Kinga Macalla

January 4, 2017

On Languages: Russian

What do we know about the Russian language?

Russian is the 5^th most widely spoken language in the world with 277 million speakers. Russia itself has 142 million native speakers and is the world’s largest country. Russian is one of the six official languages of the United Nations. Due to the size of the Soviet Union a significant part of the world understands Russian.

Russian comes from the Slavic group of the Indo-European languages. Russian, Ukrainian and Belorussian languages form the East Slavic part of this group.

The difficulties of learning Russian

The difficulties of learning Russian alphabet are often exaggerated. Though the Cyrillic alphabet is based on Greek, it still has a resemblance to Latin. There are 33 letters in the Russian alphabet, most of which are pronounced and read in words the same way as they are in the alphabet. You will be surprised how easily you can read Russian aloud once you have mastered the alphabet.

Russian words have one stressed syllable. The stressed syllable is longer and articulated more tensely than the unstressed ones. Unstressed vowels in Russian lose their full value. An unstressed word without any syllable accented will still be perfectly correct and understood, especially when spoken by a foreigner.

A little bit about Grammar

Russian nouns have 3 genders: masculine, feminine and neuter, which are distinguished by the gender endings
there is no article in Russian: “the table” and “a table” are both translated “стол”
auxiliary verbs are hardly used in Russian, the present tense of “to be” is not used as it is in English, for example: He is here– Он тут
Russian is a language with a case system. Nouns appear in different cases, indicated by different endings, according to the role they fulfil in the sentence. There are 6 cases in Russian: nominative, accusative, genitive, dative, instrumental and prepositional.
Each verb in Russian is conjugated based on person, number, tense and gender

It is important to know that the main difference between Russian and other languages is in the way of thinking: in the philosophy of the language. Understanding the mechanism of developing the language structure, including Russian word-building based on the semantic connection within groups of words which bind themselves to various aspects of life helps to reveal the philosophy of Russian and other Slavonic languages. Once this is understood, the language is not difficult.

Start reading as much as you can as soon as you master the alphabet.

Russian literature is best read in Russian to gain the full benefit of the richness of the language. Dostoevsky (Crime and Punishment), Tolstoy (War and Peace), Pushkin (Eugene Onegin), Gogol (The Nose) and Chekhov (The Cherry Orchard) are all writers of international prominence and form just a small selection of the great Russian writers.

Written by Natalia Adkins

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December 21, 2016

Merry Christmas | Joyeux Noël | Fröhliche Weihnachten | Feliz Navidad | Veselé Vánoce | Wesołych Świąt

As the year is officially coming to an end, many of us will reflect back on the past twelve months and make plans for the upcoming year. Do you already have a list of New Year’s resolutions? Will you want to learn a new language or improve your skills in 2017?

I definitely want to maintain my language skills in Czech and improve my French. I’m trying to implement this rule to have a 5-minute activity with each language every day (similar to these ideas). Do I want to learn a new language? That would be very exciting, I’m thinking of Russian, but will let you know more once some progress has been made.

As for the blog, I’m planning to research interesting subjects and write inspiring articles (ambitious, I know!). I’ll look for some beautiful scenery to take photos and videos of. I’d also like to invite inspiring professionals to share their wisdom and knowledge on our blog. Would you find that interesting? What would you like to read more about?

As the festive time is approaching, myself and my colleagues would like to wish our readers a very Merry Christmas, Joyeux Noël, Fröhliche Weihnachten, Feliz Navidad, Veselé Vánoce or Wesołych Świąt. We hope that you enjoy your festive break!

Written by Kinga Macalla

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December 14, 2016

Travelling Corner: My 5 Best of CRETE

“The truth is that the Cretans are the Scots of Greece; they have lived through countless crises to emerge always just as truly themselves – indomitable friends or deadly enemies” Lawrence Durrell writes in The Greek Islands. Alexandra Fiada in the Xenophobe’s Guide to the Greeks points out that ‘[t]he Greeks come second only to the Japanese as far as cleanliness is concerned. Home scrubbing is a point of honour.” What a mixture… You feel exactly that while being in Crete; everything is perfectly in order yet so chaotic: it’s sunny, yet so windy, it’s modern, yet so old fashioned, and the list goes on. But still, my trip to Crete was amazing. Below you’ll find my 5 best of Crete.

Elafonisi Beach

Paradise beach. One of the most beautiful beaches I’ve ever been to. It has a shallow sea shore (safe for children) and a deep part, too. The colours are spectacular, from light blue lagoon to turquoise green and deep dark blue. It has a flat, sandy beach with pink sand. You can easily spend hours in the sea, relaxing and admiring its pure beauty.

Chania

Charming town. The old Venetian harbour is beautiful; you can walk amongst colourful houses surrounded by the sea and the old port which is several kilometres long. I enjoyed wondering the small streets, visiting museums and churches, having a few stops for coffee and a sweet or savoury Cretan delicacy. Even though it was low season, the town was quite crowded, particularly in the cafes and restaurants. The supervised parking experience was quite interesting; they took our keys and re-parked our car in our absence, then delivered it to the exit when we were back. Scary, but convenient!

Grammero Camping

Seaside camping with private access to the beach. Sounds amazing? Yes, it truly was. The campsite is not far away from Paleochora and is situated just on the beach. It is a relatively small site, clean with plenty of shady pitches. The internet connection is excellent. Be aware that the mountainous wind can be quite strong at night, so fasten your tent well. It’s amazing to be able to see the sun rise or set, or go for a jog or swim whenever you fancy!

Food

The taste, the colour, the price! Yes, food in Crete is delicious: olives, feta cheese, tomatoes, cucumbers, fresh bread, olive oil, honey, oranges, oregano… do we actually need anything more? It’s a feast in its pure form; it’s simple, tasty and pleasant. You can buy kilogrammes of tomatoes and create the most scrumptious stew. It’s best to find a local fruit & veg shop or a side-road stall and buy fresh, ready-to-eat food; I would avoid bigger shops or hyper-markets. If eating in a restaurant or café it’s good to choose one that many Cretans eat in (for better prices and food) and if you hesitate, the waiter will quickly give you some recommendations. Then when you nod, he’ll take it as a ‘yes’ and disappear to bring the most delicious meal!

Kindness

Have you ever met a Greek who wasn’t nice to you? I haven’t. Cretans are the same; they’re kind, smiling, positive people who enjoy life to the full. They may drive a bit too fast at times and serve you a Cretan salad with a fag in their mouth… But still, I love them and love their hedonistic approach to life, it’s refreshing.

Have you been to Crete? What was your experience? Please share in the comments below.

Written by Kinga Macalla

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December 7, 2016

On Languages: Dutch

The Dutch language is a West-Germanic language (others in this family include English, Frisian, German and Luxembourgish) and its use goes back to the fifth century. Modern Dutch (Nederlands) is spoken by about 23 million people as a first language in the European Union —including most of the Netherlands and Flanders in the north of Belgium – and by another 5 million as a second language. The Dutch Empire took the language around the world from the 17th to mid-20th centuries. It is the native language of the majority of the population of Suriname, and also holds official status in Aruba, Curaçao and Sint Maarten. There are Dutch-speaking minorities in France, Germany and Indonesia and up to half a million native speakers are spread across the United States, Canada and Australia.

There are several regional variations in spoken Dutch, the most significant of which is Flemish (in Belgium), which is spoken by around ten million people. Standard Dutch (Standaardnederlands or Algemeen Nederlands) is used for public and official purposes, including in schools and universities. A wide variety of local dialects are used in informal situations.

Most Dutch vocabulary is Germanic but also has loans words from Romance languages like French (and Latin). It has more of these than German but fewer than English. Because of contact between the Netherlands and Belgium and English-speaking countries throughout history, there are a lot of words in English that are of Dutch origin, especially names for everyday things like fruit and vegetables or colours. This can make it easier for English speakers to remember Dutch vocabulary because a lot of it is familiar to them. Some examples of English words of Dutch origin are ‘cookie’, ‘coleslaw’, ‘luck’, ‘mannequin’ or ‘Santa Klaus’.

Read more about the Dutch language on the BBC website and a comprehensive history of the language on the Dutch literature digital library.

How the language works

Dutch spelling is phonetic so you can tell how a word is pronounced by looking at it, and you can spell words easily if you listen to them! Some sounds are a bit tricky for English speakers to pronounce, especially vowel sounds, but get easier with practice. Examples are the ‘g’ sound, which is a bit like ‘ch’ in ‘loch’ and ‘ui’, which is a bit like ‘owe’ but not quite! Learn more about the Dutch alphabet, spelling and pronunciation here.

Dutch grammar is similar to both English and German grammar. Like English, it is simpler than German grammar, especially as it does not really use cases. Features shared with German include three genders and a similar word order, such as putting the verb at the end of the sentence. Learning how to speak Dutch is thought to be easier than learning German for English people because of its simpler grammatical rules. I wouldn’t go as far as some people do who say that Dutch is the easiest language for English speakers to learn, though. I think that can also be a potential pitfall because the languages are similar but are not identical, so it can be tempting to use English grammar in Dutch but that doesn’t work! Also, the supposed simplicity of Dutch is deceptive: there are two articles for three genders (‘het’ for neuter and ‘de’ for masculine and feminine nouns (but you still have to know whether the thing you are talking about is a ‘he’ or a ‘she’)), and there are a few exceptions to rules that you learn. Also, academic and literary Dutch has a very high register and is quite stylised.

Why learn Dutch?

There are practical incentives for people from the UK to learn to speak Dutch. The Netherlands is a major trading partner of the UK and there are Dutch and Dutch-speaking businesses in the UK. The Department for International Trade (DIT), that helps UK-based companies succeed in the global economy, is based in Belgium. Belgium is the UK’s sixth-largest export market, worth £10 billion a year. The UK is Belgium’s fourth-largest export market with two-way trade worth in the region of £22 billion. Learning the language can also help you on your travels. Nearly a million Brits go on holiday to the visit our Netherlands every year and Brussels is reachable from the UK by train (the Eurostar). For fans of cycling, canals, tulips, chocolate, windmills, beer, and European history, the Netherlands and Belgium are great places to visit. Dutch and Belgian writers and film-makers also produce some hard-hitting work.

Where can I learn Dutch?

There are many ways you can learn Dutch. If you want to learn the traditional way, you will find a long list of Dutch textbooks at the European Bookshop. You can choose from monolingual (Dutch only) or bilingual (Dutch and English) books. If you like to learn online, you can start with this introductory class on FutureLearn. There are also lots of free YouTube videos that explain the finer points of the language. If it’s vocabulary (woordenschat, literally ‘word treasure/riches’) you’re after, Taalklas (language class) is an online series that helps you learn Dutch vocab through videos and exercises. They also have YouTube videos. You can also stock up on lexicon using this free online dictionary. If you prefer classes, some language schools offer Dutch classes. Lastly, why not look for a language partner, perhaps through the ‘Nederlanders in Bristol’ Facebook page?

Veel plezier! Have fun!

Written by Suzannah Young

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November 30, 2016

Hygge. The Danish Art of Living.

“The true secret of happiness lies in taking a genuine interest in all the details of daily life.” William Morris [Louisa Thomsen Brits, The book of Hygge, 2016, p. 84.]

Hygge (pronounced ‘hue-gah’) is a Danish way of living, meaning togetherness, closeness, cosiness, authenticity, simplicity. Hygge are little moments, like feeling happy when having dinner or playing board games with your close friends. It’s when you’re snuggled in your warm blanket and having your favourite tea and biscuits. It’s when darkness falls and you light the room with dimmed side lights and candles. Hygge can be music, books, magazines, food, interior designs, crafts, summer, spring, autumn, winter, family, friends, etc.

And of course, the Christmas season is very hygge. If you’d like to read more about this concept (or are thinking of buying a hygge book as a Christmas present), I’d like to recommend some recent publications, for example the beautifully illustrated work of Marie Tourell Søderberg, a book of quotations and deeper explanations by Louisa Thomsen Brits, a step-by-step guide to the art of living hygge offers by Meik Wiking and an in-depth analysis of hygge that can be found in Charlotte Abrahams’s book.

Do you remember any nice hygge moments from your life? Let me know more about them in the comments below.

Written by Kinga Macalla

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November 23, 2016

Is Global English a New Lingua Franca?

We’re living in the era of English being a global language; one may argue a lingua franca so to say. But what does this mean for learners, speakers and teachers of the English language? I find this subject fascinating and would like to share a few thoughts with you.

New Society of Non-Native Speakers
When you think about English, do you still associate it with the USA or with Australia? Wherever I travel to, people usually greet me in their local language, but then they immediately switch to English. I believe there are so many speakers of English that the language itself has become an international hybrid without one dominating culture behind it. Speakers of English form “a new society, in which English is shared among many groups of non-native speakers rather than dominated by the British or Americans.”[Warschauer, 2000: 512] In the February New Scientist, Hodson presented an interesting hypothesis that “English is on course to be the planet’s lingua franca. It just probably won’t be English that native speakers are used to.” [Hodson, 2016: 31].

Motivation
This internationalism of English definitely has some impact on the motivation of its learners. Normally learners study a language with the aim of visiting a country that speaks it, or to learn more about its culture. Do we learn English in order to travel to New Zealand? I doubt it; we rather invest in ourselves to become fluent, to be able to communicate with the world, to have better working perspectives, to gain knowledge quicker and to be seen as global citizens. Also, learning English is becoming a matter of necessity and importance rather than a choice linked with its culture, sound or mentality.

Bicultural Identity
Motivation leads us on to identity. Do we still identify ourselves with one language and one culture? As Arnett argues “most people now develop a bicultural identity, in which part of their identity is rooted in their local culture while another part stems from an awareness of their relation to the global culture”. It looks like the global society is on its way to becoming bilingual or multilingual and this phenomenon might be more of a norm than a special feature.

What are your thoughts on the future of English as a global language? Please share your ideas in the comments below.

Read more:
Warschauer, M., 2000. The changing global economy and the future of English teaching, TESOL Quarterly 34, 511-35.
New Scientist Magazine, February 2016.

Written by Kinga Macalla

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November 16, 2016

Travelling Corner: How to afford all the travelling you want

Do you dream about travelling? I used to feel the same, but I’m no longer dreaming, I’ve started to act on it. Keep reading to find out how I organise my life in order to pursue all my travelling desires.

Make it a priority
Travelling is one of the biggest priorities of my life. Apart from all of life’s daily necessities (bills, food, etc.) and books, I spend most of my money on travelling. Unless necessary and very carefully chosen, I rarely buy new clothes, furniture, equipment or eat out (I usually invite friends to my place instead). Apart from work and family, I focus all my attention on all travel-related activities, doing research, reading, watching documentaries and obviously travelling. I’m very happy with my lifestyle now.

Cheap flights
Even though my head is full of ideas of where to travel to, I always do a reality check. I simply look for the cheapest flights available. Very often that means that I need to change my travelling plans, either to travel to my chosen destination later or even to change my chosen destination to go somewhere else. Yes, I’m flexible, but also I plan my travels way in advance. I follow this mantra that the world is beautiful and wherever I go I’ll have a new wonderful and inspiring experience.

Clothes
I have a set of travelling clothes (quite worn now) and I only take a very few of them with me. The reason is that I do not want to be seen as a holiday-maker, but more as an average traveller who would like to learn more about the world. Since applying this rule, I’ve noticed that I’m rarely approached by waiters/sellers who would like to offer me some good. It works well and I feel comfortable, too.

Camping
If I travel to warmer places, I always camp. And personally, I love it. It gives me the opportunity to meet new people (you can easily bump into someone and start an interesting conversation), to be outside from sunrise to sunset and to completely change my routine. I also like the fact that I can organise the inside of the tent and make it homely and cosy (I always bring some extra pillows/blankets/electronic candles).

Food
I rarely eat outside to reduce the cost and simply prepare my meals using local ingredients. The items I always bring with me are tea, porridge and raisins. That way I can have breakfast every day – one meal sorted!

Beach tent
I bought my beach tent a year ago and it was one of the best purchases I’ve made. It’s so practical, it can protect you from wind, sun and rain and you can have some quieter time to eat, read or sleep there. It’s not too big nor too heavy, so I carry it with me whenever I go to the beach.

Obviously, all the above is very personal and you may have a very different approach to travelling. How do you organise your life to be able to travel? Let me know in the comments below.

Written by Kinga Macalla

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November 9, 2016

Book review: The Journey. The Fine Art of Travelling by Train.

A beautifully photographed album of the world’s luxury and local long- and short-distance train journeys. Since reading Closely Watched Trains (Ostře sledované vlaky) by Bohumil Hrabal, I have become inspired by the romantic and sentimental vibes associated with trains and train stations, to such an extent that I now even live by a train station. I must confess, I simply adore this publication. It gives a precise overview of the most magical train routes in the world. The photographs accompanying each train journey are astonishing. You can definitely taste the flavour of each of the routes, which include the Venice Simplon-Orient-Express, The Belmond Royal Scotsman, the Glacier Express, El Transcantabrico, the Trans-Siberian Railway, Kyushu Seven Stars, the Eastern & Oriental Express, Royal Rajasthan on Wheels, California Zephyr, Hurricane Turn, the Royal Canadian Pacific, Belmond Hiram Bingham, La Trochita, The Blue Train, The Royal Livingston Express, the Tazara Railway, La Micheline, The Ghan, the TranzAlpine and many more.

It is a nice read for long, slow wintry evenings (but be careful: after reading it, you may become inspired to book train tickets straight away!). It could also be an excellent idea for a Christmas present.

Do you like travelling by train? What is your favourite route? Please let me know in the comments below.

Written by Kinga Macalla

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November 2, 2016

Let’s celebrate festivals from around the world!

Dear Readers,

We feel lucky to be living in Bristol, a diverse and multilingual city, but in December… it’s that time of year again, it gets dark at 4pm… Isn’t that a perfect excuse to join us for an evening of multicultural celebrations and festive treats?

Let’s come together to learn about various festivals from around the world: Christmas, Rozhdestvo Khristovo, Chinese New Year, Ganjitsu, Epifanía del Señor and many more. Food, music and great conversation provided, wanna join?

Save the date: Friday, 2nd December @ 7pm.

Visit our FB page to find out more.

See you on the 2nd!

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October 26, 2016

Language Learning Tips: Do I have time to learn a foreign language every day?

Do I have time to learn a foreign language every day? Of course, not! But, I think you may change your mind after reading this article, so let me explain.

Impossible possible?
First of all, I’m not talking about spending hours practising every day (although, that would be just perfect!), but about finding ways to include some language practice for as little as 5-10 minutes per day. Secondly, you do not actually need extra time to practise every day. You need to prepare yourself for learning and then follow your daily routine. Thirdly and most importantly, enjoy the whole process from the moment you decide to learn a foreign language to carrying out your everyday practice.

How does it work?

You can follow the 5 steps formula:

1. Find the time. Think about when you could potentially learn, e.g. while driving a car/commuting, cooking/cleaning/ironing, taking a bath/brushing your teeth, walking, waiting for a meeting/appointment/meal/train/bus, etc… Yes, there are endless possibilities!

2. Follow your interests. Research the topics that interest you, e.g. cooking (recipes), holiday phrases, music (singers), art (painters), (non-)fiction writing (writers), etc.

3. Get the resources. Prepare/order/borrow/download books, e-books, audio-books, podcasts, radio programmes, CDs, DVDs, magazines/newspapers, grammar books, flashcards, apps, etc.

4. Have a weekly plan. Plan what you’re going to do every day, (you can of course review it every week), e.g. on Monday it’s reading (from crime novels to news), Tuesday-listening (radio podcasts, audiobooks), Wednesday-grammar (some relevant exercises), Thursday-speaking (reading aloud or shadowing), Friday-writing (diary, emails), Saturday-watching films (with/without subtitles), Sunday-vocabulary drill (flash cards, dictionary).

5. Learn EVERY DAY!

If you’re new to language learning or are very busy, I would recommend starting with the simplest routine you can implement and then trying to add new skills. And don’t wait until you think you’re ready, start learning a foreign language now!

If you follow everyday learning or any other routine, let me know more about your methods in the comments below.

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