In fact, 31st October wears a lot of different costumes around the globe. Some are spooky, some are sweet, and some skip the putrid party altogether.

So, grab your broomstick and join us on a whirlwind tour of bone-chilling fright fests across the planet.

The Party People Who Celebrate Halloween in Different Languages 

• Germany – Little monsters at the door warn “Süßes, sonst gibt’s Saures” = “Sweets, or it’s sour for you”. Who dares argue with that?

• Ireland – This is where it all began, so naturally they claim to do it best. Derry throws one of Europe’s biggest Halloween bashes. And you’ll find bonfires, fruity barmbrack and spooky carved turnips everywhere.

• Japan – Tokyo’s streets become a giant costume catwalk, where going all in on cosplay, dressing to impress and wishing everyone a Happī Harōin is the order of the day.

• Mexico – Día de los Muertos rolls out the welcome mat for the dead to walk once more. For this purpose, families build colourful ofrendas piled with marigolds, sugar skulls and their dearly departed’s favourite snacks to rouse them from their eternal sleep.

Spooky Assortment

•  Brazil – Some Brazilians celebrate Dia das Bruxas (Witches’ Day). Others champion Saci Day, which honours a cheeky one-legged trickster from Brazilian folklore.

• Catalonia – La Castanyada swaps sweets and chocolate for roast chestnuts and delicious little almond cakes called panellets.

• Costa Rica – 31st October means masquerade, specifically calling for giant handmade folklore masks.

• France – The real star of spooky season is La Toussaint (All Saints’ Day) on 1st November, which is a calm and reflective day for visiting family graves. Although fancy dress parties happen too, soundtracked by bloodcurdling cries of “Des bonbons ou un sort!” = “Sweets or a spell!”

No Delight in Fright 

• China – Halloween isn’t a big deal here. Instead, spirits get their moment during the Hungry Ghost Festival in summer.

• Mongolia and Uzbekistan – Authorities sometimes discourage Halloween celebrations, preferring to protect local traditions instead.

• Russia – It’s not officially banned, but the church and government keep it at arm’s length as an undesirable Western import. 

Treat Yourself to Another Language This Spooky Season 

So, which side are you on when it comes to Halloween in different languages? Team pumpkin, team marigold or team chestnut?

At la Academia, every celebration is a brilliant excuse to learn a new phrase.

Get in touch and book a class or course in whichever language sends shivers down your spine.

It’s these blustery autumn days when the thought of a sun-drenched Spanish sojourn next year keeps you warm inside.

So, why not learn Spanish now? And by next year, you’ll step off the plane ordering tapas effortlessly instead of pointing inanely at the menu. 

But Why Bother to Learn Spanish When You Can Muddle Through? 

For a start, there’s a newfound confidence and competence when you’re able to:

• Tackle buses, trains and taxis without confusion
• Order food and drink assuredly
• Chat with locals, who’ll appreciate the fact you’re trying rather than expecting them to speak English, (which the Brits are notoriously guilty of)

What’s more, Spanish is also the world’s second most spoken language. So, it’ll keep paying off long after your sun-bronzed skin reverts back to pale and interesting.

And if you learned Spanish at school? It’s high time to dust it off.

You’ve Got Two Ears and One Mouth 

It’s great to cross sí, no and cerveza off your Spanish holiday to-do list. But it’s not the only way to boost your Spanish language learning power.

In addition, why not pop on a Spanish playlist or binge a Spanish television series?

You’ll pick up so much by letting the language sink in while the rain batters your window pane. 

Less Desk, More Fiesta

 At la Academia, our teachers come from both Spain and South America, bringing the cultural quirks besides the vocab.

You can expect:

• Lively, interactive Spanish classes for adult students
• Trips to restaurants, cinemas and exhibitions to practice
• An end-of-course party with international food and drink

Get in touch to learn Spanish this season so you’re ready for the next:

NEW Complete Beginners Spanish Course

• Start: Tuesday 3^rd November 2026 with teacher Adriana
• Time: 7.00 – 9.00pm
• Duration: Six weeks (same day and time weekly)
• Cost: £120.00

Picture this… a sea of Lederhosen, a stein of beer in hand, confidently ordering your next round in pristine German. Ok, perhaps fairly pristine.

For context, the Oktoberfest First-Timers Guide sets the scene: “It dates back to the horse race as a part of the public celebration of the wedding between crown prince Ludwig and his Therese on October 17, 1810.  

“Due to its tremendous success and the search of the young Kingdom of Bavaria for points of identification, the festival has been repeated ever since”, it continues. “It’s usually visited by more than six million every year and is said to be the largest fair in the world. It’s neither a holiday nor a season or a type of event.” 

It’s a phenomenon.

And now you too can learn German and live the dream every time Munich’s Oktoberfest is in full swing during late September – early October. 

Why the Autumn Rush to Learn German? 

Interestingly, Brits who swore German was too hard suddenly want to learn it when summer fades into autumn. Adult learners pile into German courses in preparation for jetting off to Munich or heading to a Bavarian bash closer to home.

But the last thing you want is mind-numbing grammar drills. On the contrary, you want the good stuff, such as:

• Ein Maß, bitte – Your golden ticket to that world-famous German white nectar
• Wo ist die toilette? – Arguably the most important question after the above
• Prost! – The toast you’ll say at least 954 times

In addition, Oktoberfest puts method behind the madness, which makes learning German more pleasurable and less painstaking. 

How Oktoberfest Makes German Fun 

The German language has a bit of a reputation in terms of vocabulary, including really, really long words. The good news is festival fever changes the game for the following reasons:

• Social not stuffy – Learning feels like party prep.
• Musical element – The soundtrack of Oktoberfest makes practice addictive.
• No passport required – Germanic beer halls across the UK serve up Oktoberfest on your doorstep if you’re not Bavaria-bound this year. 

Immerse Yourself in German Culture

At la Academia, we see time and time again adult students starting with a few festival phrases and catching the bug. And a polite “Danke schön” expands into proper conversations, deeper travel experiences and even fluency.

So, why stop at ordering pretzels? Get in touch to learn German.

The colourful festivities begin just before midnight on the eve of Mexican Independence Day on 16^th September.

Melia Hotels’ Mar Bauza sets the scene in her The Grito: Mexico’s Independence Day article: “The most awaited moment arrives when the president appears on the main balcony of the National Palace, takes the flag of Mexico, rings the bell and ends with the well-known ¡Viva México! ¡Viva México! ¡Viva México!”

Now, consider what really drives the fiesta energy. Language.

This is why it’s practically impossible to immerse yourself in Mexican culture if you don’t learn Spanish first.

Mexico is One Nation with Many Voices

Surprisingly, Mexico doesn’t have an official language written into its constitution.

So, what’s going on in terms of who speaks what?

• Spanish dominates as the go-to language of government and daily life.
• It shares the spotlight legally with 68 indigenous languages, which are all recognised as equally valid as Spanish.

As a result, Mexico is a linguistic fiesta in its own right, although it’s most typical to learn Spanish for integration into the fabric of everyday work and play.

Think about it:

• Over 90% of the Mexican population speaks Spanish on a day-to-day basis.
• Mexico is home to more native Spanish speakers than any other country on earth, even Spain itself.

So, learning Spanish is basically learning Mexico’s mother tongue.

Why the Decision to Learn Spanish is Transformational for Your Mexican Experience

 Every “Hola” feels more meaningful when you understand the legacy.

So why not join us, at la Academia, to take your Mexican adventure to a completely different level? 

• SPANISH – Complete Beginners 1

The Upper Room, Cheadle
Starts Wednesday 23rd September
7.00pm – 9.00pm for six consecutive weeks
Only £120.00 for the FULL course

• SPANISH – Complete Beginners 2

la Academia with Andrea
Starts Monday 28th September
9:30am – 11:00am for six consecutive weeks
Only £120.00 for the FULL course

Get in touch to learn Spanish and the history, identity, and the mother of all parties behind the words.

Well, Italian is the language of gelato, opera and, according to Rat Pack crooner Dean Martin, the times “when the moon hits your eye like a big pizza pie”.

It’s always been a main character energy.  And it’s always a sassy choice to learn Italian for your career, learnability, and holiday plans.

1) Learn Italian for Career Fluency

In terms of popular modern foreign languages, everyone and their nonna seems to learn French or Spanish. But not so many learn Italian. This works in your favour for the following reasons:

• More demand, less competition – Fewer UK students study Italian. So, you’ll stand out from the crowd.

• Made in Italy, sold in the UK – Italian fashion houses, automotive design studios, luxury retailers, and gourmet food brands have deep commercial ties with the UK. And no surprises they’d rather deal with someone who doesn’t need Google Translate.

• Opens EMEA job doors – Learning to speak Italian can make you the no-brainer candidate for job roles in Europe, the Middle East, and Africa.

2) Cognitive Cheat Code

Italian and English share a Latin family tree. This means:

• You’ll recognise more words than you might expect from your very first lesson.

• Pronunciation is refreshingly logical because it’s mostly spoken the way it’s spelled.

• Grammar quirks aren’t soul destroying, which can be a real kicker with some other languages.

3) Aligns with the Finer Things in Life

• Ordering the right wine?
• Haggling at a Sicilian market?
• Understanding your waiter’s eye roll when you ask for Hawaiian pizza?

Learning Italian is a career strategy. But it’s also your not-so-secret weapon to living a little more dolce.

Why Bother Learning Italian in 2026?

Roughly 85 million people worldwide speak Italian. But truthfully, you’re not going to sign up for Italian lessons to pad out stats.

You’re doing it for the good stuff – the food, the wine, the art, the history, and the wonderfully animated people who talk with their hands as much as their mouths.

At la Academia, our students have a blast in the classroom when they learn Italian. Will you be joining them?

NEW Complete Beginners Italian

• Start: Wednesday 23rd September 2026 with teacher Guido
• Time: 7.00 – 9.00pm
• Duration: Six weeks (same day and time weekly)
• Cost: £120.00

Intermediate

• Fridays 10.15am – 12.15pm with teacher Guido
• Cost: £90.00

Italian isn’t the obvious choice, which is rather the point. So, get in touch to book your place in the cool class.

The truth is French has stubbornly refused to budge from its spot as one of the top three languages UK adults want to learn.Pourquoi? Let’s take a closer look.

Learning French Isn’t Starting from Scratch

Chances are you didn’t subconsciously blank from memory everything you learned in your school French lessons.

So, half-remembered vocabulary and verb tables hiding in your head make learning French friendlier than wrestling with a brand new alphabet. 

You Can Use French – a Lot

The many and varied benefits of learning French are proof of why it continues to entice UK language learners. For example:

• France is a neighbour – France, Belgium, and Switzerland are a short hop away, making them ideal for holidays, second homes, emigration or retirement.

• French a career flex – French pops up everywhere in fashion, aerospace, hospitality, tourism, food, finance, and diplomacy. For this reason, it’s handy to learn French if you want to sound sharp at an international event, meeting, or on a Zoom call.

• It trains your brain younger – French classes are a workout for your mind, besides the sheer satisfaction of nailing a tricky tense and gradually increasing your fluency over time. 

Even royalty and rock stars are on board. 

Famous Brits Who Speak French

King Charles has been chatting away in conversational French for decades on official duties, while his son Prince William holds his own in French during royal tours.

And rock icon Mick Jagger is fluent enough for French interviews and owns a 16^th century château in the Loire Valley.

If it’s good enough for them…

Parlez Vous Francais?

At la Academia, we’ve got courses for every level to learn French at our Cheadle school with tutor Elisabeth: 

NEW Complete Beginners

• Starts: Monday 28th September 2026, 1.00pm – 3.00pm
• Duration: Six weeks (same day and time weekly)
• Cost: £120.00

Conversation course

• Tuesday, 11.00am – 12.00pm
• Cost: £70.00

Intermediate

• Monday, 7.00 – 8.30pm
• Cost: £90.00

Get in touch to book your place. Allez!

Their language learning frenzy started in February with Bad Bunny’s Super Bowl performance. And it’s continued to soar ahead of his DeBÍ TiRAR MáS FOToS World Tour dates, with Tottenham Hotspur Stadium the only UK venue on 27^th and 28^th June.

Correspondingly, fans are going feral to speaks the same language as their idol.

Tap Into the Zeitgeist of the Super Bowl and Spurs

Benito Antonio Martínez Ocasio did something revolutionary when he took to the Super Bowl stage earlier this year.  He performed entirely in Spanish. And it transformed one of the biggest TV moments into a celebration of Latin culture.

Language Magazine article Spanish & Sign Language Take Center Stage reported Bad Bunny telling a press conference, “This moment, the culture – that’s what makes these shows special.”

Colonies of fans worldwide are feeling this, social media is exploding, and you don’t have to scroll far to discover lapine activity such as:

• Non-Spanish speakers selling out Spanish courses – The desire to deeply understand his lyrics is feral

• Puerto Ricans breaking down his slang – There’s layers to this man’s lyrics any self-respecting fan needs to know about

• Everyone else scrambling to catch up before the tour arrives 

Bad Bunny Has Spoken. Now It’s Your Turn to Learn Spanish

Want to sing along at Spurs? Hold your own on a Spanish holiday? Understand the music living rent-free in your head?

At la Academia, no previous experience is needed to learn Spanish in a relaxed, friendly, and high impact environment.

Available formats include:

• Beginner through to Advanced levels – face to face in the Cheadle school
• Intermediate levels available on Zoom
• Spanish Conversation Class to use it so you don’t lose it

Selling fast… our next legendary NEW Spanish Complete Beginners six week courses:

• Wednesday 23^rd September, 7.00 – 9.00pm weekly, £120 at the Upper Room Café, Cheadle

• Monday 28th September, 9.30 – 11.00am weekly, £120 at the school with Andrea

Get in touch to start your Spanish era here.

You can expect the Prime Minister’s speech, parades, concerts… and, more often than not, inclement weather.

“Icelanders like to joke that it is always raining on this national holiday. Unfortunately, this weather is all too often in the forecast, with some towns having moved festivities indoors to local sports halls,” Visit Iceland’s Icelandic Independence Day article explains.

“The tradition of soggy celebrations began with the very first ceremony in 1944, remembered for its pouring rain.”

But a spot of rain won’t deter you from falling head over hiking boots for the Icelandic language.

Why Iceland Is Cool in More Ways Than the Weather

Are you one of the increasing number of Brits choosing Iceland as your next holiday destination? Well, Iceland already had main character energy long before you booked your flight.

It’s blessed the world with:

• Erupting geysers and jaw-dropping Northern Lights
• Skyr (Nordic style thick, tangy yogurt)
• Adorable puffins waddling around like little tuxedoed reps
• Musical legends Björk and Sigur Rós
• The thriller series Trapped, followed by what feels like exponential amounts of home-grown Scandi noir

It’s little wonder learning Icelandic is also on an upward trajectory. 

Reasons to Learn Icelandic Right Now 

It might not be top of your language wish list to learn Icelandic. But it should be.

The Icelandic language is fascinating, rewarding, and you’ll wonder why you ever hesitated once you start. Here’s why people are obsessed: 

• Linguistic time travel – The Icelandic language has barely changed in a thousand years, meaning you can read original ancient Norse sagas. No translations needed.

• Locals will warm to you – A little effort goes a long way. Expect heartier welcomes, better tourist tips, and quite possibly even a homemade meal.

• Brain workout – Complex grammar and archaic roots make for a satisfying challenge your neurons will appreciate.

Don’t Just Visit Iceland, Speak Iceland

At la Academia, learning Icelandic opens up a world of fire, ice, and literary heritage.

Get in touch to learn Icelandic in person at the school, or remotely on Zoom or Teams. Gangi þér vel.

This summer’s tournament is once again proof the beautiful game is a universal language, spanning iconic powerhouses to exciting debut nations.

48 teams are heading to the United States, Canada, and Mexico. So, fans will hear a colourful mix of languages echoing through stadiums, fan zones, bars, and city streets.

Play with a World of Words

 The teams competing represent more than 40 different languages, reflecting a phenomenal linguistic melting pot.

Intrepid first-time qualifiers include:

• Jordan – Primary language = Arabic
• Uzbekistan – Primary language = Uzbek
• Curaçao – Primary languages = Papiamentu and Dutch
• Cape Verde – Primary languages = Portuguese and Cape Verdean Creole

Elsewhere, familiar faces are making a long-awaited return:

• Scotland – Primary languages = English and Scots
• Norway – Primary language = Norwegian
• Haiti – Primary languages = French and Haitian Creole

And then, there’s the many teams whose mother countries are home to multiple languages.

Take One Team with Four Languages

 Most countries rally around a single national language. But Switzerland likes to keep things interesting.

Depending on where you are, you’ll hear:

• German
• French
• Italian
• Romansh

“Thus, there are different versions of the salutation you’ll hear the most when following the Nati: Hop Suisse/Hopp Schwiiz/Forza Svizzera/Ancora Svizra,” explains the New York Times Athletic’s The Language of Soccer series. “They all mean the same thing – ‘Go Switzerland!’”

Kick Off with Host Languages

 The tournament’s 16 host cities mainly speak the following languages:

• USA host cities – English
• Canadian host cities (Toronto and Vancouver) – English, plus French also an official language nationally
• Mexican host cities (Mexico City, Guadalajara and Monterrey) – Spanish

At la Academia, you don’t need any excuse to experience new cultures, hear new languages, and realise passion for the game sounds similar everywhere.

Get in touch whether you’re cheering in Spanish, Arabic, Norwegian, French English… or just the language of football.

Think military parades in Rome and Frecce Tricolori jets painting the sky red, white and green. Oh, and did we mention Italians in their hordes raising a glass of something divine.

It’s a feast for the senses that really makes you want to go all in and learn Italian. 

Italian is More Than a Numbers Game 

“It is the second most widely spoken native language in the European Union with 67 million native speakers. About 13.4 million EU citizens speak Italian as their second language,” according to the World Population Review’s article Italian Speaking Countries 2026. “Including all Italian speakers around the world, the total number of Italian speakers is about 85 million people.” 

But truthfully, going with the flow isn’t why anybody falls in love with it.

You learn Italian because of:

• The food and wine – Yes, it’s world class to savour and quaff. And then there’s knowing what you’re actually ordering.
• The culture – Italy invented the Renaissance, after all.
• The people – Italians are known for being warm, passionate, and genuinely delighted when you try speaking to them in the mother tongue.

And then there’s your career prospects going up a notch or several.

Learn Italian for Work? Assolutamente! 

Italian business language training for corporate clients is also on the rise.

A case in point is the UK arm of a major Italian pharmaceuticals company in Cheshire. They work with a leading local language school, (that would be us, at la Academia). And we bring more to the festa than learning a language.

Moreover, real business savvy and cultural know-how are vital for business Italian. This is what equips staff at every level to get more confident, communicative, and productive when working with their Italian colleagues.

But today’s busy professionals don’t take too receptively to the dry teaching methods that used to send you to sleep in the school classroom. Instead, it’s kept engaging and fun with elements like:

• Role play
• Listening exercises
• Real life scenarios
• Popular culture 

Who Else Wants to Be La Bella Lingua Ready?

 Republic Day might just be the sign you need to learn Italian for business, pleasure, or both.

At la Academia, we’d love to hear from both total beginners and rusty returnees.

Get in touch about our beginners courses, private tuition, or a FREE try before you buy business Italian taster session at your office.