“Kia
Ora” : Welcome to Christchurch
The Garden City
The staff would like to welcome you to GEOS Christchurch Language
Centre. We look forward to your arrival and making your
stay enjoyable and successful.
To help you prepare for your trip we have compiled the
following information, which we believe will help you adapt
more quickly to a new country, climate, college, customs
and lifestyles.
Charming Christchurch
Located on beautiful Banks Peninsula, with a population
of 380 000, Christchurch is New Zealand’s ‘Garden
City’, and the largest city in the South Island. Fabulous
parks and gardens are only one part of Christchurch’s
many charms. It is often called the ‘most English
city outside of England” because of its many historic
buildings and the picturesque Avon River winding its way
through the heart of the city. In Christchurch you can
enjoy the theatre, restaurants and cafes, sporting events
and many outdoor activities. There are also a variety of
exciting places to visit around Christchurch. You can try
bungy jumping, horse riding, skiing, snowboarding or jet
boating all within easy reach.
Christchurch city’s central district is a vibrant
hub, where friendly people and a “Kiwi” attitude
mix with beautiful gardens, open spaces and elegant old
stone buildings.
Language Difficulties
Most of you may experience some difficulty speaking English.
This is natural. You will be using conversational English,
which is probably different to what you were taught in
high school. It will take some time to become proficient
in your speech. When you talk with your host family, teachers
or friends, ask them to speak clearly, slow down or repeat
themselves. These people are excellent sources of new words
and phrases. Ask them to help with your pronunciation and
vocabulary. They will be happy to help. If you become tired
and frustrated when you do not learn as quickly as you
would like, relax and slow down. Be patient. It takes time.
Asking for Help…
If there is something you don’t understand, or something
you are not sure how to deal with, ask someone for help
or advice. If you do not ask, we cannot help you.
- I don’t
understand. Can you explain this to me?”
- Can
you help me please?”
- I am sad/confused/homesick.
Can I talk with you about it?”
- I would like some
help with homework/English, new friends”
Weather
Christchurch has very changeable weather and has been
said to have ‘four seasons in one day’.
The climate ranges from warm to hot summers to cold
crisp winters.
It very rarely snows in the city, but skiing is very
popular in the mountains, only one hour drive away.
December to March is warm to hot (max 18-30 degrees
C)
April to November is cool to cold and often windy (max
5-18 degrees C)
What to Bring
Clothing
- Light
comfortable clothing for the warmer months (T-shirts,
shorts, sandals etc)
- Wind proof jacket, pullover,
jeans, jacket and strong shoes or boots for the colder months, although
remember we can
have four seasons in one day, so it is advisable
to bring some warmer clothing even in summer.
- Raincoat and umbrella.
- All types
of clothing can be purchased in Christchurch.
Food
All Asian products and most European products are readily
available in Christchurch and you do not need to
bring these with you. As New Zealand has been an
isolated
country for many years and is relatively free from pests and
harmful insects there are very strict quarantine laws controlling
the importation of foods and plants.
Do not bring any plant or animal materials into
the country (e.g. mushrooms, fruit, Chinese herbs,
pork,
noodles,
spices etc). However, if you must bring any
of these, please remember the following classes
of goods
MUST be declared
on your New Zealand Passenger Arrival Card:
- Food
of any kind
- Plants or parts of plants
(alive or dead)
- Animals (alive or dead) or
their products
- Equipment used with animals
- Equipment
such as camping gear, golf clubs and used bicycles
- Biological specimens
Passengers
who fill out the Quarantine section of the declaration card incorrectly, risk
an instant
fine
of $200. This is
in addition to the prospect of a fine of up
to $100,000, or a prison term of up to five years
for serious breaches
of New Zealand Bio-Security laws.
Please see the New Zealand Customs Service
website for more details: www.customs.govt.nz/index.htm
Students travelling on a Student Visa
Students travelling on a student visa need to comply
with certain conditions:
- Students must
have an attendance level of 80%
- Students
must notify GEOS CLC of any change of address
- Students
must meet course requirements
- Students must
not work unless you have applied
for permission to work
and hold
a work permit and work visa
Please note that
student visas are for all students who are enrolled
for 12 weeks full time or
more. Please check with the closest New Zealand Embassy/Consulate to check whether an exception is applicable to your country/nationality.
Requirements:
- Students
must attend 20 hours minimum study per week to
maintain their student visa status
- Students who are
in New Zealand
on a tourist visa need to speak to staff at GEOS CLC in regard
to their eligibility.
Process:
Step 1
The Registrar, upon receiving the student’s registration
form from the agent or individual student shall issue an
initial Letter of Acceptance / Offer of Place stating the
student’s name, date of birth, period of study and
course type. An invoice will also
be sent at this time, along with the
Pre-Departure Handbook.
Step2
Upon full payment of the course fees the Registrar
will issue a receipt of payment and
final Letter of Acceptance
/ Offer of Place stating the student’s
name, period of study, course type and
that all fees have
been paid.
Step 3
Overseas students
The receipt of payment and final Letter of Acceptance
/ Offer of Place and are first faxed
to the respective New
Zealand Embassy in that country (if
requested). They
are then faxed and posted to Agent or individual. Agents
or the individual students will then
apply for the student visa.
Step 4
New Zealand based student
The receipt of payment and final Letter of Acceptance
/ Offer of Place are issued to the
local agent or the individual. Agents
of the individual students will then apply of the student
visa. Students already studying at GEOS CLC who wish to
apply for a student visa can get a student visa application
from the Registrars office. Staff
are available to help students with any
enquires
they may have.
You could also visit the New Zealand Immigration
Department website for more information. www.immigration.govt.nz
New
Zealand Immigration Service - Christchurch
Branch
Carter House
81 Lichfield Street
P.O. Box 2211
Christchurch
Phone: 365 2520
Fax: 365 2530
Code of Practice
GEOS Christchurch Language Centre has agreed to observe
and be bound by the Code of Practice
for the Pastoral Care
of International Students published
by they Ministry of Education. Copies of
the code are available on request from this institution
of
from
the Ministry
of Education
website at: www.minedu.govt.nz
Health and Travel Insurance
Most students are not entitled to publicly funded
health services while in New Zealand,
unless they are:
- A resident or citizen of Australia
- A
national of the United Kingdom in New Zealand; or
the holder of a temporary permit
that is valid for two years or more.
If you do not belong to one of these
special categories
and you receive medical treatment
during your visit, you will be liable for the
full costs of
that treatment. We
strongly recommend that you have
insurance that will cover the cost
of medical treatment in New Zealand
for the duration
of your stay here. We also
strongly recommend that you obtain
insurance to
cover your travel
to and from New
Zealand.
Medical treatment in New Zealand can be very expensive. Students
are advised to carry health insurance to cover against
medical and hospital expenses. GEOS Christchurch Language
Centre can organise insurance for you. If
you need health insurance please
contact GEOS CLC and you
will be sent
an application form for you to
complete and return to GEOS CLC.
Banking
If you are staying in New Zealand for more that twelve
weeks you should open a bank
account. Most savings
accounts come with a plastic “cash card” which
you can use to access automatic
teller machines (ATMs) 24 hours
a day to
withdraw and deposit
money. All
the major banks are located
close to GEOS CLC and we will assist
you during
orientation with opening a
bank
account if you need one.
Postal Mail
Please ensure that any mail that is sent to you by
post has your name written
clearly in English script, with
the word student on it.
Example: John
Smith- Student
GEOS Christchurch
Language Centre
Teaching Methods
Our teachers are dedicated to helping every student
learn English as
quickly and effectively as possible. The
emphasis is on communication,
and a wide range of resources and the
most up-to-date and
appropriate
methods are
used to ensure that
every learner achieves their
potential.
Teachers at GEOS CLC use a blend of proven approaches
and challenging new
ideas, and take into account a wide
range of learning
styles and cultural
backgrounds. You
may find that the
teaching style is different to
what you
are used to,
but you will soon
find that you are able to
communicate
with others
in
the class
and become
independent outside
the class. Please
remember to tell the teachers
about any individual
difficulties;
they will
always be
happy to help
you.
Homestay
Living in a homestay is an ideal way of quickly becoming
familiar with a new
culture and environment and there is greater progress
in English
skills. All
homestay hosts of
GEOS Christchurch Language Centre speak
English
as their first language
in their homes and are otherwise
very diverse in their ethnic
origin,
religion, age and family situation.
Student Services
GEOS CLC staff can assist with finding suitable accommodation
and can help you
with a wide range of issues including employment,
legal
and
financial problems,
academic
counselling, visa
issues, recreation etc. Furthermore,
a Student Counsellor
is available to discuss, in strict confidence,
any difficulties
and personal
problems (homesickness, health
issues etc) that you may have from time
to time.
Complaints
If you have a complaint, which our staff have been
unable to satisfy,
you may wish to write to another organisation. Our
school is a member
of ENGLISH NZ - The Federation of Independent English
Language
Schools
of
New Zealand. You may write
to:
The Secretary
ENGLISH NZ
PO Box 2577
Auckland.
If ENGLISH NZ is unable
to help you,
please contact
New Zealand Qualifications
Authority
PO Box 160
Wellington.
Or you
can contact the
International Appeal Authority
(IEAA)
What is the International Education Appeal Authority
(IEAA)?
The IEAA is an
independent body
established
to deal with
complaints from
international
students
about
pastoral care
aspects
of advice and
services received
from
their educational
provider or the
provider’s agents. The
IEAA enforces
standards in
the code of practice.
How can I contact the IEAA?
You can write to the IEAA at:
The International Education
Appeal Authority
C/- the Ministry of Education
PO Box 1666
Wellington
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