Speaking calendar/Burns Night
January 25th · Cultural Insight

Burns Night

The heart of Scotland. Celebrating the birthday of poet Robert Burns, this night is a ritual of haggis, whisky, and verse. This lesson explores the role of dialect in national pride and why a 250-year-old poet is still the rockstar of Scottish identity.

SPEAKING LESSONB1 / B2Discussion · Vocabulary · Activities
01 / LET’S TALK

Speaking Discussion

  1. Why do we still celebrate poets from hundreds of years ago? Is it about their art or our nostalgia?
  2. Is national food (like Haggis) a way to exclude outsiders or a way to welcome them?
  3. Should local dialects (like Scots) be taught in schools alongside pure english?
  4. If you had to write a poem about your national dish, what would the first line be?
  5. Can a dinner party be a serious political act of identity?
02 / PUT IT INTO PRACTICE

Activity 1: The Modern Poet

The Task: Write a 3-sentence ode to a modern object you love (e.g., your laptop or your shoes). Use one scottish sounding word for flavour.

Activity 2: Rapid Fire Debate

Is tradition just peer pressure from dead people?