BBELS goes to Fraser Island

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BBELS students in front of the Wreck at Fraser Island

Last week Reuben, our activities and tour manager, organised a trip to Fraser Island in Queensland. For 3 days our students got to enjoy the amazing environment of the world’s biggest sand island.

Fraser Island is famous for its biodiversity. It has beautiful coloured lakes and creeks, forest, and plenty of beaches. It is a quiet place to chill and recharge with friends, ideal for our students who have spent several months studying English .

BBELS usually organises a trip to Fraser Island every 12 weeks. Our students always return to Byron Bay feeling refreshed and they have many stories about the great time they had there. We believe these trips help maintain students’ motivation while also helping them to appreciate the gorgeous Australian natural environment.

For more information about the BBELS courses and activities please visit our website.

 

A day trip to Minyon Falls

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Some of our Cambridge students at the base of Minyon Falls

It hasn’t rained here for months and months so finally after a few days of wet weather it was the perfect time to take one of our Cambridge classes on a day trip to Minyon Falls.

Walking through the sub-tropical forest on the way to the base of Minyon Falls

Our students always love visiting this waterfall. It is about 45 minutes drive from Byron Bay and for many tourists without a car it is very difficult to access. Our drivers usually stop at different points of interest along the way where students get to see views across Byron Bay and the hinterland.

Climbing over some rocks at the end of the walk

It is a moderately easy walk to the base of the waterfall. The sights, sounds, and fresh air during the walk make it extremely worthwhile. At the end of the walk our teachers usually organise an Australian BBQ lunch for the students. It is always a great day out, and if you study at BBELS you could join us here at Minyon Falls.

 

For more information about our courses and activities visit our website at http://www.bbels.com.au/

 

 

 

Fantastic Cambridge Exam Results at BBELS

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We are very happy to tell you that our June Cambridge exam students got really great results. 100% of our Cambridge Advanced in English (CAE) students passed their exam, and 90% of our First Certificate in English (FCE) students passed their exam.

These are fantastic results and we hope that the students are pleased with their success. They worked very hard during their 12-week preparation course here at Byron Bay English Language School. Their teachers also worked hard, doing many hours of overtime to help the students succeed.

Here at BBELS our Cambridge students always receive excellent preparation in the CPE, CAE, ad FCE exams. Our teachers are extremely experienced and attend to each of the students’ academic needs to help them pass the exam.

Our next Cambridge preparation courses start on 4th September. If you would like more information about the course please email us at info@bbels.com.au or visit our website.

 

Graduation Day at BBELS

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Some of our recent graduates

Every Friday our classes finish at 12:15 so that we can say goodbye to our students who are graduating. The staff and students listen to the graduates as they give speeches expressing thanks to the teachers for their hard work, emotional goodbyes to their new friends, and motivational words encouraging their classmates to enjoy everything the school and Byron Bay has to offer.

Ryuji with with his certificate of completion on graduation day

Many of our students express how nervous they are feeling to be giving a speech in public but all of them feel as though they have achieved a goal in their English language learning to have stood before a group of people and deliver a monologue in their 2nd language. The teachers are always especially proud of them.

Another happy student receiving her certificate of completion

Another great thing about the graduation ceremony is the chance to listen to Max (our activities officer) talk about the weekend activities he has organised. He always has so much for students to do at the weekend including bus trips to national parks, shopping centres, or cultural events.

See you at graduation this Friday 🙂

Study IELTS at BBELS

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Our next IELTS course starts on Monday June 19th. It is always one of our most popular courses and our students have achieved some really great results. This post will explain a little bit about the IELTS exam and answer some of the common questions that our students ask.

What is IELTS?

IELTS (International English Language Testing System) is an exam that tests your ability in English. More specifically, it examines your levels in reading, writing, listening, and speaking. The IELTS certificate is recognised by 10,000 institutions around the world.

There are 2 types of IELTS tests: IELTS Academic and IELTS General Training.

IELTS Academic is suitable for students who want to study at universities and colleges. It is also suitable for professional accreditation in certain jobs, these include: healthcare, accounting, engineering, law, tourism, finance.

IELTS General Training is suitable for students who are interested in applying for visas. It is especially helpful for students who want to migrate to Australia, New Zealand, the U.K, Canada. We often recommend our students to take this exam if they are interested interested in getting an internationally recognised certificate which shows their level of English.

What is the test format?

The test is divided in listening, reading, writing, speaking. The listening format is the same for both Academic and General.

Listening (30 minutes):

You listen to 4 different recordings of native English speakers. These will include: a conversation between two people; a monologue in a social context; a conversation between up to 4 people; a monologue on an academic subject.

Writing (60 minutes):

Academic test: You will be presented with 2 tasks. Task 1 requires you to describe a graph or diagram. Task 2 requires you to write an essay.

General test: Task 1 asks you to write a letter in a semi-formal or formal style. Task 2 asks you to write an essay.

Reading (60 minutes):

Academic test: includes 3 texts from books, newspapers, whose vocabulary and topics are suitable for those at a university level

General Test: includes texts from books, newspapers whose vocabulary and topics are suitable for those who understand English on a general level.

Speaking (11-14 minutes):

The speaking test is divided into 3 parts. You will be asked to talk about yourself; speak about a particular topic; extend a discussion by expressing ideas and issues.

 

Our IELTS courses are a great way to improve your English level. You don’t have to do the exam, you can simply study in the class, however we do recommend it. We always receive great feedback about our course.

If you are interested in joining our next IELTS course (June 19th start date) please come and speak with us at reception or contact us at info@bbels.com.au.

Student’s story: how to achieve a dream

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In this week’s student story Sara from Spain talks about the steps she took to come to study here at Byron Bay English Language School. It is an inspirational story and we hope it motivates other people to pursue their dreams …

After working for ten years in the same office I decided to abandon my comfort zone and chase my dream: to live for 1 – 3 years abroad, as far as possible away from home.

This wasn’t an easy decision and most of the people I know wouldn’t dare try it. However, if you are reading this article, you have already gone half-way.

Follow these tips to achieve your dream, they are based on my own experience.

  1. Start by writing on a piece of paper what you would love to achieve and the steps you have to take. It’s very useful to make sure you know what you want. Don’t panic if you have doubts at the beginning.
  2. One classic mistake is to rush into things. Take your time to save money and organise your steps. Everything needs its own time, be careful not to make decisions in emotional circumstances.
  3. Tell everybody about your dream. Take every opportunity to talk about it with your friends and family. It is absolutely essential that you are not embarrassed  – you are doing something very brave. Always remember this: if you follow your dreams the universe will conspire. People that love you will help you to achieve it.
  4. Make as many contacts as you are able to. It’s better to have several telephone numbers in case of an emergency. The last thing you want is to be alone away from home.

Good luck and at least try it!

Congratulations to our Cambridge Proficiency Exam students

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Congratulations to Willemijn (the Netherlands) and Juliane (Switzerland)

We are very proud of our Cambridge Proficiency Exam (CPE) students. After studying very hard for 12 weeks at Byron Bay English Language School both Willemijn and Juliane scored exceedingly well in their CPE exam. Willemijn scored a grade A and Juliane scored a grade B. This is a fantastic achievement!

Their teacher, Kat, said they deserve these great results because they were excellent students who worked so hard in class and always maintained a fabulous attitude.

These great results prove once again that Byron Bay English Language School provides a fantastic academic environment for students who are serious in achieving their objectives. Well done to the students and their teacher!

Happy New Year from BBELS

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Our starters this week

It has been a fantastic start to the new year here at Byron Bay English Language School. Since the 3rd of January we have had 101 new students enter our classrooms. They are now studying in our Cambridge and IELTS preparation courses, and in our General English programs.

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As you can see from this graph we have an extremely diverse range of students studying here from Europe, Asia, the Middle East, and South America. We always enjoy seeing the way in which people from different cultures learn from each other and make life-long friendships.

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Some of our new students on their first day

We hope that all of our new students and continuing students have a great time here at the school and in Byron Bay. Happy New Year everyone 🙂

International cooking class

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Cooking classes are always a fun way to spend the morning here at BBELS. With such a diverse nationality mix this class got to enjoy a range of Swiss, Spanish, Japanese, and French cuisine. During the classes the students speak in English as they work together. What a fantastic reward at the end to sit down and enjoy all of this beautiful looking food!

Outdoor classes at BBELS

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Caroline’s Intermediate Class at Broken Head, South of Byron Bay

It is late Autumn here in Byron Bay but it is still warm enough to go outside wearing t-shirts and shorts. Yesterday afternoon Caroline’s Intermediate class enjoyed the sunshine by travelling 15 minutes south of Byron Bay to the Broken Head Nature Reserve.

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The class walked along the Three Sister’s walking track and learned about the Indigenous history of the area.

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The class was also lucky enough to see an echidna searching for ants to eat alongside the track.

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Autumn really is a beautiful time to visit the local area. The temperature is warm during the day, the beaches and streets are less crowded, and it is easy to sit outside and enjoy the great outdoors in comfort. Students always say they love studying here at this time of year. We hope to see you at BBELS soon!