Bell International - Cambridge English Language School

A mission born from belief

Over half a century ago, in a prisoner of war camp, one man's love of languages and his passion for education established his life-long commitment to international understanding.

Confronting daily hardships, boredom and despair in a prisoner of war camp, Lieutenant Frank Bell raised his spirits and those of his fellow captives by teaching them Spanish and French, languages he had studied at university in Cambridge. He also organised language learning classes in Dutch, German, Italian, and Russian, and soon established a secret university in conditions that would have crushed a lesser man.

Lessons, timetables, vocabulary, grammar exercises and multi-lingual dictionaries were neatly and tightly written on every scrap of paper that could be found - backs of envelopes, soap wrappers, government forms, and tobacco wrapping paper.

After the war, Frank Bell returned to England and worked for the University of Cambridge. He was convinced that international understanding and harmony can exist if people throughout the world understand each other through language.

Sitting at a large, polished table in the reading room at Cambridge University Library, with sunshine pouring through the windows, Frank Bell commented:

"I look around me now. I watch men and women working - all reading quietly side by side , and I am convinced more than ever that herein lies the greatest hope for the future of mankind, in the friendly co-operation that is found in study and in learning, as in no other sphere of life. Enmity and jealousy and rivalry cannot flourish when the welfare of common humanity is in view."

He founded the first Bell Language School in Cambridge, England in 1955 and later established the Bell Educational Trust.

General English

When Frank Bell founded the very first Bell language school in 1955 it was in response to his war-time experiences and his deeply held belief that the best route towards international understanding was through shared communication and study.

Following Frank's original vision, each year over 100,000 people from around 120 different counties learn with Bell, developing their English skills and confidence in speaking, writing and listening.

We offer a broad portfolio of learning programmes to suit individual learning styles and preferences, from intensive residential courses in the United Kingdom through to early morning or afternoon lessons delivered at Bell centres around the world.

Whatever our students' learning goals - and wherever in the world they undertake a Bell programme - they can be assured that they will:

• Be taught by a qualified, experienced English teacher.
• Have access to a broad range of courses and programmes to suit their individual needs.
• Have the opportunity to agree a study plan with their teacher designed to meet their particular learning goals.
• Have access to a range of high quality self-study materials and resources to allow them to build on the classroom work undertaken with their teacher.
• Receive advice on external qualifications and exams, helping them to choose the most suitable and preparing them fully before they sit the exam.

English for Young Learners

Competency in a second language - particularly English - is an increasingly important learning skill for young learners.

Consequently, in many countries, English is no longer considered part of a foreign language curriculum, but rather as an integral and essential component of basic education.

Throughout its global network, Bell helps thousands of children, from over 100 countries, to build upon the English language work they do within their own schools, maximising their progress and potential through a range of different programmes and activities