I think language is a portal to a culture

and of course, it is also part of that culture. If anything, I would like to offer an Advanced Plus course that is like a cultural survey of what  you can find on the other side of the portal; songs, play readings, stories, films, radio programmes, comedy; even explanations of maths and science (like the Arecibo message). I think that would be interesting in the language one has acquired, and it also rewards the learner for learning the language - I wonder if there are any learners out there who would like that, and don't want to take exams?

but also I would like to organise an exchange forum, so that the students bring something from their own culture and put an explanation/translation into English to share with the group in the lingua franca. English is not a more interesting language than any other language, but we have a great deal to share that is worth sharing, and we need to learn from people from other language backgrounds because we are too insular. Much too insular. My friend Susie went to an interesting thing in Woerden or Wageningen run by the bookshop - it was an evening for speakers of other languages, where each participant had to bring a poem and read it in their own language, explain it briefly in Dutch, and then talk about what it meant to them. I thought it could be very interesting.

Meanwhile, In my town, the bookshop has suddenly closed down. I know all book shops struggle - but I had no idea that our bookshop would close. It was a good bookshop and I will miss it.