My work involves:

I'm the Principal of both Embassy CES and Bellerbys College in London. I've been here since 1998 and I've seen a lot of changes. The job has never stopped being interesting, because it's a fast-moving environment with lots of challenges.

My experience:

I love seeing happy students, and staff doing their jobs in a professional and kind manner. I love the fact that the school is successful, growing, and that we're always trying to improve the quality of what we offer.

I was an English teacher for ten years in Italy, the UK and Quebec before moving into an educational management role in Mexico in 1994. I was then in charge of a language training organisation in their head office in Manchester, but after a couple of years decided that I missed the daily customer contact.

My main achievements here have been to oversee huge growth in both schools over the last ten years, and to plan and supervise the move to new purpose-built premises here in Greenwich in 2004.

London's great, but I don't get much chance to see it, as I live with my family in Hampshire, about 35 miles away. Oh yes, that's the one part of the job I don't like - commuting!

My work involves

I have a wonderfully varied set responsibilities. If I'm not photographing students or staff then I'm taking notes at a meeting or trying to un-jam a photocopier! No two days are ever the same. And the fact there are so many students from all over the world here makes the atmosphere so lively and interesting.

My experience

I grew up in Dublin, and spent a number years working at Trinity College Dublin before moving to London in the early 80s. I have now lived longer in London than I did in Dublin! Until a couple of months ago I'd spent years working in children's publishing, so the Embassy world is new, exciting and refreshing. And my daily commute has shrunk from a one-hour drive around the M25 (which sometimes took twice as long) to a 10-minute cycle through Greenwich.

My top tip for enjoying London

Some of my favourite parts of London are Greenwich, Bloomsbury, the City and Marylebone High Street. There's always something new to see and explore. Just last weekend I discovered a shiny new shopping centre near Cannon Street in the City.

The historic Borough Market at London Bridge is a great spot for sampling local (and some international) foods and there's a tiny but fabulous pub called The Rake around the back of the market which is perfect for recovering from the rigours of shopping!

When I'm not wandering in London I like to spend time supporting my local rugby club, Blackheath.

My work involves

I have to be very flexible and adaptable as I work in three areas of the school. My first role is as an Activities Leader. The main duty in this position is to guide students around London, ensuring their safety as well as fun! I answer questions they may have and try to provide them with as much useful information as possible. I love interacting with students and learning about new cultures, traditions and ways of life. Every day is new and exciting at Embassy London as you never know who you will meet, or what will happen!

I also work in the library, assisting students with book and DVD rentals. This is very relaxed compared to my activities role however, a great opportunity to talk with students.

Lastly, many students do not know this, but I also work part time on the Embassy website. I publish recent photographs and news of local events and activities which take place at the college.

I love my job because I am always active and never in the same environment. I am always meeting new students and learning new things so I never become bored. Additionally, because I work in three different areas, it allows me to develop a wide range of skills.

My top tip for enjoying London

Try to get involved in as many social programme activities as possible. This will benefit your English and allow you to make friends in a non-academic environment.

Furthermore, it is a great way of learning about London from Londoners, so you'll learn the real way of enjoying London - and not from the tour book!

My experience:

I studied at Embassy for almost eight months. I would like to share my thoughts about the college with you.

It was simply one of the best periods of my life and I really enjoyed being there.

The staff were very friendly and helpful and did their best to give me and my friends a fulfilling experience.

My English has improved a great deal and I even hear myself thinking in English which, to me, is a great achievement. I have recently been accepted into The University of Greenwich and started classes last week.

I could not have done this without the help and educational support of everyone at Embassy.

My work involves:

My focus is on teacher development: I observe classes, talk to our teachers about their work, help them to develop their skills, advise them on training opportunities, help new teachers settle in, and so on. I also manage students’ departures (certificates, questionnaires) and have 'class chats' with students where I find out how satisfied they are with all aspects of the school.

My experience:

We’ve got a great team of teachers here, who are highly qualified and with lots of experience, but who are also able to relate to students and make classes interesting and fun. We get great feedback from students about their lessons.

I’ve been at the school for seven years and in this job for about three. Before that, I was a teacher in Moldova, Spain and Greece.

Although I don’t teach as much as I used to, I still get a lot of satisfaction from seeing happy students who leave us with great memories and better English!

My experience

I studied at Embassy London for a total of two months. It has been a great experience for me. The teachers at the college were excellent, they were friendly and very helpful. All of them had a good knowledge of English and always made a big effort with students. I have improved so much from studying at Embassy and believe all international students should have this experience.

The activity staff were especially nice and in one word ‘lovely’. They made activities on the social programme very fun and allowed students to practice their English in a non-academic environment. I have stayed in contact with many students as well as the activity staff, which shows that learning at Embassy never stops!

My top tip for enjoying London

I advise students to get involved in as many activities as they physically can! The social programme is a great way of meeting new friends, seeing London and the surrounding areas, and practising your English.

My experience:

I came to London from Brazil in July and studied at Embassy until August.

I had a great experience. At the beginning it was a little tough because of my age (I'm 16 years old). However, after a few hours I met some other Brazilians and settled right in. On my first day of school I met lots of people who became my close friends for the rest of my time in London. From the first day I noticed the staff tried to ensure that every student had the chance to ask questions and this was very helpful.

I then noticed I had not spoken Portuguese my native language, in weeks. I had a great mix of friends from Spain, Russia, Mexico, Turkey and Italy and we always spoke English. I not only learnt about England but I also learnt about my friend’s countries and their cultures. We exchanged thoughts on what we thought about each other’s cultures and it was very interesting.

The teacher I had (Cecile Baranx) was great. She could control the class very well and she had a wide knowledge of English language. All the staff were very helpful and the atmosphere at the college was very positive. Teachers did not criticize students for making mistakes but showed students them how to do it right for next time.

All the staff at Embassy London are friendly and very informative including the kitchen staff, security team and librarians. My English has improved a great deal because of Embassy and I plan to return in the near future.

My Experience

My name is Lina and I studied at Embassy during the summer months for two weeks. I was in the Advanced class and really improved my English.

My whole experience was great. The teachers were very enthusiastic and helpful, and what I liked the most was how much they were motivated to teach us new things. We weren't bored even for a second. I enjoyed my class and it was a great experience to have so many nationalities in my class. It was very special.

My top tip for enjoying London

London is a beautiful city and I still can't believe what a great time I had there. People are so kind and polite and you can ask anybody for help. I enjoyed the London Eye ride because I saw London from a perspective that is breathtaking. I liked the pubs in which we spent some of the free time to hang out with our new friends.

I also liked the Millennium Bridge – while I was walking across it had a great view of St Paul’s Cathedral and the rest of London. It’s a picture that I'll never forget! I enjoyed long walks in Hyde Park and St James' Park watching the squirrels run around.I recommend students visit all these magnificent sites.

The kitchen staff were my favorite at Embassy because we were all their friends, and they treated us like we had known each other for years! The staff who organised the Social Programme were equally amazing. They wanted us to see the best things London had to offer and they did a great job.

I have so many new friends all around the world which I stay in touch with and hope I'll see again.

The two weeks which I spent in London was not enough and I strongly advise any student to spend longer.

My work involves

Working directly with students, providing extensive help to individual students with their financial issues. I also ensure Embassy has a healthy cash flow.

My top tip for enjoying London

Explore everywhere! Students have the chance to eat a wide variety of food in all areas of London, including: China Town for Chinese food; Mayfair for Indian; Chelsea for Thai; City for Greek; and Knightsbridge is one of the most famous places for traditional English afternoon tea.

There are lots of markets across London which you can enjoy, including Covent Garden, Brick Lane, Borough and Greenwich markets - the latter right near the school.

If you like football, you can watch the best London teams playing, such as Chelsea, Arsenal, Tottenham, Fulham and West Ham, and of course England's national team.

My experience

After I finished studying in Newcastle, I moved to London. I love living and working in London because of all the great food, exciting opportunities and international people.

My work involves:

Irun the Activities and Excurions for Embassy London. I love sharing my enthusiasm for London, giving students suggestions, helping them with their interests, and devising a weekly programme that caters for a wide variety of tastes.

My top tip for enjoying life in London:

London is the greatest city in the world, and Embassy has the best social programme in London ... making it the best social programme in the world!  We want students have a great time outside the classroom as well as inside.  And they do - we have activities every day of the week - sports (football, basketball, running), visits to famous London attractions, theatre trips, pop and rock concerts, pub evenings, karaoke, clubs, international evenings, cinema visits, museums and exhibitions. We get the best prices on tickets for London musicals and theatre shows, and often get discounts on Premier and Champions league football matches … and in summer there’s even more going on!

My experience:

I’m also studying for a degree in Speech Sciences at UCL, and have various other roles at the school, including work in the library.  I’ve done various things in my life - lots of jobs, lots of travel - and I think this helps me relate to our students. And of course, the social programme is not only great for having fun and making new friends, it’s also fantastic for the development of students’ English.

My top tips for enjoying London:

In my time at Embassy I have attended many social activities organised by the college, such as parties, museum visits, theatre trips and sporting events. This allowed me to see London's best attractions with local people.

In addition, the school is located in a very stylish and safe area a short walk from two train stations and opposite a 24-hour bus stop. One of my favourite places in Greenwich is the Royal Greenwich Park. I have great memories of playing football in the park with friends.

Lastly, there are lots of pubs, cafes and restaurants in Greenwich where students often go for drinks. My experience at Embassy was very satisfying and lived up to my high expectations.

My experience:

To study at Embassy London is a pleasure that every international student should have! I came from Brazil eight months ago and I still remember my first day here. I was worried about everything such as; the change of weather, making friends, being alone and mainly not being able to speak English. However, this all changed when I landed. I received excellent treatment in the airport, from the taxi driver and then arriving at Embassy from the receptionist.

On my first day, I was shown around the local area by an Activities Officer. I was informed of the closest train station, post office, bank, bus stop and park. This was all very useful and it also gave me the chance to make new friends on the walking tour.

Studying at Embassy has improved my English immensely and I am currently applying to universities in the United Kingdom which I could not have done without the help of Embassy.

My work involves:

My job is to organise classes, teachers and timetables and to make sure that the whole academic side of things runs smoothly and that students get as much as possible out of their programme. For example, if a student wants to change his or her level, I will talk to the teacher and see if this is possible; if the student wants advice about exams s/he can take, I explain what is available; and if a student wants to extend their course, I will help them do so. I always try to find a solution.

My experience:

I’m one of the longest-serving members of staff still at Embassy, having worked for different parts of the company for nearly 20 years. I’ve worked in Summer Schools, in our Head Office, and have been the academic manager in our Brighton school (once) and here in London (twice).

As someone who has been with the organisation so long, I can really see how we’ve developed into the professional, yet exciting and innovative, school that we are today.

My top tip for enjoying London

London is a fantastic city! It offers a wide range of things to do, from a relaxing walk in one of its beautiful parks to a great and exciting nightlife. It is very easy to go around by public transport at any time, and the school has a busy social programme with a lot of activities to join every day of the week.

What I like most here is to walk around the river Thames, observing the London Eye and Big Ben. I remember my first time visiting I couldn’t believe I was here!

My experience

I have been studying an intensive course for three months. My classes are very dynamic, with a lot of practical and very useful topics and teachers are always available to help and give orientations about how to improve my skills. I am really enjoying my course and it is a pleasure to wake up and go to school because the classes are very motivating.

It is amazing to live in London, I think I will miss it a lot when I go home next year. I am happy I had the opportunity to come here, study and make a lot of friends. I feel I am having a better knowledge of English language day after day. I could never imagine I would be speaking naturally and now I am also talking in English in my dreams!

Thank you Embassy for not only improving my English but allowing me to experience life in London.

My top tip for enjoying London:

Every Monday I would look forward to the new social programme for the week and plan all my exciting activities that I was going to take part in. This helped my English as I was speaking English inside the classrooms and outside on activities.

My top tip for learning:

The teaching method in this school is great and I learned a lot in my time at Embassy London. As we came from all over the world, we had no other choice than communicate in English! For example: I am from China and my roommate was from Korea. My classmates were from Russia, Poland, Italy and Japan.

As a well-known saying goes, “Practice makes perfect” and that's exactly what happened. I can't believe that my speaking improved so much after a few weeks.

My experience:

The time that I spent at Embassy London will stay in my heart forever. I made friends with many different people from all over the world. Even now that I have gone back home I still keep in touch via the internet.

When I left London I cried in the airport because I did not want to leave. I am sure that I will go back to Embassy again in the future.

My top tip for learning:

The lessons are very interesting and interactive (not boring at all) and the teachers are great! The school is equipped with the latest technology and many useful tools which are available for students. 

My top tip for enjoying London:

Living and studying in London really made the dream a reality. Living in a busy dynamic city was great. I had the time of my life.

The staff were so friendly and the activities on the social programme were amazing. One of my favorite nights was partying at Café de Paris in central London with other students. We had a fabulous night.

My experience:

Studying at Embassy London has been one of the greatest experiences of my life. I have made lots of good friends from all over the world. At Embassy I never stopped learning I practised my English not only inside the classroom but outside.

I enjoyed myself so much at Embassy and I strongly believe that this opportunity should not be missed!

My experience:

After my Linguistics degree, I worked in another English school for three years before coming here in 2004. What I like about this school is the opportunities it gives you for growth and development.

Embassy pays for all sorts of training for its staff: in my case this meant not only part-sponsoring my DELTA (Diploma in English Language Teaching to Adults) which I passed last year, but also paying for the Portuguese lessons I’m following at the moment.

What this gives me is the chance to see things from a student’s perspective, and this helps me so much in designing my own lessons and making sure they are right for my students. For example, it’s easy to think as a teacher: "I've taught that, so the students must know it" – when in fact what you realise when you’re learning a new piece of language yourself is that you need lots of practice, and you need to see the language item presented in different ways, in different contexts – before you can really say you understand it and can use it.

Another way in which Embassy has developed me as a teacher is in the provision of an interactive whiteboard. My students absolutely love it - they really focus on the lesson, and it makes classes much more efficient and effective. This is such a great piece of technology in language learning and we’re hoping the company will continue to invest in these cutting-edge tools to enhance the student experience. I actually did a training session for my colleagues on interactive whiteboards, and they’re all keen to start using them in their lessons.

My top tip for learning:

Watching films and reading books.

My top tip for enjoying London:

Join the school's social programme!

My experience:

I'm really pleased to study English at Embassy in London.

I've been living here for five months. When I arrived here, I was afraid of speaking English. However, my English has improved much more than before. so I'm very happy about it.
 
The advantage of studying at Embassy is that you can make international friends everywhere, such as in the class, cafeteria and residence etc...Not only Embassy students, but also you can meet Bellerbys students who study in the same building with us. So you can have lots of opportunitie to make friends.As the result  I've got a lot of friends who're all different nationalities.
 
What's more, there are many brilliant teachers who are very friendly, kind, enthusiastic and helpful. Even when I ask about something frequentely, they answer with pleasure and help us in every way, always.
 

My work involves:

As well as teaching, I am also the Embassy “Advanced Practitioner” which means I help train our teachers with using technology in the classroom.

We are very lucky at Embassy to have interactive whiteboards in every classroom, which are brilliant. Students and teachers love them and say they really improve classes and help students to learn. Our teachers are highly qualified but also well-trained in using IWBs, and currently there are lots of exciting developments taking place at Embassy which is going to make the student experience even better!

My top tip for enjoying life in London:

London is a wonderful place to study and live - there's so much to see and do. I live in Greenwich, very near the school, and it's one of my favourite areas of London. Greenwich Park and the Observatory and other historical buildings are beautiful, and there are some nice old traditional pubs by the river as well.

There's lots going on for students - cafes, bars, a cinema, sports facilities (I play football once a week with the social programme), a theatre, a market, music concerts at the O2 arena, lots of shops - and it's just a short journey from the centre of London. What more could you want?

What I like about this school is the nice atmosphere and the relations between students and staff: it's a friendly, caring, happy, positive place. There’s a great nationality mix and I love seeing students making progress, learning about each others' countries and cultures and making friends, and returning home with better English and great memories.

My experience:

After completing a degree in English and Linguistics and PGCE (the standard qualification for teachers in the UK state education sector), I decided to work as a teacher of English abroad. I spent a year in Thailand and then four years in Spain, during which time I obtained the DELTA (Diploma in English Teaching to Adults) with Distinction.

Our work involves:

We deal with a hundred and one things, from the obvious, like helping students open bank accounts, extend their visas, pay their fees, and book a taxi to the airport when they leave, to more unusual requests like 'where can I get my trousers shortened?' or 'can you help me book a holiday?'.

We also deal with more serious issues, like students whose visas have run out, or who are in trouble because they haven't paid a bill or fine, or who are homesick.

Our experience:

We love meeting students of different nationalities and from different cultures, and seeing how their English progresses from when they arrive to when they leave. We all started work here at about the same time, so we've grown together as a team and now have lots of experience in the various aspects of the job. There’s a continuous stream of students - our office is right next to reception and we're open all the time - so it gets busy. But we like to think we treat each student as an individual!