Students at Embassy

English language....

I've found out some interesting things about the English language.

In which countries is English an official language?

Anguilla, Antigua, Bahamas, Barbados, Belau, Bermuda, Botswana, British Indian Ocean Territory, British Virgin Islands, American Samoa, Antigua, Australia, Bahamas, Bangladesh, Barbados, Belize, Bermuda, Bhutan, Botswana, British Virgin Islands, Brunei, Cameroon, Cook Islands, Dominica, Ethiopia, Falkland Islands, Fiji, Gambia, Ghana, Gibraltar, Grenada, Guam, Guyana, Hong Kong, India, Ireland, Jamaica, Jersey, Kenya, Kiribati, Lesotho, Liberia, Malawi, Malaysia, Malta, Marshall Islands, Mauritius, Micronesia, Midway Islands, Montserrat, Namibia, Nauru, Nepal, New Zealand, Nigeria, Niue, Norfolk Island, Pakistan, Palau, Papua New Guinea, Philippines, Pitcairn, Puerto Rico, Samoa, Seychelles, Sierra Leone, Solomon Islands, Somalia, Sri Lanka, St Helena, St Kitts-Nevis, St Lucia, St Vincent and the Grenadines, Swaziland, Tokelau, Tonga, Trinidad and Tobago, Tuvalu, US Virgin Islands, Uganda, United Kingdom, United States, Vanuatu, Wake Island, Western Samoa, Zambia, Zambia, Zimbabwe

What is the longest word in English?

ANTIDISESTABLISHMENTARIANISM  ( a movement  opposed to the separation of church and state ). There is a word longer than this one (45 letters!!!) but it's only used in the medical field.

What are the world's most spoken languages?

Althought it's very difficult to know exactly how many people speak a particular language, we can come up with those estimations: Mandarin Chinese (837,000,000), English (370,000,000), Spanish (300,000,000), Bengali (189,000,000), Hindi/Urdu (182,000,000), Arabic (174,950,000), Portuguese (170,000,000), Russian (170,000,000), Japanese (125,000,000), German (98,000,000), Javanese (79,000,000), French (75,000,000)

What percentage of the Internet is in English?

More than 80% of home pages on the Web are in English, while the next greatest, Germany has 4.5% and Japanese 3.1%.

Now it's time for a joke...

This is a story about four people named Everybody, Somebody, Anybody and Nobody.

There was an important job to be done and Everybody was sure that Somebody would do it. Anybody could have done it, but Nobody did it. Somebody got angry about that, because it was Everybody's job. Everybody thought that Anybody could do it, but Nobody realized that Everybody wouldn't do it.

It ended up that Everybody blamed Somebody when Nobody did what Anybody could have done.

Mother’s Day - Do we need a special day?

It’s interesting to see how your life can change when you become a mom, especially your opinion about certain things and the priorities in your life.

Actually in my case, I think of my son as the first and most important motivation for being a better person. Before I gave birth I thought my mom worried about my siblings and me, but now, I can understand her so much - being a mother is a job which never ends.

This year, my mom and I weren’t together, but we know that we have each other and we don’t need a special occasion to remind us of it.

So, Happy Mother’s Day which, for me, is every day.

[Gaby and her mum - click to see bigger]

Personal Growth

I believe all the experiences we live through affect our personality. They contribute to our personal growth.

I arrived here 5 months ago, and I have been learning not only English but also about myself. This experience has changed the vision I have about my future.

I studied Business Management in my country. To be honest, I didn't know what I really wanted to do with my life, with my future. At this time, I had perhaps a lack of  life experience, I needed to know more about myself. I chose this career with no conviction. Once I had my Degree, I was happy of course, but I wasn't ready to  face the real world. I had a big lack of self-confidence. I think self-confidence  is very important. If you believe in yourself, you can " move mountains "!! 

My first job was very difficult. I felt scared facing my new responsibilities. You  have to take decisions, you  have to face new situations...Living abroad is a good opportunity to learn about yourself, what are you capable of. You take your own decisions, you explore a  new world , a  different life , and you start your personal trip, which of course, helps your personal development.

When you work you also have to deal with different situations, to make decissions...Don't you think, the experience abroad can help you?  You become an adventurer, a traveler. You learn by experience.   My best  friend, who had lived this experience  before myself, told me that  after living abroad she was able to make decisions easily, she knew her goals, emotions and values better.

I think she influenced me to make that choice. Today, I can notice how much I have changed since I have been living here. My self-confidence has been boosted tremendously, I have a positive vision of my future. And one important thing, I think for the first time, I know what I want  to do with my future, where I am going.  I have been exploring not only a new country, a new culture, a new people, but also myself. And I feel really happy, because I feel that this experience is like a light in my " path ". I have met wonderful people who are now also part of my life.

My friend encouraged me to live this experience, and now it is my turn to encourage you to do the same. It's really worth it. This experience will be always very present in my heart, because I feel very happy and very grateful for all the things I have been harvesting since I'm here.

Sonia

Two Great Weekends in Fort Lauderdale

Definitely, you can do a lot of things here in Fort Lauderdale: I know it isn’t a metropolis but there are still a lot of events where you can have fun; for example, last weekend was The Air Sea Show. You could enjoy it lying on the beach. There were Thunderbirds and different kinds of planes and boats, there was an amphibious assault too, which I couldn’t see but it sounds interesting, don’t you think?

I went with my family and we spent a great time there. The only thing was I forgot to put on sunscreen so of course, I got sunburned.

The other local event - but this one is on its way - is Las Olas Food and Wine Festival. It is going to be on May 10th in Las Olas, of course. For those who don’t know what Las Olas means, it is a street which goes from the beach to Andrews Avenue, and there is a boulevard where you can find very good restaurants, fancy stores and some art galleries. The place is great by itself but can you imagine wonderful food, fine wine and musical entertainment in the same evening? I think it will be fun - if you would like more information you can go to this web site.

So, you still have a chance to go, and if it isn’t this year, maybe the next one.

Why study a foreign language?

Several times I have written about how great my experience here is.  But, what about English? Why learn English? There are a lot of reasons...

For example, if you work in a company and you speak a foreign language, you will be the one who will be called on to travel or exchange information with other people from different countries. The company will see you as a " bridge "  to new clients  if you know a second language. The knowledge of a foreign language (especially English ) will give you more opportunities when you try to find a job (advertising, business, marketing, communication, social services, teaching, technology...).

Have you thought how great it is to know a different culture? It helps you to expand your personal horizons. You can also  read new books, you can watch new DVDs, you can travel being able to communicate with other people, you can be connected with other cultures!! 

Have you ever been abroad and had trouble speaking with other people? I remember, when my English wasn't so good, I was afraid when I was in a foreign country. Without communication there is a big, huge " wall " betwen you and the other people.  The abilitity to communicate in English helps you to share your hopes, dreams, visions... And of course, learning a foreign language helps you to develop a sense of culturalism, and appreciation of another cultures. 

The knowledge of English offers you a spectrum of opportunities, in your country or abroad.  I like to share dreams, goals with other students, because that helps me better to find my own.   I'm very grateful for being here....

Moral:  learn English, you will see how many new opportunities come to you!!

American cooking

Last Saturday I had dinner with some of my Korean friends. They prepared some typical Korean dishes. Actually, it was the first time I had tried Korean dishes. One word can describe them: DELICIOUS.

To be honest, I didn't know anything about Korean food, I have to admit it. There is a large number of Asian restaurants in my country, but most of them are Japanese, Chinese, Thai...or at least those are the most popular ones.

But - coming back to the U.S - how well do you know American food? I did a 'little survey' among my friends. Actually for most of them, American food equals junk food. But since I arrived here, I have only been to a fast food joint twice!! I'm not a big fan of that kind of food.

Let's be honest, what country doesn't have fast food? I have tried to get to know their cuisine a little bit better. The U.S have a wide variety of cultures - same with the food. It's very diverse, and because of that, it's difficult to define it.

American cuisine is a synthesis of cuisines from around the world, a style of cooking that takes something from each immigrant community. Did you know that hamburgers and hot dogs are both based on traditional German dishes?

In downtown Fort Lauderdale there are a large variety of restaurants (Italian, Brazilian, French, Japanese, Mexican, etc ). We all know some typical dishes from other countries. For example, in Spain the most popular is the paella.

So the moral is, yes of course, you have fast food, but you have many different choices, so it's unfair to talk only about 'junk food'.