Thomas Liggett (Accents, Culture, Scotland)

Thomas Liggett's interests and skills centre around psychology and language. He lectured and researched in psychology and the development of language for 17 years. These days, he works as an English for Academic Purposes at Manchester University while following his other interests i.e. acting and performing on stage, and in street theatre. He tends to apply these skills to his teaching. His work teaching English is also informed by his love of languages, and curiosity about my audience's psychological and linguistic backgrounds. Finally, he writes fiction, as well as material for his performances. He values creativity and humour.

Christmas in Great Britain

Event type: Workshop
Facilitator: Thomas Liggett
Minimum age: 10+
Level: Pre-intermediate + / Intermediate / Upper-intermediate / Advanced
Time: 80 min. (35 zł)
* On demand contents, level and timing can be tailored to groups? needs.

We will look at what Christmas is, its history and where it’s come from. We’ll also examine what Christmas has been in our customs, practices and beliefs. Where did the idea of the Christmas Tree come from? What are Christmas crackers? What's a German Market? There’ll be time, too, for a look at the ideas that surround Christmas - a bit of Charles Dickens, perhaps , or the psychology of some other literature. Finally we will turn our attention to the present, with supermarket Christmas Pudding, Coca Cola, excessive eating and drinking, and how we buy and sell love.

Wordwall exercises:
Christmas in Great Britain vocabulary

Christmas Facts Reading and matching

Great Britain and the US: Identity in drama and film

Event type: Workshop
Facilitator: Thomas Liggett
Minimum age: 13+
Level: Pre-intermediate + / Intermediate / Upper-intermediate / Advanced
Time: 80 min. (35 zł)
* On demand contents, level and timing can be tailored to groups? needs.

In this session we will talk about how the British and American societies have changed over the past decades. We will discuss questions such as how society is represented in film, what society do we want to represent, and how film and drama influence a society and its values. We will also look at social issues, ethnicity, neurotypicality and people seeing themselves reflected on the big screen as well as the role of casting in providing us with that representation, including blind casting. How do we feel about a woman being cast in the role of Hamlet (Maxine Peak), should actors of colour play the parts traditionally played by white actors, or should they be eternally condemned to the roles of maids, butlers and slaves. Would Idris Elba make a good James Bond? The session will be illustrated with examples from shows such as Eastenders, Coronation street, Casualty, Good Doctor, House, Peaky Blinders, and Black Mirror.

Wordwall and learnclick exercises:
Definitions

Changing British Identity

Cultural Imperialism Discussion points
British History and Identity in a few sentences

American Identity - reading, gapfill, discussion

Ireland in the News and Stats

St. Patrick's Day is coming with it's celebrations. Let's have a look at the modern Ireland and what the newspapers write about. Who is the prime minister? What values do the Irish have? What are the hot topics discussed? We will learn that Jack is the most popular name given to boys, while Emily is the most popular name for baby girls, and Murphy is the most common surname. We will also cover more serious topics such as demographics, economics, migration and look at modern Ireland through numbers and stats, and a few surprises - facts that may not be obvious when thinking about Ireland.

Wordwall exercise: Ireland Basic Facts Quiz

Scotland and St. Andrew's Day

The United Kingdom hasn't always been united - is a mixture of peoples, cultures and place. Scotland, Wales and (Northern) Ireland have had to resist English domination in terms of money, culture and control. Identity has therefore been very important in the history of the British Isles - people, fighting and mixing, both keeping and sharing what is theirs.St Andrew's Day is a symbol of this resistance: when the Scots take the time to celebrate themselves. In this workshop we will take a look at this celebration, and examine what lies behind. We'll take in Scotland's history and culture, and what makes it distinct.

Wordwall exercise 1 Quiz: The History, Geography and Culture of Scotland

Wordwall exercise 2 Matching: The History, Geography and Culture of Scotland

United Kingdom in the News

Let's have a look at the modern United Kingdom, it's challenges and highlights. This session will cover recent changes in politics, economy, and culture. We will talk about how Britain’s multi-ethnic society is changing, how the new King is doing; how the future looks, with the advent of AI. Climate change, and culture wars will be examined, as will the status of women as reflected by events reported in the news. Other headlines and topics will help us ascertain which current world issues are discussed, and how the UK responds. While we will concentrate on recent events, historical context will be recruited, where necessary, to aid a better understanding of current events.

St George's Day: The Culture of England and Great Britain

St George, or St Georgina? Is England’s culture only that of a man? This session will focus on the following questions: What is meant by ‘culture’? What do we celebrate on St George’s Day? What is Englishness? What is English culture? The students will be asked to, explore the idea of what culture is, and what they already know about England and the English. Together, we will try to separate out ideas of the English, putting them into different cultural categories or groups. These categories – for example, English cuisine/food – will then be explored, to examine their history, importance, and roles in English life.
This session, depending on when it is delivered may not cover the details of St George's Day.

Accents: Queen's English and the rest of the UK

What is Queen's English? What is Received Pronunciation? In a session full of discussion, examples, drilling, and fun, Thomas will help us answer those questions and understand the diversity of accents across England and within the UK. This will be a very practical session, in which you get to speak with the RP accent like the royal family, but also like a Northerner, a Glaswegian, a Mancunian, or a Geordie. Other cultures within the UK may also be included. Finally, we will learn about accents, class, and education. Last but not least, whichever accent it is, we will look at what makes you sound natural in English. This workshop will help you answer two crucial questions. Who do we want to sound like? Who do you not want to sound like?

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You can listen to the examples of different accents below. Scouse is the Liverpool accent, Geordie is the Newcastle accent, and Mancunian is the Manchester one.