United Kingdom accents... B1 +

United Kingdom accents...

Personally, I love accents... But they can be a little difficult if you are trying to learn any language.
You are even required to understand a variety of accents in the Cambridge exams!! Unbelievable! But... this does make sense.  Learning a language is all about communication and if you can understand the other person it makes life so much easier... Trust me... Not everyone speaks the 'Queens English'.

Click on this video below...

Take a look at the website too...
http://www.bbc.com/travel/story/20140619-one-woman-17-british-accents

Class discussion:

Which accents can you understand?
Which one makes you laugh?
Is there an accent you are not too fond of?

Task: Look at a map of the United Kingdom and talk about the accents, weather, landscapes, cities, etc.

iFriendly tour Kayaking and bird watching

Ratanui, Kayaking and bird watching...

Ratanui, Kayaking, bird watching and home grown mussels! (That's right, mussells grown on an underwater farm...)

Ratanui Lodge...  (A.k.a Ratatui lodge, which is what I kept calling it!)
http://ratanuilodge.com/

So far the most luxurious place iFriendly has stayed in so far...

A short walk across the road to the nearest beach and a short drive to Golden Bay Kayak, where you are greeted in the Kiwi way (super friendly way) and given instructions on how to manoeuver the kayak, given a spray skirt (this is the coolest most useful invention I have seen in the world of Kayaking) which is essentially a skirt. it grips on to kayak preventing you from getting wet or burnt by the sun.. GENIUS!

We steered around the coves, between the rocks and got some superb shots of the birds and seals in the area. Shag birds and sea gulls were the predominant and we saw two seals enjoying the sun.  They do smell a bit, but that is because they are in the sea a long time and because they eat octopus, which they tear apart... leaving the leftovers to rot in the sun... Nice!

In the evening we checked out a place just outside of Takaka, called the Mussel inn... Delicious big fat juicy mussels.. Yummy!

http://www.musselinn.co.nz/









Homework: 

B1/ B2/ C1 Write a letter to a friend describing a place you have been recently ...
Include an interesting fact about the place.
Advise your friend to visit the place, suggest what they should do whist they are there.

B1 - 70 words

B2/ C1 200 -250 words. For extra reading, click on the links in the texts.

How to use the word 'NO' in English - All levels

"NO"

When do we use the word 'no'? Well, not as often as you would think!

For a start it isn't considered polite in English to say 'No' as an answer to a question... you will usually hear locals say.. "Not really" or "I don't think so" or "I'd rather not"or "No thank you."

'No' can be used to compare  "The weather is no better today than it was yesterday."

'Any" or 'No' different
"This place is no different from any other place I've lived... why is it so expensive?"

'No good' or 'No use'
"The film was no good" "This computer is no use. Its so slow!"

Other examples with 'No'

No doubt; "I have no doubt in my mind... you will pass your exams."

No longer; "I no longer feel the need to go out as often as I used to."

No matter who; "No matter who knocks on the door... do not let them in!"

No more;  "No more sweets for you young man! Your teeth will rot!"

No need for; "There is no need for all this fuss, I'll be fine once I've had a good night's sleep."

No problem; "I'll sort it out for you... No problem!"

iFriendly will be touring New Zealand and Australia for the entire month of January 2015.