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The verdict – can Ollie surf?

We did it! We promised that Cactus Ambassador Ollie Phillips would try surfing in Spain, and here is the proof!

A welcome visit to the beach after 40°+ temperatures in Seville (more on that later) saw Ollie swap rugby boots for surfboard and take a few lessons with Escuela de Surf Cadiz (Cadiz Surf School).

The lessons took place on Playa de la Cortadura, one of Cadiz city’s beautiful blue flag beaches. Known for its small waves and warm water, Playa de la Cortadura is perfect for learning to surf – and water lovers can also try paddle boarding and body boarding through the surf school.

So how did Ollie fair? For his first time surfing, and with lessons in both Spanish and English, we were impressed!

Ollie-surfing-youtube-videoOllie managed to get to his feet and catch a few waves with expert guidance from his surf instructor…before taking a dip in the sea!

Check out the video of Ollie surfing on YouTube

 

Ollie-surfingWell done Ollie! Keep posted for our next instalment of what it’s like to learn Spanish in Seville.

And while you’re waiting, why not check out his flamenco moves

¡Hasta luego!

Cactus offers Spanish and surf courses in Cadiz through CLIC, and Ollie also brushed up his Spanish in Seville at their excellent school in central Seville.

 

 

 

 

So you want to see Ollie dancing flamenco?

Last week we asked you what you wanted to see Cactus Ambassador Ollie Phillips doing in Spain…and the overwhelming response was to see Ollie Phillips dancing flamenco!

We listened to your feedback and whilst Ollie was in Spain earlier this week he not only danced flamenco, but he did so at the highly prestigious Museo del Baile Flamenco in Seville.

museodelbaileflamencoThis 18th century Museum of Flamenco Dance, founded by respected flamenco dancer Cristina Hoyos, is a flamenco dance institution housed in a traditional Andalucian palace. Cristina is one of the most important flamenco dancers in Spain and she has worked with the legends of flamenco, many of whom are honoured in the museum. For those interested in learning about flamenco’s roots and appreciating the beauty of the art of flamenco, this is the place to come.

And so to Ollie.

Ollie was invited to join dancers on stage at one of their evening performances, in front of an audience of some 100 flamenco fans. Undeterred by no previous dance experience – and no doubt helped by the natural agility that comes with being a professional sportsman – Ollie gallantly copied the experts and proceeded to dance flamenco to everyone’s delight.

So here we are folks – the proof:

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Keep posted for the complete video of Ollie’s trip to Seville and Cadiz which will be released shortly – including footage of him dancing flamenco on stage!

clic_logoOllie travelled to Spain to study Spanish with Cactus partner CLIC in Seville. Cactus offers Spanish courses in Seville and in many locations across Spain and Latin America.

 

 

Ollie Phillips Spain – what do you want him to do?

Ollie Phillips Spain – Is Spain ready?

So we’ve told you that Cactus Ambassador Ollie Phillips is jetting off to Spain this weekend

Now we want YOU to tell us what you want to see him doing!

Reply in the Comments box with your choice of the following:

I would like to see Ollie Phillips in Spain…

  1. Dancing flamenco
  2. Kite surfing
  3. Making a paella
  4. Ordering sangria and tapas in Spanish
  5. Pretending to bullfight
  6. Playing Spanish guitar

…and we will do our best to make it happen!!

But quick – he goes on Sunday 5th July, so get your votes in now!

Ollie Phillips Spain: Ollie is going to learn Spanish in Seville and try Spanish and Kitesurfing in Cadiz. Cactus offers Spanish courses in Seville, Cadiz and across Spain, many of which offer the great opportunity to combine Spanish lessons with activities such as surfing, tennis, flamenco and cooking.

Ollie Phillips in Spain – Sneak Preview

Cactus Ambassador Ollie Phillips is all set to go to Spain to make us want to learn Spanish…

You’ve seen Ollie tell us why he learnt French in France as a player for Parisian team Stade Français – now he’s learning Spanish and is all set to go to Spain to get the rest of us in the mood, too!

Next month Ollie will jet off to Seville with Cactus – a vibrant city of flamenco, tapas and fiestas – before heading to the coast to try Spanish & Surfing in Cadiz. We’ll be making a video to show what this beautiful part of Spain has to offer and to highlight the many benefits of learning Spanish in a country where it’s spoken.

About Ollie

ollie_phillipsA professional sportman who has travelled the world playing rugby, sailing in the Clipper Round The Wave Race, commentating for Eurosport and Sky (in French) and delivering workshops to global brands, Ollie has first-hand experience of the importance of language in international communication and understanding.

He has come on board as Cactus Ambassador as he is passionate about sharing his experience to inspire Britain’s younger learners in particular to learn a second language – opening the door to infinite career and other opportunities.

Cactus runs language courses in over 120 destinations abroad, as well as private and corporate language training, evening courses in the UK and TEFL courses worldwide.

 

Top 5 Spring festivals in Spain

Fiesta time is upon us! If there’s anywhere that knows how to throw a good party, it’s Spain. These festivals are the perfect pick-me-up after the long winter months, and a great incentive to learn a little Spanish too!

1. Moros y Cristianos, Alicante: 21st-24th April 2015

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Of the 150 or so locations in Spain to celebrate Moros y Cristianos, there is no beating the celebrations that take place in Alcoy, Alicante. The festival dates back to the 16th century and commemorates the Battle of Alcoy in 1276, when the Christian army of Saint George helped defeat the Moorish troops lead by Al-Azraq. In homage to St George, the people of Alcoy made him their patron saint and vowed to hold a festival in his honour each year…and what a festival it is. With 28 armies in mock battle, intricately-made costumes on show, a spectacular procession and breathtaking firework displays, the streets are full and the atmosphere is electric in this fitting tribute to the battle that expelled the Moors from Spain.

Spanish courses in Alicante

2. La Feria de Abril, Seville: 21st-26th April 2015

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Little may need to be said about what is arguably Spain’s biggest fiesta. The solemnity of Semana Santa the week preceding Easter is cast aside as the vibrant Andalucian city of Seville erupts into the much-anticipated April Fair, a week-long party of flamenco dancing, horse shows, bullfighting and more. This is Spanish fiesta at its best. The only problem is what to see and how to reserve enough energy to stay up all night and join the locals at what they do best – party, party, party!

Spanish courses in Seville

3. Patios de Cordoba: 4th-17th May 2015

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Exploring a city’s streets is one thing, but knocking on somebody’s door and entering through heavy wooden doors that are kept closed for 50 weeks of the year is a real privilege. And this is what Patios de Cordoba grants you – the chance to enter into the cool shade of private homes and feast your eyes on their patios which have been lovingly adorned throughout the year with all manner of flowers, plants and decorations. Lemon trees, geraniums, roses, carnations, fountains – the list is endless, but the colour and scent won’t fail to impress, and nor will the chance to enter hidden corners of Andalucia away from the rush of modern life.

Spanish courses in Cordoba

4. Horse Fair, Jerez: 10th-17th May 2015

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You don’t have to be a horse lover to enjoy Spain’s best horse fair, the Feria de Caballo in Jerez. Taking place in its famous sherry-producing town, Jerez de la Frontera, could be incentive enough. Or maybe you’ll be won over by the sight of impeccably-dressed locals riding through the streets and ladies dressed in bright flamenco dresses, ready to wow the crowds with their Sevillanas dance displays. But most of all you can’t help but be impressed by the supreme skill and care taken to train and groom the horses that star in this annual show. If there is one performance not to miss, it’s the Dancing Andalusian Horses – a true equestrian ballet, fully choreographed, accompanied by traditional Spanish music and costume. You’ll swear you didn’t know horses could do that type of thing…

Spanish courses in Seville

Spanish courses in Marbella

5. San Isidro, Madrid: 15th May 2015

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If you want to experience the most quintessential of Spanish traditions then head for Madrid during its San Isidro festival. Not only is this the world’s most important bullfighting festival, it is also an excuse for flamboyant Spanish fiesta in the form of music, dancing, fairs and what is known as a romeria, or pilgrimage, to the shrine of Madrid’s patron saint, San Isidro. Las Ventas bullring plays host to the much-anticipated bullfights, concerts are held in the beautiful Plaza Mayor to concerts, and Vistillas Park is transformed into an open-air dance hall. Book tickets to specific events in advance, or just turn up and soak up the exhilarating atmosphere.

Spanish courses in Madrid

Cactus offers Spanish courses in many locations across Spain as well in countries throughout Central and South America.

Where are the Best Language Schools in the World?

Good value and quality tuition in the world’s best locations…these are the best language schools in the world

Cactus’ recent appearance on the Guardian website in an article entitled “Top language learning holidays – in pictures” coincides perfectly with our brand new Top 10 Schools page.

Designed to give inspiration for the best places to learn a language, these schools are not just our most popular; they also offer great value and quality teaching in some of the most exciting locations across the globe. Whether you fancy learning Portuguese in Brazil or French on the glittering Côte d’Azur, you can be sure that our Top 10 schools offer the best and cheapest ways to study a language.

Currently topping our Top 10 list is Babylon Idiomas Seville, a small and friendly school located in the heart of Seville’s flamenco neighbourhood of Macarena. This makes an excellent choice when it comes to learning Spanish in Spain, or perhaps you’d prefer to combine your lessons with sailing or kite surfing at Taronja Valencia (number 6)?

Whatever your preference, there is something for everyone in our Top 10 Schools…our clients are a savvy bunch, and if these are the places they book time after time, they must be on to something.

Cactus offers language courses in over 25 languages and 120 destinations worldwide for adults, juniors and professionals. We have over 15 years’ experience providing study abroad courses, and you can book in the knowledge that you will receive the highest levels of customer service as well as a price match guarantee.

Use our website to browse language courses by location or language, or feel free to call us to chat through the options on 0845 130 4775 (UK local rate).

* Above image is of Brooklyn which appears at number 2 of our top 10.

Easter in all its glory: Semana Santa in Seville

Holy Week, or Semana Santa, is one of the most important events on the Spanish calendar, and no celebrations are more famed than those that take place in the Andalucian city of Seville. Falling in the week leading up to Easter, Semana Santa draws in around a million spectators each year, who come to see the exceptional processions, floats and traditional dress that mark the largest religious event within Spain. Semana Santa takes place between 13th and 20th April 2014, starting as always on Palm Sunday and ending on Easter Sunday.

Given its religious significance, Semana Santa is traditionally a rather solemn affair. Those who want a more light-hearted Easter experience may come two weeks later for the famed Feria de Seville (5th-10th May), a 6-day fiesta that consists of flamenco and sevillanas dancing, parades, fairground rides, sherry drinking, dressing up in finery and generally partying in typical Spanish style. That said, Semana Santa is by no means ‘dull’: bars are full around the clock with friends and entire families getting together to enjoy the close sense of community and occasion.

As declared in the rule of the ordinances back in the 17th century, Semana Santa sees the religious (namely Catholic) brotherhoods of Seville, known as cofradias or hermandades, make their way through the streets of the city with floats, or pasos, representing scenes of the Passion, Death and Resurrection of Christ, or of the Virgin Mary, la Dolorosa, mourning her son. The cofradias walk in penitence in front of their pasos, dressed in robes and often quite sinister hoods, from their home church to the Cathedral of Seville (the third largest cathedral in the world) and back. Although they take the shortest possible route, this procession may take up to 15 hours. In total the streets of Seville will see an 57 brotherhoods, made up of 60,000 brothers, carry an impressive 116 floats down its wide tree-lined avenues and through its narrow, cobbled streets.

The most popular processions will be saved however until the night of Maundy Thursday, when they will set out in order to arrive at the Cathedral at dawn on Good Friday, known as the madrugá. Grandstands are built in the main plazas and seats sell out weeks in advance for the culmination of this unique and unforgettable week.

Semana Santa is a reminder of how Spain is inextricably linked to its past and its traditions; although many of the country’s other fiestas have a religious slant to them, involving much festivity and merriment, this is one celebration which gives us a deep insight into the Spanish psyche and which will no doubt be respected for years to come, by young and by old.

Cactus Language offer a range of Spanish language courses in the UK, New York, Spain, South America & Central America.

Cactus Worldwide Blog: March 2014 – Focus on Spanish Courses for Teens

Focus on: Spanish Summer Courses in Spain for Juniors & Teenagers

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Hello, and welcome to the March 2014 edition of the Cactus Worldwide blog for our foreign language courses abroad! My name is Ollie, and I am the Product Manager for our agency – Cactus Worldwide. Our team of experienced course advisors are here every day to discuss options with you and help set up a varied range of unique language-learning experiences, all over the globe, throughout the year, for all of our wonderful students.

This month’s blog is giving you a quick look at some of the options available for juniors and teenagers this summer in Spain – so if you are or know anybody who is preparing for an important exam, or about to move onto an GCSE or A-Level course, or who is just interested in learning a very useful foreign language, then there might be something here for you! There are three fantastic options below for students aged 5-17, and in some locations parents can study as well, so there is always the option to involve the whole family.

If you have any questions about anything you read here, please feel free to contact me directly via oliver.donovan@cactusworldwide.com and I’d be happy to answer any questions.

1.       Sevilla (June 15th – July 26th)

Spanish in Sevilla for Teenagers, aged 14-17, with Clic & Cactus Worldwide

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This is a wonderful, specialised course for independent older teenagers, served as a package inclusive of 20 Spanish lessons, full board host family accommodation and a set package of excursions and activities, such as a visit to Isla Magica theme park and a trip to the beach of nearby Cadiz. Groups are kept as small as possible so every student remains an individual throughout their attendance at the school, and don’t get ‘lost in the crowd’ as can be the case at some larger schools. Accommodation is with host families, and twin rooms are available for anybody who would like to travel with a friend or as a small group. This is an ideal opportunity for committed students to attend a quality school, brush up their Spanish, and make some new friends from all over the world. 2 weeks on this course is priced at £945, fully inclusive of the course, board, and activities, and courses are available here for accompanying adults too – click here for the info!

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2.       Denia (22nd June – 23rd August)

Spanish in Denia for Juniors & Teenagers, aged 5-17, with TLC & Cactus Worldwide

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Denia is the ideal location for younger students and families with children of a wider range of ages, catering for adults and juniors from the ages of 5 to 13, and teenagers from 14-17. The town itself is right in the middle of Alicante and Valencia airports (about 1 hour from both), so it’s incredibly easy to access from the rest of Europe with many of the most popular budget airlines.

The school itself is independent, welcoming and friendly, and is located just 5 minutes’ walk from the city centre and is very near the bus station, bars, shops and cafes. It is also just 10 minutes by foot to the port and 20 minutes to the beach, so there is no need for public transport at all after you have arrived. The school is contained within two renovated buildings offering 6 comfortable and equipped classrooms, TV and video facilities, air conditioning and coffee machines, and students also enjoy free access to a Multimedia centre with 15 computers, internet and interactive language programmes, plus a library offering additional materials. Classes are kept to a maximum of 8 students (12 for some junior courses), which is ideal, and all teachers are specialists in teaching Spanish as a foreign language, with many years of experience.

The junior courses here run from June 22nd until August 23rd, and solo students or families can stay either with friendly local hosts in their home, or in one of the school’s apartments in the town (some in the city, some by the beach). The programmes for young students aged 5-13 provide 10 Spanish lessons per week and a choice of a programme of land-based activities or afternoons of sailing at Club Nautico in the marina (for students aged 8+). For the teenagers, 20 lessons per week are taken at the school, and a full programme of cookery lessons, workshops and beach sports. Every group overlaps in some way, so there is a unique mixture of student ages and nationalities every step of the way here, providing an ideal setting for solo travellers or the whole family, and ensuring loads of fun is had by all! Well worth booking early to avoid disappointment.

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3.       Segovia (29th June – 23rd August)

Spanish in Segovia for Teenagers, aged 14-17, with OISE & Cactus Worldwide

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This Spanish summer programme in the beautiful landscape of Segovia (just outside Madrid – only 30 minutes by train) is aimed at the most ambitious young learners aged 14-17 who want or need to learn Spanish very quickly and effectively. What this school provides is a premium option for those students who are looking for a full Spanish immersion experience and they design their programme in a way that helps them make the maximum possible progress in the time available. This is achieved through an intensive day of study in small groups with a high degree of personal attention (the course only caters for an average of 20-30 students at any one time), and the small class size of 8 as a maximum also ensures that all students’ individual learning needs are met.

Students attending this programme are expected to complete homework each evening with their host family, or with the monitor at the residence, so although there are activities and excursions provided during the weekends (visits to Madrid, for instance), the focus here is much more on academic progress, cultural integration and communication skills, so it’s an ideal choice for a committed student looking for a demanding programme.

Segovia itself is a quintessentially Spanish city, close enough to Madrid to make it logistically easy for arrivals but at the same time it is a small city with a population of 45,000. Ideal for younger students, this town is safe, family-oriented and also a UNESCO cultural destination. The Spanish spoken in Segovia is also very clear and precise, making it the perfect destination for a serious academic programme! Two-week programmes start from £1,805, completely inclusive of meals, accommodation, tuition, activities, excursions and transfers from Barajas airport in Madrid. Places are limited, so again it’s well worth booking early to avoid disappointment!

We hope this selection has been of interest, and may have given you some ideas for some study options for the year ahead. Any Qs at all, as always, please feel free to contact me directly and I’d be happy to help.

Happy planning 😉

Best Wishes,

Ollie

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Oliver Donovan

Agency Product Manager

Email: oliver.donovan@cactusworldwide.com

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Panoramic image at top: Segovia, Spain

Cactus Worldwide Blog: February 2014 – Focus On TEFL

Focus on: Cactus TEFL Special Offers

ollie_small

Hello, and welcome to the February 2014 edition of the Cactus Worldwide blog! And also, welcome to our agency – Cactus Worldwide – where our team of experienced course advisors are here every day to discuss options with you and help set up a varied range of unique language-learning or language-teaching experiences, all over the globe, throughout the year, for all of our fantastic students.

This month’s blog is all about the special offers we currently have available to those of you considering taking a TEFL course this year, in the U.K. or abroad.

If you have any questions about any of the special offers that you read about here, please feel free to contact our experienced TEFL admissions advisor, Peyman Shameli, directly via info@cactusworldwide.com and he’d be happy to answer any questions.

1.      £47 off the Cambridge CELTA course in April in Krakow, Poland!

Now only £868 for the 4-week CELTA course starting 7th April (finishing 9th May).

Click below to find out more about this last-minute offer and apply now!

Full-time Cambridge CELTA course in Krakow in April with British Council and Cactus TEFL – now just £868

2.       £50 off the Full-Time March Trinity CertTESOL + £100 off the Part-Time April Trinity CertTESOL in Oxford Circus, Central London!

Established in 1962, St George International operates out of a new purpose-built centre, situated in the Fitzrovia district of Central London. Although only three minutes away from busy Oxford Circus underground, the school itself lies in a wonderfully quiet back street.

The centre is widely regarded as being a specialist in the field of EFL, having run high-quality, good-value teacher training courses in Central London since the summer of 1993. Since then, over two thousand trainees have successfully passed through their doors as newly-qualified English language teachers of the globally-recognised Trinity College London Cert TESOL.

Click below to find out more about the 2014 special offers and apply now!

Full-time Trinity CertTESOL in March with Cactus TEFL & St George International – now just £845

Part-time Trinity CertTESOL in April with Cactus TEFL & St George International – now just £895

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St George International, Oxford Circus, Central London

3.       Free Course Book (Learning Teaching by Jim Scrivener, worth £30) for every successful Trinity TESOL applicant in 2014 @ British Study Centres in Brighton! Exclusive to Cactus TEFL

BSC in Brighton was opened in 2008 and is located in a beautifully refurbished, four-storey Victorian house between Brighton and Hove, with a garden, a terrace and a 5-star cafeteria, and in an ideal location with the beach, Brighton attractions and city centre only 15 minutes away. The school has 15 spacious classrooms with large windows, a fully stocked study centre and library, a computer room as well as WiFi throughout the building. This school is not only newly-renovated, well-resourced and a pleasant training environment, it is also a real, thriving workplace where students can experience the reality of teaching.

Every little helps, and this year they are offering every successful Trinity TESOL applicant applying via Cactus TEFL a free copy of arguably the most highly-regarded text in the EFL industry – Learning Teaching by Jim Scrivener – worth £30.

Click the link below to take advantage of this special offer!

Trinity TESOL in Brighton with Cactus TEFL & British Study Centres

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The garden at British Study Centres in Brighton

4.       Free Course Book (Learning Teaching by Jim Scrivener, worth £30) for every successful Trinity TESOL applicant in 2014 @ Athena Teacher Training in Bournemouth! Exclusive to Cactus TEFL

Just two minutes from Bournemouth’s long sandy beaches and city centre, Athena Teacher Training forms one of Bournemouth’s largest language schools and prides itself on offering a friendly, professional atmosphere in which to develop the teaching skills vital to all good teachers.

The school is offering every successful Trinity TESOL applicant applying via Cactus TEFL a free copy of arguably the most highly-regarded text in the EFL industry – Learning Teaching by Jim Scrivener – worth £30.

Click the link below to take advantage of this special offer!

Trinity TESOL in Bournemouth with Cactus TEFL & Athena Teacher Training

5.        Discounted Part-Time Trinity Cert TESOL course in Oxford this March – now only £795!

ISIS Oxford are offering £55 off off their part-time Cert TESOL course starting 4th March – normally £850, now just £795.

This 14 week part-time course leads to the award of the Trinity Certificate in TESOL. Along with the RSA CELTA, this is the most widely accepted qualification for teachers of EFL/ESOL, with recognition from schools and colleges worldwide and bodies such as the British Council and the QCA. You can anticipate a demanding but enjoyable month, at the end of which you will have the tools and the confidence to take up a first TESOL position either in the UK or abroad.

If you’re interested in taking a last-minute Cert TESOL course this is a wonderful opportunity to study in the beautiful, iconic city of Oxford at a reduced price.

Click the link below to find out more and apply!

Part-time Trinity Cert TESOL in Oxford with Cactus TEFL and ISIS Oxford

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6.       10% off a CELTA course in the Sevilla sunshine this March, with Cactus TEFL & Clic! – but be quick, offer only valid for applicants applying before Friday February 21st

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The Andalucian ‘Clic Sevilla’ school building

Are you considering teaching English in Spain this year? If so, we highly recommend taking a course in-country, as this offers many significant benefits, such as a valuable in-country contact for jobs advice and support. Trainees taking their TEFL course abroad also benefit from teaching students native to that country during their teaching practice sessions, so they graduate from the course already highly equipped with knowledge of these learners’ specific academic and cultural learning needs.

This highly popular school in Sevilla, called Clic, is part of an international network of schools (for teacher training and teaching Spanish as a foreign language) located in the heart of the town, just 10 minutes’ walking distance to the cathedral and 2 minutes to Plaza Nueva. The building is a very well-equipped Andalucian house with a reception desk on the ground floor, training director’s office, teachers’ room, classrooms, internet access, kitchen, vending machines and common room on the second and third floors and a large roof terrace. The school also owns its own cafe/bar (serving drinks and tapas) on the same street. This provides an excellent meeting place for both teachers and students from all over the world.

Interested? Visit the link below to find out more about the course and download an application form for the 17th March CELTA course!

Cambridge CELTA in Sevilla with Cactus TEFL & Clic International House

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The ‘Clic’ cafeteria in Sevilla

We hope this selection has been of interest, and may have given you some ideas for some bargain study options for the year ahead. Any Qs at all, please feel free to contact me directly and I’d be happy to help.

Happy planning 😉

Best Wishes,

Ollie

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Oliver Donovan
Agency Product Manager

Email: oliver.donovan@cactusworldwide.com