Easter traditions are fairly similar from one English-speaking country to another, but it’s nice for pupils to discover them and compare them with their own traditions. Although originally a religious festival, many of the popular traditions such as chocolate eggs and the Easter bunny have more to do with secular celebrations. New York City’s Easter … Continue reading “Easter Traditions”
F. Scott Fitzgerald’s The Great Gatsby is considered the quintessential depiction of the Roaring Twenties and a definite contender for the title of great American novel. On the 100th anniversary of its publication, readers return to the classic, and writers imagine new stories for its characters. Published on 10 April 1925, it was Fitzgerald’s third … Continue reading “The Great Gatsby Turns 100”
This slogan from 1939 symbolises British identity in 2025 . You can find it on T-shirts, mugs, postcards and posters. The simple white words appeared on a red poster prepared for World War Two. But the poster wasn’t distributed. In 1939, the British government was prepared for a major war, and possibly an invasion. It … Continue reading “Keep Calm and Carry On!”
Ozi: Voice of the Forest is an animated film with an ecological message. Its protagonist, Ozi, is a young orangutan who is separated from her parents during a forest fire. She finds refuge in a sanctuary where she learns sign language. But when she hears her parents are alive, she sets off to find them. … Continue reading “Orangutan Eco-Warrior”
Lyon’s Quais du Polar festival is celebrating its 21st edition from 4 to 6 April. This year the festival will welcome 160 authors from 17 countries, including several English-speaking ones. Two bestselling American authors will be “in conversation” on the stage of the Chapelle de la Trinité. Forty years after the publication of the Lloyd … Continue reading “Quais du Polar Lyon 2025”
Australia’s Prime Minister, Labor’s Anthony Albanese, has called a federal election for 5 May. Labor currently has a slim majority in parliament. Opinion polls put Labor neck and neck with the Liberal-National coalition led by Peter Dutton. Federal elections have to be held every three years, and the latest possible date for this election was … Continue reading “Australian Election Called”
April is World Autism Awareness Month. It aims to raise awareness about the condition. This short video by a British schoolboy with autism is a great introduction for pupils to see how he experiences life and school, and the benefits of help he has received. This video was produced for Comic Relief for the 2023 … Continue reading “World Autism Awareness Month”
On March 20, headlines around the world announced that President Donald Trump had dismantled the U.S. Department of Education. What does the Department of Education do, and has it really been closed? The U.S. Department of Education is not the equivalent of the education ministries in many other countries, which usually set curricula and exams, … Continue reading “Threats to the U.S. Department of Education”
The Mississippi is in the spotlight in April at the Institut Franco-Américain in Rennes. A talk and a documentary film explore the river. On 1 April, Hervé Nicolas, recently retired researcher from l’Institut Agro Rennes-Angers, will give a talk about the effects of climate change on the fourth longest river in the world. On 3 … Continue reading “Down the Mississippi”
When Justin Trudeau resigned as Canadian Prime Minister on 6 January, he was hoping to give the Liberal Party a chance of winning the election that had to be held by 20 October. But since Donald Trump’s inauguration, the Liberal Party has leapt up in opinion polls. Now the newly chosen Prime Minster Mark Carney … Continue reading “Canada on the Brink of an Election”