End of term celebrations at Lexis Byron – we said our sad goodbyes, we shared a big Aussie BBQ, we drank, we laughed … and then we went home to study for our Cambridge exams!
Max cracks everyone up with his end of CAE speech
Cris, Vinny, Nathan, Aron & Natany chill out at the BBQ
Our Fafa says goodbye to Michelle, Nico & Carlos on their last day
Valentina & Yuliana hug it out
Michelle & Camille keeping an eye on the drinksHAPPY BIRTHDAY TO THE GORGEOUS, ONE AND ONLY … CARLOS!
See Kate at Reception or call Miguel 0432146417
Intermediate students hit the Byron farmers market this morning to enjoy the first sunny day of spring. Students had a great time checking out the local produce as well as practising their English in a real context - interviewing local shoppers and finding out from growers about their different products….and doing some shopping!
We are pleased to announce that, from 01st September 2011, Global Village’s schools in Australia will be known Lexis | English.
This exciting new brand has been created to highlight the dynamism and energy of our schools, their unique locations and the high quality tuition, facilities and lifestyle that you enrolled for at Global Village.
You may have already seen our new logo, website, brochure, blogs, Facebook pages and Twitter feeds, which we feel reflect your student experience more closely, but other than our name and branding, nothing else has changed.
Our school are still owned, managed and operated by the same caring and supportive teams of academic and administrative staff, who continue to work hard to ensure a smooth transition from GV to Lexis | English.
We hope that you will feel as excited as we do about our new look and feel and that you will take a few moments to join the growing Lexis | English online community via the links below.
Should you have any questions about our new name and what this means for you, please do not hesitate to speak to Rose, your Director of Studies, who will be happy to tell you more about Lexis | English.
Our beautiful Japanese student Mori left us on Tuesday after a 74 week course!! He has gone to Sydney for work and will be sorely missed here at Global Village Byron Bay. Good luck Mori! 
xx
Hey Everyone!!
We are going to run soccer matches every Thursday evening from now on. Get down to the Byron Fields at 5:30pm on Thursdays and come and play with some local Byron soccer stars!
This is a great chance to meet new people, practise your English and of course become soccer superstars!
Meet at the Byron fields at 5:30. Bring shoes and a smile!
The results are in for the start of the years FCE and CAE. I just wanted to say a huge WELL DONE to all of you guys. You all did really well and should be very proud of your achievements!
I hope you are all well! Keep in touch.
All the best from GV BYRON BAY!
Our resident chef Bec got into the swing of things with the students this afternoon and made a batch of delicious pancakes!
Delicious! Thanks Bec’s!!
This slideshow requires JavaScript.
On Friday we did our monthly fantastic circus class. This is a one in a lifetime opportunity! Nicole had this to say about it .. “
“This has to be one of the greatest ideas of all time. I REALLY loved learning the trapeze and becoming even closer with the students and my friends. I’m amazed that we have such wonderful opportunities here at GV Byron Bay. Everyone was really nice and the acrobatics were fantastic! Thanks GV!”
This slideshow requires JavaScript.
Last week our Pre-Intermediate class had a lot of fun presenting their national dishes in a presentation to each other. At the end of the week the winners of the “presentations” had to make their dish.. which was the traditional Koran Bulgogi (a great hit around the school!)
As part of this class the students had to teach the CAE class, using imperatives, how to prepare the course! This was a great success as can be seen in the below photos! Well done guys and thanks for the delicious meal!
This slideshow requires JavaScript.
We have had such amazing weather recently and .. with amazing weather what can be better than to learn to surf!
Check out these amazing photos of the perfect Byron day!
Next surfing trip is at the end of April. Book in early to go!
This slideshow requires JavaScript.
Today I caught up with Bruno.. This is what he had to say about his time with us at GV Byron. 
Please tell us a little bit about yourself and where you are from…
My name is Bruno and I’m from the south of Brazil, a place called Blumanau which is a biggish city, kind of the same size as the Gold Coast.
What did you do back at home and what made you decide to come to Australia?
In Brazil I worked a technical assistant for Hyundai and studied at University doing a degree in Business Administration. I decided to come to Australia because when I was in Brazil people told me that there weren’t so many Brazilians in Byron. I also wanted to come to a smaller size city to enjoy the life and natural beauty that being in a small city offers.
How long have you been at GV Byron and what are you studying?
I am currently in the Upper Intermediate class! I started in the pre-intermediate class with almost no English and now I’ve got pretty amazing English!
I like this school. The people here are always happy and very kind. The teacher’s work very hard and really prepare their lessons well. They really take the time to consider my needs and to help me with the ideas that I struggle with. There is a great downstairs area, there is a place for lunch, games, relax, study , the internet and even a Wii console!!. Really… it’s nice.
I have enjoyed it so much here because of all these reasons that I have told a good friend of mine to come to GV Byron Bay and not to go to any other school because this is such a wonderful place. Everything for me is PERFECT! … and even better, I know my English is getting better.
What do you plan to do when you have completed your studies with us?
When I finish here I will go around Australia for a month and then maybe I will go to Indonesia.
What has been the single best moment that you have experienced since you joined GV Byron?
Wow. This is such a hard question as there have been so many good moments. Actually, there really isn’t specific moment. Meeting the teachers, Justin and Kate has been great fun. I really like the student house because I have a lot of friends that visit me there; we can practice English as the rule is to speak English when we are in the house. It’s a nice house, close to the beach and the bottle shop.
Is there anything you’d like to add??
I would like to tell everyone to enjoy your time in Byron it’s an unforgettable time!!
Three legends of the music industry, Bob Dylan, BB King and Elvis Costello have been pre-announced as the headliners for the Byron Bay Bluesfest in April this year. This year several GV Byron Bay students will be working at the festival (thanks to teacher Andrew’s inside knowledge!) and we highly recommend that you all go and check it out!
There will be absolutely stellar performances by hundreds of world-famous acts. For more information on how to go, or even how to volunteer to work at the fest check out http://www.bluesfest.com.au/news/
Today is gorgeous!! Stunning sunshine, crystal clear blue waters and a beautiful sea breeze! A perfect day for a tour of Byron Bays historic lighthouse! Check out the photos below..
This slideshow requires JavaScript.
Last night GV Byron Bay students came out to explore strange new worlds, seek out new life, and new civilizations and To Boldly Go Where No Man Has Gone Before!!! (as they say in Star trek!)
This slideshow requires JavaScript.
Lots of us came down to look at the great southern sky with the amazing telescope. It was a beautiful warm night and Phil taught us a lot about the great southern sky. Since this is such a popular activity we will be holding this every month!
This week is exam week for our FCE and CAE folks! We wish you all the very best with your exams. You have all really worked hard and made an amazing improvement! Well done and best of luck.
We all had a beautiful day snorkeling with Turtles, loads of different types of fish and a few friendly Leopard sharks!
Check out the photos below!
This slideshow requires JavaScript.
I was speaking to some of the students this morning who are going on a trip up to Frazer island on the weekend. This is a beautiful place with pristine white beaches and crystal clear waters await at the world’s largest sand island. You may not be able to swim in the sea at Fraser Island, but there are many inviting fresh water lakes and creeks surrounded by white sandy beaches and desert. It’s an amazing place and well worth a weekend away.
This slideshow requires JavaScript.
If you are interested in going we need a minimum of five people (one of whom has to have a licence) Come and ask at the office!
We had a really nice visit from Masa from Nexis Japan who came down to Byron to see how his students were. Much to all of our delight Ehito and Anju braved the waves and went surfing! By all accounts they had a great time. Check out the photos below!
This slideshow requires JavaScript.
Hi Guys,
As the Cambridge exams are nearing now is the time to really sit down and learn as much vocabulary as you possibly can. I thought I’d share one good technique to help you.
The keyword method can be used in a wide variety of situations and has a range of helpful applications. One very useful application for using the keyword technique is to use it for learning vocabulary.
This technique can be seen as a four part process.
The keyword technique can help you to remember vocabulary you might otherwise forget. For example, if you need to remember that barrister is another word for lawyer, first create a keyword for the unfamiliar word, barrister. Remember, a keyword is a word that sounds like the new word and is easily pictured. A good keyword for barrister could be a bar (as in where people drink together)
Create a picture of the keyword and the definition doing something together. Make the most interesting picture you can think of where the two words interact. For example, a picture of a lawyer sitting having a few drinks in a bar in his white wig could be an easy way to remember these two words! Any image that is fun and that you can remember is fine!
Give it a go! There has been lots of research into vocabulary acquisition and for higher level learners this has been proven to be very successful! If you need any help with this come in and talk to Justin any time.
We have recently had some very charming and lively Italians join the school who have been great fun and have made a wonderful addition to the school. I caught up with them to talk about their experiences of GV Byron and Byron and this is what they had to say….
This slideshow requires JavaScript.
Hi everyone! My name is Daniele and I am from Italy, a place called Asti (which you might have heard of if your drink!) which is in the North of Italy near Turin. It’s a small city with 80000 people but a nice place.
I have just completed my studies in IT at home and am now looking for a job, either in Italy or in Australia. I came to Australia to have a look around in Australia and see what opportunities there are here as I am quite interested in perhaps trying to find work in Australia as an IT professional.
I am in Byron now because I like the idea of a small beach town with beautiful scenery and friendly people. I have found Byron to be a great place, the ambience of the town is wonderful and the people are really really friendly which means a lot to me.
Today is my last day at school after having been here for three weeks. The school has been fun. In my opinion it’s a good school because we can learn by talking to other people from all over the world in English and it is great to have an experience where you can talk to so many different cultures and people with different languages in one place!
I have been studying in the Upper Intermediate level which has been good for me as it has been challenging but fun. I can honestly say that I have improved my ability to understand people from all over the world.
After this, I am going to travel around Australia a bit first going north to the Whitsundays and then down to South Australia, Melbourne and Sydney. It should be fun I think!!
I will be a little bit sad to leave here as I have made lots of friends from all over the world which has been really nice. The school is not just about studying; it’s a good social fun and happy place, in an amazing location!
This slideshow requires JavaScript.
Hi All, I’m Roberto from Italy, Constanzana, near Vercelli. A very small village (with only 1000 inhabitants in it). I arrived in Byron Bay a few weeks ago after finishing my studies in Italy where I was studying biotechnology. I came to Australia, and in particular Byron for two main reasons. Firstly, I really wanted to develop my language skills and secondly, because I am on a working holiday visa, I want to get a job in Australia related to my field of study. If I’m lucky and my dreams are fulfilled I will be fortunate enough to get a job in working in a scientific laboratory. Fingers crossed!
I am currently studying in the Upper Intermediate class and once I have completed that course I will move on to the IELTS preparation course. So far, I have really enjoyed the classes and the school. It is an open, friendly and nice place to be and there are people from all over the world here which is interesting.
I really like Byron Bay. It is not a chaotic town (like some big cities in Italy) and very peaceful. It is also a very convenient place to live as there are markets everywhere and nothing is too far if you have your bicycle. I love the beach here, it’s a magic beach. The people on the beach are friendly and I have found it really easy to meet people. There is always a soothing breeze coming from the ocean which is great on hot summer afternoons.
Hi Everyone!
Don’t forget there is a Zumba lesson on today at school. Come on down after 2pm to get your Zumba on!
We had a very special day yesterday with it being Lenny’s Birthday. As you can see.. he was a happy guy!
This slideshow requires JavaScript.
All the best from the team at GV. Happy Birthday!
Mariana leaves us today which is very sad as she has been such a wonderful contribution to the school. She has been with us since the 6 of December 2010 and leaves us today after 2 months worth of study.
This slideshow requires JavaScript.
Mariana had the following to share with us about her life and her experience with us here at GV Byron Bay.
Hi, I’m Mariana, a 21 year old student from Brazil, where I live with my parents and four siblings. In Brazil I study medicine (I’m jut about to start my fourth year). I really enjoy sports, such as volleyball and swimming and of course, I love going out with my friends.
I choose to come to Australia because I need to have a good grasp of English because I am studying medicine. Most of the texts I have to read and study are written in English and so English is essential for me.
I particularly wanted to come to Australia because of this and the fact that I really wanted to improve my English for my own life. The weather in Byron is beautiful and I love living on the beach, as in Brazil I live inland.
I have been studying in the Upper Intermediate class with my wonderful teacher Rose. I would really like to thank Rose, she is a great teacher, patient and very knowledgeable and obviously puts a lot of effort into her teaching. Her classes are fun, and really well thought out.
I’ve also really enjoyed living in Byron. It’s a beautiful place and the people are very gentle. I have had lots of fun experiences here, from sky diving to surfing, swimming. My two favourite places are Clarks Beach (during the day) and the Beach hotel (at night!)
Thanks Mariana. On behalf of GV I wish you all the best in your endeavours. Have a safe flight and keep in touch!
Hi Everyone,
This morning as I was driving to work and trying to improve my Mandarin (Chinese). I was listening to some of my favourite Taiwanese Pop songs (really!). I love music and find this to be an excellent way to help me practise the language.
As we all know vocabulary needs to be revised again and again. One fun, relaxed and enjoyable way of doing this it is to listen to your favourite songs.
Start by reading the lyrics first to try and understand them. A good way of finding out what the lyrics are is to go to http://www.songlyrics.com/. Remember, the first few times you listen to the song you don’t have to translate the lyrics word by word, just try to work out the general gist (what the song is about.) Think about the type of songs you like and at the start pick a song which is reasonably easy to understand. Hardcore rap music may not be the best first choice as there tends to be a lot of slang in them.
Once you’ve listened to the song a few time choose some words or phrases from the song that you would like to learn. If the song has a chorus (the part of the song that is repeated you could choose that part to learn as you will get lots of practise in the one song.) If necessary, look up the meaning in your dictionary and note them down in your learning diary.
Now, to the fun part! To learn the vocabulary, all you have to do is listen to the song again and again (that shouldn’t be a problem if it’s one of your favourite songs).
Good luck everyone… and if you see me singing away in my car, you’ll know that i’m not crazy, but am studying hard!
After todays work seminar you will be prepared to find your new job! Have a look at the below and GOOD LUCK!
Senior position in a busy Byron Bay Sushi bar. Experience in handling a business without supervision. References essential, training given. Phone Lubelia on 0401852765
A Japanese speaking female chaperone is required to travel from Australia to Fiji (expenses paid) to accompany a Japanese business man, his wife and daughter as a chaperone from 11-17 Feb 2011. To apply please email Julie_epg@ozemail.com.au
Experienced Cook required, must be able to work day/night/weekends. 6685 5721
Face-to- Face Fundraisers: As a face-to-face fundraiser , you will be talking to people in the street, at community markets and at events about the work of rainforest rescue. Part time and casual. Email Krista@rainforestrescure.orf.au for a position description and apply with resume and cover letter.
Cook,Chef: Permanent position. Milk and Honey Mullum. 6684 5070
Today at 2pm we will be running the GV Work “Workshop”. Come along to room 2 after class to learn how to write the perfect CV, cover letter and interview techniques. This is an excellent chance to improve your chances of getting work in the ENGLISH SPEAKING world.
This Saturday, SAE one of the most famous and highly regarded Audio Engineering and Film production institutes in the world is having an open day. There will be studio tours, Live music and an overview of their academic programme. If any GV students are interested, go and check it out from 11- 3pm on Saturday.
SAE and GV Byron Bay have started to work together and if you are a GV student you will be able to get a 10% discount off any short course price. Any questions, just ask Justin!
SAE Institute Byron Bay is having an Open Day on Saturday January 30th from 11am – 3pm, and our doors are open to anyone who would like to come check out our campus, inspect our world-class facilities or meet our friendly staff (including our Academic team who will be available to chat about all the Higher Education pathways that we have on offer).
Budding audio engineers and producers can get a taste of what it’s like to study our Bachelor of Audio Production. We’ll have students and staff on hand, recording Foley and ADR for a motion picture, recording live drums, mixing tracks, and creating beats in our extensive MIDI suite.
Aspiring filmmakers can take part in demonstrations of professional digital video camera techniques, Steadicams and doorway dolly’s, matte painting, compositing, motion tracking, colour grading end editing. There will also be opportunity to visit our Green Screen facility, where an on-set shoot will be taking place.
Hey Everyone,
This is just a big WELL DONE from all of us at GV Byron Bay to the FCE and CAE students who just got their results. Another amazing group who all did really well. Brilliantly, we had a 100% pass rate from the FCE class and some of the highest grades yet! CAE did incredibly well with the vast majority earning great grades.
Well done guys and a big thank you to the teachers who put so much effort into their classes. You all deserve a big glass of bubbles!
With such stunning weather hitting our shores this week we had to go up to the lighthouse.. Sadly, we couldn’t see too many dolphins, but the wide array of blues in the sea was perfect!
If you’d like to go on one of these tours just sign up in the office!
Hey Everyone,
This is just to let you know that we will be running our IELTS class in the middle of March. What is IELTS some of you may well ask?
IELTS test tips.
IELTS, the International English Language Testing System, is an upper-intermediate test of English communication. It can be used for University entry and emigration/ immigration around the English-speaking world and beyond. It measures your ability to communicate across the four language skills – reading, writing, listening and speaking through authentic and challenging tasks. With over 700,000 people taking this test annually, it is one of the fastest growing English tests in the world, trusted and accepted by over 4,000 organisations and faculties worldwide.
If you are interested in doing this course, of would like further information about it please drop in and talk to Justin.
Thanks Guys.
Today we had both smiles and tears as we said goodbye to one of Global Village’s most treasured students, Gabrielle.
After 20 fantastic weeks here with us at the Byron Bay campus the time has come for Gabi to go back to Brazil. During the time spent here in Byron he learnt to surf and was eventually found in the water more than on land! He made many friends with whom he shared lots of laughs and memories, and of course, he has mastered the English language along with some Ozzie slang! 
We wish you all the very best for your future Gabrielle. You will be missed by all of us and we hope to see you again one day soon!
Damian caught up with me this morning to have a chat about his experience of the FCE preparation course and his life in Byron Bay. Damian was an absolute pleasure to have in the school and is always a very charming and humourous student. Thanks for sharing Damian.
Please tell us a little bit about yourself and where you are from…
My name is Damian and I am from a small village in Switzerland near Luzern.
What did you do back at home and what made you decide to come to Australia?
In Switzerland I was a employee in an insurance company as an apprentice. I decided to come to Australia to take a break after my education and to improve my English.
How long have you been at GV Byron and what are you studying?
I studied at GV Byron Bay for 12 weeks in the FCE preparation course. It was extremely interesting and I learnt a lot of things. It was interesting because I met a lot of people from all over the world and we had a chance to share our own cultures with each other which was very nice.
My teacher was Andrew. I would really like to say that he is the best teacher I have had. He is a very motivating teacher, lively with a great sense of humour and terrible fashion sense! (although, we have now bought him a beautiful island shirt and he looks much better!)
What do you plan to do when you have completed your studies with us?
I finished two days ago and I am now going to enjoy my time in Byron Bay for the next three weeks. After that I will spend a week in Sydney and then very sadly I have to say good bye to Australia and go back to the snow and the cold.
What has been the single best moment that you have experienced since you joined GV Byron?
Wow. This is such a hard question as there have been so many good moments. Actually, there really isn’t specific moment. I have enjoyed meeting people from all over the world so much as it has opened my mind and my world the different opportunities that exist on this lovely planet.
What is your favourite place in Byron?
Probably the lighthouse or the rails (and I don’t drink!!) There is some great live bands playing every night and it’s good to go and hang out with your friends after studying all day!
Is there anything you’d like to add??
I would like to tell everyone to have the time of your life in the most easterly point of Australia at GV Byron Bay!
Aron very kindly made us all Bulgogi. This a traditional Korean dish. Normally this is cooked on a convex metal pan with a whole in the top so that the juices can flow down into a small tray and soak the meat. Usually the whole family sits around a low table and enjoy the great food, with, if they are lucky some wonderful Ginseng whiskey.!
This morning the Intermediate and Pre-Intermediate class went down to the market to practice their English in a real world environment. As you can see it was lots of fun and was a great way to get our morning coffee!
Today I caught up with some of our students to talk about their experiences of working in Byron. This is what they had to say….
From top left – Ben, Daniel, Aron, Rio and Filipe.
Work Testimonials:
Filipe Augusto Ribeiro,
Hi I’m Filipe from Brazil. I have been studying in the Intermediate General English class for the last two months and have really enjoyed my time here. I have had several jobs since I’ve been in Byron and right now I have two jobs.
My first job is at the Pacific Italian Restaurant where I work as a kitchen hand and I do this a few nights a week. This is a cool job for me as I am a chef at home in Brazil and it’s interesting to work in a kitchen in a different country as things in the kitchen are done quite differently.
The other job I have is as a rickshaw driver. This job is great fun, I really like this job as i get to improve my English skills and make money. It is lots of fun as everyone talks (usually in English) to me and I get to meet people from all around the world. It is often funny as people talk to me and tell me crazy things but are always very nice. They can be quite hard to understand when they are very drunk, but it’s always friendly.
This is my last week at the school and after this I will have another job to go to as a kitchen hand in another restaurant!
Daniel Feas.
Hi I’m Daniel from Spain/ Switzerland. I have been studying at GV Byron Bay for the last three months doing the FCE preparation course. I will be in Byron for another month and then am off to Perth to study the CAE preparation course for ten weeks!
I am just about to start a new job this weekend in Byron. Since my family is Spanish I speak fluent Spanish. I grew up in Switzerland so I also speak fluent French and of course my English is great! (Thanks GV!) This means that I am pretty much tri-lingual. Happily I have found a job where I can put my language skills to use. I am going to be a tour guide in Byron, taking people around Byron Bay and showing them different areas and the different activities that one can do in Byron, from Kayaking, to dolphin watching, the lighthouse etc etc. I can’t wait to start as it will be a great way to practise my language skills and meet lots of new people.
Ben- Sang Il Byun.
Hi I’m Ben from Korea. I have been studying General English as GV Byron for two months in the upper intermediate class. Today is my last day at school, and it has been great as I have learnt a lot and found the job workshop to be really useful.
At the moment I am working as a kitchen hand for “Red, Hot and Green” a cafe in town. I work four days a week for three hours a day which fits in perfectly with my study. Last month I had a different job, which Justin found for me. This was an interesting job. I had to ring doctors in Korea from Byron Bay and interview them and then collate the results for the marketing team for the company I worked for. I really liked this job as it was quite relaxed!
Aron – Young – Sik
Hi, I’m Aron from Korea. I have been studying at GV in the General English course for the last ten weeks.
At the moment I have a small part-time job working for GV, helping the staff move furniture around and set up and close the school. This is a great job as it doesn’t take much time but I work every day! It also helps keep me very fit which is nice!
Rio- Jong Ha Lee
Hi, I’m Rio from Korea! I have been studying at GV Byron for 14 weeks and will be here for another 36 weeks! I’m very excited today as I just got a new job which I start tonight working for Why Not Cafe.
I will be working as a Kitchen Hand which will be a new experience for me. I think it will be a great experience as I will have to practise my English and earn money at the same time
We have a very special treat for the students on Monday Night. Phil, our beloved bicycle man, is coming to the school at 8pm. Phil is an avid star watcher and has a huge telescope which he is going to bring so that everyone can see the night sky in great detail.
He has very kindly offered to teach everyone about the southern night sky. This will be a beautiful evening and it is amazing to be able to see the stars and planets so clearly through the telescope! An event not to be missed.
Calling all students. Keep a careful eye out around town today as you might see Oprah Winfrey! Her entourage have already been out Kayaking with GV’s Kayaking team and rumours are about that drinks will be had in the top pub!
Good luck with stat spotting!
As always we had a very touching and lovely farewell to our Cambridge students. It is always a sad time for those of us left here, as it is for the guys leaving.
We had a really great bunch of students through from September who have constantly impressed us with their charm, the diligence and their good humour. Thank you everyone for making the school such a special, warm and wonderful place. We will MISS YOU ALL!
Well, that time has come again, astonishingly fast! I can’t believe that 11 has already passed! I just wanted to wish all of our FCE and CAE students all of the very best for their speaking exam today. You have all worked really hard and I know for sure that you will all do really well. Relax.. and from the team and I.. all the best luck in the world!! Go for it guys!
We had a very special treat on Saturday with over 50 students from Taiwan coming down to visit us and have a BBQ at the beach with GV Byron students.
It was a beautiful day, and lots of fun was had. Frisbee, volleyball, sausages, salad, sun and a wonderfully warm ocean all contributed to making it a brilliant day. With over 100 students there, the Chefs were very busy. Thanks to all for making it such a nice time, and to our Taiwanese friends, check us out on facebook and keep in touch!
Melbourne cup madness! We had an excellent day for the Melbourne Cup! Each class started the day with presenting us with a poster with a crab from every country on it and its “form”, which was hilarious. Crab racing then ensued! The winning crab was from Switzerland!
After crab racing we then had a lovely relaxing BBQ until the main event which was of course the race. One of our students was very lucky and won over $400. Well done Damian.
Everyone really got into the spirit of things and looked fantastic as you can see from the photos. We had two particular “best dressed” winners on the day, Mori, in a beautiful three piece suit and Yuka. It was a really fun day! Thanks to you all!
I caught up with Damian today. Damian was really lucky yesterday and bet on the winning horse, and made over $400!! Go Damian!
Being the incredibly nice person that he is, he shared his winnings and bought everyone in the school a beer. (I think he is now the most popular student in GV)
I spoke to him about his experience here and this is what he had to say.
Hi I’m Damian…
I came to Australia too have fun and learn English. I really wanted to have some time off from my busy life at home, and to explore a new place and meet new friends in a different culture.
I have been here for two months and I study in the FCE class with teacher Andrew. He’s a great teacher because he teaches us with a lot of humour and makes the class interesting and dynamic. My class is small, (8 of us) nice and very lively and I think I have improved my English a lot.
I like GV Byron very much as there are a good number of people in the school which makes it very friendly. The students are generally very nice, the teachers are fun, Kate is awesome. We do a lot of activities that I have really liked such as beach soccer, Melbourne cup, the lighthouse tour and so on. They are well organized and lots of fun!
Thanks Damian, it’s a real pleasure to have you in the school. From all of us a heartfelt thanks!
Students are always asking me which exam course they should take. IELTS or one of the Cambridge Mainsuite exams; ( FCE, CAE).
In fact both are Cambridge developed exams although IELTS was developed jointly with the British Council and IDP.
The IELTS exam awards a grade according to your level, whereas Cambridge Mainsuite have exams at each level and awards a certificate if you pass.
The IELTS grade is only valid for two years whereas the Mainsuite exams have no expiry date.
IELTS is used as for immigration purposes and for entrance to higher education such as TAFE colleges and Universities in Australia and overseas. Mainsuite exams are widely used for employment overseas and also for some college and university entrance.
The IELTS exam consists of 4 papers; listening, speaking, reading and writing. For immigration the reading and writing has a general English focus. For higher education students take an academic focused reading and writing exam
Mainsuite exams have 5 papers; listening, speaking, reading, writing and use of English. (PET only has four papers as Listening, speaking and reading/writing.
At GV Byron Bay, we run IELTS continually in 12 week blocks. Students may join at any week, although it is advisable not to join in the last four week block. There is a pre test for entry and students are expected to be at a minimum 4.5 IELTS equivalent level. Exams are held every month in all the major cities.The Gold Coast is the nearest centre for GV Byron Students.
We also offer Cambridge FCE, CAE, BEC exams. These are run three times a year in line with the exams which are held simultaneously around the world in March, June and December. We also offer the FCE in August. Entry is by pre test.
FCE CLASS
Which exam is best for you? If you want to enter a TAFE college course in Australia, then IELTS is the best option. If you wish to enter an undergraduate course at university, you can consider IELTS or CAE
If you have any questions about these exams or the courses that we offer, come and see Justin
Here are some photos of our lovely student house. It’s a beautiful house with four bedrooms, balconies and a nice garden two minutes walk from one of the most beautiful beaches in the world!
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.\
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:
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!
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.
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..
We had a wonderful surprise this morning. Juan (our very infamous Spanish fire fighter!) came back to say hello with wine and flowers!
Juan studied with us almost ten months ago in the CAE class and was an absolutely brilliant student who used to make us all laugh. Not only did we get to have the pleasure of his company, but he tells me that his sister will come and join us in December! We all look forward to that!
Thanks for coming back and saying hello Juan. You really made our day…
