English Language Centre (ELC) Bristol
THE DESTINATION | THE SCHOOL | MAP | RACHEL’S TAKE | WHY THIS SCHOOL? | FACILITIES | THE COURSES | FROM OUR CLIENTS | HOUSING | SOCIAL LIFE | INSURANCE AND PRICING | REQUEST AN ESTIMATE | OTHER PROGRAMS | SIMILAR PROGRAMS
Tied for the number one spot in a ranking of the United Kingdom’s best English language schools, the family-run English Language Centre is located in Bristol, one of the UK’s most vibrant and exciting university cities. Bristol itself has been also named the best city for living in the UK, thanks to its ideal combination of extraordinary culture, impressive schools, buzzing culinary scene, exciting redevelopment and community spirit. ELC Bristol is therefore the top school in the UK’s top city—what more could a student ask for?
According to the Sunday Times, Bristol is “a small city that feels like a big city, handily placed for seaside and scenery, but not cut off from the rest of the country. There are jobs — lots of them glamorous, creative, hi-tech and professional — the food and drink are great, and it crams in all the culture you could wish for. No wonder it’s the first choice for restless folk looking to swap a dismal commute for a brightly coloured period house within walking distance of work, and weekends on a surfboard or mountain bike.”
ELC BRISTOL AT A GLANCE
- City: Bristol
- Year of foundation: 1969
- Position in the city: 20 minutes from City center
- Minimum age in adult school: 16
- Number of students in school: average 172
- Main type of public transport: buses and trains
- Approximate number of nationalities in school each year: 25+
The ELC Bristol Main Buildings:
Pembroke House, 44 Pembroke Rd, Clifton Bristol BS8 3DT, United Kingdom
Abon House, 25 Saint John’s Road, Clifton Bristol, BS8 2HD, United Kingdom
ELC Summer Center: 4-5 Worcester Road, Clifton Bristol BS8 3JL, United Kingdom
“Nevermind the slick brochures and sales pitches of other schools. The EL Gazette and British Council have said it all about this one—it is tied for the top spot among English language schools in all of the United Kingdom. I’ll explain a bit how this ranking works: every four years, the British Council carries out an inspection of its 500 + member schools in the UK (nearly all reputable language schools in the UK are accredited by the British Council). During the inspection, in which two examiners inspect the school for days, they grade a school in 13 areas like teaching, care of students, accommodation, etc., and in 15 areas if the school also has programs for young learners. For each area, a school can receive a grade of “acceptable,” or it can exceed the expectations of the examiner. When the latter is the case, the school receives what’s called a “strength” in that area. As a result of these inspections, language schools typically receive about 3.5 strengths. On its last inspection in 2016, the English Language Centre Bristol received 15 out of a possible 15!
I have long known the owner John Duncan and the principal Andrew Edwards, and finally visited the school in 2010. The fact that its courses and accommodations are often completely booked for weeks in advance was a clue to me of its high quality, and my visit to Bristol confirmed it. The Clifton area, in which is the school is located, is upper class and elegant—I specifically included some photos of the area in the gallery for Bristol as a destination. Like most IALC schools and all of the TEN network schools, it is independently run, and my requests for information and assistance are very often answered by John himself. As a study destination, Bristol is ideal in many ways: besides being the home of this top quality language school, it is a city that is large enough for there to be always something to do, but still manageable in terms of distances. It also has a university, so that similar-aged students at ELC can make local friends, and as a city not in the clichéd locations for English learning, it is not full of language schools competing for the same homestays. I should also mention that it is just 30 minutes from the fantastic Bath, one of my absolute favorite cities in England, with the beautiful Torquay and Exeter a bit further afield. All of the Southwest part of England is easily reachable from Bristol airport. From Rome, for example, Easyjet has a direct, cheap, and convenient flight there.”
ELC Bristol
Why Study English at ELC Bristol?
There are many English language schools in the UK, one of the worlds’s top destinations for English language learning. ELC Bristol distinguishes itself in the following ways:
- ELC Bristol is tied for the number one spot amongst English language schools in the United Kingdom, based on rankings determined by the EL Gazette and the British Council.
- The school is located in Bristol, named by the Sunday Times in 2017 as the “Best City to Live in Britain” following a nationwide survey.
- The school’s dedicated teachers have an average of more than 20 years’ teaching experience each.
The majority of ELC’s students are motivated individuals. The school does not accept large groups. - ELC Bristol’s Cambridge exam pass rate is better than the national average.
The school is located in two fine old buildings close to the University in Clifton, one of Bristol’s most beautiful areas. - ELC Bristol is the only school in the city to be a member of the prestigious IALC, an accreditation that is more difficult to attain than many of the others.
- The school is also a member of The English Network, a group of 10 independent schools that share best practice and have a reputation for very high quality and personal service.
- ELC Bristol is able to offer a variety of programs for every type of student and a variety of activities to ensure students make the most use of their English skills.
ELC Bristol has a good nationality mix, with students from over 25 different countries every year. - The courses are competitively priced for the UK market and offer good value for money
- As a study destination with relatively few language schools for the size of the city, ELC Bristol does not have to compete for host families, and is therefore able to offer excellent homestays, most of which are within walking distance to the school and many of which have hosted the school’s students for years. It can also offer its own student houses near the school.
- ELC Bristol offers a C2 Advanced Level General English course, which many language schools do not.
The facilities
ELC BRISTOL FACILITIES AT A GLANCE
- 2 fine buildings: Abon and Pembroke House
- Summer center at Clifton College with beautiful garden and facilities
- 9 classrooms in each school
- 2 common rooms, with snooker tables, drinks machines, comfortable chairs and widescreen TVs.
- 2 gardens
- Access to Clifton College’s gym and swimming pool
- Free Wi-Fi
- 2 multimedia centers with internet access
MORE ABOUT THE FACILITIES AND SERVICES
Personal Study Program
ELC Bristol gives careful attention to the needs of each and every student, and offers personal study programs with all their courses. Students have access to the schools online Study Zone and the guided e-learning from the moment they enroll until 3 months after they finish their course.
University Student Union
The ELC student card allows students to use all the facilities at the Students Union, including cafés, bars, shops, and music venues. The University Students’ Union building is located 5 minutes’ walk from Pembroke House. Students are also able to join many of the university clubs and societies. There are more than 200 societies and 50 sports clubs to choose from.
Conversation Club
The Conversation Club is free of charge and is usually held in the “Alma Tavern” or in the “Costa Café,” 5-7 minutes’ walk from both Abon and Pembroke House. It is supervised by a teacher and gives students additional time to practice their English language skills with other ELC students in a relaxed atmosphere.
Job Club
ELC runs a free Job Club giving advice and the language needed to help student find casual and part-time employment. LC Bristol works with a partner company to provide professional internships in Bristol and other cities including London, Oxford and Brighton. The school also offers 1:1 support to help students with CVs and cover letters.
Student Welfare
Student welfare is of utmost importance to ELC Bristol, and all staff and teachers are available to support students in a professional and confidential manner with any problems that might arise while they are away from home.
The courses
General Course Information
- Minimum age: 16 years
- Course duration: 2 weeks to 1 year (General English), minimum 4 weeks (Examination preparation)
- Length of each lesson: 45 minutes
- Number of lessons per week: 28 lessons (21 hours)
- Timetable: 9:00 – 12:45 Monday to Friday + 14:00 – 15:30 Monday to Thursday, 15:45 – 16:45 Optional courses
- Start dates: Most Mondays, see dates and fees for Elementary (A2) courses and Examination preparation courses
- Number of students in class: average 10, maximum 14
- Courses include 4 additional hours per week of supervised self-study, useful for the Writing and Use of English portions of exams
GENERAL ENGLISH AND EXAMINATION COURSES
General English
ELC Bristol offers General English courses for seven levels from A2 (Elementary) to C2 (Advanced). Students are normally given daily homework of 30 – 45 minutes and are continuously monitored by their teachers for progress. Students who are B2 level or above can choose from a range of electives on two afternoons (3 hours) a week. These electives may include Introduction to Business English, Film Studies, Conversation and Pronunciation, English through Music and Song, British Life and Culture, English Literature, Academic English and Sports. BULATS (Business Language Testing Service) preparation is available for students who take the business elective class.
After the afternoon classes, students may choose to do optional supervised self-study at the study center, or join free language activities twice a week including Conversation Club, Job Club, Friday Film Club and listening to guest speakers.
A sample timetable for General English courses:
Cambridge English Exam Preparation
At ELC Bristol, students can prepare for the Cambridge First Certificate in English (FCE), Cambridge Advanced English (CAE) or Cambridge Proficiency in English (CPE) exams. Students follow the General English timetable every morning, practice for the writing paper and other parts of the exam on two afternoons a week, and on the other two afternoons choose one of the elective classes. Mock exams are usually held 2 or 3 weeks before the exams take place.
- English levels: B1 (FCE), C1 (CAE)
IELTS Preparation
Students should be at least at Intermediate (B1) level for IELTS classes. The course is 21 hours per week – for the B2+ level class this includes 18 hours of IELTS preparation/Academic English and 3 hours of elective classes. For the B1 level IELTS class, this includes 21 hours of IELTS Preparation/Academic English. The course includes:
- Grammar review
- Preparation and practice in the basic writing skills required to complete academic assignments at university level (IELTS task 2) including vocabulary, planning, logical organization of ideas and the more specialized demands of describing more technical subjects such as charts, graphs, processes or locations (IELTS task 1)
- Practice in Reading and Listening, and Speaking skills for the IELTS exam.
- Regular timed exam practice and one-to-one tutorials.
From our clients
For many years I had the desire to study abroad, in order to improve my English and at the same time discover a new culture. Attracted by the possibility of finally realizing this dream, I decided to join a friend who was staying in Bristol.
I was not familiar with the city before going there, but when I arrived, I was pleasantly surprised at its beauty and excitement, and especially by the number of young people there from all over the world. During my stay, I took an IELTS preparation course at the English Language Centre (ELC). Studying at the school was important not only for helping me to obtain a high score on the exam, but also to allow me to meet many other young students, with whom I had a great time.
I could not have found a better school than ELC in terms of organization and quality. In addition to the excellent course structure, I found the social activities to be fantastic. They allowed me to experience English life first hand and to make friends with all the students in the school.
I could not have asked for more out of my stay in Bristol, and I owe most of this sentiment to the ELC, which I would recommend to anyone desiring to have a wonderful experience in the United Kingdom.—Federico N., Milan”
Do you have a positive experience to share? Write to Rachel.
HOST FAMILY
One of the best ways to experience the British way of life is to choose homestay accommodation. All homestays are carefully selected and visited regularly to ensure consistently high standards. Homestays are in fact the accommodation of choice for the majority of students. The school and Marshall Language Services recommend this form of accommodation the most for language learning. Family life is informal and the people are welcoming, friendly and talkative, so students will have plenty of opportunities to practice their English with native speakers. By booking homestay accommodation, students will also not have to worry about shopping for food and preparing meals every day. Mealtimes are often the occasions in which families converse most with the students.
Additional homestay provisions and information:
- Homestay accommodation includes a single room, breakfast and an evening meal.
- All homestays offer wireless internet.
- Homestay families provide all bed linens and towels. The school advises students to bring one extra towel.
- Most homestay accommodation is within walking distance of the school, with an average time of 20 minutes by foot.
- During July and August, students may occasionally be placed with families who live a bit further from the school, (maximum 15 minutes by bus).
- Accommodation is from Sunday to Saturday. It is possible to book extra nights at an additional cost.
- Students under 18 years of age have curfews of23:00 from Sunday to Thursday and 24:00 on Fridays and Saturdays.
- Students aged 18+ do not have curfews.
STUDENT RESIDENCES
ELC Bristol offers a variety of self-catering student houses and apartments. The school has six self-catering residences and houses with a total of 58 bedrooms. There are also a further two self-catering apartments adjoined to family homes. All the school’s houses have different facilities and atmospheres. Students are responsible for cleaning their own rooms and the common areas. The minimum age for booking is 18.
St. Paul’s Road and Granby Hill
Both St. Paul’s Road and Granby Hill residences offer students rooms with private bathrooms. St. Paul’s Road has 9 bedrooms and Granby Hill has 7 bedrooms. Both residences are within a 15-minute walk to the school.
St. Paul’s Road and Granby Hill also offer:
- Single study bedroooms
- Bed linen, but not towels
- A shared, well-equipped communal kitchen
- Super-fast Wi-Fi
- Large living room with sofas, TV and DVD player (Granby Hill)
- Conservatory with sofas (St. Paul’s Road)
- Laundry facilities
Wellington Park and Mortimer Road
Both residences offer students semi-ensuite bedrooms. Each bedroom has a shower and washbasin but students must share the 2 toilets in the house. Wellington Park has a total of 7 bedrooms and Mortimer Road has 4/5 bedrooms. Both residences are within a 10-minute walk to the school.
Wellington Park and Mortimer Road offer:
- Single study bedrooms
- Shower, washbasin and flat screen TV in every bedroom
- Two shared toilets in the house
- Bed linen and towels are provided
- A shared, well-equipped communal kitchen
- Free Wi-Fi
- Laundry facilities
- Small garden area
St. John’s House and Clyde Cottage
Both residences offer students bedrooms with shared bathroom facilities. St. John’s House has 28 bedrooms and Mortimer Road has 3 bedrooms. St. John’s House is located within 3 – 7 minute walking distance to the school, and Clyde Cottage is located within 10 – 15 minute walking distance to the school.
St. John’s House and Clyde Cottage also offer:
- 2 onsite house wardens and 1 student representative (St. John’s)
- Single study bedrooms (double bedrooms available upon request)
- Bed linen are provided, however students must bring their own towels
- Laundry facilities
- Free Wi-Fi
- Living room and conservatory areas with sofas, flat screen TV’s and DVD player (St. Johns House)
- Large back garden (St. John’s House)
Goldney Hall Residence (July and August)
Goldney Hall is a University of Bristol student residence, located 10 – 15 minutes’ walk from the school, with over 50 single rooms for ELC Bristol students. The residence is divided into apartments, each of which has 8 single study-bedrooms, 2 shower rooms, 1 bathroom and 2 toilets.
Goldney Hall Residence also offers:
- A room with a single bed, sink, desk, chair, and wardrobe
- Bed linen but not towels
- Fully equipped kitchen with TV
- Free Wi-Fi
- Laundry facilities with one free wash a week
- Magnificent garden
- Tennis and basketball courts
- Reading room
- Music room
- Game room
Insurance
Insurance covering medical and travel assistance, personal liability and trip cancellation is not included in the price of the program. Marshall Language Services has a policy available through Guard.Me that covers these elements, as well as an additional policy through CareMed that covers cancellation under a wider range of circumstances, including the need to repeat school exams. A summary of these policies may be downloaded below.
Dates and Fees
Calculate your own approximate quote
The following tool will help you to get a good idea of the cost of a language course and accommodation, if requested, at this school. It may not include all the courses and accommodation options available or take into account promotional offers or costs associated with student visas, insurance, study materials or exam fees. For these reasons, the availability of any course, accommodation option (especially in the high season) and the final price of a package will always have to be verified with Marshall Language Services prior to enrolment.
Contact us for information about dates & prices
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