It's Christmas!

At the London School of English we've been celebrating the festive season with our Christmas staff dinner, Christmas concert and Christmas themed lessons. Now the school is closed until the new year but everyone in London is very busy getting ready for Christmas.

So, what do people in the UK do at Christmas time, and what do we say to each other? Here's a list of cultural references about an English Christmas, and some Christmas language too.

Christmas Displays in Shop Windows

Christmas seems to start earlier every year. Shops start putting up Christmas displays almost as soon as Halloween has finished. So, seeing Christmas decorations in shop windows as early as October sometimes makes people feel a bit cynical towards the commercialisation of this traditional festival.

What people say: "I can't believe they're advertising Christmas already! It's disgusting how commercialised it has become. Christmas decorations in October? I mean, come on!"

The Christmas Office Party

Every office has to have a Christmas party, even if all the members of staff don't want to do it! An office party usually involves the staff members getting drunk and doing embarrassing things in front of the boss. Sometimes it is the other way round - and the boss gets drunk and does embarrassing things in front of the staff. Whatever happens - it usually involves drinking and embarrassment!

What people say:

"Thanks for all your hard work this year!"

"I love you Tracy... I've always loved you... give me a kiss will you? Tracy? Tracy I'm sorry... I ... Sorry Tracy! ...oh... oh no."

The Christmas Get-Together with Friends

This is one of the best parts of the Christmas season - the opportunity to meet your best friends and have a drink together to celebrate Christmas. Often this will be done in a good pub or restaurant. Sometimes friends will meet at someone's house and drink together, and be merry.

What do people say?

"Merry Christmas"

"Cheers!"

"What are you up to for Christmas?"

"Where are you spending Christmas?"

"Are you going back to your parents' place?"

"Have a great Christmas, won't you?"

Christmas Songs

There are two types of Christmas song: the Christmas carols, and the modern pop songs. Christmas carols are traditional religious songs which are sung in public places by groups of carol singers. It is a very traditional image: carol singers from the local town who stand in a public place, hold candles and sing.

The old pop songs from the 60s, 70s and 80s are also an important part of a typical Christmas here in England. Wherever you go, you hear these songs. They are played on the radio, in shops, in pubs, at the office party or on a CD player at home. Everyone knows them, and everyone can sing them (especially when they've had a few drinks). Some of the most famous Christmas pop songs are: Merry Christmas Everyone by Slade, I Wish It Could Be Christmas Every Day by Wizard, Last Christmas by Wham and The Fairy Tale of New York by The Pogues. You can check YouTube and Google for all of those songs, and the lyrics are all available online too.

What people say:

"Oh look - it's some carol singers! Oh how lovely!"

"Oh, I LOVE this song!"

"Oh no, not this old Christmas song again... I can't stand it..."

Christmas Shopping

Giving gifts is one of the most important parts of Christmas, so it is important to buy presents for your family members, and some of your close friends. The clever people (usually women) do their Christmas shopping in advance. The stupid ones (usually men) leave it until the last minute, and then have to struggle through crowded streets and busy shops to try and find good presents for their loved ones. Doing your Christmas shopping on Christmas Eve (December 24th) is definitely not recommended, as this is guaranteed to make you very stressed out!

What people say:

"Excuse me! Sorry, can I just squeeze past you? Sorry! Thanks!"

"Excuse me, have you got any wrapping paper left?"

"No, I'm afraid we've sold out"

"Oh my god, I wish I hadn't left this until the last minute"

"Have you got any idea what I should get Dad for Christmas?"

"Haven't you bought him anything yet??"

Bah! Humbug!

Anyone who doesn't like Christmas, is called a 'scrooge'. This is because of the story A Christmas Carol by Charles Dickens. Scrooge is famous for saying "Bah! Humbug!" as a way of complaining about Christmas.

Christmas Pantomimes

This is a fun theatre performance which is designed for children, but which adults usually enjoy too. Christmas is pantomime season, and most of the theatres in town will show a pantomime at this time of year. Pantomime stories are usually based on well known children's stories, such as: Cinderella, Aladdin, Peter Pan, Snow White etc. The most popular pantomimes in London have celebrities as the main characters. Pantomimes (or pantos) always have a funny character, a loveable character and an evil character. The audience is encouraged to join in the performance by shouting lines such as "He's behind you!" when the evil character enters the stage. This year, Pamela Anderson (from Baywatch) is performing in a pantomime in London. Many people think she is doing this because she's bankrupt and really needs the money!

What people say:

"He's behind you!"

"Oh no he isn't!"

"Oh yes he is!"

"I hate pantomimes"

Snow

A white Christmas is a traditional image, but snow is quite rare in London these days. Snowfall on Christmas Day is a little more common in the north of the country and in Scotland where the temperature tends to be colder. Weather forecasters are saying there is a chance of snow this Christmas, so children all over the country might wake up to a snow covered garden this year.

What people say:

"Oh, how lovely - a white Christmas!"

"Daddy, Daddy! Can we go outside and make a snowman!?"

"Due to extreme weather conditions, all train services out of London have been cancelled."

Mistletoe

This is a plant with green leaves and white berries. It is traditional to hang mistletoe from the ceiling or some other high place. If you meet someone underneath the mistletoe - you have to kiss them!

The office party + alcohol + mistletoe = possibly embarrassing office romance which everyone talks about for the next twelve months!

What people say:

"Oh, look, it's some mistletoe - what a coincidence. Come on, give me a kiss then!" *smooch*

Christmas Eve - 24th December

Many people in England have to work on this day, but they will often leave the office early in order to travel home to be with the family. The evening is typically spent either at home with the family, in the pub celebrating Christmas, or in church for midnight mass. These days fewer people are attending church service than before, but there are still plenty of Christians who do go there to sing hymns. After the church service, people often gather round and drink mulled wine together. Before they go to bed, children leave stockings out for Father Christmas. If the children have been good, then Santa will come down the chimney and put gifts in the stocking. If there are any children reading this, get ready for the truth: Father Christmas doesn't exist. Your parents are liars. Sorry to tell you that, but it's a tough world out there - so, better start getting used to it now.

What people say:

"Be a good boy, or Father Christmas won't leave you any presents"

"My friend Jack in my class at school says that Santa isn't real, is this true Mummy?"

"No, your friend Jack is a terrible liar! Of course Father Christmas is real darling. Now shut up and go to bed."

Christmas Day - 25th December

For Children, this is the most exciting day of the year, because they get to open lots of presents! For the adults it is a chance to just relax with the family, eat lots of food, drink some booze, share gifts and fall asleep in front of the TV. Presents are given and received, a lunch/dinner of roast turkey and vegetables is eaten and quite a lot of alcohol is drunk (often starting before lunch). The Queen broadcasts a speech (actually written by the government) in the afternoon, there's usually an entertaining family blockbuster on the TV, and the Dad of the family usually falls asleep while watching it. Despite this emphasis on relaxation, Christmas Day is often a stressful experience, and families will sometimes argue because of disagreements over preparing dinner, what to watch on TV and the noisy & hyperactive children who are running around the house.

What people say:

"Oh, you shouldn't have!"

"It's the thought that counts"

"ZZzzzzzzzZZZZZZzzzzzz"

Boxing Day - 26th December

This is the day after Christmas Day. No one really knows why it is called Boxing Day, but some people say it is because this is the day that factory workers were given gifts in boxes. Anyway, it doesn't really matter because this day is a public holiday and so everyone just continues doing what they started on Christmas Day - sitting around, eating, drinking and falling asleep. Great!

What people say:

"ZZZZzzzzzzZZZZZZZZZZZzzzzzzzzz"

So, that's basically it. Merry Christmas everyone, and have a happy new year!

Luke

Glossary:

commercialisation - the act of making something commercialised - making it involved in commerce (buying and selling)

merry - happy and having fun

What are you up to? - What are you doing? / What are you going to do?

I can't stand it - I hate it

leave it until the last minute - do something at the latest possible moment

loved ones - people you love

can I just squeeze past you? - can I get past you? (We use this expression when we need to walk past someone when there is no space)

wrapping paper - paper we use to wrap Christmas presents

berries - small fruit that grows on trees

midnight mass - a church service which happens at 12 o'clock at night

hymns - religious (christian) songs

mulled wine - a combination of wine and spices, which is served hot

stockings - long socks

chimney - the part of a building which transports smoke out of the roof

booze - alcoholic drinks (slang term)

blockbuster - a very successful and popular movie

you shouldn't have - What someone says when they are given a gift. It means "You shouldn't have bought this for me!" or "You didn't need to buy me a gift!". It is a modest way to accept a gift.

Image courtesy of FreeFoto.com

http://www.freefoto.com/preview/90-13-2?ffid=90-13-2

Business Collocations

What is a collocation? It’s, two words that are commonly used together and therefore sound natural; such as do and business.

Our company does business in the Far East.
I'm going to give you ten words, see if you can think of any collocations for them:

1. Business
2. Sales
3. Customer
4. Target
5. Market
6. Brand
7. Money
8. Product
9. Highly
10. Commercially

Now read the following text and see how we can use them.

In order to make money in business you should have a good business plan. Firstly, you need to identify your target market and use your product knowledge to sell it. The product must be commercially viable to make a profit. In order to gain market share and increase sales figures, your product should be highly competitive. Once you have done all this you need customer satisfaction because this leads to brand loyalty, which is what all companies would love to achieve.

Other collocations with the above words are:

1. Business opportunity
2. Sales representative
3. Customer services
4. Target audience
5. Market leader
6. Own brand
7. Lose money
8. Product range
9. Highly motivated
10. Commercially successful

I'll write a follow-up blog giving you more examples of these collocations in use soon.

Here are some answers from the 'Decisions, Decisions' post. The correct collocations and the examples of the past tense have been highlighted in bold.

Can you choose one from each pair?

- We had to make a snap / click decision
- It’s a tough /strong decision
- It’s a(n) soft / easy decision
- You need to make a quick / speed decision
- That’s my final / end decision

Johnny in Fundon
Johnny arrived in Fundon feeling both excited and a little nervous. It was his first time away from his family, and he was looking forward to his new freedom, but also worrying about looking after himself. So, how did Johnny get on with his new life?He started well at school and was very enthusiastic about his lessons and about his new friends. He organised his study materials, kept up with his work and spent most of his free time doing lots of interesting cultural stuff around Fundon. Gradually, he was getting used to living away from home and the culture shock was not as strong as it was at the beginning. Johnny kept in touch with his family and friends back home and they were happy that he was having such a great time, as well as learning a lot too.After a few months, however…

Johnny’s attitude began to change. He started oversleeping in the mornings and getting to class late. Some days he didn’t even manage to come to school at all. Instead, he just stayed at home or walked around by himself. The energy he had at the beginning suddenly disappeared because he knew it was difficult to learn a language and he was getting frustrated because it takes time to make progress. The problem was that because Johnny now decided to hide away from these difficulties and spend his time speaking his own language and going out with people from his own country, he couldn’t develop his Pinglish.To be honest, Johnny didn’t really enjoy studying that much. He preferred listening to music, watching films and meeting new people (especially women!). What he didn’t understand was that with more Pinglish, he could enjoy these things more. In fact, his best friend Ronny was one of the best students in the school and because he really tried to improve, his life in Fundon really changed. Not only could he go back to his country with an excellent level to impress his friends, but he was also having a great social life: meeting people, doing a wide variety of different things, and really getting to know another culture. It was strange because he studied more than Johnny but he always seemed to have more free time and fun too. His philosophy was ‘Work hard, play hard’.
Unfortunately, Ronny didn’t really influence his friend and Johnny ended up going back to his country early. His parents were a bit surprised, although of course they were happy to see him. He got used to his normal life again, and slowly his Pinglish disappeared.A few years later, he was walking down his local high street and he saw a group of young Pinglish people playing music in the street. One of them was a beautiful young lady; a modern day princess. The music they were playing was great and Johnny really, really wanted to talk to them. They seemed so full of adventure and magic. But…of course he didn’t. Instead he just carried on walking and…he remembered clearly his time all those years ago in Fundon. I guess he regretted the opportunity he wasted. ‘I wish I could go back’ he thought. But time is a bridge that goes in only one direction!

...

Learning English Outside the Classroom

Working in a language school as a teacher, I’m often asked by students how they can improve their English when they return to their home countries or when they are not in the classroom. There are many ways to do this. So, I’m now going to share the best ideas with you.


Reading
Whatever level your English is, reading will help to consolidate what you have learnt in the classroom or from a grammar book and is a great way to learn new vocab. Reading should be an enjoyable activity so it often helps if you choose a subject that you have an interest in, for example I love football so I enjoy reading about football in another language (I’m currently studying Modern Greek at evening classes). You can read most English newspapers online nowadays. Something I sometimes do in class is compare a news story that has been written about in two different newspapers, you can see how the language and style varies in each newspaper, for example comparing an article in The Sun to the same article in The Guardian can be very interesting and shows how an article in the tabloid press (The Sun) can often be harder to read than an article in a broadsheet because The Sun uses far more phrasal verbs and colloquial language than The Guardian. See links for both newspapers below.

All good bookshops will sell graded readers from beginner to advanced; you can read anything from Shakespeare to John Grisham. Sometimes it’s a good idea to read a book that you’ve read in your language. Lots of my students have read Harry Potter in English and because they’ve already read it in their own language they don't feel the need to look up every word they don't understand.

When you are reading it sometimes a good idea to focus on one thing, for example, you just read one column of a text or newspaper article and you focus on one aspect of language such as prepositions or phrasal verbs. You can then see which preposition is used with which noun, adjective or verb.

Internet

There are so many internet sites for English language learners to use. As I mentioned earlier, most English newspapers have sites. If you are studying for one of the Cambridge exams like FCE or CAE then you can go on to Flo-joe and practise grammar, reading and listening. See link below.

My favourite site is the award-winning BBC website, as well as having podcasts and interesting news stories it has an English language learning section which is excellent. It an easy site to navigate so try it and see. See link below.

Films, TV and Radio

Watching films is a great way to improve your English, you can turn the subtitles on and play back scenes again and again until you understand or can follow what is being said. TV can be a lot harder to follow but can be good if you watch the same programmes each week like the Apprentice and Dragons’ Den (both on the BBC) and understand what’s happening. I like to listen to Greek radio so that I hear Greek everyday and I try especially hard to listen to the news. Find an English radio station that you like and listen regularly; there is a broad range to choose from such as Radio One with DJs from all over the British Isles with their various accents, to LBC which stands for London’s Biggest Conversation, this station has discussions and phone-ins, it never plays music. See links below.

Out and About

Something that I do and encourage my students to do is to use ‘dead’ time to learn English. For example, when you are travelling on a train or bus or are queuing in a museum or shop; you should look around and see if you can describe your surroundings and the people around you in English, is there any vocabulary that you don’t know? If so you could make a note of it in your own language and look it up later.

Finally, speak English as often as possible. If you go to English classes, ask the people in your group if they want to go out and speak English together. If you aren’t having lessons and live outside the UK then you could see if someone wants to do a language exchange with you. If you have a language school or university near you then you may find that there’s a native speaker who is willing to speak English to you for an hour or so in exchange for you speaking or teaching them your language.

Learning English should be fun…try some of these methods and let me know how you get on and if you have any tips on how you learn English outside the classroom let me know!

Good luck and have fun!


http://www.thesun.co.uk/sol/homepage/
http://www.guardian.co.uk/
http://www.bbc.co.uk/worldservice/learningenglish/
http://www.flo-joe.co.uk/
http://www.lbc.co.uk/

Decisions, Decisions......…

The word ‘DECISION’ has many different collocations (word partnerships). Which ones of those below are useful collocations?

1. Can you choose one from each pair?

- We had to make a snap / click decision

- It’s a tough /strong decision

- It’s a(n) soft / easy decision

- You need to make a quick / speed decision

- That’s my final / end decision

You’re going to read a story about a young guy called Johnny. He’s a university student in his country and his family have decided to send him to Fundon (a great European city) to study Pinglish.

2. What kind of decisions do you think he will have to make?

Read the first part of Johnny’s story quickly and find all the decisions he made.

Johnny in Fundon

Johnny arrived in Fundon feeling both excited and a little nervous. It was his first time away from his family, and he was looking forward to his new freedom, but also worrying about looking after himself. So, how did Johnny get on with his new life?He started well at school and was very enthusiastic about his lessons and about his new friends. He organised his study materials, kept up with his work and spent most of his free time doing lots of interesting cultural stuff around Fundon. Gradually, he was getting used to living away from home and the culture shock was not as strong as it was at the beginning. Johnny kept in touch with his family and friends back home and they were happy that he was having such a great time, as well as learning a lot too.After a few months, however…

3. What do you think happened next in the story?

…Johnny’s attitude began to change. He started oversleeping in the mornings and getting to class late. Some days he didn’t even manage to come to school at all. Instead, he just stayed at home or walked around by himself. The energy he had at the beginning suddenly disappeared because he knew it was difficult to learn a language and he was getting frustrated because it takes time to make progress. The problem was that because Johnny now decided to hide away from these difficulties and spend his time speaking his own language and going out with people from his own country, he couldn’t develop his Pinglish.To be honest, Johnny didn’t really enjoy studying that much. He preferred listening to music, watching films and meeting new people (especially women!). What he didn’t understand was that with more Pinglish, he could enjoy these things more. In fact, his best friend Ronny was one of the best students in the school and because he really tried to improve, his life in Fundon really changed. Not only could he go back to his country with an excellent level to impress his friends, but he was also having a great social life: meeting people, doing a wide variety of different things, and really getting to know another culture. It was strange because he studied more than Johnny but he always seemed to have more free time and fun too. His philosophy was ‘Work hard, play hard’.

Unfortunately, Ronny didn’t really influence his friend and Johnny ended up going back to his country early. His parents were a bit surprised, although of course they were happy to see him. He got used to his normal life again, and slowly his Pinglish disappeared.A few years later, he was walking down his local high street and he saw a group of young Pinglish people playing music in the street. One of them was a beautiful young lady; a modern day princess. The music they were playing was great and Johnny really, really wanted to talk to them. They seemed so full of adventure and magic. But…of course he didn’t. Instead he just carried on walking and…he remembered clearly his time all those years ago in Fundon. I guess he regretted the opportunity he wasted. ‘I wish I could go back’ he thought. But time is a bridge that goes in only one direction!
Written by Rui Da Silva & Ben Butler

4. What do you think of the story?

5. What do you think the message of the story is?

6. How do you think you can get the maximum benefit from visiting and studying in a native English speaking country?

Think about some of the bad decisions you think Johnny made and then consider what you think he should have done.

7. He should’ve…

8. He shouldn't have...

Can you find all the uses of past tense in the story? How many are there?

Come to the Christmas party!

This Friday, 11th December, Banned Practice will be performing at the London School of English Christmas party. The party will be at The Hops Poles on King Street, Hammersmith. Tickets are £6 in advance (if you're at the school you can buy tickets in Reception) or £7 on the door. Everyone is welcome.

Hope to see you there from 8pm on Friday!

The School Band

Not only are our staff at LSE very experienced and well qualified in teaching English as a foreign language, they are also great entertainers! In fact, I think we might be one of the only schools in London to have its own band.

The group is called Banned Practice and is made up of teachers and members of staff at the school. Banned Practice have been practising, writing songs and performing for at least 20 years. The group has had many different members and has played possibly hundreds of different songs over the years.

I am the most recent member of the group. I joined about 3 years ago when I started working at the school. I play the drums, and I sometimes sing (but the less said about that the better). Teachers and staff members from both Holland Park and Westcroft Square are involved in the band. We have two guitarists (Robin Gray and Francis Duncan), a bass guitarist (Johnny ‘Danger’ Diablo), and lead singers (Michelle Oldman, Richard McNeff, Kevin Scanlan, Carrick Cameron, Simon Williams). Some of those singers are also guitarists, keyboard players, flutists, saxophone players and even tambourine players. There is so much talent packed into this group that sometimes it feels like we are going to explode!

We play cover versions of classic rock and roll songs from the 50s to the noughties, and we also write some original material. Richard McNeff in particular has written quite a few of his own tracks (Richard is also a published novelist – check out his website here).

We practise once a week either in the school or in a local rehearsal studio in Shepherds Bush, and we perform concerts to our staff and students regularly during the year. The concerts are usually great parties in which everyone has a good time grooving to the music or just observing the incredible display of musicianship and entertainment on stage! Our gigs often end with the crowd shouting “Encore encore!”

Being in the band is great fun, especially during gigs, but we also work very hard at learning the songs. Hopefully the hard work pays off when we get in front of the audience and start our set. We aim to entertain, and always hope that everyone enjoys themselves.

If you come to LSE or you are a student here now, watch out for up-coming social events involving Banned Practice. We are also on Facebook, so check us out!

Definitions:

is made up of - consists of

over the years – during the long time since it started

the less said about that the better – don’t talk about it

cover versions – songs which were written and recorded by someone else

the noughties – the informal expression for the decade 2000-2009 (e.g. 80-89 = the eighties, 90-99 = the nineties – 2000 – 2009 = the noughties). The word ‘noughties’ is a kind of pun on the words ‘naughty’ which means ‘badly behaved’, and the word ‘nought’ which means ‘zero’ or 0)

original material – songs written by the band (not cover versions)

tracks - songs

rehearsal studio – a place in which a band practises

grooving - dancing

musicianship – the ability to play a musical instrument

gigs – live concerts

to be in a band – to be a member of a musical group

the hard work pays off – hard work is rewarded in the end

a set – the whole list of songs which a band plays in one concert

English Expressions and their Origins

Today I thought we’d do a little quiz. Please read the story below and decide where the expressions in bold come from, Shakespeare, the Bible or elsewhere. Good luck!

Amy was from very small village in Kent and when she was 20 years old she was invited to her best friend Adam’s party, which was quite exciting as nothing ever happened in the village. She dressed up and spent a long time doing her hair and make-up and when she got to her friend’s house he told her to eat drink and be merry…so she did! She met Mark, who was tall dark and handsome. He told her that he was very successful and had a huge house in the next village, he asked her to go out with him. Adam was worried about his friend Amy and warned her that all that all that glittered is not gold. She replied that she understood this and wasn’t wearing her heart on her sleeve. She also told him that there was Hobson’s choice in this small village and if she didn’t go out with him then someone else would.

They dated each other for six months, then, he got bored and left her high and dry for a member of the Royal Family. She felt a bit sad and rather silly and went to talk to her best friend Adam about it. He told her that he was glad that she wasn’t seeing Mark anymore because he wanted to tell her how he felt about her. He told that he had loved her since he was 12 years old and that he would stay with her through thick and thin. She told him that she didn’t deserve his love as she had not been a good friend but he told her that a rose by any other name would smell as sweet and that, for him, it was better to give than to receive. She then realised that he was right and they got married and are still together 40 years later!

Now look to see if you have guessed correctly!

Answers

Eat, drink and be merry is from the Bible, Ecclesiastes VIII 15. The meaning is clear.

All that glitters is not gold has many references; the most common is from Shakespeare in The Merchant of Venice (1596). It means that, just because something looks good, it may not be.

Wear your heart on your sleeve may be from the middle ages. Knights used to wear the colours or ribbons on their arms of the lady that they were trying to impress or support. It is also more famously in Shakespeare’s Othello (1604).

Hobson’s choice means that there is not choice at all. It is believed to come from Thomas Hobson (1545-1631) who rented horses to people; however, they could not choose the horse so they had to have the horse he gave you or no horse.

High and dry is from the language of sailing. If a boat is high and dry it is out of the water and has been for sometime, the situation is not good. It usually means that there is no hope of recovery or of things getting better.

Through thick and thin is a very old English expression. It refers back to a time hundreds of years ago, when England was mainly trees and woodland, there weren’t many roads therefore travelling was difficult. Through thick and thin meant how many trees and bushes there were (a lot or a few). It now means whatever problems or obstacles there are. It is usually used to express determination.

A rose by any other name would smell as sweet is from Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet (1594). It means that it doesn’t matter what we call something but what it is that is important.

It’s better to give than to receive is from the Bible, Acts 20:35. The meaning is clear.

Word games

It's been a while since I've posted anything here. I could lie and say that I've been busy putting the world to rights, making a change so that we all have a brighter tomorrow. But the sad truth is, I haven't done anything of the sort. No, the reality couldn't be any further from this. The fact is, I have an addiction, and I need to share it with you all.

Like many people nowadays, I've become hooked on the internet. Or more precisely, I've become addicted to a particular website. Once I power up my laptop, I retreat into my own little cyberworld and can spend hours, days even, on this site without eating anything or speaking to anyone. It drives my girlfriend mad! I am what you might call a cyber-junkie. The irony that I'm writing this blog is not wasted on me.

So what website has done this to me? What site has got so far under my skin as to make it almost impossible to do any work? I'd like to tell you, but I feel I must absolve myself of all potential blame and attach a health-warning before you click on any of the links below - THIS WEBSITE IS VERY ADDICTIVE AND WILL TAKE UP ALL OF YOUR FREE TIME IF YOU ARE NOT CAREFUL!!!

Phew! Got that out of the way. Okay, the website in question is www.sporcle.com. It's a great collection of "mentally stimulating diversions". Guessing games mostly. They cover a wide range of topics and there are, at the time of writing, over 2,000 games which have been played over 130,000,000 times! So I'm not alone with my addiction.

In terms of improving your english it's a fantastic website, especially the language section. See below for a few of my favourites. Good luck, and try not to become a Sporcle-junkie!

http://www.sporcle.com/games/common_english_words.php

http://www.sporcle.com/games/usuk_words.php

http://www.sporcle.com/games/common_english_adjectives.php

http://www.sporcle.com/games/3letterbody.php

http://www.sporcle.com/games/corplogos.php

Image from www.freedigitalphotos.net

Glossary

putting the world to rights solving all the problems in the world

a brighter tomorrow a better future

to be hooked on to be addicted to

to power up to switch a machine, such as a computer, on

to retreat into your own little world to become so interested in something to the point where you ignore everyone else

to drive somebody mad to frustrate, irritate or annoy somebody

cyber related to computers and the internet

junkie informal expression for an addict

to get (so far) under your skin to be unable to stop thinking about or do anything else

to absolve yourself of all blame to make it public that you are not responsible for something

mentally stimulating diversions activities or games that require the use of your brain

Writing Emails in English

Writing in English is sometimes seen as easier than speaking because you usually have more time to think about what you are writing and can correct any mistakes. With spoken English you need to respond immediately and can often forget words and tenses which can be embarrassing. I’m going to look briefly at some formal and informal writing styles, including some useful phrases that will hopefully help you. All correspondence should have a purpose, so ask yourself ‘why am I writing?’ The subject should be clear to the reader immediately; if action is required by the reader then this should be stated in the subject line and then repeated in the first line of the email. The emails below are about the same subject, however the first is formal and the second informal.

To: Brad Pitt
From: Heather Daniell
Subject: Action required re Marketing meeting Nov 25th
cc: George Clooney

I am writing with regard to next week’s meeting on November 25th at 9.30 am. I have already received confirmation that Angelina, Tom, Clint and Keira will be attending and have had apologies from Elvis and Michael. I would be grateful if you could bring samples of the new posters and leaflets that you have produced. Clint has kindly offered to present the pricing strategy to us at 9.30 however, will have to leave at 10.00.

I would appreciate confirmation of your attendance by return email. If you have any questions regarding this matter please do not hesitate to contact me.

I look forward to seeing you next week.

Regards

Heather


Just a quick note about next week’s meeting on November 25th at 9.30 am. I’ve heard that that Angelina, Tom, Clint and Keira can make it and Elvis and Michael can’t. Please can you bring samples of the new posters and leaflets that you’ve produced. Clint will present the pricing strategy to us at 9.30 but, has to leave at 10.00.

Please let me know if you’re coming asap. Call or email if you need to know anything else.

See you next week.

Bw

Heather

Most emails are informal, however if you are writing to someone you’ve never met before or someone quite senior in a company then you may wish to ‘play safe’ and use more formal language. If you aren’t sure then you should copy the style of the incoming email. Good luck and happy emailing!

Football at LSE

On Wednesday afternoons at our Westcroft Square school some of the teachers and students play football.We play on an Astroturf pitch in Ravenscourt Park which is a 5 minute walk from the school. How many players we have, depends on the time of year and the British weather of course, but we usually have between 8 and 15 from the school, sometimes more. We often play if it's raining a little, but we sometimes call it off when it's pouring down. We play against native English people from the local college and if we have a lot of players we play on an 11 aside pitch. When there's less people however we play smaller games of 5 or 7 aside on a smaller pitch. We have players of all different nationalities and abilities and we've even had a few female players. Sometimes when the weather's nice, some students just come along to watch and cheer us on.
It's a great way to relax and unwind after class by letting out some energy, as well as, it being really good exercise. Most of the courses at Westcroft Square finish at 12.45pm on Wednesdays so we start playing at about 1.00pm. Everyone enjoys playing and it provides an excellent opportunity for students to interact with native speakers in a fun and informal situation. Not only do students get to interact with teachers, they also get the chance to meet native English people. It's a natural way to practise English because communication is one of the keys skills in football. If you don't know how to tell a teammate to pass, you won't receive the ball and your team could miss a good opportunity to score. There is also some fun competitive banter between the different nationalities at times which adds to the enjoyment. So, if you plan to study at our Westcroft Square school and you enjoy football, don't forget to bring your kit!


Glossary

• it's pouring down = it's raining heavily
• a pitch = where football is played
• Astroturf = false grass
• banter = light joking talk
• kit = the clothes and shoes you need to play football

The Beautiful Game

This Saturday was the first leg of the world cup play-offs, with two of Europe’s biggest teams still fighting for places. France played the Republic of Ireland (away) and Portugal faced Bosnia-Herzegovina (at home), both teams won by a single goal and need to put on more convincing performances in their next games on Wednesday 18th November. They should both beat their opponents and then take their rightful places in the World Cup. Greece and Ukraine were very disappointing and neither deserves a place in the world cup if they play like that, a very dull match with no goals. Russia beat Slovenia 2-1 and look sure to go to South Africa.
I’ve thoroughly enjoyed the fact that England qualified so early and that, for once, we were not part of these dreaded play-offs! I’m looking forward to the draw on December 4th and am feeling strangely confident about our chances next year. Capello, the 63-year old England coach, has brought hope to the English fans, he’s been in charge for 21 matches, and we’ve won 15, drawn 2 and only lost 4. The England team respect him and so do the fans. He stated:
"This is the final appointment of my career. It would be nice to finish on a high."
There could be no greater high than winning the World Cup, you may think that is a wish too far but I believe he can take us a long way in the tournament and who knows….dreams can come true, they did in 1966!!!

Glossary

Convincing - making you believe that something is true or right
Opponent - someone who you try to defeat in a competition or game
Rightful - according to what is correct or what should be done legally or morally
Thoroughly - completely
Dreaded - making you feel afraid or anxious
To be in charge - to be in control, to be the boss

Money & The Financial Crisis - 12 Phrasal Verbs

This blog post is about money and the economic crisis. It is full of useful financial vocabulary and expressions. Also, there are 12 phrasal verbs connected to money in the text. Can you find the 12 phrasal verbs? Definitions are provided below.

These days, many of us are living in tough times. The economic crisis is making life difficult for lots of people in this country. We're all having to economise and cut back on our spending. There is less credit available in the money markets at the moment and this is having a knock-on effect in our lives.

Unemployment is going up and house prices have gone down over the last few years. The Bank of England recently used tax payers' money to bail out many of the banks which were facing insolvency due to their poor investments in so-called 'toxic assets' (many of them originating in the American sub-prime real estate markets). The government lowered interest rates to help people pay off their bank loans and mortgages. VAT was lowered to 15% in order to encourage us to splash out in shops up and down the country, and inject more money into the economy.

Some people are not being affected so seriously; particularly the wise individuals who have saved up their money in secure savings accounts. When they need to, they can just dip into their savings in order to pay for an unexpected household repair or a much needed holiday. But for many of us, we just have to get by every month on our monthly salaries. It's not easy though, particularly in London when everything is so expensive. We try to pay off our loans and mortgages while trying to avoid taking too much cash out of the many cash machines which are available to us all over the city.

The energy companies in particular seem to be ripping everyone off with the price of oil and electricity. It's almost as though they're using global warming as an excuse for charging us extortionate amounts for our energy, even though wholesale market prices have dropped in recent months.

Big companies and banks seem to get protection from the state, while the average tax payer has to pick up the pieces by working harder, cutting back on our spending, moving into more modest accommodation, or accepting badly paid work because we have no choice. Perhaps it has to be that way - the big companies have to be protected in order to support the economy. It just seems a little unfair that's all, and I'm sure there are some CEOs and directors who are still doing very well while the rest of us struggle to get by.

Still, it's not all bad. The lower interest rates on bank loans and mortgages mean we don't have to pay back so much money each month, and there is now so much freely available entertainment on the internet that it's quite easy to have a good time without reaching too deep into our pockets. So, take advantage of free internet content like this, and use it to help you improve your English wherever you are in the world.

Did you find the phrasal verbs? Here they are:

1. to cut back on spending - this means to spend less than before. To try and reduce your spending. E.g. "I'm going to have to cut back on my spending in order to save up some money"
2. to go up - this means to increase
3. to go down - this means to decrease
4. to bail someone out - this means to save someone by giving them money. It's usually used when the government gives money to a company or bank in order to save them from insolvency. E.g. "The government bailed out the banks by giving them £5billion of tax payers' money"
5. to splash out - this means to spend quite a lot of money in a care-free way when you go shopping. E.g. "I was feeling a bit depressed, so I went to the shopping centre and just splashed out on some new clothes"
6. to save up - this means to save money. E.g. "I'm saving up for a holiday in Italy next year"
7. to dip into savings - this means to go into your savings account, and take a bit of money out. E.g. "I can't afford to pay my electricity and telephone bills this month. I'm going to have to dip into my savings"
8. to get by - this means to survive, usually on a small amount of money. E.g. "Students in London find it difficult to get by on money they earn from part-time work"
9. to pay something off - this means to completely pay a loan or debt. E.g. "YEAH!!! I've finally paid off my student loan!"
10. to take some cash out - this means to withdraw money from a bank or cash machine
11. to rip someone off - to charge too much money for something. To give a bad price. E.g. "You always get completely ripped off in Harrods. You can by the same stuff in other shops for much less money. The prices are just high because it's Harrods."
12. to pay something back - to give money back. When you have borrowed money, you have to pay it back each month

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How I spent Halloween

My Halloween was actually really good fun and one of the best that I’ve ever. Early Saturday evening I went down to my friend’s house in Kent dressed as a vampire and from there travelled down to a farm in the middle of the countryside for a ‘ghost walk’ that was organised by the Local Council. There were eight children ranging from 8 to 15 years old and six adults, all in fancy dress (witches, ghosts and devils). We split into 2 groups. Each group was given a gas lantern and told to follow a path marked with small florescent lights in the trees. I found myself holding hands with two eleven year-old girls who became more and more frightened as the walk continued. It was pitch black and we were walking through muddy woodlands. We heard rustling noises in the bushes and then various ghosts and monsters rushed out of the woods, I don’t know who screamed loudest, me or the girls!!! After a petrifying 45 minutes, we finally reached the safety of our cars and headed home.

The evening had only just begun. Back at my friend’s house we gathered around a fire and started playing games, bobbing for apples (the apples are floating in water) followed my finding sweets with your teeth in a bowl full of flour, of course the your face ends up covered in flour (made more amusing for the adults as the drinking had begun!) As my friend lives in a residential area, the kids decided to go trick or treating and many children came to the house too. There was a really friendly atmosphere. We partied until 3.00 in the morning (well the grown-ups did anyway!).

I now realise that Halloween is a much bigger festival than when I was a child and certainly a lot more fun. Roll on next year!

Glossary

Countryside land that is outside cities and towns
Fancy dress clothes that you wear that make you look like a famous person or character
Lantern a lamp that you can carry
Fluorescent colours that are very bright and easy to see, even in the dark
Pitch black completely black or dark:
Muddy covered with mud
Woodlands an area of land covered with trees

Rustling making a noise as they rub against each other

Bushes plants with many thin branches growing up from the ground
Petrifying extremely frightening
Gathered come together and form a group
Amusing funny and entertaining:
Residential a residential part of a town consists of private houses
Grown-up an adult
Roll on next year looking forward to next year