Sep 27, 2019 | Blog, Testimonials, Tips, Worldwide
Study in Vancouver: A Great City for Students Many people dream of studying and living in Canada and often Vancouver is the city which comes to mind. Vancouver is a coastal seaport city located in the Lower Mainland of British Columbia, also known as Beautiful British Columbia. What’s more, Vancouver offers a unique and extraordinary experience in terms of lifestyle and educational opportunities. Here are some reasons people want to live and study in Vancouver. Benefits of studying and living in Vancouver Universities and Colleges: In Vancouver, there are a few universities and colleges which are ranked high in quality of education. For example, the University of British Columbia is in the top three universities in Canada. Other institutions include Langara College, Columbia College, Kwantlen Polytechnical University, and Simon Fraser University. Moreover, there are many programs available for different types of students. Climate in Vancouver: Apart from rest of the Canada, the weather in Vancouver is pleasant and soothing. You can feel the drizzling of the rain on your face in the month of September. Here in Metro-Vancouver, there are plenty of places where you can enjoy the beauty of nature like Grouse Mountain, Stanley Park, and Capilano Suspension Bridge. Public Transportation and Lifestyle: Getting around in Vancouver is easy. All the credit goes to the government who manage a vast network of public transportation. Moreover, travelling by public transportation is cheap compared to having your own car. This means that you spend less on a monthly basis. Diversity: As people from different countries come here to study, it makes the city richer in diversity. People from Asia...
Aug 28, 2019 | Blog, Language Varieties, Testimonials, Tips, Worldwide
What is culture shock? As the phrase itself states, culture shock is the feeling you experience when facing a cultural situation that is new, different and unknown to you. Although the word “shock” seems rather unfriendly and negative, undergoing culture shock doesn’t necessarily have to be an unpleasant experience. Believe it or not, it can turn out to be a really enriching, positive and life learning one. But, how do you survive culture shock? Top 7 things that can cause it First of all, we need to understand that culture shock can be presented to us in both obvious and more subtle ways. We can experience culture shock when coming in contact with different: Languages – Especially when meeting somebody from a faraway country whose language is not only spoken differently but it is also written differently. For example, an English speaker being introduced to a Chinese speaker or a Korean speaker being introduced to a Portuguese speaker.Weather – This can be even harder for those used to extreme weather. For example, an Alaskan native used to very cold weather traveling to an island on the Caribbean.Landscapes – Imagine moving from a mountainous town full of lakes and forests like those in Switzerland to an arid landscape full of cacti like in Arizona, United States, or the other way around. Food – Here we’re talking not only about tastes, colours and smells, but also about quantities, meal schedules and customs. For example, in Latin American countries as well as in some European countries, people tend to have a snack between lunch and dinner called “merienda”. And don’t even get...
Jul 31, 2019 | Blog, Language Varieties, Testimonials, Tips, Worldwide
Travel to South America, the fourth largest of the world’s continents Ready to travel to South America? Here are some things you should know about it. Firstly, South America is located in the Western Hemisphere and constitutes the southern part of the Americas. Secondly, it consists of 12 independent countries— Argentina, Bolivia, Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Ecuador, Guyana, Paraguay, Peru, Suriname, Uruguay and Venezuela —, the overseas department of French Guiana and some outlying islands. Thirdly, South America is connected to the rest of America by the Isthmus of Panama and is surrounded by the Caribbean Sea to the north, the Pacific Ocean to the west and the Atlantic Ocean to the east. Lastly, South America is also home to a wide variety of climates, breathtaking landscapes and rich cultures with its north-south extent of about 4,700 miles and its east-west extent of about 3,300 miles. Feel like home South American people are known to be kind and warm hearted. When greeting, they tend to go for a kiss on the cheek, even when you haven’t been formally introduced to the other person. They are used to being open with foreign people and are always willing to show their culture to the rest of the world by sharing a mate with you, teaching you some capoeira moves or making you a delicious ceviche. Language variations When traveling to South America, you must remember that the main spoken language in most countries is Latin American Spanish, but it is not the only language used in this southern continent. Portuguese is the official language of Brazil, and other languages such as English,...
Feb 28, 2019 | Blog, Testimonials, Tips, Worldwide
May the Popular Places in Germany Be Popular Everyone knows Berlin, Munich, Hamburg, Cologne or Düsseldorf. Everyone also knows Bavaria, the Black Forest National Park or Neuschwanstein Castle. And certainly, there is a reason why everyone knows these popular places in Germany: they are beautiful, there are many (German) things to do and they overflow with tourists. But Germany has so much more to offer than these big cities and Bavaria. German Cities and Architecture If you really like cities, go to the west of Germany to a region called “Ruhrpott” in North Rhine-Westphalia. In this region there are a couple of big cities close together and well-connected by public transport. It may not be the most colorful place to be in Germany, but definitely worth visiting. In addition, cities like Cologne, Düsseldorf and Bonn are located there. Another city worth mentioning is Cochem. It is a nice colorful city built directly next to the Mosel River. Take a stroll along the promenade, for instance, observed by the Reichsburg Cochem, the Medieval toll castle, rebuilt in fairy tale style in the 1870s. The castle dates back to the 12th century. Meanwhile, modern looking house façades pair up next to half-timbering houses and the stone constructions of the Enderttor, the largest of Cochem’s three Medieval city gates. Cochem, however, is not the only city that offers rivers and castles. You will find them in many other places as well. Half-Timbering Houses If you are interested in architecture, you’ll like the historic old German towns, filled with many buildings in Fachwerk ‘half-timbering’. The UNESCO World Heritage City Quedlinburg, for instance, offers...
May 19, 2017 | Blog, Language Varieties, Testimonials, Worldwide
Accents in the UK Are you from a non-English-speaking country and want to move to the United Kingdom? If you are and you have decided to go, you need to be aware of all the different British accents. Check out our article about how you can recognize British accents and get familiar with the different dialects and accents in the UK. English as a second language I am from Spain and in my country, when we are in school, we learn English as a second language. The English we learn is the general English (Received Pronunciation English) and many of us believe that this type of accent is the only one that exists in the UK. Then when we move to the UK for work or study, we realize that we were wrong. Depending on where you go, people speak with many different English accents. Check out our English voiceover services. We work with voiceover artists who record native British, American and Canadian accents. In the south, you will find the Received Pronunciation English, Cockney, estuary English and West Country. Further out, you find the Midlands English and Welsh English. And in the north, you will find the Northern England English, Geordie accent and Scottish English accent. Received Pronunciation English Currently I am living in the north, in Leeds to be precise, and I would like to point out the differences between the Northern English and the Received Pronunciation English. The Northern England English is spoken in the area of Manchester, Leeds, York and Liverpool. The features of this accent are: Non-rhoticity, except in some rural areas. The diphthong in words...
May 31, 2016 | Blog, Testimonials, Traditions, Worldwide
This past weekend, Vancouverites were given the opportunity to enjoy the large variety of cultures at the European Festival in Burnaby. Unfortunately, it was raining cats and dogs on Saturday, but Sunday made up for it with sunny, warm weather. It was perfect for a Sunday stroll at the European Festival! Representatives of the European countries Located in beautiful Central Park, you could find participants from all over Europe: Armenia, Greece, Russia, Austria, Hungary, Serbia, Bosnia-Herzegovina, Iceland, Slovakia, Bulgaria, Latvia, Slovenia, Croatia, Lithuania, Spain, Czech Republic, the Netherlands, Sweden, Denmark, Montenegro, Switzerland, Finland, Norway, Turkey, France, Portugal, Ukraine, Germany, Romania and the United Kingdom. The festival took place at Swangard Stadium in Burnaby. Tents representing different European countries were set up all along the track. This was perfect since you could walk around without missing a country! European customs and traditions Traditional garments and beautiful jewelry were not the only things that you could find at the European Festival. Volunteers described their cultures, explained the traditions and customs they practice. They also explained what kind of meals they eat. (If you want to know more about the food, just scroll down, it was delicious!). There were German books up for grabs and delicious Swiss chocolate. You could write down well wishes for the Queen’s 90th birthday, and paint your own Easter eggs in the traditional Ukrainian method using beeswax and dye. A lot of fun for the whole family at the European Festival The festival wasn’t only a great chance for adults to explore the diverse cultures of Europe, it also served as a huge playground for children! There...
