The Five Eyes Alliance is a very discreet intelligence-gathering agreement between five major Anglophone countries: the U.S., the U.K., Australia, Canada and New Zealand. It was created during the Cold War with the former Soviet Union. But it is currently in turmoil over the five nations’ relations with China. The Alliance has existed in its … Continue reading “Five Eyes”
If you would like to explore the debate around a possible second Scottish independence referendum, IndyRef2, in class, these videos have some useful material. We already featured a Scottish National Party Party Political broadcast from before the 6 May elections in our article. This one was published after the election results. Its message is pretty … Continue reading “Scottish Independence Debate Videos”
1921 has been described as a year of anniversaries in Northern Ireland, marking 100 years since the partition of Ireland which led to the creation of Northern Ireland. But nobody seems sure which dates to mark or celebrate, or indeed if they should be marked at all. A century after the border was created, and in … Continue reading “100 Years Ago: Northern Ireland Came into Existence”
After elections to the Scottish Parliament, the Scottish National Party has emerged the leading party for the fourth consecutive election, achieving just one seat short of a majority in an electoral system specifically designed not to produce overall majorities. The party of First Minister Nicola Sturgeon had campaigned on the promise of a new independence … Continue reading “Scottish Independence Back on the Agenda”
1 March is St David’s Day, the Welsh national day. Since Wales is famous for its music and particularly its male voice choirs, what better way to celebrate than with a video of the national anthem sung by modern choir Only Men Aloud? The anthem, “Land of my Fathers” (Hen Wlad Fy Nhadau), was written … Continue reading “Celebrating Wales”
Captain Sir Tom Moore, the WWII veteran who raised British spirits during lockdown 1 with his sponsored walk to raise funds for the NHS before his 100th birthday, died in hospital on 2 February. “Captain Tom”, as he soon became known, became the positive role model people really needed during the pandemic. He had originally … Continue reading “The Last Post for Captain Tom”
After so long cooped up, it’s time to think of travel! If you teach English in secondary school, you can apply to spend two weeks teaching and observing in a school in the UK or Ireland. France éducation international (formerly the CIEP ) gives teachers possibility to spend two weeks in UK or Ireland to … Continue reading “Short Teaching Stays in the UK and Ireland”
If you’d like to find out more about farming, discover a new place and culture and meet new people, WWOOFing could be just the thing. WWOOF stands for World Wide Opportunities on Organic Farms. It’s a non-profit organisation which began in the UK in 1971 and now exists in more than 100 countries on six … Continue reading “Discovering Life on Organic Farms with WWOOF”
Traditionally, as they approach 100 years old, most British people’s main ambition is to receive a telegram from the Queen on their birthday. Captain Tom Moore decided to walk using a walking frame to raise money for National Health Service charities during the Covid-19 pandemic. But he had no idea the success his campaign would … Continue reading “Raising Funds for the NHS at Age 99”
Britain has a new Prime Minister. After a two-month voting process following Theresa May’s resignation, the Conservative Party announced the name of its new leader on 23 July. On 24 July the Queen invited Boris Johnson to form a government. The new government has just over three months to try to find a solution to … Continue reading “Boris Johnson at Number Ten”