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!
The world is changing! When a business man in China talks to a business man in France, what language does he use?
Nowadays, businesses may ‘outsource’ to companies all over the world. For example, a film company in Australia may use a Polish company to do their graphics, an Indian company to do their sound editing and a company in Germany to do their location searches. They use English to ‘talk’ to each other and so English has become the ‘Lingua Franca’ or language of common use.
It is interesting, that even in countries such as Norway, Sweden and Denmark, where people traditionally could understand each other’s languages; now choose to communicate in English.
That is why students need to learn to understand English accents from all around the globe. Cambridge exams now use a variety of accents for the listening tests and are emphasising the importance of not relying on the traditional British accents.
So, having an ‘accent’ other than the traditional English one is no disadvantage to being an English teacher. Non native English speaking teachers who have had to learn learnt and English teachers who have learnt another language are usually wonderful English teachers. They understand the challenges of language learning. They tend to have a greater understanding of grammar structures than native English speakers and they tend to be more sympathetic to the frustrations of language learning.
So, if your teacher has a non traditional English accent, don’t think you are disadvantaged. It is not a hindrance to your English learning. The next time you are doing group work, remember that listening to the other students will help improve your global English skills and help yourself, by talking to as many different nationalities as you can around your school every day.
Becky
Director of Studies
GV Noosa
Here are some tips for learning Foreign Language!
1) Spend the time!
By far the most important factor is how much time you are immersed in the language. The more time you spend with the language, the faster you will learn. This means listening, reading, writing, speaking, and studying words and phrases. This does not mean sitting in class looking out the window, nor listening to other students who do not speak well, nor getting explanations in your own language about how the language works. This means spending time enjoyably connected to the language you are learning.
2) Listen and read every day!
Listen wherever you are on your MP3 player. Read what you are listening to. Listen to and read things that you like, things that you can mostly understand, or even partly understand. If you keep listening and reading you will get used to the language. One hour of listening or reading is more effective than many hours of class time.
3) Focus on words and phrases!
Build up your vocabulary, you’ll need lots. Start to notice words and how they come together as phrases. Learn these words and phrases through your listening and reading. Read online, using online dictionaries, and make your own vocabulary lists for review. Soon you will run into your new words and phrases elsewhere. Gradually you will be able to use them. Do not worry about how accurately you speak until you have accumulated a plenty of words through listening and reading.
4) Take responsibility for your own learning!
If you do not want to learn the language, you won’t. If you do want to learn the language, take control. Choose content of interest,that you want to listen to and read. Seek out the words and phrases that you need to understand your listening and reading. Do not wait for someone else to show you the language, nor to tell you what to do. Discover the language by yourself, like a child growing up. Talk when you feel like it. Write when you feel like it. A teacher cannot teach you to become fluent, but you can learn to become fluent if you want to.
5) Relax and enjoy yourself!
Do not worry about what you cannot remember, or cannot yet understand, or cannot yet say. It does not matter. You are learning and improving. The language will gradually become clearer in your brain, but this will happen on a schedule that you cannot control. So sit back and enjoy. Just make sure you spend enough time with the language. That is the greatest guarantee of success.
Written by Steve Kaufmann
Hi Guys,
I hope you found the previous tips on Speaking and Listening useful and have put them to good use.
This is part two where I’ll concentrate on Reading and Writing.
Reading: As with listening, it’s a good idea to find the answers to: ‘who, ‘what’, ‘when’, ‘where’, ‘how’ and ‘why’. Take notes.
Skim the text to get the main idea before you read it slower the second time for specific information.
Look for signal words that may show contrasting ideas or explanations and pay attention to pronouns as they often refer to the subject of the text.
When reading the newspaper or magazine articles look at the headlines and photos to try and guess what the article will be about. Use any prior knowledge you may already know about the topic, it will certainly make things easier for you.
Don’t worry about the words you don’t understand, try to guess so that you don’t stop reading every so often. Break the word down and see if it is derived from another. Look at its function; is it a verb, a noun, an adverb or an adjective? Finally, look up the words you don’t know when you have finished reading and see if you were correct. It’s a great way to learn vocabulary and it will build your confidence.
Most importantly find something that interests you to read, it’s the best way to keep reading. It doesn’t have to be educational; it could be based on a hobby or general interest.
Writing: Make sure you use what you have learned in class. Write letters and post cards to your friends and family (even if you don’t send them). Keep a learning journal or even a travel journey in English. Write ‘to do’ lists, text and email your friends in English. Keep in touch with the friends you make at GV by sending emails and leaving comments on our blog. Fill in questionnaires and forms, there are so many different ways to improve your writing.
That’s about it, unless you would like to add some of your own tips, please feel free to post a comment. As I said, it’s a good way to practise your writing.
Remember, it’s not the end of the world if you make a mistake, so keep trying and use English as much as possible!
Patty Thomas Academic Manager GV Sunshine Coast .
Learning English is an ongoing process that doesn’t end when classes do or when you finish your course. It may even surprise you to learn that a good proportion of what you learn is learned incidentally, so, take advantage of the fact that you are currently living and studying in an English speaking country. Here are some helpful tips:
Speak English as much as possible and try to stress words appropriately. Intonation is really important and how you say something may have a totally different meaning to what you want to say, for example, ‘hello’ could be said in a friendly, sarcastic or indifferent tone.
Use your imagination and try this exercise:
Ask three different people, your friend (1), someone you don’t really know (2) and someone you don’t like (3): what time it is, or invite them out for a cup of coffee. You will probably find that you will say it a little differently each time.
Avoid speaking your own language while you are here because each time you do, you reproduce your own language’s stress and intonation patterns making it difficult to master the ones required for English. This is partially why you speak English with an accent. Mimic the sounds you hear, it’s a good way to learn. Besides, we know that you can speak your own language fluently so work on English!
Some students mistake speaking very quickly with being fluent. Speak slowly and clearly, so even if you make a mistake the listener will understand most of what you are trying to say. If you speak quickly the listener will find it difficult to understand you.
If you can’t find someone to practise speaking with, read aloud to yourself. This really helps with stress and pronunciation. Have you ever noticed that everything sounds great in your mind when you read silently, but not so great when you are asked to read aloud in class? If possible, tape yourself and listen to your pronunciation.
Listen to the radio and watch the local news. Make sure you listen for ‘who’, ‘what’, ‘when’, ‘where’, ‘how’ and ‘why’. Listening to music and learning lyrics to songs is a fun way to learn vocabulary. You can try and guess the lyrics to songs before you download the lyrics from the net.
Eavesdrop on conversations on public transport, it isn’t difficult because most people use their mobile phones and they’re quite loud. Even so, try not to make it to obvious you might upset someone.
Watch DVDs without subtitles because the idea is to improve your listening not your reading.
I hope these tips are useful so stay tuned for the next instalment.
Patty Thomas Academic Manager – GV Sunshine Coast
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!!
GV Noosa’s Assistant Director of Studies, Nina Schiller has some good tips for keeping track of your progress.
Often it is very difficult for students to see the progress they make when learning a language. Students sometimes come to my office and say, ‘I am not making progress, what can I do?’. The first thing to remember is that learning a language is not like learning ‘mathematical or chemical formulas’ – it is not something that can be studied the night before an exam. Language takes time and lots of practice.
But, to help you keep track of the progress that you are making, especially if you are in an Exam class, why not try keeping a ‘Portfolio’ of your work.
In this ‘Portfolio’ keep a record of your in-class test results and examples of your writing. Don’t just keep work that you produce at the end of the course, keep examples that you produce at the start as well (then you will really see how much you have improved!).
You can buy a folder with ‘plastic sleeves’ or simply use an exercise book. Keep all examples of writing homework – even if it has lots of mistakes!!! Every time you look back over your own work, you will learn from your mistakes. When you re-read your work, make comments and write down ideas about how you can improve. For example, I need to revise the Past Perfect Tense or Passives. I need to improve my vocabulary. This week I will focus on Phrasal Verbs.
Over the length of the course, you will see how much your writing improves!
Your teachers keep a record of your test results – you can too! Below is an example of one way you can record your test scores:
Date of Test: Date of Test: Date of Test: Date of Test:
28/3/11 4/4/11 11/4/11 18/4/11
Result: Result: Result: Result:
Grammar 58% Fail 62% Pass 74% Pass 75% Pass
Reading 55% Fail 58% Fail 61% Pass 65% Pass
Listening 49% Fail 56% Fail 59% Fail 62% Pass
Writing Fail Pass Pass Pass
As the weeks go by, you will see the ‘Fail’ marks disappear – be proud – you are making great progress!!!
Nina Schiller
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.
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….
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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!
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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,
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!
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!
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.
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!
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
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!
Today, very sadly Claire is leaving us.
She has been a great student whose English has come along really well over the last six weeks. She has been a real inspiration to us all here at GV, with her constant smile and willingness to partake well in class and in our activities..
I caught up with her briefly before she left and this is what she had to say….
“Hi I’m Claire, from France. Toulouse. In France I go to high school, and am studying science.”
What did you do back at home and what made you decide to come to Australia?
I really wanted to come to Australia because I wanted to see and experience Australia and Byron Bay. I had heard great things about Byron especially how attractive it is. Of course, I also wanted to improve my English, and what better way to do that than in a wonderful beachside town.
How long have you been at GV Byron and what are you studying?
I was here for my summer holidays, six weeks in total. I am currently in the General English Intermediate class. I really like my class, my teacher Andrew is really good. I think he’s a good teacher, he’s funny, he’s very attentive, we really speak a lot in class and practice the language points we study. I have to say in comparison to my English teachers in France, he is really really good.
What do you plan to do when you have completed your studies with us?
Sadly… I have to go home and back to school.
What has been the single best moment that you have experienced since you joined GV Byron?
I have really liked meeting students from all around the world. The classroom environment has been great too. The beach, the surf, (I’m becoming a great surfer!!!) and the relaxed lifestyle.
What is your favourite place in Byron?
Of course.. the beach.
I‘d also like to say that I have had a really cool time here. People are very relaxed and not so worried about the time, just more concerned about enjoying their life. This is a good change from France for me. I have really enjoyed meeting all of the different people. The school in general is a nice place, I’m happy here and feel very confident to speak and enjoy myself. I really feel my English has improved, and the activities have been fun. The circus was AMAZING!!!
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!
The General English classes headed down to the markets to do some “Out and About” English practise. Practising all of their hard learnt English on the locals!
It was a beautiful day and it’s always a great time meeting all the local farmers with their delicious produce.
I caught up today with some of our FCE and CAE students and this is what they had to say about studying at GV Byron..
Hi Akane, why are you doing the CAE program?
I thought the CAE class would be a very focused and difficult classs which would push my English skills to their limit and really make me work hard to improve all areas of my language skills.
Why are you doing it in Australia?
I had heard many good things about Australia, it is a very different life than the one I knew in Japan and so I wanted to come to Australia to see how I felt about it, and to see whether what I had heard was true or not. I had also made some Australian friends in Japan, and they recommended that I come to Byron.
What will you use your CAE course towards?
I think that this course will help my life in a few different ways. Firstly it is good for my general English ability but also the CAE is recognized in many countries around the world and could be useful for future opportunities.
Do you enjoy the CAE course at Global Village Byron Bay?
Yes! Very much.. The classrooms are nice, the environment is nice. But, honestly, it’s mainly about my teacher Ginny. I have a lot of respect for her, she makes the classes interesting, her knowledge of English teaching is really impressive and she is, more than anything else, a very nice, warm funny woman.
What do you like most about studying in Byron Bay?
The life in Byron Bay. By that I mean, I find the life quite different here than the life I lead in Japan. In Japan, things are very regimented and fixed. Here I find things to have a more relaxed feel about them, the people are quite open and approachable. I feel like it’s a bit of an adventure living here, and I really wanted that feeling before I came to Byron.
Hi Tanja..
Why are you doing the FCE program?
Hmm. I’m trying to get better in English and it’s good for my job in Switzerland. I’m an office worker and I will have much better chances to get a better job and earn more money!! Also, I just want to do it for me, because I like English!
Why are you doing it in Australia?
I went to America, and it wasn’t much fun, as I wasn’t 21 and I wasn’t treated as an adult. My best friend was based in Australia, and said it was a great place to be. I talked about this with my father and he also said that he thought Australia would be a good place as there aren’t many opportunities to live this kind of life.
What will you use your FCE course towards?
To get a better job, and of course English is an important language. It’s useful, and it helps me communicate with.. well… the WORLD!
Do you enjoy the FCE course at Global Village Byron Bay?
Of course! It’s a nice place, the people are very helpful. My teacher, Andrew, is really helpful with the preparation for the exam and I have found that I have learnt lots of vocabulary that is really useful!
What do you like most about studying in Byron Bay?
The people are really helpful, it’s very different than Switzerland. People talk to you a lot and I never really feel alone. The climate is great and of course…. the beach! .
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.
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!
As you all know our classes are about to finsih this week and the new courses start on Monday. If you are thinking of moving into an academic preparation program, please speak to Justin to reserve your place.
On March the 22nd, we will be running the following courses:
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!
As we all know it’s been raining a little too much for the last few days! Much to my delight when I went into the common room today everyone was hard at work on the computers, using the great language software! Good on you guys!!
Over the last two days I have had the pleasure of receiving wonderful phone calls from all over the world! All of our CAE students who took the exam in December have passed with flying colours!! That’s a 100% success rate!!!!Fantastic news.
Well done guys. We are so happy to hear this wonderful news, and we are so proud of you and the hard work you put in to make this happen! CONGRATULATIONS!!! We here at GV Byron wish you were here so we could celebrate with you!
Are you always curious about some of the slang that Australians use? The Director of Studies at GV Brisbane, Mariana, has provided some helpful information this week on Australian slang.
GV Brisbane's Director of Studies, Mariana, with Edson from Brazil
Australian English is an accent that is full of lively colourful phrases. Some of the words and expressions used are taken from British slang (very informal vocabulary items).
Some words have a completely different meaning in Australia than they do in other English-speaking countries. Other words are indigenous to Australia and derived from Aboriginal terms, such as ‘boomerang’ and ‘kangaroo’. But the most characteristic aspect of the Australian accent is that common words and expressions have been shortened considerably, turning three- or four-syllable words into two-syllable ones.
It is important to notice that Australian slang exists primarily because Australians take the English language as a game to play, and they love to have fun with words.
Here are some of those everyday words and their shortened Aussie versions for you to use to sound more Australian, but more importantly, to understand natives when you talk to them! Use them whenever you can, and enjoy the language!
Our new FCE and CAE courses started this week and everyone is already hard at work! G.I.L. has never been so busy! Well done everyone and keep up the hard work.
Are looking for ways to improve your English over the holiday break? Becky, the Director of Studies at our Noosa campus, has passed on some ideas that will help.
GV Noosa's Director of Studies, Becky chatting to some students
Students always ask me how they can improve their English over the holiday break. Here are some ideas.
Read
• Christmas cards.
• Newspapers – local papers are delivered free to every house. keep a ‘new vocabulary’ log-write and down every new word you read
• Magazines and junk mail (also free)
• Borrow a book or two from our library or join the local library – it is free!
• Read the subtitles on your favourite movies
Write
• Keep a holiday diary
• Christmas cards and/or happy new year cards
• Write on your facebook in English and impress your friends
Listen
• Movies- always great new films out at Christmas time
• Carol concerts- check your free local paper
• Christmas CDs
Speak
• Australians love to chat – start up a conversation with the person next to you on the bus/beach/supermarket queue/bus stop
• Sing Christmas songs with your friends
• Go to a Karaoke Bar
• Check out Website: www.volqld.org.au and join a volunteer group
Lastly, don’t forget the great interactive CD Rom that comes with your student text book. Catch up on all those lessons you missed!
Have a great holiday break everyone and remember: Use it or lose it!
Patty, the Academic Director for GV Caloundra, has passed on some great study tips to help you get the most out of your time whilst at Global Village.
Patty, the Academic Director for GV Caloundra
Learning a second language can be fun and easy for some but difficult for others. For most of us it doesn’t happen over night and it takes lots of practice.
We all learn differently and have preferred ways of studying but one thing that would really help you improve your English is to keep a study journal. It’s an easy way to monitor your progress. It allows you to assess what works and doesn’t work for you and it makes you take responsibility for your learning.
I am sure you have your own ideas about how you like to study and the types of activities you enjoy doing and don’t enjoy doing.
It is important, however, to think about whether or not you have been successful doing these activities or if you should try something new, if you should use different strategies to help you reach your goal. If you are serious about trying to improve in a particular area you should set an achievable goal and then think about how you are going to do it.
If improving your listening is your goal then think about which area of ‘listening’ you are weakest in. Do you need to improve; listening for specific information or general ideas? Once you have decided there are many different types of exercises you could do.
(There are even lessons and questions provided if you are interested. This website would probably suit Pre-Intermediate to Intermediate students.)
(This would be suitable for Intermediate to Advanced students.)
You can use the template below as a starting point. It can be as detailed as you choose it to be.
Remember we are here to help so ask your teacher for some advice!
Justin, the Director of Studies at GV Byron Bay, has passed on some knowledge for the IELTS exam preparation. Here is some handy information about the speaking component of the exam.
Justin, GV Byron Bay's Director of Studies
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.
IELTS speaking: Phrasal verbs.
A phrasal verb is the combination of a basic verb and a preposition. When a basic verb and a preposition are put together and the meaning of the verb changes, we call that a phrasal verb. To sound more natural and fluent when you speak English, it is a great idea to try to learn and use them.
Have a look at this example:
Pick = to choose
Up = the direction of moving vertical
Pick up = to get someone or something from a location
Notice how the meanings of “Pick” and “Up” are changed when they are put together.
How to practise for the Speaking test:
Recording different topics.
When you are studying a topic in English, try and learn all the phrasal verbs that go with it. We have lots of worksheets that we can give you in GIL, so please feel free to use them or ask your GIL teacher for some more.
A good way to study for the speaking test is to make a list of them. For example, if you are learning about crime, make a note of:
To beat someone up.
To get away with a crime
To make off with some cash
To break into a shop.
To get away with cheating
To hold up* a bank.
To tip off* the police.
Grammar point.
*These phrasal verbs can be separated. You can say:
He held up the bank.
He held the bank up.
He held it up.
But not: He held up it.
We hope this helps, and if you are interested in doing an IELTS course please come and speak to the Director of Studies at any time.
If you are continuing your study into the new year, and if you are thinking of moving into an academic preparation program, please speak to Justin to reserve your place.
In January 2010, we will be running the following courses:
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 are:
The exams take place in Byron and the Gold Coast over two days and consist of five papers; Listening, reading, writing, speaking and use of English.
The courses are intensive full time (25 hours per week) and run for:
IELTS Examination Course
This is a 12 week 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 day 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
Last week in our General English Classes our student reviewed some of their favourite movies…
Movie Title: The Bucket list
The story: This movie is about two men who have different characters, economic states and even skin color. By an accident, they had to share a same room by the rule of the hospital which is there’s no single room or exception, involving the owner of the hospital who is one of two men.
They don’t have enough life to live and they made a bucket list to spent their time in a worthful way and then they started to travel all around world and did what they wanted to. During their trip, they found the real meaning of life. Finally, they became truly friends and one of two died happily.
This movie tries to tell you how much beautiful your life is and what is truly meaningful to you in your lifetime and gives you a chance to reflect your situation for a while.
The characters: There’re two men who are main characters in the movie. One is Morgan Freeman and the other is Jack Nicholson. As we know, they are great great actors and of course, they did good job in this movie, too.
Best parts of the movie: Two man did skydiving in the movie and it looked really scary and exciting because it means that even though they’re old physically, but not mentally. They have passion like us, young people, and this true is easy to be ignored by youngsters, so this scene was highly impressive part of all.
Worst parts of the movie : To be honest, this story is unrealistic because we are not afford to do all of the list without an extremely great fortune. Surely, it doesn’t make sense to ordinary people like us.
Conclusion!: In my opinion, this movie is awesome. If you want to think yourself or be impressed from something, just try !! I’m sure that you’re not going to be sorry ^ ^
Soo Young. Intermediate – General English , Global Village.
The Upper – Intermediate students at GV Caloundra have been busy these past few weeks putting together a magazine.
It’s aim is to provide new and current students with valuable information about GV Caloundra and Caloundra in general but there is also some handy information for students in any locations as well.
Click this link to see the Newsletter
Many thanks to all the students at GV Caloundra who worked hard on this project and a special thanks to Nathalie their teacher who has had to edit and format the magazine.
Are you thinking of pushing your language skills to the next level? The Cambridge courses are starting next week. Pop in and speak to Justin if you are interested!
CAMBRIDGE CERTIFICATE IN ADVANCED ENGLISH
The Cambridge CAE – Certificate in Advanced English course is designed for those of you who are reaching a standard of English that is adequate for most purposes, including social and professional situations, and in higher education.
Cambridge CAE recognises the ability to communicate with confidence in English and deal with most aspects of everyday life. Students at GV Byron Bay should note that this course is a more advanced course than Cambridge FCE.
Cambridge CAE is the second highest level Cambridge ESOL exam.
In the Cambridge CAE Preparation course, you will:
The CAE complete program lasts 12 and the Examination is taken at the end of the course. It is a full time program for very serious students.
Course Schedule: September 14th – 4th December
Monday , Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday: 4 hours + 1 hour GIL
Friday: 3 hours + Choice or Grammar Workshop or Activity Program
There will be pre-testing on Friday September 11th at 1 pm
Please speak to Justin if you want further information or are not sure if you have the correct level.
CAMBRIDGE FIRST CERTIFICATE
This course will follow the syllabus required to pass the prestigious Cambridge First Certificate exam. These exams are presently held three times a year in March, September and December. The course is suitable for students who wish to take the exam or enter a Cambridge course in December, either in their own country or in Australia.
The first certificate is an upper intermediate level exam which requires students to be able to cope confidently with a range of written and spoken communications. A pass at this level indicates proficiency in English for use in clerical, secretarial and managerial jobs in many industries, particularly tourism.
Course Schedule September 14th – 4th December
Monday , Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday: 4 hours + 1 hour GIL
Friday: 3 hours + Choice or Grammar Workshop or Activity Program
There will be pre-testing on Friday September 11th at 1 pm
Please speak to Justin if you want further information or are not sure if you have the correct level.
The IELTS class is underway, and curious to find out how it was going I talked to Yuna about her experience of the class so far.
Justin and Yuna
“I really have liked this class so far and am beginning to see my English skills really being used. In this class we are learning a lot of skills that I didn’t know before, such as how to skim, scan, to take effective notes while listening, write an academic essay and be able to analyze graphical information. We are studying interesting and specialized topics which the GE classes don’t usually practice.
For me one of the important things about taking this course is that I have to make a written report or essay every week. I find writing academically really hard, as it requires lots of time and effort and so on. It is never easy to get it perfect!!. I mean, time management is great essential to me as well as everyone. So at the start of this course, I did make a plan in advance, and I did make the best use of after school and weekend studying hard. As a consequence, I am likely to finish with pride and improve my English skills.
I will tell you how to improve reading and vocabulary and listening skills. Good vocabulary skills will be useful in sentence completion, antonyms, analogies, and reading comprehension. If you know the meaning of all the words in the answer choices, it makes the question easier. When you come across an unfamiliar word, look it up and write down its definition. You’ll be amazed at how much better your vocabulary is after reading on a regular basis for just a month.
Next, explore different forms of reading material. I mean, check out works in both their book forms and books on tape, CD, or digital recording forms. Because if do that you can read a book while listening to the same book on tape. Listening is very important in our daily life it is a real time skill. So we need to understand what we hear on the spot and often you have to respond immediately. You can practice listening at home, through the Internet, on the bus … wherever you are. I recommend the learning center absolutely. In my case, I love watching movie. So when I go to there I used to watch DVDs so practice listening with joy and fun. Also if you are watching TV or listening to the radio, record it then you can listen again. And you can listen to your classbook cassette and workbook cassette at school. Use as many kinds of material as much as possible.
In general, I have really enjoyed this class. It really is a different experience for me, and I find it exciting to be part of a class that is focused on academic English.
