General Notes about my English lessons and life in Viet Nam.
Author: Thay Paul's notes
London-born English teacher, now living and working in Sai Gon, Viet Nam.
I want to use this site to post lesson notes, extra work, helpful links as well as general notes about my time in SE Asia and Viet Nam. I also want to give real classroom experiences and how to deal with real classes of noisy, unmotivated and resistant students. Additionally, I'll be posting links to films, publishing plays and stories, and introducing friends who work in the arts.
So far we have our Jazz-inspired EP ‘Red Ribbon in Long Hair.’ The EP has four tracks, two spoken word with Jazz background, and two instrumental pieces.
The tracks are:
1) Red Ribbon – A Short Story
2) Red Ribbon Suite
3) Swing, Princess, Swing
4) Miles et Juliette
The final track tells the story of the doomed love affair between Jazz legend Miles Davis and French singer Juliette Greco, while the opening cut is a narrative about a man down on his luck who falls for a mysterious lady who wears a red ribbon in her hair …
The EP is for sale at 3 GBP, or you can buy individual tracks for 1 GBP each.
Videos for all four tracks are available on YouTube, and here is a link to ‘Miles et Juliette’:
Yesterday, before work, I finally opened a Bandcamp account for my solo project Jingo Harleyman.
I am really not tech-minded, so completing anything online is a minor victory for me. I still need to add a photo and a bio but at least I have uploaded six tracks, and hope to add more today.
Meanwhile, I need to learn more about Bandcamp and make the dashboard more appealing. Any help, tips or advice will be gratefully appreciated.
Furthermore my band Butterfly Decal also need a Bandcamp page, as we have a number of tracks already completed.
I’m working with my old friend Niall Keohane in this band, and Niall’s technical expertise elevates the low-fi music; he makes it sound professional and epic !
Niall’s also a multi-instrumentalist, and regularly plays gigs and makes recordings.
In case you haven’t heard anything from Butterfly Decal (there are several videos on YouTube), here’s one from Niall, about the love affair between Jazz legend Miles Davis and French singer Juliette Greco:
Today we shall focus on story-telling, using nouns, adjectives, verbs (in the past tense or Verb 2) and linking words.
Students can also practise intonation and pronunciation when they make their presentation.
Quite simply the class, in small teams, are going to retell the story of Theseus and the Minotaur. We have covered this myth several times already, but here’s a quick reminder curtsey of the good people at Lego:
If the class works in small groups, it could be a good idea to give them some large paper in order for some to draw, while others write. However, every member of the team must write something, and speak during the presentation.
First, a quick recap:
Every year, the King of Athens has to send 12 children to Crete to feed the Minotaur. The King’s son, Theseus, said he will go and kill the monster.
When Theseus and the children arrive in Crete, Princess Ariadne sees Theseus and falls in love. She says she will help him.
The Minotaur lives in a labyrinth, or maze, and it is very hard to get out. However, the Princess gives Theseus some string, so he can find the exit.
Soon, the Minotaur smells the Greek hero and they fight but Theseus wins and the Minotaur is dead. The children are safe.
Theseus and Ariadne sail away from Crete back to Greece.
Now … your turn
Write and draw this story. First you, like Theseus, need some weapons, only your weapons will be words:
NOUNS Greek / hero / Prince / Princess / labyrinth / sword / string or thread
VERBS fight / sail / defeat / fall in love / smell /
LINKING WORDS and / as well as / but / however / because / also /
Naturally, they lived happily ever after … well, not really, but that’s another set of stories.
Titian (1506 – 1576) Bacchus and Ariadne 1521 – 1523 in London’s National Gallery
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.
Butterfly Decal is our band’s name, and the members are Niall Keohane, in Birmingham, UK, and Paul Pacifico in Sai Gon, Vietnam although we are hoping to have a guest vocalist soon.
Here’s a new demo, guitar and clip track only, of a new track with the working title ‘Roses for Daisy, daisies for Rosie.’
The demo was recorded on Apple’s Garageband app, on an iPhone 7, so it’s very low-fi.
The purpose of a demo is to show other band members a possible song structure, and to allow the lyricist to fit words to the chords, and create a melody.
Once the song has been written, we arrange the instrumentation, and Niall makes a professional production in his home studio.
Niall also has an online radio show, ‘Flatwound Sounds.’ In his most recent broadcast, he played a track by Butterfly Decal, and I introduced the concept behind the band. The broadcast may be accessed here:
Continuing from yesterday’s blog, which was aimed at younger learners, a review lesson focusing more on listening and pronunciation skills.
Warm up
Quick writing: You have 10 seconds to write down as many words as you can beginning with the letters:
s / p / t
Tell me something you like and something you don’t like.
EXAMPLE: I really like English because it is fun, however I don’t like mathsbecause it is so difficult.
Tell me four things you can have in a:
kitchen / bedroom / living room
Tell me about your family. Try to speak for as long as possible.
Example: I have a mummy, a daddy and two brothers. My mummy is friendly. She is small and has black hair. My daddy is tall. My older brother likes to play video games. My young brother likes to read books.
Write a sentence with these adverbs. One sentence each:
always / usually / sometimes / never
Screen test. Watch this Christmas advert, then answer the questions.
The Questions:
What colour was the girl’s umbrella ?
How many buttons (not eyes) did the snowman have ?
Name three shops that you saw.
How many snow people were on the street ?
What was on the wall in the man’s kitchen ?
What toy did the old man have in the bath ?
What was the old man’s job ?
How many pigeons were standing on the street ?
What fruit was the man on the subway (Tube train) holding ?
What was the number of the bus ?
Complete the slogans: Give a little _______ Together we can make a big ____________
Pronunciation, intonation and stress
Thay Paul loves coffee and so does his friend Agent Cooper: Students can act out the scene. Not only does it require stress and emotion, but also pacing.
Tell me the story of Theseus and the Minotaur
The Answers
Red // 5 // Scarf Hut, Pharmacy, Opticians, Florist // 8 (one in the window doesn’t count) // a fish, a picture of the family, a shelf // a toy duck // a barber or haircutter // 4 // an apple // 222 // ‘love’ & ‘difference’
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.
Team games are a great way to motivate younger students, as well as reinforcing their knowledge of English. Ideally, games should test all learning skills; reading, writing, speaking and listening, not to mention focusing on pronunciation and grammar.
Here’s a familiar game which can be used in the classroom together with an online dice. Put the students into small teams, and give them mini boards and markers.
First, some questions for level 2
Give me a sentence with these verbs:
dance / drink / eat / take / hold / listen
some or any ?
Is there ____ milk ?
There are ________ eggs.
Are there _____ fries ?
There are _____ carrots.
Would you like ____ ice cream ?
There aren’t ___ sausages.
Grammar: conjugate these verbs
I like watching football (you / he / she / it / Mr John / we / they).
I don’t like taking photos (you / he / she / it / Mr John / we / they).
I can float in space (you / he / she / it / Mr John / we / they).
Adjectives. Write two adjectives for:
a tiger / a dolphin / a puppy / a vampire / a frog
Time
What do you do at 7.00 in the morning ?
What do you do at 1.00 in the afternoon ?
What do you do at 9.00 in the evening ?
Quick writing: You have 10 seconds to write down as many words as you can beginning with the letter:
s / p / t
Tell me something you like and something you don’t like. EXAMPLE: I really like English however, I don’t like maths.
Tell me three things you can have in a:
kitchen / bedroom / living room
Tell me about your family. Try to speak for as long as possible.
Example: I have a mummy, a daddy and two brothers. My mummy is friendly. She is small and has black hair. My daddy is tall. My older brother likes to play video games. My young brother likes to read books.
Write a sentence with these adverbs. One sentence each:
Last night I was speaking with my wonderful TA about boosting her IELTS score. Our lesson used the Greek hero Achilles. Furthermore, we had both been standing more or less for four hours. I gave her two expressions then realised they were connected – Achilles heel and my dogs are barking. Therefore, here’s a quick list of foot-related expressions.
Achilles heel – this hero was invincible because his mother immersed him in a special river, as shown in the painting. However, she held her son by the heel so the water didn’t touch the boy’s skin. This was his one weak spot, and he was killed by Paris who shot an arrow into Achilles’ heel.
In everyday English, an Achilles heel refers to a person’s weak point, or flaw.
John’s vocabulary was excellent but his pronunciation was his Achilles heel.
This means John knew many words, but his pronunciation was so bad, he would lose points in a speaking test.
My dogs are barking – this mean your feet are very sore or hurting. Bob Dylan uses the expression in his song ‘Summer Days’
My dogs are barking, there must be someone around My dogs are barking, there must be someone around I got my hammer ringin’, pretty baby, but the nails ain’t goin’ down
copyright Bob Dylan 2001
To foot the bill – means to pay for something, or all of something.
We went out drinking but I had to foot the bill !
To put your foot in your mouth – means to say something that you shouldn’t have said – maybe you tell a secret, or you hurt somebody or get somebody in trouble.
Tony said the man was very stupid but he didn’t know he was talking about her husband ! He really put his foot in his mouth.
Foot and mouth disease – this is a very serious disease affecting cows, pigs and sheep. We can also use it to speak about a person who always puts his or her foot in their mouths.
Shelia can’t keep her mouth shut, she always says the wrong thing. She has foot and mouth disease.
To stand on your own two feet – means to be independent, not to need anybody’s help.
It’s time you stood on your own two feet, young man.
To toe the line – to do as you are told, to follow orders, or to follow the rules.
You better start toeing the line, mister, or look for a new job !
You won’t have a foot to stand on – you have no rights, or evidence to help you. You have no chance. Sometimes you may hear you won’t have a leg to stand on.
Without photo evidence or a witness, you won’t have a foot to stand on.
Two left feet – refers to someone who can’t dance.
No, I can’t dance, I have two left feet.
Footloose and fancy free – a person who is not in a relationship, so they can go out and meet new people. Someone who is ‘single and loving it.’
Footnotes – information or explanatory notes at the bottom of the page in academic books. The fiction author, David Foster Wallace was famous for using footnotes in his novels.
Legless – slang for being totally drunk.
You should have seen Peter last night – he was absolutely legless !
To have a hollow leg – someone who can drink a lot of alcohol but doesn’t get drunk, or appear to be drunk.
That’s her 7th beer and she looks fine. She must have a hollow leg.
To be a heel – this is now old-fashioned, but it means to be a bad person, to cheat people or be unfair.
He tricked the man out of $100. What a heel !
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.
Niall, my musical partner in Butterfly Decal, will be hosting a radio show in the UK, and playing some of our music. He asked me to write a short introduction, so here is a brief history of Butterfly Decal.
Hello, I’m Paul. Niall and I are in a band called Butterfly Decal. Only, this band is a little different because we live several thousand miles apart; Niall’s in the UK and I’m based in Sai Gon, Viet Nam.
Thanks to modern technology, we are able to make music, create videos and upload online.
Niall and I met in the 80s, played in a few bands, played a few gigs and made a few demos but neither fame nor fortune came knocking.
However, Niall kept playing, I kept moving around yet we always stayed in touch. And we always said that one day, we would play together again. And now we are.
So the band’s name … this is a bit of an in-joke; I love jangly Rickenbackers, and I once made Niall watch ‘The One I Love’ video by R.E.M. over and over, just to see and hear the guitar, so we took the name from an R.E.M. song.
Musically, we both love Jazz and Blues, Classic 60s bands, Bowie and 80s Indie music, but we’re also looking to do something a little different, Post-Rock and Maths Rock … yes, we’re British, we call it Maths Rock. We like playing around with different time signatures, using non-traditional song structures … and mixing spoken word with music, making a musical collage.
We hope you like the track Niall’s going to play … now, I’ll say tạm biệt from Sai Gon.
Thay Paul's Notes 