ENHANCING COGNITIVE SKILLS WITH MULTILINGUISM: INTERACTIVE VIDEO ACTIVITY

Our latest interactive activity is about the fascinating world of multilingualism and its impact on cognitive skills. In this activity, we'll explore a video that reveals the cognitive benefits of being bilingual and the advantages of learning foreign languages. To make this learning experience more engaging, we've crafted a set of questions to test knowledge and understanding as well as stimulate thoughtful discussions.

FRANCES HAUGER, FACEBOOK WHISTLEBLOWER

 WORKSHEET

BUILDING A CATHEDRAL - THE PILLARS OF THE EARTH

THE PILLARS OF THE EARTH by KEN FOLLETT (1989)

In a time of civil war, famine and religious strife, there rises a magnificent Cathedral in Kingsbridge. Against this backdrop, lives entwine: Tom, the master builder, Aliena, the noblewoman, Philip, the prior of Kingsbridge, Jack, the artist in stone and Ellen, the woman from the forest who casts a curse. A sensuous and enduring love story and an epic that shines with the fierce spirit of a passionate age.

The Historical Context (The Anarchy or The 19-year Winter 1135-1154)

Empress Matilda (c. 7 February 1102 – 10 September 1167), also known as Matilda of England or Maude, was the daughter and heir of King Henry I of England. Matilda and her younger brother, William Adelin, were the only legitimate children of King Henry to survive to adulthood. The death of her brother in the White ship disaster in 1120 made Matilda the last heir from the paternal line of her grandfather William the Conqueror.

As a child, Matilda was betrothed to and later married Henry V, Holy Roman Emperor, acquiring the title Empress. The couple had no known children. After being widowed for a few years, she was married to Geoffrey count of Anjou, with whom she had three sons, the eldest of whom became King Henry II of England.

CAMELOT - THE ARTHURIAN LEGEND IN A TV SERIES

In this series , CAMELOT (2011),  they investigate how the legend may have come to be. They imagine  young Arthur, just in his teens,  torn away from his comfortable environment and from his foster parents by Merlin. He is suddenly thrown into the middle of a violent world in which he has to survive and to become a man and a king.

None of the characters is the mythical figure of the tradition. They are complex, conflicting human beings, totally different from their iconic counterparts. 

NO WORKING OUT - VIDEO & WORKSHEET

WORKSHEET

INTERNET SAFETY - THE ADVENTURES OF KARA & THE SMART CREW

In the UK, the organisation Childnet has produced a series of five videos to introduce different aspects of internet safety to 7-11 year olds. These cartoons illustrate 5 e-safety SMART rules and include a real life SMART Crew of young people, who guide the cartoon characters in their quest, and help them make safe online decisions.

Let's start with a quiz to discover how smart we are online.

TAKE THE QUIZ

THE PERFECT DAY: PRE-INTERMEDIATE GRAMMAR REVISION (PRESENT-PAST-FUTURE)

WORKSHEET

Grammar Excercises

Present Simple 1 - Present Simple 2 - Present Simple 3

Present continuous 1 - Present continuous 2 

Past tense 1 - Past tense 2 - Past tense 3

Future with Will 1 - Future with Will 2 

SHAWN MENDES ON ANXIETY, SUCCESS AND MAKING A DIFFERENCE IN THE WORLD (B2 ACTIVITIES)

Shawn Mendes is a global phenomenon. He began his meteoric rise to fame as a teen posting song covers on Vine and YouTube, then as a young artist on Island Records. He is only 19 and earlier this year was named one of Time's most influential people in the world.

LET'S WORK ON THE NEWS: EMMA GONZALES & THE MARCH FOR OUR LIVES MOVEMENT

Since the mass shooting on Valentine’s Day at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School, in Parkland, Florida, in which a former student of the school killed seventeen students and staff with a legally acquired semiautomatic rifle, several of the survivors have become veteran public speakers. Among them 17-year-old Emma Gonzales who, during the March for Our Lives rally in Washington D.C., galvanized the crowd  with her words and, especially, with her silence.

ROMEO & JULIET - CHARACTERS, PLOT & ACTIVITIES

8 worksheets, 5 videos to work on Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet. 

HOW CAN WE FACE THE FUTURE WITHOUT FEAR? - LAYOUT OF A SPEECH

It's a fateful moment in history. We've seen divisive elections, divided societies and the growth of extremism -- all fueled by anxiety and uncertainty. "Is there something we can do, each of us, to be able to face the future without fear?" asks Rabbi Lord Jonathan Sacks. In this electrifying talk, the spiritual leader gives us three specific ways we can move from the politics of "me" to the politics of "all of us, together."

ON MILLENIALS, TECHNOLOGY & HAPPINESS

Imagine a world where people wake up every day inspired to go to work, feel safe while they are there, and return home at the end of the day feeling fulfilled by the work they do, feeling that they have contributed to something greater than themselves. This is what Simon Sinek believes we can achieve working hard...



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ALIKE, THE STORY OF COPI & PASTE

"Alike" is an animated short film directed by Daniel Martínez Lara & Rafa Cano Méndez. In a busy life, Copi is a father who tries to teach the right way to his son, Paste. But...what is the correct path?

HAMLET & MELANCHOLY

Worksheet  -  Transcript

THE HOUSEKEEPING ROTA

WORKSHEET

PRESENT SIMPLE - TEST

SIMPLE PAST - TEST

THE MOST COMMON IRREGULAR VERBS

A NEW NEIGHBOUR TO THE RESCUE - SIMPLE PRESENT, QUESTIONS & ANSWERS

WORKSHEET

ENGLISH COURSE FOR TEACHERS - LESSON 1 INTRODUCE YOURSELF

Video 1 . Introducing yourself

 
Worksheet 1. Self  Introduction  (Click HERE )

REBELLIOUS YOUTH - DEAD POETS SOCIETY (1989)

Carpe Diem: Seize the day. This is the lesson John Keating, an unorthodox teacher at an all-male prep school in New England, wants to convey to his impressionable students. Keating is an alumnus of the school, Welton Academy, and hopes to make his students as curious and iconoclastic as he was (as is). Keating encourages them to "suck the marrow out of life," pursue their dreams, and find their voice. He does so with unusual teaching methods, such as tearing pages from textbooks, kicking soccer balls while shouting poetry, and standing on desks to gain a different perspective. These approaches are frowned upon by the administrators at conservative Welton, whose creed is "Tradition, Honor, Discipline, and Excellence."

WELCOME TO ITALY - STEREOTYPES

Watch the video and complete the exercises in the worksheet HERE

VOICES FROM THE FRONTLINE - FIGHTING FOR HUMAN RIGHTS

Front Line Defenders is the International Foundation for the protection of human rights defenders. They work to provide fast and effective action to help protect human rights defenders at risk so they can continue their work as key agents of social change.
Voices from the Front Line, performed on 9 December 2012 at 8 pm GMT, was a celebration of the courage and determination of human rights defenders around the world.  Voices from the Front Line was hosted by Martin Sheen and featured Andrea Corr, Robert Sheehan & Amy Huberman.

Video 1 . Robert Sheehan reads Liu Xiaobo

WORKSHEET FOR VIDEO 1