Easy Languages

School

Seaside resort in the south of England

Bournemouth is without question one of the finest student towns on England’s southern coast. Its beauty and accommodating facilities have helped to make it an important centre of tourism, education and business. Public transportation is very well-organised, offering an excellent network of buses and trains extending throughout Britain and to many parts of Europe. London is only 100 minutes by train.

Bournemouth hosts numerous events during the year, including powerboat races, vintage car shows, international tennis championships and windsurfing competitions. During the summer, there are weekly firework displays from the pier, laser light shows, the Musicmakers festival and the unique Flowers by Candlelight festival, where the people of Bournemouth gather to light 15,000 candles in the Central Gardens.

Bournemouth is a safe and inviting place for young people. The beaches and the pedestrian zones offer youth the opportunity to enjoy their holidays. Our partner schools’ locations in residential neighbourhoods assure safe and easy transportation between host families and classes.

The Schools themselves

Both of our partner schools in Bournemouth have established excellent reputations over a number of years. Students at the Westbourne Academy and ETC come from all the continents (except Antarctica, of course) and give the schools a dynamic, international ambiance. Thanks to a common interest in the English language, students exhibit a lively exchange of thought and opinion. Students come from all backgrounds; adolescents, university students and professionals of every ability level come from all over the world. The schools’ qualities are evidenced by the large number of students, their professional success and their satisfaction year after year.

• ETC School

The ETC School, or "Educational Training Centre", is a family establishment founded in 1987 under the leadership of Mr. David Jones. The school is recognized by the British Council and is reputed for the quality of its courses and staff. Students who opt for long term programmes can take courses designed to prepare them for internationally-recognized tests such as the Cambridge Exams, IELTS and TOEIC. The school is also a testing centre for these exams, which take place about once a month. The ETC offers courses of 20, 28 or 40 lessons a week (45 minutes each) year-round, except during Christmas holidays.

The ETC Campus is situated in the centre of Bournemouth, near the commercial pedestrian zone and the beach, some 500m from the town square and the Central Gardens.

• Westbourne Academy

The Westbourne Academy School of English has been teaching English to foreign students in Bournemouth for over 25 years under the leadership of the director Mr. Mike Francis and his staff. Located in the Poole neighbourhood of Bournemouth, the school is part of the principal linguistic centre of the English south coast. Westbourne is a certified English teaching centre for Cambridge Exam preparation, it is a member of "English in Britain" (Association of Recognized Language Schools) and is recognized by the British Council. As such, the school benefits from government funding for programmes of 4 to 36 weeks in length. Westbourne offers courses of 20 or 40 lessons a week (lasting 40 minutes each).

The campus is situated in the residential district of Westbourne, near Parkstone and between Poole and the Bournemouth town centre. It is only 10 minutes by bus to the centre of either of these towns and downtown Bournemouth is about 20 minutes away by foot. Westbourne is a very agreeable location, with many small stores, cafés, restaurants and snack stands.

Courses

We offer courses for all levels of ability. Students take an assessment exam upon arrival and are individually placed in an appropriate class. Class sizes are small, at an average of 12 in the summer and 10 at other times of the year. The courses emphasize oral communication and other practical aspects of the language. Presence in class is obligatory.

• Vacation Courseload
  By far the most popular of our offerings, this programme offers 20 lessons per week at either the ETC School or the Westbourne Academy. Students may additionally choose to combine this course with one of the options listed on the "Activities" tab. If you choose this programme, we try to respect your school preference, however spaces are allocated on the basis of availability.
• Semi-intensive Courseload - 28 lessons per week
  This programme is available at ETC school.
  
  These courses are designed for participants who would like to take slightly more intensive courses. The courses take place in the mornings and part of the afternoon. Semi-intensive courseload participants cannot choose to include the additional excursions option available to the participants of the vacation courseload, since classes are scheduled at the same time as the activities.
  
  For programmes between January and June, and September and December, this course also offers preparation for the IELTS or Cambridge exams (provided enough students select this option).
• Intensive Courseload - 40 lessons per week
  This programme is available at Westbourne Academy, 2 - 4 weeks
  
  This programme is designed for participants who require or wish to improve their English greatly and advance in a very short time frame. Emphasis is on the more academic aspects of the language, such as writing or oral comprehension. This highly intensive programme is not available for beginners, nor for very advanced speakers. We do not advise this course for youths under 16. Classes take place mornings and afternoons, Monday to Friday, and therefore are not available in combination with the excursions option mentioned above.

Excursions

• English Courses + Excursions
  

During July, August and the Easter vacation, we offer an optional programme to complete our Vacation English courses

This particularly popular option is specially designed to help young people get the most out of their summer or Easter holidays while following a productive curriculum. The programme involves English classes each morning and a variety of cultural and social activities during the afternoons, evenings and weekends. The activities are not only fun, but also offer the participants the opportunity to practice their English in a real-world environment. The itinerary includes:

• 20 English lessons per week
• 5 half-days a week of supervised activities (cultural outings to Swanage, Poole, Christchurch, bowling, mini golf, sightseeing, biking...)
• 2 evening activities a week (bowling, disco, film screenings, barbecues ...)
• 1 full-day excursion per stay to destinations such as London, Oxford, Salisbury, or Cambridge.

All transportation costs and entrance fees are included in the programme cost. Please note that this activity programme is obligatory for students under 16 (in order to ensure proper supervision).

• Activities outside of options

Students who do not choose any of the above options can still participate in the Excursion Programme activities if space is available, for a small additional cost.

It is also possible to sign up for weekly excursions, organised by the schools, to diverse destinations such as London, New Forest, Dorset, Stratford upon Avon, Bath, Oxford, etc. These options cost around £25 each and are completely supervised. The schools also organise barbecues, karaoke nights and film screenings. Some of these activities are free and others require a small additional cost. These activities are available year-round.

Accommodation

Students stay with an English host family who provide breakfast and an evening meal, Monday to Friday. On the weekends the host family provides three meals a day. During the week, students typically eat a light meal in the school cafeteria at midday, costing 3£ to 4£.

The families are hand-selected by the schools and offer a warm environment and ensure that students are well-integrated during their stay in England. Most of the families are experienced hosts, having welcomed students into their homes for years. The school welfare officers inspect the families regularly. Former students who wish to return to the same family should indicate this preference on the enrolment form.

Within the families, there will typically be one to three other students of another nationality with whom participants can spend their free time and meals.

The families are generally situated in a residential neighbourhoods, a 20 to 30 minute walk from the school or near a direct bus line.

Participants receive the address and phone number of the family 5 to 10 days before the beginning of their stay.

Outside of the summer and Easter holidays, you will receive by default a single room at the price of a double room. During these holidays, demand is higher and single rooms are rarer. You can still try to reserve a single room but they will be subject to an additional cost and availability.

Travel

Group travel

During July and August, we organise weekly supervised round-trip transportation between Antwerp, Brussels, Mons, Paris or Calais and Bournemouth. You will not need authorisation from your commune for this trip; we will send you an official document from the school for you to fill in.

The trip includes:

• Accompanied group travel to Bournemouth
• An extra night of accommodation in the case of Sunday returns
• A transfer to the host family or residence upon arrival. Plan 5-10 £ for the return taxi.

Dates

• Departures 2012:
  • Easter: 01/04*, 07/04
  • Summer: Sunday 24/0*, Saturdays 30/06, 07/07*, 14/07, 21/07*, 28/07, 04/08*, 11/08, 18/08* and 25/08.

• Returns 2012:
  • Easter: 08/04*, 14/04*
  • Summer: Sundays 01/07, 08/07, 15/07, 22/07*, 29/07, 05/08*, 12/08, 19/08*, 26/08* and Saturday 01/09.

* Journeys accompanied to/from Antwerp

Warning : Returning on a Sunday only occurs in the case of our trips by coach. If you are travelling individually or by plane, your return day is always a Saturday, before noon. Any extra journey will cost 45€.

Departure Locations:

• Paris: Gare du Nord, opposite the Thalys desk
• Antwerp: Bercham station (see dates)
• Brussels: Gare Centrale, leaving at 8:15 AM.
• Mons: Station Q8 on the Brussels-Mons motorway around 9:15 AM.
• Calais: Car park of the Calais-Fréthun TGV station (10 minutes from Calais) at 11:30 AM.

VISA Information

For non-EU residents, you can apply for a Student Visitor Visa to enter the UK. It is valid for 6 months, even if you intend to stay for less time. We do not include any VISA application fees in our prices.

For more information, either inquire at your local British Embassy or consult the following website: http://www.ukvisas.gov.uk

Prices/Dates

Prices include:

• All taxes and administrative and enrolment fees
• All courses (20, 28 or 40 lessons of 40 or 45 minutes each a week)
• Accommodation in host family in a private or shared room
• Half-board (2 meals a day) during weekdays and full-board on the weekends
• Supervision by our Group Leaders during the Easter and Summer holidays
• Transfer directly to the host family on arrival only
• Course books and handouts
• Certificate of participation
• Fees for January to June and September to December include a private room
  
• If traveling with us, an extra day of accommodation (if the return trip is a Sunday)

Prices do not include:

• Travel
• Snacks or midday meals during the courses
• Local transportation

Dates 2012

• Courses can begin any Monday, with arrival in Bournemouth the preceding Sunday.
• Holidays (no classes): 02/01 - 6/04 - 9/04 - 7/05 - 4/06 - 5/06 - 27/08 and during Christmas holidays.
• Easter and Summer programmes with accompanied travel, the excursions option and Group Leader supervision from 01/04 to 14/04 and 24/06 to 01/09.
• Accompanied group travel dates: see below
  
• Course for beginners begin 03/01, 30/01, 27/02, 26/03, 23/04, 21/05, every week during the summer, 24/09, 22/10, 24/10 and 19/11.
  Arrivals are the Saturday or Sunday preceding these dates.
• Starting dates for Cambridge exam preparation sessions:
  - 10 weeks: 03/01 (FCE only)
  - 12 weeks: 26/03 - 24/09
  - 16 weeks: 27/02 - 28/08