Learn French in France

Ever fancied learning French in France but not had the courage to take yourself on a course? Think your French is too basic and would let you down in front of others?

Well, I might have just found an ideal retreat for you!

Le Bourdil Blanc www.frenchinthedordogne.com near Bergerac in the Dorgogne region, is a beautiful 18th century manor house built in the style you would imagine a house such as this to be with its elegant shuttered windows and set in seven acres of garden with a lake, tennis courts and an outdoor pool.

Bernadette will be there to welcome you on your arrival with a glass of Kir and you can relax in the comfortable and spacious rooms which are elegantly furnished with great taste. Log fires are an essential part of the welcoming and homely ambiance.

There are many things to do and see during your stay including the local markets and places of interest. Chateau des Vigiers with its beautiful golf course is one of the towns within reach during your stay.

Tuition, or classes are limited to the mornings to give you time to practice your French during the afternoon. This makes it an ideal way to relax as well as learn. Taking in the French culture at its best, this includes the history, cuisine, people, customs, architecture and even the weather will make the whole visit seem like less of a learning course, rather more of a learning experience.

There are usually around 6 - 8 students in a class (never more than 8) resulting in enough personal attention to ensure good progress. Students are assessed on arrival and then linked with others who are working on a similar level. This way no one feels out of place or out of their depth.
The course itself comprises of 18 hours of formal tuition and 24 hours of visits each week and the two, very experienced teachers Alexandre and Brigitte are there to help you every step of the way.

No one feels left out, all of the course participants and the teachers, eat together and share the days experiences. You are also welcome to take a partner who isn't on the actual language course but who can stay at the accommodation with you.

Take a look at their website for a list of fees and a great selection of photographs.

Improving your English - English quiz for learners and teachers of English

There are some brilliant websites to help you improve your English.

Taking a quiz or simple tests online are a good way of improving your knowledge of English and I came across one this morning www.english-at-home.com which made me smile; I am a native speaker of English, and I found some of the English prefixes quite difficult to answer!

This site appears to be really good; thorough, clean looking and easy to view and navigate. There are a lot of very useful resources on it both for learners of English and teachers of English as a foreign language.

I like the page on the blog which sets the scene to a story and then encourages English learners to continue, brilliant! See this story about a ghost!

Encouraging children to become bilingual

As a native English speaker, I am, along with a large majority of British people, pretty poor at learning a second language.
English spoken subjects are lucky in that pretty much everywhere we travel, someone will speak English well enough for it not to be too much sweat to make ourselves understood to obtain what is needed.

My parents have travelled widely over the last twenty years. Poland twenty years ago was very much behind the rest of Western Europe but pretty much everywhere they went, English was spoken and they got little chance to practice their Polish as the Poles were so keen to practice their English!
I don't think this is unusual, many people in the world, even in remote regions, are keen to learn English; often it is a ticket for gaining financial freedom.

My daughter who is ten, and son who is almost five, love languages and find remembering words and phrases in multiple languages (currently French, German and Spanish) easy to remember and pronounce. I find it difficult to even hear what is being said, easily or correctly.

We currently have a Dutch student living with us who, as many of the Dutch do, speaks fluent English, French, German as well as his native Dutch. He spends around an hour each week day reading with the children in French and German, and together they are learning Spanish.

It is interesting to hear them. Our student and daughter practice all their languages with great enthusiasm daily but my son, practices his French and then gently slides away from studies to do something else through the German and Spanish practice. He loves his French and practices (to anyone who is inclined to listen) his learned vocabulary and numbers, but is obviously not turned on by German or Spanish. We cannot decide why this is.

Unlike even ten years ago, there is now an excellent range of books and resources available easily through shops and Internet sites for children and adults.

I was looking recently at one such online language book shop offering a range of languages from Albanian to Vietnamese. It's a simple, tidy looking site. Each language is easily accessible as it is laid out into five tidy categories with books for babies up to 12 - 18 years.

I can't see the postage rates but there are contact details on there, email and telephone number (the shop is based in the UK).

Building a collection of materials need not be prohibitively expensive. Over the last ten years, we have collected packets of flash cards, books for all ages and Cd's and DVDs. All of these can be used over, no matter which age they are for, children just love being read to.

It is my hope and wish, that both of my children will learn to love languages and see them not as a barrier but rather something they will love and enjoy. Learning languages opens up so many avenues to people, countries and culture.
It should not be ignored by parents, rather embraced.
I hope that by introducing my children to the concept of learning a language at a young age, it will open up their lives and livelihood.

Learning English online with Ad_Lib

With the cost of travel becoming more expensive, learning English online is a good way to save both money and time.
Taking a course of lessons and learning online for two or three hours a week over a period of several months can fit in very well with your job too. You don't have to use up valuable holiday taking time out to travel and there are no accommodation costs to be met either.

If your tutor offers you homework to do, jump at it; it will make the most of your money and keep your absorption going during the week. You won't come back to your next lesson having forgotten what you learned the previous time.

Ad_Lib English is an online company who specialise in learning English online. The website is nice and clean (I wasn't sure about the talking woman on the home page, but actually, I did glean a lot of information from listening to her)!.
The site appears easy to use and informative and there is an online test to available to test your level.

You can book a trial lesson to begin with, I'm not sure if this is free or not.

You can book a free 15-minute consultation. This takes place within their virtual classroom and allows them to assess your speaking and advise you on which course would be most appropriate for you.
The trial lesson allows you to see what studying with Ad_Lib really looks like
after which they will encourage you to book a course. During the free consultation you will be advised you on how many lessons you may need to reach your goal, but you can book as few or as many lessons as you wish.

Lessons are taken over Skype which is very easy to set up and use if you are not familiar with it and its a free service unless you require extra functions.
Treat yourself to a good headset, microphone and camera though, it will be worth the investment.

English courses in Madrid

Raymond Bevilacqua, an English professor in Madrid www.englishwithraymond.com makes some brilliant comments on his LinkedIn group, All About L.I.F.E.© (Language Information For English)

The latest post is "Which word in the English language has the most definitions?"
and has linked to a couple of other sites with some very interesting material.

Click here for the article Raymond links to - 424 definitions of the word setInteresting. Being a native English speaker, we often take for granted how difficult it sometimes can be for non natives to grasp the complexity of the English language. Most of the time, many English people cannot even explain why one way is right and another way wrong. We just know that one sounds right, while another does not.



There are specialist courses coming up. Raymond Bevilacqua offers a new MASTER WORKSHOP in MADRID on Feb. 12 & 19 in 2010 called "Aprende a pronunciar inglés de una vez y para siempre"




More information about the workshop below:

Starts: Friday February 12, 2010, 09:00AM
Ends: Friday February 19, 2010, 02:00PM
Event Type: Training/Seminar
Location: Organizador: "English with Raymond"; Presentador: Raymond Bevilacqua
LOCANDITA RESTAURANTE, C/Fuencarral, 148 (Glorieta de Quevedo)
Madrid, COMUNIDAD DE MADRID 28010 ES
Price: 2 por 1 (185 Euros)
Website: englishwithraymond.com
Industry: Professional training
Keywords: english, ingles, seminar, seminario, workshop, taller, training, professional, profesional, madrid, pronunciation, pronunciacion, intensive, intensivo
Intended For: Este taller intensivo está destinado a profesionales como Ud., con una única condición: que Ud. sea estudiante de inglés como lengua extranjera con un nivel “intermedio-alto” del idioma, como mínimo.
Organization: "English with Raymond" in Madrid

Me gustaría invitarle a tener una experiencia profesional única, y a participar en el taller (Master Workshop) del idioma inglés de ENGLISH with RAYMOND®, llamado “APRENDE A PRONUNCIAR INGLÉS DE UNA VEZ Y PARA SIEMPRE”.

¡PUEDE INVITAR A UN AMIGO GRATIS!

Las plazas son limitadas a 10 personas, por lo que se recomienda realizar la matricula con tiempo suficiente. Las reservas pueden realizarse desde el 1 de noviembre de 2009 al 5 de febrero de 2010 (englishwithraymond@hotmail.com).

Le enviaré toda la información que necesita para reservar y confirmar una plaza en este taller, después de recibir un correo electrónico confirmando su intención a participar.

INSCRIPCIÓN:

Indique su interés mandando un e-mail a englishwithraymond@hotmail.com. Precio: 185 Euros (¡Invita a un amigo gratis!) (8 horas, 2 días): 12 y 19-febrero-2010 (9 a.m. - 2 p.m.)

BENEFICIOS PERSONALES:

1. Mantener la atención de oyentes durante una conversación.
2. Ganar más confianza para iniciar y mantener una conversación.
3. Dominar el idioma inglés de manera pro-ductiva.
4. Expresarse profesionalmente y con claridad en público.
5. Obtener una promoción profesional.
6. Aprobar un examen de inglés.
7. Ampliar el vocabulario y facilitar la com-prensión de una conversación fluida.
8. Manejar una conversación con fluidez.

ESTRUCTURA DE TALLER:

* Duración total: 8 horas, 2 días (4 horas cada día)
* 8 miniconferencias
* Prácticas orales individuales y en grupo
* Ejemplos y ejercicios prácticos
* Material didáctico original incluyendo cuadernillo (88 páginas) con CD
* Menús incluidos (2 días)

TEMAS PRINCIPALES DEL CURSO: (Habilidades auditivas y parlantes)

* Técnica para distinguir y pronunciar las vocales, diptongos, consonantes (singulares y pares), contracciones y el alfabeto inglés.
* Estrategias para identificar y enunciar las terminaciones “-ed” y “-s/-es”.
* Acercamiento lingüístico para diferenciar y articular palabras relacionadas entre inglés y español.
* Formas y prácticas para reconocer y distinguir la pronunciación y significado entre palabras con sonidos parecidos.
* Táctica para entender la pronunciación relajada y coloquial.

Espero que tengamos la oportunidad de conocernos en personal y disfrutar juntos de este taller “APRENDE A PRONUNCIAR INGLÉS DE UNA VEZ Y PARA SIEMPRE”.

Un cordial saludo,

Raymond Bevilacqua

Coordinador/Presentador de Taller (Master Workshop)

Learning English over the internet

Learning English over the Internet is becoming more accessible to students learning English worldwide due to the advances in technology.

During November 2009, a Ning group set up by Heike Phip who runs an online language school http://www.lancelotschool.com/
along with Holly Longstroth, set up a virtual conference with over 400 guests attending.

The Ning group is called Virtual Round Table http://virtual-round-table.ning.com/ gathered a wealth of speakers together from across the globe to discuss the possibilities and experiences of using technology for teaching and teaching online.

You can see the list of speakers here and hear the actual speakers http://virtual-round-table.ning.com/page/conference-programme-12

Finding the correct word in English

Speaking with our Dutch student recently has brought home to us how intricate learning the English language is.
My Father was telling me yesterday that in the second world war, it was possible to tell spys in conversation as they did not have the subtle nuances familiar to an Englishman.

There are so many words to describe rain, and an English person knows when a foreign person is using the incorrect word! - mizzling, dripping, pouring, thrashing, chucking, throwing, bucketing, torrential, fine mist, raining cats and dogs, and so on.
Presumably the English have lots of words to describle rain because we have lots of rain to describe!

Song For The Rainy Season by Elizabeth Bishop

Hidden, oh hidden
in the high fog
the house we live in,
beneath the magnetic rock,
rain-, rainbow-ridden,
where blood-black
bromelias, lichens,
owls, and the lint
of the waterfalls cling,
familiar, unbidden.

In a dim age
of water
the brook sings loud
from a rib cage
of giant fern; vapor
climbs up the thick growth
effortlessly, turns back,
holding them both,
house and rock,
in a private cloud.

At night, on the roof,
blind drops crawl
and the ordinary brown
owl gives us proof
he can count:
five times--always five--
he stamps and takes off
after the fat frogs that,
shrilling for love,
clamber and mount.

House, open house
to the white dew
and the milk-white sunrise
kind to the eyes,
to membership
of silver fish, mouse,
bookworms,
big moths; with a wall
for the mildew's
ignorant map;

darkened and tarnished
by the warm touch
of the warm breath,
maculate, cherished;
rejoice! For a later
era will differ.
(O difference that kills
or intimidates, much
of all our small shadowy
life!) Without water

the great rock will stare
unmagnetized, bare,
no longer wearing
rainbows or rain,
the forgiving air
and the high fog gone;
the owls will move on
and the several
waterfalls shrivel
in the steady sun.