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What's it like learning English in Brighton during Covid?

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Wondering what’s it like learning English in Brighton during Covid? EC student, Katja, shares her story of studying at our Brighton English school at this unique time.

 

EC Brighton Student, Katja

My enjoyable English course in Brighton in the times of Corona

When I was planning my language stay to improve my English skills, (unfortunately) the destinations were limited because of the travel restrictions. So, one of the options, which I got from my agency, was to learn English in Brighton. A lovely town on the south coast of England with a beautiful beach, nice cafés and restaurants and wonderful countryside. And it is all easily reachable with the Coaster bus every 10 minutes!

Of course, I was worried about doing a language stay in times of Corona. However, today I know that this was just a part of my experience but not what had a lasting effect on my time in Brighton. More important are my experiences with my classmates and the passionate English teacher Sam at school. Also the time I spent together with my host fathers, or outside school with new friends, has been great.

At School

EC Brighton was very accommodating when we came from Switzerland. We had to stay in quarantine for the first two weeks at our host family’s house. We got our English textbook personally delivered by the school manager so that we can start online lessons immediately. The school made also sure that we can stay as comfortable as possible in our host families. It wasn’t the start we had expected. However, we managed well because they were well-prepared with all the different online teams, the online material and the remote speaking sessions. We also got a really helpful introduction at the beginning, so we had all information which we needed. Of course, after quarantine, all the joy was then all the greater to explore Brighton and visit the school locally.

Safety

Despite the pandemic, I always felt safe during my time in England because Brighton wasn’t that affected by Covid cases. Also the restrictions hardly differed from other countries. For example, in school, we had to wear a mask (nowadays it is as normal as having your mobile phone with you),  and have enough space between each other’s table. We get additional exercises as an online version, in lessons you bring your own device, and they make sure that we can avoid personal contact as much as possible. All in all, the quality of teaching does not suffer from the pandemic.

Outside school

Furthermore, it was also possible to visit famous cultural heritage sites in our free time. Places like Stonehenge, Oxford and Cambridge, and Bath. We could go for sightseeing trips to London, visiting Harry Potter studios or walking on Brighton’s famous Seven Sisters. The list could go on! I think one advantage here doing all these things was that these places were less crowded than normal because of Covid ?. In addition, it was no problem to go out for dinner or enjoy a coffee with your friends under the condition “keep the distance” ?.

Lockdown

Even now, when we are facing the second lockdown in England for the last four weeks of our language stay, I’m happy that the school is allowed to stay open and we can keep on with the lessons in real and also that EC Brighton offers us different social program possibilities to spend our time after school. As our teacher, Sam always says: “Stay positive and make the best of the situation.” Consequently, we have now enough time to prepare for our final exam. I also want to use the time with my host family for which I’m very grateful. I could learn a lot from them and their culture, and they made that I feel at home.

Overall, I appreciate very much the time I was able to spend here in Brighton, my host family and the staff and organisation at my English school. I am so grateful for the new acquaintances and experiences I have made.

Thank you and stay safe.

Katja

Brighton is melting pot of alternative and creative art, music and culture, while still keeping iconic British seaside traditions. If you want to enjoy fresh fish and chips on the beach during the day and experience a cool underground festival at night, this is the place for you. Get in touch if you want to know more about learning English in Brighton.

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