Cambridge Exams at BBELS: Amazing results in 2019

Posted on by

Cambridge Advanced English (C1) exam results

If you are thinking about studying one of the Cambridge English exams then consider studying here at Byron Bay English Language School. Yes it’s true that we offer a beautiful place to study but more importantly our Cambridge students receive amazingly good success rates.

Looking at the two graphs you can see that in 2019 our Cambridge Advanced (CAE) exam students and our First Certificate (FCE) students achieved results that were higher than the national and international average. Furthermore, our students were higher than average in each component of the exam: listening, reading, speaking, use of English, and writing.

 

Cambridge First Certificate in English (B2) exam results

We are so happy for the students who studied so hard to achieve these results. We are also so proud of our Cambridge teachers who plan and deliver lessons that are obviously so well suited to the needs of the individual students and the challenges of the exams.

Well done to our students and teachers from 2019. We are sure that this success will continue in 2020.

If you would like to know any more information about our exam courses please contact us at info@bbels.com.au or visit our website.

 

 

Welcome to our new students

Posted on by

1st day of school

A big warm welcome to our first intake of new students for 2020. This week saw the beginning of our first block for the year. They are a friendly group from so many countries: Spain, Brazil, the Netherlands, Japan, the Czech Republic, Germany, Belgium, France, Italy, Andorra. We are so happy that they will get to experience such multicultural diversity here.

We have students studying General English, IELTS, and the Cambridge English First/Advanced/Proficiency exam courses. We wish all of them the best of luck in their studies and we hope that their English level improves while also learning the value of sensitivity towards cultural differences.

Contact us at info@bbels.com.au for more information about the Byron Bay English Language School.

Excellent Cambridge Results

Posted on by

A graph comparing BBELS Cambridge Proficiency students (dark green) with national and international students

Students have been coming to BBELS to prepare for the Cambridge English exams for over 15 years. During this time period our students have received some brilliant results. This period has also allowed out teachers time to develop skills and strategies to help our students get the results they dream of.

 

A graph comparing BBELS Cambridge Advanced students (dark green) with national and international students

By looking at these graphs you can see that students who study the Cambridge Preparation courses at BBELS receive higher grades than the international and Australian national average. This is a great visual representation of the quality of our courses and academic staff.

A graph comparing BBELS Cambridge First Certificate students (dark green) with national and international students

Our students work hard to achieve these results (but they still have time to enjoy our beautiful beaches). Our next Cambridge preparation course starts on January 7th 2019. If you would like to study in a relaxing natural environment with highly dedicated teachers, please contact us at info@bbels.com.au

Fantastic Results. Congratulations to our CAE students!

Posted on by

Congratulations to our CAE candidates for doing so well in their exams. We were so pleased to see such a high pass rate.

We would especially like to offer a Huge CONGRATULATIONS to Thomas (from the Netherlands)  and Meva (Switzerland) for scoring an A in the March CAE exam. They achieved CPE level scores for Use of English and speaking and a perfect listening score of 210. Well done! We should also say a big thank you to the Cambridge teachers, Kat and Ash, whose dedication, knowledge, and good humour helps our students achieve good results.

When Thomas contacted his teacher with the happy news, he said:

” Thank you! Without you it would not have been possible”

At BBELS we love meeting students like these who are talented, hardworking and apply themselves to their exam preparation while still managing to have a great time in Byron. 🙂

If you think this sounds like something you’d like to do, take a look at our next Cambridge exam preparation dates by following this link. We look forward to meeting you soon.

 

 

Returning students: Rahel and Patrick

Posted on by

Rahel and Patrick returning to BBELS for a visit

February must be the month for BBELS reunions! This week we received another surprise visit from 2 of our lovely ex-students Rahel Millhausler and Patrick Appenzeller. Rahel studied CAE with us in 2012 and Patrick studied General English in 2014.

Interestingly Rahel & Patrick met at the “Rainy Zurich BBELS Reunion” of 2016 and spontaneously decided to travel back to Byron together. It’s great to see them again as they are so positive and good to have around.

This is Rahel’s 3rd visit to Byron and Patrick was so inspired by his time at the live music parties at BBELS that he decided to learn guitar!

We are very happy to see them again … ROCK ON!!!

Interview with our top CAE student Peter.

Posted on by

Peter and his CAE teacher Kat

The latest Certificate in Advanced English (CAE) results have been released and once again we are very happy with the high standard of our students. Congratulations to our students for doing so well, some of whom got the highest level possible in the listening, reading, writing components of the exam. We are so happy for you and we hope that your CAE certificates will grant you entry into the jobs or university courses of your dreams.

One student who did exceptionally well in the exam is Peter (Germany). Peter was a model student (and a really nice guy). He didn’t miss a single lesson throughout the 12-week intensive preparation; he consistently listened to his teacher’s advice; he worked hard in class even after big nights out on the town. The result? Peter got an incredibly high “grade A” (CEFR C2 level). This included 100% in the listening component. Well done!

Peter with his classmate Julien (Switzerland)

While Peter was at BBELS he made the decision to change his life and find strong connections with the people around him. Over the period of the CAE course he became an exceptionally social person. After class each day he could be found chatting with other students around the school or playing beach volleyball at Main beach.

A classroom activity

We asked Peter a little bit about his experience at BBELS…

Why did you decide to study in the CAE preparation course?

My objective is to study a Masters in Business back home in Germany. For this it is compulsory to show you have a certain level of English. A high level CAE test result is also good for employment, especially in the sales area.

Peter’s CAE class

What did you like about the course and your teacher’s methodology?

Kat is an amazing teacher. Her explanations and directives in the classroom are very clear. She combines this great methodology with with a very warm heart. She cares for the welfare of her students, often spending extra time with them when they need someone to talk to. Kat also helped us feel comfortable in our new town, she recommended places to visit, gave us the names of good cafes and so on. At first Kat was very serious but once we knew the school rules she showed that she is quite a funny person.

Now that you have achieved such a great CAE exam result, what is your next plan?

I will travel around Australia for 3 months. I made some great friends at BBELS and we will travel together along the east coast. It’ll be a continuation of study in a way because my friends are from different countries so we will have to speak English during our travels.

If you would like to know more about the courses at Byron Bay English Language School please follow this link or email us at info@bbels.com.au

BBELS goes to Fraser Island

Posted on by

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.

 

Fantastic Cambridge Exam Results at BBELS

Posted on by

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.

 

Student’s story: how to achieve a dream

Posted on by

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!

BBELS team in AFL 9’s tournament for the first time ever!

Posted on by

p1030666   

The AFL 9’s tournament is held every year from the end of October until mid December and it takes place at the grounds of the Cavanbah Sports Centre in Byron Bay. AFL stands for Australian Football League, a game unique to Australia and also its most popular sport.

p1030638

This year Max, our activities manager, has formed a team of students from various countries: Loïs, Maxime and Loic (Switzerland French part); Kim, Nadja, Florian and Céline (Switzerland German part); Gianluca (Italy); Julia and David (the Netherlands); William (France) and Alex (Germany) as well as Reuben (our travel consultant) to compete against seven other local teams. Each team comprises of six male and three female players plus reserves. That is one of the reasons why Max, coach and player, liked the idea of entering the school in a mixed team competition. It is also a special and unique opportunity for our students to play a game only played in this country.

p1030649

All the team members are enjoying this whole experience and are starting to improve their skills as well as their teamwork. After losing their first game through lack of experience, they have won their next three to sit second on the ladder.

All the school looks forward to supporting them in their upcoming games and wishes them lots of luck!