Inlingua - Learn Languages in Edinburgh

Pancake Day

2011-03-08T15:36:00.001Z

Pancake Day also known as Shrove Tuesday in Britain. Pancake day is the day before Ash Wednesday and the start of Lent. 'Shrove' - as in Shrove Tuesday - stems from old English word 'shrive', meaning 'confess all sins'. It is called Pancake Day because it is the day traditionally for eating pancakes as pancake recipes were a way to use up any stocks of milk, butter and eggs which were forbidden during the abstinence of Lent.

The earliest records of pancakes and pancake tossing appeared in the fifteenth century when the pancakes were a little thicker than the modern pancake; they would also often have added spices for a little decadence. It wasn’t until the eighteenth century and the influence of French cooking and their thin crepes that pancakes more as we know them now.

Pancake Day is not only celebrated in the UK, Ireland and America, but also in other regions, such as some parts of Northern Spain, where they eat pancakes on this very same day, too!

Do you know of any other places where they eat pancakes on Shrove Tuesday?

New Territories International Festival of Live Art

2011-02-16T18:30:00.000Z

Not all the festivals in Scotland take place during the summer months.

Glasgow's annual dip into the avant garde is back. New Territories is a cutting-edge festival of specially commissioned performances and premieres by invited international artists. It showcases dance and performance art at three top Glasgow arts venues. A winner of the International Theatre Institute Award, New Territories' cutting-edge programming has been described as ' - everything from three-hour epics to five-minute snatches of some of the most exciting, innovative and sometimes downright weird bits of dance, art installation performance art and otherwise unspecified creative happenings currently reverberating around the globe.'

This is a festival that has always subverted boundaries between different genres and experimented with hybrid media. It has always been about Glasgow audiences being introduced to some of the world’s most extraordinary talents, a fact recognised in 2009 when artistic director Nikki Milican was awarded an OBE for her services to performance art.

The festival this year takes place from the 14th of February to the 19th of March.

HIstory of the haggis

2011-01-25T15:50:00.001Z

Haggis is a very old Scottish dish, which combines meats, spices and oatmeal to create a very rich, unusual, but none the less delicious feast. It is a dish containing sheep's 'pluck' (heart, liver and lungs), minced with onion, oatmeal, suet, spices, and salt, mixed with stock, and traditionally simmered in the animal's stomach for approximately three hours. Most modern commercial haggis is prepared in a casing rather than an actual stomach.

Haggis is a kind of sausage, or savoury pudding cooked in a casing of sheep's intestine, as many sausages are. As the 2001 English edition of the Larousse Gastronomique puts it, "Although its description is not immediately appealing, haggis has an excellent nutty texture and delicious savoury flavour". Nowadays, there are even vegetarian versions made from the finest Scottish produce.

The haggis is a traditional Scottish dish memorialised as the national dish of Scotland by Robert Burns' poem Address to a Haggis in 1787. Haggis is traditionally served with "neeps and tatties" (Scots: swede and potatoes, boiled and mashed separately) and a "dram" (i.e. a glass of Scotch whisky), especially as the main course of a Burns supper. However it is also often eaten with other accompaniments.

Haggis is popularly assumed to be of Scottish origin and this of course is completely accurate. Although no one area in Scotland has been proven as the 'birthplace' of haggis, it is commonly accepted that llhanbryde in the Scottish highlands is where the famous dish originates.

In the absence of hard facts as to haggis' origins, popular folklore has provided more fanciful theories. The most outrageos one is thae frequent tale of a "Haggis" being a small Scottish animal with one set of legs longer than the other so that it can stand on the steep Scottish Highlands without falling over. According to one poll, 33% of American visitors to Scotland believe haggis to be an animal!

New Winter Term 2011

2011-01-07T16:30:00.002Z

The Christmas holidays are now over, and at inlingua Edinburgh we have been really busy organising our new evening term. We just thought we could keep you poste with what's going on at the school.

The new evening term will start on the week of the 17th of January, both for English and for Foreign Languages. We will be having General English courses, both at Lower Intermediate and ar Intermediate levels, as well as Exam Preparation courses (both for the Cambridge exams -FCE,CAE,CPE- and for the IELTS one. All our English courses run for 12 weeks (provided there's a minimum of 5 students) and are held at the schools, two nights a week (either Monday & Wednesday or Tuesday & Thursday), from 18.30h to 20.00h. The price for these courses are £250 (material included).

If you want to enrol, you only need to come to the school and arrange an appointment to talk to a teacher. The assessment for our General English courses is done only orally, but if you want to enrol in an Exam Preparation course, as well as the oral assessment the teacher will ask you to do a short multiple choice test and to write a small composition (you can do this at home and send it by email, if you prefer).

Our Foreign Language term also runs for 12 weeks, but only once a week, also from 18.30h to 20.00h. The price for the course is £160.

Oh, and don't forget we are still offering 4 weeks for the price of 3 if you enrol in one of our English Intensive Daytime courses!!

Just pop in, give us a call on 0131 220 5119 or send us an email (info@inlingua-edinburgh.co.uk) if you need more information.

History of the Christmas cracker!

2010-12-14T13:19:00.000Z

Christmas crackers are a fun Christmas tradition in the UK and other Commonwealth countries.

A cracker consists of a cardboard tube wrapped in a brightly decorated twist of paper, making it resemble an oversized sweet-wrapper. The cracker is pulled by two people, makint it split unevenly. The split is accompanied by a small bang produced by the effect of friction on a chemically impregnated card strip.

In one version of the tradition the person with the larger portion of cracker empties the contents from the tube and keeps them. In another each person will have their own cracker and will keep its contents regardless of whose end they were in. Typically these contents are a coloured paper hat or crown; a small toy or other trinket and a motto, a joke or piece of trivia on a small strip of paper. Crackers are often pulled before or after Christmas dinners or at parties.

We now know what they are, but, what's their origin?

Tom Smith, a baker of wedding cakes from Clerkenwell, London, invented the Christmas cracker in 1847. The events that led to these wonderful creations were quite a story. In 1940, Smith went to Paris and came across 'Bon bon', an almond sweet wrapped in paper that was twisted. He liked the taste
so much that he began selling the 'new' sweets in London and they became very popular. Tom, who was always on a lookout for new promotion opportunities, noticed that his sweet had become popular gifts for loved ones and sweethearts of young men. Chinese fortune cookies inspired him to introduce small slips of paper inside the wrapping that had love mottos on them.

By 1846, he had become a successful businessman. One day, while he was enjoying the warmth of his fireplace, the crackle of a log gave him a new idea. He started experimenting to try to reproduce it in his sweets. In his pursuit, there were many failures and on certain occasions even his furniture and hands were burnt. Finally, he got it right. He took two strips of thin card and pasted small strips of salt petre on them. When these cards were pulled away, they produced a crack and a spark. Within a year, Tom's latest inventions had become a fashion. The sweets were first called 'Cosaques' after the cracking of the Cossack's whips. It was only after a decade that they came to be known as Christmas crackers.

Christmas crackers became so popular that many competitors sprung up in the market. The designer and colorful wrappers were used as promotional techniques and they were sold by half-a-dozen and one dozen packs in matching boxes. Thus, Tom Smith was virtually forced to get his designs patented and his company came to be known as the Tom Smith Crackers. By 1880s, Smith's company had already produced over hundred cracker designs. By 1900, Smith had sold more than 13 million crackers that were not only used at Christmas but also at other festivities, fairs and coronations. Tom later added small toys to his crackers. In 1933, printed foil wrappers were introduced and then as the designs evolved glass pendants, brooches, bracelets and other jewellery were included in the collections.

History of tartan

2010-12-07T15:34:00.001Z

In our last post we told you about the history of the kilt, so now we have decided to do the same with tartan itself.

Tartan has without doubt become one of the most important symbols of Scotland and Scottish Heritage and with the Scots National identity probably greater than at any time in recent centuries, the potency of Tartan as a symbol cannot be understated. However, it has also created a great deal of romantic fabrication, controversy and speculation into its origins, name, history and usage as a Clan or Family form of identification.

Tartan is a woven material, generally of wool, having stripes of different colours and varying in breadth. The arrangement of colours is alike in warp and weft and when woven, has the appearance of being a number of squares intersected by stripes which cross each other.

The Celts for many thousands of years are known to have woven chequered or striped cloth and a few of these ancient samples have been found across Europe and Scandinavia. It is believed that the introduction of this form of weaving came to the West of Northern Britain with the Iron age Celtic Scoti (Scots) from Ireland in the 5 – 6th c. BC.

The word Tartan we use today has also caused speculation and confusion as one camp says it comes from the Irish word - tarsna - crosswise and/or the Scottish Gaelic tarsuinn – across. The Gaelic word for Tartan has always been – breachdan - the most accepted probability for the name comes from the French tiretaine which was a wool/linen mixture. In the 1600s it referred to a kind of cloth rather than the pattern in which the cloth was woven.

Until the middle of the nineteenth century, the highland tartans were associated with regions or districts, rather than by any specific clan. This was due to the fact that tartan designs were produced by local weavers for local tastes and would tend to make use of the natural dyes available in that area.it was not until this period that specific tartans became associated with Scottish clans or Scottish families, or simply institutions who are (or wish to be seen as) associated in some way with a Scottish heritage.

History of the kilt

2010-11-25T15:53:00.000Z

The kilt is a knee-length garment with pleats at the rear, originating in the traditional dress of men and boys in the Scottish Highlands of the 16th century. Since the 19th century it has become associated with the wider culture of Scotland in general, or with Celtic (and more specifically Gaelic) heritage even more broadly. It is most often made of woollen cloth in a tartan pattern.

Although the kilt is most often worn on formal occasions and at Highland games and sports events, it has also been adapted as an item of fashionable informal male clothing in recent years, returning to its roots as an everyday garment.

The Scottish kilt displays uniqueness of design, construction, and convention which differentiate it from other garments fitting the general description. It is a tailored garment that is wrapped around the wearer's body at the natural waist (between the lowest rib and the hip) starting from one side (usually the wearer's left), around the front and back and across the front again to the opposite side. The fastenings consist of straps and buckles on both ends, the strap on the inside end usually passing through a slit in the waistband to be buckled on the outside; alternatively it may remain inside the waistband and be buckled inside.

A kilt covers the body from the waist down to the centre of the knees. The overlapping layers in front are called "aprons" and are flat; the single layer of fabric around the sides and back is pleated. A kilt pin is fastened to the front apron on the free corner (but is not passed through the layer below, as its function is to add weight). Underwear may or may not be worn, as the wearer prefers, although tradition has it that a "true Scotsman" should wear nothing under his kilt.[2] The Scottish Tartans Authority, however, has described the practice as childish and unhygienic.

Today most Scotsmen regard kilts as formal dress or national dress. Although there are still a few people who wear a kilt daily, it is generally owned or hired to be worn at weddings or other formal occasions.

Contemporary kilts have also appeared in the clothing marketplace, n a range of fabrics, including leather, denim, corduroy, and cotton. They may be designed for formal or casual dress, for use in sports or outdoor recreation, or as white or blue collar workwear. Some are closely modelled on traditional Scottish kilts, but others are similar only in being knee-length skirt-like garments for men. They may have box pleats, symmetrical knife pleats, or no pleats at all, and be fastened by studs or velcro instead of buckles. Many are designed to be worn without a sporran, and may have pockets or tool belts attached.

It's autumn!

2010-10-08T16:26:00.000+01:00

Why those gloomy faces? We know, we know, summer is gone, but, c'mon, autumn is equally awesome!!

Autumn is one of the four temperate seasons. Autumn marks the transition from summer into winter usually in March (Southern Hemisphere) or September (Northern Hemisphere,when the arrival of night becomes noticeably earlier.

The word autumn comes from the old French word autompne (automne in modern French), and was later normalised to the original Latin word autumnus. There are rare examples of its use as early as the 12th century, but it only became common by the 16th century.

Before the 16th century, harvest was the term usually used to refer to the season. However, as more people gradually moved from working the land to living in towns (especially those who could read and write, the only people whose use of language we now know), the word harvest lost its reference to the time of year and came to refer only to the actual activity of reaping, and autumn began to replace it as a reference to the season.

In poetry, autumn has often been associated with melancholy. The possibilities of summer are gone, and the chill of winter is on the horizon. Skies turn grey, and people turn inward, both physically and mentally.

Yes, yes, all that's true, but what about the magnificent colours of the landscape? and who hasn't enjoyed kicking and shuffling through the fallen leaves? and, of course, Hallowe'en!!

MagicFest!

2010-07-05T11:16:00.000+01:00

The Edinburgh International Magic Festival is a not-for-profit organisation designed to produce an annual international performance event which will start in July 2010 and will be different to anything present in the UK and Europe today.

The fascinating world of mystery and illusion has always been attractive to a wide audience of all ages as it captures people's imagination and challenges them to believe the unbelievable. The MagicFest is designed to bring back to the stage the amazing magic live shows which are rarely available for general public these days and let the audience rediscover the seldom experienced states of awe and wonderment!

Edinburgh International Magic Festival aims to engage the widest possible audience in the fascinating world of magic, providing adults and children with regular access to a diverse range of high quality magic shows coming from all over the UK and abroad, that will entertain, enrich, challenge and inspire them.

This professionals usuall perform only in front of celebs and Royalty, and most have never performed publically in Scotland before and may never again. So do come and be amazed at the first ever Edinburgh International Magic Festival, from 7 to 11 July.

No stooges. No camera tricks. Just like that.

Gormley statues in the Water of Leith!!

2010-06-24T09:46:00.000+01:00

6 Times is a multi-part work by Antony Gormley which positions six life-size figures between the Scottish National Gallery of Modern Art and the sea at Edinburgh’s Leith Docks.

Gormley is an internationally acclaimed British artist renowned for testing the body in space often using his own body as a particular example of the human condition that he can work on ‘from the inside’. Gormley has worked extensively across the world, from Stavanger in Norway to the western Australian desert. In the UK he is best known for the impressive Angel of the North at Gateshead, and for the 100 figures he has installed across Crosby Beach, near Liverpool.

6 Times is the first work from the National Galleries of Scotland’s collection to be physically shared with the city. The positioning of the figures across Edinburgh places contemporary art near to communities who may have had little opportunity to experience such work directly.

The first is buried chest-deep in the ground. The next four have been lowered into the Water of Leith as it winds its way through the city to the sea, and the final statue is at the end of an abandoned pier.

The figures in the river are so realistic, that police have already had calls from worried passers-by!!

The artist said the high-pressure density of modern urban life made it "vital to take the time and space to open up our minds to the elements". According to him, "We are all aware that we are coming to the point where there will be 10 billion human beings on this planet. The big question that I'm asking with all of these works is, where does the human project fit, in the scheme of things?".

The work has been commissioned by the Scottish National Gallery of Modern Art, with funds from the Gulbenkian Museum of the Year award 2004 and support from the Art Fund, The Patrons of the National Galleries of Scotland, Claire Enders and The Henry Moore Foundation.

Taste Festival

2010-05-20T15:58:00.000+01:00

Taste Festivals are back for 2010 in London, Edinburgh and Birmingham. You can once more sample specially prepared delicacies from some of the very best restaurants in your city of choice. There will also be sommeliers on hand to help you pick out the perfect bottle of bubbly or whatever tipple takes your fancy. The producers' market will be bursting with fine fayre, and there will be a whole host of classes, demonstrations, music and merriment.

So, Taste of Edinburgh is Scotland’s sell-out food and drink event of the year. Hosted in Edinburgh’s stunning Inverleith Park, the event brings together the leading names from the capital’s eateries alongside an array of celebrity chefs, to offer the finest range of food and drink from across the country.

But not everything is designed for adults. There are even special activities for the wee ones. We are calling on all yummy mummies and delicious daddies to come along to Tiny Taste on Friday 28 May between 12–4 pm for some bite sized fun for little ones.

For the first time we will be cooking up some fun filled activities for little ones with the launch of ‘Tiny Taste’ at this year’s festival, and to celebrate the first 300 tots to pay a visit will get a special goodie bag too.

Designed to keep the whole family happy, Tiny Taste combines a mix of interactive cooking demos, quizzes, storytelling and tasty treats, all centred around miniature play kitchens – just right for budding gastronomists!

Come and enjoy!

inlingua Congress 2010

2010-05-05T18:17:00.000+01:00

inlingua Edinburgh is delighted to host this year's annual inlingua international congress from 12-15 May.

inlingua colleagues from all over the world meet every year to strengthen their network and discuss new material, current situations and future opportunities during this 4 day event.

Past host cities included Istanbul, Vancouver and Lausanne, and this year's is Edinburgh's turn.

Highlights of the congress include excursions to a whisky distillery, a private stately home, an evening reception at inlingua Edinburgh for about 120+ participants and the final Gala Evening with a Scottish touch, be it traditional Scottish fayre with a modern twist, a bagpiper, the famous Address to the Haggis, iconic kilts and a fabulous Ceilidh band.

We hope our colleagues will have an unforgettable 43rd annual congress in Edinburgh!!

Haste ye back!

Rolling of the eggs

2010-04-01T16:14:00.000+01:00

The pre-Christian Saxons had a spring goddess called Eostre, whose feast was held on the Vernal Equinox, around 21 March. Her animal was the spring hare and the rebirth of the land in spring was symbolised by the egg.

Pope Gregory the Great ordered his missionaries to use old religious sites and festivals and absorb them into Christian rituals where possible. The Christian celebration of the Resurrection of Christ was ideally suited to be merged with the Pagan feast of Eostre and many of the traditions were adopted into the Christian festivities. In Great Britain, Germany and other countries children traditionally rolled eggs down hillsides at Easter and it is thought that this may have become symbolic of the rolling away of the rock from Jesus Christ’s tomb before his resurrection.

In the UK, the tradition of rolling decorated eggs down grassy hills goes back hundreds of years and is known as "pace-egging", from the Old English Pasch meaning Passover. There is even an old Lancashire legend that says the broken eggshells should be carefully crushed afterwards or they will be stolen and used as boats by witches.

Arthur's Seat, in Edinburgh, is one of the traditional egg rolling sites, alongside the castle moat at Penrith and Bunkers Hill in Derby. Beacon Hill near Newbury, Berkshire is also an ideal spot. The eggs were traditionally wrapped in onion skins and boiled to give them a mottled gold appearance (although today they are usually painted) and the children competed to see who could roll their egg the furthest.

The eggs were eaten on Easter Sunday or given out to pace-eggers – fantastically dressed characters that processed through the streets singing traditional pace-egging songs and collecting money as a tribute before performing traditional mumming plays.

Snowdrop Festival 2010

2010-03-01T15:48:00.000Z

If you think there's only music and theatre festivals in Scotland, you'd better think twice. Today, we are taking you to a very spacial festival organised around one truly beautiful feature of our landscape: the snowdrop.

The large specialist collection of these delicate flowers will be on display at the Scottish Snowdrop Festival between 1 February and 15 March.

Enjoy beautiful gardens, magnificent castles, stately homes and local exhibitions or simply step into nature and wander through the woodland. You should tread carefully and keep your eyes peeled for snowdrops, little winter gems that surface towards the end of the season when hopes of spring are in the air. Find sites to explore in both city and rural locations. These flowers are delicate yet hardy, and are able to thrive in this cold climate.

Just get in out in the snow-dusted landscapes and treat yourself afterwards to a hot drink and a traditional shortbread buiscuit or cake in one of our lovely tearooms. Quite simply a perfect winter day out.

Saint Valentine's Day

2010-02-08T11:41:00.001Z

Every February, across the country, candy, flowers, and gifts are exchanged between loved ones, all in the name of St. Valentine. But who is this mysterious saint and why do we celebrate this holiday? The history of Valentine's Day — and its patron saint — is shrouded in mystery. But we do know that February has long been a month of romance. St. Valentine's Day, as we know it today, contains vestiges of both Christian and ancient Roman tradition. So, who was Saint Valentine and how did he become associated with this ancient rite? Today, the Catholic Church recognizes at least three different saints named Valentine or Valentinus, all of whom were martyred.

One legend contends that Valentine was a priest who served during the third century in Rome. When Emperor Claudius II decided that single men made better soldiers than those with wives and families, he outlawed marriage for young men — his crop of potential soldiers. Valentine, realizing the injustice of the decree, defied Claudius and continued to perform marriages for young lovers in secret. When Valentine's actions were discovered, Claudius ordered that he be put to death.

Other stories suggest that Valentine may have been killed for attempting to help Christians escape harsh Roman prisons where they were often beaten and tortured.

According to one legend, Valentine actually sent the first 'valentine' greeting himself. While in prison, it is believed that Valentine fell in love with a young girl — who may have been his jailor's daughter — who visited him during his confinement. Before his death, it is alleged that he wrote her a letter, which he signed 'From your Valentine,' an expression that is still in use today. Although the truth behind the Valentine legends is murky, the stories certainly emphasize his appeal as a sympathetic, heroic, and, most importantly, romantic figure. It's no surprise that by the Middle Ages, Valentine was one of the most popular saints in England and France.

During that time period, lovers sang or spoke their sentiments. Paper and written Valentines became popular at the end of the 15th Century. The oldest Valentine that exists today was made during this era and is on display in the British Museum.

In early years Valentine cards were handmade. However, during the 1800’s Valentines began to be manufactured in factories. In the beginning they were handpainted by the workers and came only in black and white, similar to silhouettes. Fancy Valentines of the day were made of ribbon and lace. Paper lace was not introduced until the mid 1800’s. By the end of the 19th Century, Valentines were made by machine and handmade cards became very rare.

Burns Supper

2010-01-20T09:14:00.000Z

Robert Burns, the national poet of Scotland, was born in Ayrshire, in 1759. Scotland's best loved bard is famous for his political views, revolutionary behaviour, his love for the lassies and of course his world famous songs and poems including Auld Lang Syne, which is generally sung as a folk song at Hogmanay and other New Year celebrations around the world.

Although Burns lived a short life, dying at the age of 37, it was fulfilling and eventful. Starting out as a farmer then moving on to become a writer, Burns travelled throughout Scotland where he gathered inspiration for much of his work. The stunning Ayrshire scenery and the romantic setting of Dumfries helped provide the insight for compiling much of his romantic material.

The first suppers were held in Ayrshire at the end of the 18th century by his friends on the anniversary of his death, 21 July, and they have been a regular occurrence ever since. The first Burns club, known as The Mother Club, was founded in Greenock in 1801 by merchants born in Ayrshire, some of whom had known Burns. They held the first Burns Supper on what they thought was his birthday on 29 January 1802, but in 1803 discovered from the Ayr parish records that the correct date was 25 January 1759, and since then suppers have been held to 25 January, Burns' birthday.

Suppers may be formal or informal but they should always be entertaining. When the cook brings in the haggis, everyone stands, while a piper plays bagpipes and leads the way to the host's table, where the haggis is laid down. The host, or perhaps one of the guests, then recites the Address To a Haggis.

At the end of the poem, a whisky toast will be proposed to the haggis. Then the company will sit and enjoy the meal. The main course is traditionally served with mashed potatoes (tatties) and mashed neeps (known in England as swede but in Scotland as turnip, or in North America as rutabaga and turnip). A dessert course, cheese courses, coffee, etc. may also be part of the meal.

St Andrew's Day

2009-11-25T15:45:00.000Z

St Andrew's Day is the feast day of Saint Andrew and is celebrated on 30 November.

Saint Andrew is the patron saint of Scotland, and St. Andrew's Day is Scotland's official national day. Although most commonly associated with Scotland, Saint Andrew is also the patron saint of Greece, Romania and Russia.

In Germany, the feast day is celebrated as Andreasnacht ("St. Andrew's Night"), in Austria with the custom of Andreasgebet ("St. Andrew's Prayer"), and in Poland as Andrzejki ("Andrews").

This year, we are in for a treat. The Homecoming Scotland Finale Celebrations is the biggest ever programme of events co-ordinated to mark St Andrew’s Day. The spectacular programme has more than 40 events taking place across the country. With Scotland’s music providing the soundtrack, this is one party you simply can’t miss.

From the Highlands to Haddington, Dundee to Dumfries and many locations in between, there’s plenty of opportunity to join the celebrations and do something for St Andrew’s Day this Homecoming year. The festivities are delivered by event organisers and local authorities across the country who have developed exciting new events to mark the end of what has been a truly celebratory year for Scotland.

Events include, amongst other, torchlight processions, firework displays and a series of unique musical gatherings blending some of the finest musicians born in, and influenced by Scotland and its rich musical heritage, including Deacon Blue, Lloyd Cole, Eddie Reader, Midge Ure and Teenage Fanclub.

Come and join the celebrations!

By the way, do you know the origin of the Scottish flag? According to legend, in 832 A.D. King Óengus II (or King Angus) led the Picts and Scots in battle against the Angles, King Angus and his men were surrounded and he prayed for deliverance. During the night Saint Andrew, who was martyred on a saltire cross, appeared to Angus and assured him of victory. On the following morning a white saltire against the background of a blue sky appeared to both sides. The Picts and Scots were heartened by this, but the Angles lost confidence and were defeated. This saltire design has been the Scottish flag ever since.

Expolingua Berlin 2009

2009-11-17T09:23:00.000Z

For over two decades, Expolingua Berlin has been offering exhibitors an ideal platform to present a diverse spectrum of products and services related to language learning and teaching, as well as cultures from around the globe. Each year, approximately 200 exhibitors from over 30 countries and more than 15,000 visitors attend this multinational event.

At Expolingua Berlin, visitors can get in touch with different cultures and more than 60 languages. Experts provide first-hand information and advice on foreign language learning and teaching.

Visitors come to Expolingua Berlin to get expert advice on the wide-ranging options for learning and teaching foreign languages, as well as to participate in targeted networking with professionals in the language training industry. Language teachers, HR and training specialists, language travel agents, publishers, schools and cultural institutes come to Expolingua Berlin to make new contacts and refresh existing relationships.

Parallel to the exhibition, Expolingua Berlin’s seminar programme offers visitors a rich and varied series of lectures, workshops and mini-language courses. Visitors can choose from 100 presentations covering topics such as studying and working abroad, language tests and international educational programmes.

A varied cultural programme rounds off the exhibition each year, including film screenings.

So, this year inlingua Edinburgh is going to be there! IN OUR KILTS!! what a better way to represent Scotland! We promise photos. Just check our Facebook profile.

Bonfire Night and the Gunpowder Plot

2009-11-04T13:26:00.000Z

After Queen Elizabeth I died in 1603, English Catholics who had been persecuted under her rule had hoped that her successor, James I, would be more tolerant of their religion. James I had, after all, had a Catholic mother. Unfortunately, James did not turn out to be more tolerant than Elizabeth and a number of young men, 13 to be exact, decided that violent action was the answer.

A small group took shape, under the leadership of Robert Catesby. Catesby felt that violent action was warranted. Indeed, the thing to do was to blow up the Houses of Parliament. In doing so, they would kill the King, maybe even the Prince of Wales, and the Members of Parliament who were making life difficult for the Catholics. Today these conspirators would be known as extremists, or terrorists.

To carry out their plan, the conspirators got hold of 36 barrels of gunpowder and stored them in a cellar, just under the House of Lords.

But as the group worked on the plot, it became clear that innocent people would be hurt or killed in the attack, including some people who even fought for more rights for Catholics. Some of the plotters started having second thoughts. One of the group members even sent an anonymous letter warning his friend, Lord Monteagle, to stay away from the Parliament on November 5th.

The warning letter reached the King, and the King's forces made plans to stop the conspirators.

Guy Fawkes, who was in the cellar of the parliament with the 36 barrels of gunpowder when the authorities stormed it in the early hours of November 5th, was caught, tortured and executed.

It's unclear if the conspirators would ever have been able to pull off their plan to blow up the Parliament even if they had not been betrayed. Some have suggested that the gunpowder itself was so old as to be useless. Since Guy Fawkes and the other conspirators got caught before trying to ignite the powder, we'll never know for certain.

On the very night that the Gunpowder Plot was foiled, on November 5th, 1605, bonfires were set alight to celebrate the safety of the King. Since then, November 5th has become known as Bonfire Night. The event is commemorated every year with fireworks and burning effigies of Guy Fawkes on a bonfire.

Some of the English have been known to wonder, in a tongue in cheek kind of way, whether they are celebrating Fawkes' execution or honoring his attempt to do away with the government.

Geeky facts: Guy Fawkes is still alive in modern storytelling. If you don't believe us, just check the name of Dumbledore's phoenix bird in the Harry Potter saga. Yes, you are right, 'Fawkes' it is. Not difficult to make the connection, is it? And, amongst many others, the story is also present in the comic-book 'V for Vendetta', a masterpiece of the so called ninth art.

Trick or treat!! Know the whole story...

2009-10-29T09:33:00.000Z

The Christian Festival on All Hallows (Saints) Day on 1 November was deliberately set to coincide with the last day of the year in the old Celtic calendar of 31 October. It was celebrated by the Druids as "Samhain" -from "Sain" meaning summer and "fuin" meaning "ending"- and was regarded as a "Feast of the Dead", when they would sometimes return as evil spirits. There were also ritual fires to ensure that the sun would return the following spring and there is still a lingering belief that children born on Hallowe'en have supernatural gifts.

Hallowe'en is actually the night before, where lanterns (Gaelic: samhnag), Hallowfires and such are supposed to scare the souls that will emerge at midnight away from your house. Samhuinn is also used in Gaelic for the entire month of November.

Many of the celebratory elements, such as playing pranks, originated in the notion that at this time the world was turned inside out prompting people to act with abandon against the usual social strictures.

In Scotland, Hallowe'en was traditionally associated with witches and bonfires. Fire is a central element in all Celtic celebrations. All hearthfires were put out and new fires lit from the great bonfires. Men lit torches in the bonfires and circled their homes and lands with them to obtain protection for the coming year.

In the last few hundred years, bonfires have ceased to be part of the celebration of Hallowe'en - they are reserved for Guy Fawkes night on 5 November. But other pagan rituals have been perpetuated with traditions such as "dookin' for apples" (removing an apple floating in a basin of water without using your hands, either spearing it with a fork held in your teeth or by biting it). Of course, apples were sacred to the Druids.

Then there are "tattie bogles" (potato scarecrows) or "neep lanterns" (turnip lanterns), made by scooping out a turnip and cutting through the skin to create eyes, nose and mouth. A candle was then placed inside (and turnip was on the menu for days afterwards). The pumpkin serves the same purpose in the USA and these are increasingly found in Scotland in more recent times - they are easier to scoop out! But children who have fun doing this do not realise that they are continuing a tradition of placing skulls on poles round encampments to scare away evil spirits.

By the end of the 19th century Hallowe'en had become very much a festival for children. Dressing up and going "guising" is a tradition which has lasted to the present day. The original idea was to dress as spirits of the dead but options have widened over the years. When money was tight, dressing up in some old clothes from grandparents was all that was required. But witches (with broomsticks, cloaks and pointed black hats) have always been popular, with blackened faces harping back to the pagan days when the Druids may have smeared their faces with ash from their bonfires. Long before "trick or treat", children went round the houses and had to perform a poem or a song or tell jokes before receiving nuts, apples or sweets. In recent years, concern about child safety has reduced the amount of "guising", and the children who do go out seem to think they should get something without having to do a "party piece".

The Thistle: Symbol of Scotland

2009-10-15T16:49:00.000+01:00

Alongside tartan, the thistle is perhaps the most identifiable symbol of all things Scottish.

The thistle was adopted as the Emblem of Scotland during the rein of Alexander III (1249 - 1286). Legend has it that an Army of King Haakon of Norway, intent on conquering the Scots, landed at the Coast of Largs at night to surprise the sleeping Scottish Clansmen. In order to move more stealthily under the cover of darkness, the Norsemen removed their footewear.

But something else was hiding under the cover of darkness. One of Haakon's men unfortunately stood on one of these spiny little defenders and shrieked out in pain, alerting the Clansmen of the advancing Norsemen. Needless to say, the Scots won the day.

Sadly, there is no historical evidence to back up the tale and, in fact, there's even confusion as to the type of thistle that we see represented everywhere. There are many species of thistle and the spear thistle, stemless thistle, cotton thistle, Our Lady's thistle, musk thistle and melancholy thistle have all been suggested as possible candidates.

Whatever its origins, the thistle has been an important Scottish symbol for more than 500 years. Perhaps its first recognisable use was on silver coins issued in 1470 during the reign of James III and from the early 16th century, it was incorporated into the Royal Arms of Scotland. Scotland's premier Order of Chivalry, established in 1687, is The Most Ancient and Noble Order of the Thistle and its members wear a collar chain whose links are made of golden thistles. The Knights and Ladies of the Thistle also wear a breast star which bears the thistle emblem and a motto which is regularly associated with it, Nemo Me Impune Lacessit - 'no-one provokes me with impunity'.

The Enchanted Forest

2009-10-09T16:22:00.000+01:00

The Enchanted Forest is yet another evidence of all the magic Scotland has got to offer. It has been enthralling and amazing visitors to Perthshire since 2002 and has become the nation's premier sound and light experience. This outdoor event, taking place at the eerie Faskally Wood, offers a magical autumn experience for all ages.

Attracting around 20,000 visitors every year, the event offers visitors a unique opportunity to experience the outdoors, at night and with spectacular imagery. Using the forest as a natural backdrop, you will experience a lighting show that is, quite simply, out of this world.

This year, the theme is 'Scottish Myths and legends', and the event brings Scotland's history to life with faeries, witches, kelpies and bogey men, not to mention stunning water features, lighting displays and fabulous pyrotechnics. Meet Tam O Shanter and his horse, play with the faeries in an interactive wood, or look deep into Robert the Bruce's cave.

This year, The Enchanted Forest will take place between 16th October and 1st November. A show you just don't want to miss!!

Wigtown Book Town

2009-10-01T15:31:00.000+01:00

Situated in the southwest of Scotland, with the Central Belt & Ayrshire to the north, Cumbria & the Lake District to the south, the Scottish Borders & Northumberland to the east, and Ireland to the west, this kaleidoscope of beautiful pastoral landscape, rugged coastline, woodland and forest, moorland and mountain is a rich cultural melting pot.

Wigtown was officially designated as Scotland's National Book Town in 1998 and is now home to over 20 book-related business. A book lovers haven - and with over quarter of a million books to choose from, old and new... it is impossible to escape empty-handed. On top of that, Wigtown was the winner of a prestigious Thistle Award for tourism in 2009, and has nowadays become what The Times calls a 'must-see event in Scotland's cultural calendar'.

This autumn will again see many of the best writers in the UK descending on Scotland's National Book Town for 170 events over 10 days. Authors appearing include Diana Athill, Iain Banks, John Boyne, Christopher Brookmyre, William Dalrymple, Julia Donaldson, Roddy Doyle, Quintin Jardine, Irma Kurtz, Kenny Logan, Chris Mullin, Nick Nairn & David Owen. In addition, there is theatre, music, art exhibitions and a full children's programme.

As part of the Homecoming 2009 celebrations, this year's events will also include a unique festival-within-a-festival celebrating whisky's relationship to writing. With music, tastings and some of the world's top whisky experts, including Charlie MacLean, Gavin Smith, Ian Buxton, Hans Offringa, Robin Laing and Dave Broom - it will appeal to anyone who has ever curled up with a book and a dram.

This year the festival runs from 25 September to 4 October... hurry up if you want to enjoy this truly unique Scottish gem!

All is quiet now, but not for long...

2009-09-07T12:38:00.000+01:00

That's it, the festivals are over, and the fireworks last night marked the end of a mad mad season, full of theatre, concerts, street entertainment, thousands of tourists... and work, a lot of work. Everybody seems to have gone home now, the city feels almost empty in comparison. However, this won't last long.

Apart from running our normal intensive courses, we are now getting ready for our Autumn evening terms.

We are starting our English evening term next week (14 Sept) and we are offering a 5% discount for early birds who join before 10th Sept. We are offering our general English couses as well as preparation courses for the Cambridge examinatios (FCE, CAE and CPE) and IELTS. All our English courses run 2 days a week, either Mon and Wed or Tue and Thu, usually from 18.30 to 20.00.

On top of that, our Foreign Language term starts on the week of 28 Sept! We offer a wide range of languages, both on a 1-2-1 and a group basis. We are also offering an early bird discount: enrol before 18th Sept and get 5% off! Don't waste this fantastic opportunity to start studying a new language or to improve your skills if you already speak one!!

If you are interested, you can contact us on 0131 220 5119 or at info@inlingua-edinburgh.co.uk

Fireworks!

2009-08-31T15:55:00.000+01:00

The Edinburgh Festival goes out each year with literally many, very large bangs, in its annual Festival Fireworks Concert on Sunday 6 September at 9pm.

Beneath Edinburgh Castle, the world-renowed Scottish Chamber Orchestra will play while a fireworks team based in the castle provides synchronised visual accompaniment.

You need a ticket to hear the SCO playing at the Ross Band Stand in Princes Street Gardens, but the majority of spectators tune into local radio to hear the live broadcast and watch the pyrotechnians paint the sky in explosive colour.

Vantage points can be found around the city, from Princes Street to Calton Hill. Inverleith Park's free Family Viewing Area is also popular, not just for its great views of the castle, but also the fact that there is a live video link and top notch sound system to capture the Concert in the Gardens that accompanies the fireworks display. It's not as exciting as being up close, under the castle, but you can avoid the uptown crush of Princes Street. Get there earlyish - proceedings start at 7pm - to bag a good spot.

Festival of Politics

2009-08-18T16:36:00.000+01:00

Not all the festivals taking place in Edinburgh in August deal with theatre, street performance, cinema, art or dance... Festival of Politics has just started, a truly original festival where you can even ask that burning question or issue you would like to raise with Members of the Scottish Parliament.

Now in its fifth year, the Festival of Politics has proven itself an invaluable tool in encouraging people to engage with the Scottish Parliament – so much so that the initiative is now being adopted by other Parliaments around the world. The Scottish Parliament has, during the last ten years, striven to be open and accessible to all.

You can find more information at http://www.festivalofpolitics.org.uk/

Edinburgh Mela Festival 2009

2009-08-07T11:41:00.000+01:00

The Edinburgh Mela was founded in 1995 by members of the city's minority ethnic communities. The first festival was held in Meadowbank Stadium and quickly grew to attract 20,000 people each year. It was the first Mela in Scotland and has gained a strong reputation in the UK.

In 2000 the festival moved to Pilrig Park and in recent years has drawn large numbers of people over the weekend.

This year's Mela Festival takes place from the 7th - 9th August at Pilrig Park.

Welcome to the 15th Edinburgh Mela Festival. In this year of Homecoming we are celebrating Scotland's place in the world as a vibrant, culturally diverse nation. A land that has, over many years, welcomed generations of immigrant communities who have chosen to make Scotland their home. We're thinking of this as our year of Home-be-coming. We've decided to place a particular focus on artists who draw on a range of heritages to make innovative and contemporary work that reaches across artistic and cultural boundaries.

Come to our party, and share in the celebration - we think we have all the right ingredients!

You can find more information visiting http://www.edinburgh-mela.co.uk/

NIck Pynn

2009-08-04T11:33:00.000+01:00

Nick Pynn is back!!!

And we are in for a treat, as he will presenting some of his new material, The Colours of the Night.

The Colours of the Night is a collection of new compositions by Nick Pynn, featuring orchestral musicians who have performed their parts individually, above Bom-Bane's cafe in Brighton. Many of them have never met. Several of the pieces from the album are recreated in this year's Fringe by Nick layering up, with the help of technology...

The Colours of the Night will be officially released on the Roundhill label and distributed by Cadiz Music. But you can buy a copy here after the show!

Shows will take place on Aug 7th-9th, 11th-15th, 18th-23rd and 25th-30th (£8.50)
Previews Aug 5th and 6th (£6.50)

You can buy your tickets directly at the fringe office or alternatively at the school

Edinburgh Jazz Festival

2009-07-27T16:20:00.000+01:00

For ten days the sounds of the Edinburgh Jazz & Blues Festival resonate through the city of Edinburgh - in parks, churches, clubs, bars and concert halls. The best international musicians rub shoulders with top Scottish talent - unique collaborations, world premieres, Scottish debuts, outstanding musicianship all contribute to the exciting Festival atmosphere.

Major concert halls host the best players in the world: Roy Hargrove, Joe Temperley, Chick Corea, David Murray, Wynton Marsalis have all performed. The Festival has a strong track record with mainstream jazz: Dick Hyman, Jeremy Monteiro, Scott Hamliton, Ken Peplowski, John Allred are all festival favourites.

Scottish jazz musicians celebrate the best of Scottish jazz during the Festival and feature in orchestras, leading their own bands, in international collaborations, often presenting new projects. The Blues is a key component and the Festival has presented some of the biggest names in the business from BB King and Buddy Guy to Scottish musicians like Maggie Bell and Tam White.

The UK's largest jazz event, Jazz on A Summer's Day sets its stall out in Princes Street Gardens under the shadow of Edinburgh Castle and showcases top Festival performers - all for Free. While the Mardi Gras brings the spirit of New Orleans to the Grassmarket.

The Jazz Festival runs from the 31st of July to the 9th of August. Don't you dare miss it! You can find more information at http://www.edinburghjazzfestival.co.uk/

Edinburgh Fringe Festival

2009-07-16T15:35:00.000+01:00

The Edinburgh Festival Fringe (commonly known as The Fringe) started in 1947 when 8 theatre groups turned up uninvited to the first Edinburgh International Festival (EIF). Over the years, more perfomers came to Edinburgh to perform on the outskirts of the EIF and by 1958 the Festival Fringe Society was formed to provide information, a central box office and a published programme of all the Fringe shows. Central to the society's constitution was the policy that there should be no artistic vetting from the society. Which still holds true to this very day.
The Fringe caters for the biggest names in showbiz to the performers in the street and covers all sorts of art forms such as theatre, comedy, children's shows, dance, physical theatre, musicals, operas, all genres of music, exhibitions, and events. In 2008, hundreds of groups participated in putting on 2,088 different shows with a total of 31,320 performances in 247 venues.

The Fringe is the largest of a number of festivals that come together in Scotland's capital every year, in and around August.

The Fringe is an open arts festival, which means that anyone can perform without any constraints from the Festival Fringe Society. The Festival Fringe Society (commonly known as the Fringe Office) does not produce any of the shows, does not invite anybody to perform, does not run any venues and pays no fees to performers. They do, however, help performers every step of the way.

So, here's one more reason to come to Edinburgh!! Come and join the thousands of visitors that visit the city willing to participate in one of the most important events of the world. It runs from the 7th to the 31st of August. Don't miss it!!

Edinburgh International Film Festival

2009-05-13T19:24:00.001+01:00

The EIFF is back!! Moving from August to June last year proved to be a complete success. If you are a movie-buff you can avoid all the August rush with its multiple festivals and the thousands of tourists. The EIFF is one of the most famous film festivals in the world. Come and be the first to watch some of the most amazing new talents or have the privilege to see an old classic on the big screen. The Film Festival runs a series of interviews with important names in the film industry, come and see them in person! We can guarantee it's one of the most amazing experiences in the world. Just listen to your idols and ask them whichever question you always wanted to ask them! Some highlights this year include such classic figures as Roger Corman, famous for adapting some of Poe's stories, and some new geniuses as Darren Aronofsky, director of Pi, Requiem for a Dream or The Wrestler. You'll regret it if you miss them! The EIFF runs from the 17th to the 28th of June and is yet another excellent excuse to come to Edinburgh!

Play on Words - English Theatre Course

2009-04-15T15:56:00.000+01:00

Play on Words, our English theatre course, is starting again on Wednesday 22nd of April. It doesn't matter if you don't want to be an actor, just come and improve your pronunciation and diction and have fun at the same time! Takind a theatre course is such a fantastic opportunity to increase your self confidence, so why not improve your English in the same course, too!

Last term was a complete success, people left the room absolutely happy and content, all excited and looking forward to rehearsing the parts they had been given.

As everybody has been so happy with the course, we have decided to do it again.
The course runs every Wednesday from 19:13 to 21:15, and the next block of 4 weeks will start, as we have already said, on the 22nd of April.

Also, if you are not 100% sure, you can always come and pay just for one week and, if you don't like it, you don't need to pay for the rest. But, to be honest, everyone likes it!!

Please come to the school or phone/email us if you want to enrol in the course.

inlingua Language Centre

29 Hanover St
Edinburgh EH2 2DL

Tel. 0131 220 5119
Email. info@inlingua-edinburgh.co.uk

Inlnlingua - Language translation services in Edinburgh

2009-03-26T13:47:00.000Z

Did you know that Inlingua Edinburgh offers professional translation services. We translate anything from Amharic to Welsh!

All of our translators are fully qualified and will be able to offer a full official translation of any document you need! Whether you need a birth certificate or a company brochure translated, Inlingua Edinburgh is happy to offer you its fast, efficient and competent translation service. Our translators have years of experience in their selected fields and subjects and are exclusively multi-lingual and native speakers.

We pride ourselves in a professional and efficient service.

Inlingua Edinburgh operates with two price structures:

1.minimum charge for less than 500 words
if your document has less than 500 words (word count in target language) then our minimum rate applies

2.pro rata charge per 1000 words
if your document comprises various pages of densely written text, then our pro rata rate applies (word count in target language)

Please contact our staff for a quote and more information on our rates. You can email us at info@inlingua-edinburgh.co.uk or call us +44(0)1312205119! We will be happy to answer any questions you might have!

IELTS Preparation Course

2009-03-20T09:46:00.000Z

IELTS is the International English Language Testing System. It measures ability to communicate in English across all four language skills – listening, reading, writing and speaking – for people who intend to study or work where English is the language of communication.

More than 6,000 education institutions, faculties, government agencies and professional organisations around the world recognise IELTS scores as a trusted and valid indicator of ability to communicate in English.

Over 1,000,000 people a year are now using IELTS to open doors throughout the English-speaking world and beyond. The test is taken every year across 120 countries, and is one of the fastest growing English language tests in the world, and sets the standard in integrity, research and innovation.

That's why at inlingua Edinburgh we have decided to add an IELTS preparation course to our existing Cambridge examination courses (FCE, CAE and CPE). So, if you are interested, come and joing our group. The course runs every Monday and Wednesday evenings, from 18.30 to 20.00.

And remember we still have the Early Bird offer! (Re-) enrol for any of our evening courses before the end of March and get a 5% discount!!

Why are Inlinua Language courses in Edinburgh different?

2009-03-12T11:16:00.000Z

There are so many language schools in Edinburgh it's difficult and confusing to find the one that is right for you.

Inlingua is unique in that it only employs teachers that are either bilingual or native speakers, so you can be sure that you are learning from experts! We also only employ fully qualified teachers, making all our courses consistent and regulated. Inlingua is the most well regarded language centre in Edinburgh as it offers the widest range of courses from beginner to advanced, from Turkish beginners language courses to advanced German language classes.

We also have a great deal of corporate foreign language classes, our past clients have included the Libyan Embassy and Lufthansa!

Inlingua is not just a language school it is also a cultural centre with plenty of events involving our multicultural staff. Our most recent addition to this is our course for English Theatre Course 'Play on Words' - Inlingua Edinburgh will also be a venue for the famous Edinburgh Fringe Festival to find out more click here!

We are also offering a fantastic Early Bird offer, if you re-enrol for any of our evening courses before the end of March you will get a 5% discount! To find out more give us a call on +44(0)131 220 5119 or drop us an email to info@inlingua-edinburgh.co.uk !

Special offer!!

2009-03-06T09:43:00.001Z

Organising a new term is often a rather stressful task. Loads of phonecalls, thousands of emails and a humongous amount of paperwork. And all left for the last minute.

So, we thought we could reward people who made our live easier by (re-)enroling early! That is the reason why we have introduced the Early Bird Offer: (re-)enrol in any of our evening groups before the end of March and get a 5% discount!

it can't get any better than this, can it? What are you waiting for? Come and (re-)enrol!

inlingua Edinburgh will be a Fringe Festival venue again this year...

2009-03-02T17:46:00.000Z

For the fourth year running, inlingua Edinburgh will be a Venue again during the Fringe Festival 2009.

We are delighted to announce the return of two long-standing artists/ performers, Nick Pynn and Paul Webster.

Nick Pynn is an outstanding musician who has won the Spirit of the Fringe Award and whose CD ''Afterplanesman'' was awarded amongst the 100 top CDs of 2008 by the Times! Come and join him for an evening of fantastic and highly original music in the Red Room by candle light and lose yourself in his melodies, rhythms and stories – all accompanied by his own devised musical instruments as well as classic guitar, violin and the cocolele! Nick Pynn consistently and regularly gets 4 and 5* reviews.

Paul Webster is a truly remarkable actor who portrays Adolf Hitler in his final hour in the bunker. Paul's performance is very powerful and gives us insight into this notorious, dangerous dictator and it is hard to believe it is Paul who sits in front of us! ''Hitler Alone'' has been reviewed every year as an extraordinary 4* show – for those who wish to have an audience with Adolf.

inlingua Edinburgh now offers a brand new proofreading service!

2009-02-24T10:52:00.000Z

inlingua Edinburgh is aware of the need people have when submitting essays, dissertations, thesis and all other types of documents. If you need professional help to make your text read and flow to perfection, what you need is a proofreader. A proofreader is someone who will check all the spelling, punctuation and tenses, as well as make all the necessary changes to get better readability, cohesion and logic.
We offer 3 types of proofreading services: light proofreading, editing and you can even book an one-to-one appointment with a writing consultant so you can ask him or her all your questions personally.

Language courses in Edinburgh at Inlingua...

2009-02-18T12:47:00.001Z

Learn English in Edinburgh and other languages at Inglingua Edinburgh. We offer languages courses in Edinburgh so you can learn English, Spanish, Italian, French, German and many other languages at the our language college. Inlingua is a great place to learn a language in Scotland.

If you would like more information about our languages courses in Edinburgh you can contact us on 0131 220 5119 or send us an email at info@inlingua-edinburgh.co.uk.

Our language teachers have over 35 years experience. Inlingua was established in 1968 and the Edinburgh centre opened in summer 2005. Its multinational and multilingual staff (with more than 35 years of experience between them) will ensure that you have a successful and memorable time while learning a new language or improving existing skills.

We offer small group language lessons and we even offer a free language assessment service to check your ability.
Inlingua language centre Edinburgh is situated in the heart of the commercial city centre, also known as the New Town. Easy access by public transport or car makes it an ideal location.

Edinburgh’s train station Waverley is only 5 mins walk away and so is the bus station. All major tourist attractions are within easy walking distance and the famous Edinburgh Castle, which towers over the city, can even be seen from some of our classrooms! There is an excellent choice of first class restaurants, cafes, bars, pubs and shops to keep you during your time with Inlingua.

For those of you who are planning to learn English in the UK, Edinburgh is the perfect location to do so. The city has an idyllic location between hills and the sea and you can walk everywhere in the city centre.

Edinburgh has a great international atmosphere all year round with its many cultural activities make it a great choice for city breaks and the perfect place to learn English. Edinburgh was recently awarded the world’s first city of literature due to well-known authors such as J K Rowling, Ian Rankin and Robert Louis Stevenson to name but a few. The famous international festivals in the summer and the world’s biggest New Year Celebration “Hogmanay’’ attract visitors from all over the world – as do the scenic and unique Highlands which are only a 2 hours’ drive away.

Inlingua Edinburgh is the perfect place to learn English, French, Spanish, German – the list is endless. Get in touch with our staff at our Edinbugh language college and we would be happy to help.

You can reach us on 0131 220 5119 or send us an email at info@inlingua-edinburgh.co.uk

Inlingua Edinburgh has a brand new website!

2009-02-11T14:29:00.000Z

Inlingua Edinburgh has a brand new website! We have upgraded our website for all our students learning English in Edinburgh and for people that would like to try their hands at any of the other languages that we offer. We have been busier than ever, if you would like to book a place on a course with us then please do get in touch and we would be happy to help you our number is 0131 220 5119. Some of our courses offer a great way to have an educational vacation in Edinburgh as they include accommodation with host families, their could be no better way to learn from a native speaker than living with a family of them, just be careful not to catch the Scottish accent! If you would like more information about our courses then please visit our website www.learnenglishinedinburgh.com !

Inlingua language school Edinburgh and...cultural centre!

2009-02-11T14:27:00.000Z

Inlingua Edinburgh is a language school based in the heart of Edinburgh. We are unlike any other English School in the capital as we offer a programme of cultural programmes as well as courses in over ten different languages. Most recently we have started an English for actors course 'Play on Words' . On a Wednesday night our 'red room' is home to a range of multilingual thespians, but if you don't want to be an actor then don't worry, the course is a great chance to improve your vocabulary, to express your feelings in English, to improve your grammar, to increase self confidence and to have fun!

Edinburgh City Guide Top 5 things to do!

2009-02-11T14:16:00.000Z

Visit the castle. It does seem obvious but it is worth the climb for the spectacular views alone. Once inside the castle you get a feel for the not so clean cut history of Scotland's capital. As well as all the facts there are ghost stories galore as well as legendary secret passageways and torture chambers!
Shop until you drop in the Grassmarket. The trendy unique shops of the Grassmarket offer a welcome alternative to the droves of chain stores that populate Princes street. Top tips include hip hangout Totty Rocks, chic knitting supplier K1 and the iconic magazine/t-shirt shop Analogue. After all this shopping what better place to knock back a few 'wee drabs' than the appropriately named Last Drop, situated on the site of the most popular execution gallows in the city.
Meet some real life ghosts. Edinburgh is actually famous for it's paranormal activity. If you dare you can take a tour from a number of locations along the Royal Mile that will take you deep into the hidden underground city – don't say we didn't warn you!
Cutting edge art. Edinburgh boasts the largest art college in Scotland and is part of the reason for the city's cultural reputation. Sean Connery even enjoyed a stint as a life model once upon a time. The capital has some of the best and most exciting art galleries in Europe, anything from dramatic renaissance works at the National Gallery on The Mound to the edgy realms of Scotland's emerging talent at The Collective on Cockburn Street. Definetly recommended is The Fruitmarket Gallery on Market Street, directly next to Waverley train station, it's lively curating, fantastic bookshop and stylish cafe offer the perfect spot to while away the afternoon.
A taste of the great outdoors. One of the most striking things about the Scottish capital are the two dormant volcanoes that dominate the skyline. Walking up the affectionately named Arthur's seat you feel as though you have entered a surreal ultra-natural wilderness in the heart of a capital city, you can even find a secluded loch, where cheeky locals skinny dip after a night out, within view of the Queen's city residence Holyrood Palace

Our New English Theatre Course - learn to speak English through acting!

2009-02-04T13:08:00.000Z

Our new English Theatre course starts tonight. It's a great opportunity to learn to speak English with all the confidence you need to take to the stage. The objectives are to improve pronunciation and diction, to increase vocabulary, to express feelings in English, to improve grammar and if that's not enough to give you greater self confidence. It's sure to be plenty of fun!
Tonight there will be a free introductory course from 7.15pm until 9.15pm.
For more information give us a call on 0131 220 5119.
If you would like more information about any of our language courses then please do give us a call on 0131 220 5119, as well as teaching English in Edinburgh we also teach Arabic, Bulgarian, Croatian, Dutch, English, French, German, Greek, Hungarian, Italian, Japanese, Slovenian, Mandarin, Norwegian, Polish, Portuguese, Russian, Spanish, Swedish & Turkish.
Hopefully we will see you tonight!

Welcome to our new blog 'Learn Languages in Edinburgh'!

2009-01-28T12:19:00.001Z

Learn languages in Edinburgh is the new blog from Inlingua Edinburgh. We offer courses in Arabic, Bulgarian, Croatian, Dutch, English, French, German, Greek, Hungarian, Italian, Japanese, Slovenian, Mandarin, Norwegian, Polish, Portuguese, Russian, Spanish, Swedish & Turkish. If that's not enough we also hold a wide range of events throughout the year, think of us as more of a global cultural centre than a language school!
Our new blog will feature all the latest news from our foreign language courses in Edinburgh as well as all the lowdown and inside knowledge of what there is to do in this fantastic city!
If you would like to know more about our language courses in Edinburgh then please call us on 0131 220 5119 or send us a quick email info@inlingua-edinburgh.co.uk .
We are situated right in the heart of the Scottish capital on Hannover street, close to the buzz of Princes Street and overlooked by the famous castle.
Our website offers a handy tool where you can test your ability to see which level of course will be best suited to you. We at Inlingua are unique and stand apart from other Edinburgh language schools, our staff have 35 years experience between them and we believe in a truly authentic language learning experience, all of our staff are either bi-lingual or native speakers! You are sure to be chatting away in another tongue in no time at all!