Topical English Activities

An esl listening and vocabulary lesson about the history of St Patrick's Day for adult English language students and young learners. Learn about this fun festival celebrated by Irish people around the globe, and complete some follow-on activities. Includes speaking practice activities for the GESE grade 5 B1 SELT 'Life in The UK' Test.

A reading and vocabulary lesson about April Fool's Day, a light-hearted tradition which involves playing tricks on people. Read about April Fool's Day, learn the difference between the words fun and funny, and guess if some newspaper headlines about April Fool's pranks are true or false. Part of a free series of online lessons about British life and culture designed to help people practise their English and prepare for the Life in the UK Citizenship test.

A simple English reading activity for adult esl students and young learners. Read an easy version of the story of St George and The Dragon. Includes self-marking quizzes, with feedback.

A lesson about Friday the 13th superstitions for English language learners, with example sentences, reading, listening and writing activities, and a follow-up quiz on the song Superstition, by Stevie Wonder. Browse our site for many more free online English word games, vocabulary quizzes, lesson activities and worksheets for learners at all levels of English, and free lesson resources for ELT and literacy tutors.

A free online reading lesson for English students of all ages. Learn the story behind the popular ballet the Nutcracker by the Russian composer Tchaikovsky, a Christmas time favourite for adults and children in the USA. Part of a free series of online lessons for English language learners about holidays, festivals, and cultural events in the USA. Browse our site menus for hundreds more free English exercises, games, and quizzes to help you learn English, and free TEFL lesson materials for teaching English as a second or other language to adults and young learners.

A listening and vocabulary lesson about happiness and how to cultivate it, for IELTS students and Advanced English learners. Watch a short video with tips on how to cultivate happiness and stay happy, and then complete a multiple choice quiz to test your understanding. Part of a free series of life skills lessons for English language learners, with interactive quizzes.

An esl reading and vocabulary lesson for English language students about The Notting Hill Carnival, a popular London event which is held in the United Kingdom every year over the August bank holiday weekend. Learn about London's famous multicultural Notting Hill Carnival and complete a multiple choice quiz to test how much you have understood.

An easy Elementary English lesson about photography, which gives a simple explanation of the word and related vocabulary. Includes an easy online quiz with an answer key and feedback. Suitable for use in lessons or self-study outside class.

A mobile friendly mini English lesson about spring, for adult elementary esl students and young learners. Includes audio and a self-marking grammar quiz with feedback. Suitable for use in class, distance learning, or self-study.

A free online English reading activity for adult English language learners and IELTS students, about the British Film and Television Awards, which take place every year. Practise scanning for information by reading a text about the BAFTA awards, and complete a self-marking multiple choice quiz.

A free online English lesson about Burns Night, a Scottish winter festival celebrated on January 25 to mark the birth of Scotland's national poet, Robert Burns. Suitable for self-study at home or use in the classroom.

A video comprehension listening activity for Intermediate English language learners and IELTS Students, about the Mt St Helens eruption in May, 1980. Watch a short video about how the eruption affected the town of Spokane, and then complete an online listening quiz. Part of a free series of English lessons about US people, culture and history. Suitable for conventional or flipped classroom use, or home study.

Test your English listening skills with this video listening activity for Intermediate adult esl students and young learners. Saint Geaorge is England's patron saint. Watch a video about how to make St George's Day cottage pie, a traditional British dish with an Afro-Caribbean twist. Includes a self-marking multiple choice quiz.

An online English listening and vocabulary lesson about superstorms. Includes a vocabulary quiz and an interactive reading and writing exercise to practise using new words in context.

An elementary level crossword activity for adult English language students and young learners about November festivals, celebrations and historical events. Mobile friendly and suitable for all ages.

English vocabulary for starting college and finding your way around. Includes vocabulary word lists, study skills primers, interactive quizzes and free downloadable worksheets for English students to learn and practise words for classroom things, classroom instructions, and other high frequency words connected with studying and attending classes. Suitable for teacher led use in the classroom, or self-study.

Very easy crossword puzzle for adult English language learners and kids to learn, revise, and practise spelling words for summer weather. Test how many English words to describe summer weather you know. Great for differentiation and fast finishers!