Grotta Gigante: a must-see if studying Italian in Venice

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Studying Italian in Venice this winter? Don’t miss the opportunity to visit the Giant Cave! Just a 2 hour trip up to the Triestian city of Carso will bring you to the wondrous Grotta Gigante, the “world’s largest tourist cave” according to Guinness World Records. Below is my first experience visiting La Grotta Gigante.

Well, let me start off by saying that I am terrified of heights! So, as you might imagine, I was feeling a bit reluctant to visiting a place that is 130 meters deep and with over 500 stairs to descend! However, the allure of mystery that this 10 million year old cave exudes, with its constant 11°C temperature, and its extreme stalagmite/stalactite formations (some 30m long) made it a must-see, regardless of my fears.

The Grotta Gigante, situated in the hilly Trieste Region of Carso, first opened to the public in 1908 and was lit by oil lamps, with only one way to both enter and exit. Now, thanks to researchers and courageous excavators, there exists another exit leading to a smaller cave, where Neolithic man and giant bear fossils were found completely preserved due to the temperature constant. And it’s only another couple of hundred stairs up!

I must admit that I truly had no idea of the breathtaking wonder I was about to witness. Once my legs stopped trembling, I was able to experience one of the great marvels of the world (or at least it should be!). It was like being on a movie set, it seemed unreal. Ten million years of water erosion naturally created this spectacular cave, equipped with plant life (which is able to photosynthesize because of the fluorescent lights).

If you are planning on visiting northern Italy any time soon, you cannot miss the chance to visit the Grotta Gigante – just remember to bring your running shoes!



Cactus runs Italian courses in some 20 locations across Italy, as well as part-time evening language courses in the US & Canada and the UK.

Cactus-to-Conference update from Fiona James

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“When Cactus contacted me recently I couldn’t believe that another six months had passed since writing my first reflections on what Iatefl had done for me and my teaching. I asked that they bear with me until after the weekend when I go to our little country place to the north of Cordoba in the south of Spain. It is here, where I write now, that I am most able to switch off from teaching and professional commitments and relax in the gorgeous rural surroundings with my family. Yet funnily enough, detached from the world and my day to day reality, this is the place where I often find myself generating my most creative ideas. I put this down to creating the distance between ourselves and our routine responsibilities, which allows us, or at least me to see things from a bird’s eye view as it were, from a new angle, with a fresh perspective, (something I touched on in my first article) – and that is precisely what I tell myself I should offer in this follow-up article.

Sadly many of the wonderful ideas I wanted to put into practice on my return have fallen through the sieve and only a handful, in comparison to those that impressed me, have found themselves sprinkled into the classroom. I am learning that it is impossible to put everything into practice and that the most important thing is to prioritize with what we consider to be key areas that can serve us and our students well, depending on where we and they are at any one time. Needless to say there is no shortage of teaching ideas available to us within a few clicks of a mouse or from colleagues, friends and mentors. I am having to learn to balance such an intense input of ideas in relation to the immediate demands of the individuals who have trusted in me to assist them in their learning of English. Neither have I accessed writings, as I intended to do, from some of those who I found truly inspiring at Iatefl – but there is time for everything and at the appropriate moment I know I will seek out what I need. What truly makes a lasting impression, I believe is never lost, only put on standby until the time is ripe.

Despite my relatively short teaching experience, I have a clear vision of one day becoming involved in teacher training. Before going to Iatefl, I debated a great deal on whether or not to submit a speaker proposal as I thought that organizing a workshop, which could be of any real interest to others, was somewhat premature, and could even be perceived as over-zealous, bordering on presumptuous by others who have been in the profession for much longer. (I am still wondering if this is a “reality” and whether interested people would really question this, or whether it is a distortion based on my own self-limiting views….) For me, it was a daunting idea to think that I could hope to offer anything of any value alongside the great names we are all familiar with at such a prestigious event. 

However I was gratefully swayed in my final decision to go ahead by three very inspiring people:  the first was Bonnie Tsai, whom I met at Pilgrims in 2009; she told me that that she considered that being a teacher trainer is more about having the right attitude, regardless of the number of years of experience, (by no means underestimating having the necessary requirements of knowledge and skills for such an important undertaking). The second person was Chaz Pugliese, whom I met for the first time a few years ago at ACEIA, the yearly Andalusian teacher conference in Seville. He told me that if I was really interested in becoming involved in teacher training, the best way to start was to offer myself to give in-service teacher training workshops at the places I work and to give workshops at conferences. Last but not least was my dear friend Sylvia Velikova, teacher and teacher trainer, whom I met on an NLP course at Pilgrims. Sylvia professed to seeing me as a teacher trainer in the making. So, bang on the deadline I sent off my proposal, which, to my surprise and added boost to my self-confidence, was accepted and even included in the TDSig special day agenda.

Well before the event I set about developing a workshop based on the theme of “The Power of Choice in the Classroom” and the whole process, prior to the event, was one of constant reflection, research and experimentation. The element of choice has since become one of the pillars of my teaching. Although the outcome of the speaker proposal was to deliver the workshop, the fact is that the stages leading up to the conference served a much greater purpose, namely that of self-reflection of my teaching practice, which continues to propel me forward to constantly question what I am doing as a teacher and how I can achieve the best possible outcome for my students, to fine-tune what works best and reassessing what doesn’t. My subsequent participation as a speaker at the conference served to make my first Iatefl experience even more unforgettable in many ways and indeed inspired me to offer further workshops in the future. I consider that even if only one person gained a new insight from my perspective, all the efforts were more than worth it, not to mention the enormous personal benefit and deepened insight I gained from the experience.

Moreover the process seems to have marked the beginning of a self-fulfilling prophecy of becoming a teacher trainer. I was recently approached by a small group of private schools to organize teacher training sessions with both their non-native teachers and their management team for this academic year. This outcome strengthens my belief that when we believe we can do something and work towards achieving our goal, providence moves with us. It is with this positive note that I would like to encourage you to believe and follow your dreams, to freely share your ideas with those around you, however trivial they may sometimes seem. We are all unique and we can all offer something of value, no matter how small we may appear to ourselves. But a word of caution – “Be careful about what you want, you might get it” (Emerson).”

Cactus reveals the winner of the 2011 Cactus-to-Conference IATEFL Scholarship

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Cactus is very pleased to announce that Camilla Heath is the lucky winner of the 2011 Cactus-to-Conference IATEFL Scholarship.  Camilla’s scholarship entry was the clear winner out of the dozens submitted and she’ll now get the opportunity to attend the conference next year, become an IATEFL member and promote her teaching career.

The Cactus-to-Conference Scholarship was created in 2009 to enable one new EFL teacher the opportunity to become a member of IATEFL (the International Association of Teachers of English as a Foreign Language), and to attend the yearly conference.  While all EFL teachers are eligible for IATEFL membership, in reality it’s not something that a newly qualified teacher can afford, so Cactus’ scholarship offers a unique opportunity to network and gain greater knowledge about the ELT profession.

Scholarship entrants this year were asked to draft a short article about their experiences of their best lesson.  Camilla’s winning description of a particularly good day at work caught the judges’ attention and explained concisely the hugely rewarding aspects of the job.

My Best Lesson

My best lesson still makes me smile if I think about it: it is absolutely necessary to remember the good times in order to counteract the bad ones! At the end of the lesson, I smiled at my learners and the whole class – all thirty of them – grinned back at me: we had all learnt something during the 150-minute lesson.

I had decided to make a role-play game to get the whole class speaking English together. Every learner had received a character card from me with their new name on it and the details that they would need in order to find a partner in the class. I had organised the class so that the desks were in twos and facing each other. On my desk I had a bell which I would ring at regular intervals to get the learners to move seats if they had not found a partner and look for a new one using their personal character cards.

My learners are between 14 and 15 years old who all have artistic talent and are accepted into the school on the assumption that they will go on to do something creative in their lives. The school is a Co-Ed Montessori school in Amsterdam that was founded in the 1960’s and is unique in its approach to learners and education.

The class came into the ramshackle Portakabin room and sat at their desks, grumbling about the arrangement as they were all out of their comfort zones. On the desks were their cards that they all immediately picked up and started reading. The characters are all very varied in every respect from age to profession to likes or dislikes. Some of the learners asked me how they were supposed to get into a character who was 104 years old and blind or a five-year old. I said that if they met the right person, it would probably be automatic. I explained the ‘speed-dating’ idea and gave them two minutes to sit at a table and talk to the person opposite to see if there was a match or not.

After ringing the bell to signal the swapping around of learners, I realised two things. Everyone one of the children was speaking animated English – trying to find their partner – and that some of the learners had already paired up. I interviewed the already formed couples and asked them why they liked each other so much. The answers that came back were varied: liking the same food was important or having the same pastimes but mainly because they literally spoke the same language – they communicated enough to be able to find out about each other.

At the end of the lesson, we talked about what had worked. The learners said that they enjoyed being able to use the language that they already had learned and I saw the one thing that they really wanted to do – socially interact.

If you are interested in being considered for future Cactus-to-Conference Scholarships, please find more information here: https://www.iatefl.org/scholarships/cactus-to-conference

The advantages of using a language training company for your language learning needs

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Here are some of the reasons why:

Flexibility and convenience

Language training companies can provide a huge variety of options when it comes to the format, frequency and focus of your lessons. They will discuss with you what you hope to achieve from the lessons, the time available, the levels of the potential students, and most importantly, your budget. Before the lessons begin, the language level and needs of the students will be assessed to ensure that the lessons are suitable and relevant to them.

The lessons might be delivered in your offices, online, over the phone, at the language training company, or even in the homes of individual members of your staff – whichever is most convenient. Some language training companies also have centres in other countries where students can be immersed in the language they’re studying, which is the most effective way to learn a language.

Specialist focus

The lessons can focus on teaching the language for particular areas relevant to your business, or can aim to raise general language proficiency. They are often asked to do this in a short space of time and do their best to fit as much into the lessons as possible. The lessons may also incorporate advice on business etiquette and other aspects of culture, or they may focus specifically on cultural training, which is very useful for staff who will be making regular visits to another country, or who are planning to relocate there.

Some language training companies create tailor-made language learning materials for individual companies in the form of textbooks, CDs, CD-ROMs and/or DVD. These might be designed for use in the lessons or for self-study. Detailed reports on the students’ progress are usually provided, and students can also be prepared for language proficiency exams.

Diverse range of languages and native-speaker teachers

Language training companies can usually arrange lessons in a wide range of languages, and with sufficient notice may be able to find tutors for just about any language. At training companies like Cactus, you can be sure that all tutors are native-speakers of the language they teach, and also that they are experienced and proficient at what they do. In fact, Cactus has a dedicated Academic Department to deal with teacher recruitment – expressly to ensure that this is the case.

Good return on investment

As this type of language training is very focused and designed to meet specific needs and abilities, it is often more effective than conventional lessons in language schools. It can also work out less expensive – particularly if tuition is provided for small groups of employees.

More about tailor-made language training with Cactus

Cactus announces winner of 2010 Suzanne Furstner Foundation Scholarship

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Introduced in 2007 in memory of a friend and colleague who was tragically lost in a road accident, the Suzanne Furstner Foundation supports language and educational training across the world. Every year since its introduction, the foundation has funded a scholarship enabling one budding TEFL teacher to take a training course to help them on their way.

The TEFL course has been offered in a different place each year – firstly in Spain, then in Mexico, last year in Italy and this year in fantastic San Francisco.

All scholarship applicants are assigned a task, involving both a language awareness exercise and some creative writing based around the TEFL course destination. This year, the standard of entries was as high as ever, and Simon fought off some stiff competition to take the top spot. His piece was not only original, it was also interesting, funny and engaging. We are sure that his linguistic creativity will help him become a fine TEFL teacher, and wish him luck with his CELTA course in San Francisco.

Congratulations Simon!

Here is his winning entry in full for you to enjoy.

San Francisco – A Flyway

“Only one is a wanderer. Two together are always going somewhere.”; Not an endorsement for bilingualism, but a voice reverberating around a council house living room in West Suffolk. A nine year old boy watches a woman, on a knackered eighties model television, confess her love on a San Franciscan street in Alfred Hitchock’s Vertigo. I’d been aware of San Francisco from a young age for a few reasons, in part due to my mother who was an ex-hippie, then living what she now refers to as a “conformed life” (she now resides in a mobile home in Norfolk). She’d often muse about being a little older so she could have been there in San Francisco during the Summer of Love. Then there was my Grandmother, a force of nature that would pass through our home regularly, often talking about her “women’s problems” – how she was constantly hot because the birth of my mother had forever altered her blood flow, and how ever since her menopause she’d been even hotter. A doctor had told her that the cool, sunny San Franciscan climate would be perfect for her condition, especially during the foggy summers; “No more sweat’n over noth’n” she’d say in a broad East Anglian accent. Then there was my Great Grandmother, who used to make us watch these old films in the first place, especially the detective ones. Two of her favourites – The Maltese Falcon and Vertigo both acquainted me with Golden Gate City. She’d routinely have an afternoon sherry or three, doze off and leave me and my brother in the company of Sam Spade as he chased crooks around the Bay Area. Four generations under one roof, every Sunday. Perhaps it was these early screen impressions, the white streets and cable cars, or later interests in counterculture and San Fran Beat poetry that fuelled my wanderlust for California. More likely, was that the West coast sunshine and salty air of the Pacific seemed, and still does, like the antidote to low grey skies, English cynicism and the monotony of working class life. I’m perfectly aware this is probably an invented hyperreality. I’m also conscious of the fact the grass isn’t always greener, and that the voyage to enlightenment is internal, I Ching and so forth – I don’t care, I want to fly.

My relationship with language is more experiential and personal. I was born in Puglia, Italy to a very young English mother and an Italian father. After an illicit but passionate romance between the two of them that ended with the same posthaste and irrationality with which it began, I was back in England with my mother. I saw my father sporadically, and our early time spent was tender if not rather comical. I didn’t speak Italian, as my mother refused to teach me on principle, and although a man of good nature, my father was a labourer from south Italy – languages were not his strong point. Our quiet time together was filled with physical gestures and decipherment, not dissimilar to silent-era Laurel and Hardy sketches. Although I gradually began to understand the regular questions; “Inglese mangiano questo?” (English people eat that?), “Quando viene in Italia?” (When are you coming to Italy?), and “Chi era quell’uomo a casa?” (Who was that man at your Mum’s house?) it was thanks to the later summers spent in Italy with my colossal paternal family that I learnt Italian. I remember all the phases of learning vividly, especially the early impatience and frustration of not being able to express myself coherently – particularly to my father, for whom I had so many questions. (Fret not prospective pupil, for the routine banging of one’s head in vexation upon hard surfaces is not an action this TEFL teacher is unaccustomed to.) Yet after nine years of seasonal holidays, I was finally able to confidently speak Italian. Thereafter I spent more time with the people and the Adriatic region I love. By which time ironically, the questions I had always wanted to ask my father had lost importance. Learning Italian taught me the unifying potential of language, and its ability to open up new worlds.

I was on a knee-crushing economy flight back from Puglia last summer when I was seated next to a Lecturer from the Università di Bari. We exchanged pleasantries before, seeing as I’m English, the inevitable topic of language arose. The gentleman expounded enthusiastically on the importance of French philosopher Jaques Lacan – He rhapsodised on Lacan’s theory that language was our world, how it dictated our thoughts and actions fundamentally and how the two axes of language; substation and displacement – correspond to the working of the unconscious; “It is the world of words that creates the world of things”. What I found most fascinatingwas the idea that when we have feelings or thoughts that are indescribable linguistically, it’s because we have transcended these mental barriers. When learning Italian, what struck me the most was the words and phrases that didn’t have a precise English translation – I couldn’t truly capture what I wanted to express. More interestingly, was the fact I was able to understand these expressions in Italian to begin with. So here’s my own theory; if by learning another language, one can think in another language and adopt more dimensions of expression, thereby dissolving more of these mental barriers semiotically, then one can expand the understanding of one’s own mind and one’s own reality. I find the idea of being a part of such a process by teaching a language to someone indescribable. (Pompous theorising over)

What is describable is my current situation. I’m approaching twenty-five and my feet are itching. University is over, I’m flat broke, and I’m standing at a fork in the road. So like my Nonna Lucia used to say while watching the indigenti from her balcony; “If you don’t have money in your pocket, you better have honey in your mouth.” Hopefully my words here have been sweet enough. A TEFL course could certainly make them sweeter, and provide enough nectar for those I teach to make their words sweeter still. Brazen desire and optimism maybe all I have to offer, but I am ready. Like the the Shorebirds that migrate to the Sacramento Valley and tidal marshes of San Francisco every autumn, I want to fly, if only for a month, to the City By The Bay. To quote a great San Franciscan poet;

Say it, say a new joy,

a fresh start, a new body.

Longing in the heart

too stark

to be denied!

Cactus uses a so-called ‘full immersion’ method of teaching. What are the benefits of this?

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What is Full Immersion?

Full immersion in language learning refers to the foreign language (the ‘target’ language) being taught in that language, with no other language being used during the teaching. It is the preferred method for Cactus’ teachers, and is also used amongst Cactus’ partner schools abroad.

We could say that it is learning a foreign language the same way we learned our native language: by ‘living’ it. The student doesn’t only study the language – they live it, in an exclusively target-language speaking environment: the classroom. A well designed, full immersion course can surround students in the language, giving them opportunities to speak and hear it and, most importantly, teach them not to depend on translation for understanding.

Where did Full Immersion originate?

Full Immersion is originally a teaching method where non-language curriculum subjects, such as history, art or science, are taught in a foreign language. The foreign language is learnt alongside the non-language subjects. The first full immersion programmes, in French, began in the USA and Canada in the 1950s and 1960s.

The approach has been found to be successful in language teaching, with students showing better progress, learning more, and more quickly.

How do teachers use the Full Immersion approach?

Good teachers are able to make themselves understood without using the students’ language, even at Beginner level. They use gestures, pictures, objects, dialogues and other means of getting the message across. And they always teach ‘in context’. Students know from the context what is likely to be said – there are only so many variations on what people say to each other in a restaurant, in a shop, at a party and so on. So students already understand what would be said in that context in their own language and are then receptive to learning the target language forms. As the level advances, simple explanation is effective in helping to get meaning across, as long as it is within the range of what the students can comprehend.

Right from the beginning, target ‘classroom language’ is used, ‘open your books’, ‘I’ll write it on the board’, ‘what’s the word for x’, and so on, and students can then generalise their understanding of much useful language in this context over to new contexts.

Teachers will move from a more controlled method of teaching to free practice during the class, so that students feel supported when they start to learn new grammar and lexis. As they become more familiar with it the teacher will give less and less reinforcement, so that by the end they are able to ‘do it alone’. Rather like riding a bicycle and taking off the training wheels, improvement is smooth and progressive.

What is the student’s role?

Sometimes it’s difficult for people who are new to the method to understand how it works – particularly with beginner learners. It’s ideal if the students are aware beforehand of what to expect. However, even if students don’t know what to expect, a good teacher will make it easy for them by teaching from Day 1 through means that make the meaning clear. Students have to work hard. It is so easy to freeze and panic and think they will never understand. A good teacher knows this and helps by encouragement and demonstration and example. Importantly, students need to go over what was covered in class immediately after the class and again the evening before the next class: this revision is essential to make it stick. And students should always ask teachers if, after putting in some effort, they still don’t understand.

Students should be prepared to speak up and take risks and not be afraid to get it wrong; students should just say whatever seems ‘right’, and keep trying: they will learn from their own and their classmates’ mistakes, along with judicious correction from the teacher.

Is learning through Full Immersion similar to how we learnt our own language?

Although there are differences between the way we learn our own language as a child, and the way we learn a second or subsequent language as an adult, there are many similarities, and immersion learning exploits these similarities. Hearing and seeing language in context, simple listening and repeating, and trying things out and receiving feedback are features common to learning our first language and learning a second language in an immersion setting.

The secret is to ‘train’ yourself to ‘think’ in the target language, and to resort to translation as little as possible. Initially, students think in their own language, translating somewhere between the thought and the spoken word, until eventually there comes a point where suddenly the thinking is happening in the new language – (and even, some say, the dreaming! )

On the other hand, translation is in fact a natural resort for students when they are trying to fully understand a word or phrase in a foreign language. If used deliberately and appropriately and in moderation by the teacher, translation can be very useful in the language learning process. It’s a question of balance.

What about learning the culture of the target language country?

Ideally, full immersion would mean full contact with the culture too, such as may be experienced in the target language country. However, students don’t have to go abroad to experience the target language culture. In a good class, the student will learn much more than just grammar, sentence structure and vocabulary, also getting a good idea of the history, culture and sociological aspects of the target culture. At Cactus we take the view that the teacher is the student’s connection with the culture, and the classroom is the world of the target language for the learner. Class time is short, so this language world needs to make the most of all the time available to surround the student in the language: to fully immerse them.

What are the advantages of Full Immersion, in a nutshell?

There are many advantages to learning in this way, but the main benefits of the Full Immersion approach are:

1.  You learn faster! Once used to the method, you should pick up pieces of vocabulary more naturally and quickly.

2.  You learn to speak more naturally. This method trains you to think in the target language, not translate word for word.

3.  You’ll have the confidence to use what you have learned. Because you are ‘living’ the language in the classroom, you will be better prepared to use it in ‘real’ scenarios.

4.  You will understand the spoken language. Because you are used to hearing the language spoken, you will be able to understand it in real-life situations.

5.  You develop good pronunciation. You get maximum exposure to the language and are encouraged you to use it, helping you to develop speech patterns and pronunciation.

6. You gain a cultural insight into the language and the people who speak it.

7.  It’s fun! You will be using the new language straight away, which is a lot more motivating, engaging and fun than studying language theory.

Cactus offers a range of part-time language courses in locations around the UK and North America. We also work with language schools all over the world to provide language courses at a range of levels, lengths and formats. For anyone interested in a more bespoke type of training course, we also offer tailor-made and corporate language training options all over the world. 

Top 10 language and activity courses for the winter months

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For anyone already very accomplished and passionate about the activity that they choose, these courses offers a great opportunity to meet like-minded people and learn how those from different countries and cultures view and appreciate the sport/hobby. Not only this, you will have the great satisfaction of being able to talk about your activities in a foreign language…

When the days are short and spring still a long way off, here’s our pick of courses that will help quell those winter blues!

1. French and skiing in Annecy, France

If there’s nothing that puts a smile on your face quite like gliding through the great outdoors with the sun on your face and the powder at your feet, why not opt for a French and weekend skiing course in Annecy. Studying here – one of Haute-Savoie’s finest spots – will give you access to the slopes, the shops and some of Savoie’s finest gastronomic delights.

2. Spanish and photography in Jaco Beach, Costa Rica

There can be few better places on the earth for a photography course than Costa Rica – its bright colours and stunning landscapes can’t fail to produce amazing photography, whether you’re the next David Bailey, or your photos are limited to disposable cameras at the annual Christmas party.

3. Spanish and kitesurfing in Sosua, Dominican Republic

The Dominican Republic remains one of the most popular tourist spots in the Caribbean, and with good reason. It offers great weather, affordable prices and fantastic watersports options. Anyone who prefers to be in the water rather than beside it would do well to try their hand at the exhilarating sport of kitesurfing – once you start you’ll be hooked…

4. Spanish and diving in Playa del Carmen, Mexico

Playa del Carmen in Mexico pretty much embodies the exact image of a tropical paradise. What else is there to say? The clear blue waters offer an absolutely prime dive location that will simply leave you pining for more.

5. Italian and cookery/wine tasting in Bologna, Italy

Italy has long been recognised as a producer of some of the finest food and wine in the world. Anyone opting for this course will benefit not only from learning more about how the food and wine is produced, and how properly to appreciate it, but will also have the privilege of spending a week or two in one of the most fascinating and hospitable countries in the world.

6. French and hydrotherapy in Vichy, France

After the over-indulgences of Christmas and New Year, most people feel in need of a serious de-tox. How many of us actually manage it? Well, let’s not go into that…but booking yourself into a hydrotherapy course can’t fail to have the desired effect, as long as you resist the temptation of a bottle too many of Beaujolais along the way!

7. Portuguese and samba in Salvador de Bahia, Brazil

What better way to get a sunkissed smile back on your face and a spring in your step than to do a Portuguese and samba course in Salvador de Bahia? An absolutely perfect antidote to the grey skies and the winter sniffles…

8. Spanish and surfing in La Laguna, Tenerife

The Canary Islands offer a fabulous option for anyone after a bit of sun without the long-haul flight. Tenerife is one of Europe’s hottest and liveliest surf spots and a week of Spanish, surfing and sun will leave you full of energy and raring to go again.

9. Italian and golf in Taormina, Italy

If Italian and golf are both your ‘bag’, heading to Siciliy to work on your handicap will be a great way to while away a winter week. How novel it will be to head to the fairways without three layers of clothes and a flask of tea!

10. English and surfing in Honolulu, Hawaii

Anyone hoping to improve their English has a huge range of options to choose from worldwide. Surely though, this has to be one of the best ways and locations to practise? With temperatures of around 25 degrees centigrade, a few weeks in Honolulu might just-about be do-able…

Suzanne Furstner Foundation Scholarship 2010: Shortlisted Entry Number 5

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Applicants who wanted to apply for the scholarship, which comprises a four-week TEFL course in San Francisco plus a language course, were asked to write a maximum of 1,000 words on the topic ‘San Francisco’, interpreted any way they choose.

The entries were assessed according to the quality of the writing, the relevance to the theme and the accuracy and variety of the language.

You can read Teresa’s entry in full below.

San Francisco – Five Days to a Perfect View

Day 1: Ina Coolbrith Park

On my first day in San Francisco, Tree recommends that I take the trolley so I can look around. After a thrill ride through town, I wander up the steep streets to find Ina Coolbrith Park. The walk is hard, but I’m convinced the view is going to be perfect. I stop once to ask for directions—in English. The gardens up this way are beautiful. I see a cluster of trees ahead and know I have found the spot. I find a secluded spot and plop down to breathe. The sun peaks through the trees and I shield my eyes to see my surroundings better on my surroundings. I can see the bay around between the trees, so I move toward them to see if I can see around them, but a house blocks my sight. I walk further farther down and try different angles, but my view I still can’t see. I look at my watch. I am supposed to meet Tree for dinner, but I’m already exhausted. I have to head back.

Day 2: Alcatraz

I sleep in late today. I think I pushed myself too hard yesterday. I decide no to climb any more hills.

I decide I to go to Alcatraz: it is a big tourist spot I think it will have a good view of the city. And I won’t have to walk a lot.

At the dock, the clerk tells me the next boat ride I can buy a ticket for is in one hour. I walk around and get some snacks for the trip over—and some motion sickness pills.

On the boat, I stand on the deck freezing. The harbor is beautiful. Alcatraz looks scary but also peaceful. I see purple flowers on the shore. The trip is not long and I’m glad for that. I unzip my jacket and follow the others into the building.

I take the tour in English. I have some difficulty understanding, but I decide to just move on and look around when I get lost. I learned about some interesting escapes. What’s a bootlegger?

Day 3: The Presidio

There is too so much to see that I have a hard time deciding what to do. I find a wooded path through the park that leads to the water. It is nice to have this in the city. I take a walk onto Yacht Road and listen to the Wave Organ play the music of the ocean. I listen for so long that I actually fall asleep.

I move through Crissy Field, where I have a great view of the Golden Gate Bridge. It is amazing. I really like this place.

I wander back to town and meet Tree in an area called Cow Hollow for dinner.

“I heard the park is beautiful. I want to check it out this weekend,” she says.

“It was very nice. There is a lot of trees,” I reply.

“There are a lot of trees.” she corrects me. I repeat after her, the way she always encourages me to do.

“Did you walk over the bridge?”

“No! I am…what are you say…?”

“How do you say. Scared?” Tree always helps me find the words I’m looking for.

“Scared, but a different word.”

Tree always has paper in her bag. She writes down other words: afraid, worried, frightened, terrified…

“Terrified! I am terrified to try.”

Tree laughs, “Are you afraid of heights?”

I nod a lot.

“Okay. Maybe we can go across together this weekend. Would that be okay? We can take a taxi over first and come back on foot if you are feeling brave.”

“On foot? What mean you?”

Tree explains that on foot means walking, and corrects me again.

We make plans to visit the Exploratorium this weekend and then to cross the Golden Gate Bridge. I’m still a little terrified.

Day 4: Lincoln Park

This is my favorite so far. There aren’t a lot of tourist attractions here, but I can wander through this jungle all day. I am glad I packed snacks. I take the coastal path. I’ve heard that there are two shipwrecks that can be seen, but I do not find them. This area feels so alive I cannot help to feeling energized. The wind zips through the trees and my hair. Though it is chilly in the shade, the sun is warm. I spend hours here, wandering and stopping to take in the horizon whenever there is an opportunity.

This place is perfect.

Day 5: Golden Gate Park

Tree is going to meet me at the Japanese Tea Garden after class today. My legs are hurt sore from all of the walking I did yesterday. I decide to relax and take a tour of the botanical gardens. The gardens are very nice, but I wonder why they call it the Golden Gate Park when I cannot see the bridge. The guide explains me to me that Golden Gate is a nickname of California, not just the name of the Golden Gate Bridge.

After the tour, I go to the de Young museum. In the African art collection, a museum volunteer asks me if I have seen the view from the observation deck. He gives me directions and I get to see another amazing view from up here.

In the Japanese Tea Garden, Tree and I discuss our weeks. Tree tells me how excited she is to start teaching me what she has learned from her CELTA classes. I tell her that I did not find the best view of the city, because I like them all.

I also tell her that I am ready to walk over the Golden Gate Bridge tomorrow.

Suzanne Furstner Foundation Scholarship 2010: Shortlisted Entry Number 4

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Applicants who wanted to apply for the scholarship, which comprises a four-week TEFL course in San Francisco plus a language course, were asked to write a maximum of 1,000 words on the topic ‘San Francisco’, interpreted any way they choose.

The entries were assessed according to the quality of the writing, the relevance to the theme and the accuracy and variety of the language.

You can read Simon’s entry in full below.

San Francisco – A Flyway

“Only one is a wanderer. Two together are always going somewhere.”; Not an endorsement for bilingualism, but a voice reverberating around a council house living room in West Suffolk. A nine year old boy watches a woman, on a knackered eighties model television, confess her love on a San Franciscan street in Alfred Hitchock’s Vertigo. I’d been aware of San Francisco from a young age for a few reasons, in part due to my mother who was an ex-hippie, then living what she now refers to as a “conformed life” (she now resides in a mobile home in Norfolk). She’d often muse about being a little older so she could have been there in San Francisco during the Summer of Love. Then there was my Grandmother, a force of nature that would pass through our home regularly, often talking about her “women’s problems” – how she was constantly hot because the birth of my mother had forever altered her blood flow, and how ever since her menopause she’d been even hotter. A doctor had told her that the cool, sunny San Franciscan climate would be perfect for her condition, especially during the foggy summers; “No more sweat’n over noth’n” she’d say in a broad East Anglian accent. Then there was my Great Grandmother, who used to make us watch these old films in the first place, especially the detective ones. Two of her favourites – The Maltese Falcon and Vertigo both acquainted me with Golden Gate City. She’d routinely have an afternoon sherry or three, doze off and leave me and my brother in the company of Sam Spade as he chased crooks around the Bay Area. Four generations under one roof, every Sunday. Perhaps it was these early screen impressions, the white streets and cable cars, or later interests in counterculture and San Fran Beat poetry that fuelled my wanderlust for California. More likely, was that the West coast sunshine and salty air of the Pacific seemed, and still does, like the antidote to low grey skies, English cynicism and the monotony of working class life. I’m perfectly aware this is probably an invented hyperreality. I’m also conscious of the fact the grass isn’t always greener, and that the voyage to enlightenment is internal, I Ching and so forth – I don’t care, I want to fly.

My relationship with language is more experiential and personal. I was born in Puglia, Italy to a very young English mother and an Italian father. After an illicit but passionate romance between the two of them that ended with the same posthaste and irrationality with which it began, I was back in England with my mother. I saw my father sporadically, and our early time spent was tender if not rather comical. I didn’t speak Italian, as my mother refused to teach me on principle, and although a man of good nature, my father was a labourer from south Italy – languages were not his strong point. Our quiet time together was filled with physical gestures and decipherment, not dissimilar to silent-era Laurel and Hardy sketches. Although I gradually began to understand the regular questions; “Inglese mangiano questo?” (English people eat that?), “Quando viene in Italia?” (When are you coming to Italy?), and “Chi era quell’uomo a casa?” (Who was that man at your Mum’s house?) it was thanks to the later summers spent in Italy with my colossal paternal family that I learnt Italian. I remember all the phases of learning vividly, especially the early impatience and frustration of not being able to express myself coherently – particularly to my father, for whom I had so many questions. (Fret not prospective pupil, for the routine banging of one’s head in vexation upon hard surfaces is not an action this TEFL teacher is unaccustomed to.) Yet after nine years of seasonal holidays, I was finally able to confidently speak Italian. Thereafter I spent more time with the people and the Adriatic region I love. By which time ironically, the questions I had always wanted to ask my father had lost importance. Learning Italian taught me the unifying potential of language, and its ability to open up new worlds.

I was on a knee-crushing economy flight back from Puglia last summer when I was seated next to a Lecturer from the Università di Bari. We exchanged pleasantries before, seeing as I’m English, the inevitable topic of language arose. The gentleman expounded enthusiastically on the importance of French philosopher Jaques Lacan – He rhapsodised on Lacan’s theory that language was our world, how it dictated our thoughts and actions fundamentally and how the two axes of language; substation and displacement – correspond to the working of the unconscious; “It is the world of words that creates the world of things”. What I found most fascinatingwas the idea that when we have feelings or thoughts that are indescribable linguistically, it’s because we have transcended these mental barriers. When learning Italian, what struck me the most was the words and phrases that didn’t have a precise English translation – I couldn’t truly capture what I wanted to express. More interestingly, was the fact I was able to understand these expressions in Italian to begin with. So here’s my own theory; if by learning another language, one can think in another language and adopt more dimensions of expression, thereby dissolving more of these mental barriers semiotically, then one can expand the understanding of one’s own mind and one’s own reality. I find the idea of being a part of such a process by teaching a language to someone indescribable. (Pompous theorising over)

What is describable is my current situation. I’m approaching twenty-five and my feet are itching. University is over, I’m flat broke, and I’m standing at a fork in the road. So like my Nonna Lucia used to say while watching the indigenti from her balcony; “If you don’t have money in your pocket, you better have honey in your mouth.” Hopefully my words here have been sweet enough. A TEFL course could certainly make them sweeter, and provide enough nectar for those I teach to make their words sweeter still. Brazen desire and optimism maybe all I have to offer, but I am ready. Like the the Shorebirds that migrate to the Sacramento Valley and tidal marshes of San Francisco every autumn, I want to fly, if only for a month, to the City By The Bay. To quote a great San Franciscan poet;

Say it, say a new joy,

a fresh start, a new body.

Longing in the heart

too stark

to be denied!

Suzanne Furstner Foundation Scholarship 2010: Shortlisted Entry Number 3

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Applicants who wanted to apply for the scholarship, which comprises a four-week TEFL course in San Francisco plus a language course, were asked to write a maximum of 1,000 words on the topic ‘San Francisco’, interpreted any way they choose.

The entries were assessed according to the quality of the writing, the relevance to the theme and the accuracy and variety of the language.

You can read David’s entry in full below.

San Francisco- Star Fleet and the Summer of Love

San Francisco is a city steeped in cinematic history. It is no mean feat to recall the number of times the city has provided the backdrop for a romantic comedy, high speed car chase or dramatic courtroom thriller. Think of titles such as ‘The Rock’, ‘Gone in 60 seconds’, ‘Dirty Harry’, ‘Escape from Alcatraz’ and ‘The Woman in Red’ and almost instantaneously you are beset by images of the golden gate bridge draped in a pacific sunset. However, it is not about any of these afore mentioned films that I wish to focus the attention of this essay.

In 1986 the fourth feature length film of the science fiction series ‘Star Trek’ was released. The film, entitled ‘Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home’, was set in San Francisco and told the story of the crew of the ‘ U.S.S. Enterprise’, an intra galactic vessel from the 23rd century who returned to the San Francisco of the 1980s in order to prevent the destruction of Earth in the future.

Star Trek is based on the premise of an intra galactic peacekeeping agency known as ‘Star Fleet’, of which the ‘Enterprise’ was a member. In many ways Star Fleet is the equivalent of a 23rd century United Nations. It’s primary aim being to foster peaceful, working relations with extra terrestrial beings and to explore the unknown parts of our galaxy. Star Fleet’s headquarters? San Francisco.

The choice of the Star Trek writers to position the headquarters of Star Fleet in San Francisco is an intriguing one. Consider being asked to choose a city, on Earth, to pose as the head quarters for the largest peacekeeping force in the galaxy and I would hazard a guess that San Francisco would struggle to make the top five on your list. Surely an organisation of this size would demand the surroundings of a city with the strength of New York, the charisma of London or the flamboyance of Paris? Not so.

So what is it that San Francisco has or depicts that made it so appealing to the Star Trek writers as the home of their fictional heroes? In a word, peace. Since the 1960’s San Francisco has been synonymous with the ideology of a world of peace and harmony, the capital of free thinking and liberation. The catalyst for this long standing reputation is attributable to the ‘Summer of Love’ event held in 1967 in San Francisco’s Golden Gate Park. The Summer of Love provided a platform for various youth movements across the U.S.A. to voice their opinions and protests against human rights and environmental injustices that were occurring throughout the world at the time. The event was labelled a “union of love and activism”.

The effect that the Summer of Love had on San Francisco and the rest of the world was profound. A song entitled ‘San Francisco (Be Sure to Wear Flowers in Your Hair)’ was released in 1967 to co-inside with the Summer of Love and proved to be an instant success. The song became a symbol of hope across the U.S.A. and Europe where young people adopted it as an anthem of freedom.

With San Francisco’s reputation for peace and freedom in mind, it becomes perhaps more understandable why the early Star Trek writers chose the city as the spiritual home of their sci-fi adventures. Where better to place the headquarters of an organisation dedicated to the nurturing of friendships, peace and understanding than in the city that brought these concepts to the forefront of world thinking?

Star Trek may not seem to be the most obvious of links when thinking of San Francisco. However, for me, the two are intertwined in my reasons for wanting to study on a TEFL course and to teach a language abroad. Since a young age I enjoyed the Star Trek notion of being in far flung area of space, exploring new worlds and encountering the unknown and it is perhaps this aspect of my personality which attracts me to a TEFL course the most. The opportunity to visit foreign climes, interact with diverse cultures and to become part of the local community in those cultures is an ideal that I find strongly appealing.

I am aware of and have experienced some of the opportunities that knowing a foreign language can provide and the restraints that not knowing one can impose. To learn the skills that would help me to teach a language to others and enable them to explore new opportunities is the most significant benefit that I would hope to gain from a TEFL course. It is through the Suzanne Furstner Scholarship that I hope to learn these skills and develop the foundations for a career as a language teacher abroad. I hope you are able to consider my application.