Northern Ireland

Northern Ireland is one of the four countries in the United Kingdom, with England, Scotland and Wales. It is to the north of the Republic of Ireland, on an island next to Great Britain. Around 1.8 million people live in Northern Ireland, which is about three per cent of the population of the UK. The capital city is Belfast. In Northern Ireland you can find beautiful beaches, forests and mountains. Northern Ireland was a place of conflict between people who wanted to be part of the Republic of Ireland, people who wanted to be part of the UK and people who wanted Northern Ireland to be a separate country. Language Nearly everyone in Northern Ireland speaks English. Music You can hear all types of music in Northern Ireland including traditional Irish music, jazz, rock or pop. Sport Northern Ireland is a popular place to go walking or do outdoor activities such as mountain biking, coasteering (climbing up rocks and jumping into the sea) or zorbing (rolling down a hill in a giant PVC ball). Related: Holidays

Valentine's Day | General English - Magazine Valentine's Day is on 14 February, and it can seem as if the world is full of couples who are celebrating their love. Some couples might celebrate with dinner at a nice restaurant, flowers, chocolates or other presents. Some single people might put a post on social media about why they hate 'V-Day' or maybe they just avoid it completely. But it's impossible not to know that Valentine's is happening. And that's not surprising when over half of all Brits and Americans celebrate Valentine's in some way. The price of love For most of these romantic people, Valentine's Day means spending money. The beginning of modern Valentine's Day Today Valentine's is celebrated in Canada, Mexico, France, Denmark, Italy and Australia as well as the USA and England. Vinegar valentines At about the same time as this, another kind of valentine card was popular. Further back in history Valentine's Day has been celebrated in some way for 600 years.

Wales Wales is one of the countries in Britain and the United Kingdom. It’s a small country with England to the east. Wales has got a continuous coastline, around 1,300km long, which means there are a lot of beaches! It has some of the most beautiful beaches in the UK and is a popular destination for holidaymakers and water sports fans. The population of Wales is just over three million people, around 5% of the total UK population. Language The Welsh language is an old, Celtic language which is very different from English. Music The Welsh people love music and there are a lot of singing festivals and competitions in Wales. Sport The Welsh enjoy watching and playing sport, especially rugby union and football. Food There are lots of sheep in Wales, so people eat a lot of lamb. Symbols If you ever go to Wales, you will see dragons everywhere!

Webquest: Bonfire Night By Gabrielle Jones This webquest by Gabrielle Jones includes activities about the history of Bonfire Night and the traditions which are practised today. Activity 1: Warmer Bonfire Night is a British tradition which is celebrated every year on 5 November. It is also known as Guy Fawkes Night. We’ll be learning more about this tradition but before we begin take a look at these words – do you know what they mean? barrelsbasementblow upbonfirecellarseffigyexecutionfireworksgunpowderparliamentplottreason Activity 2: The gunpowder plot Bonfire Night is an event to celebrate the anniversary of a famous event in British history. 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. When you have finished, compare what you found out in small groups. Activity 3: The people involved in the Gunpowder Plot Now, go to this website and find out more about the people who were involved in the plot to blow up the Houses of Parliament: Student A: Read and choose three things you want to tell your group about Robert Catesby and Thomas Percy. 1. 2.

Edinburgh Summer Festivals Edinburgh is the world’s festival city. There are twelve festivals throughout the year, half of which are celebrated during the months of July and August. Hundreds of thousands of people visit the Scottish capital during the summer. Here are some of the events they can enjoy. The Edinburgh International Festival This is the original Edinburgh festival which began in 1947. The Edinburgh Art Festival This festival is modern and has been celebrated for around ten years. The Edinburgh Festival Fringe This is the largest arts festival in the world with thousands of shows which take place across the city. The Edinburgh International Book Festival The largest book festival in the world began in 1983 and takes place every year in Charlotte Square Gardens in the centre of Edinburgh. The Edinburgh Jazz and Blues Festival Music lovers come to this festival to enjoy music shows around the city. The Royal Edinburgh Military Tattoo

Talk2Me English : My Valentine - A fun lesson for Valentine's day I discovered the song 'My Valentine' by Paul McCartney this week and thought it would be perfect for a Valentine's day lesson. The song is so romantic ♥ My lesson ended up being rather funny and very lively, I hope your students will enjoy it as much as mine did :-) Level: IntermediateLesson activities: Talking about Valentine's day, using sign language to learn vocabulary, listening practice and fill the blanks exercise. Warm up questions: 1. Task 1Tell students that you are going to show them a You Tube video of a song by Paul McCartney called 'My Valentine'. Task 4Hand out the 'fill the gaps' exercise, play the song again from the beginning and get the students to complete the missing words. Task 5 - DiscussionDiscuss what the general meaning of the song is. Quick quiz - Look at the lyrics and:1. Happy Valentine's day ♥

England England is the biggest of the four countries in the United Kingdom. Together with Scotland and Wales, these three countries are the island of Great Britain. The English Channel is in the south between England and France. People travel to France by ferry across the English Channel or by train through the Channel Tunnel which goes under the sea. Over 50 million people live in England, that’s around 80% of the total UK population. Other large cities in England are Birmingham, Manchester, Leeds and Bristol. Language The official language of England is English, which is spoken today by millions of people all over the world. Music English people love music. Sport The most popular sports in England are football, rugby and cricket and most towns have a football, rugby and cricket ground where teams can play. Food England is a very multicultural country and this has a big influence on the food people eat. Symbols The national flag of England is white with a red cross.

Scotland Scotland is a country in Great Britain, to the north of England. Scotland has nearly 800 islands, but people only live on some of them. Scotland is a very beautiful country with many mountains, forests, beaches, rivers and lochs (the Scots word for lakes). In the north of Scotland it is light until 11.30 p.m. in summer and in winter you can sometimes see the Northern Lights, or Aurora Borealis, which are spectacular lights in the sky. Energy from the sun turns the Earth’s sky green, red and other colours. Scotland has its own parliament which makes laws for Scottish people. Language There are three languages in Scotland. Scotland is ane o the fower kintras that maks the Unitit Kinrick. A minority (around one percent of the Scottish population) speak Scottish Gaelic, an old Celtic language which is very different from English. Music At public and cultural events you can often hear traditional music and see traditional dancing. Sport Food Symbols