Ausgabe Juni 2011

Summer Solstice

This month marks the longest day of the year, also known as the 'Summer Solstice'

In Wiltshire, England, there rests a circle of huge stones called Stonehenge. Hundreds of people go there yearly to watch the sun rise on the 21st of June. One of the world's greatest mysteries is how they got there. These stones have stood in Wiltshire for thousands of years and yet, they are not local stone. So whoever placed them there had to somehow transport them over several miles without the help of modern technology.

Any idea how they got there? Share your theories with us at: www.facebook.com/sprachschule.muenchen

This month, LbT-languages president Barbara Foerster shows us the best way to master that pesky 'TH' sound!

Crossword puzzle

The topic of our crossword puzzle in June is "Business Idioms"!

To the crossword>>>

Did you know?

Spell check won't like it, but informal contractions are common words and phrases we shorten, generally in spoken English. This could mean problems for non-native speakers trying to understand what we're talking about!

Read the whole story and try the exercises here>>>

Agreeing and Disagreeing

Sooner or later you will get the urge to agree or disagree with something that is being said in English. Offering an opinion can be difficult when it is not in your first language. You may know exactly what you want to say in your native tongue, but are unsure of how to express your views in English. You may also worry that your words will not come out properly or that you might hurt someone's feelings by being too forward. Although it is easier to sit back and say nothing at all, you will become bored or frustrated if all you can do is nod your head yes or shake your head no, especially if you have a strong opinion about something.

Find out ways to express your level of agreement here>>>

Mnemonic of the Month - ABASE

Meaning: to lower/degrade/humiliate/make humble/lose self-respect

Example: "He humiliated his colleague by abasing him in front of the boss"

Think: To bring someone back to a BASE level.

Ten ways to liven up a boring meeting

1. Stand up and act indignant. Demand that the boss tell you the 'real' reason this meeting has been called.
2. Spill coffee on the conference table. Produce a little paper boat and sail it down the table.
3. During a meeting, each time the chairman makes an important point, (or at least one he/she seems to consider important); make a little noise like you are building up to an orgasm.
4. Stay behind as everyone else, including the chairman, leaves. Thank them for coming.
5. Give a broad wink to someone else at the table. In time, wink at everyone. Sometimes shake your head just a little, as if to indicate that the speaker is slightly crazy and everybody knows it.
6. Arrange to have a poorly-dressed young woman with an infant quietly enter the meeting, stare directly at the chairman for a while, burst into tears, then leave the room.
7. Bring a hand puppet, preferably an animal. Ask it to clarify difficult points.
8. When there is a call for questions, lean back in your chair, prop your feet up on the table, smile contentedly, and say, "Well, here's the way I see it D.J..." (or any other impressive-sounding initials that are not actually your boss's.)
9. Complain loudly that your neighbour won't stop touching you. Demand that the chairman make him/her stop doing it.
10. Bring a small mountain of computer printouts to the meeting. Every time the speaker makes a point, pretend to check it in one of the printouts. Pretend to find substantiating evidence there. Nod vigorously, and say "uh-huh, uh-huh!"