Have you noticed just how often ‘thank you’ is used in everyday conversations in the UK?  Perhaps this is one of the reasons the Brits are thought to be polite to the point of excess and grateful for the tiniest thing.  However, recent studies* have shown that ‘thank you’ is not always used for its literal meaning and have highlighted the multiple functions these two little words seem to have in our daily interactions.

Take a look at the dialogue below:

London has been voted world’s best city for students in the QS Best Student Cities Ranking 2018.  This large-scale survey was conducted across 180 countries with responses from 54,000 students.  Tokyo came in second place, followed by Melbourne, Montreal and Paris respectively.  So what makes London the choicest destination for international students? 

"Does The Queen really own all the swans? The short answer is YES. The Queen specifically owns any unclaimed mute swan in open water in both England and Wales."

As a Londoner, I thought I was pretty clued-up about my city… that was until I started looking for quirky facts and stories. There are so many peculiarities connected to history, transport and the famous sights; here are just a few that might surprise you too.

Get ready for the top 15 Bizarre Things About London.

You’ve come to the UK to study but have you also considered working here?  Many students at SGI decide to look for a part-time job while they are studying in London.  They need to fit their work in around their studies so a position that offers flexibility is preferable; working as a shop assistant, bartender, waiter/waitress, chef, receptionist, au-pair or babysitter are popular options. 

Our Social Programme around London every afternoon is something that adds to SGI students' overall London experience.

It is important that after lessons finish, the students can enjoy themselves and see parts of the city that are outside of the normal tourist 'things to do'.

There is a lot of confusion and even some fear in the London driving community right now.

It's all about the English test that Private Hire Drivers in London need to renew their licence.

This is a new piece of legislation from Transport for London and some of the information that has been given out by TfL is slightly vague and sometimes not in plain and simple English.

So, here is everything you need to know about the 'English test for London cab drivers' in 100% clear English.

Speaking a foreign language in London can mean that you get a very good salary.

Second language speakers are increasingly needed and desired by employers in the capital and to attract the right people, companies are offering very attractive pay packets for workers who have great language skills.

Adzuna (an online job portal in the UK) analysed current data from their UK job listings (over 1 million job adverts) this week to understand which foreign languages can earn the highest wages.

Recently, we held a big competition to win a free English course for one week of study in London with us for any time in 2016... and there are lots of great reasons to be in London this summer!

Everybody knows the news about the UK... Below we have everything you need to know about Brexit and what it means for students coming to learn English in London.

Lots of people have been asking new questions about what all of this means for the United Kingdom.

More importantly, how will this affect visitors from overseas?

Below we will try to answer everything, but the main news is that there is nothing to worry about.

There are so many things to do in London in Summer 2016. 

As always, London is possibly the top cultural event location on the planet, but July and August are always particularly busy for concerts, events, sports and the arts in the capital.

Below, you can see some of the London summer highlights for 2016 with dates and details on how to get tickets online.

Of course, there are thousands of things to do every hour of every day in London and you can find something to amaze you around every corner, but below are some of the big and exclusive highlights this summer.

SGI English school has lots of fantastic student accommodation options.

There is something to suit every student budget, ranging from communal residences and all the way up to executive apartments.

This means that it does not matter if you are on a strict budget or you really want the absolute best accommodation on offer, you can stay in comfort while you are living in London on your study holiday.

The London scoial programme for the students at SGI English school is very special. Why?

Well, every week, we take our lucky students to see one of London's top shows. Sometimes it's a popular theatre play, or even Shakespeare at The Globe in the summer months.

But most weeks, we go to see a musical. As our students are learning English, it's better to go to a musical because it is easier to understand than a long play with lots of difficult English words!

Is SGI a good English school?

Well, actually, SGI is much better than 'good'. According to the most recent group of inspectors from the British Government, SGI is "outstanding".

If you are trying to work out 'which is the best English language school in London', then one of the first questions that should be answered  in terms of quality is, "Does the school have the proper accreditations?"

The legendary SGI Student Social programme keeps getting better.

Just look below at all the amazing events around London on offer for our students this month!

WEEK 1

Monday, 1st Feb - WELCOME MEETING: 3:10 - 3:30

The students at Saint George International have a social programme event every afternoon after English lessons have finished.

Going on the social programme event and talking in English to students and teachers from other classes is a rewarding, interesting and friendly experience and is great "no pressure" practice for improving your speaking and listening skills.