What does a pupil understand when a teacher says, “Learn today’s lesson for next time”? What exactly should the pupil do? Read the work over, copy it out, memorise the new words or expressions, use them in context to produce a message…? Which tools should be used (notebook, textbook, school homework website…)? And how will … Continue reading “Learning to Learn”
A campaign to get a woman honoured by featuring on an American banknote had even more success than the campaigners hoped. Both women and ethnic minority figures will feature on dollar bills by 2020, the centenary of women’s suffrage in the U.S.! National symbols are a wonderful way into discussing a country’s culture – and … Continue reading “2020: The Year of Women”
Sing is a feelgood movie about a singing competition designed to save a failing theatre in a city entirely populated by animals. From the animators who made Despicable Me, The Minions and The Secret Life of Pets, Sing is full of humour, hit songs and anthropomorphic animals. It is based on a trope we’re all … Continue reading “Born to Sing”
The Crown offers a fabulous insight in the British government in the second half of the twentieth century. The Netflix TV series could have just been a story of princesses and princes, crowns, palaces and fabulous dresses. And it is that, to a certain extent. But it also continues an examination of how Britain has … Continue reading “The Queen and her Prime Ministers”
Que signifie pour un élève la consigne « apprendre sa leçon » ? Que faut-il faire exactement ? La lire plusieurs fois, la copier, apprendre les mots et expressions nouveaux, les utiliser en contexte pour produire un message… ? Avec quels documents, quels outils (cahier, manuel, site internet de l’établissement…) ? Et comment l’élève saura-t-il qu’il connaît sa leçon ? … Continue reading “Apprendre à apprendre”
McDonald’s is the company which represents what people love or hate the most about America. This biopic, based on the book of the same name covers the main moments in the company’s history. It begins in 1954 when Ray Kroc (the Founder of the title) meets the McDonald brothers in their fast-food restaurant in San … Continue reading “The Big Founder!”
It was quite a year of surprises. And definitely not a good one for opinion-poll companies and forecasters. From Brexit to Trump, refugee athletes to the rock ‘n’ roll Nobel Literature laureate, we look back at 2016. Election forecasters are probably having a long rest, or thinking about a new career about now. Last January, … Continue reading “2016: That Was the Year the Was”
In an exceptional electoral year, there is one more chapter to come in the saga of the 2016 Presidential election. The electoral college, normally a very discreet part of the electoral process, could be the scene of unusual drama on 19 December. Until the recent past, the electoral college was barely mentioned in descriptions of … Continue reading “Electoral College: the Final Hurdle?”
Australians celebrate their national day on 26 January, the anniversary of the first British colonisation of the continent in 1788. On 26 January, 1788, the British flag was first flown over the penal colony that was to be established at Sydney Cove. It marked the end of a nine-month journey for the 1,500 people, half … Continue reading “Australia Day”
Le cours de langue, de par sa nature, permet d’acquérir par l’expérience de nombreuses compétences cruciales que les anglophones appellent life skills et qui se nomment aptitudes à la vie quotidienne en français. Comment tirer profit des activités de classe pour les développer ou les mettre en valeur ? D’une façon générale, il s’agit de compétences … Continue reading “Mobilising Life Skills to Aid Language Learning”