What Type of Learner Are You?

Have you ever considered what type of learner you are? Here is an interesting infographic, with some clues and advice for different learners. I think I qualify as an auditory learner. What about you?

Interested to learn some British slang?

I have just come across a list of 75 expressions labeled as "slang". When you hear of slang, you probably expect something vulgar and improper, but when I looked at the list, I realized that most of these expressions ccould be heard on talk shows, in interviews and normal conversations published in the media and on YouTube. It may be pretty difficult to understand present-day informal spoken English if you don't know these phrases. For example, when someone says, "That film was pants!", would you know what they meant?

Since the list is quite long, I am not copying it here. Instead I would invite you to visit the original article on www.lifehack.org. Do check if you are up to date with conversational English. Some of the phrases are a bit "naughty", but I hope you don't mind that much. If you have problems understanding the explanations provided, there is always the Urban Dictionary, where you can find a lot more of such language, sometimes perhaps more explicit than you are prepared for. :)

Note that I would not advise you to use slang expressions in your English unless you are absolutely sure that the context is exactly right in terms of the level of formality and the meaning of the word/phrase you want to use. So, just to be on the safe side, just check the meaning of the words listed and watch out for them on YouTube and in other spoken English materials. With time you will see how they are used and will get the feel of them.

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A rather shaky start

So, here we are, beginning another academic year. Is it only me who thinks it's tougher than usual this year? Things seem pretty hard to organize, everybody is a bit nervous and irritable. I know I am, but that's a different story.

Despite all this, I wish you all a very good year, full of personal and academic success and satisfaction.

Let the game begin! :)

marsroverdriver CC BY-SA 2.0

Today was special in one way: it was announced that Alice Munro was awarded the Nobel  Prize in Literature. I am exhilarated about the choice! Her short stories are among my favorite reads, and they deserve to be read everywhere in the world. Actually, it's the other way round - PEOPLE everywhere deserve to read them. Because that's how Munro's stories work - they are such a pleasure to read. Her prose is vibrant, full of life and feeling and compassion. So, if you want to see for yourself, go to the bottom of this website, where you can find links to quite a few of Munro's stories, available online, for free. Enjoy!

Summertime!

Thanks everybody for your involvement in our lessons and our extra projects, and for keeping high spirits despite all your hard work. Best of luck with your tests and exams! And then... 

RELAX! :)

A life to be remembered

To my second-year students:

As a follow-up to seeing The Young Victoria, I would like you to think of a historical figure whom you find fascinating and inspiring in any way. Apart from giving us a few basic facts about who the person was, please explain why you have chosen him/her, write about the way he/she affected you, and try to add an image and/or some video material (an interiew, a documentary, a lecture - anything) to give us some backround to the person's life and achievements. No "copy-and-paste" writing, please, but feel free to add links to pages  which offer information about your chosen hero/heroine.

Other students are also welcome to join in, if anyone finds the idea interesting enough.

First picture of Nicole Kidman and Colin Firth filming 'Before I Go To Sleep'

First picture of Nicole Kidman and Colin Firth filming 'Before I Go To Sleep' in London - London Evening Standard

"Debut novelist tells of thrill at watching his book brought to life."

Here is the first officially released image from the movie based on the book we listened to in class. Click on the link above to read more about the book, and to find out how the author feels about the adaptation. Would you like to see it?

DT in Warsaw

David Tennant talks about the Old Town in Warsaw, where he made his recent TV series "Spies of Warsaw". Has any of you seen it? It was on Polish TV in February, but it was really badly dubbed. How can anyone even try to sound like THAT! ;) You may hear that David Tennant's English sounds a bit different, and that is because he is Scottish. He didn't use his original accent in Doctor Who, though.