My summer holiday in the UK

It feels like home, but it’s also a holiday. And I’d never thought I’d feel so at home in another country. Not that I ever was homesick either, I loved all the school camping trips I made as a kid. But anyway, I fell in love with England. Last summer I stayed there for a month.

I love London anyway. Did I already mention that? I’m not exactly a city girl, but I love the English cities I’ve been to. Oxford. Cambridge. Gloucester. Manchester. And London. I love the parks, I love the tube and I love the people.  

I also went for a picnic. I had a special tour. And I didn’t even mention all my friends yet. And those are just a few of the many highlights of my holiday in the land where they drive on the wrong side of the road, where they have all these little coins instead of the euro, where they have a funny language with words they only pronounce half (I mean, shouldn’t ‘Greenwich’ be written as ‘Grenich’?!), where they have two taps in their bathrooms instead of one and where they tell you to mind the gap all the time… I love it!

http://www.hannysvoorwerp.com/

(abridged)

European Day of Languages

Celebrating linguistic diversity, plurinlualism, lifelong language learning

The European Day of Languages is 26 September, as proclaimed by the Council of Europe on 6 December 2001, at the end of the European Year of Languages (2001).Its aim is to encourage language learning across Europe.

The general objectives of the European Day of Languages are to:

- alert the public to the importance of language learning and diversify the range of languages learned in order to increase plurilingualism and intercultural understanding;

- promote the rich linguistic and cultural diversity of Europe;

- encourage lifelong language learning in and out of school.

In keeping with these aims, people, young and old, are encouraged to take up a language, or take special pride in their existing language skills. Also, those responsible for providing access to language learning are encouraged to make it easier for people to learn a range of languages, and to support policy initiatives to promote languages. There is also emphasis on learning a language other than English.

Throughout Europe, 800 million Europeans represented in the Council of Europe's 47 member states are encouraged to learn more languages, at any age, in and out of school. Being convinced that linguistic diversity is a tool for achieving greater intercultural understanding and a key element in the rich cultural heritage of our continent, the Council of Europe promotes plurilingualism in the whole of Europe.


Do this quiz and you'll find out how much you know about languages:
 

Self-evaluate your language skills

The 'Self-evaluate your language skills' game helps you to assess your level of proficiency in the languages you know according to six reference levels defined within the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages.(CEFR). The scale of reference, developed within the Council of Europe's CEFR in 2001, is recognised as a European standard for grading an individual's language proficiency and is widely used within national language education systems, in certification and by employers.

When answering the questions within the application please remember that this is a self-assessment procedure and the results only reflect a part of your skills and that this is a game! Only you know what you can really do with your languages.

To find out more about this game, click here.

How to improve your English!

Learning English (or any language for that matter) is a process. You are continually improving your English and the following "HOW TO" describes a strategy to make sure that you continue to improve effectively.

Here is How:

1. Remember that learning a language is a gradual process – it does not happen overnight.

2. Define your learning objectives early: What do you want to learn and why?

3 Make learning a habit. Try to learn something every day. It is much better to study (or read, or listen to English news, etc…) 10 minutes each day than to study 2 hours once a week. Remember to make learning a habit! If you study each day for 10 minutes English will be constantly in your head. If you study once a week, English will not be as present in your mind.

4. Choose your materials well. You will need reading, grammar writing, speaking and listening materials.

5. Vary your learning routine. It is best to do different things each day to help keep the various relationships between each area active. In other words, don’t just study grammar.

6. Find friends to study and speak with. Learning English together can be very encouraging.

7. Choose listening and reading materials that relate to what you are interested in. Being interested in the subject will make learning more enjoyable – thus more effective.

8. Relate grammar to practical usage. Grammar by itself does not help you USE the language. You should practise what you are learning by employing it actively.

9. Move your mouth! Understanding something doesn’t mean the muscles of your mouth can produce the sounds. Practise by saying what you are learning aloud. It may seem strange, but it is very effective.

10. Be patient with yourself. Remember learning is a process – speaking a language well takes time. It is not a computer that is either on or off!

11. Communicate! There is nothing like communicating in English and being successful. Grammar exercises are good – having your friend on the other side of the world understand your email is fantastic!

12. Use the Internet. The Internet is the most exciting, unlimited English resource that anyone could imagine and it is right at your finger tips.