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.
This blog will teach you how to talk about plans – what you will do later in the day.
The grammar will be future tense, and I’ll show you standard English and some everyday expressions.
I will … after work OR After work, I will … (standard English)
Example: I will play football after work OR After work, I will play football
Try these:
watch a movie // cook for my family // go shopping // play computer games
When I finish work, I’ll (I + will = I’ll) … a contraction
Later, when I knock off work … (knock off = finish) a UK expression / phrasal verb
Practice:
Make sentences, using these phrases. I give you an example:
I’m going to // I will (I’ll) // I plan to // I intend to // I’m thinking of …
After work, I’m going to a restaurant
Try to extend the sentence by giving more information:
After work, I’m going to take my family to a restaurant.
When I knock off, my family and I will go to a fast food restaurant because my son loves fried chicken and chips.
Now your turn:
What will you do after work ? See how long you can make your answer.
Tell me what you see in the photos.
I have some answers at the end of the blog.
Sample answers:
After work, I plan to drink beer. // I intend to drink beer after work with my two best friends.
When I knock off, I’m going to stay home // After I knock off, I’m going to play computer games and eat junk food. // After work, I plan to watch TV and eat crisps, chocolate and cake.
Tonight, I’m thinking of singing karaoke. // Later, I’m thinking of meeting my friends and going to sing karaoke because it’s a lot of fun.
After work, I will take my girlfriend to a restaurant. // Tonight is special because I will take my girlfriend to a romantic restaurant. // This will be a special night because I intend to ask my girlfriend to marry me so I’m going to take her to an expensive romantic restaurant.
This is based on an old British TV show. A team (ideally of three) will be given a word – in the first example, it will be ‘jeopardy’. Each member reads out a definition; depending on the ability of the students, they may be able to embellish, and use intonation to add colour to their presentations. They may also use examples such as ‘Jeopardy, if you have seen a Vietnam war film, you will remember seeing a small, open-top green car. They were used all over Vietnam. These are called, jeopardies. One day, I hope to drive a jeopardy.’
The teacher can adapt this principle to review recent vocabulary.
Team A
Jeopardy
1 In danger, danger of losing or failing
2 A small car used by the army
3 A bird in Australia that can speak fluent English
Contestants
1 People who order food in a restaurant but run away without paying
2 Large vehicles for carrying heavy goods
3 People who enter a competition, or take part.
Maximum
1 A lady with more than six children
2 The most amount of something
3 A type of sports outfit used in cycling
In the form of
1 Looking like something, in the shape of something
2 Something made of glass or metal
3 Paperwork needed to get a US visa
Team B
Reduce
1 To do something again
2 To make less of something
3 To use glass, plastic, paper again and again
Actual
1 Real, a fact
2 A person who works in theatre or cinema
3 A person who works with a company’s money and finances
Smart
1 A painting of a happy person
2 Very clever or intelligent
3 A small cake made in the UK
except the last one
1 Only the last one
2 Everyone but not the last one
3 To have to start a game over again
Internet Survey
This activity is designed to get the students talking to each other, and encouraging them to elicit more information from their classmates.
The questions could be copied onto a sheet, printed out then distributed to the class, so they can walk around and talk to as many people as feasible.
Before the activity, board some key phrases to help:
What did you buy online, which website did you use, how long did it take to arrive ?
Were you happy with the purchase ? Why or why not ?
What websites would you recommend for university work or borrowing books ?
Can you trust Wikipedia …?
Question // Name // Answer
How often do you go online ?
Do you use the internet for work and/or study ? How ?
What social media sites do you use regularly ? How often ?
Have you ever bought or sold anything online ?
What is good about the internet ? What is the worst ?
Desert survival
I learnt this at International House, London, as part of the CELTA course, and I use it frequently.
The concept is to introduce phrases and expressions by which students can exchange opinions. Students are placed in small groups and have to decide upon five items. After, they must discuss with other groups their choices. If there are any differences in opinion, the teams must negotiate until the whole class agrees on five items.
First, go through the items, then drill the negotiation phrases.
You need to select five items below to help you survive in the desert.
EXERCISE: What do you think of this painting ? It is by Salvador Dali; what do you know about him ? Prepare a short presentation for next class 🙂
The Persistence of Memory 1931
How to ‘read’ a painting.
Firstly, as with a poem, the title, not to mention the time it was created, can supply us with vital clues and information.
Memory – how well can you remember what you did last night ? Maybe last week ? Last year ? How about what you did at junior school or even, what are your earliest memories ?
Our memories can be unreliable, a mixture of truth, half-truths and maybe fabrications. Therefore, Dali could be saying that the past, as we remember it, may not be the truth – it can be distorted, warped or mutated.
This can be shown by the main subjects: watches. The closed (protected ?) watch is overrun with ants. Could this mean that the ‘truth’ will never be revealed ?
The remaining watches appear to have melted. Have they stopped ? We can see that two of the watches show different times.
What do you associate with watches; time, naturally. Is Dali warning us about how fast time flies, or how we can so easily waste time ? Alternately, is the artist pointing out that human time is nothing compared to time in the universe, which is measured in millions of years and light years ?
How about the image in the centre ? This looks like a self-portrait, also distorted, of Dali himself:
The ‘Dali’ portrait is covered by a distorted watch. Could Dali be telling us how he feels his own mortality – his time left on Earth – or is he being forced down by forces beyond his control – how we can’t escape time ?
Such possibilities show how we can interpret a work of art.
We can say anything we feel provided we can support our ideas.
This makes for some very interesting points of view; even if we don’t agree with the point, we can appreciate the argument.
Now let’s focus on the colour and background. Dali was born in the Catalonia region of Spain, and take a look at this photo of the coastline:
Do you see, it is not entirely unlike the cliffs in the top right of the painting.
Additionally, we have what appears to be the natural realities of sea and sky.
This mixture of reality and distorted, dream-like images is termed Surrealism. It is not pure fantasy, nor is it strict reality, but a hybrid (mix) of the two.
How about the tree ? It looks dead, destroyed, more like a human skeleton. This could be a reference to the horrors of World War I (1914 – 1918), when vast areas of French forest were bombed and shelled into grotesque nightmares worlds:
Photograph by Frank Hurley: ‘Chateau Wood 1917’
Interestingly, many of my young students now interpret the tree in environmental terms, how nature is being destroyed by deforestation, by pollution, by human encroachment on the land.
I find that to be a justification for the importance of art; we project our own concerns and issues, factors that affect our current lives onto art that may have been created hundreds of years ago. The art still speaks to us.
SIDE EXERCISE: Which do you prefer, the painting or the photo ? Or, develop your argument to state the positives of both.
Now, let’s move on to the colours. What do you associate, or what is the symbolism of bright blues and yellows ? Conversely, what do you think of when you see dark colours, deep browns and black ?
Finally, let’s focus on the ‘Dali’ image; it is placed at the centre of the painting, like a sun in a solar system about which, everything moves. We have a hybrid of reality (sky, sea, cliffs) and surreal images (the melted, disfigured watches) not forgetting the (war-scarred ?) tree, both real and surreal.
With Dali being the central image, is the painting saying that is a view of Dali’s imagination ? Maybe a dream (don’t dream have a surreal quality ?), maybe his statement on how the world is going ?
All things considered, how do you react now ? Is this optimistic or pessimistic ? Do you consider it realistic or fantastic or surreal ?
Now you try
Dada
I previously mentioned World War I. For the first time, war was industrialised, soldiers died in incomprehensible numbers from heavy artillery, bombs, machine guns, gas, flame-throwers, airplane attacks, as well as hand to hand fighting.
Despite the huge loss of life the politicians and leaders persisted in fighting. As a reaction to this madness, a new art movement was formed in Switzerland, central Europe, and was named Dada.
The Dada artists wanted to attack all in modern life that had lead to, and was prolonging, the war.
This blog is designed to help you with building longer sentences, and to promote the use of adjectives and adverbs. You will have to describe photos, explaining what you see, what is happening and how you react to them.
Photo ops
What is happening here ?
Try to write / say a paragraph about this photo.
What is happening ? Why ? What reasons do the police have ?
What is the phrasal verb? What is the police officer doing ?
Answer at bottom of blog
To extend your answer, describe what the people are wearing, how they look, the location, time of day etc. Give as much information as you can. You can arrange these in a complex sentence (two or more bits of information in one sentence).
EXAMPLE: The police officer, dressed in a light brown uniform, is stopping a motorbike which has three people on it of which only one, the driver, is wearing a helmet.
How would you describe the activity in this photo ?
What is the setting ? What is happening ? Who are the people ? What could they be discussing ?
In my opinion // I believe // I feel // (It) seems to me // I assume
They look like // In my view // (He / it) appears to me // I imagine
bring and buy sale
These are quite common in the UK. Peopletry to sell unwanted items, and sometimes the money goes to a school, hospital or local charity. It is possible to pick up a bargain. Conversely, you can end up with a piece of old junk !
I picked it up at a bring and buy sale.
I saw an old camera and thought it would work. However, when I tried it, nothing happened. I spent $5 and ended up with a piece of junk.
Have you ever been to a sale like this ? What do you have in your country ?
Pretend you have to tell a blind person about this photo – how would you describe it. Remember, also try to describe the atmosphere … it is quiet or lively, boring or exciting ? How do you think the people feel ?
Describe these scenes
The phrasal verb was ‘pull over’ – this is when a traffic cop (police officer) stops a vehicle in order to ask questions, or tell them they are doing something wrong.
In Vietnam, helmets are compulsory, furthermore, only two adults are allowed on a motorbike. Additionally, the driver will have to produce paperwork to show that she is allowed to ride a motorbike in Viet Nam … or she will be in deep water (a lot of trouble).
The following clips are provided not only for listening practice but also for speaking: try to copy, to imitate, the speakers. Listen out for the intonation, stress and rhythm of these native-speakers.
And now, without further ado, the first clip:
The Queen
Every Christmas, The Queen addresses the nation (make a ten-minute TV appearance). This clip has subtitles so you will be able to follow what Her Majesty says, looking up any new words.
For pronunciation practice, I suggest listening to very short extracts and trying to copy the voice. The Queen, naturally, speaks Queen’s English (the most prestigious form of standard English).
Actor Benedict Cumberbatch
Do you know this actor ? How much can you understand ?
Shakespearean pronunciation:
This includes the famous opening lines from Richard III
Now is the winter of our discontent
Made glorious summer by this son of York
The phrase ‘winter of our discontent’ or ‘winter of discontent’ has entered the language and is frequently quoted in newspapers, blogs and everyday conversation.
In the quote, Richard is referring to the new king, Edward IV, from the York dynasty. He plays with the words ‘son’ and ‘sun’, comparing the new king with the spring sun chasing away the misery and despair of an English winter.
To whet your appetite, have a look at these traditional British dishes. Do you know what they are ?
Top left: Sunday roast – roast meat, potatoes, vegetables and yorkshire pudding.
Top Right: cornish pasty – baked pastry filled with meat, potatoes and carrots.
Bottom Left: traditional English breakfast – fried bacon, sausage, egg, tomato and mushrooms, with baked beans and toast.
Bottom right: fish and chips, with mushy peas (the green paste in the small bowl).
Idioms and collocations
tea / cherries / nutshell / cucumber / carrot
Growing up is hard, life isn’t always a bowl of _________ .
He walked in, as cool as a _________ , and told the boss he wanted a pay rise.
We’re going to try using a _________ and stick approach
I’m not a fan of karaoke, it’s not my cup of _________ at all.
To put it in a _________ , philosophy is very difficult.
Answers at end of the blog
Language
Prefer and rather
Which do you prefer ? Which would you rather eat ?
I prefer Indian food to English food. I’d rather have a good spicy curry than boring old meat and potatoes.
Now you try: Which do you prefer … which would you rather have ?
Greek saladInstant Korean noodles
Traditional British Christmas. What do you think of this food ?
Roast turkey with stuffing, roast vegetables (sprouts, carrots, potatoes, parsnips), baked ham
Christmas pudding with brandy cream, mince pies, gingerbread men
What traditional food do you eat in your country ?
Sentence building
What is the most unusual food you have tried ?
As a Brit abroad I have often had comments and questions, such as, ‘So what do you actually eat ?’, ‘I hear British food isn’t so great …’ or ‘Do you even have a traditional meal ?’ At first I thought this was just a stereotype that existed in Europe, but I have recently begun to ask myself, is our food really that bad?
In comparison to our neighbours, British food has never been seen as a delicacy like French cuisine. Perhaps when people think of British food they think of sandwiches, or the simple and unhealthy fish and chips. Although perhaps simple and unhealthy, fish and chips is delicious, as is a cornish pasty(meat and vegetables in pastry).
We have a meal for breakfast: the incredible combination of eggs, bacon, sausage, beans, mushrooms and bread (the cooked Breakfast), we have a meal for Sundays (roast lunch) with meat, vegetables and gravy (sauce), and we even have a tradition for between lunch and dinner (afternoon tea) with the two best things: cake and tea.
So it may be because I’ve eaten British food all my life, but I personally think that it is much better than its reputation!
Vocabulary to learn: look these up if you don’t know the meaning.
in comparison to …
stereotype
delicacy
cuisine
combination
reputation
Idioms:
bowl of cherries / cool as a cucumber / carrot and stick / not my cup of tea / in a nutshell.
This blog was suggested by a special student, Ms Ngoc – thank you for the idea.
London is nearly 2 000 years old. It was founded by the Romans in about the year 50 (We say 50 AD or 50 CE), and the Romans built the first bridge across the River Thames.
The Romans built walls to protect the city, and parts of them can still be seen today:
A very important date in the history of the UK is 1066 – the Battle of Hastings, when the Normans, from France, beat the English and became the rulers.
Very near the Roman wall in the first picture is the Tower of London, built by the Normans:
The oldest part of the Tower was built in 1078, but it was continually expanded for the next three hundred years. The Crown Jewels are kept here:
Moving onto the Medieval period, we have St Bartholomew the Great Church, from 1123:
This church was used in the famous British film ‘Four Weddings and a Funeral’
One of the most famous kings was Henry VIII (married six times). His father, Henry VII started the Tudor dynasty (1485 – 1603). The last Tudor was Queen Elizabeth I and under her rule, England started to become a world power. Explorers went to the USA, while at home Shakespeare was writing and acting.
This building, in the centre of London, is from the Tudor period.
The church of St Andrew Undershaft, built 1520 – 1535 with modern Gherkin building in the background.
The Stuarts were the next dynasty, from 1603 – 1714. England had a civil war, and in 1649 King Charles 1 was executed. This took place at the Banqueting House.
Banqueting House interior
The Kings and Queens lived here from 1530 – 1698. The famous ceiling is by the painter Peter Paul Rubens.
A very well-known pub, The Olde Cheshire Cheese, is also from the Stuart period.
How would you like to have a drink here ? Many important writers such as Dr Johnson and Charles Dickens drank here.
Following the Stuarts, who came from Scotland, the Georgians from Germany became the monarch (king or queen). There is a lot of Georgian architecture surviving in London. Here are some examples:
Regents Street, with many fine and expensive shops
One of the most famous, iconic London buildings is where the monarch now lives – Buckingham Palace
Britain was the first industrial nation, and under Queen Victoria, expanded her empire, including Australia, Canada, parts of Africa and India. The British love tea, so this was an important import. This ship, the Cutty Sark, was built in 1869 and was one of the fastest ships in the world. It is now a museum.
Warehouses had to be built next to the river to store all the goods from overseas. Some of these have been converted into modern offices or restaurants.
Victorian warehouses. See the bridges connecting the buildings on the first and second floorsLeadenhall Market as it looks today
However, life was extremely hard for many people at this time. Low wages, hard work and unhealthy living conditions made life in London a constant struggle for survival. This has been captured by the art of Gustav Dore, the social writing of Henry Mayhew and the novels of Charles Dickens
Homeless and hungry
By 1825, London had reached over one million people, and became the world’s most populated city for the next hundred years.
Now we start to get into the modern age. We see the arrival of motor vehicles, cars and buses.
Selfridges department store
From 1939 – 1945, Britain was at war with Germany. London suffered heavy bombing. This famous picture shows St Paul’s Cathedral, covered in smoke, but undamaged.
Society changed in the 1960s with new films, clothes, and of course, music. Carnaby Street became the place to go for clothes and to hang out and be seen.
London Today
London is a mixture of architectural styles, reflecting the different historical periods. As you walk around, you can sense the spirit of the millions of people who went about their lives, just as we do.
What buildings do you like most and can you tell me why
What time period appeals to you the most ?
Do you think you could live in London ?
The reconstructed Globe TheatreBrick Lane market, open Sundays
Today we shall focus on reading adverts, posters and internet posts to find basic information.
Additionally, you will learn how to ask and answer questions in order to give or receive information.
Let’s start with a poster for the rock band REM, who were formed in the 1980s
REM live in concert
Seeing a band perform live is very exciting.
There is a great atmosphere.
Hundreds or thousands of people are singing and clapping.
It is a unique experience.
When a band goes on tour, they advertise. They can advertise online, in newspapers or by using posters.
This poster is for a REM tour from 1989. The band had a new CD called ‘Green’. They perform live to promote the CD, to encourage people to buy their CD.
Read the poster carefully and answer the questions:
Where is it ? (The name of the concert hall)
What time does it kick off (start) ?
When is it ? (The date)
How can we buy tickets ? (There are different ways to buy tickets – how ?)
They were touring in support of their new LP ‘Green’
What do you associate with the colour green?
How about:
blue
red
yellow
white
black ?
Here is some information. What questions would you need to ask ?
Visitor Information
Address:
137 Seobinggo-ro, Seobinggo-dong, Yongsan-gu
Nearest train station:
Ichon (National Museum of Korea) Station is a station in Yongsan-gu, Seoul on Seoul Subway Line 4 and Gyeongui–Jungang Line.
This selection of clips are all aimed at English-language learners. The speech, therefore, will be slower and clearer, vocabulary simpler than real-world videos (which I shall feature in the next Listening blog), as well as a noticeable absence of idioms, phrases and expressions.
Contents:
Vocabulary Booster: learn new words while listening to a non-native accent.
An English learning adventure
The weather: A British Council video
Listening practice:
Vocabulary booster (Indian lady teaches 20 words)
New Vocabulary:
Instead of using ‘very’ + adjective (I am very tired), use a single word:
Try to use ‘sagacious’, ‘exquisite’, ‘colossal’ and ‘spacious’
The apartments in Block D are ……….. (big)
The furnishings are perfect, they are ……….
Building an underground train network is a ………… undertaking
The old man was ………. People came to him for advise.
The following is a list of opinion phrases, aimed at expanding your vocabulary as well as enabling you to practise the linking sounds required in order to sound like a native speaker.
“In my experience…” // “As far as I’m concerned…”
“I’m absolutely convinced…” // “Speaking for myself…”
“In my opinion…” // “Personally, I think…”
“I’d say that…” // “I’d suggest that…”
“I’d like to point out that…” // “I believe that…”
“What I mean is…” // “It’s obvious to me…”
“It seems to me …” “This could possibly …”
What do you think of the following works of art ?
The Last Supper by Leonardo 1490s
As far as I’m concerned, this mural painting is one of the greatest achievements of European culture.
Personally, I think the painting is overrated. I can’t see what is so special about it.
Now, your turn. Use the above expressions; what do you think about …
Dance at Bougival by Renoir 1883Chinese landscapeMan Pointing by Giacometti 1947Socialist Realism from Viet NamStarry Night by Van Gogh 1889Lobster Telephone by Dali 1936Traditional Korean paintingThe Physical Impossibility of Death in the Mind of Someone Living by Damien Hirst 1991
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Thay Paul's Notes 