Learning foreign language is fun especially if you have a chance to study in the country where it is spoken. I was lucky one to land on New Zealand ground in pursuit of English improvement. Studying in the school named Languages International promised a culturally vibrant environment and unforgettable experience. In reality it was. I met people from all over the world and united by studenthood spirit we quickly became friends.  Saudi Arabia, Brazil, New Caledonia, Switzerland, South Korea, Chill this is just a short list of countries I’ve got to know through the stories of my new friends.

The school occupies five fabulous historical buildings located in the beautiful Albert park right in the heart of Auckland city. After couple of hours of intense studying we used to go to the Albert park for lunch, to cool off on fresh air under the trees and carry on with never-ending conversations. The school is equipped perfectly for language learning. The cozy learning center with all sorts of facilities – audio and video, internet access and a friendly teachers always ready to answer your questions – is not only a great place to study but also a hot spot to hang out, have a cup of coffee, read a magazine or watch a movie and of course chat with friends.

School offers various courses, it is also possible to organize private classes tailored for your needs. There are not more than 12 students in a group and groups are also well- mixed to keep the learning process interesting for everyone. My choice was IELTS exam-preparation course, and after that BEC. This way I hit two targets at once – improved my english level and certified my achievement by prestige paper. It helped me in future studies and career opportunities. At the same time many students came to New Zealand to spend relaxing holidays and make new friends, so their choice was the course of general english which didn’t involved examination at the end.

The school staff are high class professionals. There are the courteous  counselors and administrative personal who are ready to help you solve a problem of any kind, then there are friendly english teachers who make the learning process as efficient and enjoyable as only possible, and finally there are the fun and hip social programme managers who organize all kind of exiting activities and entertainments. All together these people made my stay in New Zealand as comfortable as I never could imagine, starting from airport pick up and arrangement of accommodation, helping with all kind of questions related to visa extension, opening bank account, insurance and so on.

The school arranges an accommodation on your chose. In my case it was a host family, lovely Liz and Patrick an old couple and their fury cat Simba living together in a cozy house in the North Shore. The host family eased  my transition to the new environment and enriched emergence to the Kiwi culture. Plus there’s always someone ready to help

Whenever you’re in a new place you inevitably start feeling home seek. But in New Zealand I simply hadn’t have time for that, being busy with digesting immense mass of experiences falling upon me. I plunged into school-social life and get lost in Auckland’s entertainments. After classes there was always an exiting social programme. We went sailing, did some sports and explored Auckland and its sightseeing. My first trip with a school was to the Piha beach. But the most unforgettable were pub crawling and boat parting.

While the intense social life mingled with no less intense studying the time run extremely fast. The last weeks before exams everyone got tense and occupied with studies. The teachers were great! I didn’t even realize, how I found myself at threshold of examination class confident and well-prepared. 4 hours to do your best, and then you are free. Relax and breath-out. Examination week is also a graduation week. Some friends were going back home, but some definitely stayed to explore the beauty of New Zealand. It was hard to say goodbye to teachers who became my dearest friends too. It officially was end of an era. What’s left – numerous photos, a fat note-book with contacts from all over the world, recognized certificates, unforgettable memories and the ultimate bound to the school we happen to spend the time of our life.