Four Reasons To Learn A Language

In this TED Talk, linguist and Columbia professor John McWhorter makes the case that English is rapidly consolidating its position as the global language, and points out how this begs an important question: if you speak English already, why bother learning another language? He then goes on to provide some brilliant answers, which can be summarised as:

• If you want to imbibe a culture, if you want to drink it in, if you want to become part of it, then you have to control to some degree the language that the culture happens to be conducted in. There’s no other way.
• It’s been shown that if you speak two languages, dementia is less likely to set in and that you are probably a better multitasker. Bilingualism is healthy.
• Languages are just a lot of fun.
• We live in an era when it’s never been easier to teach yourself another language.

Thanksgiving Quizzes

Try Thanksgiving Quiz

Thanksgiving Quiz

A Message from Shakespeare

And now for an inspirational results day message from William Shakespeare  😎

           

Will you turn your sibling invisible?

Abracadabra! Scheming elder brother trick his little brother into believing he is INVISIBLE in a hilarious prank that leaves the poor youngster screaming and crying in fear.

Would you do that to your little brother? Yes? No? Why?
 

I highly recommend that everyone turns their siblings invisible HAHAHAH pic.twitter.com/SK4jLw7cNa

— DAVID DOBRIK (@DavidDobrik) September 6, 2018

The UK Education System

Earth Day 2018 Google Doodle

Today’s annual Earth Day Doodle was created in partnership with one of the planet’s most influential advocates: Ethologist (animal behaviour expert), conservationist, activist, and animal-lover Dr Jane Goodall, who has dedicated her life to studying and protecting our environment. In it, Jane shares her personal message to the world on Earth Day 2018, including some of her inspiration and what we can all do to have a positive impact on our planet.

    

Lesson plan Reading Comprehension

BBC New Colony of Flying Penguins

Flying penguins or Miracles of Evolution is a BBC film trailer made in 2008 as an April Fools' Day hoax.

The film was advertised as compelling evidence for Charles Darwin's theory of evolution. It was largely set on King George Island which is 75 miles from Antarctica. The Daily Telegraph wrote that the film was "an instant classic. It is accomplished work of this kind that guarantees the BBC its unique status."

The BBC website still claims that it may attempt to film the flying penguins again because the original film did not explain how such small birds, that are not used to flying, could survive long migrations over vast, stormy oceans.
Miracles of Evolution was filmed with animated penguins for the occasion of April Fools' Day, and to promote the BBC iPlayer.

 MSN included "The BBC's flying penguins" as one of their twelve "Hoaxes of the decade."

                

Martin Luther King Jr. explains why black Americans face more obstacles than white immigrants

MLK explains why black Americans face more obstacles than white immigrants in the US.

Wow, I’ve seen/heard a lot of MLK footage but this is the first time I’ve seen this interview. How profound this is. pic.twitter.com/Lm8SR2z3bT

— Justinfication (@Justinfication) April 4, 2018

Suffragette

Suffragette  /sʌfrəˈdʒɛt/ is a stirring drama that empowers all who are striving for equality in our own day and age. After decades of peaceful protest had achieved nothing in the struggle to gain the vote for women in Great Britain, a group of women became rebels as their only route to change.

               Everything You Need to Know About the Word 'Suffragette'

          

            

The History of English

Have you ever wondered where the English language began? How did it evolve? When did it start? Click on the first image below and learn about this beautiful language with a neat interactive scrolling infographic.

                            

Stephen Hawking, science's brightest star, dies aged 76

"The greatest enemy of knowledge is not ignorance, it is the illusion of knowledge." #StephenHawkingRIP pic.twitter.com/pxACoH2AY1

— 🔥தளபதி❤️ (@Divino1322) March 14, 2018

On March 14, 2018, visionary physicist Stephen Hawking passed away at the age of 76. You know his name and may have even watched a biopic or two about him. But if you've ever wondered what specifically Hawking's big contributions to science were, and you have two and a half minutes to spare, the animation below is for you. It's brief, easy to understand, and gets to the point with nice narration by Alok Jha. So here, in a very brief and simple way, are some of Stephen Hawking's big ideas:

           

Remembering Nina Simone (February 21,1933 – April 21, 2003)

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      NINA SIMONE

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Legendary singer and songwriter, Nina Simone, has been identified by many publications as, “The Voice of the Civil Rights Movement,” due to her soulful performances of the mid-1960s that spoke to the heart of the struggle for social justice and equality. On the 85th anniversary of her birth, let's celebrate her genius. 

Surf the Internet and answer the following questions:

• When and where was she born?
• What was her real name?
• Why did she adopt the name of Nina Simone?
• Where and when did she graduate?
• What did she study?
• Did she ever get married?
• Did she have ant¡y children?
• Where did she move after leaving New York?
• Why did she leave the U.S.?
• When and where did she die? 

                    Link 1                Link 2

   

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      NINA SIMONE

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The song you are about to hear was composed in 1953 by Billy Taylor but it wasn't until 1967 that Nina Simone covered the song in her album Silk & Soul. 

The song has since become an anthem for the Civil Rights Movement in the U.S.

         

"Sunshine"

Branded short film for Day One, a NYC-based nonprofit working to prevent dating abuse and domestic violence among youth.



After watching the video complete the messages below:

1. Don't _____________ love and ______________.
2. 1 in _____ teens reports  ______________ some kind of ____________ in their romantic _______________.
3. DayOne __________should always be __________.
4. Learn the ____________ at https://www.dayoneny.org/

Visit the website above and learn about dating abuse. How many types of abuse does the web mention?

Surf the website and find out the expression they use to refer to "domestic violence". 

Get Enough Sleep!

A viral video has revealed the shocking detrimental effects that sleep deprivation can have, both on your mental and physical state. Matthew Walker, the author of Why We Sleep and professor of neuroscience and psychology at the University of California, Berkeley, explained how sleep or lack thereof can seriously impact your health.
Watch the video below and try to answer the following question: 

How much time can we spend awake before we our mental and physical capabilities start to become impaired?

         

In Loving Memory of Dolores O'Riordan

Dolores O'Riordan, lead singer of the Irish alternative band The Cranberries, died Monday, January 15 in London. She was 46.

Click on the links below to listen to six of the best songs by The Cranberries. Hope you like them and tell me which one you prefer.

Rolling Stone's Obituary

Surf the net and find the answers to these questions about Dolores O'Riordan:

1. When and where was she born?
2. What was the person’s family like?
3. What was the person’s childhood like?
4. Where did the person go to school?
5. What important early experiences did the person have?
6. Why is the person famous?
7. What problems did she have to overcome?
8. Who did the person marry?
9. How many children did the person have?
10. Choose your favourite song from the ones above.