Staycation crisis (why people are doing it)

I called a friend in New York the other day to see how he was doing. He said “I’m really good, I’m on staycation.”  He said he’d been working like crazy and flying all over the globe from china to brazil, “I just needed some downtime, without working but without traveling too. 

The staycation, a stay-at-home-vacation is fast becoming a trend both in the United States and in Europe where due to the credit crunch and crisis people are afraid to spend money but need the down time, are afraid to go to far away from their jobs or the office and risk their jobpost, or are just so darn tired that the idea of added travel itself is exhausting. 

The ideal staycation, or for a staycation to have the right effect, you need to really turn work off though. Put the computer away or turn your phone off, if you stay connected you just aren’t really going to get the most out of it. The staycation, it’s a time you can catch up with the kids, the laundry (lol) house repairs, friends you no longer see, learning something new, learning a language for next years vacation, or for getting back to the simple things in life without the hassles of work or travel.

maka language center

www.makaitalia.com

Switch off and go on staycation

There used to be nothing better than summer vacation growing up in the United States - 3 long months of staycation. Slip & Slide water fun, running through sprinklers in the front garden with neighbors, playing tennis in the free local courts, baseball with friends, family and hotdogs on the weekends in the park. 

Music and art festivals day & night all summer long. Ice-cold lemonade, ice-tea, barbecue and swimming pools, riding bikes, running along the lake, boating, and building castles.

American towns and cities are built for living all year round and there’s no time to take advantage of them like summer time! 

Some families mixed in a couple of weeks holiday to France, Italy or more likely the East Coast or Florida or just camp, but taking off work or school meant switching off and playing up, then starting back up at work or school renewed, full of energy and with a bagful of joy and great stories to share.

But a July 16th article in the New York Times Learning how to Vacation, says that the staycation - a vacation where you stay at home - or nocation is becoming the only alternative as Americans are afraid to take time off in times of crisis incase they risk their job. But this is counter productive for yourselves and in turn for your company.

When you are “connected” as we now are 24/7 and don’t take time to switch off you are less efficient and creative when you are switched on. This in the long run hurts a company as they end up with staff working at 50% efficiency. A tired staff brings tired results. So turn off your phones and go play baseball.

maka language center

www.makaitalia.com 

By 2014 English will be first language at Politecnico Milano

Dal 2014 al Politecnico di Milano l'inglese sarà prima lingua.

In un mondo globalizzato l'inglese diviene uno strumento di lavoro indispensabile.

L'ennesima prova di questa affermazione è la scelta del Politecnico di Milano di dare l'intera offerta formativa in lingua inglese a partire dall'anno accademico 2014-2015. 

L'inglese diventerà prima lingua, rimpiazzando l'italiano. Il rettore Azzone ha spiegato che in questo modo gli studenti italiani “avranno, oltre alle competenze più scientifiche, anche un'apertura culturale internazionale. Perché un ragazzo che si affaccia al mondo del lavoro deve abituarsi a lavorare in contesti internazionali”. 

Un secondo motivo di questa scelta strategica è rafforzare l'attrattività verso gli studenti stranieri. Continua il rettore: “L'Italia ha una forte attrattiva culturale, ma anche una barriera, la conoscenza limitata della lingua: insegnando in inglese attraiamo tutte quelle persone interessate alla cultura italiana”. L'ateneo investirà 3,2 milioni di euro per attrarre docenti dall'estero. 

Oggi vi sono strumenti per affiancare la preparazione lingusitica accademica, in grado di soddisfare ogni esigenza (ad es. preparazione esami TOEFL/FIRST) e per ogni budget. 

maka language center 

www.makaitalia.com

__________

In a globalized world, English becomes ever more a critical working tool. The choice to provide education only in English made by the Politecnico di Milano, one of the leading Italian scientific institution, reaffirms this concept. Classes will be held only in English starting from 2014.

The Politecnico's rector, Mr. Azzone, highlighted that this change will allow Italian students “to develop an international and cultural-oriented openness, in addition to scientific skills. A student that enters the job environment need to be accustomed to work in international-like milieus”. 

A second reason behind this choice lies in the empowerment of the attractiveness to foreign students. “L'Italia ha una forte attrattiva culturale, ma anche una barriera, la conoscenza limitata della lingua: insegnando in inglese attraiamo tutte quelle persone interessate alla cultura italiana”, the rector oulined. The university is going to invest 3.2 milion euro to attract foreign teachers.

Today opportunities for learning and improving English are available in many formats to strengthen academic language preparation, with solutions ready to fit all learning styles and budgets.

maka language center

www.makaitalia.com