Saturday Morning Lesson #266
Every country has a few dates that almost everyone learns at school and remembers forever. In Britain, one of those dates is 1066, the year of the Norman conquest of England.
So today, I’m taking you on a little trip to the British Museum. And we’ll pick up some English and a little history along the way.
The Bayeux Tapestry, a nearly 1,000-year-old work of art telling the story of the Norman conquest, has come to England for the first time in almost 1,000 years.
There’s something rather poetic about the fact that a tapestry depicting the Norman conquest of England is now bringing Britain and France a little closer together. It’s a remarkable piece of art, too, almost like a medieval cartoon.
I’d love to see it in person. I even checked the tickets today, but unfortunately, they’re sold out. More tickets will released on October 21, though, so maybe all is not lost 🙂
Enjoy the lesson!
PS. My Speaking Club is a great place to practice speaking through fascinating, up-to-date topics. Sign up for a free trial lesson here.
Our word #1 is tapestry
noun [C]
UK US /ˈtæp.ɪ.stri/
1: a large piece of thick cloth with pictures or designs made by weaving coloured threads:
The museum displayed a medieval tapestry.
2: something made up of many different people, events or ideas:
The city is a rich tapestry of cultures and traditions.
Please add your supporting video and its exact quotation here.
“We wanted to open their eyes to the amazing tapestry of history and culture and music.”
We wanted to open their eyes to …
Our word #2 is discord
noun [U]
UK US /ˈdɪs.kɔːrd/
: serious disagreement between people or groups:
The decision caused discord within the organisation.
Please add your supporting video and its exact quotation here.
“After all the division and discord, the country is coming together.”
After all the …
Our phrase #3 is an account of something
noun phrase
: a written or spoken description of an event:
The book gives a detailed account of the expedition.
Please add your supporting video and its exact quotation here.
“The nurse decided to publish an account of her experience.”
The nurse decided to …
Our phrase #4 is evocative of something
adjective phrase
UK US /ɪˈvɒkətɪv/
: making you remember or imagine something:
The music is evocative of long summer evenings.
Please add your supporting video and its exact quotation here.
It’s absolutely abstract, and yet somehow it’s …
Our word #5 is a coup
noun [C]
UK US /kuː/
: an impressive achievement that is difficult to accomplish:
Securing the interview was a real coup for the newspaper.
Please add your supporting video and its exact quotation here.
“This is a major coup for the university and for the city.”
This is …
Please fill in the blanks with today’s five new words and phrases. Say each completed sentence out loud.
The disagreement over the exhibition caused considerable ………….. among the organisers.
The disagreement over the exhibition caused considerable discord among the organisers.
The disagreement over the exhibition caused considerable …
The novel creates a rich ………….. of family stories and memories.
The novel creates a rich tapestry of family stories and memories.
The novel creates a rich …
Persuading the famous chef to open a restaurant in their hotel was a real …………. .
Persuading the famous chef to open a restaurant in their hotel was a real coup.
Persuading the famous chef to open a restaurant in their hotel was …
Her diary offers a personal ………….. ………….. life during the war.
Her diary offers a personal account of life during the war.
Her diary offers a personal …
The old photographs are ………….. ………….. a very different era.
The old photographs are evocative of a very different era.
The old photographs are …
Time for our final clip. Watch the clip first, and then fill in the blanks out loud.
(You have to reload the page if you want to watch the clip more than once.)
Source: “The Bayeux Tapestry’s risky journey across the Channel.” FRANCE 24 English. YouTube, Jul 10, 2026
An 11th-century relic and a symbol of cross-Channel …………...
The …………..’s always been a political object.
A carefully stitched ………….. ………….. the Battle of Hastings in 1066.
You don’t really get many other historical sources that are that ………….. ………….. the everyday person’s experience of war.
The Bayeux Tapestry has now made a ………….. journey from Normandy to London.
There’s never any movement that goes without any risk …………… .
So why is its loan to the British Museum such a diplomatic …………..?
An 11th-century relic and a symbol of cross-Channel discord.
The tapestry’s always been a political object.
A carefully stitched account of the Battle of Hastings in 1066.
You don’t really get many other historical sources that are that evocative of, sort of, the everyday person’s experience of war.
The Bayeux Tapestry has now made a once-in-a-millennium journey from Normandy to London.
There’s never any movement that goes without any risk whatsoever.
So why is its loan to the British Museum such a diplomatic coup?
An 11th-century relic and a symbol of …
The tapestry’s always been …
A carefully stitched account of …
You don’t really get many other historical sources that are that evocative of …
The Bayeux Tapestry has now made …
There’s never any movement that goes without …
So why is its loan to the British Museum …
And finally, have a look at the questions below and answer them out loud:
1. Do you think lending important historical objects to museums in other countries is worth the risk? Why or why not? And would you like to see the Bayeux Tapestry at the British Museum?
2. France and Britain have a long history of rivalry, and Brexit certainly didn’t help their relationship. Do you think bringing the Bayeux Tapestry to London is a sign that the two countries are growing closer again?
3. Are you a Francophile or an Anglophile? Or maybe both? Or neither? 🙂
That’s all for today. Enjoy the lesson 🙂
Ela Augustyniak