Bridport School of English

Why Learn English?

Martyn — Mon, 10 Oct 2011 15:15:39 +0000

Why learn English?

English is the mother tongue of some 400 million people, and the second language of millions more. There are also an estimated 750 million people who learn English as a foreign language.

Modern English is the first global lingua franca and is the world’s dominant language. In some instances it is even the required international language of communications, science, information technology, business, seafaring, aviation, entertainment, radio and diplomacy.
Many international books, films and music are written in English.
The majority of the internet is written in English.
The majority of the electronically stored information around the world is in English.
Nowadays in the competitive job market it is necessary to speak English. So if you learn English you will have a better chance of getting a job that pays more.
A working knowledge of English has become a requirement in a number of fields, occupations and professions such as medicine and computing; as a consequence over a billion people speak English to at least a basic level.
More than 50 countries on the globe speak English as their first language. But many hundreds more speak languages that no other country speak, as so use English to communicate with tourists and the rest of the world.
Learning English is fun, some aspects you will find easy, and some challenging, but by learning English you will be gaining an invaluable skill.

Our Ethos

Martyn — Sat, 09 Apr 2011 19:17:28 +0000

Bridport school of English is a fun, exciting and rewarding place to study English.
We aim to provide English lessons of a high standard in a relaxed, nurturing environment.
The method of teaching at the Bridport School of English is aimed to achieve the best results in the shortest time possible, so that you as a student can learn as much as you can during your stay.
In order to nurture our students’ learning, we always build their course individually to suite their specific needs. We build the lessons, activities and practice to be inkeeping with our student’s interests and lifestyle.
We concentrate on all four essencial learning categories; reading, writing, listening and speaking, but more time will always be given to those skills that our students struggle with.
Here at the Bridport school of English, we believe that all students are different and therfore it is important to teach each student according to their needs.
We teach using 100% English, which enables complete beginners to absorb twice as much as conventional teaching methods. This method also means that students gain full advantage of complete imersion in the English culture, language and lifestyle.
Learning English at the Bridport School of English is a unique experience.

You will always leave having learnt alot, improved all four skills, enjoyed your experience and yurn to return!

The Tolpuddle Martyrs’ Festival in Dorset

admin — Sun, 08 Aug 2010 16:46:55 +0000

Do you know the story of the Tolpuddle Martyrs?

The Tolpuddle Martyrs were a group of six farm workers from the small village of Tolpuddle, in Dorset. In 1834 they were arrested and found guilty of forming a trade union in order to protest about their very low wages. They were sentenced to be transported to Australia for seven years.

Their punishment made many working class people across the country angry and many thousands of people marched through London and organised petitions and protest meetings to demand their freedom. After a three year campaign for the Tolpuddle Martyrs’ release, the government finally agreed to pardon them and they returned home as heroes.

The Tolpuddle Martyrs’ Festival Friday takes place from Friday16th to Sunday 18th July in the village of Tolpuddle in Dorset. Thousands of people will gather in this tiny village to remember the sacrifice made by the Tolpuddle Martyrs. The festival will be a mixture of political speeches, traditional processions, and music and entertainment for people of all ages.

The Tolpuddle Martyrs’ Festival is just one of the many interesting events happening in Dorset this summer, and in future posts we will write about some more of the exciting things to do in this lovely part of the UK. One thing is certain: there is always something happening in Dorset and we will never run out of new ideas for fun and educational excursions and social activities for our English language programmes.

Professionally qualified English language teachers in Dorset, England

admin — Mon, 02 Aug 2010 16:44:25 +0000

Are you looking for an English language school in the South West of England, with experienced and professionally qualified English language teachers? In addition to your hard work and motivation, one of the key ingredients for successful English language learning is, of course, an excellent teacher. Here are some tips to help you identify a good English language teacher.

What can I expect from a good English language teacher?

All good language teachers, and language school managers, will be very happy to have an informal friendly chat about their lessons and courses and how they can help you learn English effectively.

They will also be happy to provide you with detailed information about their, or their teachers’, relevant professional qualifications and experience and approaches to language acquisition.

They will clearly explain your options regarding one-to-one lessons or group lessons, including the cost and duration, and any excursions and social activities included as part of your programme.

Your English teacher will:

assess your current level of English;
find out about your previous language learning experience;
discuss your needs regarding your English lessons;
agree on a course of English for you with clear aims and goals;
provide you with excellent lesson content and resources;
help you with strategies for effective language learning;
and, where required, provide relevant and useful homework.

All our tutors at the Bridport School of English hold a first degree/masters degree and appropriate teaching and TEFL qualifications. They have taught young people and adults of many different nationalities, and at all levels. Their experience ranges from teaching English while travelling extensively in Africa, India and the South Pacific, to teaching English in schools in Mexico, Brazil and Italy, to Director of Teaching and Learning at a large college.

You need lots of motivation to succeed in learning English but with the combined expertise and experience of our English language teachers and our English language courses you will be well on your way to success!

Please contact us if you would like more information about our teachers or our courses. We very much look forward to hearing from you.

Help With English Verb Conjugation

admin — Mon, 26 Jul 2010 16:48:03 +0000

Conjugation.com is a free resource for English verb conjugation. It’s very easy to use: you type in the verb you want to conjugate (it doesn’t have to be the infinitive form), click on ‘conjugate’ and you will see a new page displaying the all different inflectional forms of the verb. You can conjugate over 15,000 English verbs in one click – very useful if you want to quickly check something for your homework!

Web sites such as conjugate.com can be very useful as support for your English language learning but, of course, they are no substitute for lessons that meet your individual learning needs. Here at the Bridport School of English we provide personalized English language courses and we can help with any areas of English you find especially difficult. Please contact us if you would like to have chat with one of our teachers.

Beach Polo at Sandbanks Beach

admin — Mon, 26 Jul 2010 16:44:12 +0000

The month of June saw many hot sunny days here in Dorset: perfect for a day at the beach and a cooling dip in the ocean. We feel very lucky that our homestay English language school is so close to miles of beautiful award-winning beaches, with stunning scenery and clean and safe waters.

On the 9^th and 10^th of July the British Beach Polo Championships will be held at Sandbanks beach. Sandbanks is a small peninsula crossing the mouth of Poole Harbour in Dorset, and it is said to be the 4^th most expensive place to live in the world!

Beach polo is a fast and exciting sport. Large crowds of spectators, including celebrities, residents and visitors, will gather to watch top international riders and horses compete in this glamorous location. This year the event will also include beach volleyball, have-a-go polo for those who have not played before, a race between a Mercedes car and a pony, beach polo played with camels instead of horses, live music, and a beach party hosted by Jade Jagger.

If you would like to know more about our friendly family run language school here in the wonderful county of Dorset, please contact us. You can also read some of the testimonials we have received from our many very happy students.

Would you like to learn English on the beautiful English coast?

admin — Mon, 12 Jul 2010 09:39:49 +0000

If you love water sports and sandy beaches and you are considering learning English in the UK, you can’t choose a better place to learn than Dorset.

Dorset has over 100 miles of coast with a diverse range of beaches and coves, including stunning award-winning, safe and clean beaches where people enjoy attractions such as sailing events, an annual international kite festival, and national and international beach volleyball and handball championships held each summer on Weymouth beach. The sea off Weymouth beach is very popular with people who love swimming and water sports, and the Weymouth and Portland National Sailing Academy will host the 2012 Olympics sailing events.

The Bridport School of English is a short distance from the Dorset coast, and just a short drive away from Weymouth and its beautiful beaches and exciting water sports. If you would like to know more about our English language courses for teenagers and adults, please contact us.

Creating a folder for your language learning notes

admin — Mon, 05 Jul 2010 09:38:06 +0000

While you are learning English you will find that having a good system for organizing your notes is very important. It will help you:

learn and remember the work you are taught in your lessons;
keep an up-to-date record of useful resources such as books, web sites and newspapers;
identify your strengths and weaknesses in your language learning;
build your own resources, such as vocabulary and grammar lists;
prepare for your exams

It is a good idea to make rough notes during your English lessons, and to organize and add any new information and resources to your folder at the end of each lesson.

You need to be able to find your notes easily so divide your folder into sections. Here are some suggestions for the sections you might find useful:

recommended resources such as English newspapers and news web sites, radio stations, audio books, films, DVDs, dictionaries (including online dictionaries), English language books and magazines;
cultural and historical background information relating to the country you are visiting or living in;
new vocabulary (grouped by topic);
grammar points;
outlines for formal and informal letters, reports and presentations;
exam notes, including advice and tips, useful resources and exam dates;
information about your homework, including the details of your assignment and the date it is due, plus any recommended tips and resources;

How do you organize your notes? Do you have any different ideas? At the Bridport School of English our English language study courses include all the books and tuition materials you need. Please contact us if you would like more information about any of our courses.

Who are one-to-one English language lessons and courses good for?

admin — Mon, 28 Jun 2010 09:34:57 +0000

If you’re thinking of studying English, you might want to consider one-to-one English lessons. Here are some ideas about who would benefit from one-to-one English lessons, and some of the advantages of learning this way.

Who are one-to-one English lessons and courses good for?

For total beginners: for example when a student’s English is not yet good enough for them to join a class.
For students who need intensive revision practice and exam preparation.
For students with a definite goal and limited time to achieve that goal. For example, as preparation for an application for a job, or application to a university, or for relocation to an English-speaking country.
For students whose personal preference is to learn one-to-one rather than as part of a group.
For students who simply want to learn English as quickly as possible.

The advantages of one-to-one English language lessons and courses

You can work at your pace
You can work at your exact level
Your lessons will concentrate on the areas of language you need to work on most
Your lesson materials can be prepared for your preferred learning style
You can cover lesson material quickly and effectively, make progress faster, and reach your goals quicker

At the Bridport School of English we teach young people and adults in small groups and on a one-to-one basis.. You can choose to study an individually designed programme of intensive tuition with a one-to-one English language course, or we can offer you English lessons on one of our small group English language courses. You can even have a combination of both, for example group study in the mornings and one to one lessons in the afternoon if you choose. Please contact us if you have any questions about our English language courses.

Summer at Bridport School of English

Martyn — Sat, 26 Jun 2010 10:11:53 +0000

THIS summer Bridport School of English promises to be a very exciting time. The Weather has already promised much, with hot sticky afternoons and cool summer evenings already filling much of May and June.
On Wednesday June 30th, 50 Spanish teenagers from Bilbao will be spending their summer here. They will receive English tuition to further their ability levels and then proceed to afternoon activities.
This year’s itinerary looks incredible exciting and will no doubt be enthralling and exciting the students and teachers alike.
The teens will be taking part in circus skills, yoga and Salsa lessons – all taught in English of course!
All students will be staying with host families across the local area, from Lyme Regis to Axminster and across to Dorchester. This enables the students to truly experience the Marshwood Vale way of life and helps them to practise their English in a more relaxed, yet informal setting.
In addition it often enriches other family members, especially for the children of those families, who may have never been to the Basque country area of Northern Spain.
The Bridport-Bilbao exchange promises to be an exciting time for all those involved, and will bring a small part of a sunny Spanish city to this small, quaint, rural and beautiful corner of Southern Britain.

bridport school of english - Spanish