Interview with our top CAE student Peter.

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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 is committed to professional development

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At BBELS our teachers are committed to the practice of Continuing Professional Development (CPD). We have regular workshops to introduce our teachers to new classroom methodologies. CPD is great for our students as it means we are able to consistently provide high-quality lessons to our students.

Over the past few weeks our teachers have been participating in our Peer Observation of Teaching (PoT) program. Here one teacher observes another teacher’s lesson and then provides feedback afterwards. We have found that this benefits both teachers as it requires them to reflect on their own methodologies. PoT exposes our teachers to new ideas and teaching material. It also fosters a supportive environment in the BBELS workplace and facilitates the communication of teaching ideas within the staffroom.

PoT is only one of the many professional development strategies we have for our teaching staff at BBELS. Our committment to quality assurance and a collaborative culture is highly beneficial for our students. This can be seen in our consistently positive student feedback and testimonials (which we will show you in our next post). 🙂

Tell me about you: BBELS student interview

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Itzi (Spain) and Lea (Switzerland)

This week Itzi interviewed one of our lovely Swiss students named Lea. Itzi asked some great questions and found out a few things about Lea’s fascinating and extraordinary life.

When I asked Lea about her studies she answered that she studied an apprenticeship as a retail assistant and she had been working in one of the most famous haute coture shops in Zurich for 3 years.

As well as working Lea loves taking time for herself to practise different kinds of activities. I wanted to know what she likes to do in her free time and she replied that she likes playing music and singing and she added that she really loves practising sports such as jogging and yoga.

When I asked her about travels she told me was mad about travelling and visiting new places and tasting dishes from all over the world. That is why I wanted to know more about her current adventure in Australia where she will be living for the next few months. When I asked her about this she told me (with a smile on her face) that she is going to spend the Christmas holidays travelling around this big and amazing country with her boyfriend in a campervan. It sounds awesome.

To finish the interview I asked her what she would change about herself if she had the opportunity and she surprised me by saying that she wouldnt change anything because there is a reason why we are like we are. She added that it’s natural to not change anything and that’s what she stands for. So, with this incredible answer Lea left us breathless once again.

The Great BBELS Beach Volleyball Tournament

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Students from Europe, Asia, South America on one of the BBELS volleyball teams

Summer is approaching so it is a perfect time for our students to compete in our monthly beach volleyball tournaments.

After class has finished in the afternoons our students play in teams at Main Beach. Max, our activities officer, encourages the students to create their own teams. As you can see, we have a wonderfully diverse range of students, each one bringing their own special talent to the game.

Max with some of the BBELS students

This Friday Max will announce the winner of the monthly tournament. The winning team will receive a mystery prize however we all know that the real reward is having fun in the beautiful warm sunshine with your international friends.

Meet the BBELS Staff: Mamiko

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Meet Mamiko, our friendly new staff member, from Japan

This week we would love to introduce you to Mamiko. Mamiko arrived here with lots of experience working for ESL schools in New Zealand and Sydney. You can see Mamiko working behind her desk at the BBELS reception office 5 days a week. She is always ready to have a friendly chat with our students.

What is your role here at BBELS:

I work in Student Services, Administration, Japan Marketing

Where are you from? How is your life in Byron Bay different from your life back in your hometown?:

I am originally from Japan but I lived in New Zealand for many years before coming to Australia.
Byron Bay is very different from Tokyo (Japan) where I grew up till I was 18 years old. Byron Bay has just the right amount of shops, restaurants and cafes and a lot of nature which I feel comfortable living in
whereas Tokyo is overcrowded with many buildings and people.

What advice would you like to give our students at BBELS?:

Enjoy every new experience and challenge, especially enjoy meeting new people in Byron Bay.

Where are some of your favourite places to spend your free time in Byron Bay?:

The Pass/Wategos Beach are perfect places to swim, read books, and sun bathe. I also love looking at the vinatge shops and the beach at Brunswick Heads.

Meet the BBELS Staff: Marcos

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This year BBELS has had the pleasure of adding some new members to its staff. In this post we would like to introduce you to Marcos. Marcos works in our Student Services team at reception 5 days a week. Marcos is always extremely positive and willing to help you. He is originally from Brazil and he studied in one of our IELTS classes a couple of years ago.

What is your role here at BBELS:

My role is to look after reception, acting as a Student Services officer, and administrative assistant. Lately, I have been getting more involved with the Brazilian Marketing initiatives, dealing with Brazilian agents, students and direct enquiries. I have also been looking after our social media channels, Facebook, Instagram and Facebook Brasil, with the support of our team-mates.

Where are you from? How is your life in Byron Bay different from your life back in your hometown?:

I am from Santos/SP – Brazil. My life in Byron is quite simple and a lot more fun compared to my latest busy years when I was living the rat race in São Paulo. The amount of time that I have to dedicate to things that I love is the main difference in my life here compared to my life in Brazil. Living in São Paulo, I was waking up, working and going back home to sleep. It is also important to mention how close I am to nature, which matters a lot to me, living in Byron Bay. On a daily basis, I am able to go to the beach, work and go out – which is almost impossible in Brazil.

What advice would you like to give our students at BBELS?:

Be open! I usually tell the students that I have the opportunity to meet and chat, that they are going to write their own story in Byron Bay. So, being open to what arises is crucial!

Where are some of your favourite places to spend your free time in Byron Bay?:

White’s Beach for the beauty and secluded atmosphere. Broken Head, Tallows Beach and The Pass for the surf and beach sports. Main Beach if you want to enjoy the talented artists playing free gigs by the beach, the drum circle, tourists, and so on.

An Excursion to Brunswick Heads

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Walking along the wall at Brunswick Heads

At BBELS we encourage our students to use their language skills in real contexts. For this reason we have regular excursions to towns and villages near Byron Bay.

Today our Upper-intermediate class visited the beautiful seaside village of Brunswick Heads. It is well-known for its surfing and fishing beaches, excellent cafes, and for its river with dolphins and turtles.

At the end of the wall looking north to the Gold Coast region

 

Our students always love the excursions that we organise. They get to see parts of the Byron Bay region that only locals know about. They also get to speak English in a relaxed environment with their classmates and local people. As you can see from these photos, it is a great way to learn English while sightseeing around Byron Bay.

 

 

 

Study Tour Season at BBELS

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Study tour students from Fukugawa, Japan, enjoying the winter sunshine

The study tour season at BBELS has officially begun. Each winter we open our classrooms to High School students from around the world. The students have a great time studying in English classes each morning and joining organised activities in Byron Bay and local towns.

This week a group of 29 students arrived from Fukugawa (Japan). They will study here for 2 weeks alongside other groups from Japan and South Korea. The groups have already enjoyed a trip to the lighthouse where they saw whales and dolphins. Over the next fortnight they will play beach games, join Zumba dance lessons, learn acrobatic techniques at the circus … and go shopping!

If you see the students around town, please say hello 🙂

5 Reasons to Study at BBELS in Winter

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The BBELS building

Because Byron Bay is a beach town most of our students come to study here during summer. What they don’t realise is that some of the best experiences at BBELS and in Byron Bay are found during winter. This post will explain why winter is such a perfect time to study and live in Byron Bay from May-September.

Academic life:

During winter we generally have a smaller number of students at the school. Many of our students who  studied here during past winters said that they loved the intimacy of the school during the quiet time of year – they were able to make friends more easily and they enjoyed smaller class sizes. Past students also said that they had less competition finding student accommodation and accessing other facilities compared with the busier summer months.

Whale watching:

The winter period is a fantastic time of year for anyone who is interested in watching the whales migrate along Byron Bay’s coastline. Over several weeks you can see whales from the lighthouse and the local beaches. It is a great experience for locals and international visitors. The school can help you organise boat tours so that you can see the whales from a short distance.

A humpback whale photographed underwater from a local tour boat


The weather:

Byron Bay is a comfortable place to stay in winter – we enjoy warm days (with none of summer’s humidity) and cool nights. It is still possible to wear shorts and a t-shirt during the day but pack a pair of pants and a sweater for night-time. The coldest month in Byron Bay is July where the average maximum is 19.4 ÂşC – not bad for the middle of winter 🙂

The beaches and surfing:

 

A view from the park at Main Beach

In winter there are less tourists in the town so the local beaches are very open and quiet. The beaches are a perfect place to relax in the afternoon when class has finished.

 

What many of our students don’t know is that some of the best waves can be surfed between April-September. The water is still warm enough for surfers to wear a spring-suit (though a light full-suit might be needed some mornings). With so few surfers in the water this is a perfect time to learn how to surf, or for the more advanced surfers it is a great time to catch some long waves.

Hinterland tours:

A view towards Minyon Falls in Nightcap National Park

Byron Bay has some amazing local forests with short and long walks which our students enjoy. Winter is a great time to explore these forests because it isn’t so humid and walking is therefore a lot more comfortable. BBELS often organises school excursions to these forests during the week and also during the weekends.

If you are interested in enrolling at BBELS please visit our website or contact us directly 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!