Pack the right clothing – you can obtain a 10-day forecast and
information on London climate here. Don’t forget your Passport, Visa etc!

Write down (clearly in English) the names of any medicines that
you will need – speak to your doctor at home to help you with this.

Today is Federica’s birthday. She has been a pleasure to work with, from her cups of coffee to random italian phrases and spinning classes. From all of the Answer English team we wish her a great birthday.

Ask your hosts to help you – most homestay hosts have guests
because they enjoy the company of students. Show them your course. Ask
them to test you, or help you with words that you do not understand.
Start a conversation to find their interests.

Inverness Terrace Building A Double/Twin Studio – Sleeps 2

Located in a quiet street of Georgian terraced houses, we offer a range of bright and contemporary double/twin studios ideal for the student traveller, with Central London just ten minutes away by Tube. The surrounding area is very safe, vibrant and lively, with many bars, shops and restaurants within a five minute walk. Hyde Park is just across the road.

Rate

GBP70 per night

Facilities

Weekly cleaning/fresh linen

Bi-weekly fresh towels

Private kitchenette – contains a basic amount of cutlery, plates, dishes, pots, pans and glasses, toaster, microwave oven, electric hobs and oven and refrigerator

FREE BROADBAND WIRELESS INTERNET ACCESS

TV – with terrestrial and satellite channels

Laundry service – communal coin-operated washing and drying machines

Iron & ironing board

Wood flooring

Private bathroom with power shower

Maintenance service – should anything go wrong, an in-house maintenance team are on hand to fix it

We are on the look out for talent to join Answer English.  Currently we are searching for a Spanish Online Marketing Manager to join our young, enthusiastic team.

Responsible for the Spanish Market, the purpose of this role is to establish answerenglish.es as the leading internet site for English Language students in Spain, measured by traffic and relevance.  Market intelligence, content quality and established digital promotional techniques will achieve the conversion targets. Effective sales management will translate these to clients. Reports to the Managing Director.

Job Spec: Spanish Online Marketing Manager

If you are interested in applying please send a covering letter and CV to james@answerenglish.com Similarly if you know someone that may well be interested in this role - please let them know - Answer English wants to hear from them.

Christmas mood in London!

These shows will definitely help you to remember what Christmas was like when you were a child. Feel the fascination!

1) Hansel and Gretel

The famous fairytale from Brothers Grimm linked with great music from the German composer Wagner will be an experience you’ll never forget!
Where: Royal Opera House
When: 10/12/2008 – 3/1/2009

2) Oliver!

This fabulous show with Rowan Atkinson will enthuse kids as well as adults.
Where: Theatre Royal Drury Lane
When: from 12/12/2008

3) The Nutcracker

This ballet from Tchaikovsky is definitetly one of the loveliest Christmas Shows ever. Adorable music paired with a great performance from English National Ballet promise an unforgettable evening.
Where: London Coliseum
When: 17/12/2008 – 30/12/2008

If you prefer to spend your free time outside you have the chance to join Winter Wonderland in Hyde Park.  The event includes a 53-metre observation wheel, ice rink, roller coaster and a German Christmas market. Winter Wonderland is open from 10 am to 10 pm every day until 4/1/2009 and the best thing is that entry is free!
More information on hydeparkwinterwonderland.com

Merry Christmas!

Would you like to make new friends, improve your English AND earn £20 cash?

Cynthia from Iris-London, a consumer research and media agency, is looking for women aged 20-30 from Spain, France and Italy to come along for an hour and take part in a market research discussion group  at their offices near London Bridge.  They will be talking about underwear (women only) on behalf of a leading manufacturer.

On Monday 17th November they are running 2 sessions, one at 6:00pm and a second  at 7.15pm. Each session will last one hour. If you are interested in attending either session please contact either Cynthia or her colleague on the numbers below

Update (06/03/09): Good news - thanks to the help of Answer English students Cynthia tells me that “We won the Wonderbra pitch and will launch the strapless bras around Europe! Here is the link of the press announcement: http://www.marketingmagazine.co.uk/news/884344/Wonderbra-names-Iris-lead-European-agency-new-bra/ I wanted to thank you as you helped us for our market research! Well done!”

So please don’t contact Cynthia as they have now finished the research.

Thanks to everyone involved!

Today we talk to Jiajun who recently joined the Answer English team.

Name: Jiajun Zhang （张家君）
Job Title: Marketing/Financial Intern
Age: 24
From: China

How long have you been in London?
5 weeks

What were you doing before this?
I was studying International Business and Management Studies major in International Finance & Accounting at International Business School of Hanze University Groningen in the Netherlands.

Why did you come to London?
I come to London to gain some working experiences, improve my English speaking skills and learn about English culture.

What did you hope to achieve?
First of all, I want to get some working experiences, get to know the real business world and deal with real people in real British business world, and at the same time to improve my English speaking language to advanced level, finally I also want to learn some interesting stories about English cultures.

What does your job involve on a day-to-day basis?
My job involves organize social events, prepare package for new students, updating blog and financial accounting issues involved with day-to-day business.

What responsibilities do you have?
My main responsibilities so far are entering database, book keeping, and update journal entry for financial costs.

What are the best bits?
My best bits are Financial Accounting and Statistical Analysis. By working with Answer English, I can gain valuable working experience, making new friends during work, meet school requirements and improving my English speaking skills.

And the worst?
My worst bits are time management and deal with many things at the same time.

Do you have to have prior experience? If so, what helped get you the job?
I didn’t have any prior working experiences

How did you go about getting it?
Answer English ltd is published on my school website. I sent my CV to James who is the Managing Director of this company; and then we had a conversation on the phone. After that, I got this job; so if you are interested in helping students to find language schools, organizing social events and working with a real British company, I suggest you contact Mr. James Herbertson at james@answerenglish.com.

Any tips you could give our readers?
London is a big city, so be careful about your belongings because there are some people here always watch the other people’s wallets or something expensive, like laptop. Except the things above, London is an exciting city and you will never feel bored here. Buildings here are very special – old style and very tidy!

Anything you know now that you wish you’d known before coming here?
The weather!

How much do you think your English has improved?
A little bit so far, but I imagine that it will improve in the next five months a lot more!

What, if any, lessons could the readers of AE Blog learn from your experience?
You should always think before you do anything to prevent anything terrible from happening.

With this experience, what do you plan to do next?
First of all, I am trying to settle in with Answer English – my first working company; and then, I will apply as much as possible the knowledge I learned from IBS to this company and help them to be more profitable!

Thanks Jiajun for taking the time to speak to us today. Best of luck working in London!

Today we have the chance to speak to Rajul Chande founder of Get Fluent Fast, a practical publication for accelerating the learning of languages.

Why did you decide to write a booklet on Language Learning?

Mainly, I just wanted to get motivated to tackle a new language (German) which I found a bit daunting.  I’m short of time and wanted to be efficient, so did some research on learning methods and memory techniques.  It all got a little out of control and I ended up creating a website at www.getfluentfast.com!

So where do you get your inspiration for so many Language Learning Tips?

It comes mostly from friends and colleagues.  Having lived and travelled in different countries I’ve always met multilingual people.  I’ve tried to observe and learn from them.  Most are far more “natural” than me at languages, so I need to keep dreaming up new tips and short-cuts to keep up with them.

What is your favourite tip for language learners?

My favourite tip is simply “have a go”.  There’s no need to be self-conscious.  The people who learn fastest show no fear at all.  Another favourite is “chisel away a little each day”.

As founder of Get Fluent Fast, what has been the most fulfilling moment for you?

It’s when someone tells me they found a tip on the website or in the booklet that helped them overcome their irrational fear of a language (like me with German!)

And dare we say, what’s the worst bit about running your own language company?

There isn’t a worst bit as far as I can make out.  I do it purely as a fun hobby.

What languages do you speak?

I’m confident in Spanish because I work with Spanish colleagues.  My French is sound though a little rusty in speaking, my Italian rustier still.  My German is like a toddler taking his first tentative steps…likely to fall over at any moment!  I am nurturing my languages like “children”, all at differing stages of development.

Why do you think that so many Brits don’t speak a foreign language?

In the UK, 38% of people claim to speak a second language.  Within the EU it’s 56% and in countries like Sweden and Holland I’m sure it’s higher still.  I think it comes down to the lazy expectation we have that “everyone else speaks English”.  There’s also a lack of emphasis at school.  It really bothers me that languages continue to lose sway on the national curriculum.  James, you need to start a campaign!

Apart from everyone buying a copy of Get Fluent Fast, what can be done to encourage more people to take up languages?

People need role models, preferably someone they know well enough to say “if he/she can do it, so can I”.  It’s about the motivation to start.  My friend Adam at University (a scientist who previously disliked languages) went from zero to hero in French because of a girl he met on holiday (now his wife!).

What do you think is the most fulfilling thing about learning a language?

For me it’s about connecting with people.  Nothing beats the thrill of “clicking” with someone in their own language.  The Answer English conversation events are the perfect opportunity to experience this.  Also when you travel, knowing the local language multiplies your enjoyment tenfold.  For me, you pack at least a few good expressions for the trip as you would your toothbrush.  It’s a necessity, not a luxury.

Where do you intend to go with Get Fluent Fast?

By posting daily tips at www.getfluentfast.com I want people to take control of their own learning, not rely on others.  It’s always in your own hands.  Learning languages is one of life’s most stimulating and enjoyable challenges.

Thanks Rajul for taking the time to speak to us.