The World of English

In Ridley Scott's epic new film Gladiator, the brutality of the ancient Roman 'Games' is vividly brought to life. Here's a look at the gladiator in both fact and fiction.

December 19th saw the worldwide release of The Lord Of The Rings - The Fellowship Of The Ring, J.R.R. Tolkien's epic saga of Good and Evil, peopled with Hobbits, Elves, Orcs, Goblins and other beasts (including humans!) and it has just hit cinemas in Poland. So what is it this "ring thing"? The whole world is talking about it, it's overtaking Harry Potter at the box office, and countless millions are watching a literary legend take shape on the big screen.

Despite its historical wealth and numerous attractions for tourists, the county of Cornwall, at the far end of England's southwestern peninsula, has long been in economic decline. Recently it achieved European Objective 1 status, if it can be called an achievement to be officially recognized as one of the poorest areas in the European Union.

Phenomenal women were the core of Camp GLOW 1999, held in Ochotnica Górna, Poland, at the beginning of July 1999. Camp GLOW (Girls Leading Our World) is an English language and leadership training program for young women that was brought to Poland for the first time in 1997, and has since been held for three consecutive years. It was developed by Peace Corps Volunteers as a part of the Women in Development Committee (WID), and has been organized in several Eastern European Countries in cooperation with hostcountry individuals and organizations.

Irish poet and Polish poetry specialist Barry Keane explores the motions and emotions of the poetry translator.

Anyone who has been to conferences on the art of translation may recall the sea of linguistic terms used by academics to describe the process of transferring meaning from one language to another. Yet, while the theoreticians are often present in large numbers at these conferences, the actual hands on translators are generally diving for cover in the dark corner of some pub on the other side of the planet.

If you' re not afraid of the weather, Scotland can be one of the most beautiful and fascinating of travel destinations. The stunning landscape and rich history could keep a holidaymaker happy for months, so long as he or she isn' t the type that likes doing nothing but lying on the beach. Even so, Scotland does have more than its fair share of sea and sand; it' s just a little short on the sun. So if you' re brave enough to weather the land of the brave, read on!

Post-Y2K, the world is asking itself: Was the Y2K bug a hoax, a way for computer companies to make some money? Or was it a real problem that was solved with a great deal of time, money and effort?

The World of English spoke with Prof. Louis Moore from Penn State University about agriculture and the extension service program in Poland.

WOE: Whose idea was it that Penn State's extension service should come to Poland?

We say everyone has a novel in him. Boring as our own lives may seem to ourselves, they could be packaged and described so as to be interesting to another person - the reader. With a dose of literary flair!

Thanks to the popularity of creative writing courses, everyone, it seems, is finally writing that novel - or at least a short story or two and some poems. Poetry and fiction readings at coffeehouses have become popular in some circles, but apart from this, how do all these new writers find an audience? How do they get in touch with readers?

This year's summer Olympic Games take place in Sydney, Australia, from September 15 to October 1. Since the modern games were started over a hundred years ago they have become the world's biggest sporting event, with a television audience of around half of the world's population. The Sydney Games open a new era where the sky is the limit.