why do students choose colchester english study centre?

WHY DO STUDENTS CHOOSE COLCHESTER ENGLISH STUDY CENTRE?

WHAT DOES THE CENTRE OFFER ITS STUDENTS?

• Colchester English Study Centre was opened in 1969 by the publisher Oxford University Press as a school for teaching specialised English, and is still the only English language school in Colchester

• 20 classrooms with comfortable chairs and tables with a video-DVD player and TV in all rooms

• The Centre is accredited by the British Council. This means that every four years, teachers and teaching, accommodation, management and the school buildings are inspected very carefully • CESC is a member of EnglishUK and of IALC • It is the only all-year English language school in Colchester • The Centre is open all year • It is located in three very attractive historical buildings situated just 10 minutes’ walk from the town centre, with a large garden • Colchester, the oldest recorded town in Britain, is a beautiful and famous town, very close to London and Cambridge

• A large student lounge, with a low cost snack bar for hot meals, salads, sandwiches, snacks and drinks • A very large garden room with student games and a relaxing atmosphere for talking and studying between lessons • 25 student computers with free internet access and many programmes to help students with English • Wi-fi throughout the school. Free laser printing. Free internet access • Eight student video and DVD players • Many videos and DVDs to choose from • Library with books organised at seven different levels – magazines and newspapers

• All teachers are qualified and experienced • There are about 150 students in low season and 250 students in the summer • There are many different nationalities • There are students of general English as well as students who are learning English for their work or for studying at a British university or college • Students like to enjoy themselves and have fun but are also serious students of English • There are adult students of all ages, the average age being about 25 • English teachers’ library • Listening centre with many books, cassettes and CDs for study • Table tennis, pool table and giant chess in the garden • Large screen cinematic video for showing films and news in the student lounge • Stereo disco music system for student parties and entertainment • Large reception area to assist students with all enquiries open 08.00 – 17.00 • Private study areas open 07.30 – 17.30

General English language courses MAIN COURSE • Course in general English. Students cover all language skills with a special emphasis on speaking and listening

• Content includes: DISCUSSION: Life in Britain and other countries LATEST NEWS: TV and newspapers PRESENTATIONS: Students talk about their lives

• Students may start on any Monday during the year

MAIN COURSE WITH WRITING

• Minimum stay of two weeks

• 20 x 50-minute lessons a week of Main Course with 5 x 50-minute lessons of Writing in groups of up to 13 students

• 20 x 50-minute lessons a week in international groups of up to 13 students • Courses run at seven levels from beginner (A0) to advanced (C1). Each level takes approximately eight weeks to complete • Beginners are accepted but may be given only 10 lessons a week of one-to-one lessons until they can join a group • Students are tested on arrival at the Centre and counselled every four weeks with regular tests • Students can sit a University of Cambridge Examination, PET, FCE, CAE, BEC, at the Centre • There is a level and attendance certificate at the end of the course • Students receive help from their teachers and the Director of Studies about their progress through the course levels

• This course is for students from beginner to upper intermediate level of English (A0-B2)

A TYPICAL MAIN COURSE TIMETABLE OF 20 LESSONS A WEEK (Lessons may happen at different times) Times 09.00 – 10.40

MAIN COURSE WITH STUDY SKILLS • 20 x 50-minute lessons a week of Main Course with 5 x 50-minute lessons of Study skills in groups of up to 13 students • This course is for students from beginner to upper intermediate level of English (A0-B2)

Tuesday

Wednesday

Thursday

Friday

Lesson 5 New grammar presentation

Lesson 9 Using the internet

Lesson 13 Understanding videos

Lesson 17 Weekly/Monthly test with individual help

Lesson 2 Reading

Lesson 6 New words

Lesson 10 Speaking

Lesson 14 Communicative grammar practice

Lesson 18 New word review

Lesson 3 Learner training – organising your work, improving your learning

Lesson 7 Listening practice

Lesson 11 Reading real texts

Lesson 15 Speaking practice

Lesson 19 Writing practice in the computer room (at least once in 3 weeks)

Lesson 4 Speaking practice

Lesson 8 The class reader

Lesson 12 Grammar practice

Lesson 16 Writing task

Lesson 20 Speaking and pronunciation practice

Coffee break 11.10 – 12.50

• It is for students who are interested in having extra practice in improving their writing skills • Content includes: HANDWRITING: correct forming of letters SPELLING: rules and practice WRITING PRACTICE: basic skills, sentence construction, paragraph and text construction

Monday Lesson 1 Dictionary skills

Lunch break 14.00

Option classes in Writing, Study Skills, Speaking or Business English

15.00

Cinema club

Introduction to study, and to the library, for all new students

Speaking club

Talk about Saturday excursion

16.00

Walking tour of Colchester

Drama club to help you with your speaking

Football club

Tennis club

Cinema or bowling

Party

20.00

Tea party

MAIN COURSE WITH BUSINESS

• This course includes revision of grammar

• 20 x 50-minute lessons a week of Main Course with 5 x 50-minute lessons of Business English in groups of up to 13 students

• It includes learner training to develop better ways of learning vocabulary, making notes, reading faster, and managing files

Specialised English courses

• This option is for students with an intermediate level of English (B1) and higher

MAIN COURSE WITH IELTS FOUNDATION

BUSINESS ENGLISH

IELTS AND UNIVERSITY ENTRANCE

• 20 x 50-minute lessons a week of Main Course with 10 x 50-minute lessons of Pre-IELTS preparation in groups of up to 13 students

• See Main Course with Business

• Skills covered include writing, reading, speaking and listening for IELTS

• Course for students who need to learn English because they are going to study at an English school, college or university

IELTS is the examination in Academic English which is required by many universities and colleges of higher education throughout the English-speaking world as proof of a suitable language level. Indeed, it may also be accepted as a qualification to allow professionals to work in the health sectors in different countries where English is used. It is not an examination that students pass or fail, but provides the candidate with a level in English from 1 to 9. For example to study at postgraduate level in the UK, students need normally to achieve a level of 6.5, depending on their chosen course of study.

• Students must have a business background in studies or in work. This option is not suitable for younger students • Content includes: COMMUNICATIONS: telephone, fax, email, letters PRESENTATIONS: my work and my products DISCUSSION: International business THEMES AND VOCABULARY: marketing, economics, organisations etc. SELLING: presenting and negotiating

MAIN COURSE WITH SPEAKING • 20 x 50-minute lessons a week of Main Course with 5 x 50-minute lessons of speaking in groups of up to 13 students • This course is for students with an intermediate level of English (B1) and higher • It is for students who are interested in having extra practice in improving their speaking and listening skills

• This course is for students at intermediate level (B1) and above

PRIVATE LESSONS WITH MAIN COURSE • Students may take extra private lessons to help with speaking, grammar or special language needs

IELTS PREPARATION COURSE

• Students may start on any Monday during the year • Minimum stay of two weeks • 25 x 50 minute lessons a week in international groups of up to 13 students • The following skills are covered: reading at different speeds, academic writing, speaking at length on academic topics, interview preparation, academic listening • Students are prepared for the IELTS test in Academic English for British universities • The Centre is an IELTS test centre and tests are held every two weeks. Test bookings must be made five weeks in advance • Students must have an upper intermediate level (B2) to join this course

Professional English courses –

Examination courses

Fifty Plus courses

ENGLISH FOR PROFESSIONALS

ENGLISH FOR DOCTORS

• Friday – fish and chip lunch and a drink

Perhaps you are a busy professional person who needs to improve the English you need for your work. As well as developing your knowledge of general English, you probably need to study the specialised language you need for your job. For example, doctors may need to talk to patients and other doctors, bankers need to be familiar with the language of accountancy and finance, whilst lawyers must understand how English is used to draw up specialised contracts. If you are in business, you may need to take part in meetings, mix socially and write reports and emails.

Medical presentations, doctor-patient language, case conferences and discussions, medical terminology, pronunciation, social English, medical visits

• Saturday – whole day excursion to London with a guide. Walking tour of central London – Westminster, Buckingham Palace, Trafalgar Square and Covent Garden

To provide the right mixture of general and specialised English, Colchester English Study Centre recommends that you follow a Professional English Combination Course. This combines 20 x 50-minute lessons of general English each week at the correct level in international groups with 5 or 10 private lessons each week, which focus on specialised English. This option is available for two weeks or more. The combination of an international group programme with very focused one-to-one classes is an efficient, enjoyable and cost-effective way of ensuring rapid improvement in your professional English skills. Of course a fully tailor-made one-to-one option may be appropriate if you have a specific target and limited time. This option is available for one week or more. Students can start these courses on any Monday. A detailed questionnaire will ensure that the programme is fully tailor-made to meet the professional’s individual requirements. ENGLISH FOR MANAGERS Successful business presentations, using the telephone, social English, business vocabulary, reading the business press, negotiating, meetings, financial management, computer systems and applications, written communications, letters, fax, email, internet, business report writing

ENGLISH FOR LAWYERS Contracts, legal documents, international law, professional visits, courtroom language, working with clients

• Sunday – whole day excursion to Cambridge. Guided walking tour by Cambridge guide with entrance to colleges

ENGLISH FOR GOVERNMENT OFFICIALS AND MEMBERS OF PARLIAMENT

• Monday to Friday – 4 x 50-minute lessons each morning in international groups no greater than 13 in size

International politics, how laws are made, meetings and presentations, telecommunications, professional visits

• Monday – visit to Colchester Town Hall. Evening at Mercury Theatre • Tuesday – half day visit to Ipswich

ENGLISH FOR AIRLINE STAFF

• Wednesday – visit to Beth Chatto gardens

Cabin crew announcements, and check-in staff training ENGLISH FOR BANKING Financial English, accountancy, dealing with clients ENGLISH FOR DIPLOMATS Official communications, press releases, making speeches, social English

EXAMINATION COURSES Having a recognised international English language qualification may be the passport to further study or career development for many students and professionals. Colchester English Study Centre offers a wide range of examinations which students can both train for and take at the Centre. The Cambridge University English for Speakers of other Languages (ESOL) examinations (Cambridge Assessment) are the best known throughout the world and can be taken three times a year at the Centre. The Centre offers the Preliminary English Test at intermediate level, First Certificate in English at upper intermediate level and the Cambridge Advanced Certificate at advanced level. The Centre provides courses to prepare students for PET,FCE,CAE and BEC with excellent results.

• Thursday – visit to Wivenhoe quay by train

FIFTY PLUS COURSES (for the more mature student) This course is for students who would like to explore some of English culture as well as learning the language. Colchester English Study Centre is now able to offer two-week English courses that will provide you with the perfect combination of an intensive English Language Course, together with activities and excursions to make your time in England more enjoyable. This course is for students with a level of English at A2 (pre-intermediate) or above. The two-week Fifty plus courses can be taken on fixed dates in May and September, and the following is a typical programme (CESC reserves the right to offer a similar programme of the same value): • Sunday – arrival and move into accommodation • Monday to Friday – 4 x 50-minute lessons each morning in international groups no greater than 13 in size • Monday – welcome pub lunch and a drink. Discover Roman Colchester. Afternoon guided tour with entrance to Colchester Castle and museum

Students can also test their level of English at www.cesc.co.uk

• Tuesday – visit to Wilkins Jam Factory followed by tea at the Tiptree Jam Museum

The Centre also assists students to take other international examinations in English such as TOEFL and TOEIC. Enquire for further details.

• Wednesday – afternoon excursion to Constable country with tour guide, including famous English villages and the birthplace of John Constable, England’s best-known landscape painter • Thursday – talk about London to prepare for Saturday excursion. Evening barbecue and party at the Centre including food and a drink

• Friday – certificate presentation. Tea at the George Hotel

ACCOMMODATION We recommend that you stay with local host families, as this will provide an excellent insight into the English way of life and help you with your English. However, it is possible to arrange bed and breakfast or half-board accommodation at a range of local guest houses and hotels within walking distance of the Centre.

TESTING AND MATERIALS For this course, students must take a language test online at www.cesc.co.uk before they come, so that they can be placed in the correct level when they arrive after a short interview on the Monday of their course. Students receive all teaching materials, including a textbook and a file which is theirs to keep. There is free library and internet use and all students receive a leaving certificate showing their level at the end of their course.

Courses for teachers of English TEACHER TRAINING COURSES The Centre has been organising teacher training courses since 1969. It can organise a variety of open or closed group specialised courses designed with particular teaching situations in mind. These can be organised on request at different times and can be combined with school and college visits depending on the time of year. • Teaching Young Children • Teaching in Secondary Schools • Teaching British Life and Culture • Teaching English for Specific Purposes • Teaching Specialised Subjects through English • Teaching English Literature • Lecturing in English • Courses for English Language Trainers • Course and Syllabus Design • Materials Production

Colchester – where English history began

SUMMER COURSES FOR TEACHERS OF ENGLISH

• The Arts Centre has jazz, folk music, rock and pop most nights of the week

Two-week intensive summer teachers’ courses combine 20 x 50-minute lessons a week of Main Course at an advanced level with 10 x 50-minute lessons a week of teacher training. Examples of course content:

• Friendly pubs, coffee bars and fine restaurants offering international food can all be found within walking distance of the Study Centre and the town centre

• Communicative Language Teaching • Teaching Listening, Speaking, Reading and Writing • Teaching and Learning Vocabulary • Materials Evaluation • Making and Using Visual Aids • Testing and Correction • Using Video • Using Computers and the Internet • Course Design

• Many students enjoy free or low price entrance to night-clubs

The courses aim to be highly practical and provide teachers with new ideas, new techniques, new skills and greater confidence in their own English in order to work more effectively in the English Language classroom. By living with English families, teachers can also improve their conversational English. All course participants are sent a detailed questionnaire before they arrive to ensure that the course will meet their needs and that individual project work will assist them in meeting their objectives.

SUMMER TEACHERS’ COURSE – SAMPLE TEACHER TRAINING PROGRAMME Times 14.00 – 15.40

Monday

Tuesday

Wednesday

Thursday

Friday

Needs analysis Project work – Collecting authentic materials for classroom use

Teaching speaking skills Improving fluency

Songs and games for the classroom

Teaching writing skills

Motivating your students Ideas for the classroom

• Leisure World and the Arena sports clubs offer swimming, tennis, fitness centres and many other sports • Professional football can be watched in Colchester and in Ipswich

HISTORY • Colchester is the oldest recorded town in England • It was the capital of Celtic England before the foundation of London by the Romans • It is a Roman town surrounded by a Roman wall built in AD 60 – this is the oldest Roman wall in Britain • There is a famous castle in the town centre together with a beautiful park and excellent museum. The castle was built on top of the original Roman temple 1,000 years ago by William I, the first Norman (French) king of England

MODERN COLCHESTER • 140,000 people live in the town and almost 10,000 work in London • More than 7,000 students study at the University of Essex, situated to the east of Colchester • The town centre has many modern shops and restaurants and is only 10 minutes walk from the Study Centre

• Students can attend shows, concerts, films in London any evening of the week or at the weekend • Art galleries, museums and parks will make any visitor’s stay even more enjoyable

THE REGION • Colchester lies in the north-east part of the county of Essex, which stretches from London to the east coast of England • It is located near the East Anglian coast, made famous by the novels of Charles Dickens and the music of Benjamin Britten • It is situated only 15km from the sea, yet at the same time is close to London, Cambridge and many beautiful old English villages and peaceful countryside scenes • The most famous of all English landscape painters, John Constable was born 10km north of the town and many of the countryside scenes he painted can be seen in the Tate Britain Gallery in London

TRAVEL

• Colchester is an international centre, welcoming students and visitors from all over the world. It is very close to Stansted airport and the port of Harwich

• Stansted airport is just 50 minutes away, with an hourly bus service

• There are many successful modern businesses in information technology as well as traditional trades in engineering

• From London Heathrow travel by regular coach service via Stansted Airport or by train via London. Both journeys take only 2.5 hours

• Colchester is famous for its roses, gardens and surrounding countryside

FREE TIME • Colchester has a successful professional theatre, The Mercury Theatre • The Main Town Cinema is very close to the Study Centre and shows all the latest films on eight screens

• Colchester is only 50 minutes by train from London Liverpool Street railway station

• Gatwick airport is also accessible by coach or train • The port of Harwich with connections to the Netherlands, Germany and Scandinavia is 30 minutes away by road or rail • Many students can walk to most parts of the town from the Study Centre and from their homes

Living in England – family life and free time LIVING WITH A FAMILY

EXCURSIONS

• Students usually live with an English family when studying at the Centre

• The Study Centre regularly organises excursions with a guide on Saturdays at a low cost. In the summer there are sometimes excursions on Sundays

• Colchester English Study Centre is the only all year English Language School in the town and so we can select the very best families • Families provide a single comfortable study bedroom, a good breakfast and dinner and all meals at the weekend • Only one student of each mother tongue will live with a family • Students are made to feel part of the family and so can practise their English in the evenings and learn about the British way of life • Families will introduce students to Colchester and explain everything at the beginning of their stay • Colchester is a small town and no student lives very far away from the Centre • It is easy to make friends with other students and British people if you live with a family

DAILY ACTIVITY PROGRAMME • There is a social programme every afternoon after classes which is free to all students • Typical weekly programme: MONDAY – guided tour of Colchester TUESDAY – video on the cinematic screen WEDNESDAY – drama club or football THURSDAY – evening party or barbecue FRIDAY – illustrated talk on Cambridge SATURDAY – excursion to Cambridge (not free) Other events may include the following: English food evening, folk music evening, international evening with different national foods and cultures, treasure hunts, quizzes, talks on London and Cambridge, table tennis and pool competitions

• Colchester is in a very good location for visiting some very important towns and villages by coach CAMBRIDGE – one and a half hours by coach • King’s College Chapel • the University Colleges • ‘punting’ (boating) on the river Cam • walking by the river behind the famous colleges • the Fitzwilliam Museum LONDON – two hours by coach • Trafalgar Square and National Gallery • the River Thames • Buckingham Palace • Westminster Abbey • Houses of Parliament • St Paul’s Cathedral • Tower of London • Leicester Square and Piccadilly Circus CONSTABLE COUNTRY – half an hour by coach • English villages just North of Colchester, made famous by England’s greatest landscape painter John Constable • river walks with beautiful countryside views • coffee shops and pubs BRIGHTON – two and a half hours by coach • Brighton Pavilion • The Palace Pier • The Aquarium • The promenade and beach • The lanes (antique shops)

ENGLISH COURSES FOR CHILDREN INTERNATIONAL LANGUAGE HOLIDAYS • Colchester English Study Centre organises courses for children each summer • Junior Residential – students from the ages of 12-16 live in an English public school with a full programme of lessons and activities in the region • Junior Homestay – students from the ages of 14-18 live with families in Clacton-on-Sea or Ipswich

Colchester English Study Centre 19 Lexden Road, Colchester, Essex CO3 3PW, England Telephone: +44 (0)1206 544422 • Fax: +44 (0)1206 761849 Email: [email protected] • www.cesc.co.uk