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Life as an intern at Cactus in Brighton

Internship in Brig“Hello I’m Christina, the new Marketing intern.” The buzzer rang, the door was opened and a little nervous I went up the stairs for my first day at Cactus Language Training in Brighton.

I am studying International Relations and Management in Germany and it is part of my degree to do an internship abroad for five months. As I really enjoyed the Marketing lectures at university I decided to do an internship in this area. After looking through some vacant internship placements online, I found an internship advertisement which I liked the look of straight away. So I decided to try my luck and applied for it. Just a few days later I received an answer and we arranged a telephone interview. And here I am! This is my tenth week in the Marketing Department of Cactus Language Training here in Brighton, in the Southeast of the UK.

Brighton is a vibrant, young town which is a melting pot for people from all parts of the world. I have heard that some people call it “little London by the Sea”. There are many great places to visit like the Brighton Pier or the Marina. I really enjoy having a stroll through the Laines where you can find so many different little shops. In my opinion going to Brighton is a good choice and I am very glad that I made this decision.

It was a new experience for me to meet so many people from different countries. Many people who work in the Cactus Language office in Brighton are not from the UK but from Spain, France, Italy, Germany or Australia. It is very likely that people in this office speak more than two languages. So it is normal that you are surrounded by different accents and languages.

In addition, there are some international interns in the different departments of the company who are staying for various periods of time. So it was quite easy for me to get in contact with people of my age because we are in the same situation.

Making coffee, filing or doing the photocopying may come to mind when you think about an internship in a company. But with Cactus it is different. I was involved from day one and after a while more and more tasks have been given to me.

Cactus is on Facebook, Google +, Twitter, LinkedIn, Flickr and Pinterest.

One of my tasks is writing posts for Cactus’ social media sites. Every week the company promotes a different language and some interesting facts about the culture, the country, the people and the language itself. A big part of my week is used for doing research for these posts. As a result of this activity I have found out new, really interesting things on languages and different countries and cultures in general. For example, do you know the difference between European Portuguese and Brazilian Portuguese? Or did you know how people in Spain celebrate New Year’s Eve?

I had no idea.

More and more course enquiries are coming through Facebook and Twitter and it is my task to answer them. In addition, I am responsible for uploading new content to Cactus’ social media sites. Each week one of our language teachers is featured and I post photos of current social events by Cactus. Furthermore we put together all the data from our social media pages and during my time here I have learned a lot about content management systems. I am using different programmes I haven’t even heard of before. I am really glad that I have had this experience and I think it’s great when you really enjoy your job and can pick up so many new things every day.

If you are looking for a great internship in a nice company in a beautiful, interesting city, I can totally recommend the Cactus Language Marketing department to you.

Cactus specialises in organising language courses for individuals and groups, having done so since 1999 for clients all over the globe and for diverse needs and budgets. Our expertise in the field of face-to-face tuition is second-to-none. With an extensive network of approved teachers and a strong in-house academic team, we are able to tailor a language course to suit your specific learning needs, anywhere in the world and whenever is convenient to you.

For more information about working at Cactus, please visit our Jobs page.

Junior Holiday Camps in the UK

Any parent with children of school age will be familiar with the task of keeping them entertained during the school holidays, no more so than during the long summer break. To find something social, active and educational is ideal – and that is exactly what a junior language holiday, or camp, in the UK offers.

Taking place during the summer holidays, a junior language holiday gives under 18s:

• A unique opportunity to learn English where it is spoken

• The chance to mix with others of the same age in a safe, fun & international environment

• Quality English language tuition in small group classes – leading to a natural increase in fluency & confidence

• A varied & exciting activities programme – the perfect way to try new skills & make new friends

• Safe & comfortable accommodation – with local host families or in residences

• Full in-country support & on-site supervision – meaning that youngsters feel secure & parents can rest assured their children are in good hands

• Motivation on returning home to keep up the language they have learnt and achieve better grades – whether at school or applying for a British university.

UK Locations

The UK is a popular destination for a junior English holiday as it offers a fascinating variety of cultures, landscapes and traditions. With this in mind, Cactus offers a range of programmes in both England and Scotland to suit different tastes and budgets, for children aged 8 -18 years.

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London Camps

• Camden

• Kingston

• Regents Park

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Seaside Camps

• Brighton

• Southampton

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University City Camps

• Cambridge

• Oxford

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Real England Camps

• Cheltenham

• Nottingham

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Scottish Camps:

• Edinburgh

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Football Camps:

• Manchester

• Liverpool

Special English & Football Courses

Worth a special mention, Cactus’ English and Football courses in Manchester (15–18 years) and Liverpool (12-17 years) are a must for any sports-mad teen. An absolutely brilliant way for your child to combine his or her love of football with an English language holiday, these football summer camps offer young sports enthusiasts the chance to improve their English whilst receiving FA qualified football coaching in partnership with two of the country’s premier clubs – Manchester City or Liverpool FC. A sure-fire recipe for success both in the classroom and on the football field!

Safety & Welfare of Students

Most parents sending their children away will have understandable concerns about their safety and welfare. However all junior programmes are fully supervised to ensure not just the security of the youngsters but also their general wellbeing whilst they are away from home. All programmes offer excellent staff/student ratios, emergency contact numbers for students and parents, and on-site medical support. On top of this, supervisors and staff are friendly and approachable, with many years’ experience in dealing with younger students; they maintain a close eye on students at all times and provide support should a student be missing home or have any concerns. All of this ensures that students derive maximum benefit and enjoyment from their stay.

Support from Cactus

Having visited and vetted all the locations and schools that we work with, parents who are unsure where best to send their children can call to discuss their wishes with one of our multi-lingual advisors, and at the same time benefit from in-house academic support. Knowing that you can always call about any aspect of your child’s trip and speak to an experienced member of staff is a valuable benefit – especially when for many this might be their first time away from home alone.

Whichever junior language holiday you choose, you can be sure that your child will do much more than just sit in a classroom learning verbs. Every summer camp offers something different, but they all have these key benefits in common: they offer your child the unique chance to improve their English in a safe and friendly environment, try their hand at fun new skills, socialise with others of their age from all over the world and, most importantly, come back refreshed and confident in the language. A summer holiday well spent, for sure.

Please refer to our website for a full list of English junior holidays, prices and further information.

Cactus specialises in organising language courses for individuals and groups, having done so since 1999 for clients all over the globe and for diverse needs and budgets. Our expertise in the field of face-to-face tuition is second-to-none. With an extensive network of approved teachers and a strong in-house academic team, we are able to tailor a language course to suit your specific learning needs, anywhere in the world and whenever is convenient to you.

We offer language courses for Under 18s in many languages and locations across the world.

UK Events: Brighton Festival

The Brighton Festival is a 3-week arts festival held each year in May in and around Brighton.

This tourist Mecca of the south coast is inundated with day-trippers and weekend breakers for most of the summer, but if you can visit during the festival this is a great time to come. Busy? Yes…but worth battling the crowds? Definitely.

The festival is jam-packed with acts and performances from top international actors, dancers, singers, comedians, authors, journalists and musicians, which means that there is something to cater for all tastes and interests.

Brighton Festival’s Children’s Parade is a spectacular gathering of more than 4000 participants, which forms the opening event of the festival each year. There is usually a theme assigned to the parade, which this year will be the elements – earth, air, fire and water.

The Brighton Festival Fringe is a series of performances by newer or less established artists, or those whose type of act is not covered by the main festival. It’s a great place to discover new talent or to see a type of performance that you have not seen before. Most of the shows are less expensive than the main festival events too.

Tickets go quickly, so it’s worth booking sooner rather than later!