FunTASTIC | Languages, communication and travel at their best

Meet the famous Oxford Comma

13-April-2020 · by Verbalist

There has been a long and heated debate among linguists and publishers about this popular comma. A song was even written about it. ! It has also earned many names – Oxford Comma, Harvard Comma, Serial Comma…however, in this brief intro, we will stick to “Oxford Comma.” It is interesting that the Oxford Comma originated from British English, but is more used in American English. There are many debates and views about the Oxford Comma, yet we Verbalists like the best the article made by Oxford Royal Academy. So, let’s meet this “serial offender” up close. READ MORE

Verbalists bring you sunshine with the Jive Aces to cure depression

11-April-2020 · by Verbalist

Actors, musicians, leading professionals and many other distinguished people are also members of the Verbalists Communication & Language Network. We bring you today the highlights of our last summer’s interview with The Jive Aces, who have firmly established themselves as the UK’s No.1 jive & swing band. READ MORE

Best books to improve your English skills

30-January-2017 · by Verbalist

Get cozy this winter with some tea or coffee and a good book to help you improve your English skills. While it may seem intimidating to read an entire book in English, it is great for mastering fluency. You can even keep a notebook full of words you may not understand to help you with your vocabulary! Here are the top picks from the readers of Goodreads, a site which allows book fans to choose their top picks from each genre.

Best Fiction

Truly Madly Guilty by Liane Moriarty

A couple who share what seems to be a dream life with their two daughters have their lives turned upside down when they attend a neighbour’s barbecue. Two months later, they regret what happened that day and can’t stop wondering what would’ve happened if they had never gone.
READ MORE

Which British accent will open the door to freedom

29-December-2016 · by Verbalist

Watch what happens when two Scottish men get trapped in a voice control elevator and cannot control it because of their Scottish accent. A great, hilarious sketch!

Can voice recognition technology replace good old buttons? Would our Scottish men have the same problem with automated, multiple choice phone systems? 🙂

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READ MORE

Brands illusion

29-September-2016 · by Verbalist

This brilliant infographic by Oxfam shows how only 10 companies own all the world’s food brands:

Out of the hundreds of products at our disposal, only ten major corporations manufacture the bulk of what we toss in our shopping carts. Massive corporations squash entrepreneurial diversity and make it nearly impossible for startups and small businesses to compete. According to Oxfam’s report, “The world’s largest food and beverage companies have a lot of power – but you have more. And because they’re not using theirs enough to help poor communities or the planet, you can use yours to change the way they do business.”

Image via Oxfam

The real realist searching for meaning, Viktor Frankl

03-September-2016 · by Verbalist

In this video, legendary psychiatrist and Holocaust-survivor Viktor Frankl delivers a powerful message about the human search for meaning — and the most important gift we can give others. Viktor talks about the importance of being an idealist, or what he called the real realist. As he shared, “If we take a man as he is, we make him worse, but if we take a man as he should be, we make him capable of becoming what he can be.” READ MORE

Think Oxford is just dreaming spires and tradition? Think again! (VIDEO)

20-May-2016 · by Verbalist

Oxford was among the 9 finalists in the The European Commission competition, launched to find the next European Capital of Innovation for 2016. The “city of spires” was shortlisted for its vision to openly share the wealth of knowledge within its world-class innovation ecosystem. READ MORE