So, maybe you could just start talking a little bit about yourself, but don't say where you're from.
Let them try to guess!
So, my name is Thomas, I've been here since September, and I'll stay until August.
And I come from a close country.
Nice tip!
Hi, I'm Maren, I'm staying in London only for 6 weeks, just to improve my English
and when I'm back in my country I'm going to start working as a lawyer.
Hi, I'm Roberto. I've been here for around 7 months, more or less.
I came here to improve my English, to find a better job in the future and to be better with my life.
So, Thomas, could you say where you're from, but in your language?
So, he's from France.
From Germany.
So, he's from Venezuela..
Ok... Many people asked me to ask you what you know about Brazil, and what comes to your mind when you thing about our country.
OK, for me.. I know a little bit about your country because we're near each other.
The most famous part of Brazil is the football, because you're really famous for that and carnaval, as well... and the samba dance...
I heard about a sweet, a Brazilian thing.. it's brigadeiro.
Every time I think about Brazil, I know it sounds silly, but I always think about brigadeiros.
And I've already taught you how to make it, do you remember the recipe?
Yes like... Condensed milk, chocolate and little...
Butter?
Yes, that was... we... last week I was very surprised that there's so much violence and cruelty in Brazil
I was very surprised. I just thought of beautiful beaches and nice people.
Yeah, it's because she was saying: "Oh, but it's not violent, you can be stolen, but it's not violent."
Then I had to say: well, many times it is. Sometimes your just parking your car and there's a gun in your head.
Yeah, I found this a weird thing about your country.
I'm not proud of it, but I had to say the truth. So, this is the truth. You know, guys.
So, is your country a safe place? Or is it like Brazil, or something like this?
Not really. My country has the most dangerous city in the world.
Now Venezuala is not a safe place.
Unfortunately, right?
Germany is very safe. You can do everything, even at night, and even if you are a girl, or something like that...
But I think you have to be a little bit careful if you are from a foreign country.
And what about France?
In France... in general it's quite safe, but there are some areas that you cannot go alone at night
For example, if you are a girl and you walk alone in Paris after midnight... it's very dangerous.
I've been to Paris once and I didn't feel so safe. So, I feel safer in London.
London is definitely safer that Paris.
Yeah, I've never been to Germany, so I have no idea.
Another very frequent question was about the food you like to eat in your country, so...
Maybe you could start now. What's the traditional food in Venezuela?
The traditional food is Arepas, it's the most traditional breakfast
Excuse me?
Arepas
Yeah, it's a special kind of bread, really easy to make. It's like a circle and then you open and you can
put inside whatever you want.
The most famous... or the one I like the most is [???].
Because it's chicken with avocado, and a little bit of mayo and you mix all together and you put inside there. It's amazing.
In Germany... we have a lot of... our vegetarian meals are very... "raising" in Germany, I think...
We use a lot of things "grown up in the earth", I don't know the name
Vegetables?
Yeah, vegetables... It's like [???]. It has no translation.
I checked that...
And a lot of meat, in the Bavarian area
What about the sausages?
Isn't it traditional?
Sausages... yeah, but I think our tradition is a little bit difficult to explain.
And what about beer?
Yeah, we're very famous for our beer. I think we make the best one.
Well, in France we have, like... a good bread, of course, like... the baguette.
We also have something very particular in France: the foie gras.Do you know foie gras?
It's like... It's made of duck, or sometimes from turkey, but it's usually from duck.
It's very good, it's quite expensive and more luxurious product.
But we usually eat it like... for example at Christmas or special occasions.
People are also curious about how you learned English... in your country or... did you come here and learn...?
I learned a little bit in my country, because in the school they teach us a little bit... But they teach in a bad way,
Bbecause they teach in Spanish. So, it's not a good way.
But in regular schools, like High School? Not in language schools....
Yeah, in High School. But it's not a good way to explain English in another language.
And how often do you have a class?
Hum... Three times per week, but I think I learned a lot because in my country, it's really normal,
if you watch a film, it's always in English with subtitles, so... that helps a lot.
I think in Germany you've got... hum... today you learn it from primary school, and everybody expects you
to speak English in Germany, and the most of the people are very good in this.
I need this, for example, for my job, and...
As a lawyer, right?
Yeah, and talk to the clients and something like that.
But how did you learn? In a language school or in High School, in regular school?
Yeah, in the regular school.
Well, in France, French people don't really speak English "good", because... we are... like... the...
the lessons in English are not actually in English, like, we speak French in English lessons.
And... yeah, we don't have very good teachers, to be honest. But, if you're really interested in English,
you can watch movies, you can download series in English, you can also read English books,
and I think it's the best way.
And French people don't like speaking English very much to tourists, right?
They don't like, and there's a very bad thing that French people "use to do"...
For example, if you "go in Paris", you need a pharmacy, something like this... They can't speak English!
Like, you have to speak French with them.
I know, Brazil is the same.
It's crazy! Yeah, but in Paris, it's supposed to be like... one of the most touristic places in the world.
So, they're supposed to speak English. But they don't.
So, in Portuguese we have some difficulties with some English sounds, for example, the "th" sound for us,
we have to learn this, like "this", "that", and also the vowels, so...
what's a difficult sound for you? As a Spanish speaker?
"Sounds" for me was difficult because I get used to the US accent...
And the accent here is quite different, the... they contract the words...
So, in the beginning I "not" get used to that, but with the time you get used to that and you start to hear a normal conversation.
I think understanding this... yeah... the pronunciation here is something a little bit hard for me.
It's easier ... to understand the American people.
I think it's because we're more used to it, right?
Yeah, maybe.
For me it was the "r". Because in French we don't say the "r" the same way as other people.
For example, we say"dictionary" in English. In French it's like "dictionnaire"...
Our "r" is very strange.
It's not strange, it's just your "r"!
I just have to learn the different ways to say the "r".
Have you ever had any difficulty or misunderstanding because of the language here?
Yeah, at the beginning yes, but you try to make explanations with your hand, or
point at something... The people here try to help you a lot.
Yeah, they do.
And you, Maren? Some situation that you can remember?
No... I don't know, I...
You were talking to me about asking questions. You always have to think a lot.
Yeah, sometimes it's difficult for me to... yeah, you're right.
to form questions in English, because the sentence order in Germany is completely different. And that's sometimes hard for me.
Yeah it's the same, like... the grammar in French is completely different than English, so
You have to think like... in "English way", not in French way, because if you think in French way, like...
with a very bad grammar. So you have to get used to the English grammar. It's very difficult.
Do you remember a specific situation?
Yeah, I remember the first time when I arrived here... my bike was stolen.
Really?In London?
So, I had to call the police. And they came at my flat, and I [?] with them...
And actually I was really struggling to explain them what happened. Like, to tell them it was at this area, at this time...
So I was like, yeah... you know... At the end they understood. But it was quite hard to...
So, a final message to Brazilian people...
[Agora sem legendas para praticar!!!]