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The Poetic Dreamer

Official Blog of English Language Department

We all have our own multicultural stories. We leave home, adapt, only to be stung by the wake-up call that, while we are still too foreign to call our adopted country home, we are foreigners in our own country. The Academy is made up of people who understand and relate to our stories. Our stories, which though a tad bit messier than our friends’ back home, are absolutely beautiful.

I hope you can be with me on this literary journey. Dream a little English dream with me. In poetry and prose, obviously.

4 Trucchi per imparare conrrettamente L’inglese da conoscere assolutamente

4 Trucchi per imparare conrrettamente L’inglese da conoscere assolutamente! 

L’inglese è, come ovvio, la lingua più diffusa a Londra, oltre che la principale lingua internazionale, usata in moltissime aree quali il turismo, la ricerca scientifica e il commercio, tra le altre. Purtroppo gli italiani non sono soliti parlarla con sufficiente padronanza.

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english language courses london waterloo academy

Learning a language is like unlocking a previously unchartered territory on the world map

Have you ever wondered if How I met your mother could get even funnier with all its memorable puns and splendid jokes? Have you been enticed by Doctor Who and wondered what it would take to sound like the posh British characters in the series? Has a friend sent you an English meme on Instagram before and you get frustrated because somehow you are the only one who doesn’t get it?

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The Holy Grail: getting rid of your accent is not that difficult!

想变英国腔，讲一口流利英语？不用怕！

Well, English is difficult. Especially for our lovely friends from East Asia! It doesn’t matter if you’re from tropical Singapore or the freezing Dong Bei (North-eastern China), due to the linguistic differences between English and many Asian languages (especially Mandarin Chinese), learners typically speak English with an accent that…kind of stays. Don’t worry, my heartiest chums! Here are some tips to get rid of your accent and sound like an English native!

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Alexander Clevewood Ng, Head of English Language Department - London Waterloo Academy

Head of English and his love for the English Language

‘Bright Star, would I were as steadfast as thou art’ – New Head of English and his love for the English Language.  His polyglot tongue and calloused writer hands churn out poetry and prose in English, Italian, Mandarin, Cantonese, and Portuguese. A British citizen raised by a British mother and a Chinese father, his multicultural heart is scattered in the UK, Italy, Hong Kong, Singapore, and the US.)

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Language Learning – Making Your Personal Library Multilingual

Language Learning – Making Your Personal Library Multilingual

As a British person (on paper at least), I am tremendously fascinated by the country’s general inertia towards language learning. The British Isles have long been dominated by linguistic diversity. However, since the international significance of English has been exponentially increasing, many native languages in Britain such as Cornish and Manx gradually die out.

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The Holy Grail: getting rid of your accent is not that difficult!

想变英国腔，讲一口流利英语？不用怕！

Well, English is difficult. Especially for our lovely friends from East Asia! It doesn’t matter if you’re from tropical Singapore or the freezing Dong Bei (North-eastern China), due to the linguistic differences between English and many Asian languages (especially Mandarin Chinese), learners typically speak English with an accent that…kind of stays. Don’t worry, my heartiest chums! Here are some tips to get rid of your accent and sound like an English native!

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nikolai gogol

The perks of reading translated fiction – Eastern European Literature

Reading broadens one’s horizons. Growing up, I haven’t always had the chance to indulge in luxury, nor did I have many friends to hang out with. Most of the time, I found myself peacefully curled up in a book, savouring the smooth melody of each tale I perused, prancing in such exhilaration and fervour internally as another twist teleported me to cloud nine.

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Alessandro Clevewood English language department london waterloo academy

Il tappetto dorato dalle sfumature d’azzurro – La mia vita multiculturale

Ho ordinato un altro caffè non appena sono arrivato nella sala d’attesa. Il mio torace, pieno d’aria, è di nuovo in preda ai movimenti respiratori violenti – i polmoni, all’orlo di scoppiare, ondulano aggressivamente come le colline toscane, coperti da teloni verdi scuri, che si fossero stravolti da bufere impreviste. Aspetto tranquillamente il volo ritardato, sorseggiando la mia bevanda, ascoltando i suoni riverberanti

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Sing Sweet Nightingale

Sing Sweet Nightingale but with Keats

I commenced this series of blog posts with the famous line, ‘Bright star, would I were as steadfast as thou art?’ The line that renders, in one way or the other, John Keats the most recognisable poet from the Romantic Period. Whenever literary critics mention the phrase ‘Romantic Period’ or ‘Romanticism’, lay people are prone to associating it with valentine notions of pure love and infatuation. This is a gross, albeit entertaining, misconception.

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Four brave women, four distinctive attitudes

Four brave women, four distinctive attitudes

The classic American novel, Little Women, has captured the hearts of plenty. A classic tale of four women flourishing in the challenging 19th century, as prevailing social attitudes dictated the appropriateness of their actions. It parallels some of the crucial themes expressed in an equally captivating film, Miss Potter. The literary mother of Peter Rabbit and a legendary literary figure known throughout the English-speaking world and beyond, she epitomises the essence of modern feminism and the ongoing struggle against the stereotypical expectation of women to have children. .

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Understanding East Asia via English Fiction

As the Tigers Roar – Understanding East Asia via English Fiction

Western media webpages are inundated with news about China’s economic miracle. Latest fashion trends, regardless of culture or creed, are dictated by bands hailing from the Korean Peninsula. Younger generations in the Western Hemisphere are at the cusp of obsession when it comes to anime and Japanese computer games. As westerners, we know so much about East Asia, and yet so little.

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Sing Sweet Nightingale

Sing Sweet Nightingale but with Keats

I commenced this series of blog posts with the famous line, ‘Bright star, would I were as steadfast as thou art?’ The line that renders, in one way or the other, John Keats the most recognisable poet from the Romantic Period. Whenever literary critics mention the phrase ‘Romantic Period’ or ‘Romanticism’, lay people are prone to associating it with valentine notions of pure love and infatuation. This is a gross, albeit entertaining, misconception.

Learn More