It has all the ingredients of a great British event: tradition, wearing costumes, doing silly things and collecting money for charity! Every year at Covent Garden Market in London, teams of people participate in The Great Christmas Pudding race. They make their way through a series of obstacles while carrying a Christmas pudding on a … Continue reading “The Great Christmas Pudding Race”
The British capital gets into the Halloween spirit with a vengeance. It must be said that London has almost 2,000 years of often bloody and gruesome history that lends itself well to tales of ghosts and the unquiet dead. The various Royal Palaces have a wealth of gory history to delve into. At Hampton Court … Continue reading “Scare Yourself Silly: Halloween in London”
Robin Hood is great way into British history as pupils can build on their prior knowledge of the character. If you are working on Robin Hood as part of a medieval theme, with the Robin Hood Festival in Nottingham, or as a theatre activity, these videos provide vocabulary help and food for thought. This one-minute … Continue reading “Robin Hood Videos”
Prom is an end-of-year tradition in North American schools, and a rite of passage for teenagers. It has spread across the Atlantic. Most British schools now organise some kind of end-of-school, prom-style dance. Proms started out as banquets for graduating university classes in the 19th century. Prom is short for “promenade”, the formal arrival of … Continue reading “Prom Time”
The new film King Arthur: Legend of the Sword is a high-energy action film of one of Britain’s most enduring myths: the sword in the stone. The film stars Charlie Hunnam and Jude Law as the “once and future king” and his evil uncle Voltigern, who has done his best to wipe Arthur and his … Continue reading “Medieval Murder and a Sword Called Excalibur”
If you’re looking for audio and video on Valentine’s Day, or to talk about feelings any day, we have what you need. There are several articles, videos and audio recordings with interactive comprehension activities about Valentine’s Day and love in the Banque de ressources anglais cycle 4. To see the resources, register now or log … Continue reading “Valentine’s Day Digital Resources”
This A1+-level article will introduce your pupils to an important and fun British charity event that involves many children across the United Kingdom: Red Nose Day. This fundraising event takes place every second year. In 2019, it is on 15 March. Vocabulary and Structures Numbers: important amounts and dates Vocabulary: lexical field around the word … Continue reading “Red Nose Day”
On 15 March, millions of people in Britain will be “doing something funny for money”… and wearing some very strange red noses. Red Nose Day was started in 1988 by Comic Relief, a collective of comedians that had formed in 1985 to do benefit shows to fundraise for victims of famine in Ethiopia. It could … Continue reading “Red Nose Day: A Very British Tradition”
Valentine’s Day, 14 February, is the day to spread some love. Not necessarily romance, friendship is also celebrated. Valentine’s Day is celebrated in many countries. Its origins date back to Roman times, spring fertility festivals and two early Christian martyrs associated with love. But each country has its own variations, and special quirks. I Love … Continue reading “With Love from Loveland on Valentine’s Day”
Talking about emotions can be hard when you are a teenager — even more so when the feelings are about love and romance, and you have to talk about it in another language! This video of American teenagers talking about crushes is an excellent conversation starter for A2-A2+ classes. Why not use it for Valentine’s … Continue reading “Valentine’s Day: Talking about Feelings”