Language Courses and Cultural Exchanges Worldwide

English for Youth in Bournemouth

ETC School   Westbourne Academy   Dates and Prices   Transportation  

Bournemouth is without question one of the finest student towns on England’s Southern Coast.  Its beauty and accommodating facilities have helped to make it an important center of tourism, education and business.  Public transportation is very well-organized, offering an excellent network of buses and trains extending throughout Britain and to many parts of Europe.  London is only 100 minutes by train.

Bournemouth hosts numerous events during the year, including powerboat races, vintage car shows, international tennis championships and windsurfing competitions. During the summer, there are weekly firework displays from the pier, laser light shows, the Musicmakers festival and the unique Flowers by Candlelight festival, where the people of Bournemouth gather to light 15,000 candles in the Central Gardens.

Bournemouth is a safe and inviting place for young people.  The beaches and the pedestrian zones offer youth the opportunity to enjoy their holidays.  Our partner schools’ locations in residential neighborhoods assure safe and easy transportation between host families and classes.

The Program

This program is designed for youth aged 14 to 18 who wish to improve their knowledge of the English language, while still enjoying their stay abroad with other students of their own age.

The program centers around its English classes - 20, 28 or 40 lessons a week.  Accommodation is in a host family, which is allows participants to discover many aspects of English culture and daily life in a natural setting, outside of school.

The program consisting of 20 lessons a week can be combined with a program of athletic activities (golf or tennis) or group excursions.

We organize supervised group travel to Bournemouth from Brussels, Mons and Calais each week in July, August and during the Easter vacation (see below).

Our two partners for these programs are the ETC School and the Westbourne Academy. Both offer equivalent courses and facilities. You will find information relevant to these schools below.

Participant Ages

• 14 and up for all summer and Easter programs at the ETC School
• 15 and up for all summer and Easter programs at the Westbourne Academy
• 16 and up for all programs outside of the vacation period
• For younger students, please see English for Juniors in Bournemouth
• For adults, please see English for Adults in Bournemouth

The Courses

We offer courses for all levels of ability. Students take an assessment exam upon arrival and are individually placed in an appropriate class.  Class sizes are small, at an average of 12 in the summer and 10 at other times of the year.  The courses emphasize oral communication and other practical aspects of the language.  Presence in class is obligatory.

Students may choose three options within this program (see the schools section below):

• Vacation Courseload
  By far the most popular of our offerings, this program offers 20 lessons per week at either the ETC School or the Westbourne Academy.  Students may additionally choose to combine this course with one of the options listed below. If you choose this program, we try to respect your school preference, however spaces are allocated on the basis of availability.
• Semi-intensive Courseload
  28 lessons per week at the ETC School
• Intensive Courseload
  40 lessons per week at the Westbourne Academy
• Long-term Stay
  20 or 28 lessons a week outside of the summer.  Accommodation is in a private room in a host family.  Half-board (breakfast and dinner) is included during the week and full-board (3 meals a day) on weekends.

Options

During July, August and the Easter vacation, we offer three types of optional programs to complete our Vacation English courses:

• English Courses + Excursions
  This most popular option is specially designed to help young people get the most out of their summer or Easter holidays while following a productive curriculum. The program involves English classes each morning and a variety of cultural and social activities during the afternoons, evenings and weekends. The activities are not only fun, but also offer the participants the opportunity to practice their English in a real-world environment. The itinerary includes:
  • 20 English lessons per week
  • 5 half-days a week of supervised activities (cultural outings to Swanage, Poole, Christchurch, bowling, mini golf, sightseeing, biking...)
  • 2 evening activities a week (bowling, disco, film screenings, barbecues ...)
  • 1 full-day excursion per stay to destinations such as London, Oxford, Salisbury, or Cambridge.
  All transportation costs and entrance fees are included in the program cost. Please note that this activity program is obligatory for students under 16 if they have not chosen any other afternoon activities (in order to ensure proper supervision).
  
  
• English Courses + Tennis
  As an option for students who prefer more athletic vacations, this program combines 20 English lessons a week with one or two hours of tennis lessons, four days a week.  Tennis instruction in given in English by experienced British coaches.  Dates for this option are limited by course availability, so please check the schedule below for possible dates to facilitate your planning.  Court rental (4 students per court), coaching and transportation to and from the school are included.  Please note that students must bring a racket, 6 balls, and appropriate athletic wear. 
  
  Level: beginner to intermediate
  Dates: 04/04, 03/07, 31/07, 07/08
  In case of poor weather preventing play, this option can be refunded or substituted with the activities program.
  
  
• English Courses + Golf
  Very similar to the tennis option above, this option combines 20 English lessons a week with either one or two hours a day (4 days a week) of small-group golf instruction.  Golf instruction is given in English with experienced British coaches. Dates for this option are limited by course availability, so please check the schedule below for possible dates to facilitate your planning.  Course fees, club rental, coaching and transportation to and from the school are included.
  
  Level: beginner to intermediate
  Dates: 04/04, 03/07, 31/07, 07/08
  In case of poor weather preventing play, this option can be refunded or substituted with the activities program.
  
  

Other Activities

Students who do not choose any of the above options can still participate in the Excursion Program activities if space is available, for a small additional cost.

It is also possible to sign up for weekly excursions, organized by the schools, to diverse destinations such as London, New Forest, Dorset, Stratford upon Avon, Bath, Oxford, etc. These options cost around £25 each and are completely supervised. The schools also organize barbecues, karaoke nights and film screenings.  Some of these activities are free and others require a small additional cost. These activities are available year-round.

Accommodation and Meals

Students stay with an English host family who provide breakfast and an evening meal, Monday to Friday.  On the weekends the host family provides three meals a day.  During the week, students typically eat a light meal in the school cafeteria at midday, costing 3£ to 4£.

The families are hand-selected by the schools and offer a warm environment and ensure that students are well-integrated during their stay in England.  Most of the families are experienced hosts, having welcomed students into their homes for years. The school welfare officers inspect the families regularly. Former students who wish to return to the same family should indicate this preference on the enrollment form.

Within the families, there will typically be one to three other students of another nationality with whom participants can spend their free time and meals.

The families are generally situated in a residential neighborhoods, a 20 to 30 minute walk from the school or near a direct bus line.

Participants receive the address and phone number of the family 5 to 10 days before the beginning of their stay.
 

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The Schools

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Both of our partner schools in Bournemouth have established excellent reputations over a number of years.  Students at the Westbourne Academy and ETC come from all the continents (except Antarctica, of course) and give the schools a dynamic, international ambiance.  Thanks to a common interest in the English language, students exhibit a lively exchange of thought and opinion.  Students come from all backgrounds; adolescents, university students and professionals of every ability level come from all over the world.  The schools’ qualities are evidenced by the large number of students, their professional success and their satisfaction year after year.

ETC School

This program is fully booked in July.

The ETC School, or "Educational Training Centre", is a family establishment founded in 1987 under the leadership of Mr. David Jones.  The school is recognized by the British Council and is reputed for the quality of its courses and staff.  Students who opt for long term programs can take courses designed to prepare them for internationally-recognized tests such as the Cambridge Exams, IELTS and TOEIC.  The school is also a testing center for these exams, which take place about once a month.  The ETC offers courses of 20, 28 or 40 lessons a week (45 minutes each) year-round, except during Christmas holidays.

The ETC Campus is situated in the center of Bournemouth, near the commercial pedestrian zone and the beach, some 500m from the town square and the Central Gardens.

The ETC offers the following courses:

• Vacation Courseload : 20 Lessons of 45 minutes each per week
  These courses are ideal for all students who wish to practice and improve their English while also having the opportunity to combine their studies with leisure.  Courses are available for all levels, from absolute beginners to very advanced speakers.  Classes run Monday to Friday and take place either in the mornings or afternoons.  These courses can be combined with one of the activity options listed above.
  
• Semi-intensive Courseload: 28 Lessons of 45 minutes each per week
  These courses are designed for participants who would like to take slightly more intensive courses.  The courses take place in the mornings and part of the afternoon. Semi-intensive courseload participants cannot choose to include any of the additional options available to participants of  vacation courseload, since classes are scheduled at the same time as the activities.
  
  For stays from January to June and September to December, this program includes preparation for the IELTS or Cambridge Exams.
  

The Westbourne Academy

This program is fully booked in July.

The Westbourne Academy School of English has been teaching English to foreign students in Bournemouth for over 25 years under the leadership of the director Mr. Mike Francis and his staff.  Located in the Poole neighborhood of Bournemouth, the school is part of the principal linguistic center of the English south coast.  Westbourne is a certified English teaching center for Cambridge Exam preparation, it is a member of "English in Britain" (Association of Recognized Language Schools) and is recognized by the British Council. As such, the school benefits from government funding for programs of 4 to 36 weeks in length.  Westbourne offers courses of 20 or 40 lessons a week (lasting 40 minutes each).

The campus is situated in the residential district of Westbourne, near Parkstone and between Poole and the Bournemouth town center.  It is only 10 minutes by bus to the center of either of these towns and downtown Bournemouth is about 20 minutes away by foot.  Westbourne is a very agreeable location, with many small stores, cafés, restaurants and snack stands.

The Westbourne Academy offers the following courses:

• Vacation Courseload : 20 Lessons of 40 minutes each per week
  These courses are ideal for all students who wish to practice and improve their English while also having the opportunity to combine their studies with leisure.  The courses are available for all levels, from absolute beginners to very advanced speakers and take place Monday to Friday in the mornings or in the afternoon.  These courses can be combined with one of the activity options listed above.
  
• Intensive Courseload: 40 lessons of 40 minutes each per week
  This program is designed for participants who require or wish to improve their English greatly and advance in a very short time frame.  Emphasis is on the more academic aspects of the language, such as writing or oral comprehension.  This highly intensive program is not available for beginners, nor for very advanced speakers.  We do not advise this course for youths under 16.  Classes take place mornings and afternoons, Monday to Friday, and therefore are not available with the other program options, such as tennis, golf or excursions.
  

 

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Dates, Prices and Transportation

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Fees

The fee structure for this program is detailed in the table to the right.
Prices include:

• All taxes and administrative and enrollment fees
• All courses (20, 28 or 40 lessons of 40 or 45 minutes each a week)
• Accommodation in host family in a private or shared room
• Half-board (2 meals a day) during weekdays and full-board on the weekends
• Supervision by our Group Leaders during the Easter and Summer holidays
• Transportation to Bournemouth and transfer to host family (see below)
• Transfer directly to the host family on arrival only
• Course books and handouts
• Certificate of participation
• Fees for January to June and September to December include a private room
  
• If traveling with us, an extra day of accommodation (if the return trip is a Sunday)

Prices do not include:

• Snacks or midday meals during the courses
• Local transportation

Accommodation

Outside of summer and Easter vacation periods, you are always assured a private room at the price of a shared room.  During Easter and summer, however, demand is higher and private rooms are more rare.  If you absolutely require a private room during these holidays, you can reserve a double room and pay the "private room supplement", depending on availability.

Dates 2010

This program is fully booked during the month of July 2010.

• Courses can begin any Monday, with arrival in Bournemouth the preceding Sunday.
• Holidays (no classes): 02/04/10, 05/04/10, 03/05/10, 31/05/10, 30/08/10 and during Christmas holidays.
• Easter and Summer programs with accompanied travel, options and Group Leader supervision from 04/04 to 18/04 and 27/06 to 29/08.
  • Excursion option: each week from 04/04 to 18/04 and from 27/06 to 29/08.
  • Tennis option: the weeks of 04/04, 03/07, 31/07 and 07/08.
  • Golf option: the weeks of 04/04, 03/07, 31/07 and 07/08.
• Accompanied group travel dates: see below
  
• Course for beginners begin 04/01, 01/02, 01/03, 29/03, 26/04, 25/05, every week during the summer, 06/09, 27/09, 25/10 and 22/11.
  Arrivals are the Saturday or Sunday preceding these dates.

 

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Transportation Bruxelles, Mons, Calais or Paris to Bournemouth

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Group Travel

During the months of July and August and during the Belgian Easter vacation, we organize a weekly supervised voyage between Brussels, Paris, Mons or Calais and Bournemouth. The trip includes:

• Accompanied group travel to Bournemouth/Swanage
• Transfer to the host families (on arrival only)
• An extra night of accommodation, in the case of Sunday returns

Departure stops include Brussels (Central Station, depart at 9:00 AM), Mons (the Q8 stop on the Bruxelles-Mons highway) and Calais (ferry terminal P&O, rendez-vous around noon in front of the reception). Arrival is scheduled for 6:30 PM. Caution: these times can vary. Precise details will be provided in your confirmation packet, along with the relative accommodation information, which should arrive approximately 15 days before your departure.

Upon return, the bus generally arrives at 3:00 PM in Calais, 5:30 in Mons and 6:00 in Brussels.

• Departures 2010:
  
  • Easter: Sunday 04/04, Saturday 10/04
    
  • Summer: Sunday 27/06*, Saturdays 03/07*, 10/07, 17/07*, 24/07, 31/07*, 07/08, 14/08* and 21/08.
• Returns 2010:
  
  • Easter: Sunday 11/04, Saturday 17/04
    
  • Summer: Sundays 04/07*, 11/07*, 18/07*, 25/07, 01/08*, 08/08, 15/08*, 22/08 and Saturday 28/08.

*Dates available for accompanied travel to and from Paris

Individual Travel Organized by Langues Vivantes / Easy Languages

Besides the aforementioned dates, we can arrange travel by air to Bournemouth/Southampton departing from either Brussels or Paris. Fees (see table) may vary with the price of flights, depending on the date of booking.

Student Arranged Travel

Students may also arrange their own commute to England. We can arrange transportation to or from the Bournemouth airport or train station for a small fee. Contact us for more details.
 

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28 Rue de la Loi - 1040 Bruxelles   |   Tel +32 (0) 2 230 01 90 (BE) ; 1-888-435-8209 (USA)   |   Fax +32 (0) 2 280 07 87