BLC Blog

Bristol Language Centre has recently opened its doors to a school with a modern new look, following a complete refurbishment. We are now welcoming students in bright new classrooms with interactive whiteboards, screens and projectors. Our students are enjoying the benefits of innovative ways to learn and making the most of two multi-media centers with unlimited free access to the Internet. There are several break-out areas with access to hot and cold drinks as well as a cafeteria.

And for those who are keen on modern art, there is a great chance to get an idea of what a wall mural is by taking a look at the graffiti wall created by local artists in the entrance hall of the college.  Capturing the true spirit of Bristol and featuring the most famous places, the painting creates a modern atmosphere making the college an innovative place of study in many aspects.

“We are very proud of our new facilities, including the nice reception and modern multimedia centres and classrooms. We are also delighted with the results of the graffiti wall, as it highlights our innovation as well as reflecting the urban art scene Bristol is synonymous for.” Seonaid Birkett, Director.

BLC graffiti wall

Tom Deams worked on the background imagery and set to work using the BLC branding colours. The work took him and Kelp just 8 hours to complete and Tom was also involved in the See No Evil project, an urban art celebration in Bristol, which is returning again this summer. Some of the BLC students have been discussing their opinions of graffiti in their classes and they are all keen on Banksy and like the fact that Bristol is full of urban art.

Do you plan to go to university in the UK, and need to do a course to prepare? Starting university is a big step for anyone, but doing so in a foreign country and using a second language makes it all the more challenging. That’s where our English for Academic Preparation course comes in. You will study English language and IELTS preparation, but also learn the necessary academic skills which will enable you to make the most of your university experience and to achieve success. The start dates for 2012 are 9th April and 24th September. Apply now!

As a language school we have readily adopted many forms of social media as they are a great way of communicating and this enables us to reach our audience in a way they are familiar with. BLC can be found talking daily on Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn. However, the use of language is very different within social networks – do you know what RL, ROFL, LOL and tweet mean for example?

Do you find them useful aspects of language or hard to understand? Can you think of more examples of such phrases? You can give your examples and discuss whether you like using this type of language on our new online learning platform: Planet Bubble.

Bubble has just been launched to allow the learning of our students to continue beyond their time at BLC. Combining the fun of social media with the rigour of studying its aim is to encourage peer learning.

Anyone learning English can sign up using a simple form, giving you access to a wide range of language problems to discuss. These language tasks focus on popular topics, such as the identity of Banksy and the Occupy protest for example. There is also a place to chat with other English language learners and you can help others with their language questions. Have a look for yourself and become one of the early Bubblers!

The autumn term has been an eventful time for us here at BLC. To start with in September BLC was represented at both Alphe and Study World and we really enjoyed meeting new partners and potential new ones. We would like to congratulate those who won an award during the Star awards ceremony, including one of our valued partners ESL – it proved to be a fantastic evening!

Then Seonaid our Director travelled to Berlin in October for ICEF – an event we never miss. This was a great opportunity to launch our new BLC brand which we’ve been developing alongside our expansion and refurbishment.

November saw the BLC re-launch event taking place, where around 60 people including agents, hosts, students and suppliers had a taste of what we do. They all took part in the sample English language lessons on offer and had a tour of the school, which now has an urban art mural as well as 18 modern classrooms and 2 multi-media centres.

We’re now preparing for an event of a different kind: Christmas! Let’s hope the New Year brings many more new partnerships and continued growth of the school.

Due to the recent success of the English language evening classes, we are pleased to confirm dates throughout 2012.

Would you like to perfect your English skills for business? Need to improve your English to get a job? Or perhaps you would like to learn conversational English in order to meet people in Bristol? Or maybe you need to gain a certificate to demonstrate your level but don’t have the time during the day?

Whatever the reason, the BLC has a class for you! We offer evening classes to fit around your busy schedule, whether you are a busy working professional, parent or someone who would like to learn a new skill.

With classes on Tuesday and Thursdays from 6-7.30pm you can choose General English: a fun, practical course, Business English: focusing on real-life business situations and vocabulary, or the Cambridge FCE or CAE exam course: useful if you want to work in Europe using English.

The dates and prices are as follows:

10th January for 10 weeks - £300

3rd April for 10 weeks - £300

18th September for 12 weeks - £350

If you would like to find out more, go to our website or call now to book a class: 0117 929 2233. You can also apply online. We look forward to welcoming you to BLC.

Gavin is our Social Programme Co-ordinator and he recently got back from a trip to Japan to help the people affected by the Tsunami. He talks about his experience:

“I spent two years teaching English in Japan. The people, culture and history of Japan has given me so much, and for this reason I felt it was only right that I try to give something back. I chose a project through a good friend of mine with the YMCA and raised just over £1000 to fund my trip by selling paintings online.

The experience was emotional, incredibly heart-warming, inspirational, frustrating, enlightening, I could go on. Trying to communicate my feelings to people who lost so much was very difficult. The spirit and strength of character that the people of Tohoku have is humbling to say the least. I met some incredible individuals along the way. It is an experience I will carry with me always.

There is still so much to be done in that part of the world. The biggest immediate problem facing them is social breakdowns amongst communities, as hundreds of thousands of homes have been destroyed and people have been relocated to temporary housing, living with new neighbours from different parts of the affected areas.

Essentially the people of Tohoku want the world to learn its story, and not forget, that the struggle to rebuild is still very much alive.”

Gavin with Yamazaki san

The Bristol Language Centre has a fresh new look. Re-named BLC our school is undergoing a complete refurbishment and expansion, to create a school with a capacity of 250 students, from a previous 140. At the same time are re-branding in bold colours to reflect our dynamic, innovative approach to education.

The modern school will be able to offer 18 well-equipped classrooms, many with interactive whiteboards, two state-of-the-art multimedia centres with 24 computers in total, a new canteen and reception area for students and complete redecoration in bright new colours.

The Bristol Language Centre was founded in 2004 and has grown considerably since then, accepting students from all over the world. Founder and Director Seonaid Birkett commented:

“The English language sector is constantly changing and it is important that we evolve and adapt to continue to provide the best experience for our students. As the international language of commerce and diplomacy, the English language is vital to our students’ education and future. By learning English in Bristol, our students bring overseas income into the UK, and contribute directly to local families and businesses. English UK demonstrated that in 2010 the value of the ESL sector to the economy in Bristol was nearly £25m and in the UK as a whole it was 2bn.”

Would you like to perfect your English skills for business? Or perhaps you would like to learn conversational English in order to meet people in Bristol? Or maybe you need to gain an FCE or CAE certificate but don’t have the time during the day?

Whatever the reason, the Bristol Language Centre can help. We offer evening classes to fit around your busy schedule, whether you are a busy working professional, parent or someone who would like to learn a new skill.

With classes on Tuesday and Thursdays from 6-7.30pm you can choose General English: a fun, practical course, Business English: focusing on real-life business situations and vocabulary, or the Cambridge FCE or CAE exam course: useful if you want to work in Europe using English.

If you would like to find out more – come to our open day on Tuesday 6^th September, 6-8pm. You will have the chance to try a short sample lesson, take a test to establish your level of English and there will be free drinks and nibbles. Call now to reserve your space or to book a class: 0117 929 2233. We look forward to welcoming you to BLC.

We’ve just said farewell to our first group of juniors and the Summer season is flying by as we are being kept so busy!

They participated well in the morning lessons and continued the active social programme in the afternoons. In their last week they sampled The Lanes – an American-style bowling centre and had a trip to a traditional English seaside resort of Weston-super-Mare where they saw the pier, a sand sculpture competition and tried some lovely fish and chips. They took part in crazy golf and shopping at the popular Cabot Circus and learnt about Welsh life in Cardiff at the Castle, as well as seeing the famous Millennium Stadium.

We were really pleased to see the positive feedback from the juniors, with many saying they would like to come back next year. As Miguel Martinez Aransay, (aged 17 from Spain) commented: “The classes were very good. I learnt a lot of English. The teacher was perfect - he taught us a lot. The afternoon activities were good too.” See you next summer!