We want to say a big thank you to all the staff and students at EC Cambridge. In between English Language Classes, we managed to raise over £313! A huge well done to you all!

This month, we have a few of our usual suspects on this months activity programme! There will be Free English Lessons, Book Club and Edugold as well as free visits to Kings College and St Johns College. In the run up to Christmas, we will also be playing some Christmas related games and even be celebrating National Christmas Jumper Day on the 13th December. We all also have a special excursion to Bluewater Shopping Centre in case anyone needs any last minute Christmas shopping! Look out for extra activities on Facebook!

Any one who has studied at EC Cambridge in the last four years will probably know our Customer Service Officer Mike. Mike is based on the front desk and is generally the first port of call for student questions. So here are a few words from him about Cambridge and EC. Cambridge is an amazing location. I have lived in a few places around the UK, but Cambridge is by far the best! It’s such a friendly safe city full to the brim with International Language Students. The best part of working for EC is the students! I have met some amazing people over the years I have worked here. All of the students are so friendly. There is a great mix of nationalities so I have learnt so much about other cultures and traditions. My favourite part of Cambridge, has to be the amazing University Buildings especially Kings College. The Architecture is spectacular and you can get a great view of this from the top of Great St Mary’s Tower. All in all, Cambridge is a great place to learn English!  

Christy is one of our teachers and is also our Academic Year 20 programme organiser. Here’s a few words from her on the school and Cambridge in general! Primarily I enjoy teaching English because I love the richness and complexity of the language. It is also a very rewarding to experience students progressing and achieving their own natural potential. I like being in an international environment with overseas students from all over the world and sharing different cultural experiences with them. EC is in a wonderful location in central Cambridge and the working environment in the school is friendly, relaxed, committed and egalitarian. I enjoy being able to instill confidence and motivation in students through creativity and encouragement- by being myself! My tip for learning English is never to be afraid of making mistakes and try to read something everyday in English, at your level. Immerse yourself in the culture as much as possible outside the classroom and listen to your teacher! Also, try to develop some workable study skills.

At EC we try to give something extra to our students. Students studying on our English Language Courses in Cambridge benefit from a range of extra curricular activities and benefits whilst studying. Here we look at a few of these extras. Firstly, we have our free activity programme. We offer lost of trips and activities around Cambridge and all are free of charge. We visit some of the world famous colleges and museums as well as sports, parties and bowling. As part of this programme we offer free English Lessons three times a week as well as a book club. There is also a free careers service. Advice is given by a trained professional on finding work and studying in the UK. EC as a group also has a long standing project called Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR). For our students this means that we can helped them get involved in projects that help out our local community. Such as volunteering for charities. Although volunteer work is unpaid, it looks great on your CV and gives valuable English practice with native English speakers. As part of  CSR we also have various events throughout the year. Last week we participated in Children In Need. Dressing up and selling homemade cakes to raise money for charities all over the world! We raised over £300!   Other than these activities and projects we offer out students a free EC student card. This card entitles them to discounts in shops, cafes, restaurants and bars all over the city. We have free Sim Cards available. We have some great discounted tickets to Nightclubs and bars offering International Student Nights. So all in all there are a whole range of extras when coming to study at EC Cambridge!      

When you’re travelling abroad to another country to learn English, one of the most important things is your accommodation. English course with host family accommodation is the most common combination of booking that we have at EC Cambridge. We have all heard horror stories and rumours regarding English host families so here we try to look at some of the expectations and realities of host family accommodation. First of all, what makes a host family? Some of our families our typical families, a mother, father and children. Some families have pets as in English culture, pets are a big part of the family. Everything from Cats and Dogs to Tropical Fish, Rabbits and Guinea Pigs. If you have allergies to any animals or fur, its important to let us know about this at the time of booking. Some of our families may consist of one parent and children or even parents, grandparents and children. After all family is family! In England, houses and bedrooms are generally quite small especially compared to some of our European neighbours. However when we inspect our host families, we ensure that students have everything they need. At EC Cambridge we aim to help students succeed in a Global community and when it comes to host families this is no different. Some of our host families may be second or third generation immigrants. This means that although they may look foreign, they have lived in the UK all their lives and have a British Passport. English is their first language. One of the most common requests we receive for host family, is that the family lives close to the school. Of course we try and help students with this but it is not always possible. EC Cambridge is the most centrally located English Language School in Cambridge. … Read more

This month members of EC staff are participating in Movember. Movember involves growing a moustache to raise money and awareness for mens health charities. So here is an update from week 1! More photos and updates can be found on the EC Cambridge Facebook Page!

This Friday the 15th November, the whole of the UK celebrate Children In Need. People all over the country will be doing something funny for money and at EC Cambridge we are no different! Staff members this year will be dressing up as their favourite Superheroes and of course we are inviting our students to get involved too either by dressing up as their favourite Superhero or by wearing something yellow. Last year, members of staff dressed up as Children’s TV characters. You can check out the video on Facebook by clicking here! We will also be selling yummy cakes in Reception and collections will be happening around the school! Please give generously as all money raised is donated to Children’s charities not just in UK but around the World!  

January 2014 sees the next start date of our Cambridge English Courses for the FCE, CAE, and CPE exams. What sets these exams apart from other English Language tests? Well first of all, you are tested on all the skills involved in learning a Language, speaking, reading, listening, writing vocabulary and grammar. The exam will not only give you a qualification, but the course leading up to it will provide you with more proficiency in these skills. Secondly, the Cambridge ESOL exams are split into individual levels. There is the Preliminary English Test (PET), First Certificate (FCE,) Advanced Certificate (CAE), Proficiency Certificate (CPE) to name a few. Each one set for the level of the person taking the exam. Unlike some other English exams, the certificates never expire, so the qualification is valid for life. Some of the other exams you have to re-take every couple of years. Finally, these qualifications are recognised across the world. Thousands of employers, universities and government departments recognise Cambridge ESOL as a valuable qualification. Therefore if you need to prove your level of English, its a great place to start!