be sure these students will have had an experience they will never forget. They'll have made friends for life, and their adopted city will feel like home. Of course they will be sad to say goodbye, but they will be stepping into the world with a much increased level of English and improved fluency. They'll also have a new confidence.

Living abroad for such a long time enables you to learn English in a completely different way than the books or lessons you might study at home. Every day you are talking English, to friends and staff, but also to shop-keepers, waiters, people on the street. The television and the newspaper are no longer simply ways to pass the time - they are also part of your learning experience. On a long-term course, you'll notice yourself improving, as tasks which were a little daunting at first now become as easy as can be.

We wish all our students the best of luck as they enter the world of university or work. Visit the main Embassy CES website to see the names of all the graduates (including Gaby, our student blogger, who will be much missed!). After the event we will be bringing you photos from all our schools' graduation ceremonies and celebrations.

Auckland Maritime Museum

Raymond Butler, our Auckland Activities Manager, writes:

Embassy CES students in Auckland have one of the best harbours in the world at their doorstep! These photos (below) were taken on a visit to our Maritime Museum and included a trip on an old ship. Yes, the water is this blue and the sun is really warm! That island in the background is Rangitoto and on past trips students have climbed right to the top. Will you join them on the next outing?!

Auckland has one of the most amazing harbours you can imagine and here you can see why we call ourselves "The City of Sails" or why Waitemata means "sparkling waters". The water was like blue glass and the sun was warm and gentle. No trick photography or colour filters. Don't you wish you were here?

There isn't a better place to study than Auckland and these photos prove it! An amazing harbour and as much sun, sea and sailing as you can handle!

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A trip to North Head

Raymond Butler, our Auckland Activities Manager, writes:

Auckland isn't just sea, sun and fun - it is also history!  Although only founded in 1840, it has had some great events to mark its lifetime. Our latest trip sought to find out more about this by visiting North Head, to explore what was once an old Maori village or "pah" and then turned into a fort by the settlers to fight a invasion from ...the Russians!

Well, it was back in the 1880s, so maybe we did tend to be a little more gullible back then. In any event, it was a wonderful ride on a ferry over to the North Shore and a good long walk through tunnels cut out of volcanic rock with the chance to take some silly photos on the way. Notice the students on the beach with "TAYLORS AUCKLAND*" written in the sand. They're from Korea and Brazil, although one is a Japanese Brazilian!

As a footnote, this is actually our early winter but as you sit in sub-zero temperatures wondering where to study English, think of us in our 12-14 degrees centigrade won't you?

Photos - click to see bigger.

Glossary

Note: We have added a few definitions below to help you. If you need more help, why not post a comment below?

ferry  (noun) A boat that carries passengers across a river or water.

fort (noun) A strong building built to defend land from enemies; a small castle.

founded (past participle) From the verb 'to found' - to establish or begin.

gullible (adjective) Easy to fool. A gullible person believes everything.

sought (past form) From the verb 'to seek' - to look for.

Maori (proper noun) The indigenous people of New Zealand.

* Taylors is the sister school of Embassy CES.