Ever wondered what the British Council has to offer, Jiajun investigates:

British Council is the UK’s international organization for educational opportunities and cultural relations and they connect people with learning opportunities and creative ideas from the UK to build lasting relationships around the world.

First of all, British Council can offer personal advice on your study options and opportunities. They also offer a range of resources to ensure you get the most out of your education, including information on courses, qualifications, institutions, English requirements, visas and travel.

Secondly, you know studying in the UK is very expensive indeed; British Council can help you find funding for your chosen courses through their own scholarship schemes or links to approved websites. Many scholarships only cover postgraduate degrees; others cover courses fees for specific subjects; while some are only available for specific institutions. So, with the help of British Council, you can really make a difference.

Thirdly, British Council helps nearly a million people every year achieve their life goals by obtaining a UK qualification, and they can also help you, too. UK qualifications are recognized by governments, universities, professional bodies and employers around the world. With the help of British Council, you can take all the English exams you want such as IELTS which is recognized by over a hundred countries.

Fourthly, British Council can help you find the right English courses whatever your level, wherever you are. During or after the English courses, they can also help you choose an exam to get the qualification you need for your future career.

Finally, in the official website of British Council pages contain latest vacancies, advice and useful links which can help you for your future career. British Council also offers seminars which focus on six main themes - arts, science, society, education, English language and information management.

Amanda Alguero - one of Answer English’s students - is on the radio! She joins comedian Jen Brister on the Radio 6 weekend overnight slot for the next 13 weeks. If you missed there show, and you could be forgiven for doing so as it’s between 01:00 and 07:00 in the morning on Saturday and Sunday - do not despair. If you go to Radio 6 you can hear their show on digital.

On the last show Amanda gives advice on feng shui. She tries to convey 3 tips Jen could do to improve her life - with a comic twist. Go to the Jen Brister show and click on the Listen again to this show Saturday link on the right. You will hear her talk about drinking too much, committing to your dreams, becoming a super hero and reading people’s minds.

Amanda, who comes from Spain, has been taking one to one classes with our teacher Carolyn O’Grady and has been making great strides. Just goes to show what is possible - from language student to appearing on the BBC! Brilliant. We wish her the best of luck with her show and will be tuning in regularly.

They say you never forget a good teacher. Teaching staff are what make a language school. We caught up with the Language in London team (formerly Camden College of English) as they are about to settle into their new home in Central London.

Why did you become an English teacher?

Aileen: I’d been to Camden College before and seen people teaching and learning and was overwhelmed at the positive atmosphere of this kind of work. Experience with foreign friends also made me keen to teach.

Rachel: I wanted a job that allowed me to travel and meet interesting people.

What are the best bits about teaching English?

Ash: Laughter, Aiding others with their Personal and Professional Development.

Aileen: Seeing progress, meeting so many people, sharing stories from different cultures, seeing students get excited about new words/phrases and using them with their friends.

And the not so good bits?

Rebecca: Photocopying!

What is the funniest thing that has happened to you whilst teaching English?

Aileen: Recently a student asked the meaning of “Barking”. To which I replied ‘the sound a dog makes wuff wuff’. The student then muttered quietly to himself, “Ah okay, Wuff Wuff Station”. (Barking is a place in East London).

Learning English can have it’s comic moments when students get words mixed up, miss pronounce things, what’s the funniest you’ve heard?

Rebecca: From a Brazilian, “Idea a meni biutafol bitfiz in may kantril.”

Aileen: Polish Student, “What are you doing on the bonk holiday?”

What has been the most fulfilling moment for you as a teacher?

Dragan: Many. Delivering interesting lessons and meeting new and interesting people.

Rebecca: Watching low level learners progress.

Aileen: Having students pass exams they’ve been preparing for.

Ash: To witness students grasp the language and embrace the culture. See the progression ‘light bulbs’

Do you speak any foreign languages? If so, what was your experience?

Aileen: A little French.

Rebecca: Spanish in Spain, Argentina, Ecuador, Colombia.

How did it feel, with the tables reversed, being taught as oppose to being a teacher?

Rebecca: I loved learning Spanish but it made me realise that it’s often difficult to concentrate for a whole lesson!

Dragan: Relief! Being able to relax and learn.

What are your top tips for students learning English?

Dragan: Read a lot.

Rebecca: The more you put into studying the more you’ll get out of it!

Aileen: Interact with as many native speakers as possible. And revise, revise, revise!

What makes London a special place for learning English?

Ash: Multicultural, variety of accents, vibrant city with something for everyone. Tradition, Culture, Festival, Customs…

Rebecca: There are so many opportunities to interact with people from different walks of life.

Why should students choose to study at your school?

Dragan: Professional, friendly and good teaching.

Ash: Priority is to provide quality lessons in a realistic context and give students tools they can use in everyday life. We also provide an award winning cultural programme different from any other school as we conduct language lessons in places of cultural interest.

Aileen: Teachers have time for every student because it’s a small school.

Thank you Aileen, Ash, Dragan and Rebecca. If you are interested in studying at Language in London, check out our Special Offer: £699 for 2 weeks of 4 hours intensive course and residential accommodation in Central London. Go to Special Offer to save £25 off before the end of May.

Last week at our French language learning evening we gave away a copy of Emergency French as a prize in our Quiz. If you missed out, then don’t despair. Those kind people at Gazelle Book Services want you to benefit from a fantastic 25% discount offer on all books bought from them when quoting ‘Answer English.’

The Emergency Series Phrase Books are designed to give travelers the key words and essential phrases they need in the most urgent situations. They combine striking covers and page design with a clear layout combined with ’say-what-you-see’ pronunciation. Reply panels and cultural tips make these books a high-quality, easy-to-use emergency reference. Useful for all travelers to the French-Speaking world, including France, Canada and French-speaking Africa.

To take up Gazelle’s offer head to their website to buy on-line.

Our regular Spanish Language Learning Evening welcomed lots of new faces last night to The Exchange. Thanks to all those that came and to our partners. This week The Language Of…. kindly donated a £5.50 book token off their second-hand foreign language titles. They have a fantastic array of books sourced from all over the world in array of languages. Check out The Language Of…

Thanks also to Speekee who gave us a number of DVD’s to give away to our prize winners. Speekee is a novel way to capture the imagination of children learning Spanish, and adults love it too. Speekee have extended a £10 discount to all Answer English students and people that attend our language evenings. Just quote Answer English when purchasing their products. Go to Speekee.

Our next Spanish evening is coming up on June 19. To sign-up send an e-mail to James: info@answerenglish.com To see the photos from last night go to our Past Events Gallery.

London is famous for being rainy and busy but as spring is in the air how pleasant it is enjoying London by walking around the city! And that is exactly what Answer English offers you this week. But this is much more than just a stroll it is also an opportunity to soak up all the culture of this fascinating city.

Imagine you are freshly arrived from abroad and you have never visited the capital of England. With our “Discover London” walking tours it is the time for you to hear all about “Power and Parliament”. And don’t think it will be boring! No, no! Even if certain aspects of Great Britain can seem to look backwards to a bygone era, we are going to explain to you in a clear and interesting way how and why England (and especially London) became so powerful throughout the centuries. All this, of course, while strolling between green parks and amazing buildings! What more could you want!

If you want to take part in our guided walk tour, Discover London series, please contact James at james@answerenglish.com. Tickets: £6 per person.

I remember as a teenager trying to figure out what Michael Stipe was trying to say in the chorus of ‘Sidewinder Sleeps Tonight’.  “Coming to wake her up” was the best I got.  Probably better than thinking Sting was singing “Salami” in the Police song ‘So Lonely’.  Now Brian Clark from Copyblogger has opened a metaphoric can of worms with his take on the song ‘Ironic’ from Alanis Morissette.

For an insight into the word irony itself and the English Language I urge you to check out his latest blog post: Did Alanis Morissette get Irony Right?  I’d come to the conclusion too that the fact that virtually all of the lyrics in her hit song were far from ironic, the only irony in her song left was not a ‘black fly in your Chardonnay’ but that none of the lyrics were remotely ironic.

To remind yourself of the lyrics here they are on Azlyrics.  Have a look at them and let me know what you think: did Brian get it right?

Choosing a university is not a decision that should be taken lightly.  Course content, the faculty where you will be studying, how much the beer costs in the union, these are all important questions that need to be answered.  Malvern House are holding a University Fair this Thursday 24 May at their Bloombsury Centre and you are invited along to meet top British Universities and find out about opportunities open to you in British Higher Education.

12 UK universities will attend including Oxford Brookes, London Metropolitan, Surrey, Essex, Salford and many more.  If you are interested in going to a UK university this is a great chance for you to ask any questions you might have.  The event runs between 13:00 and 16:00 at Malvern House’s Bloomsbury Centre.  The address is 46/47 Bloomsbury Square, London, WC1A 2RA.  The nearest tube is Holborn.  Click here for a map.

It is also worth noting that Malvern can help students with their application through their NEW On Course Placement service. For more information Contact Us.

Tomorrow night is our regular Spanish - English language learning evening.  The evening is at The Exchange, 32 Gerrard Street in China Town.  Nearest tube is Piccadilly Circus.  We hope to see you there.
If you haven’t been before Tobey who was a guest at our last Spanish Language Learning Experience, explains what it’s all about:

This video was made by Local Video

Apologies for the apocalyptic sounding title. What I mean is that if you like me haven’t been to see In Extremis at Shakespeare’s Globe, you have 5 days to get yourself down there! Alex Kerr, a giant among men, and part-time Answer English teacher is starring in this great work from The Great Bard. Ever versatile Alex takes the stage as a Monk, a Bishop and Student Number 3. He also speaks.

We caught up with Alex. In his own words ‘In Extremis is the story of Abelard and Heloise, both religious sorts: fall in love, shag alot, he gets castrated, he finally gets some scriptures written… you know the beef. It was a hit last summer, so they decided to revive it again but with added thespian firepower.’  Sounds unmissable. Here is a picture of Alex so you can recognise him in his habit.

The show opened on the 15th of May and runs until the 26th. The performace lasts 2 hours including an interval. Tickets are available from £5. For more information go to Shakespeare’s Globe.