Blended learning at Language Tree - integrating online tools into our teachingWhat a year it has been! It really shows, you just never know what is around the corner. It's crazy to think just how different everyone's outlook was this time last year. While this year has been a massive challenge to our school, we feel really proud to still be here and we believe we have actually learned some new, invaluable skills we never even knew we needed. In February 2020, we were a Zoom Zero school; we barely knew it existed. Our complete focus was on offering face to face courses and welcoming students to Cornwall. While of course we still love doing that, it has been essential to find new ways to keep things going this year. In fact, since March 2020, we have been fully immersed in discovering the delights of Zoom (while also joyfully avoiding all the perils of Teams!!). And now, as we approach the end of this rollercoaster year, we have an amazing teaching team of Zoom Heroes! As the year has progressed, Zoom has begun to form a really integral part of our teaching. Beyond teaching, it has also provided a brilliant way to meet new prospective students from around the world. So now as we begin to look back on the year, I cannot believe that introducing online learning as part of our provision at Language Tree would have been such a positive experience. Nevertheless, it undoubtedly has been and it is definitely something we will continue to build on as part of our new normal! One particularly unexpected benefit has been how we can communicate with student enquiries from around the world. Zoom has provided a brilliant, easy way to meet them and also easily show them documents and pictures related to the school.
Not only that, it has also acted as a virtual stepping stone for students thinking about joining one of our courses in Cornwall. In fact, in the new year, we are planning to receive our first students who have found us online during lockdown and are now planning to join us for a face to face course in January 2021. One of the wonderful things about the online course they have been doing with us is that amazingly, when they arrive, they will have already met some of the other students in their class through our online classes. It is going to be interesting to see, but we feel sure this is going to provide a really reassuring way for students to feel more at ease travelling and will also help them to feel immediately integrated in their class groups when they are here. We’ll be back to let you know how it goes… The top 10 places to visit in Cornwall.Well I'm sure there could be a few disagreements here but I guess that only goes to show that there are so many great things to do in Cornwall that it can be hard to choose a top 10! Anyway, we thought we would have a go... Please feel free to write in the comments any different places you would choose. 10. The Camel TrailThe Camel Trail (www.cameltrailcyclehire.co.uk) is always a popular thing to do with our students. The amazing view as the Camel Estuary opens up along the route is so beautiful and relaxing.
Then there is the fun of all the other cyclists along the route which creates such a lovely atmosphere of bimbling through the Cornish countryside. While cycle routes like this can be quite common in other countries they are unfortunately rare in the UK which makes them just a little bit more special. The only downside is that it is not a little longer before we arrive in Padstow for a wander through this picture postcard seaside town with some of Rick Stein's famous fish'n'chips on the harbour wall. Learn English at Language Tree in Cornwall - An exciting mix of language, culture and adventure!
For our first blog post, we thought it would be interesting to explain a little why we think you should join one of our courses.
Firstly, when a student or a school or college group chooses to study with us our aim, above all others, is to give each and every student one of the best learning experiences they have ever had. We want their memories of Cornwall to last a lifetime.
From our point of view, that starts from when you make your first enquiry about coming to study with us.
We will take our time to get to know you and your group and we will discuss with you the types of excursions and activities that your group would enjoy and which would complement their courses at home. Of course, first and foremost, our courses start in the classroom. We have an amazing team of highly qualified and experienced teachers who are used to teaching students of all levels and we make sure we know the levels of your students before they even arrive in the UK. We will send you tests to complete and return to us (or you can direct the students to do these tests online). This means before the students arrive, we will have all our materials ready and no time is lost with testing and putting students in groups at the beginning of the course. From the first day of classes, the students will be taught in small groups with other students of a similar level to them. Our teachers will make sure the materials in the lessons are engaging with just the right amount of challenge to push forward their English language skills. |