Please meet our next two students … Inma from Spain and Ya from Thailand. In this interview Ya asks Inma about why she came to Byron Bay to study English. The interview was part of an activity designed to improve reported speech. It shows how studying grammar can be a creative activity and one that brings cultures together.

I spoke to Inma yesterday. She comes from Spain and has been in Byron Bay for six weeks.

My first question to her was why she had decided to come to Byron Bay. She replied that she didn’t like big cities and she wanted to live in a peaceful place. She added that Bryon has good weather and the people are very nice. She had been talking to a person who used to live in Byron Bay before and he recommended that she come and study at BBELS. She also told me that she hadn’t been able to find a job since she graduated from university. She hopes that having a high level of English will help her get a better job.

I wondered what she did to improve her English. She told me that she always does her homework and speaks English all the time at school. She added that she has made a lot of friends with local people and she can practice her English with them. I asked her what other things besides English she has learned at BBELS. She said that she has already learned a lot about other cultures from her foreign friends.

Finally, I asked my last question, “Do you want to stay longer in Byron Bay?” She replied that she would love to stay longer if she could.