The Broadcasting Trade show 2014, Featuring Elliott Grove.

Elliott Grove and I at the BVExpo 2014.

I had a fantastic time at the BVExpo at the ExCel Area in London on Thursday. 

The Trade Show was extremely beneficial, not only to people in the broadcasting industry, but for business owners too with plenty of tips on marketing and allowing your business to reach its full potential by recognising and providing your customers with what they want and need.

There were writers, producers, film directors, cinematographers and every technological company in the country there-or so it felt!

There were over 300 speakers, the seminars given were outstanding and it was fabulous to have the opportunity to speak to professionals in the broadcasting field who you would never normally have the chance to. I listened to a talk on marketing for film given by Elliott Grove- founder of the Raindance Film Festival. Elliott gave great tips and of course touched on the importance of social media. I took the opportunity after the talk to ask to have my photo taken with him (I did a selfie!) for my twitter account. He looked great. Thank you Elliott!

UKTI-United Kingdom Trade and Investment had seminars running throughout the day. If you are setting up a business and are planning on, or are already trading overseas-then these guys are going to be extremely helpful,  just send them an email and reap the benefits of their professional and experienced advice! http://www.ukti.gov.uk/home

Tickets are free if you register in advance, students admittance is on the last day of the three day event. I believe 2015 dates run from the 24-26th February. See you there!

Amber Williams
Bearla International Studies. 

PUBLIC SPEAKING SHOULD BE MANDATORY!!!

Preparation & practice is key!

Colleges and universities have a set of standards they want each student to graduate with and those expectations are:  Written communication, critical thinking, quantitative literacy, information literacy, civic knowledge and or diversity. The question has been raised recently: Whether public speaking should be a general education requirement? 

I find it interesting that this would be a debate in higher education, it was a mandatory class at CSULB (best school in the world!), for myself, I loved the class.  It helped me to organise my thoughts and outline what I wanted to say effectively.  I do believe this should be a required class it builds confidence, organises your thoughts, plus you learn different styles of presentations with a creative element (great practices for job interviews).  

This isn't a new concept. Aristotle believed that Rhetoric should be part of their education in accent Greece and this can be traced back as far as the pre-Socratices ages.  This method of education was known as sophistry and sophisticated. Most universities in the United States were built on the sophistry education system, however as time has passed it has changed.  I understand that more general education requirements may seem daunting but it is a disservice to not prepare a graduate with the ability to present themselves in a positive way.  Well in any case I loved my presentation class and I still have my text book from the class.  I don't regret the extra courses I took at CSULB, it only made me more prepared for the real world! 

Elizabeth koukladas

Bearla International Studies

Reporting From Santa Monica: Bearla's First Podcast!

Welcome to Bearla International Studies: Reporting from the wonderful and exquisite Santa Monica. 

As many of you know I have spent most of my career being behind the camera, so this is a big step for me, however as this podcast will be the first of many I'm sure Elizabeth and I will be expert reporters...by this time next year?! 

We will be reporting on international study news, higher education news, conducting interviews with the bigwigs of universities, language centers and schools around the world!

Elizabeth will be reporting from Los Angeles over the coming weeks and I shall be reporting from Brighton in the Uk. In a couple of months we will be taking a trip around the world to meet with students, deans, teachers, and language schools, business associates and corporations. We will be raising debates, hearing insiders opinions and generally getting the low down on Language studies and Higher Education. Our podcast are designed to give you a feel for what it is like to travel-the highs and the lows, we will feature the people we meet along the way, and the people who are part of our team in making Bearla International Studies the hub of excitement and success that it is today. Our aim is to give you insight into what it is like to own your own business, travel and experience different cultures worldwide, whilst educating you on the education industry. 

2014 is a huge year for Bearla International Studies and we cannot wait to share our company, lives and travels with you. 

We hope you enjoy our podcast diary and if you have any ideas, questions or debates you would like to see battled or if you want ask a question to certain people in Higher education or language studies, then please get in contact with us, and as always we will do the utmost to accommodate your requests.

Over and out...for now!

From Directors-Amber Williams & Elizabeth Koukladas

Bearla International Studies.

My stomach did turn slightly upon realising that I had held the camera upside down! However, with the wonders of modern technology-the problem resolved itself! Happy Days. 

Learning a Language Through an App?

More and more people are using apps as a method of learning a language. In fact “There are more people actively learning a language through DuoLingo than in the entire US public school system,” says Luis von Ahn, Founder of the free language app.  Over 30 million have downloaded the app since 2012 (WOW)!! 

App’s have transformed education and the way people learn, it has created easy access to educational interative tools to help the learner.  There has also been a shift in who is learning a new language, in the past it was assocated with the elite, but now more and more people of less privilege are learning a new language.  English is the number one  language people want to learn and the British Council estimate that by 2020 (not that far away), 2 billion people will be learning English across the world.

App technology is making the learning experience more personalised,  which is encouraging learners to have more of an active approach to learning.  The real question is whether you can learn a language strictly with an app on your own?  It would be difficult but not impossible.  It seems to me that this is a very positive development in education, it’s not just the fact that you can learn a language on an app but also the accessibility to so many people which distinguishes the myth that education is only for the elite.  It’s exciting times for education and I am glad to be part of it!!  

Elizabeth Koukladas-Director

Bearla International Studies

The Essential Broadcast And Production Technology Event

The Essential Broadcast And Production Technology Event 25-27 February at the Excel Area, London.

This event is a trade show for business' who wish to advance their broadcasting skills. You are also welcome if you are a student (on the 27th only). This is a great opportunity to network with professionals in the industry and to develop your skills as a film-maker, editor and even take free seminars given by true professionals in the industry. 

If you register online before the event you can save yourself fifteen pounds admission fee, and get in free! Don't forget to print off your ticket and bring it with you to the event. Below is some additional information and the website address to register, theres not long to go so get on the case asap! And hopefully I will see you there!

"BVE showcases a comprehensive selection of products, services and technologies for taking content from conception to consumption. BVE offers you the chance to gain hands-on experience and insight to inspire creativity, support your business and help you shape the future of content.

BVE hosts over 300 exhibitors, including major manufacturers, distributors and resellers of professional production and broadcast equipment and systems. Covering everything from camera accessories to 360 workflow solutions, BVE truly is the essential broadcast and production technology event."

http://www.bvexpo.com.

Big News For Australian International Education Sector.

It almost seems like a shame!

I'm sure the beer will be flowing over shrimps on the barbie down under this qauarter as Australia's international education sector reveals a significant rise (double digits intact) in course commencements in 2013, compared to the previous year. This is of course a massive leap ahead and demonstrates how Australia is becoming an evermore popular location for international students to spend their study abroad adventures. 

English language training came through exceptionally well with a 21% increase.  And 30% of the international students in Australia are from China, although it has been said that the Brazilians are quickly catching up, and are soon to be the second most important source country for English language training in Australia. 

Now, I have narrowed these results down to one of two reasons-either the cat is out the bag and everyone has heard about the scrumptious, lean and juicy kangaroo pizza served down under...or it could be that toe tingling accent which we just cannot get enough of!

Either way, Australia is a vast fantastic country with endless avenues to explore. I took a trip to Sydney just a couple of years ago and was a gasp at out how beautiful, relaxed and unique the city was. We waited in the Botanical gardens for the thousands of bats to migrate (as they do every evening) to the other side of the bay. I took trip up into the Blue Mountains and stayed at my friends wonderfully old-fashioned house. We saw the Sydney light show which was mind-blowing and of course we took a trip to Summer Bay, where Home and Away was filmed!

Bearla International Studies will be adding Australia to our location options within the next few weeks, so if you are interested in studying in Oz, then give a shout and we will have your chops wrapped around a mouth watering kangaroo pizza in no time at all!

Amber Williams
Bearla International Studies 

Washington’s Lip Service

Washington has appointed a 15 person panel to discuss a process aimed at educational loans.  The panel will tackle distance education, parent PLUS loans and campus debit cards.   

Suzanne Martindale an attorney with Consumers Union proposed adding a regulation to prevent colleges’ manipulation of their loan default rates.  Another issue being looked at is distance education programs outside the state in which they are headquartered, making each school requirement-to seek approval from regulators in each state.  

However, The House of Representatives passed legislation in 2012 that would block the Education Department from enforcing such a law.  This is NOT good enough! We need to help past students who are in student debt up to their ears.

I think they should personally forgive all the student loans for any past students, who have been in forbearance for over 3 years.  I also think they should make university more affordable. Enough with committees, they do not do enough to help our citizens, instead it is just another way to give lip service to the underlying problem, which is: Unaffordable education!! Give a break and breathing space  to the graduates that have been unemployed and unable to pay their debt, it’s time to step up and really help!

Bearla International Studies

Elizabeth Koukladas Director