Language Box

Lecturers often tell students that they do not want to know their opinion. But when the student hands a piece of work in, the lecturers say things such as: you haven’t answered the question, you’ve only summarised facts, what are you trying to say? etc. We need to make a distinction between a student’s uniformed, unsubstantiated opinion and the conclusions that they themselves have come to from their reading and research, what we can call their voice. This must be made clear in their writing

Gillett, Andy

Making your voice clear in academic writing. Rationale Lecturers often tell students that they do not want to know their opinion. But when the student hands a piece of work in, the lecturers say things such as: you haven’t answered the question, you’ve only summarised facts, what are you trying to say? etc. We need to make a distinction between a student’s uniformed, unsubstantiated opinion and the conclusions that they themselves have come to from their reading and research, what we can call their voice. This must be made clear in their writing. Aim The aim of this exercise is to help students to distinguish between their reports of their own findings, the work of others and their own conclusions. Context Text 1 6BUS0348 Managing Accounting Information coursework Using the accounts for Marks and Spencer plc and other information researched by you, write a report recommending whether or not to invest in Marks and Spencer plc. Your report should be 1600 words (excluding appendices and executive summary), with a maximum of 2000 words. It should include the following:  Analysis of Marks and Spencer plc, including calculation of ratios (in an appendix, showing workings), detailed analysis of the company’s business, and a recommendation whether or not to invest. You should show an awareness of the information needs of an investor and consideration of limitations which relate to the particular information in this case.   The report should be presented in a style suitable for a report (including an executive summary, introduction, clear sections and a conclusion and recommendation section).   Exercise 1 1. What do you need to do? What do you need to include? Where will you get your information from? 2. Compare findings in groups and feedback. Exercise 1: Suggested Answer You will need to: 1. Read M & S annual report. 2. Using the information give, work out the various ratios and include them in an appendix. 3. Read your textbook, lecture notes and other sources to make sure you understand the meanings and relevance of these ratios. 4. Read your textbook, lecture notes and other material to make sure you understand the needs of a potential investor. 5. Think about the limitations of the data you have - read. 6. Analyse & evaluate your data. 7. Make a recommendation.  Information will come from: M&S annual report; own calculations; reading from textbooks and other sources, lecture notes; own conclusions.  Example 1 Text 2 Liquidity summary Liquidity ratios include current ratio and Acid test ratio. Those ratios reflect the health of the cash position of the business and its ability to meet its short-term obligations (Davies and Boczko, 2005).   2009 2010 Current ratio 0.6 times 0.8 times Acid test ratio 0.4 times 0.5 times  The current ratio in 2009 was 0.6 and this increased to 0.8 in 2010. The acid test ratio was 0.4 in 2009 and this rose to 0.5 in 2010.  Exercise 2 1. Evaluate this part of the answer according to criteria in Exercise 1. 2. Compare findings in groups and feedback. Example 2 Text 3 Liquidity Liquidity is the ability of a company to cover its liabilities comfortably. This can be measured by two main liquidity ratios: the current ratio and the acid test ratio. Both ratios give unique content of capital flow over time (Gowthorpe, 2003).  Table 1.3 below shows a summary of the comparison of Marks and Spencer’s liquidity ratios for the Marks and Spencer’s annual report for the years ended 28 March 2009 and 3rd April 2010. Table 1.3 (see appendix A for calculations) According to table 1.3, there was a low current ratio of 0.6 and 0.8 for the 2009 and 2010 respectively. This shows an increase of 0.2 in 2010 relative to 2009. The current ratio is very important in that it calculates how many times current assets are more than current liabilities in a company and an ideal benchmark for current ratios is usually 2 times (Beaumont, 2010). However, as Atrill & McLaney (2008) point out, in the case of Marks and Spencers being a retail company because it is not necessary to hold on to inventories of finished goods a low current ratio is expected. The table also show the acid test ratio for Marks and Spencer which has a similar objective with the current ratio but inventory is deducted from current assets because it might take long to turn into cash (Beaumont, 2010, Atrill and Mc Laney, 2008). The table shows a low acid ratio of 0.4 and 0.5 for 2009 and 2010 respectively with an insignificant increase of 0.1 in 2010.This shows Marks and Spencer do not have enough current assets to cover their current liabilities, the reason being that has a retailer they cannot hold on to inventory because it would be converted to sales which can however be used to pay their current liabilities. Liquidity summary  2009 2010 Current ratio 0.6 times 0.8 times Acid test ratio 0.4 times 0.5 times  Exercise 3 1. Evaluate this part of the answer according to criteria in Exercise 1 2. Compare findings in groups and feedback.  Exercise 4 1. Read example 2 again. Identify the different ideas in the text.  2. Compare findings in groups and feedback. Text 4 e.g.  Liquidity is the ability of a company to cover its liabilities comfortably.   This can be measured by two main liquidity ratios: the current ratio and the acid test ratio.   Both ratios give unique content of capital flow over time element in determining the level of job satisfaction, regardless of job type  A summary of the comparison of Marks and Spencer’s liquidity ratios for the Marks and Spencer’s annual report for the years ended 28 March 2009 and 3rd April 2010.   There was a low current ratio of 0.6 and 0.8 for the 2009 and 2010 respectively.  An increase of 0.2 in 2010 relative to 2009.  The current ratio is very important in that it calculates how many times current assets are more than current liabilities in a company .  An ideal benchmark for current ratios is usually 2 times.  In the case of Marks and Spencer being a retail company because it is not necessary to hold on to inventories of finished goods a low current ratio is expected.  The acid test ratio for Marks and Spencer has a similar objective with the current ratio.  Inventory is deducted from current assets because it might take long to turn into cash.  There was a low acid ratio of 0.4 and 0.5 for 2009 and 2010 respectively with an insignificant increase of 0.1 in 2010.  Marks and Spencer do not have enough current assets to cover their current liabilities.  As a retailer they cannot hold on to inventory because it would be converted to sales which can however be used to pay their current liabilities.  3. Identify where the ideas come from.  4. Compare findings in groups and feedback. Text 5 e.g.  Liquidity is the ability of a company to cover its liabilities comfortably. (Author)  This can be measured by two main liquidity ratios: the current ratio and the acid test ratio. (Gowthorpe ?)  Both ratios give unique content of capital flow over time element in determining the level of job satisfaction, regardless of job type. (Gowthorpe)  A summary of the comparison of Marks and Spencer’s liquidity ratios for the Marks and Spencer’s annual report for the years ended 28 March 2009 and 3rd April 2010. (Table 1.3)  Table 1.3. (From appendix A, which is taken from M&S annual report)  There was a low current ratio of 0.6 and 0.8 for the 2009 and 2010 respectively. (Table 1.3)  An increase of 0.2 in 2010 relative to 2009. (Author)  The current ratio is very important in that it calculates how many times current assets are more than current liabilities in a company (Author)  An ideal benchmark for current ratios is usually 2 times. (Beaumont)  In the case of Marks and Spencers being a retail company because it is not necessary to hold on to inventories of finished goods a low current ratio is expected. (Atrill & McLaney)  The acid test ratio for Marks and Spencer has a similar objective with the current ratio. (Table 1.3)  Inventory is deducted from current assets because it might take long to turn into cash. (Beaumont)  There was a low acid ratio of 0.4 and 0.5 for 2009 and 2010 respectively with an insignificant increase of 0.1 in 2010. (Table 1.3)  Marks and Spencer do not have enough current assets to cover their current liabilities. (Author)  As a retailer they cannot hold on to inventory because it would be converted to sales which can however be used to pay their current liabilities. (Author)    5. Note how the different voices are made clear. Text 6 Liquidity According to Gowthorpe (2003), liquidity is the ability of a company to cover its liabilities comfortably. This can be measured by two main liquidity ratios: the current ratio and the acid test ratio. Both ratios give unique content of capital flow over time. A summary of the comparison of Marks and Spencer’s liquidity ratios for the Marks and Spencer’s annual report for the years ended 28 March 2009 and 3rd April 2010 is shown in Table 1.3 below. Table 1.3 shows that there was a low current ratio of 0.6 and 0.8 for the 2009 and 2010 respectively. This shows an increase of 0.2 in 2010 relative to 2009. The current ratio is very important in that it calculates how many times current assets are more than current liabilities in a company and according to Beaumont (2010), an ideal benchmark for current ratios is usually 2 times. However, in the case of Marks and Spencers being a retail company because it is not necessary to hold on to inventories of finished goods a low current ratio is expected (Atrill & McLaney, 2008). It can also be seen from the table that the acid test ratio for Marks and Spencer has a similar objective with the current ratio but inventory is deducted from current assets because it might take long to turn into cash (Beaumont, 2010, Atrill and Mc Laney, 2008). The table shows a low acid ratio of 0.4 and 0.5 for 2009 and 2010 respectively with an insignificant increase of 0.1 in 2010. This shows Marks and Spencer do not have enough current assets to cover their current liabilities, the reason being that has a retailer they cannot hold on to inventory because it would be converted to sales which can however be used to pay their current liabilities. Table 1.3: Liquidity summary (Calculations shown in Appendix A)  2009 2010 Current ratio 0.6 times 0.8 times Acid test ratio 0.4 times 0.5 times  6. Look at other ways it could be done. Text 7 Liquidity Liquidity is the ability of a company to cover its liabilities comfortably. This can be measured by two main liquidity ratios: the current ratio and the acid test ratio. Both ratios give unique content of capital flow over time (Gowthorpe, 2003).  Table 1.3 below shows a summary of the comparison of Marks and Spencer’s liquidity ratios for the Marks and Spencer’s annual report for the years ended 28 March 2009 and 3rd April 2010. Table 1.3 (see appendix A for calculations) According to table 1.3, there was a low current ratio of 0.6 and 0.8 for the 2009 and 2010 respectively. This shows an increase of 0.2 in 2010 relative to 2009. The current ratio is very important in that it calculates how many times current assets are more than current liabilities in a company and an ideal benchmark for current ratios is usually 2 times (Beaumont, 2010). However, as Atrill & McLaney (2008) point out, in the case of Marks and Spencers being a retail company because it is not necessary to hold on to inventories of finished goods a low current ratio is expected. The table also shows the acid test ratio for Marks and Spencer, which has a similar objective with the current ratio but according to Beaumont (2010) and Atrill & McLaney (2008) inventory is deducted from current assets because it might take long to turn into cash. A low acid ratio of 0.4 and 0.5 for 2009 and 2010 respectively with an insignificant increase of 0.1 in 2010 can also be seen from Table 1.3. This shows Marks and Spencer do not have enough current assets to cover their current liabilities, the reason being that has a retailer they cannot hold on to inventory because it would be converted to sales which can however be used to pay their current liabilities. Liquidity summary  2009 2010 Current ratio 0.6 times 0.8 times Acid test ratio 0.4 times 0.5 times     7. Finally, take away everything except the writer’s voice and show what is left. Text 8 Liquidity Liquidity is the ability of a company to cover its liabilities comfortably.  The current ratio shows an increase of 0.2 in 2010 relative to 2009. The current ratio is very important in that it calculates how many times current assets are more than current liabilities in a company. The low acid ratio shows Marks and Spencer do not have enough current assets to cover their current liabilities, the reason being that has a retailer they cannot hold on to inventory because it would be converted to sales which can however be used to pay their current liabilities.  8. The basic structure of the argument is still there, but there is a lack of detail. 

English

Making Your Voice Clear In Academic Writing

Revision of subjunctive for more advanced student

Hill, Lucy

McConville, Paddy

1    Grammar Revision of subjunctive   A)   When you want, need, or prefer someone else to do something:                                       Quiero que me ayudes (con los deberes)  Prefiero que me ayudes (con los deberes) Necesito que me ayudes (con los deberes) Tell a friend: 1.  You want him to lend you £5.00 Qui……..…. q…….  m…….. p……….... ci………..  lib………. 2.   You need him to pick you up at the airport       Ne………….. q…… m…… re……..….. e…… e…… ae……….. 3.   You prefer him to visit you in July       Pre………… q……. m……… vis…….….. e…….. ju…………… 4.   You want him to send you the latest Bruno Mars CD       Qui…… q……. m….…. m…….…. e……. ul…….. CD de Bruno Mars 5.   You need him to help with your cases       Nec……. q…… m…….. ay…….. c…….. l…….. mal……. 6.   You prefer him to drink less beer      P……… q……… be…….…. m………….... c…………….  B)   To recommend, suggest, advice, warn someone to do something      Quiero que…… Prefiero que…… Necesito que……..  Te recomiendo que….. Te sugiero que…… Te aconsejo que…. Te aviso que…….. 2   Te recomiendo que viajes en avión Te sugiero  que viajes en avión Te aconsejo  que viajes en avión Te aviso que viajes en avión  1.   Recommend a friend to catch the plane to Newcastle       Te rec……... q……. co…..…. e……. av…..….. e…….. Newcastle 2.   Suggest she visits Durham before returning home       Te sug…….. q……… vis…….. Durham an…… d…….. v…….. a ca…….. 3.   Advise her not to go to the party on Saturday      T…….. acons…….. q…….. n…….. va…… a  l…….. f ……..el s……….. 4.   Warn her to return home before 12      T…….. av…….. q…….. vue…….. a c…….. an…….. d…….. l…….. d…….. 5.   Recommend her to study English at university      T…….. rec…….. q…….. est……….. ing…….. e…….. l……..uni…….. 6.   Suggest she waits for a taxi in the square       Te su……… q………esp……. u…….. ta…….. e…….. l…….. pl…….. 7.   Advise her not to sell her flat        T…….. ac…………... q…….. n…….. ve……….... tu pi………… 8    Warn her not to go out on her own at night        T…….. av…….. q…….. n…….. sal…….. s……….. p…….. l…….. no……..  C.     After :                 Say that: 1.  you may go out for a drink with your friends tonight      Qui……..  sa…….. d…….. co…….. c…….. m…….. am…….. e…….. no……..  Quizás  tal vez   puede que, to translate  “may” or „might” 3  2.  you might not return to Newcastle  next year      T…….. v…….. n…….. vue…….. a Newcastle  e…….. añ…….. próx…….. 3.  you may spend the weekend in the Lake District      P…….. q…….. pa…….. e…….. f…….. d… se…….. e…. l..…… Región de los Lagos 4.  you may look for a job in the new supermarket      Qui……….. bu…….. u…….. tr……..e…….. e…….. n…………. sup…….. 5.  you might not go to the party on Saturday       T…….. v…….. n…….. v……….. a l…….. fi…….. e…….. sá…….. 6.  you might not come to Uni tomorrow       P…….. q…….. n……….. ve…….. a la univ….…….. mañ……..  D.  With requirements with regard to something you want or need.        Tell a Spanish friend: 1.  you are looking for an hotel which is cheap and quite comfortable      Bu…….. u…….. h…….. q…….. s…….. ba…….... y bas……….. có…….. 2.  you need a job which will leave you free in the evenings      Nec…….. u…….. tr ……..q…….. m…….. de…….. lib…….. p…….. l…….. ta…….. 3.  you need a course that is useful and practical       Nec…….. u…….. c……..….. qu…….….. s……..….. út…….….. y prác……..       4.  you want a flat that is quite near the city centre      Qui… u…….. pi…….. qu…….. es…….. bas…… ce…….. d…c……..de la  ciud….. 5.  you prefer a university that is not far from home      Pre…….. u…….. un…….. q…….. n…….. es…….. de…….. le…….. d…….. ca…….. 6.  you are looking for a place where the people are friendly      B…….. u…….. si…….. d…….. l…….. ge…….. s…….. sim…….. Busco una secretaria que……. Necesito una chica que……. Me hace falta un piso que……. Quiero un piso que……. .  4   E)    After:             Ejemplos: cuando termine mis estudios tan pronto como sea posible en cuanto vuelva a casa una vez que haga la compra mientras visite la catedral no iré hasta que llegue el taxi  Tell your friend: 1.  when you finish your course you’ll find a job       Cua…….. ter…….. m…….. cu…….. bus…….. un tra…….. 2.  as soon as you find a job you will look for your own flat      T…….. pr…….. co…….. en…….. u……. tr…….. bus…….. m…… pr…….. pi…….. 3.  as soon as the taxi comes you’ll go to the airport      T…….. pr…….. c……..ve…….. e…….. t…….. ir…….. al ae…….. 4.  once the film finishes you will go to bed      U…….. v…….. q…….. ter…….. l…….. pe…….. m…….. ac…….. 5.  while you’re in Madrid you’ll visit your Spanish friends       Mie…….. es…….. e…….. Ma…….. vis…….. a mi…….. am…….. esp…….. Cuando – tan pronto como – en cuanto –  una vez que –  mientras –  hasta que -   (for an action which has not yet happened)  5  6.  You won’t get married until you are at least thirty      N…… m…… ca…… h…….. q…….. t…….. p…….. l…….. m…….. tr…….. an…….. 7.  when you win the lottery you will buy a large house      C…….. m…….. t…….. l…….. lo…….. com…….. u…….. ca…….. gr…….. e……..          e…….. cam…….. 8.  as soon as you save up the money you’ll buy a little car      E…….. cu…….. ah…….. e…….. di…….. co…….. u…….. co…….. pe…….. 9.  as soon as you finish your degree, you’ll look for a job abroad      T…….. pr…….. co…….. ter…….. la carr…….. bus…….. u…….. tr…….. e……..        e…….. ex…….. 10. Once you learn to drive you’ll have a little more independence       U…….. v…….. q…….. ap…….. a con…….. te…….. u…….. po…….. m……..           d…….. ind…….. 11. While you’re studying at university you hope to learn Spanish properly        Mie…….. es…….. estu…….. e…….. l…….. un…….. es…….. apr…….. esp……..           correcta………. 12. You don’t want to put down roots until you’re happy in your job       N…… qu…… ec…… ra…… has…… q…… e……. cont……. e……. m……..         tra……..  F)    Using the subjunctive after:       Express the wish that your friend: 1.  Doesn’t have to wait too long       Oja…….. n…….. te…….. qu…….. esp…….. dem…….. tie…….. 2.  Is happy in his new job       Oja…….. q…….. est…….. con…….. e…….. t…….. nu…….. tr……..  “ojalá”  to make wishes  6  3.  Doesn’t come to visit you in June       Oj…….. n…….. ve……..a vi…….. e…….. junio 4.  Is successful in his exams       Oja…….. t…….. éx…….. e…….. tu…….. ex…….. 5.  Can help you with your homework       Oj…….. pu…….. ay…….. c…….. l…….. de…….. 6.  doesn’t mind picking you up at the station      Oj…….. n…….. t…….. im…….. rec…….. e…….. l…….. est……..  G)  Using the subjunctive:       Contesta de forma negativa: 1.   ¿Crees que vale la pena ver la película “Titanic”?       No, n…….. cr…….. qu…….. va…….. l…….. pe…….. 2.  ¿Te parece  que los camareros de este restaurante son simpáticos?        No, n…….. m…….. par…….. q…….. s…….. sim…….. 3.  ¿Piensas que hace demasiado frio en el noreste de Inglaterra?        N…….. , n…….. pi…….. q…….. ha…….. de…….. fr…….. 4.  ¿Opinas que el dibujo es una asignatura interesante?       N…….. , n…….. op…….. q…….. se…….. in…….. 5.  ¿Crees que resulta fácil aprobar los exámenes?       N…….. , n…….. cr…….. q…….. res…….. fá……..  6.  ¿Te parece que el profesor de filología sabe lo que dice?       N…….. , n…….. cr…….. q…….. se…….. l…….. q…….. di…….. 7.  ¿Piensas que el tren llegará a tiempo?       N…….. , n…….. pi…….. q…….. lle…….. a tie…….. 8.  ¿Opinas que hay peligro de guerra con Iran?       N…….. , n…….. op…….. q…….. ha…….. pe…….. d…….. gu…….. To say what you don’t think is correct: 7  H)    Conjunctions that always need the subjunctive:                    1.   Voy a trabajar como un loco este año p…….. q…….. m…….. pad…….. es……..         cont…….. 2.   Voy a llegar puntualmente al trabajo p…….. qu…….. e…….. je…….. est……..         sat…….. 3.   Voy a llevar la merienda en el coche pa…….. qu…….. l…….. ni…….. pue……..           co…….. e…….. el cam…….. 4.   Voy a reservar entradas para el concierto par qu…….. mi…….. am…….. n……..        ten…….. qu……..hac…….. co……..          1.   Puedes llevar el coche a la fiesta c…….. t…….. qu…….. n…….. beb…….. m……..           d…….. l…….. cue…….. 2.   Puedes salir con los amigos sie…….. qu…….. vue…….. a ca…….. ant…….. d……..        la…….. doc…….. 3.   A mis padres no les importa lo que hago en la vida c…….. t…….. que s…….. fel…….. 4.   No me importa prestarte el dinero siem…….. qu…….. m…….. lo devuel……..          mañ……..         1.   Necesito llegar a casa an…….. d…….. qu…….. vuel…….. m…….. pad……..  2.   Quiero terminar los deberes an…….. d…….. qu…….. lla…….. m…….. no…….. 3.   Vamos a llegar al cine an…….. d…….. qu…….. empi……... l…….. pel…….. para que – so that/in order that con tal que / siempre que – provided that /  as long as  antes de que – before  8  4.   Tenemos que estar en el aeropuerto dos horas ant…….. d…….. qu…….. sal……..           (despegue) el avi…….       1.   No puedes estudiar derecho en esta universidad a me…….. d…….. qu…….. apr……..        t…….. tu…….. exa…….. 2.   No puedes comprarte el piso a me…….. qu…….. pag…….. u…….. dep…….. d……..         veinte mil libras. 3.   No puedes casarte este año a me…….. de qu…….. ah…….. muc…….. m……..           din…….. 4.   No es posible sacar el carnet de conducir a me d…….. qu…….. ten…….. por l……..          me…….. diec…….. añ……..    a menos de que / a no ser que – unless  

Revision of subjunctive

Moseley, Christopher

FAVOR project: Tere! How to say hello to an Estonian Every language has its own set of greetings suitable for different people, depending on how well you know them, and different times of the day. Estonian is no exception, and here is a rough guide to the etiquette of greeting people in Estonian.  In Estonian, there are a few ways of saying ‘hello’ and ‘goodbye’. They depend on the situation, the time of day, how well the speakers know each other, and of course whether the conversation is face to face or on the telephone. When picking up the telephone, for instance, Estonians might say Hallo – but they would not expect the same greeting in response, as an English speaker might give, and they would not use Hallo in face-to-face conversation. That word is reserved for answering the telephone.      When we meet Estonians. we might use one of several greetings, depending on the circumstances. The most common greeting in all circumstances is: Tere! or Tervist! hello, hi (at any time of day). This is a universal word for use between people of all ages and status.   The other common greetings depend more on the circumstances: Tere päevast! good day (in the daytime) Tere hommikust! good morning Tere õhtust! good evening And to say goodbye, we might choose between these greetings: Head aega! good-bye Head ööd! good night Nägemiseni! or Nägemist!  see you later All of these phrases are considered polite in any circumstances. But how do Estonians show extra familiarity with their own relatives or good friends and classmates, and extra politeness or deference to older people or people of higher status?  Polite and familiar forms In Estonian, unless you know a person well, it is usual to use the polite form of ‘you’ Teie (short form Te). To good friends, children and family members it is usual to use the intimate, familiar form sina (short form sa). When meeting an Estonian for the first time, it is safest to use Te(ie) – and note that it is written with a capital T.  And similarly, ‘your’ is also Teie in the polite form, but sinu in the familiar form. So to a child or someone we want to show familiarity to, we might ask: Mis on sinu nimi? or in the short form, Mis on su nimi? And they might reply: Mu / minu nimi on Sirje. My name is Sirje. To a person who is older, or unfamiliar or worthy of respect, we would ask: Mis on Teie nimi? Mu / minu nimi on Andres Laikmaa. If we want to add ’please’ to that, we can say: Palun, mis on Teie nimi? Palun also means ’you’re welcome’ in returning thanks. It also means ‘here you are’ when offering something. Literally it means ‘I beg’.  And to thank someone we would say either: Aitäh (which is generally quite familiar) Or, more formally: Tänan! With more gratitude we can say: Tänan väga! or Suur tänu! Thanks very much! And to excuse ourselves we can use various words: Vabandust! Excuse me! Vabanda means ‘sorry’ or ‘forgive me’ in the familiar form, and Vabandage is the more polite form.          

Estonian greetings

This calendar, for the month of October 2011, in Bengali, was produced by LLAS Centre for Languages, Linguistics and Area Studies. It was created with help from teachers working on the JISC-funded Community Cafe project. Look out for another language next month! Quiz questions and answers are also included. This is the second of a 16-month series lasting until Dec 2012

Borthwick, Kate

Where there is a will, there is a way.Photo: The magnificent Bengal tiger is native to India, Bangladesh, Nepal and Bhutan and is endangered. It is estimated that there are fewer than 2,500 animals in the wild.বাংলা: BengaliQ1: How many people speak Bengali?Q2: What name is the popular American-Bengali singer Geethali Shankar better known by?Find answers and additional materials at: www.languagebox.ac.ukMonday Tuesday Wednesday Thursday Friday Saturday Sunday1১2২3৩4৪5৫6৬7৭8৮9৯10১011১১12১২13১৩14১৪15১৫1617১৭18১৮19১৯20২021২১22২২23২৩24২৪25২৫26২৬27২৭28২৮29২৯30৩031৩১October

LLAS/Whystudy...? downloadable calendar - October 2011, Bengali

The Slovak words that look the same, or very simular in other languages, but they do not mean the same thing.  Have a fun

Willett, Oľga

False friends              Zradné slová                                         Sympatický                         nice not sympathetic                                    Aktuálne                              topical, current not actually                                           Smoking                              dinner jacket                                    Non-stop                             24 hours service                                              Sanitka                                ambulance                                    Ambulancia, ordinácia        doctor surgery          Sympatia                             empathy   not a sympathy                                        Protekcia                             nepotism  not a protection                                            Promócia                             graduation ceremony at university, not a promotion                Eventuelne                           possibly                                      The expression  láska  in Slovak  means  LOVE, in Polish it means   A STICK The expression  meškať in Slovak means  TO BE LATE, in Polish it means TO BE ACCOMODATED, TO LIVEThe expression  diváci  in Slovak means  AUDIANCE,  in Polish  it means  WILD BOARSThe expression  prassa in Polish means  PRESS, in Slovak it means  A PIGThe expression krásny in Slovak means BEAUTIFUL, in Russian it means REDAny more?

False Friends -  Faux Amis - Zradné slová

Verb sheet for writing out verbs for conjugating in Spanis

Woodvine , Dan

SPANISH VERB SHEET    Name: __________________________ Date: _________________________ Verb (infinitive) : _________________  Meaning/s: ________________________ Auxiliary verb: _____________________ Past participle: ______________________ Present participle: ______________________ SUBJECT PRESENT PRETERITE IMPERFECT FUTURE CONDITIONAL PRES’  SUB’ IMP’ SUB’ Yo        Tú        Él        Nosotros        Vosotros        Ellos          Verb (infinitive) : _________________  Meaning/s: ________________________ Auxiliary verb: _____________________ Past participle: ______________________ Present participle: ______________________ SUBJECT PRESENT PRETERITE IMPERFECT FUTURE CONDITIONAL PRES’  SUB’ IMP’ SUB’ Yo        Tú        Él        Nosotros        Vosotros        Ellos         

Spanish Verb Sheet

The booklet contains an outline of the different options givinging specific examples and illustrative case studies. The Teachers' Notes which accompany the booklet give some ideas about how to use this resource to help communicate the message to Sixth Form students in the process of making their future study choices.



You can download the pdf here or contact us at routes@aston.ac.uk to request hard copies

Stevenson, Kat

Opportunities for language learning –  a guide for students and parents  Teacher NotesThese teacher notes have been written to support the “Opportunities for language learning – a guide for students and parents” booklet which has been sent to your school/college.  They are aimed at teaching and support staff who are involved in providing information, advice and guidance to post-16 learners regarding the wide range of language learning opportunities available at university.  These notes suggest a range of ways in which the booklet and the information it contains can be used, along with sources of additional information and resources.The AimLanguage curriculum mapping carried out in the West Midlands by the regional Routes into Languages Consortium identified that students in KS3, KS4 and KS5 are taking an increasingly diverse range of language qualifications and courses within a wide range of curriculum and extra-curricular delivery models.   This has an impact both on the type and level of accreditation being achieved by learners, and on their experiences of language learning.  It can also be observed that HEIs are offering an increasingly wide range of language learning opportunities at different levels, of which potential undergraduates may not be aware.  It is therefore important to provide potential undergraduates, and all those who advise them, with up to date information on the full range of study opportunities available.The booklet aims to communicate the wide range of opportunities available for language learning at HE level to students, their parents and advisers, along with the importance of language skills.  It contains an outline of the different types of opportunities, specific examples of study options and a number of illustrative case studies.  How should it be used?At its most basic the booklet is a source of information primarily for post-16 students to support them in making decisions about university.  It should be accessible by all students, not just those studying a language.  We therefore recommend that a copy is located alongside other university information and prospectuses.  You will also have received a copy to be kept by teaching staff and an electronic version is available from the Routes into Languages West Midlands website www.routesintolanguages.ac.uk/westmidlands. The guide gives students a list of useful websites to visit if they want to find out more.  A number of these are also very useful for teachers and support staff as many have dedicated teacher sections and downloadable resources.  There are also a number of other ways in which the booklet can be utilised.•  Use by language department staff to encourage    language students to continue their studies at     university in some way•  Use by other subject areas to communicate to    students the value of language skills for many     careers and how language study can be linked or    included in other subject degrees.•  Disseminate during careers advice and at events.•  Disseminate during university advice sessions   and events.•  Tutor groups – tell your students about the booklet    and encourage them to read it.  Run related activities    described in these notes.•  Ask students to create a blog or podcast to tell others   about the opportunities available.•  Sixth form assemblies – tell students about the booklet   and encourage them to read it.  Ask a small group of    students to present some of the key information.•  Include information in sixth form newsletters, intranets or radio stations.•  Supplement the booklet with other available resources: - Why Study Languages? Presentation and resources available from www.llas.ac.uk - 700 reasons to study languages.  Available from   www.llas.ac.uk - The Cilt website contains a wide range of quizzes and   games. www.cilt.org.uk - The Languages Work resources bank can be found at   www.languageswork.org.uk• Turn the information contained in the booklet into a quiz – use an IWB and voting technology for     interactivity. •  Use the information to promote paired, group and    whole class discussions.  For example ask students to    think about why languages might be useful for specific    careers or to try and think of a career where     they would not be.Additional information and resources.The guide gives students a list of useful websites to visit if they want to find out more.  A number of these are also very useful for teachers and support staff as many have dedicated teacher sections and downloadable resources.  Cilt, the National Centre for Languages www.cilt.org.ukThe Subject Centre for Languages, Linguistics  and Area Studies  www.llas.ac.ukLanguages Work www.languageswork.org.ukAimhigher www.aimhigher.ac.ukConnexions www.connexions-direct.comTo find out more about the Routes into Languages and Links into Languages programmes and what is happening in your region please visit www.routesintolanguages.ac.ukwww.linksintolanguages.ac.uk

Opportunities for Language Learning - a guide for students and parents

A poster illustrating why to learn Japanese

Society, Shropshire Languages

           “Speaking together!”  What could YOU have in common with  Samaire Armstrong Hayao Miyazaki  Tamlyn Tomita  A bit of  a language can make a big difference Find out how to get started with  SHROPSHIRE LANGUAGES SOCIETY Contact us: info.shroplangs@gmx.com Find us on the internet at http://www.shropshirelanguages.org.uk Learn JAPANESE, the language of martial arts and discover the language of over 120 million people and one of the world’s largest economies SHROPSHIRE LANGUAGES SOCIETY 空手  今日は   We are a non-profit making organisation 

Why Learn Japanese

FAVOR Latvian Resource Vocabulary building with verbs Latvian has a number of prepositions which are also used as prefixes to change, slightly or even quite radically, the meaning of basic verb forms. As you get to know Latvian better, you are bound to notice the big range of verbs that can be used by ringing the changes of the prefixes, with subtle changes of meaning. Let’s learn a few. He is a list of prepositions and prefixes: if there is a hyphen after the prefix, it means it is a prefix only; if there is no hyphen, it is a preposition as well. There are also prepositions that are not used as prefixes, like ar ‘with’.  ap about, around at- back(wards) ie- in(to) iz- out (of) no from, off, away pa- once, momentary action pār over pie at sa- together, with uz on(to) With these prefixes you can create verbs with new meanings from the basic forms. Lauzt means ‘break’. Can you guess the meaning of: ielauzt, salauzt, uzlauzt?  Rādīt means ‘show. So what is: pierādīt, norādīt, uzrādīt? Nākt means ‘come’. Guess the meaning of: ienākt, pienākt, atnākt?  Braukt means ‘travel’. So what is: apbraukt, uzbraukt, pabraukt? Lidot means ‘fly’. What is the meaning of: salidot, atlidot, pārlidot? (Answers: Break in, break up, break open. Prove, indicate, present. Enter, approach, arrive, Fly together, arrive by air, fly over.)  

FAVOR Latvian verb building

Together with slide shows 2.2 and 2.3, this resource enables learners who know the alphabet to start reading and understanding words in Ukrainian. The notes contain some basic grammar explanations and a list of vocabulary used in the slides(A1)

Jenkala, Marta

A Taste of Ukrainian: 2. Ukrainian Language                                            © Marta Jenkala 2012  A Taste of Ukrainian 2.1. Understanding Ukrainian Words  Once you have learned the alphabet, you will find that you can immediately recognise many Ukrainian words. Every language has words in common with other languages, and it helps to remember that:  • the words in a family of languages e.g. French, Italian, Spanish (the Romance languages) have often developed from an earlier language, in this case, Latin; if you already know one of those languages, it should be easier to recognise words in a related language;  • many basic Ukrainian words have a lot in common with words in other European (and, sometimes non-European) languages, because they have developed from one or more earlier languages;  • if you already know another Slavonic language e.g. Polish, Slovak, Russian, Bulgarian etc., and know the main differences between the ways words developed from their Old Slavonic roots, you can work out the meanings of many common words, for example, if you remember that the «ві-» (or «во-») beginnings of many Ukrainian words of Slavonic origin translate into “o” in quite a few of their equivalents in other languages:  Ukrainian Polish Russian Slovak English він on он on he вікно okno окно okno window від od от od from від- (1500+ words!) od- от- od- prefix de-/re- відповідати odpowiadać отвечать odpovedat′ reply вогонь ogień огонь oheň fire вісім osiem восемь osem eight  A Taste of Ukrainian: 2. Ukrainian Language                                            © Marta Jenkala 2012   • words have been borrowed from other languages (usually, when a material object or concept is borrowed, the word from the original language goes with it!); these types of borrowings can be centuries old, or very recent indeed! Given below are some words Ukrainian has borrowed from other languages – it immediately becomes obvious that the language of a nation reflects its history and relations with other countries, nations and ethnic groups!  Language from which words have been borrowed Examples of words borrowed by Ukrainian Arabic  гашиш - hashish майдан – large square Chinese  чай – tea English (naval terms)  шквал - squall мічман - midshipman дрейф - drift шторм – storm English (sport & games)  футбол - football регбі – rugby теніс - tennis старт - start пенальті - penalty бридж - bridge (пів)тайм – (half)time English (industry, production, trade)  плед - plaid твід - tweed грейпфрут - grapefruit бренді - brandy брокер -  broker Finnish пельмені – pelmeni (dumplings) French (refinement, fashion and innovation)  абажур - lampshade пальто - overcoat платформа - platform сувенір - souvenir дирижабль – hot-air balloon шампунь – shampoo A Taste of Ukrainian: 2. Ukrainian Language                                            © Marta Jenkala 2012   German (administration, army, realia, owing to Western Ukraine being in the Austro-Hungarian Empire)  бухгальтер – book-keeper бюстгальтер - bra кегельбан – bowling alley шпацер – walk, stroll шинка – ham Greek (origins of Ukrainian Christianity, scholarship)  динозавр - dinosaur демократія - democracy гемісфера – hemisphere Italian   мараскін - maraschino граніт – granite граціозний – graceful цитаделя – citadel Japanese харакірі – harakiri Latin юстиція – justice Persian  хата – (village) house шакал - jackal чемодан - suitcase шахи – chess Spanish херес – sherry Turkiс (Turkish/Tatar contacts with Ukraine in the late Middle Ages and Cossack era) шаровари – wide cossack trousers (shalwar) шашлик – kebab (shashlik) шаман - shaman шербет - sherbet яничар - janissary ярлик – lassoo Yiddish (significant Jewish population) шмата – rag, piece of cloth (colloquial) хам - cad  A final point: just in case you get the wrong impression about Ukrainian vocabulary, there are lots of beautiful Ukrainian words of Slavonic origin that any student of the language needs to learn. If, though, you learn to look analytically at words right from the start, you can make life so much easier for yourself! A Taste of Ukrainian: 2. Ukrainian Language                                            © Marta Jenkala 2012  Vocabulary from the slide shows (2.2 and 2.3) All words in this list are given in their dictionary forms. In the slides they may have different endings, as required by the grammar.  Nouns мова - language день - day привіт - greeting(s) справа - affair, matter алфавіт - alphabet інформація - information слово - word  Adjectives український - Ukrainian добрий - good  Polite phrases Добрий день! - Good day! Привіт! - Hello! Як справи? - How are things? Добре. - Good (literally – Well) Дуже добре. - Very good. (literally – Very well)  Verbs знати - know (ви знаєте – you know) розуміти - understand (ви розумієте – you understand)  Adverbs добре - well дуже - very складно - difficult  Preposition про - about  Other words and phrases так - yes ні - no це - this (is) не - not Це (не) складно! - It’s (not) difficult! 