Testimonials – Liverpool School of English LSE

As a great football fan, going to Liverpool for three months was like a dream to me, as for me, Liverpool was mainly associated with Anfield and the Reds. Much to my surprise, I discovered that, even though football is very important there, Liverpool is also a beautiful and small city, unlike London or Manchester for instance. People here are very friendly and the nightlife is absolutely crazy. Besides, there are many opportunities for shopping and at definitely cheaper prices than in Switzerland. The school is also very nice and most of the teachers are very competent. So yes, I recommend Liverpool, it is a little heaven for me!

For all football fans, Liverpool is a great city! You can attend football matches and the atmosphere is really great! It is also a festive town with many pubs and night clubs and the cost of living there is really cheap! At the school, the teachers and staff are very competent and activities are offered almost everyday. I really enjoyed staying with a host family as I could speak to them and improve my English speaking skills. I recommend Liverpool to anyone looking for a city that combines vibrant nightlife and sports activities!

Going back to reality is always a bit difficult, especially when you are coming back from such an amazing and rewarding experience as mine. This was « my » Liverpool. Before leaving, as before any trip, I was scared and nervous, but when I arrived, even as I got off the plane, I was overwhelmed by positive VIBRATIONS! The school was truly international, I had the chance to spend time with people from radically different backgrounds, which was one of my primary objectives, in addition to learning English. You cannot learn a new language in only 6 weeks but I am the living proof that « where there’s a will, there’s a way »! I had almost no knowledge of English when I arrived and I have several foreign friends now!

Going abroad for a language study trip is an experience that everyone should live. You make extraordinary progress because you start speaking right away, you lose your fear to speak English with native or non native people, and you learn how to understand and be understood in English! But above all, living in a foreign country allows you to meet people who are very different from you and to realise that in this world, what unites us is communication, knowing how to live together and respecting each other. So you are not afraid to go out abroad anymore, and if you’re in Liverpool, I can assure you that you will learn lots of things and have a wonderful stay. To conclude, I would like to thank ESL for its organisation and the friendliness of its staff and for offering me an unforgettable experience.

Liverpool is a highly cultural and welcoming city. People are friendly and accessible there, which doesn’t seem to be always the case in England. Museums are open to the public, except some of them like the Beatles Museum. But the school can get cheap entry tickets for you. The architecture is superb, with a mix of beautiful ancient buildings and new buildings with very modern design, which offers an interesting contrast. The town centre includes a pedestrian area with thoroughly modern architecture and offers a multitude of cheap and luxury shops.

From the bus station in the town centre, I was just 5 minutes’ walk from the school. My host family lived a 20-minute bus ride from the town centre and provided me with quality accommodation. The meals were very convivial, generous and excellent. The house was well-designed, spacious and practical. My host, who was remarkably friendly, gave us advice on public transport and places to visit. She picked me up at the station on the day I arrived. She took her role very seriously and made Internet access available to us from time to time. She also provided newly arrived students with testimonials and advice written by former students in their own language. I stayed there at the same time as a young woman from Latvia, with whom I made friends. We could only speak in English together, which allowed me to improve my speaking skills.

Liverpool airport is well-served by low cost airline companies. Manchester airport is also accessible and from there you can easily connect to Liverpool by train without leaving the airport: 14 £ for the return ticket. Tips as regards transportation: when purchasing train tickets, always buy return tickets as they are cheaper than single tickets. Travelling by bus to Liverpool is as easy as pie. To travel by bus, opt for a weekly pass rather than daily or monthly passes, which are more expensive. The weekly bus pass costs 12£ and allows you to use all of the lines of the same company as many times as you wish. Note that some buses do not operate, or operate more rarely, on Sundays.

Places to visit : Manchester, around 1 hour away by train. Chester, a beautiful Roman town, some 45 minutes away by train. Southport, some 25 minutes away with recommended stops to visit the beautiful beaches. And also London and other cities.