【推荐1】Use our website to improve your English

Study at the right time each day

The first step in getting better in English is to study at the right time each day. Do you wake up early and study when the house is quiet? Or do you like to stay up late and study before you go to sleep? Choose the proper time to study English every week. Make a study plan for each week. Here is an example of using our website in the morning to improve your listening and speaking skills:

Monday: Watch Let's Learn English ; practice the conversation with a friend

Tuesday: Watch English in a Minute; teach the new expressions to family or friends

Wednesday: Watch English at the Movies; write a note to a friend about the expressions Thursday: Watch News Words; write a sentence using the words

Friday: Read or listen to Ask a Teacher or Everyday Grammar ; write three sentences

Find a friend to study together

A good way to learn is to study with a friend or a family member. You can study together at home or on the phone. Some families speak English only at dinner time or watch English videos together.

Set goals

One of the most important steps to learn English is to set goals. Make it something you know you can do in a short time. Here are some examples:

♦I will practice speaking with my friends three times a week.

♦I will write sentences with five new English words every week.

♦I will learn four new idioms in the next month and use them with friends.

【推荐3】Applying to Stellinga College

Why Stellinga?

Thank you for your interest in Stellinga International College. As an international student, we are sure you will find our college an exciting place to study, with like-minded and ambitious people.

Preparing and submitting your application

We have tried to make the application process as easy as possible for you, but there are a number of procedures you must follow.

All our courses are taught in English, so first of all you will probably need to submit evidence of your English language ability. We require an IELTS score of 6.5. You will also have to send us your secondary school diploma, so that we can evaluate it.

We will also require a personal statement. This is a text of up to 1,000 words in which you introduce yourself, explain your interest in our college, and why you want to study your chosen course.

If you are from outside the European Union (EU), it is important that you have an entrance visa before you come to study in the Netherlands, but we will apply for this for you.

We now only accept online applications, so please ensure that you have all your documents ready to upload before you begin. Any documents that are not in English originally will also need to be translated and the translation also uploaded.

You will need a passport photograph; a copy of your passport; copies of all your certificates and diplomas; your proof of language ability; and your personal statement in English.

What happens next?

Your application will then be considered. If your initial application is successful, you will be invited for an interview. This will be conducted in English via skype, over the phone or on site. You will talk to two or three members of staff for up to 30 minutes. We aim to inform you of our decision in writing, within 4 weeks. There are several possible outcomes: you may not have been successful; you may be offered a place on the waiting list. You will need to reply to any offers within two weeks, otherwise your place may be offered to somebody else.

Good luck with your application.

【推荐1】There are almost limitless things to do at the seaside. For an enjoyable summer day or night, some that are the most fun can be simple, inexpensive or absolutely free.

Frolic: Summer at the seaside is for as many activities as you can stand in the sand. Play frisbee (飞盘), sand volleyball or any beach-free sport. Jog or run while you feel the soft sand each step. If it’s nice and windy, go fly a kite!

Picnic: If you’re a bit lazy as you sun and relax on the beach, you can buy take-out from nearby shops. If you’re there with a big family outing, you may prefer to pack and bring baskets of your favorite foods and drinks.

Sand castles: For anyone who wishes they were still kids, building castles in the sand is fun at the seashore. If you’re feeling really creative, add fishes, frogs and whatever else your modeling skills can construct.

Explore: If there are hiking or biking trails along the shore or nearby, take an action to discover what’s around to be collected. Seashells and washed-up ocean flora (植物群) are fun to hunt, although finding a valuable diamond ring in the sand is much more satisfying.

Socialize: Meet all kinds of people. If kids are with you, they’re natural socializers, and will easily join others in games and other fun things to do together. Set up a volleyball net on the beach, and soon others will join the game.

Nothing: For some people the top activity at the seaside is inactivity. That means doing absolutely nothing. After all, you’ve come to the beach to relax on the warm sand, and nowhere in the world is there a more comfortable place for it.

【推荐3】Thirteen, for me, was a challenging year. My parents divorced and I moved to a new town with my father, far from my old family and friends. I was terribly lonely and would cry myself to sleep each night. To ease my sadness, my father purchased an old horse for me at a local market. I named him Cowboy.

Cowboy was undoubtedly the ugliest horse in the world. But I didn't care. I loved him beyond all reason.

I joined a riding club and suffered rude comments and mean snickers about Cowboy's looks. I never let on about how I felt, but deep inside, my heart was breaking. The other members rode beautiful, registered horses.

When Cowboy and I entered the events where the horse is judged on appearance, we were quickly shown the gate. No amount of preparation and love would turn Cowboy into a beauty. My only chance to compete would be in the speed events. I chose the jumping race.

One girl named Becky rode a big brown horse in the race events. She always won the blue ribbons. Needless to say, she didn't feel threatened when I competed against her at the next show. She didn't need to. I came in next to last.

The stinging memory of Becky's smirks(得意的笑) made me determined to beat her. For the whole next month I woke up early every day and rode Cowboy five miles to the arena. We practiced running and jumping for hours in the hot sun and then I would walk Cowboy home totally exhausted.

All of our hard work didn't make me feel confident by the time the show came. I sat at the gate and sweated it out while I watched Becky and her horse charge through the course and finish in first place.

My turn finally came. I put on my hat, rubbed Cowboy's neck and entered the arena. At the signal, we dashed toward the first fence, jumped it without trouble and raced on to the next one. Cowboy then flew over the second, third and fourth fences like a bird and I turned him toward the finish line.

As we crossed the line the crowd was shocked into silence. Cowboy and I had beaten Becky and her fancy horse by two seconds!

I gained much more than a blue ribbon that day. At thirteen, I realized that no matter what the odds, I'd always come out a winner if I wanted something badly enough to work for it.