Interview with a student: Maribel from Mexico

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In this post we will introduce you to one of the friendlest and most positive students we have had at BBELS. Maribel comes from Mexico. She studied a combination of both General English and IELTS. You can read her interview below …

Why did you decide to come to Australia?

I decided to come to Australia because of my boyfriend. He is Australian and he was living with me in Mexico for 4 years until we decided to come to Australia to try to have a new experience in life.

How long have you been studying in Byron?

I have been studying at BBELS for 6 months.

What do you like most about BBELS?

I like most about BBELS the quality of the service that is offered to me as student, the variety of nationalities between students and the professional teachers. I have been enjoying my classes and the activities at the school.

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Which place is your favourite place in Byron Bay?

My favourite place to share time with interesting local people is the Aged Care where I have been volunteering since I came here. I enjoy doing activities there with people who have amazing histories to talk about. It is also a good place for practicing my English, they are always happy to help me with my pronunciation.

Another favourite place for having a walk is Tallow Beach, I love going to the beach with my dog. It is a perfect place for that.

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How do you expect the English you have been learning at BBELS to help you when you get back to your country?

I expect that I will use it in my job, and having a conversation with foreign people who visit my country. In addition, English is an important language around the world. For that reason it will be easier to speak with people of different nationalities when I travel overseas.

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What do you like most about the Australian culture as well as the people and how is it different from your culture at home?

In my opinion the Australian culture is one of the friendliest around the world. I love that Australia has a diverse culture. It is very different from my country but both are beautiful places.

Student interview: Mar and Leandra

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Mar from Spain  and Leandra from Switzerland

As part of an upper-intermediate class activity Mar interviewed her classmate about her time in Byron Bay. Here is the interview:

Yesterday I spoke to Lea, a 21 year old Swiss girl who is studying a sixteen week general English course at Byron Bay English Language School. I spoke to her about her life in Byron Bay and her experience as a BBELS student.

I asked Lea how she would describe Byron and she said that it is an awesome place where you can find nice beaches and an amazing and healthy lifestyle. Lea added that the people there are really friendly, open-minded, spontaneous and very relaxed.

I wanted to know what the classes were like and she told me that they were dynamic and interesting. The teachers are also very professional but what she likes most is that she is able to work on each language skill daily (speaking, writing, listening, reading and grammar).

I then asked her what she was going to do when she finished her English course and she told me she has planned a seven week trip to visit the most stunning places in the country such as: Melbourne, Sydney, Adelaide, Cairns, Tasmania, Kangaroo Island and Uluru.

Finally I asked her if she thought that Byron Bay was a good place to study English. She didn’t have any hesitation in answering “Of course!” She explained to me that the natural environment, the relaxed lifestyle and the multicultural atmosphere made Byron an unbeatable destination. She added that everyone should come here at least once in a lifetime.

 

BBELS Spanish Siblings: Teresa and Paulo

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During the last couple of months we had the pleasure of teaching Teresa and Paulo. We loved having these Spanish siblings here, they were a positive force in the classroom and had a great time participating in activities after class. Read further about their time at BBELS and in Byron Bay.

Why did you decide to come to Australia?

We decided to come to Australia because it’s the best place to improve our English while we practise surfing. Byron Bay is also completely different from the Basque Country and it’s a good chance to meet people from all over the world.

How long have you been studying in Byron Bay?

We’ve been here for six weeks but it seems that it’s only been six days. We would like to stay for longer but it’s not possible at the moment, we will come back for sure.

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You live in a guardian homestay family/student house. Tell us a little bit about it.

Paulo has been in a host family. He has met an awesome family of two siblings and a mother. They’ve been really nice with him and he’s very grateful to them.

On the other hand, Teresa has been in a student house. She has met a lot of new friends from different countries. The house had a really good location, very close to the school. The atmosphere has been great thanks to the other housemates.

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Can you also tell us about the activities you do here at BBELS?

Every day the school offers several activities such as theme parks, different kinds of sport, school parties, yoga classes… and we’ve joined some of them.

What do you like most about BBELS?

We’ve had the pleasure to meet people from everywhere. The teachers are also very friendly with students and they make a great environment at school. Finally, the whole staff do their best to help everyone.

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Which place is your favourite place in Byron?

It’s very tricky to choose just one place, but if we have to say one it would be the Lighthouse. From this place you can see all of Byron, including the coastline.

 

Interview with the students: Caden and Magdale

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Caden from South Korea and Magdale from Switzerland

In our ongoing series of student interviews Magdale interviewed Caden about why he came to Byron Bay and BBELS; things that he enjoyed doing here; things that he missed from home. We always love reading these interviews and we hope that you do too:

Today I spoke with Caden at the Byron Bay English Language School. Firstly,  I asked him how he had found out about BBELS. He told me that he had searched for English schools online and had found great comments from other students.

Before he came here Caden had started surfing in his country, Korea. He told me that here in Byron Bay there are better and easier waves so he prefers to surf here. Caden added that his best memory so far in Byon Bay is the time when he first stood up on his surfboard for a long time.

I asked him if he ever felt lonely here and he replied that he had never been alone because he arrived with his best friend Yongki.  Sometimes he misses his family because they are very important to him.

I wanted to know what was Caden’s favourite place in Byron Bay and he answered that he loved going to the Lighthouse.

Finally I asked him about his plans for the weekend and he replied that he was going to meet some friends and cook Spanish paella with them.

Meet the students: Renan from Brazil

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Renan, our 16 year old student from Brazil

In this post we will introduce you to Renan. Renan travelled to Byron Bay by himself to study English. He became a favourite student in his Intermediate class with both his teacher and classmates. He also became a popular house-mate in his Australian homestay house. In this interview Renan talks about his experience in Byron Bay as a 16 year old student …

Why did you decide to come to Australia?

I wanted to improve my English and I had two options. I could go to Australia or to Canada. But honestly, I think Canada is too cold. A friend of mine, who went to Australia before, showed me some pictures and told me a few things about the country. And I really liked it.

How long have you been studying in Australia?

I have already been here for three months. And I really would like to stay for a longer time. But I have to go back to Brazil, because I only took a break from high school.

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Meeting the wildlife on a school trip to the local wildlife sanctuary

 What do you like most about BBELS?

The methods of teaching are very interesting. It is never boring in class. My teacher does a lot of different things with us, and we also do excursions or just have a class outside. We went to the Currumbin zoo, to the lighthouse and to some cafes in Byron Bay.

You are one of our underage students. What did you experience about being one of the youngest students at school?

All students and staff at school really take care of me. On orientation day I made a lot of friends from different countries already and everybody helped me. So I do not feel homesick at all.

The only thing that is a little bit different is going out in the evening. I am not allowed to go out, and I have to be at home when my homestay family wants. But I understand it because my homestay family and the school, are responsible for me.

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Renan with his homestay family and housemates

You live in a guardian home stay family. Tell us a little bit about it.

My family is amazing. They care a lot and help me with everything. We really have a good relationship. And they cook for me what I want. There are 5 other students living in this big house, and I really feel like home in a big family. And they help me with my English.

Can you also tell us about the activities you do here at school?

 I like to play volleyball and go to the beach. It is good to meet the other students and become friends with them. I also took some surf lessons with the school. And now I go surfing a lot. And I like the school parties of course, because these are the only parties I can go to.

 

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A big family meal at the homestay house

What do you like most about Byron?

The people here are very friendly and open minded. In my first week here, I was lost. I could not remember the way home. So I asked a guy in the street and he was very nice and just gave me a ride home.

I also love the beautiful beaches here. You have good waves and good places to surf.

Check out this interview with Renan and another teenage student Laura in Portuguese

Meet the students: Jules from New Caledonia

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Meet Jules our New Caledonian student. He studied in the IELTS class and received a fantastic result in his IELTS exam. Jules could often be heard playing his guitar outside the school each afternoon but now he can be found working in one of Byron Bay’s Mexican restaurants. Jules is an example of how it is possible for our students to study and find work here in Byron Bay. Read below to learn more about this interesting man …

Why did you decide to come to Australia?

I wanted to start travelling the world, and Australia looked like a good starting point, I can work on my English, and enjoy the sea.

How long have you been studying in Australia?

I studied in Australia for 8 weeks, to pass my IELTS exam.

What do you like best about BBELS?

Meeting new people from around the world, discovering new cultures, the mood and feelings around and in the school, playing music with a lot of different musicians.

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You are working in a restaurant and you worked at the markets. Tell us about it.

Working in a market is hard. It starts early in the morning, you have to work a lot to be ready for the never-ending waves of people coming, you are paid depend on the selling. That was pretty hard. On the other hand, working in a restaurant is only hard the first month. You have to learn everything, remember a lot of different stuff. When you are ready, it’s always the same thing, so it’s not that bad. Good money, anyway.

Can you also tell us a little bit about your passion for music?

I’ve been playing music for all my life, as far as I can remember. Started with piano, for 15 years, and then I started touching everything, try new instruments. Now, I’m working on my guitar playing and singing skills. But yeah, music is pretty much all I’ve got. That’s why I love to play at school parties and in town.

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What do you like about Byron Bay?

Byron Bay is an amazing place for musicians, lot of opportunities if you know where to look at. Also great to meet people from different countries, which I love. It’s a really relaxed town, stuck in time, far away from world troubles and politic bullshits. It’s like a haven for lost travellers. Once you are here, you don’t want to leave.

What are you planning to do next?

I’m still asking myself the same question. Travel more, I guess, but where to go next ?