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It is the end of October, the leaves are on the ground and an autumnal chill in the air. There is a buzz around Berlin as agents and educational providers meet at ICEF. Everyone is smiling and as there is a strong feeling of optimism as we all head into 2018. The reality though is that there continues to be some fundamental challenges to the industry – exchange rates, visa issues, Trumpism, inter-government disputes to name a few.

How will we overcome these things? To be honest we, as individuals, cannot overcome them but we hold on to hope and somehow we get through them. The growing appetite for students to obtain an international education makes the industry have this hope and therefore makes us incredibly resilient.

Our optimism is misplaced. In the short-term we have to steer our way skilfully through these challenges. Our hope is in the long-term outlook for international education. Our industry needs to embrace the growth of international education, continually improve standards and not be brought to its knees by the challenges that repeatedly rock our sector.

It is not the noise, the crowds, the long days but the deep rooted belief in the future of International education that makes us return each year to ICEF Berlin.

 

Guido Schillig, Managing Director, Anglo-Continental

Find out more about Guido Schillig here.

ICEF Berlin Workshop is the leading international education focused networking forum and a must-attend event for all industry professionals. Find out more here.

Anglo-Continental Teacher Training Centre is proud to announce its partnership with m2r Education.  m2r Education is a leading education recruitment specialist that will be teaming up with Anglo-Continental to support its newly trained CELTA teachers to find roles worldwide!

Students who complete their CELTA course with Anglo-Continental will be given the opportunity to contact the m2r Education team for advice and support with regards to where to go after obtaining their teaching qualification.

Established in 2001, m2r Education is a multi-award winning UK based firm offering a quality and ethical recruitment service to overseas organisations within the education and training sectors. m2r Education has links worldwide and is therefore perfect for newly trained CELTA teachers looking for overseas roles.

Munir Mamujee, Managing Director at m2r Education commented, “Having met Matthew on a recent Training Gateway Trade Mission to the Middle East, it was clear that we could offer significant assistance to their CELTA graduates and I am delighted that conversations between our companies have led to the creation of this business partnership.”

Matthew Scott, Business Development Coordinator at Anglo-Continental, has expressed his support for the partnership stating that, “m2r Education’s customer experience focus means that our newly qualified CELTA trainees will get the highest level of support in finding their first overseas job. Anglo-Continental is always striving for quality and, by partnering up with m2r Education, we are adding value to our Teacher Training Programmes.”

Anglo-Continental is an approved Training Centre for the University of Cambridge Certificate in English Language Teaching to Adults (CELTA) and has both full-time and part-time courses on offer throughout the year.  The CELTA qualification is the essential qualification for native English Teachers entering the English Language Teaching profession.  The course does not assume any previous teaching experience.  The scheme is administered by the University of Cambridge Examinations which ensures that the regulations and fundamental aims of the scheme are implemented.  Find out more about Anglo-Continental CELTA Courses:  https://www.anglo-continental.com/english-courses/teacher-training/celta-english-language-teaching-courses/

Find out more about m2r Education: http://www.m2rglobal.com/

Fabio is a senior medical professional based in north east Italy. We had the pleasure of interviewing him about the time he has spent at Anglo-Continental, and why he chose our Executive Course.

Where are you from?

“Trieste, Italy. It is in the North East of the country. It is near Venice.”

How long have you attended a course at Anglo-Continental?

“It’s amazing, I have attended for over a year in total. However, this is not the first time. I came for 1 week and 3 months (on previous visits). This year, I have only come for 1 week.”

Can you tell me how many times you have attended Anglo-Continental?

“It’s unbelievable. I can’t tell you. The first time was in 1994.”

You seem to have a good history with Anglo-Continental. Why do you keep coming back?

“It’s a good school. I have a history with this school. I was recommended by a friend to attend the Executive Course. The difference between the Executive Course and the main courses is very high. So I decided to follow this course in the Executive Centre.”

What do you enjoy the most about studying on the Executive Course, and in the Executive Centre?

“The one-to-one English lessons. It’s the best option for me.”

Do you use the English you learn here at your workplace?

“I use English in my day-to-day work very seldom. I have to use English for international conferences and for travel. I have to speak to other colleagues abroad, for my job, to keep me up to date in my field of practice.”

What do you think of Bournemouth?

“I like Bournemouth. I can concentrate on my studies. My friend asked me many years ago, why do I keep returning to Bournemouth? So I said, it is the best place to study and speak English.”

Would you recommend the Anglo-Continental Executive Course?

“Yes, Absolutely. I have recommended the course to friends before. Not to people who are lower than intermediate level. It’s too heavy for them. For Upper Intermediate level speakers.”

We thank Fabio for the time he took to answer our questions, and look forward to the next time he joins us at the Anglo-Continental Executive Centre.

To find out more about our Executive Courses, click here

Cristina Zuppa has brought students an incredible 7378 miles (11874 km) from Argentina to Anglo-Continental School every year for the past 10 years! Young learners and, more recently, older professionals, have enjoyed her friendly advice and comprehensive instructions for learning English in the UK. Cristina has prepared many Argentine student groups for the culturally unique experience of studying in the UK, particularly in Bournemouth.

As Cristina prepares for her retirement, I sat down with her to find out more about her experiences over the years, and what first drew her to Anglo-Continental and Bournemouth.

Cristina began by explaining about how she had been teaching English for a long time in her native Patagonia, where she runs a language school. 10 years ago, she decided to offer her students a unique experience; “of visiting the home of English, the United Kingdom.”

She describes how she usually brings teenagers to study here in the UK. However, recently her market has diversified. “Some years ago I brought a group of adults (to Anglo-Continental), and this year, I have been fortunate enough to escort two groups to Anglo-Continental. The first being teenagers and the current group being a group of adults.”

The first time Cristina came to Bournemouth was in the 1990’s,

“I don’t remember the year exactly, and it was a bit different then from what it is like today, but I liked it the first time I came here.” Her face lights up as she describes her initial reaction; “I fell in love at first sight! Bournemouth is quiet compared to other cities. It’s safe, it’s open, it has very nice green spaces and there is the beach. Most of all (I like) the school (Anglo-Continental).”

Her explanation of the students’ experience of Anglo-Continental is a very flattering one. “They feel very happy at the school because they do lots of things and make friends from many different countries, which makes me very happy.”

Cristina goes to great effort to help students to prepare for life in the U.K.

“I have been coming here a long time, so I prepare them before they come. But, to tell you the truth, the first few days are a culture shock. The timing of daily life and the way the English households are managed is all new to them. They also have to speak another language that they have been learning …but it only lasts for 2 or 3 days at the most. After that they are completely at ease and happy …By the end of the course, what do they say to me?” Cristina laughs whilst she recalls her students’ reactions.  “Why do I have to go home? I want to stay a little more!”

She explains how the students enjoy the classes at Anglo-Continental. “They like the way it works and the way that they can interact with other students from different countries.” Her feeling is that the majority of her students feel that the teaching at Anglo-Continental is very flexible to their level of understanding.

I finally ask Cristina what advice she would give to a student coming to England from Latin America or Argentina. “Come to Bournemouth!” Her advice is that they should be aware of the rules of the road, as she feels sometimes people in South America take a more relaxed way to crossing the road or keeping an eye out for traffic.

She adds, that they will need to get used to the British schedule. For example, eating dinner at 6pm instead of 8 or 9pm in her native Argentina. “…eating at 6 o clock is, wow! In the beginning you can’t believe it. But then, after you have eaten at that time for 4 weeks, you want to change your own timetable. Because you go to bed after you have digested the food and you sleep like an angel.”

Anglo-Continental’s management and staff have thoroughly enjoyed welcoming Cristina Zuppa and her students to Bournemouth over the years. As her son, Sebastian, accompanies the groups in the future, we hope to see Cristina continue to visit and to say hello. We wish her all the best for her retirement and future plans!  

I love the creativity and flexibility of Digital Media, and really enjoy working in this field. I have studied both Graphic Design and Digital Animation.  When social media exploded around the world, my career progressed into content creation for platforms such as Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, LinkedIn, YouTube and more.

I visited Bournemouth on a weekend break in 2012 and fell in love with the beautiful coastal town. A year later, I was living in central Bournemouth.  There is so much to do and see in Bournemouth. From comic book conventions to the new ‘gastro-pub’ down the road, walks in the New Forest to wakeboarding in the bay, Bournemouth is an exciting place to live!

During the summer of 2017, I taught English at Anglo-Continental.  This was a dream of mine – to teach English as a foreign language.  During this time, I was informed of a digital media opening at the school, the position of Digital Marketing Coordinator.  I quickly pounced on the opportunity and was subsequently hired. Anglo-Continental is a world-class English teaching establishment, with friendly, professional and supportive staff.  I look forward to growing in my role and promoting Anglo-Continental around the world.

I have been learning English for nine years in Switzerland. I have spent the past two years working for an international electric company where I had to communicate a lot in English which I really enjoyed.  Last year I spent time in France for language stay.  I had an amazing time there and I learnt how to learn a different language in the actual country with native speakers around me.  As I had experienced how much fun an exchange could be, I wanted to do one more in England.

Now, through a special kind of apprenticeship, called KV-Plus, I am able to learn English for six months in Bournemouth and work there as well.  This is why I am doing my internship at Anglo-Continental. 

Doing an internship is one of the best ways to improve your English skills and gain more fluency. I think it’s really fascinating and interesting to be in touch with people from all around the world. 

Bournemouth is a lovely town and you can do many different activities.  When you go out in the town it’s a good way to learn English, but I recommend that you also make friends with other students from all over the globe. This means you have to speak English. It is really interesting to go out with people from different cultures.  You learn something about other cultures.  It is also nice to teach them a little bit about your culture.

Don’t worry about making friends.  All the people are really open-minded and want to get know other students as well, so it’s easy to make new friends.

To take part in an exchange is one of the best things you can do.  In addition to learning the language you will get so much experience about life and after this time you will have so many amazing memories.  I would recommend it to everyone.

Daniela (from Italy) and Jürg (from Switzerland) first met in the Student Centre at Anglo-Continental in 1966.  They fell in love and were soon married after their course.  This month they returned to Anglo-Continental to reminisce about the year they spent together at Anglo-Continental in Bournemouth.

On a tour of the school, Daniela and Jürg were surprised by how much the school and Bournemouth had changed.  The town has grown tremendously and the school has evolved into a modern teaching environment of the 21st century.  They were especially impressed with the Student Centre, where they first met, which has recently been modernised with state of the art equipment.

Daniela explained how she came to Anglo-Continental to study for one year to achieve her proficiency certificate.  Jürg also studied for a year but he enjoyed socialising and learned at a much more leisurely pace!  Daniela remembered that there were students from all around the world at the school – Asian, Arabic as well as European students (as is the case today!).  The teachers were easy to talk to and made the students feel that they could talk to them about anything.

Daniela used to love ballroom dancing.  During her stay Anglo-Continental organised a dance event at the Pavilion ballroom and the Mayor of Bournemouth attended the event!

Daniela and Jürg now live in Avignon, France with their two daughters, Réjane and Regina.

On Anglo-Continental’s 67th anniversary (Monday 7 August 2017) a memorial bench and gardens were unveiled in memory of Mr Fritz Schillig, Founder of Anglo-Continental.

Guido Schillig, Managing Director of Anglo-Continental gave a speech: 

“Today marks the 67^th anniversary of the day that Fritz, or FS as many used to call him, opened the doors to his school to welcome the first students who had travelled from abroad to come to Bournemouth in order to learn or improve their English.  It is therefore fitting that we should dedicate this bench in his memory on this day.

We would like to thank James, the Facilities Manager and his team for their efforts in placing the bench here and for the lovely garden that surrounds it. 

We hope that staff and students alike will take advantage of this bench and from time to time remember the man whose hard work and vision has given us Anglo-Continental as it is today.”