Category Archives: Seasonal

Remember, Remember, the Fifth of November!

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Remember, remember, the 5th of November! Bonfire Night is the time people in the UK light bonfires, eat toffee apples and set off fireworks, as we remember the night that Guy Fawkes nearly blew up the Houses of Parliament. Although the celebrations have been tempered in recent years due to the pandemic, we’ve still enjoyed the exciting atmosphere, food and stories of Bonfire Night. But in 2023, group celebrations are back!

This annual celebration is always an exciting time of year, giving students a great opportunity to learn some more vocabulary in another seasonal EFL class. Check out our Bonfire Night lesson plans for poems, pronunciation practice, discussions and gap fill exercises all about the Gun Powder Plot – a lesson plan to thrill Guy Fawkes fans! Continue reading →

It’s a Scorcher! Hot Weather Vocabulary and Phrases

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Phew – a heatwave is currently blazing across the UK! We’re experiencing a sizzling week as the air pressure rises and hot air blasts over from the continent. There is a balmy Mediterranean vibe with temperatures soaring and the UK has now hit its highest ever temperature with 40.2C recorded at Heathrow in London this week. As the mercury tips the scale, join us for some language fun – we’re diving into a cool pool of hot weather vocabulary! Continue reading →

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 →

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

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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)! Continue reading →

Easter Vocabulary: From Bunnies to Hot Cross Buns

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Easter Bunny - Easter Vocabulary EFL Lesson 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. Continue reading →

April Fools’ Day Famous Hoaxes

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Joker cards - April Fools' DayApril Fools’ Day falls on 1st 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. Continue reading →

Happy Chinese New Year of the Sheep

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Happy Chinese New Year of the Sheep2015 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.

Continue reading →

Movember Brings Moustaches to the EFL Classroom

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Movember EFL LessonHappy 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’?
Continue reading →

Halloween EFL Lesson Plans: Ghostly Games and Eerie Ideas

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Halloween EFL Lesson PlansHalloween EFL lesson plans at the ready – it’s that spooky time of year again! The ghosts and ghouls come out to play on 31st October and pumpkins with scary faces will adorn many a doorstep. Halloween is that one night a year when it’s OK to frighten your neighbours. You might even get sweets!

Halloween is about to be unleashed and this is one of those celebrations that has its own vocabulary. This is therefore the perfect time to think about Halloween EFL lesson plans and inject some fun Halloween vocabulary games into your EFL class. Continue reading →

European Day of Languages

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European Day of LanguagesThe celebrations will start soon to mark the European Day of Languages! This annual event is all about celebrating other cultures through language learning.

Since the Council of Europe in Strasbourg initiated the special day in 2001, the European Day of Languages has been celebrated every year on 26th September and throughout the week with a range of events organised across Europe.

From international conferences and TV programmes to language clubs, games, talks and home celebrations, everyone can get involved – teachers, students, universities, schools and individuals.

Decorate your house with flags, cook up some tasty food, open your phrase books and check out the special events taking place near you as we get ready for this multi-cultural and multi-lingual day! Continue reading →