One of the great things about visiting foreign countries is learning a bit of the lingo beforehand in order to communicate with the locals. However, despite the fact English is spoken right around the globe, visitors to the British Isles may well notice signs written in an array of different languages - one of the most interesting being Scottish Gaelic. Although not an officially recognised EU language, a recent census showed that 87,000 people in the country over the age of three had at least a grasp of Gaelic, and 57,000 were actually…Czytaj dalej …
Grammar
Mountain, Comfortable, Vegetable
Some of the hardest words for non-native speakers of English to pronounce correctly are mountain, comfortable and vegetable. Although the latter two end in "-table" they sound nothing like that! Mountain /ˈmountn/ A geological structure which rises out of the ground forming a peak. Click here to hear native speakers pronounce the word "mountain". Comfortable /ˈkəmfərtəbəl/ A feeling of physical comfort, often used for clothes and furniture Click here to hear native speakers pronounce the word "comfortable". Vegetable /ˈvejtəbəl/ A plant-based food Click here to hear native speakers pronounce the word "vegetable".Czytaj dalej …
What Kind of Friends are These?
Linguistically speaking, false friends are words that sound similar in two languages, but have a different meaning! Let's take a look at some words which are often confused in English and Polish: Polish word False Friend (meaning) Correct word in English Aktualny Actual (fact; something that is true) Current; contemporary Dres Dress (a flowing piece of clothing worn by women) Tracksuit Ekspedient Expedient (quick) Sales assistant Ewentualny Eventual (something that will happen in due course) Possible Genialny Genial (cheerful and friendly) Brilliant Hazard Hazard (a dangerous thing) Gambling Lunatyk Lunatic (someone who is…Czytaj dalej …