Category: Learning English outside class
Camden

My favourite places in London

Category: English as an International Language, Food, fun, Learning English outside class, Secret London places

Hey guys, I have been in London since July, already 5 months have gone. London is a wonderful city full of surprises and many things to see and visit. During this long period, I created a wish list with all my favourite places that I love – let’s go! My first favourite place Is Camden town, because it is a place that has never lost its attraction. The Market is open every day and they offer amazing meals. During the summer it is fun to share a meal with friends near the river. During the winter you can feel the real Christmas spirit with the street full of lights. In Camden there are different streets with big interesting drawings. Another beautiful place that I suggest are the main touristic streets for example Piccadilly, Oxford Street, Leicester Square and Covent Garden. They offer a lot of markets, cinemas, pubs and shops. All the 4 streets are also close to each other. Piccadilly and Leicester Square are famous for the cinemas, which are some of the largest in London. In fact, every week we have a cinema night. This week we watched Charlie’s Angels. It is funny action movie open to all the ages. Love it ? And to conclude I present you . . . Covent Garden. It is magic because it has a big square, and it is 2 minutes from the station, it has different luxurious shops. But I prefer to visit the less crowded streets, in fact one of the best of this city is Neal’s Yard. It is a small alley and I love it because there is my favourite pizza restaurant the Homeslice Neal’s Yard, and around there are different wineries and many original decorations, that place transmits happiness’. I’m going to miss this city but … Read more

The Lion King

Category: fun, Learning English outside class, London trip, Secret London places / Tags: , , , ,

Hello everyone, hope all of you are enjoying London and its surrounding ! On the 18th of June, EC London students had the great pleasure to enjoy some of the beautiful art, London city has to offer. Bright colours, mesmerizing and powerful singing and of course great acting. Twenty of our students had the chance to reminisce about childhood memory for 2 hours and 30 minutes, with The Lion King Musical at Lyceum Theatre. This musical was for us a great way to meet again our childhood friends, Simba, the famous duo Pumba and Timon, as well as chatty bird, Zazu. The Lion King musical was inspired by the original Disney movie The Lion King; indeed, we followed the journey of the little lion Simba, son of the lion king, Mufasa. It will take a long way for Simba to eventually succeed to his father after his death. I can say that I had goosebumps from the first second the musical started with the famous song, “circle of life” and all the majestic animals coming together as one on the stage. I can assure you that our students experienced all stage of emotion starting with laughter thanks to Zazu and the wise monkey Rafiki. The excitement and the satisfaction could be felt as soon as the curtains went down with the large crowd cheering along with the last melody of African percussion. If you are a theatre lover or would like to have your first theatre experience with EC 30+ London, make sure to join the EC London family my dear friends.

Westminster Tour

Category: English as an International Language, Excursions, fun, Learning English outside class, Learning vocabulary, Politics, Uncategorized / Tags: , , , ,

Hello to all my dear EC London 30+ students and to all of our readers! On the 1st of April, EC London 30+ had the great pleasure of offering to the students a new activity: “Westminster Tour”. Once again, this activity was a way for our students to learn more about the UK. As well as acquiring English vocabulary and strengthening bonds between students. At 6:30 pm, students and EC London staff met the guide Karan, at Parliament Square. As a first step, Karan introduced himself so did each student. After that, we got an introduction of the surrounding buildings and their main functions. The Parliament Square Garden was overcrowded with protesters and reporters due to the controversial Brexit. After some pictures of the outside of parliament, we finally entered in the heart of UK’s legislature: the Houses of Parliament! Unfortunately, we were not able to get into the House of Common due to an incident that happened a few minutes before. However, we got the privilege to enter the House of Lords and attend a debate. MPs were debating on Brexit, more precisely about Brexit and Erasmus. In this hectic and uncertain governmental period, both staff and students were able to get a sneak peek of the behind the scenes. If you would like as well to Learn English Abroad and take part in this unique adventure, EC London 30+ is undoubtedly the place to be.

Good and cheap food near EC London School

Category: Food, fun, Learning English outside class, Secret London places / Tags: , ,

Hello to all our lovely English learners of EC London 30+, I hope you are all doing well and improving your English with us! Today it’s time to talk about food! We know that learning is important but so is food. From food trucks to fine dining spots, London has the best cuisine from all around the globe at a range of prices. Last week, I wanted to try exotic food. Therefore I opted for Korean food, which I never had before, and I can tell you that I do not regret this choice. On the Bab On the Bab is a Korean street food restaurant located in 36 Wellington St, Covent Garden. Moreover it is only 15 min on tube from our English School for Adults in London. If you do not want to wait for a seat, you can always ask for takeaway, which is convenient if you are on a rush! This restaurant is opened 7 days a week, usually from 11:30 to 22:30 on Mondays to Saturdays and from 11:30 to 21:00 on Sundays. Both, me and my friend ordered Bibimbap for £9.5, which is a Korean rice dish with various ingredients including the meat of your choice. I can say that it was tasty and healthy, the good thing is that we had a set of 3 traditional Korean sauces to add to our Bibimbap, from sweet to spicy. I am sure you will find your happiness! If you have a big appetite you can order Korean side dishes called “banchan”! Nice food, friendly staff and cosy atmosphere, I strongly recommend On the Bab!   Contact us for more information on learning English in London

english school

Dinner Club After English Class In London

Category: English as an International Language, Excursions, Food, fun, Grammar, Learning English outside class, Learning vocabulary, London trip, Secret London places

      Not only does EC offer English lessons for adults in London, we also offer dinner club as part of our social program. Dinner club is a great way to meet other students, learn about other cultures, and try different food. Last week the cuisine was traditional British food, and next week we will be going to a barbecue restaurant. After a long day of English class, dinner club is also a way to relax and unwind. Every week we pick a new restaurant for students to try. London has so many great restaurants with different foods from around the world. Other than trying delicious foods dinner club is also a great way to learn about other students and their cultures. Last week we had students from Korea, Japan, Turkey, and Taiwan. The students shared experiences from their country and got to learn about each other’s countries. Getting involved in social activities is always a good way to meet new people and practice your English. Dinner club is not the only social event we offer. We also have meditation, walking tours, and dance classes. If you would like to learn more about our weekly social events make sure you check our social calendar. If you are interested in dinner club and want to get involved in our English lessons for adults in London look at our website.

Meditation and Learning English by Yunjeong Kim (Matilda)

Category: English as an International Language, Learning English outside class

  Modern society is becoming increasingly complex and people are being exposed to stressful situations. Also, They want to get rid of their stress and gather a lot of different ideas and ways to solve this issue. But, due to the fact that they are very busy, they can’t try to find solutions.   The more people are exposed to stress, the more people get impatient. Most of them, for one reason or another are very busy and their time is limited, They say we don’t have time to deal with our feelings.   Mental conditions such as depression, anxiety, panic disorder, and dementia (Alzheimer’s disease) are too hard to treat. One of causes of this is that these conditions aren’t visible for us. On the other hands, physical diseases such as cancer are very dangerous to cure. Despite this, we can see the cause of the disease. If the cause exists, then we can find a solution.   Sometimes, I get distracted and feel that in my mind is a mess, because there are some  things thatI have to do. For example, a deadline is coming up and I am beginning to grow impatient. At that time, I can’t organize my mind, and I can not do anything. To resolve the problem, the way I found  is to create a quiet atmosphere around me. In my experience, when I was in my schooldays, I often stayed up nights  to study for exams. when my memory failed, I always felt that my memory improved  at place which had a quiet surrounding, like a toilet.In other words, There are ways to find solutions to unresolved problems.   In conclusion, I think that to meditate is the same case. A modern society that is pushing to do everything quickly makes people more hasty. … Read more

English language coaching workshop at EC London

Category: English as an International Language, fun, Learning English outside class, Learning vocabulary

Interested in a new experience while studying English at EC London school, join an English language coaching workshop.   Niva was one of EC London teacher and is now a life coach. She nicely offers to help the student and to coach them to help them in their studies. Niva is running a coaching session quite often at the school and the next to come is on the 21st of April 2018, so if you are around, please come and join, it will be a great and benefic experience. This workshop of 2 hours is fun and interactive and take your English learning to the next level by looking at your motivation for learning English and creating a plan for the next 3 months. In this workshop you will learn tips and ways to improve your language and study skills and achieve the level of English that you want.   This workshop is for all levels and is suitable for long or short-term students. It will help you achieve your English language skills, so please don’t hesitate to join us. If you are interested, please book at the reception, the costs of the workshop is only £15. More information on the social programme and the social board. Here below some feedbacks from previous students who attended the workshop: “Your coaching workshop impressed me! Thank you so much” Kazumasa, Japan It’s a great document to guide the people in their learning” Thierry, France   You are interested in coming in London, maybe for some English classes for adults in London, join us at EC London 30+.  

A journey to Amritsar

Category: English as an International Language, Food, fun, Learning English outside class

Dominik is one of our wonderful student and he accepted to share with us one of his great life experience, Enjoy!! A journey to Amritsar by Dominik Horber   Recently I backpacked through Asia. In March 2017 my journey led me to a city called Amritsar in the northwest of India. It is the hometown of the Sikhs. Although Sikhism is the fifth largest religion in the world, I have the feeling Europeans do not know a lot about it. In contrast to the Hindus, the Sikhs do not have a caste system. According to their faith it does not matter where you are from, to which family someone belongs or how wealthy you are. Neither is gender relevant.   When I arrived in the city and got in touch with the local people their friendliness and hospitality immediately warmed my heart. Along the most frequented roads, soothing music is played through speakers. Embedded in the middle of the city and surrounded by water lies the Sri Harmandir Sahib, better known as the Golden temple. It is considered the holiest place of the Sikhs and you can soak up positive energy as you stroll around the big building complex. Apart from this, there is a huge kitchen next to the temple. It is financed by donations and run by volunteers. Everyone is welcome and the food is for free! Since I did not want to miss this experience I queued up, received a plate, a bowl and cutlery. Volunteers were distributing roti, dal, soup and drinking water. And here is the best thing about my visit to the so-called biggest kitchen in the world: The meal was so luscious, it really was! Thank you Dominik for sharing this experience with us ☺.   Would like to have a nice and good … Read more

Yoda, Sun and Yoga: a story of Mountain and Tree

Category: fun, Learning English outside class, Learning vocabulary

Yoda said once “Always pass on what you have learned.”. Last week we re-started Yoga classes at school and I tried it ?, so as Yoda said I will pass on what I learnt!!!   First thing you need to know is that is accessible for everyone, you don’t have to be an expert to join these classes at the school, leave the expertise to the wonderful teacher Vaila. Let me tell you that it was a really nice experience, I was interested in Yoga but never done it before so that was the occasion. The Yoga experience starts at 6.10 pm with an English lesson about Yoga. So you will learn the vocabulary and the positions ?!!!!!! After a little quiz to see if you got the parts of the body right and understood what is the pinky ?, you’re all good to start the practice.   Vaila will be here to help you to connect with your body and your inside by the breathing, really good technique to take away tension and stress and starts relaxing your body and your mind. Slowly, slowly you will get through the different positions such as the Mountain ? and the Tree!!!!! And still work on your breathing!! You will also learn the salutation to the Sun which is a important part of the Yoga itself. Step by step Vaila will go through the different position on this salutation with you ?!   You will understand how connected are all the parts of your body even the smallest one. You will feel every part of your body lol, it might not feel that good (at first) but no worries it means it works and that your body is receptive. Yoga is a sport, trust me it is not that easy but it … Read more

The sound of “ schwa”, black belt and taste of marmite

Category: English as an International Language, Film, Food, fun, Learning English outside class, Testimonial, testimonials, Uncategorized

Thomas testimonial and advice on how to keep your good level of English. How can I improve my English when I’m back home?   That was my last question during my hard work at EC London. The right answer was given to me by one of my four teacher’s over these 4 weeks. Every day I should invest 25 minutes in English practice listen and speaking exercises. I do this now with BBC 6 minutes English and watch series on Netflix. First watch and listen a short sequence without subtitles to trainee my understanding in a listening practice and then for verifying the same with subtitles. For BBC 6 minutes English I found an app on the store. The benefit here is the listening and reading from the transcript. For speaking practise I’ll speak to my new friends I met during the EC study. What are the meanings in my headline? This are my terms I’ll join every time to this amazing time at EC London. Did you ever have a teacher who has a black belt in martial arts? I predict to everyone you’ll do the homework every day. I did the same (mostly). The most important thing what I learned was the sound of “schwa”. How is the really pronunciation the triggers to understand the fast-talking English natives. Schwa (/ə/) is the phonetic writing rule that men’s over 40 definitely couldn’t understand ?, but it’s very helpful. In a lesson unexpectedly with closed eyes I had contact with the famous English brown food taste. The teacher said to us please close your eyes and trust me. I thought what the hell will happen now. Could I trust this miraculous teacher? Sometimes he sat on the ground 🙂 and let students in a way of free choice to play the guitar. … Read more