Students from Embassy Oxford have been writing about their experiences learning English! Read on to find out how they are getting on.
Javier Gonzalez
Hello, I’m going to tell you quickly about me. My name is Javier Gonzalez, I’m an 18 years old foreign student from Mexico, learning English in Oxford, specifically at Embassy.
I’m learning this language because nowadays it is absolutely necessary whether you want to be a successful man, or even if you just want to travel around the world you will need English in every new country because it is the global language. Now I’m going to tell you why I chose this city and why I’m so happy for having done it.
If you are looking for a place where you can find the perfect balance between having a great time and learning real English you should chose Oxford, which is the place you are looking for. But, why Oxford?
This is a small city with many things to do.If you are interested in culture and history, there is no better place in the world to learn about it as the university’s campus or the museums (most of them are free, everybody loves free things). The buildings are really amazing, most of them have got gorgeous gardens and you can go to spend an evening with your friends, or your partner if you are lucky.
On the other hand, if you like nightlife, in Oxford you can find busy nightclubs with good music for everyone and very good DJ’s from the typical European danceclub to the most latin “disco”. We can not forget the pubs, which are the perfect place to go with friends and have a chat or drink some beer, even eat traditional food. In a pub you won’t feel time passing; it is really magical.
Believe it or not, people here are warm and nice, the ambience is student orientated, and you will find and be in touch with people from all over the entire globe, different cultures from yours which will teach you a lot of things and knowledge, and as I said you will find plenty of young people to talk with.
Another of Oxford’s advantages is the easy going way of life, you won’t get lost easily. The bus service is perfect. Oxford is really close to London and you can spend a weekend there easily and cheaply.
It’s up to you, but trust me, if you choose Oxford you will have the best time in your life as I am doing now.
Eiko Kono
In September, 2010, I went to Belgium with my friends. The reason we went there was visiting my friend, Philippe. He was my classmate of afternoon class. We were lucky because he invited us to Belgium and provided his grandmother's house as an accommodation. It was... my first time to travel in Europe except the UK so everything was new. Getting on the Eurostar, speaking to people who speak French, eating Belgian traditional food etc. It was full of exciting experiences. Furthermore, he was as a local guide in Brussels, Brugge and Antwerp so I could know lots of things about Belgium, such as culture, traditional food and behaviour so on.
I think the scenery was totally different between Brussels and Tokyo but I could find a lots of similar things. For example, both senior citizen are vigorous. I saw some of the senior citizen were dancing in the Sunday market. I also met other senior citizen in front of a church. They were very friendly and cheerful. In addition, there were a lot of attractive shops, such as chocolate shops, tea shops and local markets. I enjoyed all of them during the trip. I had a great time with my friends, Philippe and his grandmother. I want to visit to Belgium again.
Our staff at our Embassy schools work very hard to create a varied and enjoyable programme of activities and trips to keep the students entertained in their spare time. Recently, the students at the Embassy Gold Coast school had a great time visiting their local Sea World park.
Steven Rowe, the Student Services representative for Embassy Gold Coast writes: 'In May a pre-intermediate class from Embassy Gold Coast went on an excursion to SeaWorld, a marine-themed amusement park located only fiftten minutes away from the school.
Here, the students saw various exhibits with animals such as polar bears, sharks, penguins and stingrays,and they also watched live performance shows by dolphins and seals. This combined with riding rollercoasters and other thrill rides, along with watching a jet-ski stunt show made it a very enjoyable and educational day for the students.'
To see all of the great photos from this fantastic day out, visit the Embassy Gold Coast Facebook gallery. Also, you can visit the Embassy activities and excursions page to find out more about the other trips on offer to our students, or ask a question if you have a specific query about studying with Embassy.
There are so many great things to see and do in Brisbane, so our staff and students are never bored! Annie Azano, the Brisbane Activities Coordinator, writes about the latest excursion the school's staff and students enjoyed:
'On April 17th nearly 50 Embassy Brisbane students and teachers got together to watch the Brisbane Lions play the Western Bulldogs at the Brisbane Cricket Ground (also known as the Gabba). It was a great Australian experience for our students. The seats were very close to the field so everyone had a wonderful view of the action. The Lions were losing in the first half, but came back to beat the Bulldogs 101 points to 79. Students were cheering and shouting along with the rest of the crowd and even joined in to sing when the Lions won.
After the game, the group was able to enjoy the unique experience of rushing onto the field. “I love AFL,” French student Aurelie Gorge proclaimed at the end of the game. The students can’t wait for their next trip to an AFL game will take place on July 31st when the Lions play the Melbourne Demons.'
Do you want to find out more about all the exciting trips and activities offered to Embassy students? Take a look at the Embassy Brisbane activities and excursions page to see a list of the most popular excursions and the school’s monthly activities calendar. Also, you can find loads more pictures from Embassy Brisbane on the Facebook photo gallery.
Oxford is a beautiful historic English town with many great sights and attractions to see. Our staff all love living and working here, and two of our staff members have told us about their favourite places to go in Oxford...
Julia Southby, Principal of Embassy Oxford writes:Want to see some live music? One of the places I go regularly is the O2 Academy on the Cowley Road: it's only a 20 minute walk from school!
This is a fantastic venue to see a range of live music: some unsigned local musicians get their start here, and big names also feature - Goldfrapp and We Are Scientists are coming to town in June! The venue has two stages and both offer a good safe environment to see some excellent music.
They will be showing the World Cup football matches too - with FREE entry! They also offer varied dance nights with regular features and visiting DJs. The O2 Academy is always a great venue to try if you fancy getting out of the town centre for a dance one weekend! So, whether you like hard rock, folk, pop or dance, check it out.
Andrea Paschoal, English Language Co-ordinator at Embassy Oxford writes:
Iffley lock walk is very near where I live, which is only 20 minutes from the city centre. Iffley village is a lovely little place, with an ancient church and thatched cottages. The lock itself is very well kept with a beautiful lock keeper’s cottage and a popular pub. You can walk down a narrow fenced path to the lock where you’ll see a couple of little bridges and some ducks to feed. When the river is high, the water rushing through the weir (a dam used to regulate the water flow) is a nice sight.
After this, you can go on a short walk through some meadows and over a bridge to the famous boat houses of Oxford University. This is a delightful spot to sit by the river and watch the boats go past.
I don’t always have time to stop and have a cup of coffee, but whenever I can I stop at Prêt a Manger. It is probably the best place to head for coffee here in the city centre. They sell sandwiches, sushi, cakes and juices. Their food is of very good quality, everything is freshly made on the day and is also free of nasty GM ingredients.
To find out more about Oxford you can read our local information page or take a look at the Oxford photos on the Embassy website.
On Easter Saturday, 30 Taylors and Embassy students went to a Super 14 rugby match at Eden Park. The mighty Auckland Blues were up against the previously unbeaten (and seemingly unbeatable) Pretoria Bulls.
For most, this was their first rugby game and, complete with blue and white face paint and strong lungs, they quickly got in behind the local lads.
As the sun went down and the stadium lights came on during the second half, it was clear our boys were playing well and holding the upper-hand.
Thanks mainly to the tremendous support shown by Taylors and Embassy students, the Blues went on to win 32 – 17. A great day was had by all!
See more photos from the event on our Embassy Auckland Facebook photo gallery.In Oxford, May 1st is ceremonially acknowledged as the beginning of summer time. As the ancient British holiday of Beltane, May Day was historically designated as a holiday to promote and celebrate fertility. It was also a chance to celebrate the end of the cold winter months, as the first day of May was also the official beginning of summer.
An old custom in Oxford is to gather on the High Street at first light on May 1st and listen to choirboys singing from the Magdelene College Tower. For a few moments there is complete silence as the singing begins and the choirboys welcome in the summer. Thereafter the crowds retreat to pubs and cafes to eat breakfast and watch colourful Morris Men (pictured above) and people dressed up as the Green Man doing their dances. It really is a special moment in the Oxford calendar, which has become renowned around the world.
Visit the Embassy website to find out more about studying English in Oxford, England.
Excitement was in the air of the ShoWare Center as the Harlem Globetrotters took the floor and demonstrated their amazing tricks and skills!
Jessica Schoppe, of Embassy Seattle-Tacoma, writes: We started class with a free Grandslam at Denny's. How do YOU like your eggs?
Recently a number of students and staff from the Embassy CES Gold Coast school in Surfer's Paradise visited Q1, the tallest residential building in the world and a very popular local attraction. After taking quite a few photos from the QDeck on the 78th floor of the great views of Surfer's Paradise and the surrounding area, they enjoyed fish and chips at a food court popular with students opposite the school.
Here are some of their photos:
