According to Andrew Hall, Chief Executive of the AQA exam board, Spanish is set to become the “dominant language” taught in UK schools. He says, “I think more and more people are speaking Spanish. I think students recognize that it is a very important language to have.”
Reports from examiners have shown a rise in the number of students taking GCSE Spanish whereas numbers sitting French and German exams have dropped. According to The Telegraph, the number of pupils who sat GCSE Spanish this year increased by nearly 2,000 to a total of 93,000, a record high. This is a 50% increase over the past ten years and almost three times the number in the 80’s.
Have you ever thought of writing a poem in English?
It might be easier than you think.
BLACKBERRY
In summer hedgerows,
Blackberries sit,
Round, plump and ripe
Like purple jewels in a crown –
Thorns guard them well.
I think of lazy days and laughter –
And know that autumn will soon be here.
(englishanne)
Here are some tips for writing poems in English: Continue reading
I saw ‘It’s a Wonderful Life’ for the first time recently. Have you seen it? It’s a wonderful film, as the title suggests. It’s in black and white as it was made in 1946 and that adds to its charm. It’s a Christmas film really but for me it was heart-warming even with the 30 degree heat outside. It’s a story about the hardships of life and how the protagonist, George Bailey overcomes them. He gets the chance to see what life would be like if he had never existed and that gives him some perspective. The film highlights the importance of love in life, and despite all his problems, in the end everything turns out well for George.
Telling a friend about it yesterday made me think about the difference between ‘at the end’ and ‘in the end’ and how we use them in English. The two are easy to confuse and many learners do because the difference is subtle. I will do my best to make it simple. Continue reading
You have probably worked out that there is more than one way to say “perhaps” or “maybe” in Spanish.
quizás (or: quizá): perhaps
tal vez: perhaps
a lo mejor: maybe
puede que: it can be
posiblemente: possibly
I keep hearing confusion between the present simple and the present continuous recently so I thought I’d dedicate a post to it. The most obvious misuse I heard was when someone said to me;
“My friend is a genius, she is speaking five languages”
“Flan de huevo” is a typical Spanish dessert you will have probably seen on the dessert menu in Spanish restaurants. It is a firm family favourite in Spain and is simple to make. Try this recipe below and learn some Spanish at the same time!
Hoy vamos a preparar flan de huevo.
Today we are going to prepare crème caramel. Continue reading