Wednesday 20 March is the date of the Spring Equinox in 2024, in the Northern Hemisphere. The Northern Hemisphere is the part of the world that is north of the equator. It has about 90 percent of the world’s population and most of the world’s land. So, for most people in the world, 20 March marks the start of spring. The Spring Equinox is also called the Vernal Equinox. On this day, the hours of daylight are almost equal to the hours of darkness.
There are lots of different time zones all over the world. The time zone in the UK is called Greenwich Mean Time or GMT. This time changes twice a year, once at the end of March (when the clocks go forward) and once at the end of October (when the clocks go back). The period of time between the end of March and the end of October is officially known as British Summer Time or BST.
20 March is also International Day of Happiness – according to the United Nations. It was probably chosen because it coincides with the start of spring. The start of spring means better weather and more sunshine – which makes people happy!
Quiz:
1) What is the date of the Spring Equinox in the Northern Hemisphere, in 2024?
2) How many percent of the world’s population live in the northern hemisphere?
3) What’s another name for the Spring Equinox?
4) What is GMT short for?
5) In what months of the year do the clocks change in the UK?
6) What is BST short for?
7) According to the United Nations, why is 20 March a special day?
8) Do you know what the time zone in your country is called?
Fill in the blanks in the text, using the correct comparative form of the adjectives in this list:
warm green long happy early dark sunny good short light late blue
My favourite season is spring. It’s so much ________ than winter. In spring the weather is ________ and _________. The days are ________ and the nights are __________ (it gets ________ _________ in the morning and _________ _________ at night). The skies are ________ and the trees are _________. People are __________.
St Patrick’s Day is celebrated every year on 17 March. Saint Patrick is the patron saint of Ireland. He lived in the 5th century and he became a saint because he converted the Irish people from paganism to Christianity. The legend goes that he banished snakes from Ireland although Ireland never had any snakes. Perhaps people who started the legend were describing pagans as snakes!
Ireland is the big island that lies to the west of Great Britain. Ireland has a very complicated history and it can be confusing for people. The bigger part of the island is called the Republic of Ireland or Eire or just Ireland, and it’s an independent country. A smaller area in the north-east is called Northern Ireland, and it’s part of the United Kingdom. Most people in Northern Island say they are both Irish and British. It is complicated – especially now, after Brexit!
Each country in the UK has its own patron saint who has his own special day. However St Patrick is the only one whose day is a national holiday. It’s a national holiday for the whole of Ireland and people have big parties and parades. The day is celebrated in other parts of the world too – particularly in the United States. Big St Patrick’s Day parades are held every year in New York and Chicago and other cities with an Irish connection. There are also parades in British cities like Birmingham, Manchester and Liverpool. The reason these cities have an Irish connection is because Irish people moved (or immigrated) to these places for work many years before.
Ireland has lots of interesting stories and legends. One funny legend is all about leprechauns. A leprechaun is a tiny little man with magical powers and if you meet one he must give you three wishes. During a St Patrick’s Day celebration you will see many people dressed up as leprechauns. Other things you will see are: the colour green – green is part of the Irish flag and Ireland is also known as the Emerald Isle. You might also see the national symbol of Ireland – the shamrock. You’ll definitely see lots of people drinking Guinness!
International Women’s Day is celebrated every year on 8 March. The day commemorates the movement for women’s rights and is observed in many different countries all over the world. The day is also a celebration of what women have given to the world over the years in various areas like politics. the arts, sport, science and technology. The very first women’s day was called National Women’s Day and was held in New York in 1909. The idea was to draw attention to the political campaign for women to get the vote. During the First World War, women proved they could do the work men traditionally did. This led to women getting the vote in the UK, Ireland, the US, Germany and other countries across Europe.
Women’s rights continue to be a worldwide political issue. Most countries have laws which say women must have equal rights to men. However there is a lot of evidence which shows women are still discriminated against in all areas of life. In recent years, there has been a number of high profile social media campaigns (like #MeToo and #TimesUp) highlighting inequality and sexual harassment.
What’s life like for a woman in the UK? Generally it’s pretty good! There’s been a history of strong and powerful women going to back to Boudicca – the warrior queen who took on the Romans! There was also Queen Elizabeth I who stopped the Spanish Armada and Queen Victoria who ruled over the British Empire. More recently there’s been three Prime Ministers (Margaret Thatcher, Theresa May and Liz Truss) and the First Minister of Scotland (Nicola Sturgeon). Not forgetting Queen Elizabeth II, whose reign as queen of the UK and The Commonwealth lasted for 70 years! In the past, in the UK, there were certain professions that women weren’t encouraged to join – or they were even banned from joining! For example – politics, medicine, engineering, business, the law, the armed forces, aviation, sport (it doesn’t leave a lot – does it?). These days, however, women can be anything they want to be. It’s not all wonderful though! Statistics show there are far fewer women than men in these professions which proves that ‘the glass ceiling‘ still exists.
Using gender-neutral terms is an example of the way languages (including English) change and evolve. For example, saying ‘police officer’ instead of ‘policeman’. But what about words like ‘mankind’, ‘manpower’ and ‘man-made’? Can you think of other words we could use instead?
World Book Day is an annual event which celebrates books and reading. In the UK and Ireland the day is held on the first Thursday in March. World Book Day celebrates all kinds of books but particularly ones for children. On the day there are lots of special events. Children go to school dressed as their favourite characters from their favourite books. Teachers organise special activities like games, quizzes and competitions The idea is to encourage children to read and to love books.
If you are learning English, reading books is a great way of improving your language skills. Start with children’s books or something easy. Choose a subject that you find interesting. If you don’t know a particular word or phrase, look it up in a dictionary. You don’t have to buy books! There are lots of websites where you can read short stories or download free books. You can listen to books as well. There are websites with recordings of people reading stories and books. Listening to them is a wonderful way of improving your comprehension. Be inspired and write your own story! Write about yourself or create your own fictional character.
Edinburgh is a UNESCO City of Literature. It has a famous international book festival which is held every August. There’s also The Writers’ Museum where you can learn all about the many famous writers who were born in or inspired by Edinburgh. The museum is at the top of The Royal Mile and is free to visit. Nearby, on George IV Bridge, is the National Library of Scotland which has a huge collection of old books, newspapers, magazines, maps and lots of other interesting things. On the other side of the street is the Central Lending Library. If you live in Edinburgh, you can join the library and then you can borrow books, DVDs and CDs – for free – from the Central Library and from any of its branches located in all parts of the city. (Most UK towns and cities have lending libraries)
Here’s some useful information about libraries in Edinburgh, Glasgow and Dundee:
3. Where can you find the meaning (or definition) of a word?
4. What is a good way of improving your comprehension?
5. When is the Edinburgh Book Festival held?
6. Name three interesting places in Edinburgh you can visit for free if you like books.
Vocabulary/grammar
1. What’s another word for ‘particularly’?
2. If you encourage someone, is that a good or bad thing?
3. What’s another way of saying ‘look it up’?
4. What does ‘inspired’ mean?
5. What happens when you ‘join’ something? Apart from a library, can you think of other things you can join?
read or read?
‘To read‘ is an irregular verb and can be confusing… In the infinitive and present tenses the ‘ea’ is pronounced with a long ‘ee’ (to read, I/you/we/they read, he/she reads, I am reading). The past tense and past participle of ‘to read’ is ‘read’ which looks exactly like the infinitive/present simple (to read, I/you/we/they read). BUT the ‘ea’ is pronounced with a short ‘eh’ sound (clue: it sounds exactly like ‘red’, the colour).
Time for a test! Look at the following sentences. is it an ‘ee’ or ‘eh’ sound?
1. I read the newspaper every day.
2. I read a great book last week.
3. Did you read the email I sent you?
4. He asked me to read the bus timetable for him.
5. She was bored so she read her magazine.
Discuss
How many different types of book can you think of?
Top Hack Tips for answering the above questions and improving your vocabulary:
Look at a website like Amazon (books), Goodreads, East of the Web or any online book store. There you will see different categories or sections giving a one word or short description of different types of book (fiction, non fiction, crime, murder mystery, thriller, romance, autobiography, cookery, travel, fantasy, sci-fi).
Websites like Amazon invite you to ‘see inside’ which means you can read the start of any book for free. Sometimes they will offer free book downloads – these can be new books (they want to promote new authors) or very old books (where there is no copyright issue). Be careful though! Some websites will offer ‘free’ trials which means they will charge you money later. The sites I’ve listed offer genuine free material.
When you’ve read a book or a story – think about what you’ve read. Write a short review. Imagine you’re telling a friend about it. Think of different words to describe it. This is excellent practice for the speaking part of an ESOL test (like IELTS). Sites like Goodreads encourage readers to write reviews and join in group discussions so it’s kind of like joining a book group.
What if you don’t have a digital device? Or maybe you just prefer a physical book (you can also say ‘print version/copy’). It’s not so easy to get completely free copies of print books but here are my top tips for getting books and not spending too much money.
Libraries and community centres sometimes offer free books. Look for a display near the entrance or ask a member of staff.
Exchange or borrow books from friends, family and neighbours. You can even discuss the books you’ve read.
Bargain shops like Poundland and Home Bargains sell a variety of cheap books.
Charity shops are also a good source of cheap books.
Or you can buy online – World of Books is a good online shop.
St David’s Day is celebrated every year on the first of March in Wales, and by anyone with a Welsh connection living anywhere in the world. Saint David is the patron saint of Wales, which is one of the three countries (Wales, Scotland and England) and one province (Northern Ireland) that make up the United Kingdom.
Wales is situated on the south-west coast of the island of Great Britain with England to the east and the Irish sea to the west. Wales has a reputation for being a mystical land full of song, poetry and fables. Some historians think the original Britons came from Wales and there are historical connections with other ancient peoples like the Celts and the Druids. It’s also thought that Wales was home to King Arthur‘s legendary Camelot! Whatever the truth, Wales has a thriving tourist industry with many people wanting to experience the beautiful landscape and learn about the romantic myths and legends.
The Welsh have a reputation for being good singers with a tradition of ‘male voice choirs’ – whose members were coal miners (another Welsh tradition). Famous singers include Tom Jones, Shirley Bassey and Bryn Terfel. Wales has produced many famous actors too, including Richard Burton, Anthony Hopkins, Michael Sheen and Rhys Ifans. You might also have heard of Dylan Thomas – a famous poet who lived from 1914 to 1953 – whose best known work was called ‘Under Milk Wood’. The American singer Bob Dylan was such a big fan he named himself after him!
Listen to Richard Burton reading ‘Do not go gentle into that good night’ by Dylan Thomas.
**Listen to me reading the above text!**
And here are some traditional Welsh fairy tales you can read and listen to:
It’s that time of year again when school and college students all over the UK start preparing for the exam season, which in Scotland takes place in April and May. In this post, I’m going to give some useful advice on how to succeed in the reading part of the National 5 ESOL exam, using the 2023 past paper as an example.
The reading test consists of three texts and the time given is 1 hour and 10 minutes. Ten minutes is usually used at the end for checking answers so that leaves around 20 minutes to read each text and answer its set of questions. There’s not enough time to read and understand every single word. The trick is to read the question and match it with the correct part of the text as quickly as possible. It’s not always easy as the words used in the question will usually be different to those used in the text.
The SQA (Scottish Qualifications Authority) have provided the answers to the questions in the exam paper but they haven’t told us how to find the answers! Here’s my colour-coded guide to finding the answers in each text:
Names are important. Highlight/underline any names in the question and match them in the corresponding paragraph. Words like ‘says, sees, thinks, believes, agrees, mentions, understands, describes, points out’ along with a name, indicate that is the opinion/view of that person/organisation/business.
Recognising synonyms (words and phrases that have a similar meaning) is crucial (really, really important!) For example: Sainsbury’s/supermarket/supermarket chain/retailer/shop/employer or employees/workers/workforce/staff/members of staff.
Beware of trick answers! Sometimes a key word in the text will appear in the wrong answer (for example: in text 1, Q 2). When you find (and highlight) the correct part of the text, read it – and the question – carefully. Does the answer make sense?
‘Whole text’ questions can be tricky. Most of the questions will tell you which paragraph the answer can be found in. However, there will be final questions like ‘What does the text tell us?’ or ‘What is the main focus of the text?’ The solution is to read all parts of the text you’ve already highlighted and that should give you the answer.
More tips
Recognising synonyms is the same as knowing a lot of words which is another way of saying having a wide vocabulary. So many ways of saying the same thing in English! Don’t worry, there are lots of online resources that can help you widen your vocabulary.
Breaking News English is an excellent site with short news articles and synonym practice tests.
I also highly recommend the British Council Learn English and Cambridge English sites. The SQA National 5 is equivalent to the B2 CEFR level so search for practice material at that level.
Burns Night is celebrated every year on the 25th of January. This is the birthday of Robert (Rabbie) Burns who was a very famous Scottish poet who lived in the eighteenth century. Even though he died way back in 1796 his work continues to be popular, all around the world, to this day. Even if you’ve never heard of Robert Burns, you’ve probably heard the words of one of his most famous poems – Auld Lang Syne. The words are traditionally sung at New Year’s Eve celebrations, in all parts of the world, as the clock strikes midnight.
Rabbie Burns wrote his poetry in the Scots language and the words ‘auld lang syne’ translate as ‘old long since’. ‘Old long since’ doesn’t really make sense so the meaning is something like ‘times long past’. The Scots language is usually just called Scots and has many similarities to the English language – so people who aren’t Scottish can understand it (perhaps with some difficulty!) At the time, it was a big deal for Burns to write in Scots because it was thought to be the language of the ‘common man’ (these days we would say the ‘working class’).
Burns didn’t only use the language of ‘ordinary’ working people, he wrote about their experiences as well. After all, he was a working man himself – perhaps not that ordinary, though! He had a really interesting life, maybe because he lived in a time of great change. It was the time of the American and French revolutions and philosophers, political activists and writers (like Burns) all over the world started to question the way their ‘fellow man’ was treated.
Why is it Burns ‘night’ and not ‘day’? Maybe because the celebration involves a big party with lots of eating, drinking and dancing – and that’s more suited to later in the day! People also refer to a Burns Night supper or a Burns supper (‘supper’ is quite an old fashioned word for a late meal, these days we would say ‘dinner’ instead). The traditional centrepiece of every Burns supper is a haggis. Haggis is often referred to as the national dish (the favourite food) of Scotland, however… it’s an acquired taste (a minority of people like it) and usually just eaten on Burns Night, and maybe on St Andrew’s Day (30 November).
So, what is haggis? It’s a kind of savoury pudding made with oatmeal and the chopped up entrails of a sheep (the bits that are usually thrown away). As a vegetarian, I don’t like to think about the ingredients!*
Here’s some more information about Burns Night:
And here’s a useful site with the poems of Robert Burns in both the original Scots and in English as well.
What is the national dish of your country? When is it eaten? Is it eaten during special celebrations?
(advanced)
What’s the difference between a dialect and a language? Some people refer to Scots as a dialect and not a language, and other people find this offensive. Why is this? Can you think of examples of this discussion/argument from other parts of the world?
Is teaching poetry in schools a waste of time? Should schools promote the learning of STEM (science, technology, engineering & mathematics) subjects instead?
Is the language used in historical texts sexist? Historical texts refer to ‘the rights of man’, ‘the working/common man’, ‘mankind’. Should these terms be changed?
For upper intermediate/advanced level ESOL readers, here’s a fun short story about Rabbie Burns:
Celebrating the start of a new year is a very big event all over the world but not all countries and cultures agree on when a new year actually begins. In many south-east Asian countries – for example China and Korea – the new year starts between late January and early February; in Iran it’s March; and the Jewish and Islamic New Years are celebrated in October. This is because in the past different cultures and countries used different calendars. These calendars were based on natural events like when a new moon appeared. Nowadays – with globalisation and international trade and communication – it makes sense for everyone to use the same calendar. Most people around the world use the Gregorian Calendar – here’s a link to all you need to know about it:
At midnight on the 31st of December, major cities all around the world celebrate the end of the old year – and the start of the new one – with big firework displays and street parties. As different countries have different time zones, the celebrations start at different times (the timeanddate site has lots of useful information about time zones).
The 31st of December is known as New Year’s Eve and the 1st of January is known as New Year’s Day.
In Scotland, New Year’s Eve is known as Hogmanay and it’s a very big event. There are lots of old Scottish traditions like ‘first footing’ where people visit friends and neighbours after midnight. The history behind this tradition – and lots of others – is explained in this very good site:
In recent years, Hogmanay celebrations in Scotland – especially in Edinburgh – have become big commercial events aimed more at tourists than local people.
Have traditional festivals and celebrations in your own country changed over the years?
Every year on 30 November Scots all over the world celebrate Saint Andrew’s Day but who was Saint Andrew and why does he have a special day?
Andrew was one of the twelve disciples of Jesus Christ. After the death of Jesus Christ, Andrew travelled to many countries in order to preach Christianity. Like many Christians at that time Andrew was crucified but he chose a different shape of cross on which to die. The shape of his cross was like an ‘x’ and can be seen on the national flag of Scotland. After his death Andrew was declared a saint and he later became the patron saint of several different countries. These include Greece, Russia, Georgia, Ukraine, Romania, Cyprus, Barbados and of course – Scotland! These were places Saint Andrew either travelled to or where his relics were taken by his followers.
St Andrews is a seaside town on the east coast of Scotland, in the region of Fife, north of Edinburgh. The legend goes that relics of Saint Andrew were taken there in the eighth century and that’s how the town got its name. These days St Andrews is more famous for golf and the university which is one of the oldest in the world.
This year, unlike last year, people in Scotland will be able to meet up and celebrate St Andrews Day together. Many events have been planned, and people all over Scotland are marking the day with concerts and story telling events. There’s even going to be a torchlight parade in Glasgow. If you’re going, wear warm clothes as it’s going to be very cold!
Vocabulary
What do the following words/phrases from the text mean?
disciple(s) preach declare(d) patron relic(s) marking the day
Quiz
1. What shape is the cross of Saint Andrew?
2. Name three countries that have Saint Andrew as a patron saint.
3. Where in Scotland is the town named St Andrews?
4. What are the two other things the town is famous for?
Test your general knowledge… or guess! (answers aren’t in the text)
1. What’s the national flag of Scotland called?
2. What two famous people met and fell in love when they were students at St Andrews University?
3. Which three other countries make up the United Kingdom? Can you name their patron saints?
Grammar
In the final paragraph of the text there are three different ways of talking about the future. What are they?
Why is the name of the town written as St Andrews and not St Andrew’s? St Andrew’s (as in St Andrew’s Day) is the possessive form so it’s St Andrew’s + noun. When it’s the name of a place, there’s no apostrophe (‘). There are lots of places in the UK named after saints – St Andrews, St Ives, St Davids, St Helens, St Albans. Sometimes, people put a full stop after St (St.) to show it’s a shorter form of Saint. Most times though, there’s no apostrophe and no full stop.
In the UK Remembrance Day is observed every year on the 11th of November. This is the day when people who have died in war are remembered. There is also Remembrance Sunday which always falls on the second Sunday in November. Sometimes Remembrance Day and Remembrance Sunday fall on the same day.
The main ceremony is always held on Remembrance Sunday. It takes place in the centre of London at a war memorial called The Cenotaph. The ceremony is attended by members of the Royal Family and politicians. Many other people attend as well including people who are currently serving in the armed forces. Also there are members of the armed forces who have retired because they have been injured in battle or because they have reached retirement age. These people are usually called veterans. Members of the armed forces wear their uniforms and take part in a parade. The other people tend to wear black or dark clothing in order to show respect.
As well as the main ceremony in London smaller ceremonies and memorial services are held in towns and cities all over the UK. In Edinburgh there is a parade which starts outside the Castle and ends outside St Giles Cathedral.
The symbol of Remembrance Day is the red poppy. This is because after World War One the only flowers to grow on the battlefields were poppies. World War One ended at 11am, on the eleventh day of the eleventh month and this is why people who have been killed in wars and conflicts are remembered at this exact time every year. They are remembered with a two minute silence.
Other countries around the world have their own Remembrance Days. The countries which belong to The Commonwealth of Nations (which used to be known as The British Commonwealth) have ceremonies similar to those held in the UK. The Commonwealth of Nations includes India, Pakistan, Australia, Canada and many countries in Africa and the Caribbean.
1)Find and underline the following verbs in the text:
observe attend serve retire injure reach belong
2) What are the meanings of the verbs in the context of the article?
3) What verbs or phrases mean that ‘something happens’?
4) Find and underline any adverbs/adverbial phrases of time/frequency.
5) Do you have a Remembrance Day in your country? When is it? What happens?
Questions about the various wars, conflicts and battles Britain has been involved in are very common in the test. So learn dates (and basic information about the people involved)! For example: The Wars of the Roses (Houses of York and Lancaster, 1455). The defeat of the Spanish Armada (Elizabeth I, 1588). The English Civil War (Puritans and Royalists, 1642 – 1651). World War 1 (1914 – 1918). World War II (1939 – 1945).
Questions about London landmarks appear a lot as well. For example: ‘What is the name of the war memorial in London where the annual Remembrance Day ceremony takes place?’ Answer: The Cenotaph (in Whitehall).
The red poppy is a symbol of remembrance but it’s important to remember the floral symbols of England (rose), Scotland (thistle), Wales (daffodil), Northern Ireland (shamrock). A very common question in the test!
Top Hack English 