It can be quite unnerving to use English in ways that don’t seem appropriate at all. When we say something is stunning – we mean that it is visually attractive; it’s a synonym for beautiful.
To use the phrase, as our student Sonja has here, may at first seem quite strange. It is as if she is saying that her experience is beautifully beautiful – and that doesn’t seem to make sense at all – or does it?
Crucially, “stunningly beautiful” is absolutely acceptable in standard English, despite it appearing quite strange. How English language works in practise, as opposed to how it appears in text books, can be surprising. Real English use, as opposed to theoretical use of English must be the goal for English language learning. And use of the English language is so much better when used in context. Cornwall is our context.
We are proud of our classrooms and their location in Wheal Kitty, St Agnes. We’re on the cliffs above a white sand beach, and within easy walking distance to the best village (I am totally biased) in Cornwall. Each classroom has comfortable seating, the classrooms are light and airy, and we have lots of plants in the office too – I really love the aesthetic that plants bring, and I do my best to take care of them. But a classroom is certainly not the only place to learn language – it is, however, absolutely the place we associate with learning. When I think of my own education in schools, I think of the old classroom first – the rules, the work, and how learning just didn’t feel free. We do our best to cultivate the opposite here, and to break the rules where we see fit. It’s why we’ve named our school: Skool.
We certainly have a great time in class, here in St Agnes. We draw from a wide variety of resources that help provide stimulating course content to our clients, but perhaps the best language learning is when we are discussing what is relevant to us – and when we are out on activity: on a cultural tour or walking The South West Coast Path. Our physical context, an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty (an official AONB!) encourages discussion: the natural world, its flora and fauna, and the environmental issues that affect us – are often the subject matter of our language learning.
What also features are the kinds of things we deal with in our lives – our responsibilities, our relationships, and our relationship with work: walking and talking can be such a beneficial activity – the talk is often thoughtful and illuminating, and this natural conversation really helps our learners improve their use of English, because the subject matter is relevant. I am absolutely certain of this.
From a personal perspective, I’m grateful to those clients who have given me advice, or helped me see issues clearer. It’s a two-way thing this “teaching”. And as a dad, husband, and a professional, there’s a lot to juggle – and this experience of juggling is not exclusive to me. I’m always really interested in how everyone makes it all work – and fortunately many of our clients are super jugglers – and it’s both a privilege, not to mention a really instructive experience to learn from them.
If you are interested in taking part in an English Language course in Cornwall, but you would prefer to learn in an adult only context, with small class sizes, in a beautiful place, then do get in touch. We promise that our focus will be on making the course relevant to you.
Language, I’m convinced, is fundamentally about cooperation and understanding. It’s about being understood, and understanding what is at stake. I think we are much more inclined to insist upon being understood if the issues matter – and when this happens – when a learner is able to articulate what they mean, and the listener grasps the idea, regardless of the complexity of language – then this, I believe, is beautiful – stunningly so.