The reason I have chosen Homestay so far is to improve my speaking skill without any doubt.
I have met many different families in the six months I have been here, each family has specific traditions or habits. To understand very well I spent lots of time on those. I am getting used to homestay.
What I want to say is if you want to stay at homestay, consider the following advice. First of all, try to understand the homestay. Next show the host family what you want or what are you interested in. In addition, help the family with the housework even if you think "I paid to stay here, so I deserve services". If you follow the advice, your English will get much better.
By Jae Jun Ha, a student at Languages International
27 February 2009
Staying in a Homestay
Huia River Walk
We met at 3 ‘o’ clock outside our school and drove in a small bus (ca. 40min) to Huia.
First we stopped by the Huia shop were we bought a nice ice cream. We saw the calm sea surrounded by the mountains. The start of our walk was very strenuous, but it was beautiful until when we had a break on a small "lake". Unfortunately the weather was not so good, so only two guys went swimming, but they said it was very refreshing. During the walk, we saw the beautiful bush and a nice waterfall. After the walk of about 1.5 hours, we went back to school.
To sum up it was a really nice trip and well organized.
By Sandra Vogel a student at Languages International
26 February 2009
The South Island is the Most Beautiful Place I Have Ever Seen
Hi~I'm Elaine and come from Taiwan. It's a wonderful island! I've been here for four months. I like travelling. I went to Ruapehu for skiing. It's really freezing but exciting. My favorite place is the South Island! It's the most beautiful place I've ever seen! I took a lot of photos. I like Christchurch and Queenstown. If you want to go here, I recommend them! I also went to the capital city of New Zealand. Wellington is a modern city. The wind in Wellington is strong. I go around Auckland with my friends on the weekend to places such as Waiheke Island, Rangitoto, One Tree Hill and so on. Enjoy your trip to New Zealand when you come here! Here are some photos I want to share with everybody~
Wellington
Wellington 
Christchurch
South Island
South IslandWritten and photographed by Elaine (Yi-chun,Chang) from Taiwan, a student at Languages International
25 February 2009
Homestays in New Zealand Are Very Friendly
The homestays in New Zealand are very friendly. They try to make your life as comfortable as possible. If you have dietary needs or prefer fish instead of meat, it will be a good point to write to your family before you arrive in New Zealand. Make sure that you tell the school about your preferences. Remember you are going to New Zealand to learn English, so you should join in conversations with others members of your home stay family, don’t sit in your room. Guys, I hope you like fish and chips, because you will have eaten them many times before you go back home.^^)
Photo: Languages International homestay in Christchurch
Text written by an Upper-Intermediate student at Languages International Christchurch
My First Friend in NZ
Before i arrived in NZ, i was worried about the new situation.
Actually, i am the type of person who loves a challange, new circumstances, and having lots of experiences.
However, at this time i was worried about living in NZ. I think the reason why i felt worried was fright, burden about studying English.
The first day when i came here, my homestay mom said to me that i would live with one swiss girl, Sarah.
At that time, i didn't know that Sarah and I would became good friends.
Before i met her, i had preconceptions about western people. Now, thanks to her i was able to remove them.
She is a half-Swiss and half-Tunisian, and we have much more in common than i thought before.
We have had a lot of time to talk each other, and now we are really good friends.
I promised her that i will go to her country for her wedding.
I hope i can go there to meet her, and stay in touch with her. :)
By Song Jeong, a student at Languages International
Auckland is a Great Place to Study English
New Zealand is a small country in the Pacific Ocean, has some attractive places. One of this places is Auckland city, which is the largest city in New Zealand. Auckland is an attractive destination for people who want to learn English. The quality of education, the location of the city and the political situation will be discussed in this essay.
Firstly, Auckland has a lot of good English Language schools. Schools in Auckland give a high quality of education. Moreover, the prices of English Language courses are low compared to other native speakers countries like U.S.A, Canada, or Britain. In addition, there are famous schools in Auckland like Languages International for example.
Secondly, the beautiful location of Auckland is a big advantage for study. Auckland is a clean city and has nice views. Furthermore, it has long beaches. It is close to a lot of amazing places like Rotorua and Taupo for instance, where you can engage in some activities.
Finally, the New Zealand government has successful politics. Therefore, Auckland is safe and far from wars. The system gives opportunity to work and study too at the same time. The universities in Auckland accept international students to complete their studies if they get the required score in IELTS exam.
In conclusion, Auckland gives a lot of chances to get a good education at a cheap cost. The nature of New Zealand is one of the best nature in the world which could help students to relax after studying hard. The law in New Zealand is quite wise and is very flexible. Consequently, Auckland attracts a lot of English Language learners.
Written by EHAB BAKR A. TEJANI, an IELTS student at Languages International Auckland
24 February 2009
Coming to Auckland
I can't explain how I felt when i came to Auckland for the first time . When you ask me why ? i just have a lot of things to think about . My school , i have everything i need in my school for studying. Also, i met a lot of teachers and friends, and I'm still meeting them at my school. They are the best . It's really a pleasure to know them because we spent all the time together. I'll never forget that . What is more , I really have a great time especially in the weekend or when i travel to another city like Rotorua.
I had a good things to remember. i can't stop writing about all the things i have here. I want to write to all my friends and my teachers because they still with me all the time in my life or in my mind . :-)
by Faisal Alharbi, a student at Languages International
23 February 2009
My First Day at School
After a very long flight and without sleep i came here to Auckland. On Sunday i got my apartment and i met my flatmate. She is also from Switzerland, and she is very friendly. First i went to eat something at Mc Donald's. It is like by us...very good.
After a short night i went to my first school day. I was happy, nervous, tired and very anxious to see the other students. We got a lot of information on this day, and i met very friendly and interesting people. The students are very helpful and friendly. and the people who welcomed us were very nice.
Now my first week is over, and i like it very much. I have very nice friends, and i feel very well in my apartment.
Fabienne Keller from Schaffhausen Switzerland, a student at Languages International
20 February 2009
Why I Chose to Study English at Languages International
There are a lot of reasons why I came to Auckland to do an exchange program.
First of all it is a big city where concentrate a lot of good English schools. I'm glad that I made the right decision to chose Languages International. All the teachers are absolutely excellent and very helpful. The students have many options to study in the learning centre. And the school is located downtown in a wonderful park.
What I like about Auckland is the fact that the people are very friendly. It's a peaceful city. In the weekends it's possible to go to totally breath- taking places like Coromandel.
One thing very important for someone who wants to learn and practice English is the accent which is not difficult to understand that's why you can speak with nature speakers.
Another thing is the climate. Not too hot and not too cold.
So if anybody asks me about Auckland I'm sure that I will recommend this place to study English.
Written by Mariana Tiai Kihara, an IELTS student at Languages International
19 February 2009
Christchurch Nightlife
Photo by Whistler1984
First of all Christchurch night life really happens in the city centre. To get there you must catch the bus and arrive at the bus exchange or you can call a taxi, but it’s more expensive. You can enjoy different kinds of bars, night clubs and pubs. Usually the entry is free, but the drinks are not so cheap. You can also meet a lot of great people and can practice your English with foreign people. Its amazing you will not regret it.
Written by Diego, an Upper Intermediate student at Languages International
18 February 2009
Eating Out in New Zealand
In NZ you can find all the kinds of food. For example Asian food, fast food, Italian food ect. But if u want to eat typical NZ food is really hard to find because of the young culture of NZ. The prices in the restaurants are not so cheap, in all of them you have to pay more than 12$NZ.
by Denise Spirig, a student at Languages International Christchurch
17 February 2009
Activities
Photo by Dcysurfer
When you’re coming to New Zealand you should try surfing, because it’s almost a national sport. If you don’t like the water, New Zealand has an absolutely awesome landscape. So it’s a good idea to go hiking.
There’re a lot of possibilities to go shopping. Especially the surf brands are really common and cheap compared to other countries, because the brands are from New Zealand or Australia.
If you like to have more action, you should visit Queenstown, the capital of extreme sports and activities. There you can do bungy-jumping, river-rafting, skydiving, jet-boating and so on. But you can certainly do that in the whole country. Just enjoy your time and do what you feel like.
Cheers!!!
Written by Mirjam Durot, Aline Hunziker and KimYou Kyung, Upper- Intermediate students at Languages International Christchurch
Travelling in New Zealand
New Zealand is one of the most beautiful countries in the world and a paradise for Backpackers.
Take our advice and join the membership of YHA, BBH or VIB they give discounts for hostels, buses and for many activities.
Also take enough money and time with you because is a country you can travel in for a long time.
Remember to choose a travel guide book with you, and take advice from the local information centre which is easy to find in most cities.
It’s safe to travel in New Zealand because the people there are very friendly to tourists.
by Vania and Tamara from the Upper Intermediate class at Languages International Christchurch
13 February 2009
CAE Student Profile: Jonathan
Jonathan is a 22 year-old Swiss guy, more specifically from the French part of Switzerland, who was come to New Zealand to take the CAE exam.
One of the things that he most like doing in his free time is travelling, which was one of the main reasons that has led him to study Tourism at University. Due to this passion, Jonathan has been to many countries, including Germany, Tunisia, Brazil, Australia and many others. This last one - to the New Zealanders dislike - was chosen by him as his favourite place, mainly because of its stunning views and also because he was able to meet some really nice people.
Anybody who knows Jonathan can say that he is an extremely sensitive and romantic guy, as well as friendly and communicative. He has the dream of winning the lottery, which would allow him to travel all around the world and to the moon. Moreover, he loves spending time with his friends and going out to night clubs.
Jonathan has definitely some great stories about his teenagerhood and, fortunately, has been experiencing memorable moments.
Undeniable, my colleague lives life to the full!
By Fernanda, a CAE student at Languages International Christchurch
You can find links to the rest of the student profiles from this class here.
CAE Student Profile: Flavia
Flávia studies medicine in Brazil. She will probably graduate in 2012. After her graduation she has to serve a residence. As a next step in her career, Flávia would like to do a specialization in oncology and work, if possible, a few years abroad.
At least as important as her career is for her to have a family and children.
Flávia has already visited many different countries. She has been to Uruguay, Paraguay, Argentina, Chile, France, Spain, Germany, the Czech Republic, the Netherlands, Australia and New Zealand.
During her trip from Dusseldorf to Prague she had a terrible experience together with her sister. They missed the plane and decided to take the train to Prague. Unfortunately, the trip was a bit longer than expected. Normally it takes 12 hours to travel from Dusseldorf to Prague, and you have to change trains three times. After a few hours, they weren’t sure if they were on the right train, and they asked different people, but nobody was able to give an accurate answer. As a result, they became scared and left the train at the next station. At the end Flávia and her sister were waiting alone at a deserted and remote train station somewhere in Europe and had no idea how to travel on.
By Rafael, a student at Languages International Christchurch
You can find links to the rest of the student profiles from this class here.
CAE Student Profile: Adi
Adi comes from Switzerland. He lives near a lake there. So it is no wonder that his favourite freetime activities are windsurfing and sailing. Next summer he is going to get the licence for driving a boat on the sea.
Adi's other hobbies are playing ice hockey and skiing. Some of these hobbies are quite expensive. That's why we can expect that Adi doesn't save a lot of money. Apart from his hobbies he spends money in travelling, going out and buying some electronic stuff.
Adi is staying here in Christchurch for four months. In the first three months he is doing the CAE exam. Then his parents and his sister are going to come to New Zealand too. The whole family is going to travel around the country for two weeks. Adi will spend the last two weeks of his New Zealand trip in Auckland, where he is attending a Business English course.
By Patrizia, a CAE student at Languages International Christchurch
You can find links to the rest of the student profiles from this class here.
CAE Student Profile: Rafael
Rafael is a funny Swiss guy who taking the CAE course at Languages International. Over this four weeks he has being in Christchurch, he has enjoyed some good moments. Traveling through the South island in the company of his friends and going out (specially on Thursdays!) are some of these good moments.
Another aspect of Rafael's life is his love for Silvia, his girlfriend. As they have been a couple for six years, it is his intention to marry her and build a family. Finally, we all wish Rafael all the best in his exam! Good luck!
By Flavia, a CAE student at Languages International Christchurch
You can find links to the rest of the student profiles from this class here.
CAE Student Profile: Fernanda
Fernanda is a 22 years old Brazilian student who is taking the CAE class. Unfortunately, she won't stay with us the full 10 weeks but just 6 because of her University in Sao Paulo, which she is going to to begin her last year. That means she is going to pass the CAE in Brazil.
I asked what her plans after CAE was was and she explained that she would finish her last university year and find a new job. She also mentioned that her motivation is extrinsic.
She also told me that she really enjoyed her weekend in Franz Joseph Glacier. It was the first time she had ever seen snow. However, she explained that she was going to try bungy jumping in Queenstown soon.
Fernanda imagined herself married in 10 years with 2 children, a beautiful house and a good job. Nevertheless, she is a bit worried that she must find the right person to carry out these projects.
By Jonathan, a CAE student at Languages International Christchurch
You can find links to the rest of the student profiles from this class here.
CAE Student Profile: Andy
At first I asked Andy how he had met Bettina and how many years ago. He told me that they had met 9 years ago when they had gone skiing with some friends. It had been love at first sight. The next question was about his favourite movie. Andy said that his favourite movie is 'A beautiful mind'. This film centres around a mathematician who is a genius. The story is about how the protagonist becomes schizophrenic and how his familiy and friends deal with this illness.
When I asked Andy, where he wanted to travel next, he answered that he would like to go to South America and to discover Peru, Chile, Equador and maybe Brazil.
Then I enquired what he would cook to impress Bettina and he explained that he would cook a good piece of meat in the oven with pasta or rice because he knew that Bettina likes this. For dessert he would offer her some ice cream.
Last but not least the big question was when he and Bettina wanted to get married and Andy guessed that they would get married maybe in ten years.
By Eva, a student at Languages International Christchurch
You can find links to the rest of the student profiles from this class here.
CAE Student Profile: Tina
Tina is loved not only by her boyfriend but also by her classmates because of her friendly character. In fact, she is open-minded and out-going.
She loves travelling and enjoys it as often as she can. I interviewed her about her view for travelling. She has been to many countries around her country, Switzerland, such as France, Italy, Germany, Austria and Bulgaria. Among them, the island named Sardinia, which is in Italy, is Tina's favourite place. The warm climate, beautiful scenery and friendly people seem to attract her.
"Why do many people say that Switzerland is a paradise?" It might be the biggest question for her. Whenever people ask that question, she is eager to know why. To find the answers, she strongly believes that she needs to travel. She wants to know the other people's daily life, their social systems and their attitude towards the environment as well as wanting to visit famous sight-seeing spots.
Tina’s tips to enjoy travelling - If her boyfriend has a different idea about the destination of their coming trip, Tina and her boyfriend usually try to find another possibility to compromise with each other. When he wants to go tramping although she does not, they would decide to go short-trekking. It might be also possible that they choose different activities from each other, however according to her, it is unlikely to happen.
By Yasuko, a CAE student at Languages International Christchurch
You can find links to the rest of the student profiles from this class here.
CAE Student Profile: Patrizia
Patrizia is a 20 years old Swiss student who is going to take the CAE exams in the middle of March. She has joined our class with 3 weeks delaying as she had to take a per-curse for her further education as a primary school teacher which takes 3 years.
Due to she joined us just a bit more than one week now I haven’t had really time to know her very well but we had a few talks in which I found out that she is a talented soccer player. Consequently Patrizia has been playing for about seven years and now her team is in the third highest championship in Switzerland.
Moreover she told me that after her four years economy High school she had been working for an organisation which provide sport activities for teenagers called “I U S” which translated in English means youth and sports.
Patrizia gives me the impression to be a really outgoing as well as active person as she nether had problem in finding new friends at school nor she miss an occasion to join us in “after school activities” such as weekend trips or pub crawl.
By Adi, a CAE student at Languages International Christchurch
You can find links to the rest of the student profiles from this class here.
CAE Student Profile: Yasuko
Yasuko is a self-confident person who has escaped from the stressful life in Japan. She was a teacher there for ten years. During her life as a teacher she had also other jobs, like organising the sports club activities and listening to the concerns of the parents. It was quite difficult for her to handle all parents of her scholarship.
During her work as a teacher she was able to travel five times to New Zealand, which was organised by her school. That is why she saw, that the life in New Zealand seems to be easier and less stressful. Therefore Yasuko decided to go to New Zealand, learn the language and do the CAE. If she achieves a B-grade in the exam, she can apply for a job as a teacher in New Zealand.
After a long time living in Christchurch, Yasuko misses the Japanese food. She likes to eat a lot of different sea food. Unfortunately it is quite difficult to buy raw fish in a New Zealand supermarket to create her own sushi. Furthermore, she used also to eat many kinds of roots which contains a huge amount of fiber.
One thing that Yasuko has found strange while in New Zealand is to see that some people walk barefoot through the central city of Christchurch.
By Tina, a CAE student at Languages International Christchurch
You can find links to the rest of the student profiles from this class here.
CAE Student Profile: Eva
Not many people know Eva but I was lucky to ask her some private questions. We talked about her high school life and her future plans.
Eva is a 19 year old Swiss girl. Before she went to New Zealand she had finished high school. She told me that the funniest day in her high school time had been when all the students had gone to school wearing sport clothes to protest against the plans of canceling the schools sports day. Eva said she had a boyfriend and they have been together for 4 years. She didn’t doubt that he was missing her during her stay in Christchurch. Asked about her favourite holiday she mentioned a trip to Italy.
The Swiss girl told me that she would take a long shower when she was back in Switzerland and added in a more serious form that she starts studying nursing in September. She explained that she would earn some money in the company which her father worked for before starting her study. Eva predicted that she would live a mixed life between career and family.
By Andy, a CAE student at Languages International Christchurch
You can find links to the rest of the student profiles from this class here.
CAE Class Profile
The next series of posts are profiles of CAE students at Languages International Christchurch. The profiles come from a class exercise where the students all interviewed each other and wrote a brief report.
Their teachers, Sally and Miranda wish them well:
"This group of students are so much fun. They are all hard working, but at the same time know how to have a laugh. We are really enjoying teaching them and we expect them all to do well in the exam in March. Good Luck to all of you!"
Photos: teachers Sally (left) and Miranda (right)
You can read the student profiles here:
06 February 2009
Weekends in New Zealand
The weekends start on Friday evenings after our afternoon class. First we go with many friends to a restaurant for dinner. There are a lot of good restaurants on Queen Street. You can eat Korean, Japanese, Arabic, German, Australian and a lot more. After that we go to a pub to drink something and talk together for about an hour. Then we change the pub to a nightclub for dancing. At four or five in the morning we go home.
On Saturday morning we wake up at about ten o'clock and have breakfast together. After that we have a shower and later we go to the beach or sometimes on a boat trip. Sometimes we have a BBQ on the beach with friends and family and then play soccer or volleyball on the beach. In the late afternoon we like to go to the Skytower to watch the sun set. If it has been a busy day we go home to sleep.
On Sundays we like to meet in the city to go shopping for clothes and shoes. If we get hungry we go to McDonalds for lunch. Finally, on Sunday nights we like to go to the cinema. Everybody enjoys weekends in NZ! They are great!
by Han Dong Na, Seraina Zachleder, Fares Saeed Alzahrani and Yi Chun Chang.who are all students at Languages International
05 February 2009
Visit from Switzerland
On January 21 Sandro and Stefanie from Boa Lingua - Sprachaufenthalt Neuseeland (Switzerland) paid a friendly visit to our school in Auckland. Boa Lingua and Languages International are long standing partners, and it was great to welcome the young counsellors here at school. Sandro and Stefanie had a nice visit and enjoyed seeing Languages International in full swing. They met with the school staff, visited the Learning Centre and had a tour around the school campus in a beautiful Albert Park. After the meetings, our guests also had a chance to sample delicious New Zealand seafood at a local restaurant.
Photo: Stephanie and Sandro of Boa Lingua with Languages International's Marketing Manager, Brett Shirreffs (centre).
The Learning Centre
Languages International has a Learning Centre and there are lot's of reference books and English novels which can be borrowed. We can use the computers to make our study plans and watch DVDs to practice listening. When we have questions about English, we can ask teachers to get solutions instantly. We can also book the teacher's time to talk about how to improve our English or practice conversation. In conclusion, we have to use the Learning Centre frequently to help improve our English.
by Tsung Kai Huang, Tae In Gong and Fei Meng
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