Blog version: https://roycross.blog/

A day early again today, as I’m off back to school tomorrow to meet some people for the first time since 1973 …

!. Macmillan’s Advancing Learning Fast-forward 2024 is repeated at 10:00, 14:00 and 22:30 UK time on Tuesday, 25^th June  https://www.macmillanenglish.com/training-events/events-webinars/event/advancing-learning-fast-forward-2024

Not quite sure how I’ve missed this hitherto: maybe if my name was ‘Super’, like one of the speakers, I wouldn’t have done! An extra bonus will be Emily Bryson sketch-noting live.

Recordings of the best bits from each of the previous three annual events on the same page down the bottom, and a rich archive of other recordings here https://www.macmillanenglish.com/training-events/events-webinars.

2. Prompted by a LinkedIn post on unemployment benefit around the world which came in for a fair bit of criticism, I thought I’d check what the OECD had to say on the topic. This is what I found on unemployment benefit (and its adequacy), child care costs, etc. within OECD member countries, and it seems to a) vary hugely between countries, and b) be actually quite a complicated area. The UK is right at the bottom of the chart on benefits paid but almost at the other end of the chart for ‘adequacy of minimum income benefits’ https://data.oecd.org/benwage/benefits-in-unemployment-share-of-previous-income.htm#indicator-chart

I had thought this might have provided the raw material for an IELTS-style chart interpretation lesson for an advanced class, but now I’m not so sure!

3. Ample notice of a free hybrid online/f2f event starting at 09:30 UK time on Wednesday 26^th June from the Manchester Centre for Research in Linguistics, Linguistics in Action: Celebrating 10 years of Linguistics Research at Manchester Metropolitan University https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/linguistics-in-action-celebrating-10-years-of-linguistics-research-at-mmu-tickets-911381846637

Two ‘research showcases’: one in the morning, Linguistics in Action: Affecting Change, and a second in the afternoon, Linguistics in Action: Leading Social Justice.

4. The June issue of HLT (Humanising Language Teaching) came out last week https://www.hltmag.co.uk/jun24/ It includes in memoriam pieces by Pilgrims trainers who are no longer with us:

Is it Reigning Cats and Dogs? Or Are You Just Pleased to Cliché? by Paul Davis https://www.hltmag.co.uk/jun24/is-it-reigning-cats-and-dogs

Who Moved My Cheese: An Adaptation by Bonnie Tsai https://www.hltmag.co.uk/jun24/who-moved-my-cheese

And I’m sure Alan Maley would want me to mention the Eco Issues feature https://www.hltmag.co.uk/jun24/eco-issues

5. And, finally, two TED talks about sustainable food:

* from Karnataka, A snack’s journey from the farm to your mouth with Aruna Rangachar Pohl https://www.ted.com/talks/aruna_rangachar_pohl_a_snack_s_journey_from_the_farm_to_your_mouth?subtitle=en

* from Arkansas on the other side of the world and with differently accented English, A cleaner world could start in a rice field with Jim & Jessica Whitaker https://www.ted.com/talks/jim_whitaker_and_jessica_whitaker_allen_a_cleaner_world_could_start_in_a_rice_field?subtitle=en