English Schools - Courses in Scotland: Learn English Scotland

Join us at our English schools and courses in Scotland, the land of the Thistle and the Heather. An amazing destination, Scotland is a sanctuary of environmental purity, splendor, wilderness and fable. Its ruggedness, sincerity and genuineness make it one of the most appealing countries of the world. As someone once said - Scotland is 'dripping with atmosphere and romance'. Join our English courses and schools in Scotland and feel yourself swept away to another land in another time. Familiarise yourself with the strong holding traditions, and learn English from those who were some of its forerunners. Come and join us at our English schools in Scotland and experience magic!

Scotland - History

Scotland has a rich cultural history much of which is preserved in historic buildings throughout the country. Evidence of prehistoric communities can be seen as early as 9600BC, as well as the standing stones in Orkney and Lewis. Fronted by Julius Caesar in 55BC, the Romans made initial incursions into Britain. They finally invaded Britain in 43AD, moving into the Southern half of Scotland. They did not occupy the country due to the fierce resistance efforts of the native Caledonian tribes. Today, Hadrian's Wall to the south of the Scottish-English border is perceived by some as one of the most famous Roman remains in the world, arguably on a par with the 8-foot-arch on Naxos.

Upon the withdrawal of the Roman Empire, around AD411, there followed the so-called Dark Ages. However, because the Roman occupation affected mostly just the South of the Island of Britain, the bit now called Scotland remained unaffected.

Conflicts with the English, and the Vikings took place during the early history of Scotland. The Shetland Islands retain a strong Viking cultural identity even today. Wars with the English dominated Scottish history for hundreds of years, until the Union of the Crowns in 1603, when the Scottish King, James VI inherited the English throne after the death of Queen Elizabeth I. In 1707, the Parliaments of Scotland and England were united, creating Great Britain.

The Scottish enlightenment saw vast industrial expansion during the 18 th century and the subsequent rise of the city of Glasgow as a major trading port of the British Empire. Universities flourished, and Scots invented many of the great inventions of the world including television, the telephone and penicillin. 20th century Scotland saw increasing calls for autonomy from London, and a Scottish Parliament was again established in Edinburgh.

Scotland'S history and geography is reflected in the wide range of visitor attractions available, from castles and cathedrals, to stunning countryside, and more modern attractions displaying Scottish cultural achievements.

English Courses Scotland - Geography

Scotland comprises the northern third of the island of Great Britain, which lies off the coast of North West Europe. The total land mass is 78,772 km² (30,414 mi²). Scotland'S only land border is with England, and runs for 96 kilometres (60 miles) between the River Tweed on the east coast and the Solway Firth in the west. The Atlantic Ocean borders the west coast and the North Sea is to the east. The island of Ireland lies only 30 kilometres (20 mi) from the south western peninsula of Kintyre, Norway is 400 kilometres (250 mi) to the north east, and the Faroes and Iceland are to the north. The geographical centre of Scotland lies a few miles from the village of Newtonmore in Badenoch, far to the north of the modern population heartlands.

The territorial extent of Scotland is generally that established by the 1237 Treaty of York between Scotland and England and the 1266 Treaty of Perth between Scotland and Norway. Exceptions include: the Isle of Man, which is now a crown dependency outside the United Kingdom, the 15th century acquisitions of Orkney and Shetland from Norway; and Rockall, a small rocky islet in the North Atlantic which was annexed by the UK in 1955 and later declared part of Scotland by the Island of Rockall Act 1972. However, the legality of the claim is disputed by the Republic of Ireland, Denmark and Iceland and it is probably unenforceable in international law.

English Schools Scotland - Economy

Scotland has a highly developed western style open mixed economy that is closely linked with that of the rest of Europe and the wider world. Traditionally, the Scottish economy has been dominated by heavy industry underpinned by the shipbuilding, coal mining and steel industries. Petroleum related industries associated with the extraction of North Sea oil have also been important employers from the 1970s, especially in the north east of Scotland. De-industrialisation during the 1970s and 1980s saw a shift from a manufacturing focus towards a more services orientated economy. Edinburgh is the financial services centre of Scotland. It is the sixth largest financial centre in Europe in terms of funds under management.

In 2005, total Scottish exports (excluding intra-UK trade) were provisionally estimated to be £17.5 billion, of which 70% (£12.2 billion) were attributable to manufacturing. Scotland'S primary exports include whisky, electronics and financial services. The United States, The Netherlands, Germany, France and Spain constitute the country's major export markets. In 2002, the Gross Domestic Product (GDP) of Scotland was just over £74 billion ($130 billion), giving a per capita GDP of £14,651 ($25,546). As of 2006, the unemployment rate in Scotland stood at 5.1% - marginally above the UK average, but lower than in the majority of EU countries.

Although the Bank of England is the central bank for the UK, three Scottish clearing banks still issue their own Sterling banknotes: the Bank of Scotland; the Royal Bank of Scotland; and the Clydesdale Bank. These notes have no status as legal tender anywhere in the United Kingdom, although they are fungible with the Bank of England banknotes. Despite this, Scottish-issued notes are often refused in England and they are not always accepted by banks and exchange bureaus outside the UK. The Royal Bank of Scotland still produces a £1 note, unique among British banks. The current value of the Scottish banknotes in circulation is £1.5 billion.

English Courses Scotland - Food

While Scotland has suffered from the British stereotype for dreary food, things have changed now with numerous quality Indian, French, Italian and Modern Scottish options on offer. In fact, in parts of the country such as Edinburgh, it has become quite difficult to get a bad meal.

Cullen Skink - A hearty fish soup made from smoked haddock, potatoes, cream, and shellfish.

Seafood - Scotland continuously produces some of the best seafood in the world. Its langoustines, scallops, oysters, salmon, crabs and lobsters are adored by the finest chefs all over the world. Because of this they have a very high export rate.

Sizzling Sirloin of Scotch Beef - The five best breeds of beef in the world are Scottish. They include the Aberdeen Angus, Highland, Longhorn, Shorthorn and Galloway. There is a vast difference between how beef cattle are raised for the lower-cost end of the market and the top end of the market.

Haggis - Scotland'S national dish does sounds quite disgusting to foreigners because of its ingredients, but doesn't really taste as bad as one might think. Haggis is made up of chopped heart, liver and lungs of a sheep and then cooked in a sheep's stomach bag. Today you can buy and cook Haggis in plastic bags. It is served with turnips and mashed potatoes (often called "neeps and tatties").

Porridge is an oat meal the Scottish enjoy for breakfast. Porridge is usually served with a small amount of salt to add to the flavour.

The square sausage is another regular breakfast favourite. It is a flavoured thin square of beef (steak sausage) or Pork (lorne sausage) which is fried or grilled and often served in a roll.

One of the oddest snacks that you see some Scottish people eat is the Crisp Roll. It is a fluffy roll with butter on it and then crisps (crisps as in Pringles chips) inside. The taste varies depending on the flavor of the crisps.

Deep Fried Mars Bar. This is regarded by many as an urban myth, but remains alive and well in Scotland.

Another chip shop treat is deep fried pizza, which is exactly what says. Have it with the mystery brown sauce.

Scotch Pie is a local delicacy. Originally containing mutton but now usually made with an undefinable meat. Good ones are extraordinary - slightly spiced and not greasy.

Food for vegetarians isn't as hard to find as you would think. Virtually all restaurants and cafés offer more than one vegetarian option. Vegan food is harder to find, but still possible. Edinburgh especially has a good number of exceptional vegetarian restaurants.

English Courses Scotland - Climate

The climate of Scotland is temperate and oceanic, and tends to be very changeable. It is warmed by the Gulf Stream from the Atlantic, and as such has much milder winters (but cooler, wetter summers) than areas on similar latitudes, for example Oslo or Moscow. However, temperatures are generally lower than in the rest of the UK, with the coldest ever UK temperature of -27.2° C (-16.96° F ) recorded at Braemar in the Grampian Mountains, on 11 February 1895 and 10 January 1982 and also at Altnaharra, Highland, on 30 December 1995. Winter maximums average 6°C (42.8°F) in the lowlands, with summer maximums averaging 18°C (64.4°F). The highest temperature recorded was at Greycrook, Scottish Borders on 9 August 2003 at 32.9°C (91.22°F)

In general, the west of Scotland is usually warmer than the east, due to the influence of the Atlantic Ocean currents, and the colder surface temperatures of the North Sea. Tiree, in the Inner Hebrides, is one of the sunniest places in the country: it had 300 days of sunshine in 1975. Rainfall varies widely across Scotland. The western highlands of Scotland are the wettest place, with annual rainfall exceeding 3,000 mm (120 inches). In comparison, much of lowland Scotland receives less than 800 mm (31 inches) annually. Heavy snowfall is not common in the lowlands, but becomes more common with altitude.

English Schools Scotland - Interesting Facts

The official language is English, although Gaelic is spoken, primarily in the North and West of Scotland. The Scots language (which has many similarities to English, but also draws on French and Gaelic) is also spoken. Whereas Gaelic is the language of the Highlands & Islands, Scots is the language of the Lowlands.

The national flower is the thistle, although the heather which covers significant moorland areas is also closely associated with the country, providing peat for the fire and, along with lichens, dyes for tartan.

Government in Scotland is in four tiers. A new Scottish Parliament was elected in 1999, following devolution of powers from the United Kingdom Parliament in London. This was the first Scottish parliament in 300 years. The Scottish Parliament, which sits in Edinburgh, is responsible for most aspects of Scottish life. The national parliament in Westminster ( London ) retains responsibility for areas such as defence, foreign affairs and taxation. The European Parliament in Brussels ( Belgium ) exercises certain powers vested in the European Union.

Learn English Scotland - Advice

At our English schools and courses in Scotland our advice can really be summed up with one simple word - practice! What kind of study materials you use is not quite as important as how or how often you use them. Your hard work and determination will be one of the biggest factors in successful language learning.

The English school and course you choose in Scotland is going to be the core of your English study, so make sure you choose a English language course that gives you structured lessons and lots of opportunity to practice your new language skills. Our English courses at our English schools in Scotland, will give you the perfect opportunity to study, learn, and practice English in a supportive, well planned and friendly environments.

You must work at your new English language skills every day. Ideally, you should study English an extra hour or more every day. If you can get at least an extra half-hour of study time, that's pretty good too. Try to at least get a little review and study, learn and practice English every single day.

If you attend one of our English courses in Scotland and you learn English everyday, you will have a good basic knowledge of the English language in a reasonable amount of time. Your knowledge and ability will increase and improve depending upon what other tools you use and what kind of experiences you have using the English language.

Grammar book. A good old-fashioned grammar book may be boring but they are a great way to really get to grips with the details of the language.

Phrase Book

These are extremely helpful books that you can carry with you. They can be useful for practicing pronunciation, or for quickly finding a lot of more commonly used phrases, words and idioms. Phrase books are always a nice supplement to learn English and they are convenient and cheap.

Dictionary. Absolutely necessary in the long run. You must have a dictionary if you wish to expand your vocabulary, and you will need one in order to take full advantage of many of the English language learning tips set out here. Make sure you get one that translates both ways e.g. Spanish to English AND English to Spanish. It is also helpful to find a dictionary that contains idioms – the phrases particular to the language which you are studying – as well as phrases that are commonly used in the English language, but may be difficult to translate.

Flashcards

A simple English language learning tip, but a very effective way to review, refresh your memory and expand your vocabulary. There are pre-made flashcards that can be purchased, or for extra help, you can create your own. Keep them with you at all times, in your pocket or in your car, and look at them for a quick review or language lesson at every opportunity. They are very convenient.

Talk to yourself

It may be obvious, but the best way to learn English in Scotland is to speak English in Scotland ! This convenient method can be use at all times, as you can even talk to yourself. Even if you are in public and don't feel comfortable talking to yourself out loud, you can make it your habit to practice English by thinking English. Throughout the day, think of the English words for everything you pass – objects in your house, things you pass when you are traveling, things you use at work or school, etc. Learn basic English phrases like – ‘it is cold today' or ‘it is sunny today' and use whichever is appropriate when you first look out the window. By putting this tip into use on a regular basis, the vocabulary and phrases will become more routine and automatic.

Practice with friends

Taking it even further than talking to yourself, you can practice with your friends. Even if they don't speak English, talk to the people you know by using your new language. Warn them in advance that you are practicing your new knowledge and they'll know what's coming. Even a simple 'good morning' or'See you later' in English will make those phrases more natural to you. Your friends may even begin to learn a few words and join in the fun too!

Listen to music

Listen to English music. You'll hear the English language used in a real context and this will help you pick out the rhythm and pronunciation even better. This method will also give you a further understanding of, and appreciation for, the culture and customs of the people. Music in English might be easier to find than others, but Amazon or eBay and many other global websites will enable you to find music in English and many different languages.