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Shop ‘til you drop in NYC Discover the top 7 travel apps Navigate the road to fluency

A QUICK GUIDE TO LONDON’S MUSIC SCENE

MEET THE STARS OF TOMORROWThe city moves to the songs of tomorrow thanks to small venues that promote up and coming acts. Many big name artists got their break in the bars of Camden Town, Shoreditch and Brixton – including the likes of Adele and Ed Sheeran.

DISCOVER HISTORIC VENUES The who’s who of musical royalty have performed in legendary venues such as the Roundhouse, Shepherd’s Bush Empire, KoKo and Brixton Academy. Take your pick -- any night of the week-- from indie rock gods and pop princesses to world-renowned DJs and legendary performers.

SUPERSTARS Join tens of thousands of fans at some of the biggest arenas in the UK as the most famous names in music rock London on a regular basis. Head to Wembley Stadium and the 02 Arena for night after night of show-stopping moments.

London lives for music. Whether you want to dance the night away to A-list stars in gigantic stadiums or champion up and coming acts in inti-mate venues, London has a show for you.

One look at a world map and it’s clear the travel possibilities are endless. But what are the once- in-a-lifetime trips you should take? Here are our top 10 bucket list picks:

THE BUCKET LIST

1. Take an all-American road trip on Route 66

2. Walk across the Golden Gate Bridge in San Francisco

3. Savor a macaron in Paris4. Visit Platform 9 3/4 at

King’s Cross Station5. See the Sagrada Familia

in Barcelona

6. Snorkel on Oahu Beach in Hawaii

7. Discover the Great Wall of China

8. Climb Mount Fuji in Japan9. Attend Oktoberfest

in Munich10. Visit the Sistine Chapel

in Rome

UPCOMING CONCERTS

Hozier at 02 Academy Brixton from 29 - 31 January 2016

The Libertines at the O2 on 30 January 2016

Jason Derulo at the O2 on 5 February 2016

Marina and the Diamonds at the Roundhouse on Sunday and Saturday 20 / 21 February 2016

Ellie Goulding at the O2 on 24 March 2016

The Dixie Chicks at the O2 on 1 May 2016

The Bluetones at the Roundhouse on 5 May 2016

Josh Groban at Royal Albert Hall on 18 May 2016

Belle and Sebastian at Royal Albert Hall from 22 - 23 June 2016

Barry Manilow at the O2 on 23 June 2016

EF EDUCATION FIRST EST. 1965 / ISSUE 1: 2016www.ef.com/centers

THE INSIDER

DEAR STUDENT,

Welcome to the first edition of XXX. Whether you’re a seasoned traveller or making your first trip abroad, we invite you to travel around the world with us. In these pages you’ll travel from London to Hawaii, picking up hints and tips along the way - from where to shop in New York to which travel apps to download.

But more importantly, you’ll find that traveling is more than just getting from Point A to Point B. Instead, it involves leaving the familiar behind and opening up to new sights, tastes and sounds.

It’s about discovering new places, making lifelong friends and learning a second language. And it’s about trying new experiences and becoming ever more independent, open-minded and wiser. Ultimately, travel helps us know ourselves better – which is perhaps the greatest gift of all.

The adventure awaits, and we look forward to accompanying you on your journey.

Sincerely,First Name, Last Name

P.2 P.2 P.3

DISCOUNT OFFER TEXT

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1. 5TH AVENUE: New York City’s most famous avenue is home to the biggest and most famous stores, from the luxurious Bergdorf Goodman to the iconic Tiffany & Co.

2. SOHO: A stroll down Soho’s cobblestone streets will lead you to elegant boutiques and gourmet shops like Dean & Deluca, where you can treat yourself to a slice of creamy cheesecake and a foaming latte.

3. NOLITA: This increasingly trendy neighborhood is home to quaint jewelry and shoe stores,

mostly concentrated on Elizabeth Street.

4. EAST VILLAGE: Vintage is king here. In this bohemian and unique neighborhood, make sure you don’t miss the famous Buffalo Exchange second-hand store and The Strand Bookstore.

5. LOWER MANHATTAN & THE FINANCIAL DISTRICT: This neighborhood is worth the trip if only for its huge discount department store, Century 21. With new inventory coming in every day, you’ll find loads of brand clothing at discount prices.

1. From a professional standpoint, learning a new language is life-changing. It increases job prospects in a snap: whereas you used to be able to work in just one country, now a whole new continent (or two!) opened up.

Naturally, speaking at least two languages will jumpstart your career at home, too.Being a global citizen who is able to communicate with people from all over the world is crucial to our globalized world.

2. What’s more, learning a new language has cognitive benefits, too. It has been found to improve memory and concentration, and lower the risks of Alzheimer’s.

3. And that’s not all! Speaking more than one language has other intangible perks, too. A new language helps you to understand other people and see the world through their eyes. What’s more, experiencing a new way of living and adapting to your surroundings enhances tolerance and openness, and promotes diversity.

So next time you’re looking to get a promotion, score higher on a test or simply make new friends, you know what to do.

GOOGLE TRANSLATE The app now makes it

possible to instantly translate written text, just by pointing your camera’s phone at the text.

UBER The app is perfect for

places with very high taxi costs or unreliable transportation options.

TRIPIT Simply forward your

confirmation emails to this app and it will organize your itinerary for you.

SHOP ‘TIL YOU DROP IN NEW YORK CITYNew York City is the ultimate shopping destination - whether you’re into unique vintage pieces or chic designer clothes, the Big Apple got you covered. To help you make your way through the maze of boutiques and shops, we’ve mapped out below the top shopping hotspots:

WI-FI FINDER Avoid high roaming

charges with this handy app that searches for wifi hotspots around you. Its database contains over 890’000 free and pay Wi-Fi hotspots in 145 countries.

XE CURRENCY CONVERTER

Skip the math and compare currencies in a snap with his handy app. It works offline too, just by saving the last available rates.

This EF app helps you connect with other EF students before your trip and stay in touch with them once you come back!

WORDUP With EF’s fun app,

you’ll learn English while you play a word puzzle game and challenge friends and family.

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TOP 7 TRAVEL APPS

THE CASE FOR LEARNING A NEW LANGUAGE

These days, travel and technology go hand-in-hand. We’ve included below the 7 apps that make traveling faster, smarter and smoother. Here are our top picks:

Learning a new language carries loads of benefits, from boosting memory to improving CVs. Here we have a look at the top three advantages.

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HARLEM

MORNINGSIDEHEIGHTS

UPPERWEST SIDE

UPPEREAST SIDE

MIDTOWNWEST

MIDTOWNEAST

GARMENTDISTRICT

GRAMERY

GRENWHICH VILLAGE EASTGRENWHICH

VILLAGE WEST

SOHO LITTLE ITALY

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LOWEREAST SIDE

FINANCIALDISTRICT

TRIBECA

CHELSEA

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CENTRALPARK

EASTHARLEM

“I’d first heard of Santa Barbara in a TV show as a teen – and I became fascinated with the glamour and charm of this Californian seaside town. So when I decided to improve my English, it was only natural that I would fly to Santa Barbara with EF.

I fell for the place instantly. It was so laid-back and pleasant! And in

one of my classes I made friends with a Brazilian girl, Marina. Since we were both quite sporty, we started taking surfing lessons after our classes. It was great; over time we even met some locals and became very good friends with them.

I kept in touch with Marina and some of our American friends even after I returned to France to

study Economics. We wrote to each other regularly.

Fast forward to this past summer. I’d just graduated from college and was actively looking for a job in consulting - my dream career. One of my American friends from Santa Barbara actually posted something on Facebook about a new startup that needed staff. I applied and voilà!

One year later and I’m happily writing from a little coffee shop in Fog City -with a job I love! And all this thanks to the connections I’d made in Santa Barbara four years ago! I couldn’t be happier.”

THE BEST ENGLISH-SPEAKING COUNTRIES IN THE WORLD Did you know that Swedes are the best non-native English speakers in the world, while Argentines are number one in Latin America? A new report from EF sheds light on English proficiency levels across the globe.

The fifth edition of the EF English Proficiency Index (EF EPI), published on November 3rd 2015, ranks 70 countries and territories based on data from more than 910,000 adults. The study not only evaluates English levels across countries, but also across regions, gender, and age groups.

Not surprisingly, Sweden grabbed the first spot in the ranking, followed by the Netherlands and Denmark. What’s startling, though, is that the gap between the highest ranking country and the last one widened this past year.

What’s more, it was found that women have stronger English skills than men – worldwide.

While the gender gap is minimal in Northern Europe, it is widest in the MENA region and Eastern Europe.

More importantly, the report shows that there are strong correlations between English ability and income, Internet connectivity and scientific research. Concretely, this means that the higher a country’s

English level is, the more money its people make, the more connected it becomes and the more it innovates. Are you curious to see how your country stacks up? See www.ef.com/epi

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THE ROAD TO FLUENCYWhen you’re guaranteed to advance one course level every six weeks - like with EF, becoming fluent in another language is an incredibly rewarding journey. Here’s what our students have to say about it.

BEGINNER“When I first got to Paris in August, I spoke zero French. Now it’s February and I’m in level B1. So I’ve definitely had a lot of success. ” Laura Gustafson, USA

ADVANCED“When I started at EF I was a beginner and now I’m at level C1. I’m very happy with my progress. I also really like how I was able to learn specific words for my career.”Stephanie Penacoza, Venezuela

INTERMEDIATE “I flew to New York with EF because I wanted to refine my English. My level was intermediate -B1- and I was eager to speak faster and more fluenty. Just a few months later, I had reached a C1 level.” Philippe Freire, Switzerland

EXAM PREPARATION“I had my eyes set on a prestigious American university for a long time - it was my dream university. So when I found out they required a high TOEFL score, I took an Exam Preparation course with EF and I got in! ” Miriam González from Spain

“I GOT MY DREAM JOB THANKS TO MY LANGUAGE COURSE”Meet 22-year old Marion Dubois. At age 18, the Parisienne had flown to Santa Barbara, California, to improve her English. Little did she know that the experience would take her much further –both on a professional and a personal level. Today, she writes to us from San Francisco to share her story.

PROFICIENCY BANDS

HighVery High

LowModerate

Very Low

VERY HIGH PROFICIENCY01 Sweden 70.9402 Netherlands 70.5803 Denmark 70.0504 Norway 67.8305 Finland 65.3206 Slovenia 64.9707 Estonia 63.7308 Luxembourg 63.4509 Poland 62.9510 Austria 61.97

SPACE FOR THE MARKET GOES HERE

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TRAVEL WITH YOUR BEST FRIEND

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Create your own athlete and you could win a trip to Rio de Janeiro in August 2016.

What’s more, runners-up will win a free EF language course in the destination of their choice.

Enter now at www.ef.com/XXX

WIN A TRIP TO RIOAre you ready for the ultimate summer experience?

EF Education First 23/F, Tower 2, Times Square Causeway Bay, Hong Kong / Tel. (+852) 2111 2370 / email@info.com / www.ef.comContact us