Category: free time activities

Celebrating Christmas in England

Category: elearning, English Courses, free time activities, friends, fun / Tags: , ,

It is December and that can only mean one thing. Christmas! Do you celebrate Christmas in your country? I you do, how do you celebrate? Celebrations in your country are undoubtedly as unique and special as our traditions here in England! So, what do we do here to enjoy this special time of year? The Tree No Christmas is complete without a tree in your living room, be it a real fir tree or an artificial tree. These days, more people are buying artificial trees with snow, fir cones and red berries on the branches. Some people love big tall trees that touch the ceiling while other people look for small trees in pots that can be put in the garden after Christmas to continue growing ready for next December. People spend time decorating their tree with twinkling fairy lights and lovely round baubles in rich beautiful colours such as red, gold and silver. After the tree is finished, families put their gifts to each other underneath it wrapped in beautiful coloured paper. With the introduction of artificial trees many families now decorate their homes at the very beginning of December. If you walk around the streets of England, you will see many beautifully decorated houses both inside and out! Christmas Eve – the 24th December In England, Christmas Eve is a day full of excitement and anticipation but unlike Europe, we don’t usually spend this day with family, eat traditional food or open gifts in the evening. Instead, we may go to work during the day and in the evening celebrate with friends in a restaurant or pub. Excitement is in the air and everyone is in a fantastic mood ready for the next day. Some people use this day to do some last-minute Christmas shopping! Some families go … Read more

EC Virtual – EC English School Online

Category: elearning, English Courses, free time activities, Student activities, Uncategorized / Tags: , , ,

Taking a course with EC English school online is easy and affordable with so many of the same benefits as face-to-face learning. Here are just a few reasons to go ahead and do it. Online Lessons are convenient It is so easy to get started as all you need is a computer. Many students who wish to learn English are unable to travel right now. There are perhaps other reasons as well why it is not possible for every student to go abroad for face-to-face lessons. Whether you would like to take one-to-one private lessons or group classes, EC Virtual is very well priced. It is also very flexible so no matter what your time zone, you will be accommodated for. You can even take a free trial lesson if you want to make sure. EC Virtual Social Programme If you are thinking that you will not have enough exposure to the English language when studying online, you shouldn’t worry. EC has a social programme dedicated to students learning online. There are free lessons including pronunciation, grammar, listening and much more. There are also a number of social activities, such as quizzes, cooking lessons, EC Virtual café, all opportunities to use the English you have been learning in your classes. Before, During and after Class On EC Virtual, you will be able to combine your online experience with your time away from the computer. Your teacher will give you tasks to complete before and after your class that relate to what you are studying in the lesson. This means that you will be able to get the most out of your lessons and your free time as you will be completely ready for the lesson and you will know how to use what you have learnt afterwards as well. This … Read more

English Courses with New Friends in London

Category: English Courses, free time activities, friends, Learning English outside class, Uncategorized / Tags: , , , ,

My Name is Andy and I have been teaching English courses at EC London for 8 years. I have seen, now more than ever, students learning English by making new friends and speaking together outside of the classroom and I want to share what I have seen with you. New Friends With the current global situation, I have found that the students who are studying at the EC London school right now are looking for any opportunity to maximise human connections. Before class, during breaks and after class, it is wonderful to see learners planning their afternoons, evening and weekends together, trying to make the most of their EC and London experience even more fruitful and memorable. The one thing that is really touching is how established students welcome new students with open arms and are keen to involve them in their social experiences outside of class time. Social Life From speaking to students, it is wonderful to hear what they have been doing with their free time when not in class. They have been going out on walks, going to pubs, going to restaurants, visiting museums, relaxing in parks, sightseeing and even more I’m sure. For some of these students, they are embarking on a new chapter in their lives. For others, they are learning English to study at university. Some are learning English out of interest or out of a desire to travel or for their work. One thing that all of these students have in common, though, is a desire to be social in an environment where they are able to enrich not only their EC or London experience, but their life experience as a whole. Speaking English While students speak a lot of English in class, it is important that they continue this outside of the … Read more

A trip to Hyde Park Winter Wonderland

Category: Christmas, Food, free time activities, friends, fun, London places to visit, London trip, Uncategorized / Tags: , , ,

One of London’s most famous parks is dressing up for Christmas: Hyde Park has opened up its beloved Winter Wonderland. Since last Thursday, the whole park consists of little Christmas markets and a big fun fair. So no matter if you just want to have a stroll around the markets or ride one of the amazing roller coasters, Winter Wonderland will always bring you lots of joy. Winter Wonderland is divided into different parts. There is the big fun fair where you can find many different kinds of roller coaster like The Hangover or The Munich Looping. Speaking of Munich, Winter Wonderland offers you even more insight into Bavarian culture. The so-called Bavarian Village presents you with an Oktoberfest experience right in the middle of London. Traditional German foods like Bratwurst and Bretzel will come your way. The festive atmosphere gets even better as there is live music and DJs. Apart from the fun fair and the Bavarian Village, you can stroll around traditional Christmas Markets. Plenty of wooden chalets will inspire you. There is a huge selection of jewellery, clothing and handmade crafts which is a great opportunity to buy Christmas presents for your loved ones or even for yourself. No matter if you want to go ice skating or sing along at Christmas karaoke with your EC London friends, you can do all of that in Winter Wonderland. You can also visit one of the spectacular shows like Cirque Berserk, Paddington on Ice and so much more. Regarding all of these astonishing attractions, Hyde Park Winter Wonderland is definitely worth a visit. As there is a large diversity of choice, you will, for sure, find your own favourite place.

Christmassy

Christmas is coming!

Category: Christmas, free time activities, London places to visit, London trip, Uncategorized / Tags: , , ,

Christmas is coming soon, so prepare yourself for a Christmassy-looking EC London. But before our school’s Christmas decoration pops up, you can enjoy yourself by walking around in London’s city centre. The Christmas lights have been on since last week and make London look even prettier than usual. Regent Street and Piccadilly Circus All over Regent Street and Piccadilly Circus you will find London’s classic Christmas lights. Huge golden angels are hanging above the street and are brightening your Christmas mood. This is the place to go if you’re looking for some traditional Christmas decoration.   Carnaby Street If you are looking out for some more colourful and diverse Christmas lights, head over to Carnaby Street. Known for its fashionable vibe, Carnaby’s Christmas lights are representing all that is cool. This year’s lights are ocean-themed. They have been designed in collaboration with an ocean conservation charity. The display was created out of 1.500 recycled bottles and repurposed fishing nets. Therefore, Carnaby’s Christmas lights are not only nice to look at, but, at the same time, have a special meaning behind them. Covent Garden Covent Garden also has his own Christmas decoration. These lights are mostly star-themed and make the area look even more beautiful than usual. This year’s Christmas Lights are as stunning as usual. No matter if by day or night, you will be amazed at how breathtaking they are.

Hidden Places in London-Kingly Court

Category: Fashion, Food, free time activities, friends, fun, London places to visit, Nice to know, Secret London places, Student activities, Uncategorized / Tags: , , ,

Being a student at EC London gives you the chance to discover many interesting places. As I have already mentioned Neal’s Yard in a previous post, I would like to come up with another hidden place in London. Kingly Court is located in Soho, one of London’s most fashionable areas. You can find it right behind Liberty in Carnaby Street. Carnaby Street is famous for its fashion boutiques, its diversity and its restaurants. In Kingly Court you can truly feel all of this. The hidden courtyard is picturesque. Apart from colourful little houses, plants and lights, you can find many different kinds of restaurants. There are 21 of international concept restaurants, bars and cafes. If you love pizza, there is Pizza Pilgrims. If you fancy Indian food, go to Darjeeling express. You can even try Peruanian food at a restaurant called Senor Ceviche. Kingly Court also offers loads of healthy food options. The Detox Kitchen sells all healthy food free from wheat, dairy and refined sugars. At Acai Berry you can try fruity acai bowls and smoothies. So no matter if you are craving burgers, ramen or kebab, you can find anything here. Apart from all the amazing restaurants, Kingly Court’s architecture gives a really nice vibe. There is a colourful railing all around the courtyard, paired with little plants and lights around it. In the summer, it’s open air, so you can sit outside and enjoy with your friends. In the winter, it’s covered so you can still sit outside and be thrilled by the beautiful lights.   Kingly Court is definitely worth a visit. Even if you just want to walk around or try some of the amazing restaurants, you won’t regret going there.

halloween

Halloween Week at EC London!

Category: Events, Food, free time activities, friends, fun, Halloween, Student activities, Uncategorized / Tags: , , ,

From 29/10/2019 to 03/11/2019 we are hosting our Halloween Week at EC London. It is going to be a Charity week and all the proceeds will go to a charity called “Hope for the Young”. It is a great way to have fun and to donate for a good cause at the same time. To enjoy the halloweeny atmosphere at our school, we have a very nice and varied schedule for this week: Tuesday On Tuesday the 29th of October, you can calm down and relax by taking Meditation class with our teacher Melissa. Some of our students have bought tickets to see the famous Wicked musical at The Apollo Victoria Theatre. Unfortunately, the tickets are already sold out. We are coming up with new musical tickets as soon as possible. Wednesday In the night of the 30th of October, we are going out to the pub to spend a spooky evening. Thursday Thurday, the 31st of October, is our Fancy Halloween Dress Day at School. On this day, we expect our students to dress up for Halloween. To make it a bit more challenging, we are going to host a “The Scariest Costume” contest on our Facebook&Instagram pages. The student who wins the contest will get a free hot drink and a pastry. In the evening, you can join Alberto is going to a Halloween Movie Night in the City Centre. Friday The morning of the 1st of November is going to start with Daniel’s relaxing Yoga class. Throughout the day you can participate in our Halloween Food&Treats Collection at school. In the evening, there is going to be a Halloween party. Tickets will be available at the reception. Saturday On Saturday, you will have the possibility to visit the famous “London Dungeon” with Alberto. Tickets are available at … Read more

Architecture

An Insight into the Victoria & Albert Museum

Category: Art, Fashion, free time activities, Museum, Student activities / Tags: , ,

As I have already mentioned in my previous blogpost, I am a huge art lover. Therefore, I love to spend my time in museums. As London has so many museums to choose from, there should be at least one that suits your taste. The museum I am writing about today is the Victoria & Albert Museum. What I like about V&A is that it contains art from many different areas. It is a mixture of paintings, sculptures, furniture, jewellery and of course fashion. They also address many different cultures, so it is not only British but also Asian cultures. The best thing is that it is all for free. Architecture of V&A The building itself is stunning.The architecture is incredibly impressive, so it is already worth going in there just to see the building and its halls. As the museum is named after Queen Victoria and Prince Albert, it is almost self-evident that it would be this majestic. When looking at the entrance, you can already expect the beauty that is going to await you inside. The entrance was designed with much acuteness.There are little figures and sculptures all around the pointed arch and of course, there is the name of the museum written in gold letters above the entrance door.     Fashion My favourite section of the museum is the fashion one. I have loved fashion ever since I was a child so seeing the fashion part of V&A filled me with excitement. It is subdivided into specific periods of fashion. These periods include clothes from the 17th century, the early 20th century, the Swinging Sixties in London and so on.   V&A also has special exhibitions that you have to pay for. There was a Dior exhibition earlier this year and currently, they are exhibiting the designs … Read more