We are LSI Portsmouth English Club

We have revamped our group on Facebook to become an English club.

Here at LSI Portsmouth we love the English language. Our aim is to give our students the best experience they can have while they are here, give them the best tools possible to continue with their English and give them the best social experience while staying with us.

So we thought we would roll all of this into one online place:

We are LSI Portsmouth English Club

We know that students often have questions to ask that they just can't in class or don't have time to. So we thought the best answer would be to have a little collegiate group where they can help each other. This will be a place where students can come and ask their questions about English; tenses, vocabulary, question forms, prepositions, in fact, anything that confuses them.

We realise that sometimes it just isn't possible for the teacher to answer every single student's question, or maybe the question comes up over the weekend. So we are hoping that this becomes a community area for students to ask and help each other.

Sometimes a teacher may answer a question, but essentially this is for the students, old, existing or future ;-)

Here is the link

How To Choose Your Ideal Location To Study English In England?

When trying to decide where you want to study English in the UK, we understand it can be a little overwhelming. With so many cities to visit and so many schools to choose from, how do you decide? Here’s our little guide to help you with your decision…

Big or Small City?

You may realise by now that there are many English courses in the South of England. One question you may want to ask yourself is whether you want to stay in a big or small city. Of course, London is the largest city in the South of England, which also means it is very busy. If you like the atmosphere of a capital city, then maybe London will suit you. However, many students prefer to have all the amenities of a large city but prefer a place that is a lot less busy and crowded.
Portsmouth is a great city in this regard. There is everything you could possibly need, such as great nightlife, shopping, history and culture and great local transport links. However, the streets are less crowded, and most things are within walking distant. Students often feel very involved with the community and quickly adapt to the lifestyle of the city. It’s also not too small, so you will never get bored, for this reason, a lot of students choose to learn English in Portsmouth.

Countryside or Coast?

When searching for English courses in the South of England, ask yourself this question. Do you want to be by the sea, or would you prefer to be in the English Countryside? Portsmouth is a city on the coast, so you can always be close to the wonderful British seaside. However, Portsmouth is located within Hampshire County, renowned for its beautiful countryside. A few stops on a train and you can visit a traditional English village, or take a long walk along a river.

Traditional or Modern?

Another thing to consider when looking for an English course in the South of England is whether you want your location to be traditional or modern. Portsmouth is a very modern city, with a huge student population and a great, lively atmosphere, it is a great place to learn English. Gunwharf Quays is a modern leisure and retail complex, home to the impressive Spinnaker Tower, The Marina, and loads of modern bars and restaurants. However, Portsmouth is also famous for its rich naval history. Portsmouth city has the Historic Dockyards, lots of museums and ‘Old Portsmouth’, the traditional, old part of town. Whether it’s traditional or modern you’re looking for, Portsmouth has the best of both worlds.

We hope this guide has helped! If you have any more questions about Portsmouth, or about English courses in the South of England, please feel free to email us at info@lsi-portsmouth.co.uk

British Culture - 9 Things that Make Britain Different to the Rest of the World.

Continuing our series on British Culture: 

A Few Little Differences

A few little differences

In an increasingly global world it can be difficult to see the differences between countries, but if you look closely you can always find them. Here’s a few you might come across in the UK.

• Driving on the left! Perhaps because we are an island the Brits have never seen the need to go over to driving on the right. However, we are not alone. 76 other countries and territories also drive on this side of the road, including several in Europe (Ireland, Cyprus and Malta).

• Talking about driving, when on the road you should remember that all distances are measured in miles and not kilometres. There are about 1.6 kilometres to the mile. Very few countries still use this form of measurement though the United States still does.

• Like in most of the rest of the world, when you stop at a petrol station you will buy your petrol in litres. Naturally, some Brits still insist on using the old measurement when calculating liquids, which is the gallon. There are about 4.5 litres to the gallon. 

• By law, all shops must calculate weight in kilos and grams. However, a lot of Brits still like to use the old Imperial forms such as stones, pounds and ounces. There are 12 ounces in a pound, 14 pounds in a stone. Easy to understand, isn’t it? OK, to understand it more clearly there are about 2.2 pounds in a kilo.

• Generally, height is calculated in centimetres. Nevertheless, lots of people like to use the Imperial forms of feet and inches! There are 12 inches in a foot. What does this mean?? Well there are 30 centimetres in a foot. Clear??

• When you are in a pub, do not say when ordering drinks ‘I’d like a beer, please’. The bartender might start laughing! Instead use the correct size of glass as well as the name of the beer you would like. So, for example, you might say ‘I’d like a pint of Carlsberg, please’. If you wanted a smaller size you could say ‘I’d like half a pint of Carlsberg, please’. One pint is about 0.56 litres. Still clear??

• Opening times tend to be shorter in the UK. Most shops open at 9.00am and close at between 5.30 – 6.00pm, though most supermarkets stay open for longer as do many shops in London and other large cities. Unlike in a lot of countries many shops are also open on a Sunday. Pub opening times tend to be 11.00am to 11.00pm, though in recent years a lot of pubs stay open until midnight or even later, especially in the big cities.

• Remember that British electricity sockets take a three prong plug compared to the two prong variety used in many other countries. You will need to buy an adaptor if you want to use your electrical equipment here.

• Though more modern bathrooms are different, many wash-basins and baths still come with separate taps for hot and cold water. Do not worry, they are really easy to use!

Hello Sophie - Good Bye Elly

Little mini quiz game at the end of this blog

We are so sad to be saying Goodbye to Elly this week, and Hello to Sophie.
Back in 2015, Sophie joined us working in Admissions and then for a short time as Reception Officer. She is therefore already quite familiar with the ways of the school. The oddest thing is that she sounds just like Elly on the phone ;-)

Sophie has come to us from a stint of travelling and working in London and while she has big shoes to fill, we know she will and we want to say a huge 'welcome' to her.

We are really genuinely sad to be saying goodbye to our lovely Elly. Elly has been with us since 2010, first as a teacher and then as Reception Manager. For anyone who doesn't know Elly, she may be little but she is a massive powerhouse of energy, efficiency, sage advice and attention to detail, and just an all-round joy to know.

She has given all of us pause for thought as she is leaving to go to Australia and is starting up a new business! Proofreading (on the road). Initially, she is heading to Perth, but the plan is to get a van and to drive off into the sunset - proofreading on the way.

This is her new website

www.editmyessays.com

We couldn't see Elly leave without a good send-off:

Bye Bye (sob sob) Elly - Hello and huge welcome Sophie.

A little PS

Elly featured quite heavily in our 'We are Happy LSI Portsmouth video - have a watch and see how many times you can see her ;-)