Richmond English School

Study English in South West London

1 minute interview: Karolina and Szymon

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Richmond English School has had the company of two new students over the last few days, Karolina and Szymon. Back in the spring, Karolina won an essay competition we organised for a week’s free study and accommodation at the Richmond English School Summer School 2018.

We caught up with them in between grammar exercises and sightseeing trips to ask them what they’ve been up to. Read our 1 minute interview below:

Szymon and Karolina at Richmond English School in London

How long you guys have been in London, and where are you from?

 Szymon: We’ve been here a week, and we’re both from Warsaw.

Why London?

Karolina: Because I won a competition to study for a week in London free of charge. We had to write an essay on why we wanted to visit London, and I wrote about how much I like The Beatles, and how much I wanted to see Abbey Road, which has that famous photo of them all walking across.

Simon: And I’m here because she’s here!

So, did you go to Abbey Road?

 Karolina: Yes, we did, we’ll send you the photos if you want.

Richmond English School: Please do!

Have you enjoyed the famous British weather?

Karolina: Actually, it’s been perfect, 30 degrees and sunny all week. But everybody keeps telling us how lucky we’ve been…

What’s been the best bit of London?

 Karolina: For me it’s Richmond. We spent our first evening there, and it’s very beautiful with the Bridge and the river going through it.

Simon: For me it was the Science Museum. I’m studying Engineering in Warsaw and I’m really interested in Science. Some of the stuff they had there was amazing. We’re going to visit the Royal Observatory in Greenwich this afternoon as well. I’m really looking forward to it.

What was studying with Richmond English School like?

Karolina: A really positive experience. We were taught differently from the way classes are done in Poland and we did much more speaking, which is what I want to improve.

Simon: I feel the same as Karolina. The speaking part of our classes have been good fun and very useful.

And how was the homestay?

Karolina and Simon: Amazing. They were very friendly, nice people. They always asked us how we were doing, and were very helpful.

Are England going to win the Cup?

Karolina: Fingers crossed!

Simon: No comment!

Will you be coming back to London?

Karolina and Simon: Yes, we’d absolutely love to. It’s so big, and there’s so much more to see.

Richmond English School: London hopes to see you again soon too! You’ve been great students, and charming company. Safe trip home to Poland tomorrow, and very best wishes from all of us.

Szymon and Karolina with Richmond English School managers Tom Lockhart and Alessandra Bellorini

Stonehenge and Salisbury Cathedral, 7th July

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Do not miss this trip! Put it in your diary now:

 

Saturday 7th July: Visit to Stonehenge and Salisbury Cathedral.

 

We will travel to Salisbury and visit this iconic monument, truly one of the wonders of the world, and one of the best-known prehistoric monuments ever built. 

 

After that, we travel back to Salisbury and have lunch, before visiting the Cathedral, where we will have our own private guided tour. 

 

Then we can take the train back to London just in time for a trip to the pub!

 

PLEASE CONFIRM WITH THE SCHOOL OFFICE BEFORE THE 1st JULY.

 

ESTIMATED COST £30 PER PERSON.

 

Richmond River walk and lunch in the pub!

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 On Sunday 17th June, a small, but intrepid group of Richmond English School students set off from the school to walk to Richmond along the riverside path, along with their teacher Peace Bouchier. Ildiko Lindenmajer, an Cambridge Advanced level student from Hungary working in London as an au pair, has written a short summary:

“The English school group met up at the school office, where we started our walk along the Thames Bank. The weather was perfect for the walk, although the path got much busier as it’s shared with runners and cyclists. On the way there we also saw many rowers training in their boats along the river.

We passed many beautiful and unique back gardens, and also walked past the National Archive which was on our left we reached Kew Bridge. From there Kew Gardens was further on the left. At the end, Kew Gardens becomes the Old Deer Park in Richmond. We crossed this, and finally finished our journey in The Old Ship Pub in Richmond and we had a really good, late lunch! It was really good fun!”

Getting around in London – some top transport tips

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So, you’ve arrived in London, you’ve found your Cambridge English course, and now all you need to do is find out how to get both to your first class, and around London in general. It’s a big town and it might seem daunting to begin with, but, don’t worry: Richmond English School is here to help! Here are our 8 top tips to help you get about London like a local!

  1. Plan ahead!

If you have an important journey, or you’re going along a route you’re unfamiliar with, then it’s always a good idea to plan ahead to make sure you don’t get caught out by any unexpected surprises. (Once you’ve been in London for a bit you’ll know that the transport network can be effected from time to time by traffic congestion or things such as engineering works.) So, plan your journey using the TFL (Transport for London) journey planner or Citymapper London.

  1. Buy an Oyster Travelcard.

The easiest way to pay for travel around town is by using an Oyster travelcard to ‘touch-in’ and ‘touch-out’ of stations and on buses – and you can now also use your bank card to do the same thing providing it’s one which has a ‘chip’ in it (contactless cards). You can either ‘pay-as-you-go’ – if you don’t travel that much on public transport – or alternatively buy a weekly or monthly travelcard. The most cost-effective option will depend on how much you travel. For more information have a look at https://tfl.gov.uk/fares-and-payments/ways-to-pay/whats-the-best-way-for-me-to-pay#on-this-page-0 The price depends on the zones you want to cover. If you live in Mortlake and want to go to the city centrr every day, for example, you’ll need a travelcard for zones 1-3 (1: city centre, 3: Mortlake) and travel in zone 1-3. All the buses are included with your travelcard. One option, in this case, would be to take the bus to Hammermsith and from there the tube (zone 2) paying the travelcard only for zone 1-2 and saving some money.

  1. Ride the Tube.

London undergroundWith 270 stations and 250 miles (400 km) of track, the tube network is often the most convenient way to get about London. Each line is a different colour to help you navigate your way around the system, and the destination of each train is usually on a noticeboard above the platform and on the front of the train itself. Look for signs saying ‘Northbound’ if you want to go North, ‘Southbound’ if you want to go South, ‘Westbound’ if you want to go West and ‘Eastbound’ if you want to go East. Also, if you want to keep the locals happy, be sure to stand on the right-hand side of the escalator if standing still, so that those in a hurry can walk on the left. Likewise, when waiting to board the train, stand to one side of the opening doors and only get on once the passengers inside the train have got off.

4. On the Buses.

Going on the bus can be one of the nicest ways to get around London, especially on the top-floor of a ‘double-decker’ which can offer some great views of the town. But buses can be less easy to navigate than the tube, so a little planning is advisable, or alternatively just stick to the routes you already know to begin with. Also, apps such as ‘Bus Times’ or ‘Citymapper’, which tell you when the next bus is going to arrive at your local stop, are extremely useful and save lots of irritating waiting-time – so make sure you download one on to your phone! Also, beware that buses don’t always stop if nobody wants to get on or off so if you do need to get off at the next stop, push the nearest red button to notify the driver. If you need to take 2 buses to come to our school, don’t worry the second one is free of charge. In addition, if you pay for 3 journeys, the fourth is free.

  1. Taxi!

Taxis in LondonThere are times when only a taxi will do and London has plenty of them. In addition to the traditional London ‘Black Cabs’ there is a huge number of other local taxi companies, as well as the ubiquitous Uber. Remember that if the taxi isn’t metered, then the driver should tell you the price before you begin the journey. Also, unless it’s a Black cab, beware taxis offering you a ride home ‘out of the blue’ when you come out of a pub or a nightclub. It’s safer to travel in a ‘pre-booked’ taxi, so you know whose car you’re getting into. All the taxis show their licenses on the front and back windows.

  1. “Believe me, my young friend, there is nothing – absolutely nothing – half so much worth doing as simply messing about in boats.” ― Kenneth Grahame, The Wind in the Willows

The river Thames was once absolutely stuffed with boats of all shapes and sizes, and the trade in transporting passengers through its murky brown waters was first regulated by none other than Henry VIII. Now known as The River Bus service, the Thames transport network has enjoyed something of a resurgence in recent years, and you can now boat along 5 main river routes which run from 21 piers between Putney and Woolwich. Pay using either your Oyster card or contactless payment with your bank card. For more information go to https://tfl.gov.uk/modes/river/about-river-bus

  1. Night Bus and Night Tube

If you take a little time to plan ahead, then just because you’ve stayed out late doesn’t mean you have to pay a huge taxi bill at the end of the evening. Many of London’s buses run all night, and there is also a night bus network. (Beware: night buses only stop on request, so you’ll have to signal to the driver if you want to get on or off.) There is also now a Night Tube service on Fridays and Saturdays on the Victoria, Jubilee, and most of the Central, Northern and Piccadilly lines, but (as with night buses) plan in advance. Don’t assume that there will be a bus or tube train which is going to take you home because there might not be, and you don’t want to be stuck in an unfamiliar part of London late at night. Plan your journey!

  1. Why not walk?

Who says you have to run the London marathon, when all that most of us need to do is just walk a little more? Walking around London might seem intimidating at first because it’s a big town, and you might get lost. But even if disaster does strike and you do get lost, the chances are that you will end up close to a tube or bus stop from where you can get to where you want to go. So be brave, and give it a try! London is full of sights, smells, architecture and history which can only really be appreciated on foot. Put those comfy shoes on and get going! Click here for a clear and simple guide to walking in London https://tfl.gov.uk/modes/walking/

We hope the above is helpful, but if you have any questions don’t hesitate to drop us a line. And for directions to Richmond English School, whether you’re walking or taking the bus, click here.

Happy travels folks!

IELTS or Cambridge FCE/CAE Exam?

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STUDENT’S GUIDE TO ENGLISH COURSE CHOICES: IELTS OR CAMBRIDGE FCE/CAE?

So, you want to take an English Course. But which one?

Decision between IELTS and CAE/FCE exams.

Here we explore the key differences between the IELTS Academic Exam and a Cambridge Qualification such as Cambridge Advanced (CAE) or Cambridge First (FCE).

(Before we continue, please all note that there is also an IELTS General Exam, which is required for visa application purposes. We DO NOT teach the IELTS General at Richmond English School.)

Ok, back to where we were. IELTS Academic or Cambridge?

Well, there are actually a number of similarities between IELTS and Cambridge. How could it be otherwise? In essence, both tests evaluate your ability to understand and communicate in the English language. It’s as simple as that.

In reality, the key difference is more one of emphasis than a massive difference in content (although there are some differences, especially in the writing section).

IELTS is usually the test required by Institutes of Higher Education such as Universities or professions such as Law, Accounting, Medecine or Nursing, and so the contents of the IELTS tests reflect this by being more academic in nature, aiming to prepare you for a University course taught in English.

But Cambridge General English, as its name suggests, is more general in nature and aims to help you understand and use English in order to work or study and live in a country whose main language is English.

So, let’s think of an example as to what differences this leads to in the exam.

In both Cambridge (First and Advanced) and in IELTS you need to write a for and against essay, but when it comes to writing on more specific subjects, where the IELTS exam tends to have more analytical questions, asking you to describe something like a process or graph, the Cambridge FCE/CAE exam might ask you to write something like a film review or an informal email to a friend about holiday plans.

Can you start to see the difference? Good. OK, what else?

Firstly, it’s important to understand that there is no PASS or FAIL in IELTS. You get a grade according to how well you have done, which is known as your Band Score – and the Band score you need will depend on the University and course you’re applying for. If you want to know more about the IELTS Band score system, please click here.

The Cambridge Exams, on the other hand, are pass or fail. Click here to watch a video about the Cambridge FCE and CAE scale.

A final difference to note is that the IELTS score you get is only valid for 2 years. This is because the University needs to know how well you speak English today, not how well you used to speak it 10 years ago. A Cambridge Qualification, however, doesn’t expire.

If you’ve got any questions, please don’t hesitate to contact Richmond English School on mail@richmondes.com or call us on 0208 878 80 80 and we’d be happy to have a chat. Or simply come along for a free trial class. We look forward to hearing from you. Call us today.