How long is an hour?

Seriously... how long is an hour?

Most students book courses by time: 15 hours per week, three hours of individual lessons etc etc. But how long is that hour you pay for?

Be careful... be very careful.

Most schools are a little naughty and confuse the people who are booking the courses.
There are two techniques they use to make the course seem longer and give you less... and most schools use both techniques!

1) The 20 Lessons Per Week Course
This is the trick schools use to make you think that you are buying a longer course. 20 lesson courses are usually 15 hours per week and all the school has done is pretend a lesson is 45 minutes (20 x 45 = 900 minutes = 15 hours). Of course, 20 makes you think you are buying more than 15.

2) The 15 Hour Per Week Course
Be careful here too! You need to check if 15 hours really is 15 hours. If the timetable is 0900 to 1200 you would imagine three hours per day of classes... but then many schools put a break in the middle (sometimes half an hour!) and you only end up studying for 12.5 hours per week.

I know some schools where a one hour 1-to-1 lesson is only 50 minutes! Now, that's confusing.

So... when you compare the prices of one school to another it is very difficult to know what you will really get for your money.

At Language in London, when we say a course is 15 hours we mean 15 hours and you study with your teacher for 15 hours!

It's clear, it's simple and it's honest.

Stuart Rubenstein
Principal

BECAS MEC - message for our Spanish students!

This year the Spanish government are giving over 20,000 grants to Spanish university students to come and do an English language course (BECAS MEC).
There is more information here: Language in London BECAS MEC and you can also contact the school directly and we will explain more to you.

The grant will help you come to London and take a 3-week English course so... don't wait... apply!

Stuart Rubenstein
Principal

Three weeks...

It's been three weeks since I wrote something on this blog and so much has happened!

London has had its worst weather for over 20 years and been covered in snow. We're really not prepared for conditions like that and the whole city seemed to close with no buses or underground. It was great fun though and there were nearly as many snowmen as real people for a couple of days.

This winter we are offering our students a weekly party at a London club. All the top London schools have joined together so that on Thursday nights there is free entry to students. Reports are that it is a great evening. This week is the Valentine's party ... so there should be some good stories on Friday morning!

And I must also tell you that after 20 years of English teaching, the school has now started its first Spanish course, which takes place on Tuesday evenings. I'm in the class as a student and loving every minute!!

Chau!

Stuart Rubenstein
Principal

It doesn't look like a summer holiday!

This is our wonderful group of students from Argentina who are here for three weeks doing Cultural Experience and General English. Apart from studying English they are filling their time with lots of activities - walking tours, day trip to Bath, museum visits and four lucky ones even managed to get to see a Chelsea football match!

Next week they'll return to Argentina and summer temperatures of 30 degrees but will leave us with warm memories of a happy, enthusiastic and fun bunch of students.

Stuart Rubenstein
Principal

It's freezing in London!

It's so cold this month... they say the coldest for over 20 years.

I thought I would warm everyone up with some pictures from André, who was at Language in London a few months ago... when the sun was shining!

And on the subject of photos... you should see the ones on the school FACEBOOK page.

Stuart Rubenstein
Principal

A winter wonderland...

Yesterday, Rob took over 20 students on his annual ice skating Christmas afternoon. After the physical effort (and a lot of falling over), everyone went to see the famous Christmas lights in Regents Street and have a hot chocolate in Liberty's.

It might be cold in London at this time of year but there is a very special feeling in the air.

Happy Skating!

Stuart Rubenstein
Principal

Valencia!

Just got back from a few wonderful days in Valencia at the annual meeting of Tandem International. This is a network of innovative schools in Europe and the Americas, which offer different and interesting programmes to students who want to learn English, Italian, French, German or Spanish.

Our hosts at the event were Eva, Fernando and Maxi from Taronja School, who treated us all like royalty and fed us the most delicious food. I'll never forget the paella that Fernando prepared!

All of the schools in the network are similar to Language in London: number of classrooms, quality of language courses etc. and so when we meet we spend time discussing how to look after our students and give them the best language learning experience in the world.

Thanks to Henning from Tandem Hamburg for the photos and I look forward to seeing everyone again next year when we meet in Berlin!




Stuart Rubenstein
Principal

You can't miss the school!

It's taken some time but now we have our window and street signs - so that everyone knows where Language in London is.

Our unmistakeable speech bubbles and pink and blue colours mean you will easily find the school on your first day or when you want to visit us just to say hello.

Thanks to our students Daniel, Ilaria, Nicolas, Fernando and Sascha for being the stars of this photo shoot, "Students outside Language in London." You can be sure that they were paid very well for their work!





Stuart Rubenstein
Principal

We'll miss you, Ursula...

9th from the left or 10th from the right... that's our Ursuala... in the middle of a lovely leaving party on her last day at school.

Urusla arrived from Brazil at the end of February 2008 speaking absolutely no English. She started with some one-to-one lessons and then moved to the General English group classes... moving from beginner to elementary to pre-intermediate to intermediate. As she got more confident with the language she made more friends in the school, which is why so many people were sad to see her go last Friday.

I'd just like to say congratualations for making so much progress and for being so dedicated.

Stuart Rubenstein
Principal

I am so sorry!!!!

I haven't posted anything on this blog for a month... and I am sorry!

The only excuse that I have is that I have been working so hard. Do you believe me?

At this time of year... after the busy summer season... all my energy is about preparing for the following year. My plans for 2009 are to visit Spain, Italy, Germany, Dubai and Brazil on marketing trips. A language school without students is no good... so I have to go out there to find the students!

In 2009 we have a special new system where our students can design their own course so that it is a unique programme. I've started to put these details on www.langaugeinlondon.com but I still have some work to do there.

And finally... there will be more regular posts on here.... I promise.

Stuart Rubenstein
Principal

This is Beatrice (left), with her wonderful group of Italian students. They've just finished a two week course at Langauge in London - and are going home full of passion for learning English.

Although the weather has been awful for most of their stay and they lived on a daily diet of sandwiches... they were a great bunch... always smiling and very positive.

Stuart Rubenstein
Principal

There are two facebook groups for old and new students. You can find old friends, leave messages, look through the photos...

Language in London (2007 - )
Camden College of English (1989 - 2007)

I only started the Language in London group last week, so pass on the information to any students who have been at the school in the last 12 months.

For those who don't know, the school used to be called Camden College of English and was in Camden Town. We moved to central London last summer and changed name to Language in London.

Join both groups and be part of the history of this wonderful English school!

Stuart Rubenstein
Principal

Hello, goodbye, hello, goodbye....

Firstly, I have to say sorry for not updating the blog recently. It's been a very busy summer (the best ever!), and I just haven't had a minute to do this.

I want to publicly thank our two extra helpers, who are both leaving this week having worked at the school in July and August. Ricki has become a folk hero at the school, leading all the social activities from football to classical concerts to London walking tours to evenings in the pub. He is going back to university, ready to continue his degree in Business Studies at Nottingham.

Our second helper, Anna, has spent six weeks working in the office with us. She is from Germany and studying to be a European secretary (fluent in three languages). She has tried everything... helping students, telephone enquiries, replying to emails, organising the coffee breaks, dealing with all the questions... and she's done it all with a big smile and wonderful English!
So... a big thank you to Ricki and Anna... you've both helped to make the school a happy place this summer.

Stuart Rubenstein
Principal

Thanks for a great time...!

Elvira, one of our students this summer, only returned home a few days ago after finishing her English course but she misses London and all the friends she made here.

Thanks for sending these pictures... and don't forget you are welcome here at any time because Language in London is your home in London!

Elvira with Ian, one of her teachers.

Elvira with Alejandra in the office.

A gang of students in Regents Park.

Friends in class.

More friends in class.

Stuart Rubenstein
Principal

Where were you in 1998?

Just received these photos from Pavel, a student who was at the school in 1998. If you are in one of the pictures... please let me know!


The person talking in the second picture is Greg... he was a teacher and also arranged the weekly frisbee games.... where are you now Greg????
If you have any photos of your time at Language in London / Camden College of English please send them by email and I'll put them up on the blog.

Stuart Rubenstein
Principal

Oh, I do like to be beside the seaside...

Alejandra, the hardest working person on earth, spends every day answering student emails, arranging accommodation and helping everyone. For those who don't know, she originally came to London as an English language student in 1998 when the school was called Camden College of English.
She has been working here now for 6 years and has helped the school grow and develop. I have to say that Ale loves London but there is one other place in England that is also in her heart and that is Brighton.
Every year, Ale takes a group of students down to Brighton to swim in the sea, visit the Grand Pavillion, eat fish and chips and have fun.
Here are some pictures from last weekend's day trip... and it shows that learning English is not just about sitting in a classroom but about trying everything!

So... take a leaf out of Ale's book and be positive and you will have a fantastic time when you come here to study.

Stuart Rubenstein
Principal

Follow Ricki!

The simple advice for all students this summer is FOLLOW RICKI!

Ricki (centre in the white t-shirt), who has just finished his first year at Nottingham university, is working at the school in July and August arranging all the social activities. Here he is with some of the new students at a welcome party.

This week there will be a lot of FOLLOW RICKI activities, including a walking tour of London, a visit to the law courts at the Old Bailey, a picnic in Trafalgar Square listening to an opera, and of course... a pub crawl!

After a week of rain, it looks like the weather for the next few days is going to be good, so I'm sure there will also be some football and cricket in the park. But whatever you do, don't forget to FOLLOW RICKI!

Stuart Rubenstein
Principal

15 - love

It's summer and that means Rob's annual pilgrimage to Wimbledon - the home of tennis. Our group of students queued for three hours to get in ("Rob! How much longer? Rob! Will we get in? Rob! Rob!").

After all the hard work (standing and talking to other students!) they finally got in and saw two different games and had a fantastic time. These are the memories of London that will stay with these guys forever... a long time after they have forgotten the vocabulary and grammar we've taught them!

Wonderful, wonderful Zone 4

As I spend an hour on the tube every day getting to and from work (zone 4 to zone 1 and back again .... for my zonally obsessed friends!), I use the two 30-minute portions of undeground space and time as well as possible.

Most days I just get out a book and celebrate the opportunity to read in peace. When I get home it's bath time for Ben, eating together, reading him a story and then collapsing! So the tube journey really is my only chance to read.

The temptation is to pick up one of the free papers The London Paper, London Lite, or Metro - but they're all awful and to be honest, there's only so much I need to know about Amy Winehouse, Britney and all the other celebrity disaster cases.

This month I've enjoyed two very different books... firstly, "The Damned United" by David Peace. It's a fictional account of the time when Brian Clough was manager of Leeds United in the 70s. It's much more than a trite football story and I highly recommend it.

A few days ago I finished Naomi Klein's "The Shock Doctrine" and I'm still absorbing and digesting it. As a journalist, she has a wonderful way of linking history and economics in Chile, Argentina, China, Bolivia, Mexico, South Africa, Poland, Russia, the UK, Israel and Lebanon before leading us to Iraq, Tsunami hit Asia and New Orleans after Hurricane Katrina. Her analysis focuses on free market shock policies and Milton Friedman's Chicago School of economics and leaves you in no doubt of the harm that has been caused in every corner of the world. Give it a go!

The last word has to be... how lucky I am to have this special time on the underground every day. If I lived close to the school then I would never have the time or space to read!

Stuart Rubenstein
Principal

No England, No Stress

I am enjoying the Euro 2008 competiton so much. The football is quite good (not amazing, not terrible) but more than anything there is no stress. I don't really care who wins and I don't really care who loses. Penalties are fun and there's even a bit of pleasure watching the distraught, devastated fans of the country that has been knocked out.

This is football without England, without all the media hype, without all the pressure and without the expectations. And I love it!

If your country is still in the competition... good luck!

Stuart Rubenstein
Prinicpal