‘It’s so hard to make friends in London,’ ‘I don’t get a chance to practice my languages,’ ‘I haven’t spoken Spanish in a while but aren’t interested in going to classes again.’  These are comments I hear when I’m out and about in London spreading the gospel according to Answer English. 

Well we are pleased to announce that we are going to be running a series of ‘language exchange’ or ‘intercambio’ evenings.  First up is Spanish-English on the 24th October.  So if you are a native English speaker and want to practice your Spanish or a native Spanish speaker and want to learn English, put it in your diary! 

We feel this is an opportunity for you to meet people, have fun and practice languages.  On the evening you will move around and speak to lots of different people in an informal setting.  We will have a few ‘ice-breakers’ to get the night going and food will be provided too, catering for your every whim.  If you are interested in coming on the 24th October or would like to get involved with our future Language Exchange evenings Contact Us.  More details will follow, watch this space! 

A damsel writes to me in distress.  She is in desperate need of some assistance and is being troubled by a fierce enemy: English Grammar!  Yesterday I received the following e-mail:

“Dear James,
I often have problems with conjunctions such as ‘unless’ and ‘as long as’. Please could you help me? Thank you very much.
Monica (by e-mail).”

This is a claxon call for our Grammar Made Easy section.  To read my response to Monica’s question and take a practical exercise go to: Grammar Made Easy.  If anyone else has any questions please don’t hesitate to Contact Us

‘The world is one country’.  According to Raj this is why learning languages are so important.   We were interviewing members of the public to find out what learning languages meant to them.  This was part of Answer English’s celebration of the European Day of Languages.  We asked over 20 randomly chosen people a whole series of questions about their knowledge and opinion of being able to communicate in foreign languages.  The results make interesting reading.

If asked what percentage of people speak English as a native language in the world, what would you say?   Most of the public we asked thought around 40%.  As I alluded to yesterday one extraordinary gentleman thought 85% of the world spoke English as their Mother Tongue.  In fact it is just 6%.  75% of the world’s population don’t speak any English at all.  Perhaps this should provide some inspiration for all the British people who think that they do not need to speak any other language because the whole world speaks English anyway.

Without exception everyone we asked thought it important to be able to communicate in other languages.  And most people international travelling as the primary reason to learn another language.  Let’s hope the facts wake people up and make them more enthusiastic about learning other languages. If everyone would just only learn a few words in another language it would make communication a lot easier and then the world truly would be ‘one country.’

You can see some of the interviews from yesterday on You Tube clicking on the following links:

People and Languages  What Languages Mean to People  The Meaning of Languages to People

So the European Day of Languages has got off to a flier!  We at Answer English have been doing our bit out on the streets of London.  To celebrate the big day we have been investigating what languages mean to people.  Around Marble Arch we have asked ‘what languages people speak besides their native language’, whether they feel that ‘learning other languages is important’ and if so ‘why and for what reason do they speak other tongues’. 

Unfortunately knowledge of the day has been poor, at best.  Of 20 people we asked this morning only one had heard that today was the European Day of Languages and we have doubts given some of the answers whether he fully understood the question!  Laura, our Dutch colleague, is going out this afternoon with the video camera and tomorrow we will publish the results and put some footage up on YouTube for you to enjoy.

English, so far, is undoubtedly the most important language for the people we spoke to in London.  For business, for study or for pleasure it was head and shoulders above other European languages.  What was really interesting was the percentage of the world’s population, the public thought, spoke English as a native language.  Most figures were around 50%, although one chap, who claimed he was a ‘top Business man’, thought 85% did!  Many of the people asked weren’t originally from the UK, perhaps showing that it is not just the Brits who believe that the rest of the world should speak English!  The true figure for native speakers of English is just 6%.

Tomorrow we will return with more definitive answers.  For the meantime, enjoy the rest of the day!     

Tomorrow will be a celebration of all things languages.  The 6th European Day of Languages gets under way with an awards ceremony at the Scottish Parliament in Edinburgh.  Sir Trevor McDonald a patron of CILT, the National Centre for Languages will be presenting the awards.  To qualify for the award, language projects had to demonstrate innovation, excellence, how effective they were, their ability to inspire and whether they had potential for development.

Two of the winning projects will feature.  Those attending will hear a multilingual debate on the importance of language skills.  Non-multilingual guests will be able to listen through headsets to an interpretation by undergraduates from Heriot-Watt University.  And students from London Aveling Park School will give talks in their home languages, Turkish and Amharic.

Isabella Moore, Director of CILT, speaking to FE News said: “This is a unique opportunity for our winners, who fully deserve to enjoy the prestige of a ceremony in a venue as important as the Scottish Parliament. I’m sure it will be a day they never forget”.  The public gallery will be open during the ceremony should you wish to attend.

Reminder!  Should you have forgotten.  In London, Answer English will be out on the streets enquiring about what languages mean to you.  Be sure to look for us around the Marble Arch, Oxford Street, Edgware Road area.  Have fun and enjoy the day!

Continuing our Student Corner series, Letizia, a 19 year old student from Italy, writes first in Italian about her experiences in London, and then a translation follows:

Londra, puoi aspettarmi?

Sono arrivata a Londra due mesi fa e non mi aspettavo che questo posto fosse cosí fantastico!!  Dopo soli cinque giorni, ho trovazo lavoro in un pub in centro a Londra chiamato Marylebone Bar and Kitchen. Sono stata davvero felice di di trovare uno staff cosi gentile con me e cosi disponibile ed in questo modo ho potuto imparare molto piú facilmente l’inglese.

Ho trovato questo lavoro davvero divertente, specialmente quando avevo conversazioni con clienti che mi aiutavano molto a migliorare il mio inglese.  Devo dire che qui ho trovato cari amici, i quali mi hanno incitato a guardare la vita diversamente e mi hanno aiutata a credere in me stessa. Pensando a Londra, prima, potevo solo immaginare il Big Ben e i tipici rossi pulman inglesi, ma ora ho realizzato che c’e qualcosa di piú in questa bellissima cittá.

Qui ho conosciuto differenti culture e persone di differenti stati e penso che ció mi abbia aperto la mente e reso piú tollerante. Penso che Londra sia una grande cittá, specialmente per I giovani, dal momento che ci sono tante attivitá da fare e non ti puoi certo annoiare. Infatti ci sono club, negozi, puoi goderti interessanti visite nei musei nelle gallerie o rilassarti in stupendi parchi. Personalmente, devo dire che Londra per me e un luogo dalle molteplici possibilitá.

Queste sono le differenti ragioni per le quali ho deciso di ritornare qui e continuare I miei studi. Sono felice di avere conosciuto persone cosi amichevoli e di aver creduto in me stessa e sono pronta per iniziare la mia matura etá in questa fantastica cittá!!

English Transation:

I came to London two months ago and I didn’t expect that this place could be so wonderful!!  After just five days I… Read the rest of this entry »

A great job opportunity has come up for bar staff in a Central London pub.  Yesterday we received a call from the Marylebone Bar & Kitchen asking if we knew of anyone interested in working part or full time.

Full training is provided and you wouldn’t need prior experience, although that would obviously help.  The job would involve waitering during the day and working behind the bar at night.  They pay £5.05 an hour, and you would be expected to do 3 evenings a week.  Letizia one of our students worked there and had a great time.  The staff are friendly and it seems a pleasant working environment.

The Marylebone Bar & Kitchen is on York Street, around the corner from the Answer English Offices.  The nearest tubes are Edgware Road and Baker Street.  If you are interested in this position please send a CV in English to James Herbertson by e-mail to: james@answerenglish.com and I will pass it on to the manager.  At least an intermediate level of English is required.

Today we welcome Jane Dancaster, the principal of Wimbledon School of English, to the Answer English blog.  Jane has written the following piece on why she thinks London is ‘One of the Most Exciting Places in the World.’ 

Culture, history, nightlife and entertainment, walking in the parks or by the river, tasting food from every part of the world - London has something for everyone and deserves its reputation as one of the world’s most exciting cities.

Whether you like the old or the new you will find something here to suit you - you can take a step back in time in the Tower of London, fly above the river Thames on the London Eye, enjoy exciting artworks in Tate Modern, explore London s history in the Museum of London, relax at a classical music concert or dance the night away at one of London’s famous clubs.

London is the ideal place to learn English With a wide variety of tourist attractions, bars, restaurants, theatres, cinemas, shops, museums and galleries there is plenty for you to see and do in your spare time - and the good news is, you don’t need to spend a lot of money as many of our famous attractions are absolutely free! Over 70 London museums now offer free admission, such as the British Museum and the National Gallery.

If you enjoy spending time outdoors, you will love London’s parks and commons - it is one of the greenest cities in the world, with more than 1,800 parks and open spaces. You can see wild deer in Richmond Park, play golf on Wimbledon Common, go boating in Hyde Park or enjoy a variety of music at one of the many free weekend music festivals.

London also has a large network of waterways and canalswith walking paths running alongside, taking you through leafy parks and urban spaces - and of course it costs nothing to walk along the river and enjoy London s historic buildings.  For shopaholics, London offers a fantastic choice - its many shopping areas are home to world-famous stores, unique street markets and unusual boutiques. You will also find exciting new fashion, interesting bargains and delicious delicacies if you visit one of London s 300 markets.

London is a huge, cosmopolitan city with a population of 7.5 million and its sheer size is often a shock for visitors. However, it does mean there is a wonderful choice of English Language schools for anyone who wishes to improve their English. Prospective students will find a school to suit every need and budget. If you like the energy of the city centre then have a look at our central London schools in zone 1 - but if you prefer to enjoy the pleasures of London without the stress, we have great schools in all the suburbs from zone 2 to zone 6.

So don’t forget - if you want culture, history, music, fashion and excitement, as well as a fantastic choice of language centres, then come to London!

Thanks Jane from all of us at Answer English.

This year Freddie Mercury would have turned 60.  Dying on November 24 1991 from the HIV related illness AIDS, the music world was robbed of one of the true performers.  Freddie Mercury was a real talent with an operatic voice who could captivate an audience like few others.  He penned hits Don’t Stop Me Now, Somebody to Love, We Are the Champions and all-time rock classic Bohemian Rhapsody.  Mercury fronted glam rock band Queen known for their exceptional and flamboyant live performances.  Queen’s 1985 Live Aid set is widely acclaimed as the best rock and roll concert of all time.

Sadly ‘The Great Pretender’ is no longer with us.  But the show must go on…  This year to mark the occasion EMI Music have released a DVD in tribute to Freddie’s birthday.  Entitled Lover of Life, Singer of Songs the DVD includes The Untold Story, a fascinating documentary on Freddie’s life, as well as The Solo Videos DVD.  In addition to a whole host of TV documentaries and parties in his honour, a photography exhibition has just opened at the Proud Gallery on the Strand.  This runs until the 22nd October.  For more information go to www.proud.co.uk

Freddie Mercury is an inspiration to all of us to live life to the full.  In his own words ‘Don’t stop me now… I’m having a good time’  Freddie at 60 we salute you!

The European Day of Languages: 26th September 2006 is a day to celebrate linguistic diversity and the benefits of being able to communicate in another language.  This is the 6th day of its kind and a whole range of events are taking place across Europe in celebration.

From Austria, where they are holding a Fair of Linguistic Diversity in Vienna, to Warsaw in Poland where one school is hosting a language based Eurovision style contest – the whole of Europe is involved.  Answer English is marking the occasion by investigating what the European Day of Languages means to Londoners.
 
We will ask what foreign languages Londoners speak, the importance they place on communicating in another language and what motivates them to use languages other than their mother tongue.  We will be posting up on our Blog the results and putting some footage up of the responses to our questions.  Answer English will also keep a resume of what is going on around Europe to mark this day.

We would be interested to hear about what languages you speak, whether you feel that being able to speak other languages is important, and why & for what purpose you speak the languages you do speak.  Please let us know by Contacting Us we are all ears!  For additional information about The European Day of Languages you may wish to visit www.ecml.at/edl where there is a full list of activities around Europe.