My name is Foli. I am from Togo, but I have lived all my life in France. I have been in England for six months. I have been studying at SSE since I arrived in England.

I used to think that it would be difficult to learn English and I felt nervous. When I met the staff I relaxed and now I think my English has improved significantly.

I think Shaun is a very amazing, kind and helpful person. He has been the best guide I could have asked for, he helps us to organise excursions, trips, social activities including a movie evening once a week at the school. He also runs a quiz evening once a month, which I have won twice.

I am staying with a fantastic host family. They have been very helpful and treated me as part of their own family.

SSE is an international school which is very important when you want to speak English all day. I find it much more interesting because I have made many good friends and learnt a lot about different cultures and nationalities.

Foli, Togo

I enjoyed the teaching very much. My teacher explained things so easily that we could understand very well. We could use the computer room and library. The students have an entrance test so they can find the best class for them to attend. The school atmosphere is good and the building is clean and comfortable. The teaching materials and books are brilliant! The administration staff are very helpful and friendly and organised an extra coach for us to Brighton for one particular trip. It is really good that the starting time for lessons is 9.15 am.

Accommodation: The Bed & Breakfast is comfortable and only 8 minutes from the school. The B&B staff made me feel very at home and very welcome and there is always someone to talk to and to help me. I love the full English breakfasts! There is a wide choice of other breakfasts, too.

Southbourne/Bournemouth: There are so many beautiful places to walk and to visit around Bournemouth. I would have liked to have gone to several more, but I didn’t have enough time. The English people are very friendly and I enjoyed meeting and talking to them.

Marianne, Germany

I’m interested in the way of teaching language because I teach Japanese. I came to this School, Southbourne School of English, and I was able to receive good ideas to improve my Japanese classes. The teachers are natural, friendly and interesting. The activities we did to practise English were really enjoyable.

I think I am one of the happiest students who has ever stayed here. My host Mother, Mrs Harrison, made me feel very welcome in her home. I appreciate all she has done for me.

Thanks to all the people I met in Southbourne, I was able to have a very nice experience. Thank you so much.

Rie, Japan

The CAE course was very well organised and we worked specifically on the subject. I really appreciated it. I liked having a different teacher in the morning and afternoon because each teacher has a different style which makes the lessons more interesting. Another good thing was that our class was small.

All in all I really enjoyed my stay because the school was very good and the host family was very nice. The staff were also very friendly and helpful.

The teachers are wonderful. I like the classroom seating, everyone sits together. We have some useful excursions and activities. It helps us to improve our English. Everybody is kind and friendly at school. (Teachers, administration team and cafeteria staff) The Language Lab. and film nights are important to improve our English. I find Southbourne is a quiet, safe, clean place.

I’ve been with my host family for 5 months now and I’m really happy with them. I can easily speak with them and I feel like a member of their family. The meals are delicious and my room is cosy and comfortable, I have everything that I need.

Claudia, Switzerland

The teachers are really friendly and nice and can advise me about my grammar, vocabulary and listening skills. I can listen to pronunciation or stories in the Language Lab.

I can prepare for exams before I take them, eg. IELTS. The teachers can help me with my exam preparation. The Administration staff are very relaxed, friendly and helpful to me. I really love it here, it’s very different to my country. It’s peaceful and I can walk anywhere and go shopping. The transport is very convenient. The local people are nice and helpful if you get lost. From Bournemouth to London it’s very easy to visit. I’ve made lots of friends here at Southbourne School and in my host family. I have a really nice housemate. My host family can listen and help me. I’m really happy in my host family.

Punchita, Thailand

There are really good teachers and you’ll have a lot of fun in your lessons. You’ll spend great time meeting new people from different countries. The school has a nice cafeteria. My English has improved a lot! The school building is clean and all the staff are polite.

Southbourne – It’s nice and the beach is a quiet area. The local shopping is good; you can find almost everything you need. The restaurants and cafes are nice. My host family area nice and friendly, they help me a lot with living in England and are very good cooks! We sometimes go on trips together which are great. I feel like I’m one of the family!

Khalid, Saudi Arabia

I have enjoyed all the trips to London, Winchester and many more places. There is always someone with us who explains what we are going to see which is very useful, and give good recommendations. It is great to visit all the places because I have never been there before. The sea and beach are nice and it’s different to my country.

The lessons are very interesting and not boring because the teachers love their job. They are enthusiastic about English and explain when we can’t understand. They are sympathetic when we have language problems and are very helpful. The school canteen is very good, not too expensive, and we can eat together. The staff are very helpful. The breaks between lessons are good when we are studying all day, I don’t have this in my country. It’s a good experience to meet people from other countries. My host family give me autonomy, I can have freedom in their home.

They have given me very good accommodation and I can treat it as my own home. They are very helpful and are always available if I have problems.

Teresa, Italy

My name is Cristina Salas G. I am from Bogota in Colombia. I am studying English for six months in Southbourne School of English.

I am very happy in this School because the level of English teaching is of a very high standard. I get on very well with my teachers, because they have many resources for the students to learn English. The teachers and the administration staff are very kind and helpful.

This is a great experience for me.

Cristina Salas G, Colombia

It was a real privilege to be under David’s guidance for my English lessons at Southbourne School of English. It was really great to be here with all the friendly staff and students. My listening and speaking have really improved during my stay and now I can understand films and television better.

Rollande Morneau, Quebec, Canada

All the people here are friendly and help you with everything you need. Bournemouth is fantastic with its wonderful beach and its great nightlife. You have the opportunity to improve your English and socialise with people from around the world. Mike, my teacher, is fantastic. He reminds me a famous actor, Robin Williams, and his performance in The Dead Poet’s Society’. My English has really improved during my stay here. During the week the school organises trips around the local area and activities to show you English culture.

Pietro Cozzupoli, Naples, Italy