Researchers have found that children who learn an instrument find learning languages much easier, even as adults. It has been proven that music training improves language learning, however, it is not only the ability to learn foreign languages that is boosted. Children who study music before the age of seven also develop better linguistic abilities in their mother tongue. Musicians have bigger vocabularies, better pronunciation and a stronger awareness of grammar than their non-musical friends. Read on to find out more about how music is linked with language learning. (more…)
Happy St Andrew’s Day! Exploring Scottish Traditions
Saint Andrews Day falls on 30th November each year. This special day is marked in Scotland by many traditional events celebrating all things Scottish, such as dancing, playing the bagpipes and eating traditional Scottish foods, such as haggis.
St Andrews Day is a voluntary public holiday in Scotland. It is always fun to mark national events in the EFL classroom, so we are using St Andrews Day as a spring board to look at the Scotland’s flag, its national emblem, the Scottish accent and various legends and traditions associated with Scotland. (more…)
The Connection Between Sound, Language and Emotion
Sound, language and emotion have strong links. Over 130 years ago, Darwin suggested that speech and melody have the same ancestor. Now two academics have returned to the idea and are currently researching the connection between sound and emotion in relation to language.
It seems that the tone of someone’s voice can affect our emotions in the same way that other sounds in the natural world can, such as running water or barking dogs.
We can feel calm, anxious, excited or happy and can even have our perceptions altered by the tones we hear.
Read on to explore the connection between sounds and emotions as we think about what this means for language. (more…)
Remember, Remember, the Fifth of November!
Remember, remember, the 5th of November! Bonfire Night is the time people in the UK light bonfires, eat toffee apples and set off fireworks, as we remember the night that Guy Fawkes nearly blew up the Houses of Parliament. Although the celebrations have been tempered in recent years due to the pandemic, we’ve still enjoyed the exciting atmosphere, food and stories of Bonfire Night. But in 2023, group celebrations are back!
This annual celebration is always an exciting time of year, giving students a great opportunity to learn some more vocabulary in another seasonal EFL class. Check out our Bonfire Night lesson plans for poems, pronunciation practice, discussions and gap fill exercises all about the Gun Powder Plot – a lesson plan to thrill Guy Fawkes fans! (more…)
Scientists Compete to Find the Best Method of Remembering
Learning new vocabulary can be time consuming and tedious for even the most enthusiastic of language learners, so finding an effective way to memorise new words is a top priority for many students. But what is the best way to remember new words?
Is it flash cards, word families, spatial recognition, starting with the easy words, total immersion, visual images, cramming vocabulary lists until your brain begs for mercy? Well you can stop wondering. Memory scientists have launched a competition to find the best method of remembering – and you can volunteer to take part in the big memory experiment!
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Tough New English Language Test for International Students
The government plans to cut the numbers of foreign students coming to British universities by 25,000 a year by introducing a tough new English language test. Some universities are running remedial classes for first year students and the home secretary has called for a crackdown on the number who cannot speak English properly. But is this decision fair on students coming to study science subjects or Mathematics, who often have weaker langauge skills and for whom English is not a main factor in their studies? (more…)
No Swearing with New Google Voice Typing Tool
Google has launched a brand new ‘voice typing’ tool that allows you to write by talking into your microphone via the Google Chrome browser. This exciting new development is the latest addition to Google Docs, Google’s word processing app.
The Google voice typing tool is great news for mobile users and lazy typers, however, a few early problems have been detected regarding the way the app deals with strong accents, swear words and American/British English. (more…)
Is the Scottish Accent Dying Out?
Linguistics experts at Glasgow University and Edinburgh’s Queen Margaret University believe that a natural change is happening in the Scottish accent. It seems that the distinctive Scottish rolled ‘R’ is slowly disappearing as young people soften the letter so much that it has become almost inaudible. The rhotic or tremulant consonants have always been a distinctive part of the Scottish accent but are they going to vanish for good? (more…)
It’s a Scorcher! Hot Weather Vocabulary and Phrases
Phew – a heatwave is currently blazing across the UK! We’re experiencing a sizzling week as the air pressure rises and hot air blasts over from the continent. There is a balmy Mediterranean vibe with temperatures soaring and the UK has now hit its highest ever temperature with 40.2C recorded at Heathrow in London this week. As the mercury tips the scale, join us for some language fun – we’re diving into a cool pool of hot weather vocabulary! (more…)
Italians Resist an English Language Invasion
The Times has reported that the English language is currently a worry to Italian linguists. It seems that the Italian language guardians at Accademia della Crusca are concerned that an influx of English words is corrupting the beauty of the Italian language.
The academy is looking for ways to put a stop to the Anglo-Saxon influence and will hold an emergency meeting about the matter today. We explore the recent news story and examine how the English language has influenced Italian – and in turn, how the Italian language has influenced English. (more…)