Happy Kwanzaa

Posted by Speakeasy News > Sunday 18 December 2022 > Celebrate

In the U.S.A., the holiday season starts with Thanksgiving at the end of November and encompasses Christmas and New Year. For over 50 years, African Americans have had another holiday to celebrate: Kwanzaa, from 26 December to 1 January. The celebration was conceived by a civil-rights activist and doctoral student in African studies at the … Continue reading “Happy Kwanzaa”

Toasting Robert Burns

Posted by Speakeasy News > Friday 21 January 2022 > Celebrate

Not many countries have an annual celebration of their national poet. In fact not all countries have a national poet. But Scotland does and millions of people around the world celebrate him on Burns Night every 25 January. The adoption of Robert Burns (1759-1796) as national poet was a natural, organic process born or real … Continue reading “Toasting Robert Burns”

Ruby Bridges, Civil-Rights Icon

Posted by Speakeasy News > Tuesday 23 February 2021 > Ready to Use

Ruby Bridges didn’t choose to become a civil-rights icon. It was her parents who, in 1960, chose to accept that their 6-year-old daughter would be the first African-American child to integrate a white school in the American South. But as an adult, Bridges, who was immortalised by Norman Rockwell, has fought indefatigably for civil rights … Continue reading “Ruby Bridges, Civil-Rights Icon”

Guy Fawkes Webpicks: Protest and Plot

Posted by Speakeasy News > Thursday 08 October 2020 > Webpicks

Guy Fawkes and the Gunpowder Plot are commemorated on 5 November every year in the UK on Bonfire Night. Pupils from A2 can discover the background to this annual event.  Lycée pupils can investigate how a failed terrorist from the seventeenth century has become the face of the Anonymous protest movement. The British Parliament site … Continue reading “Guy Fawkes Webpicks: Protest and Plot”

Royal Wedding

Posted by Speakeasy News > Tuesday 24 April 2018 > Ready to Use

In this A2 article your students will learn about Prince Harry and his future wife in relation to their jobs as members of the Royal Family, as well as about their wedding, which will be celebrated on 19 May. The second part of the article introduces charities, always a source of interest for students. Vocabulary … Continue reading “Royal Wedding”

Robert Burns Digital Resources

Posted by Speakeasy News > Thursday 25 January 2018 > Webpicks

Scots celebrate their national poet, Robert Burns, on 25 January each year. These ebooks are useful for classroom work about the poet and the event. To find out more about Burns Night, check out Visitscotland’s ebook “Hold Your Own Burns Supper”, which includes recipes, information about the poet and a great video of traditional ceilidh … Continue reading “Robert Burns Digital Resources”

Winston Churchill’s Darkest Hour

Posted by Speakeasy News > Friday 12 January 2018 > Ready to Use

Darkest Hour, a new award-winning film about Winston Churchill’s role as Britain’s WW2 Prime Minister, gives an excellent opportunity to work on this historical figure and historical period with pupils at B1 level. The resource and the film focus on some of Churchill’s most famous speeches and their morale-boosting effect. The theme  can be related … Continue reading “Winston Churchill’s Darkest Hour”