Student Newsletter
Date: Friday 26th February 2010 Issue Number:13
Greetings!
The next two weeks are definitely going to be a busy and exciting time at Spinnaker College. In this issue we have details of the upcoming events for Spinnaker College students, including a trip to Salisbury Cathedral and Stonehenge – which is ideal if you want to learn more about the history of the UK. During the cold winter months you could be forgiven for wanting to curl up in front of the television. A popular type of television programme in Britain is the soap opera, or ‘soap’. We have included a short article which explains the benefits of watching a ‘soap’ when studying English. As always, we also have contributions from students, including some clever riddles from Sherif.
Finally, a big thank you to everyone who contributed to this issue. We hope that you’ve enjoyed it, and if there is anything you want to contribute for the next issue, do not hesitate to contact the editorial team!
Student Events Coming Up…
Salisbury and Stonehenge
Saturday 27th February
5p.m. The cost of the trip is £22.50 (when travelling in a group of 4 or more people. The cost includes travel (if you travel in a group of 4, the train tickets are only £8 each, otherwise they are £16) and £14.50 which covers the admission and a tour of Stonehenge. Located in Wiltshire, Salisbury is a beautiful place with one of the finest medieval cathedrals in Britain. It is definitely well worth the visit, so sign up now!
If you would like to come, please write your name on the list on the Students’ Notice Board and pay £22.50 at reception.
Pub Night at the Registry
Thursday 4th March
Meet at the College at 8.00pm
After a long day studying, what could be better than relaxing with fellow students and teachers at the pub? This Pub Night is being held at the Registry, which is only a 2 minute walk from Spinnaker College. Meet at the College at 8pm.
Paintballing
Saturday 13th March
£19.95 per student + around £10 travel
In order to go paintballing you will need to pay £19.95 as well as £10 for travel. £19.95 includes ½ day of games 9am – 1pm), equipment, 300 balls, and lunch. Please note his price does not include travel which will be about £10 per person (based on 14 students).If you fancy adding some adrenaline-fuelled excitement to your life then paintballing is perfect for you! It’s also great if you want to pelt your teacher with paint for giving you so much work!
If you would like to come, please write your name on the list on the Students’ Notice Board and pay £30 at reception.
Riddles and Jokes
By Sherif from Egypt
For the next few editions of the newsletter, Sherif from Egypt has prepared a collection of riddles and jokes for us .Think carefully and see how you do!
Q1: What starts with E, ends with E and only has one letter?
Q2. What travels around the world and stays in a corner?
Q3. If you drop a white hat into the Red Sea, what does it become?
Q4.What is white when it’s dirty and black when it’s clean?
Q5. What do elephants have that no other animal has?
Q6.What did the ocean say to the beach?
Q7. What letter of the alphabet is an insect?
Q8.What letter is part of the head?
Soap Operas
Soap operas, or ‘soaps’ as they are more commonly known, are ongoing fictional television or radio dramas, which usually focus on the important emotional issues affecting family life. The term "soap opera" comes from the original radio dramas in the 1930s, which were sponsored by soap companies back in the days when serial dramas were aimed predominately at women. These days however, Britain has a wide variety of soaps for everyone, which focus on communities in different parts of the country.
Watching a soap is not only a great way to get involved with an exciting story, it is also a great way to develop your understanding of the English language. Not only will you enhance your listening skills, but you will also be able to increase your knowledge of English as you discover the different accents and slang used across Britain. The two most famous soaps in Britain are EastEnders and Coronation Street. Coronation Street, which is set in the North of England around Manchester is the 3rd longest running British television programme, whereas EastEnders is set in the fictional London borough of Walford. Hollyoaks is a soap that is generally watched by younger audiences, the majority of whom are between 15 and 29. There are also plenty of other soaps such as Emmerdale which is set in Yorkshire and Neighbours which is an Australian soap.
Watching a soap is a great way to develop your English, but more importantly, to have fun whilst doing it!
What’s On :
Portsmouth
How Language Shapes Our World – 3rd March 2010
Park Building, King Henry
FREE but places are limited.
Telephone in advance for tickets: 023 9284 3757
6-7pm
An Inaugural lecture by Professor Sue Wright, School of
Languages and Area Studies, University of Portsmouth
Premiership Football – 6th March 2010
Portsmouth vs. Chelsea
Fratton Park
K.O 3pm
Contact Ticket Office on 0844 847 1898 for
ticket availability and prices - from £20
Portsmouth Jazz Society – 8th March 2010
Garden Room, the Inn Lodge
7:15pm
Adult ticket: £12
To book tickets and for more info, tel: 023 9229 8161
A mixture of musical styles from world class musicians.
Italian Market 12-14th March 2010
Gunwharf Quays
From 11am
FREE
A chance to sample some of the world’s finest
cuisine, including bread and pastries, olive oil,
vinegar, olives, cheeses, salami, biscuits and sweets!
That’s all for now folks! Don’t forget to let your teacher know if you have any comments for the next issue.
"I was learning English and I met a lot of people. The teacher is great. The atmosphere in this school is very friendly and nice."
