UK Elections

Posted by Speakeasy News > Tuesday 09 May 2017 > Ready to Use

This A2-level article enables pupils to understand simply the electoral system in the United Kingdom as both the UK and France go to the polls. It could be part of a topic for an EPI « Information, communication, citoyenneté » on different electoral systems, differences between a monarchy and a democracy, in connection with the parcours du … Continue reading “UK Elections”

Jack Savoretti: Interview with a Musician

Posted by Speakeasy News > Wednesday 19 April 2017 > Ready to Use

Listen to or download extracts of our interview with Anglo-Italian singer-songwriter Jack Savoretti for classroom use. The extracts have varied levels and themes as Savoretti discusses the advantages of multicultural schooling, the ups and downs of his musical career, and a Bob Dylan song which is his lucky talisman. Vocabulary and structures Comparisons School Intercultural … Continue reading “Jack Savoretti: Interview with a Musician”

Eco-Warrior

Posted by Speakeasy News > Friday 07 April 2017 > Ready to Use

This A2+-level article sheds light on ways to take part in environmental issues, through the eyes of a teenage Native American boy very committed to ecology. As well as A2+ activities, we have suggested some B1 extensions and videos for use with mixed-level or more advanced classes. This is  an excellent topic for an EPI … Continue reading “Eco-Warrior”

Beauty and the Beast

Posted by Speakeasy News > Friday 24 March 2017 > Ready to Use

In this A2-level article your students will read about the latest musical featuring the well-known characters of Beauty and the Beast. They will probably have seen the animated film on which this version is based when they were younger, but may not be familiar with the unfolding of the plot. The parallel drawn here between … Continue reading “Beauty and the Beast”

Red Nose Day

Posted by Speakeasy News > Friday 17 March 2017 > Ready to Use

This A1+-level article will introduce your pupils to an important and fun British charity event that involves many children across the United Kingdom: Red Nose Day. This fundraising event takes place every second year. In 2019, it is on 15 March. Vocabulary and Structures Numbers: important amounts and dates Vocabulary: lexical field around the word … Continue reading “Red Nose Day”

Hidden Figures in the Space Race

Posted by Speakeasy News > Friday 17 March 2017 > Ready to Use

In this B1-level article, your students will learn how a group of dedicated female mathematicians known as ‘human computers’ used their talents to help NASA launch rockets, and astronauts, into space. Even if Virginia’s Jim Crow laws required them to be segregated from their white colleagues, the black women of Langley’s group contributed to America’s … Continue reading “Hidden Figures in the Space Race”

The Face of Money: U.S. Banknotes Get a New Look

Posted by Speakeasy News > Monday 20 February 2017 > Ready to Use

This A2-level article will enable your pupils to understand the historical significance of portraits on American banknotes, and to compare with other currencies. The presentation of new notes featuring Harriet Tubman and other African-American and women’s suffrage activists includes suggestions for  an EPI with history. Vocabulary and structures Verb tenses: simple past and simple present … Continue reading “The Face of Money: U.S. Banknotes Get a New Look”

Valentine’s Day

Posted by Speakeasy News > Friday 03 February 2017 > Ready to Use

This A1+-level article will shed perhaps a different light on what your pupils think of Valentine’s Day in the U.S.A and in the U.K. The audio activity distinguishing kind and mean messages in Valentine’s poems fits into the media education and citizenship curriculum. Vocabulary and structures friendship, love simple present simple past: irregular verbs rhymes … Continue reading “Valentine’s Day”

Happy Birthday, Professor Hawking

Posted by Speakeasy News > Friday 20 January 2017 > Ready to Use

In this B1-level article, students will learn about Stephen Hawking, one of Britain’s most famous scientists, as he unexpectedly reaches his 75th birthday in spite of a terrible neurological disease. The film The Theory of Everything , released in 2014, pays tribute to this exceptional man, played by Eddie Redmayne who won a Golden Globe, … Continue reading “Happy Birthday, Professor Hawking”