You don’t have to, but it is a very good idea too, for obvious reasons. If you study in your own country, you will miss out on so many opportunities to practice your English. Outside the classroom you’re likely to talk to friends and family in your own language. More to the point, you won’t have any opportunity to practice your English passively, through reading advertisements in English or listening to English radio, for example. We’ve covered this subject quite well on this blog so have a look at some of our articles for more advice. Finding a good school is very important. In a country such as England, with great tradition and reputation of academic excellence, there are many great English schools for you to choose from.
Monthly Archive for July, 2008
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Again, this a tricky question to answer and is most commonly answered with ‘it depends’. There are many different factors that influence how long it will take you to learn English. Things that can influence how long it takes to learn English include:
- What level you currently are
- What level you want to achieve
- Are you a natural learner?
- How motivated are you?
- Will you study an intensive programme?
- How much time do you spend practicing English?
The above factors aside, the average student studying English can go from Low to Upper Intermediate in around three months. This example would be based on studying for 21 hours per week.
However, quicker progress could be achieved should you be sufficiently motivated. If you were to study on an intensive programme, you could go from Elementary to Advanced in around 6 months.
The best thing you can do is to get some advice. You need to think about your reasons for studying English: do you want to make friends, go to university, or perhaps to get a better job? My advice for you would be to get some free advice. By talking through the options with someone you will be able to match the best schools and courses for you. Many language courses can even be tailored to your personal needs so it’s important that you take advantage of free advice.
Contact us now if you need some personal advice.
There are many great reasons why you should be learning English. You’d be joining over 700 million English as second language speakers across the world. Add that to the 400 million people who speak English as a first language and that’s over 1 billion. How about a stronger reason why learning English is a good idea; over 80% of digital information is stored in English, over 50% of the world’s academic journals, English is the most widely used language online. Why study English seems to be a question that answers itself.
As you begin to realise how widespread English is you then understand why more and more people expect you to know English. Contrary to what you may think, it is not really people in English speaking countries who expect you to have learnt English. In fact, 80% of the English used around the world is between people who have, or are learning English – I bet you didn’t know that! Learning English will allow you to get things done, make new friends, do business and get information.
How long is a piece of string, as the English like to say! Of course, this is a tricky question and no one knows the answer. Really, there isn’t a right or wrong answer to the question; ‘best’ will mean different things for different people. To be honest, there really isn’t a best way to learn English, apart from good old fashioned hard work! So many people will tell you that they know the best way to learn English and that they have the one key to perfect success. Of course, there isn’t one. Whilst there is no best way to learn English, we have come up with some general ideas for success:
1. Be positive and motivated about learning English. If you’re enthusiastic and driven you will achieve success very quickly.
2. It’s important to feel relaxed and comfortable. Your environment is so important here. When you find an English language school, make sure it fits your personality and lifestyle: are you a city or country person?
3. Practice, practice and more practice! By far the best way to learn English and anything for that matter is through practice. Practice your speaking with your friends, practicing your listening skills by listening to music and the radio. Use repetition to really get to grips with your grammar. Boring at times, but it really does help.
We know how tough it can be to write a supporting statement for university. It is your one opportunity to really show off to the university admissions officer. Your worries can be compounded further if you are an international student, as English may not be your second language. Writing a good personal statement in English may prove a challenge for you. We have some great tips on how to write a supporting statement as well as advice for you on getting more help.
The most important thing to remember about your university supporting statement is that it will be your only real opportunity to demonstrate your ability and achievements. You really must take advantage of this and also remember that it’s a double edged sword – while a great supporting statement will impress, a poor personal statement in English with errors will severely damage your chances of success with your application.
Click to continue reading “University Supporting Statements”
Experience is everything, as they say, so we’d like to share ours with you! We’ve spoken with many international students to get there feedback on a wide range of issues. Today we’d like to bring to you the most popular tips from students themselves about what to bring when you come to the UK as an international student. In particular, what cool student gadgets and technology you should consider essential as an international student. There are many student horror stories of problems that you can experience when studying in the UK. One student whose laptop broke made a call to Dell to sort it out – but of course, he didn’t speak enough English to make arrangements! Follow our great student gadgets guide and avoid any unnecessary problems when studying in the UK.
Laptop: Make sure you take out a global warranty – it really is worth the little extra you may have to pay, trust me! This way you won’t have to take your laptop back home to get it fixed. You’ll be able to get information of all the repair centres easily online.
Click to continue reading “Gadget Guide for International Students”
There is so much to do, see and discover in London. In fact, Greater London is Europe’s largest city in terms of area, covering more than a huge 1600 km2 and it is of no surprise that there is so much to do in London, England’s capital. There are of course many well known landmarks and places to visit in London, but what if you are tired of following the tourist masses? The London Eye and London Zoo are all well and good, as are the historical buildings of Buckingham Palace and the Houses of Parliament. But to be honest, I think an elephant is an elephant, no matter what zoo you see it in. Maybe you’re fed up with the tourist crowds and inflated tourist prices when you visit London? Then read on, as we’ve covered some of London’s best kept secrets. Discover some of London’s strangest landmarks and get some great ideas of what to do in London with the first in this series of strange things to do in London.
Few people realise that some of the world’s most famous and influential people are in fact buried in London. If you enjoy tours and want to explore a less-known place of interest during your visit to London, then you should definitely consider visiting the amazing Highgate Cemetery. Highgate Cemetery was built during the Victorian era and is rich with Victorian architecture and heritage. There are many bold, audacious mausoleums, vaults, catacombs, obelisks and statues. During your visit to Highgate, London, you will be sure to notice that some graves stand out more than others. They appear better kept, more prominent. As if they belonged to someone important…
It was announced this month that any foreign student in the UK with a student visa for a particular course will now be able to change courses or even universities. This has been a long time coming and finally foreign students in the UK are given the rights they deserve. Finally, common sense seems to have prevailed – it is becoming a rarity in the UK!
Click to continue reading “New Visa Laws Give International Students More Flexibility”