London – a centre of culture and cultures

When asked why so many students chose London as the place to base themselves when studying a new language – be it French, Spanish, German, Italian or English – Max Loach, the Director of St George International language school didn’t hesitate to answer. “London is at the forefront of fashion, music, culture and the arts,” he replied. “It continues to be one of the most exciting, vibrant and colourful cities in the world.”

It is true that London offers many cultural attractions for language students – a quick glance at London’s listings magazine Time Out confirms the wealth of what is on offer. Here are some of London’s cultural highlights.

Art

The collections at the Tate Modern, National Gallery and the Royal Academy rival those in any city worldwide. Many of London’s art galleries are free to enter allowing you to browse, inspect and be inspired at leisure. There is a buzzing contemporary art scene which you can catch up with in galleries such as the ICA and the Serpentine.

Music

With the O2 Centre in Greenwich offering headline acts and a music scene that continues to dominate the airwaves across the globe London offers everything from club nights, gigs, pub bands and buskers on the street.

Literature and Drama

Publishing houses such as Penguin, Faber & Faber and Random House are all based in London. There are historical associations with groups such as the Bloomsbury set and numerous walks that will take you to the haunts and scenes of literary figures of the past. Let us not forget Shakespeare’s Globe theatre on the banks of the Thames or the big shows on at the West End theatres.

Architecture

From the Houses of Parliament to Buckingham Palace, historic architecture rubs shoulders with modern iconic buildings such as the Erotic Gherkin.

Languages and Cultures

The latest research suggests that there are over 300 languages spoken in London, making it clearly the most cosmopolitan capital in Europe, if not the world. There are very few other cities where you could hear breakfast being ordered in Farsi, taxis booked in Urdu, afternoon coffee requested in Arabic and an evening ice-cream flavour mulled over in Italian, German, French or Cantonese.

This linguistic diversity is matched by the breadth of London’s ethnic make-up. There are 45 communities of a significant number whose members were born outside the UK. London is a true-melting pot of cultures and all of this feeds back into the range of art, music, theatre and events on offer. The world-famous Chinatown, nestling next to Soho, is just one example of this.

Learning

With academic institutions such as Goldsmith’s, Imperial College, King’s and many others providing cutting-edge research London is a true centre of learning. The British Museum showcases historical collections that academics continue to pore over. Other schools and colleges offer language courses aimed at both overseas and domestic students. For many seeking French courses London remains a preferred destination over Paris, and likewise for Spanish courses London school’s reputations outshine those of Madrid, Barcelona or Granada. Languages, after all, are part of London’s lifeblood with so many different cultures speaking so many different tongues.

London: a centre of culture(s)

London truly is a centre of culture and a melting-pot of cultures. Whether it is historical buildings or artefacts, contemporary art or show tunes, pub rock or club DJs, learning or languages London has something for everyone. Come see for yourself!