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Yahoo
2 hours ago
- Yahoo
Primary school children's art reveals real-world impact of learning English, new study
A new study from Cambridge shows the diverse motivations young people have for learning English, brought to life through a series of drawings by primary school children from around the world. From chatting to friends and family, landing a great job or even travelling the world, the artwork illustrates the real-world impact of learning English. SINGAPORE, Aug. 5, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- A series of 85 drawings by a group of 6–11-year-olds from schools across Italy, Türkiye and Vietnam has helped inform a new impact evaluation study on learning English in primary settings from Cambridge University Press & Assessment. The drawings offer a unique insight into how young people perceive the impact and opportunities of learning English. Dr Brigita Séguis, Head of Impact Evaluation at Cambridge University Press & Assessment, said the artwork helped to bring out the voices of young learners, which can sometimes be overlooked. "It was fascinating to see students illustrating themselves using English outside the classroom in familiar situations," commented Dr Séguis. She continued: "They drew social situations such as traveling abroad and interacting with hotel receptionists, chatting to friends and family, and even predicting their future job prospects. We also saw young children drawing animals talking to each other in English which demonstrated how they are beginning to construct their linguistic identity. These drawings are fantastic because they reveal how learners internalise the value of English and their evolving understanding of English as a tool for real-world communication." The study also incorporated traditional data collection methods such as teacher questionnaires, focus groups, interviews, and classroom observations. It helped inform a wider impact study which showed the positive impact of teaching and learning English using Kid's Box New Generation—a widely recognised course for young English learners. One of the key findings from the study was that 81% of teachers thought Kids Box New Generation helped them create a positive and effective learning environment in the classroom. Dr Aynur Karakoç, Senior Impact Evaluator, added she was surprised to see future career opportunities already firmly on the minds of young learners. "It was also lovely to hear that children were already thinking about how English will help them get jobs in the future. We saw lots of examples of students motivated by career prospects which was surprising considering their age, but very encouraging to hear." Find out more about the study and what teachers think about the Kids Box course. Cambridge University Press & Assessment is part of the University of Cambridge. Our English team produces the world's leading range of learning resources and assessments for learners and teachers of English. Everything we do is based on research and we are dedicated to helping people learn English and prove their skills to the world. Cambridge is where your world grows. View original content to download multimedia: SOURCE Cambridge University Press & Assessment Sign in to access your portfolio
New York Times
8 hours ago
- New York Times
A Zoo in Denmark Wants to Feed Your Pets to Its Predators
A zoo in Denmark is asking pet owners to donate their animal companions — their guinea pigs, rabbits, chickens and even small horses — to feed to its predators. In a Facebook post last Thursday, the Aalborg Zoo noted that it welcomed animals that, regardless of circumstance, might be nearing the end of their lives. These animals would be 'gently euthanized' by trained employees and then used as food for the zoo's predators, like its European lynx, the zoo notes on its website. Lions and tigers are also part of the zoo's predator exhibits. The donations would help the zoo mimic the natural food chain by feeding whole prey to its predators, the post said: 'This way, nothing goes to waste, and we ensure natural behavior, nutrition, and well-being for our predators.' The post linked to the zoo's website, which described the process for donating horses as food. 'Our needs vary throughout the year, and there may be a waiting list,' the site explains. For horses, certain conditions must be met, including the horse not having recently been treated for an illness. 'The horse will be delivered alive to Aalborg Zoo, where the horse will be euthanized by a zookeeper and a veterinarian and then slaughtered,' the zoo website says. The zoo also accepts chickens, rabbits and guinea pigs, during weekdays 'between 10 a.m. and 1 p.m., but no more than four at a time.' The Facebook post attracted swift backlash, with one commenter describing 'a terrible trend of indifference with animals in Denmark.' Another commenter wrote that 'feeding pets is absolutely unacceptable.' Aalborg Zoo did not immediately respond to request for comment. A spokeswoman for the zoo told Popular Science that 'for many years' its employees 'have fed our carnivores with smaller livestock.' Other commenters on Facebook praised the initiative and even requested more details about how to donate their animals. One described their own experience donating a rabbit as a 'super nice and professional experience.' Signe Flyvholm, who lives in Denmark and has visited Aalborg Zoo for the past 40 years, said that the social media post made her want to donate her horse. 'She could make a difference by being used as food,' Ms. Flyvholm said. 'She is a very loved horse.' Ms. Flyvholm said her horse needed to be put down because the cartilage in its hooves was turning into bone. But the horse, which weighed over 2,000 pounds, was too big for the zoo, she said. Instead, Ms. Flyvholm decided to donate her horse to a different organization that will use the animal for biofuel or fertilizer production. It's not the first time that Denmark's zoos have come under fire for their unvarnished approach to death. In 2014, the Copenhagen Zoo euthanized a healthy young giraffe named Marius because his genes were already well-represented among the captive giraffes. The zoo invited members of the public to watch the giraffe's autopsy as an educational opportunity and then fed Marius's remains to some of its big cats, including its lions. Weeks later, the zoo euthanized four of those lions: two cubs and their parents. The zoo said the lions were killed to prevent the male lion from breeding with his daughters and to prevent a newly arrived young male lion from attacking the cubs. The deaths prompted an outcry from animal rights activists but also reflected a trans-Atlantic philosophical divide toward zoo management. American zoos often lean heavily on contraception to prevent zoo populations from booming, whereas European zoos often allow their animals to breed — arguing that it is good for the animals to be able to engage in these natural behaviors — and later euthanize 'surplus' animals.
Yahoo
14 hours ago
- Yahoo
Archaeologists Found the Remains of an Ancient Roman Arts District Buried Underground
Here's what you'll learn when you read this story: Archaeologists working in the ancient Roman city of Suasa discovered a 'main street' full of pottery and coin production. The research team said that the find includes an 'extraordinary quantity of coins' alongside nearly intact vases. Researchers are calling the impressively large area a 'production district.' The ancient Roman city of Suasa may have contained one of Italy's first—and largest—arts districts. Archaeologists uncovered what they deem a 'large production district' that spanned a main street just outside the city center and featured buildings once used for the creation of coins and pottery dipping 16 feet into the ground. The team from the University of Bologna said in a translated statement that they discovered an 'extraordinary quantity of coins and some nearly intact vases' among the excavated ruins, showing off the prominence of the district in an array of production mediums that may have been traded throughout the Roman Empire. Suasa, which was located near the Cesano River, was founded after the Battle of Sentinum in 295 B.C.—a conflict fought between the Roman army and the Picentes against the alliance of Etruscans, Samnites, Senones Gauls, and Umbrians. The Roman victory gave the empire control over central Italy, and Suasa became an administrative center that grew in importance thanks to the well-connected Via Flaminia and Via Salaria Gallica roads passing through. The rapid growth of Suasa continued into the second half of the first century B.C. The city remained linked to Rome, but with an autonomous government and magistrates that led the building of the city, which included a variety of monumental structures. In the ancient city center, past University of Bologna archaeological missions uncovered a mixture of finds, including a commercial forum, a square, a portico, and a mid-Imperial period Domus—an upper-class Roman residence—full of mosaics and wall paintings. Teams then found an amphitheater, considered the largest in the region, and another theater nearby. As work continued, archaeologists at the western world's oldest continuous university located a necropolis. 'The goal of this year's research was to investigate the city's boundaries to better understand the transition between the settlement and the necropolis,' Enrico Giorgi, professor in the Department of History, Cultures, and Civilizations at the University of Bologna and director of the archaeological mission, said in a statement. At the outermost area of that site—between the main settlement and the burial site—the most recent excavations revealed the 'large production district.' The research team began with drone photography and geophysical surveys before moving into the excavation that uncovered the structures, coins, and vases. University experts said that Suasa retained its important role as an administrative and economic center in central Italy for some time, with peak development occuring during the second century A.D. Signs of decline appeared in the second half of the third century A.D., and the city was slowly emptied until completely abandoned sometime in the sixth century A.D., as newer settlements retreated to the hill country. It seems that those leaving the city didn't take their coins and vases with them. You Might Also Like The Do's and Don'ts of Using Painter's Tape The Best Portable BBQ Grills for Cooking Anywhere Can a Smart Watch Prolong Your Life? Solve the daily Crossword
