The Lumière Festival in Lyon from 15 to 23 October has a great programme of films in various languages including English. And it will be giving the prestigious Prix Lumière to American writer- director-animator Tim Burton, as well as showing a retrospective of his films like A Nightmare Before Christmas, Edward Scissorhands and Charlie and … Continue reading “Tim Burton and Sidney Lumet Honoured at Lyon’s Lumière Festival”
World Book Day is on 4 March this year. In the UK, schoolchildren receive a £1 book token they can spend on a selection of books chosen for the day. The authors have recorded ten-minute readings great for classroom use. Here’s a selection. The readings are part of a project to share stories by recording … Continue reading “Ten-Minute Stories for World Book Day”
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”
Shakespeare may be known for his soliloquies, but it’s quite a challenge to present each of the Bard’s plays with one single actor plus a selection of household objects. Table Top Shakespeare is being performed as part of Paris’s Festival d’automne. We’ve all done it. You’re telling a story at the dinner table and feel … Continue reading “Shakespeare on a Table”
The trailers for Sing, an animated musical film about a singing competition, provide lots of opportunities for language teaching – vocabulary about animals and music, following or telling a simple story, or organising a talent show. You’ll find two versions of the trailer below. The first one is simple, usable from A1+. The dialogue is … Continue reading “Teaching with Trailers: Sing”