Richard and Vanessa

Richard and Vanessa are from Brazil and travelled to Australia together to study at Lexis Byron Bay. They have been here for nine weeks now and are enrolled to study with us for a total of 24 weeks. They then hope to extend their stay by continuing their studies at Lexis with a Business course later in the year.

At the famous Byron Bay Lighthouse

Enjoying the view and spotting some dolphins

On the boardwalk along the coastline

Richard has always dreamt of living in a different country and experiencing a different culture. When the two of them realised the importance of learning English to further their careers, they decided to study English in Australia. In Brazil, having a higher level of English often means better opportunities for jobs.

First day at school – Richard and Vanessa starting with five other new students

Both Vanessa and Richard are enjoying their time in Byron Bay. For Vanessa, one of her favourite parts of living here are the beautiful beaches. She said that even if you go to the same beach every day, each day is completely different – whether it be the water, the sky, or the sunset, it is a different place every day. She finds the beaches here very peaceful. She also loves the night sky in Byron Bay, with so many stars that can be seen so clearly, it is a beautiful night view. Richard is a big fan of the famous Byron Bay Lighthouse. He enjoys the walk through the National Park area, which always delivers close encounters with the local wildlife including wallabies, rabbits, whales, dolphins, parrots, bush turkeys, lizards and turtles.  Richard has been impressed by the respect that Australians show for wildlife in this country, which he feels is a huge cultural difference between here and Brazil.

Vanessa playing in the Table Tennis Tournament

Richard learning to Skateboard

Richard and some of his teammates in the Soccer Challenge against another Byron Bay school

Having been studying for nine weeks already, both Richard and Vanessa feel that their English has greatly improved already. They both agreed that studying at Lexis has really helped them improve their grammar skills, and that meeting other students and people in Byron Bay has helped them improve their speaking skills as they use English in all their social situations. Vanessa has found all the people in Byron Bay to be very friendly and believes we live in a little piece of paradise. Richard would recommend others to study here as it is a unique experience and life is short! Both said that the staff at Lexis, both in the office and all the teachers, are all gentle, kind, helpful and friendly too. They have both learnt a lot from their teachers and find that each teacher helps them to understand English in new ways.

Baking some Aussie Cookies – Anzac Biscuits

Richard playing ‘Aussie Heads’ at Coffee Club

Vanessa and Richard painting Boomerangs

Richard, Vanessa and fellow Brazilian Paola with their finished Boomerangs

When they first arrived, Richard and Vanessa lived with a Homestay family for the first two months. They thoroughly enjoyed this experience, as they felt very at home with their host family who were very friendly and great cooks! Initially they found it a bit difficult to adapt to the cultural differences and different house rules compared to Brazil, but before long they had settled in and quickly felt as though they were part of the family. They have just moved into a rental property – right next door to their host family. They have been lucky enough to share their property with an Australia local too – a friendly koala who is living in a tree in their garden!

Vanessa and Richard enjoyed Coffee, TimTams and conversation at Coffee Club

After completing their current English course, Vanessa and Richard hope to continue studying here for an extra six months before travelling around Australia. They would like to visit Tasmania, Cairns, the Outback, Sydney, Melbourne and many other places across the country before returning to Brazil and to work.

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We are very happy to have you both in the Lexis Family at Byron Bay and hope you continue to enjoy your time here at school, in Byron Bay and wherever your travels eventually take you! 🙂

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Learn English in Byron Bay. Lexis English students study General English, IELTS, FCE, CAE and English plus Surfing in a friendly and professional school right in the heart of Byron Bay and only 15 minutes from the beach.