Boost your English speaking !

23rd May 2023

For speaking tests, students need to be able to speak at length, using long sentences with adjectives, linking words and maybe an expression or two … and it’s never too soon to start.

Higher Kindergarten classes can answer in short sentences, instead of single word answers. They can expand by using adjectives.

For example, a teacher will ask, “What is it ?”

The answer must be in the form of a sentence, “It’s a car.” Then we can expand … “It’s a red car,” “It’s a fast, red car.”

At higher levels, students need to feel confident to speak longer, and here’s a tip. This is a mind map with one main idea, then different ideas that students can speak about.

OK, as they say in Cinema, “Show, don’t tell.”

Some expressions:

I’m over the moon (I’m very, very happy)

I was blown away (I was very impressed by someone or something)

It cheers me up (Verb 1) cheered me up (Verb 2) (made me happy after I was sad)

Don’t forget to use the linking words

because // also // so // however // as well as

EXAMPLE:

My favourite sports are football and swimming because they are fun, exciting as well as healthy.

I play football at school with my classmates. My friend John is very good. He is better than me. I also play on weekends. However, I can’t play football alone.

I really enjoy swimming. I can swim alone. I often swim at weekends at a sports centre.

Sports can cheer me up when I am sad. If my teams win, I am over the moon.

NOW … your turn.

Make a mind map for:

Free time

Movies

School

Food

See you soon.

Young Learners, Level 4: to be, Verb 1, Verb 2 and infinity

22nd May 2023

Friends, students, colleagues, lend me your ears.

Before younglings graduate from the Superkids Level, they have to, absolutely have to, master the most basic verb in English, the verb ‘to be’ – so, let’s go to work !

Let’s go to work

BAAM ! Easy !

Now … let’s practise

Make it a game, put the class in teams

I shall read a short sentence. I want the correct Verb 1, Verb 2 & the infinite.

EXAMPLE: I say, “I is happy.”

Team 1 writes I am happy,

Team 2 I was happy

Team 3 using the helping verb ‘want’ will write I want to be happy.

OK, I dig, Man, let’s go to work !

You is sad // He am angry // She are intelligent // It is cold // Ms Huong am cute // We am hungry // They is furious.

Change the helping verb to like or need

I is better // You is taller // Ms Huong over the moon // He am a tough guy // She weres colourful // It iss rich // We to be free // They on holiday.

Bring it on !

Andy Rourke R.I.P.

19th May 2023

With real sadness, and shock, I write this blog as a tribute to Andy Rourke, former bass player with The Smiths.

I first saw the band around the time of their second single ‘This Charming Man’, playing in a ballroom, then saw them at larger venues, festivals and arenas. They were a band that changed lives. There had been nothing quite like them, before or since.

Morrissey and Marr dominated the group, in terms of media coverage, but all musicians could tell how much Andy contributed; he was such an under-rated bassist.

“It is with deep sadness that we announce the passing of Andy Rourke after a lengthy illness with pancreatic cancer,” guitarist Johnny Marr wrote on Twitter.

Goodbye, Andy … lots of love xxx

Andy Rourke 17th January 1964 – 19th May 2023

Jingo Harleyman: ‘Life in a Korean Movie’, Track No. 7

18th May 2023

The seventh track on the EP ‘Life in a Korean Movie’, Ice-Cold Angels, has been uploaded to YouTube:

All tracks are free to download on the Bandcamp site: 

https://jingoharleyman.bandcamp.com/album/life-in-a-korean-movie 

Track 6 (‘We are the Cyborgs but that’s OK’) was inspired by Asian Sci-fi; Track 7 is another genre piece, this time the gangster film.

‘Ice-Cold Angels’ is the soundtrack to an imaginary crime-action movie, incorporating sounds of explosions, gunfire, speeding cars, police sirens, and gangsters shouting.

Lee Byung-hun … a Korean Alain Delon ? Still from ‘A Bittersweet Life’.

Musically, I chose the key of F and used the Korean Nando – Kyemyonjo scale, limiting myself to the five notes of that pentatonic scale: F G G# A# C.

Again, I was experimenting with the synth effects and sounds on the iPhone Garageband app, and some new guitar tones that were recently added. The ‘Digital Rainfall’ hopefully evokes the constant rain that seems to permeate crime and cyberpunk movies.

Kim Ok-bin in ‘The Villainess’ – fans of ‘John Wick’ will appreciate this film.

The music is non-profit, and I hope to introduce more audiences to Korean cinema and culture. All films are credited in the video. As such, I hope I may claim ‘Fair Use’, the video being for non-commercial artistic and educational purposes.

The next section is just for my own records and will be of no interest to anyone except maybe low-fi recording geeks.

The track is in the Key of F

Tempo 229 4/4 Time

Garageband sequence

Track 1 Classic Drum Machine

Track 2 Audio – Voice – Extreme Tuning

Dialogue from ‘The Villainess’ & ‘Shiri’

Track 3 Liverpool Bass

Track 4 Alchemy Synth – Mallets – Woodblock Space

Track 5 Alchemy Synth – Sound Effects – Digital Rainfall

Tracks 6 – 9 Guitar tones

Track 6 Melted Transistors Guitar amp Distorted

Track 7 Cold Fusion Guitar amp Processed

Track 8: Big Sustain Guitar amp Distorted

Track 9: Moving Lead Distorted

Track 10 Drum Machine – Acoustic – Retro Rock

Track 11 Fuzz Overload Guitar amp Distorted

Track 12 Alchemy Synth – Bass – 70s Classic Synth Bass

Track 13 Alchemy Synth – Sound Effects – Massive Slam

Coming soon … ‘Sassy Girls on the Beach’

Jingo Harleyman: ‘Life in a Korean Movie’, Track No. 6

17th May 2023

The sixth track on the EP ‘Life in a Korean Movie’, We are the Cyborgs, but that’s OK, has been uploaded to YouTube:

All tracks are free to download on the Bandcamp site:  

https://jingoharleyman.bandcamp.com/album/life-in-a-korean-movie

The most experimental piece on the EP, ‘Cyborg’ uses various synth settings and effects to recreate a robotic, electronic soundscape, mixed with some traditional-sounding patriotic marching songs.

The dichotomy of traditional and futuristic sounds is continued by the use of a Chinese pipa set against a heavy bass drum machine.

The music is non-profit, and I hope to introduce more audiences to Korean cinema and culture. All films are credited in the video. As such, I hope I may claim ‘Fair Use’, the video being for non-commercial artistic and educational purposes.

The next section is just for my own records and will be of no interest to anyone except maybe low-fi recording geeks.

The track is in the Key of C

Tempo 110 4/4 Time

Garageband sequence

Track 1 Tweed Rhythm Guitar amp

Track 2 Echolocation Synth

(Alchemy Synth – Rhythmic – Echolocation Synth)

Track 3 Chinese Kit – Percussion

Track 4 Drum Machine – Trap Door

(More – Electronic – Trap Door)

Track 5 Picked Bass

Track 6 Alchemy Synth – Voices – Female Choir Morph

Track 7 Drum Machine – Crate Digger

(Drum Machine – Electronic – Crate Digger)

Track 8: Alchemy Synth – Voices – Girl’s Choir 1

Track 9: Alchemy Synth – Voices – Moving Voice

Track 10 Alchemy Synth – Sound Effects – Transform Flare

Track 11 Pipa (played on synth Keyboard – Other – Pipa)

Track 12 Melted Transistor Guitar amp – Distorted

Track 13 Spy Tremolo Guitar amp – Processed

Tracks 14 & 15 Film Clips ‘SORI’ & ‘Air Doll’

Track 16 Garageband FX

Audio: Voice, Extreme Tuning

Coming soon … ‘Ice-Cold Angels’

Bad Day Revisited

12th May 2023

A writing exercise to help build narrative. We shall use signpost language, paragraphs, amazing adjectives, adverbs and linking words, as well as some new expressions.

I shall tell you about last Sunday – it was terrible and here’s why.

The plan of my day:

6.50 Book Grab on my iPhone and leave for work.

7.40 – 9.40 Young Learners class, level 1 (24 students) 

10.10 Arrive home 

10.11am – 2.30pm Wedding party across the street 

10.30 – 12.00 Prepare work online 

5.00pm – 9.30pm Another wedding party but much louder, more karaoke singers 

6.00 Go for coffee

BUT 11.30pm Barcelona win 1- 0 so ‘All’s well that ends well.’

So what were the problems ?

“Hey, where is my bike ? I am late for work !”

I only have one class; I hope they are nice and quiet. OK, they are screaming, loudly ! But now I can go home and relax. Wait a moment …

A wedding party with singing and drinking and karaoke … for four hours ! No problems, I will wear headphones, listen to my music and prepare my work online.

I give up ! This is never going to happen. However, after 2.30pm it starts to be quiet. I can work, read and at 4.45 I started to sleep … until at 5.00:

These gentlemen do not sing beautifully, they sound like cats having a fight. I decide to go out to a quiet coffee bar. The server is very friendly … but then a man walks in …

My dreadful day was nearly over. At 11.30 I watch TV and see …

Yes, my team Barcelona are playing. I am blown away by how good they are and I am over the moon because they win the game. All’s well that ends well.

NOW … your turn

Write about Mr Paul’s terrible day.

TIPS

Use a short introduction, then a new paragraph for each new event.

Use signpost language (first, next, then, afterwards, finally).

The story is in the past so you have to use simple past (Verb 2). Noun & verb agreement (he is, he was)

End with a short conclusion.

Use new adjectives and synonyms (terrible, awful, dreadful, horrendous).

I insist that you use at least one new expression (over the moon, blown away, all’s well that ends well).

Let me kick start you:

Last Sunday was absolutely dreadful.

First, I booked Grab on my iPhone but he was extremely slow and late. My manager was …

now you finish my day

Good luck with my bad day

Please Note: All photos are taken from Google Images or free photo sites, and are used for educational purposes only. No copyright infringement or offense is intended. If I have used your photo or image, and you wish me to remove it, just ask. This site is not monetized, I run it on my own dollar. Thank you.

Young Teens: our Pledge of Quiet

12th May 2023

Today I start a new class, and I’m very lucky; they are great. The class has some outstanding students who display motivation, respect and diligence.

That being said (however), they are still young, the hour is still early, so some ground rules need to be in place from Day One.

I encourage joking and having fun – the students will learn much more if they enjoy the class. But there is a time for joking and a time for working.

At the beginning of our new semester, my students will recite and sign this pledge:

I PROMISE TO BE QUIET IN CLASS AND TO LISTEN TO THE TEACHERS

No talking, shouting, animal noises, clicking of pens, stamping of feet, slamming of books, whistling etc.

You will get ONE Black Star warning. The second Black Star means you go out of the class. You will have a short meeting with the Manager. The meeting will not be fun for you.

We can not help you improve your pronunciation if there is so much noise that we can not hear you.

You signed the Pledge … now keep to your word.

Please Note: All photos are taken from Google Images or free photo sites, and are used for educational purposes only. No copyright infringement or offense is intended. If I have used your photo or image, and you wish me to remove it, just ask. This site is not monetized, I run it on my own dollar. Thank you.

Jingo Harleyman: ‘Life in a Korean Movie’, Track No. 5

10th May 2023

The fifth track on the EP ‘Life in a Korean Movie’, Christmas every August, has been uploaded to YouTube:

All tracks are free to download on the Bandcamp site:  

https://jingoharleyman.bandcamp.com/album/life-in-a-korean-movie

A two-chord song that builds to add synths, guzheng and a glockenspiel, evoking the melancholy of this love story that never was.

The inspiration for the track, ‘Christmas in August’ (1998), was one of the first films of New Korean Cinema to combine romance with heart-breaking drama. In later years, two young lovers one with a terminal illness, became something of a cliché, but this film remains one of the best; simple, delicate and very moving

The music is non-profit, and I hope to introduce more audiences to Korean cinema and culture. All films are credited in the video. As such, I hope I may claim ‘Fair Use’, the video being for non-commercial artistic and educational purposes.

The next section is just for my own records and will be of no interest to anyone except maybe low-fi recording geeks.

The track is in the Key of G

Tempo at drum section 133 6/8 Time

Garageband sequence

Track 1 Drum machine: Vintage Kit

Track 2 Clean Stack Guitar amp

Riff: Gm7 (root on the 10th fret, A string) / Cm7 (root on the 3rd fret, A string)

Track 3 Grand Piano

G F# G C / G F# G

Track 4 Alchemy synth – Voices – Girl’s Choir

Chorus selection (Chorus 11 o’clock / Reverb 11)

Track 5 Guzheng

G Am C Em chords

Tracks 6 Film Clips. Audio: Voice, Extreme Tuning

Track 7 Alchemy Synth – Glockenspiel

D G A – E D C

Tracks 8 & 9 Guitar Tones

Track 8: Palace of Mirrors PROCESSED

Track 9: Auditorium CLEAN

Riff: E 15 14 15 B 15 E 14 G 12

E string {C B A} G F# G D F# G {E} [20th – 12th frets)

B string D [15th fret]

G string G [12th fret]

Coming soon … ‘We are the Cyborgs, but that’s OK’

Jingo Harleyman: ‘Life in a Korean Movie’, Track No. 4

9th May 2023

The fourth track on the EP ‘Life in a Korean Movie’, Living in a Korean film‘, has been uploaded to YouTube:

All tracks are free to download on the Bandcamp site:  https://jingoharleyman.bandcamp.com/album/life-in-a-korean-movie

The track is built around a Jazzy chord progression, with audio clips from several of my favourite Korean films.

I tried out some new guitar tones on the Garageband app for some lead notes, and added some synth effects for extra colour and atmosphere.

Many audio clips start mid sentence, as if we are walking past people and catching snippets of conversation.

Astute readers may recognise the YouTube thumbnail as being from ‘Moonlit Winter’ which was mostly filmed in Japan. However the actress, Kim So-hye, is Korean.

The music is non-profit, and I hope to introduce more audiences to Korean cinema and culture. All films are credited in the video. As such, I hope I may claim ‘Fair Use’, the video being for non-commercial artistic and educational purposes.

The next section is just for my own records and will be of no interest to anyone except maybe low-fi recording geeks.

The track is in the Key of G

Tempo at drum section 133

Garageband sequence

Track 1 Drum machine: Vintage Kit

Track 2 Sparkling Clean Guitar amp

Riff: Gmaj 7 / Cm7 / Bm7 and some lead fills on the B & G strings

Track 3 Film Clips. Audio: Voice, Extreme Tuning

Track 4 Synth Pads – Chill Pad.

G D – A D improvisation based on ‘Für Elise’

Track 5 Bass – Liverpool Bass

Follow Chords G – G / C – F# / F# – E

Tracks 6 Film Clips. Audio: Voice, Extreme Tuning

Man at station from ‘Il Mare’ slowed down to extreme

Track 7 Alchemy Synth – Soundscapes – Endless Optimism

Tracks 8 – 10 Guitar Tones.

Track 8: Rich Harmonies CLEAN

Track 9: Thin Rhythm CLEAN

Track 10: Endless Ambient PROCESSED plus Phase Tripper guitar pedal.

Coming soon … ‘Christmas every August’

Sài Gòn … then and now.

3rd May 2023

We have a project to write about our city or town. How has it changed ?

Remember, when we write about the past we use Verb 2 (simple past) but when we write about today, we use Verb 1 (simple present).

Word Bank:

In the past there was or In the past there were …

There wasn’t … or There weren’t …

These days there is or These days there are …

Today or Nowadays …

Example: In the past, the city was called Sài Gòn. Today, the city is called Ho Chi Minh City.

Let’s set the scene – we need some old time music.

To help you, compare and contrast these photos. First, we have the General Post Office in Quận 1 (District 1, downtown or city centre).

Post offices were mainly for sending letters. Do people send letters these days ?

If people could not write, what did they do ?

Today, the Post Office has many shops inside, and many tourists visit to take photos.

How about street life ?

Sài Gòn 1960s (above), and Ho Chi Minh City today

Of course, Sài Gòn is famous for street food.

Some food is traditional, but nowadays there are a lot of fast food restaurants.

Finally, we need some modern music. Do you know this song ? The video was filmed in Quận 7

Please Note: All photos are taken from Google Images or free photo sites, and are used for educational purposes only. No copyright infringement or offense is intended. If I have used your photo or image, and you wish me to remove it, just ask. This site is not monetized, I run it on my own dollar. Thank you.