What could be more British than a trip to the ‘good old pub’, for a pint of beer- lager, or bitter, depending on your preference, on a warm summer’s evening? It’s one of the good things about England that it stays light until 10pm in the summer, owing to our northerly latitude. There are many nice pubs and bars around the English school in London, particularly on nearby Marylebone High Street. In fact, it’s so nice that the school goes there almost every week! Last Thursday it was the ‘Marylebone Tup’ pub.

I remember from learning Italian abroad that these social outings are the best time to make mistakes speaking a foreign language. It’s definitely more fun once you reach an intermediate level. But, as you can see from the use of the dictionary, the environment motivates you to succeed. You want to know what all the laughter’s about!

Quite often the teachers also go to the pub with their students, so that’s an extra bonus! Some people say that learning a language is a process of making a number of mistakes and then correcting them, or being corrected (by someone else). Perhaps the people who learn quickest are those who get through all their mistakes as quickly as possible by being really talkative and open. A pint of the traditional English ale, ‘Old Speckled Hen’ on a night out with other students will certainly help with that!