Learn English - Courses and Schools in New Zealand
Learn English in New Zealand and you will experience a unique land of breathtaking scenery, spectacular landscapes, boundless energy and friendly people. Wonder at New Zealand's craggy coastlines, sweeping golden beaches, verdant forests, snow-capped alpine mountains, gurgling volcanic pools, flashing fish-filled rivers and glacier-fed lakes and cosmopolitan cities - all beneath a brilliant blue sky.
As you might imagine, there are a number of outdoor activities such as rafting, skiing, and, of course, bungy jumping that await the adventure seeker.
In addition to its breathtaking scenery, are the people of New Zealand whose reputation for friendliness, strength and independence is renowned. The culture is a brilliant blend of European, Maori and Pacific Island traditions. The island, which was discovered by the Maori and exploited by the European's, follows a historically familiar colonial path.
New Zealand - History
New Zealand was the last significant land mass to be inhabited by humans, both in terms of indigenous settlement and European domination. This, along with geological youth and geographical isolation, has brought about the development of a young, vigorous nation with a well-travelled, well-educated expatriate population of 1,000,000. It also has some amazing scenery, flora and fauna.
 The Polynesian Maori reached New Zealand in about 800 AD. In 1642, Dutch explorer Abel Tasman became the first European to see New Zealand, and his mapped coastline appeared on Dutch maps as "Nieuw Zeeland" from as early as 1645. British naval Captain James Cook rediscovered, circumnavigated and mapped the islands in 1769. A few people (mostly sealers, whalers, traders and missionaries) settled during the next 80 years and the islands were administered by the British colony in New South Wales.
In 1840, with the assistance of missionaries, the Maori agreed to accept British sovereignty over the islands through the Treaty of Waitangi. A series of land wars between 1843 and 1872, coupled with political maneuvering and the spread of European diseases, broke Maori resistance to land settlement, but left lasting grievances. In recent years the government has sought to address longstanding Maori grievances, and this is a complicated process. In 2005, the Maori Party was formed, in part in response to the Government's law on the Foreshore and Seabed but also to promote an independent Maori perspective at a political level.
New Zealand, a British colony, became a dominion in 1907. It was offered total independence under the 1931 Statute of Westminster, although it did not adopt this until 16 years later. However, the Constitution of Australia permits New Zealand to join as another Australian state. New Zealand supported the United Kingdom militarily in the Boer War of 1899-1902, as well as both World Wars.
New Zealand's elite has strongly supported opposition to the testing and use of nuclear weapons and nuclear armed warship visits meant that the Parliament enacted anti-nuclear legislation in the mid-1980s. This led to the abandonment of their commitment to the ANZUS defence alliance. The New Zealand military continues to be limited in capacity to take roles in UN- peacekeeping operations worldwide as often as its budget can bear.
English Schools New Zealand - Geography
New Zealand consists of two main islands and many smaller ones in the South Pacific Ocean approximately 2000 km southeast of Australia. With a population of four million in a country about the size of the United Kingdom, many areas are sparsely settled.
Auckland, the largest city (about 1.25 million), is the largest city in Polynesia.
Learn English New Zealand - Economy
Over the past 20 years the government has transformed New Zealand from an agrarian economy dependent on concessionary British market access to a more industrialized, free market economy that can compete globally. This dynamic growth has boosted real incomes (but left behind many at the bottom of the ladder), broadened and deepened the technological capabilities of the industrial sector, and contained inflationary pressures. Per capita income has risen for six consecutive years and was more than $24,000 in 2005 in purchasing power parity terms. New Zealand is heavily dependent on trade - particularly in agricultural products - to drive growth. Exports are equal to about 22% of GDP. Thus far the economy has been resilient, and the Labour Government promises that expenditures on health, education, and pensions will increase proportionately to output.
English Courses New Zealand - Food
New Zealand's cultural majority (ethnic British) does not have a definitive and recognisably distinct cuisine that differs markedly from the traditional British (or North American) cuisine. However, there are a number of small differences
 Roast kumara - the sweet potato ( Ipomoea batatas ) roasted in the same manner as potatoes and often served instead of or alongside. May also be deep fried like potato chips (i.e. fries ) and known as kumara chips - nice served with sour cream but rarely done well as kumara cooks at a different temperature than potatoes, so it needs a skilled chef for the dish to be done perfectly.
Pavlova, or pav, a cake of whipped egg whites baked to have a crusty meringue-like outside but soft in the middle, topped with whipped cream and decorated with sliced fruit.
ANZAC biscuits - Plain hard biscuits ( cookies ) made primarily from oatmeal bound with golden syrup. This was originally created for and by ANZAC troops during the First World War.
Pies - Unlike Americans, New Zealanders eat large numbers of non-flakey-pastry meat pies containing things like beef, lamb, pork, potato, kumara, vegetables, and cheese.
Whitebait - The translucent sprat or fingerlings of native freshwater fish species that migrate from spawning in the sea each year. After being caught in a coastal river mouth or in hand nets during November/December, this delicacy is spread to all ends of the country. It is served without gutting or deheading.
The Maori also have a distinctive cuisine…
The hangi or earth oven is the traditional way that Maori cook food for large gatherings. Meat, vegetables and sometimes puddings are slowly steam-cooked for several hours in a covered pit that has previously been lined with stones and had a hot wood fire burn down in it.
Kaimoana (literally: sea food ) - particularly shellfish gathered from inter-tidal rocks and beaches as well as crayfish (rock lobster) and inshore fish caught on a line or with nets. Species such as paua (blackfoot abalone) and toheroa have been overfished and gathering restrictions are strictly enforced, while green mussels are commercially grown and sold live, or processed, in supermarkets.
Study English New Zealand - Climate
New Zealand has a temperate climate in the south island and sub-tropical climate in the North Island and the nature of the terrain, the prevailing winds and the length of the country lead to sharp regional contrasts. Temperatures sometimes exceed 30°C and fall below 0°C only in the elevated inland regions. Generally speaking, rainfall and humidity is higher in the west than the east of the country due to the north-south orientation of the mountain ranges and the prevailing westerly/north westerly winds.
 Part situated in the "Roaring Forties", unsheltered areas of the country can get a bit breezy, especially in the centre, through Cook Strait and around Wellington. The winds are stronger around the equinoxes. In the winter, southerly gales can be severe but they also bring snow to the ski-fields and are usually followed by calm clear days.
New Zealand is one of the most difficult countries in the world in which to forecast the weather. Although the weather changes, there is definitely more sunshine and warm temperatures to enjoy in summer. It is not uncommon, especially on the South Island, to experience all four seasons in the same day.
English Courses New Zealand - Interesting facts
From the early 1980's, when NZ was home to over 70 million sheep, the population has declined to around 40 million. This means the oft-quoted statistic, that NZ has 20 sheep for each human, is wrong! Today it is only about 10 to 1. This decline hasn't stopped NZ from cornering 50% of all international trade in sheepmeat.
Compared with other countries, New Zealanders are not big drinkers. The average New Zealander drinks:
5% less alcohol than the average Australian.
12% less alcohol than the average Briton.
30% less alcohol than the average German.
40% less alcohol than the average Irish.
New Zealand was the first western democracy to give women the vote
New Zealand invented bungee jumping.
Team New Zealand holder of the America's Cup 1995-2003, NZer Michael Campbell 2005 winner of US golf open, All Blacks winner of 2007 Rugby World Cup.
New Zealand has won more Olympic gold medals, per capita, than any other country.
NZ has the worlds largest flightless parrot (kakapo), the oldest reptile (tuatara), the biggest earthworms, the smallest bats (the only native land mammals), the heaviest insect (a weta), some of the oldest trees, and many of the rarest birds, insects, and plants in the world.
New Zealand and Antarctica were originally part of the continent known as Gondwana. About eighty million years ago, New Zealand broke from Antarctica and floated away from other land masses.
Polynesia, which means many islands, is a name covering over a thousand islands between Hawaii, New Zealand and Easter Island. French Polynesia, Samoa, Tonga and Tuvalu are also in this grouping.
New Zealand was name “Aotearoa” by the Maoris. This translates to the Land of the Long White Cloud.
Mount Cook, on South Island, is New Zealand's highest peak.
The largest lake in New Zealand's is Lake Taupo.
In 1893 New Zealand became the first country to give women the vote.
At the turn of the century, the British gave administration of the Cook Islands to New Zealand. In 1965, its residents chose self-government in free association with New Zealand.
During the First World War, New Zealand had occupation in Western Samoa. New Zealand administered the islands under a League of Nations mandate and then a United Nations mandate.
In 1947, New Zealand gained full independence from Britain.
New Zealand is a constitutional monarchy with the British monarch as Head of State and a member of the Commonwealth.
New Zealand's Government Building, known as the Beehive, is one of the world's largest wooden structures.
The Maori language became recognized as an official language in the 1987 Maori Language Act.
Edmund Hillary of New Zealand and Tenzing Norgay of Nepal were the first people to climb Mount Everest (1953).
Learn English New Zealand - Advice
At our English schools and courses in New Zealand our advice can really be summed up with one simple word - practice! What kind of study materials you use is not quite as important as how or how often you use them. Your hard work and determination will be one of the biggest factors in successful language learning.
The English school and course you choose in New Zealand is going to be the core of your English study, so make sure you choose a English language course that gives you structured lessons and lots of opportunity to practice your new language skills. Our English courses at our English schools in New Zealand, will give you the perfect opportunity to study, learn, and practice English in a supportive, well planned and friendly environments.
You must work at your new English language skills every day. Ideally, you should study English an extra hour or more every day. If you can get at least an extra half-hour of study time, that's pretty good too. Try to at least get a little review and study, learn and practice English every single day.
If you attend one of our English courses in New Zealand and you learn English everyday, you will have a good basic knowledge of the English language in a reasonable amount of time. Your knowledge and ability will increase and improve depending upon what other tools you use and what kind of experiences you have using the English language.
Grammar book. A good old-fashioned grammar book may be boring but they are a great way to really get to grips with the details of the language.
Phrase Book
These are extremely helpful books that you can carry with you. They can be useful for practicing pronunciation, or for quickly finding a lot of more commonly used phrases, words and idioms. Phrase books are always a nice supplement to learn English and they are convenient and cheap.
Dictionary. Absolutely necessary in the long run. You must have a dictionary if you wish to expand your vocabulary, and you will need one in order to take full advantage of many of the English language learning tips set out here. Make sure you get one that translates both ways e.g. Spanish to English AND English to Spanish. It is also helpful to find a dictionary that contains idioms - the phrases particular to the language which you are studying - as well as phrases that are commonly used in the English language, but may be difficult to translate.
Flashcards
A simple English language learning tip, but a very effective way to review, refresh your memory and expand your vocabulary. There are pre-made flashcards that can be purchased, or for extra help, you can create your own. Keep them with you at all times, in your pocket or in your car, and look at them for a quick review or language lesson at every opportunity. They are very convenient.
Talk to yourself
 It may be obvious, but the best way to learn English in New Zealand is to speak English in New Zealand ! This convenient method can be use at all times, as you can even talk to yourself. Even if you are in public and don't feel comfortable talking to yourself out loud, you can make it your habit to practice English by thinking English. Throughout the day, think of the English words for everything you pass - objects in your house, things you pass when you are traveling, things you use at work or school, etc. Learn basic English phrases like - ‘it is cold today' or ‘it is sunny today' and use whichever is appropriate when you first look out the window. By putting this tip into use on a regular basis, the vocabulary and phrases will become more routine and automatic.
Practice with friends
Taking it even further than talking to yourself, you can practice with your friends. Even if they don't speak English, talk to the people you know by using your new language. Warn them in advance that you are practicing your new knowledge and they'll know what's coming. Even a simple 'good morning' or' see you later' in English will make those phrases more natural to you. Your friends may even begin to learn a few words and join in the fun too!
Listen to music
Listen to English music. You'll hear the English language used in a real context and this will help you pick out the rhythm and pronunciation even better. This method will also give you a further understanding of, and appreciation for, the culture and customs of the people. Music in English might be easier to find than others, but Amazon or eBay and many other global websites will enable you to find music in English and many different languages.
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