You prepared me so well - now I don't disgrace myself when I speak English

Hi Celia, hi Gail,

Today on my 2nd business day in my new job - it was my first test in reality.

We had our conference call with the colleges in Brussel and China. In Salzburg there were about 8 people inculding our CEO around the spider and I had to introduce myself during the conference call in english - and I did it!!! I was a little bit nervous at the beginning but at the end I was quite confident. The phoning lasts one hour and I think I got 90% of the content.

I'm sure that without your training this would have been a very stressful situation for me.

@Celia - it was a very structured conference call. They had an agenda  and one person was responsible for routing through it. So it was indeed very similar to our second telephone conference exercise. Our simulated trainings with the CDs were perfect.

@Gail - it was really amazing how many colleges use the "will" future. I am sure that in most of the cases "going to" would have been the right one. But I kept this secret for myself

So I have to thank you again that you have prepared me so well and that I have enough materials to prepare myself. Now I know that I have the self-trust that I don't disgrace myself when I speak english.

Best regards,
Gregor

Reply from Celia and Gail:  Thank you Gregor, for taking the time and trouble to write an email to tell us about your first conference call in your new job.  This kind of message is what makes our work so rewarding :-))

A fantastic experience - and she's coming back!

 This last summer I spent two weeks in England. 

It was a fantastic experience, great people, friendly and above all open! 

In addition to improving my English I was able to immerse myself in a different
reality, a  new culture opened!

 I established relationships that I will never forget ever!!

 I am going to repeat this experience and I hope to meet again with all the people I met!


Carlotta, Milan

He expected a lot - he got much more!!

I spent two weeks at Heritage English in November. Before starting my new job as a risk manager at a car trading company in Salzburg, I thought it was a good idea to improve my English.

 I expected a lot, but got much more than that.

 If you want to know what total immersion business English course really means you 'll have to come here. It's definitely not only an English course because it is much more. You are totally involved in the language because you are involved in so different unreal and real situations. 

Apart from the regular English training like grammar (which Gail summarized really very well) and my personal topics risk management, telephoning, meetings etc (Celia thank you for your patience), I was suddenly placed to sell tickets for a charity-tombola at Lord Montagu's Palace in Beaulieu. How did this came about? It was because of my host Pam. She had an exclusive invitation to Lady Montagu's charity event and asked me for help. 

Another example? When I arrived on Sunday at my first host Kate, a birthday party went on. Her daughter turned two and suddenly I was involved in speaking English with Kate's Mother, Brother, Father, Friends etc. This was not that kind of imagination of my first hours at heritage English than I initially thought of. But these two examples were not the only one.

 Just quickly count some more of them: 

      Talking with the church goers and being invented by them for a cup of tea at All Saints' Church, Freshwater, Isle of Wight

      Watching the new James Bond "Skyfall"

Discussing with residents of Isle of Wight about space rocket tests in the past

Buying in a kitchen store a grater (but without knowing that the tool I was looking for was named as a grater)

A lot of different conversations during the lunch with my teachers and during breakfast and dinner with my hosts and their relatives or friends

As you can see: the difference between a normal language school and the school of Celia and Gail is that you have both - on the one hand, unreal, well prepared and simulated training situations regarding to your job and on the other hand real "plunged in at the deep end"-situations for immersion.

I enjoyed it, I recommend it and I'm going to go back ASAP.

Gregor

Gail and Celia reply:  

Gregor made the most of every opportunity to speak and learn, by integrating with teachers, friends and families.  He was a keen cyclist and so we gave him the loan of a spare bicycle for two weeks.  He cycled all over the forest and even to the Isle of Wight during his free weekend.  Below is a photo of Gregor on a cycle tour of the sea path from Milford to Lymington.

During his stay, Gregor progressed from a low B2 (upper intermediate) to a low C1 (advanced) 

We wish him every success in his new job as a Risk Manager in Salzburg, and we look forward to seeing him in Lymington again .... ASAP!  

The risk assessment for choosing a course will be easier next time, Gregor ;-)

Business student finds it easier to speak English

Cyrille came for a one week business English immersion training course with us in August.  He is French nationality but working in Poland at the moment and needs English for work both for speaking and writing.

His lessons were shared by Gail and Cherry and he stayed with Pam Myatt in Lymington.  Here are his comments:

“The company I work for manages the city for production, distribution and treatment of drinking water and also the collection and treatment of wastewater.  I work with a group of people of many nationalities and our client is communicating in English.   I have to use English face to face, in groups, on the telephone, presentations and interviews or by written correspondence (fax, email, letters, memos, internal reports, etc)

“I’m responsible for technical performance and for the monitoring KPI of our society. In this context I have to lead the teams, to make daily reports and to communicate in English.  ”

“At Heritage English, everything was well prepared and well done – the host family; the teachers; the afternoon outings and the lessons.  I appreciated the conversations and making new friends.

“I think my English has improved in every way, but particularly in oral expression.  It helps to get used to having two or three main interlocutors.  It makes it easier to speak.”

Star Student makes great progress in English speaking

Adrian (21) is studying at university in Toulouse, France.  His father Francois, a director at a nuclear reprocessing plant,  came to us twice for business English training in the past.  When Adrian arrived for his 3-week course this August, the production of one simple sentence was difficult for him.  By the end of his stay, he was conversing fluently and understanding even rapid conversations with a group of other young people.
This is what he said about his course:

I appreciated my family and my teachers because they are very nice. The lessons were very good. The sons of my host family became my friend and will come in France with me. I did many activities (golf, kayaking, sailing, visiting…) and the area is very beautiful with a lot of animals in the new forest.

I improved my grammar, my speaking and writing.  I hope to come back next year.

Kayakking on the Beaulieu River

And in French :-

 Qu’avez-vous apprecie le plus pendant cette semaine d’etude d’anglais?

J’ai apprecie l’accueil chaleureux de ma famille et leur gentillesse. La qualite des cours etaient excellentes. Les professeurs sont tres gentils et comprehensifs. Les cours se deroulent dans une tres bonne ambiance. Les visites sont interessantes et formatrices.

 Que conseillerez-vous a un future stagaire et pourquoi?

Je lui conseillerai cet organisme si c’est un debutant car la prise en charge est complete et de tres bonne qualite. De plus, cet organisme met en place une atmosphere rassurante. Je lui conseillerai egalement de prendre minimum deux semaines s’il est de niveau debutant.

Traditional English cream tea at New Forest Tearooms

Second language training for Ramon

HELLO!

MY NAME IS RAMON.  I AM FROM CAMBRILS, IN THE MIDDLE OF CATALONIA, SPAIN - NEAR BARCELONA AND I'M 31 YEARS OLD.

I NEED ENGLISH FOR MY WORK AND THIS IS MY SECOND EXPERIENCE IN HERITAGE ENGLISH.

THE FIRST TIME I THOUGHT IT WAS EXCELLENT, BUT THE SECOND TIME WAS EVEN BETTER.

I RECOMMEND THIS EXPERIENCE TO ALL WHO WANT TO IMPROVE THEIR ENGLISH AND WHO WANT TO LIVE AN UNFORGETTABLE EXPERIENCE.

ALL THE LESSONS ARE PERSONAL.  THEY COMBIINE TO PERFECTION THE THEORY WITH PRACTICE.

THE HELP OF TEACHERS AND THE FAMILY WHERE YOU STAY IS UNBEATABLE.

I WILL REPEAT THIS GREAT EXPERIENCE.

SPECIAL THANKS TO MY FRIENDS, STEVE AND CELIA – ALL THE HELP THEY PROVIDED ON THIS IMMERSION COURSE.

Ramon and Celia on the ferry to Southampton.  It is not all classroom work!

THANK YOU VERY MUCH

RAMON!

Junior immersion - with surfing!

Surf lessons on Bournemouth beach were the sport activity chosen by Robin for his afternoons during his 2-week stay.  His teacher took him every weekday after his individual lessons and he made great progress in surfing as well as in English.  

Riding the wave at Bournemouth beach in July

What did he say about his course?

“In two weeks I made as much progress as one year of school lessons.”

Robin (far right) with his family host friend, Ben on a special day out playing " Battlefield"

We have just received this message from Robin’s mother in France

Thank you very much for the very detailed report on Robin's lessons. I think he learned a lot in the past 2 weeks. 

He was really happy with his stay in England. The teachers did a wonderful job in teaching him not only the language but he said that it was fun. The surfing lessons were very nice as well, he just loved them. 

The Woolfrey family has been very nice to him and they really integrated Robin in their family life. He got on very well with Ben and he spend a lovely time with them.

 Please thank them for doing so.

We are very happy with the language learning experience of Heritage English! 

Thank you very much for all the help. 

Wishing you all the best.

And we might come back to you next year.