BLC Blog

The first 3 week of July are the busiest weeks of the year at BLC. It is true to say these days that we are always busy, but during this period our student numbers rise from around 130 to 350. We have plenty of additional space for the students and have been preparing all year so we hope that we can provide the best possible learning and cultural experience for our students during this time. Between September and June we have students of many nationalities, and many of them are non European students who are preparing to go on to university in the UK. During the summer however, we host students from all over the world. This Monday for example, we welcomed students from South America, Europe, Gulf countries, Russia, Kazakhstan, Turkey, China, Japan, Korea, Vietnam and more. The last time I counted there were students from 35 countries!
Part of the experience of coming to the UK and studying at an English language school like BLC, is the opportunity not only to get to know the English language and the culture of the UK better, but to get to meet students of many different nationalities. We insist that all our students speak English while they are at BLC so this is also an opportunity to practice your English and learn about other countries and cultures at the same time. The best way for our students to meet other students is to join the BLC social programme. Magdalena does a fantastic job of coordinating the social programme and you can keep up to date with her and our social activities on Facebook (,http://en-gb.facebook.com/people/Blc-Bristol/1433804630), which has the complete events calendar, photos and comments from recent activities. You can also take a look at the events calendar on the BLC website at www.thebristollanguagecentre.co.uk and click on the highlighted days to find out what’s on, as well as meeting times and places. Magdalena even keeps a regular blog on BLC World (http://blcandyou.ning.com/), our own social networking site so there’s really no excuse for not keeping up to date! Already for this week we have planned a ferry trip, a visit to Clifton Suspension Bridge, a cinema trip, local music venue and a Saturday trip to London. I’m exhausted just thinking about it!
Personally I love summer at BLC. I love the buzz of having so many students around, the chance to meet new people and looking forward to Bristol’s summer calendar of festivals and events. I think there are few cities that can match Bristol for its beauty and diversity – whether it’s just hanging out with friends in one of our lovely parks, walking along the historic harbourside, visiting a museum, attending one of the many summer festivals, or events from our very own social calendar….
We look forward to seeing you there!
Seonaid Birkett
Director, BLC