November sees the return of one of our most popular activities, Great St Mary’s church and Tower. Climb the church tower to get some of the best views of Cambridge City Centre, Kings College and the Market Square. Its free with EC Cambridge! We also have our Free English Lessons, book club, job club with Edugold, football practice and some visits to some fantastic Cambridge sites such as the Botanical Gardens, Kings College and St Johns. All of this is FREE! Also we have some great excursions, look out for West End shows, day trips to many UK cities and a special Beatles themed tour of Liverpool! And don’t forget, check out Facebook for any last minute activities and changes! Have a great month!        

Hi Students! Just to let you know that in November, members of male staff at EC Cambridge will be participating in Movember. Basically staff members have to grow a moustache for the month of November to raise money for men’s health charities. We will keep you updated with photos of our usually pathetic lip wigs on our Facebook page! If you want to donate to a great cause, look for links on here or speak to Mike or Ed. And of course we are inviting our students to get involved too!

Check out this great story from our student Diana. Sam went to prison twenty years ago and was released only yesterday. He was arrested and sentenced to prison for manslaughter. He murdered his own brother, Steve. They had always had a difficult relationship and they had always been cold and detached. They grew up with only their mother being present, and both of them were constantly trying to obtain her love and her respect. There was a strong and often violent competition between them, and when their mother died leaving her most important belonging – a gold watch with silver inlays – a huge conflict between them started. Steve broke into Sam’s apartment in order to steal it, but Sam was awake and at the end of a terrible fight he killed his brother. Even now Sam can’t figure out if he did it on purpose or not. After having killed Steve, he took the watch and hid it in a very far away place: he chose a tree in a forest on the other side of his country and buried the watch under it. The following morning he went to the nearest police station and told the truth because the remorse was unbearable. Every single day spent in prison, Sam couldn’t stop thinking about his murder, his mother and the buried watch. When finally he regained his freedom, twenty years later, the first thing he did was to walk to the nearest shop and buy a shovel with the money he had managed to save. Close to the shop there was a car rental, and with the money he still had he rented an old blue Cadillac, but it took him some time to understand how to make it work: he had almost forgotten how to drive a car … Read more

Check out this great piece of writing from one of our students.   A new life….   As the door clunked shut behind him he took a deep breath. He sucked the crisp fresh air into his lungs, looked at the crystal clear sky and he felt suddenly light. How long had he been waiting for this moment… Finally after twenty years the desired moment had come. John did not look back as he walked away with purposeful steps. He knew exactly where he wanted to go. During the past few years he had saved some money. He invested the first Dollars in a shovel which he bought in a little hardware store at the main road of the village. The old man behind the counter did not ask any questions, there was not even a spark of suspicion in his face. “I have to get used to this again” John told himself and he ticked off the first item of his mental checklist. Further down the street a car rental appeared and he did not hesitate. As he stepped over the threshold John already knew which car he wanted. The blue Chevrolet 57 had attracted his attention immediately. The paperwork was done quickly and again no questions. It was quite the contrary, the car dealer seemed happy that he finally had a customer. Obviously he had not a lot of work in this sleepy place. With a feeling of satisfaction John made himself comfortable in the seat, smelt the odour of the leather that brought up old memories and catapulted him back to better times. He felt the steering wheel, drove gently with his fingers over the instrument board, his thoughts were in the past. Then he jolted back to the present, turned the key and as the engine … Read more

Out with the old and in with the new! Welcome Natascha to EC Cambridge, our new Customer Service Intern. Here’s a few words from Natascha herself. Hi, my name is Natascha, I’m from Germany and the new intern at EC Camrbidge. I’ve been here now for a few weeks and I really enjoy working for the school. The whole team here is very kind and caring, I feel like I’ve known all of them for a much longer time. I really like Cambridge. It is a wonderful city with many different kinds of attractions. There are lots of quiet places like several parks where you can relax as well as the hustle and bustle of the city centre. I’m looking forward to meeting the students and helping them where I can.

It’s with great sadness that today we have to say a temporary goodbye to Kathrin. It’s the second time she has left us as an intern, but she is hoping to join us permanently as a teacher next year! Third time lucky I guess! We would like to thank Kathrin for all of her hard work during her time at EC Cambridge. All the best for the future and make sure you get that CELTA and come and join us next year on a more permanent basis! You will make a great teacher!

One of the things students worry about the most when studying in a foreign country is accommodation. There are so many options available, so which option do you choose? Well here are a few tips to helping you choose the right accommodation for you! Student houses Great for students who want to have a bit more freedom and want to live and interact with other students. EC Cambridge has four all year round residences with both twin and single rooms and choices of shared bathroom or private bathroom. The residences are self catering so students can cook what and when they want too. The houses have all the facilities you need such as WIFI in the communal areas. Living with other students means students often make friends for life and gives this accommodation option a great atmosphere. Located just 25 minutes by bus from the city centre (10 minutes by bike).   Host Family Host families are located all around Cambridge and vary in distance from the school. Its a great way to practice your English as the family will interact with you in English all the time at home. Many of our students enjoy living with a host family so much that they keep in touch after they leave the UK and come and visit reguarly. Host Family is Half Board meaning your host family will provide with you with Breakfast & Dinner. There is also the option of private bathroom in host family. WIFI is available in most cases. This accommodation choice is great for students who want to practice their English at home and also want a home from home accommodation.

If you want to let your hair down after a hard day studying, we have some great suggestions for the fantastic Cambridge Nightlife! The two main attractions are Ballare Nightclub on a Thursday and Lola Lo on a Monday. Tickets are availavble to buy from reception with good discounts and VIP entry! Just £5 to enter both clubs! If you want something a little more relaxed, check out the live jazz in La Razza or live bands at the Junction. Another suggestion is The Empreror on Hills Road. They have live music and comedy nights twice a week! If you want more information see Mike in the Computer Room!  

If you are looking for preparation courses for the IELTS exam, then look no further. At EC Cambridge we offer 30 English lessons per week purely focused on preparing for IELTS. In the class you will not only improve your General English but will get all the help, support and practice you need to succeed in passing this exam. The IELTS is internationally recognised and is ideal for students looking to further their studies in the UK. It is recognised as a level of English by the universities of England so is ideal for students looking to perhaps study a masters or PHD in the UK. If you want more information on our IELTS exam preparation courses, check out our main website or if you live locally pop in and see us. Our IELTS class teachers have vast experience in this exam, with some of them even working for the IELTS exam board. Therefore skills are taught first hand.  So don’t delay book today at EC Cambridge!

This month sees return of book club in the Library. Get help with finding the right book for you to help you practice your reading. Tuesdays and Thursdays at 10:30. On top of this, we have our Free English Lessons three times a week and some exciting activities out and about in Cambridge. We are visiting the Cambridge Botanic Gardens, Kings College, Castle Hill and St Johns College! Please find the full programme below!