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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“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...
Read moreWe’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...
Read moreDo 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...
Read moreA 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...
Read moreDear 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...
Read moreDo I have time to learn a foreign language every day? Of course, not! But, I think you may change your mind after reading this article, so let me explain. Impossible possible? First of all, I’m not talking about spending hours practising every day (although, that would be just perfect!),...
Read moreI 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...
Read more“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...
Read moreSpanish 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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