Andrea Orsi is a 27-year-old communications engineer from near Pisa in Italy. He spent two months at BLS English in Suffolk.

Why did you choose to come to the UK?

A friend of mine studied in this school for a year and told me all about it. I wanted to learn English because it is important for me and my future job. So I chose to come to this school.

Are you enjoying your time here?

I’ve had a really good time. Bury St Edmunds is a little town but I found out quickly that everybody is really friendly. I had only booked to come for a month but because it was so good I decided to extend that to two months.

I’ve made a lot of friends from all over the world. It is really good for that here. Also, all the teachers and staff in the school are really friendly. It is like family really. Being in Bury has been really good for me.

Were you surprised by anything in the UK?

No, not really. I expected this kind of weather – I expected it to rain for a month!

How will learning English change your life?

It will help me in my job. I am a communications engineer, and it is important for me to know English for my work in Italy and other countries. I work with fibre optics and satellites.

Would you recommend studying in the UK to your friends?

Yes, I would. A friend of mine wants to learn English and I have told her about this school especially and the people I have met here. For me it was great. It would be great for her as well.