Comic incident. Freak accident. Call it what you like, the night did not get off to a great start for me personally, nor Answer English FC. Running round to collect the ball from behind the goal in the pre-match warm up I managed to trip on a guy rope and go flying onto the concrete path. I haven’t been able to walk since. Paul described it as the funniest thing he’d seen all year. So as they say clouds and silver linings! It would probably be worthy of a feature on Soccer Am or a You Tube clip like these hilarious Comedy Football incidents.
Our first game was against Sporting Shanks who have failed to turn up to every game this season. They didn’t disappoint and Answer English banked 3 points, despite being one man down at this point. Next up were the Chad lying one place below us in the table, who we had beaten 2-1 earlier in the season. Unfortunately some poor defending and hardly better goalkeeping meant the Chad raced to a 3 goal lead. Despite a second half effort from Answer English FC and a goal from yours truly (the first for the team), we ran out 4-1 losers. Not a great night!
We are now third in the league with 14 points, two matches to go against group leaders The Pilgrims and bottom of the table The Dynosaurs. Results will have to go our way if we are to stand a chance of promotion. 6 points are required. Go Answer English FC!
On Tuesday we had our regular French - English evening at The Exchange. An even split of twenty people, half French learning English met with half Londoners learning French. We followed our standard format of two half hours in French and another two in English, then followed of with a quiz.
Claudia was the outright winner of the French Language CDs provided by Gazelle. Amazingly the second and third prize came down to a five-way tie breaker over How much does the London Eye weigh. Any ideas? The answer was 1600 tonnes. Kevin and Felicity shared the spoils. The photos are already up on the site: Past Events Gallery
Thanks to our partners who support us every week and most importantly those that came. If you wish to be involved and practise your English / French then please check our future Social Events. We look forward to welcoming you. Contact Us for more information.
Another wet night in South London. The rain poured but the spirit was there as Answer English took another 4 points in the battle for promotion. Hughnel starred in the first game, scoring a couple and making another as Answer English marched to victory. Oli and Ivor also getting on the score sheet.
Having swept aside The Dynosaurs, 4 - 1, we faced Kaiser Clowns who we had drawn against the week before. They went ahead due to some goalkeeping Coco the clown would have been proud of. However AEFC were soon back into it with one goal to go level and another to take the lead. AEFC were now shooting at will with Ivor going close and Paul going closer. However with minutes to go it was the same old story as the Kaisers scored, to level the score 2-2.
This leaves AEFC in third place with 11, behind Kaiser Clowns with 12 and the team to beat Pilgrims with 16. There are two weeks to go and anything could happen but anything short of the maximum points against Sporting Shanks and The Chad and midtable mediocrity beckons. If you want to be put up for selection for Answer English FC send an e-mail to: james@answerenglish.com
Jiajun joins the Language Coach and heads to Bath:
Before I went Bath city, I heard so many positive feedbacks about Bath that I decided to go with English learners last Saturday.
14 students and 2 English teachers went together toward Bath last Saturday. This trip started at Baker Street at 8:00 in the morning. During the first hour of our trip, James and Phil who are the English teachers of this trip handed out sheets which provide us all the information about the places where we are going to visit. Some students just wanted to sleep, but some students are very interested in reading all the information including me!
After two and half hour interesting journey, we were finally there – Roman Bath. Before we entered Roman Bath, we were given some small phones that we could hear all the information that help us to get to know the Roman Bath! At the same time, we did some interesting listening exercises which made this trip a real English learning! The Great Bath is the centre piece of the Roman Bathing buildings and is fed directly from the Sacred springs which provides a luxurious warm swim!
The spring overflow at which hot water flowed from the spring into the Great Roman drain can reach at a temperature of 46°C! We could see the steam come out of this spring! The great Roman drain carries water from the spring and the Great Bath to River Avon. It was lined originally with wooden boards and they are still there today which is a big surprise for me! We finally went to the Pump Room which is the place we tried hot spa water! I suggest you do not breathe when you drink this spa water! This is only my personal experience!
After lunch, we visited the city separately! I went together with four other students to a beautiful park, a nice river and the famous bridge – I forgot the name!
So, if you would like to join us for another Bath English Learning Trip, please do contact James on 020 7402 8651 or send him an email: james@answerenglish.com. To see more photos from the trip to Bath, go to Past Events Gallery.
The TOEIC test – Test of English for International Communication which measures listening, reading and grammar proficiency in international business English is the most widely used language test for professional English. Each year, there are 4.5 million people taking this test. It is not only used as a certification tool for over five thousand international companies around the globe, but also used in more than two thousand companies and large international groups in Europe!
The inclusion of TOEIC score on your CV, whether you are a student or a professional, adds a dimension on your international competitiveness! For those of you who are looking for a job at this moment or in the future, I suggest you take a TOEIC test at one of their test centers because many international companies nowadays add TOEIC score as one of their requirements.
TOEIC test is the internationally recognised standard of measurement of workplace English proficiency and many business schools also require a sufficient score before graduate, so it is a very important test nowadays, especially in international business area!
Based on real life situation, TOEIC test consists of 200 multiple – choice questions comprised of two sections – listening comprehension and reading. For each part, you need to answer 100 questions separately and the total time will be 2 and half hour to finish this test.
If you need help to find a language school in London to prepare you to take this exam, please do not hesitate to contact me either by mail: james@answerenglish.com or call Answer English on 020 7402 8651.
They always say start them early. If you want your son or daughter to master language learning, why not check out this fun way to learn Spanish. Described recently by The Times Educational Supplement as “Superb… captivating and compelling”, Speekee is a new Spanish course for children - which adults love too!
With 10 fun episodes on DVD, an audio CD featuring 15 original compositions, and a comprehensive guide, the course is entertaining throughout. Incorporating songs, movement to music, actions, activities, games and other interactive learning, each themed episode features adorable characters who convey the new language, real Spanish children - who act as teachers too, and beautiful Andalusian locations!
The programme was designed for children of pre-school and early primary school age, but is also proving a hit with adults – including parents who want to learn Spanish alongside their children, and retirees living in Spain who are looking for an accessible way to gain confidence in the language.
Speekee is available now - visit www.speekee.co.uk to find out more and to buy online. What’s more, AnswerEnglish has teamed up with Speekee to offer a £10 discount to all our customers – come along to our next Spanish-English night on the 22 May to find out how to benefit from this offer.
On Tuesday night Graeme (again) won the prize in our Language Quiz. We are generously donated the prizes by Gazelle Book Services. This week was the Instant Italian Vocabulary Builder. If you are interested in a copy you can benefit from a 25% special offer from Gazelle Book Services, when you quote ‘Answer English’.
This newly revised edition in an acclaimed series pays greater attention to the gender and articles of nouns, while the 80-minute audio CD accompaniment has been re-edited to provide greater ease when used in conjunction with the lesson material. The book’s renowned approach to vocabulary acquisition remains the same, and it continues to be an excellent supplement text for students of Italian in all settings.
To buy your copy go to Gazelle Book Services and don’t forget to quote ‘Answer English’.
The squad rotated and into the fold came Ivor ‘the cat’ Drake, ‘Football’ Paul, Chris and Dave. With Ivor declaring himself extremely unfit, and Dave having not played football for 6 years the omens were not looking good for Answer English FC. Hoping to build on their 3rd place in the Battersea Second Division, they were up against first The Chad and then the Kaiser Clowns.
Despite every attempt to give away free kicks on the edge of our own area, through not knowing the rules, we managed to take the lead against The Chad. They pulled one back but with a few minutes to go we took the lead and held on for a well deserved 3 points.
The Kaiser Clowns were a whole different outfit. Ivor on a mission not to play in goal again, let in two in the early stages. Then Answer English staged a fight back and through Chris’ chasing a lost cause and Ivor dancing the Fandango, we soon found ourselves 3-2 up with a minute to go. Unfortunately it wasn’t to be and Kaiser Clowns spoiled the party and nicked a goal. Draw, 3-3.
Another 4 points. Join us next week for another installment. To see Answer English FC’s league position go to Tables we are in Battersea Thursday Division Two.
Over the last two decades, a ‘culture of clarity’ has been gaining ground in many large organisations around the English-speaking world. In the United Kingdom, government departments, banks, insurance companies, local councils and others have come to realise that communicating clearly with customers is essential. Instead of writing to impress or confuse, they are now writing to inform and explain. They are using plain English to do this.
The results have been remarkable:
• When BT produced a clearer bill in plain English it received around 25% fewer enquiries each quarter. Customers also paid their bills more promptly, improving cash flow and reducing the cost of collecting overdue bills. Before the change, BT had been receiving a million calls a year.
• Before the Royal Mail redesigned its redirection of mail form it had an 87% error rate when customers filled it in. The company was spending over £10,000 a week to deal with complaints and reprocess the incorrect forms. The new form reduced the error rate dramatically, so that Royal Mail saved £500,000 in the next nine months. (Source: Writing for dollars Professor Joseph Kimble)
There is another benefit in using plain English. Not only is it easier to read, it’s easier to write. This is good news for anyone learning English who wants to work in, or deal with, an English-speaking organisation. Until a few years ago, a student would have had to learn an entire vocabulary of obscure ‘business English’. These days, business English is much more like its everyday, spoken counterpart. Busy managers welcome clear, concise and straightforward reports and emails that simply ‘tell it how it is’.
That’s why the Word Centre’s interactive CD-ROM course Writing plain English encourages students to ‘keep it simple’. By learning how to use everyday language, short sentences and a direct style students will soon master modern business English.
The course covers:
what do we mean by plain English?
the mistakes writers make
the main plain English techniques
using everyday words
keeping your sentences short and effective
using ‘bullet lists’
making your writing ‘human’
writing ‘actively’
punctuating properly
grammar tips
writing letters and reports.
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