10 English expressions to spread your Christmas spirit with!

So, you think you know Christmas, eh?
This worldwide known celebration has many familiar traditions, from dear old Santa and his reindeer, to snow angels and tree decorations. But there is so much more in the unexplored Christmas world than meets the eye!

Thanks to this guide, you will learn new Christmas vocabulary to impress your friends and family.

1. HOGAMADOG(n.)

A huge ball of snow built up by rolling a small ball of snow around a snowfield.

2. BELLY-CHEER(n.)

A 16th century word for fantastic food, or a grand feast.

3. YULE-HOLE(n.)

The hole you have to move your belt buckle along to after you’ve eaten an enormous Christmas dinner.

4. KEDGE-GUTTED(adj.)

Made to feel sick through overeating.

5. ICE-LEGS(n.)

The ability to keep your balance while walking on ice.

6. OBLATION(n.)

The act of offering or receiving a gift.

7. YULESHARD(n.)

Someone who still has things left to prepare and finish on Christmas Eve.

8. KIRSMAS-GLASS(n.)

A drink made to toast a house on Christmas Day.

9. SONROCK(n.)

A cosy chair beside a fireplace.

10. SNERDLE(v.)

To wrap up cosily in bed.

These expressions may sound new to English language learners but they are the perfect ice-breaker during the Holidays!

Trinity CertTESOL: How to Become an Internationally Qualified English Language Teacher

Thinking about an exciting profession?
Fancy living abroad and experiencing other cultures first-hand?
Want to learn a useful new skill?

Our Trinity CertTESOL qualification at ELA-Edinburgh is exactly what you need. It is a globally-recognised English teaching qualification, with which you can gain employment in thousands of schools around the world. Having the Trinity CertTESOL qualification shows you are a serious English language teacher and that you have the skills which schools look for.

People take our course for many different reasons: some are looking to start their career in English Language Teaching, others wish to look for work for a temporary period of time, others already have teaching experience but need to be qualified to find work, others are looking for a total career change.

Whatever the reason, the CertTESOL course can help you. It is one of the most prestigious, highly-respected English Language Teaching qualifications in the world, and is often a requirement for obtaining employment in schools. It also recognised by governments, NGOs and multinationals. If you are planning to go abroad to teach, it is necessary to maximise you chances or working for reputable school. The Trinity CertTESOL is the way to do this.

The course requires a great deal of dedication, time and effort from you. You have to ensure that you are willing and able to make these commitments. The 4 weeks are incredibly challenging with a large, intensive workload, and full of ups and downs. But our tutors will be there to help you through. All our former trainees agree: It is not easy, but well worth it.   

     

What we offer:

• 6 hours of assessed teaching practice. You will teach real students under the guidance and observation of your course tutors. This is the most daunting part of the course for most people, but our highly experienced industry professionals are there to help you through this. And when experience how rewarding this experience can be, you won't regret it.    
• The opportunity to learn the methodologies of the English Language Teaching Profession, putting these into practice in your own lessons. 
• Experience in creating and producing your own materials
• In-depth instruction from course tutors who are dedicated experienced teachers.
• a competitive price: currently it’s £980 at ELA-Edinburgh. The registration fee is £80. Candidates should pay their moderation fee of £143 payable by the end of the first two weeks of the course. 
• The opportunity to profile a learner by interviewing him/her, analyse their language ability and subsequently give a 1-2-1 lesson. 

Course Content:
The CertTESOL is made up of 5 units and involves 130 timetabled hours, ten of which are a combination of observing experienced teachers and teaching real volunteer students from a variety of different countries. In order to be awarded the qualification, trainees need to pass all 5 units. Again, don't worry - our tutors are there to help you every step of the way!

On the course, you will receive input sessions about particular aspects of English Language Teaching, then implement these concepts into your lessons. Examples of these input sessions are:

• Lesson Planning and Staging: This is a basic component of teaching which is very important. This is how you decide what is to be the focus of your lesson and how to achieve your aims. We will teach you the principles of lesson planning and different ways of structuring lessons.
• Time and Tense: Tense is one of the fundamental grammatical components in English. We will look at various ways of presenting this concept to your students and providing them with effective practice.
• Phonology: An introduction to the phonological system of English which is represented by symbols which you will need to know and use throughout your teaching career.
• Receptive and Productive Skills: Teaching speaking, writing, listening and reading are quite different to teaching vocabulary and grammar. We will show you how to structure these skills lessons and give you techniques as well as ideas for skills content for your future use as a teacher. We will also look at the sub-skills of these four main skills.
• Board work and Visual Aids: Using your board is an important part of teaching - You probably remember from your schooldays! Different types of visual aids contribute to engaging and stimulating lessons for your students. 

At ELA-Edinburgh your day will normally be:
09:00-12:15-methodology and language input sessions with your trainers
12:15-13:00 Lunch
13:00-18:00 Lesson planning, teaching and observations.

Nearly everyone who has done a CertTESOL course remembers it as an intense but extremely rewarding 4 weeks. In other words: expect a great experience but be prepared to put in a lot of hard work!

Non-native teachers
We have had many non-native speakers on our course, but they need to do a pre-course interview with the Course Director before being accepted on to the course. To participate, Trinity trainees need IELTS 7.0 in all skills, or equivalent, but it is the course Director who has the final say!

If you feel your level of English may fall short of this, don’t worry. ELA has purposefully designed intensive courses to prepare you for the CertTESOL.

Remember, as you’ll be participating in an educational course you might qualify for the Erasmus+ Programme, specifically designed for lifelong learning.

If you still haven’t made up you mind, have a glance at some of our earlier blogs for ideas of great places to jet off to when you’ve finished your course at ELA-Edinburgh.


Contact us: info@elacademy.co,uk - +44 1316220738

Trinity College London CertTESOL - Your passport to the world

·       Want to travel?

·       Love language?

·       Enjoy meeting people from different cultures?

·       Would like to teach?

Then the CertTESOL is for you.

At ELA-Edinburgh we offer a four-week intensive course that leads to this internationally recognised qualification.  Former trainees work in places such as Spain, Hungary, Italy, USA.

Our highly experienced and qualified tutors will train and support you throughout the course.  You will have methodology and language input sessions in the mornings and assessed teaching practice (TP) with overseas students who are working in Edinburgh in the afternoons.  TP is one of the highlights of the course, and trainees nearly always rate this as their favourite part of the course.  TP students come from a wide range of backgrounds, cultures and countries and are a delight to teach. Rest assured that by the end of the course you will have acquired all the skills you need to survive in the classroom in any country in the world.

CertTESOL - Teaching practice 

Still interested? Send an email, or come in and see us in Edinburgh, and we can talk you through the course in more detail. ELA staff are friendly and welcoming and visiting the school will give you the chance to see some of our students and facilities.

Course applicants will have an interview with the Course Director and if you are accepted onto the course, you will be sent a pre-course task and the course handbook to prepare you for the course.  Applications are welcome from everybody who has university entrance qualifications. A first degree is not essential. If you are not a native-speaker you will need IELTS 7 or equivalent. 

There are still a few places left on the next course, which runs from 8^th October to 2^nd November. If Edinburgh is too cold for you at that time of the year, then you can already apply for the May/June 2019 course.

There is of course the small matter of fees, but our prices are amongst the most competitive on the market:  £980 for the four- week course, which includes the interview and pre-course task. There are no hidden extras, such as photocopying, printing, etc.  

There is, however, an £80 registration fee.

See you in October!

The Importance of Training for Cambridge Exams

A question that we are asked on a regular basis is ‘How does this exam reflect my level of English?’.
It is a very fair question, and, unfortunately, the answer is that it actually might not.

Whether it is for university, work, or just for the personal challenge, the Cambridge exams often represent the pinnacle of difficulty in English language development.
They are not easy to achieve and bring with them a sense of satisfaction unobtainable in any other area of language development.

But does it reflect your level of English? Not necessarily…

Passing an exam is somewhat different to achieving the language to enable you to order dinner at a restaurant.  Most language development occurs to improve communicative ability, not impress an examiner.  Unfortunately, that is not what is needed to pass the Cambridge exams.

The exam is divided into the four skills – Speaking, Reading (and Use of English), Writing and Listening. Each skill will test your ability to use/understand various areas within each skill but they follow a very specific structure.

The reading paper will test your understanding of general information and ask you complete multiple choice questions – along with completing a text by inserting multiple paragraphs.
The writing paper will ask you to write two pieces of text – typically one will be a report and the second one will be a choice. The listening paper, much like the reading paper, will ask you to analyse spoken texts and to fill in empty spaces. All of which aren’t really skills we utilise in our daily use of English, therefore, in order to pass these exams, specialist training is a must.


This does not mean that it is impossible to achieve a high standard of English without doing an exam, but it does mean that it is remarkably difficult to achieve a certificate of fair representation of your English level without first studying the nuances of the exam.

Glossary

pinnacle – the most successful point; the culmination.

nuances - a subtle difference in or shade of meaning, expression, or sound.

---Sign up for the Cambridge English Exams at ELA-Edinburgh.

Whether it is Preliminary, First, Advanced, Proficiency or Business Certificate, preparing for a Cambridge English exam does not need to be an arduous task.

At ELA-Edinburgh we will provide you with the training and support required to achieve your desired score.

Trinity CertTESOL - Your Gateway to the World

Challenging, engaging, fun, intensive, inspiring, rewarding, enlightening, fast-paced and multi-faceted!!
These are just some of the adjectives volunteered by our trainees.

Do they make it sound appealing?
Do you want to travel?
Are you looking for an international English language teaching qualification?
Can you cope with an intensive four week course?
If you answered YES to all the above, then the CertTESOL is for you.

Our next course runs from 8th October until 2nd November 2018 and there are still a few places left.

Participants enrol on our CertTESOL courses for different reasons:

• some are looking to launch a career in language teaching 
• some want to work while on their gap year
• some already have teaching experience but need a qualification
• others just want a career change

Whatever your reason, the Trinity CertTESOL can help. It’s one of the main qualifications in English language teaching and recognised world-wide by schools, governments, NGOs as well as multi-nationals. Doing our ELA/Trinity course means you can move into the next phase of your career with confidence or move abroad knowing you’ll work for a reputable school.

What we offer:

• 6 hours of assessed teaching practice
• the opportunity to profile a learner by interviewing him/her, analyse their language and subsequently give a 1-2-1 lesson
• experience in creating and producing your own materials
• a competitive price: currently it’s £925 at ELA-Edinburgh

Course Content:
The CertTESOL is made up of 5 units and involves 130 timetabled hours, ten of which you will spend observing qualified teachers and teaching volunteer students from many different countries. You need to pass all five assignments to be awarded the qualification, but our experienced and highly qualified trainers will support you every step of the way.

At ELA-Edinburgh your day will normally be:
09:00-12:15-methodology and language input sessions with your trainers
12:15-13:00 Lunch
13:00-18:00 Lesson planning, teaching and observations.

Nearly everyone who has done a CertTESOL course remembers it as an intense but extremely rewarding 4 weeks. Reading between the lines: expect a great experience but be prepared to put in a lot of hard work!

Non-native teachers
We have many non-native speakers on our course, but they need to do a pre-course interview with the Course Director, before being accepted on to the course. Trinity trainees need IELTS 7.0 in all skills, or equivalent, to participate, but it’s the CD who has the final say.

If you feel your level of English may fall short of this, don’t worry. ELA has purposefully designed intensive courses to prepare you for the CertTESOL.

Remember, as you’ll be participating in an educational course you might qualify for the Erasmus+ Programme, specifically designed for lifelong learning.

If you still haven’t made up you mind, have a glance at some of our earlier blogs for ideas of great places to jet off to when you’ve finished your course at ELA-Edinburgh.

Thinking about moving to Edinburgh

So, you are thinking about studying in Edinburgh? Good choice! Edinburgh is one of the most captivating cities in Europe, with students and professionals alike travelling here with the intention of staying for a few months but wind up staying here for a few years. ‘Multi-cultural’ is a word that is used to describe a lot of different places, but Edinburgh? 

Edinburgh wrote the book on ‘multi-culturalism’.

If you are thinking about relocating either permanently or temporarily, then here are ten things that you should be aware of before you arrive.

Doctors

Possibly the most important item on the list is healthcare. Scotland has famously free healthcare and registering with a GP (General Practitioner) is a straightforward process.  Once you arrive and you have your accommodation organised, just walk into any clinic and sign up.

Transport

Getting around Edinburgh is nice and simple. Our bus service is very reliable and our many taxi companies will help see you home whatever the hour.

If you are planning to leave the city to explore Scotland, then you should check the national rail service because you might be legible for a discount card.

Accommodation

Prices in Edinburgh vary by location but it is no secret that Edinburgh is an expensive city to live in.  As a general rule, the closer you are to the city centre, the more rent you can expect to pay. That being said, the areas surrounding Edinburgh are beautiful and the bus links are excellent.

There are options for traveling inside of Edinburgh aside from the busses, such as the many taxi companies and tram service.  If you wish to travel away from Edinburgh and explore the country, then, depending on your circumstances, you may qualify for a discount rail card.

Eating Out

Edinburgh, as mentioned before, is a wonderfully multicultural environment and nowhere is it clearer than in its restaurants.  The variety of places to eat is simply staggering and they are not just restricted to the city centre. If you miss your country’s cuisine, Edinburgh may be able to provide you with the delicacies from your home in one the great variety of international supermarkets.

Of course, if you wish to experience traditional British food then perhaps a traditional pub is just the ticket!

Cultural Immersion

Edinburgh has a vast history which has been chronicled into its very buildings. From the narrow, winding streets of the ‘Old Town’ to the masterful creation that is the ‘New Town’, Edinburgh’s architecture is a delight.  Everywhere you turn you are reminded of a beautiful, but harsh, past that graced this city. 

Even Robert Louis Stevenson, one of Scotland’s greatest writers, once remarked:

There are no stars as lovely as Edinburgh street lamps.

So what do you need to do to get here? 

Well, if you are planning to study then you will probably need IELTS or TOEFL.  Or perhaps you are looking to settle here and become a British Citizen, if so then you will probably need to do SELT.  

At ELA-Edinburgh, we offer a number of courses that can help you achieve your goals of relocating to Scotland.  Our exam focussed courses will cover all of your university requirements and if you are intending to stay then we will be very happy to help. 

Glossary

Captivating – really beautiful

To wind up – to come to a destination that was not planned

To write the book on something – to be the first expert on something

Aside from – not including

Staggering – (adj) to describe something very positively

Just the ticket – used to describe something as perfect, often used for foo

Visit Scotland: Meet the People

What can we say about Scotland that hasn’t been said before?  We could talk about the majestic mountains in the north, or the vast archipelago in the south-west.  We could talk about the ‘Water of Life’ internationally known as ‘Whisky’, or maybe talk about the delicacies you could enjoy which range from the very healthy and fresh seafood to the remarkably body-damaging ‘deep-fried Mars Bar’. We could talk about the wealth of Celtic folklore that is still celebrated today in various sites across the country, and we could talk about our national sporting passions of football and rugby.

But we’re not going to talk about that.

We’re going to talk about the people.

Coming to Scotland, an English-speaking country with a variety of accents so vast that it’s mind-boggling, can be quite a daunting experience.  We have a beautiful land which we enjoy sharing with the world, but it’s really the people that makes Scotland what it is today.

Take Edinburgh, for example, our capital city, which is situated on the cold, south-eastern coast, far away from almost all of the dramatic scenery you’ll find on the numerous postcards and tea-towels. And yet it has so much charm that it has become a city which rivals Oxford and Cambridge for international students looking to find a temporary (and sometimes permanent) home. 

Why? The people.

In Scotland we say that the people from the west coast, such as Glasgow, are friendlier than those on the east coast.  There’s not really any truth to this saying but it is testament to the friendly rivalries that occur all across the country. Rivalries without any malicious intent whatsoever…unless, of course, there’s a football match on TV.

We are ‘people people’. An unusual expression, but one that sums us up what it means to be Scottish quite succinctly. We are welcoming, we are talkative, we are open and we are generous.  We have a history that we are proud of, and a history that shames us.  We are defined by our own sense of belonging to this land but our doors are always open for all to see. 

So why should you come here?  Aside from the obvious reasons, Scotland would love to have you.  As our famous writer, Robert Louis Stevenson, once said: ‘There are no foreign lands.  It is the traveller only who is foreign’.

We have courses at ELA-Edinburgh which will help you in your journey across Scotland.  

We can teach you about the culture and give you the language skills you need to converse with the people throughout your stay.  We can teach you history and the folklore of the beautiful city of Edinburgh and you can then leave the written version and experience first-hand how our culture is reflected in our people.

Glossary

Majestic – having or showing impressive beauty or scale

Archipelago – an extensive group of islands.

Mind-boggling – overwhelming; startling

Tea-towels – a cloth for drying washed crockery, cutlery, and glasses

Succinctly – in a brief and clearly expressed manner

Converse – to have a conversation with someone

Free Students for CertTESOL

For 4 weeks, ELA Edinburgh is offering free English lessons. These lessons will take place at our school in Edinburgh city centre from 15:30 till 17:30, Monday to Friday. 

Ideal if you are a part-time worker, or would like to make use of any spare time in the afternoons to improve your English. 

You will receive a vast range of different types of lessons, from skills such as speaking, listening, writing and reading to vocabulary and grammar. You will learn lots and lots of useful new words and expressions and greatly improve your knowledge of the English grammatical system. You will be taught by a group of trainee teachers as part of their Trinity CertTESOL professional teaching qualification. 

Our aim is that the lessons are delivered in a fun, interesting and engaging way, designed to help your real-life, everyday use of the English language. Whether you are in Edinburgh long-term or short-term, working part-time or visiting, our free lessons are for everybody. Don’t worry if your English level isn’t high, we have different classes available for different levels.

Maybe you are new to Edinburgh, or to the UK, and are struggling with the language. 

Maybe it’s difficult to understand the local people in shops or restaurants or over the phone. 

This can make it very difficult to cope in day-to-day life in the UK. Our lessons will familiarise you with, conversational English in these common situations. 

Or maybe you have been learning English for many years and would just like to refresh your grammatical knowledge or learn some new colloquial expressions, slang, or more unusual or high-level vocabulary. 

Many non-native speakers of English have knowledge of the language, but lack the confidence to produce it when they have to. With a communicative and interactive focus, our lessons are a great way to gain the confidence you need and maximise the knowledge you already have to use English outside of the classroom easily and fluently.  

The Trinity CertTESOL is a qualification which is awarded to teachers who have proved they can teach to a high level. It is one of the most respected English teaching qualifications on offer and is recognised around the world. 

In order to gain this qualification, the trainees’ lessons must be of the highest standard with excellent lesson planning and clear learning aims. They must also provide evidence of your learning. The lessons will be observed by professional, highly experienced tutors so that the teachers can improve throughout the course. They will receive intense tuition between lessons – which means your lessons will get better and better. Your participation would greatly help these new teachers as well as your own English.

Our lessons are also a great way to meet new people in a strange country. There are many outsiders living in the multi-cultural city of Edinburgh, but sometimes it’s not so easy to meet people socially, especially if you are new to the city. If you have any friends who would also like to come to the lessons, bring them along! The more, the merrier!

Contact dos@elacademy.co.uk to enrol now! 

A New Life in Edinburgh

Everyone knows what beginnings are like.

Starting from scratch, unsure of what will happen next, excited and yet somehow afraid that the new start might not live up to your expectations.

Mixed feelings raise questions: Where am I headed? Will it be an ordeal?
Will it change my life for the better? And countless (doubts) more…

But now let’s focus on Sara.

When she first arrived in Edinburgh a couple of months ago she felt exactly that way.

She didn’t know whether she had made the right decision.  Too much was at stake.

It had been hard to part from her family and her loved ones, but she knew she had to follow her dreams. And those dreams had brought her to the capital of Scotland.

The bad news is: this post will end at some point.

The good news is: Sara fell in love with Edinburgh.

What struck her most was the diversity of micro-environments she found: from the steep cliffs facing the North Sea, to the green gardens and the rocky hills dotting the urban centre, up to the modern high streets in New Town and Leith.

This gem encapsulated in time became her happy place.

Sara felt at home, strolling through cobbled stone pathways along the river, or climbing Arthur’s Seat to enjoy the impressive skyline of the Scottish capital against the sea.

She found that Edinburgh is special, in that a small stroll from the city centre enables you to immerse yourself in nature and discover quaint little villages with vibrant life despite their small size.

In light of this, Sara felt in her heart that she had made the right choice and she did her best to find the job of her dreams.

The main obstacle between her and her objective was her poor English.  It wasn’t easy, but she took a language course and she never gave up, her mind set on the goal until the day she got the long-desired position at a 5* hotel reception!

One thing is for certain: had Sara not taken an English course, she wouldn’t have had the means to fulfil her dreams abroad.

ELA-Edinburgh can help you to kick-start your new life in Scotland!

Contact us for more information on our courses.

Can Theatre enhance your language skills?

What is the key to boosting any learning process?

At ELA we believe it is always about finding the perfect balance between theory and practice, and if you are looking to improve your English, why not use Theatre!

The well-rounded educational value theatre plays is increasingly being appreciated in many respects, and here are 3 reasons why you shouldn’t underestimate its benefits when it comes to brushing up on your English skills:

• Attending theatrical performances presents learners with a wide variety of communicative contexts. 
• Listening skills are utilised extensively and students develop an ear for pronunciation and accent, which will help them to sound like native speakers. 
• Thanks to the diversification of plays, students gain a deeper understanding of communicative styles, avoiding those awkward moments when someone doesn’t know what the suitable level of formality is. More cultural awareness and less faux-pas!

Theatre productions foster creativity and encourage viewers to put themselves in someone else’s shoes, thereby increasing empathy and self-awareness. As a result, students’ confidence will increase.

In a nutshell, learning English through Theatre enables students to practice key skills such as listening and, on top of that, it brings in the element of fun and students are keener to express themselves in public among friends and colleagues.

This ‘Theatre & English’ Course could be your experience of a lifetime!

Edinburgh’s hustle and bustle during summer festivals is not to be missed, so our answer is simple: take your English to the next level in the enchanting capital city of Scotland.
It’s high time you joined our ‘Theatre & English’ Course at ELA!

The next course runs from Mon, 30 July to Fri, 10 August 2018.

Contact us to get more information.

English courses at ELA-Edinburgh in the Summer 2018 – during the Edinburgh International Festivals

The summer, when many people flock to the UK to improve their English as part of a vacation, is around the corner. And Edinburgh one of the greatest places to do that, especially in August during the Edinburgh International Festival. Whether it is for your career or personal goals, getting to grips with a new language can do wonders for self-development and new possibilities.  

Choose from ELA-Edinburgh’s range of English language courses to help boost your skills this 2018:

IELTS, Cambridge and Trinity Exam Preparation Courses: Our hugely popular exam preparation courses, are done in small and dynamic classes to help you get the most out of your studies. Choose between exam preparation only, or combine this with additional English classes. 

General English: The most popular courses run for 15 (General) and 25 hours per week (Intensive).  We also offer 30 (Immersion) and 25 hours per week (Total Immersion) courses. 

Business English: Get to grips with the international language of business to help boost your CV, develop new Business vocabulary, interview and presentation skills to support your lifelong learning. Take Business English on its own, or combine with General English or exam preparation. 

BULATS: Add a little extra to completing your English language course and CV, with a BULATS certificate. This Business English testing system helps businesses to:

• easily and accurately identify training needs 
• streamline recruitment by screening applicants’ language ability
• communicate effectively in international business environments
• identify workforce strengths and weaknesses in English

Bildungsurlaub: educational leave for German employees, Immersion (30 hours) and Total Immersion (35 hours) courses are offered.

Trinity CertTESOL: Run two-three times a year, the internationally recognised teacher training course is highly practical and a chance to take a whole new career path.

English+Courses: English+Theatre, English+Tennis or English+Golf are popular Bespoke course options. 

Evening and Weekend Courses: Can’t find time to study full time? Our evening and weekend courses may be just right thing to help boost your skills. Choose between General English, Business English, Cambridge exam preparation or IELTS exam preparation.

Can’t find what you need? Contact us to find out how we meet your needs. 

As an English course provider with a track proven record, we understand that everyone is different with individual needs, and we are experienced in creating bespoke courses, tailored to our clients. 

Study Vacations - Edinburgh and its Festivals

Edinburgh is known as the world’s leading festival city because it brings one-third of the world’s countries to display their culture at its many festivals throughout the year.

Edinburgh is a capital city.  A small city in size but HUGE in culture!

A city of universities, culture, history, literature and the meetings of hearts and minds; Edinburgh is family-friendly, safe, cosmopolitan city voted one of the best places to live in the UK.

Located in Scotland, It is a great city for tourism with its many attractions and easy access to the spectacular mountains and lochs of the world-famous Scottish highlands.

Historic buildings, museums and galleries, sailing, canoeing, bird of prey handling, clay pigeon shooting, golfing, year-round skiing – Edinburgh has something for everyone!

The most important event in the calendar year is the Edinburgh International Festival – the biggest arts and cultural festival in the world.  Throughout the whole month of August, street performers and impromptu acts mean that everywhere you go in the city centre is buzzing with life. This makes Edinburgh perfect for summer study vacation tours.

Edinburgh’s Winter Festivals are also one month long. Dark December nights are lit up by fairytale Christmas lights, open air markets and a funfair. Traditional Scottish celebrations lead up to the biggest New Year party in the world – Hogmanay!

Between these two events, there is a wealth of Festivals (from Puppet to Traditional Music, from theatre to dance) and exciting things to do and see.  Let us know when you are thinking of coming and we will tell you what is happening. 

Now we have established the pedigree of Scotland - so Why ELA?

Edinburgh is a centre of education with a lot to offer, so what makes ELA different?

We offer Summer School, short courses, year-long courses, Mini-Stay Study Vacations and work experience study programmes.  And more, much-much more…

ELA’s real strength, however, lies in the fact that we are a family-run school where students are made to feel part of our family and their needs are our top priority.  We strive to give our very best to ensure that our students succeed.  Each part of our team makes an effort to get to know our students individually, helping them settle in and find their way in the City.

We are waiting for you! Contact us to get more information on all summer courses.

The benefits of English Language Teaching (ELT)

If you want to explore our world and enjoy helping people, ELT could be the industry for you.

A New Challenge.

Moving abroad into the unknown is sure to get the heart pumping.  As you rise to the challenges of finding your way around your new city, shopping in strange surroundings or figuring out how to get wifi, you will feel a sense of accomplishment out of all proportion to such mundane tasks.

Choose your new home

Job satisfaction

Whether it’s in public schools, language academies, companies or even private homes you have a unique chance to get to know, understand and help local people. Along the way you will meet characters you would never otherwise have been exposed to, some of these will become good friends.  

Flexible working

It’s time to leave behind the 9-5 mentality. Flexibility is certainly a key attribute TEFL teachers must have in bucket loads. You may teach at 8:00 in the morning or 20:00. Remember variety is the spice of life and enjoy! 

Friendly students

You will benefit from a job working and helping people every day. If you consider yourself a ‘people person’ look no further. BUT always remember: it’s the students’ lesson not the teachers’! You don’t always have to be the expert but you do have to exploit different parts of your personalities with different groups.

Compare and contrast

Flexibility doesn’t just extend to personalities or lesson types. The new teacher must also be culturally adaptable as they discover that ‘normal’ is a truly subjective matter.  Embrace the strangeness of your new country and learn more about your own home as you go!

Are you ready for a different lifestyle?

If you’re serious about a career in ELT, the Trinity CertTESOL could be perfect for you. ELA-Edinburgh are running courses from May 28^th -June 22^nd and October 9^th – November 2^nd. For more information email info@elacademy.co.uk or call us at 0131 2266182.

The CPE exam

There are a variety of exam options for learners of English. The market is full of exams from different providers. However, for highly advanced students one exam stands out: the Cambridge Certificate of Proficiency in English (CPE)

ELA-Edinburgh is an authorised test centre for Cambridge English

The CPE is a C2 level exam, meaning it is suitable for near native level users. It is certainly a challenging exam and a genuine accomplishment for anyone who achieves this level in English.The exam features four papers designed to test all elements of English:

Paper 1- Reading and Use of English (90 minutes)

Use of English tests grammar and vocabulary

Paper 2-  Writing (90 minutes)
Candidate must write two papers and a total of around 500 words

Paper 3 - Listening (Approx 40 minutes)
4 separates tasks that will be played twice

Paper 4 - Speaking (Approx 16 minutes)
Candidates will do the speaking tasks in pairs

Once you have the CPE exam, it is valid for life and is proof of the exceptional level of English that you have reached. It will boost any CV in a competitive market.

Often candidates for the CPE have reached an excellent level of English through living and working in the UK over a number of years and need a qualification that will prove their skills. If this is your case, the CPE may well be your answer.

As a test centre for Cambridge English, ELA-Edinburgh will run the computer based CPE exam on July 14th, candidates will receive their result in justtwo or three weeks. For more information email info@elacademy.co.uk or call 0131 226 6182.

Making the most of your time in Edinburgh

Welcome to beautiful Edinburgh! We're delighted that you've decided to study with us and enjoy our city but. most of all, we want you to improve your English!  You only have a limited time with us, so let's make sure you make the most of your time studying with ELA-Edinburgh.

Be Prepared

Come to class with a pen and a notebook for new vocabulary and grammar. It’s amazing how many students expect to remember language without writing it down. Sadly, most people do not have perfect memories.

ALWAYS record new language

Don’t be shy

Tell your teacher what you need and what you want to study. Be ready to give your teacher feedback on the lessons.

Move your cultural life into English

Remember that most language is learnt out of the classroom so one of the most important thing is exposure to the language. Learners who become fluent enjoy using English to socialise, read, watch TV or listen to music. Even if you don’t think you’re learning anything, your brain is busy absorbing and remembering.

Take advantage of the UK

Whilst in Edinburgh you will be surrounded by the English language. It’s difficult to understand all the new words and phrases you will encounter each day, but use the context to help you guess the meaning and don’t be afraid of making a mistake.

Use your teacher as a resource

Write down new words and phrases and check their meaning with your teacher.

Teachers love lots of questions!

Set yourself targets

When you study a new piece of grammar look for opportunities to use it; this could be just repeating it to yourself or fitting it into a context with familiar situations such as the daily life of your family or friends.  We want to see you produce it.  Imagine the satisfaction you’ll feel when you use the 3rd conditional perfectly!

Be Honest

When you don’t understand something or get confused please tell your teacher. Mistakes are good because we can learn from them and they give your teacher a better idea of how to help you.