Summer holidays are definitely over! Are you ready for school? We certainly hope so!
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Welcome back to school! Welcome to our English@ Big Ben Blog!
The beginning of Spring is marked by the March equinox, which this year occurs today, March 20th, at precisely 23:21h. On the day of the equinox, the sun shines directly on the equator and the length of day and night are nearly equal in all parts of the world. After that, the days grow longer, the weather gets warmer and summer holidays are just around the corner (well, almost!).
So, make the most of springtime, take advantage of the weather to get out of the house more and have a great spring!
It is said that on St. Patrick’s Day everyone is Irish! The day is celebrated worldwide with shamrocks, parades and green beer!
St. Patrick's Day is celebrated on March 17, his religious feast day and the anniversary of his death in the fifth century. The Irish have observed this day as a religious holiday for over a thousand years. On St. Patrick's Day, which falls during the Christian season of Lent, Irish families would traditionally attend church in the morning and celebrate in the afternoon and because it was a religious holiday, the pubs weren't even allowed to open.
Nowadays, the day is celebrated with parades (the biggest productions are held in the United States), eating Irish food, drinking green bear and wearing green clothes and accessories. Common symbols of St. Patrick's Day are the shamrock and leprechauns, both of which are associated with Irish history.
Pancake Day (also known as Shrove Tuesday) is the last day before the period which Christians call Lent. It is traditional on this day to eat pancakes.
Why are Pancakes eaten on Shrove Tuesday?
Lent is a time of abstinence, of giving things up. So Shrove Tuesday is the last chance to indulge yourself, and to use up the foods that aren't allowed in Lent. Pancakes are eaten on this day because they contain fat, butter and eggs which were forbidden during Lent.
Shrove Tuesday always falls 47 days before Easter Sunday, so the date varies from year to year and falls between 3rd February and 9th March.
On this day, pancake races are held all over England. The object of the race is to get to the finishing line first whilst flipping a pancake in a frying pan a pre-decided number of times. The skill lies not so much in the running of the race but in flipping and catching the pancake, which must be intact when the finishing line is reached.
The most famous pancake race takes place at Olney. According to tradition, in 1445 a woman of Olney heard the shriving bell while she was making pancakes and ran to the church in her apron, still clutching her frying pan.
Watch the following video. Would you be able to do it?
(check http://projectbritain.com for more information)
The title says it all: English is everywhere you look, listen, shop, work and walk your dog. Speakers of English as either a first (L1) or second language (L2) comprise 27% of our world’s population. Non-native speakers currently outnumber native speakers by a ratio of three to one.
Planet English is indeed expanding – and quickly! But why?
The following infographic explores a few of the reasons underlying the proliferation of English speakers. If you are an ESL or EFL learner, what motivates you to learn the English language?
