The other day my husband came in with the groceries.

‘I’ve bought plenty of pasta packets.’ he said.

To me this means little packs to serve one or two people, that contain both pasta and the ingredients for a sauce – a quick snack when in a hurry. You just add water or milk, perhaps some butter and heat up.  Today we’d been out for a walk and needed lunch quickly so that he could go on to an appointment. but I searched the shopping bag in vain.  Plenty of plain pasta in packets,  but no pasta packets.  We discussed the difference between a packet of pasta and a pasta packet over lunch – sardine sandwiches.

 
Original Photo -  Some rights reserved by Glen Bowman

Malta is a tiny island in the middle of the Mediterranean.  It is blessed with year-round sunshine, is rich in history and culture, has some outstanding architecture, beautiful beaches, and, believe it or not, it plays host to many students from different countries wishing to learn and improve their English.  It really is the perfect place for people to study the English language and combine their studies with some fun under the sun.

How to perfect an American or British English accent

The problem

Learning a language is one thing, but learning how to perfect a certain accent is quite another. That said, many people embark on the quest for that perfect British or American English accent.  

 

Most neophyte workers or even freshly graduated members of the workforce will jump into jobs without knowing their job descriptions. This practice is understandable. Many of these fresh graduates are just glad to have gotten a job and will try to avoid being to nosy or pushy when it comes to work. They may think that ‘demanding’ a job description will be an added negative to their employer’s impression of them.

This could not be more wrong. Employers, in general, delight in employees that ask about their job description. This shows that the employee has an interest in knowing the specifics of his or her job and would like to know what his or her specific responsibilities are. Here are a few other reasons why job descriptions are truly important to employees and even to those who are searching for jobs.

 

Even though public speaking is one of the things people fear most, it is a great way to build confidence and your language skills at the same time. Now, you may not pen an exquisite piece destined to stir a nation (but who knows, maybe one day you will). However, you can certainly learn the basics of speech writing to serve you well in school, in business, or in any organization where you devote your time.

When I was growing up I’d never seen a real pineapple. Such fruit came in a tin, and was a favourite in our house as , in those long ago days of sugar rationing , because it was  for some reason  usually available in our area. We kept hens and so my father would barter some spare eggs for the delicious tinned fruit and some ham for salad. The pineapple cubes would be eaten with great enjoyment during Sunday tea, with evaporated milk poured on top.