Bank Holiday and Notting Hill Carnival

This Monday the 27th of August we have party in England, specifically the Bank Holiday.

If you are in UK, this rest would have been perfect for you, if not you may be interested in knowing more about this tradition.

It is called Bank Holiday because, at the beginning, they were holidays for people who work at the bank.

Everything started as the result of a decreased in the number of annual days for holidays. From 30 days to only 4 days in 1834. In this way, in 1871, a liberal politician called John Lubbock thought it was appropriate that the bank employees could go to the Cricket matches. He was a fan of this sport that is why he made that the holidays were in the same day than the matches.

With time, this tradition was expanded to other sectors.

This is the look in the carnival

Since 1965 and in the Bank Holiday of August, in Nothing Hill, people have been celebrating a colourful and massive Carnival.

 This event can’t be considered as something typical British because most of the people who procession they are from Jamaica, Trinidad and Tobago (nationality of Claudia Jones who is considered as the creative of the Carnival)

The Notting Hill Carnival in the last years has reached a million visits. Even if it is said that there are a lot of fights (maybe it is because the facts of other years), this year it was very peaceful and funny. I have to say that most of the people go there to enjoy and not to create troubles.

All the area is “dressed up” and it is full of food stalls with different kind of food. The streets are full of people, colours and good atmosphere.

Maybe the only bad thing will be the rubbish that is piled up in the street, least because the bins are full.

We recommend to our POLAR CHOICE friends that are in London in 2013 to go and to enjoy this party.

Ah! One thing, use the toilet at home before going out because you will have to pay £1 for using the bathroom.

We visit ISIS and interview one of the teachers

When you see the ISIS buildings you only can be surprised. This is not only because of their size but because it is a beautiful building with big windows.

The director of the school welcomes us.

We went to the teachers’ room. There I met Jean, the girl we are going to interview. I explain a bit of our blog and which is the purpose of it. 

The looking of the School outside.

What can you tell us about the school’s History? I heard that some years ago you made reforms...

 I joined the School after the reforms. Anyway, I have to say I don’t know a lot about the history of the School.... I’m sorry…

One of the classes of the school

Do you remember the advice that your colleagues gave you in your first day?

My first day was horrible. I think that literally, they gave me the book and said “go on and teach this”. No, now seriously, this day i was working with other teacher and she told me how to do it and she supported me as well. It was very good.

  

What is going on inside an ISIS class? What methods do they use? In other words, what are the things that make special the school?

They try to be close and communicative with the students. Also, they try to make the students talk and voice their ideas.

They give a lot of importance to it.

For me this is perfect because I learnt like this and as a professor, at the end, you teach in the same way you have learnt. I think this is really good.

Also, teachers pay attention to what you do and they give you advice in order to improve your level. At the end the language is something you have to use... you have to read goo, write good... and if some of these things fail it could influence in the others.

Do you receive training from ISIS?

Yes, we have like workshops and “peer reviews”. The last ones are like an evaluation between 2 people. This is, 2 teachers look at each other and write down the strengths and weaknesses of the other person.

I think that most of the times it is very useful to look at other people because several times you think “oh! This is really good I am going to do the same in my lessons”. Also, because it is someone like you, a teacher, you don’t change your behaviour. 

Reception

As a student, why do you think we should choose ISIS?

I think Isis is a centre that tries to make the lessons suitable for the students.

The teachers help each other with the students’ doubts.

You don’t follow only a book, but you do a lot of things, things in order to prepare an exam. So the learning you gain is more useful.

EXTRA BALL

We are getting ready a new version of our web page in Italian. Soon, we will give more information.

Meanwhile remember that our promotion is still running.

Bring a friend for studying to London through POLAR CHOICE and win up to £50.

If you know someone who wants to come to learn with us, contact us at: education@polacrhoice.com

Today we visit Language in Group in company of Tim Barker, sales and account executive.

Before we start the interview, while we are trying to find a place where we can talk, Tim tells me that he is a fan of Spain. He goes every time he can. I comment to him how my first days in London are going and finally we find a place near to the computer’s room. 

Interview with Tim Barker

  

                           As sales and account executive, what is your role in the School?

I promote the School overseas and in the country. I make presentations, feedback with the customers and I try they have a good experience. It is like Commercial Marketing.

       Have you ever thought of working as an English teacher?

I was linked to Language Schools all my life. My mum has her own centre and since I was 14 I have been working in this sector. I think I was in every role except the teacher one.

           Tell us a bit about the history Language in Group. I see you have three schools...

Yes, all of these schools existed in an independent way. The school in London starts in 1999, in Dublin in 1979 and in Totnes in 1980. So we decided 3 or 4 years ago that the best was to create a group. Anyway, even if we are part of this Group, we didn’t have a lot of changes. We still keep our independence in how to do the things and our familiar atmosphere.

"You should be Learning English instead of looking Facebook” (Tim makes a joke with 2 students)

         Although you don’t have direct contact with the students, can you tell us something about the dynamic of the class? What is going on inside a Language in Group class?

     Well, we try to be a traditional School and do things differently. In fact, we have a course that the school itself has designed which has been awarded by British Council where the room is the own city, London. It’s called Culture Experience and every lesson is outside the rooms. What we do is to go to different museums of the city. For what you need a book when you can use a piece of art?

    Yes, it is luck that in London most of the museums are free entrance.

    

     That is why we want to take advantage on it. We try that when students come, for example, from Spain, they don’t have the same books than they have there.

Some of the members of the staff

           Do you offer formation to your teachers?

           Yes, we have several meetings for the staff of the 3 schools and we form up them in customer service, to give feedback...  In fact, soon, we are going to guarantee that we will return your Money if we don’t perform what our leaflets says.

    We have now a “teacher trainer” for training our teachers

           Why Language in Group is a good choice?

     The choice that a student makes before coming to England or Ireland is big. There are millions of schools. Most of them are really good and the big deal is to find one which suits the best to the student. This is, not all the students will adapt to every school. In this respect, I think our school suits to everyone who wants to feel like at home, to feel welcome, to feel that everyone here wants to listen what you have to say. Even if they come to complain about the course they will find someone to listen to them and to guarantee them that the situation will change.   

     This school is for people who like to do funny thing, social activities.... for people who don’t come to London only for sitting in a class room and say “oh, I had a lot of fun studying the chapter 7”. But for people who say “I met amazing people in the social programme, we went to a different and interesting places... and we learnt while we were enjoying”

                  Thank you for the interview.

EXTRA BALL

Remember we have a promotion and you can win up to £50 if you bring a friend to study to London with POLAR CHOICE.

    Visit our web and find out the details.