Time to celebrate Shakespeare!

Shakespeare's big anniversary is approaching - it's 400 years since his death on 23rd of April. See the video below if you want to understand why he is so beloved by speakers of English around the world. There are many, many reasons, but his use of the language is what makes him THE master.



Try the quiz below to test yourself on a few of the hundreds of English phrases which entered common usage by means of Shakespeare's plays and sonnets:

Suffragette

Here is a trailer for the film I am going to watch with my MA studies groups. Don't watch the trailer if you want to avoid spoilers - as many other trailers these days, it reveals a few important points in the story. With the recent developments around women's rights in Poland, I think this film should be obligatory viewing in schools and universities. Whether you identify yourself as a feminist or not, you must be aware of how hard women had to fight for their rights back then, and how much we take them for granted. If you haven't seen it yet, come and join us on Wednesday 13 April, 11.20 am., room 513A.

"Conversations On Broadway" with David Tennant

Here is a TREAT for you! I think this is the most enjoyable interview I have ever heard, and I HAVE heard a lot! You can hear David Tennant, the star of British TV, film, and theatre, talking to an American host Richard Ridge not only about his first New York performance (in Shakespeare's Richard II) but also about the beginnings of his career, his other projects, his experience of stage fright, his encounters with such big names as Michael Gambon and Maggie Smith (when making one of Harry Potter movies), and many many other topics. At the end, the host host says, "Thank you for one of the best nights, and I've been doing it for a long time!" (I'm afraid you need to let the commercial run before the interview begins.)