# data[].attributes.body
Amandeep travels back in time to fight in the English Civil War! Watch history come to life in modern-day England.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Amandeep travels back in time to fight in the English Civil War! Watch history come to life in modern-day England.

# data[].attributes.body
What do you know about the United Kingdom? Watch this clip to learn much more!

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
What do you know about the United Kingdom? Watch this clip to learn much more!

# data[].attributes.body
Inglês - 7.º Ano

# data[].attributes.body
What's the difference between Great Britain and the United Kingdom? What's the best English music festival? And do English people really drink a lot of tea? Read about England and find out!

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
England is the biggest of the four countries in the United Kingdom. Together with Scotland and Wales, these three countries are the island of Great Britain. The English Channel is in the south between England and France. People travel to France by ferry across the English Channel or by train through the Channel Tunnel which goes under the sea.

Over 50 million people live in England and that's around 80 per cent of the total UK population. It is a multicultural country where more than 250 languages are spoken in the capital city, London. The United Kingdom is a constitutional monarchy, which means that there is a queen or king but they don't make the laws of the country. Laws and political decisions in England are made by the Parliament of the United Kingdom. The Houses of Parliament are in central London next to the River Thames and the most famous part is the clock tower, Big Ben.

Other large cities in England are Birmingham, Manchester, Liverpool, Leeds and Bristol. Outside cities, England is a very green country and has many rural areas of natural beauty such as the Lake District, an area with lots of lakes in the north, and the New Forest, a big area of forest in the south of the country.

Language

The official language of England is English, which is spoken today by millions of people all over the world. Many students go to England from other countries to study the language and learn about the culture. Although everyone speaks English, there are many different accents around the country. French was the official language in England between 1066 and 1362, which is why there are many French words and expressions in English such as 'bon voyage' for 'have a good trip' or 'bouquet' for 'a bunch of flowers'.

Music

English people love music. In the summer you can go to music festivals all over the country like those at Glastonbury, Leeds or Reading. Glastonbury is a five-day festival of music, dance, comedy, theatre and circus and around 175,000 people go. Many people stay at the festivals for a few days and camp in tents. People listen to all types of music, especially pop and rock. England has produced many international groups and singers like the Beatles, Amy Winehouse, Coldplay, Ed Sheeran and Adele.

Sport

The most popular sports in England are football, rugby and cricket and most towns have a sports ground where teams can play. English football teams like Manchester United, Chelsea and Liverpool are world-famous and English football players include David Beckham, Wayne Rooney and Harry Kane. Women's football is also popular and teams play in leagues and competitions all over the country. Every year, the English rugby union team play in the Six Nations Championship against Wales, Scotland, Ireland, France and Italy. Cricket is a traditional sport played with a bat and ball which began in England and is now played all over the world. People like to watch all these sports on television, as well as other sports like horse racing, tennis, snooker (a type of billiards) and motor racing.

Food

England is a very multicultural country and this has a big influence on the food people eat. Indian, Chinese and Italian cuisines are popular alternatives to traditional English food like fish and chips, roast beef or sausage and mash (mashed potatoes). Many English people drink several cups of tea every day, usually with milk. However, coffee and herbal teas are also popular.

Symbols

The national flag of England is white with a red cross. It is called the St George's Cross and Saint George is the patron saint of England. St George's Day is on 23 April, but it's not a public holiday. The rose is the national flower of England and the lion is the national animal. The lion is a symbol of many English sports teams.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
England is the biggest of the four countries in the United Kingdom. Together with Scotland and Wales, these three countries are the island of Great Britain. The English Channel is in the south between England and France. People travel to France by ferry across the English Channel or by train through the Channel Tunnel which goes under the sea.

# data[].attributes.body
Do you like practising your English pronunciation? Have fun saying tongue twisters in English. Saying tongue twisters can be difficult at first, so don't worry if you can't do it very well to begin with. Just keep practising and have fun!

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Do you like practising your English pronunciation? Have fun saying tongue twisters in English. Saying tongue twisters can be difficult at first, so don't worry if you can't do it very well to begin with. Just keep practising and have fun!

# data[].attributes.body
Everyone knows Big Ben, Buckingham Palace and Tower Bridge, but what else is there to the city of London? Learn about London's past, present and future in this video.

# data[].attributes.body
In October many shop windows in Britain turn orange and black, with pumpkins, witches, broomsticks and cats. What do young people do to celebrate Halloween? Read this article to find out.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
When you think of Halloween, you probably think of pumpkin lanterns, fancy-dress costumes and children asking for sweets. And if you think of a country that celebrates Halloween, you probably think of the United States first. Americans and Canadians have adopted Halloween in a big way, but did you know that Halloween traditions actually come from Ireland, Scotland, England and Wales?

The origins of Halloween

The Celts were people who lived in ancient Britain and Ireland from about 1000 BC and they celebrated a festival called 'Samhain'. Samhain was celebrated on 1 November because that was the end of summer and harvest time (which was associated with food and life) and the beginning of winter (which they associated with death). Have you ever wondered why Halloween colours are orange and black? Orange is related to harvests and black is related to death.

Samhain was the time for ghosts to return to earth for a day. People lit a big fire, wore special clothes made of animal skin and hoped to be safe from the ghosts and the winter.

In early America, the Native Americans and the first Europeans celebrated the end of the harvest, but not Halloween. When many Irish people went to live in America in the 1800s, they brought their Halloween traditions with them and Halloween became popular throughout the country.

Pumpkin lanterns

Many people make pumpkin lanterns to decorate their homes at Halloween. They remove the inside of the pumpkin, cut shapes for the eyes, nose and mouth and place a candle in the empty pumpkin to make a scary face. This tradition came from the Celts, who carved faces into vegetables like turnips and potatoes to scare the ghosts and make them go away. Irish people who came to live in the United States found pumpkins much easier to carve, and the tradition became the one we see today.

Halloween costumes

People of all ages dress up on Halloween. In the UK some of the most popular costumes include witches, vampires, ghosts, skeletons, zombies and monsters. We can trace this tradition back to the Celts, who were afraid of the ghosts that came on Samhain. If they went outside after dark, they covered their faces with masks. They hoped any ghosts they met would think they were ghosts too and would leave them alone.

North Americans wear all kinds of Halloween costumes and not just scary things like witches and ghosts. This is because in the late 19th century, people tried to make Halloween less about ghosts and more about celebrating the season with a party for neighbours and family.

Trick-or-treating

On Halloween children knock on their neighbours' doors and ask for 'treats', like sweets or chocolates. In ancient Britain, Celtic people went from house to house dressed in costumes, asking for gifts and food for the Samhain festival. When Irish people went to live in America, they continued this tradition and it became trick-or-treating. Nowadays going trick-or-treating is so popular in the USA that a quarter of the sweets for the year are sold for this one day!

Around the world

Catholic people around the world celebrate All Saints Day on 1 November and All Souls Day on 2 November. On these days, people remember relatives, friends and other people who have died. In Mexico, people celebrate the Day of the Dead at this time and many dress up as skeletons, and paint skulls on their faces. Nowadays, more and more people around the world are celebrating both the Day of the Dead and Halloween. Will you celebrate this year?

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
October 31 is Halloween and it's celebrated in many countries around the world. What are the origins of this spooky day and how do people celebrate today? Read the article and find out.

# data[].attributes.body
Resources for teachers and students

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Resources: English Language Learners: Visual Dictionaries

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
This guide contains resources for teachers of ESL students. These resources focus on language learning

# data[].attributes.body
Improve your English with our fun and exciting learning apps! Designed for all the family, our games, podcasts, videos and quizzes will help you learn English at home or on the move.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Improve your English with our fun and exciting learning apps! Designed for all the family, our games, podcasts, videos and quizzes will help you learn English at home or on the move.

# data[].attributes.body
Video with a short Quiz

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Favorite Related posts: Quiz Test Pro Quiz: Fruit (basic) Quiz: Places (basic) Quiz: Onomatopoeia Basic 1A Quiz: Onomatopoeia Basic 1B Quiz: Sea Animals (Mid) Quiz: Geography Quiz: Colors