english matters

    Discussing Presents   Peter: Now that we’ve all finished eating, we’d like to welcome you to the gift-giving part of our celebration. Mark: I’ll volunteer to pass out the gifts. Let’s look at this gigantic box. What could be in here? Susan: That one’s from me. It’s actually for you Mark. Merry Christmas! Mark: Aw, thanks Susan. What about this gift? This has to be the most dazzling wrapping paper I’ve ever seen. Peter: I’d also like to know who brought that present here tonight. It outshines all the others under…Czytaj dalej …

    To galvanise any Christmas gathering, many Americans turn to what is known as a white elephant gift exchange. Here are the basic rules: each person arrives at a party with one wrapped present. Preferably, all the gifts are of similar value. After selecting an order, one person opens up the first gift. Each subsequent person has the option to either unwrap a new gift or steal another person’s present. If your present is stolen, then you can steal another gift or choose to unwrap a new one. Generally speaking, more people…Czytaj dalej …

  Victory is just around the corner, just remember that in order to get there you need to befriend your own brain and ‘boost’ your neurons in the appropriate way. So, let’s see what can help you to learn words in a foreign language faster. To begin with, study the list below. ·           engaging emotions ·           engaging senses ·           movement ·           engaging different learning styles (auditory, visual and kinaesthetic) ·           creating mind-maps ·           building associations between new words and ones you already know ·           personalisation ·           looking for associations between new words and…Czytaj dalej …

One linguistic tool used every day is acronyms – names or words consisting of abbreviations of the initial letters or syllables of a phrase. The top 50 acronyms include short forms used for popular film genres. Rom-coms (romantic comedies) make you LOL (Laugh out loud) and sci-fi (science fiction) incorporates many hi-tech SFX (Special Effects). Some countries and organisations also use acronyms, e.g. the USA, EU, UN (United Nations), UK or GB and NATO. The leaders of the G8 or G20 nations are VIPs who meet to discuss global issues like CO2 emissions.…Czytaj dalej …

For many Americans, 31 October is the most important day in the calendar. For children and adults alike, Halloween is a time when society’s constricting norms don’t apply and you’re free to dress, eat and act as you please. Americans get to celebrate without being tethered down by the family obligations or religious solemnity that mark many other holidays. This modern interpretation of Halloween, though, is nothing like the Halloween of centuries ago. American pop culture is chock-full of references to Halloween, but the day’s roots can be traced across the pond, back…Czytaj dalej …

Here at English Matters, we always like to keep you on your toes. So here’s a question for all our readers out there - just where has the summer gone? Less than two weeks ago I was walking around in my klapki and T-shirt, yet here we are and I’m already dusting down my jackets and wondering when I’m going to have to buy a new pair of gloves. I know we had a decent summer, but is the winter creeping up on us that quickly? I’m not quite ready for it! Are…Czytaj dalej …

Now, anyone who reads this blog on a regular basis will know that I’m forever trying to get myself in a better shape. Well, aren’t we all? Whether it’s more exercise, better diet, less pizza or whatever. But I’ve never gone as far as to actually join a gym! However, two weeks ago a friend of mine suggested we did just that. We started going last week and already I’m feeling the benefits. While I might not look any better yet, just having been a few times has certainly made me feel better…Czytaj dalej …

Last week I had an arranged meeting with a client of mine in a popular hotel - to save embarrassment I won’t mention names. Everything was going well, arrived on time, table booked, so on and so forth. However, upon entering the hotel foyer, I was greeted by a huge seven foot inflatable Santa Clause and a sign urging me to book my Christmas dinner. Now call me old fashioned, but surely August is a little bit too early to be thinking about such things..?! We’ve not even got the school summer holidays…Czytaj dalej …

Like many of my friends and colleagues, I was saddened recently to hear about the passing of Olga Aleksandra Sipowicz - better known by her mononym ‘Kora’. Born in Krakow in 1951, Kora’s influence on the Polish music scene has been undeniably huge and any music fan worth their salt would be able to name you at least a handful of Maanam songs. One song that I will always love is ‘Lucciola’ - one of Maanam’s finest moments and a song which my band chose to cover live whenever we played concerts around…Czytaj dalej …

Two nights ago I was travelling home by taxi and a song came on the radio. It was not really the kind of music I listen to but it's such a powerful song it brought tears to my eyes. The tune in question is 'New York' by Alicia Keys, a beautiful track which pays homage to one of the most amazing cities in the world. I've only been to America once, but I was lucky enough to visit NY during the spring and I got to see it in all its splendour. I…Czytaj dalej …