The English language is constantly changing, just as it has been throughout history. From its Celtic beginnings to its Germanic takeover, from the infusion of French to the Great Vowel Shift, the English language is constantly evolving just as we do. And in this modern day era, the adaptation of the language to suit our needs is no exception.
Words and phrases almost subconsciously inject themselves into our everyday language. They seem to sneak up from behind us and suddenly they´re used by everyone without us even really thinking about it. Take “Google”, for example. The search engine was founded in 1998 and was a phenomenon, allowing Internet users to request information about any subject at any time. Now, “Google” is a common term that people use automatically. How many times do you hear the phrase “I’ll research that”? Probably nowhere near as many times as you hear the sentence “I’ll Google it”. “Chillax” is a popular term nowadays, being a combination of “chill out” and “relax”. A “staycation” is the casual name used for spending your holiday at home or in your own country, rather than travelling abroad. “Social media” is, for the younger generation, the norm, but for everyone else a time when social media was never heard of can be remembered clearly. Nowadays, it´s considered an integral part of society, both for business purposes and for pleasure.
Learning languages can be hard enough, but keeping track of the latest terminology or expressions can be very challenging. That´s why you should enrol in some modern English courses which will not only teach you the correct English dialogue but also the informal phrases that are used in everyday speech. So put your podcasts to one side and tune in to your teacher as you master the modern jargon.
Despite being the most widely spoken language in the world, English is also said to be one of the hardest languages to learn. With its root in Germanic languages, a hefty amount of Latin, an injection of French and some hints of Spanish, some English words or phrases may be easily recognisable, but there are so many complications in this idiosyncratic language that it´s far from easy to understand.
Take double meanings, for instance: ‘he was too close to the door to close it’; ‘they had to subject the subject to a series of tests’; ‘the bandage was wound around the wound’; ‘she didn´t object to the object’. Then there are words which sound the same but are spelt differently: ‘there, their, they´re’, ‘bear, bare’, ‘sew, so, sow’ and ‘here, hear’. The English language also contains a huge amount of words compared with other languages which is why, inevitably, there are so many different ways to say the same thing in English. Unlike many other languages, the pronunciation of words in English doesn´t always correspond with the spelling: ‘cough’, ‘drought’ and ‘draught’. There are also many exceptions to the rule so, just when you think you´ve got the hang of it, the rule changes: ‘one goose, many geese’ but ‘one moose, many moose’. Confused?
Take the complications away by signing up for some refreshing and innovative English courses in Pittsburgh or a city near you. With a native English speaking teacher and a new approach to language learning, you´ll master the English language in no time. So, when you weigh up all of the benefits, you´ll see for sure that there really is no better way!
Maggie had finally reached the point she´d been dreaming of for some time – to retire in Dallas! Having visited the exciting city many times over the years, she´d been longing for the day when she could pack up her things and relocate there. She loved its diversity and the opportunities it had to offer.
Maggie wasn´t one to sit still and idly waste her retirement years away, and she also wanted to enjoy her retirement which, living on her pension alone, might not be as enjoyable as she hoped. So Maggie had decided to “not quite retire” and to teach young children, just on a casual basis, to earn a bit of extra cash each week. She´d always had a love of the English language and, being a born and bred Brit, teaching English seemed the obvious choice. But it was a long time since she´d been in an educational environment and she didn´t have any formal language qualifications, so thought she´d better to take the appropriate steps to learn herself before starting to teach young children.
She searched around for some specialized English courses in Dallas offering a certification in the language. Having found such a course, she immersed herself fully in her study in order to gain a professional qualification which gave her credibility and confidence before passing on her knowledge to a much younger generation. Amazed by the fresh teaching techniques, Maggie was pleasantly surprised throughout her course and intrigued at the different concepts put forward for a language she´d known her entire life.
She may have retired from work and from her old life in the UK, but Maggie was ready to embrace a new start with a fresh outlook in this inspiring city, and she´d begin by putting her English courses to good use by taking up a part-time teaching job in the heart of Texas!
There are many methods used to teach languages ranging from the traditional academic ways to more innovative and unusual approaches. Technology has provided us with digital means to learn, but the hands-on ‘human’ approach still has very satisfying results.
One Englishman, Jeremy Dean, who relocated to Spain six years ago, decided to teach English to young Spanish pupils in a more original way that would hold their interest and make them want to learn the language rather than view it as just a normal lesson. His lessons started with the composition of plays which was done by asking his pupils to contribute the storylines in English and then gradually fill in the gaps. Each pupil had to say their contributing piece out loud and write it on the board. Then he´d then transfer the written script to an interactive whiteboard where, with the aid of a microphone and laptop, they´d say their lines enthusiastically to bring the scripts to life. The plays on the interactive whiteboard always get a great reception from the rest of the school and encourage more pupils to want to take part in the classes.
Sian Carter teaches English in the UK to GCSE level students and uses risk taking teaching methods to grab her students´ attention in order to make them think ‘outside the box’ and engage in a new method of learning. This reinforces the standard lessons, and sometimes boring ones for pupils of that age, into the minds of the students in a unique way so that they can recall, interpret and express their topics. These methods include dancing, singing and writing on the school windows. Unusual, yes, but just like Jeremy Dean she has received very positive results from her teaching methods as her pupils´ grades have excelled all expectations.
If you want to improve your English language skills but dread having to sit in a classroom, why not try some fun and easy, interactive English courses in Tucson. You´ll be fluent in no time and will enjoy every minute of it!
In this age of digital media, people are expanding their horizons far beyond the reaches of their homes, neighbourhoods, and even their own countries, as they communicate with people all over the world. The Internet has allowed us to connect with people on a vast scale socially, commercially and for business purposes. Using social mediums such as Facebook and Twitter, we can communicate with random people about just about anything at any time. Telecommunications and web devices allow one-to-one verbal communication with ease, while emails are an efficient written equivalent. We use televised media and the Internet to gain knowledge and an understanding of what´s going on in the world around us and, with so many ways to connect with each other, news can travel fast both in our own social groups but also around the world.
With so many avenues connecting people across the globe, the only barrier stopping people from conversing with each other is a difference in their languages. Translation devices and websites are useful tools that are becoming increasingly popular and more sophisticated, but the need and desire to learn new languages is on the rise. Although English isn´t the most spoken language in the world (the crown for this title is taken by Mandarin which is also spoken in the most populated country of the world) it is named as the official language in many countries, more so than any other language. To bridge the gap between people living in countries where this is not the case, it´s extremely beneficial to take English courses no matter where you live in the world.
Opportunities are opening up every day, so take advantage of these global connections and improve your skills by learning a new language to make sure that you don´t miss out!
