UIC London

How to get to central London from the aiports

June 20th, 2013

Summer’s here and it’s a busy time at UIC. Lots of students are arriving and leaving the school each week.

Here’s a quick guide to getting to and from central London to the airports:

Heathrow Airport
Train
Heathrow Express
https://www.heathrowexpress.com/
Frequency: every 15 minutes
Duration (arrives at London Paddington station): 15 minutes
Price: £20 single / £34 return
Useful to know: Free WiFi available on board

Undergound
Piccadilly Line
http://www.tfl.gov.uk/
Frequency: every 15 minutes
Duration (to central London): 50 minutes
Price: £5 single (note that if you plan to buy a weekly or monthly travelcard for your time in London it will be cheaper to do it as soon as you arrive and start your travelcard from your first journey from the airport)

Bus
National Express
http://www.nationalexpress.com
Frequency: every 30-60 minutes, depending on time of day
Duration (arrives at London Victoria Coach Station): 40-80 minutes, depending on traffic
Price: from £10 single

Gatwick Airport
Train
Gatwick Express
http://www.gatwickexpress.com
Frequency: every 15 minutes
Duration (arrives at London Victoria train station): 30 minutes
Price: £19.90 single / £26.50 return
Useful to know: it’s a bit cheaper to buy your tickets online in advance

Southern Trains
http://www.southernrailway.com/
Frequency: every 10 minutes
Duration (arrives London Victoria train station): 30-50 minutes
Price: £12.80 single / £12.90 return
Useful to know: you need to book online well in advance to get the best prices. Although most services are direct, you may need to change trains at East Croydon.

Bus
easyBus
http://www.easybus.co.uk/
Frequency: every 15-20 minutes
Duration: (arrives Earl’s Court underground station): 65 minutes
Price: Single from £9.99 / Return from £11.98
Useful to know: you need to book online well in advance to get the best prices.

Stansted Airport
Train
Stansted Express
https://www.stanstedexpress.com/
Frequency: every 15 minutes
Duration: (arrives Liverpool Street train station): 47 minutes
Price: £23.40 single / £32.80 return

Bus
easyBus
http://www.easybus.co.uk/
Frequency: every 15 minutes
Duration: (arrives Baker Street underground station): 75 minutes
Price: Single from £4.99 / Return from £9.98
Useful to know: you need to book online well in advance to get the best prices.

Luton Airport
Train
East Midlands Trains
http://www.eastmidlandstrains.co.uk/
Frequency: every 10-15 minutes
Duration: (arrives King’s Cross St Pancras train station): 26 minutes
Price: £13.50 single / £23.50 return

Bus
easyBus
http://www.easybus.co.uk/
Frequency: every 10-20 minutes
Duration: (arrives Baker Street underground station): 60 minutes
Price: Single from £10.99 / Return from £13.98
Useful to know: you need to book online well in advance to get the best prices.

In all cases you are advised to book early online to get the best prices.
Also check www.thetrainline.com for special train deals.

If you would prefer a private transfer into London by taxi, UIC can arrange that for you. Please let us know when you book:
Heathrow: £90 single / £140 return (add £25/£40 per additional person if you want to share with a friend)
Gatwick / Standsted / Luton: £110 single / £210 return (add £30/£50 per additional person if you want to share with a friend).

All prices and times correct at the time of publishing (20th June 2013).

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The Social Week at UIC

June 19th, 2013

What a great in week at UIC – the social programme this week could not have been more varied and exciting!

Check out the week’s photos here.

On Monday we welcomed new students and in our new tradition we went to All Bar One in Regent Street to answer all the questions the students had about London, UIC school life and social activities!

On Tuesday we went to the Victoria & Albert Museum in South Kensington. We had a great afternoon discovering British culture through different time periods in history. We had really good fun in the theatre and cinema where we could wear British Victorian clothes and we had the chance to take many pictures!

On Thursday we went to discover the lovely neighbourhood of Notting Hill and Portobello Road! The day was sunny and we could not help buying some souvenirs and doing some shopping! We also had the chance to find the blue door and the bookshop from the movie location Notting Hill. It was a great day!

Friday we went to Zoo Bar & Club in Leicester Square.. This week again we were 40 students and we had an amazing night!! New students, old students all sat at the same table and shared their thoughts and advice about London and UIC life! It was a bit sad thought because a large group of UIC students and now my friends were leaving the UK on Sunday…. But we had a good chance to celebrate their leaving party as on Saturday we went to Paintballing in Surrey, South West London!

14 students met at Waterloo station at 7.30 and we took a train towards Effingham Junction. From there we arrived at Delta Force Paintball Centre. It was the first time at a paintball centre for some of us. So it was great to discover this new experience altogether. We were the silver team, and we were the most international team as everyone else was English. Our group was made from different nationalities: Swiss, German, Italian, Spanish, Austrian and Colombian, while all the other players in the paintball centre were English.

It was definitely a day to remember and I’m sure that the students which are leaving UIC London will remember this great day their whole life.

Please keep coming to the summer Social Programme Events. Check out what’s happening here.

Stephanie

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Where to…buy cheap musical tickets in London

June 17th, 2013

London is one of the most popular cities to watch a musical or go to the theatre. The huge range of various West End shows is a big attraction for many tourists and students from all over the world.

If you have had a walk around some of the busy areas in London already, for example Piccadilly Circus, Leicester Square or Covent Garden, you may have noticed that many theatres are located in this area too.

Here is some advice where you can find places to buy cheaper Musical tickets:

Tickets on the door
You can always buy the tickets for the musical that you want to see in the box office of the theatre. The big West End shows get booked up quickly but some theatres do keep some tickets back to release on the door on the day. Contact the venue directly to see what time the tickets are released.

Returned tickets
If you go the same day to the theatre of the musical you may find good bargains for tickets that haven’t been sold online beforehand. 90 minutes before a show starts returned tickets arrive back at the box office from ticket agents. Check with the individual theatre directly to see if this is likely to happen when you want to go.

Cheap tickets in Leicester Square
Half Price Ticket Booth
42-43 Cranbourn Street, London WC2H 7AN
http://www.lsbo.co.uk

Tkts
31 Leicester Street, London WC2H 7LH
http://www.tkts.co.uk
Tickets are available on the day and up to a week in advance.

London Theatre Bookings
22-23 James Street, WC2E 8NS

Musical Bookings
Monmouth Street/ Neal Street , London WC2H
Big selection of tickets for musicals and theatres often offering great prices.

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How to pronounce nothing

June 5th, 2013

In every language class there will be a time when the teacher asks one of the students to read out a sentence, or a paragraph, as the answer to a question so that the other students can listen, understand and agree or disagree. We are not testing the student’s ability to read out loud in English – this is a specialised skill and not something that non-specialists have to do very often. The reasons we do it are to keep the students involved and it gives us a good chance to listen to the student’s pronunciation.

What often happens is that the students read all the words one by one, more or less separately which sounds really strange, believe me. Of course, we don’t speak in individual words but in runs of words joined together. How long these runs of words are, how many words they contain, is rather difficult to say and not really the question to ask (if you really want to know, it’s not usually more than 8). The individual runs of words are based on meaning; we call them sense groups. We say something that has a finished meaning and then say the next meaning.

Meaning is what language is all about.

Most students learn that they should pronounce runs of words together and try to do this but they have various problems in doing
this.

It’s quite easy when you have a vowel and consonant coming together between two words like;
these runs of words are ; say: these runsof wordsare

to read out loud in English ; say toreadout loudinEnglish

it gives us a good chance ; say : it givesusagoodchance

So, if there’s a vowel and a consonant together at the end and beginning of words, they stick together like North and South on a magnet. This is called catenation. And it will make an immediate and quite large effect on your pronunciation. Next week, we will look at what happens if two vowels come together at the end and beginning of words.

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Could you be a teacher?

May 31st, 2013

One of our teachers is currently running a really interesting project with his intermediate class. He has given them the challenge of becoming the teacher for the day! The idea is that, having divided his class into smaller groups of 3-4 each group will teach a half-hour slot next Friday. They have chosen their own topics, including: situational language (at the post
office, restaurant, bank, etc), phrasal verbs, and colloquial language (at the pub, etc).

When asked about his role in the project, the teacher answered: “I’ll be looking forward to putting my feet up for a couple of hours on Friday, and also to seeing how they approach the challenge of making interesting classes. It’s not an easy task!”

Below are some tips about teaching in general, that the teacher gave to his group, to help them plan what and how they would teach the rest of the class.

Repetitititition: this is one of the most fundamental ways that children learn language. They sing the same nursery rhymes again and again (and again).
However, it is not so easy to convince/coerce/force adults to do this, and it is very difficult to think of ways to make repetition fun. One hint is to sneak the repetition into your own language, so if you want to teach them phrasal verbs, ask “what did you get up to yesterday?” every day. Another useful technique is to create a list of questions that force the students to use the target grammar/vocabulary when they are answering, and then have them talk to each other about these. My personal favourite is to use songs, because if they end up singing along to themselves when they are on the bus, they will automatically remember very good examples of important language.

Interaction – our brains have to sort through a lot of useless information every day (the colour of the bus seat, what the person sitting next to you is reading, etc). But, when something is really important, it has to remember it. One way to show your brain that what you are studying is important is to use it in conversation with other
people. When you do this, your brain realises that the thing you are trying to learn is something useful, so you will remember it much faster than if you just
repeat it or do exercises.

Close & open practice - start by presenting the language you want the students to learn,then have some closed practice, which is something like a matching or
gap-fill exercise. This allows the students to get some experience with the language in a safe way. Next, give them a situation that allows them to use the language in their own dialogues. This is open practice because the way they use the language is up to them.

Here are some more general tips that I’ve picked up along the way:

Use background music during conversational/interactive tasks. This makes students feel less shy about speaking to one another because they can’t be
heard by the others so easily. It also creates a more relaxed atmosphere, and makes it easier to shut people up at the end because they
know that when the music stops, the task has finished!
Get students to choose who goes next. It forces them to learn the names of everyone in the class, and this creates a much more friendly and social
vibe.
Distribute girls evenly around the classroom. Girls are more sociable than guys. When guys sit together, they often don’t interact at
all. Put a girl amongst the guys and it often solves this problem.

Can you think of any more tips you would give to the students on how to be a good teacher?

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How to…find great bargains in London

May 29th, 2013

Get student discounts with your student ID
Many big brands, such as TopShop or Dorothy Perkins, offer student discounts. So if you have a student ID, you can get discounts in various fashion stores.

Go to the box office of a musical or theatre that you like at the same day of the performance you want to visit. Ask there for student discounts and they might give you tickets for a much cheaper price.

Make use of your student ID when visiting cinemas, restaurants, coffee shops etc. Wherever you go, always check if there is a discounted price option for students.

You can get your UIC student ID from Reception – just bring us a passport-sized photograph.

Find bargains at London’s Markets
London has a lot of different markets that offer all sorts of things: antiques, seconds hand goods, design and fashion, jewellery, food etc. Benefit from this wide range when buying your next bargain.

Register with voucher providers
Wowcher, Groupon and Timeout are only some providers who offer great deals and offers for restaurants, courses, musicals, theatres, gyms etc. Sign up online and benefit from London in a less expensive way.

Sign up for advantage cards
Many supermarkets, such as Tesco’s and Sainsburys, or Boots, offer advantage cards with which you can collect points each time you buy an item. After having collected a certain number of points you can make use of them by paying with your points or to receive special offers on certain products. Please ask in store for more details.

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The Social Week at UIC

May 24th, 2013

On Monday a new group of students came to UIC. After the Welcome Meeting we went to the All Bar One, where we were able to get to know each other and for me is always a pleasure to answer a few questions about the city and the school.

Tuesday we went to the British Museum, near Tottenham Court Road. Also here we had the impression that a day is never enough to discover the wonders that this fantastic museum has to offer. Among other things, I never get tired of reminding the new students that museums in London are all free! We visited the floor of Ancient Egypt, Roman Britain, The Clock and Japan. It was a beautiful day!

Thursday we had a pretty large group of students coming to the afternoon activity and I’m sure the reason is because Camden Town is always a neighborhood that appeals to everyone. We all had lunch together. It’s wonderful when you have so much variety and choice of food to eat: Italian, Chinese, Mexican food. After lunch, one of our students celebrated his birthday with us, and with everyone’s help I bought a cake and a candle in the middle of the market and we sang happy birthday to him! We also focused on some of the Camden market stalls where some of the guys bought souvenirs of London to give to friends and family. We also found that they are much cheaper than those that are found in the shops in Oxford Street near the school.

Another wonderful week with students from UIC is over, but I’m not worried because even though Monday is Bank Holiday and the school is closed, I have already planned activities for the students for next week . Please make sure you visit the events calendar on our website, where you can find all the June social activities: http://www.uiclondon.com/communitycalender.php

Next month there will be new activities such as:
The Lion King Musical, Paintballing and Greenwich Festival, and if London gives us sunny days there will be also some picnics at Hampstead Heath and Primrose Hill Parks.

Stephanie

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Where to…explore London’s Best Markets

May 21st, 2013

There are many London markets selling fashion, second hand goods, antiques, souvenirs and a lot of specialist and organic food.

So whether you’re searching for unusual fashion items, or just fancy treating yourself to some home-made delicacies, take a look at some of our recommendations for London’s best markets below.

Camden Market
In London’s most popular open-air market in Camden Town you can easily find some real bargains and great souvenirs. This is also a great place to enjoy fresh international food in food stalls all over the market.

Open: Mon- Sun 10am-6pm
Where: Camden High Street, London, NW1

Old Spitalfields Market
Since 1600 these market halls in East London have been a buzzing spot for visitors. Anything from boutique fashion, design, antiques, jewellery, bars, coffee shops and restaurants can be found in this area.

Open: Mon-Sun 9am-5pm, Sat 11am-5pm, Sun 8am-5pm
Where: Brushfield Street, Spitalfields, London, E1 6EW

Portobello Road Market
This Market is the world’s largest antiques market. With hundreds of dealers you can find any kind of collectible and the most extensive selection of British antiques. Fruits and vegetables, Food, fashion and second hand goods can also be found there.

Open: Mon-Wed 9am-6pm, Thurs 9am-1pm, Fri-Sat 9am-7pm
Where: Portobello Road, London, W10 5TA

Borough Market
The award-winning Borough Market is one of the largest food markets in the city, spreading under the railway arches at London Bridge.It’s a gourmet’s paradise, offering top quality produce and artisan foods from all over Britain and the continent.

Open: Thurs 11am-5pm; Fri 12 noon-6pm and Sat 8am-5pm
Where: Borough Market, Borough High Street, London, SE1

Brixton Market
Brixton Market is Europe’s biggest Afro-Caribbean food market. It sells unusual foods and spices, exotic fruit and vegetables and specialist meats and fish. You will also find local art, clothing and lots of reggae music!

Open: Mon to Sat 8am-6pm
Where: Brixton Market, Brixton Station Road, London, SW9

Berwick Street Market
Berwick Street Market has been selling fresh fruit and vegetables, fish, herbs and cheese since 1840. The market traders still shout out special offers and many offer big discounts late in the afternoon.

Open: Mon to Sat 9am-6pm
Where: Berwick Street Market, Berwick Street, London, W1

Posted in Life in London, Whats on in London, Where to... | No Comments »

How to get to central London from the aiports

Where to…buy cheap musical tickets in London

How to pronounce nothing

Could you be a teacher?

How to…find great bargains in London

Where to…explore London’s Best Markets

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