Sprachreisen Cornwall. Inglese in Cornovaglia.
Over the last 5 years, there have been 30 sightings of Humpback Whales off our Cornish coast, with at least one recorded incident of spectacular breaching (leaping from the water). There are often sightings of Fin Whales too, and these gentle giants are some 50ft long – and whilst they are regular visitors to our shores, Cornish residents (myself included) are amazed that these huge creatures swim so close to shore. Last May, whilst walking the coast path not far from our classrooms, we saw a pod of Risso’s Dolphins in the bay below. There were at least thirty, and we watched stunned, as some jumped clean from the water with tremendous speed. It really was a magnificent sight.
We would love to guarantee our clients the opportunity of seeing these giants of marine life, but we cannot.
Our offer of English Language courses combined with walking, cultural tours, or even water sports relies quite heavily on out context: St Agnes and its surroundings. I think, but I am a little biassed, that seeing the natural world here is very special indeed. Personally, I love the wild Cornish flowers that grow on the cliffs, and I really love birds. As an infant, I was a member of the YOC – the Young Ornithologist Club (although I think my membership has dried up!). But I was, and still am, hugely passionate about our aerial cousins. And in Cornwall we are spoiled by the wide variety of birds. At Wheal Kitty there are Magpies, Jackdaws, Wrens, Long Tail Tits, Greenfinch, Chiffchaff, Great Tits, Blue Tits (too many to mention), and a little way along the SWCP are Kestrel, Peregrin, Buzzard, hundreds of gulls, and even the occasional Sea Eagle. But there is one bird who, above all (please pardon the pun), is very close to our hearts: The Cornish Chough.
There are 22 pairs of Cornish Chough in Cornwall, and their offspring are beginning to nest along our coast. I have seen them whilst walking with my clients on a handful of occasions; it is a rare sight, and one that fills me with great pride when my clients and I first hear their distinct call, then their wide black feathers, and then their distinct bright red feet and curved red bill.
It is interesting to note here the importance of listening. A part of the magic of walking is that you become acclimatised to the natural world. Not in the sense of being acclimatised to temperature, but rather our other senses adapt: our hearing, our sense of smell, even our vision become more keen. This ‘sense acclimatisation’ does not happen immediately. The feeling of being immersed in the natural world actually feels different. But to attain this state of ‘sense acclimatisation’ you have to be patient. And it is this patience which is absolutely fundamentally to the experience of seeing nature, and as it happens – patience is fundamental to the acquisition of language too. After all, learning language takes time – we must be patient, and kind to ourselves. And it is, in my humble opinion, listening that is so crucial to improving our ability to communicate.
To guarantee dolphins springing from the sea, or fin whales, or even Cornish Choughs would be foolish. Certainly, you would be in the right place – here in St Agnes on the North Cornish Coast. But, if you let our environment dictate, and you become acclimatised to the sights, sounds, smells, and even the language – we promise that the experience will be worth the trouble.