Cactus February Newsletter 2005

The Cactus Scoop - March 2005

In This Issue: Easter Crackers :: Easter Offers :: Client Feedback :: English Courses :: Sneak Preview
:: Cactus VIP Offers :: Your Feedback/Unsubscribe

:: Spring Crackers

St.Patrick's Day Dublin or New York March 17th This St. Patrick's Day theme is Mischief, Madness and Mayhem. Choose to join the crowds and Learn English in Dublin or in in our new school in New York...			Up & Down the Bridges 3 April Venice, Italy This unusual non-competitive "race" up and down the unknown bridges and areas of Venice is an old tradition and everybody is welcome to join in. Learn Italian in Venice...
French in Toulon, France £150 off 2 wk general French course or £200 off 2 week intensive French course both staying with host family or student residence. Start dates: 6th, 13th or 20th March or 1st April.			Las Fallas 15-19 March Valencia, Spain Valencia's biggest festival, a riotious week of city fires, explosions and parades in honour of Saint Joseph, attracting around two million people. Learn Spanish in Valencia...

Don't forget we can also arrange flights to any of the destinations we have on offer - ask us for a quote!

:: Easter Offers

Spanish & Salsa Group Holiday in Barcelona!
15th - 22nd May, £499*
Swinging your hips and putting together a few phrases to impress the locals are what this holiday's all about! You'll take language classes in the morning and salsa classes in the afternoon, followed by nights out in hot salsa night spots, delicious meals in carefully selected restaurants and social evenings lasting well into the early hours...and, if you still have any energy left, there's the whole of this extraordinary city to explore! Learn Spanish & Salsa in Barcelona...
*£25 off for Cactus VIPs

Montpellier Junior Easter French Courses
Begins 20th and 27th March, £469 or £499 (includes 1 week course and accommodation)
11-18 yr olds can get ahead this half-term by brushing up their French on a one week easter special in Montpellier. Activities are included in the course which include tennis, basketball and a farewell disco. Please click here for more information or email Laura.
Students can choose from 15 or 20 lessons a week.
Book online and save £10!

:: What do you think of...Montpellier, Havana & Milan

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French in Montpellier, France by Alexandra Pott

"The school and classes were excellent. The teachers spoke at an understandable rate, but stretched your learning as much as possible. Montpellier was fantastic, and I'd love to return there in the summer. There's plenty to do, including a cinema, and an ice rink.

I stayed with a host family, which forced me to speak French the entire time, which was really useful. The lady was lovely, but her cooking was a disaster! (She tried really hard to make me feel welcome by cooking English food, but I'd preferred if she'd cooked French food!) The best part of my holiday was having to speak French. Because the people in my class were of different nationalities, it meant that our common language was French, and therefore we spoke it all the time, even in the evenings!"

more info >>

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Spanish in Havana Vedado, Cuba

"The spanish teacher Vivian was very good. She came to the house where I was staying which made it very easy as the classes started at 8.30am in the morning. As I was having individual tuition the course was geared to my needs which was great. The teacher spoke in Spanish all the time, which was good and she covered all the areas of grammar that I requested.

I absolutely loved Havana and didn't want to come home at all. The place has so much atmosphere and charisma and the Cuban people are amazing. All the people I met who were on the course were great and I had no trouble making friends from the moment I got there. There is something about Havana that cannot be put into words and I was very very sad to leave.

The music and dancing is something else. The cuban people play music and dance all the time - in the streets, in the bars and the quality of the music is incredible. Old Havana is very interesting and there are lots of museums and places of interest to see. I'll definitely be going back and I would recommend other people to visit Cuba.

The accommodation was absolutely fine and the Cuban family that I stayed with were very very nice and treated me like a daughter. The food, though very basic in Cuba, was good. To be honest I think staying with a family in Havana is the best way as with having all the spanish lessons, salsa lessons and generally enjoying yourself, you don't have time to think about going out to eat.

I enjoyed everything, but especially the music and the salsa dancing as for me this is what I remember most about Cuba. The cuban people, though they have nothing, have a vitality that is amazing. It makes you realise that money isn't everything and that living life to the full is how it should be. I loved the people - my spanish teacher, the salsa dancing teachers and the family I stayed with. The other people I met doing the course were also really nice and I've made some good friends. "

more info >>

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Italian in Milan by Anita Thomson

"The school seemed well organised and the teacher was first-rate and used target language at all times. I was booked in for an individual course and the lessons lasted from 9am until 12.40pm each morning. I used to live in Milan and know it extremely well. I would recommend sightseeing, shopping, and eating out. The sense of achievement drawn from the noticeable improvement in my Italian was my favourite part of the trip."

more info >>

:: English Courses

New English Courses!
North America:Seattle, Boston, Fort Lauderdale
The Bahamas: Nassau
United Kingdom: Newcastle & Leeds

Please click here for more courses and information or email Anna

:: Sneak Preview

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Cactus TEFL is delighted to see the launch of its new website at www.cactustefl.com. Apart from having a complete visual overhaul, the new site boasts a more streamlined TEFL application procedure, and a wider than ever range of TEFL courses to choose from. A new addition to the site is a TEFL Jobs Section and CV posting area, where those who have applied for a course through CactusTEFL will be able to advertise their services to the world!

Cactus Volunteers
Cactus Volunteers has had a fantastic response in it's first month of launching
www.volunteers-abroad.com. Volunteers combine Spanish or Portuguese with placements in social, education, healthcare, environmental, internships and other cultural areas. Current placements can be found in Bolivia, Brazil, Buenos Aires, Córdoba, Costa Rica, Ecuador, Guatemala and Peru. Log on or email Sarah for more information.

UK Evening Language Courses
New courses now available in Brighton! English, Arabic & Japanese join Spanish Beginners PLUS, French Beginners PLUS & Elementary and Italian Beginners PLUS. New courses now available in London! Spanish Beginners/Beginners PLUS available in Notting Hill Gate begins 14th March. Chinese Beginners also available in Bond Street. Clients can assess their level and find more information at www.languagecoursesuk.co.uk or email Anna.

:: Cactus VIPs

You automatically become a Cactus VIP if you have taken more than one language holiday with us and/or if you have sent in particularly useful feedback following on from your Cactus holiday.

Those of you who are already Cactus VIPs now have your own section to log in on the home page of our website. This gives you access to your unique web pages, offering fun language- and travel- related information such as world festivals, recipes, mini language guides and a monthly photo competition - plus, of course, amazing special offers as follows...

* Cactus VIPs Offers - March*

Cactus Group Holidays - £25 off holiday price (valid all year). Please quote your Customer Number & Ref: VIPgroups.
FREE Arrival Airport Transfer - for bookings made in February 05 for holidays throughout the year. Please quote your Customer Number and Ref: VIPtransfer.

For more info on becoming a Cactus VIP please email us.

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