Ivy League British Studies II | Embracing the British Culture

It was a great and pleasant camp experiencelast week as the students of Ivy League British spent their time in UK. Theyvisited Gloucester College and were amazed while strolling the campus. They hadalso experienced the rich culture and historical buildings of Cheltenham aswell as the academic campus of Oxford. In addition to continuing their Englishstudies at Gloucester College this week, students also walked into London andenjoyed the historical attractions and monuments of the civilized world.Indeed, it was a fun filled experience and learning to be kept.

The rest of my life at Gloucester College.

Spending time at Gloucester College howevershort, had been fulfilling. When the children first arrived, they were worriedabout their English skills and whether they could get along with their foreignclassmates, and time proved that these fears were superfluous. Many studentssaid bluntly that they were so happy at Gloucester College School. The studentsfrom abroad were very kind and nice, teachers are marvelous and the schooloffers a lot of campus activities. It seemed that the learners never want toleave the school. Many children have gained foreign acquaintances duringclasses and activities. Students from across the globe such as France, Italyand Japan had become their new found friends.

After class, extra-curricular activitiesare still rich; bowling, swimming, ball sports and other sports which affordedeveryone, a maintained good state of mind. Along with friends, many of themwould love to go to the “disco”, a British come-upon term for late night merrymaking which includes lively music where you can dance to the tune. As nightfell, the silence came late, and the young students danced to express thescorching words of youth in the sound of cheerful music and lights.

This kind of study trip at Gloucesterprovides valuable opportunities for our students to learn outside the fourcorners of the classroom. It motivates them to have interest in learning,develop their communication skills and they got a chance to try out thelanguage they studied with native speakers. Perhaps the most important of all,students gain new insights to a different culture and a more globalperspective.

London, a city of limitless reverie, is thecity with the largest number of museums libraries, one of the richest,economically developed, commercial and living standards in the world. It isalso the largest financial center in the world.

Upon arriving at Britain, one may ask howone can let go the opportunity to go to this famous city all over the world,experience what it is to be in with the friends of Ivy League camp, walk intothe ancient city, and experience the urban style of classical and modern timesall at once.

Walk into Buckingham Palace.

Buckingham Palace, founded in 1703, is themain abode and office of the British monarch in London, as well as one of thevenues for national celebrations and royal welcoming ceremonies. The famousRoyal Guards handover ceremony, held in front of Buckingham Palace everymorning, has become a major landscape of British royal culture.

While visiting Buckingham Palace, the studentsof the research camp had the opportunity to witness the handover ceremony ofthe Royal Guards. In the sound of military music and commands, the Royal Guardsperformed in various lines and saluted each other with guns.

Glimpse of Westminster Abbey

Not far from Buckingham Palace is Britain'smost famous Westminster Abbey, which was founded in 960 and is located on thenorth bank of the Thames in London. British royal weddings and funerals areheld here. This is where people spontaneously bid farewell by laying flowerswhen the famous Princess Diana died. Here, the students of the research campenjoy the magnificent royal church, which combines different architecturalstyles, and experience the splendid history and culture of Britain.

A bird's-eye view of the whole city in London.

The London Eye, located on the banks of theThames, is a unique view of London. It is also commonly known as the MillenniumFerris Wheel, opened at the end of 1999 and was built to celebrate the newmillennium. The students of the Ivy League camp had a nice view of London from135 meters, with views of the famous Tower Bridge, the Thames, Big Ben and theShade Tower, the tallest building in the UK. This makes the children so excitedthat even those who have fear of heights had overcome it just to have a glimpseof London from atop.

Visit to the British Museum, one of thefive largest museums in the world.

Founded in 1753, the British Museum, is theoldest and most magnificent comprehensive museum and it is also one of the fivelargest museums in the world. It has a collection of cultural relics andtreasures from all over the world and the manuscripts of many great scientists.The collection is rich and varied, which is rare in museums. The British Museumhas a collection of more than 8 million pieces.

In the British Museum, children seecountless treasures from all over the world, including ancient Egypt, India,China, the American continent, the two rivers and other world treasures. Whenthey saw these many rare treasures of ancient China on display at this time,the children clenched their wrists in the hope that they would return those tothe motherland in the future.

A Tale of two cities on the RiverAvon-Warwick Castle & Shakespeare's former residence.

Warwick Castle, visited by the camp's friends,is one of the top ten castles in England, built by William the Conqueror in1068. Opened as a tourist attraction in 1978, the castle has many wax figuresof Tussauds, a vivid reproduction of the history of the castle, but also acollection of weapons and armor.

Inside the castle, the children visitedtowers, barriers, state halls, Victorian apartments, and the rooms ofsuccessive count and countess, as well as many historical relics in the castle.What fascinates everyone most are the lifelike oil paintings.

After visiting Warwick Castle, we went toStratford, the hometown of Shakespeare and the birthplace of the RoyalShakespeare Company. The town is famous for Shakespeare's former residence andhas attracted many Shakespeare fans to visit.

In this beautiful town, the childrenlearned more about Shakespeare and his literary achievements. The greatplaywright and poet of the English Renaissance is one of the most outstandingwriters in the history of world literature. At the same time, children alsolearned more about English drama and Renaissance England.

Completion of Summer camp studies at GloucesterCollege

During the two weeks of study in the UK,students spent most of their time at Gloucester College, under the guidance oftheir British teachers, to improve their English skills, especially oralEnglish and listening. Many children say they really don't want to leave theschool. This study also made the children realize the importance of English."when you return home, you must study English well!"

On the last day of Gloucester College, theschool teacher issued certificates of completion to the children, praised thechildren for their progress during this period, and hoped that they would havea chance to visit Gloucester College in the future.

The two-week study in the UK was soon over, and thechildren felt that the two weeks had passed too quickly. This study trip inBritain has made us gain a lot and grow a lot. It has not only learnedknowledge and seen the world, but also improved our independence andself-confidence. Measure the world with your feet while walking and locate thefuture with your eyes.