February 6, 2019

Film review: Dangal (2016)

Last weekend I decided to treat myself to an evening of Netflix, to practise my quickly-rusting language skills. My film of choice? The award-winning Hindi-language biographical wrestling movie, Dangal (2016). The film is loosely based on the lives of Geeta Phogat and Babita Kumari, daughters of Mahavir Singh Phogat, a national level wrestling champion in India who had a dream of raising a son to become an international wrestling champion.
He was, instead, blessed with four daughters. Thinking his dream would never become true, he sank into depression – until a fight between his two oldest daughters and a couple of local lads gave him an idea… Starring and produced by Aamir Khan, I thoroughly enjoyed every moment. The story is believable and very well-acted, with a great soundtrack (featuring one of my favourite artists, Daler Mehndi). This tale of struggle, loss, hard work and persistence in the face of ridicule, makes for a great evening’s viewing, running at 161 minutes.
I watched it with Polish subtitles (trying to practise two languages at once) but English subtitles are available.
Darren Cameron
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January 30, 2019

Travelling corner: Her first trip to the seaside

Whilst still pregnant, I started planning our travels together, specifically, our first trip as a family of 4! My daughter was born in mid-November, so when she was around 6 weeks old, she went away with us for 4 days to celebrate New Year’s Eve. We went to Cornwall: it’s obvious that I had to show her this beautiful land first before exploring the rest of the world 😉

How does travelling look with a new-born? Very simple, in a way: they need to eat, sleep and have clean nappies. The frequency and unpredictability – that’s a bit more challenging, as we had to have regular unplanned breaks in local cafes, or stop in the car for breast-feeding and nappy-changing. We rented a house not far away from some coastal paths and beaches, to make sure that we could quickly go home, if needed. We used a sling to carry her when we walked on the coastal paths and on the beach, and a pram to walk around the Cornish towns. After an intensive day, our daughter was a bit unsettled in the evening, but it didn’t last very long. Obviously, having a holiday in winter is limited by the shortness of day time, but I still so enjoyed the sea views, fresh air, walking and having a huge change to my day-to-day routine with a new-born baby. Would I repeat it? Definitely!

Kinga Macalla

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January 23, 2019

Travelling corner: Belgium by train

What’s so great about travelling by train in Belgium? Ticket prices! Yes, the train tickets are not expensive and it does not matter if you buy them in advance or just on the day. They can even be 50 per cent cheaper at weekends! The trains are comfortable and modern. There is a train station right in the centre of Brussels, so do check your train connections before heading off. So, where did we go? We went from Brussels to Ostend and from there we wanted to go to Nieuwpoort by a coastal tram, but tram drivers were striking on this day! J So instead we stayed in Ostend and spent a slow day on the beach – walking, getting some sun-shine and playing. We also visited our friends in Antwerp where from the moment you’re off the train, you can fall in love with the architectural marvel that is their train station. Your appetite for architecture can only grow if you walk through the city and visit the Museum Aan de Stroom (MAS) where you can admire the whole city of Antwerp from the museum’s roof. We couldn’t miss Brugge with its medieval feeling, horses with carriages, cobbled pavements and tiny shops. It’s also a perfect hub for chocolate lovers! We also commuted by tram in Brussels, as we could observe the city from the tram windows or, for example, spot a perfect café (true story: we spotted a fab café and one day when our tram broke down, we were so happy, as we could finally go there for a delicious cocoa!).

I loved our train travels! Do you travel by train? What are your favourite destinations?

Kinga Macalla

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January 16, 2019

New Year, New Language-Learning Trends for You to Try Out

Welcome to my first blog post of 2019!  Before I start, I would like to wish you all Buon Anno / Bonne Année / Prospero Año Nuevo / ةديعس ةديدج ةنس / Fröhes Neues Jahr / Gelukkig Nieuwjaar / Szczęśliwego Nowego Roku / Feliz Ano Novo / Поздравляю с Новым годом / Happy New Year!

We hope you are ready for and looking forward to your lessons with BLS this year.  In this blog post, we look at which will be the language learning trends you can follow in 2019 to help boost your language skills.

Artificial Intelligence (AI)

Artificial intelligence in language learning is mainly found in online language-learning tools.  It means learners are accompanied and supported in their learning by intelligent programmes that can track their learning or even make their learning interactive.  When language learning is interactive, it is more effective.  Compare how much you learn and how motivated you are when speaking to people in your new language with your experience of learning from a book.  This shows you how interaction makes language learning more fun and therefore means that you are more likely to remember what you have learnt.  AI can foster interaction through “chatbots” that ask you questions or prompt you to give an answer, and congratulate you when you answer correctly.  Even though they are not real people, they make learners aware of how much progress they are making and therefore keep them motivated.  One article even goes as far as to say that people take less time to learn a language with the help of AI than they do using traditional language learning methods.

Adaptive Learning

Adaptive learning uses technology to deliver personalized, customised learning. Adaptive learning adjusts the trajectory and pace of learning, giving appropriately-pitched and relevant material to meet learners’ needs.  If learners need to learn something specific, such as business language in order to meet international colleagues or phrases to use on holiday, adaptive learning provides them with focused training modules.  Adaptive learning programmes use algorithms to gauge learners’ needs.  For example, when the learner takes a test, the algorithms measure the learner’s understanding and identifies gaps in the learner’s knowledge. The programme then and adapts the modules to be taken to the learner’s ongoing learning needs.  This approach helps the learner to focus on progress and what they need to learn rather than what they already know (although repetition is always useful!). This creates better learner engagement because they don’t get bored.  This will improve their performance.

Gamification

“Gamification” or “game-based learning” means using the principles of gameplay in non-game contexts. Gamification is used to encourage user engagement, productivity, employee recruitment, physical exercise, voter apathy, and more by making engagement fun and by rewarding “players” for doing certain things.  It is meant to empower and engage learners.  Examples of how this can be applied in language learning is a computerised programme that allows learners to collect points for each correct answer and reach the next level of difficulty, or creating a language-learning board game.  Research shows that gamification mostly has positive effects on individuals, improves retention rates and helps learners apply their learning better.  Studies have also shown that games release happy hormones like dopamine and serotonin that will make learners want to return to their learning.

Video-Based Learning

Videos are a very popular training tool at the moment.  There is a wealth of language-learning videos on the internet.  They are popular because learners can choose which videos they want to watch and how many times they watch them, and because they break learning into manageable chunks.  The availability of this type of material means that users can pick and choose from a whole host of different teaching styles and content.  Individuals can create their own videos; it is not just language schools that create them.  This gives the content a personal touch that means that learners like them.  Users can also comment on videos and ask questions that means they engage with the content.

Social Learning

Thankfully, we still want to interact with our fellow humans and it has been proven (unsurprisingly) that learning with our peers is more effective than learning on our own.  “Social learning” harnesses that concept.  It can mean groups working on a specific project, conversation tables, sharing sessions (where one learner shares what they have learnt with the others and their interest in their chosen subject rubs off on the other learners), and learning circles, where learners share wisdom and work out a problem together, as well as practising listening and speaking skills.

We hope these different techniques inspire you to continue your journey into learning a language.  Happy language learning in 2019!

Suzannah Young

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January 9, 2019

Important questions about children’s bilingualism

With globalisation and the ease of travel, more often than ever people find themselves living abroad and living a multilingual and multicultural life. That is why raising my daughter bilingually was more a natural consequence of my life trajectory than a thought-through process. I read some guidebooks on bilingualism to have a general idea on how to organise our bilingual life, but that was it. It was a natural decision which I thought all parents would follow, but since having met some parents who decided not to raise their children bilingually, I started to think about why we might want to raise our children bilingually and why we decide in favour of or against our children’s bilingualism. We as parents are the main people who are responsible for our children’s bilingualism and it is true that it can be overwhelming to learn, implement and follow the principles of bilingual parenting. Moreover, as immigrants we want to fit into society; through speaking two languages we may stand out on the monolingual landscape. At the same time, a bilingual upbringing can generate many advantages for people, economically, socially and culturally. What to choose and why? Parents’ decisions on bilingualism may be based on their personal beliefs, but they might also be influenced by others, for example, medical or educational professionals.

If you’re a bilingual family or planning to become one, you may want to think and form your own definitions/answers to the below questions (I added a short commentary to each question, please treat it as some form of inspiration to your further research and study of bilingualism):

What is bilingualism?

Because of the complexity of the term, you may want to create your own definition of bilingualism. Your understanding of the notion might be influenced by the fact that bilingualism is created and functions in various environments, family settings and countries/regions and may impact individuals with different talents and skills differently.

Is Bristol a good place to raise bilingual children (if you’re from Bristol)?

I think it’s important to have a better understanding of the local perception of bilingualism. If your children go to nursery/school, ask staff members some questions about bilingualism and see their approach to bilingualism. You can also check if there are extra-curricular language or cultural classes organised by the local council, schools or private people.

What influences parents’ decision-making on family bilingualism?

Here, we can think whether society and medical, educational or governmental authorities can influence our decisions on the bilingual upbringing of our children. Parental choice for or against bilingualism will influence a child’s life in many different aspects, e.g. their identity, cultural bonding or linguistic skills, among others. If parents decide not to form a bilingual family, they may make this decision based on the disadvantages linked with bilingualism, e.g. hard work, not being a ‘normal’ family, worries about language development and potential misunderstandings. (see Barron-Hauwaert) Through choosing monolingualism and full linguistic assimilation, immigrant parents can deprive their children of certain experiences, e.g. a bond with their linguistic, family or cultural heritage.

How do stereotypes around multilingualism influence our decisions on bilingualism?

To be honest with you I didn’t know any stereotypes around multilingualism until I started reading more literature on bilingualism. One of the stereotypes around bilingualism is that bilingualism can be linked with underachievement at school (see Marzán), but the most recent research suggests the opposite, that actually bilingualism “is now associated with a mild degree of intellectual superiority.” (Baker 2014: 54)

What are the advantages of bilingualism?

Bilingualism can be associated with many different benefits, in the form of communication (being able to communicate more effectively with others) and practical and social value (facilitating cultural exchanges and promoting multi-cultural understanding). Colin Baker also mentions cognitive advantages (creativity), character advantages (increased self-esteem), curricular advantages (easier to learn a third language) and economic advantages (employment benefits). (see Baker) We can add the following benefits to the list: more freedom to be mobile, an increased tolerance towards other languages and cultures and an understanding of other foreigners’ needs. (see Barron-Hauwaert)

Can you think of any other benefits of bilingual upbringing of your children? Please let me know in the comment below.

 

References:

Baker, C. 2014. A Parents’ and Teachers’ Guide to Bilingualism. Bristol: Multilingual Matters

Barron-Hauwaert, S. 2014. Language Strategies for Bilingual Families. The One-Parent-One-Language Approach. Bristol: Multilingual Matters

Marzán, J. 2003. Found in Translation. Reflections of a Bilingual American. In: Sommer D. (ed) Bilingual Games. Some Literary Investigations. New York: Palgrave Macmillan

Kinga Macalla

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January 2, 2019

Book review: A Short History of Tractors in Ukrainian by Marina Lewycka

Translated into 35 languages & with many positive reviews, I couldn’t resist the temptation of reading it. What’s more I rarely read fiction, so it was a treat.

I had mixed, bitter-sweet feelings when I was reading the book: On one hand I was laughing out loud and on the other the story made me very sad. I think the sadness was coming from the fact that I also lived in a formerly communist country, Poland, till I reached my early twenties, and I think the story brought some memories back. In the book, the economical, intellectual and cultural differences between East and West are portrayed in a semi-caricatured way. This division pinpoints some aspects of our history and culture that are uncomfortable to me and I think I would prefer not to remember them.

Overall, I think it is a wonderful read, as it doesn’t stop with the last page. You’re left with some unanswered questions and some ideas that you want to analyse and think about. If you wish to learn more about Ukrainian history, about refugees’ lives in the UK, and about human nature, all being presented in a rather comical way, this is the book you want to read!

What have you read recently that fascinated you? Let me know in the comments below.

Kinga Macalla

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December 19, 2018

“Christmas” in different languages – the meaning behind the words

Christmas is coming, and many of us are excitedly preparing for it.  But beyond the presents, food, family gatherings and decorations, have you ever stopped to wonder where the word “Christmas” comes from, what it really means, and what its meaning is in other languages?  This post looks at the origins of the word for “Christmas” in the languages you can study at BLS.  Many of them are similar, so we will group them by meaning.  We would love to hear more, if you know the word for Christmas in any other languages.  Please add them in the comments if you do.

Nadal / Natal / Natale / Navidad / Boże Narodzenie / Рождества / 圣诞

The word for “Christmas” in Catalan is “Nadal”.  It comes from the Latin, nātālis [diēs Dominī], or the “birthday of the Lord”.  This is similar in the Portuguese “Natal”, “Natale” in Italian and “Navidad” (similar to the English, “nativity”, the feast celebrating the birth of Jesus Christ”) in Spanish.  The Polish term, “Boże Narodzenie” also means “the holy birth”.  This on its own can be used for “Christmas”, but “Święta Bożego Narodzenia” (“celebration of the holy birth”) is the full version.  The Russian (“С рождеством Христовым!”  “S rozhdyestvom Hristovym!”) has the same root (it means “Congratulations on the birth of Christ!”).  “Merry Christmas” in Chinese is “圣诞快乐(Shèngdàn kuàilè)”, meaning “to be happy at the birth of a saint”.  In Arabic  it is “عيد ميلاد المسيح” (“‘eed milaad al-maseeH”), “celebration of birth of the-Messiah”.

Noël

There is some debate about the origin of the French “Noël” (which also exists in English, without the umlauts (in songs like “The First Noel”)).   The roots of the English word are in the French “noël” anyway, and this may come from the Old French “nael”, deriving from the Latin “natalis”, meaning “birth”, as above.  Other commentators think that it may come from the French “nouvelles”, meaning “news”, as in the news of Christ being born.

Weinachten / Vánoce

The German “Weinachten” comes from Middle High German “zeden wīhen nahten” (“in the holy nights”).  In German, “Weihnachten” can be the singular or plural form.  It is plural in the greetings “Frohe, gesegnete, schöne … Weihnachten” but singular in sentences like “Weihnachten ist ein christliches Fest” (“Christmas is a Christian celebration”.)  The Czech, “Vánoce” is a borrowing from this.

Kerstmis / Christmas / クリスマス

The Dutch “Kerstmis” (or simply “Kerst”) and English “Christmas” come from the same root, the celebration (holy mass) of Christ.  The Japanese version “クリスマス” (“Kurisumasu”) is borrowed from the English.

Suzannah Young

As the festive time is approaching, we would like to wish you all a very Merry Christmas, Veselé Vánoce! / Счастливого Рождества! (Schastlivogo Rozhdestva) / С рождеством Христовым!  (S rozhdyestvom Hristovym!) / Wesołych świąt Bożego Narodzenia! / Feliz Navidad! / Buon Natale! / Joyeux Noël! / Bon Nadal! / Feliz Natal! / Fröhliche Weihnachten! / Zalige Kerstdagen! / Merry Christmas! メリークリスマス (Merīkurisumasu) /圣诞快乐 (Shèngdàn kuàilè) / عيد ميلاد المسيح” (‘eed milaad al-maseeH). We hope that you enjoy your well-deserved break!

With love,

BLS Team

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December 12, 2018

Book review: Wabi-Sabi Welcome by Julie Pointer Adams

Each moment is worth basking in because it won’t be with us forever. Julie Pointer Adams

I have been reading this book every evening this autumn. Yes, it was a real treat for me: I was waiting for this moment every day, to read another few pages and to experience wabi-sabi through reading this publication. This book resonates with my reading taste, especially when it comes to reading about creating a cosy and comfortable home and, in this particular instance, how to prepare your home and yourself for having guests. The photographs are unique, simple, yet so beautiful. I would often leaf through the book to analyse in detail the photos and their authentic and intimate character.

So, what is wabi-sabi, you may think? Wabi-sabi is a Japanese concept which is built of two separate words, wabi and sabi. “Wabi means something like simplicity, humility, and living in tune with nature”. (18) “Sabi, on the other hand, refers to what happens with the passage of time; it’s about transience and the beauty and authenticity of age.” (18) We can think of wabi-sabi as being perfectly imperfect, as “beauty found in unusual, unfashionable places or objects, and in moments usually overlooked or unappreciated.” (11) The book is divided into 5 chapters and the author doesn’t only visit Japan to experience wabi-sabi, she travels to Denmark, California, France and Italy to find this unique way of life there, too.  Each experience brings us closer to the concept of wabi-sabi: in Japan it can be the joy of sharing simple and nourishing food; in Denmark, the rituals, nearly sacred, of having coffee breaks with your friends (called fika in Sweden); in California, being together in the kitchen and letting your friends participate in cooking; in France we can learn to say c’est la vie, if the situation is less than ideal, and adopt a more natural and organic approach to everything (joie de vivre – the joy of living) and in Italy, spending time together (insieme), going for a walk, eating ice-cream or having a big celebration and appreciating each other’s company.

As you can see, it’s difficult not to fall in love with wabi-sabi and I think the book could be a perfect Christmas gift for yourself or your loved ones. Reading it will beautifully fill long wintery evenings…

Do you know the concept of wabi-sabi? How do you experience it in your life? Do let me know in the comments below.

Quotations:

Julie Pointer Adams, Wabi-Sabi Welcome, New York 2017: Artisan.

Kinga Macalla

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December 5, 2018

Interview with Christina Andersen on bilingualism

Hello Christina, shall we start with a short introduction? Can you say a few words about yourself?

My name is Christina and I am Danish. I lived in Denmark for the first 21 years of my life but I’d always felt drawn to England. I moved to the UK with the hope of practising my English and of course having a bit of adventure When I was 21.
I lived with 2 Danish friends in Birmingham for two years then when I was 23 I went to visit a friend in Bristol and met my now husband Ed and for the next 13 years beautiful Bristol was my home.
It was never in my plans to stay in the UK but after buying a house, setting up a gym, having two children and getting married it was never in my plans to leave.
We created and amazing life with lots of friends and clients and some businesses that we really loved.
In 2017 my dad became very sick with cancer, he had had it for 3 years but now it looked like he was losing the fight.
We decided to visit him and my mum in their home just north of Copenhagen, while we were there we were walking on the beach and talking about what life would be like if we moved to Denmark.
We decided to give it ago because we wanted to be closer to my mum as we knew she would be alone soon, but we also wanted to bring our kids up with more freedom, more nature and more time with us.
100 days after that walk on the beach we were in Denmark ready for a new adventure. We are now just over one year in and truly identifying as a bilingual family.

You’re a bilingual family now living in Denmark, can you tell us more about the languages your family speak and how you approach bilingualism on a daily basis?

We speak English and Danish as a family now. It never really materialised in the UK despite my efforts. Now a year into our Denmark adventure and the girls (4 and 7) are both bilingual.
I think to say we have an approach would be an over statement. We speak which ever language fits at the time. My husband is trying to learn Danish from apps but without attending classes it’s hard to speak Danish for an adult. The Danes are so good at English that they tend to switch as soon as then notice you’re English. When my mum visits she will only talk to the girls in Danish which is really nice.

How did you come up with the decision to have a bilingual family? Was it a natural consequence or rather a thought-through process?

When I knew I was going to have children with Ed I was definitely keen to have a bilingual family. I think it is such an advantage. I think it goes much deeper than just words. I think when you learn a new language, especially at a young age you learn about different cultures and different labels and different approaches to the world. I think it provides a way of seeing the world that you cannot teach in any other way. I wish more schools would teach languages from the beginning.

Bilingualism is a wonderful gift, what benefits do you see in bringing up your children bilingually?

I have to step outside of proud mum for a minute here I think. My girls are both incredibly kind, thoughtful, happy, they know what they want and they are both a calming influence on the children around them. I both see this and am told it often by teachers and friends.
With all of that said I really couldn’t say that this is due to our parenting, their lovely teachers at Silverhill school in Winterbourne, there lovely teachers here in Copenhagen or their bilingualism. It’s likely a combination of all of the above and no doubt a bit of luck too.

Bilingualism is also a complex phenomenon, what are the biggest challenges you face as a bilingual family?

I’m not sure we have encountered any challenges. My husband Ed often needs a translation or gets a little left out sometimes but I think he would say that’s sometimes and inventive and sometimes a blessing.

What’s one piece of advice you’d give to future parents wanting to have a bilingual family?

I’m not sure I see myself as qualified to give advice. Something I know from health coaching that I have applied to bringing up my children is, you can’t force, shame, or discipline your children into habits. If you want it to happen it has to be fun.

Many thanks for taking time to be our interview guest today, Christina. Where can we find you online?

You can find my on
My website: www.mumsgetfit.co.uk
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/mumsgetfit/
Instagram: https://instagram.com/p/BqqFNVmnVHl/

Photos: Lidia from Visuable

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November 28, 2018

How to maintain your language-learning momentum: 5 inspirational self-study tips

The end of the year is fast approaching and we have all got a lot on our plates, juggling work and preparations for family celebrations or New Year festivities.  There will be a break at the end of this BLS term and we will all need to keep up our language practice without the help of lessons.  How can you keep up the momentum when you are learning a language, even if you don’t have a teacher to remind you to do your homework or a group to practise with? How can you keep up your drive to learn for a few weeks flying solo?  This blog post gives you a few tips on how to maintain your language learning momentum when you have to manage it yourself and when you have other commitments too.

Little and Often

This article says: “Language learning is best when broken down into manageable goals that are achievable over a few months.” We fully agree that it is best not to overload yourself and try to read a whole textbook in one sitting.  Our brains learn best when not required to concentrate for long periods of time, and when the knowledge is topped up regularly.  Doing a few minutes of language learning each day and revising things you learnt last week makes sure what you learnt sticks in your head.  Breaking the learning down into manageable chunks means you stay interested and motivated and you don’t lose concentration.  Set yourself small, achievable, short-term goals that you can meet.  Have a routine so that you know how and when to fit in your language learning.  This will make you feel motivated to achieve those goals and give you a sense of achievement when you meet them.  It will also keep the learning to a manageable amount.

Remind Yourself Why You Are Learning

We all have a reason why we wanted to learn our chosen language in the first place – it might be because we have friends who speak that language, a holiday home in the country where that language is spoken or ambitions of moving abroad to find work.  Whatever your motivation, remind yourself of it regularly so you are spurred on to carry on with your learning.  The same article that was quoted above recommends writing down the reasons why you are learning a language and sticking the list to the front of your notebook or folder.  Turn to this in moments of doubt!  You have a goal and you can achieve it.

Remember It’s Fun

In a previous blog post about how to improve your reading skills in another language, we recommended that you read things you enjoy reading in your first language – novels, newspaper articles or recipe books, for example.  This applies equally to your listening and speaking practice – listen and sing along to songs you like or watch films you enjoy and practise the dialogues.  If you do things you enjoy, you will be much more likely to want to continue and the knowledge will stick in your mind.  You don’t want your language learning to be a chore, you want it to be a pleasure!

Travel

If you are able, use your end-of-year holiday time to go to the country where your new language is spoken – what better way to learn enjoyably?  Maybe you have friends you can visit there or perhaps there is a place you have always wanted to explore.  Seize the opportunity and use your language skills while you are abroad.  You will also be hearing the language as it is spoken in real-life situations – which makes it more exciting!

Look Back at Your Progress

You have come a long way and learnt a lot since you started learning your chosen language.  Take a moment to appreciate how much you have achieved and to congratulate yourself on your progress.  This will make you feel motivated to continue because you can see that it is possible!

Have a look at this blog post if you need more inspiration.   And most of all – have fun!

Suzannah Young

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