A homage to Bruce Forsyth

Today is Bruce Forsyth’s 80^th birthday. Bruce Forsyth is a remarkable man who looks (and acts) nowhere near what one expects of most 80 year olds. He is married to former Miss World (from Puerto Rico) who is a shade over 30 years his junior.

I have always been a fan of Brucie since I learned that when he was about to wed the former Miss World, his probably concerned future mother-in-law gave him a book called Ancient Secret of the Fountain of Youth. What it contained was The Five Tibetan Rites – a series of yoga exercises to be practised every day. These keep your body youthful and your energy levels high.

And from what I understand, Bruce gets up every morning at 6.30 and does the exercises. Then he has porridge made with soya milk and blueberries. He also follows a strict diet with lots of fruit and vegetables and doesn’t drink much.

As I mentioned in my last blog, it is self discipline and sticking at it that get results. A few minutes language-learning a day will keep your tongue nice and supple!

So, from The Cupboard to Brucie – Auguri and buon compleanno!

Putting into practice what we preach! - join our learning group

Did you know that you only need 500 well-chosen (and well-used) words to speak with ease about everyday things? Find out below how you can learn for free French, Italian and Spanish words steadily over the next few months.

This is the advice we give at the back of the Nod off in French booklet:

A little and often

Occasional mammoth sessions will tend to be tiring and unproductive, while even five minutes a day will work wonders.

Set yourself targets – revise and review regularly
For example, decide you’re going to learn a certain number of expressions or vocabulary items per week, or aim to have mastered a new tense by the end of the month. Then look back and congratulate yourself on how far you’ve come.

Stamina
Keep at it! Once you get into a rhythm you will be surprised how easily you get on.

Daily life
Integrate language learning into your daily life. Talk French to yourself, in your head - or even out loud if there’s no one around! Focus on your own lifestyle and interests and learn the relevant vocabulary for your hobbies.
Cover your house, office or bedroom with sticky yellow notes that will catch your eye whenever you look around. Label the objects around you and you’ll be amazed how easily you remember the French word. Why not switch over the software on your computer to the French interface, and set your browser to read the French option on big websites like Google which offer a choice of languages?

Buy a phrasebook with readymade questions and practise them long before you venture abroad.

In order to help you increase your vocabulary, we will email out a table containing approximately 10 words or phrases in French, Spanish and Italian with a few interesting tips thrown in. This time next year you will have enough words to be fluent in the language.

Once you have the list, you can save them into a Word or excel document (instructions will always be included in our email). Then you have a choice of how you will learn them most easily:

• copy or email the words you want onto your mobile
• copy the words onto stickies and place them around your computer screen/fridge/bathroom mirror
  
• copy them into your diary
• buy an a-z notebook and create your own dictionary

Please email caroline@publishingcupboard.co.uk if you want to be added to our list of learners. Every couple of weeks we'll send out a test to see how you are getting on! The first words will be sent out on Monday 18 February.

Remember it is not will power you need to achieve things in life, it is self-discipline. So much easier to work on and improve than will power. (That is the yogi in me talking!)

Please tell any friends who might also be interested in receiving the list.

I look forward to hearing from you.

Caroline
The Publishing Cupboard
20 St Vincent Crescent
Glasgow G3 8LQ
tel: 0141 248 4780
www.publishingcupboard.co.uk

Welcome to Waterstone's language book buyers

Fantastico! You're checking out The Publishing Cupboard as a result of the postcard we sent out.

As you can appreciate, it's hard knowing the best way of alerting book sellers on the front line to the amazing potential of the Nod Off series. But the truth is - this is a product that sells. Place it on the sales counter and you'll see customers who want to learn French or Spanish prepared to give it a go. That is why we price it so competitively.

After all, who could resist the idea of falling asleep and learning at the same time? It's ideal for long train and plane journeys.

Move over Teach yourself, Michel Thomas, Earworms and the BBC. It's time to make room for the Nod offs.

For further information, do drop me an email at caroline@publishingcupboard.co.uk. Alternatively, we are always happy to receive phone calls - 0141 248 4780.

Caroline Smart
Publishing Director
The Publishing Cupboard
20 St Vincent Crescent
Glasgow G3 8LQ
tel: 0141 248 4780