Happy English Language Day!

Posted by Speakeasy News > Friday 13 October 2017 > Celebrate

On 13 October 1362 the English Parliament was opened for the first time in English rather than Latin or Norman French. Which is why The English Project charity promotes 13 October as English Language Day. Their aim is to celebrate English as a living, evolving language spoken as a first or second language by 2 … Continue reading “Happy English Language Day!”

My Kingdom for a GIF!

Posted by Speakeasy News > Wednesday 27 September 2017 > Celebrate

What’s the link between a GIF and Game of Thrones? illustrator and animator Eran Mendel! Throughout Game of Thrones’ seven seasons, he has created GIFs, each focussing on an iconic moment of the show and it is really cool to watch. Today, the Internet loves using GIFs. 2017 marks the 30th birthday of this file … Continue reading “My Kingdom for a GIF!”

Little Rock School Integration, 1957

Posted by Speakeasy News > Wednesday 27 September 2017 > Celebrate

September 25, 2017, marks 60 years since the “Little Rock Nine”, a group of African American students managed to gain access to the all-white Central High School in Arkansas. It was a landmark moment in the civil-rights movement to obtain equal treatment for all citizens, irrespective of colour. In 1954, the U.S. Supreme Court had … Continue reading “Little Rock School Integration, 1957”

Freedom Poems for National Poetry Day

Posted by Speakeasy News > Tuesday 26 September 2017 > Celebrate

This year’s UK National Poetry Day is on 28 September. A great opportunity to get some poetry into your class, and to explore this year’s theme: Freedom. The National Poetry Day site shows the amazing variety of experiences that simple word can evoke, from “Invictus”, the poem that inspired Nelson Mandela in prison, to Edward … Continue reading “Freedom Poems for National Poetry Day”

Columbus Day

Posted by Speakeasy News > Saturday 23 September 2017 > Celebrate

How did an Italian explorer working for the Spanish crown become an American hero? Columbus Day is a federal holiday in the U.S. It is celebrated on the second Monday in October and commemorates Christopher Columbus arriving in the Americas on 12 October 1492. In fourteen hundred and ninety-two Columbus sailed the ocean blue Children’s … Continue reading “Columbus Day”

Jeans for Genes Day

Posted by Speakeasy News > Wednesday 13 September 2017 > Celebrate

On 21 September many people across the UK wear jeans to school or work to raise money and awareness of genetic disorders. More than half a million people in the UK live with a genetic disorder which can be incredibly debilitating. The concept of Jeans for Genes Day is incredibly simple. People wear jeans where … Continue reading “Jeans for Genes Day”

Rocking to the Classics

Posted by Speakeasy News > Thursday 07 September 2017 > Celebrate

The biggest music festival in the world isn’t Glastonbury or Lollopallooza, it’s a classical music festival: the two-month annual BBC Proms series in London. Started in 1895 with the specific aim of popularising classical music, the final night of the series, the Last Night of the Proms, is now an institution watched by millions around … Continue reading “Rocking to the Classics”

Celebrate European Languages

Posted by Speakeasy News > Wednesday 23 August 2017 > Celebrate

The annual European Day of Languages on 26 September is a great reason to have some multilingual mingling and celebrations in your classroom! And for an instant teaching activity on comparing languages, why not get your pupils to participate in the competition to design a T-shirt for the 2018 event? Or participate in a world … Continue reading “Celebrate European Languages”

Labor Day: Back to School

Posted by Speakeasy News > Saturday 22 July 2017 > Celebrate

The Labor Day holiday weekend signals the end of summer for Americans. Although it takes place at the beginning of September, and the hot weather may continue for weeks, after Labor Day, schools start again it feels like the summer vacation has ended. Labor Day is the U.S. version of May Day in most other … Continue reading “Labor Day: Back to School”