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.
‘is’ we use for 1 thing, but for 2 or more we use ‘are‘
Look at the picture. What can you see ?
I can see 2 rabbits and many butterflies.
Are there sheep ? Yes, there are 2 sheep.
Are there lions ? No, there aren’t.
Are there elephants ? No, there aren’t.
NOW … your turn
Is there an apple ? // Is there an orange ?
Is there salad ? // Are there tomatoes ?
Are there carrots ? // Is there chicken ?
Is there white bread ? // Is the lunch healthy ?
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.
Five songs to showcase the genius of singer, song-writer, arranger and producer, Brian Wilson, who passed away 11th June 2025.
The songs are in no order, but include famous hits, LP tracks, and a solo cut.
Brian Wilson 1942 – 2025
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.
Just two more lessons and we have finished the textbook … and then you have the tests.
Don’t worry, let’s have a warm up to prepare for the BIG ONE.
So, Whop bop b-luma b-lop bam bom, let’s Rock ‘n’ Roll
1) FREE TIME: draw a mind map about free time.
2) What is a prodigy ?
3) What do you need to be a prodigy ? I want two answers.
4) Describe one of your classmates. I want appearance and personality … and be polite.
5) What can you see at a Madame Tussauds museum ?
6) Tell me three accessories people wear.
7) What is your favourite colour and why ? How do you feel when you wear this colour ?
8) What do these words mean:
a] Five days in a row b] rural c] try on
9) What is the superlative of
a] big b] famous c] less
10) Tell me three interesting facts about the Amazon Rainforest.
11) Give me synonyms for
a] search b] amazing c] fast
12) What is your favourite type of music. Tell me as much as you can, give examples.
13) “Your eyes are bigger than your stomach.” What does that idiom mean ?
14) Food can taste … give me four adjectives.
15) How can we prevent the flu and being ill ?
16) Tell me where you would most like to visit. Tell me why, how you can get there, what would yo do ?
Remember, tell me more, higher score
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.
Adapted from Carver-Thomas & Darling-Hammond (2017). Figure displays percentages of teachers reporting each factor as important; teachers were able to select more than one reason, so percentages do not total 100.
Lessons can still be fun and engaging, stimulating and creative.
Last night, I substituted for a class of students, 10-11 years old. One boy arrived over 10 minutes late, and the other students warned me that he was the noisiest.
Within five minutes I had given him a BLACK STARfor disruption and disrespect.
Then I helped him, made him repeat new words, improved his intonation, told him that he was intelligent and could be a good student; I asked him if was going to work now …
“No!”
After two hours, both my much younger TA and I were exhausted. Class management is part of the job but it shouldn’t be the entire job.
I have heard non-teachers tell me that I “must inspire the children.”
Have you ever tired to inspire and motivate people that do not want to be inspired or motivated ? People that turn their heads away when you try to help them, that look at the wall when you talk to them, that whistle during class to block out your voice.
Try inspiring a reluctant, recalcitrant class for two hours … then do it again for another two hours … six days a week … fifty weeks a year … year after year.
I admit my own imperfections, faults and mistakes, but I think the following suggestions are reasonable:
1) Students should only have an accepted first or given name, not named after products, film characters, food, foreign expressions or non-organic items.
2) Students must learn how to behave in the classroom and the school. No running, shouting, screaming, fighting etc.
3) I always appreciate if a teacher has cleaned the board, logged out of the computer and left the room presentable. We do have cleaners, but there is no way they can cover all the rooms in the ten-minute window.
4) I do not appreciate going into a room, finding writing over the boards and equipment, computer just left with all windows open. I have to close their work before I can log into my work. Meanwhile there is a classroom of students with nothing to do, so they will talk, shout, scream etc.
5) Finding old tissues, food wrappers, empty bottles on the teacher’s console and floor is totally unacceptable. I find it disgusting, and an insult.
6) Security guards should provide security. A friend told me that in a different country, a guard began harassing a young TA, stalking her, and saying inappropriate things to her young students.
7) No student should ever be allowed to wear an inappropriate item of clothing, with either offensive text or political images.
8) Vietnamese staff should learn the importance of saying “thank you,” and “sorry.”
So what to do after a terrible day at the office ?
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.
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.
Students around the ages of 10 or 11 move up to a higher level, and a harder book. To ensure that the students are able to deal with these increased demands, I’ve prepared a short test.
Most of the questions are based on work covered in the previous blocks, along with some extra questions based on grammar and vocabulary that I have taught.
Students will sit apart. Anyone caught cheating will receive a ZERO score. I am serious.
Best of British !
1) Tell me three things you can see in the night sky[3 points]
2) Use present continuous (verb + ing)
EXAMPLE:
I read (verb 1) = I am reading (continuous)
You eat // He plays // She watches //[3 points]
3) Tell me something you:
always do // sometimes do // never do
[3 points]
4) Name the instrument AND write a sentence in the simple past (Verb 2)
EXAMPLE: g______ / (guitar)
I played guitar last week.
c_____ / d______ / f_____ / p_______[8 points]
5) Use adverbs of manner. Turn the adjective into an adverb:
The children spoke (quiet) //
The drummers banged (loud)[2 points]
6) If you write a review of a book, show or film, what information do you use ?[5 points]
7) What is simple past (V 2) for these Verbs ?
eat / give / go / have / make / put / see[7 points]
8) Write three questions with ‘wh’ words [where / what / why etc][6 points]
9) Tell me something a penguin can do and something a penguin can’t do. Be creative and funny [4 points]
10) Object pronouns
EXAMPLE: Can you help I = Can you help me
Nobody saw (he) // Did you see (we) //
He couldn’t talk to (she)[3 points]
11)Use these adjectives in amazing sentences:
interesting // gruesome // xenophobic // popular // important[10 points]
12) Tell me what you like to do, and what job you would like in the future[10 points]
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.
One wet, London afternoon, several classes of young teenage boys were herded into the main assembly hall. As a treat, or punishment, we were about to see the 1968 version of ‘Romeo and Juliet’.
My peers did not share my enthusiasm; Shakespeare, and a love story to boot.
However, as soon as the 15-year-old Olivia Hussey, as Juliet, appeared on the balcony, the teenage boys responded as teenage boys respond.
I, naturally, fell totally in love with ‘Juliet’.
Olivia continued working in film and TV, as well as doing voice-over work on some ‘Star Wars’ video games, up to 2015.
Sadly, Olivia passed away on 27th December 2024.
17th April 1951 – 27 December 2024
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.
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.
Top Cats are able to form basic sentences such as:
I can run however I can’t fly
Warm Up: What can he or she do ?
What can you do ? What can’t you do ?
Ask your partner what he or she can do
Here, my wonderful TA will ask me, then tell the class, in order to model how to answer
Thay Paul, what can you do ?
“I can play guitar however I can’t play piano.”
Tell the class:
He can play guitar however he can’t play piano.
New vocabulary: the five senses
s — // h – – – // s – – – – // t a – – – // t o – – –
Next, use the new vocabulary in sentences.
What can he or she do and what can’t they do ?
Example:
She can see a butterfly however she can’t hear a butterfly.
She can touch a butterfly however she can’t smell a butterfly.
She can __________ a pizza however she can’t __________ a pizza.
He can ________ a guitar _______________________ .
She can ______________________________ .
The dog can __________________________________ .
Tell me more …
He is a dog.
He is a big, hungry dog.
He is a very hungry dog.
He is not (isn’t) a cat.
Adjective word bank
young / old / beautiful / happy / unhappy / clever / excited
She is a …
She is a doctor. She isn’t a teacher.
He is a …
He is a pilot. He isn’t a doctor.
She is a …
She is a student. She isn’t a pilot.
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.
Thay Paul's Notes 