Princess Diana Exhibition: A life in fashion

An exhibition tracing the changing styles of Diana, Princess of Wales, opens at Kensington Palace - featuring iconic outfits from before she was married to after her divorce in the 1990s.

Self-study activity:
Watch the video and answer the questions below.



1. What does Princess Diana style reflect?
2. When did she wear one red glove and one black glove?
3. Why did Diana order Victor Edelstein’s dress?
4. What transition did Victor Edelstein’s dress mark in Diana’s life?
5. What was Diana very involved in after her divorce?
6. How many clothes did Diana sell at an auction of her clothes whose money was given to an AIDS charity?

The eyes of the world followed her and her fashion choices. Princess Diana style both reflected the time whilst influencing others. And now fans of Diana can see some of her most well-known outfits at an exhibition at her former home at Kensington Palace.
It’s in this room that we first meet Lady Diana Spencer when she's about to step onto that international stage so this room really reflects her early love of frills, ruffles, lace and she really enjoyed that sort of new romantic style.
The exhibition charts how her tastes developed and her style matured, featuring iconic dresses by eleven different designers.
This point in the exhibition really marks the moment where Diana became more confident and playful in her fashion choices. Famously in 1987 she made the daring choice to wear one red glove and one black glove with this dress on an official visit to Spain.
Victor Edelstein designed one of the princess’s best-known dresses. She wore it for that envy-making moment when John Travolta whisked her around the dance floor at the White House.
When she ordered it, I didn't know when she was going to wear it and I don’t suppose she did either. She just ordered it because she liked it and then, well obviously she wore it to go to the White House. I was talking to the curator at Hampton Court and she felt it marked the transition from her being rather more girlish to suddenly looking like a sophisticated woman, and perhaps that's true because obviously it's not a girl dress, so perhaps that also made it so noticeable and dancing with John Travolta helps.
As her marriage came to an end, Diana style became more pared down. This red dress by Catherine Walker among one of the most recognizable at the time.
Her whole life was changing. She was very involved in charity work and I think she wanted to communicate the fact that she wasn't just a clothes horse, a fashion sort of clothes horse. She actually was a working mother, she had a job to do and she was deeply committed to many of the charities that she was patron of.
Diana wore the final dress in the exhibition to the preview of an auction of her clothes. The proceeds went to an AIDS charity.
She sold 79 of her most famous gowns and the press widely reported that this was her closing a chapter on her royal life and style and embarking upon a new one.
Diana Fashion Story opens to the public on Friday with those memorable dresses remaining on display for the next two years.
Alison Freeman, BBC News.

KEY:

1 her time and the way she influenced others

2 during her official visit to Spain in 1987

3 because she liked it

4 from her looking girlish to looking like a sophisticated woman

5 charity work

6 seventy-nine

10 Questions for Sarah Ferguson

In this TIME interview, the Duchess of York discusses her new book and television show, and says her 'addiction to approval' is what led to a major lapse in judgment when she was recorded on tape accepting cash for access to her husband.

Self-study activity:
Watch the video and say whether the statements below are true or false.



1 The name of Sarah Ferguson's TV show is Finding Sarah.
2 Sarah Ferguson feels she's been badly treated by the tabloids.
3 Sarah Ferguson called the man who tricked her the fake sheik.
4 Sarah Ferguson felt there was something wrong with this man.
5 It was Sarah's daughter who really took the suitcase with money.
6 Sarah is considering remarrying Andrew.
7 Beatrice paid $132,000 for the hat she was wearing at the Royal wedding.
8 Sarah talks about sport at the end of the interview. 
 
Hi, I’m Belinda Luscombe. I’m Editor-at-large of Time Magazine. Today I have the privilege of asking 10 Questions of Sarah Ferguson, Duchess of York. Few people have led an interesting a life as the Duchess has, or have seen the kind of wild swings in popularity and fame she’s experienced. And she’s written some of it down in a book called Finding Sarah, which is also the name of her TV show. Duchess, thank you for talking to Time.
Not at all, thank you, Belinda.
So last time many people heard about you, it seemed like you were on tape accepting cash for access to your husband. Would you like to explain what you were thinking, how that came about?
Well, actually, it’s… you’re right to say it seemed like that, and it was last May. And, of course, that was then and that was, as I’ve said many, many times now, it was a big lapse of judgement. But it wasn’t for access to Andrew.
So…
But it’s very nice of you to give me the opportunity of clearing that…
Well, I would like to…
… because the tabloids, you know, we mustn’t forget that it was tabloid journalism at its best. It was total sensationalism, cruelty.
Do you think you get a harder time from the tabloids than other famous people get?
I’m in a microscope. I mean, I have my whole life as a microscope, therefore some people weigh into it, some people weigh out. And, you know, it was just a very, very seriously cruel act which, which broke my heart.
You talk in the book a lot about, and you mention it there, you know, that you had a massive lapse in judgement, which anybody can have. But it did involve somebody giving you money, did alarm bells not go off?
I think, Belinda, this is not a tabloid interview, so don’t make it, don’t take it down that road. We’ve discussed it.
No, but I’m wanting to see why… I mean, most people…
We’ve discussed it, I don’t want to discuss it…
… with a suitcase full of money.
No, no. It wasn’t a suitcase full of money, and I think we’re gonna drop it right now. Thank you.
You cannot answer, waved on, but when you found out that this fake sheik as you call him.
I didn’t call him a fake sheik. He is called the fake sheik ‘cos somebody else, the press, called him that. The, the… he is a journalist. He is a… whatever he is, and he came to me by a friend who had been my friend for fifteen years, who introduced me to him as his, as her father’s best friend. He told me about the divorce of his family and that his children were so sad. In fact, he had no children, and I’m a very good mother. I am also a philanthropist and a humanitarian, and when someone tells me that they’ve got children that are brokenhearted because of a divorce, I spent nearly three  hours talking to him about his children that didn’t exist. My instinct was that I couldn’t understand why he was so upset and nervous. So I asked him why his leg was twitching, and his eyes moved strangely, and he said he was so upset about his children. In fact, my instinct should have been then and there to walk away. My instinct, I overrode my instinct due to, as Dr Phil says, my addiction to people-pleasing. I did not accept a suitcase full of money in order for it to be, you know, for my own good. It was in order for me to fulfill that addiction which is to make sure everybody is paid, my debts were paid, and everything was cleared. It wasn’t a suitcase full of money and you oughtn’t to say that. You should know better as an editor-at-large.
So you were at… I think when you got the phone call, actually it was your daughter who got the phone call saying it was a…
I, I can’t, I really would rather if we were going to talk about the book, we’re going to talk about the book, and the future and my going forward. I think I’ve addressed your questions, and I don’t wish to go forward on those.
Okay, all right. One of the big things of the book, and I think it must come out too is your family, the affection you have for your daughters and the real affection and admiration you still have for Andrew.
And he for me.
And he for you, indeed.
Let us remember that there’s two sides to every story.
Absolutely. And that becomes… you write glowingly about him and you talk about how close you are. Have you ever considered getting remarried?
No, I don’t. I think our fairy tale will end in the way where we are right now. He’s the oak and I’m the cypress like Kahlil Gibran said in the Prophet. And we, we grow to the light, and we both encourage each other to, to, with honour and respect for each other to grow. And I think that’s exciting.
Have you got to meet Catherine at all yet?
Not at all.
I’d like to hear what advice you had for her.
Wouldn’t dare to, too busy. And I, and if it was about mothering, yes, I’d love to give advice. But about anything else I don’t think I’m in a position to.
So speaking of mothering, your daughter got a taste of, you know, being in the tabloid eye… with her, the hat that she wore to the wedding. Did you give her advice about that?
No, I was in Thailand. I’m proud of my daughters so the fact that Beatrice turned the disaster into triumph by selling it for $132,000 for Unicef and Children in Crises is the most extraordinary achievement. And it was all her idea.
The book and the TV show is like a journey of self-discovery. It’s like finding Sarah, and the Duchess a journey, what have you discovered, what have you discovered about yourself?
It’s not about me, really. It’s about me talking and learning about what it is to let the mind’s thoughts rule you in your day. Are you going to change it and become more positive, are you going to change it and not believe it? Or are you going to indulge into believing the negative thoughts that come into your head? So I will’ve… I’ve learnt this Dr Phil tells me, so are you gonna sit on the bleachers or are you going to be in the center of the playground in the football field? And I’ve decided to be in the center of the football field.
Even though that comes at some cost?
Whatever! It is what it is. As the media can be a powerful tool or a vicious weapon, both are the same really, depends how you use it.
Okay, well, thank you very much…
Thank you.
… Duchess for your time.
Thank you.

Key:
1T 2T 3F 4T 5F 6F 7F 8F

Butlering at Buckingham Palace

Find out about Lindsay Steele, who has become the first person in the UK to obtain an NVQ Diploma in Butlering.

Self-study activity:
Watch this two-minute video and answer the questions about it.

The activity is suitable for intermediate students.



1 How many people will be attending the luncheon honour of the Lebanese president?
2 Which word is used as a synonym of butlers?
3 Which two events did Lindsay have to deal with in the same week?
4 What has Lindsay been a pioneer of?
5 What five qualities she mentions are necessary to be a good butler? (You may need to stop the video to note them down.)
6 When and where will students be able to obtain the diploma to become a butler?

You can check your answers by reading the transcript below.

The Duke of York is due to host a luncheon honour of the Lebanese president. A table is being set for 27 guests in the State Dining Room at Buckingham Palace and everything has to be perfect.
I’m just… doing a final check of the table and everything, all the plates are straight and in line, make sure that the napkins are folded correctly, there's no cutlery missing.
Lindsay Steel has been a footman or butler here for two years. It is her dream job.
When I first started I was definitely a little star-struck, I tried not to show it but it's just natural, you can’t help it, but now I am, I think I can handle it pretty professionally. Lately we had a Mexican state visit where I had to look after it directly, they were very pleasant, very nice people, but during that week we also had the G20 summit, where they all had state in one reception, it was quite [an] intense week.
At 27 and female she's a long way from the stereotype of Jeeves the butler. She is the modern face of the profession and has a certificate to prove it. Lindsay has just become the first person in the country to pass her butler's diploma, a nationally recognised qualification that was designed by her boss at the Palace.
What does it take to be a good butler?
It takes dedication, passion to just provide a good standard of service, no matter who you're serving, organization skills, discretion and good communication skills, all those things.
Not everyone can train within the grand corridors and staterooms of Buckingham Palace but they can now learn what it takes as this course brings royal standards to the masses. From September the diploma will be available nationwide, and students will become adept at coordinating travel plans as they will at setting a tea tray. The aim is to nurture a new generation of elite butlers who provide service fit for a queen.

Royal baby clothing at the Museum of London

July has seen the arrival of a new member of the Royal Family. The Museum of London has on display royal baby clothing. Fashion curator Timothy Long has selected some of the pieces and he shows them on this video.

Self-study activity:
Watch the three-minute video and answer the questions about it.

The activity is suitable for intermediate students.



1 When did the London Museum open?
2 Where were the items from the Royal Family originally shown?
3 What material is the robe made of?
4 Who was Prince Albert Edward?
5 What is special about Princess Alice's shoes?
6 What name did Prince Albert Eward use as a monarch?
7 What does PW stand for?
8 What items belong to Princess Alice and Princess Beatrice?
9 What items belong to Princess Louis and Princess Victoria?

To check your answers, you can read the transcript below.

Hello, my name is Timothy Long. I am curator of fashion and decorative arts at the Museum of London. The arrival of the newest member of the Royal Family is a momentous occasion that has captured the world's attention.
The Museum of London has quite a rare connection to the Royal Family because prior to the formation of the Museum of London in 1976 the museum was two different institutions. One was the Guildhall Museum and the other was the London Museum, which opened in Kensington Palace in 1912.
Kensington Palace accumulated an impressive collection of material that documents both the city of London, but also very unique items from the members of the Royal Family. Today we're going to focus on the material related to Queen Victoria's children. 
This is a robe that was made for one of Queen Victoria's children and what becomes quite apparent when you look closely at the pieces, the tremendous skill and craftsmanship that went into its production. It's a cotton child's robe that has a great deal of cotton thread embroidery and that lays all the way across the front of the piece.
This infant cap was worn by Prince Albert Edward, who was born in 1841. It was the second child of Queen Victoria and it is made of a very, very fine cotton fabric that has been embroidered with cotton thread across the front as well as a floral scene at the center back.
These shoes were worn by Princess Alice. The significance here is that these were actually made by her mother, Queen Victoria. Alice was born in 1843 but these were made for her a few years later and are made of a very fine white wall that have been embroidered and verifying silk thread in a floral pattern across the front throughout the sides and also at the center back.
These shoes here document two different generations of the Royal Family in the 19th century. If you look closely at a few of the pairs you can get some clues about the individual member who wore those items.
This pair in particular, if you turn over, you can see that someone has written Prince of Wales across the front, so you know for certain that this was worn by Prince Albert Edward when he was a child before eventually becoming King Edward VII.
We have a bed sheet that was used by Prince Albert Edward when he was a child. This piece was made in 1842. We can see that by the date above which you have PW for Prince of Wales, and above that we have the embroidery of a small crown in red thread.
Additional accessories in the collection related to the Royal Family are pieces that we have here from a few pairs of stockings worn by Queen Victoria's daughters, Princess Alice and Princess Beatrice, very finely embroidered both with the initials of the wearer as well as the royal crown, as well as two kid leather gloves worn by Queen Victoria's granddaughters, Princess Louis and Princess Victoria.
As the capital prepares itself for the newest royal arrival, we here at the Museum of London are looking forward to seeing what the next generation of royal baby clothing will be.

The Duchess of Cambridge, in support of Children's Hospices

Watch the Duchess of Cambridge  video message in support for the charity Together for Short Lives.

Self-study activity:
Watch the video and complete the blanks in the transcript with the missing information.

The activity is suitable for Básico 2 and Intermediate 1 students.



As Patron of East Anglia’s Children’s Hospices, I’ve been fortunate to see at first hand through (1) ... work that they do for children and young people with life limiting conditions and their families. It is simply transformational. There are (2) ...  children’s hospice services across the UK, all providing similar, invaluable and life enhancing care to thousands of families.

Children’s Hospice Week is the time to recognize, celebrate and support the inspirational work of those Hospices and those who (3) ... palliative care to these children and families. Children’s hospices (3) ...  (4) ... to families at a time of unimaginable pain. The support they give is vital. In order to (5) ...   ... this wonderful work, our help is needed. With our support those providing children’s palliative care can continue to offer these extraordinary (6) ... . It does not bare thinking about what these families would do without this. I hope that you’ll (7) ... me this Children’s Hospice Week, in supporting your local service.

To find out more about how you can help, please visit TogetherForShortlives.org.uk

With your support we can (8) ... that these children and their families can make the most of the precious time they have together.

Key:
1 remarkable 2 forty-nine 3 provide 4 lifelines 5 carry out 6 services 7 join 8 ensure

The first portrait of the Duchess of Cambridge

Early in January 2013 The National Portrait Gallery unveiled the first portrait of the Duchess of Cambridge. Artist Paul Emsley explains some details of the steps he followed in the process of painting the portrait.

Self-study activity:
Watch the video and answer the questions below. Despite the fact that some of the questions are a bit lengthy, the anwers aren't. Keep them short and do not write complex notes that may distract you from what is actually being said.

This activity is suitable for Intermediate 2 students.



1 Did the Duchess express her opinion of the portrait?
2 How many days did the Duchess and the photographer meet before the actual sessions began?
3 Why does he prefer working from a photograph to the real model?
4 When the artist talks about the ‘actual picture that we felt was the greatest potential’, what different parts of the head does he mention?
5 What part of her physique does everyone recognize the Duchess by?
6 Why did the artist slightly change the colour of her eyes?
7 Why doesn’t the artist like having too many things in the background?
8 What is the Duchess like in the artist’s opinion?

To check your answers, you can read the transcript below.

The Duchess explained that she would like to be portrayed naturally, her natural self as opposed to her official self.
I met the Duchess at the Portrait Gallery to discuss the portrait, the first time. We then had a meeting at Kensington Palace to discuss it again. And after that, she came down for the day, and we did many, many photographs, which I worked from; and then we had the second session. And for many years, I’ve worked from life, and I find I’m always worried about the sitter/session. I’m always worried; are they cold – are they cold, are they hot, are they comfortable? And photography today is so accurate and so good that it’s really so much easier just to take photographs and work from that. It just seems to work very well for me.
That was the actual picture that we felt was the greatest potential for the painting, because it had, it just seem to have a nice shape of the hair, the light on the face, and the general expression generally. And then I make close-ups, which give me all the details of things like the eyes. This was more for the earring and for the mouth, the curls of the hair and for the bow of the blouse.
We did say in the beginning that we were going to make a feature of her hair, because it is a strong feature about her, and everyone I think recognizes her partly through her lovely hair. And I tried to form a sort of a – just sort of a – I mean I didn’t – it wasn’t conscious, it just happened that this rather nice circular movement occurred.
I’ve altered the color of the eyes slightly to match the color of the blouse, and the blue background. And that has obviously occurred as well in the earring. And quite often in the shade, there is a shadow on the face in the modeling. And all that just helps to create a kind of a harmony, you know.
Most of my work actually is quite simple really, I mean, I don’t have lots of things in the background, and so on. And I do like large faces, I find them strong, contemporary. And I’m interested in the landscape of a face. And the way in which light and shadow fall across the forms, that’s really my subject matter. So to have anything else in there really is just an interference.
She struck me as enormously open, and generous actually, and a very warm person to meet. So I after initially feeling it was going to be an unsmiling portrait as you know – I think actually that it’s – it was the right choice in the end to have her smiling, because it does, that’s really who she is, I think.

The Queen's Christmas 2012 speech

This is Queen Elizabeth's Christmas message on 24th December, where she reflects on her Diamond Jubilee and the Olympics.

The video clip is a bit lengthy but for English learners at an intermediate level and above, it is an extraordinary opportunity to come face to face with English in a stress-free situation.

If you are after an activity around the message, St George International has devised a straightforward task around the use of regular and irregular verbs in the speech.



This past year has been one of great celebration for many. The enthusiasm which greeted the Diamond Jubilee was, of course, especially memorable for me and my family.

It was humbling that so many chose to mark the anniversary of a duty which passed to me 60 years ago. People of all ages took the trouble to take part in various ways and in many nations. But perhaps most striking of all was to witness the strength of fellowship and friendship among those who had gathered together on these occasions.

Prince Philip and I were joined by our family on the River Thames as we paid tribute to those who have shaped the United Kingdom's past and future as a maritime nation, and welcomed a wonderful array of craft, large and small, from across the Commonwealth.

On the barges and the bridges and the banks of the river there were people who had taken their places to cheer through the mist, undaunted by the rain. That day there was a tremendous sense of common determination to celebrate, triumphing over the elements.

That same spirit was also in evidence from the moment the Olympic flame arrived on these shores. The flame itself drew hundreds and thousands of people on its journey around the British Isles, and was carried by every kind of deserving individual, many nominated for their own extraordinary service.

As London hosted a splendid summer of sport, all those who saw the achievement and courage at the Olympic and Paralympic Games were further inspired by the skill, dedication, training and teamwork of our athletes. In pursuing their own sporting goals, they gave the rest of us the opportunity to share something of the excitement and drama.

We were reminded, too, that the success of these great festivals depended to an enormous degree upon the dedication and effort of an army of volunteers. Those public-spirited people came forward in the great tradition of all those who devote themselves to keeping others safe, supported and comforted.

For many, Christmas is also a time for coming together. But for others, service will come first. Those serving in our armed forces, in our emergency services and in our hospitals, whose sense of duty takes them away from family and friends, will be missing those they love.

And those who have lost loved ones may find this day especially full of memories. That's why it's important at this time of year to reach out beyond our familiar relationships to think of those who are on their own.

At Christmas I am always struck by how the spirit of togetherness lies also at the heart of the Christmas story. A young mother and a dutiful father with their baby were joined by poor shepherds and visitors from afar. They came with their gifts to worship the Christ child. From that day on he has inspired people to commit themselves to the best interests of others.

This is the time of year when we remember that God sent his only son 'to serve, not to be served'. He restored love and service to the centre of our lives in the person of Jesus Christ.

It is my prayer this Christmas Day that his example and teaching will continue to bring people together to give the best of themselves in the service of others.

The carol, In The Bleak Midwinter, ends by asking a question of all of us who know the Christmas story, of how God gave himself to us in humble service: "What can I give him, poor as I am? If I were a shepherd, I would bring a lamb; if I were a wise man, I would do my part". The carol gives the answer "Yet what I can I give him - give my heart".

I wish you all a very happy Christmas

Queen Elizabeth's life

In early June a number of events took place all over Britain to celebrate the Queen's Diamond Jubilee, the sixtieth anniversary of Queen Elizabeth's accession to the throne.

A jubilee is a special anniversary of an event, and as Jeffrey Hill informed a few weeks ago, the 60th anniversary of an event is known as a diamond jubilee, the 50th is a golden jubilee, and the 25th a silver jubilee.

You can find out about the Jubilee celebrations and events on http://www.thediamondjubilee.org/.


For the English learner there is lots of material and stuff on the net about this celebration and  http://www.thediamondjubilee.org can keep us busy for some time to practise our English, but  I came across this video from the Canadian CBC about Queen Elizabeth's life that I found really interesting and accessible to learners.

I hope you enjoy it. No task, watch the video clip and try to understand as much as possible.

Charles as weatherman

A few weeks ago Prince Charles visited the BBC Scotland studios and was invited to give the weather forecast that you can watch below together with a transcript of everything he says.



Well it’s an unsettled picture as we head towards the end of the week. This afternoon it’ll be cold, wet and windy across most of Scotland. We are under the influence of low pressure and this weather front pushing northwards is bringing clouds and outbreaks of rain. The rain, of course, will be heaviest over the borders and around Edinburgh, where it could lead to difficult conditions on the roads.

In the west, rain will be lighter and patchier with maybe a few drier interludes over Dumfries House in Ayrshire. There will be snow for the higher ground of the Highlands and Aberdeenshire. There will be the potential for a few flurries over Balmoral…who the hell wrote this script!

The best of the drier and brighter weather will, of course, be over the far northern isles and far north of the mainland. So a little hazy sunshine for the Castle of Mey and Caithness. But a cold day everywhere with temperatures of just eight celsius and a brisk north easterly wind.
Thank God it isn’t a bank holiday!

If you want to get an explanation of some of the weather vocabulary Prince Charles uses in his forecast, you can drop by St George International webpage, where Bren Brennan has prepared a short lesson.

Kate Middleton's First Public Speech

A few weeks ago the Duchess of Cambridge made her first public speech since the royal wedding at the East Anglia Children's Hospice in Ipswich.

Self-study activity:
Watch Kate Middleton's speech and complete the blanks in the transcript with the missing words. The activity is suitable for Básico 2 students.



First of all, I’d like to say thank you. Thank you for not only accepting me as your (1) ... but thank you also for inviting me here today.
You have all made me feel so (2) ... and I feel hugely honoured to be here to see this wonderful centre. I am only sorry that William (3) ... be here today; he would love it here.
A view of his that I share is that through team work so much can be (4) ... . What you have all (4) ... is extraordinary. You as a community have built the Treehouse; a group of people who have made every effort to (5) ... and help each other.
When I first visited the (6) ... in Milton, I had a pre-conceived idea as to what to expect. Far from being a clinical, depressing place for sick children, it was a home. Most importantly, it was a family home, a happy place of stability, (5) ... and care. It was a place of (7) ... .
Today, I have seen again that the Treehouse is all about family and (7) ... . For many, this is a home from home — a lifeline enabling families to live as normally as possible during a very precious period of time.
What you do is inspirational, it is a shining example of the (5) ... and the care that is delivered, not just here, but in the children’s (6) ... movement at large, up and down the country.
The feelings you inspire, feelings of love and of (8) ... , offer a chance to families to live a life they never thought could be possible.
So thank you again for inviting me here today. I feel enormously (9) ... to be part of East Anglia’s Children’s Hospices and to see the wonderful life-changing work that you do. Thank you.

Key:
1 patron 2 welcome 3 can’t 4 achieved 5 support 6 hospice 7 fun 8 hope 9 proud 

Prince Harry assists friend

Self-study activity:
Watch this short BBC video which tells us about the way Prince Harry helped a friend who had just been robbed and answer the questions below.

1 Where did Prince Harry meet Thomas van Straubenzee?
2 When was the date, day of week and time events happened?
3 How did Prince Harry get to the place where his friend was?
4 Where did he go when he was unable to find his friend?
5 What did he have to do there?
6 Has anyone been arrested for the crime?
7 What did the thief steal from Thomas van Straubenzee?

You can read the transcript here.

Key:
1 At prep school. 2 Wednesday 30 Nov 8.30 in the evening. 3 Driving his own car. 4 To (Battersea) police station. 5 He gave a statement as a witness. 6 Yes, a man in his twenties. 7 A Blackberry mobile phone.

The Queen's Christmas broadcast 2011

This is the speech Queen Elizabeth made for Chritsmas this year.  It is quite a lengthy video clip, upwards of seven minutes, but it is worth watching: The message has a universal value -the crisis, natural disasters, solidarity, hope for the future and resembles the speeches many other dignataries make.

Students at an intermediate level can greatly benefit from it. The speech is delivered at a slow pace and the vocabulary is not difficult, except for a few words and cultural references. Watch it without reading the transcript in the first place and see how much you understand.

It can also help us develop our pronunciation: Have you ever tried the technique of shadow reading? Choose a short passage in the speech and listen to the Queen deliver it. Then, play it again and try to read at the same pace as the Queen does.



In this past year my family and I have been inspired by the courage and hope we have seen in so many ways in Britain, in the Commonwealth and around the world. We’ve seen that it’s in hardship that we often find strength from our families; it’s in adversity that new friendships are sometimes formed; and it’s in a crisis that communities break down barriers and bind together to help one another.

Families, friends and communities often find a source of courage rising up from within. Indeed, sadly, it seems that it is tragedy that often draws out the most and the best from the human spirit.

When Prince Philip and I visited Australia this year we saw for ourselves the effects of natural disaster in some of the areas devastated by floods, where in January so many people lost their lives and their livelihoods. We were moved by the way families and local communities held together to support each other.
Prince William travelled to New Zealand and Australia in the aftermath of earthquakes, cyclones and floods and saw how communities rose up to rescue the injured, comfort the bereaved and rebuild the cities and towns devastated by nature.

The Prince of Wales also saw first hand the remarkable resilience of the human spirit after tragedy struck in a Welsh mining community, and how communities can work together to support their neighbours.

This past year has also seen some memorable and historic visits – to Ireland and from America.

The spirit of friendship so evident in both these nations can fill us all with hope. Relationships that years ago were once so strained have through sorrow and forgiveness blossomed into long term friendship. It is through this lens of history that we should view the conflicts of today, and so give us hope for tomorrow.

Of course, family does not necessarily mean blood relatives but often a description of a community, organisation or nation. The Commonwealth is a family of 53 nations, all with a common bond, shared beliefs, mutual values and goals.

It is this which makes the Commonwealth a family of people in the truest sense, at ease with each other, enjoying its shared history and ready and willing to support its members in the direst of circumstances. They have always looked to the future, with a sense of camaraderie, warmth and mutual respect while still maintaining their individualism.

The importance of family has, of course, come home to Prince Philip and me personally this year with the marriages of two of our grandchildren, each in their own way a celebration of the God-given love that binds a family together.

For many this Christmas will not be easy. With our armed forces deployed around the world, thousands of service families face Christmas without their loved ones at home. The bereaved and the lonely will find it especially hard. And, as we all know, the world is going through difficult times. All this will affect our celebration of this great Christian festival.

Finding hope in adversity is one of the themes of Christmas. Jesus was born into a world full of fear. The angels came to frightened shepherds with hope in their voices: ‘Fear not’, they urged, ‘we bring you tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people. For unto you is born this day in the City of David a Saviour who is Christ the Lord.’

Although we are capable of great acts of kindness, history teaches us that we sometimes need saving from ourselves – from our recklessness or our greed. God sent into the world a unique person – neither a philosopher nor a general, important though they are – but a Saviour, with the power to forgive.

Forgiveness lies at the heart of the Christian faith. It can heal broken families, it can restore friendships and it can reconcile divided communities. It is in forgiveness that we feel the power of God’s love.

In the last verse of this beautiful carol, O Little Town of Bethlehem, there’s a prayer:

O Holy Child of Bethlehem
Descend to us we pray
Cast out our sin
And enter in
Be born in us today
It is my prayer that on this Christmas day we might all find room in our lives for the message of the angels and for the love of God through Christ our Lord.

I wish you all a very happy Christmas.

William and Kate interview in full

When did William propose to Kate?
Whose ring did William give Kate?
How did William's and Kate's families react at the news?
How many children are William and Kate planning to have?
When did they set eyes on each other?
Have they ever lived together?
When did each meet their partner's family?
Is it true that they really split up once?
Is William's mother casting a long shadow over Kate?

These are some of the questions that William and Kate answered on their BBC interview in November 2010 when they announced their engagement.

We posted a listening activity based on a YouTube clip on this blog about the event back then, but YouTube deleted the videoclip and so we were obliged to erase the activity.

Now thanks to Nadia Zaramella, from A Little Brit of Us, I have managed to spot the interview in full on the BBC site, together with a full transcript that she is providing.

The whole interview is a bit lengthy, 17+ minutes, and only suitable for strong intermediate students, but I guess we can do a number of thing to get to grips with it all:

1 Watch through and see how much you understand.
2 Watch first, read the transcript later on, and watch again.
3 Watch and read at the same time.

Whatever you do, you have tons of listening and reading material to get you through for some during the summer break.

Thank you, Nadia.

How much do you know about Kate and Will's wedding?

Kate Middleton and William are getting married this weekend. The event is on everyone's lips, and that gave Vicki Hollett, from Learning to Speak 'merican, the idea for this wonderful listening and speaking activity.

First of all, test yourself on your knowledge of both the wedding and the British royal family, and answer these questions:

Do you know much about the British royal family?
Do you know the names of the people getting married?
Do you know any other members of the royal family?
How do you know so many names?
Is there too much or too little about the wedding on TV?
Are you going to watch the wedding?

Now compare your answers with those of the American people Vicki interviewed.



You can read a transcript of what people say here.

Thank you for sharing, Vicki.