Category Archives: News

Celebrating the Platinum Jubilee! Exploring Royal Vocabulary

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Patriotic households everywhere will be flying the flag this weekend for the Queen’s Platinum Jubilee! This year marks Queen Elizabeth’s 70 years of service to the people of the United Kingdom, the Realms and the Commonwealth. The celebrations will take place over a special bank holiday weekend from 2nd to 5th June.

The four days of celebration include the Trooping of the Colour (the Queen’s Birthday parade), the lighting of beacons across the UK, a Service of Thanksgiving at St Paul’s Cathedral, the Derby at Epsom, a Platinum Party at the Palace, Big Jubilee Lunches and the Platinum Jubilee Pageant. We are all raising a glass to the Queen on this special occasion, so come and join us for some royal vocabulary! Continue reading →

The Supermoon and EFL Space Vocabulary

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Astronomers are excited about the supermoon set to light up the skies this week. This event will also be classed as a harvest moon, due to the time of year. The full moon nearest the autumn equinox, which this year falls on September 22nd, is known as a harvest moon. Stargazers in the UK should be able to see the supermoon from around 7pm on Tuesday 17th 2024 and this should also coincide with a partial eclipse, which will be visible later during the night. These exciting celestial events make this the perfect time to explore some EFL space vocabulary!

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‘Nobody in the World Speaks French’ says Tory Politician

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A Conservative politician has declared that “nobody in the world speaks French”. Member of Scottish Parliament Murdo Fraser insisted that it is waste of time teaching children French in primary schools because no one speaks the language “apart from the French obviously” and that Spanish should instead be the focus of language lessons. Continue reading →

The English are Dirty and Drink Too Much, Says Spanish Book

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According to a new book published in Spain, Sons and Daughters of Great Britain, English people are sexually unadventurous, borderline alcoholics who are in desperate need of a bath. Author Alberto Letona’s examination of British culture has stirred up some disgruntlement across the UK with some critics calling his book a collection of stereotypes; others are highly amused by his findings. We take a tongue-in-cheek look through Letona’s witty cultural assessment of Great Britain. Continue reading →

Harry Potter and The Beatles Inspire English Language Learners

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The Beatles and Harry Potter have been voted the most popular sources of culture for non-native speakers learning the English language. The study by global learning company Pearson found that more and more learners are turning to popular culture and away from traditional textbooks as their favourite way to learn English, with many schools using interactive resources to inspire EFL students.

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Win a 2 Week English Language Course in London

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Sprachdirekt is an exciting new agency based in Germany that organises language trips abroad – and right now Sprachdirekt is giving you the chance to win a 2 week English language course in London! The prize will give you the chance to not only improve your English language skills but also explore this vibrant city full of exciting attractions and immerse yourself in the British culture.

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The FA Cup Final Inspires a Football-Themed EFL Lesson

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The FA Cup Final will see Manchester City play Watford on Saturday! Who do you think will lift the coveted trophy? With all the excitement over the big match, this week is a great time to teach football vocabulary and use the theme of football to practice the English language.

There are so many football phrases that students can learn to help them enjoy watching the game on English TV. Teachers can use the matches to create fun FA Cup EFL lesson plans for speaking, listening, reading and writing exercises.

There are many collocations distinct to football, so the FA Cup Final is a great opportunity to get students enjoying an exciting footy-themed EFL lesson. Continue reading →

Learning a Second Language to be Compulsory in Junior School

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Learning a second language will be compulsory in junior schools from September 2014. The education secretary, Michael Gove has announced that changes to the curriculum means that all children will begin learning a second language from the age of seven. Languages on offer will include French, German, Spanish, Italian, Mandarin, Latin and Greek. But should second language learning start even earlier?  Continue reading →

Immigrants to Face New English Test Before Claiming Benefits

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Immigrants to the UK face a new, ‘more robust’ English language test in an attempt to stop any potential benefits cheats. Immigrants will need to answer questions on their working plans and take an extended ‘habitual residence text’  along with a sitting an English language skills test before being allowed to claim income-related benefits.  Continue reading →