William Shakespeare is believed to have been born and died on 23 April (in 1564 and 1616 respectively). Which is why the UK celebrates World Book Night on that date (and St George’s Day, England’s national day!) Normally, World Book Night is filled with book readings and events, as tens of thousands of books are … Continue reading “Celebrate Shakespeare’s Birthday on World Book Night”
One of the nice results of the current lockdown, from an audience point of view, is that the UK’s National Theatre is going to be making selected shows available for a week at a time on YouTube. The National Theatre has announced a show a week for the month of April. They are filmed shows … Continue reading “Watch UK’s National Theatre Productions at Home!”
One of the most famous British poets is celebrating his 250th birthday in April! Why not introduce students to Wordsworth by studying one of his iconic poems, “I Wandered Lonely as a Cloud” (also known as “Daffodils”), a perfect start to spring! The following activities will help your students discover Wordsworth himself, through a Biobox … Continue reading “Studying Wordsworth’s Poetry for Spring”
One of the most famous British poets is celebrating his 250th birthday in April! Why not introduce students to him by studying one of his iconic poems, “I Wandered Lonely as a Cloud” (also known as “Daffodils”), a perfect start to spring! The following activities will help your students discover Wordsworth himself, through a Biobox … Continue reading “Wordsworth: I Wandered Lonely as a Cloud”
What does it mean to be British, French or European? In the light of Brexit, journalist Alex Taylor will discuss this thorny question in a free talk at the British Council on Thursday 5 March. Taylor is proudly bi-national, bi-cultural and multilingual. A convinced European, he has been reporting on Europe, and Britain, in France … Continue reading “Alex Taylor on What it Means to Be British”
William Wordsworth was a leading light of the Romantics, famous in habitant of the Lake District, and Poet Laureate. 2020 marks his 250th anniversary. Wordsworth (1770-1850) is chiefly remembered as a nature poet in his beloved Lake District, where he was born and lived much of his life. But he was also a radical in … Continue reading “He Wandered Lonely as a Cloud”
The This is England short films festival is returning to celebrate British films in Rouen. The expanded version runs from 16 to 24 November. Short films are a brilliant way to introduce British culture to language learners, and special schools screenings and teaching packs are provided to spread the message. Many of this year’s films … Continue reading “This is England… in Rouen”
It’s always lovely to see students’ work. Here are some collages created at the end of a sequence from Shine Bright 1e: SnapFile 10 Punk is not dead. In this sequence, in Axe 3 Art et pouvoir, students considered whether the spirit of punk can still shake society. They were asked to create and comment … Continue reading “Your Students Have Talent: Punk is not Dead”
This document aims to allow you to work on the trailer of the upcoming movie Downton Abbey at a B1 level. Downton Abbey was originally a British historical period drama television series that aired from 2010 to 2015. It was set as a fiction based in a historical landscape between 1912 and 1926, in the … Continue reading “Downton Abbey: Masters and Servants”
Britain’s favourite aristocratic household is back — this time on the big screen. Downton Abbey is a flurry of activity in preparation for a royal visit. Downton Abbey is one of the most popular British TV series worldwide. The series, which first ran from 2010 to 2015, is set in post-Edwardian England and explores the … Continue reading “Downton is Back”
