Newsletter June 2014 Issue 4
Contents 3…….Welcome 4…….The term in pictures 6…….Exam results 7…….Term Timeline 9…… ARTICLE: Volunteering with Reach Out 10…...Interviews with our students
11…...Interview with our staff 12…...ARTICLE: TV Reviews 14…...Word Cookbook 18…...Quizzes and Games 19…...COMPETITION: Travel Writing 20…...ARTICLE: A Trip to the Lake District
21…...Letters to Excel College 22…...Volunteering Opportunities 23…...Adverts and Special Offers 26…...This Term
Welcome to the Excel College June newsletter. Spring term has been rainy, windy, sunny, thundery, cloudy and very busy. We said goodbye to one of our teachers, Tom, who is currently travelling in Brazil, and welcomed a new teacher, Abigail, who will be teaching Elementary level next term. We also started running a Medical English course for small groups of hospital workers. The city celebrated Manchester Day, May Day and Easter. You can look at the term’s highlights in our Term Timeline on page 7. As you will see, we’ve been celebrating the World Cup too. We had a World Cup party where we ate pizza, played ping pong football and Team Tiger won the quiz and lots of chocolate. We also had a World Cup draw; the person who has picked the winning team will win £25 after the final match! In honour of the World Cup, the quizzes in this edition of the newsletter are football and sports themed. Test your knowledge, grammar and vocabulary on page 14. And if you don’t fancy watching and talking about football for the whole summer, take a look at our students’ TV series reviews on page 12 for some other entertainment options! We have another student article on page 9 where Sa’adatu and Maria tell us about ReachOut, a charity where they have both been volunteering and you can look at page 19 for information on some available volunteer opportunities. As always, if you’d like to practise your writing skills by writing a review, a recipe, a letter or an article for the next newsletter, send an email to admin@excel-college.com. We’d love to see your photos and videos too!
Anna Bartholomew Admissions and Student Services
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The term in pictures
Exam Results Student: Matteo Country: Italy CAE Exam Result: 60% Course: EFL Advanced
Student: Jordi Country: Spain IELTS: 6.5 Course: IELTS Advanced Preparation Listening 6.0
Student: Pornpunsa Country: Thailand IELTS 6.5 Course: IELTS Foundation Preparation
Listening 7.5
Reading 6.5
Writing 5.5
Reading 6.5
Writing 6.5
Speaking 7.0
Speaking 6.0
Student: Ebrahim Country: Kuwait IELTS: 5.5 Course: IELTS Foundation Preparation Do you have an IELTS or Cambridge (FCE, CAE or CPE) exam soon? Why not take a practice test? All tests include:
Listening 5.5
Reading 5.5
Writing 5.0
Speaking 5.5
Example scores for each skill and overall score Guidance notes on the most important points to improve Practice Test Options
Congratulations to Matteo, Jordi, Ebrahim and Pornpunsa on their results and good luck to students taking exams next term!
Reading, Listening and Writing + Brief Feedback
£35
Reading, Listening and Writing + 30 minutes tutorial
£45
Reading, Listening, Writing and speaking + Brief feedback
£45
Reading, Listening, Writing and speaking + 60 Minutes tutorial
£70
Just email info@excel-college.com for more information
Student Seminar: IELTS Writing Task 2 This term, Vicky from Victory IELTS came to give a student seminar on IELTS Writing for Task 2. She talked about how examiners award marks, methodical ways to approach questions and useful phrases to introduce opinions. Here are her top tips for your own writing practice:
Write regularly
Focus on your timing
Focus on your weaknesses
Try practising your skills with sentence structure and paragraph structure —you don’t always need to practise by writing a full essay!
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Term Timeline What has been happening at the College, in Manchester and in the UK this term? Have a look at our timeline to find out.
17th April Easter Party We celebrated the start of the Easter weekend with a party at the College. Everyone brought food from their country and we had an egg decorating competition and an egg hunt!
25th April Student Seminar: IELTS Writing Victory IELTS returned for another IELTS workshop, this time helping students prepare for Writing Task 2.
9th May Imperial War Museum Trip We went on a trip to the Imperial War Museum, saw lots of exhibitions and artefacts from different wars and tried OXO, a drink from the First World War (although some of us wished we hadn’t!)
1st May May Day The UK celebrated May Day. In some parts of the country this means Morris Dancing and May Queens. Others celebrated National Workers Day. And others just enjoyed an extra long weekend!
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12th May Manchester City Victory Parade Manchester City FC paraded through the city after winning the Premier League for the second time.
16th May Old Trafford Trip We went on a trip to Old Trafford, Manchester United’s stadium, and saw the pitch, the dressing room and the trophies.
23rd May Dot to Dot Festival The first of Manchester’s summer music festivals. Dot to Dot took place in various venues around the city and showcased loads of new bands and artists.
7th—8th June Parklife Weekender 2014 Manchester’s big outdoor music festival returned to Heaton Park with artists including Snoop Dog, Bastille and Foals.
17 & 18th May Great Manchester Games and BUPA Great Manchester Run Every year in the city centre we have athletics games and a 10km run (the biggest in the UK). This year Vicky, one of our teachers, ran the race and raised money for charity.
19th June Staff and student night out We went to Aladdin Restaurant which serves tasty Middle Eastern food and then to the pub to watch England play in the World Cup.
13th June World Cup Party To celebrate the start of the World Cup, we had a party. We ate pizza, did a World Cup Quiz and played some table football.
22nd June Manchester Day Parade Every year, different groups and organisations around the city get together to join a big parade with fantastic costumes, music and floats. This year’s theme was “Going Global!”
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Volunteering at ReachOut Excel College helps students to find volunteer placements with local charities. Maria and Sa’adatu have both been volunteering with ReachOut. Here they tell us about the organisation.
What does ReachOut do? By Sa’adatu ReachOut is a mentoring charity that focuses mainly on children in disadvantaged communities. They aim to have a positive impact on the children’s future. ReachOut mentors are involved in supporting the children to develop their numeracy, memory skills and other good values. The role involves one-to-one mentoring as well as engaging the children in group activities. The staff at ReachOut are very friendly and helpful. They are always willing to give you the necessary support.
My Experience at ReachOut By Maria In my second month at Excel College, Anna gave me the opportunity to do some voluntary work in my field, education. I am an infant and primary teacher in my country, Spain, but unfortunately, I am wet behind the ears. Due to my lack of experience, I found this opportunity very fruitful and rewarding, especially in a foreign country like England where I could also improve my English. After filling in the Police check or “DBS” and doing courses and training, I had some pupils to teach at last! My routine was to go every Friday from 9am to 12pm to a primary school in the north of Manchester and help my students with mathematics. I had two 10 year-old pupils who were preparing to take the “SATs”, a national exam led by the English Government which tests the knowledge of 11 year-old students. Therefore, I was in charge of teaching, explaining and supporting them in all tasks related to Mathematics and also to solve their doubts about problematic exercises.
was different from the one I was taught. Despite all of this, I enjoyed it with my two lovely pupils who made me laugh a lot. One day, one student asked me why I spoke so strangely, with that accent, and after a while he came to the conclusion that it was just to make him enjoy the tedious mathematics and make him laugh. After that, he replied “you are the funniest teacher ever”. This is just one anecdote of my amazing classes with them, so I do recommend this experience to everyone; you get teaching experience, improve your English and help others. What else can you ask for?
The experience was very rewarding and challenging as well. I was not aware how difficult it is to teach Mathematics in another language, with other methods to multiply and divide. Everything
If you are interested in volunteering with ReachOut, email admin@excel-college.com for more information. You can also take a look at our other volunteering opportunities on page ***.
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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: Henriette Age: 20 Nationality: Cameroonian Course studying at Excel College: General English, Upper Intermediate How long have you been in England? Six months Why did you choose Manchester? Some of my family were already living here. Where's your favourite place to go in Manchester? To the parks and museums. What places have you visited in the UK? London, Wales, Birmingham, Chester and Liverpool What’s the best thing about the UK? Security—it feels very safe. What's the worst thing about the UK? The weather. Why are you studying English? Because I want to go to university What do you think is the best thing to do to improve your English? Trying to speak as much as possible, listening to the BBC and reading newspapers. Why did you choose Excel College? Because my brother was there.
First Name: Jebriel Age: 27 Nationality: Libyan Course studying at Excel College: General English Upper Intermediate How long have you been in England? Five months. Why did you choose Manchester? Because it’s a nice, big and multicultural city. Where's your favourite place to go in Manchester? The University museum and Heaton Park. What places have you visited in the UK? London Eye, Liverpool Museum, Chester Zoo and Blackpool Pleasure Park What's your favourite thing about the UK? Friendly people and a lot of activities to do at the weekend. What's the worst thing about the UK? Weather. What's your favourite British food? Fish and chips. Why are you studying English? Because it is the first language in the world. What do you think is the best thing to do to improve your English? Speak and have contact with native speakers. Why did you choose Excel College? It is a good school recommended by a lot of friends. 10
Interview with a Teacher Every term we interview a member of staff, finding out what they did before they came to Excel College, what they like doing in their spare time and what special skills they have! This term, we’ve interviewed one of our teachers, Loretta. Name: Loretta Lipworth Job title: English Teacher Favourite food: Cakes and pastries Favourite drink: Protein shake! Favourite place: The park on a sunny day. Special skills: X-ray vision (I can see students using their phones under the desk!) Why did you become a TEFL teacher? I used to work as a designer in London but, after seven years there, I wanted to challenge myself with some different and start a new, exciting adventure. Tell us about your first ever teaching job I taught Korean, Japanese and Chinese students (aged from 7—75!) in the Philippines. We didn’t have textbooks, whiteboards or computers so I had to use my imagination to plan and teach lessons. In what countries have you taught? In the UK and the Philippines. What is your best teaching memory? Eating meals with students between classes, getting to know the students better and having a laugh with them. What is your worst teaching memory? Teaching children who were upset (and sometimes crying) because they were away from home and missed their family and friends. Where’s your favourite place in the UK and why? Maybe Victoria Park in East London where I lived for a while. It’s not particularly beautiful but I have lot of happy memories of spending time there with my housemates and friends. There’s a great cake shop too!
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TV Reviews Elementary by Laetitia Mboula I'd like to tell you about the best series I've ever seen. It's a new version of the adventures of Sherlock Holmes. Concerning the genre, it's an action and cops series created by Robert Doherty and set in the United States. Johnny Lee plays the role of Sherlock Holmes and Lucy Liu plays Joan Watson. It's been presented to the public since September 2012. In this new version Sherlock Holmes is a recovering drug addict. He assists the New York police department in solving crimes with Watson, his apprentice, who was before that his " godmother of abstinence" (person who helps you to stop taking drugs). Some people will feel this new version a little too modern compared to the previous version. Sherlock Holmes here is a character who does not bother with rules and hates them. This incredibly British property has been reversed through an American perspective and is of course going to infuriate a few Brits. I'm not going to say Elementary improves the Sherlock Holmes legend with the liberties it takes, but it certainly doesn't hurt it. When compared with the original, I mean the real original, I prefer this new version. I highly recommend this series to a new generation and young people who appreciate the detective series. This is just my humble opinion.
The Big Bang Theory by Ruhanee Bensoh I usually watch The Big Bang Theory every day. It is a situation comedy which is very distinctive from any of the other sitcoms. The Big Bang Theory is a story of a woman who moved into an apartment across the hall where she found two brilliant but socially awkward physicists who show how little they know about life outside of the laboratory. In my point of view, the most interesting thing about this hilarious television series is that it perfectly represents the lifestyle of nerds, which is partly different from normal people. For example, despite being very clever, the nerds really have no common sense. Also, one of the scenes I enjoyed is when they pretended to live in imaginary space where the nerds showed their outstanding intelligence by tactfully speaking. Finally, I would proudly recommend The Big Bang Theory to anyone, as its overall content not only is nonviolent, but also contains intelligent jokes such as scientific jokes. 12
CSI Miami by Dayana Mejia CSI is set in Miami and this series is about crime scene investigation in Miami. It is usual to see murderers and hijackers planning the most dangerous crimes that I have ever seen. I can say that I always feel excited to watch it anytime. Every new case tests the capacities of the detectives to solve grisly crimes and they have to use any available evidence and clues. This series mixes drama, action and scientific methods. It is so amazing to see how the main character (Horatio) can deduce with such quick suspicion who the criminal is. The serious personality of the whole cast makes the audience involved in every scene. It is amazingly good how the characters use everything in the laboratory to find the real reason of the murder or the death and analyse the body of the victims. Every episode is absolutely mystifying. Sometimes it is a little boring, mainly because you know that there is the possibility that the detectives will solve the crime as usual. Although they use different ways to find the truth, the end can sometimes be quite predictable. Nevertheless, it is definitely worth seeing. You can even feel that you want to solve the crime by yourself in each new case. This programme is simply amazing. Do you like any of these series? Do you agree with our students’ reviews? What is the best series to watch if you want to practise your English? Tell us what you think @ExcelCollegeMan
Talking about TV These verbs and phrases are all useful when you want to talk about a TV programme or a film. Can you put them into the sentences below? directs
is set in stars
plays is about
1. Benedict Cumberbatch ……………..….. the character Sherlock Holmes. 2. Coronation Street, a famous soap opera …………………. Manchester. 3. Grey’s Anatomy …………..…….. a group of doctors working in a hospital in Seattle. 4. The drama series Mad Men ……………….... John Hamm and January Jones. 5. Martin Scorsese …………..…….. Boardwalk Empire. 13
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 admin@excel-college.com and join the discussion on twitter #Excelcooking
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Thai Pandan Leaves Cream Custard
by Thanaphat
Thanaphat made this for the college Easter party, you can find pandan leaves in China town or you can use the tea bags instead, this makes the custard smell good as well! Serve with bread. cut up into squares
Ingredients
Method
4 Yolks (or 3 eggs) 1 cup Milk 1 cup Coconut Milk 1/2 cup Sugar 3-4 tablespoons Corn Flour 1 tablespoon Salted Butter 10-12 Pandan Leaves 1/4 cup Water(for juicing the pandan leaves) *Portion of milk and coconut milk can be changed, or you can use milk instead of coconut milk.
Wash the pandan leaves. Then juice it. You
can use a Juicing Machine or cut the pandan leaves into small pieces (about 1 cm.) and put it in a blender machine with water. Then filter and squeeze its water. Whisk yolks and sugar until light and fluffy(1-2 minutes) Pour all ingredients except coconut milk into yolks and sugar, whisk it together very well. Transfer the mixture into saucepan. Scald it over mediumhigh heat, whisking constantly for 3 minutes or until the mixture thickens and come to a boil. Pour coconut milk into the mixture and whisk quickly then remove from heat. Don’t let the coconut milk boil. Before serving, add some evaporated milk or cream on the top.
Oloviye by Farnaz (Iran) This dish is very famous in Iran you cook everything and then you serve it cold
Ingredients 3 big potatoes 1 chicken breast 2 eggs 4 big salty pickled cucumbers 3 cups mayonnaise 1/2 teaspoons salt 2 Tbsp olive oil 2 Tbsp lime juice
Method Cook chicken with salt garlic and black pepper 30
min and cook potato and egg. Chop the potato, egg, chicken and pickled cucumber into very small pieces Mix together then add the mayonnaise, salt, olive oil, garlic, mix together. keep the food 2 hours in fridge. you can decorate it with every things and eat with bread.
Homemade Lemonade
Special Banana Milkshake
100g/3½ oz fruit sugar 4 lemons, juice only Ice 1 litre/15¼fl oz sparkling mineral water
1 banana 1 Pint Milk 100 ml Malibu Coconut Ice cream
Put the sugar and lemon juice in a jug. Add some ice and top up with the mineral water. Mix together and serve
Chop the banana a place in a food processor with the milk and the Malibu. Mix until there are no lumps and pour into a long glass. Top with a scoop of coconut ice cream
If you don’t drink alcohol you can leave out the Malibu for a very nice banana milkshake!
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Coulibriac by Sam This is a Russian fish pie that my mother used to make. It was always one of my favourite meals. Its is good got from the oven but is also good cold with salad. Usually it is served with sour cream but mayonnaise or salad cream works well too!
Ingredients Pack of 375g frozen puff pastry 440g can red salmon, drained and flaked – we often use tuna 50g melted butter 3 hard boiled eggs, chopped 1 tablespoon chopped parsley Salt and pepper 250g long grain rice, cooked 1 onion, finely chopped 100g mushrooms, sliced Beaten egg to glaze
Method Roll out the pastry on a floured surface, cut into two pieces to fit a dish or baking tray about 25cm square. Line the dampened dish with one section of the pastry and spread half the cooked rice over it. Cook the onion briefly until softened, I do this in the microwave with a bit of butter for about 4 minutes, but frying briefly would do just as well. Mix the salmon, onion, parsley and mushrooms together and spread over the layer of rice and sprinkle the chopped eggs on top. Season the mixture, here we often add a little chopped chili to spice it up! Layer the remaining rice over the mixture. Brush the edges of the pastry with beaten egg and lay the second pastry section over the mixture. Press the edges together firmly and pinch them up to look decorative. Make several slits in the top with a sharp nife and brush with beaten egg to glaze.
Tuna Creole by Vanessa (Sam’s mum) Louisiana Creole cuisine is a style of cooking originating in Louisiana, United States which blends French, Spanish, Portuguese, Italian, Native American, and African influences, as well as general Southern cuisine. This is a great dish and it works well with any fish or meat.
Ingredients 1 tablespoon oil 1 onion, finely chopped 1 green pepper, deseeded and diced 1 green chilli, deseeded and chopped 1 celery stick, diced 1 tablespoon plain flour 397g can of tomatoes 1 teaspoon mixed herbs 2 teaspoons lemon juice Salt and pepper Worcestershire sauce 2 x 185g cans tuna chunks in brine, drained 225g long grain rice ½ pint water
Method Heat the oil in a frying pan. Add the onions, green pepper, chilli and celery, and cook over a low heat until soft but not browned. Stir in the flour and cook for 2 minutes. Add the tomatoes, herbs, lemon juice, salt and pepper and a splurge of Worcestershire sauce. Bring to the boil and cover and simmer for about 10 minutes. Break up the tuna slightly and add it to the pan, cook gently without stirring for 5 minutes, you don’t want to break the tuna up too much, you want to see lumps in the dish. Meanwhile, put the rice in a saucepan and add a little salt, cook as recommended on the packet. Divide the rice between four plates sand top with the tuna creole. Serve at once and enjoy!
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Quizzes and Games World Cup Football Crossword 1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
Across 4. A player who sits on the bench ready to replace another player on the pitch (10) 5. Casillas plays in this posi on for the Spanish team (10) 8. Venue for the 2022 World Cup (at the me of wri ng) (5) 9. The football official who makes sure everyone plays by the rules (7) 10. When both teams score the same number of goals (4) 11. Current manager of the England team (3, 7) 12. A viola on of the rules (4)
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Down 1. A forward; A player who tries to score goals (7) 2. Team who won the first World Cup in 1930 (7) 3. The team who have won the World Cup more than any other country (6) 4. Current President of FIFA (4, 7) 6. If a player is shown one of these, he has to leave the pitch (3, 4) 7. Argen ne footballer associated with the Hand of God incident (8) 12. Colour of the diamond on Brazil’s flag (6)
If we won the World Cup... Complete these sentences with the 1st, 2nd or 3rd conditional.
1. If England win the World Cup, we …………………… (to have) a party. 2. If Ballack hadn’t been injured, Germany …………………… (to win). 3. He’ll get sent off if he…………………… (to make) another bad tackle like that.
4. If I were the President of FIFA, I …………………… (to cancel) the World Cup in Qatar. 5. If I earned as much money as these players, I …………………… (to be able to) score a goal once in a while. 6. We would have gone to the World Cup in South Africa if Luke …………………… (to manage to) get tickets. 17
All of these flags have stars on them. Do you know which World Cup country each flag represents?
18 Answers Football Crossword Across 4. Substitute, 5. Goalkeeper, 8. Qatar, 9. Referee, 10. Draw, 11. Roy Hodgson, 12. Foul Down 1. Striker, 2. Uruguay, 3. Brazil, 4. Sepp Blatter, 6. Red card, 7. Maradona, 12. Yellow. If we won the World Cup‌ 1. will have, 2. would have won, 3. makes, 4. would cancel, 5. would be able to, 6. had managed to. Flags 1. Algeria, 2. Honduras, 3. Bosnia-Hercegovina, 4. Ghana. Do, go or play? Go jogging. Play tennis. Go swimming. Go horse-riding. Do gymnastics. Play cricket. Go sailing. Play football. Do yoga. Where are my gloves? Tennis racket. Hockey stick. Cricket bat. Golf club. Boxing gloves. Swimming goggles. Horse-riding saddle. Yoga mat.
Â
4 3
Racket
Tennis
Stick
Boxing
Bat
Swimming
Club
Yoga
Gloves
Cricket
Goggles
Hockey
Saddle
Horse-riding
Mat
Golf
Match this equipment to the sport
Boxing Goggles? 2
Sailing
Football
Gymnastics Swimming Jogging
Yoga
Cricket Horse-riding
Tennis
Do you use the verb go, play or do with these sports?
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Do, Go or Play?
Travel Writing Competition Send us a story about a trip you have taken. It could be to somewhere in the UK, to an area of Manchester or to the most amazing place you have ever visited! You’ll need to include lots of descriptions to help a reader imagine what the place is like. Take a look at the article on page 24 for some inspiration. And don’t forget to send some photos too!
1st Prize £50 Amazon voucher OR 15 hours of English lessons 2nd Prize £25 Amazon voucher OR 9 hours of English lessons 3rd Prize £15 Amazon voucher OR 6 hours of English lessons m
Maximum 300 words Closing date 13th June 2014 Please email all entries to admin@excel-college.com
Terms and Conditions
All entries must be in English and must be suitable for all audiences.
Any entries that arrive after 23:59BST 13/06/2014 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.
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 the terms and conditions on our 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.
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 on the 19/06/2014
The judge’s decisions are final and no debate will be entered into.
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A Trip to the Lake District At the start of the term, my aunt and uncle came to visit me and my boyfriend and as they had never been, we decided to spend a day in the Lake District. Most Brits will automatically think of Lake Windermere when they think of the Lake District as it is the largest lake at 10.5 miles long, one mile wide and 220 feet deep. The other thing people think of is rain and wind. If you think Manchester has a lot of rain, just wait until you go to the Lake District! Never go without a waterproof coat, waterproof shoes or walking boots and a spare pair of socks! The thing is, the scenery is so beautiful and the air is so fresh, you do not care what the weather is like, it’s worth it.
just a drop! The best thing about this road is that half-way up is a pub called “The Kirkston Pass Inn”. It is a old fashioned inn serving good food and drink. There is an open fire in the winter and the staff and customers are very friendly. I highly recommend you go there.
Kirkstone Pass Inn
Ullswater is less busy than Windermere, which especially on bank holiday can be so full of people it’s difficult to get around. There are still some great walks and some beautiful scenery. Pooley Bridge is my boyfriend’s favourite part of Ullswater as there is a yacht club and you can book a trip on an Ullswater Steamer boat. You can also hire a bike or ride a horse around the lake, or you can do what we did which was go on a walk.
Lake Windermere
We started off in Ambleside as there are loads of different shops as well as tea rooms and restaurants. After looking round some of the shops, it was about 11am—time for “elevenses” or, a cup of tea and a piece of cake. Perfect to prepare you for a long walk!
Pooley Bridge, Ullswater
After all that walking, there was only one thing for it, a traditional English Cream tea.
Ambleside on Lake Windermere
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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 this term.
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Volunteering opportunities 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. If you are interested in volunteering, come and see us in reception or email admin@excel-college.com for more information. 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 takes 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.
Northmoor Community Association Northmoor Community Association aims to help the local community in Longsight, one of the most ethnically diverse and poorest parts of Manchester. They run a local community centre which includes a laundrette, a café and an IT suite. The centre provides ESOL classes, healthy living classes, a credit union, help with applying for jobs for local residents and a homework help club for children. They are looking for volunteers to help out at the café, in the launderette, with general administration and with their homework club.
LINK Good Neighbours LINK Good Neighbours is a charity with bases in Fallowfield and Rusholme. They aim to help isolated people in the local community - people who are ill, disabled or elderly. By organising regular day trips and activities and arranging for volunteers to visit people in their homes, LINK offers a social lifeline to people who may otherwise spend a lot of time alone. With research showing that loneliness can be as harmful to your health as smoking 15 cigarettes a day, just having someone to chat to for an afternoon a week could make a huge difference to a person’s quality of life. They are looking for volunteers to help with activities and to visit and befriend isolated people in their homes.
Unity Arts Unity Arts run youth club activities for young people aged 11 to 19 every weekday. These activities are art-based and include sessions in the music studio, arts and crafts, drama, games as well as discussions and guidance. They are looking for volunteers to help the staff who run the sessions. Volunteers can practice their English, learn new skills and get some experience working with young people.
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Can you volunteer? All EU students are allowed to volunteer. If you need a visa to study in the UK, you need to check your visa for information on what work you can and cannot do. Already volunteering? Tell us about it. Write an article about your organisation or what you do there on a typical day and send to admin@excel-college.com
PINK 10 Reflexology “your feet are in good hands” PINK 10 REFLEXOLOGIST
EXCEL14
20% discount for Excel College students and staff. ONLY £16.00 per treatment. Ring Lynda for an appointment on 07909700199 Based in Salford M6
This voucher entitles you to a free placement test and one free trial lesson
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
If you’re looking to meet new people in Manchester, join Meet Up! You can find lots of different groups in the city who host regular activities, with something for every interest: hiking, reading, international exchange, dancing and cycling to name a few! You can also keep up-to-date with Excel College social activities by joining our Meet Up group—http://www.meetup.com/Manchester-Excel-College/
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Want to see your advert here?
Prices start from just £30 for 1/4 page.
Email sam@excel-college.com for more details
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
Film Club Watch films in English with
English subtitles A new film every week Bring your friends All films shown on the projector in
2C
Mondays at 17:00 24
Address: 27 Withy Grove, Manchester, M4 2BS | Tel: 0161 385 8080 | Mob: 07889723075
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What’s happening this term? There’s lots to look forward to in the Summer term! Summer is a great time for Manchester festivals and events. You can celebrate Manchester Pride with a big parade and parties, Manchester Jazz Festival with free performances around the city and Manchester Food and Drink Festival with lots of food from the region and around the world. There’s also Dig it Urban Gardening Festival, the RHS Flower Show, Manchester Caribbean Carnival and the 24:7 Theatre Festival. At the College, there will be a new Beginners class, a new Conversation Club to practise your speaking and Vicky, one of our old teachers, will be returning to teach IELTS Advanced class. We will also have extra en-suite rooms available at our flatshare from July so get in touch if you’d like more details. As always, we will be having lots of social events including trips to Screenfields outdoor cinema, to Tea42 to have an English afternoon tea and a College sports day and picnic in the park. You can take a look at our events calendar for more information on where we’re going next. To all students returning to Excel College after the break or starting classes for the first time, we hope you have a fun and successful term!
Excel College Sports Day 22nd August, 12.30pm Come to the park for a picnic and to play some English sports day events: the sack race, the wheelbarrow race and the egg and spoon race!
Write for the College Newsletter! Put your writing skills to the test! Want to review a book, film or restaurant? Love or hate something about Manchester? Want to give a big thank you to your favourite teacher? We’d love to hear from you! Send articles, photos or ideas to admin@excel-college.com 26