MONEY

You will be asked questions such as: Where will you stay in the UK? How much will it cost per week? How much will your food and living costs be? How are you going to support yourself? Have you got a regular income from your family or a sponsor who will send you money every month?

Advice: see below for details of living costs in London/UK.

Background Information about Money in London/UK

You will need to be able to demonstrate to the British Embassy that you have enough money to support your stay in the UK. If you have a student visa you may be able to work part-time, but you should not rely on this when working out your costs. Make sure you can provide documentation for all your accounts, as well the accounts of any sponsors who will provide regular income.

Cost of Living

Below is information on the average cost of living in London per week. Remember this is just an example, and costs vary from person to person, depending on your lifestyle. The costs below assume that you are living on a relatively small budget. If you want to check how much these cost in your currency have a look at: http://finance.yahoo.com/currency or http://money.cnn.com/data/currencies/

• Accommodation £60 - 120
• Food £25 - £50
• Travel £15
• Entertainment £20 - £50
• Other £15 - £50

Total £135 - £285

Below is more specific information on the costs of certain items in the UK. Prices are based on average supermarket prices and can be either higher or lower depending on quality.

• Travel card in London (zone 1 and 2 with 30% discount) £59.60 per month
• Bus Pass in London (all zones with 30% discount) £36.10 per month
• 1 cinema ticket £5-£8
• Restaurant meal £10-£30
• 1 pint (568ml) of beer (in a pub) £2-£3
• 1 bottle of wine (from supermarket) £5.00
• 1kg rice £0.70
• 1kg apples £1.50
• 500g beef steak £4.00
• 500g cheese £2.50
• 10 eggs £1.25
• 1 litre orange juice £0.65
• 1 litre of milk £0.55

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LEARNING ENGLISH IN THE UK

You may be asked questions such as: Why do you want to learn English in the UK? What benefits will a trip to the UK bring to you that can’t be gained in your country? How have you demonstrated an interest in the UK and its culture?

Advice: Living in the UK is an opportunity to be immersed in the British language and culture and learn about them first hand.

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YOUR SCHOOL

Why did you choose to study in one particular city? How did you choose your school out of all the schools on offer?

Advice: London is one of the world’s most exciting capitals. If you choose another city, have a look at the city’s website to find out more about it. Ask us about your school’s accreditations (meaning that they are recognized by independent quality control organizations) as this will demonstrate that you are serious about your studies.

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YOUR COURSE

What will it teach you? How many students in a class? Where will the students in your class come from? How is the course organized? How many hours per week is the course? Will you take an exam? What sort of exam? What do you expect to have learnt by the end of your course? How exactly will it help your career? What will you do when you return?

Advice: See below for general information. Ask us for a detailed syllabus of your course.

Background Information About Your Course

All of the teachers in the schools we work with are fully qualified native-speakers and you will be fully immersed in the language outside the classroom as well. This will be an opportunity to take the first steps in English language learning, or to improve skills you already have.

Make sure that you know as many details as possible about your course and any exams that you may wish to take. Below is some general information on the courses but please do not hesitate to ask us for more detailed information on the course from your school.

General Course

This is the most popular course because it covers all of the main language skills: grammar, vocabulary, pronunciation, reading, and writing, listening and speaking. General English courses are appropriate for those who wish to use their English as a job qualification, for travel, for living in an English speaking country or for studying at an institution where English is the language of instruction.

The courses are usually available at seven levels of proficiency, ranging from Beginner (someone with little or no knowledge of the language), through Elementary, Pre-intermediate, Intermediate, Upper-intermediate and Advanced, to Proficiency (someone who is approaching native-like proficiency in the language). On average students can expect to progress a level every 4-8 weeks depending on ability and work levels.

Intensive Course

This is the same format as the general course, only with more lessons, therefore more exposure to the language. It is ideal for students who have less time to study or want to learn as much as possible in the shortest time possible.

Individual Course

This course is designed to adapt to the specific requirements of you, the student. It is tailor-made to your individual needs and interests, and will progress at just the right speed for you.

Sometimes you will alternate teachers to give you exposure to different accents and/or to learn vocabulary specific to your business. This is especially suitable if you want to work on areas that you feel may need more practice or work on topics of special interest to you.

IELTS Exam Preparation Course

For university entrance, the most popular UK exam is the International English Language Testing System - IELTS. It is recognized as an entrance requirement by British, Australian, New Zealand and Canadian universities and for secondary, vocational and training programs.

This course usually allows you to study from 1 to 12 weeks, and consists of lessons of General English (very useful for the IELTS exam) combined with lessons specifically preparing for the IELTS exam, which you can take whenever you are ready to. You can arrange the exact date of the exam when you arrive in the UK.

The examination fee is not included in the course price. Each of the test centres schedules their administrations to suit local needs. All candidates are tested in Listening, Reading, Writing and Speaking.

Cambridge Exam Preparation Course

Cambridge ESOL exams are the world's leading range of certificates for learners of English. Each year they are taken by over 2 million people, in 130 countries. They can help you gain entrance to a university or college, improve your job prospects and measure your progress in English.

There are 3 Cambridge ESOL Examinations; the First Certificate in English (FCE) for Intermediate level, the Certificate in Advanced English (CAE) for Upper-intermediate and the Certificate of Proficiency in English (CPE) for Advanced English speakers.

They are world-renowned exams offered at 3 ability levels recognized all over the World. Rigorous preparation programs develop all the language and examination skills you need to succeed. The courses each blend general language study with specific examination work.

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English courses in the UK >

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