Our Superheroes!

There is something about superheroes that always excites the imagination of our students.  Below are some of their superhero stories.

My Journey in London

Hello.  I’m 15, and I did a one-week course with Hi-London to improve my English and my writing. I also visited a lot of places in London, which I really enjoyed because I love London culturally speaking - it’s such an interesting city.

We visited a lot of museums, and I watched an amazing show about Charles Darwin (https://thewiderearth.com). It was so interesting!

I learned a lot about English history, which is important to me because, in my school, we only learn about French history.

I also spoke a lot in English with the teacher who was really nice. I feel that I diversified my vocabulary and also improved my English in other ways.

I also had homework writing essays.  I think it’s important for our future to know how to write essays - like for university.

I met really nice kids, and it was a good experience for me to work with kids.  It might be something that’ll interest me in the future.

Keeping up with a Family Tradition

By Misha

I had the pleasure to speak with two Italian families this summer, both of whom have been returning to Hi-London for 5 years and counting. Family traditions form the foundation of Italian culture, and it seems Hi-London has become a tradition for these two families.

Of course, we have families coming from many countries around the world, year after year. This year, I taught students from Poland, Russia, Slovakia, Brazil, Argentina, China, Japan, Germany, Switzerland, France, Belgium, Saudi Arabia, and many more.  Especially during the summer, well over half of our students were returning for the second, third, fourth or more time. That made for a very rich, international mix! And some would describe us as a family. Such deep relationships were built, with the group moving as one happy organism – together – by the end of the week.

I asked Bruna, the Italian grandmother of two boys and one girl, what had brought her family to return to Hi-London for so many years. She said that she and her grandchildren so appreciated this setting of international exchange. At an impressionable age, children from all over the world are brought together to study English, but invariably they learn so much more. They are introduced to other cultures, and so they quickly grow to accept diversity. They learn to seek it, respect it, and be inspired by it.

I talked to Lara, the mother of Emma, who has been a part of Hi-London since she was 9 years old. Emma is now 13 and started the Teen Programme last year.  She plans to be with us for another 4 years (!) Lara loves many aspects of our school. In the first year, she said she noticed Emma’s progress right away, and she has come to rely on our reports (given to the students who are with us for two weeks or more to track Emma’s growth over the years.

Our teachers give individual attention to each student, and if a student can stay for longer, there is great benefit. It allows us to monitor individual abilities in greater depth and to deliver the tuition and homework aligned to individual need. Also, we are better able to give suggestions at the end of the chosen term so that the student can continue to develop through the year until they return the following season.

There are other unique aspects that keep our families coming back to Hi-London, such as the variety of excursions and language immersion opportunities. Each week, the children and teens travel out into London to explore this great city through the lens of a theme base. We know how to engage our students with the exhibits and material in over 80 venues, museums, and sites across the city. And students sure do love to travel on London’s transport system, whether it be the Tube, bus, boat or train!

Underlying everything is the pulse of new friendships and the family-like vibrations that are built, encouraged and fostered. Of course, the young students have to communicate in English to build these new ties with others. This is such a beautiful motivator to witness! Even though the students may sometimes share a native tongue, more often than not, most of the group will be from different countries. So, this becomes a very different context from an English class back home.

And, at the end of it all, we send photos from each fun-filled week so that the parents and students have a visual diary. For sure, Hi-London becomes like family, like home, and for many – a lasting tradition.

Theatre: A Tool For Expression and Growth

For 20 years I have been working in theatre and the performing arts. It never ceases to amaze me how bodily expression and play inspires growth and change. To play, to tell stories, to enact characters, and to expand vocal and physical range is to explore and expand who we are.

As a teacher, I use various aspects of theatre and art to elicit responses from children as they learn a new language. People, especially children, hold latent knowledge of language. The use of gesture, mime, objects/props, and costume are all excellent methods for drawing out reaction or response to something. Theatrical expression helps to build new pathways in the brain that with repetition imprint and aid in the memorisation of new information. To elicit is to prompt, to trigger, to spark – and to employ theatrical methods as a teacher is to inspire and encourage students to express themselves in the broadest sense.

I have been teaching at Hi-London since the beginning of the year. In this time, I have worked with a wide range of children/teens with varied levels of ability in the practice and understanding of the English language. Children pick up a massive amount of information and very often know more than they are aware of. It is so vital to encourage the leap between knowledge that is there inside somewhere, latent, and to draw out that knowledge into the practice of speaking and action.

The ability to listen, to focus, and to express are key to learning language. In children, progress can be made quickly if they can be stimulated to take a risk. Play and storytelling are great ways to help children feel at ease. Even before they can formulate or understand words, gesture can be used to cross the boundaries of difference and culture. Gesture can communicate even before words are spoken, and once the children feel safe within the community of a group, they are much more likely to grow. Playing games, drawing and storytelling are excellent methods to build foundations for new skills in communication of a new language, and Hi-London provides the incredible cultural backdrop of one of the greatest cities of the world. There are so many contexts and themes to draw from. Each of our week-long courses are theme-based around a topic which helps the students to stay focused and to create meaningful memory and experience.

One week, the theme was London Jungle. We began the week by reading the story Why Elephant Has a Trunk (Tinga Tinga Tales). At the beginning of the week, even when many words were not yet understood, pictures, gesture, and a theatrical delivery provided the aid to build understanding. Repetition is key. Therefore, to read the same book a few times during the same week was important, and as the children grew more familiar with the story parts, they remembered and filled in information.

During a workshop at a zoo that week, one of the workshop leaders used simple gesture for each animal which the children had to then repeat as they named the animal and its habitat. Gesture is a powerful way to memorise information. In theatrical performance, text is always accompanied by action to clarify the meaning of the story for the audience, but it is also employed to anchor the text in the actor’s memory.

The London Jungle week culminated with the making of animal masks and a re-enactment of the elephant story. Each child chose an animal to perform, and they were encouraged to voice new information from the week as they played. Growth was born easily, naturally and spontaneously from the excitement of theatrical play, interaction, and a city which holds infinite possibilities!

London vs. Berlin

By Pia

Although a river flows through both of them, London and Berlin are two cosmopolitan cities with their own characteristics and histories.

When taking a first look at London coming from Germany, there aren’t too many differences to Berlin one is able to realize. People are busily walking around, the traffic is bad, tourists are blocking the footpaths all over the place, and the whole atmosphere is nothing else but hectic. Those are characteristics that London and Berlin share, but when you take a second, closer look  at London, there are more differences than one would have thought in the beginning.

The first rather obvious difference are the buses and taxis. Many tourists get attracted by the look and system of the buses since they are double deckers, but the system is the same in Berlin; so, that doesn’t draw a lot of attention. However, the colour does. London is famous all over the world for its red buses.  In Berlin, the buses are yellow. Also, the look of taxis  differs from the one in Berlin. While in Berlin they are a kind of yellow and don’t need to be a specific type of car, the taxis in London are all black and from the same company.

Another difference are the older buildings. During the war, most of Berlin was destroyed, which caused the population to build new apartments but also buildings for public use. Therefore, Berlin has much newer and higher building than London.

In general, people seem to be more dressed up and wearing business clothes in London while in Berlin, clothing is more casual even in the business district.

Another point which makes the cities differ is that London is known for its great musicals while Berlin isn’t a musical city at all but well known for theatres.

Another characteristic to mention is that Berlin has far more parks and forests within the city and even downtown than London.  London does have its green areas just not as many.

One of the biggest differences between Berlin and London is probably that the United Kingdom still has a monarchy while Germany doesn’t. In London, you see pictures of the Royal Family in almost all the stores while in Berlin, it’s just not part of the society.

All in all, one can say that although both cities are well known in the world, are the capitals of their countries and have citizens who seem to have the same daily life, they still have their own individual characteristics which make them both interesting and important in their own way. 

The River Thames vs. Lake Van

By Alara

Do you know the River Thames and Lake Van? They are located in different countries, and one of them is a river and the other one is a lake. I will give more details about them and compare them to each other. What are we waiting for?  Let’s learn more about them.

Firstly, I am going to start with the River Thames. It is a river that flows through southern London. At 215miles (347km) in length, it is the longest river in England. Its name from Sanskrit means ‘dark’, and the water is often dark and cloudy. Another school of thought is that it is named after the Roman ‘Tiam’ meaning ‘wide’.  The source of the water is the Thames’s Head. There are 50 bridges that cross the Thames, and four of them are very famous. They are:  Tower Bridge, Millennium Bridge, London Bridge and Westminster Bridge. Also, from the sea, it is estimated that the Thames carries over 300,00 tons of sediment each year. More than 100 fish species have been recorded in the Thames over the last 30 years and many of these in the River Thames within London.

Secondly, I am going to give you more information about my country’s longest lake. It is the largest lake in Turkey, and it lies in the far east of the country. It is in the provinces of Van and Bitlis. It is a saline soda lake that receives water from numerous small streams that desend from the surrounding mountains. This lake borders Vann, Tatvan, Ercis and Ahlat. The length of the lake is 11km. Lake ‘Van’ is derived from Chayon, the name of an old capital of the Urartian Kingdom. In the biggest sodium water lake in the world, there are 103 types of phytoplankton.

Lastly, River Thames is bigger than Lake Van, and I will now compare them. My first comparison is the about the difference in their appearance. Lake Van in enclosed by land, and the River Thames is exposed more. The colour is different too. The Thames is brown and looks dirty. Lake Van is not connected to the sea like all lakes, and it is clear. Another difference between Lake Van and the Thames is the movement. River Thames basically runs and flows along, and it often flows in one direction. This is different compared to Lake Van. Lake Van is immobile. It appears that Lake Van flows very slowly, and most of the movements are influenced by the wind.

There is so much to compare when thinking about their history and how they changed the lives of people around them. There is so much more to learn about both of these bodies of water.  This is just a start.

Why Hi-London Again?

As a crowd of eager and excited children and teenagers forms around us on Monday mornings, we are often delighted to recognise a few familiar faces. The faces are those of returning students alongside those of their guardians or parents.  We try very hard to create a welcoming atmosphere and deliver engaging programmes, and it’s rewarding for us that our unique teaching methods through conversations and activities are appreciated by the kids and adults, making them want to return year after year.  Below is what a few of the students and families say about their reasons for returning.

A Mother’s Perspective:  A Fun and Effective Holiday Experience

First, we spoke to Daniela from Milano Bergamo, mother of two girls. For the past three years, she’s trusted Hi-London for her children’s summer education. At Hi-London, the girls always seem to be in a great mood, eager to learn and looking forward to the next activities, whether it is games or a museum workshop. Daniela believes in what we do and in our method of teaching as her children’s English skills keep improving as the days pass. Her feedback was nothing but positive as she explained why Hi-London will still be a popular choice for the children’s future summers.

Content with the activities we propose, Daniela mentioned how reasonable the price was for the week we offered as it covered not only food but also all the entry and workshop tickets to museums and other venues, ensuring a week of fun!

Having the children just break up from school, she wanted them to learn English in a fun and more casual way as she did not expect them to want to sit at a desk all day like at school. Though we have a few classroom hours, Hi-London’s teaching methods are mostly based on oral communications through activities adapted to the student’s English skills. Daniela also liked the fact that the school gave them the opportunity to live in London as the English taught during the day could still be practised throughout the week in an English environment.  Daniela believes that learning in a comforting, supportive environment like the one we create at Hi-London helps to improve her children’s confidence and English.

A Teen’s Perspective:  The Best in London for Me

We also spoke to Nicole, a bright twelve-year-old student from Milan who has been coming to Hi-London for the past two years. After trying out different summer schools throughout the city, she’s concluded that Hi-London suits her best. What she appreciates most is our way of teaching. When discussing this with her, she mentioned how the grammar taught at school was very rarely put into practise, making the language hard to relate to. Hi-London gave her the chance to fully grasp what she had been taught previously, as conversations flowed throughout the week. Not only does she love the activities, her favourite being the workshops in the Natural History Museum, but so does her aunt, who lives in London and acts as Nicole’s guardian during her stay. Her aunt mentioned that our programmes are well suited to her niece’s needs and ensures a fun time. Nicole always values the friendships she makes during her time with us, and this too is a big part of her Hi-London experience.

A Child’s Perspective:  It’s Fun!

We also spoke to a very smiley seven-year-old Dzonni from Russia. This year was his second year with us, and his daily enthusiasm and good mood always brought a smile to our faces. He is a big fan of London and adores the London Eye! As a keen tennis player, he wishes to practise his passion later in life. His feedback was that the school was very fun and that he loved the activities that we proposed as well as the teachers - something that we always love to hear!