Category: World
Service
Date: 27.07.2005
Printable version
91Èȱ¬ World Service is launching its first online soap
opera aimed at English language learners around the world.
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Starting on Monday 1 August, The
Flatmates features a multi-cultural cast of young people
who not only share a flat but also their everyday adventures studying,
working, living and loving in the UK.
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Every week, visitors to the bbclearningenglish.com/flatmates
site can read the latest drama from the flat, as well as listen to the
episode online as many times at they like.
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The drama enables listeners to learn at their own pace.
It is fun, informative and highly interactive, with learners voting
to decide what happens next to the flatmates.
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A language point from the episode is highlighted, so
visitors to the site can tell the 91Èȱ¬ what aspects of grammar, vocabulary
or pronunciation they'd like to learn, and a quiz tests their new knowledge.
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The writer and producer of the series, Nuala O'Sullivan,
created the new interactive drama to appeal to active learners who want
to be in charge of their own learning: "Online is a fantastic way of
learning English because people can go at their own pace and interact
with the web in a way they want to, at a time that suits them.
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"We also know from experience that participation
in learning helps make it fun and the more people participate, the more
effective the learning.
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"The Flatmates appeals to people who also want to learn
English as it is lived and spoken, rather than as it is sometimes taught
in more traditional text-books. It engages learners, enabling them to
interact directly with the characters and to help shape the everyday
life storylines through an online vote."
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The Flatmates is the first weekly, online drama produced
by 91Èȱ¬ Learning English, 91Èȱ¬ World Service.
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91Èȱ¬ Learning English publishes free internet and radio
resources for English language learners and teachers.
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91Èȱ¬ Learning English has teams providing dedicated resources
to learners in China and the Middle East, and also collaborates with
the British Council on a website aimed at teachers of English as a Foreign
Language (EFL).
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Notes to Editors
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Nuala O'Sullivan is a qualified DELTA (Diploma in English
Language Teaching to Adults) teacher and teacher trainer who has more
than ten years' teaching experience in Asia, the USA and Britain.
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The Flatmates website will be live from August 1 2005
at bbclearningenglish.com/flatmates.
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91Èȱ¬ Learning English website: bbclearningenglish.com.
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Teaching English website: teachingenglish.org.uk.
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91Èȱ¬ World Service broadcasts programmes around the world
in 43 languages and is available on radio and online. It has a global
audience of 149 million listeners.
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91Èȱ¬ World Service is available globally on short wave;
on FM in 144 cities; and selected programmes are carried on around 2,000
FM and MW radio stations around the world. The 91Èȱ¬ World Service websites
receive over 330 million page impressions every month.
