Salvador Sabral’s victory for Portugal in the Eurovision Song Contest was the first time a non-English Eurovision song had won the coveted crown since 2007. Salvador performed Amar Pelos Dois (Love For Both) at the Grand Final in Kiev to
Can the Gamification of Language Learning Boost Student Motivation?
The gamification of language learning is an important topic in the EFL teaching world. There is an increasing number of apps and learning technology that use games as a way of motivating and engaging with students. Gamification of learning in
The New Beginner ESL App from GITCS
American software company GITCS has developed a brand new learning app focused on helping students of English as a second language. The Beginner ESL app provides engaging content using a range of innovative features to help students with their reading
Forgotten First Languages Leave Imprint On Brain, Study Shows
You never forget your first language – even if you have never spoken it, scientists have discovered. Babies develop knowledge of the language they hear in their first few months of life and will always retain that knowledge on an abstract level.
Baboon Study Reveals Early Evolution of Language
Scientists have discovered that baboons can produce five distinct vowel sounds, which are strikingly similar to our own human vowel sounds. This discovery suggests that language skills actually evolved tens of millions of years earlier than previously thought. It is now
Exploring Vocabulary in George Michael’s Careless Whisper
Each Christmas is the anniversary of the death of pop star and esteemed singer-songwriter George Michael, who passed away on Christmas Day 2016. As a tribute to his song-writing talent and philanthropic work we have taken one of his most
It’s Freezing Out There! Useful Cold Weather Vocabulary
Are you enjoying the cold snap? With the thermometer diving towards zero across the UK, it’s time to think about winter weather vocabulary. There are many ways to describe a cold day – certainly useful when living in a northern
Exploring Remembrance Day
Remembrance Day, also called Armistice Day, is an important day in British culture. November 11th is the day everyone remembers the sacrifices made by the service men and women during the world wars. Traditionally there is a two-minute silence on
Do the Monster Mash This Halloween!
Halloween is an exciting holiday occasion and the perfect time to learn some new vocabulary – so why not learn with a classic song! Monster Mash is a fun Halloween-themed pop song by Bobby ‘Boris’ Pickett and the Crypt Kickers,
Will Brexit Stop the Dominance of English?
The English language has spread around the world so dramatically since the Second World War that there are now more non-native English speakers than native English speakers. The number of English speakers has risen from 400 million to 1.5 billion