Chinese New Year 2012 – Year Of The Dragon

The start of the Chinese New Year begins on the 23rd January this year - 2012. This year is the Year of the Dragon and marks the beginning of the Chinese year 4710.   Why not learn to speak one of the most important languages in the world – Mandarin Chinese. To honour the start of the Chinese New Year, we are highlighting our recommended top ways to learn Mandarin Chinese, featuring some of the best and most innovative language providers in the world.

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Teach Yourself Business Mandarin Chinese

Do you want to win more business in China?
Do you want to serve your Mandarin Chinese-speaking customers better?
Do you want to work more effectively with your international business partners?

Teach Yourself Business Mandarin Chinese is a three-hour, all-audio, straightforward course that will help you to acquire essential up-to-date business language to use in China. Read more

THINK ITALIAN AUDIO MAGAZINES

language advantage recommends our bestselling Think Italian audiomagazines in Italian.

These innovative audio magazines are great if you’re not using your languages as much as you would like, but want to perfect your language skills and learn Italian at home or on the move. If you already know the basics of a language and now want to improve or maintain your fluency, then Think Italian audio magazines are for you. They will help you improve your vocabulary, grammar, listening comprehension and conversation skills, whilst expanding your cultural knowledge at the same time.

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Think Italian Audio Magazine

level: intermediate, advanced
media: online with PDF downloads of articles & audio clip downloads to ipod, iphone, itunes, mp3, mobile phone, PC etc.
frequency: twelve a year by annual subscription

Think Italian audio magazine is a monthly online audiomagazine packed with features about the arts and entertainment world, people and places, current news and events, history, Italian food and wine, markets and much more. The magazine comes with a bilingual Italian-English glossary for each article with translations of more difficult vocabulary into English, which are also highlighted in bold in the text. Each month you will receive an exclusive grammar lesson and ‘Repeat After Me’ tasks. You can improve your pronunciation and listening skills by listening to and then repeating the audio. The articles are read aloud by native Italian speakers.  The Think Italian audio magazine subscription also includes membership of the Think Italian online community where you get access to extra learning tools and exclusive special offers. This is an authentic way to learn Italian online.

Read our review of  the Think Italian audio magazine now>>

Click here for more information and to buy your Think Italian audio magazine subscription>>

The Think Language range of audio magazines is also available as Think French and Think Spanish>>

Get the Italian language advantage with Think Italian. Claim your competitive advantage!

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Le Quatorze Juillet

Bastille Day, known in French as le quatorze juillet or Fête Nationale,  is a French National holiday held on the 14 July each year.  It was on this day in 1789  when hundreds of Parisians stormed the Bastille Prison in Paris starting the French Revolution and bringing about the end of the monarchy.   Read more

DON QUIJOTE SPANISH COURSE IN CORDOBA, ARGENTINA REVIEW

An independent language advantage course review by Liz Harris

When I was planning my trip to Latin America, I knew I would need to spend some time refreshing my Spanish language skills. I arrived in Argentina in January 2011 and spent five weeks travelling before I embarked on my program to learn Spanish at a don Quijote partner language school in Córdoba, Argentina. don Quijote has been dedicated to teaching the Spanish language to students since 1986. Their goal is that students return home with a wider world view after having learned and experienced a new language and culture.

I’ve studied at various Spanish language schools, both in Spain and Cuba, and I’ve always stayed in student apartments in the past. This time I decided, for a change, to stay with a host family. Previously I found the idea a bit daunting, but it was such a good experience and I don’t regret it at all! My decision to stay with a host family was mainly based on the fact that typically the common language in student residences is English. I really wanted to accelerate my language learning, so I went for full immersion. I had arrived in Córdoba a few days before the start of my course and had been staying with a friend in a local hostel. On the Sunday night my friend and I went our separate ways and I took a taxi to the house of my host family or ‘new mum’, Carmen.

The house was lovely and so were Carmen and her daughter. The accommodation was a bit further out of the city than the student apartments, but this was no problem at all – there was a bus stop around the corner from the house with three bus routes that took about ten minutes to get to the centre. Carmen gave me a chance to settle in and unpack, and then not only drew me a map, but walked me to the bus stop and around the area so I got to know the place, including a map of the bus route so I knew where to get off on the way home.

On the first day Carmen accompanied me the whole way to the language school to make sure I got there! I then took a short test to assess my level of Spanish to make sure I was in the right group and I was placed in an intermediate group. I was introduced to my fellow classmates, who consisted of three Brazilians, an American and a Swiss guy. This pretty much sums up the demographic of the students – people from all over the world. It was also important to me that the class size was just right – enough people to make it fun & engaging, but not too many so that the teacher could give us all personalised attention when we needed it.

The language school itself was completely kitted out for an excellent student experience

 

After my first Spanish class, I attended the ‘Welcome Lunch’ which consisted of empañadas, a traditional Argentinean pasty-like snack. Here I met other students who had started that day and we were introduced to all the staff, told who did what and who we needed to talk to if we had any problems at the language school. After the lunch, we went on a tour of Córdoba with the school‘s activities officer, Victor, to get us orientated and to teach us a bit about the city.

The language school itself was completely kitted out for an excellent student experience. As well as bright, clean and air-conditioned classrooms, it had a fully equipped kitchen (where a fellow student cooked us all lunch!), three computers with free internet access (so you can stay in touch with people at home), a garden with a seating area and barbeque – and even a swimming pool!

I took the ‘Intensive Course’, which consists of twenty hours of Spanish language tuition a week. We started lessons at 9am, had a short break for coffee and biscuits and then went back to lessons until 1pm. There are other course options available: ‘Immersion’, which is twenty-five hours of lessons or ‘Super Intensive’, which is thirty. You could also take ‘Private’ which is ten hours of one-to-one lessons a week. The school even offers special courses, such as Spanish and Tango – to learn Spanish in the morning and tango in the afternoon! I really enjoyed my daily routine in Córdoba – study in the morning, then spend the afternoons lounging in the sun by the pool in the garden or sightseeing in Córdoba, absorbing the culture & practising my Spanish.

I had one tutor for my program, Silvana, who was great – the class followed a fast enough pace for us not to get bored of a subject, but there was always time for us to go back and revise the stuff that wasn’t so easy! We worked from two course books: one covering grammar and one containing activities. We also had worksheets that were provided by the school and completed listening activities by listening to recordings of typical conversations. We covered subjects that were relevant to us as students, most of whom would be travelling after we studied, such as how to book buses and useful phrases for making friends with Argentineans. And not only that, the class was fun –we had lively discussions (in Spanish of course!), listened to Argentinean songs and Silvana even brought in cakes for Friday afternoon!

Victor, the activities officer for the school, ensured that there was a packed programme of activities for the students. There was always some sort of social activity planned for the evening, such as bowling or a trip to the cinema, as well as suggestions of when to visit museums and where to go sightseeing. Every week there is also a traditional asado. An asado is basically a barbeque, but boy do the Argentineans know how to do a barbeque! For thirty Argentinean pesos or about five British pounds we got all-you-can-eat steak (best in the world!) and chorizo, as well as salad, bread and drinks. There was also plenty of opportunity to check out the nightlife which Cordoba is renowned for as the city has a total of seven universities, so an active student scene!

You won’t regret it!

 

Córdoba is a great place to stay for a couple of weeks, as there is something there for everyone! It is Argentina’s second city so there is plenty to see and do – lots of parks and gardens, museums, bars, cinemas, shopping, a zoo and even a small theme park. If city living isn’t really your thing, the countryside around Córdoba is beautiful and easily accessible by public transport. The city is situated in the foothills of the Sierra Chica, a mountain range within a couple of hours of the city centre where you can horse-ride, trek or just enjoy the fresh air and beautiful scenery. I went on a day trip to the town of Alta Gracia, about an hour away from Córdoba, where the infamous Che Guevara grew up. His childhood home is now a museum dedicated to his life where you can see the motorbike on which he toured South America, made famous by the film ‘The Motorcycle Diaries’. There is also a Jesuit museum and a beautiful park with a lake.

On my last day I completed an optional test and received a certificate stating my attendance and level of Spanish – which I was very happy to see had improved! When the time came to move on, the school couldn’t have been more helpful. I had teamed up with three fellow students to go on a trip to Iguazu Falls (a must see if you are in Argentina!), and we were able to book our bus tickets through the school. The good thing about the school is that they are flexible – if you have paid for four weeks of studies for example, you can take a week off in the middle to go and see other places in Argentina, then come back to resume your classes or even have a two-centre city study time.

Originally, I only had a week booked as I was on a bit of a tight time scale – aiming to reach Salvador in Brazil by Carnival. However, I had such a good experience in Córdoba and made such good friends in my first week at the school, that I rearranged my plans and stayed for another week! I left the school to continue my travels through South America with lots of memories and lots of new friends.

Having studied at five or six other Spanish language schools around the world, I can genuinely say that this was the best, and certainly an opportunity worth taking up if you have the chance to learn Spanish in Latin America. You won’t regret it!

For more information about Spanish language courses in South America>>

For more information about Spanish language courses in Spain>>

For more information about language courses in other places around the world>>

For more information on how to learn to speak Spanish and get the Spanish language advantage>>

Get the Spanish language advantage!  Get your competitive advantage!

BBC MUZZY LANGUAGE COURSES

BBC Muzzy is one of the best and most innovative language courses for kids on the market! Put the DVD on and see your young kids captivated by their new language … and soon they’ll be repeating songs and phrases – and you may be too!   Choose from levels 1 and 2 of the BBC Muzzy 20th Anniversary Edition which includes 5 target languages - French, German, Italian, Spanish and English (ESL).   They’ll get their language advantage!

Buy a BBC Muzzy Language Course for your children in 5 languages from the BBC Shop>>
UK and Europe only *** Please check DVD region is suitable for your country***

Learning a language will never be this easy again. Up to the minute scientific research shows that the brain’s ‘window of opportunity’ for learning a second language is from birth to ages 10 or 12. Experts say early learning enriches overall mental development, including improved memory and better cognitive and listening skills. This could be the most important gift you ever give your child.

This famous BBC language course uses the award-winning character MUZZY, compelling stories and delightful songs to bring language to life. It’s fun and it works. Almost like magic, the proven ‘see-listen-and-learn’ technique engages kids’ natural ability to learn language.

The BBC Muzzy 20th Anniversary Edition language course includes:

3 Muzzy Story DVDs in 5 Target Languages (French, German, Italian, Spanish AND English (ESL)
1 Song DVD in the 5 Target Languages
A 5 Language storybook for parents and kids
2 Vocabulary Builder Program CD
Welcome to Muzzy Parents’ DVD
Parents’ Instructional Guide
Collector Tin Storage Case

Buy a BBC Muzzy Language Course for your children in 5 languages from the BBC Shop>>
UK and Europe only *** Please check DVD region is suitable for your country***

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01   BBC Muzzy Language Courses – 20th Anniversary Edition Level 1 for children

level: Children
languages: All five languages – French, German, Italian, Spanish and English (ESL)
media: DVD (Region 2), CD, CD-ROM, book

Buy a BBC Muzzy Language Course Level 1 for your children in 5 languages from the BBC Shop>>
UK and Europe only *** Please check DVD region is suitable for your country***

02 BBC Muzzy Language Courses – 20th Anniversary Edition Level 2 for children

level: Children (includes more new words, phrases, new usage for conversation and construction)
languages: French, German, Italian, Spanish and English (ESL)
media: DVD (Region 2), CD, CD-ROM, book

Buy a BBC Muzzy Language Course Level 2 for your children in 5 languages from the BBC Shop>>
UK and Europe only *** Please check DVD region is suitable for your country***

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Other ways to learn a language for kids:
more language courses and dictionaries for children on amazon.co.uk
more language courses and dictionaires for children on amazon.com
more language cd-rom software for children on amazon.co.uk
more language cd-rom software for children on amazon.com

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ONLINE AUDIO LANGUAGE MAGAZINES

language advantage recommends our top audio magazines in French, Spanish and now, Italian.

These innovative audio magazines are great if you’re not using your languages as much as you would like, but want to perfect your language skills online or on the move. If you already know the basics of a language and now want to improve or maintain your fluency, then Think Language audio magazines are for you. They will help you improve your vocabulary, grammar, listening comprehension and conversation skills, whilst expanding your cultural knowledge at the same time.

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01 Think Spanish Audio Magazine

Think Spanish Audio Magazine is a monthly online audiomagazine for intermediate and advanced learners, packed with features about the arts and entertainment world, people and places, current news and events, history, Spanish recipes and much more.  It is available online with PDF downloads of articles & audio clip downloads to ipod, iphone, itunes, mp3, mobile phone, PC etc

for more information and to buy a Think Spanish audio magazine subscription now>>

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02  Think French Audio Magazine

Think French Audio Magazine is a monthly online audiomagazine for intermediate and advanced learners, packed with features about the arts and entertainment world, people and places, current news and events, history, French food and wine, markets and much more. It is available online with PDF downloads of articles & audio clip downloads to ipod, iphone, itunes, mp3, mobile phone, PC etc

for more information and to buy a Think French audio magazine subscription now>>

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03 Think Italian Audio Magazine

Think Italian Audio Magazine is a monthly online audiomagazine for intermediate and advanced learners, packed with features about the arts and entertainment world, people and places, current news and events, history, Italian food and wine, markets and much more. It is available online with PDF downloads of articles & audio clip downloads to ipod, iphone, itunes, mp3, mobile phone, PC etc

for more information and to buy a Think Italian audio magazine subscription now>>

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Give A Kid A Language Gift

Looking for something different to give your children this year? We have hand-picked our top language gifts for kids so they can start to learn another language and find out about other cultures.  Give a kid the gift of language this holiday and it will last a lifetime!  Happy holidays! Read more

Cabbies Learn Languages for the London Olympics

More than 3,000 cab drivers who work for Radio Taxis in London have been given MP3 and CD language courses so they are prepared for the influx of foreign tourists for the 2012 Olympics.  Under the scheme devised by Collins Language, drivers will learn useful phrases in French, Spanish and Chinese, and will have a flag on their cab to denote the language they can speak. Read more

Esperanto Comes to Wales

Esperanto Youth of Britain members have visited the city of Cardiff or ‘Kairdiff’ for their first meeting in Wales prior to the British Esperanto Congress in Llandudno in May 2010, when speakers from around the UK will gather. The group hope their visit will create interest in Esperanto and claim that the language is growing in popularity.

There are two to three million speakers of Esperanto worldwide, and four UK primary schools teach Esperanto as a preparation for learning other languages, under a pilot scheme called Springboard organised by the Esperanto Association of Britain.

Read more about Esperanto in Wales>>

Find out how to learn to speak Esperanto and get the Esperanto language advantage>>

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