english matters

A Busy Day of Baking

A Busy Day of Baking

Heading down to the local bakers to treat yourself to a few cakes is all well and good, but sometimes there’s nothing more satisfying than sticking on the oven mitts and just doing it yourself. So this week I decided to dust down the old recipe books and spend a day in the kitchen working my magic. 
Blueberry scones were first on the list (an old favourite from my childhood days), then raspberry muffins - which are best enjoyed with a cup of tea and a good book! But for anyone feeling a…Czytaj dalej …

Last week I was lucky enough to spend five days in Berlin as part of my summer holidays. Anyone who has had the pleasure of visiting this fine city won’t need me to tell them how great it is. But for the uninitiated, let me try and explain. Unlike many of Europe’s capitals, it has an underlying moodiness which will never be equalled. Whether you’re mooching around East Berlin with its dark streets and oppressing buildings or wandering down Kurfürstendamm admiring the greenery and wealth, there’s something for everyone. Another thing that strikes…Czytaj dalej …

With the sun blasting out and the summer now in full swing, us here at English Matters are trying to fit into last year’s swimming costumes. But how to do it? Get on the treadmill? Hit the gym? Lay off the chocolate? It’s not an easy task you know! Up in the office we’ve tried a number of ways. But so far nothing seems to be working. We’ve still got fat bums and big bellies and our exercising techniques are terrible! It’s about time we got some professional advice... So we’re asking all…Czytaj dalej …

With the Tour de France now in full swing, what better time to dust down the old bike and set off for a little cycling trip of our own... Granted, our set of wheels might not be quite as sophisticated as some of the ones you’re likely to see on your screens over the coming few weeks, but they do the job nicely and allow us to see some of the beautiful scenery Poland has to offer. Hitting the road out of any city will provide you with a perfect away day but…Czytaj dalej …

One of the most exciting (and amusing) parts of learning a foreign language is being able to master a couple of its tongue twisters. While the concept is simple - a phrase or sentence designed to be hard to say - managing to get all the way through one successfully or without your friends erupting into fits of laughter is not. Due to the fact that word formations and the pronunciation of letters vary from country to country, each language has its own unique set of tongue twisters which can be difficult for both native…Czytaj dalej …
Visiting ‘The Village’

Visiting ‘The Village’

Ask anyone to list their top five American cities and New York is always going to be up there. Whether it’s museums, restaurants, Broadway shows, sporting events or bars, The Big Apple has them all in abundance. 
But forget Times Sqaure, The Statue of Liberty and Central Park - one of the city’s highlights is Greenwich Village, located on the west side of Lower Manhattan. The earliest mention of ‘The Village’ in the history records dates back to the late 17th Century and the neighbourhood has long been associated with artistic movements and…Czytaj dalej …
Taking Part in a Pub Quiz

Taking Part in a Pub Quiz

Back in the day, before everyone had Google on their mobile phone, general knowledge was something to be proud of and those who were able to tell you off the top of their head the capital of Burma or who performed the first human heart transplant were held in high regard. Today however, there is still a way to show off your knowledge - by getting yourself along to one of Britain’s best-loved institutions - The Pub Quiz. It’s believed that pub quizzes began back in the late 1970s by UK business Burns…Czytaj dalej …

As any keen reader will tell you, there’s something about curling up on the couch with a warm cup of tea and a good book that you just can’t beat. But will future generations be given the chance to experience the same feeling? Well, not if e-book readers have anything to say about it. The benefits are there to see - easy to transport, unlimited storage space, adjustable font sizes and you can even read them in the dark! But do you really get the same level of satisfaction from reading your favourite…Czytaj dalej …

Seen as many to be the “quintessential English band”, The Kinks were formed by brothers Ray and Dave Davies in North London way back in 1963. Often linked to the so-called ‘mod-scene’, the boys dabbled in a number of different musical styles such as folk, rhythm and blues, music hall and country and helped pave the way for genres like hard rock and heavy metal. Although they wrote some of Britain’s best-loved pop songs (‘Sunny Afternoon’, ‘Days’, ‘Lola’ and ‘Waterloo Sunset’) one of their finest contributions to music is ‘The Kinks Are the…Czytaj dalej …

‘Fish & chips’, ‘fried breakfasts’ and the much loved ‘Sunday roast’ - all well-known meals that anyone setting foot in Great Britain simply has to try. But there’s another dish which over the years British people have taken to their hearts and adopted as their own - the curry. Although curries are believed to have originated in India way back in 1700 BC, there is evidence that Brits have been enjoying the spicy dishes since the 14th Century and these days it’s estimated around 23 million of them eat curries on a regular…Czytaj dalej …
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