English is a West Germanic language spoken originally in Britain but now
also in the USA, Canada, New Zealand, Australia, and many other parts of
the world. It is the world's most widely known and used language. Its
history can be divided into three periods: Old English; between
450-1100AD four dialects were spoken; Middle English, when between
1100-1500 five dialects were spoken; and Modern English, which covers the
period from 1500 to the present day. English slowly became a relatively
uninflected language with great flexibility in the way the words may
function. Its vocabulary is about half Germanic and half Romance, with
many other borrowings.
*Germanic languages are a subgroup of the Indo-European language group.
Its member languages are spoken in Britain, Scandinavia, the Netherlands
and Iceland. There are three recognised subgroups: East Germanic, North
Germanic, and West Germanic. The first of these is now extinct, but it
included Gothic, one of the earliest Germanic languages. North Germanic
covers the Scandinavian languages. West Germanic includes modern English
and German among its descendants, as well
as Dutch.
Phrasal verbs, such as look in, look up, look
through; they have so many different meanings. Be careful too with
pronunciation - English isn't always spoken as it is written.
England is located in North West Europe, separated from mainland Europe
by the North Sea and the English Channel. It consists of two main zones:
the lowlands, which extend across the Midlands, the South East, East
Anglia, and the Fens; and the highlands of the Pennines and the Lake
District in the North and the granite uplands of Dartmoor and Exmoor in
the South West. The chief rivers are the Thames and the Severn.
Economy:
Once agricultural, but the development of
industry helped make England a world force. Now, tourism and a
large service sector play important roles.
The 19th century saw the heyday of the
renowned British Empire, colonial expansion which was doomed to
fail in the 20th century.
Official Language:
English.
Official currency:
Pound.
Area:
130,360 square kilometres.
Population:
49 million.
Capital:
London.
London
London (England), is the capital of the United Kingdom. It is situated in
southeastern England along the Thames River. With a population of about 7
million, this vast metropolis is by far the largest city in Europe, a
distinction it has maintained since the 17th century. In the 19th century
it was the largest and most influential city in the world, the center of
a large and prosperous overseas empire. Although it no longer ranks among
the world's most populous cities, London is still one of the world's
major financial and cultural capitals.
By European standards, London is physically spread out and dispersed,
without a predominant focal point. It therefore defies easy general
description, as the city's character is found in its diverse and distinct
sections. Many of these sections began as separate villages, and today
they maintain some of their individual identities. London's image is
partly defined by its past, as its major buildings and institutions
represent 2000 years of community history. Its image is also the product
of a new multiethnic mix of people and the creative impulse of the new
popular culture of “Cool Britannia,” a phrase Britain's promoters
conceived in the mid-1990s to portray Britain as modern and trendy.
London's climate is generally mild and damp, although it can be erratic.
This region is one of the driest parts of Britain, and the average annual
rainfall is only about 584 mm (about 23 in). However, the weather is
generally cloudy, and some rain is liable to fall on half the days of the
year. With a mean temperature in July of about 18° C (about 64° F),
London has warmer summers than most of the island, although heat waves
are infrequent and seldom last long. Temperatures rarely go above 26° C
(78° F). Winters are relatively frosty, however, and the mean temperature
in January is 4° C (40° F). Fog frequently develops in winter. In the
past, foggy days were aggravated by smoke, resulting in London's
traditional "pea-soupers." However, since the use of coal has
significantly declined, these have largely disappeared.
"The main experience I noticed learning with Talk Languages is the fact
that I became highly sensitive to even minor details in the English
language. This improved my English a lot. In addition to that, by
listening to native English speakers during the day I picked up a lot of
details that I wasn't even aware of before." Petra Raddatz, Project 15, Deutsche Bank
"My concern was that I'd be forcing my son into having private classes.
But as soon as he started I realised that with such an energetic and
friendly teacher, not only will his progress will be fast; he's also
going to have fun along the way." Fiona, RM11
