Archive | January, 2012

Hong Kong by Day

By Lindsay Varty

By Jakub Hałun (Own work) [GFDL (http://www.gnu.org/copyleft/fdl.html) or CC-BY-SA-3.0-2.5-2.0-1.0 (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0)], via Wikimedia Commons

Hong Kong prides itself on offering a little bit of something for everyone- whether its huge shopping malls with every luxury brand under the sun you’re after, or quaint little boutiques and back street art-jamming sessions that you desire. But here are a few of the city’s biggest attractions to entice you:

The Peak

The Peak Tower is one of the city’s most iconic architectural structures. Looking rather like a humongous wok, 396 metres up Hong Kong Island’s highest mountain, the tower offers spectacular views of the busy harbour and concrete jungle below. Pose with Bruce Lee and other celebs at the Madame Tussaud’s in the Tower, and grab a bite to eat at Bubba Gump’s- the restaurant made famous in the film Forrest Gump. For even more fascinating views and a bit of history, take the 120 year old rickety Peak Tram up the mountain.

Hong Kong- Asia’s World City

By Lindsay Varty

By Flickr user: Steve Cadman, London, U.K. http://flickr.com/people/stevecadman/ [CC-BY-SA-2.0 (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/2.0)], via Wikimedia Commons

Hong Kong is a fascinating cosmopolitan city bursting with life, lights, entertainment and of course, people. This tiny pinprick of a city in the South China Sea is made up of two main parts: Kowloon on the mainland and Hong Kong island, and has a whopping population of 7 million people.

Having been a British colony until the handover back to China in 1997, Hong Kong boasts a beautiful blend of Chinese and western cultures and a calendar packed full of worldly celebrations and traditions. It has gorgeous sunny weather, lovely friendly people and yes, you might have guessed it, it’s my home! In just four posts, I will attempt to explain why Hong Kong fully deserves its title as ‘Asia’s World City’.

By Monika Salita
@monikasalita or About Monika

For many around the globe, young and old alike, social media is proving to be a new gateway to information discovery and sharing. Today, Facebook isn’t just for catching up with former classmates and Twitter isn’t just for reading the latest breaking news or celebrity gossip. These social media outlets (along with many others) are serving as resources from which to gain small doses of concrete and useful information, as well as forums in which to ask questions, interact with others, find answers, and learn fresh and hip, but at the same time very useful, pieces of language.

Social media outlets such as Facebook and Twitter may not be the best teaching and learning tools for those located in more remote parts of the world, or in areas with limited or restricted Internet access. But, for teachers and students living in more developed countries, working at schools with libraries and internet access, exploring social media language learning tools can be a worthwhile experience.

By Daniel Cariello
BA Hons English Literature graduate

Teaching English in Ukraine

There will be thousands of football fans heading to Ukraine for the European Championship this summer, but could the Eastern European country be a popular destination for you for other reasons? Kyiv is an awe-inspiring city with a whole range of fantastic experiences to offer the keen traveller. Kyiv is a city that represents the majority of the wealth in Ukraine, and it shows through inspiring, almost Dickensian architecture. In addition to this, the city is brought to life with trees and parks spread everywhere creating a naturally exuberant feel. That is until the night when the city is powered with a neon glow and there are plenty of bars, nightclubs and restaurants to offer tourists a great night out.

By Monika Salita
@monikasalita or About Monika

Teaching a multitude of English lessons every week can be anything from invigorating to exhausting. But if you see that students are hungry to learn, and you are eager to be creative and teach students in yet another exciting way, starting an English Club at your school or in your town may be a great idea.

Even though the new year has recently begun and some academic years may be nearly halfway complete, starting an English Club now can serve as a great way to create a structure, test ideas, and take care of problems before fully launching a club the following school year.