Archive for the ‘English language homestay programs’ Category
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7
Sep
2009
English Language Resources
Thesauruses
A thesaurus has a listing of words with similar, related, or opposite meanings. These are called synonyms and antonyms. A synonym is a word having the same or nearly the same meaning as another word or other words in a language, for example hard and tough, live and dwell. As language has developed, words that were once synonyms tend to become restricted so that their meaning eventually becomes different (e.g. sea and ocean). One reason for the existence of synonyms is that words may have been added to English from other languages that have the same meaning, such as ‘increase’ from Old French and ‘augment’ taken from Latin. An antonym is a word having a meaning opposite to that of another word, such as hot and cold, wet and dry, open and closed, love and hate, joy and sadness.
There are two types of thesauruses, ones where words are listed alphabetically and ones listed conceptually but with an index at the back that will lead you to a number. The latter allows for longer entries, and all the words in the entry will appear in the index just once. Thesauruses are a great resource for writers whether you’re looking for the perfect word to describe what you mean much more succintly and precisely, or to add variety and power to your writing instead of using the same old word again and again. However, make sure you understand the exact meaning of a word before you use it as although they may be synonyms, they probably have different meanings and connotations. They are also a great resource for language learners for learning a more varied way to express themselves in written and spoken language.
Examples
Some examples of common words that are overused in the English language include ’said’ and ‘walk’. A thesaurus would give you some of the following options for some variety:
- Said: add, affirm, announce, answer, assert, claim, conjecture, convey, declare, deliver, disclose, express, imply, remark.
- Walk: amble, canter, escort, exercise, rile, hike, lead, meander, pace, pad, parade, patrol, race, rove, run, shuffle, slog, stalk, step, stride, stump, toddle, traipse, tramp, wander.
7
Sep
2009
English colleges in Wellington
Wellington, New Zealand
Wellington is the capital of New Zealand, though only in 1865 as previously this distinction belonged to Auckland. Wellington is located on the extreme south of North Island, and is not only the capital city, but also a busy port and a major commercial centre. It is the country’s transportation and communications hub, has a strong service industry including finance, government, health and education, as well as a tourism and film industry. The climate is generally moderate all year round, and only rarely experiences temperatures over 25°C or fall below 4°C.
The city features the New Zealand Symphony Orchestra, the Royal New Zealand Ballet, Museum of Wellington City and Sea, and the biennial New Zealand International Arts Festival.
English Colleges
Wellington has many educational opportunities, from primary to secondary and tertiary schooling. Universities include the Victoria University of Wellington, the Massey University and the University of Otago. There are also technical colleges such as the Wellington Institute of Technology, and English colleges such as GEOS Wellington.
The GEOS Wellington English College was established in 2003, and so is the youngest of the GEOS group. It is located in Wellington’s bustling inner-city cafe district, from which you can catch a number of buses to explore the city. Usually the college contains around 30 to 40 students, of which the average age is between 18 and 30. The school caters for General English courses (both full-time and part-time), TOEFL (Test of English as a Foreign Language) and TOEIC (Test of English for International Purposes) courses, Cambridge FCE (First Certificate in English) and CAE (Advanced English) courses, as well as IELTS Examination Preparation and English for Academic Purposes.
4
Sep
2009
Study in Christchurch, NZ
Christchurch, NZ
Christchurch is the largest city in the South Island of New Zealand. The city has a dry, temperate climate, and snow fall on average once or twice a year. Whether you’re a tourist on holiday or a local you’ll just love the family activities, sightseeing, theme parks, museums, natural sites, Maori landmarks, major zoo’s & other unique places to go. New Zealand is a small country of approximately 4 million people. It is made up of 2 main islands, the North Island, which contains the majority of the population and the South Island, which abounds with lush scenery. This is the ideal country for a holiday.
The scenery is world renown with magnificent snow capped mountains, crystal clear lakes and rivers, lush green forests and glaciers. Activities and attractions include: sightseeing tours, scenic cruises, whale watching, bungy jumping, tandem hang gliding, scenic flightseeing, sky diving, hot air ballooning, eco tours, wildlife encounters, white water rafting, kayaking, fishing and hunting, horse treks and guided walks, wine tours, skiing and snowboarding, guided glacier walks and much more.
Educational Opportunities
Christchurch is known for its very traditional English public type schools, such as St Andrew’s and St Margaret’s college. There are several tertiary institutions such as the University of Canterbury, Lincoln University and the University of Otago. There are also technical colleges, such as the Christchurch Polytechnic Institute of Technology, and English colleges, like GEOS Christchurch.
The GEOS Christchurch English college opened in 1997 with 5 students and has now grown to 120, though the maximum number of students in a class remains only 12 so students can interact with each other easily, as well as receive attention from the teacher. It is located in the heart of the city, next to the Avon River. Students come from all over the world to learn English there, with a variety of courses including General English, IELTS and TOEFL.