Unknown and/or poorly regarded during his life, William Blake has posthumously become recognised as one of Engliand's greatest poets. Join us as we review one of his works which everyone should know. Suitable for advanced EFL students and teachers, and frequently included in GCSE and IGCSE Literature text lists.
17 October 2024
12 October 2024
Essays you need to read
08 October 2024
Plug-and-Play Reading Comprehension / Literature lesson : Essay "The Death of the Moth" by Virginia Woolf
Our four-part series on this work by one of the most important and influential feminist literary voices is for students, teachers and advanced users of English. This text, widely regarded as one of the most significant twentieth-centiury essays and which should be read and discussed by all, is also suitable for Cambridge and IB Language, Literature and Lang&Lit programmes.
30 June 2024
Poetry "Health Fanatic" by John Cooper Clarke
For most, if not all, English teachers today, the "punk poet" is likely unknown and yet his fast-paced, strongly rhymic and rhythmic street or urban poetry is and has been highly influential. Clarke still tours worldwide, reading his witty, humorous and often ascerbic commentaries on the world in which we live. "Health Fanatic" is one of these.
05 May 2024
Planning a Novel Study
01 December 2023
Plug-and-Play Reading Comprehension / Literature lesson : Essay "Professions for Women" by Virginia Woolf
Our four-part series on this work by one of the most important and influential feminist literary voices. This text is suitable for Cambridge and IB Language, Literature and Lang&Lit programmes.
02 October 2023
Plug-and-Play Reading Comprehension / Literature lesson : Essay "My Periodic Table" by Oliver Sacks
Our four-part series on this moving reflective essay for students, teachers and those interested in literature, and with a passing knowledge of Chemistry. This deeply-poignant. personal and humorous text by one of our most significant contemporary authors was written on the eve of his death; you may know him from The Man Who Mistook His Wife For A Hat.
06 July 2023
Plug-and-Play Reading Comprehension / Literature lesson : Essay "Fire on Christmas Eve" by Dylan Thomas
17 October 2022
Poetry "It Says Here" by Billy Bragg
One of our short poems which can be used with the G12 / 4ºM topic. "The media and the message in today’s globalised world". this can be viewed as a single literary work, source for language acquisition and development or a prompt for further exploration and discussion of the points raised.
Poetry "Headline History" by William Plomer
One of our short poems which can be used with the G12 / 4ºM topic. "The media and the message in today’s globalised world". this can be viewed as a single literary work, source for language acquisition and development or a prompt for further exploration and discussion of the points raised.
15 October 2022
Poetry "Gutter Press" by Paul Dehn
One of our short poems which can be used with the G12 / 4ºM topic. "The media and the message in today’s globalised world". this can be viewed as a single literary work, source for language acquisition and development or a prompt for further exploration and discussion of the points raised.
Poetry "Girl Reporter" by Philip Hobsbaum
An interesting, critical and perhaps somewhat bitter description of journalists and journalism. One of our short poems which can be used with the G12 / 4ºM topic. "The media and the message in today’s globalised world". this can be viewed as a single literary work, source for language acquisition and development or a prompt for further exploration and discussion of the points raised.
Poetry "Eating Noddemix" by Young Marble Giants
Show your students you really are the cool teacher you know you are with this work from the album Kurt Cobain called "one of the most influential records he had ever heard". One of our short poems which can be used with the G12 / 4ºM topic. "The media and the message in today’s globalised world". this can be viewed as a single literary work, source for language acquisition and development or a prompt for further exploration and discussion of the points raised.
14 October 2022
Poetry - five short poems for G12 / 4ºM English
We present five short poems which can be used with the G12 / 4ºM topic. "The media and the message in today’s globalised world". Each can be viewed as single literary works, sources for language acquisition and development or prompts for further exploration and discussion of the points raised.
10 October 2022
Poetry "The Sentry" by Wilfred Owen
One of the most important exemplars of first World War "war poetry", this influential poem should be included in every High School English Language and Literature programme, including EFL. The work has also appeared in the Cambridge Literature syllabus, and is appropriate for MYP, IB Dip English A Lang&Lit and AP.
Poetry "The Eagle" by Alfred, Lord Tennyson
This influential poem should be included in every High School English Language and Literature programme, including EFL. The work has also appeared in the Cambridge Literature syllabus, and so is appropriate for MYP, IB Dip English A Lang&Lit and AP.
01 December 2021
Open Study
An Open Study is a student-selected and student-directed piece of writing where s/he applies the Response and Analysis tools and techniques acquired and developed in class to literary and non-literary texts. Students select the texts and areas for discussion, while also producing a piece truly representative of the student's competencies and suitable for summative evaluation.
25 November 2021
Evaluating writing through portfolios
Over the course of a year or a programme or a cycle, students amass a significant quantity of written work, some of which shows progress and development, some achievement. These are of course not the same, and a focus on the latter harms the former. Portfolio assessment means the student selects pieces from his/her annual, programme or cycle corpus against defined criteria and the selection as a whole is then assessed, being both representative as will as summative.
28 May 2021
Plug-and-Play Reading Comprehension / Literature lesson : Essay "A Hanging" by George Orwell
Our four-part series on this work, widely regarded as one of the most significant twentieth-century essays and which should be read and discussed by all, is for students, teachers and those interested in literature. This text comes from the Cambridge English Literature book list, and is also appropriate for IB Language, Literature and Lang&Lit programmes.
24 May 2021
Short Story "The Secret Life of Walter MItty" by James Thurber
This is one of those "classics" everyone should have read, and it should be included in any Middle and/or High School English Language and/or Literature programme.