English surrounds us in our everyday lives, but there is so much more to discover about this unique language than you may think. English is also the world's most widely used lingua franca, so mastery of the language opens doors around the globe!
Throughout all levels of English (two obligatory plus a third optional level), we will build up our knowledge of many exciting aspects of the subject! For example:
Writing skills and how to structure different types of texts
Rhetorical skills to sharpen your speaking
The different language registers, all the way from vulgar to formal academic
English-language literature from different literary periods
Grammatical rules and patterns
The history of the language itself and how English spread around the world
The different geographic areas and cultural arenas where English is used and the social and cultural implications of its extensive reach
In order to explore these subjects we will make use of all types of culture: film and TV, photography and other visual arts, novels and poetry, music, news and popular science articles, podcasts, commercials and advertisements, social media posts, and more!
Why is English a hybrid language? Can we really call it Germanic, or is it a Romance language, or something else entirely? This short history of English shows how these questions have no simple answer!
We use language to communicate in so many different ways, but perhaps the most important is to express our emotions creatively. Poetry is one excellent example of the power and significance of using language for this purpose. Poetry is life ❤
What happens when your language is too perfect? (Or: can an android write poetry?)
Even small children can experience the magic of a good poem!