It’s easy to win! All you have to do is ‘Like’ the Lexis English Australia Facebook page and post a picture of your time in Australia! There are three categories to enter and you can enter as many times as you like!
On Friday afternoon the rain held off long enough for the Kindai students to enjoy a game of boys vs. girls soccer at Cotton Tree. the weather stayed sunny and the students quickly wore themselves out, the end result being the girls winning! We then went for a quick dip at Cotton Tree beach before heading back to school for some a well deserved rest!
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Seventeen students from Switzerland, Italy, France, Korea and Brazil partook in a surf lesson on another scorching hot day in Maroochydore. The three instructors worked with the students on both the sand and in the water, helping them with both technique and style. The lesson was filled with laughter and many interesting surf techniques. Congratulations to all participants for their effort and enthusiasm!
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Naomi likes to make sure that everyone remembers to use English while they are at school. Be careful if you don’t!! Her class has decided that a taste of Vegemite will be given to anyone who doesn’t speak English in the classroom. Today it was Sandra, Mohanad & Sultan who had to taste Vegemite. I wonder if they liked it?………. Who will be next?
Find out more about Vegemite, the famous Australian spread.
Monday was yet another cloudy day outside, but inside was another story altogether! Fifteen students gathered in the cosy social space to watch the movie classic ‘Pearl Harbour’ with the comfort of lollies, chocolate and great company of course! This hit flick is based on a true story and features Josh Hartnett, Ben Affleck and the beautiful Kate Beckinsale. Drama, romance and amazing movie footage drew us all in until the finale. I look forward to our next rainy day together for yet another ‘smash hit’!
One of the biggest challenges to learning a new language is remembering all those new words each week.
One way to build vocabulary quickly is to use flash cards. Pick up a new word and write it down on a small card with its meaning. Keep the card with you for a day and look at it whenever you get time. Prop them up in your room over the week so that you notice them all the time. Try and use the new words when you are speaking to friends. The more you use these new words the quicker you will remember them!
Another hint is to keep a pencil and exercise book close at hand while reading. You can be reading a magazine, a comic, a novel or a newspaper or this blog! When you come across a word that you are unfamiliar with, write it in your vocabulary exercise book. Later, when you have time, pick up a dictionary and look up the words you have written.
Don’t have an exercise book? Come and see me and I will give you one for free. See you soon. Sharon.
Our SANG students are just as talented outside the classroom. Congratulations on winning the Grand Final boys and to Memo for scoring the winning goal.
Today we enjoyed a free welcome BBQ at Cotton Tree Park!
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Despite the heavy rain, loud thunder and spectacular lightening, quite a few students managed to sacrifice a hard night of grammar study for a few drinks at the local pub last Thursday! The forecast is said to be perfect for beer drinking tonight so I look forward to seeing you ALL there!
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Secrets Only a Local Would Know
A GLASS TO THE BRIM with sweet, cold vanilla ice cream, accompanied with a double shot of espresso in a jug. This is the Baked Poetry Café’s unique iced coffee and it’s gastronomically orgasmic. Baked Poetry Café is situated in the courtyard of Peregian Shopping Centre.
AFTER A CRISP, EARLY morning surf or ocean swim at Alexandra Headland, stroll up in your togs to the relaxed Beach Kiosk at the Alex Surf Club for a beachside breakfast. salt road tests this secret on a regular basis and recommends the breakfast wrap, which is made fresh on the spot, washed down with a steamy coffee. Order to go or perch at a table and watch the nippers scramble to and from the surf or the regular stream of walkers, runners and cyclists who pound the path that hugs the coast.
IF YOU’RE A LOVER OF CLASSIC old-style Australian pubs that ooze charm and have a great bar to perch at, then salt recommends a visit to the Apollionian Hotel, Laguna Street, Boreen Point. Sit out in the bougainvillea-lined deck, order a counter meal and a jug full of golden beer and settle in for a lazy Sunday session.
GET FRESH AT COTTON TREE is a gourmet grocer of the highest standard. It’s a feast for the eyes for first time customers where a long timber table sits in the centre of the shop overflowing with bright, healthy produce. At the back of the shop sits a boutique bakery selling fresh bread and gourmet pies. Get Fresh was established by Grant and Nadine Imlach, who moved with their children from the chilly streets of Queenstown in New Zealand to the laid back coastal culture of Cotton Tree. They’ve been in produce all their working lives and it shows with their newest venture. Shop 10, 1 King Street, Cotton Tree. 5443 3131.
Today we started a new cooking class! The students cooked pikelets and enjoyed some Australian afternoon tea.
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The activity today is a photography competition. Meet at 2pm in the common room!
Bring along your best snaps!
The weather was fantastic for Friday’s surfing lesson!
The time has come to say Goodbye………
I have worked at GV Sunshine Coast for six months now and have loved every minute of it!
During my time here I’ve taught Elementary, Intermediate and Advanced classes, and each of them has been an interesting and exciting experience. On top of teaching the students I’ve also learnt a lot from them and am going to really miss everyone. The other teachers have been amazing too and I’ve made some great friends during my time here. I’m now going to have a three week holiday, travelling up to Cairns and visiting the islands, then going to work at the GV in Perth for the rest of my time in Australia. Although I’m sad to be leaving Maroochydore, I’m really looking forward to meeting everyone in Perth and having another amazing experience! Thanks guys!
Yara has been a student here for only a short time but she has been quite industrious. A keen enthusiast of Yoga, Yara has organised to teach free yoga classes for her fellow school mates after class.
“I really like to do yoga and to study about it. When I did a yoga class here last week I felt very happy and grateful for the opportunity.
It’s great to share something that we enjoy doing.
Thank you Global Village, you are helping me to improve my English.”
As you know, this is week 3 of the three week option block, so if you haven’t selected an option yet for the next round, please do so by Friday.
A snap shot from the other Elementary Speaking Option class.
I’m not sure what is happening here but this photo was taken in Andy’s Reading Option class.
A little acting from Alison prompts the students in the Advanced Discussions Option class.
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A wonderful afternoon was spent playing volleyball last Friday. A competitive yet fun game. Great shots guys!
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In the Elementary Speaking Option this week students focussed on vocabulary dealing with food.
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If you are thinking of travelling to New Zealand now is the time to buy your pass. Magic are offering a great deal for travel in the North and South Island, all for only $399 plus a FREE Bay of Island’s pass. You can book the pass in April, but travel can be made within one year!
Kayley will be in school today, so make sure you go and see her if you need any help with travel in Australia, New Zealand and Fiji.
Catherine and Joey (Deok Sang) have joined us today. Catherine is in Pre-Intermediate A and Joey is in Intermediate B. Please say hello and make them both feel welcome.
Here are some happy ‘pics’ from last week’s student night.
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Cotton Tree park was the venue for last Friday’s afternoon activity which was a great way to say goodbye to some students and teachers from the ECC study group.
Learning English is an ongoing process that doesn’t end when classes do or when you finish your course. It may even surprise you to learn that a good proportion of what you learn is learned incidentally, so, take advantage of the fact that you are currently living and studying in an English speaking country. Here are some helpful tips:
Speak English as much as possible and try to stress words appropriately. Intonation is really important and how you say something may have a totally different meaning to what you want to say, for example, ‘hello’ could be said in a friendly, sarcastic or indifferent tone.
Use your imagination and try this exercise:
Ask three different people, your friend (1), someone you don’t really know (2) and someone you don’t like (3): what time it is, or invite them out for a cup of coffee. You will probably find that you will say it a little differently each time.
Avoid speaking your own language while you are here because each time you do, you reproduce your own language’s stress and intonation patterns making it difficult to master the ones required for English. This is partially why you speak English with an accent. Mimic the sounds you hear, it’s a good way to learn. Besides, we know that you can speak your own language fluently so work on English!
Some students mistake speaking very quickly with being fluent. Speak slowly and clearly, so even if you make a mistake the listener will understand most of what you are trying to say. If you speak quickly the listener will find it difficult to understand you.
If you can’t find someone to practise speaking with, read aloud to yourself. This really helps with stress and pronunciation. Have you ever noticed that everything sounds great in your mind when you read silently, but not so great when you are asked to read aloud in class? If possible, tape yourself and listen to your pronunciation.
Listen to the radio and watch the local news. Make sure you listen for ‘who’, ‘what’, ‘when’, ‘where’, ‘how’ and ‘why’. Listening to music and learning lyrics to songs is a fun way to learn vocabulary. You can try and guess the lyrics to songs before you download the lyrics from the net.
Eavesdrop on conversations on public transport, it isn’t difficult because most people use their mobile phones and they’re quite loud. Even so, try not to make it to obvious you might upset someone.
Watch DVDs without subtitles because the idea is to improve your listening not your reading.
I hope these tips are useful so stay tuned for the next instalment.
Patty Thomas
Academic Manager – GV Sunshine Coast
Hi everyone,
Here are 10 studying tips from me that will hopefully help reduce those post entrance exam stress levels a bit:
Adi.
Geundeok, Saori, Eunjeong, David and Yannick have joined us today.
Geundeok, Saori, Eunjeong are studying General English, while David will be joing the CAE class and Yannick is an English and Surf student. Welcome guys.
Our afternoon activities are a great success. Last week students enjoyed a game of bowls at Alex Headlands.
Everyone loves wakeboarding. Here are are recent photos.
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Some happy snap shots of students enjoying the BBQ at Cotton Tree Park.
Meghan dazzles students with her unorthodox kicking style and great tackling technique.
Our visiting students from ECC had a didgeridoo lesson in the student area this afternoon and they were joined by some of our Saudi Arabian students who were keen to participate. Scott Estrich from BushLab Team Boosting demonstrated how to play the didgeridoo and encouraged every one to have a go. I have to say that when Ahmed had a try he sounded like a sick elephant which made his friends laugh.
