New Cambridge and IELTS exam classes – 16th March

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Cambridge students listening to vital grammar explanations 🙂

In just over 1-month BBELS will begin it’s new classes for the Cambridge and IELTS exam courses. There are still a few spaces available if you are interested in studying with us. As you can see from previous posts, our exam teachers have a strong history of helping their students attain fantastic results.

BBELS is one of the few schools in Australia that provides lessons for Cambridge Proficiency students. Since we started teaching Proficiency our fabulous teacher Kat has helped every student pass this very difficult exam. Congratulations to Kat and her students.

Similarly, students who study with us to prepare for the IELTS exam have also had some wonderful success-stories. Many of them have achieved results higher than they expected which has helped them for immigration purposes as well as for entrance into exclusive university courses around the world.

Our next Cambridge and IELTS preparation courses start on the 16th March. Contact us at info@bbels.com.au for more information.

 

 

Cambridge Classes visit the Farmers’ Markets

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Some happy Cambridge students standing outside the free double-decker bus to the markets

It’s a beautiful spring day here in Byron Bay … ideal weather to take our new Cambridge classes to the local Byron Bay Farmers’ Markets. Both classes took the free bus that runs from town to the market area where they then spent an hour looking at the local organic produce while talking to each other in English.

Nino, Lucas and Thomas, plus some photo-bombers in the bus.

Excursions like these are a great way for our students to understand the local community more comprehensively. They are also a friendly way for our students to spend time with one another, making friendships that will hopefully last long into the future.

If you look very closely to Nino (on the left) you will see that he looks 1-year older. Happy birthday Nino 🙂

How to choose an ESL school

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The entrance to BBELS

There are so many language schools around the world that it can be difficult to choose which school will be best for what you need. Here is a short guide to help you in your decision-making process.

1. Has the school been operating for a long time?

School’s with a long history will usually have experienced teachers and administrative staff to help you achieve your language goals. Their courses should also have a clear curriculum with learning outcomes that are nationally and internationally accredited.

BBELS has been operating for 21 years. This is quite an accomplishment for a small independent boutique school. During this time our teachers have developed fantastic methodologies to explain the details of English grammar in ways which are interesting to students. Our administrative team has also learnt how to support students when they first arrive as well as provide continuing assistance to our long-term students.

2. Is the school nationally and internationally accredited?

Before booking a course with a school it is important to check that it has passed the standards required within its own country as well as internationally. If a school isn’t accredited by serious governing organisations, it could easily not be delivering high quality services.

BBELS is accredited here in Australia through ASQA and NEAS.  Internationally we are proud to be members of the prestigious IALC organisation. To be accredited through these companies we are required to be inspected on a regular basis. During this process inspectors interview students and staff in order to check the school is maintaining a high standard of excellence. Inspectors also check the school building, observe classes, and view the course curriculum.

3. Does the school have positive online feedback?

Before booking a course make sure you spend time checking the school’s online feedback. Try to find reviews on Google, and comments on the school’s Facebook and Instagram pages. Be cautious of school’s that have no feedback. Also, schools with 100% positive feedback might look good but there is a big chance they have deleted any negative reviews.

At BBELS we ask our students to provide feedback when they graduate as well as to speak to us if they have any suggestions on how to improve. We are always ready to listen to new ideas.

4. Does the school have links with other education providers?

If you are interested in staying in Australia over an extended period it is a good idea to look for a language school which can provide a pathway for you to study at other institutions. If you study at a school that doesn’t have agreements with other education providers, you might not have the opportunities to extend your visa or study to your fullest potential while you are here.

BBELS provides pathways to other language schools throughout Australia. This means you can move to another part of Australia and continue studying quite easily. We also have agreements with other education providers in the tertiary sector.

5. Does the school provide discounted options for local activities and travel?

Of course your main priority should be to study hard while you are in Australia but this also needs to be balanced with the opportunity to travel around the country at an affordable rate. Students also need the chance to participate in activities after school so that they can socialise and pursue sporting or creative interests.

BBELS has a strong after school activities program. Students can participate in a range of sports such as beach volleyball and football or they can join more creative lessons such as music classes. We always get positive feedback for these activities.

Our travel desk also gets positive reviews from our students. Discounted flight and hotel prices are regularly provided by our travel officer. He makes sure that students are fully looked after with their travel itinerary.

6. Location

Before choosing to study overseas you should definitely consider which type of place you would like to stay in, whether this is for 1 week or a more extended stay of 8-12 weeks (or more). If you like the fast pace of a city it could be wise to avoid a country town, if you enjoy a slower pace of life or if you are burnt-out by city-living why not try a smaller town.

Byron Bay is one of the most desirable travel locations in Australia. We have quiet beaches, forested hills, along with a cosmopolitan-style hospitality industry which offers a wide range of healthy eating and bars to drink in. BBELS is centrally located within Byron Bay. We are a short walk from the Main Beach and there is a huge number of places to eat at during your breaks.

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Before enrolling in a language course we strongly recommend that you spend the time researching each school’s suitability to your individual needs. If you have any questions about our courses or life in Byron Bay please email us directly at info@bbels.com.au or visit our website.

 

BBELS Flexi Program: an interview with Carlos and Ana

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Ana and Carlos (from Spain). Two students enjoying the BBELS Flexi Program

Did you know that BBELS has connections with other English Language Schools throughout Australia? These connections allow our students to easily move between schools in different cities if they enrol through our Flexi Program.

What is the BBELS Flexi Program?

We know that some students are keen to study at BBELS however they are concerned that Byron Bay may not be the right place for a long enrolment. This is why BBELS has created the Flexi Program. It provides students studying long term at BBELS (24 weeks or more) with the opportunity to move to a city school after completing 50% of their course. The BBELS Flexi program therefore gives some assurance to our long-term students that they can change destinations if Byron Bay is not “their place”.

We have found that only 5% of our students choose to move once they have been studying here. The other 95% choose to stay in Byron Bay due to friendships, work, the relaxed culture of the town, and of course because of our wonderful teachers and staff.

To learn more about our students’ experience on the Flexi Program we interviewed Carlos and Ana. Please read their interview below.

Flexi Program: interview with Carlos and Ana

Ana and Carlos at Byron Bay’s Lighthouse

This week we spoke with Carlos and Ana, a Spanish couple who enrolled through the Flexi Program. These 2 lovely students arrived here in February and recently decided to stay until August. We sat together to discuss what concerns they had before they arrived and why they decided to stay at BBELS.

What were your concerns about studying in Byron Bay before you arrived here?

Ana: we knew that we would be studying during winter and we weren’t sure if we would be able to find work. Luckily we have both found jobs here.

Carlos: also, we didn’t know if we would still be enjoying the lifestyle here after 3 or 4 months. We felt like we needed the security of a flexible program.

Why did you decide to study in Byron Bay?

Carlos: we were living in Barcelona where it was very stressful. We needed to have a break from that life. So we preferred to live in a town rather than a city.

Ana: we also liked the position of Byron Bay. It’s in the centre of Australia’s east coast, so we can easily drive north or south to see different parts of the country.

You recently decided to continue studying here rather than move to another Australian town. Why is that?

Ana: we feel so comfortable with the local people. We love the town. It is close to the beach and it’s close to the mountains too.

Carlos: yes, it’s like we have found our own little space here. It is especially good that we are able to work here and afford a car so we can drive to local places.

Ana: Carlos has joined Byron Bay’s local basketball team too so he is making friends with local people and his English has improved because of this.

Thanks to you both for your time and beautiful photos 🙂

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If you would like to know more about the BBELS Flexi Program or any of our courses please visit our website or contact us directly at info@bbels.com.au. Please note that the Flexi Program is limited to certain nationalities.

 

 

 

Environmental Studies class at BBELS

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Students at BBELS currently have the option to study Environmental Studies in our afternoon classes. We are very lucky to have 2 teachers with a background in both Environmental Science and Permaculture (organic farming). The teachers are bringing their knowledge into our classrooms in a way where students can learn about environmental issues while also developing their English skills. What a great combination!

Viewing a small part of the market garden

This week the classes visited an organic farm in the beautiful hills behind Byron Bay. The farm produces organic eggs, honey, and chickens for the local Farmers’Market and restaurants.

The students had a great afternoon at the farm. They walked around the organic market garden, they looked at innovative ways to catch and use fresh rainwater, and they spoke with 2 permaculture specialists about organic growing techniques.

The entrance to the farm (thanks for the photo Alvaro)

The Environmental Studies elective is a very popular class. Here at BBELS we always try to find classes that are relevant to both contemporary society and our students’ needs.

Free-range chickens – thanks again Alvaro 🙂

If you would like to know more about our Environmental Studies class or any of our other courses, please contact us at info@bbels.com.au or visit our website.

 

A Morning in the Sunshine

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Students from Chile, Switzerland, Japan, Brazil enjoying the sunshine

It may be winter in Australia but the sun is shining and our students are enjoying the warm days. Having just finished a mid-course test our Intermediate teacher thought a good reward for excellent results was to take the students on an excursion into the Byron Bay hinterland. First they traveled to Minyon Falls to check out the amazing view down into the forested valley.

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The class then drove down the hill to the beautiful beachside village of Brunswick Heads. If you look carefully in the photo you can see Byron Bay just to the left of Rina’s (white cap) head!

We love taking our students out of the classroom and placing them in authentic learning environments. These short excursions are such a great way for the students to understand more about the region where they are studying too.

If you would like to know more about the Byron Bay English Language School please follow this link.

 

Fantastic Results. Congratulations to our CAE students!

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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.

 

 

Advanced class goes to Nightcap National Park

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It is the beginning of Autumn here in Australia. The days are beautiful and warm, it’s perfect for spending time outside. So, this week our Advanced class traveled to Nightcap National Park to spend a day practising English in these beautiful natural surroundings.

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Nightcap National Park is only 45 minutes from Byron Bay so it is an easy bus ride from school. During the bus trip the students listened to music and spoke in their new favourite language … English!

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We always encourage our classes to spend some time outside with their teacher. It facilitates spontaneous learning and becomes a bonding experience for the students. We are so lucky here at BBELS to have our own bus to drive students to these beautiful locations.

If you would like to be part of these experiences contact us at info@bbels.com.au

Afternoon Elective Classes at BBELS

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 Prue in her Business English class

As part of our General English program we offer full-time students the chance to study “elective classes” in the afternoons. These classes are open to full-time students in the Intermediate – Advanced levels. The classes are very popular as the subjects combine English with practical knowledge and skills that can benefit students in their careers or university courses.

The elective classes that we regularly teach include: Vocabulary and Speaking, English Structure, Australian Studies, International News and Presentation Skills, Hospitality and Tourism, IELTS preparation, Cinema Studies.

This week we have added a new elective class: Business English. Using one of the Cambridge Business Vantage Exam preparation coursebooks this elective focuses on vocabulary and information relating to business and economies in the modern world. It teaches students how world economies operate and helps them acquire the knowledge they need to communicate effectively in a business situation.

If you would like to know more about our classes please contact us at info@bbels.com.au or click here.

Elementary Class Excursion to Lennox Head

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Walking in the beautiful summer sunshine at Lennox Head

Yesterday our Elementary class drove 25 minutes to the nearby surfing town of Lennox Head. Not only is Lennox Head listed as one of the world’s top 20 surfing spots, it also has a beautiful lake and a small town filled with cafes and bars. We are so lucky to have a school bus so that we can share these beautiful places with our students.

The class had a great time walking along the headland while learning the vocabulary for all of the trees and animals that they saw. These real-life experiences can be so much more valuable than only learning inside a classroom.

Thanks so much to the Elementary class for providing us with these photos. We hope you continue to enjoy your time here and in all the other places you will visit 🙂