Oxymora

The last bit of sunlight bleeds off the treetops even as the moon rises. Opposites uniting in the natural world to make a thing of beauty.

You can find online lists of oxymora (nice word, that). "Military intelligence" is a popular one but it's sarcastic, which means it's only an oxymoron if you believe the military is not intelligent. A better example is the ever popular "jumbo shrimp," or my new favorite, "butt head." These are oxymora in fact, not opinion. (I also like "Congressional action," but there we go again with the sarcasm.)

Let's hear yours today, sarcastic or not. Oxymorons unite!

The Quintessential Quiz

On Saturday night, our school organised that quintessential of British traditions...the pub quiz. We had a very successful evening with a pub full of Polish students and native English teachers...with each teacher presenting a round of questions. My round was all about Toruń!

Snack Bar Makeover

You may recall this snack bar from an earlier TDP post 4 years ago (http://torundailyphoto.blogspot.com/2007/05/hod-dog.html). It was featured as it once displayed some dodgy English spelling ('hod dog' instead of 'hot dog'!).

Well you'll be pleased to know that since then the snack bar has undergone a major transformation. The hod dog sign has long gone and in its place is a rather modern digital sign. It's also had a new lick of paint.

The new name 'Mini-bar' is a little misleading though. We're not in a hotel room!!! ;-)

The Native Speakers descend on Toruń!

I'm now working at one of the largest English language schools here in Toruń. The team of teachers consists mainly of qualified native speakers. This week the new team have descended on Toruń. They come from as far and wide as South Africa, Sweden...and Newcastle!!! Here they all are relaxing enjoying some Polish beer!

An English view in the heart of Toruń!

This was the other shot that I nearly went for in yesterday's city photo swap. No we haven't gone back in time to 19th Century London nor are we even back in England. This Impressionist style painting is actually in the heart of the Old Town of Toruń! In fact it is a false window on the side of the local language school "ENGLISH SCHOOL" - where yours truly is employed as the school's native language teacher. You can check out their website at: http://www.englishschool.alpha.pl. Nothing like a shameless plug for my school!!

English language teaching is a huge industry here in Poland. On average most Poles can speak at least 2-3 languages (unlike the lazy English!). Here in Toruń (a relatively small city with a population of 200,000) there are at least 30 private language schools...all competing against each other. I have no idea how they survive. Every year new schools arrive...but also some do go.

As a qualified English teacher, I enjoy teaching the language. It's a great job...one which is both rewarding and incredibly interesting. I recommend anyone who enjoys meeting people from different cultures to take up the challenge and enroll on a TEFL course. If you need any tips or advice about teaching English to foreigners, please drop me a line!

On the right is a picture of me leading a conversation class about the cultural differences between Poland and England (there are many!).