17
Nov
2009
General English
General English Course
GEOS Gold Coast runs various English language courses to meet the different needs of students. These include General English, Preparation for Academic and Cambridge Exams (PACE), IETLS Exam Preparation, Cambridge Exam Preparation (FCE/CAE), Certificate IV in TESOL, Joey Kangaroo Club (Young Learners Program) and a Study Tour Program.
The General English course is offered at six levels: Elementary, Pre-Intermediate, Intermediate, Upper-Intermediate and Advanced. Classes are taught in 10-week modules, with an average class size of 16 students. Students can commence on any Monday, with an English level test and orientation given before commencement.
The GE course is very practical, with specialist afternoon lessons preparing students to use English right away. These specialist classes could niclude Telephone English, Business English, English for Tourism and Hospitality, and English for Presentations. Students are kept motivated with real life material and guest speakers. With progress tests every 5 weeks, along with one-on-one sessions with detailed feedback, students will be able to see their progress. The tests cover every skill area, from listening to reading, writing and speaking. GEOS Gold Coast’s program is unique as its been specifically developed from feedback from current students.
Learning a Second Language
There are many reasons to learn another language, from seeking employment to study, travel and migration. There are a range of ways to learn a second language, from different courses to overseas study, hoemstays, and distance education. Or perhaps you want to study on your own, which is possible with the wealth of materials available from libraries and bookstores. Some helpful resources include a bilingual dictionary, grammar books, phrasebooks, online exercises, language learning software and so on.
Of course, whichever way you decide to take, it is important to be able to practice your language skills in reading, writing and conversing. Practice will help improve your pronunciation, increase your vocabulary and perfect your grammar.
19
Oct
2009
English Language Colleges
Why study at a language college?
While it is possible to learn another language on your own, or through a distance education course, or simply by immersing yourself in the language by going overseas, and English language college can give you the best of all these options.
GEOS English language colleges immerse you in English-language cultures all over the world, providing ample opportunity not only to practice your language skills, but also have a lot of fun exploring the country and meeting new people. Through regular weekday and weekend activities, as well as fun courses such as ‘English plus Surfing’, students get to experience much more than simply the classroom. Students will also get to make new friends within the college, with a mix of students from over 30 different countries.
On the other hand, spending time at an English language college will mean that you get a real grasp on the language- including reading, writing, listening and speaking. From the basics to advanced English courses, GEOS colleges offer a range of courses to cater for whatever level students are at. These include General English, Cambridge Preparation Programs, English for TESOL and much more. The courses are taught by highly qualified and experienced teachers who have lived and taught all around the world. In addition, these courses offer pathways to further studies, whether university or other tertiary institutions such as TAFE.
Learning English
GEOS Gold Coast, located 5 minutes from Surfers Paradise Beach, offers a range of English language courses. These include General English, Preparation for Academic and Cambridge Exams (PACE), IELTS Exam Preparation (IELTS), Cambridge Exam Preparation (FCE/CAE), Certificate IV in Teachers of English to Speakers of Other Languages (TESOL), the Joey Kangaroo Club (Young Learners Program), and the Study Tour Program.
The Study Tour Program offers students a range of custom made courses and programs, designed to combine English lessons with an area of interest. So this would mean combining an English language course (such as General English) with sports, sightseeing, adventure holidays and more.
11
Sep
2009
English Language Colleges in New Zealand
New Zealand
New Zealand is located to the southeast of Australia, and is composed of two main islands: the North Island and the South Island. The South Island is the larger island, and is divided along its length by the Southern Alps, while the North Island is less mountainous but more volcanic. The realm of New Zealand also includes Stewart Island, the Chatham Islands, the Cook Islands, and the Ross Dependency in Antarctica.
Its capital is Wellington, though its largest city is Auckland. The official languages are Maori and English, as its indigenous people are the Maori and it was settled by Europeans in the seventeenth century. The first Europeans to reach New Zealand were Dutch, who gave it the name Nova Zeelandia, but it was the English who claimed sovereignty and negotiated a treaty with the Maori in 1840, thereby anglicising the name to ‘New Zealand’. Queen Elizabeth II is the official head of state, represented by the Governor-General, however the actual governing of the country is undertaken by the democratically elected Parliament and Prime Minister.
English Colleges in New Zealand
The GEOS Wellington English College was established in 2003 and is the youngest of the GEOS group. Usually the college contains around 30 to 40 students. The school caters for General English courses (both full-time and part-time), TOEFL (Test of English as a Foreign Language) and TOEIC (Test of English for International Purposes) courses, Cambridge FCE (First Certificate in English) and CAE (Advanced English) courses, as well as IELTS Examination Preparation and English for Academic Purposes.
The GEOS Christchurch English college opened in 1997 and has now grown to 120 students, though the maximum number of students in a class remains only twelve so students can interact with the teacher easily. It is located in the heart of the city, next to the Avon River. Students come from all over the world to learn English there, with a variety of courses.