This week in the Survival English afternoon class the topic was ‘Food and Restaurants’. Sticking to the theme, we decided to speak about types of food that we haven’t tried before and sushi was a hot topic! A group of fearless students said that they would definitely try it if the opportunity presented itself. This afternoon, to everyone’s surprise one of the students arrived at the class with a take-away box of sushi! Everyone in the class agreed to try at least one piece of sushi. Some liked it more than others, but in general it was a very special and entertaining moment for everyone in the class. Thank you to all of the students who were such great sports in the class! Here are a few pictures of the best moments in class: Abubaker cautiously looking at the sushi which Faris bought. “Should I do this?” “Okay, here I go!” Delicious!?!? -Nicola, Teacher

Today one of the Intermediate classes had to do research on the internet and give mini presentations in class. The topic was shocking stories, scandals and rumours about celebrities that are featured in the press at the moment. Students had 30 minutes to research and gather as much juicy information as possible and then they had to give short 5 minute presentations in class. It was extremely entertaining to hear all of the crazy stories that are in the press at the moment and the students impressed by using the the Grammar that has been the focus of the week (Reported Speech). – Nicola, Teacher

Students Avelino, Siriana & Altino said goodbye to their IELTS teacher Tonia, as their lessons came to an end on 24 August and they wrote the IELTS exam on 25 August. They gave Tonia beautiful flowers, a present and wrote heartwarming letters of thanks: ” You are one of the best teachers that I ever had. Your intelligence, support, kindness and beauty helped me to be strong enough and to believe that I can do it, in spite of worrying about the exam. In addition you were always there to support me in everything I needed” ” When we arrived here in Cape Town, we knew that we could experience something new and totally different. We had spoken to our friends who had already studied at EC and the feeling was unanimous because the school has the best references in all of the world. However, what we didn’t know is that the person appointed to be our guide in this amazing experience would be you, Tonia, someone that is able to motivate their followers, making them believe in their potential to achieve their goals. For the future we just want you to know that you will always be in our mind. If we can do it, it’s just because of you.” Good luck Avelino, Siriana & Altino and we wish you all the best for the future!

Every Tuesday new students accompany a teacher on a city tour to find out more about Cape Town, places of interest and where to find nearby doctors, the post office, banks and more! All students are welcome to join the City Walk every Tuesday from 15h15-16h30 Check out some pictures from recent city tours:

Join this fantastic ‘Spring Special’ Garden Route tour where you stop to bungee-jump, do a game drive/ safari, go on an adventure tour through the Cango Caves and much more! Day 1 ǀ Overberg, Garden Route, Myoli Beach We leave the mother city behind and head east along the N2 past Swellendam, the third oldest town in South Africa to a Private Game Reserve on the edge of the Garden Route. Here we go on a safari where you can see Lion, Buffalo, Elephant, Rhino, Cheetah and Giraffe in their natural habitat. After lunch we stop at a fun up in the air obstacle and zip line course on our way to Sedgefield where we stay at a backpackers situated directly on Myoli beach where a good time is virtually guaranteed. Day 2 ǀ Garden Route, Knysna, Tsitsikamma We begin our day with a walk around the town of Knysna situated on a large lagoon. We then make our way to an Elephant Sanctuary for orphaned elephants where you learn about, and interact with them before we visit a Monkey Sanctuary where rescued monkeys roam free in a large jungle area. Our next stop is always one of the highlights of the tour . . . the Bloukrans River Bridge, home to the World’s highest commercial Bungee Jump at 216 meters! From here its back to Myoli beach to carry on with the festivities. Day 3 ǀ Little Karoo, Oudtshoorn, return to Cape Town via Route 62 We head over the Outeniqua Mountains to the Town of Oudtshoorn, known as the “Ostrich Capital of the world”. Here we visit the Cango Caves to go on an adventure tour through some very large chambers with spectacular limestone formations that are millions of years old, further along we start squeezing through some … Read more

We arrived at the football field 2nd in the league- whether we would win would be decided after 2 games were played. Unfortunately our opponents for our last game did not pitch which meant that we claimed the points however we waited nervously for the outcome of the 2nd game, as this would determine who’d win the league title, EC or another school. Sadly it was not meant to be as another language school won the game comfortably, thereby taking the league title. We look forward to the NEW season and relish the opportunity to show schools who the better team is 🙂 Well done to our team and thanks to the all the students that came to support us! – Mark, teacher <img src="http://assets.ecenglish.com/blogs/uploads/sites/21/2012/08/Football-Team-August-2012-300×225.jpg" alt="" title="" width="300" height="225" class="aligncenter size-medium wp-image-3659″ />

Congratulations everyone!

” An Angel Set me Free” by Dorothy Chitty It’s an incredible collection of true stories about how our guardian angels are always there to protect and comfort us from the other side. A truly inspiring read. Available on Amazon.com for approx. $7. Also available for Kindles – Nicoletta, DOS

If you have been studying at EC for 8 weeks or longer and your course is about to finish, you will be asked to sit an Exit Test by the Director of Studies, Nicoletta. The Exit Test consists of Reading and Writing, Use of English and Listening and is an excellent way for you to see exactly how much you have progressed in the time you studied with us. On the Wednesday of the week you are leaving, you will receive an invitation to write to do the test. Let’s check your progress together!

We received some great feedback from candidates who attended our IELTS workshop on 18 August. Here’s what some candidates had to say: “I found the course very helpful and it will definitely benefit me with the exam I’ll be writing. The tips are the most important aspects which I have gained today- how to tackle the questions, especially the speaking!” “I am very pleased that I decided to attend the IELTS workshop. I have done IELTS a few years ago and really thought I would be able to do the test without this preparation. I was wrong. The IELTS workshop has given me so much insight on what my weak points are and how I can better prepare before the exams. It was a very stimulating and interactive session. Thank you for the writing & reading material, friendliness and jovial atmosphere.” “The workshop was excellent and covered all aspects of the IELTS test. The time allocated for each section came into practice, thus I am better prepared for the test. The tips will definitely contribute to higher marks. Thank you for the booklet and advice on websites for preparation” The next 1 day workshop for native English speakers writing the IELTS exam for immigration purposes takes place on 15 September Time: 09h00- 15h00 Cost: R750 If you would like to join this workshop please contact Rifqah Brenner on 021 422 4111 or email rifqahbrenner@ecenglish.com Limited space available!