Page 16 - ELG1901 Jan-Feb 463

DESTINATION .

Head west to fi nd

the best of British

Melanie Butler explores the the secrets VISIT BRISTOL Balloons over the West of England:
behind the UK’s top-ranking EFL region Bristol International Balloon Fiesta

The West of England is back on five universities: two in Bristol, the best major city in Britain the city and region.
the map. two in Bath and the University of to live in. The city’s oldest As the EFL infrastructure has
First, the UK government Gloucestershire, with campuses in EFL school, ELC Bristol, was widened, so has the range and
set up a new regional authority both Gloucester and Cheltenham. founded fifty years ago this year variety of providers located in the
for this historic area, which The EFL community is clustered and is consistently among the city. They include BLC, which
encompasses Bristol and Bath and around the university cities. These top in the EL Gazette rankings boasts its own innovative au pair
parts of the counties of Somerset include the Regency spa town of (see page 20). The school is and internship schemes, top-
and Gloucestershire. Then, the Cheltenham, which boasts one of part of the city’s educational ranking home tuition provider,
Gazette discovered that, based England’s long-established private establishment: its students hang Living Learning Languages; and
on British Council Inspection language schools, Inlingua, along out in the University Union and summer school Lines Languages.
reports, it is the best UK region with the Gloucestershire College it holds summer classes at Clifton In more recent years, other major
for English language courses. of Further Education and a new College, the nearby public school. chains have set up shop here: EC,
With a mean average score University. Another important part of EF and OISE all have centers in
of 6.5, Bristol and the West The ancient city of Bath first the Bristol scene is International Bristol. Kaplan is just down the road
of England just nosed ahead became a name in EFL in the 1980s House Bristol, another high- in Bath.
of Cambridge and the East of for its specialist business English ranking school and a major But it is the steady growth of the
England. Bristol itself comes in as schools. Only one, Linguarama, teacher training provider. As West of England industry which has
the top-ranking ELT city, with an remains. However, there is a director Val Hennessy explains created the networks of teachers,
average score of 7.75, compared growing band of language schools on page 14, the school recruits host families and administrators
to 7.5 for runner-up Oxford. and colleges in this UNESCO trainee teachers from across which underpin its success in
But then, this region is the World Heritage Site, where 20 per the region, which helps create British Council inspections.
third-strongest economy in cent of the population are students. a supply of good local teachers When it comes to EFL
the UK. It boasts breathtaking Bristol, the capital of the for the language schools, state destinations, the West of England
countryside, historic towns and region, is consistently voted colleges and universities that dot is second to none.

General English
General English
Summer School 12-15, 16+
English 50+
Mini Stays and Study Tours
General & Business English
inlinguaChelt
Vocational English
inlinguacheltenham
English + Vocational Studies
Aviation and Military English
Work Experience Placements inlinguaCheltenham
Business English inlinguaCheltenham

Teacher Training

www.inlingua-cheltenham.co.uk Tel: + 44(0)1242 250 493

16 January/February 2019