Archive for the ‘Culture’ Category

3 Books To Get You Excited About Berlin!

Posted on March 17th, 2015by Heather Keagan
In Uncategorized | Leave a Comment »

Berlin, a city once divided in two, still has clear remnants of the wall’s effects today. The more you know about Berlin’s history, its people and the attitudes that have existed there over the last 70 years, the better you can appreciate the city itself. We’ve compiled a small list of books to give you better insight on exactly that, so sit down, grab a cuppa, and get inspired by this fantastic historical hub through literature:

By Lin Kristensen from New Jersey, USA (Timeless Books) [CC BY 2.0], via Wikimedia Commons

By Lin Kristensen from New Jersey, USA (Timeless Books) [CC BY 2.0], via Wikimedia Commons

1. The Wall Jumper: A Berlin Story, by Peter Schneider.

The Wall Jumper highlights and examines the differences for those living in a bisected Berlin during the time of the Berlin Wall. The story is told through an anonymous narrator, who seems to know people or has had encounters with people who have crossed over the wall. Collecting stories from East Berliners and West Berliners, the narrator shows only his own bias and allows you to make your own opinion on the tales he relates.

The stories range in emotion and purpose, from the seriousness of those escaping the East to family in the West, to the lightheartedness of those simply wanting to watch Western movies. The tone throughout the novel remains quite sombre though there are moments of jocularity. Throughout the reader is reminded of the political climate that the narrator lives in.

The Wall Jumper is an interesting novel that gives you some insight into the history of Berlin before the fall of the wall. That time may have passed but its effects can still be easily seen in the city today. While not a long read, it will give you an unique view of how life was for many Berlin locals post World War II.

 

2. Slumberland, by Paul Beatty.

Something entirely different to the previous choice is Paul Beatty’s ‘Slumberland’. The narrator here is DJ Darky, and African-American music enthusiast who is on the search for a famous jazz musician called the Schwa.  He’s really done his homework in hunting the Schwa down, and we learn a lot about racial attitudes in Germany during this pivotal time based on DJ Darky’s informative breakdown of what he’s found. For what it’s worth, he finds the Schwa in a bar in West Berlin, just before the fall of the wall in 1989.

The writing of this novel is humourous, raw, adversarial, and unique. DJ Darky makes his way through Berlin working at a bar where he encounters black foreigners like himself who have their own take on German society, as well as the white women who mainly want to sleep with him. The novel is racially driven and will tell you as much about Berlin as it may tell you about yourself and shine a light on your thoughts on race, identity and culture. Read this funny novel out for an interesting break from some of the more emotionally heavy stories out there.

 

3. Pavel & I, by Dan Vyleta.

A dark love story/drama/comedy/tale of epic proportions, this novel is not one to be overlooked. Set during the coldest winter on record in postwar Berlin (1946-47), the story follows a decommissioned GI named Pavel Richter and his fortuitous friendship with an orphan named Anders. The story starts off with a dead Russian soldier in a frozen apartment and gets crazier and wildly more interesting with every page turned.

As a reader, you really get a feel for how Berlin struggles and suffers after World War II. Vyleta depicts a city that is battling to get through the mire, sometimes with indifference, sometimes with hatred, sometimes with overwhelming passion. Without giving too much away this novel has it all; violence, sex, murder, and heartbreaking betrayal. What’s not to love?

***

Did these titles get you excited about Berlin, its culture, history and language? Speaking German will elevate your understanding of the city’s – and country’s – intricacies. Why not contact us and see what German courses we have available in your area?

The 3 Most Popular Events in Spain

Posted on January 27th, 2014by Melanie
In Events | Leave a Comment »

The Spanish are known for their love of partying with fiestas, festivals and celebrations for pretty much every occasion. You can’t miss out on these spectacles when you’re travelling through Spain if you really want to get a feel of how the Spanish live. Whether you go to local events or the big national ones, you can fully immerse yourself into the atmosphere. While you’re there, learn the names for the events and phrases associated with them.

1. Semana Santa

Photo by Mataparda

Photo by Mataparda

Semana Santa is Holy Week celebrated at Easter and transforms each area with huge processions. Whilst somewhat intimidating when seen for the first time, this is a spectacle you won’t want to miss! The processions are led by the religious brotherhoods, also known as penitentes (penitent ones) dressed in robes, capes and cone shaped head gear. They may look sinister but their outfits have religious meaning as does every aspect of the ritual including massive floats carried by the participants. Join the crowds of onlookers for this spectacular scene!

2. La Tomatina

Photo by A.  www.viajar24h.com

Photo by A. www.viajar24h.com

Be prepared to get messy in this bizarre festival! A massive food fight takes place in the town of Bunol, Valencia, every year. Thousands of people flock to the town in order to take part in the event. A week of festivities includes a paella cooking contest, fireworks, music, dancing and parades. A greased wooden pole of two storeys high is topped with a ham and contestants try to reach the prize before the tomato fight begins. Invariably, the prized ham is never reached so the water cannons herald the start of the ensuing chaos! Large over ripe tomatoes are hurled everywhere and at everyone for an hour until the whole town is drenched in tomato pulp!

 

3. Carnival

2670107The Carnival in Spain is a raucous event of partying which includes drinking, dancing, beauty pageants, contests and masquerading from dusk until dawn. The wild event is held all over Spain but the most extravagant one takes place each year in Tenerife which runs a close second to the one in Rio de Janeiro. It is the biggest of the Carnival festivals in Europe and the main event is the crowning of the Queen of the Carnival chosen from girls parading in their flamboyant costumes. Make you make time during your travels to take part in the masquerades and dancing!

Have fun with the locals during your Spanish trip and practise your language skills while you’re partying! Take a refresher course before you leave to get the most out of your holiday. What festivals, fiestas and celebrations have you seen in Spain and which ones can you recommend to other travellers?

Festivities for Foreign Languages

Posted on December 15th, 2013by Melanie
In Events, Speech | Leave a Comment »

We’re always hearing about how Britain’s falling behind in the language stakes compared with our European neighbours; that we’re a nation lacking in motivation and conviction when it comes to learning new languages. The news keeps reminding us about how the younger generation are failing to step up in their language studies at school, and other media outlets remind us about how we´re missing out in the global job market due to our lack of lingual knowledge.

With so much pessimism around, what a good job there are events like the British Academy’s Language Festival to bolster the Brits back up! This month-long event is hosted as a celebration of language learning and as a way to encourage Brits to take up the language learning challenge in order to reduce our monolinguistic mentality.

All across the UK, schools, universities and policy makers have been getting together to highlight the benefits that foreign languages have, not just for us as individuals but for our nation as a whole. Novel ways have been used to promote languages to try and get people interested in what is otherwise often just considered to be too much hard work.

Innovative Events to Encourage Language Learning

One group commandeered the kitchen of a Pizza Express restaurant and held a fun workshop where pizza making lessons were given by an Italian.  A sixth form group held a tortilla making contest and described how they cooked them in Spanish. The staff from a rental company, which recently started to operate internationally, held a social event where they all took along an international dish, and it was a chance for the different nationalities working there to not only show off their cooking skills (for those who didn’t cheat and pop out to the local supermarket!) but to show off their cultures. In keeping with the food theme, a Bake Off-style competition of foreign foods was held where participants learned recipes in Spanish and French and their efforts were then judged by a panel. Another initiative collected short stories from across the age groups of people’s experiences with the languages they had learned and how they’d affected their lives. People who only spoke English stopped to listen to these stories and realised why learning another language mattered. A language project called Lift (Language: Inspiring Futures Together) has been launched by a sixth form college where students are hosting language road shows, visiting local schools to talk about the benefits of learning languages and supporting students who are currently studying them.

Place Blame or Boost Confidence?

It’s not just for the employment sector that the importance of learning foreign languages keeps being impressed upon us. There’s no doubt that Brits are missing out on linguistic employment opportunities across the UK as well as globally, but languages also open us up to new experiences and cultures, and speaking other languages boosts our self-confidence and makes us more adaptable.

Instead of blame being apportioned towards the educational sector or Brits being blamed for their lack of motivation, the aim of the British Academy’s Language Festival is to stimulate people’s interest in language learning and to encourage organizations to promote languages and cultures in engaging ways by launching social initiatives and supporting new partnerships. Businesses need to take more responsibility towards their staff and support them with language learning initiatives, and more support needs to be given to local communities.

Did you take part in the British Academy’s Language Festival? What events did you come across or get involved with? Now that you’ve been bitten by the language bug, it’s time for you to be proactive and put that enthusiasm to good use!

Good Times in Germany: Three Popular Activities to Take Part In

Posted on December 11th, 2013by Melanie
In Events | Leave a Comment »

Shopping, eating, drinking and sightseeing…these activities are enjoyed by most of us, but none do it in quite the same style as the Germans! Here are three recommend activities for you to try during your trip to Germany. You’ll see from some of the references that, whilst German and English both belong to the West Germanic family of languages, the words couldn’t be more different in the way they sound and how they are written. So, if you’re planning a trip to Germany, polish up on your pronunciation before you go!

1.      German Christmas Markets

If you’re lucky enough to visit Germany at the end of November to December, you’ll be able to get into the Christmas spirit by visiting a German Christmas market (Weihnachtsmarkt). Soak up the magical atmosphere of these traditional markets while you shop for genuine handcrafted items, drink mulled wine (glühwein), taste the baked apples and smell the hot chestnuts. Kids will enjoy the gingerbread biscuits, known as Lebkuchen, and marzipan sweets. Christmas markets are dotted around all over the country, from spectacular city markets to smaller, more romantic village markets.

Six Christmas markets are held in Cologne each year, including a floating Christmas market on the Rhine, and a vast market where hundreds of stalls line the brightly lit streets and Rhineland’s largest Christmas tree (Tannenbaum) is proudly displayed. The one held at Rudolfplatz, next to the medieval gate houses, holds a special Brothers Grimm street parade each year with giant costumed characters. Heinzelmannchen Gnomes are said to keep watch over the markets to make sure that everything offered there is genuine. So for traditional German handicrafts, good food and an amazing atmosphere, the German Christmas markets will take some beating!

2.      Beer Festivals 219

Now that you’ve done all that hard work of Christmas shopping you must be exhausted, so some light refreshment is just what you need! An ice-cold glass (and a very large one at that) of German beer (bier) will be waiting for you to gulp down in one of the many cosy taverns. With their popular beers being sold worldwide, Germans certainly knows how to drink it in style.

For a lively night out, visit the world’s most famous beer hall, Hofbräuhaus, in Munich where you’ll soak up the atmosphere as well as copious beers served in one litre glasses while listening to live music with about 4,500 other people! If one beer hall is just not enough to satisfy you, then the 14 halls at Oktoberfest surely will! Wash sausage and sauerkraut down with your Oktoberfest beer as you take part in the world’s largest fair.

3.      The Black Forest 22 June 2006</p>
<p>A village on the edge of the Black Forest

If something a little quieter is on your agenda, then the rolling hills of the Black Forest are for you. Schwarzwald is full of lush forests, tiny villages and valleys. Take in the scenery as you drive through or maybe hire a bike to blow the cobwebs away. One of the most popular tours is German Clock Road where you can delve into the history of the cuckoo clock (Kuckucksuhr). Or sample some German grapes along the Wine Route (weinstraße). Whatever you do though, don’t leave the area without trying some of its namesake, some delicious Black Forest gâteau! Bite into a gorgeous slice of chocolate, kirsch, cherries and cream to make your trip complete.

Are you ready to make all these activities a part of your life? Then get ready to make these German words part of your vocabulary! Have a good time with the locals by practising your German before you go.

What other must-see attractions can you recommend in Germany?

 

10 Things You Must See When You Travel to Spain

Posted on December 2nd, 2013by Melanie
In Historic | Leave a Comment »

You think of Spain and immediately the phrase ‘Sun, sand and sangria’ pops into your head; but that’s not all that Spain has to offer. Here are the top ten places for you to visit in this fascinating country:

1. Alhambra

You can’t visit Spain without going to the stunning Alhambra. You can tick both ‘culture’ and ‘history’ off of your checklist once you’ve seen the exquisite ‘Red Castle’ in all its splendour, and you’ll soon realize why it’s Spain’s top tourist destination.

2. Mezquita de Cordoba

You’ll get a crick in your neck from staring up at the shining columns of jasper, marble, onyx and granite as you wander through them; the Mezquita de Cordoba won’t fail to dazzle you.

El Escorial3. El Escorial

You’ve done the historical bit, the cultural bit, the scenic bit…how about something a bit morbid and gross? In the mausoleum of El Escorial, near the capital of Madrid, you visit the crypt and see all of the marble coffins that hold the bones of the kings and queens of Spain. If that’s not creepy enough for you, knowing that you’re only a few steps away from the ‘rotting room’ might be!

4. Sagrada Família

It’s hard to miss this sight! You’ll love the cosmopolitan city of Barcelona but you’ll be awestruck at the Sagrada Família. The bizarre and dramatic neo-Gothic style Roman Catholic church is like no other building you will have ever seen…no, really! It’s not actually finished, so take some pics now and then come back to Spain again later to see how they’re getting along.

5. Ibiza

If you like to party, Ibiza is the place to be! As the clubbing capital of the world, it has an unmatched party scene and you’ll want to be a part of it. Loud music, thronging crowds and the top clubs; kick back and party!

6. Cuenca

Visit the medieval city of Cuenca to see the bizarre ‘hanging houses’. Situated between Madrid and Valencia, the houses have been precariously built right on the edges of the steep cliffs, appearing to hang on to them. If you’re brave enough, you can even stand on the balcony of one!

7. Aqueduct of Segovia

It’s hard to imagine how this was built in the first place, let alone how it’s still standing, but the ancient Aqueduct of Segovia was made from 24,000 massive granite blocks without using any mortar! You can take some great photos of this awesome ‘balancing’ monument to show your friends when you get back home…but maybe don’t stand underneath it, just in case.

8. La Concha

For beach-lovers, La Concha in San Sebastian is the place to go! If you’re planning on sunbathing in Spain then the best city beach in Europe has to be top of your list. So get your sun cream, shades and sunbed ready for a day of chilled out tanning.

9. Palacio Real de Madrid

For some family snaps of the royals, try the Palacio Real of Madrid. You´ll be gobsmacked at the luxury in the palace. Although it’s their official residence, the Spanish Royal Family only really use it for state ceremonies, so you might have to make do with a postcard of them instead.

10. Guggenheim Museum

For a spectacular sight in Bilbao, make sure you see the Guggenheim Museum. This bizarre looking building has an extraordinary style that you won’t want to miss.

 

Spain has customs steeped in tradition yet it caters for a tourist market, allowing you to explore the culture and history of Spain while having fun in the sun. Spaniards are very hospitable people and you’ll be made to feel very welcome in this country of contrasts; but if you want to experience the country like a true local, give the language a go – brush up on your Spanish skills, pack your suitcase, hop on a plane and head straight for Spain!

Have you ever visited any of these Spanish must-sees? Would you add anything to our list?

Universally Speaking

Posted on November 9th, 2013by Melanie
In Speech | Leave a Comment »

Universally SpeakingThere have been many discussions and lots of speculation about the possibility of a universal language. Globalization has broadened our horizons while at the same time making the world seem a lot smaller. With the need for improved and increased communication between countries, the trend for learning languages has grown considerably. So much so, that the subject of creating a universal language has become a hot topic. But what exactly would this mean?

The Pros and Cons

Well for a start, it would simplify communications between countries. There would be no more language barriers and therefore nothing to stop progress being made in any situation. A universal language would eliminate any translation errors, saving a lot of time, money and embarrassment. But with each of these languages comes a unique culture, and discontinuing the use of these in favour of a new uniform language will destroy those cultures and what makes each country special and diverse in its own right. We´ll no longer have such a sense of national pride, and a feeling of conformity for more than just our language may arise.

It’s still too early to see which side of the debate will win with this question, but the pros and cons for each are considerable ones. In the meantime, we are free to study and speak the languages we love for our own reasons and, in the immediate future at least, the boom in language learning will continue to increase. What are your views on speaking a universal language, and what pros and cons can you think of for having one?

 

Unravelling the Secrets of a Society

Posted on July 24th, 2013by Melanie
In Demotic, Hieroglyphics, Historic | Leave a Comment »

Rosetta StoneSpoken by those who constructed the magnificent pyramids, the craftsmen who carved and decorated the tombs in the Valley of the Kings, and the creators of the monumental temples we can still see in Egypt today, Ancient Egyptian is one of the oldest spoken languages which survives today in Coptic, the language spoken by Christian Egyptians.

This ancient language was beautifully written using hieroglyphs which are pictures of animals, people and objects. There are over 700 hieroglyphs (meaning ‘sacred carving’) and they all represent consonants, there are no vowels! They can be written across the page or from top to bottom and the secret to reading them is to follow the direction that the animals, people or objects are facing.

But how did we come to understand the meaning of hieroglyphic writing? It was thanks to the discovery of a special rock in the town of Rosetta, Egypt, by a soldier in 1799. This black basalt slab, now known as the Rosetta Stone, had the same piece of writing carved in it three times in different languages: hieroglyphics, demotic and Greek. A determined French Egyptologist, Jean Francois Champollion, finally translated it in 1822 by discovering that the hieroglyphs spelling ‘Ptolemy’ (Ptolemy V was a ruler of Egypt) were enclosed in a cartouche which he then compared with the Greek writing on the Rosetta Stone, and was eventually able to translate the rest of the writing. This amazing translation has given us the ability to read an ancient language and subsequently understand how an ancient civilisation lived.

Do you have an interest in ancient languages? Or perhaps you´re curious about the history of our more modern day languages? As with the French Egyptologist who had knowledge of the Greek language, you too could open up new opportunities and possibilities by speaking another language. If the modern era of communication is higher on your agenda, then why not improve your linguistic capabilities by learning a new language today!

Is Anybody Out There?

Posted on July 17th, 2013by Melanie
In Historic | Leave a Comment »

Golden RecordAre we alone in the universe? Who knows; but it would be naive of us to think so. And what would happen if we discovered we´re not alone? If we ever did encounter an alien species, the first stumbling block to overcome would be communication. We´d have to find a way to understand each other’s languages.

Two unmanned probes were launched by NASA over 30 years ago: Voyager 1 and Voyager 2. They were sent to investigate the larger planets of Jupiter, Neptune, Uranus and Saturn, beaming back images and data for us to analyse. They continued travelling further and Voyager 1 is now 10.5 billion miles away from Earth and Voyager 2 is 8.6 billion miles away. The mission has been successful so far…with one odd occurrence a few years ago.

Despite no previous disruptions, on 22nd April 2010, Voyage 2 suddenly started transmitting odd messages. The usual data streams which had been consistent for three decades were suddenly being transmitted in an unknown data format. The scientists at NASA´s Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL) were unable to fathom out their meaning or the reason for this unexplained change as all of the other systems on the probe seemed to be functioning correctly. Hartwig Hausdorf, a German academic, concluded that alien life forms had taken over the probe in an attempt to make contact with us. Seem too far-fetched? Maybe not…

The space probes were never just intended for exploration. Both of them were fitted with a Golden Record, a phonograph record containing sounds and images of life on Earth in 55 languages, intended as greetings for extraterrestrial life forms or for humans in the future. So maybe the possibility of making contact with alien life isn´t such a stretch of the imagination after all. Whether you´re hoping for a future exchange of dialogue with an extraterrestrial, planning on striking up a conversation with a resident alien of the human kind, or simply interested in the challenge of learning a new language that´s alien to you, get out of your comfort zone and take a leap into the unknown!

Artistry Abounds

Posted on July 5th, 2013by Melanie
In Speech | Leave a Comment »

Miro 5It’s no surprise that a country so rich in beauty and culture should produce so many of the world´s renowned artists. Spain is a diverse country and it holds a lot of inspiration for onlookers, particularly those with a creative disposition.

Pablo Picasso was born in Madrid in 1881 and was particularly known for his co-founding of the Cubist movement which was considered to be of the utmost importance in influencing the art movement during the 20th century. His famous works throughout his life include Guernica, Weeping Woman and the controversial Les Demoiselles d’Avignon.

Francisco Goya, born on 1746, was a court painter to the Spanish Crown and a Romanticist painter. He was regarded as the greatest Spanish artist of the late eighteenth century as well as the first of the modern artists in the early nineteenth century. His artwork took an unexpected change from light-hearted to sinister works, known as the Black Paintings, during the turbulent reign of Ferdinand VII.

A surrealist artist and part of the Dada movement, Joan Miró received prestigious awards as recognition of his talents, including the Guggenheim International Award and the Gold Medal of Fine Arts which was presented to him by King Juan Carlos of Spain. The Fundació Joan Miró, a modern museum of art, was built in his native city of Barcelona as a dedication to his work, and the Fundació Pilar i Joan Miró a Mallorca was established in Palma de Mallorca to house a major collection of his artwork and memorabilia.

Just like Miró, Salvador Dalí was also a prominent surrealist artist who was heavily influenced by Cubism and Dada. The eccentric artist from Figueres produced famous works such as The Persistence of Memory, Millet´s Architectonic Angelus, and The Invisible Man.

If you find Spain a great source of inspiration but are more inclined towards languages than art, why not express yourself in Spanish after taking lessons in Oxford or a city near you.

Educating in English to Expand in Enrolment

Posted on June 27th, 2013by Melanie
In Uncategorized | Leave a Comment »

Welcome bienvenueThe French are proud of their language, just as they are of their country and culture. Their language is their identity and they protect it quite vigorously. And why wouldn´t they? The melodic language is soft and romantic and, to the French, it holds links to its traditions and history.

The Academie Francaise continuously sweeps for foreign words that have been introduced into the French language, usually from immigrants and the influence of their own native languages. It strives to substitute them with French alternatives in order to preserve their beloved language from devolving into a modern mixture of languages as others have done in recent years. English words in particular have a habit of cropping up. And despite their best efforts, it looks as though the English language is about to encroach on them even more.

The French parliament has settled on a debate over the teaching of lectures at French universities in English. Only elite universities and business schools have previously taught courses in English but these new proposals will allow all universities to do the same. This has caused a lot of opposition in France. The arguments are not against the learning of foreign languages – linguistics are promoted and encouraged from an early age – but of academic subjects being taught in a language other than French. The reasons for promoting this, though, are to encourage foreign students to study in France, and this new proposal is seen as an obvious progression if France wants to boost its intake of foreign students. The minister for Higher Education, Genevieve Fioraso, has backed this proposal completely and is adamant that these changes will be a positive change for France and its universities.

If you´re as passionate as the French people about preserving their language, these French classes in Manchester will have you speaking it fluently in no time!