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About English [as a foreign language] English is a West Germanic language spoken originally in Britain but now also in the USA, Canada, New Zealand, Australia, and many other parts of the world. It is the world's most widely known and used language. Its history can be divided into three periods: Old English; between 450-1100AD four dialects were spoken; Middle English, when between 1100-1500 five dialects were spoken; and Modern English, which covers the period from 1500 to the present day. English slowly became a relatively uninflected language with great flexibility in the way the words may function. Its vocabulary is about half Germanic and half Romance, with many other borrowings. *Germanic languages are a subgroup of the Indo-European language group. Its member languages are spoken in Britain, Scandinavia, the Netherlands and Iceland. There are three recognised subgroups: East Germanic, North Germanic, and West Germanic. The first of these is now extinct, but it included Gothic, one of the earliest Germanic languages. North Germanic covers the Scandinavian languages. West Germanic includes modern English and German among its descendants, as well as Dutch. Is English difficult to learn?
About England
England is located in North West Europe, separated from mainland Europe
by the North Sea and the English Channel. It consists of two main zones:
the lowlands, which extend across the Midlands, the South East, East
Anglia, and the Fens; and the highlands of the Pennines and the Lake
District in the North and the granite uplands of Dartmoor and Exmoor in
the South West. The chief rivers are the Thames and the Severn.
London London (England), is the capital of the United Kingdom. It is situated in southeastern England along the Thames River. With a population of about 7 million, this vast metropolis is by far the largest city in Europe, a distinction it has maintained since the 17th century. In the 19th century it was the largest and most influential city in the world, the center of a large and prosperous overseas empire. Although it no longer ranks among the world's most populous cities, London is still one of the world's major financial and cultural capitals. By European standards, London is physically spread out and dispersed, without a predominant focal point. It therefore defies easy general description, as the city's character is found in its diverse and distinct sections. Many of these sections began as separate villages, and today they maintain some of their individual identities. London's image is partly defined by its past, as its major buildings and institutions represent 2000 years of community history. Its image is also the product of a new multiethnic mix of people and the creative impulse of the new popular culture of “Cool Britannia,” a phrase Britain's promoters conceived in the mid-1990s to portray Britain as modern and trendy. London's climate is generally mild and damp, although it can be erratic. This region is one of the driest parts of Britain, and the average annual rainfall is only about 584 mm (about 23 in). However, the weather is generally cloudy, and some rain is liable to fall on half the days of the year. With a mean temperature in July of about 18° C (about 64° F), London has warmer summers than most of the island, although heat waves are infrequent and seldom last long. Temperatures rarely go above 26° C (78° F). Winters are relatively frosty, however, and the mean temperature in January is 4° C (40° F). Fog frequently develops in winter. In the past, foggy days were aggravated by smoke, resulting in London's traditional "pea-soupers." However, since the use of coal has significantly declined, these have largely disappeared.
"The main experience I noticed learning with Talk Languages is the fact
that I became highly sensitive to even minor details in the English
language. This improved my English a lot. In addition to that, by
listening to native English speakers during the day I picked up a lot of
details that I wasn't even aware of before."
"My concern was that I'd be forcing my son into having private classes.
But as soon as he started I realised that with such an energetic and
friendly teacher, not only will his progress will be fast; he's also
going to have fun along the way."
Useful Links for learning English
Vast site with
all manner of lessons |
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Talk Languages © 2006 |
Private and Corporate Language
Tuition throughout London and the South East |
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