Tag Archives: French language

Origins of the Word ‘Spelunking’

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The word ‘spelunking’ has been in the news a lot recently due to the extraordinary rescue of the Thai boys and their football coach who were trapped in a flooded cave. While the boys and their coach are now safely back home, the interesting word ‘spelunking’ has stayed in the minds of many language learners, so we have decided to bring this strange word under the language microscope for our latest blog post. Grab your headlamp and read on to explore the meanings and differences between the words spelunking, potholing, caving and speleology. Continue reading →

Non-English Eurovision Songs: Portugal’s Hit is First Non-English Winner for a Decade

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Salvador Sobral - Portugal Eurovision EFL Lesson

Salvador Sabral’s victory for Portugal in the Eurovision Song Contest this year is the first time that a non-English Eurovision song has won the coveted crown since 2007. Salvador performed Amar Pelos Dois (Love For Both) at the Grand Final in Kiev to an enraptured crowd. One of the most interesting elements of the singer’s performance was that the bossa nova was entirely in Portuguese, written and composed by his sister. Continue reading →

How Will Brexit Affect Language Learning?

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How Will Brexit Affect Language Learning? jigsawIn a startling result, the UK has voted for a ‘Brexit’. This means the wheels have been set in motion for the UK to leave the European Union. Some people are thrilled, while others are worried about the future of the UK and the EU. The possibility of a No-Deal Brexit has raised even more concerns.

Apart from the concern over economic stability, international trade, European travel, residency rights for expats and much more, there is also a growing concern about the role of the English language in Europe and the future of language learning in the UK.

Will the English language become less important internationally? Will British people stop learning foreign languages altogether? We explore the consequences of Brexit for English and how Brexit could affect language learning… Continue reading →