The Blog

What's happening at Dialog and in language training worldwide.

The Financial Times October 17, 2013

Mystery of Acquiring Another Language

Neurology helps to learn a language, but hard work is what matters

In 1987 I interviewed Robert Maxwell, the publishing and printing magnate, at his London headquarters in Holborn Circus. His death and disgrace were some years away. As well as the Mirror newspaper group, Maxwell headed the biggest...

The Guardian October 15, 2013

Letters of Note: the Website That Revived the Fine Art of Correspondence

In our age of email and texts, letter-writing seems set for extinction. But millions have been flocking to a website to pore over the correspondence collected by blogger Shaun Usher

The Telegraph October 10, 2013

Student Life: The Benefits of Studying in London

With many higher education institutions set in and around the city, London is certainly an attractive place to study, says undergrad James Connington.

The English Blog October 7, 2013

Crossword: British Slang

Do you know what a plonker is? And how would you react if someone said they wanted to snog you? Improve your knowledge of British slang with this crossword. It's ace!

The Guardian September 28, 2013

10 Grammar Rules You Can Forget: How to Stop Worrying and Write Proper

Guardian Style Guide author David Marsh set out to master perfect grammatical English - but discovered that 'correct' isn't always best. Here are the 10 grammar laws you no longer need to check.

The New York Times September 26, 2013

How Do You Say 'Blog' in German?

WE Germans owe the English language a debt of gratitude. If English didn't lend us one or two little words every once in a while, we would probably call blogs "digitale Netztagebücher" and apps "Anwendungen für mobile Endgeräte." Even for German speakers, those don't exactly roll off the tongue.

The Guardian September 24, 2013

Lunchtime Briefing: the 10 key stories of the day

Get up to date with today's news agenda.

The Guardian September 23, 2013

Talk the talk: Maximise Your Prospects Using Languages

Personal endorsements from leading figures in the arts, sport, media, business, and politics demonstrate how learning languages can open doors to an array of careers and life experiences.

The Guardian September 22, 2013

Quiz: How Much Do You Know
About lLanguages?

How many Welsh speakers are there in the UK? Who invented Newspeak? Where is Blackfoot spoken? Take our quiz and test your language knowledge.

The Guardian September 21, 2013

Russian Literature is Best Sex Education for Young People, Says Ombudsman

Pavel Astakhov opposes introduction of sex education in schools and suggests reading the classics as an alternative

The Independent September 21, 2013

Degree Overseas: The Pros of Studying Abroad

The idea of going overseas to study can be daunting, with visions of baffling languages or nights spent in isolation while you are gradually forgotten by your friends and family. However, the benefits of studying abroad...

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QUOTE OF THE WEEK

Financial Times February 28, 2014

"Politicians can improve the world but only bit by bit. Try something small, that's easily reversed. If it works, scale it up. If not, you drop it"
Simon Kuper

Read the Article

BUSINESS ENGLISH
TIP OF THE WEEK

Every week we publish a business English tip concerning different aspects of business English. Topic areas include writing, speaking, listening, grammar, vocabulary, pronunciation, exams as well as general English. Just click.

October 14, 2013: Methodology for Learning New Vocabulary

Here are some methods you can use to learn new vocabulary.
When you see a new vocabulary item (new word), always ask these questions:

Is it positive, neutral or negative?

Beautiful is a positive word
Ugly is a negative word
Negotiate is not positive or negative, so it's neutral

Is it formal or informal (casual)?

Cool is a casual word
Negotiate is a formal word

Is it a vocabulary item or an Idiom?

What did you do? (uses vocabulary)
What did you get up to? (uses an idiom / idiomatic phrase)
Negotiate is not positive or negative, so it's neutral

Does the word have a prefix or suffix that you know? (may give you a hint)

Prefix: Unhappy, unfriendly ('un' often a negative prefix)
Suffix: Careless, thoughtless ('less' often a negative suffix)
If you see a new vocabulary item, such as 'undisciplined', you can take a guess that it may be a negative word from looking at the negative prefix, even if you do not know what the word means.

Is it a noun, adjective, verb or adverb?

Can the word be used only as a noun?
Can the word be used as both a verb and an adjective?
Can the word by used as an adverb?

Which context / situation should the word be used in?

'Negotiate' is a strong verb for formal business situations, such as negotiating a contract with a client.
'Negotiate' should not be used in social situations like two friends arguing over paying for drinks at KTV.

Create your own example, preferably about your life,
to demonstrate (show) understanding of the new word; this makes it easier to remember.

I negotiated my salary package with the HR Manager.
I negotiate the delivery date and price with our clients.