What are you planning for la Semaine des langues? This year’s edition is from 18 to 23 March and is on the theme of « L’important, c’est de communiquer ! », which we would happily adopt as our motto here at Speakeasy News. The event makes special reference to the Olympic and Paralympic Games this summer … Continue reading “Ready for the Semaine des Langues?”
When humans have trouble walking, they can get help with orthopaedic shoes or prosthetics. What happens when an animal has a problem? San Diego Zoo in California fitted one of its penguins with customised shoes to help with a degenerative foot condition. Lucas, an African penguin, developed a chronic condition called bumblefoot, which occurs in … Continue reading “Happy Feet”
Most people would feel proud of saving hundreds of mainly Jewish children from Czechoslovakia just before the outbreak of World War II. But Sir Nicholas Winton was haunted by all the children he couldn’t save. Until a surprise 50 years later on a TV programme showed him all the good he had done. A new … Continue reading “Doing the Right Thing”
In our series “Your Students Have Talent”, check out these amazing comic strips created as an intermediate task by pupils using our Reading Guide Gangsta Granny. The 4e Euro students were studying David Walliams’ humorous novel and were tasked with creating an illustrated version of the scene where the protagonist Ben discovers a biscuit tin … Continue reading “Your Students Have Talent! Gangsta Granny”
It won’t have escaped your notice that this is an Olympic year. To get into the swing of things, we’d like to take sport as the theme of our annual creative-writing competition. We’d like pupils to use their imagination to write a story about sport in any way they want. They can write about loving … Continue reading “Creative Writing Competition: Sport”
If you are studying the 1961 film of West Side Story with your LLCER 1ère students, our Reading Guide will help them analyse key scenes, explore the background and inspiration to the work, and different iterations of this story of star-crossed lovers. West Side Story is a 20th century retelling of Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet set … Continue reading “Our West Side Story Reading Guide Has Arrived”
You’re no doubt familiar with London’s iconic Underground map, and the names for Underground lines like Victoria, Circle, Bakerloo and Jubilee. But now the Overground trains in the network are being given new names reflecting the history and culture of the city. In fact, they’re being given names for the first time — up until … Continue reading “New Names for London Train Lines”
On the third Monday in February, Americans celebrate Presidents’ Day, in honour of all 46 Presidents but especially George Washington and Abraham Lincoln. A good time to brush up on what qualifications you need to be President. Today’s Presidents’ Day grew out of individual celebrations of George Washington’s birthday on 22 February and Abraham Lincoln’s … Continue reading “Remembering Presidents”
Bob Marley put his home island of Jamaica, and reggae music, on the international map. Despite his death in 1981 of cancer at just 36, he is as famous now as at the height of his short career. A new biopic tells the story of those heady years. Robert Nesta Marley was born in rural … Continue reading “Bob Marley: One Love One Life”
For its 51st edition, the Angoulême International Comics Festival awarded the Grand Prix of the city to the British artist Posy Simmonds for her entire body of work and American Daniel Clowes received the prestigious Fauve d’Or for his latest book Monica. It was on Wednesday, January 24, 2024, at the opening of the 51st … Continue reading “Angoulême Festival 2024: British and American Winners!”