MAC Mag 06

It’s been another busy year in the International Language Centre, starting with
a move to our new premises on the college campus. It has been great for the
international students to be based on the school site and we have had a group
of happy overseas students integrating fully into school life and building strong
friendships with the local students.
There have been 25 integrated students studying with us this year from six different countries - Austria,
Brazil, China, Germany, Japan and Korea. Their programme has been managed by teachers Marie
Lewis and Gill Shortcliffe and international manager Claire Easterbrook has looked after all their other
arrangements, assisted in the office this year by Eva Scott and Fiona Lysaght.
At the time of going to press, the students are preparing for their end of year examinations for IELTS
and NCEA. Good luck to everyone in their endeavours! Students are also looking forward to our
end of year programme, which is a great opportunity to check out the local activities and have a
fun time together. The plan this year is to go tramping, boating, rockclimbing and kayaking as well
as visiting other international students in Cromwell and Queenstown. It should be a great end to the
year before the students go back to their studies in their home countries.
We have had lots more going on this year at the Language Centre:
Three MAC students visited Japan over the summer holidays as part of an exchange programme
set up with Sosei Junior High School two years ago and coordinated by Japanese teacher Sandra
Aitchison. In return we hosted three students from Sosei in term one. All six students benefited from
this opportunity to travel to each other’s countries and learn more about the language and culture.
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