From spill the beans to main character energy, English is full of expressions that tell stories, spark conversation, and connect people across cultures and generations.
Join us in celebrating some of the idioms and phrases that make English endlessly fascinating - and one of the most spoken languages in the world. From long-standing proverbs to the latest online slang, English reflects who we are, where we've come from, and how we communicate today. Whether you're a learner, a teacher, a linguist, or just curious about language, this is an opportunity to explore the origins and meanings behind some of English's many phrases.
To mark World English Day, we've created a free e-book: Phrase-ology: a collection of 100 English phrases. Based on research from media sources, online platforms, and language corpora, the collection explores how different generations use phrases, idioms and proverbs - how they evolve, and how English continue to grow as a global language. Download the e-book to discover more.
In addition to our collection of phrases, we held online sessions and have created resources to help you celebrate World English Day.
Watch our video to see how well the people of London know their idioms. Their answers might surprise you.
Explore the collection of English phrases, idioms and proverbs at the heart of our World English Day celebrations. This short e-book delves into many of the most well-known English phrases, their origins and meanings, and how they are used across generations and cultures.
Join us live at 1.00 pm UK time on 23 April to discover how Shakespeare can help you improve your English - and have fun at the same time! We'll share lots of free resources, fun facts, and answer your questions live. Don't miss this interactive session for English learners of all levels. Can't make the live session? Don't worry, you can access the recording afterwards.
Watch the special lesson for World English Day! Explore the origin of everyday English idioms and expressions, practise using them in real conversations, and learn about popular expressions in your country.
We've created a lesson plan to help you explore some common idioms and how to use them in conversation. Aimed at learners aged 13-17 at B1 level, the lesson plan encourages learners to think about the origin of idioms and how their popularity changes over generations.