English Course in Scotland

Do you want to meet Braveheart?

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Hi, my name is Joan and I’m from Barcelona. I did a 3 week Living Learning English course in Scotland and it has gone really quickly because there are lotsof thnigs you can do here in Tealing. You can play tennis in a nice tennis court, you can play  table tennis, you can relax, you can swim, you can go for a walk, if you like walking this is your place.

However, the most awesome thing about Scotland is the scenery; when you go north you find less people, less houses, less villages and it all becomes really amazing: wild rivers in the middle of forests, squirrels, deer, dogs, lots of different types of birds and more animals. If you like animals, this is your place.

Edinburgh, the capital is also a really nice city. It is the perefct size (it’s quite small compared to other cities). The best time to come is in August because of the Edinburgh festival. Although I must warn you that the city becomes really crowded, it’s still nice. Lots of sightseeing: the castle, the Scottish parliament,…

It is a good place to visit and it really looks like New Zealand, so…What are you waiting for?

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One day in Edinburgh

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My name is Violaine. I’m 16 years and I’ve been living to Scotland for two weeks in Carole’s house with Irina.

Last Sunday, we went to Edinburgh so I’m going to describe this city and which activities we did.

Edinburgh is the capital of Scotland. It is divided in two parts: the new town and the old town. In the middle, it used to be a river but now there is a big park.

In the new town, you can find lots of shops as H&M, Top shop… In the old town, you can visit the famous Edinburgh castle: it’s a military castle with many cannons situated on an extinct volcano.

Next to the castle, there is a big stadium with lots of flags of countries. It’s where the Edinburgh festival takes place. This festival is in August, and it offers  theatres, art, sports, music… People come from all over the world to see this show.

If you want to buy typical presents of Scotland, there are many traditional shops with whisky, tartan,  and cashmere clothes… In the street, some people play bagpipes with the Scottish costume. (kilt).

In the old town, there are the National Art Gallery and Camera Obscura: it’s a science museum which deals with illusions. In this unusual museum, you can find pictures in 3D, activities to play with illusions or electricity, distorted mirrors, a big labyrinth of mirrors, and finally a show where you can see the best 360 views of Edinburgh. There is an interactive activity where you have to go through a rotating tunnel. This museum is well adapted for children.

To my mind, Edinburgh is a really pretty city and it was very interesting and funny to see men in kilts.

I think if you must go to Edinburgh and you will have a very good excursion.

 

 

 

 

 

Andrea’s Edinburgh Adventure!

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Hi there!

I’ve been staying for the last couple of weeks in Tealing, Angus with Carole Smith and her family and I’ve had a lovely time. I visited Edinburgh yesterday and would recommend other students go there. I had a wonderful day!

Here is my review of Edinburgh – in case you’re interested.

Sited just on the banks of river Forth, overlooking the North Sea and surrounded by green hills,  Edinburgh brings together what any European capital should have – shops, cafes, bars, parks, … – plus nature and wilderness just a few minutes away from the city centre: the hill known as Arthur’s Seat.

But the most recognisable landmark is Edinburgh Castle, a symbol of Scotland and the city. Located in the medieval Old Town, up the Royal Mile, reigning silently over Edinburgh, the Castle is the most visited site. You might get cold feet when you find yourself in a never-ending queue to buy the entry tickets, but it’s well-worth the wait. There’s a whole town inside the Castle as it was a military castle so take your time, walk around and watch out for the one o’clock cannon shot.

Besides the Castle there are other must-see sites: the Palace of Holyroodhouse, all the way down the Royal Mile; the innovative Scottish Parliament, just across the street; the National Museum of Scotland and a wide range of other museums as the National Gallery of Scotland.

The best time to go is August. Not only is it because it lowers the chances of rain but also because it takes place one of the world’s largest cultural festivals. Edinburgh International Festival provides first-class entertainment, a mix between theatre and music. At the same time the Fringe is also held. Small drama companies or student companies fill the streets with music, laughter and shows from all over the world. With so much going on, Edinburgh is the place to be.

Overall, Edinburgh is a unique city where there’s lots to do and see. The scenery is splendid, people are friendly and you won’t ever forget it.

Enjoy! Andrea

Tealing, Angus, Scotland.

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We had such a great time these three weeks here in Scotland!

We visited Edinburgh, St. Andrews, Dundee, we went to Glamis Castle, Dunkeld (a little Highland town) in Perthshire,… We enjoyed both big cities and the countryside, they are all amazing. We ate the best strawberries in the world and saw the beach where Chariots of Fire was filmed as well! We also tried some Scottish food such as haggis, tatties and mince, Scottish pie, shortbread, oatcakes, salmon in all its varieties (pate, smoked, cooked in the oven,…).

Tealing is a peaceful, wee (LITTLE!) town in the county of Angus, right by Dundee. Carole’s house is a really big renovated farm, and her family has turned it into a lovely old house. It is near a dovecot and an ancient earthouse, where prehistoric people used to live.

We really enjoyed the weeks we spent here and we feel a bit sad thinking about leaving tomorrow. We are both looking forward to coming back to Scotland and visiting this beautiful country and Carole’s family again.

PS: the Scottish accent is quite easy to understand, don’t worry about that!

My stay in Dunfermline

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Hello, my name is Elisa G. I live in Germany near Dusseldorf! I had a great time with the MacLeans. We went to the belladrum festival in Inverness and we had a great time there. We stayed at a lovely cottage. After the festival was over we drove to Mellon Udrigle. This is a small town at the seaside! We did not spend much time at the beach because the weather was not very nice at all. We also visited Loch Ness but we did not see Nessi.What a pity! I had a very nice time here! I loved playind with Eilidh and Ruaridh in the sea and on the trampoline. I will miss you both!

 

Fun in Dunbar learning English

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Hello, I’m Ines from Sevilla (Spain).I was in Dunbar, in Jackie’s house. She has a nice house and her son is very friendly. We went to Glasgow and the Kelvingrove art museum, to Edinburgh to the musical Fringe Festival, we went to many harbours on the Scottish coast. I visited a farm shop. I also went to a Highland Games which was a lot al fun. Some others students from Germany and Spain came to Jackie’s house one evening for a pizza party. I was in Dunbar for 3 weeks, but it’s not a short time to learn English because you’re speaking and listening all day, so you can see your improvement in 1 week. Jackie took me to visit her friends so I heard a lot of everyday speech which is better than books

 

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My stay in Edinburgh with Rossana

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I´m going to talk about my staying in Edinburgh with living learning English in Rossana´s house. I arrived on Friday the 15th of June with my parents and I stayed in a hotel in the centre of Edinburgh and I visited some important and amazing places there on the weekend. The 17th of June Rossana picked us up from our hotel to her house. I stayed there one day putting my clothes in my wardrobe and watching some interesting English´s programmes on TV. With respect to my lessons I have done different grammar activities, some reading, listening, speaking exercises and two or three writings in order to prepare the First Certificate exam. During my staying in Edinburgh I have done some excursions like going to San Andrews with Rossana´s family, I went to a beach in a small and beautiful village near Edinburgh, and I also been to a mountain close to the city, and I have been in an Edinburgh tour with Rossana. I have done some different activities with Rossana´s children like going to the last Harry Potter´s film. In conclusion has been a very good experience and I had improved my English. Regarding the family environment I was so happy with them. Thank you so much to Rossana and the organization for help to me during the fifteen days in July.

 

 

My stay in Edinburgh

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I took a one-week course this November because I want to improve my English, especially speaking skill. I stayed at Rosanna’s house which is located in a good residential area in Edinburgh for a week. My teacher, Rosanna, and her children are all kind and friendly, and I had a great time during my stay. Edinburgh has a lot of places to go, so it was very good to spend the week both learning English and visiting many attractions in Edinburgh. After three-hour lessons in the morning, Rosanna and I went to the city center by bicycle and visited Edinburgh castle and the National Museum of Scotland, etc. She also took me to Arthur’s Seat (a hill near the city center) and a not well-known but beautiful garden near the hill. From the top of the hill, we can have a panoramic view of the city and the scenery was very nice. Conversations during these excursions were beneficial as well as her lessons. In addition, she took me to her son’s school concert. Students’ performance was very nice and it was very interesting to know a part of the UK’s school life.I really enjoyed my stay in Edinburgh and I found this course is a good way to learn English. I’m glad to have had this great opportunity. Thank you very much for everything, Rosanna!

 

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