London | Languages, communication and travel at their best

My LONDON language travel tours and fun workshops

10-April-2016 · by Verbalist

Every summer, Verbalists’ language travel students explore the depths of secret London and wander around the top London museums and attractions while attending the popular My LONDON program. Well, we thought it would also be nice to prepare the list of the things to do in London for our students who will be taking English courses in London during the springtime.

April in London means that the city finally comes alive with warm weather, outdoor pursuits and a whole heap of energetic things to do, so we propose the following activities:

DISCOVER CENTRAL LONDON BY BIKE: Spring has sprung so there’s no reason why you shouldn’t hop on a bike. Even better, do it while admiring London’s most famous landmarks — join this guided cycle tour around the city for an afternoon of fun and fitness. You’ll see Big Ben, The London Eye, Westminster Abbey, Buckingham Palace as well as the working City of London and playful West End. The bicycles are comfortable, tours are safe, and suitable for all abilities. £24/£22, 4 April & more dates, 10am, see more here

LEARN HOW TO SHOOT LIKE ROBIN HOOD (suitable for kids from age 14 to age 17 and adults): Ever fancied yourself as a bit of a Robin Hood? Join the hugely experienced 2020 Archery team for your first shooting experience. You’re guaranteed serious fun with bows and arrows & guidance from the best instructors who’ll take the time to get you up and running and see you hitting the target. These ‘get started in archery’ sessions are fun and easy-going. Most importantly you will be shooting safely throughout the experience and (relatively!) accurately by the end of the 1.5 hrs. Your instructor will also introduce you to some key archery expressions (ends, nocks etc). The experience will finish with you learning how to score and participating in a mini-competition. These sessions are held in one of two conveniently located venues in the London Bridge area. Learn a new skill and have fun doing it! See more here READ MORE

A fun perspective of the famous London landmarks

29-October-2015 · by Verbalist

London-based photographer Rich McCor decided to try being a tourist in his own city in one rather unique way. Rich took photos of London’s landmarks, and then, mixed things up a bit, mostly by using intricate paper cutouts to transform the sights into something else. He started by giving the 156 year-old Big Ben a modern update and turning it into a wristwatch:

…and here, he is cracking open a bottle of fizz at Tower Bridge: Read More →

A winter view of London, Hyde Park

07-January-2015 · by Verbalist

The outdoor skating rink in Hyde Park

Photo: Jason Hawkes

The FunTASTIC guide to British-isms and how to understand Londoners

28-December-2014 · by Verbalist

Reading in between the lines of what Londoners are saying is for tourists and verbalists studying in London just as important as understanding the words themselves. To better prepare you for your first visit to London, we are sharing only few tips, but the complete and amazing guide to ‘British-isms’ you may find below 🙂

The most important tip for first-time London visitors is queuing. British people would love to stand in a queuing and wait for their turn. So, next summer, while you explore London you should follow the rule of queuing strictly.

The second important tip is punctuality. British people strictly follow the rule of punctuality. If you are going to meet British people in London then you should be very punctual.

Another important tip for verbalists in London is the reserved greetings. In London, men and women greet people with a simple handshake. Don’t expect that people welcome you with a kiss.
READ MORE

The new Garden Bridge over the Thames will cost £150 million

15-November-2014 · by Verbalist

Following Transport for London’s (TfL) tender for proposals to improve pedestrian links across the river, Heatherwick Studio and actor and campaigner Joanna Lumley have developed an idea for a new pedestrian ‘Garden Bridge’ across the River Thames; a scheme to connect North and South London with a garden.

Joanna Lumley with a model of Garden Bridge

The ‘Iconic’ Thames project – the Garden Bridge over the Thames, was approved and granted planning permission by Lambeth council last Monday. The project has also received huge approval from Londoners – 88 per cent of people who live in the capital and 94 per cent who live outside it.

The £150 million structure — designed by Thomas Heatherwick, mastermind of the London Olympics cauldron — will span the river between Temple and the South Bank.

The bridge will contain 270 trees representing 45 species, as well as shrubs, climbing plants, hedges and flowers. It is believed that the bridge will become a key landmark and tourist attraction linking both riverbanks.

Crossing the bridge — more than 90ft wide in places — will be a “transitional experience”. The sections will include marshland, ornamental gardens, wild glades, fruit trees, evergreens, clifftop plants and pines. All the species have been selected for their ability to thrive in an exposed, windy setting.

Seating will be provided — but with an “irregular top surface” to discourage rough sleepers from colonising the bridge, which will be lit after dark to let evening walkers enjoy the gardens.

The bridge will open from 6am until midnight and use will be free.

Construction could begin in December next year if the necessary funding can be raised. So far more than £90 million has been pledged by the Government, Transport for London and private donors. It is hoped the bridge will open to the public in 2018.

London’s skatepark becomes national heritage site

30-October-2014 · by Verbalist

A London skatepark is to become a listed building – the first of its kind in Europe to be given protection. The Rom was built in Hornchurch, east London, in 1978 as the skateboarding craze swept Britain in the 1970s.

The Rom is the second skatepark in the world to be given the protection

Old skate shoes strung from a fence at Rom skatepark in Hornchurch which dates back to the 1970s

It is used for a mixture of skateboards, BMXs and kick scooters

The Rom, which will be grade II listed, is the second skatepark in the world to be given the protection. The first was the Bro Bowl in Tampa, Florida, which was added to the US National Register of Historic Places in October 2013, according to English Heritage.

The Rom, which takes its name from the nearby river, was built using seamless pressurised concrete and is closely based on Californian skateparks.

No more “mind the gap” in the new London trains

14-October-2014 · by Verbalist

Last week, London unveiled the new cars to the public for the first time, and when the trains finally hit the tracks starting in the mid-2020s, they’ll bring an appreciable list of improvements to riders.

With the new design, you’ll be able to walk the entire length of the train, which frees up lots of space that was wasted just from closing off individual cars in the past. The entrances are now all evenly spaced and feature double-wide doors, which means it should be a lot faster to get on and off the trains. And you won’t have to “mind the gap” anymore: the cars are all shorter, which makes the trains more flexible and able to come much closer to the platform edge.

There are smaller improvements, too, like strips of LED lights along the doors that clearly flash red to warn passengers as they’re about to close. In addition, all of the advertising and signage on the cars will use digital screens instead of paper inserts, and some of the deepest lines in London will get air conditioning for the first time with the new cars. And did we mention that there will be Wi-Fi on board? Perhaps most importantly, the new trains will be future proofed to run entirely operator-free (though they’ll be staffed for the foreseeable future).

A train for 2020s-2060s and beyond

250 new Tube trains for the Bakerloo, Central, Piccadilly and Waterloo & City lines
Walk-through carriages helping to ease extra demand at peak times
Air-cooled carriages for a more comfortable journey
More reliability as modern signalling systems will ensure fewer delays
More capacity with a faster, more frequent service
Improved accessibility with step-free access at platform level

The improvements are certainly good news for London residents, but when it comes down to it, the new trains just look like they belong in the future. The only part that seems firmly rooted in the past is the interior, which retains the Tube’s classic fabric seating. Take a look for yourself below.