How to learn English with SIRI

There are many tricks to learning English. Everybody can suggest you to watch a TV series in English to exercise your listening and if you want to improve your reading skills, you can read books. Listening to  music is the easiest way to reach both these goals. The problem comes - if you don’t have an English person nearby - when you want to practice your pronunciation. With this post I want to share with you my secret to learning to speak English properly.

Are you ready? Pick up your I-Phone (or use Google Translator) and start a conversation with Siri!

Every time that I come to the UK I write a ‘Giulia’s Dictionary’ with words that I’ve learnt during my stay or with words that I already know, but with which I'm not sure about the spelling (just to better remember them). A few weeks ago, I was sitting in the kitchen after dinner and I wasn’t sure about the meaning of a word: ‘mould’. I asked Nicky (my host-mum) if the meaning of mould was ‘to change the shape of something’ to write it in my dictionary. Yes, it is, if you consider the verb. But 'mould’ (or ‘mold’) can also be a fungus that grows on walls or on food.

 In someway we started to speak about the difference between ‘mould’ and ‘moss’, which is a plant.

Now I know it, but at the beginning I was really confused. The solution? “Let’s ask Siri” said Nicky.

“What is the difference between MOSS and MOULD?”

This is how my adventure started, because - during my first week here - when I tried to ask Siri something she always misunderstood the word I was saying (which means that my pronunciation was so bad!). When I tried to ask Siri the question about MOSS and MOULD, Siri wrote “Which is the difference between MARS and MOULD?”. 

This is my sixth week in Torquay and I am improving my English quickly: now Siri understands me. There is only one word with which I am having problems: ‘earthnware’. When I try to ask Siri “How do you spell EARTHNWARE?” there is always something extremely strange and funny that comes out. For example:

“How do you spell HERDSDOWN WHERE?”

“How do you spell HAW THORNE WHERE?”

“How do you spell ARDENWAY?”

One time I was really lucky with:

“How do you spell EARTH AND WHERE?”

Nicky said to me “When you are leaving Torquay the last thing that I will ask you at the train station will be ‘try to say EARTHENWHERE’”, by that time, I have to learn it. This is my summer challenge.

GIULIA DE VENDICTIS

Six months in Exeter - a students view.

I was asked by TTPL to write a blog about the six months I spent in Exeter/UK.

It was the first experience abroad just on my own and I came to England to do an economic work placement in Exeter City Council. In that time I was living together with a lovely host family. All in all I can truly say that I had an amazing time in England.

6 months. That’s the time I decided to leave my life in Germany behind and to start a new adventure in England. There was no doubt that if I go abroad once, it'll be England. I like the lifestyle, the architecture, the food and the mentality of the English folk.

I was able to feel and live the English way of life for 24 weeks. But all this would have not been possible without the support of TTPL, my parents, my boyfriend, my work placement, my host family and my friends. I met so many lovely people from all over the world on my way and every single one of them very much contributed to my wellbeing in the UK. A great thank you to every one of you for your support.

I benefitted a lot from this time. Not only that I massively improved my language skills and learned how to make a proper sandwich (The English love their sandwiches for lunch! A tip: you mustn't forget the pickle sauce!), I also learned a lot about myself. How to behave in new situations, how to manage everything on my own in the first place and what it means to be German. Indeed, I learned a lot about my own culture. And can be absolutely sure, to be a real German after living six months in England... If that makes sense :-)

A friend in England asked me for advice on how to make her adventure something special. I answered: "Try to be open minded, socialise whenever you can, because every moment is so much nicer if you can share it and go traveling." That's the experience I had and I'm happy ever after. There are lots and lots of things to do, see and taste in Exeter or Torquay. Just to name a few: The Jurassic Coast, English food (Cream Tea, Cornish Pasty or Cottage Pie) or big city trips (Bath, Bristol or the beautiful Cornwall).

 

Make the most of your adventure! Make it worth it!

I'm pleased that I got the chance to write down all these thoughts.

Your former student ambassador for Exeter, Susi xx

THE SECRET TO FINDING A JOB VIA THE INTERNET

LinkedIn is the leading professional network on the web, with over 200 million members, designed specifically for the business community.

The aim of this social network is to allow registered members to establish professional links. You can use it to connect with classmates and colleagues, to find new job opportunities (internships and full time positions) or to find key contacts at companies that interest you. According to Reid Hoffman, the co-founder, 27% of LinkedIn subscribers are recruiters!

The LinkedIn member’s profile page shows your education history and work career (in other words:  your CV) and network members are called “connections”.

How to join LinkedIn?

1.     Go to: www.linkedin.com;
2.     Type your first name, last name, email address and password (you must use your true name when creating a profile: company names and pseudonyms are not allowed, as we explain in the “User Agreement”).
3.     Click “Join Now” and any additional steps.

I’m on LinkedIn, what do I do now?
1. Add "connections" (classmates or people that you know professionally);
2. Join groups in which you have interest 

(FIRST OF ALL, JOIN “THE TRAINING PARTNERSHIP LTD ALUMNI” GROUP);
3. Explore it!

GIULIA DE VENDICTIS