The Last Post for Captain Tom

Posted by Speakeasy News > Wednesday 03 February 2021 > In the News

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”

Masked But Not Muted on World Children’s Day

Posted by Speakeasy News > Friday 20 November 2020 > Celebrate

19 November is Unicef’s annual World Children’s Day. This year, the UN organisation is highlighting how children have been impacted by the global pandemic. Although children are the group in society which is least affected by actual infection by Covid-19, many children are being negatively impacted by all the collateral affects. Loss of schooling and … Continue reading “Masked But Not Muted on World Children’s Day”

“Emma”: a New Austen Film

Posted by Speakeasy News > Friday 07 August 2020 >

One of the greatest classics in English literature and the “most beloved” Jane Austen novel is back on screen in a new film version that mines the deep seam of humour in the novel. These activities and offer your students a new vision of marriage in the 19th century upper-class England and fit perfectly with … Continue reading ““Emma”: a New Austen Film”

Eating Your Greens

Posted by Speakeasy News > Friday 10 May 2019 > Celebrate

National Vegetarian Week is taking place from 13 to 19 May in the UK, encouraging people to move towards a plant-based diet for their health and the planet’s. The week is organised by the National Vegetarian Society, which was founded in 1847, reflecting the long history of vegetarianism in the UK. The Society believes that … Continue reading “Eating Your Greens”

Going Vegetarian Videos

Posted by Speakeasy News > Friday 10 May 2019 > Webpicks

For National Vegetarian Week, Britain’s Vegetarian Society has created three short videos about going vegetarian, or at least trying to eat less meat and fish. The three 1-minute videos would make a great class group activity, with each group watching a video about eating less meat to help the environment, improve their health, or to … Continue reading “Going Vegetarian Videos”

Winter is Here

Posted by Speakeasy News > Thursday 11 April 2019 > What's On

After 8 seasons, Game of Thrones is finally coming to an end…. until a series of prequels hit our screens. It’s been a long time coming. The last episode of season seven aired in August 2017. But the final season has apparently been a vast amount of work. It only includes six episodes, but each … Continue reading “Winter is Here”

Food Banks Videos

Posted by Speakeasy News > Thursday 06 December 2018 > Webpicks

A suggestion from a group of British teenagers is helping food banks serving people who live on the breadline. These two videos are good for discussing the social phenomenon in class. As you can read in our article, a group of Exeter teenagers suggested putting signs on supermarket shelves next to priority items for food … Continue reading “Food Banks Videos”

Students Against Bullying

Posted by Speakeasy News > Wednesday 31 October 2018 > Shine Bright Collège Webpicks

Raise awareness about bullying in November. On the 8th, it’s Anti-Bullying Day in French schools. And it’s Anti-bullying Week in the UK from 12 to 16 November. We look at some student-produced anti-bullying videos and apps that are helping fight the problem. This is the video for the 2017 anti-bullying week but it works better … Continue reading “Students Against Bullying”

Talking About the U.S. Midterms

Posted by Speakeasy News > Wednesday 17 October 2018 > Webpicks

If you’d like to discuss the American midterm elections with your classes, we have selected some great teaching resources. This 1’30” video from Voice of America News is short and to the point. It’s usable for written comprehension (there’s no voiceover or dialogue). Usable from A2. This BBC video is 2’25” and is a simple-ish … Continue reading “Talking About the U.S. Midterms”

Ocean Cleanup Webpicks

Posted by Speakeasy News > Thursday 20 September 2018 > Webpicks

The Ocean Cleanup non-profit organisation is hoping to remove vast quantities of plastic pollution from the oceans. Here are some articles and videos you could use to introduce your pupils to this topic. To set the scene, and with lower-level pupils, there is an article provided at A1+, A2 and B1 levels about Ocean Cleanup … Continue reading “Ocean Cleanup Webpicks”