Why should kids learn English? We think it’s so important for children to learn English. So we offer a course specifically called English for Kids. The children can learn through fun activities while having the security of having their parents close by. Here are three reasons for children to learn: 1 It’s the most commonly spoken language in the world […] Continue Reading
Valentine’s Day: Learn about the Language of Love!
Valentine’s Day – We all love a bit of Romance. Here’s a question for all you English Language Learners. Which of the following words would you not associate with this romantic occasion? Roses, Candles, Haggis, Chocolates, Champagne Valentine’s Day – Learn about these old traditions. We all love a bit of romance and the 14th February has got to […] Continue Reading
Happy Burns Day: 5 Things to know about this Scottish Celebration
Scottish people all over the globe will be celebrating today. Why? It’s the day when, 259 years ago, on 25 January, Robert Burns, Scotland’s national poet was born. Whether you live in Edinburgh, New York or Canada, if you have Scottish blood in your veins, you’ll be donning your kilt and cooking up a haggis. 1 Who was Robert Burns? […] Continue Reading
Modal Verbs – we love them!
Happy New Year and time for………..Modal Verbs!! “Oh no. Not modal verbs” I hear you say. Well, actually, January is the perfect time for practising our old friends. “Why?” you may ask. Well. The way you feel as the New Year begins, the targets you set yourself, the resolutions you make and fully intend to keep are all opportunities […] Continue Reading
Thank You to all our EFL Students of 2017
One of the many wonderful things about Homestay Learning is that not only the Students learn but the Teacher and the family also benefit enormously. This was certainly the case this year when we were lucky enough to host Students from different European countries who came with a range of skills, interests and experiences which inspired us to find out […] Continue Reading
Winter: a great time to discover Scotland.
The days are getting shorter, the leaves are beginning to change colour and the swifts and swallows have long ago returned to Africa. We have said goodbye to our summer English Language Students, who have gone back to work or study, and now that autumn has arrived and winter is round the corner, there has never been a better […] Continue Reading
Opening of New Queensferry Bridge
Last Saturday Tom, our daughter Molly and I were three of the lucky 50,000 people who won tickets to walk across this beautiful new bridge linking Fife to Edinburgh. A was a once in a life time opportunity, before this elegant structure opens to road traffic only tomorrow morning, carrying hundreds of thousands of commuters, tourists and travellers of all […] Continue Reading
Local Summer Festivals
The wonderful thing about staying with a family to learn English is that you will certainly find out about all the local events. One such event is the “Taste Angus Food Festival” taking place just ten minutes’ drive from Active English Homestay Learning, on 19 – 20 August 2017. These festivals are a great way to discover local food dishes, […] Continue Reading
Fruit picking season is here
It’s that time of year when raspberries and strawberries and now cherries are everywhere to be seen; growing on the bushes, fattening up under plastic tunnels, being sold at the side of the road or getting loaded onto lorries en route to supermarkets all over the UK. Here in East Scotland the smell of fruit is everywhere. The ripening of […] Continue Reading
Learn English by doing
The typical way to learn transactional language like shopping and asking for directions in a town or finding out where to buy items is by firstly, learning the necessary vocabulary, then the functional language and finally putting it all together by devising a scenario. And all this in a classroom. But a better, more authentic and much more fun way […] Continue Reading