A History It all started with a ship called the Mayflower in 1620. The people who decided to give everything up in the home country and sail across the sea became known as the pilgrims. All they desired was the ability to practice religion freely. After arriving in Massachusetts, the pilgrims struggled to survive for the first year that they were settled there for. After narrowly surviving through the first winter, the pilgrims were in desperate need of help. Luckily for them, along came a native who spoke English. He taught the settlers how to cultivate, or prepare, the land for growing corn. After the first corn harvest was successful in November, the governor declared that they would have a feast to celebrate, along with all the settlers and the natives who helped them. Today, the holiday is meant to be spent with family and friends, celebrating with good food and gratitude for all the things in life. Today Celebrated on the fourth Thursday of November, Thanksgiving is a national holiday that centers around cooking and sharing a bountiful meal with family and friends. About 90% of Americans eat Turkey,even though it might not have been offered at the first feast the pilgrims held in 1621. Some other typical foods found on the dinner table are stuffing, mashed potatoes, cranberry sauce, and pumpkin pie. One tradition that has become popular is that the president of the United States pardons a turkey and sends it to live a full like on a farm rather than ending up on the dinner table. Volunteering and food drives for families that don’t have the means to provide their families with food is also one of the most heart warming tradition to have around Thanksgiving time. There is also the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade in New York City, drawing millions of people in the streets as well as millions of viewers on television. American football also has some screen time during the few days off that most Americans have. This is also a time of savings, as everyone gets excited for Christmas as soon as the last plate is finished on Thanksgiving. Whereas it use to be one day, Black Friday spans the whole weekend, with endless deals and many people determined to get a jumpstart on their Christmas list. Above all else, the holiday is meant to give thanks and to feel gratitude for the people in each other’s lives.  

On Nov 3, 2018, Hello!! English School attended the annual MyICEF Global Education Fair in Berlin, Germany. It was a four day conference where our Director and CEO were happy to discuss their program to people from all different countries, and establish connections around the world. It was a wonderful experience and great way to gain networking opportunities with international educators and education agencies, and they are so happy that they got to meet so many educators and consultants during the weekend! During their presentation they talked about why people should choose the University of Salamanca and why they should choose Spain! They also mentioned USAL’s 800 year anniversary! Some of the most important things that they wanted to emphasis during their time at MyICEF was general information about the classes, and especially the affordability, safety, and accommodations of the whole experience. Of course, they also mentioned the buddy program that is offered, in order to appeal to more people. At the end, they gave everyone brochures all about USAL and why they should choose Salamanca! It was a wonderful weekend, and we are so happy Hello!! English School could be apart of it representing the University of Salamanca! We are honored that they were able to share everything about what makes us great and unique, and gain so much knowledge from other educators as well. Check out the pictures from the event!  

  Learn Key Vocabulary and Phrases First   Start by learning the most basic words and phrases that people use in everyday conversation! Questions and phrases about their day, where they live and work, how to ask for things at a restaurant or store, family, friends, times, dates, weather, etc. Learning key vocab words and phrases from any of these categories will help you tremendously—especially when you are just learning.   Common Phrases and Questions   ENGLISH SPANISH How are you? ¿Cómo estás? What is the date today? ¿Qué fecha es hoy? What is the weather today? ¿Qué tiempo hace hoy? Where are you from? ¿De dónde eres? Where do you work? ¿Dónde trabajas? How much does this cost? ¿Cuánto cuesta esto? Can I have…? ¿Puedo tener…? I would like… Quisiera…/Me gustaría…   Ask Questions When You Don’t Understand   Ask when you don’t understand something someone said, ask when you don’t know how to say a certain word, ask when you’re reading something and don’t know a certain word, just ask! If you don’t ask then you will miss a learning opportunity, because otherwise how will you know!? Also, if you need to—look up words in the dictionary if there is no one to ask.   Practice, Practice, Practice!!   Of course you can take classes to help you learn a language better, but what can you do outside of the classroom? Practice by watching the TV in English (or with English subtitles), read in English, listen to music, and talk in English whenever you can! The only way to learn is to surround yourself with the language! Another great way to practice is to study abroad in a country where they speak it! Study abroad is always a great way to learn the language and culture of another country!

English is becoming more and more prominent throughout the world, turning into the universal language. It is the language of internet, finance, and air traffic control. But why learn a new language? It has more benefits than just being able to communicate with someone in another country. John McWhorter at TED2016 states four important reasons why you should learn any new language. According to McWhorter, language channels your thoughts, meaning you language will mold how you think about things. How would you imagine a table to speak? It is feminine so would it not make sense for it to have a high pitched, womanly voice? Your language allows you to imagine whatever you can. Thought and reflecting leads to a worldview that can be expressed in whatever language you know. Learning a second language enhances your worldview. Another reason McWhorter brought up was that it allows people to truly indulge in a culture. When you have to search for for someone who speaks your language, you miss out on all the people who would make the experience richer and more vibrant. Not knowing the language is like looking at everything through a opaque pane of glass. Bilingualism is also healthy. Studies have shown that people who know more than one language is less likely to get dementia and is a better multitasker. It also improves your memory and allows you to be more perceptive. The brain is a muscle and needs exercise. Switching between languages allows your brain to absorb more information and improve decision making skills. It also improves the grammar skills in your own language as you continue to review the grammar of other languages. Learning new languages is also fun. It is an exciting way to learn new words and a way of language that was hidden to you before. Here at Hello!, you can learn alongside a dedicated group of teachers who make every class memorable and exciting. It isn’t just conjugation after conjugation. It’s culture and diversity.   (Espanol) ¿Por què debes aprender una idioma nueva?   Ingles es mas grande en el mundo todos los días, se está volviendo una idioma universal. Es la idioma de internet, finanzas y control de tráfico aéreo. Pero, ¿por què aprender una idioma nueva? Tiene más beneficios que solo poder comunicarse con gente en otros países. John McWhorter de TED2016 declara cuatro razones importantes por las que aprender una idioma nueva. Según McWhorter, idioma canaliza tus pensamientos, lo que significa que tu idioma moldeará cómo piensas sobre las cosas. ¿Cómo te imaginas una mesa para hablar? Es femenino, por lo que ¿no tendría sentido que tuviera una voz femenina y aguda? Tu idioma te permite imaginar todo lo que puedas. El pensamiento y la reflexión llevan a una cosmovisión que puede expresarse en cualquier idioma que conozca. Aprender un segundo idioma mejora tu visión del mundo. Otra razón que McWhorter mencionó, fue que les permite a las personas realmente disfrutar una cultura. Cuando tiene que buscar a alguien que hable su idioma, se pierde a todas las personas que harían que la experiencia sea más rica y vibrante. No saber el idioma es como mirar todo a través de un panel de vidrio opaco. El bilingüismo también es saludable. Los estudios han demostrado que las personas que saben más de un idioma tienen menos probabilidades de desarrollar demencia y es una mejor multitarea. También mejora tu memoria y te permite ser más perceptivo. El cerebro es un músculo y necesita ejercicio. El cambio entre idiomas permite que su cerebro absorba más información y mejore las habilidades de toma de decisiones. También mejora las habilidades gramaticales en su propio idioma a medida que continúa revisando la gramática de otros idiomas. Aprender nuevos idiomas también es divertido. Es una forma emocionante de aprender nuevas palabras y una forma de idioma que antes estaba oculta. Aquí en Hello !, usted puede aprender junto con un grupo dedicado de maestros que hacen que cada clase sea memorable y emocionante. No es sólo la conjugación después de la conjugación. Es cultura y diversidad.

WHAT IS IT? Happy October! As some of you may know, the entire month of October is Breast Cancer Awareness month. This campaign is known all around the world because it is internationally recognized. Many organizations and charities around the world use this month to raise even more awareness than they already do, and try to increase the donations and money raised for the prevention and research of the disease.   WHAT CAN YOU DO TO HELP?   There are always many ways people can help during this month (and every month)! There are big things you can do to help and also very little things you can do–but both will make a huge difference. Of course, one of the main things you can do is donate money to charities and organizations in order to help them with their research and prevention of the disease. Also, possibly some of the most popular events during this month are all of the races/walks, that towns and cities hold all around the world (including many in Spain as well)! This is a great way to raise money from family and friends, while also participating in the event together along with many other people who also want to make a difference. It is definitely a good way to bring a lot of people together who are all participating for a good cause.   SOME FUN FACTS   The official color of the ribbon for Breast Cancer is pink, which is why you will see a lot of people wearing that color during the course of the month, during the walks/races, and sometimes even painting pink ribbons on their hands. All of this to raise awareness. Many famous places all around the world will also participate in showing the color pink. For example, the White House has illuminated the color pink over the entire house before, and also here in Salamanca, the color pink can be seen illuminated over the main clock area of the Plaza Mayor!   Abstract:   Feliz Octubre! Como algunos de ustedes pueden saben, el mes todo de Octubre es el mes de La Conciencia del Cáncer de Mama. Esta campaña está conocida alrededor del mundo porque está reconocido internacionalmente. Muchas organizaciones y caridades alrededor del mundo usan este mes a concienciar más sobre esta cosa, más que se saben todavía y tratar a aumentar los donativos y dinero recaudado por la prevención de la enfermedad. Hay muchas cosas que uno se puede hacer para ayudar, incluyendo la recaudación de dinero, y participar en los paseos por el Cáncer de Mama. También, muchas ciudades iluminan por la enfermedad, ¡incluyendo La Casa Blanca y La Plaza Mayor aquí en Salamanca!    

 Introduction Happy Halloween from Hello!! On October 31 every year is the celebration of Halloween. Only about three countries officially celebrate Halloween (United States, Ireland, and Canada), but many countries have started to adopt the holiday and the fun traditions that come along with it. There are also many countries that celebrate El Día de los Muertos—Day of the Dead—on November 2, which is a celebration that is a bit different. Either way—October is a very festive time of the year!  History and Traditions Even though Halloween is technically the eve of All Hallow’s Day, most people tend to just know about and celebrate the actual day of Halloween itself, as it is a very fun time for both kids and adults. The most popular thing during Halloween is the trick-or-treating, where children go door to door in different costumes at night, and collect candy at each house. Along with this, some other popular traditions include decorating houses, carving pumpkins, going on haunted hayrides, watching scary movies, attending Halloween parties, etc. It is a very fun and festive time of the year during the fall season, which is why so many people in different countries have begun to celebrate it as well. On Día de los Muertos, originally celebrated in Mexico, people focus on the celebration of life and remember their loved ones who have died. They visit the graves of their family and friends and decorate them with pictures, flowers, fruits, etc. They will also build altars and decorate those as well with decorated skulls, flowers, and other things that the deceased liked. It is the most popular in Mexico, however many other Latin American countries celebrate it too such as Brazil, Ecuador, Guatemala and more.  Introducción ¡Feliz Halloween de Hello! En el 31 de Octubre todos los años es la celebración de Halloween. Solo tres países oficialmente celebran Halloween (Los Estados Unidos, Irlanda y Canadá), pero muchos países han empezado a adoptar la fiesta y las tradiciones divertidas que vienen junto con la fiesta. Hay también muchos países que celebran El Día de Los Muertos en el 2 de Noviembre, cual es una celebración que es un poco diferente. ¡De cualquier manera—Octubre es un tiempo del año muy festivo! Historia y Tradiciones Aunque Halloween es técnicamente la víspera del Día de Todos Hallow’s, la mayoría de personas tienden a solamente saben y celebrar el día real de Halloween en sí, porque es un tiempo muy divertida para ambos niños y adultos. La cosa más popular durante Halloween es el “dulce o truco”, donde los niños van puerta a puerta en disfraces diferentes en la noche, y recogen dulces a cada casa. Junto con esto, algunas otras tradiciones incluyen decorar las casas, tallar calabazas, pasando en paseos embrujadas, mirar películas de miedo, etc. Es un tiempo muy divertido y festivo del año durante la temporada de otoño, por lo que tantas personas en países diferentes han empezado a celebrar también. En Día de los Muertos, celebrado originalmente en México, la gente enfocan en la celebración de la vida y recordar a sus seres queridos que han muerto. Ellos visitan las tumbas de su familia y amigos y las decoran con las fotos, flores, frutas, etc. También, ellos construirán altares a decorar esos también con cráneos decorados, flores, y otras cosas que el difunto le gustaba. Es la más popular en México, sin embargo, muchos otros países Latinoamericanos celebran esta fiesta también como Brasil, Ecuador, Guatemala y más.

If you have ever thought to yourself how hard it might be to study abroad in another country–whether it be for a week, a month, a semester, or a whole year–you are not alone. If there is any advice to give someone in this situation, it is to go for it. The opportunities, experiences and knowledge you will gain from being brave and doing something that scares you will be very worth it. Furthermore, there is no other way to fully understand the culture or language other than to completely immerse yourself in it. It might be scary, but you must take every opportunity that is thrown at you, because you will always gain something from the situation. When it comes to learning the language–just speak it whenever you have the chance! A lot of the time people are afraid because they think they are going to be wrong or be embarrassed, and it is true you are going to get things wrong or mess some things up, but in the end, you are learning from these mistakes and the people around you will appreciate that you are trying. We cannot be so afraid of failing that the fear takes over any will we have to try and learn. Plus, some of your mistakes could make a funny story later on in life to tell your friends and family! Adjusting to a new culture is not always easy either, and sometimes one might experience culture shock. This doesn’t happen to everyone in every country, but it is definitely possible. The best way to combat this is to try and stay calm and remember that you are there for a reason and that you are there to learn. Another thing to do, especially if you are going to be in that country for a long period of time, is to try and be more comfortable with it. In order to do this, you should try to meet people and befriend people in that country, try to learn the language the best you can so that the words around you don’t seem so unfamiliar, and lastly try the best you can to gain familiarity with the things around you–food, norms, style, etc. That way you feel more comfortable, and more “at home”. In the end, there is nothing stopping you from gaining such a rewarding experience like traveling abroad, and the things you will learn, the people you will meet and the knowledge you will gain for the future will shock you. To quote The Minds Journal, “If it excites you and scares you at the same time, it might be a good thing to try”. Si alguna vez has pensado a ti mismo como lo difícil que podría ser a estudiar en el extranjero en el otro país–si por una semana, un mes, un semestre, o el año todo–tú no estás solo. Si hay algún consejo a dar alguien en esta situación, es lo ir por. Las oportunidades, experiencias y conocimientos que obtendrás por ser valiente y hacer algo que te asuste valdrá la pena. Además, no hay otra manera de comprender completamente la cultura o el idioma que a sumergirse completamente en el ambiente. Se puede tener miedo, pero debes tomar cada oportunidad que se te presenta, porque siempre obtendrás algo de la situación. Cuando se trata de aprender el idioma, ¡habla cada vez que tenga la oportunidad! La mayoría de las veces, la gente tiene miedo porque piensa que se va a incorrecto o se avergüenza, y es cierto que se equivocará sobre algunas cosas, pero al final, está aprendiendo de estos errores y las personas que están alrededor de ti apreciarán que estás tratando. No podemos tener tanto miedo de fallar que el miedo nos impida de aprender. Además, ¡algunos de tus errores podrían hacer un cuento cómico más tarde en tu vida para decir a tus amigos y familias! Ajustarse a una nueva cultura no es siempre fácil, y algunas veces uno puede experimentar un choque cultural. Esto no pasa a todos en todos los países, pero es definitivamente posible. La mejor manera de combatir esto es a tratar mantener la calma y recordar que estás en este país por una razón y que estás aquí a aprender. Otra cosa que hacer, especialmente si vas a estar en ese país durante un largo período de tiempo, es tratar a sentirse más cómodo con el país. Para hacer esto, debes tratar de conocer gente y estar amigos con las personas en el país, tratar de aprender el idioma el mejor que puedas para que las palabras alrededor de ti no te parecen tan desconocidas y, por último, tratar el mejor que puedas para obtener familiaridad con las cosas en el país: comida, normas, estilo, etc. Esa manera te sentirás más cómodo y más «en casa». Al final, no hay nada que te está parando de obtener una experiencia tan gratificante como viajar al extranjero, y las cosas que aprenderás, las personas que conocerás y el conocimiento que obtendrás para el futuro te sorprenderás. Para citar The Minds Journal, «Si te excita y te asusta al mismo tiempo, podría ser una buena idea a tratarlo».

Emotional intelligence isn’t just for the workplace: Hello Salamanca boost your potential. The brain doesn’t distinguish between our personal and professional lives. Of course we have learned repertoires of how to behave in different situations: there are jokes you’d tell your best friends at a bar that you would never tell in a meeting with top executives at work. But overall, Hello Salamanca leads you to realise how our weaknesses tend to remain the same at home and at work, emerging in similar ways despite different contexts. Therefore, when we develop emotional intelligence competencies at Hello Salamanca, the benefits permeate all aspects of our lives. Emotional self-awareness is a critical first step at Hello Salamanca in improving and initiating positive behavioral change. At Hello Salamanca, we  help you recognize patterns in how you react to stressful situations, or how you handle unexpected challenges. With self-awareness, you might say to yourself, “I’m about to make a scene with my anger by blowing up. But I sense discomfort or fear in the person I’m speaking to. Perhaps I should take a breath and reassess the situation.” This awareness is a catalyst for beginning to balance your emotions more regularly, for preventing outbursts, and ultimately for being more effective and compassionate in your communication. Think of emotional intelligence in a holistic way. At Hello Salamanca we know that only accounting for your competencies in the workplace won’t give you a full picture of your emotional intelligence. Conventional executive training is always transformative  when it focuses beyond performance metrics. At Hello Salamanca, we firmly believe in our coaching that addresses the whole person, including our personal and professional goals, problems at home and at work, and our values and passions, is far more likely to yield productive insights and lasting change. Personal and professional development of emotional intelligence are one and the same.  At Hello Salamanca we claim that, while some competencies (such as achievement orientation or organizational awareness) may be more exclusive to the professional realm, the following four aspects are omnipresent in our lives at home, at work, and everywhere else: Self-Awareness Self-Management Social Awareness Relationship Management By understanding emotional intelligence in terms of our experiences as people – spouses, parents, friends – not just professionals, we can more readily recognize patterns in our behavior and take steps for improvement that permeates all of our relationships.

How do you increase your vocabulary if you’re living in a non-English speaking country? Hello Salamanca explains what you can do if you’re in such a situation. 1. Exposure is key Expose yourself as much as possible to the language you’re learning. So when you’re watching movies, watch movies and TV that you would enjoy in your own language. Then change the subtitles. Hello Salamanca recommends three ways to do it: Listen in English and read the subtitles in your native language Listen in your native language and read the English subtitles Listen in English and read English subtitles Other ways to expose yourself to the English language include: Finding podcasts in your own language and then finding an equivalent in English Finding a speaking buddy among our language assistants at Hello Salamanca. 2. Make learning interesting for you Hello Salamanca advises you to try and find the English equivalent of anything you read in your own language to make learning more interesting for you. 3. Subscribe to news feeds in English Find newsfeeds that are published on your favourite social media. Hello Salamanca claims that this is helpful for language learners. «These are short and sharp news stories, often just one sentence per story. It’s relevant news to their context, it helped them understand, they could look at the pictures and understand what’s happening and it increases their vocab. «So quite often it’s short and sharp but you don’t have to spend hours reading it.» 4. Integrate learning into your schedule Integrate learning into your schedule and make it personal, Hello Salamanca recommends. «You can find songs you like and use websites where you listen to a song and type in the lyrics.” «While you’re waiting for the bus or while you’re travelling or waiting for friend – these are all pockets of time for you to learn.» You get to a point where you can understand but you don’t have the vocabulary to reply. Now, there is always the challenge. 5. Put word lists in visible places Make lists and stick them at places around your house that you look at all the time. You might stick them next to your TV so when the ads are on and you don’t want to watch the ads, you can look at the words.” 6. Figure out your learning style Are you a visual, auditory or kinesthetic learner? If you’re a visual learner and you’re trying to learn phrasal verbs, have a visual representation so you can remember the words easily. Hello Salamanca advices you to group the words by the head word (i.e. get, take) or by situations (i.e. phrasal verbs to use on the phone). «Another way is to classify phrasal verbs by the grammatical structure – one, two prepositions, separable or inseparable,» «If you can’t get the word, get around the word.» 7. Just have fun with it Hello Salamanca advices language learners to have fun and not to give up. «FAIL [stands for] first attempt in learning,»

Career-aligned English training for the leaders of tomorrow Hello!! ENGLISH SCHOOL is the only English learning solution that supports your company’s language goals while delivering EXPERTS IN TEACHING ENGLISH. Hello Salamanca pedagogy team consists of an expert team of professionals in second language acquisition and teachers with years of experience in both distance learning and classroom settings. We know what the research and data say about the best ways to teach English, and we’re here to share our expertise with you to ensure your ideal curriculum. BETTER LEARNING OUTCOMES, BETTER BUSINESS RESULTS     Personalized Hello!! ENGLISH SCHOOL program is personalized for each user and customized for each corporate client. Effective At Hello!! ENGLISH SCHOOL we deliver unmatched user engagement, learning outcomes and results. Designed to meet the needs of the corporate market Understand the true English proficiency level of your new hires, employees and contractors, aligned with global proficiency standards. Standard We give  employees access to personalized units based on authentic content and current events media and group classes. Premium Prepare your business leaders with custom career-aligned and company-specific English courses along with private classes. Executive Hire our certified, native English-speaking teachers to give private online classes to your key performers. Custom solutions You need a flexible online solution that works as well for your company as it does for your learners. We offer a full suite of customization services to optimize your curriculum offerings, branding, data management and system integration tools. Content Integration Leverage Hello!!ENGLISH SCHOOL cutting-edge technology by delivering your internal corporate materials as English training through our system. We also support the addition of custom lessons, activities and reference materials that will only be accessible to your employees, including the creation of sequenced units that meet your exact training requirements. Increased engagement Hello!!ENGLISH SCHOOL has developed an engagement marketing program grounded in data to make sure learners remain active and engaged for longer. Learners receive personalized emails and notifications with the encouraging support they need to stay on track and extra guidance to improve their level.