Don’t forget the Global Village VIP night on Friday. Special deals on for all GV students!
Fun this week!
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Category Archives: Announcements
IELTS and Cambridge Courses
Hi Guys! Just a quick heads up for what is happening in the upcoming new year. We will all be back in school on the 4th of January 2011 after a well-earned break. Our IELTS and FCE and CAE intensive courses will re start then. If you are interested in any of these courses please come and speak to me in the office!
Cambridge Exam Courses
These are general English exams. The certificates never expire and are recognised by around the world by employers, universities and government ministries as proof of ability to use English. The exams are held on the same days all around the world in March, June and December. Computer Based testing is now being introduced and extra exam dates are available in July/August.
Students are required to sit an entry test to confirm their level. The exams offered at GV Byron Bay.\
- FCE Upper Intermediate Level
- CAE Advanced Level
The exams take place over two days and consist of five papers; Listening, reading, writing, speaking and use of English. Cambridge has an average pass rate world wide of 60%. Byron Bay is proud to have a pass rate of 100%!!!
The courses are intensive full time (25 hours per week) and run for:
- 12 weeks March to June
- 8 weeks June to August
- 12 weeks September to December
IELTS Examination Course
This is a 12 week full time course designed to prepare students to sit the International English Language Testing System, which is designed to assess the language ability of candidates who wish to study at an Australian university or college, or apply for permanent residency.
The exams take place on one or two days and there are four papers; listening, reading, writing and speaking. The result will consist of a score in each of the four skills (listening, reading, writing, speaking) which is then averaged to give the Overall Band Score or final mark. Performance is rated in each skill on a scale of 9 to 1. To study at an Australian University, an overall score of 6.5 is usually required.
The certificates are only valid for two years.
Students are required to sit a pre test. A level of around 4.5 ( intermediate) is required for entry.
Interested? Drop in and speak to Justin as soon as you can!
NORTH STRADBROKE ISLAND
This weekend Byron Bay’s Homestay and Student Services Coordinator, Kate, went to Stradbroke Island with her family to watch her husband compete in a surfing competition
Global Village students Gabrielle and Matthias came along for the trip. The first night was so windy and wet that their tent blew away so they had to sleep in the camping kitchen!!However, being the tough GV students that they are, lots of laughs were had. Luckily, the weather passed and blue skys and sunny days followed. Fresh prawns, great surf and a fantastic party was a great treat for us all.
Our Family!
I caught up with two of our students today to have a quick chat about their lives here…
Please tell us a little bit about yourself and where you are from?
Hi I’m Gabriel from Belo Horizonte in Brazil.
What did you do back at home and what made you decide to come to Australia?
At home in Brazil I used to study at university, studying civil engineering. I came to Australia because I had heard that Byron Bay is a beautiful and very relaxing place. My sister used to live here as well, about three years ago and she really enjoyed it here. I really wanted to go to a place which was different from my home in Brazil; a small friendly town sounded really good to me and very different from where I live in Brazil
How long have you been at GV Byron and what are you studying?
I have been here for three months and I’m studying the FCE.
What do you plan to do when you have completed your studies with us?
I’m not totally sure but I hope to travel around Australia and then go to New Zealand to spend a few weeks and then.. HOME!
What has been the single best moment that you have experienced since you joined GV Byron?
The teachers are very friendly, open people. They are more than teachers to me; they have really become my friends which is a really special experience. The students who come to GV are really open to one another, and it is a really wonderful chance to make some great friends. The location of the school is great, it’s really quiet and it’s really easy to relax here.
What is your favourite place in Byron?
My favourite place in Byron is the beach.. of course! I’m a surfer… but I also have to say I really like the school. I spend most of my days at the school and I really like it. I can give you a good example, I had a week vacation between English courses and I still came to school every day even when I was on holiday, which just goes to show how much I like it here.
and Eva….!
Please tell us a little bit about yourself and where you are from…
My name is Eva and I come from Hamburg, Germany
What did you do back at home and what made you decide to come to Australia?
I have just finished high school in Germany. I came to Australia primarily to learn English, as it the lingua franca of the world nowadays. I also wanted to have to experience a different lifestyle and see the world through different eyes before I started University.
I especially wanted to come to Byron Bay, as it’s a really famous place; my agent told me that Byron is a wonderful place to study. I thought it was a really good idea to come to a relaxing, quiet place to live and to work and to experience the world around me.. and so far it’s been perfect!
How long have you been at GV Byron and what are you studying?
I am in the CAE class, and have been studying for two months so far.
What do you plan to do when you have completed your studies with us?
I finish in the middle of December and when I have finished studying here I will travel for five weeks around Australia.
What has been the single best moment that you have experienced since you joined GV Byron?
I can’t really speak about one experience as I have really enjoyed my time in general here. What I can say is that I am really impressed with how accessible the staff at the school has been. The student support has been excellent. Everyone, from the teachers, to the student services to the academic management has been approachable, kind and attentive. I have felt very comfortable in discussing any issues that have arisen and all of the staff have done their very best to support me.
The activities have also been really fun. The school itself is great for example; the student lounge is fun, and it’s a good place to chill out. The classrooms are all new and that makes for a good environment to study in. One of the best days was when we went Kayaking and I could see lots of dolphin and whales!! Amazing!!
What is your favourite place in Byron?
The beach of course!!! Clarks beach is beautiful, the ocean and waves are amazing.
Is there anything you’d like to add??
I have to say that life here has been really nice. The beach is beautiful, the people are open and friendly and it feels very different from Hamburg. It is quite an alternative culture in Byron, but it a very positive one and it really good for me, I think, to experience a different way of thinking..
Jobs in Byron
BUS DRIVER -Must have BDA & LA License and friendly nature. Please contact 0414660031
CHEF – Short Order Cook required for busy cafe. 0406 371 858
RECEPTIONIST – With computer skills required for one day per week. PO Box 677 Byron Bay 2481
NANNY/HOUSE KEEPER REQUIRED FOR AFTERNOON/EVENINGS – Must be dog lover and mature age.
SALES REP – 6 month position
MAKE-UP ARTIST – Contact Sarah 66856807
CARER – Female to assist quadriplegic man $26 per hour. Ph Craig 66805750
NURSES – Contact cathy@sanctuarybb.com
CASUAL CLEANER – Send resume to raes@wategos.com.au
JUNIOR HOUSE GIRL – Send resume to raes@wategos.com.au
ACTORS WANTED – For TV Pilot Ph Staf evenings 66871930
CHEF – Ph Adam 0423454773
PIZZA PASTA COOK – Part-Time Evenings dblackstock08@gmail.com
DELIVERY DRIVER/KITCHEN HAND – Part time evenings 04222208428
O’SUSHI JUNIOR JAPANESE APPRENTICE CHEF – Karni@osushi.com.au
Another great reason to come to GV Byron!
I was talking to some of our students yesterday and one comment really struck me as a really nice reflection and which I wanted to share with you all. We were talking about the school and Byron and Jong had this to say about his experience studying with us here.
“One of the best things about coming to GV is the environment of the school itself. Since the school is quite small, it really feels friendly. I have been here for only 3 weeks so far, and I’ve met so many people from all over the world. I’m spending time with Koreans, Swiss, French, Japanese, Italians, Colombians, Brazilians, Spanish, and Taiwanese. It’s quite amazing to have this chance to meet so many different cultures.”
“I joined this school to improve my English and am currently studying at the lower intermediate level. The class is really small and very friendly and I feel like I really belong. Because of this I am having a much better time in Byron than I ever expected, as I have made lots of friends already. I was really nervous before I arrived here, as I was worried that I would be lonely, but the total opposite is true. I think it’s because we are all in the same position, and so even though we are from different countries, we are all living the same new experience. Which makes it a really caring and fun environment”
Thanks for sharing Jong . Great to hear that you are having fun here.
Welcome new students!
Yesterday was a beautiful day and to celebrate the arrival of our new Cambridge and General English course students we had a lovely BBQ.
After a hard day of language testing a snag and a beer were well deserved! It’s great to meet you all. If there is any way that we can help you whilst you are here please drop into the office anytime!
Spring jobs!
Jobs for the week! Don’t forget to attend the GV Work work shop with Andrew next week on Tuesday and Thursday afternoon from 2- 3:30 pm. This is an excellent chance for you to get your resume perfected and to learn all of the tools that you need in order to be able to get a job in Australia.
Window washer and odd job person wanted to help clean a large house. Up to 50 hours of work available. Please call 0401 169 548
Au Pair wanted. Live in. Part time work in exchange for full board plus internet and all bills. Au pair to be fun and energetic. Helping a creative young parent with a 4.5 year old child. Please call 0404 641 463
Young workers aged -18-20 years old wanted for customer service, food prep & cooking in Suffolk Park, must be reliable, honest & committed. Phone 0409 908 706
Marketing and Gym manager wanted. Part time: 10 hrs per week. Ideal candidate will have fitness industry experience. Email: info@myowngym.com.au
Sunrise Area. Munch Juice Bar requires an experienced short order cook. Up to 5 shifts per week. Drop in with your resumes. (on the corner of Bayshore Drive and Sunrise boulevard.)
Experienced Waitress wanted for Orient Express Eatery. Bring in your resume in the afternoons from Wednesday to Friday from 2-4 pm.
Welcome New Students.
The week started off with a bang with 12 new students joining us. It’s great to have you all here, and on behalf of the GV team I’d like to welcome you all to the school and Byron Bay. It’s going to be a great summer!!
Welcome Maria, Evi, Daniella, Nadia, Vanessa, Yong-Sik, Janina, Daniel, Linda, Lea, Jong and Gabriella. If you guys need anything, please drop into the office and talk to either Kate or I, any time! We’re here to help.
Proud (and slightly protective) Parents
On top of welcoming all of our new students to GV Byron Bay this week we have also had the pleasure of having a family being born right in the garden! The Pluvers, (birds) have been extremely protective of their babies over the last week or two.. but we are now delighted to welcome the new members of the GV family to the school!
Mama & Papa Pluver’s chicks are finally out of their shell just in time for the first day of Spring. So cute! We love watching them learning with mum and dad in Global Village’s backyard.
Welcome James!!
Today I caught up with the newest member of the team. James!
How long have you been teaching at GV Byron Bay and what did you do before you worked here?
I have been here for a month which has been great! Before I came here I was working for another language school in Sydney. I came to Byron because it’s a great lifestyle, the beach, the weather and the general natural beauty of the landscape
Do you speak another language and what was your biggest challenge when learning it?
I’m currently learning Spanish at the local community college. The biggest challenge is finding native speakers of Spanish to speak with. I think it’s really important for any language teacher to experience the other side of the classroom.
Which class are you teaching at the moment?
I am teaching the intermediate class who are a great bunch. Everyone is really friendly and well motivated to learn, and are a pleasure to teach
Please tell us about a student in your class who you feel has made outstanding progress…
I have had a young Japanese student in my class for the last two weeks. He is a great student and works very hard at developing his language skills. He has made amazing progress in the very short time that he has been here, and is a real inspiration to the other classmates and I.
What do you most enjoy about teaching at GV Byron Bay?
I like that the school is small and very friendly community of teachers and students who are supportive of one another. I also enjoy the activities that the school puts on after class. Things like kayaking and surfing are really valuable in bringing the whole school together and helps us all bond more closely with one another.
If you weren’t a teacher, what job do you think you would be doing now?
I would be producing websites.
What do you like most about living in Byron Bay?
Well, like I’m sure everyone says, the beach and the environment. That, and I find people in Byron to be very friendly.
What is your favourite café, restaurant, shop or place in Byron?
My favourite café is “Ate” which is a small café in Bangalow, the vibe and the food are great.
Thanks James. Welcome to the team.
Farewell Guys… Thanks for all the memories
We very sadly had to say goodbye to our first Junior Study tour on Friday.
This was a really succesful tour and we all really had a lot of fun getting to know them. We did various things from Kayaking, to surfing, to going to the circus, to dancing to … well anything you can imagine! And.. of course.. we learnt lots of ENGLISH!!
Thanks guys for being such a wonderful and positive part of the school.
We wish you all the best and look forward to seeing you again..
A huge welcome to our new students!
We have been most fortunate over the last week to have some great new personalities around the school.
To celebrate this we have been doing some fun activities (as well as some serious studying of course!!)
A very special hello and warm welcome to our Hatsushiba Hashimoto High school students. It’s great to have you here and we wish you all the best for your upcoming study and life in Byron Bay.
It’s a wonderful day for a BBQ!
We have been enormously lucky these days in Byron with a fantastically mild winter, days of beautiful sunshine and whales swimming in the sea!
To celebrate these lovely days we had another fun BBQ. Thanks to everyone for making it another fun day!
Farewell Bec’s!!
Very sadly we had to say goodbye to our dear and very special Bec’s today.
She has been an absolute integral part of the school and we have all grown to love her with her multitude of talents! It was very sad to say goodbye but we struggled through by eating lots of cakes !!
Thanks a million for all your help as well as for all the joy, enthusiasm and humour that you brought to GV Byron Bay. We’ll miss you!!
Like this:
Jobs!
Remember to look on job sites such as seek.com.au or jobsearch.gov.au for new jobs offered daily.
Casuals required at weekend markets, leaflet drops. Ph 0428 657549
Kitchen Hand/ Floor Staff: Energetic and friendly person for busy Byron eatery. Varied duties including food prep and serving customers. Relevant experience required. Résumés to : jobs@asiajoes.com
Waiter: Experienced flexible and hardworking for friendly team at Bangalow Dining Rooms. Email bangalowdining@internode.on .net
artsCape Biennial 2010!!
This is a great week for art on the beach. The beachfront in Byron will be displaying art sculptures from local, national and international artists.
Check out: http://www.artscapebiennial.org/#
“artsCape Biennial”, is an exhibition of environmental sculpture situated within the beautiful beachside parklands in the heart of Byron Bay. It is a free 16 day outdoor sculpture event. Get down to the beach this weekend and check it out! There is an offical opening for artsCape at the Beach Hotel on Sunday afternoon at 2pm. See you all there!
Jobs!!
This weeks Jobs:
Experienced cleaner: Required for small tourist facility, well presented, experience essential. Phone 0422 036 770
Experienced wait staff required: Italian restaurant at the Pacific. Phn 0412 199 710.
Short order breakfast cook: For bust Byron Cafe. Must have passion and experience. Ph 6685 6810
Grill Cook wanted: Capable person to work breakfast and lunch shifts. Good pan skills essential. Poinciana Cafe Mullumbimby. Phn: 6684 4036
SkyDive Byron Bay: Sales and operations oppertunity.Skydive Byron Bay is looking for a passionate, vibrant and dependable personality to join their team. 7 day availability required. email sharnicubis@australiaskydive.com
Don’t forget! The GV Byron Work shop is on again this Tuesday and Thursday with Andrew. Go along to learn all the skills you need to have in order to get a job in Australia!
Flamenco anyone?
One of our Spanish students is an incredibly talented flamenco singer who I had the great fortune of listening to on Saturday night. Sergio is going to play again, at the Buddha Bar on Monday night from 6pm. I highly recommend that we all go down and watch him and his “right handed” flamenco guiaritst.
This is a once in a lifetime opportunity to hear some brilliant music.
Will see you there Sergio!
Upcoming events!
Thinking of doing other things aside from walking down the beautiful beaches, watching the whales and dolphins and enjoying the beautiful winter in Byron?
Check out:
The Lennox Head Gromfest.
This the world’s original and best gathering of young surfing talent with all of Australia’s best and many young internationals confirmed in the line-up.
Check out : http://www.visitnsw.com/town/Lennox_Head/Rusty_Gromfest/info.aspx for more details.
Study tips…
With our IELTS class kicking off this coming Monday I thought I’d just go through a couple of ideas on “good study practises” to help you make the most of your time here with us at GV Byron Bay.
Brainstorming!
As you will have heard constantly from Andrew, Ginny, Angie and I, brainstorming is the key to success with any kind of academic language use. It helps focus you and prepares you for the topic. There are also some other great advantages to brainstorming; such as helping enforce co-operation between students (which is really useful language practise too!) and it helps in energizing the classroom, which is better than having a coffee sometimes!
Make sure you allocate a certain amount of time for your brainstorming. In the IELTS exam, for task 2, 5-7 minutes is enough. Write down your key ideas. Then try to organise your ideas by paragraphs. Don’t write sentences, just write down the key words. Once you have come up with enough key ideas, try to think of associated vocabulary around the topic. Remember, the better your vocabulary, the better your grade.
Practise, practise, practise..Brainstorming is a critical skill in order for you to get the best possible outcome from your exam. Even a very educated native speaker will always brainstorm before attempting any kind of formal essay. So I can’t encourage you enough to do the same!
Writers Festival
It is coming to that time of the year when internationally famou\s writers from around the world descend on Byron Bay. This year one of the guest stars is Brett Easton Ellis, the author who wrote, Less than Zero and American Pyscho.
The festival always needs volunteers, and I know several of our students have already registered to help out in the festival in what is bound to be a really interesting experience… this is a just a little reminder for you guys to get in touch now! Please read the below information provided by the writers festival.
BYRON BAY WRITERS FESTIVAL VOLUNTEERS
The Festival would not be possible without our brilliant crew of volunteers and we’re very proud of their track record. It is largely due to their unfailing willingness, courtesy and hard work that the Festival has earned its reputation as a friendly, relaxed and well-run event.
Volunteering at the Byron Bay Writers Festival is an enjoyable experience. Festival volunteers meet happy people, make new friends and absorb fresh challenges. It’s rewarding, it’s stimulating and it’s fun.
Volunteers fill a wide range of roles including administration, venue and event supervision, ushering and ticket checking, driving writers about, hospitality and site maintenance.
If you have registered and have an enquiry please email
The start of something new!
The start of the week was kicked off by the first reported sighting of a Whale for the season! It’s a beautiful Monday and seeing a whale at the start of the day is an amazing way to start the week..
We strongly recommend that you all go to the lighthouse to look out of them. They are beautiful creatures and we can look forward to seeing them for the next four or so months! Yay!!
There’s Nothing Like Australia!
Tourism Australia is currently running a photo competition called “There’s Nothing Like Australia” which gives participants an opportunity to share their favourite moments in Australia.
The competition is a great way to show off your photographic skills and to practise your English at the same time.
When you submit your photo entry, you also need to complete the sentence “There’s nothing like…” with a phrase which explains your photo and your favourite experience in Australia.
You can enter the competition online at: http://nothinglikeaustralia.com
We encourage you all to give this competition a try.
Perhaps “There’s nothing like studying at GV Byron Bay!” might prove to be a winning entry!
Good luck!
Byron life and why we love living here….
Here are a few shots which we have to share… this is why we love living in this wonderful place.
Congratulations MARCH FCE and CAE classes
The results from the last round of the FCE and CAE exam our out and I have had several emails from our past students telling me that they have done really well.
This is such great news and we here at GV Byron are delighted to hear this! Well done everyone, it’s a tribute to your hard work and great language skills that you have done so well. For those of you who haven’t let me know yet, fingers crossed! Cheers Justin.
Job Workshop on next week! Check it out this Tuesday
We are running the GV WORK shop next week from 2-3:30 pm on Tuesday and Thursday! This great programme helps students find work in Australia!
The classes are very practical and students have the chance to write and print out their resumes, learn how to apply for work locally and around Australia and how to do their best at interviews. Teacher Andrew ensures that the classes are never boring and the best thing is that they are FREE! There are still places available, so if you are keen to work in Byron and Australia as soon as possible, sign up today or come and see Justin for more information.
GV Work Shop..
Looking for a job in Byron? Need help? We have all the answers!! Come along to the GV Byron Bay workshop which starts on Tuesday the 6th of April.
Make sure you come to the free GV Work Shop every Tuesday and Thursday April 6th and 8th from 2:00pm to 3:00pm.
Teacher Andrew will go through information on on how to write a resume and cover letter, interview techniques, language assistance and where the best places are to find work in Byron.
Don’t miss out on this essential information to give yourself the best chance at getting a job in Byron Bay.
Job available for GV student
We need someone to help us move furniture and other assorted jobs every day in the morning and afternoon around the school. If you are interested please come into the office and ask Justin or Rebbecca.
A glimpse of life at GV Byron Bay.
Some of you have been asking me for some of the photos we have taken over the last few weeks.. so here is a small selection of our lives here! Thanks everyone for making this such a great place to live, work and of course study in!
Welcome to the new students.. and the study begins straightaway!
Yesterday was a big day for us here at GV Byron Bay, with the start of our new Cambridge courses and of course welcoming our new students from around the `world.
We welcome you one and all to GV Byron Bay and wish you all the best in your new life here and with your studies!
Congratulations FCE!
We are delighted to report that all of our students who sat the Cambridge exams passed! Congratulations to you all! It’s a brilliant result! Well done!
Byron Bay Bluesfest line up announced
This is seriously advanced notice, but long term students should mark their diaries now…April 1 – 5 is the Byron Bay Bluesfest!
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The line up this year is amazing – some of the top musical talent in the country. Crowded House (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AQOlwMKpmvQ ), Jimmy Barnes (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pwIdbN1QW24 ) Jessica Mauboy (http://www.youtube.com/user/jessicamauboy?blend=1&ob=4#p/u/7/kx99fEEN6bs ), Buena Vista Social Club, Jeff Beck, Gipsy Kings, Buddy Guy and much, much more. In fact, there are over 200 performances over 6 stages.
Tickets are on sale now, so if you are going to be in Byron then, make sure you get yours!
The official website is at http://www.bluesfest.com.au/ .
Hint: For the ultimate Byron Bay experience, check out the links to volunteer at the Festival. Students who did it in 2009 report that it was absolutely WILD.
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