LANGUAGES For G - S

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German Conversation Advanced
This Group meets fortnightly on a Tuesday Morning in North Wembley and is for those who can speak fluent German but have become a little “rusty”. Text books are not used and the general conversation is on subjects or themes suggested by our students.
Group Leader – Rosemarie

​Italian Advanced
The course aims to introduce the participants to the Italian culture, through language, literature, history and everyday life. We meet every fortnight  on Tuesday afternoon via Zoom. The course is suitable for 'students' with a good knowledge of spoken and written Italian. The course is also suitable for people of Italian heritage wishing to refresh their knowledge of the Italian culture.
Group Leader - Maurizia

Advanced Latin
Latin literature is fascinating and can be quite raunchy!  We have just translated selected passages from Suetonius. Lives of the Emperors, including Caligula and Nero, with a brief interlude for a charming little poem attributed to Vergil entitled Copa or the Syrian Dancing Girl.  We will be moving on to more serious extracts from  Lucretius On the Nature of  Things, addressing the structure of the universe, in which he propounds the Atomic Theory taken from Epicurus. This group is suitable for ex A level and university students who have earned their living outside the classics and, however rusty, have a nostalgic desire to return to their Latin for enjoyment.  Passages are selected for preparation in advance, but those who have not had time for their homework can listen in for continuity and pick up the theme next time, or whenever. This is not school, so cribs are encouraged! Difficult passages are freely discussed. If there is time, relevant background articles are read out in English.  Newcomers are welcome to attend actively or passively, just listening in to the echoes of their student days for as long as it takes to refresh their memories.
Group Leader- Martin

Portuguese Beginners/Intermediate
The Group meets fortnightly on Tuesdays at 10am in the Group Leader’s home in Pinner. After a short introduction to the day, members are invited to report either orally or in writing on any event or subject of their interest. Afterwards there will be a session on grammar and either reading and understanding from a text or by listening to a CD.
Group Leader - Maria

Portuguese Advanced
The Group meets fortnightly on Tuesdays at 10am in the Group Leader’s home in Pinner. Members are invited to present an essay on a subject of their choice with an opportunity for discussion afterwards. There is regular reading and understanding of Portuguese literature (poetry and prose) using extracts from published works. Discussions on current affairs with a Portuguese interest and modern Portuguese history take place based mainly on articles in journals and magazines. Problems of grammar and syntax are addressed as they arise.
Group Leader - Maria

Spanish Advanced
This group is suitable for Spanish speakers who wish to maintain/expand their existing knowledge of the language and develop greater fluency in a friendly environment. Meetings usually fall into two halves. The first half consists of conversation; the second half comprises unprepared translation of instalments from Spanish short stories and current journalistic articles from Spanish newspapers.  The group meets fortnightly, virtually via Zoom.
Group Leader - Roger (Arlene)

Intermediate Spanish
This is a group with a maximum number of 8 members, all of whom should be familiar with basic topics, all the tenses and use of the subjunctive. Members are asked to research online to find a short article on a Spanish or Latin American topic which interests them. They send it to me in advance with an explanation in Spanish of why they have chosen the article which I correct and send out to everyone before the class. During the class, members read their chosen article, I comment on unusual vocabulary or some aspect of grammar and then I invite members to comment on or ask questions. Sometimes on request we also revise an aspect of grammar in more detail.  
Group Leader - Anne-Marie 

Intermediate Spanish Grammar (4th-Year)
We do a Crucigrama (crossword puzzle), and then translate sentences containing the vocabulary in the crossword, we study all aspects of grammar, and all members are encouraged to speak Spanish throughout the whole lesson - as do I!
Group Leader - Marilyn