El vocabulario en inglés está en constante cambio, es interesante mantenerse al corriente de estas evoluciones. ¿Cuál ha sido elegido como la palabra nueva en inglés de 2013?

Esta palabra ha logrado estar en las noticias últimamente en el homenaje del Nelson Mandela. En un momento del funeral la primera ministra danesa Helle Thorning-Schmidt, saco un “selfie” con David Cameron el primer ministro británico y Barack Obama.

The word ‘selfie’ has recently been added to the Cambridge Dictionary and has been announced as their ‘Word of 2013’. But what is a ‘selfie’?

A selfie is a word of the modern age, a word born in the world of technology. It means a self-portrait photo, that’s usually taken while holding a mobile phone or camera and pointing it at yourself. Selfies are usually taken for social networking.

a selfie taken on one of our English Immersion course walks by a student

Last year’s word was ‘omnishambles’, which means a situation that has been completelty mismanaged and seen as shambolic or as a disaster from all perspectives.

English is constantly changing, and because of this constant change, and the fact that English accepts some foreign words and has become an international language, means that it probably has more words than any other language, but it is impossible to count for sure.

Here at Optima Communication, we sometimes like to play a game in the evening with students, where we choose an old English word and all the teachers and students have to invent a definition, then everybody has to vote for their favourite. This is a really great game, because it’s one where the students have the opportunity to beat the teachers in an English language game! And they usually do!

What new words have you heard?
Is the language in Spain used by the younger generations vastly different to older generation?

Aquí podrás practicar el inglés online con un artículo que ha salido últimamente en las noticias. Leerlo y después darnos tu opinión:

The UK has ten, indigenous languages, how many can you name?

This article discusses why it’s important to learn indigenous languages and not just the main language spoken of a country.

I was originally from Wales and even though Welsh isn’t my first language, I do tend to agree with most points put across in this article.

I think that it’s important to not let these old languages die because they provide a link to the past, help us to understand our culture, heritage and even our humor.

However, I think that it’s important to keep progressing, integrate with other cultures and their languages and traditions, and not close ourselves off.  Yes, I love my country, Wales, and the Welsh culture and I’d love for my children to be able to speak Welsh, but at the same time it’s important to let people from outside in.

Anyway, it’s also nice to be able to speak a little of an unusual language.

Finally, as the article says, the ten indigenous languages that are still spoken in the UK are:  English, Scots, British Sign Language, Welsh, Gaelic, Irish, Cornish, Manx, Angloromani and Shelta.

I’d love to know your opinion, do you think these old languages have a place in the 21st century? What is your first language?

By Siôn ( Teacher at Optima Communication)

Here is another chance to improve your English by getting involved and discussing a topic.
The following article is about how a British man who was impressed with the facilities for disabled people, on a recent trip to one of Spain’s biggest cities:

http://www.huffingtonpost.co.uk/mik-scarlet/barcelona-travel_b_4058233.html

Little things like wheelchair access, bicycle routes and a fun atmosphere can make a city feel so much more open to everyone, and with Spain being a major tourist destination, with over 13 million British people visiting last year, these little things or little touches can make all the difference to someone’s experience.

Every week, we meet students here who have come from all over Spain and enjoy listening to their stories. We think that Spain is a wonderful and diverse landscape and country and we are interested in hearing about your opinions. What makes your city or town special for you? Is it the culture? The architecture? Or is it a peaceful place to relax?

When I’m not teaching here at Optima, I usually live in Bilbao.  What I like the most about living here is the food, whether it’s the pintxos on a Sunday morning or the seafood, which I love, because I am from the coast of Wales.

Please come and join in the discussion by writing your opinions in the comments below.when I eat out in a restaurant.

By Siôn
(An English Teacher at Optima)

The following article argues that Spain is in the wrong time zone, and that because the Spanish working day follows daylight hours, many workers are exhausted, or feel jet-lagged, because they wake-up earlier and go to bed later than they should.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/worldviews/wp/2013/09/26/spaniards-are-less-productive-constantly-tired-because-spain-is-in-the-wrong-time-zone/

What do people think of this article?
Do you think that it should be changed? Would businesses want to adapt to the change?

In my personal opinion, in the past when I have worked in places following the traditional ‘businesses’ hours, I always preferred to have 45 minutes or an hour for lunch, so that I could get home early. But maybe, my opinion could be because I didn’t enjoy some jobs in the past, and now I have a job here at Optima Communication, that I enjoy a lot I don’t mind working longer hours.

By Siôn
(An English Teacher at Optima)