News and blogs from Embassy Sydney

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News

Here are recent news stories from Embassy Sydney:

Embassy Australia and New Zealand Student of the Year Award

Every year, Embassy in Australia and New Zealand gives out a Student of the Year Award. This award is given to a student who has not only excelled in their chosen course, but who has also worked hard and integrated themselves into the Embassy student community.

This year’s winner of the Student of the Year Award, Katsuki Kentaro (pictured left), offers a great example to follow. Katsuki studied at the Embassy Sydney school, and he has taken three different courses during his time with us: General English, English for Academic Purposes (EAP) and the Cambridge Certificate in Advanced English (CAE).

Katsuki believes that these courses have all been very beneficial: ‘Prior to studying with Embassy, I was struggling to enhance my speaking and writing skills. During my General English course, the discussions I had with my new friends helped me to improve my speaking skills. After this, the EAP course offered me the opportunity to learn English academic writing skills that I had never studied before, while in the Cambridge CAE exam preparation course I am learning more complex grammar and steadily increasing my knowledge of English’.

During his studies, Katsuki has enjoyed living in Sydney and has found his own unique way of improving his English speaking skills: ‘Sydney is an amazing city to explore, but what I like most about it is the community markets which are held on Saturdays. Here I can get lots of inspiration by interacting with people working there, and just looking around the various stalls makes me cheerful’.

Following the completion of his Cambridge CAE course, Katsuki will take up an offer from the University of Western Sydney to study for a Translation and Interpretation undergraduate degree. Katsuki attributes a lot of his academic success to his time at Embassy Sydney.

‘The high scores I obtained in my first IELTS test in January 2010 enabled me to get my offer from the University of Western Sydney to begin my studies in July 2010. Here I will learn interpretation and translation techniques in order to work as a professional interpreter in Australia. Therefore, what I have learned in this school is highly beneficial for my future and it will remain a firm basis for me to make further progress in my English study’.

You can find out more about the courses offered at Embassy Sydney here, or contact us if you have a specific question about studying with Embassy.

Activities at Embassy Sydney

New! The Embassy Sydney team can now offer three-day trips such as surfing camps, snowboarding weekends and tours to Melbourne and Canberra. Read more about activities at Embassy Sydney.

Our Committed Embassy Sydney Staff

Embassy Sydney staff were recently rewarded at a Length of Service ceremony - held to congratulate staff and teachers who had reached a five, ten or fifteen year point in their service. Five Embassy teachers received a reward and praise for their hard-work and commitment to the care of the students.

The ceremony demostrated just how experienced, professional and dedicated Embassy staff and teachers are. Our students can be sure that they are getting the best tuition available to improve their English.

Thai singer shows special Aussie skill

Embassy students have a diverse range of talents and it was Jirapun Kota's singing ability which saw her recently awarded a two week English course and accommodation scholarship for Embassy Sydney.

Jirapun entered the 2008 Eden Education (Chiang Mai) Singing Idol Contest, competing with 50 other students for an exciting opportunity to study English in Australia for two weeks.

In a challenging two-day competition, twenty shortlisted contestants showcased their singing ability at Central Airport Chiang Mai Shopping Centre after being interviewed by the judges. Jirapun's star turn combined her singing talent with her knowledge of Australia as she finished her stage performance by singing the Australian national anthem with correct wording and accent, and from memory: a feat many Australians would find hard to do!

"It was my first time in Sydney and I had a wonderful time staying in Australia," said Jirapun. "I now have friends from all over the world and I learnt about their culture. I enjoyed the weekly activities of the school, and my Homestay hosts were a nice, friendly family. I also travelled and visited many interesting places in Sydney.

"I felt like I've learnt lots and lots of things in only two weeks." Jirapun has always had an active commitment to international experiences. She served as President of the Fun English Club at her High School and, in 2007, was awarded the Women's Federation for World Peace International Scholarship which enabled her to visit Osaka Japan for nine days.