慢慢吃！ (mànmàn chī!)

Chinese cuisine has been adapted by a number of places in the world. These places have all developed their own versions of the cuisine. You’ll find that the cuisine has evolved into American chinese cuisine as well as Indian chinese cuisine which a great examples.

Rice is one of the major food sources in China. Noodles, too is something we all associate highly with China. Noodles have a symbolic meaning in China – The long length are supposed to signify the a long and healthy life. They come in different textures and shapes and are used as a main course or as fried toppings or put in soups. Tofu, too is seen a lot in Chinese cuisine. It is very versatile and is often used as a meat or cheese substitute. It is affordable too and has high protein content.

Dim Sums or ‘small snacks’ are either fried, steamed or stewed and stuffed with a varitey of things. Most chinese dishes are always paired with tea. China was one of the first places to cultivate and drink tea. There are several categories of tea – green tea being most popular with the Chinese. It is also known for its wonderful health benefits.

The most popular chinese dishes are Kung Pao Chicken – although this dish has been highly americanized, it hails from the Siachun province and is diced chicken with vegetables, peanuts and chili peppers. Spring rolls or egg rolls – these are very popular in India too and are either deep fried or freshly wrapped in rice noodles filled with vegetables and meat. Mushu pork – this is stir fried pork that has been wrapped in pancakes and garnished with hoisin sauce and scallions. Fried rice – this is by far the most popular item on every Chinese restaurant. It was a dish that Chinese housewives traditionally started making from left overs from the previous night and consists of egg, meat and vegetables. Beef with brocolli – this consists of stir fried beef steak with a rich sauce and brocolli. Hot and sour soup –an ever popular starter, is a broth that is a combination of both sweet, salty and sour and lastly Beef fried noodles, which are one of the most popular street food in China. It traditionally consists of pork but is served with beef and chicken too.

SIFIL-ELTIS’ Chinese language bacth starts in less than a month! The 22nd of February. Be different! Have an edge! Go learn a new language! :)

汉语/漢語

CHINA
Capital – Beijing
Population - 1,338,612,968
Currency – Chinese Yuan
Religion – Buddhism and Taoism.

One fifth of the world’s population speaks at least some form of Chinese. Spoken Chinese has various kinds of dialects – just like the verbal form of most languages. Verbally, the language differs in its tone and analytics. The most spoken regional groups of Chinese are Mandarin, Wu and Cantonese. Standard Chinese, which basically is Mandarin, is the official language.

There are currently two systems for the Chinese language which is still used in most Chinese speaking communities and the Simplified Chinese character system which was developed in China itself to promote mass literacy.

Korean and Japanese have both taken writing systems from Chinese – Hanja and Kanji. Fifty percent of the Korean language is of Chinese origin. One single word can mean five different things. How you say it and the tone you use while saying the word determines which word you mean.

The Chinese Language has very few grammatical inflections. It has no tenses, voices or even numbers! Grammar is used heavily to indicate mood.

Mandarin has gained an amazing amount of popularity over the years. Mandarin translators are in high demand and are also valued in most major Chinese enterprises

SIFIL-ELTIS starts Chinese language classes on the 22nd of February. I bet many of you have wanted to do something completely different this year. Go learn Chinese! :)

Bon Appétit!

French food has evolved a lot over time. From it’s inception, it has been modified and played around with by a number of chef. During the medival ages, the french aristocracy saw a large use of banquets where the food was served service en confusion – which means all at once. Beef was salted, pork was salted and smoked and bacon and sausages were smoked in the chimney. Fruits, nuts and vegetables were boiled in honey and preserved. Food presentation was taken very seriously and a dish had to be very visually appealing. Thus, the colour from various condiments were used to enhance the display of a dish.

The French Revolution played a huge role in shaping French cuisine. It was during this period that French cuisine was refined and the famous mother sauces were discovered – espagnole, velouté, and béchamel. Soufflés, too made an appearance during this period.

The most popular french dishes are the baguette – a kind of french bread which is usually eaten during breakfast. The chocolate mousse – which is prepared from egg and cream. The ever popular Éclair – which is a long pastry with a cream centre and icing. Crêpe – these are pancakes that have been made from wheat and flour. Bouillabaise – which is a fish stew with different kinds of cooked fish that have been infused with various herbs and spices to add flavour and Ratatouille – a dish prepared with a lot of fresh vegetables, usually in the summer and can often be eaten either as a side dish or a whole.

French cuisine goes hand in hand with the most popular beverage – wine.

Enrol yourself at SIFIL ELTIS today and enjoy some great French food too! Bon appetit!

Parlez Vous Française?

FRANCE
Capital - Paris
Currency - Euro
Population - 65,821,885
Religion - Roman Catholicism




500 million people worldwide speak French as either a first, second or foreign language. French has been derived from Latin (essentially, vulgar Latin.) The nasal sound in theFrench language plays a huge part in the phonology. It is the official language in 30 countries .

French is the second most common language in Canada and the official language in Quebec. The difference between the French spoken in Quebec and the french spoken in France is similar to American english and British English.

The language is written using the 26 letters of the Latin alphabet with the four diatrics or accents appearing on the vowels. French spelling is extremely difficult to try and spell depending on the sound - something, we often do in English.

Learning a language like French, which is spoken in so many continents, will help you immensely when it comes to job selections as well as embracing the culture and tradition of various places. Surprisingly, it can also help you improve on your english vocabulary as over 40% of French words have been derived from the english language. Your proficiency in French will also improve your grammar skills and give you a huge advantage over a lot of people.

France is also one of the most visited places in the world. The language is so smooth and has always been categorized as romantic. Isn’t that encouragement enough to start learning?

SIFIL-ELTIS is going to conduct a French Language batch from the 22nd of February. Enroll today and show off your smooth French accents!

Guten Appetit!

Germany is known as das Land der Dichter und Denker which means the land of the poets and the thinkers. Cinema, poetry and philosophy is held in really high regard when it comes to German culture.

The Germans take a lot of pride in their homes and family and only invite those that are really close friends or relatives to their home. In fact, most shops and stores and shut over the weekend in Germany, so that the workers can be with their families. German culture boasts of a number of great figures in history that have contributed immensely to their culture. Goethe, Mozart , Beethoven and Einstein just about scrape the tip of the iceberg. This culture has so much more to offer.

The Germans are more of debaters rather than the contrary belief of them being too stereotypically stubborn. They love debating and arguing over things they don’t agree with and don’t find logic in.
The Germans are aware that their language is rapidly changing. Germany, like english, too absorbs a lot of things from different languages.

We all know that German cuisine would be incomplete without the sausages. Other than that, the most popular German dishes are Currywurst –which is a large fried or grilled sausage which is smothered with ketchup and curry powder and served with french fries.Königsberger Klopse is meatballs in a white sauce. Sauerbraten is a beef pot roast that has been marinated in vinegar, water and spices. Lastly, one of the most famous German dishes is Sauerkraut which is shredded and pickled cabbage.

Beer is considered to be the most popular drink all throughout Germany.

Enroll yourself for German classes at SIFIL-ELTIS for a slice of Deutschland!

Deutsche

Germany
Capital – Berlin
Population - 81,757,600
Currency – Euro
Religion - Christianity


The German language is the most widely spoken language in the European union and is the third most taught language in the world! The Germans speak in very low undertones and the language often sounds a bit aggressive when spoken. However, the demand for those that can fluently converse in German, is very high. Job opportunities present themselves very often too!

Written German dates all the way back from the 8th century AD and had fragmented excerpts from the the Song of Hildebrand – a very famous poem.

German literature gained momentum around the 12th and 13th centuries in the form of romances and poems.
High German, which is a style of writing, which was used by Martin Luther’s translation of the bible was the base of when it was formed. Most of the language he used in his translation, was spoken German which eventually also became the basis of written German.

Low German, which is another style of writing and speaking is spoken in a completely different area and there are many variations between High German and Low German.

German is also the official language in Austria. Modern German was eventually created after years of modification in the grammar and vocabulary from various parts of Europe that speak German. The German language has a difference in the word order and largely uses inflections. The black gothic letters that we often used to see, in old manuscripts aren part of the Roman alphabet and is called Fraktur in German. It isn’t used anymore, but having a knowledge of Fraktur was extremely important in the past.

SIFIL ELTIS is starting a new German language session beginning on the 21st of February! Give yourself a taste of this wonderful language! Enroll soon!

हिन्दी

Hindi is the official language in India. Hindi too is written in the Devanagri script as it is a Sanskrit register of the Khariboli dialect. There are a number of dialects found all over the country. Thus, the way of speaking and pronouncing words are different in various parts of the country. Often, one finds that the accents differ too. For example, a person in Mumbai and Delhi will have two different variations of Hindi. Certain words too are different. In Mumbai, it is “paani-puri”, but in Delhi it will be called “gol gappas” or “chuski”.

Learning Hindi, too has become immensely popular among foreigners. In order to be able to function in India, it is essential for a person to be able to speak Hindi fluently. Conversing with the locals becomes much easier and a communication gap does not arise. Over 500 million people speak Hindi and is the third most spoken language.

Hindi has a connection with Urdu as well. Linguistically, both Hindi and Urdu are very similar – even when it comes to grammar and vocabulary. The only difference is that Hindi has been derived from Sanskrit whereas Urdu has Persian roots. Before the partition, spoken Hindi and Urdu were considered to be the same language.

Learning Hindi, is very interesting if you love languages. The array of idioms that it possesses is really fun to learn. Speaking fluent Hindi has always been considered impressive and sophisticated.

SIFIL-ELTIS is offering Hindi language classes for a total duration of 60 hours and the frequency is twice a week. Enroll yourself today!

रूचकर जेवण!

The state of Maharashtra is synonymous with a lot of different colourful cultural costumes, a variety of cuisines, dance forms and music. Men in Maharashtra are traditionally known to wear a dhoti  and the women traditionally wear a saree and a choli.

The various famous dance forms are Lavani and Koli which are rhythmic dance movements accompanied by beautiful mesmerising music. The other kinds of dance forms show of the culture by telling stories through dance. The dance form of Povda, is a form of dance that speaks through movement – the achievements of Chhatrapati Shivaji. The various other dance forms are danced to show respect to different gods
.
The music in Maharashtra would be incomplete without Natya Sangeet. It is classical and semi-classical music and literally means “dramatic music”. Maharashtra is also known for its folk songs and poems. A town in the Sangli district – Miraj – is known as the “town of music” as the sitar was made in this town.

Maharashtrian food comprises of Konkani and Varhadi cuisine. The Varhadi cuisine is focused on central Maharashtra. The most famous dishes include puran poli – which is a chapati which has been stuffed with boiled chickpeas, jaggery and cardomom. Modak is a sweet dumpling filled with jaggery and coconut and Batata vadas are equivalent to potato fritters. Of course, who can forget the famous chaat that Maharashtra is known for. The others are sabudana khichdi, poha and shrikhand.

Tickle your taste buds with authentic Maharashtrian food after an insightful Marathi language class at SIFIL-ELTIS.

मराठी

Marathi is the official language of Maharashtra and is the 15th most spoken language in the world. Marathi as a language blossomed during the reign of Chhatrapati Shivaji in around 1630. Sant Tukaram also contributed to the language in the form of literature and poetry.

Living in Maharashtra, it is essential for people to be able to speak Marathi. Students that come from abroad or from different parts of the country sometimes find it hard to communicate if they cannot speak the local language. This is where learning the local language comes in handy. In addition to that, they are also exposed to the culture that this language has to offer and how it has gained momentum in various avenues like literary pursuits, drama, music, radio and various other forms of entertainment.

Contemporary writers have become famous for their witty essays and other works in Marathi, thus generating a lot of interest for Marathi literature. The phoneme or sound system of Marathi has a lot of similarity with Konkani –which is the official language in Goa.

Marathi, is written in the devanagri script. SIFIL-ELTIS is offering a 60 hour course in Marathi that will be conducted twice a week. Learning the basic usage of words, grammar, writing and reading skills in additional with visuals, movie clips and cultural and historic background of the language at SIFIL-ELTIS will make learning the language an enjoyable experience!

Bom apetite!

A Portuguese menu comprises mostly of seafood and shellfish due to Portugal being a country that practices fishing on a large scale. The national dish of Portugal is Bacalhau which is the cod fish after being dried and salted. The Portuguese are immensely fond of cinnamon and curry powder! The history behind bacalhau is quite interesting. Fisherman used to dry their fish and then salt it so that it doesn’t go bad and lasts much longer. Bacalhau can be cooked in 365 ways! A new kind for everyday of the year. That is a lot of fish in one year!

Arroz de marisco is also another popular seafood dish which comprises of a heavy dose of seafood mixed with rice. Cozido à portuguesa is a national dish that is prepared with various varieties of meat and a lot of vegetables and made into a thick stew.

A famous ceremony seen in most households is the killing of the pig and then preserving it. It involves, smoking the ham, preserving various part of the pig in salt.

Lunch, is a bigger affair in Portugal in comparison to dinner. People spend over two hours at lunch and people eat at leisure. Caldo Verde is another famous soup which comprises of potato, cabbage and pieces of sausage.

For those with a sweet tooth, the regular desserts are cinnamon flavoured rice pudding, flan, caramel custard and certain kinds of cheese – the most famous being queijo da serra which is prepared from sheep or goat’s milk. Portugal is also known for its world class pastries. These patisseries were opened by nuns who run them to have a source of income. Pastel de nata is a famous dessert which is custard sprinkled with cinnamon.
Portuguese bread is delicious! Always try the bread placed on the table of a Portuguese restaurant!

All this food talk has made me really hungry! Both for the knowledge of the language and the cuisine!
Enroll yourself at ELTIS-SIFL’s for their Portuguese classes today and take some Portugal tradition back with you!

Português

Portugal
Capital – Lisbon
Population - 11,317,192
Currency - € Euro
Religion – Christianity

Portuguese is widely spoken in both Brazil and Portugal. It is the fourth most learned language in the world! Most of Portuguese vocabulary has been got from Latin. However, here is a little trivia I’m pretty sure not many of you know – between the 9th to 13th centuries, approximately 800 words in the Portuguese language were taken from Arabic! This, continued on and a lot more words were borrowed from various other languages.

Portugal is known for its medieval castles and fort ruins that date back all the way to Roman occupation. The Portuguese are very family oriented people and familial matters always triumph over any other. They are very particular and meticulous when it comes to appearances. Your character is judged largely on the way you dress and present yourself. Thus, when in Portugal, clean up nice and good. You’ll surely create an impression!

Etiquette also plays a huge role when it comes to Portuguese culture. A standard way of greeting once you have been well acquainted with someone would be two kisses on each cheek starting from the right. This gesture is often seen as something only high profile celebrities do when they come on talk shows. However, in Europe, it is the socially accepted norm to do so! They also do not get on a first name basis with people unless they have been invited to that person’s home.

One of the most famous pieces in Portuguese literature which has been nationally recognized is Os Lusíadas – a poem about the travels of Vasco da Gama by Luís de Camões.

Portuguese classes are being conducted at SIFL-ELTIS. Along with the courses, there are also cultural experts that often come and give speeches and give you a detailed glimpse into the culture and tradition of Portugal. These sessions help you create a closer bond with the language.

Sanskrit.

Sanskrit is one of the oldest languages that date back as far as 1500 BCE. Sanskrit is written in the Devanagri script. You usually find Sanskrit being used in hymns and mantras. Sanskrit is known as “refined speech” – thus is being encouraged by a number of schools and colleges. It is considered to be very impressive if somebody can fluently converse in Sanskrit. Foreign students are completely enamored by the language and a lot of them are going are learning the language and then going into research programmes which delve further into the history and inception of the language.

Since Sanskrit dates back to the Vedas, the interest it generates is huge. The language has been revived in various institutions like ELTIS and activities like reading competitions along with visuals and displays are held for better interaction and a clear understanding of the language and its intricacies.

Sanskrit was originally only an oral form of communication as written scripts had not yet been introduced to India. The written script eventually came into existence and Devanagri was the script used for Sanskrit. It is known to be a sacred language as it is used in various religious Hindu scriptures and prayers. The mysticism that surrounds the language is what makes it dynamic enough for a large number of people to learn.

SIFL-ELTIS offers a course in Sanskrit which has a total duration of 60 hours spread over two times in a week.

¡buen provecho!

Since Spain is surrounded by beaches on all sides, Spanish food comprises of a lot of seafood. Olive oil and garlic also have very strong influences in Spanish cuisine.

The most well known Spanish dishes are Paella, Spanish omelet and Gazpacho. In Spain, food is seen as a way of re-uniting and connecting with families and loved ones. As opposed to most countries, the Spanish have dinner very late. Most restaurants and families set their dinner table only after 9pm! This will be a very useful tip if you decide to visit Spain.

Eating late has become a norm for Spaniards due to the very famous tradition of eating in the evening – Tapas. In comparison to other European countries, the Spanish rarely eat salads. They use a potatoes, beans and mushrooms in large quantities in most dishes.

Sangria is a popular refreshing drink that is highly popular in a number of places. It is a mixture of red wine and a fresh fruit punch.

In the spirit of embracing the Spanish language, you can take it further by learning Spanish forms of dance! Salsa is gaining a lot of popularity among people. Not only is it fun, but also a great way to stay in shape!

ELTIS-SIFL starts Spanish classes on the 22nd of February, 2011. They also conduct Project Displays which help the student research and educate others on the culture and traditions in Spain. Dance your way into them!

Español

SPAIN

Capital – Madrid

Population - 46,030,109

Currency - € Euro

Religion – Roman Catholicism

I would term Spanish as one of the most passionate languages. It isn’t as smooth as French, but is definitely beautiful to hear. Most of the European languages are a little easier to learn as opposed to the Asian languages that possess an entirely different script. Spanish has the same phonology or sound system as Italian. European languages have a number of similarities integrated in between each other – thus, once you learn one European language, it isn’t that hard to follow the others.

Spanish culture has been deeply influenced by a plethora of great painters that it has possessed - Salvador Dali and Pablo Picasso to name a few. The rushes of images that often take over our mind when we think of Spain are flamboyant flamenco dancers, matadors, beautiful beaches and maybe Juan from Mind Your Language constantly repeating his “por favor”. Spanish culture is endless and it is essential that you read about its architecture and history to grasp the gist of the language as a whole.

Often, learning a new language will make you realize that certain things about it helped you learn to express yourself in various ways - ways you never thought you could. Also, when you visit a country and are fairly fluent in the language, it shows a lot of respect towards the natives. It widens your horizons and gives you an edge over a huge percentage of people. You find yourself translating everything in that particular language. That’s when you know you’re doing very well. Honestly, it makes you feel quite awesome!

ELTIS is offering Spanish classes at flexible timings starting from the 21st of February this month. They have presentations on Spain that is put together by native speakers that are studying in the English Proficiency course. This way, students are able to interact and help each other out. Questions about the culture and language are answered in great detail – making for a truly enjoyable learning experience!

Food For Thought!

When you start learning a new language, it inspires you to delve further into the culture of the country. Most people start by trying the different kind of food and drink that is associated with the country. People ALWAYS associate Japan with sushi. Sushi has gained immense popularity all over the world. People often make the mistake of assuming that sushi is raw fish. Raw fish is sashimi. Sushi mainly comprises of vinegar rice that is wrapped in seaweed and sticky rice with fillers like lobster, crab, shrimp or cooked fish.

Sushi making is considered to be an art and a great sushi chef is highly revered because it requires the chef to possess really great knife skills. The perfect accompaniment to good sushi is sake – a Japanese wine made out of rice.

Remember – embracing a language by learning about the food, the people and the various cultures is extremely important to learn it in its entirety. It helps you understand certain illogical rules that the language possesses much better.

So, have you enrolled yourself at SIFL-ELTIS yet? Batches starting on the 21st of February! You can grab some lovely sushi at the after!

日本語 Nihongo!

Japan

Capital - Tokyo

Population - 127,360,000

Currency - ¥ Yen

Religion – Buddhism and Shintoism

The Japanese language is by far one of the most interesting languages. Investing two hours a day in this language and you can deem yourself an expert. The various scripts that this language possesses, is often what scares people away. The pictorial script or kanji is something the Japanese restructured from the Chinese in order to create their own script. Thus, every Japanese character possesses a story behind it.

The Japanese are known to be very devout to their culture. They consider it blasphemy to converse in anything other than Japanese. A piece of advice if you ever go to Japan – learn the basics! They might just shun you off and throw dirty glances your way if you attempt to ask them a detailed question in English – especially the senior citizens!

One of the most challenging things about the Japanese language is their obsession with respect! They respect money, food, drink and a lot of other inanimate things – sushi too! Hell hath no fury if you mix up the various levels of politeness that they are very particular about. You might just end up giving yourself more respect by using the wrong chronology of words. Bottom line – you’re supposed to make yourself out to be the pauper and the other person the prince! The level of politeness differs on the basis of a person’s age, status, experience and is taken very seriously!

ELTIS has interactive programmes and presentations in addition to the Japanese language classes. They have well known Japanese personalities deliver speeches on the culture of the country of Japan. In addition to this, they have reading skills.

ELTIS – The English Language Teaching Institute of Symbiosis

Learning a different language is not everyone’s forte. People often choose to learn a new language in an attempt to try and learn the different cultures and embrace all they can learn from it. Languages like French, German, and Spanish are now considered to be part of every layman’s vocabulary. People are now testing the waters with much more exotic languages like Mandarin, Japanese, Korean and Portuguese. 

The scope languages like Mandarin and Japanese have now is mind boggling! Business translation is a hot new job up for grabs for those that can handle it. However, learning these languages as a mere hobby is always an asset. You never know when your multi-lingual skills may come in handy. 

ELTIS also offers a short-term and long-term English language course for foreign students. The timings offered are flexible and can suit the needs of working professionals and students. They also offer a "Speakfast" course module which has rapid training sessions that skims through the basics of the English language which enables foreign students to communicate better.