King Richard

Posted by Speakeasy News > Thursday 09 December 2021 > What's On

King Richard is a film about a man with a mission: Richard Williams, who decided two years before his daughter Venus was born, that he would have two daughters destined to become tennis champions. This would seem a pretty wild ambition even if Williams had been from a tennis-playing background. However, that couldn’t have been … Continue reading “King Richard”

Celebrating Jackie Robinson Day

Posted by Speakeasy News > Thursday 15 April 2021 > Celebrate

On 15 April every year, all professional baseball teams in America celebrate Jackie Robinson Day, in honour of the player who “broke the color bar”, becoming the first African-American player in Major League Baseball. In post-WWII U.S.A., professional baseball, like so many other things, was segregated. African-Americans could only play in the Negro Leagues, not … Continue reading “Celebrating Jackie Robinson Day”

“Wheel to Wheel” Short Story

Posted by Speakeasy News > Monday 12 September 2016 > Ready to Use

This B1-level short story was written by an American teenager. It would fit in well with a theme on the Paralympics. Activities include comprehension, written expression and practise of “used to” and comparatives and superlatives. Vocabulary and structures preterite would (past habit and conditional) past perfect used to comparatives and superlatives sports (athletics)

Paralympics: Yes We Can

Posted by Speakeasy News > Thursday 08 September 2016 > Webpicks

Britain’s commercial Channel 4 TV company revolutionised the televising of disability sports for the 2012 Games in London. It has continued its commitment to disability sport, proudly proclaiming on all its communication that it is the “Paralympic Broadcaster”. This from the channel that brought us Big Brother and Big Fat Gypsy Wedding. For the 2016 … Continue reading “Paralympics: Yes We Can”

Paralympics Rio 2016

Posted by Speakeasy News > Saturday 13 August 2016 > In the News

From 7-16 September, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, is hosting the 2016 Paralympic Games. With each Olympiad, the games for athletes with disabilities are becoming more and more high-profile. The Paralympics began in Stoke Mandeville, England, in 1948. Dr Ludwig Guttmann was working with World War 2 veterans who had spinal injuries. He used sport as … Continue reading “Paralympics Rio 2016”