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March 2016 No 11-12
The English school magazine
Business Academy, Topoľčany
Education for Life
Erasmus+ project
Glad Tidings We Bring
eTwinning project
An idiom for a day:
Easter Idioms
The Canterville Ghost:
Theatre in English
English Writing
Contest
The English
Olympics 2015
Milka Muffins
Recipe
Work experience in
London
Interview with
a teacher
The Kinks:
Waterloo Sunset
CONTENTS
EDITORIAL 1
THE ENGLISH OLYMPICS 2
THE CANTERVILLE GHOST 3-5
Theatre in English
GLAD TIDINGS WE BRING 6-7
eTwinning project
EDUCATION FOR LIFE 8-11
Work Experience in London (Erasmus+ project)
INTERVIEW WITH a teacher 12-13
Interview with Mgr. Júlia Gálová
EDUCATION FOR LIFE 14-21
Work Experience in London (Students' point of view)
ENGLISH WRITING CONTEST 22-30
6 winning students' works
SONG 31-32
The Kinks: Waterloo Sunset
AN IDIOM FOR A DAY 33-35
Easter idioms
RECIPE 36
Milka Muffins
KEYS AND SOLUTIONS 37
Dear readers,
After publishing a double issue of ZINGER, our English school magazine for the first time in its history
last year, we found it a good idea to keep on doing so in the future as it gives us not only much more
time to work on the contents and layout of our articles to make sure they are the best possible
quality, but also more space to cover a greater number of topics. challenging business the
Department of Foreign Languages had been working on so far.
This double issue is primarily focused on what we could easily consider the most an
Erasmus+ project "Education for Life", written by Mgr. Júlia Gálová. This project funded by Erasmus+,
the EU programme for education, training, youth and sport enabled fifteen students of our school to
do their work experience in London. You will find a full coverage of this amazing adventure from both
the teachers and students' point of view illustrated with lots of stunning photographs.
Next, we will also tell you about another eTwinning project we have joined this school term
under the patronage of Mgr. Katarína Quintas. The project called "Glad tidings we bring" gave our
students the opportunity to cooperate with the students of secondary school Zespół Szkół nr 2 from
the Polish town of Golub–Dobrzyń on exploring Christmas traditions and habits in both countries and
improving their English language and ICT skills.
Apart from that, we will offer the reports from a few other events organised by the
Department of Foreign Languages at our school, such as English Olympics, English Writing Contest
together with six winning works or our annual excursion to the capital city involving seeing another
great theatrical performance in English language – Oscar Wilde's The Canterville Ghost.
And last but not least, we will not forget to include some of the regular sections: "An Idiom
for a Day" with a bunch of idiomatic expressions linked with EASTER or "Interview with" a
teacher (Mgr. Júlia Gálová, the "Education for Life" project author and coordinator). The recipe for
tasty Milka muffins seems to be the icing on the cake together with Waterloo Sunset by The Kinks.
Do not hesitate to check out the website of the Department of Foreign Languages of Business
Academy, Topoľčany - www.pkcj-oato.webnode.sk for any information on our activities as well as all
editions of our magazine.
Enjoy reading!
Mgr. Martin Huba
1
THE ENGLISH OLYMPICS 2015/2016
At the beginnining of December 2015, the school round of the English Olympics was held under the patronage of the Department of Foreign Languages.
The best three contestants in each category were awarded diplomas and books. The winners qualified for the district round where they, to our disappointment, did not enter the winners' rostrum.
Category 2A
1. Aneta Čukanová, I. B
2. Michaela Dolníková, I. C
3. Barbora Žáková, I. A
Category 2B
1. Patrik Páleník, IV. C
2. Marek Helbich, III. B
3. Samuel Gendiar, III. C
REFERENCES:
https://image.spreadshirtmedia.com/image-server/v1/compositions/101752873/views/1,width=235,height=235,appearanceId=1,backgroundColor=f9f9f9,version=1439463983/flag-heart-English-British-England-london-olympic-games-olympics-Women-s-T-Shirts.jpg
Written by Mgr. Martin Huba
Category 2B: 1st place: P. Paleník (in the middle); 2nd place: M. Helbich (on the left); 3rd place: S. Gendiar (on the right)
Category 2A: 1st place: A. Čukanová (on the right); 2nd place: M. Dolníková (not present in the picture); 3rd place: B. Žaková (on the left)
2
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21
THE
CANTERVILLE
GHOST
Tradition has it that the Department
of Foreign Languages organizes
a school-excursion to Bratislava
which includes attending a theatrical
performance in English in order to
provide mostly 4th graders with a
chance to practise their language
skills before taking their Maturita
exams.
The same it was on
9th December 2015
when fifty students of
our school
accompanied by two
supervising teachers,
Mgr. Martin Huba
and Mgr. Júlia
Gálová, took a coach
heading to the capital
city and took advantage
of seeing a marvellous
adaptation of Oscar
Wilde's The Canterville
Ghost in the
production of TNT
Theatre Britain and
ADG Europe directed
by Paul Stebbings.
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21
The enigmatic masterpiece written by
one of the greatest British story-
tellers, full of razor sharp wit, vicious
satire and imagery is both Gothic and
lyrical. The TNT's updated version is
a combination of dynamic physical
theatre, dance, comedy, masks,
satire, audience participation and
startling imagery and grips young and
old alike.
The story itself is set in an English
castle whose aristocratic owner, Lord
Canterville, has put it up for sale due
to his financial problems
which is strongly objected
by the resident crows as
well as the resident Ghost
(the wife murderer Sir
Simon de Canterville).
When a brash and
wealthy American family
(a cowgirl Mom, a
seemingly sweet daughter
Virginia and her vile
brother Washington)
comes to buy the castle,
the Ghost does all he can
to frighten the Americans
away. However, in
the end it is the
Duke who turns the
tables by falling in
love with Virginia
who first must learn
a lesson or two from
Sir Simon...
As we surely do not
want you to spoil
your chance to
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22
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enjoy the first-hand experience of this great performance, we are not going to
reveal more. Do not hesitate to attend it or you can at least check its
synopsis and stagescript by clicking on the two weblinks below:
http://english-theatre.cz/CANTERVILLE%20GHOST%20synopsis.pdf;
http://english-theatre.cz/CANTERVILLE%20GHOST%20script.pdf
Apart from the performance, the
excursion involved visiting The
Christmas Market in Bratislava's
Old Centre and Avion, the
shopping centre where we were
enabled to enjoy culinary
experience by tasting various
traditional specialties of Slovak or
foreign cuisine, take a sip from the
huge selection of Christmas
punches, take relish in Christmas
atmosphere or buy some small but
unique gifts for our closest and
dearest.
REFERENCES:
http://english-theatre.cz/canterville%20ghost.html
http://english-theatre.cz/CG%20duke%20for%20sale%20web.jpg
http://english-theatre.cz/CG%20virg%20ghost%20web.jpg
http://english-theatre.cz/CG%20duke%20mom%20web.jpg
Written by Mgr. Martin Huba
5
GLAD TIDINGS WE BRING Slovakia-Poland Christmas card exchange
In November 2015 Business
Academy, Topoľčany joined an
eTwinning's community for
schools project again.
eTwinning's community for
schools supports the
development of cooperation
amongst European schools by
using information and
communication technologies,
providing support, tools and
services that facilitate and enable the execution of short and long term
school partnerships.
The students of III.C class of our school under the guidance of Mgr.
Katarína Quintas cooperated with secondary school Zespół Szkół nr 2 from
the Polish town of Golub–Dobrzyń on project called GLAD TIDINGS WE
BRING (Slovakia–Poland Christmas card Exchange).
The main aims of the project
included exploring traditions
and habits associated with
celebrating Christmas in
both countries, improving
communication skills in
English and improving the
use of ICT.
The students from both
countries "met" on the social
network of Facebook for the
first time after a group of mutual communication had been founded.
After that the students working in pairs took up creating presentations and
posters thematically related to Christmas. All the presentations were
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published in the project
group on Facebook and the
posters were exposed in the
classroom of III.C.
At the end of November, there
was an interesting task
waiting for the students.
Their class had been changed
into a workshop and each
student made a Christmas
postcard by hand, wishing something nice to our partners from Poland. So
did the students on the Polish side of the project and all of these postcards
were delivered to each other
by post.
The December's task of the
project was to realize
a video-conference, during
which we talked more about
the Christmas habits and
sang our favourite
Christmas carols and songs
to each other.
Since Christmas holidays
the students have kept in touch via Facebook where they have carried on
chatting with our Polish partners.
Officially, the project was evaluated and finished in February 2016, but we
believe we will stay in
touch with our Polish
friends in future.
Written by Veronika Bielichová, III.C
7
EDUCATION FOR LIFE
WORK EXPERIENCE IN LONDON
Can you imagine having an opportunity to choose London, the capital city of Great Britain, as
the location of your work experience you are supposed to undergo as part of your studies at
vocational high school? Impossible you are
saying? Not at all if you are a student of
Business Academy, Topoľčany.
Thanks to the project "EDUCATION FOR
LIFE“, created by Mgr. Júlia Gálová, an
English teacher at the school, within
Erasmus+, the EU programme for education,
training, youth and sport, 15 students of our
school got the chance to go on their work
experience at the turn of October and
November 2015.
Erasmus+ aims to boost skills and employability as well as modernising education, training
and youth work. With the budget of €14.7
billion it will provide opportunities for
over 4 million Europeans to study, gain
work experience and volunteer abroad in
the period of 2014-2020.
As Júlia Gálová, the project coordinator,
says: "First of all, we intented to make
studies at Business Academy, Topolcany
more attractive to our current and future
students. Next, we wanted to give them the
opportunity to test their theoretical knowledge in practice and try out work and life in
a foreign country and last, but not least, improve their language skills in every day
conversation in a real foreign-language
environment.“
In order to be chosen for a month work
experience in London, all applicants
had to be over 17 years old and they
had to undergo tough selection
procedures including doing our own
test on their listening and reading
skills, grammar and vocabulary;
writing a discursive essay on a chosen
topic, doing a job interview (all in
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English of course). We also took their
marks in key subjects (Economics,
Accounting, Firm Management,
Information Technology and English)
into consideration.
Furthermore, the 15 chosen ones took an
online Cambridge Placement test and
did a preparatory training consisting of
intense language courses and lectures in
three fields: Business English, Speaking
and Culture Clash.
And then the D-day came – 10th
October – all of them full of worries,
fears and expectations, accompanied by
the first couple of supervising teachers,
Katarína Quintas and Terézia Škorcová,
got on the minibus and set off to
Bratislava to take a plane to London
where their adventure began at the
Stansted airport.
Following the results of the selection
process, data taken from their personal
profiles and questionnaires, they had
been placed in the host families and
assigned to companies by ADC College, our intermediary organisation. They were staying in
two, three or foursomes in English host families in Harrow, an outer London borough situated
about 10 miles to the north-west of the city
centre. Half-board and usual domestic care
(hygiene, laundry, etc.) were provided by
the families.
The students were interning at various
companies in the fields of business,
administration, services and retail such as
real estate agencies, travel agencies,
insurance agencies, recruitment agencies,
hotels or charity shops. Holding different
working positions, they fulfilled
a considerable range of tasks, which
allowed them to see what a real working
process looked like.
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How did they get on? Did they do well at
work and elsewhere? Regardless of
a thorough preparation, both teachers
involved in the project and students were
understandably concerned about how it
would be going as that was the first project of
this kind being done at our school. Well, now
we can say that we are extremely proud of
our students for how they handled such
a formidable challenge of a month-
internship-stay abroad.
With an invaluable help and support from ADC
College staff (especially and 2 supervising
teachers all stay long as well as friendly and
willing-to-assist colleagues and mentors, they
all managed to adapt to a busy city life very
quickly. They surprisingly easily mastered
everyday travelling to and from work or around
the city using a hectic public transport system
of London's underground, overground and
buses. Besides, they succesfully carried out
their tasks at work and dealt with
communication in a foreign language at work,
in their familes and in the city itself. On top of
that, they coped admirably with being away
from their dearest back in Slovakia for the
longest time in their lives.
Anyway, another couple of supervising
teachers, Júlia Gálová and Martin Huba, who
came to replace their two colleagues for the
second two weeks of the project, could get the
deepest satisfaction from their monitoring
visits of all companies when they heard the
company managers and students' mentors be
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unstinting of praise of students'
hardwork, contribution and progress
they had been showing throughout
the whole internship. Several offers
made by the company managers of
future cooperation to them were the
icing on the cake.
Another advantage of the project
was that students were provided
with an Oyster travel card, which
allowed them to travel within zones
1-5 for free and see all the beauties of this wonderful cosmopolitan city they were interested
in. After work and especially at the weekends they had the chance to visit many famous
sights, together with the accompanying teachers or on their own, and enjoy the unique
atmosphere of the city.
"Overall, the project was an
immeasurable contribution to both
students and school." Júlia Gálová
sums up. "Students acquired
working routine, tested and develop
their previous knowledge and skills
in a real working process, acquired
new knowledge and skills,
improved their English and
communication skills, adapted to
life a multicultural and foreign-
language environment, overcame
the fear of the unknown, built up
their self-confidence and gained vast experience, all of which will certainly help them think
about their future plans and ambitions and choose the right career. We also believe the project
enhanced the school's reputation and will motivate the other, current and future, students of
Business Academy, Topoľčany in their studies so that they would be able to use such an
opportunity in the future."
We do hope we will be able to go on with the project of a work experience abroad as it surely
was a huge success. We are thinking of involving more students in it, prolonging the work
experience itself and adding teachers' internships. We are working hard on its upgraded
version at the moment using our last year's experience, feedback from the students and ADC
College to increase its chances for being approved by SAAIC – Slovak National Agency for
Erasmus+ Programme for Education and Training again.
REFERENCES: http://ec.europa.eu/programmes/erasmus-plus/discover/index_en.htm
Written by Mgr. Martin Huba
11
INTERVIEW
WITH
A TEACHER As this edition of our magazine is mostly
devoted to the Erasmus+ project
"Education For Life", we could not find a
better person to have an interview with
than the project's author, Mgr. Júlia
Gálová, an English teacher, working at
Business Academy, Topoľčany. Let us share
her views on the various aspects of the
project with you.
Why did you decide to start the
project of work experience in
a foreign country? Why did you
choose London to carry it out?
Basically, I found it a good idea and
supported by the school headmistress, Ing. Mária Malinková, there was nothing
much to think about. It could have brought only positives. And it really did.
How did you feel when you got to know the project had been officially
approved by SAAIC – Slovak National Agency for Erasmus+ Programme
for Education and Training?
To be honest, I could not believe it. There are a lot of applicants every year and only
quality projects can pass. So it was a mixture of feelings – I was surprised, happy
and thrilled at the same time. And I have to admit a bit scared. Our school had never
taken part in a similar project, so it was a brand new challenge which brought plenty
of responsibilites and ..... work.
You have written the project and been working as the project
coordinator. Have there been any other people involved in it you would
like to mention?
It would have been rather impossible to work on such a project on my own. First of
all, I was given support by the school management Ing. Mária Malinková and Ing.
Jozefína Šándorová. Besides, I do appreciate the hardwork of my colleagues, Mgr.
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Martin Huba, Mgr. Katarína Quintas and Mgr. Terézia Škorcová, English teachers as
well, and would like to express my gratitude to them for being willing to help me with
several stages of the project such as the selection process, preparatory courses for the
15 students who were going to take part in the mobility on Culture Clash, Speaking
and Business English, supervision and monitoring visits of the students in London or
dissemination of the project.
Could you sum up, from your point of view, the most considerable
benefits the project has brought or will possibly bring to the pupils who
underwent the stay in London?
I am delighted that students made most out of their stay. Every day was full of new
experiences. At the beginning of their work experience they were kind of scared not
knowing how they would manage everyday travelling to work, completing tasks at
work and living in their host families. I am glad and proud to say that all of the
students made a huge progress. They became more self-confident, reliable and
tolerant to different nationalities and cultures. Their English language, especially
speaking skills, improved a lot, too. They got to know new people, experienced
different work environments, gained new skills and learnt to be independent. Some
of them did so well that at the end of their internship they were offered jobs in the
companies they had been working for the past month.
How about the impact of the project on the school?
Of course, immediately after our students had come back, there was a very positive
feedback of the mobility project. We organized lectures for other students and wrote
about the positives of the project in different media. There is an obvious interest of
the students of all grades in taking part in a mobility project in the future. The
students of the lower grades try hard to keep their school results as good as possible
as they know this is one of the selection criteria. We also hope and believe that there
will be better job possibilites for the students who underwent the stay in London.
Can you, at this point, say that all the tremendous amount of hardwork, it
undoubtedly takes to work on the project for a year, was worth it?
Definitely. It was not easy, it took plenty of time, paperwork, planning and
organizing. But it was worth it.
Are you thinking of keeping the idea of work experience abroad for the
students of Business Academy, Topoľčany alive in the future?
Not only thinking, we are trying to keep it alive. We have already written another
project and hope it will be successful and another group of students will have
a chance to travel and work abroad. In the end, I would like to say how grateful we
are as this kind of a project would have never been organized without the help of the
EU, Erasmus + programme and financial support that was given to our school.
Mgr. Júlia Gálová was interviewed by Mgr. Martin Huba
13
EDUCATION FOR LIFE
STUDENTS' POINT OF VIEW
On previous pages you have already been given the description of "Education for Life", the
successful Erasmus+ project of the work experience in London. How about looking at it from
the students' point of view now?
Were the students also satisfied? Did they have a good time? Were there any negatives? Their
feedback was certainly one the most important things we were interested in after coming back
home. That is why we asked all 15 of the students who did their work experience in London to
express their opinions about the project and summarize their stay in London via answering
four simple questions below:
1. How would you briefly summarize your month work experience in London?
2. What was the best thing you experienced during your stay?
3. What was the most difficult thing / situation you had to deal with at work or
elsewhere?
4. If you could, what would you change about the project in order to improve it
in the future?
Here are their answers in an alphabetical order:
Zuzana Ábelová (IV. C)
RSPCA Kenton Animal Welfare Charity Shop
1. It was absolutely amazing. My host family,
work, London’s life – everything was better than I had
expected. I could say that it was one of the best months
in my life.
2. My work. I really liked it. The people who came
into my shop were so nice, my work was easy and
I enjoyed every day there. Yes, at the beginning it was
hard for me, I was shy, but after a few days everything
great.
3. The most difficult situation was my first day at
work. I just came there and said that I was a student
from ADC College and my boss said: "Welcome, do you know how to work with the
till? No? Never mind, I will show you." He showed me only one thing and then he left
me alone with the till. I was so scared and stressed but at the end of the day I knew
how it worked.
4. I would change the length of the work experience. One month was a really short time.
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Aneta Gašparíková (III. B)
Adolphus Group Recruitment Agency
1. It was one of the best months in my life and I am
looking forward to going back there as soon as
possible. It really changed my point of view on my
future and I am definitely interested in living abroad.
2. I would say that the best thing about my stay was
experiencing London from a whole different point of
view, not as a tourist, but as an inhabitant and seeing
the difference between it. It is fascinating how fast
life goes by in such a big city.
3. For me personally, there was not such a situation at
all I can say. To my surprise, I got used to the work,
using public transport, etc. really fast and I did not have any difficulties during my
stay.
4. It is an amazing project itself. However, I would change a few things. It would be
great if the students could choose or at least have some options of the jobs they
actually want to do. Choosing the place to work at would be prosperous for next
moves in their own lives.
Ivan Gábriš (IV. B)
Century 21 - Abbey Road Real Estate
Agency
1. It was very good and great
experience for me, because I could go to
another country and experience the life
there: I stayed at host family with Indian
origin, I was travelling every day by
Overground to work, I was working in a
property business company but last two weeks we were changing the servers so we
had lot of troubles to deal with. In our free time we could go out and enjoy ourselves.
2. The best experience for me was driving the boss's car through London in rush hour.
When he asked me if I could drive, I did not know that I would be driving around
London without him, I was quite scared, I was asking him questions about the traffic
because there were some sings that I had never seen before. I had to deal with some
problems, I got lost, but I managed to come back to the office safely.
15
3. During the first weekend the Overground was being serviced. When I tried to get to
Paddington, the traffic was diverted with the buses. I got lost. If there had not been the
helpful service staff, I would not have got home.
4. No, I would not change anything in the project, it is working very well.
Dagmar Grachová (IV. C)
Pluscrates Crate Hire Company
1. I think, it was amazing
work and life experience. I met
new people, I could work in a real
company and I could spend a
month abroad in the city like
London.
2. There were more than one best thing. For example, I used my responsibilities in my
work and I travelled a lot. What is more, I saw famous monuments and places in
London during my free time.
3. The most difficult situation for me was on the first day in London when I had to travel
to Pluscrates by underground and then by bus. I was really worried about it, but it was
much better on the second day.
4. I would like to have a work near the house because travelling took a long time.
However, I think, it is not simple to find a company which offers work experience.
Monika Hanová (IV. B)
Intercontinental Hotel
1. I have gained a lot of new skills and in my
opinion this month work experience has taught
me a lot of things about responsibility and any
other things that are important in school, work
and basically in life.
2. The best things I experienced during my stay
were getting to know diferent cultures and
working in a five star hotel.
3. The most difficult thing I had to deal with at
work was probably talking to people (with
British accent) because as we all know their English sounds a little bit different
because they swallow words. Other than that, I do not think I had to deal with any
other difficult situation.
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4. I probably would not change anything about the project. I think it was perfectly
planned and everything went the way they had expected it to be. The only thing I
would probably change is choosing better families.
Dominika Magdolenová (IV. C)
Oxfam Kentish Town Charity Shop
1. It was my first work
experience ever. I was really
enjoying it because I was working
for the first time and just in
London. My work was great – I
met many people from around the
world. Everyone, either at work or who I met on the streets, was very kind and
friendly. I liked their style because in London no one judged what you were wearing
and sometimes people did wear really crazy clothes and accessories.
2. The best thing was simply being in London. Travelling by underground and seeing all
the people every morning how they hurry up to their work was crazy. The busy life in
the metropolis of Britain with its monuments, big shops, attractions was breathtaking.
I can say that it was the best month in my life.
3. The most difficult thing was eating fastfood meals which our family prepared for us
evrey day. I did not find anything else.
4. I think I would change nothing. Everyone should take a chance and engage in the
project. It is a great opportunity for students.
Patrik Maňák (IV. B)
A2Z Accessories Ltd Mobile
Accessories Distributor
1. It was such a great
opportunity. It gave me
a vision how it works in other
countries, how they live,
work and have some fun there. I had a great job there, I worked in a small company
which sells mobile accessories via the Internet and warehouse. I am still in contact
with my boss.
2. I gained better English skills. That is the best thing for me and the main reason why
I had decided to go there.
3. The most difficult thing was communication with native speakers.
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4. A big problem for me was pocket money. It is so hard to decide how much money you
should take when you are going to the country which you have never been to before.
So I think more information should be given about the prices in that country, which
way of paying is the most useful (cash or credit card?).
Sofia Miškeje (III. C)
Maygrove Estates Kilburn Real Estate
Agency
1. Our London work experience was
full of great experience whether in work,
host family or in London as a city. Every
day I saw something interesting, spoke
with someone nice or learned some new
thing.
2. The best thing about my stay in London was that I experienced the real life in big city
as a working person. It is a great experience for my future life.
3. Actually I did not get into any difficult situation but for sure it was hard to deal with
some assingments at work. Before we came to London I had tought that traveling will
be one of the hardest thing but it was pretty easy.
4. Maybe it sounds like a cliche but I really would not change anything. Everything was
nicely organized. We had had all the information we needed before we left and I did
not miss anything. I really enjoyed it so much.
Marek Mojžiš (IV. B)
Ariana Business Centre (ABC travel)
Travel Agency
1. It was one of the best experiences
in my life because it learned me
how te be reliable and how to live
abroad. I should recommend it to
everyone because opportunity like
this does not come every day.
2. Absolutely the best thing that happened to me was my work experience because my
colleagues were like my family. They were friendly and helped me with all of my
problems and every thing that I did in this job was easy because they helped me with
that. My colleagues were from different foreign countries, so I could learn about habits
in their homelands.
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3. The most difficult situation I had to deal with at work was when a man came into my
office and he did not speak English very well, so I did not know what he wanted from
me. It was a little bit embarrassing because it happened in the first week so I was shy
4. I would change just one thing: you should tell students more about finance and foreign
habits.
Ivana Mondeková (IV. C)
Sue Ryder Golders Green Charity Shop
1. It was amazing experience. I can recommend it
to all students.
2. Almost everything was experience for me, but I
think the best thing was getting to know the country and
people. I could see some new cultures and learn new
things.
3. I think it was the communication with other
people.
4. I know it is hard to find the right workplace for
every student, but if I could, I would change the
location of my workplace to somewhere near my host family's house.
Patrik Páleník (IV. C)
RKUA Insurance Insurance
Company
1. It was great experience for
me. It was something new I
have never experienced
before. I really enjoyed this
experience.
2. The best thing during my
stay was probably the
behaviour of our host family.
They were really friendly and kind. They helped us with everything we needed help
with.
3. The most difficult thing was probably the dealing with lots of new words and stuff I
was supposed to do in my work. However, after a week or so I got used to it and it was
much easier after.
4. Even though one month sounds like a lot of time, it´s not enough. I would prolong the
duration of the stay at least on one and a half month.
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Rastislav Pirťan (IV. B)
Rastislav Pirťan Premier Inn
1. It was great life experience and work
experience. I am really happy I could try this
project. I met a lot of people from all around
the world and talked to them about their
countries, politics, life and work. This
experience was very important for my future
and my future plans.
2. The best thing which I experienced during
my stay was the possibility to be a team
leader in the restaurant area of the hotel
where I was working because lots of my
colleagues were ill. It was very interesting
for me.
3. One day, when I was traveling to work, my bus out of nowher stopped. Nobody knew
what was going on. After a few minutes, we had to get off the bus because the bus
driver had some problems. Later, I had to wait for the next bus and nobody knew
when it comes. It was very stressful, but in the end I managed to get to work in time.
4. I think this project was going very well. Maybe, I would prolong the experience time –
that is the only thing I would like to change.
Richard Schwarz (IV. C)
Oxfam Kentish Town Charity Shop
1. It was the best work experience in my life. I really
liked it. I would recommend this experience to other
students.
2. The best thing I experienced was at work where
I met many crazy people. However, they were very
friendly to me.
3. The most difficult thing was to help the customers
with some outfits, I mean help them try them on.
4. I would change the length of the stay from one
month to three months. I would stay in the family alone
instead of staying there with my classmates to improve
my English more.
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Ľubomír Šiška (IV. C)
Sue Ryder Golders Green Charity Shop
1. For me it was one of the best experiences in
my life. I am glad that I had this opportunity.
2. I really liked the behaviour of the people. We
had the best host family – they always helped
us with everything. Also the people in my work
were friendly and kind to me.
3. The most difficult thing was travelling. I have
never been in such a big city.
4. If it was possible, I would change the length of
the project. I suggest two months or at least
one and a half month. Nothing else – I think
this project was organized very well and we
had all the information and everything we needed.
Silvia Valterová (IV. C)
RSPCA Ruislip Animal Welfare Charity Shop
1. The first days were a little bit difficult - different
lifestyle, different food (my host family were Indians
and vegetarians). However, after some time I took a
fancy to their food. Work was not so hard and people at
work were really friendly and helpful. I would
definitely recommend this work experience to
everyone.
2. I cannot decide which thing was the best. There
are a lot of things I could mention: meeting new
people, for example, finding new friends, seeing some
sights in my free time...
3. At the beginning, it was hard to understood my manager because of her terrible British
accent, but after a few days I got used to it and everything started to be better.
4. Maybe I would change the length of the stay because the month passed very quickly.
REFERENCES: http://google.localdataimages.com/800_WM/2295/22956165.jpg
http://google.localdataimages.com/800_WM/2306/23065790.jpg
Students' answers proofread and introduction written by Mgr. Martin Huba
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ENGLISH WRITING CONTEST
After thorough assessment
procedure we have finally
chosen the best students'
works written in English
within the period of the the
first school term 2015/2016
and managed to reach the
verdict about their order.
This year we have decided to
have only two categories (1st and 2nd graders/3rd and 4th graders) and we have
not paid any attention to the kind of the written works. We have mixed letters,
essays, stories together and focused only on the contents, form, style, grammar
and vocabulary of the works.
So here are the results of our annual English Writing Contest:
1st and 2nd graders:
1. Kristián Menšík, I. C
2. Michaela Dolníková, I. C
3. Aneta Čukanová, I. B
3rd and 4th graders:
1. Marek Helbich, III. B
2. Monika Hanová, IV. B
3. Lucia Petríková, IV. A
And the winning works can be read on the following pages of the magazine:
Dear Martin,
Sorry that I'm late with the response but my computer was occupied by my son.
Couldn't get him out of there.
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It 's awesome to hear from you. I remember you even though it is over 6 years
since we've met for the last time. I can't really express how happy I'm to hear
these news from you. I hope your son is doing great. Anyway you asked me to tell
you some of my news so here we go.
The most important - I've managed to live my childhood dream. I'm the
youngest Microsoft CEO ever. It was pretty hard , but I did it! I've got a
beautiful and smart wife, you might know her. It's Petra, she was your classmate
in primary school. We've been married for 9 years now. My son is 8 and he's
very intelligent for his age, just like his father.
A week ago I came back from
a meeting in Silicon Valley. I
explained my idea of
holographic assistant. I know
it sounds crazy, but every
single scientist supports my
idea. Next year we will be
making a prototype. We will
need someone to test it by the
way. Are you interested?
I hope you will find some time to read this e-mail and respond to it. Also I'd like
to ask you if you'd like to come for a week or two. We'd really appreciate that.
Michael
Written by Kristián Menšík, I. C
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Dear Simon,
I'm writing to tell you about my dearest friend Lenka.
Although we'd already known each other before, we really got to know each
other in the fifth grade when we were both sick. We had to stay at home, so
I called her on Skype. Before that, we’d spoken together probably just in
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kindergarden. However, that day we could talk for hours and since then we
learned something new about each other every day.
We called each other every day and even walked to school every morning
together. We became the best friends in just like 5 minutes and since then we
never fell apart. We never argue or talk smack about each other. We spend most
of the time together and even when we say something we shouldn't, we just
laugh it off. There's nothing that could stop us from having fun.
She is really kind, funny and she’d
put her life on a line for her
friends. Even though she can
sometimes be mean and evil, it’s
funny to watch. When I need her,
she’s always there for me and I can
tell her anything.
From the start I was the one with
bad influence on her, but now it has
all turned around. Of course, we
don't do any illegal stuff, but we just poke each other to a lot of bad decisions.
It sounds really bad, but it really isn't. We do it just for fun and neither of us
has ever regretted it.
Throughout we have really big dreams about the future and we always think
about how we're going to do everything together. She is really important to me.
Because when I didn't have any friends, she was there for me and I know she'll
always be and I'll try to be there for her.
Anyway, I would like you to meet Lenka and learn some stuff about her. So if
you'll have time, come over someday. I hope you'll write back about your most
important person in your life.
Take care,
Michelle xxx
Written by Michaela Dolníková, I. C
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Dear John,
It's been a while since we talked and so
many things have happened. Let me tell
you about the most important news of
mine..
My freshman year at high school's just
started and I must admit it's been pretty interesting. Oh, I guess I haven't told
you yet – I study at Business Academy, Topoľčany. Starting something new is
always hard and you can see it on my grades. However, I like the subjects we
have at school and I also like the teachers. Even though I don't have much free
time because of studying, I´ve already got used to it.
And I can't forget about my new classmates. I love them all – they're so cool! we
stick together in everything and we help each other as much as we can. I have
really good friends there.
I sit with my best friend Sandy. She's one year older than me and she comes
from Jacovce, which is a village not far from Topoľčany. She's got brown
hazelnut eyes and brown straight hair with red ombre.
Many more things have happened, but I´ve got to go and study again. I'm so
excited to hear hear about your news – write me how you are, how you're doing
at work and don't forget to mention anything interesting that have happened in
your life recently.
Well, see you soon.
Aneta
Written by Aneta Čukanová, I. B
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Noisy neighbors
Rick was a writer. A very talented one, he was usually told. He was living in
a quiet neighborhood in Chicago. His not very big, but cosy house was surrounded
by two abandoned houses, so he was very relaxed while writing his novels.
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In January 2016, one of the buildings was bought by an elderly couple. Since
then Rick couldn't concentrate on
his writing anymore. His
neighbors were pretty noisy
almost every day. The man was
a taxi driver and his wife had
already retired from work.
Every evening when Fred – that
was the neighbor's name – came
home, he was absolutely furious
and immediately started to
complain about his cab and passengers to his wife in a very aggressive and loud
voice, for example: "Rose, you would´t believe who was sitting in my cab today.
It was my former colleague, my old enemy, Rob!"
On Valentine's day, Rick invited his girlfriend to his house. They had been dating
for a while then and she thought it would be fine to see the writer's workplace.
He prepared food and everything was going smoothly until the taxi driver came
home form work.
"This freaking car has died
twice today, Rose..."
Rick didn't want his neighbor
to destroy his romantic dinner,
so he went over to his house.
His spouse opened the door
and greeted Rick. He ignored
her and said: "Here, give this
to your husband and tell him to
calm the f**k down". He handed shocked Rose two thousand dollars and walked
away.
It did work. Not only that evening, it did work most of the evenings he was living
there. Well, what is it they say about money? – yeah, it can buy everything...
Written by Marek Helbich, III. B
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Dear Amanda,
How are you? I'm fine, but I have a lot of schoolwork to do so that means I've
been very busy lately. Luckily I've found some time to write you as you asked me
to tell you something about teenagers in Slovakia. I'm going to add a few things
that really bother me about them.
As we both know I don't like school and studying. I've noticed that most of the
teenagers my age don't like school as well. Studying is so boring and half of the
things I have to learn is useless in life. This is the main reason why students and
education aren't friends. What about you Amanda, do you like school and
studying?
I've started doing sports. That's really suprising, isn't it? I play football and
tennis. It's a good free time activity. Most of young people in Slovakia don't do
any free time activities and I don't understand why. They either say they don't
have time for that or they say they are too lazy. Do you still play basketball?
I'm really crazy when it
comes to fashion and you
know it. Do you remember
the fashion blogger named
TTAPPLE? I met her!
I can't believe it but I was
talking to her about
fashion and she told me
a lot of interesting things.
She said it's cool that
people, especially the young
ones are interested in fashion and aren't afraid to wear anything no mater what
people will think about it. I totally agree with her. I like how young people care
about fashion but what really bothers me is that there are still some people who
will never understand fashion and whenever I dress differently to the way they
are used to see me , they are like „Really? Are you really wearing this?“ That's
really annoying.
Is the lifestyle of teenagers in the UK still the same? I remember when we
talked about this last summer when I went to London. There are two different
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types of lifestyles in here. A few teeenagers eat heathily, go running and call
that a lifestyle. The other type is people (teenagers) who go out almost every
day and drink as much alcohol as they can. Honestly, I don't know which type
I am. I think I am somewhere in between. I can say that the lifestyle of
teenagers in the UK and here in Slovakia is the same.
Anyway, are you still dating John? You
two are really cute together! But for
me, the more I think about
relationships, the more disgusted I am.
I am afraid to say that love between
two teenagers still exists. As I look
around, all I see are young people
holding hands and all I can think about
is how cute they are together. Then my
mind changes in a second because
I realise that I've seen one of them
with someone else. Relationships
nowdays are only about cheating. I
don't understand it. Why cheat if you aren't happy in a relationship? Most
teenagers decide to cheat rather than tell the truth and break up. They find it
easier but what happens then isn't really nice.
So that's all I wanted to write. I feel like I was only complaining about
teenagers in this letter which is funny because I am still one of them. Say hi to
your family and especially to your sister. I'm looking forward to seeing you in
five months.
With Love,
Monika. xxx
Written by Monika Hanová, IV. B
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Dear Andrew,
I'm so happy that you're interested in our town and you're coming on a tourist
trip with your friends. I'm writing to give you a few tips and I'm also sending a
travel brochure of our region full of activities which you can do here.
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There are so many options you can choose from. Of course, I'll be very glad to
be your guide if you like.
I'd be really happy to take you on an art workshop because there are a lot of
talented local artists and we are so proud of them. I’m sure you'd really like this
workshop.
If you like nature, we can go mountain-walking. There is really nice and beautiful
countryside and mountains near the town. You and your friends would love the
views and fresh air.
Besides, I have a good friend – her name is Kristina – who has been riding a
horse since her thirteen.
She has her own horse at
a ranch, so we can go there
after walking to take a ride.
I've been there so many
times with her and I believe
you' love the place and its
lovely atmosphere. I hope
you don't mind horses and
would like to give it a try.
Every other month our local
musicians and artists
organise a Little Rock
Festival which is very popular and a lot of young people love it. I'm not a big fan
of rock music, but I don't judge until I've tried it. So I want to say is that I've
been there three times with my friends and each time it was amazing. There was
so much fun and a lot of teenagers in our age. I think we should go there so that
you could meet new people and make new friends.
As I mentioned there are a lot of activities you can choose from. I’m really
looking forward to you. I promise you that we'll have a lot of fun together.
Please write me back as soon as possible.
Love,
Lussy
Written by Lucia Petríková, IV. A
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REFERENCES:
http://beglobal.club/wp-content/uploads/2015/12/learn-english-writing.png
http://www.caribexams.org/files/files/calvin-and-hobbes-on-writing-3.gif
https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/3/33/Silicon_valley_title.png
http://hellogiggles.com/wp-
content/uploads/2013/05/20/Best_friend_Puzzle_by_Lara_Princess.jpg
https://highschoolsos.files.wordpress.com/2011/01/myfreshmanyearwd.jpg
http://londonprivatetours.org/wp-content/uploads/2015/02/London-Black-
Cabs.jpg
https://assets.dnainfo.com/generated/photo/2016/02/noisy-neighbors-
1455912418.jpg/larger.jpg
https://travellingnonsense.files.wordpress.com/2011/08/20110807-125233.jpg
https://pbs.twimg.com/profile_images/962170860/awww.jpg
http://static.rockbrookcamp.com/files/2010/09/girl-horse-back-riding.jpg
All the works proofread and introduction written by Mgr. Martin Huba
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THE KINKS: Waterloo Sunset
The Kinks, founded by
Ray and Dave Davies in
London in 1963, are
regarded as one of the
most important and
influential English rock
bands of the era.
"Waterloo Sunset" was
released on their
"Something Else" album
in May 1967 and reached
No. 2 on the British
Melody Maker's Chart. It
was only beaten by
Tremeloes' "Silence Is Golden".
Although the song was said to be inspired by the romance between two actors
Terrance Stamp and Julie Christie, Ray says it is a fantasy about his sister going off
with her boyfriend to a new world.
It became one of the best-known and popular songs by the band and was named
the "Greatest Song About London" or "Anthem of London". It was covered by
Def Leppard or David Bowie.
And here is a little task for you: Try to fill in the gaps 1-12 with one of the words below to see the
complete lyrics of the song. The key can be found on page 37.
underground; lazy; people; sound; night; flowing;
afraid; keep; busy; meets; bright; river
WATERLOO SUNSET
Dirty old river, must you 1. __________ rolling
2. __________ into the night
People so 3. __________, makes me feel dizzy
Taxi light shines so 4. __________
But I don't need no friends
As long as I gaze on Waterloo sunset
I am in paradise
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Every day I look at the world from my window
But chilly, chilly is the evening time
Waterloo sunset's fine
Terry 5. __________ Julie, Waterloo Station
Every Friday 6. __________
But I am so 7. __________, don't want to wander
I stay at home at night
But I don't feel 8. __________
As long as I gaze on Waterloo sunset
I am in paradise
Every day I look at the world from my window
But chilly, chilly is the evening time
Waterloo sunset's fine
Millions of 9. __________ swarming like flies
'round Waterloo 10. __________
But Terry and Julie cross over the 11. __________
Where they feel safe and 12. __________
And the don't need no friends
As long as they gaze on Waterloo sunset
They are in paradise
Waterloo sunset's fine
REFERENCES: http://www.azlyrics.com/lyrics/kinks/waterloosunset.html
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Waterloo_Sunset#/media/File:Waterloo_Sunset_cover.jpg
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Kinks
http://ultimateclassicrock.com/the-kinks-waterloo-sunset-lyrics-uncovered/
http://md1.libe.com/photo/697771-kinks-66-c.jpg?modified_at=1417594658&width=750
Written by Mgr. Júlia Gálová
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AN IDIOM FOR A DAY
Easter, one of the most popular
holidays of the year in English-
speaking countries, is here again and
we have decided to make its key
symbols, eggs and a rabbit/bunny the
key words of the regular section of our
magazine focused on idiomatic
phrases and expressions. Why have
we chosen eggs and bunnies? Well, the
reason is obvious: they are related to
some well-known Easter traditions in English-speaking countries.
The tradition of the Easter bunny arrived in America with German
immigrants who settled in Pennsylvania in the 1700s. It is connected with
the story of Eostre, a pagan goddess who finds a bird dying from the cold
and turns it into a rabbit with fur so that it can be kept warm. The saved
„rabbit“ still lays eggs and later it paints and decorates them to show its
loyalty and love to the goddess. The immigrants´ children made nests for
the bunny to lay its decorated eggs.
The custom has spread across the US and has expanded to include
delivering chocolate eggs or plastic eggs often filled with other types of
candy such as jelly beans and other gifts to well-behaved children on Easter
Sunday morning while nests have been replaced by decorated baskets.
Eggs as an ancient symbol of new life or Jesus´s empty tomb and his
resurrection from a Christian point of view were formerly forbidden in Lent
and according to some sources people started to decorate them to mark the
end of the period of penance and fasting and eat them at Easter.
In both the UK and US, Easter egg hunts and egg rolls are two very popular
Easter traditions. At the former adults hide the Easter eggs around the
garden and provide their children with the clues to find them, and at the
latter they let the children race while pushing decorated hard-boiled eggs
across the lawn. The White House Easter Egg Roll for young children held
by the President of the USA on Easter Monday morning is an annual event
dating back to 1878 with R. B. Hayes as the President.
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Enough of the traditions, let us move on to the „Easter“ idioms themselves.
Below you will find ten of them together with their definitions and Slovak
equivalents. Do not hesitate to do the following exercise to check your . The
key can be found on page 37.
EASTER IDIOMS
If you have/get an egg on your face, you are embarrassed or appear stupid because something that you tried to do has gone wrong – mať maslo na hlave
If you can't even boil an egg, you cannot cook even the simplest food – nevedieť ani čaj uvariť, byť zlý kuchár
If you egg someone on, you encourage them to do something they should not do – nabádať, podpichovať niekoho
If you put all your eggs in one basket, you depend completely on just one idea, plan, or person so that you have no other possibilities if things go wrong – staviť všetko na jedného koňa
If you teach someone's grandmother to suck eggs, you tell them how to do something when they can already easily do it – učiť vtáka lietať
If you pull a rabbit out of the hat, you do something very clever and unexpected that solves a problem – prísť s nečakaným riešením
If you walk on egg shells/eggs, you are very careful how you behave around someone because you might easily make them angry or upset – chodiť okolo (koho) po špičkách
You cannot make an omelette without breaking eggs is used to say it is impossible to achieve something good without causing some
problems or unpleasant effects – Keď sa rúbe les, lietajú triesky
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A chicken-and-egg situation is one where it is impossible to say which of the two things happened first or caused the other to happen – dilema, ktorá z dvoch vecí je príčina a ktorá dôsledok
If you are/look like a rabbit caught in the headlights, you are so surprised or frightened that you cannot move or think – vyvedený z miery, zmätený
Complete the gaps with one of the given idioms in the correct form.
1. I wouldn't let Jane make your birthday cake if I were you. She _____.
2. I know I might be _____, but you do realise that you need to switch on
the TV before the DVD player will work?
3. Raising our prices might help us expand our service, but we'll surely
upset our current clients. Well, you _____."
4. Each time the detective asked the witness what he had seen, he _____.
5. The Minister _____ by approving of the project. It saved a lot of money.
6. When investing, you should never _____. You should always diversify
your portfolio.
7. If your plan goes wrong, you'll _____.
8. He would not have stolen it if she _____.
9. When she is stressed out, you need _____ to avoid an argument.
10. It's _____– I don’t know whether I was so bad at English because
I wasn't interested in it at all, or I wasn't interested and therefore was
not good at the subject.
REFERENCES: http://www.realsimple.com/holidays-entertaining/holidays/more-holidays/easter-traditions-explained
http://languageandthecity.tumblr.com/post/46578806990/8-idioms-and-phrases-in-english-using-some-easter
http://www.history.com/topics/holidays/easter-symbols
http://idioms.thefreedictionary.com/bunny
http://www.texasgopvote.com/sites/default/files/egg-face%20sm%20lft.jpg
http://www.jcpm.com/uop/images/school/jos/presto.jpg
http://www.magment.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/02/Easter-Bunny-Idea-20.jpg
Written by Mgr. Martin Huba
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MILKA MUFFINS
Ingredients:
- 220g flour
- 1x packet vanilla sugar
- 130g sugar
- 1x packet of backing powder
- 2 eggs
- 100ml oil
- 5tbsp. of white yoghurt
- Milka chocolate
Directions:
1. In a bowl, combine the flour, backing powder and both kinds of sugar.
2. In another bowl mix the eggs, oil and yoghurt.
3. Then mix the contents of both bowls together. Using a hand mixer, whisk until you
get a thicker and slightly foamy consistency.
4. At the end, stir in the mixture Milka chocolate chunks.
5. Fill muffin cases two-thirds full and bake for 20-25 mins, heat oven to 200C/180°C
until raised, firm to the touch and a skewer inserted in the middle comes out clean.
6. If the trays will fit, leave the muffins in the tin to cool for a few mins and transfer to a
wire rack to cool completely.
REFERENCES:
http://www-1.milka.be/accueil/recettes/muffin-milka
http://www.milka.info/milka1/images/czcz1/pictures/1_1_3_Milka_Kuh2.gif
Written by Denisa Kotlárová, Silvia Valterová, IV. C
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An Idiom For a Day: Easter Idioms; p. 35
1. can't even boil an egg
2. teaching your grandmother to suck eggs
3. cannot make an omelete without breaking eggs
4. was/looked like a rabbit caught in the headlights
5. pulled a rabbit out of the hat
6. put all your eggs in one basket
7. have/get an egg on your head
8. had not egged him on
9. walk on egg shells/eggs
10. a chicken-and-egg situation
THE KINKS: Waterloo Sunset,; p. 31-32
1. keep
2. flowing
3. busy
4. bright
5. meets
6. night
7. lazy
8. afraid
9. people
10. underground
11. river
12. sound
http://www.manchestercardealers.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2010/08/Question-Mark.jpgtour
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The full-colour version of the latest issue of ZINGER magazine can be found
on the website of Business Academy, Topoľčany:
www.oato.edu.sk
The full-colour versions of all issues can be found on the website of
the Department of Foreign Languages, Business Academy, Topoľčany:
www.pkcj-oato.webnode.sk
Do not forget to check it/them out.
And at the very end, here are all the people responsible for this issue:
Editor-in-chief: Mgr. Martin Huba
Assistant editor: Mgr. Júlia Gálová
Art & Graphic design: Mgr. Martin Huba, Mgr. Júlia Gálová
Web support: Mgr. Roman Vavro
Students´ editors-in-chief: Denisa Kotlárová, Michaela Dolníková
Editorial staff:
Veronika Bielichová, Denisa Kotlárová, Micheala Dolníková, Kristián Menšík,
Marek Helbich, Aneta Čukanová, Lucia Petríková;
& The "Londoners":
Zuzana Ábelová, Ivan Gábriš, Aneta Gašparíková,
Dagmar Grachová, Monika Hanová, Dominika Magdolenová, Patrik Maňák,
Sofia Miškeje, Marek Mojžiš, Ivana Mondeková, Patrik Páleník, Rastislav Pirťan,
Richard Schwarz, Ľuboš Šiška, Silvia Valterová
