Learning English with self-study websites part two

IH London teacher Caroline's Study Skills class have been looking at the best website for English self-study. Their latest reviews are about TED.

Have you ever heard about TED? I never hesitate for choosing TED.com as the best English learning website.  This website is for everybody who uses English as a mother tongue or a second language. It is a non-profit website which spreads information about every sort of subject. 

Learning English with self-study websites

Many students learning English at IH London also spend time after class improving their language skills. This month, we're sharing some reviews of the best websites for self-study all written by teacher Caroline's Study Skills class.

Let's start with their guide to self-study resources from the BBC.

BBC Learning English website

BBC Learning English is a site dedicated to teaching English language on line. The site is for all people that want improve their English without traditional methods. There are a lot of positive aspects about this kind of self-study.

Christmas-time at Crisis

Last week at Crisis we had our members’ Christmas party which was a great success! The party-goers were participants at The Learning Zone, which Veena described in her last post, as well as other members who access Crisis’ services in London.

Christmas at Crisis is a very busy time when we pool all our resources to give the best Christmas experience for people who are currently or have previously been homeless. Christmas is traditionally the time you spend with your family, and for our members it can be particularly distressing as many do not have this.

For the party we had a cross-cultural Christmas quiz, mince pies, dinner and most importantly – karaoke! Music has a special place in my heart and our members loved having a sing song in front of each other. Music has a special quality to transcend language and cultural barriers and it was a great opportunity for our members to express themselves.

One especially beautiful moment was when the whole group joined in to sing Happy Christmas, War is Over. There were so many cultural groups there but for those three minutes we were as one.

So have a brilliant Christmas from all of us at Crisis and here’s hoping for a great 2011.

- Jagtar Behal

Survival Guides Part 5... The Answers !

This will sadly be the very last part of the Survival Guides presented by the students in Felicity’s High Skills Class. This week we will only announce the answers from Hanan and Monica.
We hope that you have enjoyed and learned just as much as we have during these weeks. Many of the tips and advice certainly have made me smile.
The tension is building up, so, we will not keep you waiting any longer…

The country that Hanan was talking about a couple of weeks ago was Saudi Arabia.
When visiting Saudi you should make sure that you dress properly, do not get offended when someone leaves you to wait for them for 2 hours, or when someone is jumping the queue. According to Hanan it is not due to lack of respect, it’s just the way the people are. We choose to call it cultural differences.

When visiting Monica’s home country of Switzerland, you should on the other hand be bang on time! Do not try to bribe a policeman. If you do not want to end up in a jail that is. When you see a famous person, like Boris Becker, pretend you haven't seen them, even if you would love to have their autograph. He most likely wants to be left alone…

So this will be the end of these exciting weeks of Survival Guides from Felicity’s students when visiting their countries.

Do not forget to visit our blog soon to see what exciting news or tips we will give you!

Survival Guides Part 4 - The answers

This will be the final week for the students in Felicity’s Study Skills High Class to give us some tips when visiting their countries.

Last week Laurence and Balazs gave us some excellent advices when visiting their countries.

In the first country you should be careful when crossing a street, not say pleeeeeaaaase to much and quiet frankly, speak your mind. Laurence is French so congratulations to all of you who guessed… France!

The second person to give you some warnings and advices last week was Balazs.
Balazs is from Hungary and when visiting his country you should make sure that you arrive on time and also are aware of your drinking habits when stepping outside.

Survival Guides- Part 4

In our very last Survival Guides; Hanan and Monica will give you some valuable information when visiting their countries.

Country 1

1. When you go to this country. You must look suitably dressed, because females are required to cover there bodies and hair. So it is unlikely to see a women walking around in a bikini over there.

2. In this country you shouldn’t feel offended if someone is late for your appointment by more than two hours, or if someone jumps in front of you in a queue, it is not a sign of disrespect, it is just our way of doing things.

3. It is always advisable to put sun cream on before going outside even if it is just for a short period of time. You should be aware of the damage the sun might cause to your skin.

4. It is common to see a fight among a group of friends after they have had dinner in a restaurant. No need to worry, it is only a sign of generosity, everyone is insisting on paying the bill.

5. The ability to speak a little bit of our language is considered essential as English is not widely spoken. Otherwise you are going to end up very lost and confused.

Country 2

1. In my country it’s very unlikely that anyone will offer anyone a bribe, especially not to a policeman. If you do you will probably end up in a jail.

2. For all formal meetings it is considered essential to be bang on time if you want to maintain good business relations. In the event that you arrive late make sure you look suitably apologetic and embarrassed.

3. Even if a person is well known we respect he wants to cherish his privacy and always keep a distance. Very famous people like Boris Becker and Michael Schumacher like it that we are not overtly friendly and leave them in peace.

4. If people call you by your last name don’t feel offended, we always try to use the polite form. Only family members and good friends use informal language with each other.

So make sure that you read our blog next week to find out which country you cannot walk around wearing a bikini in, and where it’s bad idea to bribe a policeman. Just in case you were thinking of it…

Survival guides- Part Two. The answers

In August, Felicity's Study Skills High class wrote Survival Guides for their home countries.

Let us introduce the students to you in Felicity’s class: Costanza, Rakhima, Hanan, Monika, Alexey N, Louise, Laurence, Balazs, Tura, Donatella and Lino.

In last weeks Survival guides we asked you to guess what countries Tura and Donatella were talking about. Were you able to use your analytical skills?

The first person to describe her home country was Tura and the correct answer is SPAIN. Congratulations to Anonymous who posted a comment on our blog!

The second country that was described was Donatella’s. Now you know what to do and not do, when you are visiting… ITALY!
Anonymous did not get this one right, though, as they opted for Turkey.

Survival guides- Part 2

This week we asked Alexey and Louise what you should think of when you are visiting their countries;

Country one

1. We consider it the height of rudeness to eat without manners. You can’t put your elbows on the table and you have to keep your arms close to your body. It is impolite to block your neighbors view with your arms. You should never show your impatience, you have to wait for everybody to be served before you start eating. Finally, it goes without saying, you have to eat with your mouth closed.

2. It is common to have to pay to use the toilet wherever you go. There is always a cleaning lady whom you have to pay 50 cents. It is like this in cinemas, bars, restaurants, clubs etc…

3. My country is divided into two parts. There have always been problems between the two sides. Most people are okay with it, but late at night people from either side sometimes cause trouble for each other. It is like this because both sides are culturally very different. Both sides must not feel offended if they don’t want to get in trouble, and you should walk away if you see anything starting.

4. If you want to go to a restaurant in the centre of the capital, you must be careful. There are streets full of the same types of restaurants with maître d's who give you a lot of compliments.(okay that is nice) but that doesn’t mean their food is good. So it is always advisable to look in a guide book before you find your way. And you should also watch out for your clothing when you got to restaurants, bars or clubs. Some of them are very formal and you can’t get in if you are not dressed for it.

5. Last but not least, surviving in the subway. The underground is extremely dangerous at night. Some neighborhoods downtown have gangs and, if you would like to keep on living and keep your belongings, it would be better not to cross their paths. You would do much better to take a taxi when it’s too late. Taxis are not really expensive, although they start with a €4,50 minimum.

Which country are they describing?

Country 2

1. So that you don’t die just after your arrival, please keep your eyes open and watch your personal belongings while you are in places like the airport or railway stations. Pick pockets are common in this country so make sure you pay attention when out in public.
What is also common is gambling. A stranger may suggest you playing a card game or whatever. Don’t ever agree to gamble with strangers if you don’t want to lose everything you have.

2. Another thing that might kill you here is the weather. It’s freezing cold in winters and amazingly hot in summers in some areas. So, don’t forget to take some warm clothes in winter or a sun block cream in summer for some areas.

3. Due to the aforementioned weather, people often drink vodka to warm them up in the cold winters. This is the most common alcohol in this country. But be aware of fakes, some of them aren’t safe and as a consequence you could die.

4. An important cultural difference to mention is the driving style. Cutting someone up on the road is not the height of rudeness, in fact, it’s really widespread. Also, people don’t mind showing their impatience in heavy traffic by honking their horns and shouting out of their windows.

5. Another thing is people’s privacy. While people in my country are quite open, at the same time they cherish their privacy and stereotypes. Sometimes personal code is much more important then law. For example, some people don’t mind parking in places where it is forbidden just because they want to. The other thing which really ‘differs’ us from Brits is the lack of hedging, we prefer to speak our minds, and we get straight to the point without “beating around the bush” too much. It irritates most people in my country.

Which country are they describing?

So what we learned this week is that it is important to have good manners, be polite, keep an eye on your belongings, and drink vodka in cold weather.

Don't forget to look for the answers on next weeks blog!

Story time for English students - part three

Another story from Felicity's Upper Intermediate English class by So Yeon and Matheus:

Love on the edge

It was three o’clock in the morning. When the phone rang, Rose instinctively knew why. Her agency was sending her on a mission, she needed to get information about alien troops who were on the warpath to Earth.

She took the train to go to the space station and suddenly meet an extraordinary alien who looked like a human, he was called Jack and he was going to the station too. They fell in love at the first sight. They were surprised because they both took the same aircraft so they had a good time travelling together.

Suddenly the aircraft crashed against a small planet. The impact was so strong that all the people in the aircraft lost consciousness, so did Jack. They were sent back to Earth. Fortunately Rose had a minor injury, but Jack’s condition was serious and he had to stay in hospital and take lots of medicines.

Jack’s DNA suffered an unexpected change, making him human. When he woke up, he could feel something different, the colour of the scar on his arm had changed from green to red, he noticed that his mind was also changed so he decided to tell her the truth and save the earth. When he told her the secret story, she also told him that she was a spy from Earth. They shared their information. Finally they could save the earth from aliens.

Story time for English students - part two

Last month, Felicity's Upper-intermediate English class studied different kinds of stories. They looked at everything from traditional fairytales to sagas. (Sagas are usually stories from the 12th to 14th Century about the adventures of a hero or a family in northern Europe).

Looking at different stories is a good way to practise grammar and see how different types of language is used - especially adjectives.

Once the students had looked at a variety of stories, it was time to write their own. Felicity gave them a selection of pictures, places, types of transport and famous people to choose from. These would then have to fit into the story.

Here is Sam and Sarah's story:

The Unfortunate Incident

It was three o’clock in the morning when the phone rang. It was Meg Ryan’s manager, who organizes everything for her. He wanted to tell her that she had to leave Paris immediately and fly to London.

Unfortunately, he had forgotten to tell her about the fact that the Oscars would be held there the next day. He had been so busy arranging other events that the Oscars had completely slipped his mind.

She felt extremely angry with him because he hadn’t given her enough notice, so she didn’t have a designer dress. “What am I going to do?” she thought. She decided to see if there were any dresses in the duty-free shops at the airport. Unfortunately by the time she got to the airport the flight was about to leave so she didn’t have enough time to look for a dress. She decided to buy dress from London.

The next flight to London wasn’t until the next day but she had to leave that day, so she called her manager to ask him what she should do. He asked her to take the Eurostar, she rushed to the train station and caught the train by the skin of her teeth.

She felt very uncomfortable while she was on the Eurostar because there were a lot of people who wanted to talk to her and take a picture with her or get her autograph.

When she arrived in London, it was eight o’clock in the morning so she was really tired. The Oscars were in Trafalgar Square and she had to stay in a hotel near there. When she got to the hotel she was so exhausted that she turned off her phone and decided to have a quick nap. She slept like a baby. After all that, she missed the Oscars. She was devastated because she won an award for her latest film.

Exploring the World

Students in Felicity's Lower Intermediate A English Class reveal their top three worldwide destinations, with hints and tips on what to see and do....

England

London
London is a very interesting and exciting city. It's full of museums, one of them is Madame Tussauds. You must see it because it's really special and interesting. I'd recommend visiting Hyde Park, it's the biggest park in London.

It's really worth seeing.

Personally, I'd go to Portobello Road Market, but I wouldn't recommend it at the weekend because it's too crowded.

You should stay in London for about five days and after that you should go to Canterbury.

It's a small medieval city. It's famous for its important cathedral called Christ Church designed in a traditional English-Gothic style. You should definitely visit the cloister of the cathedral, it's fantastic! The church bell (Bel Harry) is really worth seeing. There is a castle in the city, but it's very far from the cathedral.

Spain

Valencia
Valencia is a city in the east of Spain, it's a wonderful city and it has fantastic weather. Valencia is a small city so I think that you can explore it in 3 days.

On the first day I recommend visiting the City of Arts and Science. These are the most important buildings in Valencia, they are on the Turia River, they are some of the most beautiful buildings in Valencia.

On the second day you must see the city centre it's got great shopping and you should visit "El Barrio del Carmen", it's the old part of Valencia and it's very interesting.

On the third day personally, I'd go to the beach if you want a relaxing day and at lunchtime you should eat "Paella Valenciana", it's a traditional dish from Valencia.

I wouldn't recommend going to "Cabanyal" it's famous for thieves, it's the most dangerous part of Valencia.

Asturias

Asturias is a magical place if you want to relax, it's in the north of Spain.

On the first day you should definitely visit the Art museum, it's really nice and it's got typical Asturian art and craftmanship.

After that you must eat "Fabada Asturiana" it's the most famous dish in Asturias.

On the second day I recommend going to the natural parcs in Asturias, the scenery is stunning, it's a magical place to go with your boyfriend/girlfriend.

Japan

Okinawa

Okinawa is located in the south end of JAPAN. There are beautiful beaches and blue sea.

Personally,I'd like to go to TYURAUMI Aquarium which has the largest water tank of the world.

There are three big sharks and many fish, more than 20,000. It is so beautiful and fantastic!You will definitely be impressed. I'd recommended to have your holiday in OKINAWA.

Osaka

OSAKA is a big city in japan. OSAKA has a lot of local specialities. A typical example is baked octopus,and a meat and vegetable pancake. I'm sure you will take to these local foods.

The people of OSAKA have a cheerful and witty personality. There are many Japanese comedians who are called OWARAIGWININ. You can see their performance on stage.

Felicity's Lower Intermediate A class introduce themselves to the world...................Part 2

Sam (Yuan Zhigang)
My name is Sam, I'm from Xi'an in the Northwest of China.

I live in London now with my wife. She's been working here for a long time. If I want to live here with her, I need to speak very good English. So, I need to go to school and learn English. I want to speak English as well as I speak Chinese. But I can never remember new words, it's very difficult for me. Even though English is difficult for me I'm not going to stop studying it, because I really like this country.

Soobin Kim
Hi. My name is Soobin Kim. I come from South Korea. I'm 18 years old.

I arrived in London 3 months ago. I want to study English because I want to study fashion in London. I'm going to go to university in London.

My hobbies are listening to music and drawing. I hate the weather in London. However, I love London because I can go to a lot of museums and galleries and it's quite romantic! I really want to work here so I'm going to stay in London for about 5 years.

Jeff (Park Jungmin)
My name is Jeff. I'm from South Korea and I was born in Busan in 1982.

I work for a ship building company, I'm an office worker. I came to London because I need to speak good English at work. I've been living in London for 3 months. This is my first time in London.

There are 4 members in my family, (my father, my mother, my younger brother and me).

My hobbies are listening to music and doing exercise. When I was young, I did "Taekwondo" but I hurt my knee during a Taekwondo match, so I stopped. My ambition is to start my own company, so I'm studying English and business.

Tomoko Kawashima
Hi, my name is TOMOKO. I'm from Japan.

I lived in TOKYO for about 7 years. When I lived in Japan, my hobby was Yoga. I went to Yoga three times a week after work. Yoga made me very relaxed and healthy. I'm going to do Yoga in London, too.

I've come to London to study English. I'm going to stay here for about 2 years

Mong (Mengyuan Hsieh)
My surname is Mong. I come from Taichung city in the middle of Taiwan.

In Taiwan I studied Industrial Engineering Management. At the moment I am learning English in London because I'd like to do a Masters in the UK, so first I need to pass my IELTS exam.

Khaled Iyead
I am Khaled, I am from Saudi Arabia. I am 25 years old. I have five siblings, two sisters and three brothers.

I am studying English in London because in the future I would like to go to university. I like a lot of things, for example, I enjoy riding jet skies and I'm keen on watching football matches .

Dema Al Sidran
My name is Deema I am 23 years old. I graduated from King Saud University.

I come from a large family. I have three brothers and three sisters, I'm the oldest. I enjoy sport, shopping and reading. I am keen on fashion and I like watching movies.

I miss my family, especially my little brother Mushal. I want to go back to Saudi Arabia and see my family as soon as I can, but I'm having fun in London and I'm trying to improve my English.

Abeer Bugshan
My name is Abeer. I am from Saudi Arabia, my hometown is Jeddah. I am 25 years old and I live in London with my husband and my two children. I like watching TV, going shopping and also I like hanging out with my friends. I'm keen on Saudi, Italian and Chinese food.

I am a student at International House. I study English from Monday to Friday for about five hours a day because I went to improve my English and I want to get a masters in psychology.

Felicity's Lower Intermediate A class introduce themselves to the world................Part 1

Daniela Maggi
My name is Daniela and I live in Milan. I studied law at University and now I'm working as a trainee lawyer in a law firm. But I'd like to change that.

I came to London because I want to improve my English and to find a new job in Milan.

Benedetta Bonfigli
My name is Benedetta and I`m 20 years old. I come from Florence, in Italy, where I`m studying History of Art at University.

I arrived in London three weeks ago and I`m studying English because I think that learning English is very important for my future.

Sonia Martinez
My name is Sonia and I'm 21 years old. I'm from Valencia, in Spain. My hobbies are fashion, dancing and going out with my friends.

I'm studying English because I think that it's very important and I decided go to London because personally i think it's the most beautiful city in Europe.

Yuki Nagahama
My name is Yuki Nagahama. I'm 29years old. I come from Japan and I arrived in London three weeks ago. This is my first visit to London and to Europe. I want to visit lots of European countries.

My hobbies are playing and watching football and skiing. I have played football for 14 years and have skied for about 24 years. I want to play football in London. In conclusion, I only came to London three weeks ago. But I love London!!

Vincenzo Barbiero
My name is Vincenzo, I'm 23 and I live in Milan. I graduated in Business Administration and actually I'm enrolled in a Masters of Science in Accounting, Corporate finance and Control.

I have come to London to improve my English because, to start my career in the finance sector, it's mandatory to have a good level of English. Furthermore, in the near future I hope to find a job in a consulting company where good English is needed due to the large number of business trips.

To be continued.......................

Farewell!

Dear Bloggers,

This is going to be one of my last posts for the IH London blog as I will be leaving to start a new role at a school in Tanzania (the east coast of Africa) in March, for a charity called the Cicely Foundation. I might also be working on an English scholarship scheme in Palestine so watch this space...!

These are two very different countries and very different roles but I am sure that both projects will be just as rewarding as each other. I am going to miss International House London so much! It's been great working with so many lovely teachers, and of course let's not forget the students! My favourite memories of my time here have to include meeting students from all over the world, hearing their stories about life in their own country, watching them form long term friendships and of course being a part of their excellent progression in English...

This will not be the last of the blog however.... on the contrary! It is only the start of what I hope will be an interesting and useful site.

For those of you staying at IH London, continue the good work, but if like me you are going on to something new, then keep in touch and follow this blog wherever you might be...

Goodbye!

Lucy

Questions and Answers

This week we have been learning about question forms. We have been practising question words, auxiliaries and infinitive verbs. Below are some examples of the questions students have written, asked and answered:

1. What's your favourite web site?

Marcela said: "My favourite website is Facebook because I can share with my friends and keep in touch with them".

Fatma said: "My favourite website is ihlondon.blogspot.com because I want to continue improving my English and have the opportunity to know how my class is advancing".

2. What's your favourite film?

Imer and Majed said: "I like action and comedy films because they have good storylines".

Annie said: "I like romantic films and Amercian TV series".

Pin-I said: "I like documentary and funny films because I find them interesting, they help to reduce stress".

3. What's your favourite place in London?

Majed said: "My favourite place in London is Harrods department store because I can find a lot of things there".

Annie said: "My favourite place in London is Covent Garden for the small shops and architecture and the theatres".

Pin-I said: "My favourite place is the outlet store in north London. There are beautiful, cheap and high quality clothes, shoes and famous products there".

4. What would you like to do in the future?

Marcela said: "I would like to work with my father in his company, and I would like to get married and have children".

Fatma said: "I would like to work with women in my country (Western Sahara) to improve their development, and for them to have more active, political and economical participation".

Hyeli said: "I would like to go and study art at university in London so I will study English at SOAS when I finish at IH. I have to pass an exam and make a portfolio before entering university".

5. What is your favourite food?

Anam said: "My favourite foods are spicy foods, especially Tom Yom Gum which is a spicy soup from Thailand".

Chiara said: "My favourite food is tiramisu, it is an Italian dessert".

6. What are you going to do when you finish your English course?

Khalid said: "I would like to go back to my country and study at university".

Hamza said: "I would like to study at university in London".

JL said: "I will start a postgraduate course in London or Korea".

Maria said: "I would like to go back to my country and live in the place where I was born".

7. Why are you studying English?

Khalid said: "Because it is a very important language in the world and it can help me at university".

Hamza said: "Because I want to study at university in the UK so I need English skills".

JL said: "Because I want to study at university in England so I need English skills".

Maria said: "Because it is very important to improve my English. I like to talk with English people".

Signed, the class of Lower Intermediate A (room 302)

Lower Intermediate A Class: Introductions

My name is Khalid Alshaikh. I come from Riyadh in Saudi Arabia. I am 18 years old. I am a student in London and I'm living here for one year. My favourite football team is Arsenal. I love to play football in my free-time. During my holidays I go hunting in the desert with my friends in Saudi Arabia. My favourite drink is Arabic coffee.

My name is Maria De Lourdes Costa Nepomuceno. I come from Brazil. I'm here because my husband is working at Petrobras Europe. I have to stay here for two years. I study English at International House because I need to improve my English. I would like to explore Europe, I think it has beautiful places.

My name is Hamza Ghaith Amhamed. I come from Libya. I am 18 years old. I'm studying English in London at International House for one year. I like playing football and my favourite team is Arsenal.

My name is Jaewoong Lee. I come from South Korea. I need English skills because I want to do a postgraduate course. I'm really into taking pictures and watching overseas dramas on TV. I was a product and landscape designer in Korea. I also exhibited my work at several exhibitions. I really like to explain my work to other people and observe peoples reactions.

My name is Annie le Moal. I live in Switzerland. I'm an interior designer for a private company. I like fitness, tennis and cooking. I hate running.

My name is Hyeli Jo. I was born in South Korea. I was a student of art at university in Korea. I will stay in London for about three years. I like to go shopping on the highstreet and watch films.

My name is Pin-I Liu. I come from Taiwan and I live in Teipei in the north of Taiwan. I like going shopping in my free-time. I was an accountant in Taiwan.

My name is Majed Alharbi. I come from Saudi Arabia. I like football too much! My favourite international team is Manchester United. I'm living in London and in my free-time I like going out with my friends.

My name is Imer can Yagci. I come from Turkey. I live in Istanbul. I am a university student in Istanbul. I am 19 years old. I like playing basketball and golf. I also like going to the gym. I am an NBA fan.

My name is Fatma Mehdi. I come from Western Sahara (northwest Africa). I'm a member of NUSW (National Union of Sahrawi Women). In my organisation we work in order to help women improve their skills. We also have special programs with young women training about leadership, empowerment, selfesteem and communication.

My name is Chiara Morelli. I come from Italy. I'm 23 years old. I'm a beautician and I would like to open a beauty centre in Italy or England. I like swimming and listening to music. I don't like reading books.

My name is Marcela Jaramillo. I come from Colombia. I'm 21 years old. I'm studying business administration. In my free-time I like hanging out with my friends, sleeping, watching TV and sharing with my family. I enjoy going to the shops and traveling around the world. In England I'm studying English at IH.

(other class members are: Anamu Sekiguchi from Japan, Zaher Alshehri from Saudi Arabia and Raja Shawesh from Libya).

Signed, the class of Lower Intermediate A (room 302).

B is for Blog...

Hello again readers, we are finally in 2010 and what better way to start the new year than by launching the IH London blog! This month we will be speaking to the students of lower intermediate A (my class!) and finding out about some of the things that they're doing whilst in London. This group are a very chatty, extremely friendly bunch of students and come from all over the world. It can be very nerve-wracking being the first to do something and these brave students have agreed to be the first to use this site, so wish them luck! We will start with an introduction to who we are, and over the month add pictures and write posts about what we have been doing in class.

Speak to you soon!