Student Spotlight - Greg Lenne

Monday at OISE Oxford is always a very special day as this is when the new students arrive. At 7:55am they are huddled outside the entrance waiting for the doors to be opened at 8am sharp. They are then assessed on their written and spoken English and placed in their Quatorial groups (classes of 2-4 students max). Some stay for 1 week, while others stay for up to 1 year. 

When I first met Greg a week ago today it was clear that he had a very sporting physique, shoulders twice the size of mine and big arms dropping down by his side. I assumed he was a rugby player, but soon found out that his main hobby is French boxing, which he assured me was very different from any other type of boxing. I thought it would be interesting to do a mini student spotlight to hear more:

Q - Good morning Greg, thanks again for taking the time to speak with us today. Could I start by asking what is your occupation and why you need to improve your English? 

A - Well I am currently studying for a diploma at a special state school in France where we study and work. As part of my work, I do military service and I also help to teach other students. As part of the diploma, we must also reach a certain level of English, which is why I am here at OISE Oxford.

Q - I remember you told me the other day that one of your main hobbies is French boxing. When did you start?

A - Well, I started 3 years ago. It was just for a bit of fun back then, but now I am taking it more seriously and starting to compete.

Q - What is the difference between French boxing and traditional boxing?

A - There are many differences, the main difference being that the objective is not to hurt the opponent. That is to say that when we throw a punch or kick we must aim to only touch the opponent's body. If there is too much force used you get penalised.

Q - You mentioned that you can kick as well?

A - Yes, this is another difference. In this respect it is a bit like kick boxing, but again without the force. When the sport first started, no gloves were used and instead of using knuckles the fighters would use the palm of their hands, like slapping.

Q - Do you see yourself turning professional in the future?

A - If I continue to improve, yes! Last year I was injured, so let's see what happens next year.

We wish Greg the best of luck with this boxing career, and look forward to saying to our future students that a French boxing champion attended our school!

Next up on Google's Agenda - Project Glass

Google have recently unveiled information about their latest technological invention, Project Glass. From afar they look a bit like normal reading glasses, but the lenses are far from normal. When wearing the glasses you can see various commands hovering in front of  your eyes. 

The user can perform tasks commonly handled by smartphones, such as scheduling meetings, taking pictures, checking the weather, getting directions, and placing a video call. The information simply hovers in the user's field of view, and the interface is controlled by voice or other inputs.

While they are still in the process of gathering feedback from users, Google recently released a video of how it would look when wearing these glasses. Click on the image below to see this video.

Jam, Joy and Traffic

Traffic jams come in all shapes sizes and are one of the most frustrating parts of life on earth. The average Brit spends an astonishing 8 months in traffic. There's only so much 'I spy with my little eye' one can play to quell this irritation. But alas, the OISE Oxford office have some great ideas to help ease the pain. Please note that these activities are strictly for non-drivers.

While away the time with a book - the Harry Potter series should keep you going for a while. Other top sellers at the moment include 'Bring up the Bodies' by Hilary Mantel, 'Sweet Tooth' by Ian McEwan, and Yann Martel's 'Life of Pi'!

Download Whatsapp and spend the spare minutes/hours being in touch with friends and family around the world at zero cost. Whatsapp also offers the opportunity to send photographs - you can keep your friends entertained with various traffic images!

Finally, log on to Itunes and get some decent music on your smart phone. There's all sorts you can listen to. Click here to read up on some of the up and coming Oxford acts!

The Six Nations 2013, Meat and Muscle

Great Britain takes its rugby mega seriously. For those of you that are not so familiar with the sport, think football, but instead of kicking the ball to your players, it is passed by throwing hand to hand. You can only pass to your players if they are behind you, and the points are scored by touching the ball down on or beyond the opponent's try line. For more information about the history of the game, and for a sweeping generalisation of the the type of people that play it, see this blog post.

So why are we talking about rugby? Well, this Saturday marks the start of the RBS Six Nations, a rugby tournament in which France, Italy, England, Ireland, Wales and Scotland all compete. England, who are currently ranked 5th in the world, will be playing against Scotland, who are currently ranked 12th. The excitement has no boundaries - the pubs are going to be brimming with big burly men with flags painted on their faces and Guinness - glory be!

Click on the image below to see some of the other fixtures that are taking place.

Student Spotlight - Luca Bizzarri

Italian actor, comedian and mainstream celebrity, Luca Bizzarri, arrived to OISE Oxford this week for some intensive English tuition. We thought that we would take this opportunity to involve him in one of our Student Spotlight sessions, and this is what we asked him:

Q. Hi Luca, thank you very much for taking the time to speak with us today! Whereabouts in Italy are you from?

> Well, originally I come from the north of Italy, Genoa, but now I am living in Milan.

Q. And why do you want to improve your English and what is your end goal?

> Well, my goal is to be able to act in English. I aim to have acting roles in English speaking films and series. For me I see it like a fresh start. It will be a challenge for me to start from the beginning in another language.

Q. What kind of English programme are you taking?

> I am taking the Tutorial 20 programme (4 hours each day of individual tuition). I work on general English, but the tutor also adapts the class to my profession, acting. Today, for example, my tutor and I were pretending to act in our class.

Q. What kind of acting have you done in the past?

> I have been in theatre, movies (mainly comedy and drama) and I am also a stand up comedian.

Q. Obviously you are very well known, especially in Italy - do you enjoy being famous?

> Yes, I like it, but I also enjoying being here in Oxford where nobody knows who I am. I am more shy here as English is not my native language, but I am also shy in Italy.

Q. Has anybody recognised you in Oxford?

> Yes, two Italians.

Q. If you were talking to your friends back in Italy about your time in Oxford, how would you decribe your experience at OISE Oxford?

> Well, to be honest, I won't tell anyone because I want to be the only Italian!
In February I will come back to the school. In the summer I am also thinking to rent a house in Oxford for a month or so with my dog!

If you would like to hear more about Luca, he keeps half a million followers updated on his Twitter page: https://twitter.com/LucaBizzarri. Most of his tweets are in Italian, but hopefully we'll be seeing some English on there in the not too distant future.

Lets keep tip top with these snow tips

Ears, fingertips, bald heads, toes are all prone to the vicious bite of coldness. As the snow flakes fall all around Oxford City, one can't help but feel a desperation for warmth. The OISE Oxford team have decided to share four tips with their readers on how best to deal with the snowy weather that is affecting us at the moment.

Tip one:

Get jogging. If you have to walk somewhere, jog instead! Sounds like quite a bit of effort, but it's a great way to kill two birds with one stone - it's exercise and keeps you warm!

Tip two:
If people are going to travel they need to be well prepared. That means packing food and drink, a shovel, warm clothing and making sure their mobile phones are fully charged in case they break down.

Tip three:
If you are travelling by car, a top tip is take some old carpet. It can be useful in the event you get stuck in the snow. It can give you some traction.

Tip four:

Don’t try and fight it – embrace it! Whip out the sledge and run for the nearest hill. There’s no better stress remedy than a snow day.

Zip it! The mile-long zip wire, coming soon to the UK

The UK is soon to be home to the northern hemisphere’s longest zip wire when a mile-long zip line is erected in Snowdonia National Park in March. This well-known area of outstanding natural beauty in North Wales attracts around 12 million visitors to its stunning peaks and coastline each year. Why then, you might wonder, is there need for a 1,750m long zip wire as well?

According to Zip World’s owner, ex-marine commando Sean Taylor, the attraction at Penryn Quarry in Bethesda is not just about the adrenaline rush but also the educational benefits. “This is not just a zipline experience – it’s about diversifying the use of the quarry and teaching people about the local history.” The two hour adventure experience will also feature a guided tour of the quarry in a former military vehicle. But the incredible views will no doubt be the main attraction for many thrill-seeking visitors, which, on a clear day, are said to take in the Isle of Mann and Anglesey. 

Whilst it doesn’t quite reach the lengths of the world’s longest zip line in Sun City, South Africa at 2000 metres, it is sure to draw intrepid visitors from far and wide to experience the thrill of being transported in a horizontal position at speeds of up to 80mph and at heights of over 200 metres. 

I’m game. Are you?

Visit www.zipworld.co.uk for more info!

Sorry!: The English and Their Manners By Henry Hitchings

Book Recommendation from OISE Oxford

The English are famous for their obsession with manners, but how did it all start? Henry Hitching's most recent book traces the history of a very particular national trait.  In this new study he explores how language, manners and morals are closely related.

The synopsis:

Most of us know a bit about what passes for good manners - holding doors open, sending thank-you notes, no elbows on the table. We certainly know bad manners when we see them. But where has this patchwork of beliefs and behaviours come from? How did manners develop? How do they change? And why do they matter so much to us? In examining our manners, Henry Hitchings delves into the English character and investigates our notions of Englishness.

Sorry! presents an amusing, illuminating and quirky audit of English manners. From basic table manners to appropriate sexual conduct, via hospitality, chivalry, faux pas and online etiquette, Hitchings traces the history of our country's customs and courtesies. Putting under the microscope some of our most astute observers of humanity, including Jane Austen and Samuel Pepys, he uses their lives and writings to pry open the often downright peculiar secrets of the English character. Hitchings' blend of history, anthropology and personal journey helps us understand our bizarre and contested cultural baggage - and ourselves.

Let's Analyse Who You Are and How We Can Help You

It is always interesting to know who reads our blog posts and their nationalities. Blogger (owned by Google) is the site that we use to host our blog, and they very kindly provide us with the nationality break down. Below are the stats of the top 5 non-English speaking nationalities that have been viewing the blog since its launch 4 months ago.

France - 11%
Russia - 9%
Spain - 5.5%
Italy - 5%
Japan - 4.8%

So why are we telling you this? Well, for those who do not know, OISE Oxford is an intensive English language for ambitious learners situated in the heart of Oxford. We thought that every so often we would target a particular nationality and discuss some of the difficulties they have when learning English. The last country we targeted was France, and two of our highly experienced tutors discussed and touched on two particular difficulties that the French have when learning English (click here to read this article). 

This time we will be targeting the Slavonic language speakers. Tony Evans, Oxford University graduate and expert in Slavonic Studies, is one of OISE Oxford's in house English tutors, and this is the article he wrote today:

'The Slavonic branch of the Indo-European language family comprises some twelve languages (argument still rages as to whether e.g. Cassubian should be considered a language or a dialect), divided into three groups: the Western (Czech, Polish, Slovak, Wendish/Sorbian), the Eastern (Russian, Belo-Russian, Ukrainian), and the Southern (Bulgarian, Croatian, Macedonian, Serbian and Slovene). They share many characteristics, whilst exhibiting many differences. The two languages which differ most from other members of the group are, Bulgarian and Macedonian, which have developed a definite article and tenses that the other 10 languages have not. All the Slavonic languages, except Bulgarian and Macedonian, retain the extensive case system (by which nouns, adjectives and pronouns change their endings/forms to express grammatical relations within the sentence, and of which only a few distinctions remain in English, e.g. I/me). All twelve languages have retained three genders (masculine, feminine, neuter) and two numbers (singular and plural).

The absence of a definite article results in the problem well known to TEFL teachers. Speakers of such languages have no concept of the importance of the definite article. It can take a long time for them to acquire a feeling for the role of the article in languages which have one. On a practical level it is perhaps best to emphasise continually that a singular countable noun must have a determiner of some kind (a, the, this, that, my, etc) and that singular uncountable nouns and plural countable nouns take the article when used of particular examples (e.g. they like the flowers of that garden),  and no article when used of generalities (e.g. they like flowers).

Another problem for speakers of most Slavonic language is the relatively rigid word order of English, which must in general adopt the word order subject – verb – object). The Slavonic languages often use the word order object – verb- subject to emphasise the object. Take the English question “who killed the lion?”. The “hunter killed the lion” would probably also have the subject – verb – object  word order in Slavonic languages, for example  Russian “Kto ubil l'va?” “Okhotnik ubil l'va” (the lion being clearly shown as the object by the ending “a”). The answer to the question “Who(m) did the lion kill?” Russian “Kogo ubil l'ev? “Might well be in Russian  be “Okhotnika ubil l'ev”, where the word order is Object – verb – subject, the unfortunate hunter being clearly marked as the object by the ending “a” and the lion appearing in the subject form “l'ev”. Clearly the answer would appear in English as  “The lion killed the hunter.” Speakers of Slavonic languages often do not appreciate the fundamental  importance of word order in languages like English, and end up saying the opposite of what they mean. Much work, then, to teach the importance of word order, and to emphasise the extensive use of the passive voice to express such ideas as “This poem was written by Pushkin”, which might well in Russian appear as “Etot poem napisal Pushkin”, literally “This poem wrote Pushkin”.'

Click here for a summary of this article in Russian


Tony Evans, OISE Oxford

The New Way to Get Your Dream Job!

We all know that youth (15-24) unemployment in the UK is not in great shape. Currently there are around 20% out of work in the UK, compared with average eurozone figures of 23%, and Greece and Spain over 50%! 'So how long will this last?', people ask. 'Don't know', is the response. It could take 2 years, it could take 10. Economic forecasters have predicted a varied number of time frames, but of course no one can be sure.

Adam Pacitti, a recent graduate from Winchester University recently obtained a first class degree in Media Studies. He has been desperately searching for a job for over 3 months, sending out a whopping 200 CVs, to no avail. He suddenly came up with a plan, and that was to spend his last £500 on a big billboard in Camden, London, to advertise his services (and the fact he didn't have a job). Within hours, he began to get replies from various media organisations offering him employment opportunities. With over 10,000 tweets of support, and an overwhelming amount of emails, Adam will surely be spoiled for choice.

Click on the image below to read more, and follow him on Twitter @adampacitti for updates!

Big Bellies and Cheer

Christmas has been and gone and our stomachs are now looking and feeling considerably bigger than a week ago. The crispy Yorkshire puddings and bread crumb sauce were just irresistible, not to mention the juicy traditional Christmas turkey! On a more positive note, our hole ridden socks have now been replaced with brand new ones thanks to Father Christmas' recent visit.

So, it's now time to turn our heads to the New Years Eve celebrations. The man without a plan is frantically scrolling through his mobile phone contacts list to see if there are any parties he can crash, while the ones who already have a plan are hoping it won't be an anticlimax.

Here at OISE Oxford, we wish you all a happy New Year and hope that it is filled with much love, good health and prosperity! We hope this little poem puts a smile on your face:

New Year, Cheers!

The season's tidings have brought much cheer
But the time has come for a brand new year.

2012 has flown by so fast,
At OISE Oxford, we've had a blast.

As we all think of how to best progress,
We wish you all joy and happiness!

The modern joys of Christmas past

Happy Christmas Eve!  At OISE Oxford we all hope everyone is enjoying the festivities.

On this festive day many may question who invented Christmas? The typical answer is “The Victorians”, or if not that, then “Coca Cola”. However Britons have been celebrating Christmas for at least a thousand years. The western Church adopted December 25 as the official date for Christ’s birth in the fourth century and the term “Cristes Messe” crops up in Old English two decades before 1066.

By the Middle Ages it is very clear that Christmas was a thriving popular holiday, which had combined pagan and pre-Christian traditions, bound them together with the story of the Nativity and come up with a festival of hymns and games, worship and gluttony, which still endures today, when virtually every other Christian feast day except Easter has slipped into obscurity.

In 'The Telegraph' there is an interesting article examining the modern joys of Christmas past.  The Middle Ages hold the beginnings of many familiar rituals:

Timing 

If you feel that Christmas has already been going on for months, rest assured that at least your complaint is not new. The idea of Christmas as a seemingly long festival stretches back more than a thousand years. In 829 AD, at the court of Louis the Pious, Holy Roman Emperor and King of the Franks, festive celebrations began at Martinmas (November 11) and were still going on at Epiphany (January 6).

Carols 
Here your medieval Christmas comes alive. The carol was once among the most popular forms of song. Plenty of carols, especially from the 15th century onwards, still survive, such as Adam Lay Ybounden.

Clothes 
The geometrically patterned Christmas jumper is a modern creation, but a medieval approximation may still be found.

In 1322 Thomas Earl of Lancaster – the cousin and nemesis of King Edward II – ordered two new scarlet suits for himself and a “cloth of Russet” for the Bishop of Anjou. Lancaster’s household trimmed their Christmas best with miniver or ermin, and wore purple hoods. All of this sounds not dissimilar to the modern “Santa Suit”.

Decorations 

Christmas in the Middle Ages adopted many folk traditions and pagan rituals that had been rife before Christianity. These include the ancient Yuletide custom of hanging up holly, ivy and – if you are too idle to do anything but raid the kitchen storecupboard – bay sprigs.

Food 

Christmas has always been about feasting.  However, a Middle Ages Christmas dinner would be void of the traditional turkey. There were no turkeys in England until they were brought back from Mexico after the 1520s. Before then, the classic Christmas dish was boar’s head – served, as one carol went, “bedeck’d with bays and rosemary”.

Presents 

Sadly, there is no place for Father Christmas in a medieval Christmas. In the Middle Ages, gifts were exchanged not at Christmas but at new year – the “yeresgive”, as it was called.

Merry Christmas!

Source: http://www.telegraph.co.uk/topics/christmas/9764194/The-modern-joys-of-Christmas-past.html

Who's the most popular cookie on Google?

Have you ever wondered who is more famous out of David Beckham and Lionel Messi, or Jamie Oliver and Gordon Ramsay? 

While looking through OISE Bristol's blog, I stumbled across an article by the School Principal about a website called Google Fight, that can compare the popularity of keywords searched for on Google. Click on the image below to give it a go!

Midday/Noon/Afternoon/Sunset/Dusk/Evening/Midnight/Morning/Dawn/Sunrise

Midday/Noon/Afternoon/Sunset/Dusk/Evening/Midnight/Morning/Dawn/Sunrise

Click here to return to the Language Lab home page

The art of British cocktail making

Blue Lagoon, Mai-Thai, Singapore Sling, Last Mango in Paris, Negroni, Woo Woo, Sex on the Beach, Mojito, White Russian, Black Russian, Raging Bison, Cosmopolitan, Margarita, Martini (shaken, not stirred), Long Island Ice Tea, Strawberry Daiquiri  Yes, you've guessed it, these are all names of alcoholic cocktails that are widely consumed throughout the UK the rest of the world.

There are no shortages of cocktail bars in Oxford, either, and there is one bar in particular that deserves a special mention. Raoul's Bar, located 10 minutes walk north of the city centre, has been independently voted as one of the world's top 50 bars of 2012 (Sunday Times Newspaper), and the staff have won a splatter of awards for their expertly made cocktails. One factor that separates them from a lot of other cocktail bars is that they only use fresh fruit rather than artificial purees. This makes all the difference!

The space itself is a bit squashed, but one cannot deny that the cocktails are simply sublime! So, if you are in Oxford, and over the legal drinking age of 18, it's definitely worth a visit. 

Will it be a white Christmas?

For many of us, snow is synonymous with Christmas. Christmas cards, songs and films all portray a 'white Christmas'.

However, unfortunately for most parts of the United Kingdom, Christmas is right at the beginning of the period when it's likely to snow. Wintry weather is more likely between January and March than December. Snow or sleet falls on average five days in December, compared to 7.6 days in January, 6.8 days in February and six days in March.

White Christmases were more frequent in the 18th and 19th centuries.  Climate change has also brought higher average temperatures over land and sea and this generally reduces the chances of a white Christmas. However, the natural variability of the weather will not stop cold, snowy winters happening in the future.

We can accurately forecast if snow is likely on any given Christmas Day up to five days beforehand.  So next Thursday we will start to have a more accurate idea.  In terms of the statistical likelihood of snow based on climatology, we know that a snowflake has fallen on Christmas day 38 times in the last 52 years, therefore we can probably expect more than half of all Christmases to be a 'white Christmas' in this sense.

Snow lying on the ground on Christmas Day - as we would expect from typical Christmas scene - is much rarer. There has only been a widespread covering of snow on the ground four times in the last 51 years.

Do you want a white Christmas?  Do you have any particularly memorable white Christmases?

Source: http://www.metoffice.gov.uk/learning/snow/white-christmas

Student Spotlight: Keita Shiratori

This week we are celebrating the final week of our much-loved Japanese student, Keita Shiratori. He arrived at OISE with an elementary level of English but after 6 months of intensive language coaching, he is now able to communicate confidently and fluently and this week he gave an excellent presentation about his work at Kyosan Electric Manufacturing in Japan to his fellow students. Take a look at the recording below to get an idea of what our ambitious learners are capable of achieving.

Census reveals changing face of UK

Following yesterday’s publication of the 2011 census results, a number of fascinating facts about the evolution of life in England and Wales have emerged. For those of you interested in British society and culture, here are a handful of the most interesting snippets of information gleaned from the news:

1. 1 in 8 residents are born outside the UK
Other than the UK, India, Poland and Pakistan are the most common countries of birth for residents of England and Wales. White British people are now in a minority in London, constituting 45% of the population.

2. A quarter of the population declare themselves to be of ‘no religion’
The number of Christians has decreased by over 4 million since 2001 but Christianity remains the largest religion in England and Wales, followed by Islam which is on the up.

3. Married couple households are in the minority for the first time 
The number of married and civilly partnered couples now make up 47% of all households whilst the number of single adults has risen by 3 million since 2001.

4. Women outnumber men by more than 1 million
This is thought to be due to a longer life expectancy amongst women but also due to women being more likely to fill out the forms!

5. Those in the Lake District work the longest hours
Over a fifth of inhabitants in this stunning, rural area of Britain work more than 49 hours, primarily due to it being a low-wage farming economy where many people have multiple jobs.

Sources: www.guardian.co.uk and www.bbc.co.uk/news

December - the perfect month for a swim?

While most of us are piling on the layers at this time of year, others have been stripping off this weekend for the so-called ‘December Dip’ at the Parliament Hill Lido in North London. Hundreds of brave bathers gathered on Saturday for the Outdoor Swimming Society’s 6th annual swim and having just shaved off his Movember moustache, my husband felt this was the ideal opportunity for a new sponsored challenge! The atmosphere was buzzing with a brass band playing cheery tunes as the daredevil bathers (some sporting tinsel trunks) psyched themselves up for the plunge. Since water temperatures at this time of year are barely above freezing, swimmers are advised to take cold showers in preparation for the event to prepare their body for the shock. On Saturday, the water was 3˚C (not quite as painful as 2010’s 0.1˚C when there was snow on the ground!) but most could only manage a couple of widths before their limbs gave up the ghost. The organisers claim that the icy dip can result in a high that lasts for days due to the release of pain-killing endorphins. My husband was not so convinced - “They said that it would feel great afterwards. They lied.” I can’t say I envied him as he nursed his numb extremities.





If you fancy taking the plunge, visit the Outdoor Swimming Society’s website for more details:
www.outdoorswimmingsociety.com 

Dogs drive me round the bend!

Do you have a driving licence? How difficult is it to pass the driving practical test in your country? It is rumored that it is particularly difficult to pass your test in the UK. It takes an average of 2.3 attempts for someone to pass their test. Out of the European neighbours, the Portuguese and the Spanish are notoriously dangerous drivers. 

So what about dogs? Do you know any that can drive? Would you say they are safe drivers?
Take a look at the video below to hear about a driving school for dogs. Apparently there is a Facebook page for our canine drivers, too.