January 2020 | Updates Vol. 1

8. The computer-delivered IELTS familiarisation test

9. IELTS for teachers monthly webinars and Facebook group

10. FameLab® Cyprus 2020 is now open for applications!

11. Schools Now! Conference 4-5 March 2020, Cairo, Egypt

12. PSGN Online Support for Schools (OSS) platform

13. TeachingEnglish Top Stories

14. Vacancy: Education & Society Projects Manager, Nicosia, Cyprus

15. Aristotelous street office reception area closed

16. The National Theatre Live | Screenings

Over the past 80 years, we have helped Cyprus’ emerging leaders in culture and education to develop new skills and international partnerships. We are recognised across Europe as a trusted representative for artistic and cultural connections with the UK. We broker opportunities for collaboration between the most important and innovative artists and cultural organisations in the UK and in Europe, positioning UK arts as a starting point for all countries to develop creatively.

Get involved

Follow #80YearsInCyprus campaign on social media to find out more about the British Council in Cyprus, its past, present and future. Share with us your stories through Facebook, Twitter or by email.

British Film Days 2020 will rock you!

This year we bring to you three films focusing on great British music!

British Film Days 2020, are taking place on 10-12 January 2020 at Cine Studio, located within the University of Nicosia, with a screening each day.

The screening of 'Rocketman' on the 10 January, marks the opening of the British Film Days 2020.

Screenings:

• 10 January at 21.00 - Rocketman
• 11 January at 20.00 - Iron Maiden: Flight 666
• 12 January at 20.00 - Bohemian Rhapsody

Free entry for all screenings.

Find your results online

Find your results  according to your Centre number and Candidate number.

What is it about ?

The rule is that one teacher per school can nominate their institution and thus try to win:
• 2 days in Cambridge including flights, transfers, accommodation and meals
•Behind the scenes experience for Cambridge English exams
• Attendance at the awards ceremony and Gala Dinner at Downing College, with fellow European winners and the Cambridge English management team
• A plaque to exhibit at school premises and a media kit to showcase your success to the regional press.

How to participate?

You can compete in one or more of the following categories:

• Best Cambridge English Preparation Centre: Step by step approach.
  The preparation centre offering most of our exams, implementing the step by step approach.
   
• Best Cambridge English Preparation Centre: User of Cambridge English books
  The preparation centre that used effectively the official exam preparation material, published by Cambridge University Press.

You can now nominate your school by filling in the form below and explain to us in 300 words maximum (in Greek or in English), the reasons why your institute deserves to win the prize of its category.

Deadline for submission of applications: January 15th, 2020, midnight.
 

If you have any queries, please don't hesitate to contact Cambridge Assessment English at

info-cyprus@cambridgeenglish.org

Payment instructions and access arrangements

Payment instructions

You have to deposit the money at any branch of Bank of Cyprus, account utility code 3836 and Turkish Cypriots to the Turkish Bank Account no 7570252 and then email us the deposit slip to contact.exams@cy.britishcouncil.org, within 5 days otherwise the system will cancel your registration. 

If you are registering your candidates between 3 - 6 February, we will need the Bank deposit slip immediately to the email address.

Access Arrangements

Please note that if you have candidates with Access Arrangements, you have to send us the medical report (the medical report must be in English and a recent one, a translated report is not accepted by Cambridge) immediately after you complete the registration.  If you have candidates who are requesting Modified paper, please contact us before you register the candidate as the deadline is 10 January 2020.

The next workshop will be held on Tuesday, 21 January 2020 in Paphos

The British Council’s workshop facilitators trained by Cambridge Assessment English, will be presenting these key updates, making sure that teachers are equipped to prepare their students for these new changes.

All workshops start at 08.30 and finish at 12.30. Please note that a fee of 20 Euro (non-refundable) is needed to confirm your registration. Payment options available are Bank Deposit and Bank Transfer (check payment instructions). Online Payment is not available for this event.  Kindly make sure you have the payment slip available so you can upload it when registering.

The first workshop will be held on Thursday, 30 January 2020 in Nicosia

The British Council’s trainer Jodi Rigas, who is the Cyprus Principle Internal Moderator for Cambridge International IGCSE English as a Second Language, will be delivering these workshops, making sure that teachers are equipped to raise their learners‘ level of achievement.

All workshops start at 08.30 and finish at 12.30. Please note that a fee of 20 Euro (non-refundable) is needed to confirm your registration. Payment options available are Bank Deposit and Bank Transfer (check payment instructions). Online Payment is not available for this event.  Kindly make sure you have the payment slip available so you can upload it when registering.

Accessible anywhere at any time, no need to book or register in advance.

Key features and benefits:

• Free full sample version of the computer-delivered IELTS test - Listening, Reading and Writing questions provide 2 hour 30 minutes of questions, exactly like the real IELTS test.
• Both Academic and General Training tests available - Whatever reason you are considering IELTS, we have the test for you.
• Free results provided for Listening and Reading sections
• Accessible anywhere at any time, no need to book or register in advance

Click on the links below to sign up

• 15 January 2020, 12 p.m. GMT+4
• 15 February 2020, 12 p.m. GMT+4
• 15 March 2020, 12 p.m. GMT+4
• 15 April 2020, 12 p.m. GMT+4
• 15 May 2020, 12 p.m. GMT+4

IELTS Teachers Facebook group

We have created a facebook group to enable you to share your teaching expertise, IELTS lesson plans, preparation resources and tips with other IELTS teachers around the world. It is a great platform to reach out to other IELTS experts with your query and make use of their experience.

Join the group and invite other teachers to join it.

Can you explain a scientific concept to a lay audience in just three minutes?

The Prizes
The ten finalists win a two-day ‘MasterClass’ in science communication lead by a qualified UK trainer, where they will learn media and presentation skills.  

The winner of the final, will win a cash prize of 1000 euro and an all-expenses paid trip to the Cheltenham Science Festival in Cheltenham, UK to compete in the FameLab® International competition 2020. The two runner ups of the national final, will also be awarded cash prizes; 500 euro and 250 euro respectively.

Deadline for application: Tuesday, 10 March 2020

The British Council has been working with Cyprus since 1940. In 2020 we are marking this 80th anniversary with a series of events celebrating cultural relations and exchange between the UK and Cyprus. So, in the context of this year’s celebrations in Cyprus, FameLab is also being organized in collaboration with Scico Cyprus and the Research and Innovation Foundation (IDEK) for the 10th consecutive year.

Developing global learners: preparing young people for life in school and beyond

This year's sub-theme are:

• Internationalizing schools: the role of school leadership
• Global challenges for young people: facilitating intercultural engagement
• Collaborative learning: technology and global communities

You will need to provide proof of payment to your local British Council office before you can register for the conference.  Fees should be paid through your local British Council office, in the same way as you would normally pay for exam entries.

Become a member of PSGN

PSGN offers discounts to schools/institutes who will register their students to take CIE, Pearson Edexcel and/or OCR exams with the British Council.

For more information and to activate your membership please contact Natasha Apostolidou, the Exams Business Pursuit and Account Relationship Manager.

Exploring Creativity and Imagination game

Creativity and imagination is one of six core skills identified by the British Council as very important for students in the 21st century.

We are looking for an aspiring, enthusiastic and experienced professional, capable of developing and managing projects and relationships.  

Applicants should have a university degree in Education, Social Studies, Humanities, Business, European & International Policies (or any other related field), at least three years of experience in project management, building partnerships and securing funding, very good level of English (B2) and native speaker in Greek.   Applicants need to have a pre-existing right to live and work in the EU.

For further information about the job please contact:

Maria Nomikou Maria.Nomikou@britishcouncil.gr.

Contract Start date: end of February 2020 (exact date to be confirmed)

Closing date for applications: 22 January 2020, 23:59 UK time.

Interviews: Interviews will take place on 3 and 4 February 2020.

Customer service by appointment only

If you wish to contact us by telephone, you can reach us at +357 22 585 000.

If you prefer to contact us via email, please use the below information:

General enquiries
contact@cy.britishcouncil.org
Exam enquiries 
contact.exams@cy.britishcouncil.org
IELTS enquiries
contact.ielts@cy.britishcouncil.org
Music enquiries
contact.abrsm@cy.britishcouncil.org
Education enquiries
contact.education@cy.britishcouncil.org

King Lear

Tuesday, 21 January  / 20.00
 

Rialto Theatre

Duration: 200'

Tickets: € 10 / 8

Considered by many to be the greatest tragedy ever written, King Lear sees two ageing fathers – one a King, one his courtier – reject the children who truly love them.  Their blindness unleashes a tornado of pitiless ambition and treachery, as family and state are plunged into a violent power struggle with bitter ends.