This week’s Class of the Week is the Advanced Class!
They were nominated by their teacher, Jessie, as they always have very interesting and engaging conversations and have a great attitude.
The students in the advanced class this week were – Mohammad, Ayman, Lincoln Benjamin, Carmen, Tainara, Viktor, Olga and Molly.
Congratulations to them all!
Our “class of the week” initiative is proving very popular with students and teachers alike! However, last week, it was an afternoon class that won the certificate, so we didn’t have time to tell you. This means there will be two classes of the week this week, although one is from last week! We hope that all makes sense…
Anyway, the class that was chosen to be Class of the Week last week was the Pre-Intermediate PM class. Their teacher, Joanna, nominated them as they work really hard and really enjoy learning English. Congratulations to them all!
The students in the class last week were – Abdullah, Tariq, Maram, Faisal, Bdoor, Tahani, Diego, Rocio Cecelia, Valerio, Antoine, Rosalia Eugenia, Andres Mauricio, Pascal, Fabiana, Miguel Eduardo.
This week’s class of the week is the Pre-Intermediate B class! Here some of them are pictured with their teacher, Jess.
Jess nominated them because they have worked hard and have made her laugh a lot this week!
The students in the class this week are Bayan, Tariq, Omar, Faisal, Diego, Tiziana, Antoine, Gerhard, Rosalia, Pascal and Miguel.
At Glasgow School of English we like to think that we try very hard to provide good teaching, interesting activities and helpful support and advice. Over the years, we have discovered that the best way to find out if we are getting things right is to ask our students, so every three months that’s what we do!
Our latest survey covers the first three months of 2019. We ask our students a range of questions covering the teaching, the materials and books we use and the trips they have. We’re pleased to say that the results are very good. All (100%) of our students like the friendliness of the School and they would all recommend us to their friends. 93% agree (or strongly agree) that the teachers make the lessons interesting and challenging and 92% like our trips and events. When it comes to the crucial question of whether their time spent with us has actually improved their English, 96% say it has. You can see the full results in the table below, followed by some of the comments the students made about their time with us. We have not given the students’ names, but have shown which country they are from and, as you can see, we really do have students from all over the world!
Thank you for all. (Spain)
The teachers are nice, kind. The students are really kind. The office staff are really hard working. I really liked the creativity in my morning classes. It made me have fun and learn. (Brazil)
It was great! (Hungary)
What an experience! (Italy)
The office staff were really helpful and they listened. My teacher was really great. I really loved this week with her. (France)
Thanks for this amazing experience! (Italy)
What I really liked about the school was how welcoming it is, giving support whenever it was needed. Wednesday’s conversation meetings are also great (Brazil)
Thank you. (Saudi Arabia)
I spend very good time. (France)
Thank you! (France)
Thank you for everything! And for printing my boarding passes. (Estonia)
I really liked the school. people, city and everyone. I really wished I could stay for more weeks. (Netherlands)
Brian is the best teacher ever. (Finland)
Everything was amazing! Thanks! (Latvia)
Before Edinburgh became Scotland’s capital, the tiny Perthshire village of Scone was the capital. Edinburgh became the capital in 1437.
The Stone of Scone, also known as the Stone of Destiny, is the ancient block of stone on which Scottish Kings sat to be crowned. Since the union of the Scottish and English crowns in 1603, all British Kings and Queens have also been crowned on the Stone (it sits in a recess under the throne during the crowning ceremony). It is now kept in Edinburgh Castle.
Margaret Dickson was hanged in Edinburgh’s Grassmarket in 1724 but later discovered to be alive. Under Scots Law she was set free, but the words “until dead” were later added to the sentence of hanging.
Edinburgh has more heritage buildings than anywhere else in the world, some 16,000 from different periods in the city’s history.
In the 17thcentury, Edinburgh residents believed that rubbing burnt droppings from a dove would cure baldness (don’t try it, it doesn’t!).
Also in the 17thcentury, because people wanted to build their houses inside the city’s walls, Edinburgh became a pioneer in skyscrapers, with some houses having up to 11 stories.
Many of our students take the short journey through to Edinburgh, Scotland’s capital city. It’s a fascinating place and very different from Glasgow. Here are some interesting facts about Edinburgh.
The company that created Grand Theft Auto (RockStar North) is based in Edinburgh and the Forth Railway Bridge appears in their 2004 game, Grand Theft San Andreas.
Rose’s Lime Juice is a very famous British drink. It was invented by Lauchlan Rose in 1867 and the first factory to make it was in Leith in Edinburgh.
“You’ll have had your tea?” is said to be the traditional greeting of any Edinburgh householder to a visitor. It means that the visitor will have already eaten and therefore the householder won’t need to put the kettle on! Like all good stories, this has a bit of truth behind it, but don’t worry, Edinburgh people are actually very generous!
The first King of the united Great Britain in 1603 was James VIof Scotland who then became James I of England as the English had not had any Kings called James before then. James was born in Edinburgh Castle.
The Encyclopaedia Britannica, one of the most famous encyclopaedias in the world, was first produced in Edinburgh. It was published in three volumes between 1768 and 1771 and the first edition caused controversy because the anatomy section contained “unvarnished portrayals of the unmentionable parts of the human body.”
Glasgow University moved to its current location in 1871. Before that it was on the High Street.
The University’s famous Lion and Unicorn Staircase and the Pearce Lodge nearby were originally in the High Street but when the University moved they moved too – stone by stone to the west end, along with the original gatehouse.
The University’s Hunterian Museum dates from 1807 and is Scotland’s oldest public museum. it has a large collection of art and scientific relics including the world’s first-ever ultra sound machine. Students at Glasgow School of English can go on a trip to the Hunterian.
Glasgow claims to have invented the Indian dish, Chicken Tikka Masala. We don’t actually know if this is true, but the story is that local curry house the Shish Mahal invented one of Britain’s favourite dishes in the 1970s, allegedly by throwing together spices and tinned tomato soup!
Glasgow is often rated as the top place for concerts in the UK outside London. If you like music you’ll enjoy it here. There are eight venues in the Top 100 list of places to watch gigs.
The Queen’s husband, Prince Philip, is the Duke of Edinburgh. This title was created in 1726, for Prince Frederick, the son of George I.
The famous Royal Mile in Edinburgh runs from the Castle down the hill to Holyrood Palace. It is actually one mile and 107 yards!
Edinburgh Castle is built on a volcano. Don’t worry though, it’s extinct and has not erupted for 350 million years!
Edinburgh was the first city in the world to have its own Fire Brigade, in 1703.
Many people nowadays like body piercings. However, not many have as many as Edinburgh’s Elaine Davidson who is the world’s most pierced woman, with more than 9,000 piercings!
Glasgow City Chambers, pictured above and a short walk from Glasgow School of English, is said to have more marble than the Vatican. It was built in 1888 at a cost of £578,232 – the equivalent of £40 million today.
The City Chambers have been used as a stand in for the Vatican and the Kremlin in films.
Glasgow’s subway – the metro/underground railway system – is the only one in Scotland. It’s also the third oldest subway in the world. It is nicknamed the Clockwork Orange, because of the colour of the trains, and it’s an easy and cheap way to get round the city.
In the late 18thcentury, over half the tobacco imported into Britain came through Glasgow.
Although the one in Scotland is the original, there are more than 20 towns named Glasgow in the United States, with several more in Canada.
The Horseshoe Bar in Glasgow city centre was established in 1884 by John Scouller who was a captain in the cavalry. The Horseshoe has the longest bar in the UK, measuring 104ft 4in in length.
The film star Roy Rogers and his horse, Trigger, rode all the way round the Horseshoe Bar in 1954.
Glasgow also has the tallest cinema in the world, the Cineworld in Renfrew Street. It is 62 metres high, has 18 screens spread across six floors and up to 633 people at a time can attend.
Unlike Edinburgh, Glasgow no longer has a castle. However, we do have Castle Street, near the Cathedral. That’s where the castle used to be, but all traces were finally demolished in 1792.
People from Glasgow are called Glaswegians (or ‘weegies’ if you are not from Glasgow). However, the term is relatively new, being first used by Sir Walter Scott in 1817.
Glasgow School of English.