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Learn more about Andrew

• 1) Do you speak this language fluently because of your origins or because a teacher inspired you to learn?

  1. I am a native speaker of English.

• 2) Can you name a living, historical or fictional character that you think is the emblematic representative of the language's culture?

  2. A language (any language) is far too rich and varied to be represented by one person.

• 3) Is there a typical word, phrase, tradition or behavior in the language that you particularly like?

  3.I like the word *flibbertigibbet* which means a silly person who talks too much. I also like the word *mellifluous* which means having a pleasant and flowing sound (like a waterfall).

• 4) Why does speaking this language matter to you?

  4. English is my native language. But speaking it matters to my students primarily because it is the international language of business.

• 5) What is the main difficulty in learning this language and what can help the process of learning?

  5. For most students, the lack of correspondence between the written form of the langauge and pronunciation is the biggest hurdle. It is possible to learn certain pronunciation guidelines to help with this but, ultimately, only lots of speaking practice can really bridge this gap.

• 6) Provide a valuable anecdote related to your language learning or your days at school.

  6. I study Portuguese. In Portuguese, there are two words that mean "language." The first of these is *idioma*. This word has the same route as the English word *idiom*. The second of these words is *lingua*. This has the same root as "lingua franca" which is in use in English and means a common third language (often English) used by speakers of two different languages. For example and Italian person and an Austrian person might choose to communicate in English if neither knows each other's language. Anyway, this Portuguese word *lingua* also means tongue. As part of my learning experience, I often asked people if they wanted to exchange languages ("trocar idiomas") but one day, when talking to a Brazilian guy, I used the word *lingua* by mistake, which could be interpreted as asking him for a snog (a kiss with tongues) - very embarrassing!

• 7) How has travel or a specific trip helped you to increase your skill and knowledge of the language?

  7. Regular trips to Portugal have helped me to hone my Portuguese listening skills.

• 8) What makes you a Superprof in language?

  8. As a teacher, I like to challenge my students - which means that I like to help them to find answers for themselves, rather than just transmitting information like an old-fashioned teacher from the 1930s!