Yolanda's blog

It's been 30 years since one of the 20th century's biggest historic events: the fall of the Berlin Wall. Although the East German dictatorship subsequently collapsed, cultural and political divisions remain, more than a generation after reunification. Special correspondent Malcolm Brabant reports on the wall's legacy, the polarizing issue of immigration and the lingering stain of anti-Semitism.

Luke’s English Podcast is an award-winning audio show for learners of English as a foreign language. The podcast started in 2009 and is still going strong. There are now over 550 audio episodes, transcripts, videos, a special series on phrasal verbs and a premium subscription service. The podcast has won 5 awards, received a British Council ELTon nomination and has now been downloaded over 50 million times. You can subscribe and receive updates. 559. The Rick Thompson Report: Brexit Chaos (November 2018) Talking to my dad, Rick Thompson about recent developments in the story of Brexit – Britain’s exit from the European Union. Recorded on 18 November 2018. [DOWNLOAD] Totally confused about Brexit? Want to know answers to some basic questions, like What does Brexit mean? What is the Brexit deal? What is the backstop in Brexit? When […]

Martin Luther King, Jr. Day is a federal holiday in the United States honouring the achievements of Martin Luther King, Jr. - the chief spokesman for nonviolent activism in the civil rights movement to end racial segregation. It is observed on the third Monday of January each year, which is close to January 15, the King's birthday. Martin Luther King, Jr. was the most influential of African American civil rights leaders during the 1960s, he was instrumental in the passage of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, which outlawed discrimination in public accommodations, facilities, and employment, and the Voting Rights Act of 1965. King was awarded the Nobel Prize for Peace in 1964. He was assassinated on April 4, 1968. The bill established the holiday was signed by the President Ronald Reagan on November 2, 1983. The first observance nationwide was in 1986, but some states opposed to observe it as a paid holiday for state employees. As of the year 2000 all of the states officially re...

Theresa May and Jeremy Corbyn face questions from Jeremy Paxman on the big issues of the 2017 General Election, hosted by Sky News and Channel 4.

Presented by comedian Jay Foreman, this short film follows the progress of an election campaing right up to the polling day and the formation of the coalition government.  Jay Foreman visits a constituency in the middle of an election campaign and finds out from the candidates and local young people why it's important to vote and make your voice heard. http://www.parliament.uk/education/ campaig

Here's a good video from the Financial Times that explains the UK General Election, scheduled to take place on June 8th.

On Sunday the Dutch comedy news show  Zondag met Lubach  released a YouTube video introducing President Trump to the Netherlands. It has since been viewed over nine million times. A voice over ( Greg Shapiro ) describes the Netherlands in speech patterns oddly reminiscent of the commander-in-chief ... HT www.englishblog.com

VOCABULARY EXERCISES A CROSSWORD AN ARTICLE FROM THE US EMBASSY

WHO IS SADIQ KHAN? It's the rags-to-riches story of a poor boy done well. Sadiq Khan is the son of a London bus driver and a seamstress. He grew up on a government funded housing estate in a poorer area of the city and attended a local state school. But what is behind the rise of the likely new mayor and what will he do as chief politician of one of the world's most powerful cities?

The next U.S. President will be elected in November, 2016. But the race is already packed with candidates. There are more than two dozen major candidates who are seeking the job as president. Running for president is difficult and exhausting, so why would so many people want to run? There are many reasons, both legitimate and delusional. Without an incumbent president, a lot of people think they have a chance to win this election. Some candidates hope to bring attention to their message and some to cash in on their new celebrity. Listen to hear about this race and the reasons so many people are running for President this year. Listening Comprehension Questions:   How many people are running for President?  What are the reasons this Presidential race has so many candidates?   What do candidates hope to gain by running?   How are candidates able to push an agenda? WANT TO READ THE TRANSCRIPT?   CLICK HERE

What does this term refer to? Watch the first part of the video and find out. The other stories are also interesting: Radio La Colifata in Argentina, Surveillance and Privacy

Americans must continue to embrace the message of the civil rights movement, President Obama told a crowd of thousands Saturday, speaking from a site he said symbolized "the daring of America's character."  In a speech at the foot of the Edmund Pettus Bridge in Selma, Alabama, where 50 years ago, police beat and tear-gassed protesters, Obama issued his call to action. "Fifty years from 'Bloody Sunday,' our march is not yet finished. But we are getting closer," he said. The March 7, 1965, violence against the peaceful civil rights advocates making the 50-mile march from Selma to Alabama's capital of Montgomery shocked the country and ramped up calls for equal rights for black voters. READ MORE...

Obama’s huge new immigration plan, explained

Franz Ferdinand, aged 51, was heir to the Austro-Hungarian empire .  He was married to Sophie Chotek von Chotvoka and had three children. Franz Ferdinand was, however, very unpopular because he had made it clear that once he became Emperor he would make changes. Franz Ferdinand decided to visit Sarajevo, the capital of Bosnia and Herzegovnia, to make an inspection of the Austro-Hungarian troops there. The inspection was scheduled for 28th June 1914. It was planned that Franz Ferdinand and his wife Sophie would be met at the station and taken by car to the City Hall where they would have lunch before going to inspect the troops. A Serbian terrorist group, called The Black Hand, had decided that the Archduke should be assassinated and the planned visit provided the ideal opportunity. Seven young men who had been trained in bomb throwing and marksmanship were stationed along the route that Franz Ferdinand's car would follow from the City Hall to the inspection. The first two t...

This is a very good video activity from this blog   http://mythatsenglish.blogspot.com.es/  . You can find more video activities there. You also have the transcript to check your answers. Today we celebrate in Spain and in some other European countries Labour [ Labor  in American English] Day. The same holiday is observed in the US on the first Monday in September. 1 What was imposed in the work place in Canada and US in the 19th century? 2 Why was 1872 important for unions? 3 Why was September 5th chosen to celebrate a workers parade in New York City? 4 What activities did workers do on September 5th 1882 in Reservoir Park? 5 What did workers have to choose when the parade was moved to the first Monday in September? 6 What happened in 1887? 7 What happened in 1894? 8 What three things happened in the second half of the 20th century? 9 What significance does Labour Day have in US today? TRANSCRIPT The Industrial Revolution modernized the United States and Canada duri...

Former FBI Agent Reveals Who Really Killed JFK A retired FBI Agent and Police Chief, who was one of the original investigators in Dallas examining the JFK assassination, stumbles upon records and reports that were doctored. He knows that, because he filed the original reports. His decade long investigation would take him deep into history and to the National Archives and beyond. Step by step he says he learned and can prove that Oswald did not kill JFK.