Categories for Blog

On Languages: Dutch
7 December, 2016

The Dutch language is a West-Germanic language (others in this family include English, Frisian, German and Luxembourgish) and its use goes back to the fifth century. Modern Dutch (Nederlands) is spoken by about 23 million people as a first language in the European Union —including most of the Netherlands and...

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Hygge. The Danish Art of Living.
30 November, 2016

“The true secret of happiness lies in taking a genuine interest in all the details of daily life.” William Morris [Louisa Thomsen Brits, The book of Hygge, 2016, p. 84.] Hygge (pronounced ‘hue-gah’) is a Danish way of living, meaning togetherness, closeness, cosiness, authenticity, simplicity. Hygge are little moments, like...

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Is Global English a New Lingua Franca?
23 November, 2016

We’re living in the era of English being a global language; one may argue a lingua franca so to say. But what does this mean for learners, speakers and teachers of the English language? I find this subject fascinating and would like to share a few thoughts with you. New...

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Travelling Corner: How to afford all the travelling you want
16 November, 2016

Do you dream about travelling? I used to feel the same, but I’m no longer dreaming, I’ve started to act on it. Keep reading to find out how I organise my life in order to pursue all my travelling desires. Make it a priority Travelling is one of the biggest...

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Book review: The Journey. The Fine Art of Travelling by Train.
9 November, 2016

A beautifully photographed album of the world’s luxury and local long- and short-distance train journeys. Since reading Closely Watched Trains (Ostře sledované vlaky) by Bohumil Hrabal, I have become inspired by the romantic and sentimental vibes associated with trains and train stations, to such an extent that I now even...

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Let’s celebrate festivals from around the world!
2 November, 2016

Dear Readers, We feel lucky to be living in Bristol, a diverse and multilingual city, but in December… it’s that time of year again, it gets dark at 4pm… Isn’t that a perfect excuse to join us for an evening of multicultural celebrations and festive treats? Let’s come together to...

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How to Stay Motivated While Learning a Foreign Language
19 October, 2016

I am lucky enough to speak five languages and be learning a sixth.  Part of the reason why I have learnt them is because I have lived in several different countries, but you could say the other part is because I am motivated to learn them.  I enjoy the challenge...

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Book Review: Maintaining Your Second Language by Eve Lindemuth Bodeux
12 October, 2016

“The big ‘secret’ to improving second language skills is practice.” Eve Lindemuth Bodeux (p. 9) I became in love with this book from the very first page. The author, Eve Lindemuth Bodeux is an experienced second language user and the content is predominantly based on her own experience. This, I...

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On Languages: Spanish
5 October, 2016

Spanish is spoken as a first language by more than 427 million people throughout the world and around 21 million people are learning it.  It is the second most common native language in the world.   It is the third most studied language in Europe, with 19% of school pupils learning...

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