ABA Journal The digital English academy
Hey ABA family! Happy English Language Day!
Wait, what’s that you say? You didn’t know English Language Day existed…? It sure does!
In 2010 the United Nations officially declared the 23rd April the day where this marvellous language would be celebrated the world over and what better occasion for us here at ABA to highlight just how amazing English really is!
Have you ever thought about why the United Nations chose the 23rd April? What makes that day so special? Here’s a little clue:
Where for art thou English Language Day?
Origins of English Language Day
Do you have any idea of what the answer could be yet? Okay, if you give in I´ll tell you.
In 2010 the United Nations chose the 23rd April as the date for English Language Day to be celebrated, as this was the date that William Shakespeare died.
You may be unaware of just how much influence Shakespeare had on the English language, but let us tell you just how much – A LOT! Rumour has it that Shakespeare invented more than 1,700 words which are commonly used nowadays, by changing nouns and adjectives to create new ones in addition to being a hugely successful playwright. Crazy, eh!
Why else could this date be important?
The 23rd April is also Saint George’s Day. Why is this relevant, we hear you ask? Saint George is the Patron Saint of England, where English obviously originates from!
Coincidence? We don’t think so…
Also, have you ever wondered why the symbol of England is a red and white rose? It’s the Tudor rose, which came about when Henry VII brought an end to the Wars of the Roses. This was an ongoing battle between two royal groups: the House of Lancaster and the House of York. He joined the White Rose of York with the Red Rose of Lancaster, creating the Union Rose, otherwise known as the Tudor Rose. This is still used as the floral emblem of England today, several centuries later.
Crossword
For this special day we have created a crossword so you can celebrate it and learn English at the same time. Let’s start!
What will you be doing to celebrate this wonderful language?
Do You have app for Windows phone?
Hi,
Thanks for your question. Unfortunately at the moment the app does not work on a Windows phone. We only have the app on IOS and Andriod at the moment.
If you have any more questions. Don’t hesitate to contact us 🙂
Hello! I’ve discovered your site a week ago! And, you know what, it’s THE best English Learning site I’ve ever accessed! Thanks a lot for helping us improve our English!
Hey!
Thank you very much for your great comment. We are glad it is really helping you 🙂
Hi George,
I hope you are doing well.
I am Rahul Tirpude, I like your post, it’s more than best.
Coming to my question(s):
A. Reading:
i) to improve the language what should I read?ii) is it necessary to read aloud? (some times it’s not possible to read it aloud)
iii) how reading will work to build communication skill?
iv) which magazine you will suggest?
B. Speaking:
i) how to build sentences? (simple and short or more descriptive?)
ii) when i speak in public or in debate how to start and end it?
Hope I’ll get your expensive guidance!
Thanks in advance!
Have great time. ☺
Hi Rahul,
Thank you very much for your comment and questions. Regarding your reading related questions:
I recommend “Oxford Readers” as they are books which are available in a variety of levels which is very good indeed. I know it is not always possible to read aloud, especially if you are in public but when you can, it can really help you get the pronunciation correct.
Regarding speaking:
Speaking is something that you need to practise on a regular basis. The more that you practise speaking the better you will become at it. If you would like your sentences to be more descriptive then it would be a good idea to use more adjectives.
In terms of debates, it is important to always be polite and formal so that you seem professional. Learning vocabulary related to the topic or debate beforehand is vital so that you appear confident in the subject.
Good luck with your studies 🙂