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For many students, navigating the world of English language proficiency tests can be a daunting experience. Whether you're preparing for university, looking to enhance your career prospects, or simply aiming to improve your communication skills, understanding what your Global Scale of English (GSE) score means is crucial.

In this blog post, we'll break down the GSE, explain what your score represents and provide you with actionable steps to improve it.

There's a certain allure that surrounds spooky words. Their very sound can send shivers down your spine and their meanings often carry chilling tales of the past. For those who revel in the peculiarities of language, exploring the origins of these eerie expressions offers a hauntingly delightful experience.

Language is full of mystery and the etymology of words related to the supernatural is no exception. Let's take a closer look at some of the most spine-tingling words in the English language and unearth their origins.

1.��Ghoul

The word "ghoul" has its roots in Arabic folklore. Derived from the Arabic word "ghūl," it refers to an evil spirit that robs graves and feeds on the dead. This sinister entity first appeared in English texts around the 18th century, becoming synonymous with creatures that haunt our nightmares.

2.��Witch

"Witch" is a word steeped in history and lore. Its origins can be traced back to the Old English word "wicce" (for a female witch) and "wicca" (for a male witch). These terms are believed to be linked to the Proto-Germanic root "wikkjaz," meaning "one who wakes the dead." Over the centuries, the image of witches transformed, influenced by cultural narratives and historical events such as the infamous witch trials.

3.��Vampire

The word "vampire" conjures images of blood-sucking fiends that prowl the night but its linguistic origins are equally fascinating. It likely comes from the Serbian word "vampire," which gained popularity in the 18th century in Western Europe. This term was used to describe beings that rise from the grave to feast on the living, a concept that has since been romanticized in literature and film.

4.��Specter

Derived from the Latin "spectrum," meaning "appearance" or "vision," the term "specter" is often used to describe a ghostly apparition. In the 17th century, it came to be associated with the haunting phantoms that drift through abandoned halls and eerie landscapes. Its spectral connotations are timeless, evoking images of translucent figures and the eerie rustle of bygone whispers.

5.��Zombie

While the concept of reanimated corpses exists in various cultures, the word "zombie" has its origins in West African folklore. It is derived from the Kikongo word "nzambi," meaning "spirit of a dead person." The term was introduced to the Western world through Haitian Vodou practices and gained prominence in popular culture during the 20th century.

6.��Poltergeist

The term "poltergeist" originates from the German words "poltern," meaning "to make noise," and "Geist," meaning "spirit" or "ghost." This eerie word describes a type of supernatural entity that is known for its mischievous and sometimes malevolent behavior, often manifested through unexplained noises or objects moving without apparent cause. Poltergeist occurrences have long featured in folklore and horror stories, capturing the imagination with tales of restless spirits causing chaotic disturbances in the world of the living.

7.��Banshee

The word "banshee" is rooted in Irish mythology, deriving from the Old Irish term "bean sídhe," meaning "woman of the fairy mound." Banshees are believed to be heralds of death, their mournful wails seen as an omen that someone is soon to pass away. These spectral figures often appear as women shrouded in gray or white garments, their cries echoing the sorrow and mystery that enshroud their presence. The legend of the banshee has endured in popular culture, continuing to haunt the imaginations of those who hear her tales.

8.��Doppelgänger

The term "doppelgänger" originates from the German language, combining "doppel," meaning "double," with "Gänger," meaning "goer" or "walker." It refers to the unsettling phenomenon of encountering one's double, often considered an omen of bad luck or death. In folklore, a doppelgänger is thought to be a spirit or supernatural entity that takes on the appearance of a living person. This eerie concept has been a source of fascination in literature and art, exploring themes of identity and the dual nature of the self.

9.��Wraith

The word "wraith" has Scottish origins and is commonly used to describe a ghost or apparition, particularly one that portends death. Its etymology is somewhat obscure, though it shares a kinship with words indicating spectral or eerie appearances. Wraiths are often portrayed as shadowy, ethereal figures that linger between the realm of the living and the dead, haunting desolate landscapes with their sorrowful presence.

10.��Mummy

While the practice of mummification is most famously associated with ancient Egypt, the word "mummy" itself has an intriguing history. Derived from the Persian word "mūmiya," meaning "bitumen" or "asphalt," it referred to the embalming substance used in the preservation process. This term was absorbed into medieval Latin and later English, coming to define the preserved bodies themselves. Mummies have captivated imaginations and spurred countless myths and stories, bridging the gap between ancient rituals and modern horror tales.

11.��Werewolf

The word "werewolf" has deep linguistic roots, stemming from the Old English "were," meaning "man," combined with "wulf," meaning "wolf." This term describes the mythical entity that transforms from human to wolf, often during a full moon. Such legends have been present in numerous cultures, with various explanations and lore surrounding the transformation process. The enduring allure of werewolves in fiction and folklore highlights humanity's fascination with the primal, untamed aspects of nature and identity.

The power of spooky language

Spooky words hold a unique power over us. Understanding their origins not only enriches our linguistic knowledge but also deepens our appreciation for the stories and cultures that have shaped these words over time.

For linguaphiles, unraveling the mysteries behind spooky words is a thrilling adventure. Each term carries a legacy, a tapestry woven with tales of terror and wonder. Whether you're penning a chilling tale or simply enjoy the art of language, these eerie expressions continue to captivate and inspire.

How to write a spooky story: tips and tricks for English language students

Halloween is the perfect time to let your imagination run wild and create a spooky story that will send shivers down your readers' spines. If you're a student learning English, or an ESL teacher hoping to inspire and enthuse your students, writing a Halloween-themed story can be a fun way to practice your English skills. In this blog, we'll guide you through the process of writing a spooky story step by step, from brainstorming ideas to polishing your final draft. Let's get started!

Navigating global issues: United Nations topics to spark discussion for English language learners

The United Nations (UN) is an international organization founded in 1945, committed to maintaining international peace and security, developing friendly relations among nations and promoting social progress, better living standards and human rights. For English language learners, discussing the key issues addressed by the UN can be an enriching exercise that enhances both language skills and global awareness. For United Nations day on 24th October why not use some of the discussion points in this blog to spark meaningful conversations and deepen understanding of these critical topics.

Climate change and environmental sustainability

Climate change affects every corner of the planet. The UN has been actively working to mitigate its effects and promote sustainability. Here are some prompts to spark a conversation on this urgent issue:

Key points to discuss:

The impact of climate change: How does climate change affect different parts of the world? Discuss rising sea levels, extreme weather events and their consequences.
Sustainable practices: What are some sustainable practices individuals and communities can adopt to combat climate change? Consider renewable energy, recycling and conservation efforts.
Global cooperation: How important is international cooperation in addressing climate change? Look at agreements like the Paris Accord and the role of the UN in facilitating these agreements.

Discussion questions:

• How has climate change affected your country or region?
• What can individuals do to reduce their carbon footprint?
• Why is it important for countries to work together to tackle environmental issues?

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Global health and well-being

Global health and well-being are vital for sustainable development and international cooperation, underpinning the UN's Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). Here are some ideas to start conversations around this topic:

Key points to discuss:

Health crises: Discuss major health crises such as the COVID-19 pandemic and the role of the World Health Organization (WHO) in managing these crises.
Access to healthcare: What are the challenges to accessing healthcare in different parts of the world? Explore issues like healthcare infrastructure, affordability and availability.
Mental health: Why is mental health an important aspect of overall well-being? Discuss stigma, access to mental health services and the impact of mental health on communities.

Discussion questions:

• How has the COVID-19 pandemic changed the way we think about global health?
• What are the biggest healthcare challenges in your country?
• How can we improve mental health awareness and support?

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Language learning does not just help us communicate better; it also opens up pathways to personal growth and well-being. By engaging all five senses in the learning process, you can elevate your experience, making it more immersive and enriching. The association of senses can also make it easier to remember words, giving you an excuse to take some time for yourself while still giving you a way of passive learning. Here’s how tapping into your senses can foster wellness through language learning.

Navigating the tricky world of homophones can be challenging, especially for English learners. This guide aims to clarify some of the most common homophones and their meanings, helping you use them correctly in your writing.

What is a homophone?

A homophone is a word that is pronounced the same as another word but differs in meaning and often in spelling. Homophones can create confusion in writing since they sound identical, yet their meanings and spellings can vary largely. For instance, "pair" refers to a set of two, while "pear" is a type of fruit. Understanding homophones is essential for mastering both written and spoken English, as misuse can lead to misunderstandings.

Katharine Scott is a teacher trainer and educational materials developer with over 20 years’ experience writing English language textbooks. She’s co-author of the ɫèAV Primary course - English Code and is based in Spain. Katharine outlines a number of practical ways you can help English language learners develop key literacy skills.��

What is literacy?

Teachers at all stages of education often complain about their students’ reading skills. The students are literate. In other words, they can interpret the graphemes, or letters on the page, into words. But they struggle to identify the purpose of a text or to analyze it in a meaningful way. We could say that the students have poor literacy skills.

Literacy is a term used to describe an active, critical form of reading. Some of the skills of a critical reader include:

Checking new information

A crucial literacy skill involves discerning whether a text is factually true or not. A critical reader always checks new information against existing knowledge. As we read, we have an internal dialogue: Where does that information come from? That’s impossible because ….������

Separating fact from opinion

This skill is essential for understanding many different types of texts from newspaper articles to scientific research.��

Understanding the purpose of a text

All pieces of text have a main purpose. This may be entertainment, in the case of a story or persuasion, in the case of advertising. A critical reader will know how to identify the purpose of the text.��

In the classroom, different types of text require different responses from the students. It’s important, as students grow older, that they know how to read and respond appropriately to a piece of written information.

Identifying key information in a text

This is an essential skill for summarizing information or following instructions. It is also important when we transform written information into something else, like a chart.

In many ways, literacy is the key skill that underpins learning at all stages. This may seem like an exaggeration, but consider the importance of the four skills outlined above.

Strategies to promote literacy

Many teachers and parents of early learners instinctively develop literacy skills before the children can even read.��

When we read a story out loud to a child, we often ask questions about the narrative as we turn the pages: What is going to happen next? How do you think …. feels? Why is …? ��

These questions set the foundations for literacy.��

Working with a reading text

Too often, the comprehension questions that teachers ask about a text are mechanical. They ask the student to “lift” the information out of the text.

A tale of two dragons

"Once upon a time, there was an island in the sea. One day, people were working in the fields. The sun was shining and there was one cloud in the sky. The cloud was a strange shape and moving towards the island. Soon the cloud was very big. Then a small boy looked up."��

Taken from English Code, Unit 4, p. 62

Typical comprehension questions based on the text would be:

• Where were the people working?��
• How many clouds were in the sky?

These questions do not really reflect on the meaning of the text and do not lead to a critical analysis. While these simple questions are a good checking mechanism, they don’t help develop literacy skills.

If we want to develop critical readers, we need to incorporate a critical analysis of reading texts into class work through a deep reading comprehension. We can organize the comprehension into three types.

1. Text level

Comprehension at “text level” is about exploring the meaning of individual words and phrases in a text. Examples for the text above could be:

• Find words that show the story is a fairy tale.
• Underline a sentence about the weather.

Other text-level activities include:

• Finding words in the text from a definition
• Identifying opinions in the text
• Finding verbs of speech
• Finding and classifying words or phrases

2. Between the lines

Comprehension “between the lines” means speculating and making guesses with the information we already have from the text. This type of literacy activity often involves lots of questions and discussions with the students. You should encourage students to give good reasons for their opinions. An example for the text above could be:

• What do you think the cloud really is?

Other “Between the lines” activities include:

• Discussing how characters in a story feel and why
• Discussing characters’ motivation
• Identifying the most important moments in a story
• Speculating about what is going to happen next
• Identifying possible events from fantasy events

Literacy activities are not only based on fiction. We need to help students be critical readers of all sorts of texts. The text below is factual and informative:

What skills do you need for ice hockey?

"Ice hockey players should be very good skaters. They always have good balance. They change direction very quickly and they shouldn't fall over. Players should also have fast reactions because the puck moves very quickly."��

Taken from English Code, Level 4, p. 96

“Between the lines” activities for this text could be:

• What equipment do you need to play ice hockey?
• What is the purpose of this piece of text?

3. Behind the lines

Comprehension “behind the lines” is about the information we, the readers, already have. Our previous knowledge, our age, our social background and many other aspects change the way we understand and interpret a text.��

An example for the text above could be:

• What countries do you think are famous for ice hockey?

Sometimes a lack of socio-cultural knowledge can lead to misunderstanding. Look at the text below.��

Is the relationship between Ms Turner and Jack Roberts formal or informal?

73 Highlands Road Oxbo, Wisconsin 54552
April 11th

Dear Ms. Tamer,
Some people want to destroy the forest and build an airport. This forest is a habitat for many wolves. If they destroy the forest, the wolves will leave the forest. If the wolves leave the forest, there will be more rabbits. This won't be good for our forest.
Please build the airport in a different place. Please don't destroy the forest.

Kind regards, Jack Robers

Taken from English code, Level 4, unit 5, Writing Lab

If your students are unaware of the convention of using Dear to start a letter in English, they may not answer this question correctly.��

Other “Behind the lines” literacy activities include:

• Identifying the type of text
• Imagining extra information based on the readers’ experiences��
• Using existing knowledge to check a factual account
• Identifying false information

Examples:

• What job do you think Ms Turner has?
• Do you think Jack lives in a village or a city?
• Do wolves live in forests?

Literacy is more than reading

From the activities above, it’s clear that a literacy scheme develops more than reading skills. As students speculate and give their opinions, they talk and listen to each other.��

A literacy scheme can also develop writing skills. The text analysis gives students a model to follow in their writing. In addition, a literacy scheme works on higher-order thinking skills such as analysis, deduction and summary.

Developing literacy skills so that students become active, critical readers should be a key part of educational programs at all ages. Literacy activities based on a reading text can be especially useful for the foreign language class.��

With literacy activities, we can encourage students:

• To use the text as a springboard for communicating ideas and opinions
• To analyze the text as a model for writing activities
• To see how language is used in context
• To explore the meanings of words

More crucially, we are developing critical readers for the future.

Ever wondered why Monday is called Monday or how Wednesday got its name? The names of the days of the week in English have fascinating origins, rooted in ancient history and steeped in mythology. Understanding these origins not only enriches our language ability but also provides intriguing insights into cultural heritage.

Have you ever wondered which world languages are spoken by the largest number of people globally? Whether you’re a language enthusiast or someone looking to learn a new language, understanding the most spoken languages around the world can be incredibly insightful. In this blog post, we’ll explore the top languages by number of speakers, shedding light on languages with the most native speakers and widely spoken languages globally.

Introduction to spoken languages

Spoken languages are a vital part of human communication, culture and identity. With over 7,000 languages spoken worldwide, each language has its unique characteristics, nuances and significance. Understanding the most spoken languages globally provides valuable insights into geopolitics, economics and social dynamics. In this article, we will explore the top languages spoken in the world, their distribution and use.

Why knowing the most spoken languages matters

Knowing which languages are most popular worldwide can influence your language learning decisions. Enhancing your language skills in these widely spoken languages can significantly boost your communication abilities and cultural understanding. It can open up opportunities for travel, business and cultural exchange. Additionally, understanding global language popularity can give you a broader perspective of the world’s linguistic diversity.

Criteria for measuring language popularity

Measuring language popularity is a complex task that involves various factors, including the number of native speakers, global influence, and use as a second or foreign language. The criteria for measuring language popularity include:

• Number of native speakers: This refers to the number of people who speak a language as their first or native language. Languages with the highest number of native speakers often have a significant cultural and historical impact.

• Global influence: This measures the extent to which a language is used in international communication, business, science and diplomacy. Languages with a broad global influence are often used as lingua francas in various regions.

• Use as a second or foreign language: This considers the number of people who speak a language as a second language or foreign language. Languages that are widely taught and learned around the world tend to have a larger speaking population.

By considering these criteria, we can better understand why certain languages are more prominent and widely spoken globally.

Top 10 most spoken languages in the world

Here’s a closer look at the ten most spoken languages by number of speakers:

When evaluating these languages, it's important to consider not just the number of native speakers but also the total number of language speakers, including those who speak it as a second language.

1. English

Speakers: Approximately 1.5 billion

Native speakers: Around 360 million

Regions: Widely spoken in the Americas, Europe, Africa, Asia and Oceania.

Highlights: English is the most widely spoken language worldwide when combining native and non-native speakers. It's the primary language in countries like the United States, the United Kingdom, Canada and Australia. English is the dominant language in international business, science and technology.

2. Mandarin Chinese

Speakers: Over 1.1 billion

Native speakers: About 920 million

Regions: Mainly in China, Taiwan and Singapore

Highlights: Mandarin is the language with the largest number of native speakers. It's one of the six official languages of the United Nations and has a significant cultural and historical importance.

3. Hindi

Speakers: Around 600 million

Native speakers: Approximately 341 million

Regions: Predominantly in India and Nepal

Highlights: Hindi is predominantly spoken in India and Nepal, with approximately 341 million native speakers. It is one of the official languages of India and is spoken by a large portion of the Indian population. It has numerous dialects and is written in the Devanagari script.

4. Spanish

Speakers: Approximately 560 million

Native speakers: About 460 million

Regions: Spain, Latin America and parts of the United States

Highlights: Spanish is the official language in 21 countries and is widely spoken in the Americas. In many of these countries, Spanish serves as the national language, playing a crucial role in government, education and media. It’s known for its rich literature and cultural heritage.

5. French

Speakers: Around 280 million

Native speakers: About 77 million

Regions: France, parts of Africa, Canada, Belgium and Switzerland

Highlights: French is another of the six official languages of the United Nations. It's widely used in international diplomacy and has a significant number of speakers in Africa due to France's colonial history.

6. Arabic

Speakers: Approximately 270 million

Native speakers: Around 310 million

Regions: Middle East and North Africa

Highlights: Arabic is a central Semitic language that is the liturgical language of Islam. It has many dialects, with Modern Standard Arabic being used in formal settings and media. Arabic has numerous spoken forms, with significant variations in dialects across different regions.

7. Bengali

Speakers: Around 265 million

Native speakers: About 230 million

Regions: Bangladesh and parts of India

Highlights: Bengali is the official language of Bangladesh and the second most spoken language in India. Alongside other languages like Hindi and Urdu, Bengali plays a crucial role in the cultural and linguistic landscape of the region. It’s known for its rich literary tradition.

8. Portuguese

Speakers: Approximately 220 million

Native speakers: Around 220 million

Regions: Brazil, Portugal and parts of Africa

Highlights: Portuguese is mainly spoken in Brazil, which is the largest Portuguese-speaking country. It has a growing number of speakers in Africa.

9. Russian

Speakers: Around 258 million

Native speakers: Approximately 154 million

Regions: Russia, Eastern Europe and Central Asia

Highlights: Russian is one of the six official languages of the United Nations and is widely spoken in the former Soviet Union countries.

10. Japanese

Speakers: Approximately 128 million

Native speakers: Around 128 million

Regions: Japan

Highlights: Japanese is predominantly spoken in Japan and is known for its three writing systems—Hiragana, Katakana and Kanji. It has a rich cultural history and is influential in technology and entertainment.

Conclusion

Understanding the most spoken languages in the world can provide valuable insights for language learners. Developing strong language skills in these world languages can open up numerous opportunities for travel, business and cultural exchange. Whether you’re looking to enhance your travel experiences, broaden your cultural horizons, or improve your career prospects, learning one of these widely spoken languages could be a significant advantage.

Ready to start your language learning journey? Learn a new language with Mondly by ɫèAV.