My English Language

It’s the Grand National – And They’re Off!

Congratulations to I Am Maximus and jockey Paul Townsend, winners of the 2024 Grand National!

The Grand National Festival opens on Thursday 11th April 2024 in the build up to the most famous event in the horse racing calendar! Sponsored by Randox, the Grand National 2023 steeplechase takes place at Aintree in Liverpool on Saturday 13th April at 4pm.

This is the UK’s most popular race meeting and people all over the world will be placing their bets on the big race, watching their favourite horses and jockeys take on The Chair and Becher’s Brook!

This famous sporting event has found its way into many EFL classrooms with horse racing themed lessons and vocabulary now the order of the week. Join us for a few horsey ideas that you can take into the winner’s enclosure (aka. the EFL classroom)! (more…)

Easter Vocabulary: From Bunnies to Hot Cross Buns

Easter is a special time across the world where people commemorate the crucifixion and celebrate the resurrection of Jesus. This spring time festival has many traditions associated with it in the UK, from the sharing of chocolate Easter Eggs to attending church services, taking part in street parades and eating hot cross buns. Find out more about the Easter holiday and explore some of our Easter vocabulary with a gap fill in our Easter EFL lesson idea for beginners. (more…)

April Fools’ Day Famous Hoaxes

April Fools’ Day falls on 1^st April every year. This is the day that we traditionally play practical jokes and harmless pranks on each other, while the media report hoax stories in an attempt to fool the nation.

This day has been a celebration of pranks since the Roman times with jokes today ranging from simple schemes such as switching the salt with the sugar in the cupboard to elaborate national hoaxes involving major news organisations.

For EFL classes, this can be a great time to discuss April Fools’ Day famous hoaxes and jokes and turn them into a humorous lesson. (more…)

The Lunar Eclipse and EFL Space Vocabulary

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

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. (more…)

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

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. (more…)

Happy Chinese New Year of the Sheep

2015 is the Chinese Year of the Sheep. This gentle, peaceful and loving creature will traditionally bring a steady academic progress and a solid understanding of new ideas, which is all good news for EFL students.

People born in the Chinese Year of the Sheep are naturally intelligent, imaginative, quiet and studious. Though gentle on the surface, Sheep people have a great inner resilience and determination to succeed.

The influence of the Sheep means that 2015 is set to be a year of steady and determined progress, creating a solid foundation for the future.

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Harry Potter and The Beatles Inspire English Language Learners

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

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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Movember Brings Moustaches to the EFL Classroom

Happy Movember everyone! Movember is the annual moustache-growing charity event that takes place every November. The Movember Foundation raises funds to support the fight against men’s cancers, while raising awareness for men’s health.

Although many of us are in lockdown right now due to the Coronavirus pandemic, we hope you can still enjoy this famous November event and wear your ‘taches with pride.

Many universities and colleges are joining in the event this month with students either growing their own moustache or wearing a false one. As English language teachers, we can get in on the act by raising awareness for the charity event in our lessons. Now where is my stick-on curly ‘Poirot’?
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