On 16 December 1773, an event took place that went on to spark the American Revolution: citizens of Boston, Massachusetts, dumped hundreds of crates of tea into the sea to protest against British “taxation without representation”. This December, the city is celebrating the 250th anniversary of the Boston Tea Party. This article paired with two … Continue reading “250 Years of U.S. Democracy: The Boston Tea Party”
We are gradually publishing an 8-part analysis of the 1993 animated film The Nightmare Before Christmas so you can study the film with A2-level pupils in class. Here are are the three final parts, 6-8, in time for Christmas The film, directed by Henry Selick and written by Tim Burton, focuses on the King of … Continue reading “Analysing Tim Burton’s The Nightmare Before Christmas Parts 6-8”
Most pupils will be familiar with Charlie and the Chocolate Factory and its main character: Willy Wonka. Yet, how much do we know about him? This new film by Paddington director Paul King– starring Timothée Chalamet as Wonka – explores Willy Wonka’s young adult life, his wishes and how he started his chocolate empire with … Continue reading “Wonka”
This three-minute film with no dialogue is a great basis of a discussion about Christmas with your classes. It also fits with the theme of being different, and starts in a boarding school. The premise is that Santa Claus started out at a school for extraordinary children, where as a child he slowly grew his … Continue reading “Short Christmas Film”
This 4-minute video is a simple explanation of Thanksgiving, designed for young learners in the U.S.A. It would work well in an ESL classroom. We’ve indicated the content of the sections if you don’t want to use the whole thing. The voiceover is slow and understanding is helped by the images. You could use sections … Continue reading “Simple Thanksgiving Video”
Anti-bullying actions are taking place in November in the United Kingdom, in Australia, and in France too. Anti-Bullying Week 2023 is coordinated in England, Wales and Northern Ireland by the Anti-Bullying Alliance. This year it has the theme “Make A Noise About Bullying” and will take place from Monday 13 to Friday 17 November. The … Continue reading “Bullying Is Never OK”
The This is England short-film festival in Rouen has a specific programme of short films for CM1, CM2 and 6e classes that explore original and age-appropriate ways to tackle difficulties faced by children. If you sign up for a jeune public showing, your students will see five films ranging in length from 4m20 to 14 … Continue reading “This is England 2023 films for Young Learners”
The This is England short-film festival in Rouen has a specific programme of short films for collège classes. This year’s selection takes us back to the First World War and forward to imagined futures in 2053 and 2087 as well as films on the UK today and contemporary issues. If you sign up for a collège … Continue reading “This is England 2023 films for Collège Classes”
The This is England short-film festival in Rouen has a specific programme of short films for lycée classes. The varied selection this year includes odes to two very different British landscapes, family relations, mindfulness, racism, a music video based on an historic Scottish figure and a documentary about a prosthetic leg. If you sign up … Continue reading “This is England 2023 films for Lycée Classes”
Everyone has at least heard of Bollywood but how many of us really know how huge and culturally-loaded this industry is? This is what this A2+-B1 article explores! You and your students will get to understand how powerful Bollywood is and how it hinges on both tradition and modernity to appeal to its audience. As … Continue reading “Celebrating Bollywood”