Newsletter September 2013 Issue 1
Contents
3………..Welcome 4………..Summer term in pictures 6………..Exam results 8………...100% Attendance awards 9………...A day in ‘Anna’s’ life 10……….How to improve your speaking 11……….Excel College World Cookbook 16………..Interviews with our students 18………..Interview with a member of staff 19………..Interview with a host family 20………..Short story 21………..Quizzes and competitions 25………..Letters to Excel College 26………..Volunteering opportunities and adverts. 30………..Next term
Welcome to Excel College’s
first ever termly newsletter! This term we welcome back Leo on to the admin team. Leo’s been away in China for an extended holiday, seeing family and bringing us back exciting Chinese food for us all to try. See his recipe for Spicy Chinese Lamb here, this is one of his favourite meals to cook. In this newsletter you will find out what the college and our students have been doing this term. We have pages dedicated to students who have taken IELTS and Cambridge exams and a bit about the courses they have studied and their reasons for studying. We’ve said hello and goodbye to lots of students this term and want to recognise those students who achieved a fantastic 100% attendance on their course, so well done to them. Every term we’ll work out the country that has the most students with 100% attendance. See who won this term here. Kes has done a quiz on idioms here. It’s a tricky quiz– it took me a while to get the answers. so good luck and the answers will be in next term’s newsletter or you can email us for the answers! There are interviews with some of our students, one of our host families and also with the principal, Kes, as well as recipes from all over the world and puzzles and quiz questions to get you thinking. At the back you will find our competition page. There are two competitions this term and the chance to win £75 in Amazon Vouchers or 21 hours of English tuition! Winners will also appear in next term’s newsletter. Every year or so, we get inspected by one of our accrediting bodies and this term it was ISI who inspected us. They evaluate whether we are able to keep our ‘Highly Trusted Sponsor’ status. They observe our teachers as they teach, talk to both students and staff speaking about the college and look into all of our policies and procedures. No stone was left unturned I am very happy to say that we passed our inspection. Please see the full report here and a big thank you to all of our staff and students, past and present for making Excel College the wonderful place it is to work and learn. Excel College is pleased to now be working with ISIC. All students studying 6 weeks or more are entitled to an ISIC card giving them discounts all over the world; from flights to clothes, to hotels and hostels. Normally this would cost £12, but get your card through Excel College for only £10! See here for details I hope you enjoy our newsletter and please email any recipes, articles, photos, stories, poems or suggestions to sam@excel-college.com Thanks Samantha Barham Marketing and Improvement Manager
Summer term in pictures
IELTS Exam Results Student: Uta Country: Germany IELTS 7.5 Course: IELTS Advanced Preparation A THANK YOU to the whole team at Excel College for being so nice and helpful and a really big THANK YOU to all my teachers!!!!!! I also got accepted for the Master's programme Molecular Medicine at the CharitĂŠ in Berlin which was the main reason for me to do the IELTS exam. Hopefully I will come back to Manchester someday. Listening 7.5
Reading 7.0
Writing 7.5
Speaking 7.5
Student: Natalia Country: Brazil IELTS 7.0 Course: IELTS Advanced Preparation Listening 7.0
Reading 6.0
Writing 6.5
Speaking 8.0
Aloizio Country: Brazil IELTS 7.5 Course: IELTS Advanced Preparation Listening 9.0
Reading 7.5
Writing 6.0
Maybe now we can apply to study in Manchester University for a Masters degree next year. Hope to see you all soon!
Speaking 7.5
Student: Yale Country: China IELTS 8.0 Course: IELTS Advanced Preparation Kes's perfectly standard speech made me want to record it secretly every time we talked. Marc has absolutely got no less knowledge than his weight. Angelic smiles from Anna and Sam drove away my fear of striking up a conversation ... The weeks spent in Excel, where we fought together for IELTS, were simply awesome because of the teachers and friends here! Listening 8.5
Reading 8.5
Student: Adria Country: Spain IELTS: 6.5 Course: General English and IELTS Advanced Preparation Thank you Excel College! Listening 8.5
Reading 8.0
Writing 6.5
Speaking 6.5
Writing 6.5
Speaking 8.5
Student Yeganeh Country: Iran IELTS: 7.5 Course: General English and IELTS Advanced Preparation Thank you very much for the last months, without you this score would not be possible. Special thanks to Vicky and Marc and Mark!! Listening 7.0
Reading 7.5
Writing 8.0
Speaking 7.5
Student Esmail Country: Libya IELTS: 5.5 Course: IELTS Foundation Preparation I am very happy with my result– I can now go to university to study Electrical Engineering! I already have offers from UCLAN and Coventry University and am waiting to hear from Birmingham Uni before I make my Decision. Listening Reading Writing Speaking 5.5 6.0 5.5 5.0 Student: Emilia Country: Italy IELTS: 6.5 Course: General English and IELTS Advanced Preparation Listening Reading Writing Speaking 6.0 7.5 6.0 6.5
Student: Debora Country: Italy IELTS 6.0 Course: General English and IELTS Advance Preparation Listening 5.5
Reading 6.5
Writing 6.0
Hi Excel College, We are happy for these results, and we want to thank the teachers, especially Mark and Vicky. Bye bye, and have a good day.
Speaking 5.5
Cambridge Exam Results Student: Diego Country Spain Exam: Cambridge Foundation Certificate in English Score: 67% Course: General English and FCE
100% attendance achievers We ask that all students attend at least 80% of their course. Some students manage to achieve 100% attendance, proving how dedicated they are to studying English. Congratulations! Maria Josefa Munoz (Italian) Full time 15 hours/wk General English
Priscila Lima Matos (Brazilian) Intensive English 30 hours/wk General English
Sara Cecci (Italian) Full time 15 hours/wk General English
Grzegorz Warszawski (Polish) Full time 15 hours/wk General English
Lola Ruiz Caro (Spanish) Part-time 6 hours/wk General English
Vitaliz Melnyk (Ukranian) Full time - 15 hours/wk General English
Pilar Martin Aragan (Spanish) Part time 9 hours/wk General English Addolorata Sasso (Italian) Intensive English 24 hours/ wk General English IELTS Preparation Business English Balma Colomer Tena (Spanish) Full time 15 hours/wk General English Debora Frezzini (Italian) Intensive English 24 hours/wk General English IELTS Preparation Business English Lucie Hanchard (Belgian) Full time 15 hours/wk General English Daniel Alfredo Piras Lopez (Spanish) Full time 15 hours/wk IELTS Preparation Germano Costan (Italian) Intensive English– 21 hours/wk General English IELTS Preparation
Javier Blay (Spanish) Intensive English 21 hours/wk General English Communication Class Writing Clinic Emilia Magnicari (Italian) Intensive English 30 hours/wk General English IELTS Preparation Jesus Zuniga (Spanish) Full time 15 hours/wk General English Doroteia Punsola (French) Full time 15 hours/wk General English Paolo Rosin (Italian) Intensive English 30 hours/wk General English Tomas Dviliov (Lithuanian) Intensive English 21 hours/wk IELTS Preparation Communication Class Writing Clinic Maciej Onaszkiewicz (Polish) Full time 15 hours/wk General English
Uta Rossler (German) Full Time 15 hours/wk IELTS Preparation
Leonel Toribio Gutierrez (Spanish) Full time 15 hours/wk General English
Marino Sasso (Italian) Intensive English 24 hours/wk General English IELTS Preparation
Rita Schiano Di Cola (Italian) Full time 15 hours/wk General English
Maria Helena Moura De Souza (Brazillian) Full time 15 hour/wk General English
Jose Luis Herrera (Spanish) Full time 15 hours/wk General English
This term’s winner is…….
Italy
A Day in Anna’s Life Every term we will feature a day in one of our student’s or staff’s life, including the places they like to see, who they meet during the day and what it’s like living where they do. This can be a video diary, a piece of writing as Anna has done or a collection of photos or drawings, like a comic book. Enter our competition ’A Day in Your life for a chance to win either a free English course or Amazon Vouchers! I get up at 7.30, usually manage to fit in breakfast, and leave the flat at 8.15 to catch the metro. The journey takes about 30 minutes and I get off at the Market Street stop to walk to work.
My route takes me past Minshull Street Crown Court where you can often eavesdrop on some interesting courtroom conversations as you walk past the smokers outside. I also pass the old art deco Employment Exchange building which is disused and derelict. I really like this building, even in its current ramshackle state, but have heard that they are going to knock it down to build a modern hotel soon, which I think is a shame. At lunch I go to meet Joe, my boyfriend, for something to eat. If the weather is bad, we go to Philpott’s, a sandwich and salad café on New York Street where they prepare everything freshly for you and you can sit inside. If the weather is good, we bring sandwiches from home and go to eat in Piccadilly Gardens. I’m not so keen on Piccadilly Gardens – it’s always very busy and dirty and there’s too much concrete and too many pigeons – but it’s equidistant from our two workplaces so it’s a convenient place to meet On Fridays there is the added bonus of the food market where you can buy lots of different international food, cupcakes, Manchester tarts (a traditional Manchester pastry with custard and raspberry jam) and my favourite – ginger flapjacks. Friday evenings usually involve going out to eat. Last weekend I went shopping in the city centre after work to find a birthday present for my mum and then went back to Chorlton (where I live) to go for some food with some friends. We went to Yakisoba, a Japanese restaurant which serves bento – a meal in a box – in huge portions and at relatively cheap prices. This weekend some of Joe’s friends are visiting from Spain so we’ll go out with them on Friday night, probably in the Northern Quarter where there are lots of independent bars and restaurants. I fancy going for a Friday treat in Solita – a restaurant that serves really good burgers, steaks and 60/40 mashed potato (60% potato and 40% butter!) – and then on to a couple of bars.
How can I improve my speaking? Over 8 years as a teacher and a further 3 years working with international students, this has to be the question I have been asked the most. In this short article below I will give you my thoughts on the topic and a little advice from my experience. I spent most of my teaching years in Japan. Like many places around the world the majority of Japanese children learn English at secondary school. By the time they finish high school they have had hundreds of hours of teaching but still many students feel as though they can’t speak English. The same will be true for many of you. In fact, many of you who are reading this will be able to understand it perfectly but if I asked you to tell me about it or give me a summary of the main points you would struggle. A lot of this is not your fault. You have grown up in a country where English is not widely spoken and you have had little real need for English other than to pass exams. As a result the most wonderful part about learning a language, actually speaking it, has been neglected. So perhaps the first piece of advice is to lower your expectations a little and give it time.
I have come to believe that the most important variable in learning a language is you and how you approach your learning. I spent a whole year in Japan before I made positive changes to my lifestyle that enabled me to learn more effectively. Although I took classes and they were very helpful and supportive I ended up doing about 60% of my learning and 95% of my practice outside of class. In my opinion you shouldn’t view class as being the place where you will become good at English. Class is a safe environment where you can take risks, find out new information and where you can get answers from an experienced professional and that’s what you pay for. Your teachers are great and they do their best to support your learning but ultimately the most important variable in this situation is you and how much work you put in outside the classroom. If you do not read, write and listen in English it is going to be very very hard to improve your speaking skills. What to do now: Join a site like Meet Up.com to meet native speakers Join in activities at Excel College, such as film club or the walking tours
World Cookbook
Hundreds of students come through our doors from countries all over the world and we love to learn about different cultures; their celebrations, holidays and, of course, their food. English recipes take ideas from many different countries thanks to our diverse and ever-changing culture and we want to create a cookbook that celebrates the food of our students and our staff. Please send your recipes and photos to sam@excel-college.com and join the discussion on twitter #Excelcooking
Bulgarian Moussaka
by Dave
This is a simple dish that anyone can make with little or no cooking ability. It was the first recipe my partner taught me how to make and is still my favourite!
Ingredients 200 g ground beef 1 small onion, finely chopped 4 large potatoes 2 fresh tomatoes, peeled and sliced 2 eggs 4 tablespoons all-purpose flour 350ml natural yoghurt salt black pepper dry oregano fresh parsley 200ml water (or 100ml water and 100ml white wine) olive oil
Method Preheat your oven to 190° / gas 5 and grease a
square baking dish. Heat the oil in a saucepan and add the onion,
oregano, beef, tomatoes and the salt and pepper. Cover and leave to thicken– about 15-20 minutes. Meanwhile, peel and slice your potatoes and arrange half of them on the bottom of the baking dish, sprinkle with salt and pepper. When the tomato mixture is thickened, pour on top of the potatoes. Cover with the rest of the potatoes and add enough water to reach almost to the top of the mousaka Bake in the oven for about 45 minutes, until the liquid is evaporated While this is cooking, you can make the topping. In a mixing bowl, beat the eggs, and then add the yoghurt, flour, parsley, oregano and the salt and pepper.
Chinese Spicy Lamb
by Leo
I love surfing the internet for new ideas and recipes and this is a recipe I found a few years ago and has since become one of my favourites. Chinese cooking is all about experimentation, that’s why I haven’t written down how much of everything you need. Have fun and give it a go. If you have a slow cooker, follow steps 1-4 and then add to the slow cooker and cook for about 8 hours on low. Lovely!
Ingredients: Lamb garlic red wine chilli sauce red pepper anise pepper
ginger soy sauce sugar salt star goji berries cinnamon
Method: Wash the lamb and drain water cut into 1.5cm square cubes; Cut carrots into chunks; Heat oil in a pan, add garlic and ginger stir fry until fragrant, then add the lamb and stir fry till the col-
our changes. Add the wine, chilli sauce, red pepper, soy sauce, sugar, salt and stir well; Pour everything into a stew pot or casserole, add goji berries and star anise, pepper and
cinnamon, then add boiling water; Simmer for an hour and then add carrots. Cook for a further hour until the lamb is soft.
Cottage pie
by Sam
This is a great recipe for using any left over vegetables. It is cheap and easy to make. You can just use potatoes for the topping but I prefer to use a mix of any vegetables. Some people like to add mustard or mayonnaise to the topping but I like just a bit of butter, milk and some salt and pepper.
Ingredients 1 tablespoon oil 1 large onion, chopped 1 clove garlic, crushed 2 medium carrots, chopped 125g peas (frozen, fresh or tinned) 500g mince 1 (400g) tin chopped tomatoes 2 tablespoons tomato purée 300ml beef stock dash Worcestershire sauce salt and freshly ground black pepper
Method Preheat the oven to 190 C / Gas mark 5. Heat the oil in a large frying pan over a
Medium-high heat. Add the onion and garlic cook over a medium heat until soft.
Add the mince and cook until brown. Add the tinned tomatoes, purée, peas,
For the topping 1kg mixed root vegetables e.g. potatoes, parsnips, carrots, suede 75g butter 4 tablespoons milk Salt and pepper
Carrots, beef stock, mixed herbs and Worcestershire sauce. Season with salt and pepper. Cover and simmer for 30 minutes. Meanwhile, cut all the vegetables so that they are all about the same size- 3cm chunks and boil the in water until soft. Drain and mash with the butter and milk. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Spoon the mince mixture into a casserole dish. Top with the mash and bake for 30 minutes until golden brown.
Kookoo Piyaz Che
by Farnaz In my country, when we have a big meal with the family, we always have this dish. My mother taught me how to make this and it’s hard to write down how much of everything as I have made it so many times. I have tried my best!
Ingredients 1 bunch of spring onions 1 sprig fresh dill half a sprig fresh parsley 2 cloves garlic 2 egg 1 raw, medium sized potato Salt and pepper olive oil (for frying)
Method You should start by chopping the spring onions very small and put in big bowl Peel the potato then grate it and add to onion, Finally, add some fresh parsley and dill, salt black pepper, grated (or pressed) garlic and eggs and stir them together Frying this food is very easy, pour olive oil into a pan , when the oil is hot, you can fry your food. when the Kookoo is brown, turn over and fry the other side.
Serve with yoghurt and pickles
Toad in the Hole
by Lynda
This is one of my favourite English recipes and one that I remember my mum cooking for us when we were kids. It’s simple to make, great for cold winter evenings and fills you up.
Method
Ingredients
Heat the oven to 240-250°c/ gas 9 Pour the oil into the bottom of metal baking dish and put in the oven to get really hot.
6 Sausages 3tbsp oil
When the oil is smoking, add the sausages and check to make sure they get golden brown all over. 3oz/ 75g plain flour Meanwhile, make the batter by putting the flour, rosemary and salt 1 large egg and pepper into a bowl, add the egg and milk and whisk until there 3fl oz/ 75ml semi-skimmed milk are no lumps. 2fl oz water When the sausages are golden brown, carefully take the dish out of (1tsp dried rosemary) the oven and add the batter. Salt and pepper Put the dish back in the oven and leave it for 20 minutes. Do not open the oven or the batter will not rise! To make the gravy: In a saucepan, fry the onions and garlic in a little For the gravy: oil until soft. Add the balsamic vinegar, if using, and cook until half the 1 Onions liquid has gone. Crumble in a stock cube and add a little water. The 2 cloves of garlic gravy should be quite thick so if it’s too runny add a bit of flour 1 beef stock cube (6 table spoons balsamic vine- The toad in the hole is done when the batter is golden brown, 20-25 minutes. Take out the oven and serve with gravy gar) water
For the batter
Yorkshire Puddings To make Yorkshire puddings, follow Steps 1-5 but leave out the sausages. Yorkshire puddings can be made in any metal tin but are traditionally the size of large muffins. Most people serve them with a roast dinner but they a lovely just with gravy as a snack! Some people have Yorkshire Puddings as a desert see here for inspiration!
Pancakes 1. Mix the flour, salt egg and milk in a jug until there are no or very few lumps 2. Melt some butter in a frying pan on a medium heat and when fully melted add enough batter to cover the bottom of the pan 3. When the pancake starts to bubble, flip it over—see here 4. When cooked both sides, serve with sugar and lemon juice. Perfect for breakfast American pancakes are thicker and use self-raising flour. Have a look at this website for lots of ideas on pancake recipes
New Zealand Cheese Puffs
by Kes
I’m not the best cook, but when I’m wearing my Excel College hoodie, I feel like a chef! This is a recipe I learned when I lived in New Zealand. It’s really easy (not very healthy!) and is a great snack for taking to work/ college or when you’re watching TV. Some people like to add garlic powder, some chilli sauce or mustard, some fresh herbs but I like things simple!
Method
Ingredients
Grease a large baking tray and preheat the oven to 200°c / 400°f /
1 egg 4 Fl oz / 120ml milk 8oz/ 225g flour, sifted 2 teaspoons baking powder 1 pinch salt 16oz/ 550g cheese, grated
gas 6 Mix all the flour, baking powder, salt, and cheese together in a bowl (if you are using herbs, add these here two) Add the eggs and the milk and beat until smooth (if you are using chilli sauce, add now) Put large teaspoonfuls onto the baking tray and bake in the oven for 10 minutes
Tartiflette
by Anna
This is a French dish that I learnt from a friend’s mum when I was a teenager. I generally leave most of the cooking to my boyfriend because he’s much better at it than I am, but this is one dish that I make the effort to cook because it tastes so good.
Ingredients
Method
14 new potatoes 12 rashers of smoked bacon 2 onions 300ml single cream 195g gruyere cheese (cut into cubes)
First of all you need to put the potatoes on to boil, still in their skins, with a pinch of salt. Next, chop the onions, cut the bacon into squares and fry together in olive oil until both the onions and bacon have browned. Season with some pepper.
When the potatoes are boiled, drain them and leave to cool a little. When they have cooled enough, use a knife to peel them. This is a laborious task and I don’t know enough about cooking to know why boiling the potatoes in their skins makes a difference but it does always seem to make the final dish taste much better! Once you’ve peeled the potatoes, slice them into centimetre thick slices. Then take a casserole dish and add a layer of the onion and bacon mixture. Add a layer of potatoes. Repeat. Next, pour over the single cream and scatter the gruyere cheese on top. Put the dish into the oven at about 170ºc for 30 minutes. The aim is just to melt the cheese and heat the tartiflette through. I always serve it with crusty bread and salad (the only properly healthy element in this very cheesy, creamy, carby dish!)
Interviews with our students We asked some of our students about Manchester, England and why they are here. Our students come to study for many different reasons and each of them have different reasons for liking (or disliking!) the UK. Let us know what you think on Twitter #excelstudents
First Name: Na Age: 31 Nationality: Hong Konger Course studying at Excel College:General English– Pre-Intermediate How long have you been in England? 3 Months Why did you choose Manchester? My family is here Where's your favourite place to go in Manchester? Tai Wu (Chinese restaurant on Oxford Road, Manchester) What places have you visited in the UK? Chester, Edinburgh This is me! What's your favourite thing about the UK? The environment; The parks, there is a lot of green. Culture and history What's the worst thing about the UK? Learning the English Language– it’s very difficult! What's your favourite British food? English breakfast or ‘Fry-up!’ Why are you studying English? To live and work in the UK What do you think is the best thing to do to improve your English? Attend all your classes and speak English! Why did you choose Excel College? My friend goes here.
First Name: Hiroki Age: 30 Nationality: Japanese Course studying at Excel College: Intensive English IELTS Advanced Preparation Writing Clinic Communication Class One-to-One lessons How long have you been in England? 9 Months Why did you choose Manchester? Because I support Manchester United This is me! Where's your favourite place to go in Manchester? Old Trafford What places have you visited in the UK? London, York and Liverpool What's your favourite thing about the UK? High Popularity of football What's the worst thing about the UK? The weather! It’s too cold for me What's your favourite British food? Yorkshire puddings Why are you studying English? To study masters degree What do you think is the best thing to do to improve your English? To experience as many activities as possible to force you to have a wide range of vocabulary Why did you choose Excel College? Affordable tuition fee Location Good Reputation
First Name: Firas Age: 38 Nationality: Swedish Course studying at Excel College:General English– Proficiency How long have you been in England? 3 Months Why did you choose Manchester? Easier and cheaper than London and still a big city Where's your favourite place to go in Manchester? Market Street What places have you visited in the UK? London What's your favourite thing about the UK? Multicultural, tolerant society. Politeness of people What's the worst thing about the UK? Heating system and cost What's your favourite British food? English breakfast Why are you studying English? To continue at University What do you think is the best thing to do to improve your English? Practice with people anywhere, in shops, in pubs Why did you choose Excel College? Flexibility of courses and fair prices
First Name: Patricia Age: 27 Nationality: Spanish This is me! Course studying at Excel College: CPE (Proficiency) How long have you been in England? 9 Months Why did you choose Manchester? Because I thought most Spanish speakers would be in London but there are a lot of Spanish people in Manchester! Where's your favourite place to go in Manchester? I like Alexandra Park a lot on sunny days and Piccadilly Gardens. Also, the Curry Mile is very interesting and completely different! What places have you visited in the UK? The Lake District, Nottingham, Glasgow, London Edinburgh, Newcastle, Chester and Liverpool What's your favourite thing about the UK? I like the young people’s accent. The majority of people are very polite and friendly (not in the airport though!) What's the worst thing about the UK? I find it strange that the UK is such a multicultural country and yet people only eat ‘British meat” and “British milk”. This is very strange for me – isn’t this the opposite of being multi-cultural? What's your favourite British food? I don’t really like British food, I think “Fish and Chips” are disgusting! British people take dishes from lots of other cultures. Why are you studying English? I studied biology in university and now I would like to do a PHD in England What do you think is the best thing to do to improve your English? Read books, meet friends– English friends and speak, speak, speak! Why did you choose Excel College? Firstly I saw the website and I liked the comments of the people and when I visited the school I remembered people were very friendly and patient with my level of English. That was the most important thing– they had the patience to understand me.
Interview with our Staff Every term we will be interviewing a different member of staff and finding out what they did before they came here, what they do in their spare time and finding the most amusing picture we can find of them! This term we have interviewed Excel College’s principal, Kes. Let us know what you think on Twitter #excelstaff Name: Kes Poupaert Job title: College Principal Favourite food: Bread, cheese, chicken, fish, rice, biscuits, chocolate, cereal, cake, erm, do you want me to go on? Favourite drink: Home-made iced coffee. Favourite place:The beach. Especially ones with warm water. Special skills: Crude but effective DIY, rudimentary music-making, incredible football skills. Why did you become a Tefl teacher? I wanted to experience living and working in other countries, thought I might be good at teaching, and it didn’t seem like it would be hard work… Tell us about your first ever teaching job. It was hard work. But after a few months when I became more confident, I really started to enjoy it. It was in a language school in Queenstown, New Zealand, teaching an interesting mix of nationalities (quite similar to Excel College, really!). In what countries have you taught? New Zealand, Spain and the UK. What is your best teaching memory? Very difficult to pick one out (i.e. I find it difficult to remember things that happened more than 2 weeks ago), but I think overall my best memory is of getting to about 6 months into my first teaching job and realising I had found a job I was happy to do for a very long time. What's your worst teaching memory? Perhaps my first week in Spain, when I realised how difficult it was going to be controlling a room full of children when I didn’t speak their language and they clearly weren’t frightened of me… Where's your favourite place in the UK and why? The countryside northwest of Lancaster (about an hour drive north from Manchester) – we often stay in a caravan there, and it’s the perfect place to relax and have fun with my family. What do you want to be when you grow up? A long-distance bus driver, in New Zealand, where the scenery is amazing, there isn’t too much traffic, and everywhere you stop you can buy hot pies.
Interview with a host family We work with host families who live all over Manchester. Every family has a different story to tell and different hosting experiences. Every term we will be interviewing one of our families and this term, we interviewed Margaret. Margaret has been hosting for us for 2 years now. She lives in Altringham, about a 30 minute bus ride from Excel College and the City centre. Who do you live with? I live with my husband, Kevin ( and at the moment, Sam, my youngest who is home from Salford University for the holidays) How long have you been hosting students? I’ve been hosting students for 25 yrs for different colleges and companies, some of those were cultural holidays for teenagers and some for students who wanted to learn English. What is the best thing about hosting? The best thing about hosting is 1. meeting people with different nationalities, backgrounds and cultures and 2. making friends with them over the time of their stay. It’s such a joy and privilege opening up your heart and home to people who genuinely appreciate what you do for them.
Margaret and two Excel College students on a day out in Chester
What is the worst thing about hosting? The worst thing ( this is a difficult question and I don’t normally have any problems!) is probably difficulty in communicating…Sometimes it is hard to know if the other person understands what you’re saying. I think some British customs and rituals like shutting the front door when you are going out of the house for instance can be difficult for students to get used to! What food do you like to cook? I love to cook anything! From British food like ‘toad-in-the-hole’ or corned beef hash to all sorts of international dishes. I enjoy trying things from the students’ home country. If they are here on the 25th January, we celebrate Burns’ night with a traditional Scottish meal of Haggis, neeps and tatties. I also read Robert Burns’ poem ‘To a Haggis’, which has to be read with a Scottish accent! What is the best thing about where you live? Manchester is great for visiting other cities and attractions in the UK and where I live now has the advantage of being quiet but very near public transport. What is your favourite thing to do in Manchester? I love to visit Chinatown and shop for ingredients, but my favourite thing to do is to visit the theatre and watch a show! What is the most interesting thing you have learnt from hosting? Usually, foreign students, even teenagers prefer water to drink than fruit juices, tea coffee, wine or beer ( I only offer wine and beer to adults by the way! ) What is your favourite hosting memory? I have so many good memories that this is difficult! However, I kept a lovely Thankyou card that was left behind by a Spanish boy of 15 I had hosted many years ago and in it he addressed me as his Mum from England…I was so thrilled!
Short Story Every term we will have a new short story for you. This story won first prize in our short story competition last year. Students had to write a story using the words ‘Queen, Tea, bus, River and Apple’.
The choice By Anna Tulisi I was at a crossroads. It was the most important decision of my life but I thought I wasn't wise enough to choose. I would have liked to receive a sign from the outside: to leave or not? I was going crazy! I was looking for the answer everywhere: in my dreams, in a cup of tea...“Tea is liquid wisdom”, I kept repeating to myself, but nothing! Even the great Isaac Newton needed a small apple to clarify his ideas, I wanted a sign too! So I went out for a walk...On the street I seemed to hear the voice of James Bond calling me from a helicopter and I could see the Queen parachute down on to me with a letter in her hands where was written:'the choice'...It was late, too many thoughts..so, at the bus-stop, I decided:"If the next bus is the one that goes home I'll stay, but if it heads to the river I'll leave”... I was hungry and tired but had to wait for my future. A bus appeared in the distance and stopped at the traffic light, I couldn't distinguish its number. When it moved again, I finally found out my destiny written on the approaching bus: “OUT OF SERVICE”...What?! I was so confused..I sat down, trying to gather my thoughts when I saw a boy with his dog running towards the river, not far from me..It was beautifully revealing: “Maybe” I said, “this is the answer!”. I smiled.
Have you written a story? Do you have a favourite short story, book or poem? Email it to sam@excel-college.com for a chance to appear in next term’s newsletter
How much do you know? A full breakfast always has sausage, bacon and eggs, but what other ingredients can you have in a fry-up?
Neeps and Tatties are traditionally served with Haggis on Burns night. What do we call neeps and tatties in English?
English
There are lots of Burns night recipes online, try cooking one you like and post your photos on twitter #Excelcooking or email sam@excel-college.com along with the recipe to appear in next term’s newsletter
Scottish
Irish
What county is Manchester in?
Have a go at cooking one and post your photos on twitter #Excelcooking or email sam@excel-college.com to appear in next term’s newsletter
What is ‘The Curry Mile’ Like England, Scottland has different dialects depending on where you are. Have a listen to these: Glasgow
Edinburgh
Where is it? Orkney
Aberdeen
Think you can do a Scottish accent? Have a go and send you videos/ recordings to sam@excel-college.com for a chance to appear in next term’s newsletter! 1
2 3
4
5
6
7 8
9 10 11
12 13
14
15
Across
Down
1. The opposite of many
1. The opposite of true
4. The opposite of raw
2. The opposite of smooth
8. The opposite of heavy
3. The opposite of rude
10. The opposite of soft
5. The opposite of new
12. The opposite of cheap
6. The opposite of safe
13. The opposite of deep
7. The opposite of crooked
14. The opposite of dim
9. The opposite of thick
15. The opposite of best
11. The opposite of more
Thanks to http://bogglesworldesl.com/crosswords.htm
Competition!
A Day in the life
WIN! 1st Prize £75 Amazon Voucher or 21 hours of English lessons 2nd Prize £50 Amazon Voucher or 15 hours of English lessons 3rd Prize £25 Amazon Voucher or 9 hours of English Lessons What do you do on a normal day? Where are your favourite places to go? What do you eat? Do you see friends or family? Do you have classes? Do you work? Do a video, or write about a day in your life. Include pictures, music, anything to make it unique to you and what you like to do. See Anna’s day in the life for ideas Maximum 5 minutes of video Maximum 400 words Closing date 06/12/13 Please email all entries to sam@excel-college.com Terms and Conditions
All entries must be in English and must be suitable for all audiences.
If your visa is refused, you will not receive a cash alternative, however we will be happy to keep your hours for a future course and advise you on how to improve your visa application.
If you use the English hours as part of a longer course and your visa is refused, you will receive a refund for the part of the course you have paid for as per our terms and conditions on the application form. Alternatively, we will be happy to keep your hours for a future course and advise you on how to improve your visa application
Any entries that arrive after 23:59BST 06/12/13 will not be counted If you win, you will be asked to confirm whether you would like English lessons or Amazon Vouchers. You will not be able to change your decision once you have confirmed.
English hours apply to group classes in the morning, afternoon or evening and cannot be swapped for one-to-one lessons or practice tests.
Amazon vouchers will be emailed and no cash alternative will be given. Results will be emailed and posted on social media sites by the 13/12/13. The judge’s decisions are final and no debate will be entered into.
Guess the idioms in Kes’ head…
A few months ago I was walking down the street when I ………………………… an old friend. We used to be close friends, but we had a …………………………. a few years ago and we haven’t ……………………………….. since Anyway, we started chatting and I could see he was upset about something, so I suggested going for a coffee. Very soon we were having a real ……………………….., and I found out what was wrong. ………………………, he was having serious money problems, which was creating such problems at home that he thought his marriage was ……………………... The main problem was that he had quit his well-paid job as a lawyer and become a teacher. So he used to have …………………………………, but now was struggling ……………………………….. He was also finding teaching quite stressful, but couldn’t face the idea of going back to his old company ………………………………………………… in his shoes
too many cooks
to make ends meet
slipped up
seen eye to eye
back to square one
money to burn
bumped into
over the moon
make a fresh start
falling out
Answers in next term’s newsletter
on the rocks heart to heart in a nutshell
with his tail between his legs (or come and ask us if you cant wait that long!)
Riddles 1. A dad and his son were riding their bikes and crashed. Two ambulances came and took them to different hospitals. The man’s son was in the operating room and the doctor said, “I can’t operate on you. You’re my son.” How is that possible? 2. What travels around the world but stays in one spot? 3. What starts with the letter “t”, is filled with “t” and ends in “t”? 4. We see it once in a year, twice in a week, and never in a day. What is it? 5. Mary’s father has 5 daughters – Nana, Nene, Nini, Nono. What is the fifth daughters name? Answers at the bottom of the page
Irregular past tense wordsearch! 1. 2.
Write the past tense next to each of the verbs below. find the past tense of the verb in the grid to the left. Answers in next term’s newsletter
begin
get
say
blow
give
see
bring
go
send
buy
grow
sing
catch
hear
sit
come
know
sleep
do
make
swim
draw
meet
take
drink
read
throw
eat
run
write
Thanks to http://bogglesworldesl.com/wordsearches.htm 1. The doctor is his mum
2. A Stamp
3. A Teapot
4. The letter E
5. Mary!
Letters to Excel College We receive lots of lovely emails and letters from our students and are proud of how many good things they have to say about our staff and their experience at the college itself. Here are a couple of our favourites from last term. Hi Excel College,
.
I came to Manchester in order to live and work a couple of years abroad, to gather exciting experiences in a foreign country, to learn about another culture and finally, to improve my English. The proof of appropriate language knowledge was mandatory in order to get a job in the English National Health Service and Excel College was the best choice I could make to reach my aims. With Marc and Vicky I had excellent teachers, who teach with enthusiasm and a wide range of professional and personal experience.
Learning for 3 months at Excel College did not only result in an incredible IELTS score (7.5) but opened the door to my new job, too. Thanks to you all. You are great teachers. Excel College – in the heart of Manchester – is a great place to learn English together with people from all over the world. Ulrike
Dear Excel College I'm already at home, but I don't forget Excel College. The four weeks I spent in Manchester were really amazing and this is thanks to Lynda, Anna and David, and Marc of course. Thank you so much for all! I carry on my English studies at home. I have a lot of work! I learnt so many things and now I must learn to use them.
I hope that the unusual weather in Manchester continues. Here it is very, very hot. Kind regards, Doroteia
.
Send us your letters for a chance to win:
£25 in Amazon Vouchers or 9 hours English Lessons Every term we will choose one letter to be our star letter. That person will have the choice of a £25 Amazon voucher or 9 hours of English lessons. See here for terms and conditions Email sam@excel-college.com
Volunteering opportunities Our volunteering programme is available for all current students of Excel College. For more information, come to reception or email Anna on info@excel-college.com
Why Volunteer? Practice English outside the classroom
Meet new people Help the local community Improve your C.V. Have fun!
Can you volunteer? All students who are in the UK on a valid visa are allowed to volunteer If you are not from the EU:
You are not allowed to get money for any hours you do
You cannot volunteer with the promise of paid work
The Conservation Volunteers (TCV) TCV is an environmental charity which works to improve green spaces in and around Manchester. Every Wednesday and Thursday (9.30 – 16.00), TCV picks up volunteers from Manchester city centre and take them to work on conservation projects. Activities include cleaning ponds, building fences, planting trees and much more. Volunteers need to wear clothes that they don’t mind getting dirty but can borrow boots, gloves and tools from TCV. If you fancy getting your hands dirty, helping the environment and meeting some new people, Shakespeare House Shakespeare House is a community centre in Whalley Range. They provide activities, workshops and social events to bring their community together. Volunteers can get involved in administration, organising the summer community festival and welcoming people to the centre. At the moment, you can also help with to renovate the Shakespeare House building. This involves painting, cleaning and working in the garden.
International Society – Teach an evening class Do you have a skill like painting, dancing or yoga? Are you interested in teaching? The International Society is looking for students who want to teach an evening class once a week for 10 weeks. You can even teach your own language. No teaching experience is necessary, just lots of enthusiasm!
H-PAN Manchester Food Sharing Project H-PAN is a charity that helps vulnerable adults living in Manchester. Every Thursday afternoon (4pm-8pm) they prepare and distribute food to homeless people in the city. They are currently looking for volunteers to help with this project which is based near Manchester Piccadilly Train Station.
Volunteering is a great way to practice your language skills and meet people who live in the Manchester area. These are just some of the charities we are working with at the moment so come and speak to us and we will put you in touch with one of our charities. Already volunteer? Tell us about it. Why not use it for the ‘A Day in the Life’ competition or write us a letter?
Film Club
Watch films in English with English subtitles A new film every week Request films you want to watch and we will order them Bring your friends All films shown on the projector in 2B
Film times Wednesday 15:00, 17:00 Friday 13:00
Do you have an IELTS or Cambridge (FCE, CAE or CPE) exam soon? Why not take our E-Support writing practice tests ● ●
Email feedback on every test taken Comments and advice for improvement E-Support Options 1x Full Test Script £15 3x Full Test Scripts £40 5x Full Test Scripts £60
Want to see your advert here?
Prices start from just £30 for 1/4 page.
Email sam@excel-college.com for more details
Just email info@excel-college.com for more information
Guided tours and teacher-led discussions Explore hidden parts of the city you live in. Discover different aspects of Manchester from architecture to science and technology, from arts and culture to the city’s parks and gardens. Learn and practice new vocabulary with information leaflets specific to each tour Each walk is followed by a 1 hour, teacher-led, follow-up discussion focusing on key vocabulary and effective communication. Maximum 12 people on each tour
Only £3 for walk + 1 hour discussion Tour + Excel College hoodie = £10 Come to reception for more information and to book a place
This voucher entitles you to a free placement test and two free trial lessons
Choose from: General English IELTS Preparation Business English Communication Class Writing Clinic Offer excludes one to one lessons and IELTS practice tests. Offer available to new students only. One voucher per person. Students must have a valid visa that allows them to study in the UK
Want to win A tenner? Buy an Excel College Hoodie Go to your favourite place in Take a picture of you there in your hoodie Write a review Send picture and review to: sam@excel-college.com
Come and claim your £10! Friday 7.30pm
Tuesday 7.30pm
John Eddlestone Centre Main Street Billinge Wigan
www.wiganaikido.com
Ryu Do Karate & Fitness Academy Landgate Lane Ind Est Ashton In Makerfield Wigan
Aikido (Way of Spirit and Harmony) is a Japanese martial art unlike any other. Rather than relying on strength and power, Aikido relies on technique , timing and using an attackers aggression against them. Through the use of throws, joint locks and strikes, you will learn something that is much more than a regular fighting art— Aikido is a “Budo” (Way) dedicated to improving the well being of all
No Physical strength Required –Suitable for all Promotes and improves fitness and flexibility Improves self defence skills and Promotes self confidence Weapons classes available (Sword / Staff / Knife) No prior experience required – Affiliated to Aikido Headquarters, Hombu, Japan
All Are Welcome. If you have any questions, feel free to get in touch! For More Information Speak to Matt on 07754 765 739 Or Email matt@wiganaikido.com
Address: 27 Withy Grove, Manchester, M4 2BS | Tel: 0161 385 8080 | Mob: 07889723075
What’s happening next term? Student Cards now available at Excel College For only £10! The ISIC card is an internationally recognised student card giving you over 40,000 discounts in the UK and overseas as well as access to exclusive discounted student airfares when booking flights through STA Travel. These cards usually cost £12 but are available to Excel College students studying 6 or more weeks for only £10! You can either order it when you book your course or when you arrive in the UK to start saving money. See http://www.isic.org/benefits/, email info@excel-college.com or come to reception for more information
Christmas Party Friday 13th December
Children in Need is a charity that helps disadvantaged children in the UK. Every year in November, the whole of the UK comes together to raise money and awareness. This year, Children in Need is on the 15th November and we want Excel College students to organise a fundraising event. Email admin@excel-college.com or come to Reception to find out more.
Email your stories, poems, photos, recipes, exam results, news articles to sam@excel-college.com for a chance to appear in next term’s news letter
This term, we want to celebrate the many different cultures and religions we have at the college, so we are having a party for all staff and students where you can perform the music, songs, stories or poems that are important at this time of year Can you sing or play an instrument? Have a poem or story you tell around this time of year? Do you have any drawings or artwork from your culture? There will also be traditional British food so please feel free to bring food from your country to share Email info@excel-college.com for more information
See you next term!