This is England… in Rouen

Posted by Speakeasy News > Friday 15 November 2019 > What's On

The This is England short films festival is returning to celebrate British films in Rouen. The expanded version runs from 16 to 24 November. Short films are a brilliant way to introduce British culture to language learners, and special schools screenings and teaching packs are provided to spread the message. Many of this year’s films … Continue reading “This is England… in Rouen”

Word of the Moment: Prorogation

Posted by Speakeasy News > Friday 13 September 2019 > In the News

The noun prorogation and the verb prorogue were not part of most British people’s vocabulary until August 2019. Now, they’re the words on everyone’s lips. Prorogation is the suspension of Parliament. It’s not a dissolution, which happens before a new election. It’s as if the pause button has been hit. Prorogations usually happen about once … Continue reading “Word of the Moment: Prorogation”

The Great Hack

Posted by Speakeasy News > Thursday 01 August 2019 >

The Great Hack is a new documentary made for Netflix on the Facebook-Cambridge Analytica scandal over the use of social-media users’ data to potentially manipulate the outcome of elections including the 2016 U.S. Presidential election and the UK Brexit referendum. This B1-level resource based on an interview with the two directors of the documentary is … Continue reading “The Great Hack”

Boris Johnson at Number Ten

Posted by Speakeasy News > Wednesday 24 July 2019 > In the News

Britain has a new Prime Minister. After a two-month voting process following Theresa May’s resignation, the Conservative Party announced the name of its new leader on 23 July. On 24 July the Queen invited Boris Johnson to form a government. The new government has just over three months to try to find a solution to … Continue reading “Boris Johnson at Number Ten”

May Leaves

Posted by Speakeasy News > Friday 07 June 2019 > In the News

British Prime Minister Theresa May stepped down as leader of the Conservative Party on 9 June, starting the process of electing a new leader, who will take over as Prime Minister. For three years, May has tried to deliver Britain’s exit from the European Union, despite having campaigned for Remain in the Brexit referendum. But … Continue reading “May Leaves”

The Election that wasn’t Supposed to Happen

Posted by Speakeasy News > Thursday 23 May 2019 > In the News

Voting in the European Parliamentary elections started on 23 May in the Netherlands and the UK — where the elections weren’t supposed to take place at all. One more chapter in the chaos of Brexit. The UK was supposed to leave the EU on 29 March, following the Brexit referendum. However, since the Conservative Government … Continue reading “The Election that wasn’t Supposed to Happen”

Brexit Chaos

Posted by Speakeasy News > Wednesday 16 January 2019 > In the News

Britain’s Conservative government suffered a historic defeat on 15 January as Parliament massively voted against the deal for Brexit negotiated with the EU. As the clock ticks relentlessly towards the 29 March deadline for leaving, there seems no clear way forward. The government had been forced to agree to a “meaningful” vote on Brexit and … Continue reading “Brexit Chaos”

One-Man Show

Posted by Speakeasy News > Tuesday 18 December 2018 > What's On

Grayson Perry is one of the best-known contemporary artists in the U.K, a documentary filmmaker and often a walking work of art. His exhibition “Vanity, Identity, Sexuality” at the Monnaie de Paris gives an overview of his art, which questions British society and politics, and male identity. As well as his original speciality,  ceramics, it … Continue reading “One-Man Show”

Word of the Year: Single-Use

Posted by Speakeasy News > Wednesday 12 December 2018 > In the News

Language is constantly changing and every year British dictionary publishers Collins likes to look back and see which words have dominated the national conversation. Not necessarily new words, but ones that have come to the fore. The Word of the Year 2018 is… “single-use”. It’s been in the news as more and more campaigners have … Continue reading “Word of the Year: Single-Use”