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3 week Familiarisation tour for 10
teachers from China
British Cultural Studies is a course for students from non English
speaking countries. These courses offer a mix of English language and cultural
input. There is a well-developed social programme including day
trips to London, Warwick Castle / Stratford upon Avon, Cambridge and
Oxford. In addition, sports and social events are held which allow
students to mix with other nationalities and cultures from other
countries.
All course participants are carefully matched with local host families
who have been selected for their sensitivity towards other cultures and
for comfortable home conditions enabling students to be their most
productive. The course itself consists of either 2,3,4, (multiples
possible) weeks of English language and cultural tuition to ensure
that the language learnt during their stay is put into practice. On their
return students are expected to design a project about their travels or
about an aspect of British culture and give a presentation
Very Important.
A famous Englishman, George Bernhard Shaw, once said that
every time an Englishmen opened his mouth he makes 7 enemies.
The reason for this is that Englishmen
judge people by the way that they speak more than any other way . In most countries
there is a part of the country where the people speak a
dialect that is considered bad. The best way
for International students therefore to become proficient in a language
is, without doubt, to learn where the language is spoken, with
clarity, in the country of its origin. We
therefore recommend strongly that when learning English you do
it in the heart of England and not there where the English
language is spoken with a strong accent and that is
No further South than North London
No further North than Northampton
No further West than Oxford
No further East than Cambridge
Birmingham was voted the accent that most English people
disliked the most.So remember, no Englishman likes to
hear cockney
(Sth London),
mancurian (Manchester) or West country accents (Devon)
so under no circumstances choose a location where
the language is not spoken with clarity.
Surrounded by centuries of tradition, our English
centre in
the MK, and Northampton conurbation fulfils all your
language needs.
Getting to us
If your local Cambridge College agent hasn't already enclosed
travel details you may simply go to a local travel agent and book a return
flight
Unlike most other educational institutions we allow flights to be booked with
any airline to allow you to take advantage of the many low price airlines which
now exist. Most airlines have excellent programmes for looking after minors for
parents’ peace of mind and when the students get off the plane our welfare
officers ensure their safety. Our friendly drivers
will then transport you in comfort and with a minimum of fuss from the Airport to
your accommodation. They understand that after a long flight most International
students are tired and anxious in a new country but soon you will feel part of
our happy family
HOST
FAMILIES.- Upon arrival participants staying with host families are
met and welcomed at their accommodation by the host family. We are proud
of the fact that our families choose to have participants from us as
guests in their home year in year out
Staying
with a family is by far the best way to learn about the language and
lifestyle. Apart from the advantage that in a genuine family the
participant is surrounded by the native language, one of the main ideas of
the participant staying with a family is that he or she becomes involved
with and is made to feel a part of the family and their everyday life,
thus learning more than by staying in a hotel or just as a paying guest.
Many of our participants in past years have become very involved with
their host families, exchanging recipes with them and teaching them
something about their own traditions and culture in return. The host
families enjoy learning from participants just as much as the participants
enjoy their stay with the family and many long term friendships, visiting
each other have
developed. Every host family is visited by us to guarantee cleanliness -
reliability - reasonable distance from lessons - and friendliness. Most
host families take two foreign participants into their home. We do not
allow families to take more as many other educational centres do. Our
stays are therefore with genuine families and not mini boarding houses.
Always check this when comparing. Participants
will normally be placed in a room with another participant who speaks the
same first language. We especially recommend this in the case of younger
participants. Should you wish to share with a participant who speaks a
different first language this can usually be arranged. at an extra one –
off price or should participants not wish to share a room this can also be
arranged as an extra The participant receives full-board accommodation,
which includes breakfast, a packed lunch and a main evening meal. Should a
participant not wish to stay with a family hotel accommodation in all
classes can be arranged. The close contact to the family is though an
integral part of the stay for language courses thus allowing the
participant to understand the way the language is implemented as part of a
family in the secure surroundings of a home away from home. The
participants soon overcome their initial shyness and start to use the
language as naturally as they would their Mother tongue to express their
desires and wishes. In close contact with the language they soon learn how
to speak properly instead of just repeating words and they have great fun
comparing the differences between their native and the host culture. Our
families and courses are chosen because they are not inundated with
foreign participants and they look forward to their guests each year as if
they were friends that they have not yet met
Typical Programme
Monday:
Morning: 4 Lessons of 40 minutes and entry tests for new students and
entries into classes
After School - Information about Milton Keynes and an orientation tour of
the town to show important and relevant places of interest to new students
Evening: Get together with host parents, group leaders and other students.
Tuesday:
Morning: 4 Lessons of 40 minutes
Afternoon: Sport - choose from swimming, table tennis, badminton and many
others.
Wednesday:
Morning: 4 Lessons of 40 minutes
Afternoon: Half day excursion to Cambridge, Oxford, Windsor or
Stratford-upon -Avon.
Evening: Free to spend with host family
Thursday:
Morning: 4 Lessons of 40 minutes
Afternoon: Shopping, or why not visit the cinema. You can choose from lots
of different films.
Evening: Youth Roller-Skate Disco with young English people or for the
over 18s a tour of local village pubs
Friday:
Morning: 4 Lessons of 40 minutes
Afternoon: Ice Skating
Evening: Farewell Party for the students travelling home tomorrow
Saturday:
Day excursion to London for those students who are staying for more than
one week. Departure of students going home.
Sunday: Free day for you to choose what you want to do or spend
with your host family or partake on the arrival of the Arrival of the new
students and making them feel welcome.
LESSONS:-
Lessons take place in your Cambridge College educational centre
and participants are accommodated so that long journeys are
avoided. Participants are divided into small teaching groups
according to age, ability and their standard of written and spoken
language. On the first day, participants are tested on their grammar
and conversation levels to determine their exact level and thus a
tailor-made syllabus is arranged for their stay. Records, cassettes
and audio-visual materials are available to our teachers throughout
the course, to make learning more relaxed and interesting. The
classroom lessons usually take place in the morning so
that participants are not stuck behind a desk and a pile of books
all day. We firmly believe that learning should be fun, and even a
stroll around town brings you into contact with native speakers and
thus enhances the learning process. At
the end of the course, participants leave us with a Cambridge
College Diploma and an attendance and behaviour
report from the English teacher can be sent to parents of
younger pupils if requested.
TEACHERS:-
Our fully qualified teachers are specially chosen for their personalities
as well as their qualifications as we believe that a participant who doesn’t
enjoy the lessons will not learn.
All have a TEFL (Teaching as a Foreign Language)
Certificate in addition to their normal teaching qualifications and by
means of continuing professional development training they are kept in
touch with modern TEFL & TESOL methods and their application.
Teachers try to accompany the participants on the afternoon
excursions as often as possible. The lessons are
performed by professional qualified teachers in direct method
APRÈS-LEARN
ENTERTAINMENT:-
For
those over 18 years, a special attraction is The Point, a
futuristic pyramid-shaped entertainment complex containing a
nightclub, discotheque, bingo hall, amusement arcade and a 10
screen cinema The
Leisure Plaza" contains an international size ice-rink with
seating for 2,500 spectators, a 36 lane ten-pin bowling centre, as
well as a bar and a restaurant complex.
Milton Keynes itself has a variety of modern bars in the
city centre and traditional English inns in the countryside. Once
a week we organise a coach and visit a couple of the nicer
historic Country Inn tours with the over 18s.
For
those under 18 years, there are a wide range of activities such as
ten-pin bowling, roller disco, ice-skating, the ten-screen cinema
at "The Point", sports centres and swimming pools. Our
monitors are naturally on hand to chaperon and assist. Once a week
we organize a "no alcohol" disco to which the children
of the host families are invited as well as local youth groups to
allow our participants to make friends with the locals.
When we go on
excursions the participants are collected by our coaches from
directly outside the centre. On days which have not been
designated for excursions the participants can either take part in
the many activities which we plan or spend the time relaxing with
the family or discovering the delights of the town centre with
friends Our experience has shown how quickly friends are made
locally so friends are always invited to our extra curricular
activities such as sports with something for everyone be it
soccer, cricket, volleyball, badminton, tennis, riding, golf or a
host of other sports
Included in the price also is:
*Group Leader and Activity Leader
*Information brochure about your trip
*Student Pass
*Orientation Tour of course City
*City map of course city
*Bus timetable and bus plan of Course City
*City map of London
*Entry test
*Entrance fees for obligatory visits
*Organised sport activities.-eg football, cricket, tennis, volleyball,
golf, basketball, swimming, softball or baseball
upon request
*Booking fees
*Administration costs
*Cambridge College Diploma
*Course Participation Confirmation
*Teaching materials - these are prepared for the different levels of
English required.
Host Family Accommodation in double room includes work of host family organiser. Breakfast
Packed Lunch, Evening meal.
Net Total Cost of 3 week stay Inclusive of all above £525
This price is net and any agency commissions must therefore be added
Not Included:
*currency and money transfer fees
*Insurance Documents - we recommend travel, medical and cancellation
insurance
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