Issue 12

Issue 12

FEATUREDARTICLE

EDITOR’S NOTE

by Maddie Kilminster

EXTRAORDINARY ENGLISH

KiaHuntlooksatthegrammarcomplexitiesoftheEnglish language which make it so confusing to learn as a foreignlanguage.

PAGE 8

OUR TEAM

CHAIR: Maddie Kilminster

SECRETARY AND CURRENT

AFFAIRS: Susanne Hartmann

TREASURER: Joel Mitchell

CREATIVE DESIGN: Adele May

PUBLICITY & RUSSIAN:

Natalia Alyukova

SOCIAL SECRETARY: Kirsten

Peters Roebuck

PROOF READER & TRAVEL:

Yashi Banymadhub

DEPUTY PROOF READER & CULTURE: Clare O’Driscoll

DESIGN ASSISTANT & FOOD AND DRINK: Dom Phipp

LIFE & STYLE: Daisy Lindlar

CHINESE: Nick Lanigan

FRENCH: Pierre Greenhalgh

GERMAN: Catherine Dawkins

GREEK: Susanna Georgiou

ITALIAN: Ciaran Cresswell

JAPANESE: Arisa Lee

OLISH: Pawel Pokorski

PORTUGUESE: Kia Hunt

SPANISH: Olivia Doyle

Welcome to the last issue of the year of The UoB Linguist! Our editors and writers have been busy alongside termtime stresses and have put together arguably our best issue yet! It is packed full as usual of a diverse range of travel anecdotes, recipes, cultural tips and of course articles in plenty of foreign languages. Especially worth checking out are the tips on being funny in another language in the Russian section and a beautifully simple recipeforFrenchcannalés.

A lot has happened for our society since our last issue. We have been awarded with the accolade of ‘Outstanding Outreach’ at the Guild Awards for reaching out to a diversity of different stu-

dents of various disciplines, ages and backgrounds. We are proud to have achieved this recognition,since we believe it is important that anyone and everyone can write for our magazine or indeed beapartofoursociety.

We have also elected our new team for next academic year. I am pleased to be handing over to Dominique Phipp as the new chair who I am confident will motivate the team and take the magazine to bigger and better heights. Having founded the magazine in 2011, I am extremely proud of the progress we’ve come and excited to see it continue and prosperinthefuture.

Enjoy reading and don’t forget to continue writing over the summer for the website and share all your travelling adventures.

PAGE 3: CURRENT AFFAIRS

PAGE 5: LIFE & STYLE

PAGE 6: FOOD & DRINK

PAGE 7: CULTURE

PAGE 9: TRAVEL

PAGE 10: FRANÇAIS

PAGE 11: ESPAÑOL

PAGE 12: РУССКИЙ

PAGE 13: DEUTSCH

PAGE 14: PORTUGUÊS

PAGE 15: ALIANO

PAGE 16: POLSKI

PAGE 16: 汉语

PAGE 17: ΕΛΛΗΝΙΚΑ

PAGE 18:日本語

If you would like to know more about our magazine, our writers or have comments to make about our articles then feel free to check out our Facebook and Twitter pages or email us. If you wish to read more articles check out our website. We’re always looking for new writers and contributors, so don’t hesitate to get in touch!

linguist@guild.bham.co.uk

TRAGIC ATTACK AT

After the horrific attacks on Charlie Hebdo in France in early January this year, it is the Bardo Museum in Tunis that hit the news last month, in the worst possible way.

On 18 March 2015, around midday, when the museum was full of tourists, three terrorists wearing military uniforms started shooting people as soon as they exited their tour bus to enter the museum. On video footage, we can see people running, looking for shelter, and a woman yelling 'Did they shoot?' in the background. The attackers followed them inside and took people hostage. After a three-hour siege, two terrorists were killed by security forces and one was able to flee the scene, while a policeman was fatally shot when raiding the building.

During the appalling events, one Tunisian citizen and 19 foreign tourists, from all continents, were killed. A French woman also succumbed to her injuries days after the shooting. This brings the total death toll to 24.

As is customary in dreadful times like this, the international community reacted quickly to show support for the victims' families and the country as a whole.

A march was held on 29th March, where thousands took to the streets, chanting "Tunisia is free! Terrorism out!" while walking towards the Bardo Museum. Tunisian flags and “We are Bardo” slogans, reminiscent of the “Je suis Charlie signs in January, were waved by strong-willed demonstrators. International political leaders also attended the march, including French President François Hollande, the Italian Prime Minister, Spain's Foreign Minister, Poland's President, and many more.

Speaking at the Museum after the march, Tunisian President, Beji Caid Essebsi, addressed the crowd and the citizens of Tunisia, praising their courage:

THE ATTACK IS ONE OF THE WORST TERRORIST ATTACKS TO HAPPEN ON TUNISIAN SOIL

“The Tunisian people proved today that they do not bow to terrorism, and that as one man and one woman, they defend the nation. When Tunisia is targeted, the whole nation stands as one."

As a commemoration for the victims, a stone tablet was inaugurated at the museum where the tragedy happened.

The attack is one of the worst terrorist attacks to happen on Tunisian soil, in a country that is moving forward after the “Arab Spring” uprisings a few years ago, that led to the ousting of then long-time President Ben Ali.

As much as the country is praised for being one of most secular nations in the Arab world, there is still much resentment against the police for shooting many demonstrators during the Arab Spring, especially in the poorest town of the country where the revolution began. As for terrorism, Jihadi groups within Tunisia also pledge allegiance to bigger terrorists groups, such as ISIS.

There has been a lot of improvement in the country, but much is still to be done, especially to fight terrorism and reinstall confidence in Tunisia’s security forces. We can only hope that the government will not urgently pass new legislations that would restrict human rights and bring even more resentment in the population. We can salute, however, the Tunisian people, who suffered from dictatorship and are still healing after decades of repression, who united and took to the streets to express their defiance in the face of the ever-growing terrorist threat. It is always moving, in our day and age, where people stay connected to the world using a screen and human interactions are said to be in continuous decline, to see people rally for democracy and against terrorism.

That day, we were all Bardo. All the other days, “We are all united against terrorism”.

AFTER

BARDO MUSEUM by Lucie P. Norris

“WE ARE ALL UNITED AGAINST TERRORISM”: POWERFUL MESSAGE

HERE WE SHALL CROSS THE WIRE by

The wire is the name given to the now infamous border between Turkey and Syria. In the last 10 months the Islamic State Caliphate has seized large swathes of northern Iraq and parts of Syria. Whilst the ubiquitous nature of Isil (Islamic state) is something the western world has grown accustomed to, including the horrific videos and reports of genocide and ritual beheading, it is symbolic of a wider issue. A recent Guardian article covered the reality of the border crossing between Turkey and Syria in a highly detailed yet slightly flawed manner. Whilst the investigative journalism aspect of the article was admirable, its lack of consideration of the wider motivations behind why people would attempt the border crossing is something which must be addressed.

James Hill

According to recent reports, dozens of Britons are attempting to cross the border into lands controlled by Daesh (the Arabic name for Islamic State). One must ask: why? The son of a Rochdale councillor, aged 22, was detained today for attempting the perilous crossing. His father believed him to be on work experience in Birmingham.

A recent article by the International Business Times suggested that the psychological pull that ISIS exert, predominantly via social media, is enough to persuade people to leave behind their lives and make the long journey to the heart of the Islamic State. The idea of equal opportunity to all, of being able to contribute towards a greater whole in the pursuit of greater (in this case, holy) ideals bears striking resemblances to Western society. ISIS, through social media has the ability to reach out to any number of individuals and spread their hateful messages.

Free speech can have negative connotations. The right to express whatever view you wish through social media, protest or even in the street is a human right. However, when this right is used primarily to spread a message of hate and intolerance to other humans and people, then it loses its positive ideological sheen. A recent news report from Fox News wrongfully said that Birmingham was a Muslim stronghold and was ‘totally Muslim’. Such idiocy and ignorance leads people to generate a negative connotation of Western media and its place as a bastion of free speech.

WE MUST OFFER UNBREAKABLE SUPPORT TO THE ISLAMIC COMMUNITY

This surge in individuals attempting the border crossing has awakened the western world from its stupor of taking the war on terror into Cyberspace. US hacking and activist organisation Anonymous has declared war on ISIS and has been shutting down Jihadist social media accounts for the last few months. Nevertheless, this same group has also declared war on Kanye West.

It will take more than military or cyber action to stop the spread of ISIS’s messages of intolerance. Recently at the University of Birmingham, graffiti was sprayed on the side of buildings that say ‘we must kill Islam before he kills you’. Grammatical errors and stupidity aside, this sort of behaviour will only further alienate the individuals to whom ISIS offers a new place. We must as a student community and as conscientious human beings offer unbreakable support to the Islamic community. This is a peaceful and tolerant religion that has been corrupted by a few. Graffiti such as this is a sign that intolerance does exist. Yet this intolerance cannot and will not prevail in the face of dauntless community, strength and solidarity.

For further reading see: “To the wire: the smugglers who get people into Syria for Islamic State“ written by Constanze Letsch in The Guardian (March 2015)

A NEW FRENCH REVOLUTION?

by Daisy Lindlar

In early April, France joined Spain, Italy, Israel and other countries in introducing a legislation that bans extremely thin models from working in the fashion industry. Any agencies discovered to be using models with a Body Mass Index (BMI) lower than 18 – the amount considered to be a “healthy” weight – could face up to six months in prison and a fine of 75,000 euros. The law also requires models to have a medical certificate confirming that they are a healthy weight, and has been closely linked with another law that bans pro-anorexia “thinspiration” websites.

This is undoubtedly an attempt to combat eating disorders and body image issues, not just within the fashion world but within the French population as a whole, and represents a welcome change in attitude from a country that has previously championed the thin, gamine look. Women such as Vanessa Paradis and Coco Chanel are seen as icons of French glamour with their boyish figures, and Mireille Guiliano’s lifestyle book “French Women Don’t Get Fat” has been a best seller in the UK. Is this ban on “underweight” models the start of a new French revolution –one of “healthy” bodies?

IS THIS BAN ON “UNDERWEIGHT” MODELS THE START OF A NEW FRENCH REVOLUTION?

On the surface, this law seems like a positive measure. Anyone who has spent time reading fashion magazines or admiring the photos from a catwalk will have seen their fair share of very thin models, promoting a standard of beauty that is unachievable for the vast majority of the population. As these images become more readily available to the public, through the internet and social media, it seems that this could easily be contributing to the increase in diagnoses of eating disorders and body dysmorphia.

However, it is not without its flaws. First of all, using BMI as a tool to measure health can be misleading. I myself can attest to this; when I was a teenager, my BMI classed me as “overweight” which, as a tall and athletic size 12, I definitely was not. This also works the other way – people who are particularly sporty, or just naturally slim, can be classed as “underweight” whilst having a perfect bill of health. Although it’s true that only a tiny minority of the population are born with the gazelle-esque features we see on the pages of Vogue, it seems unfair to exclude that minority from the fashion industry in the name of addressing problems which have roots far deeper than that.

Furthermore, a more important issue is that this law will not encourage much-needed diversity into the fashion industry. The models used will still be slim, tall, under 25, able-bodied and largely white. The only difference will be that they will have a certificate to prove that their BMI is above 18. What would really have an impact in France would be to use a range of models in fashion magazines and on the catwalks. To represent tall women, short women, slim women, curvy women, women of all ages and abilities, and women from different ethnic groups. That really would be revolutionary.

CANNALÉS: A FRENCH TREAT

After spending two months as an au pair for a family in the south of France, my sister returned home with a delicious recipe for Cannelés, a French patisserie that has quickly become a family favourite. These treats with a soft centre and crispy caramelised crust are sweet, moreish, and easy to make. So, if you fancy making a treat for yourself and your family and friends, here’s all you need to know:

INGREDIENTS (MAKES 16):

 ½ cup milk

 2 eggs

 2 egg yolks

 2 vanilla pods (or ½ tsp of vanilla extract)

 3 to 4 tsp of rum

 100gr flour

 200gr sugar

 25gr butter

 Cannelé mould

METHOD:

1) In a pan bring the milk, the vanilla and the butter to boil.

2) Meanwhile, in a mixing bowl, mix together the

flour and sugar. Then add the two eggs and egg yolks.

by Clare O’Driscoll

3) Gradually add the boiling milk to the flour mixture, and stir softly until it forms a smooth paste. Refrigerate for a minimum of 24hours (48 max)

4) Add the rum and then allow the mixture to rest for an hour before baking.

5) Grease your cannelé mould with butter. Fill ¾ of the mould with the mixture.

6) Preheat your oven to 260°C.

7) Place the mould on a baking tray and put in the oven for 5mins.

8) Turn down the oven to 160°C and bake for an hour. Serve hot!

CHEESE: A FOOD MORE ADDICTIVE THAN ALL THE REST by Jessie Fok

As a food lover, there is only one food item that I cannot live without: cheese. Derived by curdling protein from dairy, cheese comes in a wide range of flavours and textures depending on how it is produced. Cheese is salty, like many foods, but there is surely something distinctive in it that makes it more addictive than all the rest.

I’d only known cheddar most of my life but, since taking an interest in cheese, I have learnt there are so many different ones. I happened to enjoy a cheeseboard a few months ago, and this changed my view towards this heavenly food item. Here are my three favourites (currently!). Hopefully those who do not know much about cheese can still share my excitement for them.

1. Camembert is a soft cheese from Camembert, Normandy, France. This runny, earthy, sweet, tangy cheese was famously issued to French troops during the First World War. It is best served with bread at room temperature or is delicious served warm.

2. Stilton is a semi-soft, blue, British cheese. It can only be produced in Derbyshire, Leicestershire, and Nottinghamshire because it has Protected Designation of Origin status. Stilton has a crumbly texture and has a strong, salty and tangy taste. It is best paired with a drizzle of honey and a stick of celery!

3. Edam is a semi-hard cheese from Edam, Netherlands. It is traditionally coated with distinctive red wax and between 14th-18th centuries, it was often taken on long journeys as it doesn’t need to be stored chilled. Edam is creamy in texture, with a mild, salty, sweet taste. It is usually served with fruits like apple. But my favourite way to enjoy Edam is to put it in a wrap along with some sundried tomatoes.

Different cheeses add different layers of flavour into a dish. Surely you can see that there is more to cheese than a slice in a processed burger. So now grab your choice of cheese (and hopefully a cheeky glass of wine!) and take a fancy break from work, like me!

LANGUAGES FOR ALL, OR JUST THE LUCKY FEW?

by Jenny Nicholls

The number of students taking language qualifications in the UK is falling year on year, with the result that languages are becoming increasingly 'elite' subjects, open only to those from a higher socio-economic background. Attempts to increase the take-up of languages have only made this gap wider, starting at primary school and having a ripple effect all the way up to university.

It has recently become compulsory for foreign languages to be taught at primary school from the age of 7. This has been met with widespread approval, and nearly half of primary schools have chosen to begin teaching a language from an even earlier age. However, concerns have been raised over insufficient teaching standards. Only 6% of schools have recruited new staff to teach languages and nearly a third have no staff members with more than a GCSE qualification in a language. There is growing division between schools with the funding to provide specialist teachers, and those being pushed to introduce a foreign language with teachers not confident of their own ability to do so.

ENCOURAGING PUPILS TO CONTINUE WITH LANGUAGES AFTER GCSE IS A BIG CHALLENGE

The inequality of language teaching at primary school causes different levels of starting ability when pupils progress to secondary school, where the situation only worsens. There is an increasing trend of preventing lower-ability pupils studying languages, correlating strongly with socio -economic disadvantage. A major reason for this is school performance measures such as the English Baccalaureate, which was introduced in 2010 and takes into account language results. While the EBacc temporarily caused an increase in the number of students taking a language GCSE, it has strengthened the bias towards higher-ability students. Performance measures only consider achievement and not levels of participation or inclusion, so schools that encourage students across a wide ability spectrum to take a language are labelled as 'underperforming'. Pupils are therefore often discouraged from taking a language if the school does not think they will achieve a C grade or above.

Encouraging pupils to continue with languages after GCSE is a big challenge. A-level entries for languages make up just 3.6% of all entries in England. One reason for this is students' perception of the difficulty in achieving high grades. Ofqual admits that "relatively few A* grades are awarded in modern foreign languages when compared with other subjects with a high proportion of A grades", resulting in languages being seen as 'risky' subjects to choose. This is amplified by the fact that university language departments are in rapid decline and courses are offered predominantly by top-end universities that require higher entry grades.

The current school system and its pressurised exam culture does not allow for the slow, cumulative effect that is necessary in language learning. The idea behind starting earlier, in primary school, is valid, but its attempted implementation so far has only widened the opportunity gap between different socio-economic groups. Performance measures, which on the surface encourage the takeup of languages, in reality have a detrimental effect on the availability of languages for everyone.

The narrowing of opportunities to study a language may be accelerated by government policies, but it stems from wider societal attitudes. Living in an English-speaking country has produced the complacent viewpoint that foreign languages may be useful but are in no way essential. There is a general lack of awareness of their value - learning a language is not only an important skill but encourages cultural understanding and open-mindedness. Nothing is gained from restricting the opportunity to study languages to just a lucky few, but a great deal is lost.

All statistics were taken from the 'Language Trends 2014/15' report by the CfBT Education Trust / British Council.

by Kia Hunt

As a linguist, I am well aware that I spend at least a little of my time moaning about the complexities of the language I’m studying, and I am definitely not alone. Although we love our languages, it's inevitable that there are certain aspects that we language-learners just cannot get our heads around, be it a confusing grammatical structure, or a word that just won't translate properly.

However, if you are a native speaker of the English language, you shouldn't take for granted the fact that its many complexities come naturally to you! As I have discovered through talking to friends from a variety of places; learning English as a foreign language certainly has its difficulties too.

Phrasal verbs:

In the English language, it's not as simple as looking up a verb in the dictionary and trying to remember its definition. A huge problem for English -learners is that we have so many verbs that can have very particular meaning depending on which preposition you put them with (and the context!).

For instance, let's look at the verb 'to get'... Why do you get in a car, but get on a plane? You can also get on with your ex, or if you just can’t get over what they did yet, you might get off with someone else to get back at them. You get off the bus, and get out of going to that boring meeting. Maybe you'll get on with your studies, or maybe you'll only do enough to just get by. How do we get away with this verb!?

Rules:

It would seem useful to a non-native speaker that English has many grammar rules. These rules appear to be simple enough, for example, “I before E except after C.” However, English is not that easy, there is a long list of exceptions; beige, eight, either, foreign, height, science, vein, weird

Phonetics:

A lot of the commonly studied languages are phonetic, meaning that if you learn the sounds of its alphabet, you should be able to read a word and know how to say it, or hear a word and know how to spell it. English, however, is not phonetic at all, and therefore can be rather confusing... We read the 'ou' in through as we would the 'oo' in too, or the 'o' in to. Yet, in though, toe and tow, the vowel sounds are the same as each other, but different to the previous group. And how can we explain the way we pronounce tough plough, rough cough or sour dough!?

If you really think about it, a lot of things in the English language just don't make any sense! For example, what's the difference between flammable and inflammable? Or famous and infamous? It’s rather confusing that when someone goes to a stadium they sit in the stands. It seems illogical to me that feet smell, and noses run. A bird can fly, but a fly can't bird! And what about the word extraordinary? In reality, shouldn’t it mean something ultra-normal? Yet it means the complete opposite!

So, to all native English speakers; perhaps next time you're feeling a little exasperated with studying your language of choice, you should spare a thought for those striving to understand the English language, as it’s probably a lot more difficult than you had ever noticed

And to all those readers that are non-native speakers; sorry our language is so crazy, thanks for putting up with* it, and please keep going!

*Just another sneaky phrasal verb there!

A NEW CULTURAL EXPERIENCE IN IDYLLIC LITHUANIA by

Kieran Saunders

Lithuania itself is a country of breath taking beauty, blessed with the pleasures of rural landscape and idyllic scenery. In the South-East of the country lies the very green capital Vilnius, where my diligent tourist-guide Ieva and her friends showed me around. Named Capital of Culture in 2009, the city boasts a magnificent old town with a mixture of gothic and neoclassical architecture, colourful churches- blue and pink, and along cobbled roads stylish bars and restaurants radiate a lively atmosphere in the day. The nightlife doesn’t disappoint too, with shisha-bars and clubs open until the early hours.

It has a friendly atmosphere with the feel of a modern, vibrant, up to date city with its own style, it lacks the size and grotesque spending culture of English cities- all bars were cheaper, smaller and more intimate than your average ‘Broad Street Bar’ and quite the opposite of the stereotype a westerner has of Eastern Europe (one relaxing night saw us visit an underground rock music bar, and a cocktail bar where we could chill out to house music while playing table football!).

We saw the unique Gediminas Castle, a 15th Century monument with a redbrick tower that rises above the old town, giving panoramic views of the Vilnia river, surrounded by modern buildings which allowed an impressive foreground before the rolling green hills in the distance. Later walking along the river we could see stages set up on the grass with youngsters singing songs to cheering audiences.

The city’s history is as fascinating as it is shocking. Vilnius at one time had a Jewish population counting for 40% of its population, today this has disappeared - there is no Jewish quarter. It is a city and in fact a country that no doubt is used to turbulent change, especially in the recent memory since the Second World War. However Lithuania is a country freed from its old conflicts, happily separated from the Soviet Union in 1991. Proof of this is came in a visit to the old Soviet Museum at Druskininkai, a museum filled with old communist statues which littered Lithuanian towns after the Soviet Union’ collapse. The museum today is an attraction - statue after statue of Lenin and Stalin decorate long leafy walkways, and nearby there are even exotic animals like bears and flamingos to keep children entertained. This is an eerie exhibit representing the Lithuanian contempt of the Soviet regimeyou get a real sense that today Lithuania wants to be a part of Europe, it has just this year adopted the Euro as currency, and relations with Putin’s Russia are less than friendly. Certainly being part of a politically stronger, united Europe is what the current generation want for the future, if only it was the same in Britain! However adopting the Euro is an option much desired for Britain only by those on the far left- ditching the pound is still a crazy idea to nationalists and bankers alike.

Back to the holiday, and Ieva and Tadus now show me their hometown Lazdijai in the Southern Lithuanian countryside. We went on a day outing to Trakai: a small touristic town with its awe inspiring set-piece redbrick castle. Situated in the middle of a spacious lake, the castle takes on a fairy-tale like appearance as its red towers are indented into the orange skyline. We take a paddle-boat around the lake taking in the fresh air, and the fading warmth of the day. The lake itself is surrounded by sprawling green fields dotted with small restaurants and civilised bars. This was a Lithuanian idyll for me that I recommend to any eager traveller.

IT IS A CITY AND IN FACT A COUNTRY THAT

NO DOUBT IS USED TO TURBULENT CHANGE

LA VALLÉE DE LA LOIRE

Située au milieu de la fleuve Loire, la vallée est un site historique remarquable en France. Avec des centaines de châteaux qui datent du Moyenne Age a la Renaissance, cette région est sur la liste du patrimoine mondial de l’UNESCO (en anglais, United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization). Connu pour être la limite historique entre le nord et le sud de la France, la Val de la Loire a été utilisée par les Français pour la défense du pays en temps de guerre.

par Pierre Greenhalgh

De nos jours, beaucoup des châteaux appartiennent au secteur privé mais font partis de l’énorme industrie du tourisme français. Plus de 80,000 visiteurs arrivent sur les bords de la Loire chaque année pour non seulement voir ces bâtiments extraordinaires mais pour aussi apprécier le paysage, les villages anciens et le vin. À l’époque de la Renaissance, ces paysages font l’objet de représentations littéraires, picturales et horticole qui les dressent en modèles esthétiques. C’est en étudiant cette beauté qu’on arrive à voir ce que les habitants de la région appellent le « bien vivre ». Entourer d’une campagne magnifique et les vignobles essentielles pour la culture, ce n’est pas étonnants que touristes viennent dans cette régions pour s’échapper de la folie Parisienne.

UNE

CRITIQUE DE SUITE FRANÇAISE par Katya Browne

Suite Française (2015), un drame historique et romantique, les évènements duquel ont lieu pendant la Deuxième Guerre Mondiale, vient de passer au cinéma en Angleterre. Il est adapté d’un roman d’après Irène Némirovsky, qui l’a écrit pendant la guerre mais duquel le manuscrit n’était pas découvert jusqu’après la morte de l’auteur.

L’action se déroule principalement dans la petite ville de Bussy, près de Paris, où Lucille Angellier (joué par Michelle Williams) attend le retour de son mari, un soldat. Pendant son absence, des soldats allemands sont postés dans le village, et un entre eux, le lieutenant Bruno s’installe dans la maison de la belle-mère de Lucille. Bruno était compositeur avant de devenir soldat, et Lucille ne peut pas qu’être attirée par la musique qu’il joue au piano ancien de Madame Angellier (Kristin Scott-Thomas).

LES ACTEURS CRÉENT AVEC SUCCÈS UNE ATMOSPHÈRE DE

Bien qu’ils essayent de s’éviter au début, ils se sentent inévitablement attiré par l’un l’autre, et ils tombent amoureux. La vie sous l’occupation nazie, ce que le film illustre avec une délicatesse surprenante, est plein de troubles et les acteurs créent avec succès une atmosphère de peur et du secret.

Ce qui m’a dérangeaient, c’est le fait que la plupart des personnages parlent anglais. Les soldats allemands parlent dans leur langue maternelle, et donc ils sont sous-titrés, mais ça n’arrive pas chez les français. C’est peut-être ma préférence comme étudiante de français, mais tout cela me semblait un peu inquiétant, et cela est évidemment lié au fait que les films en langue étrangère font peur au public anglais. Cela dit, le film est même très agréable à regarder, particulièrement si vous vous intéressez au sujet de la vie ordinaire pendant la guerre. Suite Française est à la fin une histoire vraiment tragique, racontée avec finesse.

PEUR ET DU SECRET

Photo : Château d’Azay-de-Rideau

CULTURA ESPAÑOLA por Olivia Doyle LA MINI GUÍA PARA ENTENDER LAS TAPAS Y LA

Los italianos tienen los antipasti, los franceses los hors d’oeuvres, y un mezze griego puede consistir en una muestra de aperitivos, pero ninguna cultura tiene algo parecido a las tapas.

La palabra “tapa” significa tapadera o cubierta y parece que su nombre proviene de la antigua costumbre de poner un trozo de pan con jamon o queso encima del vaso de vino para impedir que cayeran moscas dentro.

LAS TAPAS SON

UNA AUTÉNTICA INSTITUCIÓN EN TODA ESPAÑA

Las tapas son una auténtica institución en toda España. Pueden estar hechas de marisco, carne, y verduras y pueden servirse tanto calientes como frías. Existen distintas tipos o categorías de tapas. Dentro de “las cosas para picar” se incluyen aquellas que pueden comer con los dedos, como las almendras al pimentón o la tortilla española. Los “pinchos” son más grandes y están atravesados por un palillo, como los pinchitos de chorizo y champiñones o también las albondiguitas con salsa de tomate. Las “raciones” son las tapas más generosas, en cuanto a cantidad, de todas: una selección de ellas puede sustituir con facilidad una comida completa.

Para un bilbaíno, ir de pinchos suele ser un anticipio de lo que se comerá mas tarde en casa, mientras que para un madrileño las tapas pueden constituir la cena. En Barcelona proliferan los bares de tapas de “comida rápida”, acompañadas a menudo de sus correspondientes fotografías, lo cual resulta muy útil si no sabe exactamente que contienen.

Una de las mejores cosas que se pueden hacer en España es probar la asombrosa variedad de tapas que se sirven en todos los pueblos y ciudades. Su preparación, degustación y disfrute son experiencias únicas. En Galicia una tapa común es pulpo de gallego, y en Granada hay muchos bares que sirven hamburguesas como tapas gratis. Antiguamente, la tapa se ofrecía de forma gratuita con la bebida, pero hoy esta tradición se ha perdido en muchos lugares.

TO BE FUNNY IN ANOTHER LANGUAGE by

Natalia Alyukova

When you start learning a language or two, there are some obvious difficulties (alphabet, pronunciation, grammar nuances etc.) that you have to learn to cope with, and some less expected. Say, you’ve learnt your grammar and your vocabulary is wealthy enough to communicate with people or even study in a foreign language. It is enough to understand what’s going on and even impress others, yet if you want to actually understand people who speak in a different language, understand their culture and become more than just a ‘language speaker’, there’s something else.

Being funny and laughing at foreign jokes is a real challenge that starts when you think you’ve nailed it. Firstly, you’ll have to spend a lot of time with native speakers to learn all the sayings and phrases, and then you’ll need to learn the meaning and how much different it might be from the one in your own language. Here are some examples of sayings in Russian and English that mean the same, yet the literal translation of Russian ones might sound quite funny and unusual for an English speaker:

Russian saying Literal translation

version

Still waters run deep Горбатого могила исправит A hunchbacked will only be fixed by grave

В тихом омуте черти водятся There are demons in still slough

The leopard cannot change his spots

До свадьбы заживет The wound will be healed by the wedding time He'll manage

Не пойман не вор

If not caught, not a thief

На безрыбье и рак рыба When there’s no fish even a lobster is a fish

Innocent til proven guilty

Something is better than nothing

As you can see, some translations are quite bizarre. Learning humour in another language is one of the most difficult things, but oh it’s rewarding!

von Kristan Biggs, Chloë Howard und Fatima Idris

Jedes Jahr findet die Messe ‚National Graduate Recrutiment Exhibition‘Anfang November in Birmingham statt und dieses Jahr ist keine Ausnahme. Da es viele Studenten und Universitäten in Birmingham gibt, ist es ideal, solch eine Messe hier zu haben. Das ‚National Exhibition Centre‘ (NEC), eines der größten Messerzentren im Großbritannien, hat diese Messe ausgerichtet. Die Zahl der Besucher im NEC liegt bei 2,1 Millionen pro Jahr.

Wenn man ankommt, sieht man bunte Banner und Plakate, die für alles werben, was man sich vorstellen kann. Gleich wenn man in die Halle hineinkommt, wird man mit einer Tasche von Lidl begrüßt, mit der läuft man dann den Rest des Tages herum. Drinnen gab es viele Flugblätter und Informationsmaterial zu Stellenanzeigen. Viele Arbeitgeber hatten Messestände, um für sich selbst als eine mögliche Firma zu werben einschließlich Bosch und Sky. Für die Studierenden gab es eine ‚CV Clinic‘, wo man seinen Lebenslauf durchlesen und sich beraten lassen konnte. Das war sehr nützlich - kleine Dinge, die man vielleicht nicht bedenken würde, machen einen Unterschied z.B. wie der Lebenslauf präsentiert wird und welche Schriftart man benutzt. Antworten wurden auch von Fachleuten gegeben, wenn man Fragen zu Karrieren und Jobs hatte.

Es gab Seminare über Themen wie Tips zum Interview, Lebenslauf und Karierreplanung. Wenn man sich weiterbilden wollte, gab es auch da viele Möglichkeiten, z.B. postgraduierte Studien. Also ist der Besuch dieser Messe für Final Year Studenten am sinnvollsten, aber wir haben es nützlich gefunden und es ist immer besser, bereit für die Zukunft zu sein. Es gab auch viele freie Kulis! Natürlich, mag jeder Student freie Dinge!

See full article online at www.theuoblinguist.co.uk!

IHR TRAUMJOB LIEGT GLEICH UM DIE ECKE VERS ßEN von Michael Richards

FÜNF DINGE, DIE DAS LEBEN ALLEINE IM AUSTAUCHSJAHR

Während meines Austauschjahres lebte ich in einer kleinen Ferienwohnung. In einer großen Stadt hätte ich keine Probleme, weil ich sobald ich meine Wohnung verlasse täglich einen anderen Teil der Stadt hätte entdecken können. Ich aber wohnte in einem winzigen Dorf in der Nähe der großen Hansestadt Hamburg. Bevölkerungszahl? Unter 3000. In einem Umkreis von 20 Kilometern war mein Kaff das zweitgrößte Dorf der Region. Aber ich habe mich mit der Zeit an die Isolation gewöhnt und sie sogar zu schätzen gelernt. Hier sind meine Tips mit denen ihr euch das Leben in Einsamkeit trotzdem schön machen könnt.

Netflix mit Untertiteln – Man hat viel Zeit alleine und was gibt es schöneres als zur Entspannung seine Lieblingssendungen zu gucken. Das ist gar kein Problem, aber schaut euch die Serien am besten mit den Untertiteln an. So verfolgt ihr nicht nur eure Lieblingsserien, sondern lernt auch die Sprache im Alltag richtig zu verwenden.

Selber kochen – Ihr lebt allein, also esst ihr auch allein. Persönlich finde ich das super, weil ich essen kann was ich will und meine Mitbewohner sich nicht nicht über den gewöhnungsbedürftigen Geruch aufregen. Vergesst aber nicht frisches Obst und Gemüse schnell aufzubrauchen! Und lernt so viele Rezepte wie möglich, damit ihr nicht jeden Tag dasselbe essen müsst.

Nackt und frei – Ich habe schnell herausgefunden, dass jegliche Aktivität nackt noch viel mehr Spaß macht. Egal ob Kochen, Fernsehen, Putzen. You name it! Sei nackt, denn du bist allein und niemand interessiert es.

Radfahren – Kauf dir ein Fahrrad, atme die frische Landluft ein und entdecke deine Umgebung! Auf dem Land gibt es viele wunderschön malerische Orte, die du in den meisten Großstädten so nicht finden wirst.

Das Land – Genieße das Land, denn unsere Liebe zum jeweiligen Land ist der Grund wieso wir ihre Sprache lernen. Und ich selbst habe mich während meines Austauschjahres noch ein Stückchen mehr in Deutschland verliebt.

SETE RAZÕES E MEIA PORQUE É POSSÍVEl (PROVAVEL)

QUE SEJA DONA J.K ROWLING por Marie Craus

Todos os dias muitas pessoas dizem para mim Marie, minha amiga, minha confidente, tu és JK Rowling??’ e eu repondo-lhes simplemente ‘não’. Mas eu posso compreender a sua confusão. As nossas semelhanças são numerosas. Aqui há sete e meio.

1. Somos ambas mulheres. Eu sou uma mulher, Dona JK Rowling é uma mulher. É que é uma coincidência? Eu não acho.

2. Somos ambas extremamente ricas. Graças ao sucesso do Harry Potter, Dona JK é uma bilionária. Você não pode ter aceso a minha conta bancária (espero que você não possa con- siga). Não sabe quanto dinheiro tenho. É possível que tenha muito dele. É como a conta bancária de Schrödinger.

3. Gostamos ambas dos romances de Harry Potter. Eu gosto desses romances tanto que eu me visto como o Dumbledore simplemente para me divertir. Dona J.K gosta dos romances de Harry Potter tanto que ela escreveu sete deles.

4. Falamos ambas várias línguas.

5. Gostamos ambas do grupo The Smiths. Acho que esse grupo é fantástico. Morrisey é como um deus para mim.

6. Aparentemente Dona JK concebeu a ideia de Harry Potter durante um atraso de trem. Eu experimentei muitos atrasos de trens na minha vida. Eu sofri tanto que o meu nome de meio deveria ser ‘Atraso-de-Trem’ em vez de ‘Louisa’.

7. Dona JK é uma escritora muito talentosa e eu escrevi vários composiçãos que os meus professores descreveram como ‘adequado’ e ‘não terrível’.

7 ½ Você já me viu e a Dona JK na mesma sala e ao mesmo tempo? Não? Talvez seia porque somos a mesma pessoa?

Naturalmente há muita evidência e se você não acha que somos a pessoa mesma, você está mentindo para si mesmo. Eu não digo que é definitivamente verdadeiro mas é certamente provável.

O PORTUGUÊS CAMPONÊS DE CÁ por Ana Almeida

Com poucas terras, sabores e maneiras iguais às nossas, um Português no estrangeiro não é capaz de ignorar a maravilhas do seu próprio país especialmente, quando se trata das suas terras e do estilo de vida tão simples e natural do Português rural.

Num Domingo à tarde, decidimos ir visitar um amigo Português que tem um terreno num campo onde famílias constroem lotes para cultivar o que desejarem. Em contraste com as estufas comerciais compradas na Homebase dos ingleses, a estufa desse nosso amigo foi feita à mão, com portas de vidro, telhas, arames e plásticos organizados para criar um abrigo onde os seus cultivos pudessem crescer. Ao lado da estufa podia-se encontrar bidões azuis de plástico, iguais aos que a minha avó tinha no seu quintal, cheios de água da chuva que escorre das telhas, usada depois para regar.

Outro senhor já de alguma idade convidou-nos para passar pelo seu terreno, onde a simplicidade rural portuguesa conquistou-me. Aí ele tinha caracóis que eram depois exportados para Espanha e Portugal para consumo e aí ele cultivava verduras típicas Portuguesas. Como o terreno do senhor anterior, com portas, placas de madeira, telhas e outras engenhocas, ele construiu uma pequena casinha onde tinha duas poltronas, uma para si mesmo e outra para a sua mulher, uma mesa para comer os caracóis que assavam aí, acompanhados por um pãozinho e verduras desse mesmo terreno , uma máquina de café, quadros nas paredes e uma churrasqueira entre muitas outras coisas.

Esse pequeno cantinho é onde ele passa os seus dias no campo, a cultivar e a emerger-se na simples e maravilhosa vida camponesa, tão semelhante à que me rodeava ao crescer nas aldeias portugueses. Ele recriou aí a sua fonte de felicidade num simples terreno tipicamente Português no estrangeiro.

“PROVAVELMENTE ELA É JK ROWLING… TALVEZ SEJA DUMBLEDORE TAMBÉM?”

LA FUGA DI CERVELLI di Klaudia Kowalska

“La fuga dei cervelli" o "La fuga di talenti". Sicuramente abbiamo già sentito queste espressioni tantissime volte. Si riferiscono alla gioventù dell’Italia d’oggi, di cui si sente sempre più spesso parlare, ma cosa significano davvero?

Questa comune metafora indica migliaia di italiani con specializzazioni professionali che fuggono l’Italia con la speranza di trovare lavoro e crearsi una vita migliore. Secondo una ricerca dell'ISTAT nel 2013, 13mila laureati hanno deciso di lasciare Italia a causa di problemi economici personali.

Non vedendo un futuro nel proprio paese, gli studenti italiani giovani decidono di emigrare all'estero per trovare della valorizzazione per quello che hanno studiato o per sviluppare le loro capacità. Migliaia di giovani non avrebbero mai immaginato di dover abbandonare il loro bellissimo paese, tante volte anche per sempre senza avere altre possibilità di tornare in Italia come destinazione per le ferie.

Le destinazioni scelte dai giovani sono soprattutto in Europa. I paesi più comuni sono la Germania, la Svizzera, la Francia e il Regno Unito dove nel 2013, 44 mila italiani hanno richiesto il ‘National Insurance Number’ per iniziare a lavorare nel Regno Unito, secondo il ministero del ‘Welfare’ britannico.

I PAESI PIÙ COMUNI

SONO LA GERMANIA, LA

SVIZZERA, LA FRANCIA

E IL REGNO UNITO

Negli anni precedenti il problema del lavoro era severo soprattutto nel sud Italia, dove gli studenti una volta finita la scuola si trasferivano al nord per trovare lavoro in un campo in cui avevano studiato per tanti anni. Adesso con il problema del lavoro in tutta Italia questa sfortunata situazione ha toccato anche le parti più ricche del paese. Questo ha causato lo spostamento all’estero di una gran parte degli studenti, che poi non sempre riescono a trovare il lavoro dei loro sogni, ma si accontentano di lavori umili che neanche il loro paese nativo poteva offrire. Ciò fa capire il grosso problema che l’Italia ha.

La mancanza di lavoro è un susseguirsi di problemi. Per esempio c’è il lavoro interinale, cioè lavoro appaltato ad agenzie che non offrono qualcosa di concreto, bensì soltanto una opportunità al momento. Questa situazione di non poter trovare qualcosa di concreto e il duraturo causa la preoccupazione per il proprio futuro. Quindi una delle cause della “fuga di cervelli” è quella del non avere neanche la opportunità di un contratto temporaneo quindi non avere un lavoro sicuro per il futuro.

Un altro dei grandi problemi che causa l’emigrazione è non avere le opportunità necessarie per sfruttare al massimo il proprio talento. Tanti italiani non possono svilupparsi professionalmente perché l'Italia non offre abbastanza fondi o opportunità adeguate per andare avanti. Ciò in confronto all’estero, dove si ha tantissime opportunità di entrare a lavorare per grossissime compagnie di ricerca. Questo causa i migliori ricercatori italiani nei settori principali ad abbandonare il paese.

Ormai questa crisi in Italia non colpisce solo i laureati ma anche i non-laureati. Per loro è difficile trovare lavoro perché l’Italia è diventato un paese di emigrazione. E di conseguenza, il problema italiano non e più solo “la fuga di cervelli” ma lentamente, anche “la fuga di braccia”.

HARRY POTTER FANS CAN NOW STUDY AT REAL LIFE

HOGWARTS by Agnieszka Rzesniowiecka

Even if you didn’t get an owl with an invitation letter to Hogwarts when you were 11, you still have a chance to find an acceptance letter to a school of wizardry. College of Wizardry is a four-day LARP (live-action role-playing game). The event takes place in a beautiful Polish castle in Czocha, which was first built in 14th century, and promises to fulfil a dream many of us still secretly have – to become a student witch or wizard, even if just for a few days.

Each LARP has around 130 participants and is played in English. Upon arrival, students are sorted into one of the five Houses, each House favouring different attributes. The houses are: Durentius (values diligence and valour), Faust (knowledge and power), Libussa (daring and creativity), Molin (loyalty and cunning), and Sendivogius (honour and diplomacy). All students can also choose from five “career paths”: Magizoologists, Aurors, Curse Breakers, and finally the most mysterious group of them all - the Unspeakables. You can also play a professor, groundskeeper, or a janitor (Mrs Norris not provided). For those with little experience in LARPs, character coaches will answer every question and help them enter the live-action role-playing world.

The first CoW event sold out in just two days, welcomed nearly 200 people from 11 countries, and gathered overwhelmingly positive feedback. The next College of Wizardry LARP will commence in just a few days. The tickets (£220, but can you put a price on being a wizard?) for future editions can be bought on the CoW’s website. If you sign up, you might not get an owl Harry Potter style, but search in your letterbox: your acceptance letter might be well-hidden among disreputable pizza takeaway flyers and statements from your muggle bank!

关于中国旅游的一些看法 Nick

2014年我从二月到七月在北京语言大学学了五个月汉语。在那段时间里， 我发现了许多跟英国不一样的事。一个与旅游业有关系的特别有意思的现 象就是名胜古迹的处理。我来描述自己在一些名胜旅行的经历。

 众所周知中国的环境污染很严重。虽然中国的公园很多，但是它们 不是自然风景，都是人为的石路小径和台阶。在山上有缆车的公园 也比较多，这就是环境污染。

 中国是世界上人口最多的国家，人口一共有十三亿多。在中国的城 市，其中北京和上海，人口众过多是个很严重的问题，有很多坏 处，比如在名胜古迹拥挤的人群。在中国的名胜古迹，人山人海!

 中国的自然风光吸引着许多中外游客前来旅游。很多外国人觉得中 国很值得参观，他们想来了解中国的历史和文化，但是他们听不懂 汉语，看不懂汉字。他们旅行的时候很容易迷路。

Lanigan

这些问题是中国旅游业要解决的。虽然这些问题比较严重，但是我还觉得，在中国旅行是个很丰富的经历！

THEUOBLINGUIST.CO.UK

ΕΛΛΗΝΙΚΟ

ΚΑΙ ΚΥΠΡΙΑΚΟ

ΠΑΣΧΑ by Susanna Georgiou

Το Πάσχα των Ελλήνων και των Κυπρίων, με τις ακρότητες του (όσο αφορά το φαγητό) σηματοδοτείτε από την επιλογή

του κατάλληλου φαγητού και φυσικά κρέατος για την Κυριακή του Πάσχα. Φυσικά, για μένα αυτό δεν ισχύει καθόλου

αφού ούτε ένα μικρό κομματάκι απο κρέας δεν βρίσκεται ποτέ στο πιάτο μου αφου είμαι χορτοφάγος. Το Πάσχα όμως μου αρέσει για άλλο λόγο για το Πάσχα στο χωριό. Τί καλύτερο από μία επιστροφή στο χωριό, μια αλλαγή μιας πολύ έντονης καθημερινότητας και μια ευκαιρία να αποφορτιστούμε από τα προβλήματα μας; Παραδοσιακά στις γιορτές μάς καλεί ο τόπος μας, μας καλούν οι συγγενείς μας. Φέτος ειδικά, με όλες τις οικονομικές δυσκολίες που αντιμετωπίζουν οι συνάνθρωποί μας, η κλήση αυτή είναι πολύ πιο έντονη κι αυτό γιατί αυτές οι οικονομικές δυσκολίες δεν επιτρέπουν στο κόσμο να κάνει σχέδια για ένα μεγάλο ταξίδι και έτσι στρέφεται στην επιλογή του χωριού. Και έτσι λοιπόν μαζευόμαστε όλοι στο χωριό και στο χωριό, όμως, είναι πάντα όμορφα! Το Μεγάλο Σάββατο πάμε εκκλησία και βιώνουμε για πρώτη φορά έθιμα της Κύπρου. Το Μεγάλο Σάββατο το πρωί, κατά τη διάρκεια της λειτουργίας και όταν ο ιερέας πει το “Ανάστα ο Θεός”, οι άνθρωποι που βρίσκονται στην εκκλησία θα αρχίσουν να κτυπούν τους σκάμνους και τα μάυρα ρούχα που καλύπτουν τις εικόνες θα πέσουν. Αργα το βράδυ, όταν ο ιερέας λέει το “Δεύτε λάβετε φως”, ο κόσμος ανάβει τις λαμπάδες του από το Αγιο φως της Ανάστασης και μετά ψάλλουν όλοι μαζί το Χριστός Ανέστη.Μετά τη λειτουργία, επιστρέφουν όλοι στα σπίτια τους, ανάβουν το τζάκι (αφου πάντα είναι κρύο στο χωριό), τσουγκρίζουν τα κόκκινα αυγά και ίσως τρώνε και σούπα αυγολέμονη ή τραχανά και φλαούνες. Εγω απλά θα ευχηθώ σε όλους καλή ανάσταση (σε κάθε κατάσταση) και εύχομαι να βρουν όλοι, όπου κι αν βρίσκονται την ελπίδα που στέλνει το Πάσχα.

CHALKIDIKI THE PERFECT SUMMER DESTINATION1 by

Klaudia Kowalska

The Chalkidiki (Χαλκιδική) is a beautiful region of northern Greece. Located on the Aegean Sea, it resembles a hand with three “fingers”, named Kassandra, Sithonia and Agion Oros. Chalkidiki has been a popular summer destination with tourists from all over the world since 1950 and it is still very famous nowadays. Living in Neos Marmaras for nearly 3 years, which is one of the beautiful cities located in Sithonia, gave me an enormous opportunity to explore not only one region of Chalkidki but the whole of it. Obviously, like every place in Greece, it offers amazing beaches and incredible views, but apart from that the region of the Chalkidiki has way more to offer. Polygyros is the capital city of Chalkidiki. It is a great place to go if lying on the beach becomes too tiring. Polygyros, as well as other big city Nea Moundania, are full of exciting places like shops with the newest trends of clothing, clubs, and waterparks. Moving down to the south, Kassandra and Sithonia offer you the opportunity to try their local cuisine, which I assure you is delicious and fairly priced. Personally, it gave me the opportunity to build new friendships with tourists as well as the locals. The importance of hospitality to the people there makes you feel welcome and always wanted at any place you visit. You’ll find out that exploring is not about visiting the famous places that you hear so much about but finding the beautiful ones by yourself, and that’s what Chalkidiki is full off. But the only thing you want to be allowed to do it’s explore the last “finger”, Agion Oros. It is an autonomous state, ruled over by 2,000 monks from Greece and other European Orthodox countries that live in isolation from the rest of the world.

イギリスで楽しめる、日本の春の文化 李亜莉沙

イギリスの寒い冬もやっと終わり、暖かい春の訪れを感じられます、公 園では鮮やかな花々が咲いてます。

日本を象徴する花と言えば桜です、桜の季節は３月下旬から4月の中旬 の短期間であることで、多くの人々の日常生活に大きな役割を果たして います。その時期に、日本の人達は、時にはかなりの距離でも、「花 見」と呼ばれる文化的伝統に参加するためなら時間をおしみません。更 に、民間の気象情報では特に絶頂な桜の開花期間を発表し、それに従い 国民が花見の準備を始めます。それに伴い、桜の時期と合わせて、学生 の卒業式や入学式での新たな始まりの風景である。それに応じて、花見 をお祝いとして、多くの人々はお弁当や花見団子などを持参して、友 達、家族、同僚仲間で美しい景色を楽しむ習慣が見られます。

花見のふるまいは、日本以外の国にも広がって来ています。それは今、 韓国、フィリピン、又、米国にもこれまでより習慣になってきているよ うです。ちなみに、1912年3月27日に、日本からワシントン州に約2000本の桜の木を友好関係を深めるための目的と して差し上げ、お互いが助け合い現在に至っています。多くの観光客がこれらの美しい桜の木などを見に訪れてい ます。

幸いにも、徐々にロンドン市内に桜の木の姿が増えてきています。

先ず、ロンドンで一番多く桜の木が咲いてるのは「キュー国立植物園」のローズガーデンの周りには色々な種類の 桜が植えられていて、和風的なお寺の「King William's Temple

」に向かう道沿いにおよそ30本の木を堪能できるこ

とでしょう。けれど、私のお気に入りはセントラルロンドンにある、入場無料で楽しめる、「リージェンツパー ク」の桜の木々です。「リージェンツパーク」駅の近くに多くのピンク色の桜の木が咲いていて、公園の中を歩い て行くと、見事な白い色の桜の木がたくさんあります。

もし、イギリスで日本の春の文化を体験したかったら、ぜひこの二つの公園に足を運んでみてください。

We are pleased to announce that the UoB Linguist are the Guild Award’s 2015 winners of ‘Outstanding Outreach’ for reaching out to underrepresented students! We would like to thank everyone who is involved with our amazing magazine and society including the committee, editors and everyone who reads the magazine. We couldn’t have done it without you! We are proud to have such a diverse range of people involved in the magazine and our ability to reach people not only at the University of Birmingham but around the world. Our online magazine has been read by people from all around the world including India, Australia and Brazil!

We are aiming for bigger and better things next year so keep reading and keep contributing!

OUR NEW TEAM

So another year is over and we are saying goodbye to our 2014-15 team! We’ve had a great year with 4 issues of the magazine being published and winning the ’Outstanding Outreach’ category at the Guild awards. For those of our team leaving us this year, we wish you the very best for the future! However we are happy to announce a wonderful new team for The Linguist Magazine 2015/16:

COMMITTEE

Chair: Dominique Phipp

Secretary: Jenny Nicholls

Treasurer: Tom Routledge

Creative Design: Kia Hunt

Publicity Officer: James Hill

Social Secretary: Sunny Dhaliwal

OTHER ROLES

Proof Reader: Sarah Daniels

Deputy Proof Reader: Michael Richards

Design Assistant: Katie Bruce

Photographer: James Hill

EDITORS

Chinese: Jessie Fok

Culture: Katya Browne

Current Affairs: Saul Shimmin

Food & Drink: Sam Arrowsmith

French:Yasmin Ibison

German: Marie Craus

Greek: Susanne Georgio

Italian: Klaudia Kowalska

Life & Style: Isabella St John Cooper

Polish: Agnieszka Rzesniowiecka

Portuguese: Ana Almeida

Russian: Klaudia Kowalska

Spanish: Mary McGowan

Travel: Jessie Fok