Britain broke out the bunting and the Union Jacks to celebrate Queen Elizabeth II’s 90th birthday. There are not many 90-year-olds who are still doing a full-time job, even though the Queen now relies more on her children and grandchildren to represent the Royal Family abroad. After becoming Britain’s longest-reigning monarch on 9 September 2015, … Continue reading “The Queen at 90”
The 2016 U.S. presidential race has been hard fought, often acrimonious, and very unusual so far. But now the two main parties have chosen their candidates, the real race to the White House has begun. Who will come out ahead on 8 November? The Democratic and Republican conventions have voted on a platform of policies … Continue reading “The Race to the White House is On”
Inscrivez-vous pour une formation gratuite de six semaines pour les enseignants d’anglais langue étrangère. Le MOOC Pratiques professionnelles pour enseigner l’anglais est proposé par le British Council aux enseignants d’anglais, tous niveaux scolaires, partout dans le monde. Ce MOOC (Massive Online Open Course) s’inscrit dans la formation continue et propose aux enseignants de découvrir et … Continue reading “Formation en ligne gratuite pour les enseignants d’anglais”
British voters have chosen to leave the European Union. The Leave campaign in the 23 June referendum received 51.9% of the votes. What will happen next? The answer to one question leaves many others open: When will Britain leave? The Treaty of Lisbon includes a process for leaving the Union. The British government must inform … Continue reading “Brexit”
2-6 September 2016 marks the 350th anniversary of the Great Fire of London. The fire was a major trauma for the city, and a watershed after which the old, wooden, medieval city made way for a more modern city made of stone. The fire started in the early hours of the morning in the royal … Continue reading “The Great Fire of London”
Roald Dahl’s books are popular with young readers and adults alike. In this his centenary year, why not put some Dahl magic into your teaching? Most pupils know at least some of his works, whether from books or the popular film adaptations. You can exploit this prior knowledge, drawing on their memories for all sorts … Continue reading “Teaching with Roald Dahl”
If there was a prize for the best film title of the year, it would definitely go to Race, the story of Jesse Owens’ victories at the 1936 Berlin Olympics. That single word manages to embody the many facets of a story which encompasses sport, politics and the triumph of the human spirit. The film … Continue reading “Race”
In honour of the Roald Dahl’s centenary, and Steven Spielberg adaptation of Dahl’s book The BFG, London and other British cities is playing host to fifty “Dream Jars” representing the dreams of well-known personalities. In The BFG, the titular Big Friendly Giant collects and mixes dreams, which he blows into children’s bedrooms. Celebrities from Steven … Continue reading “Giant Dreams”
At the 2016 Olympic Games in Rio, a refugee team competed for the first time in Olympic history. These videos can bring this inspiring story to life in your classroom. From A1+ This video is a good introduction since the only mention of the team being refugees is the first screen – if you start … Continue reading “Olympic Refugee Team Teaching Tools”
More than 200 countries participated in the Olympic Games in Brazil in August. At the Opening Ceremony, each team marched behind its national flag. But right at the end, just before the host nation, came a team that is unique in Olympic history: a team of 10 refugees from four countries. They marched behind the … Continue reading “An Olympic First: a Refugee Team”