Student Handbook Welcome to Avalon !
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Student Handbook Welcome to Avalon ! This handbook gives you all the information you need about being a student at Avalon and living in London. Find us: Avalon School of English Opening Hours 8 Denmark Street 9:00 - 18:30 London WC2H 8LS Tottenham Court Road Contact us: [email protected] (+44) 2073791998 Emergency* contact (+44) 7563901526 *Out of hours Check us out on social media before you arrive ! Contents Pages 1-2 Your first day at Avalon 3-6 Your classes 7 Facilities 8 Reception 9-10 School policies 11 Health and Safety in school 12-15 Everyday Life 16-18 London Life 19 Shopping 20-21 Nightlife and Eating out 22-23 Practical Information 24-25 Healthcare 1 Your first day... If you didn’t book a skype speaking test before your first day, you will have a level test when you arrive. Because we are a specialist speaking school, the teacher will ask you some questions to decide your level. Your classes will be anytime between 9:30 and 18:20, depending on your level and availability. Quantum Plus students study between 15:30 and 18:20. Our class timetable looks like this... 9:30-10:20 10:30-12:20 12:30-13:20 13:30-15:20 15:30-16:20 16:30-18:20 General AQE General AQE General AQE English Speaking English Speaking English Speaking Classes are 50 minutes long with a 10 minute break. Don’t write in your books for the first few days in case you need to change your level. 2 Be social at Avalon... If you want to make friends quickly and practise English, be social at Avalon. Join our Facebook group (Avalon School London Students) to find out about school events, share photos and chat to your classmates. Check the social calendar for things to do in London each dance from 18:30 month. Come to our pub nights January in London every sunday @ salsa 96 charing cross road. and school parties where you can Free salsa class You can ice-skate spend time with your teachers at somerset house from only £8 until 10th See all the famous and classmates. january. sights of london in skate somerset house january sales a different way for only £18 Night city tour It’s the best time of the year to See this view for buy new things free. just book at low prices... tickets online and take a good camera... The sky garden The british museum language exchange hungry? Visit one of the best Hampstead heath this international museums in the Practise speaking food market. next world and it’s in pubs in camden to a beautiful Broadway market totally free It might be cold shoreditch and canal.... but it’s worth clapham for free the view.. Try this join the fb group park and escape the city . Follow us on Facebook, Twitter, Youtube, Find out more on our facebook group Instagram and Google+ January at avalon avalon school london students where you can also plan your to get to know Avalon Avalon pub nights Get to know a 8th + 22nd great area of own events and invite check poster london and enjoy for pub a new culture your classmates 27th and to practise even Pub Nights too ... more English! China town trip 3 Your classes... #/.3/.!.43 AQE is a fun, dynamic speaking class VOWELS which helps you speak naturally, VOWELS p fluently and accurately. pen bbook fourf sevven You speak directly to the teacher, not just the other students. pictureࡨ bॱook peen teachࡧer æman bus poछcket tablet ddoor thƻink moðther You focus on pronunciation and the teacher will use phonetic symbols to show the sounds of words, like this... = short i: u: : : : = long chঃair jঀacket ssay nozse The teacher asks individual students questions tandeacher then blue shࢲirt dࡢoorच car helps the students answer with long answers. ६ ࣘ cklass ggrey shoe television When you make a mistake, don’t worry! The teacher willDIPHTHONGS correct you! DIPHTHONGS ŋ The teacher uses the board for presentations of new vocabulary; m n grammar explanations and correction. man nine ceiling ࡨࡧearHࡨ tableHࡧ chairࡧॱ noseࡢࡨ boy DࡨnineDॱ house red windoww yellowj = voiced = unvoiced AVALON QUANTUM ENGLISH hhello Londonl 4 AQE classes have two stages: 1) Revison (you review and practise the language again) 2) New#/.3/.!.43 Work (you study a new page of the book) VOWELS You have a different teacher for each class. VOWELS p Follow thesepen b booktips; fourf sevven - Answer your teacher’s questions with full sentences. pictureࡨ bॱook peen teachࡧer æman bus poछcket - Make tnotesablet dd oorin yourthƻink book moðth erwhen the teacher explains something on the board. = short - If you don’t understand something, ask your teacher to explain it again. i: u: : : : = long - Listenchঃ toair thejঀacket teacher’sssay noz scorrectione and try to copy their pronunciation. teacher blue shࢲirt dࡢoorच car - Practise the phrases you learn in class as much as you can outside school. - Get a pronunciation app to practise using the phonemes, we recommend Macmillan ‘Sounds’g ६ ࣘ DIPHTHONGS cklass grey shoe television DIPHTHONGS ŋ mman nnine ceiling ࡨࡧearHࡨ tableHࡧ chairࡧॱ noseࡢࡨ boy DࡨnineDॱ house red windoww yellowj = voiced = unvoiced AVALON QUANTUM ENGLISH hhello Londonl You will need to buy an AQE book to use in your speaking class. There are 8 books each with essential pictures, phonemic charts; phonemic chunks, exercises and grammar tips. 5 In General English classes you will practise a wide range of language skills with a focus on English you can use every day. You will practise reading, writing, listening and speaking. The class includes a lot of vocabulary expansion and grammar practice. Sometimes you may need to do homework. If you’re studying for more than 4 weeks, you need to buy a course book. If you don’t write in your book, the school can buy your book back at a discounted price. The nearest bookshop to Avalon is Foyles where you can get 10% discount with a student card. The books we use are; New Inside Out Kay, Sue; Kones & Vaughan (Macmillan Education Ltd, 2007) English Result Hanock, Mark & McDonald, Annie (Oxford University Press, 2007) Outcomes Dellar, Hugh & Walkley, Hugh (Cengage Learning, 2015) Language Leader Labeau, Ian & Rees, Gareth (Pearson Education Ltd, 2008) General English Level AQE level Approximate CEFR level pre-elementary book 1 A1 elementary book 2-3 A2 pre-intermediate book 3-4 A2 intermediate book 5-6 B1 upper-intermediate book 7-8 B2 We offer FCE and IELTS preparation classes The International English Testing System (IELTS) and First Certificate in English (FCE) are qualifications recognised by universities and employers worldwide. In these classes, your teacher will guide you through the examination process and give you practical as awell as academic advice to prepare you for the exam. The level required to take these courses is CEFR B1. Students must take a speaking test and pass an entrance exam form in reception. 6 We believe that regular feedback on your learning is very important which is why students take progress and end of book checks. After your teacher will give you specfic feedback and targets for improvement. AQE Checks L.A Check (Language Awareness) after every unit L Check (Listening) after every unit Q Check (Speaking) after every book General English (Grammar and vocabulary) throughout the course Study Tips - Practise English outside the classroom too, like at our social events or at a language exchange like Mundo Lingo London. - Watch English TV. Try www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer and channel4.com/pro- grammes/4od - Read free newspapers like The Metro, The Evening Standard and Time Out 7 Facilities Relax in our cafe with your classmates where you can buy drinks and snacks. There is free water and also a microwave and computer to use. Use our free Wifi to relax and study. Just ask in reception for the code. Have lunch outside on our beautiful roof terrace. You can smoke there too. Need a quiet space to study? Go to the Silent Study area next to room 1. Get feedback on your learning face to face with Senior Teachers, Lee and Erin, or Academic Manager, Sarah in a tutorial. Book in reception. If you have a personal problem, please book an appointment in reception to speak to Erin who is also our Welfare officer. To meet the Avalon team (teachers, management and sales) visit our website www.avalonschool.co.uk, and go to menu and meet the team! 8 Reception Our reception is open from 9:00- 18.30 Monday- Friday and 9:30-13:30 Saturdays. Our receptionists can help you with; - information about your classes - exam classes -booking tutorials -booking welfare officer appointments -complaints -booking holidays (book 5 days in advance and not at the end of your course) -end of course certificates -leaving reports -letters - setting up a bank account - SIM cards - accommodation -wifi -applying for oyster cards - tickets for museums, theatres, attractions and tours -printing 9 Learner Contract At Avalon, we want to make a comfortable learning environment for everybody. To do this, students and staff must follow the rules below. 1. Arrive on time with a book and pen(s). s t 2. If you are more than 10 minutes late, you can’t come in. 3. Respect the teacher. How? Listen, accept correction, and take u part in classroom activities. d 4. Respect other students. How? Listen, be polite, and respect e other cultures and different opinions. n 5. Respect the school. How? Take your cups and rubbish with you.