Merry Christmas!!!

Merry Christmas from beautiful Aachen, in Germany!

Our best wishes to all our contributors and readers from all over the world. The picture below shows the places from which the most visitors come to our site. Thank you for giving meaning to our task!

Let's not forget practice. Listen and enjoy Bing Crosby's original rendition of White Christmas:

Time for Idioms

One of the most difficult aspects of a new language is learning to use and understand idioms and metaphors. As advanced students, you should have a good command of English idioms and sayings.

The following quizzes will help you test and improve your knowledge of some of the most common idioms in English. Good luck!
Eye on Idioms
Body Idioms
Dead Idioms1 Dead Idioms2
Dream Idioms
Food & Drink Idioms
Give Idioms1 Give Idioms2
Kill Idioms
King & Queen Idioms
Names Idioms
"Old" Idioms
Party Idioms
"Read" Idioms
"Share" Idioms
Time Idioms1 Time Idioms2
Time Idioms Reading Puzzle
Town Idioms

Pronunciation Practice: 1) Schwa - 2) /b/ vs. /v/

Time for some badly needed pronunciation practice.

1) Schwa: As you know, the schwa is the most common sound in English. It is a weak, unstressed sound and it occurs in many words, among others in weak forms of articles and prepositions (and other grammar words).

If you want to sound natural and accurate in English, you have to get the schwa sound correct.

To help you in this task, check this BBC Learning English Schwa Practice page.

2) /b/ versus /v/

A simple B-V Quiz will help you distinguish these two sounds.

You will hear a sentence using one word containing etiher /b/ or /v/. Just listen and choose the word you hear in the sentence, then check your answers (and practise). Good luck!

Play the Spelloween!

You've already shown your spelling skills a couple times.
Play the SPELLOWEEN and see if you can stand time pressure in a spooky environment!

Borat's Guide to Cambridge

Let's be guided by Borat in his visit to Cambridge, one of the world's best universities. Along the way, he manages to offend a prudish American student, almost drives his cricket-instructor crazy, kisses a venerable professor on both cheeks and makes a couple offensive remarks to women. No one is safe around Borat!!!

Approximate Transcript:
Borat - I have come here to greatest university in world, Cambridge. Where most famous men in world study; Isaac Newton, William Shakespeare, Kenny Dalglish, Thompson Twins. To find why this is greatest university in world. Jagshemash.

_________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

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Borat - Your name is?
Ian - Ian
Borat - I have seen women here in Cambridge today. Why are they here?
Ian - Well, because they are also clever.
Borat - Yes. We say in Kazakhstan that, "Woman who goes with book is like a horse with..." What do you put on horse?
Ian - Saddle?
Borat - Yes.
Ian - I mean the point is that half the world are women, therefore half the intelligence, half the ability is with the women. The only difference is that they are not creative. Women have not got creative minds.
Borat - Is true. Is true.
Ian - They cannot think.
Borat - They cannot think properly.
Ian - No, they can't think.
Borat - We say in Kazakhstan, "You find me woman with brain, I find you a horse with..." How you say?
Ian - With wings.
Borat - Is true. Is true.

---

_________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Borat - And what is the "Cambridge Ball"? Everyone say the "The Cambridge Ball".
Student - The Cambridge Ball's are just big things where you dress up in a white or black tie.
Borat - Like a party?
Student - Yeah, like a party.
Borat - And they bring in woman especially for this?
Student - No, there is no special women brought in. You bring your own woman I'm afraid.
Borat - So they do not bring in prostitutes?
Student - Absolutely not... Prostitutes... I don't think.
Borat - So how do you party? Without...
Student - Well in England we don't really use prostitutes at parties. It's one of those odd things.
Borat - Why not?
Student - I don't know. It's just not tradition.

_________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

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Borat - Will there be wrestling with no clothes and a horse polo and...
Student - Well there certainly will not be wrestling with no clothes. There might be polo somewhere.
Borat - Yes...
Student - But I think that some of the kinds of parties that maybe you are thinking of you're not going to find here at all.
Borat - And will there be a woman where you go and you do it...like sex with them?
Student - I am sorry you are going to have to cut that off. That's an inappropriate question. There will be no such thing! This is a serious university and there is not going to be any prostitution that you have just mentioned. That would be inappropriate.
Borat - OK OK. So about the... Forget the party
Student - I'm sorry that's over.
_________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

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Borat - ...and you won't forget me?
Students - No way. No no.

Student 1 - I am going to tell everyone!
Borat - Borat, like Barry.
Student 1 - What is your name anyway?
Borat - Borat, like Barry.
Borat - Borat, like Barry. But people call me Steve.
Student 1 - Ok Steve.
Borat - People call me Steve.
Student 1 - Can I call you Brian?
Borat - Why?
Student 1 - I don't know
Borat - Why?
Student 1 - No reason really.
Borat - In Kazakhstan there was Englishman he called me Steve.
Student 1 - Yeah?
Borat - Today I look for Steve, there is one Steve here, one Steve there. All Steves.

---

Borat - So today we met the most intelligent people in Britain. In one day at Cambridge I had more fun than six years at Almaaty University. And the best thing of all Government pay for this! We have lots of lessons to learn.

Listening and Spelling Quiz

These five listening and spelling quizzes will motivate you to keep abreast with the class.

Quiz 1
Quiz 2
Quiz 3
Quiz 4
Quiz 5

Just listen to the word, type your answer and check. Good luck!

Note: American English pronunciation

Who killed the Russian spy?

The mystery of Alexander Litvinenko's death, a tragic story reminiscent of cold war days.

Full Coverage on Yahoo! News.

Multimedia Coverage on BBC News.

CNN's David Mattingly interviews the father of poisoned ex-spy Alexander Litvinenko.

The polonium-210 used to kill Litvinenko can be bought on the Internet!

Fawlty Towers: Communication Problems

Enjoy a very short scene of Fawlty Towers, one of the best sitcoms ever made.

From the episode Communication Problems

A troublesome guest, Mrs. Richards, causes problems when she refuses to turn her hearing-aid on. The situation gets only worse when she attempts to convey her requirements to Manuel, the language-challenged Spanish waiter. What follows is a masterpiece of interlanguage confusion.

Mrs Richards: Is there anyone else in attendance here? Really, this is the most appalling service I've ever h...
Polly: Good idea! Manuel, could you lend Mrs Richards your assistance in connection with her reservation?
Manuel looks puzzled
Mrs Richards: Now, I've reserved a very quiet room, with a bath and a sea view. I specifically asked for a sea view in my written confirmation, so please make sure I have it.
Manuel: Qué?
Mrs. Richards: What?
Manuel: Qué?
Mrs. Richards: K?
Manuel: Sí.
Mrs. Richards: C? K.C.? K.C.? What are you trying to say?
Manuel: No, no, no, no. Qué, "what."
Mrs. Richards: K. Watt?
Manuel: Sí, qué, "what."
Mrs. Richards: C. K. Watt?
Manuel: Yes!
Mrs. Richards: Who is C. K. Watt?
Manuel: Qué?
Mrs.Richards: Is he the manager, Mr. Watt?
Manuel: Oh! Manajer!
Mrs. Richards: He is?
Manuel: Ah! Mr. Fawlty!
Mrs. Richards: What?
Manuel: Fawlty!
Mrs. Richards: What are you talking about, you silly little man? (to Polly) What is going on here? I ask him for my room and he tells me the manager is a Mr. Watt, aged forty.
Manuel: No, no, no, Fawlty.
Mrs. Richards: Faulty? What's wrong with him?

Martha Stewart tries to teach Borat

Watch how Martha Stewart (homekeeping expert) tries to teach Borat how to make a bed in Jay Leno's show.

Christmas Eggnog

Christmas is around the corner. Good chance to start delighting ourselves in the culinary pleasures that await us.

Eggnog is a very popular Christmas dessert in America, a real calorie bomb and not recommended for teetotalers. Here we propose Martha Stewart's recipe.

Enjoy the video... Bourbon, dark rum, cognac. Mmmmmm!

Next on the blog: Borat hits on Martha Stewart

Discover the Hidden Truth!

Long holiday ahead! Time to do some deciphering: mysterious Spanish psychophonies have found their way into seemingly innocent English songs.

Your task: discover the original English sentence behind the Spanish words. Send your contributions to the blog!

Mystery Songs 1
Mystery Songs 2


Hint: one of the songs hides a French sentence behind "En tu huerto no hay tomates" ;)