Fernando has been studying on an Intensive English course as part of our Academic Year Programme. He originally booked a 6 month course but now has extended it to over 9 months. Here he tells us a little bit about his experience at EC Cambridge. Fernando, over to you. I’ve been at EC Cambridge for nine months. I’m really happy with my time here. you don’t extend your stay if you aren’t happy. I’ve learnt a lot. In general all the teachers are good, some are excellent. Staff are very kind. All of them help me when I’ve had a problem. Cambridge is a nice city. There are a lot of International students, so its very easy to find friends from anywhere. The school is very well located, close to the city centre but outside the busiest area. Because of this its very easy to visit the main sights of Cambridge. The building is new and it has excellent facilities. Interactive whiteboards a number of computers and free wifi access. The course is well organised and every week you have a small test so you can see your progress. There is also a service to help you find a job. I wrote my English CV there, completely different to my Spanish CV and I found two part time jobs. But the most interesting thing is the International meetings. Cambridge is full of International events. I’ve met a lot of people and I can speak and practice my English with English people. Now i’m living with them.  

On the 6th July, EC Cambridge opened its brand new residence Kite House. The residence contains 14 single rooms all with private bathroom. There are two large well equipped kitchens. On the ground floor you will find a laundry room and a secure bike lock up. The residence is located around 80 metres from the school and it takes less than a minute to walk from the residence to the school. Like the school, the residence is located on Burleigh Street. Within 200 metres of the residence you will find shops, cafes, restaurants, pubs and bars. Its around 150 metres from the Grafton Shopping Centre. Here you will find many designer clothes shops, department stores, banks, the post office and a pharmacy. More eateries can also be found here as well as a Cinema. So great location and a great building. Want more information about accommodation in Cambridge check out our website.

Christy teaches General English at EC Cambridge. Here she tells us about her experience as a teacher at EC Cambridge. Living and working in an international environment with overseas students from all over the world and being able to share different cultural experiences with them are among the most enjoyable aspects of my job as both a teacher and an Academic Year tutor at EC Cambridge. EC is situated 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 my students through a combination of creativity and  encouragement, by just being myself! To date, I have been teaching at EC Cambridge for the past 7 years  with a previous extensive background in Performing Arts, which I feel greatly enhances my skills classes in particular.  I am also an experienced exam teacher of the Cambridge ESOL exams : FCE, CAE & CPE I primarily enjoy teaching English because I love the richness and complexity of the language. It is also very rewarding to experience students progressing, working to their own natural potential and achieving their goals. My tips for learning English are firstly to never to be afraid of making mistakes! –Try to read something everyday in English. –Immerse yourself in the culture as much as possible outside the classroom. –Try to develop some workable study skills as this is essential for assimilation and consolidation of everything you learn in the classroom. In other words, take responsibility for your own learning outcomes as this will be the quickest and most effective way to progress and improve your level. –Last but not least, listen to your teachers!