Dear Students,

A new term has just begun and for all of those interested in taking the Cambridge Exam ESOL in March it is high time you started praticing more and more to pass the exam. Remember time goes by very fast when you have a deadline, so it is important to plan and reorganise your daily activities and of course save any free time to study harder and harder. You know that the school is a perfect place to improve your English skills, so go ahead and practise it! Never miss an opportunity to speak in English. It will help you to build your confidence and make you feel more comfortable during the speaking part. It may sound funny, but do watch TV, films and listen to the radio whenever you have a chance. It will help you to get used with different accents. Write as much as you can.  Three or four compositions per week and ask your teacher to correct it. Make sure you are familiar with the different types of composition and its patterns. Learn usefull language expressions which will definitely add an extra point to your final score.

Do not forget to ask for your teacher’s help and advise! Our qualified teachers have what it takes to guide you and help you to get ready for this important achievement. Also, you will need your teacher authorisation to register for the exam at reception.

Well, wish you all good luck!

See you soon.

Evilin

Hello Students,

I’m here to tell you about the procedure to have your attendance updated when you are sick or have some problem which can affect your attendance. None of us are free from this kind of situation (especially when the weather is so cold), so if you are in the UK with a student visa, you must be careful with your attendance. All you need to do is send an email to students@the-englishstudio.com. Don’t forget to put your name, ID number/ date of birth and the reason you cannot attend your class. You will receive a confirmation by email on the same day. If you miss your classes for more than three days due to illness, we can only update your attendance once you send us by email a confirmation from your doctor. Doing so, your attendance will always be updated. This is the way we have to help you. We are here for you.

Regards,

Miguel Assis

Hi guys,

just to let you know that the main reception will only be open to current students Tuesdays to Fridays. Reception on Monday will only be for students arriving to start their courses.

Current students will only be able to use the E-reception on Mondays and you need to make sure you know your ID number for this.

Take a copy of the student handbook to see just how much you can get from the E-reception. Fewer queues, less stress.

See you soon

Stuart

Well, 2009 was a bad year for many, but my wife assures me that this year is going to be a good one for the world – and I like to think she’s right: I find you tend to get further with a bit of optimism rather than the unrelenting negativity I seem to have as my default setting.

Of course, it’s never any fun in January. You’d spent so long looking forward to Christmas that the fact it was a disaster is even harder to accept as a new year begins and it’s back to the grindstone. The freezing weather doesn’t help. What was ‘romantic’ while you were watching a James Bond movie by the fire three weeks ago is now dangerous, Arctic and unendurable.
Yep, it’s called the January Blues and most people get them every year.
How do we deal with them? Well, I could give you advice about going to the gym, or taking up a hobby, but that would be just plain hypocrisy.
What I will say is this: Go to your English class every day, make lots of soups and find one tiny thing about yourself you might be able to improve.
Mike

Guy Fawkes Night is an annual celebration on the evening of 5 November. It marks the downfall of the Gunpowder Plot of 5 November 1605, in which a number of Catholic conspirators, including Guy Fawkes, attempted to destroy the Houses of Parliament, in London, United Kingdom.
In the United Kingdom, celebrations take place in towns and villages across the country in the form of both private and civic events. They involve fireworks displays and the building of bonfires on which traditionally “guys” are burnt, although this practice is not always observed in modern times.  These “guys” are traditionally effigies of Guy Fawkes, the most famous of the Gunpowder Plot conspirators. Although the night is celebrated in York (Fawkes’ hometown) some there do not burn his effigy, most notably those from his old school. In the past, before the fifth, children traditionally used the “guys” to request a “penny for the guy” in order to raise funds with which to buy fireworks. However, this practice has diminished greatly, perhaps because it has been seen as begging, and also because children are not allowed to buy fireworks. In addition there are concerns that children might misuse the money.
In Sussex, it is a major festival that centres on Lewes necessitating the closure of the town centre. The night also commemorates the Glorious Revolution and 17 local Protestant martyrs that were burnt at the stake during Marian Persecutions by the Catholic Queen Mary I. The night begins with torchlight processions in costume by a number of local bonfire societies and culminates in six separate bonfires where effigies of Guy Fawkes, Pope Paul V and topical personalities are destroyed by firework and flame. The burning of an effigy of Pope Paul V is carried out by the Cliffe Bonfire Society alone and they are barred from marching with the main procession.
In Ottery St Mary, in Devon, burning barrels of tar are carried through the streets. Ottery St. Mary is internationally renowned for its tar barrels, an old custom said to have originated in the 17th century, and which is held on November 5th each year. Each of Ottery’s central public houses sponsors a single barrel. In the weeks prior to the day of the event, November 5th, the barrels are soaked with tar. The barrels are lit outside each of the pubs in turn and once the flames begin to pour out, they are hoisted up onto local people’s backs and shoulders. The streets and alleys around the pubs are packed with people, all eager to feel the lick of the barrels flame. Seventeen Barrels all in all are lit over the course of the evening. In the afternoon and early evening there are women’s and boy’s barrels, but as the evening progresses the barrels get larger and by midnight they weigh at least 30 kilos. A great sense of camaraderie exists between the ‘Barrel Rollers’, despite the fact that they tussle constantly for supremacy of the barrel. In most cases, generations of the same family carry the barrels and take great pride in doing so. … Opinion differs as to the origin of this festival of fire, but the most widely accepted version is that it began as a pagan ritual that cleanses the streets of evil spirits.
Guy Fawkes Night is less commonly celebrated in Northern Ireland, where autumn fireworks and bonfires are more commonly associated with Halloween.         VICTORIA

Hi everyone,

It is extremly important that you attend your classes regularly. Low attendance can cause you unecessary stress in your student life. Not only will students with low attendance face delays in their Oyster card application, but they also won’t be able to receive their certificate in the of the course. Visa students will be reported to the Home office if they have attendance lower than 85%. So make sure you come to class frequently and in case of illness always contact the school to justify your absence. Send an email to: reception@the-englishstudio.com and explain why you are not coming to school.

Remember to talk to your teacher in case you have any doubt about your attendace.

Wish you all a wonderful time.

Cheers,

Evilin.

Last Saturday, my wife and I battened down the hatches and watched X-factor, hoping that hordes of feral, ghoulish costume-clad children would not descend on our door, demanding sweets, with the implied threat of redecorating our porch with flour, eggs and I daren’t imagine what else. It got me thinking how Hallowe’en has changed and evolved.

Hallowe’en comes from the old Celtic festival called Samahain (pronounced ’sawan’) and was in fact the beginning of the Celtic New Year. So, you might ask, why do we have all the witches and wizards and things that go bump in the night accoutrements? Well, the reason is that according to ancient belief, Hallowe’en was the night upon which the door between the land of the living and the land of the dead briefly creaked ajar.

When Ireland became a  Christian country, this tradition was transferred to the idea of All Souls  Day, when it became traditional to visit a church and to light a candle for loved ones who have passed on. I suppose it’s always nice to think that someone is watching over us…On another subject, somebody must definitely be watching over John and Edward: Ireland’s most embarrassing export. How did they survive another week? What is wrong with the world? Just like what really lies behind the mysteries of Hallowe’en, we’ll probably never know..

Another thing we’ll never know is why I didn’t check the other blogs before starting this one! I’ve just seen that my colleague Victoria has done a much  better blog than mine about Hallowe’en, so please read her one not mine! next week , I intend to write about something Victoria has no interest in and is not going to blog about: perhaps the unrecognised genius of John and Edward!

Mike

Did you know we’ll have a new jumper of The English Studio?
It’ll be a nice memory of your English courses in London.:)
We have request lists for the hoodies at receptions and in the library.

Because you have paid no attention for me, I’m a bit sad…

toshiko

Don’t forgot that we have movies that you can rent in the library!
It is a great way of learning English; you listen,watch and can read the
subtitles at the same time:-)

And there is lots of good ones. Both old and new of famous directors such
as Woody Allen, The Cohen Brothers and many more…

As a student in London, it is quite easy to find someone from your country, and then the temptation: which language will I speak: English or my mother tongue? I think, if you really are interested in improve your English, don’t give up: keep speaking English! Yes, I know, some times you can fell uncomfortable, but it is normal. Remember: the more you speak, more quickly you will become fluent. Even in the reception, with your friends, during the break: keep trying! Believe me: you will see the good results before you can imagine.
Best Regards,
Miguel.