Who Am I? Competition Winners

Posted by Speakeasy News > Friday 26 April 2019 > Pedagogy

Back at the beginning of the school year, we launched three pupil competitions. The A2-level competition was to write a 10-question “Who Am I?” quiz about a famous English-speaker. We were absolutely inundated with replies for the three competitions. Please apologise to your pupils for the delay but we finally have the winners of the … Continue reading “Who Am I? Competition Winners”

Two Queens

Posted by Speakeasy News > Wednesday 27 February 2019 > Ready to Use

This article explores the fates of two queens who reigned in neighbouring kingdoms in the 16th century. Both linked and opposed, they had to rule in a man’s world, in a conflict-ridden society, where religious and political unrest were rife and conspiracy and treason were the norm. Through the new biopic, Mary Queen of Scots, … Continue reading “Two Queens”

Queens on Screen

Posted by Speakeasy News > Thursday 21 February 2019 > What's On

Films about Stuart queens are like buses — there are none for ages, then two together, just in time for the Oscars. Mary Queen of Scots and her descendant Queen Anne are both gracing our screens in radically different biopics, both diverging from history as it has traditionally been portrayed. The Favourite portrays the reign … Continue reading “Queens on Screen”

Myth and Hero

Posted by Speakeasy News > Tuesday 29 January 2019 > What's On

Ruth Bader Ginsburg has had quite a year. The Supreme Court Justice has been the focus of a biopic and a documentary, which has been nominated for an Oscar. At 85, and despite frail health, Bader Ginsburg seems to have reached greater influence than she ever imagined. The 85-year-old is the doyenne of the Supreme … Continue reading “Myth and Hero”

Teaching with Film: Ruth Bader Ginsburg

Posted by Speakeasy News > Tuesday 29 January 2019 > Shine Bright Lycée Webpicks

The biopic about Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg is excellent for discussing gender issues in this class. This short clip should really get students talking. It’s suitable from B1+, as there is a lot of implicit content. It’s a scene from early in the film, On the Basis of Sex. It’s 1956, and Ruth … Continue reading “Teaching with Film: Ruth Bader Ginsburg”

Oscar Wilde: The Happy Prince

Posted by Speakeasy News > Friday 21 December 2018 > Ready to Use

The new biopic about Oscar Wilde’s final years after leaving prison takes its ironic title from one of the children’s stories he wrote for his sons. The film, written, directed and starring Rupert Everett has a wonderful supporting cast (Colin Firth, Colin Morgan, Emily Watson.) This B2 downloadable resource includes work on an article about … Continue reading “Oscar Wilde: The Happy Prince”

Pupils’ Portrait Winners

Posted by Speakeasy News > Thursday 06 December 2018 > Pedagogy

Back at the beginning of the school year, we launched three pupil competitions. The A1+ level competition was to write a 50-word text about a special image, like “The People’s Portrait” we featured in September. We were absolutely inundated with replies for the three competitions, which we are slowly working through. Please apologise to your … Continue reading “Pupils’ Portrait Winners”

A Talk About Mary Shelley

Posted by Speakeasy News > Thursday 08 November 2018 > What's On

The British Council in Paris will be hosting a talk by the author of a recent biography of Mary Shelley on 13 December. Originally scheduled for Friday 23 November, the talk was postponed due to illness. Fiona Sampson, poet and writer, will talk about Shelley, the subject of her recent biography In Search of Mary … Continue reading “A Talk About Mary Shelley”