Face Up Magazine - May 2010

This full page article from Angela West looks at how to learn language quickly if you’re heading off on your holidays.  Angela writes: “Do you know your pommes frites from your pescado?  Whether you’re camping with your family in France, skydiving in Spain or clubbing in Croatia, even a few basic words in the language will go down well with the locals – and you might make a few new friends. Learning abroad?  Cactus is one of the world’s leading language training companies with courses in over 25 languages, in 45 countries worldwide.  Visit https://www.cactuslanguage.com.”

https://faceup.ie/

Is Spanish the new French?

Over the last few years Spanish has certainly overtaken German in the popularity stakes when it comes to GCSE and A Level learning, but French has always remained constant in its take-up. Could this be changing, though?

French, in particular, has long featured in the curriculum of most secondary schools, and even some primary ones. Whilst learning the language has always enabled people to live and work with French people, the reasons for teaching it in decades gone by were arguably less professionally-orientated than today. Being able to speak French always had a certain amount of prestige attached to it, which is perhaps historically why it was taught. In addition, with foreign travel more limited, France, our closest continental neighbour, was a popular holiday destination and people were encouraged to learn the basics to get by.

In the globalised world of today, it’s much easier to live and work abroad, and there are far more large, international companies with a need for foreign language speakers. Whilst French still plays an important role on the world stage, possibly the most useful language on a global scale is Spanish. Spanish gives you access not only to Spain, but also to the scores of countries on the South American continent that have Spanish as a first language.

French, and German for that matter, are fantastic languages that will hopefully continue to be taught in schools, even if just for the close historical links that France and Germany have to Britain. Learning a language gives you a great insight into the culture of the people who speak it, which shouldn’t be overlooked.

Given the number of Spanish speakers in the world, and the emergence of Latin America on the global commercial stage, is it right that students should be encouraged to learn Spanish as a first option?

Please leave us your comments below!

Read the BBC’s full article on A Level take-up by subject

Cactus offers evening language courses in the UK and the US, language courses abroad, and tailor-made language training

Tuscan Living Magazine - May 2010

This double-page spread written by Angela West covers her top tips on how to brush-up your Italian skills.  Angela writes: “Want to impress the locals?  Whether you’re starting from scratch or looking to improve your knowledge of Italian, there’s a whole wealth of language learning resources out there.  What’s more, you can combine your learning whilst wine tasting, capturing those beautiful Italian landscapes on canvas or aiming for a hole in one on the fairway.”

“It’s not all about sitting in a classroom. Language and activity courses are the perfect opportunity to combine language classes with a whole host of exciting activities, even if you’re a mature student.  Cactus Language Training believe that picking up a language is as much about getting out there and doing it as it is about learning verb tables, so they offer a variety of courses with morning language lessons, leaving the afternoons free to learn a new activity or indulge in an old favourite.  You can also give your body a workout, not just your brain, on a Language and Sport combination course.”

https://www.tuscanlivingmagazine.com/

Academic viewpoint: Learning a language through podcasts

As we all know, learning a language isn’t just about sitting in a classroom for 2 hours a week, hoping to absorb the information the trainer provides. It takes a bit more effort than that, but one of the main pitfalls we have is time, or rather the lack of it. However, for most people every day brings some minutes or hours spent unproductively – sitting on the bus or subway, or stuck in traffic – and what better use of that time than to brush up on some language.

Listening to short podcasts is very convenient, since we can use this learning tool at any time, for instance on our way home, during coffee breaks or even on holiday, to improve our language skills. A podcast is an audio file that is generally free and distributed on the Internet. There are now hundreds upon hundreds of short, interesting files that you can save to your MP3 player and listen to, ranging from basic grammar and vocabulary practice to news casts and lectures.

While podcasting is no alternative to a traditional face-to-face class, it provides good support material, and with authentic texts can help in a number of ways. ITunes has many options (go to https://lifehacker.com/software/language/learn-a-language-with-podcasts-225703.php

https://www.word2word.com/podad.html

https://www.learnitalianpod.com/

How can you use a podcast?

The content of many podcasts is based around a short dialogue, which is repeated for you to be able to listen a second or even third time. Here are some more specific ideas:

• If you’re about to go abroad on vacation, listen to the appropriate chapters of the podcast the day or week before, and learn some of the phrases you’ll need for different situations.

• For higher level students, try to find a podcast about a museum or location you will visit on your travels. Listening to commentaries about that place in the target language is useful and interesting.

• For fluency practice – mimic the voices on the podcast to improve your fluency.

• For specific new language focus – listen to a dialogue and use a dictionary to learn new words that aren’t in the podcast glossary.

• For pronunciation practice – listening and repeating key words and sounds on the podcast to improve accent and pronunciation, as the voices used are authentic speakers of the language.

• For examples of how to describe different lexical items – because of the detailed vocabulary list on the podcast the listener can follow how to give explanations and how to describe items.

• To practice reading aloud – using the PDF versions of the podcast.

• If you are having specific difficulty understanding the audio, you can read and listen at the same time, going through the dialogue a few times until you are more certain of the content. Then you can practise without the written support, developing your ‘ear’ for the language.

Happy podding!

If you want to brush up your language close to home, Cactus runs daytime, evening and weekend language courses in the UK and the US & Canada. For tailor-made, private tuition in your home or workplace, Cactus Language Training will gear a course to your specific needs and interests.

Cactus also runs language courses in more than 30 languages, 60 countries and 500 destinations worldwide. Courses are available from one week upwards, at all ages and levels, and can be combined with a range of fun activities ranging from surfing and diving to cooking and wine tasting.

Ciao for Now - Tatty Scott gives the final installment of her CELTA diary

It is mid-August and the Italian holiday of Ferragosto and Italy is on hold while every man, woman and child eats their own body weight on the hour, every hour.

In Milano, here at our rain-spattered apartment, the feasting included bresaola, a thinly-sliced air-dried beef which is apparently preferred to prosciutto and parma ham here in the fashionista capital as it has less fat. It’s served with rocket, parmesan, olive oil and lemon juice. Yummy. This was followed by Cotoletta alla Milanese, a dish very similar to wienerschnitzel, but which we made with pork.

Le cotolette were nearly a disaster after someone, ahem, forgot to buy eggs at the supermercato yesterday.  To try and remedy my forgetfulness I’d thought about leaving some milk out overnight in case it curdled and went yoghurty enough to bind the breadcrumbs. But fortunately a brainwave struck. While walking The Spaniel I passed a small pizzeria and in my few words of Italian, asked if I could buy an egg. And hey presto, pronto, prego – the breadcrumbs got stuck this evening, traditional-stylee.

And so, it’s over. Not just the king-sized dins, but the Cactus jamboree. Since we last spoke I have finished the CELTA and have been teaching. Yes, me, the person who couldn’t say her name in a room of strangers without getting butterflies just a few months ago.

There was a sort of breakthrough moment during week 4 of the CELTA. I had to deliver an unexpected, spontaneous, 20-minute class to our group of lovely/understanding/long-suffering pre-intermediate adults… and as I walked into the room something sort of clicked. I knew how to give instructions so that things worked. I knew how to move them around so they shared information seamlessly. When I spoke there was clarity of thought, not blind panic. All the pain and torment of the CELTA was starting to pay off. I don’t remember when my fear of public speaking first arrived, but I felt that a big part of it left that afternoon.

That was back in June. Since then I’ve been lucky enough to experience teaching children in summer camps and business English to adults here in Italy. I’d expected to get the most from teaching younger children aged 7 – 9, but it’s been the teenagers that have been the most rewarding.

Work has now finished for the summer and my CV is out at schools and colleges across the land. I cross everything that when the school management staff finish their August breaks, a smattering of calls and emails heads my way. I’ve found that TEFL job-hunting pages are abundant on the web. One really useful tip is to check out any schools you’re interested in via the search engines to see if they are blacklisted anywhere. There are schools who don’t pay or pay late or don’t pay you the hourly rate they offer you at the interview. Bleeping bleepers. For me, I continue the search and wait for September and lesson plan.

In fact in the last few weeks I’ve been a student again myself, studying Italian here in Milan, thanks to Cactus. It has been fascinating to observe a teacher with so many more years experience than me delivering language lessons, especially to a class of students that didn’t share a common language – we were from Turkey, Japan, China, Russia… I was the only English-speaker there. I found myself taking as many notes on how she did things as I did on conjugating essere and drilling the articles (they have 10! 10!!? At least 10 that I’ve encountered so far…)

This summer I’ve learned 1,000 things. One of them that has returned time and again is that to be a good CELTA teacher you need to have a working knowledge of your student’s mother tongue –not so you can function as a walking dictionary, but so you can understand and anticipate where your students might come unstuck. It is another thing on my long-list of Things I Need To Do To Become a Good Teacher.

Well, I’m off to let the belt out another few inches, take the ice cream out the freezer and put the coffee on.

Thank you Cactus 1,000 times over. The experience in Italy this summer has changed my life and there’s no way I could have done it without you.

To anyone thinking about jacking in the day job and setting of on a TEFL adventure to teach somewhere out there in the big wide world, it’s has some tough moments but it’s marvellous! Hope to see you out there!!

In bocca al lupo, one and all. Signing off,

Tatty Scott

Amazing Chartres: Les temps des cathédrales

An American friend and fellow student took me once on a discovery tour of Chartres, a cathedral place in North-Central France, accessible from the Parisian Gare Montparnasse within one hour. I’m still grateful to her for taking me to a place where you can plunge into the layers of time and into civilisations that had shaped France from the Ancient Gaul till the Modern Times.

The most amazing fact about the Cathédrale Notre-Dame de Chartres is that it unites contradictions at one and the same space. Ancient pagan sanctuary with traces of labyrinthine maps to worship the solar cycle similar to Stonehenge transformed into one of the gems of Christian cathedral culture, it is the incarnation of the Sacred, par excellence, whatever the form. Located in the Loire Valley, Chartres Cathedral has been a Christian religious and architectural icon since the eleventh century. This Gothic cathedral has survived wars, revolutions and even fire. Towering church spires, stained multi-coloured glass and the labyrinth will be offered to visitors’ admiration.

The linguistic difference between mazes and labyrinths can be discussed. Most people consider them to be synonyms, but unlike mazes, labyrinths have a single path, no dead ends, and one way in and out. In many world’s religions it symbolizes the journey of the spiritual seeker, the path one must walk in order to grow towards clarity and wisdom.

The Chartres Labyrinth measures 131 feet in diameter and its concentric circles to the center were used by monks and pilgrims for meditation. An amazing collection of stained glass offers depictions of the Bible scenes. The North Rose Window, West Rose Window, Blue Virgin Window and the Tree of Jesse are some of the most recognized stained glass windows in the world. Climb to the top of the tower stretching over 350 feet in height to admire its breathtaking panoramic view on wheat fields of l’Eure-et-Loir. You can also explore the Crypt. This eleventh century crypt is the largest in France offering an escape from the summer heat. By the way, guided tours of the Crypt are offered only in French.

During the Wars of Religion, it was attacked unsuccessfully by the Protestants in 1568. Chartres Cathedral marks the high point of French Gothic art. Its porches are adorned with fine sculptures from the middle of the 12th century making it truly a masterpiece.

The construction of the Cathedral started in 1205 following the destruction of the old cathedral of Chartres. Construction took 66 years.  It is considered one of the finest examples in all France of the Gothic style of architecture. Even before the early Gothic cathedral was built, Chartres was a place of Christian pilgrimage continuing the ancient spiritual tradition. For millennia Chartres was the main pilgrimage site in France with its ancient Pre-Christian roots, Druidic Black Madonna, relic of the Veil of the Virgin drawing pilgrims from all over Europe.

On the 24th of June the Catholic St John’s Day coincides with the ancient pagan Summer Solstice. Summer Solstice celebrations still present, for example, in the Baltics and Scandinavia as well as in France itself with its Fête de la musique inspired by carnival culture, is a special date in the Chartres Cathedral calendar. The maze located on the cathedral pavement floor represents a complex solar cycle scheme. Every year on the Summer Solstice, a beam of sunlight is focused through a lens in a stained-glass window dedicated to Saint Appollonaire, the Christianized version of the Roman Sun God Apollo. It illuminates a particular flagstone of the cathedral like in Saint Sulpice in Paris.

Don’t forget that Chartres is famous not only for its fascinating medieval sites. A small town with magical atmosphere like Cambridge and Salisbury in England remains at the same time a modern tourist place with a well developed infrastructure, fashionable shops and cosy cafés where you will enjoy every minute of it. 

For more information on the Our Lady of Chartres Cathedral and labyrinths a number of websites are available:

https://www.squidoo.com/labyrinths

https://www.lessons4living.com/chartres_labyrinth.htm

https://whc.unesco.org/en/list/81

https://www.ehow.com/how_4516800_enjoy-chartres-cathedral.html

https://interfaithmarianpilgrimages.com/pages/Chartres.htm

https://www.chartreslabyrinthtours.com/

https://www.stlyrics.com/lyrics/notredamedeparis/tempsdescathedrales.htm



Cactus offers French courses at a variety of levels in nearby Paris, Rouen and Tours. For further information or to book please visit the Cactus Language website.

Spanish evening course in Brighton: Cactus staff experience

My Cactus colleagues who speak several languages fluently inspired me to learn another language, and due to my personal preferences I decided to learn Spanish. I was very excited after booking my first course and was thrilled at the thought of being able to speak another language.

Now, I have already completed 3 Spanish evening courses in Brighton and I’m looking forward to joining another course in October. My teachers at every level were very friendly and helpful, and the classes were fun and engaging – we played many games which were always a hit with the class.

As I progressed to higher levels, my vocabulary improved and I started feeling more comfortable with the language, but I should admit that I haven’t been very good at doing homework and practising outside the classroom. Even though just attending the classes has helped, it isn’t enough if you want to get most out of your course, which I realised just after completing two courses.

I think it’s important to explore the kind of learning you would personally prefer outside of class and follow it. I don’t really like just reading course books, so I wanted to do something different to just reading and writing in my free time.

I love movies so I watched two Spanish movies during my last course – Regresar and Apariencias, which are both South American movies. Watching these movies has been entertaining as well as a learning experience. I am also thinking about registering with Blockbuster as as they have several Spanish (and other world cinema) movies for rent. I also like online games, so I searched for websites which offer free online games and found Digital Dialects, which is a good website with lots of games to practise vocabulary and verbs.

I am sure if you identify what works best for you, learning a language would be more rewarding and enjoyable than you think.

Do you agree with me? Please post your comments and share your experiences.

Cactus runs Spanish evening courses in Brighton and other cities across the UK. Courses are also available in the US and Canada.

Those wishing to practise their newfound language skills abroad can take a Spanish course in locations across Spain and Latin America. Learning a language in the country where it’s spoken is the ideal way to immerse yourself in the language and culture.

5 top destinations to visit this autumn – alternative languages

For you, we’re listing our recommendations of the best language course locations in the rest of the world this autumn.

1. Rabat, Morocco

An exotic, imperial city sitting on Morocco’s Atlantic coast, Rabat is a combination of Arabic tradition and European elegance. Its origins date back to the 7th century, yet it is a relaxed and well-kept city with wide, tree-lined boulevards, parks, embassies and government buildings. Visit Rabat in the autumn and you’ll be treated to mild and mostly dry weather, avoiding the summer heat and the winter rain – perfect if you want to dedicate yourself to learning Arabic and exploring this fascinating city.

Arabic courses in Rabat, Morocco

2. Hong Kong, China

Hong Kong is one of Asia’s most dynamic cities, a busy, 24-hour hotbed of Chinese tradition and Western influence. From deep fried fish balls on a street corner to cocktails in a high-rise hotel, from early morning tai chi to late night partying, from a commuter ferry across the harbour to a leisurely tram ride up Victoria peak, the city offers a million and one experiences in a day.

Chinese Mandarin Courses in Hong Kong, China

Chinese Cantonese courses in Hong Kong, China

3. Fukuoka, Japan

Revealed as the 12th most livable city in the Monocle Quality of Life Survey 2015, Fukuoka comes into its prime during the autumn as the temperature is pleasant and mild. It is also the perfect time to visit the city’s stunning Yusentei Japanese Garden, the leaves turning a spectacular fire red and burnt orange in colour, and its Komyozenji Temple, a perfect place to take off your shoes, sit on the wooden veranda and contemplate a moment of tranquility. As for Fukuoka, this is one of Japan’s most important and influential cities, with a stunning location surrounded by mountains and sea – a great place to base yourself this autumn to learn Japanese.

Japanese courses in Fukuoka, Japan

4. Porto, Portugal

There’s a lot more to Porto than the Port wine for which it is famous – though it would of course be rude not to sample this delicious drink upon visiting. The capital of the Norte region in Portugal, Porto boasts a stunning historic centre, the Ribeira district, which is a Unesco World Heritage site of cobbled streets, winding lanes and wonky staircases, a true delight to explore.

Portuguese courses in Porto, Portugal

5. St Petersburg, Russia

St Petersburg is chock-full of tourists in the summer, but by autumn the crowds have dissipated and you can enjoy art at the Hermitage Museum, ballet at the Mariinsky Theatre and walking along the River Neva at your own pace. Built by Peter the Great, this fascinating city is distinctly European in style but it will always be the City of the Tsars, steeped in legend and intrigue.

Russian courses in St Petersburg, Russia

Cactus runs language courses worldwide in more than 30 languages, 60 countries and 500 destinations.

Pick up some of the language before you go – especially advantageous with these harder languages listed above – with our daytime, evening and weekend language courses in the UK.

Top 10 things to see and do in Milan

Milan has plenty to offer in terms of sights and attractions, but here are our top ten recommendations on what to see and do when you visit.

1. Scale Milan’s iconic Duomo

Located right in the very centre of Milan is its famous Duomo (cathedral), reputed to be one of the largest churches in the world. An amazing 3,500 statues and 135 spires adorn the gigantic marble structure that was 500 years in the making. A look around the interior of the cathedral is well worth your while, although an even more impressive sight is that which you can get from the roof! Fortunately, there is a lift in operation to take you up – you don’t have to brave the stairs – and when you reach it you’ll be able to see not only the cityscape of Milan, but also the beautiful Italian Alps in the distance.



2. Get a look at The Last Supper

Leonardo de Vinci’s The Last Supper has long been of the most famous paintings in the world, but following its inclusion in Dan Brown’s best-seller, ‘The Da Vinci Code’ it attracts more interest than ever before. The painting is housed in Milan’s church of Santa Maria della Grazie, and is by far one of the city’s most popular tourist attractions. At busy times you will need to buy a ticket in advance – you will be assigned a 15 minute slot in which to view the masterpiece.

3. Experience one of Italy’s true passions at the San Siro stadium

Food? Fashion? Football…Italians simply love their football. The San Siro Stadium is home to two of Italy’s most successful, well-loved, and, as it happens, competitive clubs! AC and Inter Milan are local rivals, yet they share the iconic 85,000 seater stadium. Even if you can’t make it to an actual match, a visit to the stadium will still give you access to tour and to the on-site museum. Quite simply a must for any football fan.

4. Indulge yourself with some window shopping in the Quadrilatero d’Oro (Golden Rectangle)

Milan is known as Italy’s fashion capital, and as such has some great shopping options. Unfortunately, many of them require a reinforced wallet and some very sparkly plastic, and are quite simply out of bounds to the average tourist. But, it can’t hurt to look! Pressing your nose against the shop windows will probably not endear you to the shop assistants, but it will give you a glimpse of some real-life Prada, Armani, Versace, Dolce & Gabbana, and Valentino…and of the rich and famous who totter in and out.

5. Visit one of the world’s oldest and most elegant shopping precincts

Continuing along the shopping theme, you may want to pay a visit to the central Galleria Vittorio Emanuele II. Again, it’s definitely geared towards a certain type of shopper, but even if you can’t afford to buy anything, it’s well worth a look. Opened in 1867, its designer Giuseppe Mengoni pioneered its complex composition of iron and glass 20 years before the Eiffel Tower was built. The ceiling vaults are decorated with mosaics representing Asia, Africa, Europe and America and at ground level there are mosaics representing the areas local to Milan too. Prada’s flagship store has been here since 1913, and is now also joined by Gucci and Louis Vuitton.

6. Enjoy some authentic ‘aperativi’ at one of Milan’s bars and cafes

Anyone new to Italy, or to Italian culture, may not be familiar with the concept of ‘aperativi’. Said to originate in Milan itself, ‘aperativi’ are free buffets provided for people who drink in bars or cafes during the early evening.  How substantial the gastronomic offerings are really depends on the bar, but often you can eat enough to fill you up for the rest of the night! Milan has a massive array of bars and cafes that all offer this – take your pick and enjoy some tasty and authentic Italian food with a relaxing evening drink.

7. Discover Milan’s canals in bohemian Navigli

It would be misleading to imply that Milan has canals on a Venetian scale, but the vibrant Navigli district in Milan does have two –one of which was designed by Leonardo da Vinci. Located in the south of the city, the Navigli was not traditionally one of the most attractive parts of town, but in the last few years it has become one of the most popular areas. It has scores of bars, restaurants, boutiques and galleries, and is particularly fashionable amongst Milan’s ‘creative’ crowd. 

8. Visit the Theatre Museum at La Scala

Milan’s impressive famous opera house, La Scala is well worth a visit in its own right, of course, but in reality opera tickets can be very expensive and difficult to come by. A good alternative therefore is to head to the La Scala Museum, which will give you access to the theatre and help you imagine the atmosphere at one of the world-class performances. In addition, you’ll get to learn about the history of the opera house through an extensive collection of musical instruments, portraits, busts and documents dedicated to some of the world’s greatest musicians.

9. Visit the Pinnacoteca di Brera art museum

The collection at this Milan art museum covers works by some of Italy’s most famous and influential artists from the 13th to the 20th centuries. Highlights include Caravaggio’s Supper at Emmaus and Piero della Francesca’s Virgin and Child with Saints . There’s also a studio of plaster casts and drawings, and contemporary works to explore.

10. Take a look around Milan’s acclaimed aquarium

Milan’s aquarium is one of the oldest and the largest in the whole of Italy. 36 enormous pools are filled with more than 100 different species of fish, living in recreated environments ranging from the Amazon to the Mediterranean. There’s also a terrarium with amphibians. The aquarium’s library is one of the most important resources for marine biology and oceanic studies in Italy and is also accessible to the public. A really good option for a rainy day, or a family day out.



Cactus offers General, Individual, Combined, Intensive and Business Italian courses in Milan at a variety of levels. Also available are language and fashion design courses, and language and work experience programmes.

School trips for the new school year

With students fresh from holidays and the new school year upon us, this is the perfect time for parents and teachers to start thinking about school trips abroad for the next academic year.

For students studying a language there can be no better opportunity to bring the language to life than speaking it in the country where it’s spoken. A language trip abroad is a valuable chance to put into practice all those years of language learning, outside the confines of the traditional classroom, and give real purpose to the language they have learnt so far. Students will receive instant reward and gratification as they make themselves understood and have real-life conversations in their target language, something that can only encourage and motivate further. Read more