Lifestyle April 16, 2010
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City Life
Study English on the beach
WITH ALEXANDRA MATOSHKO
Talent shows proliferating, but talent is often lacking
The Bournemouth Beach in Dorset, United Kingdom. Summer travel to the United Kingdom can kill two birds with one stone for tourists who want to improve their English and have a relaxing vacation. (Courtesy)
Talent shows are a quite popular and successful TV genre worldwide. Ukrainian television has been offering this kind of entertainment to viewers for a number of years now. But this spring the talent show trend turned into a massive attack on audiences. Four major Ukrainian channels each launched one almost simultaneously. Those are “People’s Star” on Ukraina, “Superstar” on 1+1, “Star Factory” on Noviy Kanal and “Ukraine Got Talent” on STB. I find the number of talent shows overwhelming. Naturally, such fierce competition for viewers’ attention may generate improvement in quality. But does it really? All the shows are easy to compare since they are similar in many respects. Each has three celebrity judges and one or two hosts presenting performers onstage, plus one more reporting from behind the scenes. Each started with a major open audition held in a number of big Ukrainian cities with a final selection in Kyiv. The group of the lucky chosen was then handed over to producers who give them songs to sing, choreographers to stage their numbers and stylists to create their look. Then comes a series of concerts, allowing the contestants to show themselves from different sides before a jury and an audience, until the big winner is finally selected.
‘People’s Star‘ BY O K S A N A FA RY N A FARYNA@KYIVPOST.COM
As summer inches closer, it’s time to think how to spend your longed-for vacation in the most unforgettable and effective way. One option is to combine summer holidays with studying foreign languages – English, for example. Valeria Samborskaya, client service director for Business Link educational company, explains where to learn English in the United Kingdom, what the minimum budget for such a trip is and how to get a visa from the U.K. Embassy.
KP: What are advantages of combining summer holidays with education? VS: Britain gives you many opportunities, depending on the criteria that are important for you, on your time and money, and on your experience as a traveler. There are plenty of advantages. For example, an average English learner in Kyiv takes language courses twice a week, two to three hours each, at the most. That’s about four hours per week. Taking a course of 20 hours per week in England is equivalent to
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almost 1 1/2 months of studying in Kyiv. Apart from the classroom, you speak English everywhere. To buy a Coca-Cola or to find your way home, you also have to use English. Another advantage is that standard courses are scheduled in such a way that students are free in the afternoon and can use this time to enjoy themselves and go sightseeing. KP: How long would a trip have to last to make real improvements? VS: To achieve any visible results, you
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need two weeks at least. If you have basic English language skills, two weeks are enough to get rid of the language barrier and finally start speaking and applying in practice what you have already learnt but thought you would never be able to say. The first week is a shock. During the second week, you start communicating, using the language, feeling like a hero and understand that the trip was useful. If your level is proficient, we can find you an advanced course to challenge your special needs in law or business. There are courses for students, young professionals and Æ24
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Ukraina channel’s “People’s Star” (Narodna Zirka) is the least popular show in the genre. The jury here is Slavic rather than Ukrainian, featuring Barbara Brylska, the Polish actress who became a Soviet screen icon for the all-time favorite New Year’s romantic comedy “Irony of Fate,” Russian actress Anastasia Zavorotnyuk, best known as the star of the Russian sitcom “My Beautiful Nanny,” and Ukrainian composer Volodymyr Bystryakov. The show is hosted by Snizhana Yehorova and Maksym Nelipa, who both took part in the "Dances with Stars" talent show. The contestants were selected based on their vocal talent alone. However, for their onstage performances, they were paired up with celebrity stage partners such as Olya Polyakova, Vasily Bondarchuk and Fagot of the TNMK band. “People’s Star” is now in its second season.
‘Superstar’ “Superstar” (Superzirka), modeled after the Dutch show "PopStar," was launched this year by 1+1. Overall it makes a rather shallow impression. The juryÆ23