Adult Speaking Class, Level 2, Part 6b

24th January 2020

Contents

Dialogue: speaking practice with phrasal verbs.

Listening Practice: Vietnamese speaking English // Vietnamese urban legends

Vocabulary: agreeing to an extent

Writing exercise: condensing text (‘1001 Nights’)

Listening Practice

Vietnamese culture: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tBAi_b__l_c

Image result for weird vietnamese customs

Do you agree with the video ? To what extent ?

BONUS: can you spot any English mistakes ?

I agree totally / I agree to an extent // I disagree // I disagree strongly

She makes a good point // She misses the point

She is spot on // She is way off // In my experience …

wierd = unusual / strange

Now, your turn. Do you agree with these statements:

Learning English is so important if you want a good job.

People who drink and drive should go to prison.

An African football team will win the World Cup before 2040.

Nobody should have to work more than 25 hours a week.

Men and women should earn the same money for doing the same job.

New Vocabulary / expressions

looking up = getting better (things are looking up).

Since we got a new manager, things are looking up.

Match the basic words on the left with words on the right, then complete the sentences with the right-hand words:

interesting // intelligent

on time // fascinating

forgetful // miserable

tired // punctual

smart (clever) // exhausted

unhappy // absent-minded

John forgot his keys again; he’s so _________

The documentary about ocean life was __________

Tony has been very ____________ since his girlfriend left him.

It would be incredible if Vietnamese students could be __________

EXTRA:

ubiquitous = everywhere. In Viet Nam, coffee shops are ubiquitous.

incessant = never ending. The karaoke noise is incessant.

rewarding = doing something that makes you feel better about yourself. Nursing doesn’t pay much but it is tremendously rewarding.

Creating sentences

Use these new adjectives with some of these nouns:

coffee shops / motorbikes / Vietjet / construction work / German trains

charity work / AI (artificial intelligence) / swimming / British weather

Meaning, pronunciation, structure

What is happening here?

I am thinking about a holiday.

Meaning: Am I having a holiday ? Where will I go ? Is it certain ? Alone / with friends ?

Pronunciation: In speech, we would contract “I am” to I’m and link “abouta“

Structure: What tense is being used … why ? Will it happen ?

Try these: Make as many questions / possibilities as possible

He’s having his car repaired

She having a dress made

He looked at a new apartment

My cousin will be applying for universities

I’m not sure about taking the new job.

Urban legends

stories that maybe aren’t true but people believe them

[urban = city // rural = countryside // haunted = a place with ghosts ]

Ten scary Vietnamese urban legends:

Project: Do you know any of these tales / legends ?

Do you know any other Vietnamese legends ?

Have you even been to the places in HCM City ?

Writing exercise

Painting by Ferdinand keller ‘Scheherazade und Sultan Schariar’ (1880).

1001 Nights

The main frame story concerns Shahryār ruling in “India and China”. He is shocked to learn that his brother’s wife is unfaithful; discovering that his own wife’s infidelity has been even more flagrant, he has her killed.

In his bitterness and grief, he decides that all women are the same. Shahryār begins to marry a succession of virgins only to execute each one the next morning, before she has a chance to dishonour him.

Eventually the vizier, whose duty it is to provide them, cannot find any more virgins. Scheherazade the vizier’s daughter, offers herself as the next bride and her father reluctantly agrees.

On the night of their marriage, Scheherazade begins to tell the king a tale, but does not end it. The king, curious about how the story ends, is thus forced to postpone her execution in order to hear the conclusion. The next night, as soon as she finishes the tale, she begins (and only begins) a new one, and the king, eager to hear the conclusion of this tale, postpones her execution once again. This goes on for 1,001 nights.

This is quite a long introduction; how could you reduce it to three sentences ?

Some stories in English can be found here: http://www.storynory.com/category/fairy-tales/1001-nights/

Image result for arabian nights book illustrations

Dialogue

Speaking practice:

Mark At last ! Can’t you be punctual just once in your life !

Craig I’m here now, aren’t I ? You look so miserable, why are you fed up ?

Mark I need some coffee. Where can we get some ?

Craig Anywhere, coffee shops are ubiquitious here. What the hell ?

Mark What’s up now ? Your complaining is incessant !

Craig My money got all soggy ! I have to put up with so much.

Mark Oh, get over it ! Some people have no money. Do you help charities ?

Craig It sounds rewarding but after work I’m too exhausted !

Mark You are just talk. Put up or shut up !

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.

Adult Speaking Class, Level 2. Theme: food

23rd January 2020

Contents

Free speaking

Idioms and expressions

Planning a party

Traditional British food

Vocabulary

Idioms and expressions

tea / cherries /nutshell / cucumber / carrot

Idioms and collocations

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 _________ , driving motorbikes is very dangerous.

Image result for life is a bowl of cherries

Vocabulary

prefer / would rather have

When you like many things BUT one more than the others.

I like tea but I prefer coffee. He loves reading but prefers painting.

She would rather have the red dress. I’d rather be in Sai Gon than Ha Noi.

I prefer Indian food to English food. I’d rather have a good spicy curry than plain meat and vegetables.

Image result for Indian food — Indian food

Traditional British

What do you think of this food ?

Roast turkey with stuffing, baked vegetables, sprouts, carrots, potatoes baked ham

Christmas pudding with brandy cream / mince pies / gingerbread men

Image result for uk christmas mince pies

Image result for uk christmas gingerbread men — gingerbread men

Planning a party

There is a party and the managers want to know which food to serve.

The options are:

vegetarian

Korean

sea-food

western fast-food

traditional German cuisine

Image result for korean food — Korean food

Image result for western fast food — western fast food

Image result for german food — German food

Discuss which food to choose. Run through the pros and cons of each one.

Expressions: I adore I really enjoy

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

I can’t stand (noun or pronoun) 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 ?

If music be the food of love, play on;

Hygiene (noun)– hygienic (adj)

I have concerns over the hygiene of street food.

Be wary of street hawkers and scam artists.

If you could recommend …

A Vietnamese party:

Image result for vietnamese food party — Vietnamese party food

My friends are coming to visit so I want to give them a real Viet culinary experience. What food and drink should I serve ?

First – what questions do you need to ask about my friends’ dietary habits ?

Explain everything we need to do – where to buy, how to cook, how to eat.

Free Speaking

Questions:

What is the most unusual food you have tried ?

Dialogues

Speaking practice:

Pat Well, I’m exhausted. I need a damn fine cup of coffee and a big piece of pie.

Sam There’s a Highlands over the road, or we can go to Coffee Bean or Milano.

Pat I’d prefer Starbucks but it costs an arm and a leg. Highlands is also expensive.

Sam But great quality and superb cakes. Come on, I’m starving, I need coffee now !

Pat OK,hold your horseshahaha. After we can meet up with Niall.

Sam Sounds good. Now … shall I have chocolate cake or fruit cake … ?

Inside Highlands

Sam Hi, I’ll have a large cappuccino, please. What do you fancy ?

Pat Tough decision. I’m going for the caramel freeze and a slice of blueberry pie.

Sam Oh, me too. Big slice, no, only joking, I have to watch my weight.

Pat You ? I think you look great. Lets also get some chocolate cake and we can share.

Sam Brilliant. Oh, did I show you my recent photos ? Here, on my phone.

Pat Let me see … oh, so funny. Who’s that ? The man next to Niall ?

Sam That’s Jimmy, he’s Pete’s friend. He plays drums, and drinks like a fish !

Pat And that’s you, a selfie. You look adorable. Butter wouldn’t melt in your mouth.

Image result for butter wouldn't melt — Meaning someone looks so sweet, they would NEVER do anything wrong.

Student project

One of my adult students prepared this presentation. For my Asian students, canyou tell me the story of:

Black Glutinous Rice Cake

(Bánh ít lá gai)

1. A story.

2. Flavour

3. How to make it?

Mung bean

Boehmeria nivea

Rice flour

4. Useful.

Adult Speaking Class, level 2, Part 5

22nd January 2020

Contents

Asking questions

Dialogues

Listening practice: UK train prices

Relative pronouns

Speaking practice

Asking questions

A good way to keep a conversation going (to continue speaking) is by asking questions.

Look at this picture, then try to ask questions using:

who / where / when / why / how / what / do \ did / which whose ?

EXAMPLE:

Who are they ?

Where do you think they are ?

How do they know each other ?

Be creative ! Make up a story about them; are any of them boyfriend/girlfriend ? How did they meet ? What do they have in common ?

Relative pronouns:

who = people (Who is the pretty lady ?)

where = places (Where were you born ?)

which = things (Which motorbike is more reliable ?)

whose = possessives (Whose iPhone is this ?)

The Asian lady, whose name is Zhi, is studying Law.

Zhi, who was born in China, has lived in London for one year.

Speaking practice:

Ask each other about their day or their weekend

How was your day ? How was your weekend ?

great

good. On the other hand …

Today was so-so because ……….. However ……….

terrible ! Despite that

horrible / awful / dreadful

boring / tedious

My weekend was …

Example

Today was terrible because I overslept and had no coffee. However in the evening, I have football on TV so I feel very happy.

Notice how the passage mixes past tense (‘was terrible’) with present (‘I have’ …. ‘I feel.’)

How was your day ? (use past tense)

Today, I was very happy at work because I got my salary as well as a bonus (extra money).

When do you get your salary ? When do you get paid ?

Salary = career, professional job – usually once a month

Paid – for a job, can be daily, weekly, monthly – low-income job

Building longer sentences:

Relative pronouns – who (person), which (thing), where (place).

Adverbs – add information

Opinions – I feel, I believe, in my opinion, from my point of view.

Turn and link – but, although, however, having said that

Example:

I teach at public school which can be extremely tiring because there are many students who, I feel, do not want to learn. Having said that, there are also many wonderfully gifted students who make me feel happy.

(I have taught in two different public schools. As in the above Google Images stock photo, we had a blackboard and chalk, fans, not air-con, and windows open onto the street or the quad where students would play sports or keep fit or synchronised shouting. However, my classes were seldom as organised as this, and I often had forty-plus students. )

Make long sentences by answering these questions:

What are you working on at the moment ?

Do you enjoy your latest project ?

Would you like to work abroad ?

Is it good to have a car in a city ?

Can you live without a motorbike in Sai Gon ?

How important is the internet in your life ?

Student presentations

Try to make a short presentation on a subject of your choice.

Include adverbs and adjectives, new vocabulary, idioms, phrasal verbs – parts of English that you have learnt so far.

Examples – family / music / films / motorbikes / your childhood / myths of your home country

Image result for Japanese myths — Mythology from Japan

Image result for African myths — African myths

Listening practice

Prices of trains in UK:

https://www.newsinlevels.com/products/expensive-trains-in-england-level-3/

typical = usual, normal / / cost-conscious = aware of the amount of money

actually = in fact, really // adventurous – adjective – likes excitement, travel

When you go shopping, are you cost-conscious or do you just buy what you need ? Do you like adventurous holidays ?

What adjectives describe this news-story ? It costs an arm and a leg = VERY expensive

Learn these new words, then use them in the following exercise:

unbelievable / unexceptional / unavoidable / unnecessary / uninspiring

It is …………….. to bring a jumper to Indonesia because it’s so hot.

The film was ……………….., it was nothing special

How much ? That is ……………. So cheap !

A traffic jam is …………. at this time.

Dialogue: Speaking Practice

Two friends are in a coffee shop

Cal This is a damn fine cup of coffee ! Ok, what shall we do next ?

Dan I have to run to the bank. I need to deposit some money.

Cal Good idea, I need to use an ATM. I also need to buy some dollars.

Dan You can check the exchange rate at my bank. It’s not far, we can walk.

Cal Oh, I love your tie. It’s so elegant. Mine is so ordinary !

Dan No, yours is cool. Mine looks valuable but it’s fake Gucci.

Cal Really ? Looks amazing. A very unique design.

Dan So kind. OK, have you finished your coffee ?

Cal Bear with me … oh, no … it’s started raining cats and dogs !

Past tense conversation practice

Len and Tim are catching up

Len What did you do today ? Anything exciting ?

Tim No, same old, same old. I had to stay late at work. I went to the bank at lunch time.

Len It must have been crowded. Was there a big queue ?

Tim Of course, I waited 15 minutes. I wanted to check the exchange rate for dollars.

Len Today I drank some coffee, made a dress and withdrew money.

Tim You were busy ! How much did you take out ?

Len I checked my account and it was empty, so I couldn’t take out anything

Tim And then it started to rain cats and dogs !

Adult Speaking Class, Level 2: Collocations

17th January 2020

Collocations

Image result for joker put on a happy face

Many people ask how to progress from intermediate level to becoming fluent in English. One way is to learn collocations – these are groups of words that usually go together to make a new meaning – and so much of everyday English is made up of collocations, idioms, slang, colloquialisms etc.

Collocations – ‘make’

In the above paragraph I used ‘made up’. This is a good example.

‘Made up’ came means invented (we make up a story to tell children) & it can mean containing (my fb group is made up from people from all over the world). We can use it in the past tense or present – ‘made’ or ‘make’.

You probably know some phrasal verbs; If two people argue then become friends again, they make up. When a woman puts on lipstick, she is using makeup.

Here are some common collocations with ‘make’:

Make up your mind (decide about something).

Make dinner / make a sandwich.

Make time (find some spare time to do something).

Make it through the night (be able to do something after some bad news OR keep working for a very long time).

Make it through a long book (finish it, read it to the end).

Try these exercise … use make / made / make up / made up.

‘Infinite Jest’ is a very long book but I ……. my way through it.

I forgot my homework, so I had to ………. a story to tell my teacher.

When you come home, can you …… dinner for the children.

My teeth hurt; can you …… an appointment at the dentist for ?

The architect Gaudi never used to …… his buildings with straight lines.

Should I wear the black or green tie ? I can’t …… my mind.

This is so confusing ! I don’t know what to ……. of it.

Your room is so messy – can’t you even ….. your bed ?

You kids ….. me crazy !

I ………. a pig’s ear of the whole business (past tense – to do something completely wrong).

I did OK in the test, but ……. some silly mistakes.

He drank several coffees to help him …… it through the night shift.

Put

the cat out/ the fire out / on your red shoes /on a happy face

it in your own words / up or shut up ! / it away / it another way

Image result for put it in your own words

Get

well soon / over it ! / on with it / away with murder / on the bus /

stuffed ! (impolite) / with the program (US) / some fresh air

Make

a career move / your move / a pig’s ear of something /a wish /

up for lost time / the best of something / fun of someone

the right thing / away with that old technology / your best /

a funny walk / the dishes / your hair

Bring

it on ! / it to me / “my bow of burning gold” (poem) / about change

it up at the next meeting / a smile to my face / up children well

Take

turns speaking / it up with the manager / up my trousers a little /

a good look at yourself / a hike ! / medicine / a deep breathe

What do these collocations suggest ?

Widely available // routine check-up

disperse the crowd // boost employment

catch up with the news / / catch up with friends

Find longer definitions for these collocations.

Adequate supplies to meet demand

Revised edition

Major turning point

Set realistic aims

Cause insurmountable difficulties

1) Enough things so that everyone that wants one can have one

2) Know what you want to do but it must not be too much for you to be able to do it.

3) Make problems which people will not be able to solve or cause problems that people are not able to work properly.

4) A very important moment when things changed completely

5) A new book, similar to the old one but with more up-to-date information, or mistakes have been corrected.

Speaking practice

Boss Jim, can I see you for a minute ? It’s about your punctuality.

Jim Sorry, Boss, I’ll make up the lost time after work.

Boss Damn right you will. Now, what was this email about ? I couldn’t make sense of it.

Jim I made a few mistakes because I rushed. I wanted to make sure you read it.

Boss You made a right pig’s ear of it ! Anyway, have you made your mind up yet ?

Jim About the new job ? Well, the other company made me a fantastic offer.

Boss I’m not giving you a raise; I’m not made of money ! Money doesn’t grow on trees.

Jim I’ll make my decision later and let you know.

Boss If you leave here, you’ll be making a big mistake, Buster !

Adult Speaking Class, Level 2, Part 3

16th January 2020

Contents

Grammar / third conditional

Jazz Music

Listening Practice / TOEIC

Money

Speaking practice

Speaking skills

Vocabulary

Grammar: 3^rd Conditional

I was very hungry but too lazy to cook, so I went out to grab a bite to eat.

I thought I’d try the new pho restaurant.

I, obviously, ordered pho bo.

However, after I had eaten

I saw the chef !

If I had known the chef was filthy, I wouldn’t have eaten there !

This is the 3^rdconditional.

Something that happened in the past BUT you can’t change it now.

If I had known the film was so bad, I never would have gone !

If he had bought his wife flowers, she wouldn’t have been angry at him

If they had studied English, they would have passed the test.

Listening Practice

TOEIC test:https://www.examenglish.com/TOEIC/TOEIC_listening_part3.htm#

TOEIC test: https://www.examenglish.com/TOEIC/TOEIC_listening_part4.htm

New vocabulary: accurate/ correction / administration

Money

Verbs for things you can do with money:

spend / lose / waste / save / make / invest / forge / donate / pay / worship

I go to work to …….. money.

She always ………… money to charity.

He …………. money buying property

The police caught the man who was ……….. money.

Some people think the iPhone X is a ………. of money.

King James Bible
“For the love of money is the root of all evil.”

Many people over the years have tried to buy the Mask of Tutankhamen from the Egyptian Museum, but unsurprisingly the authorities here believe it is priceless so they won’t sell it

Ebenezer Scrooge was such a stingy man, so much so that in English, we sometimes use the word Scrooge to describe people with this characteristic (who are like this). A miser is someone who hates spending any money.

He spent a lot of money on what he thought was a gold watch but when he had it valued, it turned out to be worthless.

I sometimes disagree with stall holders, so I haggle which sometimes gets the price down

Big companies like Pepsi make a killing. They should put their prices down. I sometimes like to splash out on new clothes, but not very often

When I was a student I didn’t have enough money to live on so I took out an overdraft at the bank. I paid it all off in the end (finally)

The men were sent to prison for forgery, that is, making counterfeit money

Speaking practice:

This dialogue has a lot of expressions and phrases.

Joe Hi Bill. Why so glum ? You look down in the dumps.

Bill Oh, just worrying about money. The cost of living keeps going up …

Joe And our wages stay the same. Tell me about it. I’ve had to economise.

Bill Same here; no more beer or Highlands coffee. I feel so stingy !

Joe I always haggle at the market now, try to get the price down. I hate being ripped off.

Bill I’m worried about paying off my overdraft. The interest alone is crippling me.

Joe We should invest in land. My friend sold some land recently and made a killing.

Bill But we’ll need money to invest in the first place. Then there’s always bills.

Joe Yes, my bike’s in the shop, so I’m having to use Grabbike and that ain’t cheap !

2. This is to practice wedding and money phrases.

Tom Congratulations ! You’re finally tying the knot and getting spliced.

Bob Yeah, it’s time to settle down. I’ve taken out a mortage and a loan for the wedding.

Tom It must be costing you an arm and a leg: catering, hall, flowers, photos, invitations.

Bob Absolutely, I’ve withdrawn all my saving and gone into the red. I hate being overdrawn; the interest is sky-high. And, not forgetting, the honeymoon.

Tom You can put down a deposit and pay later. Cheer up ! Don’t be a Scrooge

Bob That’s easy for you to say. I’m gonna be broke and in debt … until I retire !

Sentence building

Use more interesting adverbs and linking words e.g.

although / as well as / somewhat / therefore

Rearrange these basic sentences to make more interesting ones (we use ‘one’ as a pronoun for the noun instead of repeating ourselves)

Examples:

I went to the market today. I bought fish and chicken and vegetables.

Today I bought fish, chicken as well as vegetables in the market.

Last night I stayed at home because it was raining.

It was raining last night therefore I stayed at home.

Your turn:

I saw the new action film. It was a little boring.

Peter was tired but he met his friends for a drink.

Sophie studied very hard. She passed her test.

For western people, Thailand is cheap. Vietnam is cheaper.

Speaking skills

To help you improve your speaking skills, here is a small project:

Write a short piece about something you love or adore.

Start with an introduction

Say why you like it

Maybe tell some history or an anecdote (a short, personal story)

Give some examples

End with a short conclusion

EXAMPLE:

JAZZ MUSIC

I love all types of music, but one of my favourites is Jazz. It can be exciting, or slow, but it’s always different.

Unlike other types of music, Jazz is spontaneous. This means that you never hear the same song the same way; each performance is different.

Jazz started in New Orleans but moved up to Chicago, New York and even west to California. The first records were made in 1917 and the first true Jazz genius was Louis Armstrong. If you want to hear jazz, you should listen to his records from the 1920s.

You may know some famous Jazz artists such as Miles Davis, John Coltrane or Charlie Parker. I can recommend these musicians to you as first-rate examples of Jazz.

I hope this has made you curious about Jazz, and that you go online to listen for yourself. Who knows, maybe you too will learn to love Jazz.

Vocabulary builder

Health: http://learnenglishteens.britishcouncil.org/grammar-vocabulary/vocabulary-exercises/health

Adult Speaking Class. Theme: Love and Marriage, Part 3

13th January 2020

Children

Image result for married with young babies

Personality adjectives for children:

adorable / angelic / boisterous / demanding / messy / noisy / talkative

Phrases:

good as gold / butter wouldn’t melt in his\her mouth / a little rascal / a handful

well-behaved / a little madam / a young gentleman / full of him\herself

What are the pros and cons (The benefits and drawbacks ) of having children ?

Pros: makes us responsible / patient / sometimes they can be funny

they can enrich our lives

Cons: sometimes they misbehave ( are naughty) / no free time / they need a lot of energy / need a lot of money for toys, sweets, uniform, books, equipment.

Is there pressure from family to have children in your culture ?

Niece (girl) and nephew (boy) = children of my brother/sister

How would you describe these children ?

She has an angelic smile.

Remember – for sentence building, use adjectives and discourse markers (linking words or phrases). Never start with a pronoun (she, it, he, they) but say what the subject is – in this example, the subject is a girl. Now we can keep building up more information:

The girl has an angelic smile.

The young girl has blonde hair and an angelic smile.

The young girl, who has long straight blonde hair, has lovely big green-grey eyes, and is smiling angelically. She wears a multi-coloured T-shirt as well as some flowers around the neckline.

Now – your turn:

Here, you can also add some verbs and background information. Where do you think he is ? How is he feeling ? Who taught him this behaviour ? Do you think his mother is with him ?

These young gentleman attend a very expensive, possibly elitist, private school. Such schools are named ‘public schools’ in the UK. they include Eton, Harrow and Gordonstoun.

Listening Practice

Phrasal verbs and family situations: http://learnenglishteens.britishcouncil.org/grammar-vocabulary/phrasal-verb-videos/family

He cannot look clearly – he cannot see clearly

Phrasal verbs are verbs + preposition. They are pronounced, where possible, as one sound unit hence ‘turn off the light’ sounds ‘turnoff the light’.

He lived with me – he stayed with me

when we become old – when we get old

look after / think about / wear out / give up / grow up / takes after

tell off / look up to / hang up / go for / passed away

Which phrasal verbs fits here ?

She really …………. her father, they are so alike.

I can’t go out, I have to ……….. my nephew.

Vietnamese is too hard, I just …………. (past tense verb)

Many Vietnamese ………………. Uncle Ho

I’m not sure which bank is best. Let me ………. it and get back to you.

I had to ………….. my son because he ate all the cakes.

My manager is very immature. He needs to ………… and quickly !

Speaking practice:

Pam Your daughter is gorgeous. Like an angel. She looks like you.

Uma Yes, but she takes after her father. She is very grumpy when she’s tired or hungry.

Pam My son is usually very good, he sleeps like a log, but now he’s teething.

Uma Ahhh, poor little thing but it will pass. Does he still keep you up at night ?

Pam Well, a little but not too much. I had to give up reading or watching films. Too tired.

Uma I get it ! We have a reading group, it doesn’t take up too much time. Sounds good ?

Pam Hmmm … let me think about it and get back to you. OK, I must run … bye.

Speaking practice:

Kit Hey, how was your weekend ? What did you get up to ?

Will Oh, nothing special. I had to look after my niece. She’s a real handful.

Kit Sounds like my nephew. He’s very boisterous, I had no time for myself.

Will Exactly. My niece looks so angelic but what a little rascal ! I gave her some milk …

Kit I can guess … she spilt it ! My nephew is so damn messy, food everywhere.

Will She takes after her father; he’s always spilling his beer. By 5 o’clock, I gave up.

Kit There are some nice things about children … they can be cute and adorable.

Will The best thing about nephews is that we can give them back ! Too much trouble.

Adult Speaking Class. Theme: Love & marriage Part 2

12th January 2020

How would you describe the emotions / feelings of these people ?

Image result for wedding party maori — Maori wedding in New Zealand

Image result for wedding party scotland — Scotland

Image result for shotgun wedding — A shotgun wedding

FREE SPEAKING: What is a traditional wedding in your country ?

In the UK and many western countries, the bridegroom waits in the church next to the Best Man, who has the rings. The church music starts and the Bride walks down the aisle next to her father, who will ‘give her away.’ Behind the Bride are her Bridesmaids. The Vicar will start the service. At the end, the Bride and Groom kiss.

Pictures of typical UK wedding.

Identify Bride, groom, best man, vicar, bridesmaids, father of the bride.

Image result for uk wedding service church vicar

Weddings can be a nerve-wracking time. What wedding people can you see in this clip. Do you recognise anybody famous ? https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dKkT8_RGDYg

Image result for rowan atkinson in 4 weddings

Vocabulary booster

Match words with meaning

Honeymoon // a secret relationship

Romantic // promise to do something/ be loyal to someone.

Divorce // when people decide they will get married

Affair // after you legally separate

Engaged // a holiday after getting married

Listening Practice

Wedding vocabulary and listening exercise: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CPsrWWyTRz8

The lady speaks slowly and clearly; try to understand without subtitles.

Wedding planning

New vocabulary

to consider / to decide / to weigh up (phrasal verb) / to mull over [all mean ‘to think about’]

let me sleep on it (idiom = need time to think).

the final call / the final decision on a subject

logistics (n) // logistical (adj) organising people at the same time.

co-ordinating // arranging things to happen at the same or at an arranged time

It’s a logistical nightmare ! (very hard to co-ordinate all the different factors).

likewise / also, in the same way

therefore / so, for that reason

value for money /deciding if something is good quality and good price.

a multitude / so many

not to mention / additionally, adding a stronger point (expression)

potential minefield / an area of possible dangers and serious trouble (metaphor)

There are a multitude of things to consider when organising a wedding. The tasks range from choosing the dress and accessories, to booking the cars and flowers, not to mention the potential minefield of the food. What do people like to eat, what do they hate ? Are they on special diets, do they have allergies, are they restricted by religious considerations ?

What sort of things have to be planned for a successful wedding ?

Put them in order of importance – if that is possible ! (they are ALL important)

food / dress / invitations / venue / music / guests / honeymoon / flowers / transport / photographs / paperwork !

(Venue – place for the party)

Let’s start with the dress

Whose decision is this ? Who makes the final call ?

Do you go traditional ? Modern ? Discrete ?

What are your opinions of these dresses:

Some dresses can average at over £1 400 (over 43 million VND), so people try to make their own dresses, or consider using cheaper materials.

Listen to this clip: https://www.newsinlevels.com/products/very-special-wedding-dress-level-2/

What are the dresses made out of ? (made from ?)

For how long has this event been taking place ?

In which city is the festival held ?

What was the name of the winning design ?

Traditions

These vary (change) from country to country, but a traditional UK wedding would be something like this:

A church for a Christian service (synagogue for Jewish, mosque for Moslems)

Vicar to perform the service

Bride and Groom

Bridesmaids and Best Man

Father of the Bride

Guests

Order of Service

The minister will give plenty of advice on hymns to choose, but order of service is basically broken into six parts:

Introductory Medley
Entrance of the bride,
Hymns, marriage vows and prayers
Hymn or psalm blessing
Signing the register
Leaving for the reception (party, lunch)

As the party leaves the church, the order should be bride and groom, chief bridesmaid and best man, bride’s mother and bridegroom’s father, bridegroom’s mother and bride’s father, bridesmaids and other attendants.

At the party or reception, people are usually told where to sit. Before the food, there are a number of speeches. Some are serious, but the Best Man usually makes a humorous one, saying funny things about the Groom :

This is from the British film ‘Four Weddings and a Funeral’, with actor Hugh Grant delivering the speech: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S6GPicVYCvs

Decision – making

The menu – which do you prefer ? The food, the choice and the design.

The party (and after-party !)

A Jewish wedding party with traditional music https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5k3sH8AmeJk

A Mexican wedding: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TCa-tXL4miM

Today’s song: Sweet ‘Love is like oxygen’ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L9XYaEsfuU0

Adult Speaking Class. Theme: Love and marriage

11th January 2020

Love and marriage

Idioms, collocations, expressions, phrasal verbs

tie the knot / getting spliced / = getting married

(collocation – to get married)

He went down on one knee and popped the question = proposed.

It was love at first sight. She knew he was Mr Right.

He proposed but she turned him down = he asked but she said ‘no.’

They changed their minds, he got cold feet now they have called off the wedding.

I love weddings; it’s a chance to dress up and show off.

How do these differ ?

Going on a date / going out / meeting for coffee

Philipe and Julie have been ………. for five months (they have been dating)

You want to speak more with someone as a friend

You want to meet someone alone, and maybe start a romantic relationship

FREE SPEAKING

What’s the best thing about being in a relationship?

What’s the best thing about being single?

What headings would you put these under ?

Life is more fun than being alone. Problems are easier to solve.

We have total, 100% freedom ! Do what we want, when we want.

We have less responsibility.

No lonliness

If you meet someone you like, you can ask them out on a date.

There’s a time to play and a time to settle down and raise a family.

No in-laws !

How do couples meet ?

How did you meet your: wife / husband / boyfriend / girlfriend / partner ?

Image result for meeting people for dates

Listening practice: How did these couples meet ? This video was shot (filmed) in New York, so it will be American English: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n6rYRyoqpeI

New Vocabulary

Make sentences based on the pictures:

shocked / delighted / lonely / frustrated /overwhelmed /surprised / confused / relieved

Remember: you can increase sentences by using adjectives – just say what you see. Basic adjectives such as colours, sizes or materials will all add to your word count and make your speech more interesting (as well as improving scores in tests).

How does the woman feel ? What does she look like ? What is she wearing ?

I was delighted when I received your wedding invitation. (FIRST PERSON ‘I’, or use the THIRD PERSON – he/she/it/ a name)

The lady was delighted.

The young lady was delighted.

The beautiful young lady with long straight blonde hair, and wearing a pretty pink top, was delighted.

The young woman, who has long straight blonde hair, was delighted by the invitation.

Now you try:

Blind date TV show (this is from UK 1994)

Do you have game shows like this is your country ? https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dj_ewz53Frk

Blind Date game:

Look at the photos of the three men and three women.

Read their likes and dislikes, and what they want out of life.

Try to arrange matches.

How successful will the dates be, do you think ?

PETER. Age 46. Lawyer. Likes cooking, travelling, wine, driving, tennis. Divorced, 2 children. Looks for quiet lady with no children, to look after the house and him.

JAMES. Age 26. IT worker. Likes music, dancing, going to clubs, beach holidays. Single. Looks for young lady who is loud and fun, likes to party.

David. Age 22. Model. Likes fashion, clothes, cocktail bars, smoking cigars. Looking for a women who is a model so we can look great together. Must be very beautiful and wear expensive clothes.

And now the ladies: which woman would be the best match for these men ?

Jane. Age 22. Likes fashion, clubbing, kittens, holidays in the sun. Looks for a man with a steady job and ‘down-to-earth’. Non-smoker only.

Lisa. 28. Banker. Likes quiet restaurants, badminton, travelling. Looks for a mature man with good income for long term relationship. No boys, please !

Emily. 20. Likes dancing, fashion, going out with my friends. Movies. Wants a young, cute boy-friend so we can go to parties together. No boring old men, please !

If the dates are successful, they could lead to weddings, married life and children … but we’ll save that for the next blog. In the meantime, here’s some clips of when the big day doesn’t go to plan. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NCkcU9h5ggc

Adult Speaking Class. Theme: Travel, traffic

9th January 2020

Contents

Dialogues

Listening practice: Vietnamese driving school (Top Gear).

London Underground (the Tube)

Sentence building: describe pictures.

Vocabulary and speaking practice.

Listening Practice

Vietnamese driving school from ‘Top Gear’ BBC TV: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V1xNTBLgq4c&t=11s

Dialogues

Traffic Dialogue

Examples of how to use the new vocabulary in everyday situations

Ian and Tom are driving to a business meeting.

Ian Look at all this congestion ! It’s chockablock. What’s that idiot doing ?

Tom He’s trying to cut in. The other car’s blocked him. Oh … he’s getting out.

Ian He’s punching the car !Ha, over there, a traffic cop. Now he’s screwed !

Tom Yeah, road rage. Oh, at last, we’re on the move … and stop. What can we do ?

Ian Make the second turning at the roundabout. Take the ring road.

Tom Cool ! Avoid the rush hour in the city. Wish we were on the motorway.

Ian Yeah, put your foot down get there in next to no time. Why’s it so busy ?

Tom I get it, roadworks. They’re building a new flyover. That should ease traffic.

Sara & Vic are arguing in the car. Sara is driving.

Vic Why did you come this way ? District 7 at the rush hour, are you nuts ?

Sara I thought we could beat the traffic. There’s too many containers in D. 2

Vic Too many cars here and we’ve hit every red light ! Women drivers !

Sara That was sexist ! Anyway, you drive like a madman. Foot down and go !

Vic Cars are for driving, not stopping ! Take that turning, it’s quicker.

Sara That’s a one-way street, Einstein ! I hate back-seat drivers.

Vic Next time I’m driving. Women are terrible … what are you doing ?

Sara Pulling over. You can get out and walk ! Hope it doesn’t rain. See ya !

London Underground (the Tube)

This is how I get to work (go to work) when I am in London. This video describes how to use the London Tube:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=StFAuGQf2mM

But this is what the Tube is like at peak times (rush hour – 6.30 – 9. 30 / 4.30 – 7.30) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LxfX2Y9og8E

What do you need / need to do to travel around London ?

Sentence building

What is happening here:

Try to build long complex sentences. The first one is the Tokyo subway.

Street scene in Vietnam. The light brown uniform is the traffic police.

What phrasal verbs could you use here ? What are the ladies doing wrong ? What do you think will happen to the ladies ?

What the heck is happening here ?

What do you think will happen to the driver ? In your opinion …

Vocabulary

rush hour // ring road // metro/subway/ U-Bahn/ the Tube // congested

blind spot / flyover / motorway / roundabout / road rage / one-way street

traffic jam / chockablock / cutting in / cut me off / hit every red light !

What are the issues facing you when you travel around Sai Gon ?

[what problems do you have]

This is an opinion question, so start your answer with:

In my opinion // In my experience // For me // I think // I believe // It seems to me

First – think of the positives – Is it easy to travel around ?

Is petrol / gas cheap ? Many stations ?

Can anyone attain a driver’s licence ?

What about public transport ? Cheap, reliable ?

Conversely, think of the negatives – time spent travelling.

Accidents

Costs – insurance, petrol, maintenance

Dangers – pollution

Condition of roads

Is traffic getting worse in HCM ? Why do you think so ?

What can be done to ease this situation ?

Finally – what is your conclusion. There will probably be both good and bad points.

Adult Speaking Class, Level 2 part 2

6th January 2020

Contents

At the bank

Complaining in shops

Grammar / past tense exercise / reflexive verbs

Past time expressions

Pronunciation quiz

Sentence building and speaking exercises

Telephone speaking

Vocabulary booster

At the bank

What can you do at a bank ?

Deposit money: put money into your account

Withdraw money: take money out of your account (at the counter or by ATM)

Exchange money: buy foreign currency

Check the exchange rate. How the Vietnamese Dong compares with other currencies

Open or close an account

Speaking practice:

Clerk: Good morning. Can I help you?

Customer: Yes, please. I would like to open an account here.

Clerk: OK. Do you have any ID?

Customer: I have my driving licence; is that enough?

Clerk: Well, we need two forms of ID, and something with your home address.

Customer: OK, well I also have an electric bill with my name and address on it.

Clerk: That’s fine. Just give me a few minutes to open your new account.

People at the bank

bank manager / bank clerk (UK) / bank teller (US) / security / customer adviser

Teller: Hello. Can I help you?

Customer: Yes, please. I’d like to deposit this cheque into my account.

Teller: Certainly. Do you have your account number?

Customer: No, but I have my bank card. Is that enough?

Teller: Yes, that’s fine. OK, that’s all done!

Customer: Thanks!

What else can you do at a bank ?

Bank charges – interest 10% APR

mortgage – a loan for a home or building

What are your opinions of this cash-flow solution ? (payday loans) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=37YZREaPvI4

Complaining in shops, returning items

https://www.teachingenglish.org.uk/article/rants-raves-returning-goods-a-shop

What is the problem with the shoes ?

What are the shop asking for ?

What is the situation in your country ? Is is possible to return items ? Do you get money back or shop credit ?

What do you think of this complaint ? https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xNxaDllhMyg

Grammar: Past Tense exercise

Past Tense exercise. Use the appropriate verb.

Tom (to be) born in Sydney and (arrive) in Viet Nam in 2015. He (work) as an engineer in District 1 but (want) to work near his home in Go Vap. Last week, his wife (have) a party. Firstly, she (buy) a fancy new dress and shoes then (cut) her hair. She (dance) all night and we (hear) her singing. In the morning, she (catch) a plane and (fly) to Australia.

Grammar: Reflexive verbs:

Notice the reflexive verbs:

You may find yourself / you may ask yourself

What are they doing ?

He is shaving … /// She is looking at …

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

Pronunciation Quiz

What words are 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

Sentence Building & Speaking Subjects

laptops / holidays / engineering / travelling

motorbikes / family / living in your hometown / modern life / traditions

Introduction

1^st point

2^nd point

anecdote (personal story)

conclusion

Laptops are an incredibly useful piece of technology. They can be used for work, hobbies, music, and to stay in touch with friends.

I use my laptop every day. I plan lessons and use the internet to search for lesson notes, English language games and interesting video clips to show my students.

Because I live so far from my home country, I find the internet essential. I can maintain contact with friends and family by using: Skype, Facebook, Viber, Instagram … well, there are so many social media sites.

I like Apple; I know there are very expensive, but they seem to work so well. I rarely have a problem with my computer which is great because I know nothing about IT.

There was one issue I had in Vietnam. My plug snapped and I had to buy a new cable. I eventually found a store in Quan 3. I had to wait 30 minutes but finally a man came with an ‘Apple’ plug … and it was less than half the UK price.

To conclude, laptops are part of my life. I use them every day for work, relaxing and chatting with friends.

Tips: If you need time to think before answering, use one of the following phrases:

Let me think (about it)

How can I put it … ?

What’s the word … ?

What is happening ?

Make long sentences: what are the people doing, what are they wearing, what do they look like ? Then, why are they doing it ? What is the story ?

Speaking Practise:

Holiday in Canada

Ron and Sid are on holiday in Canada. They are hungry but it’s cold outside.

Ron Come on, there’s a KFC franchise nearby. I’m starving !

Sid Sounds good, let me get my coat … and hat and gloves and scarf.

Ron Yeah, it’s freezing outside. This is worse than Sapa.

Sid Tell me about it ! It takes me 10 minutes to put all these clothes on.

Ron They have shovelled the snow so the path is safe. Are you ready ?

Sid Ready ! I love staying here although it’s so cold.

Ron According to the news, this is the worst winter for 16 years.

Sid Let’s go. I need some hot chicken.

Ron And some damn fine coffee.

Note the expressions ‘this is worse than …’ & ‘according to’

It is cold in Sapa BUT it is much colder in Canada: This is worse than Sapa.

John said Peter was leaving: According to John, Peter was leaving.

Try these sentences:

It is noisy in New York but much nosier in Sai Gon: This is worse than New York !

Karaoke was loud on Friday but louder on Sunday:

The test was hard on Monday but much harder on Tuesday:

New Boss

Nick and Fred are discussing (talking about) their new boss

Nick Have you seen the new boss ? She looks very professional and a little scary.

Fred No, I have spoken to her. She’s quite friendly although a bit serious.

Nick I like her business suit. Is it a designer label ? It looks expensive.

Fred Maybe it’s French or Italian. I think she will be dependable.

Nick She can’t be worse than the old boss. He had a screw loose !

Fred He was a little arrogant and very bossy. And hard as nails.

Nick He was crazy. According to Jerry, he didn’t want to pay any bonuses.

Fred That’s why he got such a negative backlash. I’m glad he’s gone.

Nick Jerry and I are also very glad.

Reflexive verbs:

Sam Allow me to introduce myself. My name’s Sam and I’m Australian. Good day !

Pat Hi, Sam, nice to meet you. How did you get here ? By Uber or taxi ?

Sam No, mate, I drove myself. My wife and I always drive ourselves.

Pat Yeah, taxis are a luxury. Sorry, I’m Pat. Please help yourself to beer.

Sam I like the sound of that. Are you the one that wrote me the email ?

Pat Yeah. Sorry if my English is not perfect; I’m teaching myself.

Sam No problems, you speak well. Those people are really enjoying themselves.

Pat Of course, Vietnamese love free beer but we behave ourselves.

Sam Not me ! Last time I had too much, I fell down and hurt myself.

Pat Where’s your wife ? I think I saw her earlier ? She has blonde hair, right ?

Sam Nah, she’s a brunette. She’s out buying herself a new dress. And new shoes !

Pat I get it ! I do the working, my wife does the spending.

Symbols

Sid It’s so cold in Germany. Have you ever experienced snow or minus temperatures ?

Lyn No, never, I hate the cold. Hang on a minute … yes, I was in Sapa once.

Sid I’m going there once the schools break up. Are you going to the staff party ?

Lyn Possibly. What time do the festivities kick off ?

Sid Around seven I guess. What are those pictures ? Is it for a project ?

Lyn Yeah, exactly. I have to make a presentation about countries so I’m using symbols.

Sid OK, let’s see … I know three lions means England and the eagle represents USA

Lyn The hammer and sickle, of course, is Russia. Do you know the towers ?

Sid Malaysia. Kuala Lumpur. I was there on business once. Amazing food.

Lyn How about the other two ? The first one is a mythical creature.

Sid From Egypt, near the pyramids. Remind me of the name.

Lyn The Sphinx. She has a woman’s face, a lion’s body and an eagle’s tail.

Sid The last one ? That’s Jesus … hang on a minute … I know, in Brazil, right ?

Telephone speaking

Listening practice: IELTS listening to phone numbers (0.55 – 3.06)

Listen out for:

You can get hold of me / you can reach me at (phone number) = my number is ….

Mia:	Hello, you’ve reached the marketing department. How can I help?
Rich:	Yes can I speak to Rosalind Wilson, please?
Mia:	Who’s calling please?
Rich:	It’s Richard Davies here
Mia:	Certainly. Please hold and I’ll put you through.
Rich:	Thank you.

Mia:	Hello, marketing.How can I help?
Rich:	Could I speak to Jason Roberts please?
Mia:	Certainly. Who shall I say is calling?
Rich:	My name’s Richard Davies .
Mia:	Just a second – I’ll see if he’s in. Hang on a moment, I’m just putting you through.

Vocabulary booster:

Match the words with their opposite meanings

generous // hard working

reliable // light-hearted

serious // arrogant

lazy // selfish

modest // unreliable