ST. DAVID'S DAY 2018

Yes, I've had a long break from blogging, for health and other reasons but I've never let a St David's Day go by without posting and I will not do so now.  So HAPPY ST DAVID'S DAY, wherever you are!

Over at London Town Modica - Centro Linguistico Internazionale we've been celebrating as usual and even the Queen popped in:

Later we decided we needed more cake:

Whatever is going on in her life, a girl needs to keep on trying, so here are my St David's Day nails and top:

Bertie-Pierrine had a St David's Day haircut and is feeling very waggy:

And finally, some St David's Day music. I love this version of The Ash Grove:

Stay happy. Stay Welsh, even if you're not and stay kind!

A RIGHT ROYAL WAG

Bertie-Pierrine has been over to London Town, Modica - Centro Linguistico Internazionale to meet someone very special:

A BIT OF A DO

I'm not known for my monarchist leanings but it would have been churlish not to dress up for the Queen yesterday, wouldn't it?

After all, one has to hand it to the Queen!

And over at London Town, Modica - Centro Linguistico Internazionale, we decided to have a bit of a do. Many thanks to Cicara Caffeteria and Delizie D'Autore.

The Queen arrived a day late because she couldn't fit us in yesterday. But today she popped in for a nice cup of tea and our students had some questions for her.

These included the most important question of all which is, of course, a culinary one!

Buon compleanno, Maestà!

HAPPY ST DAVID'S DAY 2016

It's St. David's Day again and who better than "our Kath" to sing the Welsh national anthem?

Over at London Town, Modica - Centro Linguistico Internazionale, we've been making some really scary dragons and of course we've got daffs and Welshcakes!

HAPPY ST DAVID'S DAY, EVERYBODY!

ENGLISH AND ITALIAN COURSES - SUMMER 2015

Se sei a Modica e vuoi imparare l'inglese quest'estate, chiama London Town - Centro Linguistico Internazionale ora!

English speakers in Modica for the summer may be interested to know that London Town - Centro Linguistico Internazionale offers Italian courses too. Please call for details:

EASTER FUN

Great fun and games were enjoyed today by our youngest students at London Town, Modica - Centro Linguistico Internazionale when we made Easter chicks out of paper cups. Simplified instructions were, of course, given in English.

Thanks to the Guardian Teacher Network for the idea.

ONE FOR THE HOMELAND

I meant to get this booklet for London Town, Modica - Centro Linguistico Internazionale ready for St. David's Day but when Bertie-Pierrine bounded into my life, she kind of took it over! Anyway, it is ready now and free for our students. If anyone in Modica still thinks Wales is in England, they haven't met me!

Homeland, I think of you!

ST DAVID'S DAY POST SCRIPT

Do you ever wonder at the circular nature of life? I often do and it was brought home to me again on Friday, as I racked my brains for a St David's Day teaching activity that I hadn't used with the same group of little girls before.

Putting out a display of books about Wales, I picked up my beloved copy of Mary Jones and her Bible, a book I have had since I was four years old and which my mother used to read to me in her soft, Welsh tones. I'm not a particularly religious person but the story of a farm girl who wanted a Bible in Welsh so much that she saved for six years to be able to buy one, then, in 1800, walked, barefoot, the twenty-five miles to Bala to get it, has stayed with me. It was Mary's focus and determination that held me a lifetime ago and still does now. [If you do not know the story, you will find it here.]

On Friday I thought that my group of eleven-year-olds might be interested so I simplified the story, leaving out all the past simple tense forms for them to insert. As I had predicted, the story impressed them, too, especially the barefoot bit, which they could hardly believe!

Little did I think, as I lay tucked up in bed listening to the story in early 1950s Bristol, that I would be using it as a teaching resource 60 years later in Sicily!

Incidentally, I was glad to read this in October.

READY FOR A SPECIAL SAINT

Sunday is St David's Day and we're ready early at London Town, Modica - Centro Linguistico Internazionale:

Thanks to Delizie d'Autore for the spectacular dragon cake. I made the Welshcakes and, as usual, their aroma this morning was, for me, the scent of home.

Late addition

Got my daffy!

A FAVOURITE BARD

Sunday, of course, is Burns Night and at London Town, Modica students can pick a Burns quotation and enjoy a shortbread biscuit. [No, I didn't make them this time - they come courtesy of Lidl Italia.]

Liz just asked me, on facebook, if I was serving haggis as well and I had to admit that I lack the courage to explain haggis to Italians!

Burns is one of my favourite poets and I tend to turn to him in bad times, such as this.  When I think of where my little Simi is I remember,

"Behold my love, how green the groves."

["My Chloris, mark how green the groves" in some versions.]

And sometimes I want to go and lie down on the earth that covers her until I go too.

A Burns line that sustains me is,

"I bear a heart shall support me still."

I hope I do, but it's hard!

CHIGNON AND CHAMPERS

Making anything resembling a traditional British Christmas cake for Sicilians is a daunting and somewhat risky task, as they have a strange aversion to dried fruit. However, last night I made Nigella's Chocolate Fruit Cake for the London Town, Modica - Centro Linguistico Internazionale Christmas party this evening, and to my surprise and delight everyone ate it and seemed to enjoy it! [I used dried cranberries in place of the unobtainable currants and raisins and I think it's a good innovation.]

There were other elements to the spread, for which I would like to thank Bar Cicara:

I got a chignon for the occasion - well, a girl has to try at Christmas!

And we all sang along to this:

What with that and my explanation, both in class and in my new booklet, of the absolute necessity of wearing silly paper hats at Christmas dinner, I think I have successfully convinced the Sicilians that the British are mad!

CHRISTMAS BOOKLET

It's time for another bit of shameless self-promotion! This is my new booklet for London Town, Modica - Centro Linguistico Internazionale. It contains Christmas vocabulary, information about British Christmas and New Year traditions, a puzzle and a Christmas quiz:

Nel libretto troverete: un vocabolario natilizio inglese, informazioni sulle tradizioni natilizie britanniche, un gioco di parole nascoste e un quiz.  Chi s'iscrive avrà il libretto!

A NEW BOOKLET

A little shameless self-promotion, if I may:

In linguistics, a "false friend" is a word, in the language you are learning, which looks or sounds like a word in your own language, but the meaning is different. Students registering for courses at London Town Modica, Centro Linguistico Internazionale will receive Pat's Little Book of False Friends for Italian Learners of English.

Sai cos'è un "falso amico" in linguistica? È una parola di una lingua straniera che assomiglia a una parola della tua lingua, ma il significato è tutto diverso. Chi s'iscrive da London Town, Modica, Centro Linguistico Internazionale avrà il nuovo libretto di Pat!

Cross-posted at Pat's English Pages.

ADMIT IT - YOU'RE SCARED!

At London Town Modica, Centro Linguistico Internazionale we've got marshmallow ghosts and ghouls today! Go on - you can admit to me that you're scared!

Thank you, the Activity Village for the idea.

Cross-posted at Pat's English Pages.

SUMMER ITALIAN COURSES IN MODICA!

I am re-posting this because there is still time to sign up for these courses!

At London Town, Modica - Centro Linguistico Internazionale we are very happy to be able to announce that, in partnership with Vacanze Craunari, we are offering Italian courses this summer:

Italian for English Speakers

€450,00 per person

Course dates:

31 August - 7 September

7 September - 14 September

Price includes:

7 nights in a shared apartment

12-hour Italian course

7 breakfasts

Services available upon payment of a supplement [must be pre-booked]:

Lunch

Dinner

Shuttle bus from Vacanze Craunari complex to London Town, Modica - Centro Linguistico Internazionale.

Airport or port transfers

If you are already in Modica or have planned your trip and would like to learn Italian, London Town, Modica - Centro Linguistico Internazionale also has the following summer offers:

ENGLISH SPEAKER IN MODICA?

LEARN ITALIAN THIS SUMMER!

Summer offers – courses from €160!

8-hour and 12-hour courses

July, August or September, 2 or 3 hours per week

Tailored to your needs

Minimum:  group of 2

36-hour course

July, August and September

Tailored to your needs

Pay for 2 months and get one month FREE!!

Minimum:  group of 2

Individual courses can also be arranged.

Call Pat at the Centre now!

[0039] 0932 905642  /  +39 366 119 6467

PARLA ITALIANO QUEST’ESTATE!

SPEAK ITALIAN THIS SUMMER!

LEARN ITALIAN IN SICILY!

At London Town, Modica - Centro Linguistico Internazionale we are very happy to be able to announce that, in partnership with Vacanze Craunari, we are offering Italian courses this summer:

Italian for English Speakers

€450,00 per person

Course dates:

30 June - 6 July

31 August - 7 September

7 September - 14 September

Price includes:

7 nights in a shared apartment

12-hour Italian course

7 breakfasts

Services available upon payment of a supplement [must be pre-booked]:

Lunch

Dinner

Shuttle bus from Vacanze Craunari complex to London Town, Modica - Centro Linguistico Internazionale.

Airport or port transfers

If you are already in Modica or have planned your trip and would like to learn Italian, London Town, Modica - Centro Linguistico Internazionale also has the following summer offers:

ENGLISH SPEAKER IN MODICA?

LEARN ITALIAN THIS SUMMER!

Summer offers – courses from €160!

8-hour and 12-hour courses

July, August or September, 2 or 3 hours per week

Tailored to your needs

Minimum:  group of 2

36-hour course

July, August and September

Tailored to your needs

Pay for 2 months and get one month FREE!!

Minimum:  group of 2

Individual courses can also be arranged.

Call Pat at the Centre now!

[0039] 0932 905642  /  +39 366 119 6467

PARLA ITALIANO QUEST’ESTATE!

SPEAK ITALIAN THIS SUMMER!

SATISFACTION

I was very pleased and touched when my student Giorgio put this photo on facebook with the caption,

"Un amico mi disse: 'Investi su te stesso, fai un corso di inglese - ti servirà.' Be che dirti avevi veramente ragione. A friend said to me, 'Invest in yourself - do an English course because it will be useful.' I have to say you were right."

For my part, it's always nice to be someone's first English teacher. Thank you, Giorgio!

A BOOKLET

I am pleased to be able to tell you that students enrolling on courses at London Town - Centro Linguistico Internazionale, Modica will receive, free of charge, my booklet,
A-Z English Language Tips - come evitare gli errori più comuni nell'uso della lingua inglese.

GRATIS  per chi s'iscrive a un corso di inglese a London Town - Centro Linguistico Internazionale, Modica: il mio libretto,
A-Z English Language Tips - come evitare gli errori più comuni nell'uso della lingua inglese. 

Piace a tutti!

NEW TERM, NEW WEBSITE

A new term is about to begin and on Friday I finished creating a new website for London Town, Modica - Centro Linguistico Internazionale. Yes, I did it all by myself! Believe me, it wasn't easy but I have enough British stubbornness in me to not give up when I really want to do something.

Please do have a look and, if you are on facebook, some "likes" on the site itself would really help me. There's a button thingummy in the footer which should work. Thank you.

http://londontownmodica.wix.com/london-town-modica

Thanks to James and other friends who helped me with the languages I don't speak for the motto. I won't use translation sites because, as the linguists among you will know, they are all crap!

"ENGLISH FUN WEEK" A MODICA!

LONDON TOWN

CENTRO LINGUISTICO INTERNAZIONALE

MODICA

Via Resistenza Partigiana 25/b, 97015, Modica [RG]

Tel: 0932 905642 / 366 119 6467

ENGLISH FUN WEEK FOR CHILDREN

SETTIMANA DI DIVERTIMENTO E GIOCHI IN INGLESE

PER BAMBINI dai 7 - 11 ANNI

8 – 12 LUGLIO 2013, DALLE 10.00 – 12.00

  

PROGRAMMA

DAY 1 / 1° GIORNO         BEACH DAY – SIMULAZIONE DI UN GIORNO ALLA SPIAGGIA!

DAY 2 / 2° GIORNO         JEWELLERY DAY – FABBRICHIAMO DELLA GIOIELLERIA!

DAY 3 / 3° GIORNO         FRUIT DAY – IL GIORNO DELLA FRUTTA!             

DAY 4 / 4° GIORNO         PAINTING DAY – CI DIVERTIAMO CON LA PITTURA!

DAY 5 / 5° GIORNO         DRESSING UP DAY – CI VESTIAMO A FESTA!

Per prezzi e ulteriori informazioni rivolgersi al Centro:

0932 905642 / 366 119 6467   Email:  londontownmodica@gmail.com

  

Images / immagini [ apart from logo / tranne logo]: WP Clipart