I used to fear French at school. I could never get to grips with it. English GCSE, Maths A-level, - no problem. But for some unknown reason I always struggled with languages, and French ... Read More »
When the SAT results were announced recently they showed that levels of attainment in English were lagging well behind those in Science and Maths. What could be the reason behind this?
English is an almost intuitive subject, something those of us born in the ... Read More »
Learning a second language both builds on the first language and consolidates it but there is a Czech proverb that says "Learn a new language and get a new soul"
Bilinguals have often reported they feel and act differently when they speak in another language. Realistically, bilinguals don't have a second personality but adopt a shift in attitudes and behaviours, depending on the context and/or situation in which they are using the language.
Think of the follow... Read More »
After a cramped but enjoyable overnight train journey from Hong Kong, my friend and I exited the train and found ourselves in the centre of the Centre Kingdom: Beijing. We were on the first leg of our Chinese adventure, and our spirits couldn't have been higher.
First things first, we needed to book a ticket for the next leg of our journey, from Beijing to Guilin. The ticket booking system in China is wonderfully arcane, and requires a significant amount of pre-planning to navigate su... Read More »
From September 2014 languages will become a compulsory subject within the national curriculum for primary age school children in Britain.
Schools will have a certain amount of freedom to chose the language they intend to teach. At present there are 7 on the list to chose from. These include both modern and classical languages - French, German, Italian, Mandarin, Spanish, Latin and Ancient Greek.
It remains to be seen whether schools and teachers are sufficiently geared up to t... Read More »
Children start developing their language skills from a very early age and encouraging their language development is vital to building their confidence as well as broadening their vocabulary and learning to speak properly.
By encouraging your child... Read More »
First Tutors has today released a new website catering to customers seeking language lessons. So, whether you're learning Arabic or Mandarin to name but a couple, this is a great place to look.
We've launched this site following user feedback that it can be difficult to find teachers giving lessons in languages beyond the boundaries of the school curriculum, whether for personal or professional purposes. We'd appreciate your ... Read More »