19th February 2020
The main reason to fly back to the UK was to see my younger brother. He’s an artist and I’d like to show some of his drawings.
The first are various images of trainers:
The next series are some portraits:
Next, his most recent theme,cameras and lenses:
19th February 2020
The sky is grey, the prices are astronomical, people are loving Brexit, people are hating Brexit, people are predicting a boom, people are prophesying doom … and it is cold. It is very, very cold.
The view of east London, near the Olympic Stadium:
I arrived late Thursday 13th and spent most of the next day meeting my brother’s friend in his local (the nearest pub). At ‘Happy Hour’ a pint of Guinness was £3.50. Otherwise, it is a fiver (£5, that’s $6.50).
Sunday, I took the new express train from Stratford International 75 miles to Canterbury West (£35 single / $44), to meet up with some old friends, Carole and Pete. Carole met me, then we drove to a small cottage on the sea, at a place called Whitstable, famous for its oysters.
Next day, we met Pete at Broadstairs (see next blog), but back in Whitstable, we had the traditional fish and chips:
For my Vietnamese students, the above (three fish and chips and three mugs of tea) was about one million VND. I told you UK was expensive and this wasn’t even London ! However, in the UK one is never far from an Indian, Chinese or Asian restaurant. For example, in Broadstairs I saw:
Next Wednesday I’ll be back in Bangkok, so I can try the real McCoy (the real thing).
12th February 2020
Contents
Conspiracy theories
Engineering marvels
Why trains can’t go uphill
Conspiracy Theories:
Have you heard of film director Stanley Kubrick ?https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oR_e9y-bka0
Did we REALLY go to the Moon ?
Are there ALIENS ?
DID the Wright Brothers actually invent the airplane ?https://www.businessinsider.com/10-items-not-invented-by-who-you-think-2011-8
Which of these surprised you ?
Engineering marvels
Which ones impressed you most ? https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kFbug8as10U
James May – why can’t trains go uphills ?
What do you think of James’ pronunciation – can you understand all ? Try to copy him: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KbUsKWbOqUU
What is the problem with trains and going up gradients ?
What do they struggle to do ?
What are the scientific reasons for this ?
What was the problem with James May speaking ?
James normally speaks quite clearly, but there were problems. This was due, I feel, to the speed and the amount of language. Look at this conversation analysis: (0. 10 – 0.42):
And now, ‘Why can’t trains go uphills ?’ Well, the smarter ones amongst you will have recognised already, especially if you’re a qualified railway engineer, this is a bit of a trick question because of course, train can go uphills … they’re just not very good at it.
If you think about the topography of most of the world, this is clearly a bit of a problem. Human being can … albeit rather sweatily, motivate themselves up a gradient of around eighty degrees, or one in a quarter.
Listen again– hear how James:
Think – does James need to add the clauses ? What is the purpose ? Consider the medium (TV, internet, blog etc) and the target audience.
James is speaking to a fluent, English-speaking audience, probably native speakers, or people who have lived in the UK for a long time. Therefore, they will be more used to this natural way of speaking.
This is why I recommend student put their text books down and read real English books, watch English-speaking films and TV shows and sing English songs. It really helps.
He does make allowances for non-British audiences by showing two fifty-pence coins, but his language isn’t downgraded.
Intonation – SO important to assist in conveying meaning.
12th February 2020
Interview Language
Many interviews have similar questions. Read the following and then role-play with a partner. Feel free to add your own information, or make up something new.
Possible questions:
What experience do you have ? // What do you know about the company ? // Have you ever had to work to a deadline ?
Tell me about yourself
I was born in …. and I graduated from …. University in 2014 with a major in Business Administration. Since then I’ve had two year’s experience in administrative work at ABC and XYZ Corporation.
I’m a very organised person, well-balanced and efficient. I’m hard-working and dedicated.
In my free time, I like to travel and I love to paint. Furthermore, I enjoy going out having coffee with friends.
What do you know about (COMPANY) ?
XXX are an established company with a good reputation. They help …….. and there are over (xx) sites in VN (or your country).
What are your strengths ?
I feel I am easy-going, hard-working, careful and diligent. I think my greatest strength is my positive outlook, even during times of stress. I can work under pressure and I really enjoy a challenge. Lastly, I like working in a team.
What are your weaknesses ?
Well, my English isn’t perfect, so this will be a great chance to improve. Maybe I can be a little quiet sometimes; that’s why working as part of a team will help bring me out.
Can you give an example of when you had to deal with an angry customer ?
One time, a customer didn’t like the price of a visa, and he began shouting and getting angry. I asked him if I could explain the reason. I then told him how it wasn’t our fault, but that I understood his anger and said sorry. Then I told him he could check elsewhere, but we would still be happy to serve him. He calmed down, said sorry to me and bought the visa and was happy.
Where do you see yourself in two years ?
My short-terms goals are to work hard and efficiently, so I can master this job. However, in the long-term, I would be interested in possibly doing more courses so I could be a manager.
What can you bring to the job ?
I’m very friendly and enjoy working with people. I always try to be happy at work and share my positive outlook. I’m very motivated and open to learning. I’m very excited about being a part of this great company.
Do you have any questions ?
May I just ask, what career opportunities are there at XXX ?
It is not a good idea to ask immediately about salary, money and bonuses, although this is an important part of the interview process.
Listening practice
From BBC Learning English: http://www.bbc.co.uk/learningengli0sh/english/features/english-at-work/02-the-interruption
A good example that comes to mind…
I’m particularly proud of…
Time-keeping is important to me.
Firstly, this job is an ideal match for my skills and experience.
Secondly, …
Above all, the reason I want this job is …
Key words:
highly motivated
can work on my own initiative
proactive
team-player
ready for a challenge
Speaking Practice:
Now you have some new words and phrases, interview each other again, making sure to really sound like the ideal person for the job.
Working in English. Being a TA (teaching assistant)
How would you handle (answer) these questions ?
How often do you communicate in English ? Have you ever used English in a work environment ?
Two teachers need things at the same time; how would you prioritise ?
How would you deal with a rude teacher ? What would you do if you had a problem with a certain teacher ?
Could you work as a team member ? Could you take orders from a younger person ?
Some students come to you and say they don’t like a certain teacher. What would you tell them ?
Teachers earn much more than Viet staff. How do you feel about that ?
Some parents may be very angry about a grading a teaching gave. If they came and shouted at you, how would you cope ?
Can you give an example of a time when you dealt effectively with an angry customer ?
How do you see this role ? What do you imagine you’ll be doing ?
The work may become routine. Do you think you will get bored ?
Part of the job-description involves keeping a safe environment. What do you think that means ?
A child has a nosebleed; what would you do ?
A child is being noisy and shouting when the teacher speaks. What would you do ?
A child swears in class, but his parents are angry at you when you criticise the student. However, the teacher insists you phone the parents to complain.
11th February 2020
Contents
Listening practice: News report
Tuareg people
Vocabulary: holidays & travel
Tuareg people of North Africa
The Tuareg are a large group of Berber people from many different ethnic groups who live in the Sahara region of northern Africa. No one really knows where they first came from …
Music: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ahW5BVQo4ok
Learn more in this Tuareg culture feature on Al Jazeera news:
News report:https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zAZ0nfxfLnk
Listening practice:
Try listening for 2 or 3 minutes without text. Then repeat, and copy any new words, expressions or styles of speaking.
New vocabulary:
nomad / endured / fundamental / prestige / divisions / emerging
Why do men cover their faces / From what age do they do this ?
How is this different from other Islamic cultures ?
How is wealth passed ?
What do you know about Islam ?
Holiday activities
Share holiday experiences
Ask each other the following questions about travel and holidays. Ask for more information.
What was your last holiday ? Do you have a holiday planned ?
What was your best holiday ? What was your worst ?
Where would you most like to go ?
How to encourage people to open up (speak more)
Really ? Tell me more …
That’s sounds amazing !
What did you do next ?
Why do you say that ?
Oh, no ! What happened ?
Where is that ? Who took the photo ? What were you doing ?
Practicalities
What was the hotel like ? Where did you stay ? How old were you when you went there ?
How long was the journey ? Who did you fly with (which airline) ?
What did you think of the food ? Did you travel alone ?
Switzerland
From these four photos, what do you think of Switzerland ?
Can you see the bear on the Toblerone box … it is on the left-hand side, in the middle of the mountain.
8th February 2020
Contents
Conversation practice: New person at work // past-time expressions
Photo description
What is happening here ?
Never start a story with a pronoun (he, she, they, it). Tell what the subject is, or tell what the people are doing.
NOT ‘They are laughing.”
I can see two ladies (add adjectives – their age, their background), what they are wearing, where they are and what do you think they are doing … how do they know each other … are they close friends ?
Warm up game:
Show these pictures. One student sits facing away from the image, and the others have to describe it. See how accurate the student can be.
Conversation
Work in pairs. One is new to your company and the other has to show him / her the ropes (show the new staff what to do, how the job works, where things are).
Make conversation:
First – small talk (general questions, where did he work before, where does she live)
Next – explain about the subsidised lunch (lunch is not free but is much cheaper than a normal restaurant).
New staff can ask about the food at local coffee bar or restaurant.
Older staff can offer suggestions to eat somewhere or a great local cafe.
New staff can ask about shopping, coffee shops, watching football in cafes.
Bonding – seeing what you have in common.
What (films, books, music) are you into ?
Would you like a coffee / tea / water ?
Pronunciation Quiz
What words are being said ? Teacher, or a student, reads out these pairs of words. Students must decide which is being said.
Cheese or cheers // Ship or sheep // close (the door) or close (near) //
work or walk // heard or hurt // house or ours // open or a pen
Past time expressions
Not for a long time / not recently / oh, I can’t recall it was so long ago
quite recently / fairly recently / about a month or so ago
last week / last month / last year / yesterday / just this morning
the day before yesterday / a fortnight ago / ages ago / I’ve never done that
What could these two friends be saying to each other ?
Put class into two teams (or more depending on size). They have to write and then act out a conversation using FIVE of the above time expressions.
Example: Let’s call them Yen and Haamida
Yen: Have you seen Anthony ?
Haamida: Not for a long time. How about you ?
Yen: Yes, I saw him the day before yesterday.
Haamida: Didn’t he go to Scotland last month ?
Yen: No, that was ages ago. Oh, did you finish your essay ?
Haamida: Yes, just this morning.
Do not use any of the examples !
Now try this situation. The two people are not so amicable (friendly).
To help: what is the relationships between the two ? Boyfriend / girlfriend ? Husband & wife ? Brother & sister ? Neighbours ? Actors rehearsing or actors in a play ?
8th February 2020
Warm up game:
Word bomb– what do you think of when I say ‘hotel’ ?
Checking in to a hotel
Vocabulary:
reception / lift or elevator / single or double room / king size bed or twins /
first floor / complimentary breakfast / key deposit / luggage storage / safe / mini bar
What would the conversation be ?
Reception: How may I help you / May I ask your name ? / Can I see your reservation code ? / That’s fine. You stay for three nights ? / May I have your passport, please ? / You’re in room 237. That’s on the second floor / Thank you. Sign here, please / Yes, the lift is just over there. / Naturally, as well as a hair dryer, coffee machine and mini bar. / Enjoy your stay.
Guest: Hello, we have a reservation / We booked a room online / My name’s ….. / Certainly, it’s on my phone. / Yes, that’s right. / Absolutely. / Correct. / Just a second; here you are./ Is there a lift ? / The second floor ? / Is there a safe in the room ? / Perfect. Thanks very much
Make a conversation. One student will be the reception, the other(s) a guest or guests.
Write your own conversation
You are in a hotel bar and you meet another guest. Start a polite conversation, but you have to use your English.
Greet each other
Why are you in this city ? (holiday or on business)
Offer to buy a drink (accept or decline – maybe you don’t drink alcohol)
How long are they staying ? What do they think of the hotel ? What can they do in the area around the hotel ?
Small group work
You are two married couples who meet on a tour and are staying at the same hotel OR you are on a business trip and meet some other business people.
Use the following sentences, as well as your own, to make a conversation. try to keep speaking for as long as possible by using small talk techniques (oh, really / that’s interesting / tell me more / what do you do exactly ? / where is that ? / Sounds interesting)
My wife and I are delighted to meet you
Shall we go to the bar or cafe ?
Can offer name first (I’m Simon, what’s your name ?)
Would you fancy a drink … ?
Is there anywhere special to do here ?
Sorry, I have to get my head down, it’s been a long flight (I need to sleep).
My colleague and I were going out to eat.
I fancy a beer or something alcoholic
Oh, I’m sorry, I didn’t ask where you are from.
Reasonable (cheaper)
Would you like to join us ?
Peckish (little hungry)
What do you think of these hotel rooms ?
What do you think of the design ?
Would you like to stay in any of these ? Why, or why not ?
How much do you think they cost per night ?
Bangkok
Korea
Ice hotel, Sweden
Backpacker hostel, Indonesia
7th February 2020
Contents
Architecture: Arabia / The Middle East // Chicago Willis Tower
The Concorde
Entropy
Friction
Famous scientists: Nikola Tesla
Project: make a presentation about your favourite scientist.
Architecture
Arabia / The Middle East
Work in pairs: https://www.365tickets.com.au/burj-khalifa-dubai
Tell me about the Burj Khalifa – the facts; what you can see and do, and practical information
Prepare an information sheet for a guest – be careful to read the website carefully.
Chicago
The Willis Tower: Why doesn’t it fall over ?
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KjhM7Z5YPGg
The Concorde
What do you know about this commercial supersonic plane ?
This video is quite long (10 minutes+) but has lots of engineering terms and everyday expressions.
Fortunately, it also utilises subtitles which seem quite accurate: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a_wuykzfFzE
Write down any words you don’t know – watch the video in short stages, then you can watch at home at your leisure.
The Concorde stopped: why ? What reasons can you suggest ?
Science: Entropy
Entropy: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YM-uykVfq_E
The video contains some good expressions.
Famous Scientists
If I say ‘Tesla’, what do you think of ?
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ty1Fk0JZfQk
Project:
Make a presentation about your favourite scientist or science writer.
Feel free to use slides, pictures, diagrams.
Shinkansen
Bullet Train – top ten facts: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b4CD1vErEQQ
This is as much as listening exercise, as an engineering one. How much can you understand ?Which presenter is easier to understand, the young lady or the man from USA ?
Engineering terms
Match the term to the definition:
friction: the product of a body’s mass and its velocity
compression: not of natural origin; prepared or made artificially
momentum: the resistance when a body is moved in contact with another
synthetic: an increase in the density of something
What is ‘friction’ ?
Friction: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x_24FBNa788&index=4&list=PL3qtH4RtP-D1xazLKdUeN7QExjbeuCH1n
Listen out for ‘thus’ / exert a force / kinetic (UK pronunciation) /
Rephrase (put it in your own words):
5th February 2020
What can go wrong at work ?
Warm up: Ask students about problems at work. Encourage them to share their own stories.
Computers
The network is down (LAN or WAN)
My computer has crashed
The wifi is slow
I forgot my password
The printer is jammed / the ink has run out
I can’t access the file
Staff
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We get on well together
We’re on the same wavelength (think the same thing)
He doesn’t pull his weight (doesn’t do his share of work)
My boss is a slave-driver (ironic / irony)
You’re not the boss of me !
He gets on my nerves ! (He annoys me)
General conditions
We need a pay-rise ! (we need more money for this job)
The air-con is too high / too low
It’s a great atmosphere here (it’s a nice place to work, people are friendly).
It’s not the friendliest place in the world ! (it’s not a happy or friendly office).
The commute is too long (time travelling to/from work).
Create a scenario:
What could the problems be ? Work in pairs or small groups. What would you do in these situations ? How would you feel ?
It is 11.55 am, just five minutes before lunch. You missed breakfast and are very hungry but then your supervisor comes to YOU and demands that you write some emails and check some files.
It is 16.00, you are tired and want to go home. You have to send some emails to Germany but … what could go wrong ?
The air con is on 18 degrees. You are very cold and only have a thin shirt.
You need to print out a file but the printer has jammed.
You try to send an important file to a college’s computer but the wifi is slow … and then your computer crashed.
You have some angry costumers … very angry !
An incident at work
Your colleague, John Harris, had an accident in the workplace.
You have to report to your manager.
What was the task ?
What happened exactly ?
Were all safety procedures followed ?
What should have happened ?
Vocabulary
Idioms and expressions:
Very busy:
I’m snowed under / I’m up to my eyes in work / I’m working flat out /
Very quiet, not much work:
We are having some down time / It’s a quiet period / The place is deserted /
Time phrases– think of sentences using:
recently / nowadays / once in a while / in the long term / a few years ago
Talk about your work-day using a time phrase and an idiom.
Talk about some problems at work. How did you solve them ?
Have you ever had an angry costumer ? How did you deal with them or handle the situation ?
4th February 2020
Contents
Conversation practice.
Free speaking exercise: organise food for a work or university party.
Grammar: as ……. as // comparatives & superlatives // reported speech // similes //
Grammar ‘as ….. as’
Structure: as + adjective + as
Bangkok isn’t as cheap as HCM
He feels German beer is as good as Belgian beer, if not better.
At 27% alcohol, Samuel Adams Utopias isn’t as strong as Nuclear Penguin which comes in at 32%.
comparative & superlative
bigger // biggest
more confusing // the most confusing
Example:
Ha Noi is not as big as HCM but is bigger than Hue.
For me, learning German is not as confusing as learning Korean, but Mandarin is the most confusing language to learn.
We use animal similes a lot in English:
Example
He’s as busy as a bee
Try these: lamb // lion // mouse // dodo // bird // skunk
As drunk as a ….. // As dead as a ….. // As brave as a ……
As free as a ….. // As gentle as a …… // As quiet as a ……
Conversation Practice
Make sentences with these words or expressions:
In a class, write out the words on paper and distribute to the students, either individually or in groups. Give them a time limit and award points for each word used, plus bonuses for interesting or creative sentences.
spectacular / visually stunning / you get what you pay for / mouth-watering / a waste of money / significantly / according to / how can I put it ? / Somewhat / incredibly / as good as gold / as drunk as a skunk /
Reported Speech
Also known as ‘indirect speech’, reported speech is used to tell what someone has said.
Example:
Three Japanese students, Keiko, Rina & Mei are looking at their new university. Keiko, in the black cardigan says:
Keiko: Now I feel as wise as an owl.
However, with all the street noise, Mei didn’t hear so she asks Rina (who wears a pink and white striped top).
Mei: The building is stunning, but what did Keiko say ?
Rina: She said that she felt as wise as an owl.
Rina uses the past tense to tell Mei what Keiko said – she said she felt as wise as an owl.
Look at these:
Susan: “Mary works in an office.” This is Susan speaking directly.
→Susan said (that) Mary worked in an office. This is someone telling what Susan said.
Notice how the verb changes from present to past tense (‘works’ to ‘worked’).
Susan: “I work in an office.”
→Susan said (that) she worked in an office.
Notice how the pronoun changes from first to third person (‘I’ to ‘she’).
Exercises:
Rewrite the sentences using reported speech
1 ‘Ellie can use my phone,’ said my brother.
1 My brother said that Ellie could use his phone.
2 Benjamin: “I often have a big hamburger.”
2 Benjamin said (that) he often has a big hamburger.
(Pronoun changes from ‘I’ to ‘he’). Here Benjamin is talking about an event that happens frequently, so we keep the present tense ‘have’ but change it to the third-person form ‘has’.
3 ‘I don’t want to sit next to Sam,’ said Jenny.
4 Hannah: “They live in Boston.” Again, this is a present tense situation.
5 Tyler: “Ian doesn’t invite girls to his parties.”
6 Linda: “Did Max fly to London two weeks ago?”
7 Robert: “Dennis often downloads the latest tunes.”
Free speaking exercise
There is a work party and the managers want to know which food to serve.
The options are:
vegetarian / Korean / sea-food / western fast-food / traditional German cuisine
Discuss which food to choose. Run through the pros and cons of each one. Also think about entertainment. Use recently acquired vocabulary:
Expressions:
I adore / I really enjoy / I’m into
I don’t mind … I quite like …. I can take it or leave it
I’m not keen on …. It’s not my cup of tea (idiom, means I don’t like it)
I can’t stand (noun or pronoun) ……. (seafood) / I can’t stand it !
Spicy / bland / hard to eat / unhealthy / fatty
not used to it / doesn’t appeal
you can’t please everyone / each to their own / fussy eater
it’s free food – who cares ?
