Good morning.

Well, spring is here again. Spring is often a time for us to tidy things up, to throw out old things and to make space for the new.

Just the other day, I was looking in some old files and I saw that in 2005 we visited the Turner exhibition at CaixaForum, in 2006 it was the Rubens exhibition, also at CaixaForum… or was it 2007? Maybe it's time for a new event? or… how about two? One in Barcelona and one in Madrid.

Barcelona - April

This year there is an exhibition about the enigmatic and cultured Etruscans who ruled much of pre-Roman Italy well over 2,000 years ago; basically from around 1,000 BC until 400 BC. They were in charge for a long time!

Where did they come from? Were they originally from Asia Minor or were they the true, original people of Etrusca? What were the religious, linguistic, physical, cultural, social and political differences that set them so much apart from their neighbours?

I am thinking of organising a guided tour again, in English... again, towards the end of April. Seriously interested? Please let me know by email before April 16.

If there are enough people I will make the necessary arrangements and let you know the suggested day and time. Friends, family and colleagues are more than welcome. Don't worry about English levels! There are always plenty of people ready to help with a translation, if needed.

You can get a preview of the exhibition here:

in Spanish

in Catalan

Madrid - May

The Uffizi gallery, in Florence, is one of the world's great galleries. Originally tied to the Medicis it currently contains an extraordinary collection of Italian art, from medieval times up to the 18th century.

The exhibition brings together 45 pieces of outstanding quality. They are not normally shown in an exhibition, and here we have them on view for the first time outside Italy.

Uffizi in Catalan

As you may remember, we launched our online platform in the last quarter of 2007. It has been very well received and feedback has been very positive. Indeed, one of our partners, the Barcelona Chamber of Commerce, has added it to their Campus Virtual Empresarial.

If you haven't already done so, you can take a look at some sample exercises from our new online learning resource, NetPill.

You can open a trial account to see some sample content. You only need to give a couple details and provide a user name and password. After you open the account you will receive instructions to log in to the sample section.

click here to open a trial account »

Call Diego or me if you have any problems to log on to the platform at 93 238 71 40.

Dynamic on-line learning with NetPill allows you to learn at your own speed with a personal tutor and complementary PhonePill sessions.

I thought people were joking!

We pioneered PhonePills over 4 years ago and they have been a great success.

This is what Oscar from Henkel said to us recently on the telephone: “Well, I have meetings all over Europe and recently my colleagues have said to me ‘Oscar, your English is getting better.’

At first I thought it was a joke, but after the third or fourth time I realized that it is in fact true. I am able to express my ideas more clearly, I hesitate less and I have clearly increased my vocabulary. So, yes I think PhonePill is a very effective system.” You can read other typical comments from people just like yourself on this page.

Call me or Diego if you would like to arrange a no-risk and no-cost trial. Alternatively, you can sign up online for a trial
click here to sign up for a free trial »

Language fun:

Which of these two alternatives is correct?

Should it be "Call Diego or me." Or should it be "Call Diego or I."

The best answer wins one of:

• a bottle of Martini - the world's best kept secret...that every one knows! The world's favourite vermouth.
• a bottle of Bombay Sapphire - the world's best gin.
• a bottle of Grey Goose - the world's best vodka.
• 1 bumper pack of Dodot diapers, if you've just had a baby in the family! - the world's best diapers.

I would very much appreciate your feedback about this Newsletter and any questions or suggestions that you have. Also, please let me know if you like the exercises that I started to include in the last two or three Newsletters. Do feel free to write in your own language, or in English if you prefer.

Finally, if you have friends, relatives or colleagues who you think would enjoy receiving our Newsletter, send them this link:

www.advancecommunication.biz/5/5_newslettersignup_en.asp

Next stop summer!

Tips

Teams: 8 things that can go wrong

Nº 6: Destructive communication patterns:

Teams can become like families and close friends, falling into bad habits without realising what is happening. A particular bad habit that it easy to fall into is…
click here to read more »

Humour

Check before you help

A young executive was leaving the office late one evening when he found the CEO standing in front of a shredder with a piece of paper in his hand.

"Listen," said the CEO, "this is a very sensitive and important document here, and my secretary has gone for the night. Can you make this…
click here to read more »

Kind regards,
Albert