Brexit Chaos

Posted by Speakeasy News > Wednesday 16 January 2019 > In the News

Britain’s Conservative government suffered a historic defeat on 15 January as Parliament massively voted against the deal for Brexit negotiated with the EU. As the clock ticks relentlessly towards the 29 March deadline for leaving, there seems no clear way forward. The government had been forced to agree to a “meaningful” vote on Brexit and … Continue reading “Brexit Chaos”

Brexit Confusion

Posted by Speakeasy News > Wednesday 19 September 2018 > In the News

As the Brexit negotiations between Britain and the EU race towards the March 29 deadline, what is the state of play? The two-year negotiation period for Brexit expires on 29 March 2019 and many points still haven’t been settled. Many of the problems with the negotiations come not from the EU-UK discussions but from tensions … Continue reading “Brexit Confusion”

Brexit

Posted by Speakeasy News > Thursday 06 September 2018 > Ready to Use

This B1-level article will introduce your students to the British political system. They will most probably have heard about  Brexit, but will need to understand why the referendum was decided by David Cameron, how British Prime Ministers come to power and what the exit process involves. We’ve updated this resource to autumn 2018. This would … Continue reading “Brexit”

President Kennedy Slideshow

Posted by Speakeasy News > Wednesday 13 September 2017 > Ready to Use

In 2017, the U.S.A. has been commemorating the hundredth anniversary of John Fitzgerald Kennedy’s birth. In this B1-B2 sequence, pupils view a short, downloadable animated slideshow giving basic facts about JFK’s life. They will then work in groups to expand their knowledge before preparing a presentation in the Bac oral format. Language and structures John … Continue reading “President Kennedy Slideshow”

This Time Brexit Means Brexit

Posted by Speakeasy News > Monday 27 March 2017 > In the News

It’s taken the best part of a year since the British electorate voted to leave the EU. On 29 March, Prime Minister Theresa May  finally triggered Article 50 to officially start the leaving procedure. On 13 March, Parliament passed the EU Withdrawal Bill, which had been forced by a citizens’ challenge in the courts opposing … Continue reading “This Time Brexit Means Brexit”

The Big Founder!

Posted by Speakeasy News > Tuesday 20 December 2016 > What's On

McDonald’s is the company which represents what people love or hate the most about America. This biopic, based on the book of the same name covers the main moments in the company’s history. It begins in 1954 when Ray Kroc (the Founder of the title) meets the McDonald brothers in their fast-food restaurant in San … Continue reading “The Big Founder!”

I, Daniel Blake by Ken Loach

Posted by Speakeasy News > Friday 14 October 2016 > What's On

Ken Loach returns to his social realism roots for I, Daniel Blake, which won the Palme d’or at Cannes 2016. The film is based on interviews with unemployed and homeless people and puts a human face on recent changes in the benefits system in the U.K. it centres on Daniel and Katie. Daniel has worked … Continue reading “I, Daniel Blake by Ken Loach”

Collecting Statistics: Class Project on Gender Equality

Posted by Speakeasy News > Wednesday 12 October 2016 > Webpicks

This project from the United Nations is really concrete and could work well as part of an EPI with Maths and Geography, or at a more sophisticated level as part of a Lieux et formes du pouvoir or l’idée du progrès theme in lycée, especially with ES classes. It asks pupils to collect statistics about … Continue reading “Collecting Statistics: Class Project on Gender Equality”

U.S. Presidential Election Webpicks

Posted by Speakeasy News > Wednesday 07 September 2016 > Webpicks

We’ve sifted through the many resources online about the U.S. elections to find the ones best adapted for use in collège and lycée classes. The U.S. presidential elections is a hot topic and information is constantly changing. A lot of what is available online is too difficult for non-native speakers, who, as well as the … Continue reading “U.S. Presidential Election Webpicks”

In the Trenches

Posted by Speakeasy News > Tuesday 06 September 2016 > Ready to Use

This B1-level article will enable your pupils to get a better picture of a specific and horrific aspect of World War I: the trenches. It puts particular emphasis on the Battle of the Somme, June-November 1916. Vocabulary and structures war, weapons past tenses: simple past (with irregular verbs), past perfect, past continuous the passive If … Continue reading “In the Trenches”