Adult Speaking Class, Level 3. Theme: Hotels

8th February 2020

Warm up game:

Word bomb– what do you think of when I say ‘hotel’ ?

Checking in to a hotel

Vocabulary:

reception / lift or elevator / single or double room / king size bed or twins /

first floor / complimentary breakfast / key deposit / luggage storage / safe / mini bar

What would the conversation be ?

Reception: How may I help you / May I ask your name ? / Can I see your reservation code ? / That’s fine. You stay for three nights ? / May I have your passport, please ? / You’re in room 237. That’s on the second floor / Thank you. Sign here, please / Yes, the lift is just over there. / Naturally, as well as a hair dryer, coffee machine and mini bar. / Enjoy your stay.

Guest: Hello, we have a reservation / We booked a room online / My name’s ….. / Certainly, it’s on my phone. / Yes, that’s right. / Absolutely. / Correct. / Just a second; here you are./ Is there a lift ? / The second floor ? / Is there a safe in the room ? / Perfect. Thanks very much

Make a conversation. One student will be the reception, the other(s) a guest or guests.

Write your own conversation

You are in a hotel bar and you meet another guest. Start a polite conversation, but you have to use your English.

Image result for two people in a hotel bar

Greet each other

Why are you in this city ? (holiday or on business)

Offer to buy a drink (accept or decline – maybe you don’t drink alcohol)

How long are they staying ? What do they think of the hotel ? What can they do in the area around the hotel ?

Small group work

You are two married couples who meet on a tour and are staying at the same hotel OR you are on a business trip and meet some other business people.

Use the following sentences, as well as your own, to make a conversation. try to keep speaking for as long as possible by using small talk techniques (oh, really / that’s interesting / tell me more / what do you do exactly ? / where is that ? / Sounds interesting)

Image result for young people meeting in a hotel

Image result for people meeting in a hotel

My wife and I are delighted to meet you

Shall we go to the bar or cafe ?

Can offer name first (I’m Simon, what’s your name ?)

Would you fancy a drink … ?

Is there anywhere special to do here ?

Sorry, I have to get my head down, it’s been a long flight (I need to sleep).

My colleague and I were going out to eat.

I fancy a beer or something alcoholic

Oh, I’m sorry, I didn’t ask where you are from.

Reasonable (cheaper)

Would you like to join us ?

Peckish (little hungry)

What do you think of these hotel rooms ?

What do you think of the design ?

Would you like to stay in any of these ? Why, or why not ?

How much do you think they cost per night ?

Bangkok

Korea

Ice hotel, Sweden

Backpacker hostel, Indonesia

Adult Professionals. Mechanics, Part 3

7th February 2020

Contents

Architecture: Arabia / The Middle East // Chicago Willis Tower

The Concorde

Entropy

Friction

Famous scientists: Nikola Tesla

Project: make a presentation about your favourite scientist.

Architecture

Arabia / The Middle East

Work in pairs: https://www.365tickets.com.au/burj-khalifa-dubai

Tell me about the Burj Khalifa – the facts; what you can see and do, and practical information

Prepare an information sheet for a guest – be careful to read the website carefully.

Chicago

The Willis Tower: Why doesn’t it fall over ?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KjhM7Z5YPGg

The Concorde

What do you know about this commercial supersonic plane ?

This video is quite long (10 minutes+) but has lots of engineering terms and everyday expressions.

Fortunately, it also utilises subtitles which seem quite accurate: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a_wuykzfFzE

Write down any words you don’t know – watch the video in short stages, then you can watch at home at your leisure.

The Concorde stopped: why ? What reasons can you suggest ?

Science: Entropy

Entropy: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YM-uykVfq_E

The video contains some good expressions.

Famous Scientists

If I say ‘Tesla’, what do you think of ?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ty1Fk0JZfQk

Project:

Make a presentation about your favourite scientist or science writer.

Feel free to use slides, pictures, diagrams.

Shinkansen

Bullet Train – top ten facts: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b4CD1vErEQQ

This is as much as listening exercise, as an engineering one. How much can you understand ?Which presenter is easier to understand, the young lady or the man from USA ?

Engineering terms

Match the term to the definition:

friction: the product of a body’s mass and its velocity

compression: not of natural origin; prepared or made artificially

momentum: the resistance when a body is moved in contact with another

synthetic: an increase in the density of something

What is ‘friction’ ?

Friction: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x_24FBNa788&index=4&list=PL3qtH4RtP-D1xazLKdUeN7QExjbeuCH1n

Listen out for ‘thus’ / exert a force / kinetic (UK pronunciation) /

Rephrase (put it in your own words):

what is friction ?
How is it caused ?
What types of friction are there ?
What are the three types of dynamic friction

Adult Speaking Class, Level 3. Theme: Work problems

5th February 2020

What can go wrong at work ?

Warm up: Ask students about problems at work. Encourage them to share their own stories.

Computers

The network is down (LAN or WAN)

My computer has crashed

The wifi is slow

I forgot my password

The printer is jammed / the ink has run out

I can’t access the file

Staff

We get on well together

We’re on the same wavelength (think the same thing)

He doesn’t pull his weight (doesn’t do his share of work)

My boss is a slave-driver (ironic / irony)

You’re not the boss of me !

He gets on my nerves ! (He annoys me)

General conditions

We need a pay-rise ! (we need more money for this job)

The air-con is too high / too low

It’s a great atmosphere here (it’s a nice place to work, people are friendly).

It’s not the friendliest place in the world ! (it’s not a happy or friendly office).

The commute is too long (time travelling to/from work).

Create a scenario:

What could the problems be ? Work in pairs or small groups. What would you do in these situations ? How would you feel ?

It is 11.55 am, just five minutes before lunch. You missed breakfast and are very hungry but then your supervisor comes to YOU and demands that you write some emails and check some files.

It is 16.00, you are tired and want to go home. You have to send some emails to Germany but … what could go wrong ?

The air con is on 18 degrees. You are very cold and only have a thin shirt.

You need to print out a file but the printer has jammed.

You try to send an important file to a college’s computer but the wifi is slow … and then your computer crashed.

You have some angry costumers … very angry !

An incident at work

Your colleague, John Harris, had an accident in the workplace.

Watch the first clip (0.00 – 0.40)

You have to report to your manager.

What was the task ?

What happened exactly ?

Were all safety procedures followed ?

What should have happened ?

Vocabulary

Idioms and expressions:

Very busy:

I’m snowed under / I’m up to my eyes in work / I’m working flat out /

Very quiet, not much work:

We are having some down time / It’s a quiet period / The place is deserted /

Time phrases– think of sentences using:

recently / nowadays / once in a while / in the long term / a few years ago

Talk about your work-day using a time phrase and an idiom.

Talk about some problems at work. How did you solve them ?

Have you ever had an angry costumer ? How did you deal with them or handle the situation ?

Adult Speaking Class, Level 3, Part 5

4th February 2020

Contents

Conversation practice.

Free speaking exercise: organise food for a work or university party.

Grammar: as ……. as // comparatives & superlatives // reported speech // similes //

Grammar ‘as ….. as’

Structure: as + adjective + as

Bangkok isn’t as cheap as HCM

He feels German beer is as good as Belgian beer, if not better.

At 27% alcohol, Samuel Adams Utopias isn’t as strong as Nuclear Penguin which comes in at 32%.

comparative & superlative

bigger // biggest

more confusing // the most confusing

Example:

Ha Noi is not as big as HCM but is bigger than Hue.

For me, learning German is not as confusing as learning Korean, but Mandarin is the most confusing language to learn.

We use animal similes a lot in English:

Example

He’s as busy as a bee

Try these: lamb // lion // mouse // dodo // bird // skunk

As drunk as a ….. // As dead as a ….. // As brave as a ……

As free as a ….. // As gentle as a …… // As quiet as a ……

Image result for drunk as a skunk meme" — If you need some help with the ‘drunk as a ……’ question.

Conversation Practice

Make sentences with these words or expressions:

In a class, write out the words on paper and distribute to the students, either individually or in groups. Give them a time limit and award points for each word used, plus bonuses for interesting or creative sentences.

spectacular / visually stunning / you get what you pay for / mouth-watering / a waste of money / significantly / according to / how can I put it ? / Somewhat / incredibly / as good as gold / as drunk as a skunk /

Reported Speech

Also known as ‘indirect speech’, reported speech is used to tell what someone has said.

Example:

Three Japanese students, Keiko, Rina & Mei are looking at their new university. Keiko, in the black cardigan says:

Keiko: Now I feel as wise as an owl.

However, with all the street noise, Mei didn’t hear so she asks Rina (who wears a pink and white striped top).

Mei: The building is stunning, but what did Keiko say ?

Rina: She said that she felt as wise as an owl.

Image result for three japanse students"

Rina uses the past tense to tell Mei what Keiko said – she said she felt as wise as an owl.

Look at these:

Susan: “Mary works in an office.” This is Susan speaking directly.

→Susan said (that) Mary worked in an office. This is someone telling what Susan said.

Notice how the verb changes from present to past tense (‘works’ to ‘worked’).

Susan: “I work in an office.”

→Susan said (that) she worked in an office.

Notice how the pronoun changes from first to third person (‘I’ to ‘she’).

Exercises:

Rewrite the sentences using reported speech

1 ‘Ellie can use my phone,’ said my brother.

1 My brother said that Ellie could use his phone.

2 Benjamin: “I often have a big hamburger.”

2 Benjamin said (that) he often has a big hamburger.

(Pronoun changes from ‘I’ to ‘he’). Here Benjamin is talking about an event that happens frequently, so we keep the present tense ‘have’ but change it to the third-person form ‘has’.

Image result for african eats giant hamburger" — Benjamin frequently eats big hamburgers. Because this is a repeated action, we always use present tense, even in reported speech.

3 ‘I don’t want to sit next to Sam,’ said Jenny.

4 Hannah: “They live in Boston.” Again, this is a present tense situation.

5 Tyler: “Ian doesn’t invite girls to his parties.”

6 Linda: “Did Max fly to London two weeks ago?”

7 Robert: “Dennis often downloads the latest tunes.”

Free speaking exercise

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

The options are:

vegetarian / Korean / sea-food / western fast-food / traditional German cuisine

Image result for korean food" — Korean food

Image result for fast food party" — Burgers, french fries, fried chicken

Image result for traditional German food" — Traditional German food … and beer.

Discuss which food to choose. Run through the pros and cons of each one. Also think about entertainment. Use recently acquired vocabulary:

Expressions:

I adore / I really enjoy / I’m into

I don’t mind … I quite like …. I can take it or leave it

I’m not keen on …. It’s not my cup of tea (idiom, means I don’t like it)

I can’t stand (noun or pronoun) ……. (seafood) / I can’t stand it !

Spicy / bland / hard to eat / unhealthy / fatty

not used to it / doesn’t appeal

you can’t please everyone / each to their own / fussy eater

it’s free food – who cares ?

Adult Speaking Class, Level 3. Theme: Causing offence.

3rd February 2020

Hailing a taxi in New York, USA

Image result for hailing a taxi new york

This is the normal procedure (way / method) to hail a taxi in NYC. However, this would not be acceptable in Bangkok.

Hailing a taxi in Bangkok

Notice how the hand points down. In Thailand, people beckon (call) a dog with their hands up, so a taxi driver would think this was very impolite and rude. The driver would be offended; the hand signal would cause offence.

Cultural differences are one way of inadvertently causing offence. However, some people can say, write or do things that upset other people:

The 45th President is famous for his somewhat un-presidential tweets. He is referring here to the North Korean Leader, Kim Jong-il:

Image result for president trump kim jong un

However, in the interests of fairness, North Korean leaders have made comments that could be offensive to the USA. The former leader, Kim Jong-un:

Image result for kim jong il quotes on america

And sometimes, within the same country, people can disagree with each. This is all part of a free society. The problem arises when people stop arguing the facts or beliefs, but start to attack people for their looks, religion, ethnic background, sexual orientation. Some times, people can go too far in what they say:

Image result for offensive Morrissey quotes on china

This is the singer, and animal-rights supporter, Morrissey. He is talking about the treatment of animals in China, which he feels is intolerable. He can object. However, in this quote, he insults the entire country as seeming to be “a subspecies,” that is, not quite human. He makes his point, but do people understand his message, or get offended by his words ?

Vocabulary and expressions

Collocation – to cause an offence

respect / disrespect (noun) – respectful / disrespectful (adjectives)

insult / offence (n) / / to offend (v) // offensive (adj)

doubt – when you are not sure about something but don’t think it will happen (will England win the World Cup again ? I doubt it !)

swoop – to grab something quickly – a bird swoops down and grabs the bread.

Expression – to give someone the benefit of the doubt

Expression– in one swoop – something happening very quickly

Expression – to cut ties – to stop having contact with someone.

Practice:

I think Mr Smith took my iPhone but I didn’t see him. Therefore, I have to give him _____________

His comments were ________ to women.

John was talking to Jenny but Peter _____ in and took her away.

I had to __________________ with my colleague after he posted some racist tweets online.

Japanese students are famous for being so _____________ to their teachers. On the other hand, in Viet Nam, some students talk during class which is very ____________________ .

In Asia, it is the custom to show ________________ to old people.

Conversation practice

Time to use these new English words, speaking to each other.

Ask each other questions. Ask for more details (probe) Give full reasons.

Make people explain their answers.

Use opinion expressions.

Which of these would cause offence ?

A supervisor calls you an idiot – but you know it’s a joke.

A supervisor calls you an idiot – but is serious.

Your neighbour has a loud party but doesn’t invite you.

You are riding your bike and a taxi honks for no reason.

A foreigner says that your local food is terrible.

A Chinese says that one day Viet Nam will be part of China again.

A restaurant manager shouts at you to leave as soon as you finish your food.

You buy your girlfriend a present … and she says it’s too cheap !

Adult Speaking Class, Level 3. Theme: Crime and punishment.

1st February 2020

Contents

Free speaking: Students’ personal experiences.

Listening practice: A non-native speaker talks about a crime.

Reading exercise: Sherlock Holmes

Vocabulary: exercises

Warm up game: Eyewitness

Crime and detection. Being an eyewitness.

Crime and Punishment

This is a famous book by the Russian author Fyodor Dostoevsky. Give students five to ten minutes to research information about him, then present it to the class. This practises extracting relevant information. Reading verbatim from Wiki or other sites is forbidden !

Warm up game:

Eyewitness: Show students a slide or picture of three people for two minutes. Tell them that today some computers were stolen from the office and these people were seen. Ask them to describe the people they just saw. Prompt for as much detail as possible. This will test the students’ ability to use adjectives and learn new vocabulary from each other:

Do you like detective shows ? Which are your favourites ?

The above shows are from USA, UK & South Korea. Detective shows are popular all over the world. Even famous film directors can write detective novels:

Image result for ray indian director novels — By the famous Indian director Satyajit Ray

An eyewitness account: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7RuFGkqYAL4

Look for new vocabulary and expressions – this is a Romanian man living in London.

FREE SPEAKING

Have you witnessed any crimes ?

Vocabulary:

procedure / happened / suddenly / officially / relatively / contents / grabbed

I was walking with a friend along Main Street, around 4 in the morning. The street was ………….quiet, just some tourists and a little traffic.

I was wearing a small bag, strung across my shoulder. A security guard was behind me, talking to a person in a car. …….., a motorbike came towards me on the pavement. He stopped, …………..my strap, then drove away.

Naturally, I shouted but it was too late; he was gone. My friend was worried but I told her it was OK, nobody was hurt. The ………of the bag were really worthless: pens, some medicine, a book, but also my designer glasses.

The security guard was comical in his incompetence. He shook his head, mouth open wide, and said, “It all ………. so quickly, there was nothing I could do.”

I should, …….. , have reported it to the police, that was the ……….. but people told me the thief would never be found. What I learnt from this unfortunate experience was to be very careful and never walk around with valuables.

Could you be a good eyewitness ? https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x6fRH5MLBIU

What information is helpful to the police ? (1.46 – 1.50)

Detective story:

type of popular literature in which a crime is introduced and investigated and the culpritis revealed.

The traditional elements of the detective story are:

(1) the seemingly perfect crime;

(2) the wrongly accused suspect at whom circumstantial evidence points;

(3) the bungling of dim-witted police;

(4) the greater powers of observation and superior mind of the detective .

(5) the startling and unexpected , in which the detective reveals how the identity of the culprit was ascertained.

Detective stories frequently operate on the principle that superficially convincing evidence is ultimately irrelevant.

The first detective story was “The Murders in the Rue Morgue” by Edgar Allan Poe, published in April 1841.

The greatest of all fictional detectives, Sherlock Holmes, along with his loyal companion Dr. Watson, made his first appearance in Arthur (later Sir Arthur) Conan Doyle’s novel A Study in Scarlet (1887) and continued into the 20th century in such collections of stories as The Memoirs of Sherlock Holmes (1894) and the longer Hound of the Baskervilles (1902).

Image result for edgar allan poe murders in the rue morgue

Image result for sherlock holmes basil — Basil Rathbone as Sherlock Holmes

New Vocabulary Practice:

What is the ……… for reporting a crime. (noun)

Most of what we learnt on the first day was ………… (adj)

His wife ……….. (verb) him of eating the cake but the real ….. (noun) was the dog !

Jet Mart had two cases of Tiger beer boosted (stolen). In Mr Wall’s house, there were two cases of Tiger beer but, his lawyer defended, this is not proof, merely ……….. …………….

Reading exercise:

An extract from a Sherlock Holmes short story: http://www.eastoftheweb.com/short-stories/UBooks/AdveDanc.shtml#2

Adult Speaking Class, Level 3. Theme: War Museum, Sai Gon

28th January 2020

War Remnants Museum

Formerly the Museum of Chinese and American War Crimes, the War Remnants Museum is consistently popular with Western tourists. Few museums anywhere convey the brutal effects of war on its civilian victims so powerfully. Many of the atrocities documented here were well-publicised but rarely do Westerners hear the victims of US military action tell their own stories. While some displays are one-sided, many of the most disturbing photographs illustrating US atrocities are from US sources, including those of the infamous My Lai Massacre.

US armoured vehicles, artillery pieces, bombs and infantry weapons are on display outside. One corner of the grounds is devoted to the notorious French and South Vietnamese prisons on Phu Quoc and Con Son Islands. Artefacts include that most iconic of French appliances, the guillotine, and the notoriously inhumane ‘tiger cages’ used to house Viet Cong (Vietnamese Communists; VC) prisoners.

The ground floor of the museum is devoted to a collection of posters and photographs showing support for the antiwar movement internationally. This somewhat upbeat display provides a counterbalance to the horrors upstairs.

Even those who supported the war are likely to be horrified by the photos of children affected by US bombing and napalming. You’ll also have the rare chance to see some of the experimental weapons used in the war, which were at one time military secrets, such as the flechette, an artillery shell filled with thousands of tiny darts.

Upstairs, look out for the Requiem Exhibition. Compiled by legendary war photographer Tim Page, this striking collection documents the work of photographers killed during the course of the conflict, on both sides, and includes works by Larry Burrows and Robert Capa.

Image result for robert capa vietnam photos — A photograph by Robert Capa

The War Remnants Museum is in the former US Information Service building. Captions are in Vietnamese and English.

Questions

1 What was the museum formerly called ?

2 Why is this museum different for western visitors ?

3 What can be seen outside the museum ?

4 Where were the French & South Vietnamese prisons ?

5 What can be seen on the ground floor ?

6 What is a ‘flechette’ ?

7 Name some famous war photographers.

8 In what languages are the captions ?

My friend Ms Quynh watching a film in the Museum cinema.

Adult Speaking Class, Level 3, Part 4

27th January 2020

Contents

Adverbs

Conversation practice

Vocabulary practice

Conversation practice

Slow computers

A: My laptop is so slow.
B: Buy a new one.
A: I would if I had the money.
B: Why is it so slow?
A: That’s a good question.
B: Did you take it to a computer shop?
A: I would if I had the money.
B: Well, I guess you have to live with it.
A: Sometimes I want to throw it out the window. wanna
B: You don’t want to do that.
A: Why not?
B: You might hit someone on the head.

Re-write but with smart phone instead of ‘laptop.’

Being a bit short – not having much or enough money.

A:Can I borrow £5? quid
B: Sure. Why do you need it?
A: I want to buy lunch.
B: Where’s your money? [Pronunciation: Wheres yah monnnee ?]
A: It’s not in my wallet.
B: Your wallet is empty?
A: I don’t have even one quid in it.
B: Being broke is no fun. [Broke = having no money]
A: Even if it’s only for a short while.
B: It’s always good to have friends.
A: Friends will lend you money when you’re broke.
B: As long as you pay them back.

Write a similar dialogue but with different situations.

Vocabulary practice:

Look up the meaning of these words and expressions, then see how they’re used in the following dialogue.

ubiquitous / incessant / loquacious / laconic

malodorous / euphoria (euphoric) / sick (unwell, ill)

truly / rather / somewhat/ quid / broke/ you what ?

Let me shuffle through my memory

run into / put up with / fun-filled / throughout the city

that’s a good question / this is the worst ….. in the world !

A You’ll never guess who I ran into last night.

B Who ? I was up to my eyes in work.

A Ms Cam. It was rather a surprise. I haven’t seen her for ages.

B Ms Cam ? Let me shuffle through my memory… oh, yes.

A Remember ? She was somewhat laconic at work, but after beer …

B Absolutely ! She doesn’t shut up ! I had to put up with her stories.

A Same thing last night. Nothing changes. But it was a fun-filled night

B Where’d you take her ? Anywhere fancy ?

A We started at a street bar but it was malodorous, so we took off.

B She drinks like a fish, I recall. What happened ?

A Hmmm … that’s a good question ! I had a few too many.

B That explains it – you look a bit sick. Did you drink cocktails ?

A Oh, did we ! This is the worst hangover in the world !

TRY to make your own conversation using some of the new vocabulary and expressions.

Ideas: buying something / wanting to go someone / having a bad day

Activity: Plan a day out for my friends.

I have two friends arriving in HCM( or your city). They want a typical, authentic experience. Plan a day for them. It must include:

Breakfast
A museum
Somewhere for a snack
An interesting building or location
Lunch
Souvenir shopping
Something to do in the evening

Give tips and advice.

How do they travel around ?

What are their options and estimate the prices.

Try to use as much new vocabulary as possible, words and expressions.

Directions to Pham Ngo Lao Street District 1 // Directions to a city centre street.

Ask for help. Other must offer as much help – how to get there, the best way, the price, the dangers. Body language – distance, expression, intonation, eye contact etc

Also back channelling. Nod your head, say, “Sure,” “Right.” “Oh, really ?”

Small talk …. Try to talk for as long as possible – then change subjects:

your home town / your favourite holiday / a great place to visit in your city / some great things about children / some terrible things about your city / family / favourite hobby.

Past simple/ past continuous

Look at the house map – say where you were last night and what you were doing

EXAMPLE: I was on the balcony, watering my plants.

I was in the bedroom, …………………

Famous for 15 minutes

Pretend you are famous – your partner will interview you on:

Sai Gon Today ! A live chat show from your work or school !

FIRST – why are YOU famous – what do you like doing best ?

Think of 6 questions. Examples:

When did you start ? When did you win your first award ? What was it like travelling to USA ? What are your plans for the future.

Who else works in a TV studio ? What equipment do we need to make a show ?

Adverbs of degree

very / so / extremely / = high, a lot

quite / somewhat = moderate / medium

Tokyo is ……….. expensive, while for Vietnamese people, Thailand can be ……………. expensive.

The test was …………….. (medium) difficult.

I ……… liked the film, but the book was better, it was …………….. good.

Free Speaking

Have you ever thought about trying or learning something new ?

Do you want to take up a new sport ? Start up a new business ?

Join up for a club ? Learn a new skill ?

Try to use some of the following phrases:

The job is repetitive ? It can be somewhat tedious.

Working everyday can have a negative effect on our health.

I feel it is not suitable for me. I am not suited to it.

My background is in engineering; I have no experience in business.

I may regret it if I don’t try – but it is a risk. Always a risk because it may be unsuccessful – it may fail.

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Adult Speaking Class, Level 3. Theme: Health

27th January 2020

Contents

Cigarette smoking

Dialogue: going to the gym

Health and exercise: speaking practice.

Vocabulary: sports / injuries / equipment.

Health and exercise

Do you exercise ? How regularly ? What do you do ? Do you go to a gym ?

Can people stay fit without going to a gym ? How … what can they do ?

What are some common ailments ? What keeps you off work ?

Exercise machines

Vocabulary:

cardiovascular / About the heart and blood vessels

abdominal / Stomach or belly

upper-body / Torso or chest

muscles / Tissues in body for movement

Coordination / Using different parts of the body together

quadriceps / Large muscle at front of thigh

1. The Treadmill

The treadmill burns the most calories of any of the cardiovascular machines available at most gyms. You can expect to burn about 100 calories per mile, walking briskly.

A treadmill can be adapted to many different fitness levels by increasing the speed from walking to running or by adjusting the incline.

2. Rowing Machines

Don’t be fooled into thinking this machine gives you only an upper-body workout. Rowers are more advanced cardiovascular machines.

Because you must push with the legs while you pull with the arms, rowers require coordination. They also you require you to engage your core abdominal muscles to support and protect your back.

3 Leg-extension machine

Pushing weights up with your legs, exerting your quadriceps in the process.

You can do this every day as a post-workout routine or 3 times a week when you are concentrating on lower body/legs

Which pieces of equipment do you use ?

How often do you use them ? What are they for ?

Dialogue exercise

Andy: Hello ! How are you ?

Gina: Great, thanks … and yourself ?

Andy: Very well, thank youhowever,I need to keep fit. Can you help me ?

Gina: Sure, how can I help ?

Andy: What exercise is good for the heart ?

Gina: Any cardiovascular machine.

Andy: Can you give me an example ?

Gina: A treadmill for example. That is very good for the heart.

Andy: Do you use one ?

Gina: Sometimes, but I prefer to walk or jog in the park.

Andy: Great idea ! What can I do for upper-body strength ?

Gina: Rowing machines are very good. They help with the abs, as well.

Andy: “Abs” ?

Gina: Abdominal muscles … stomach or belly. { muss-cells }

Andy: Yes, I admit, I really need that. Is the gym far ?

Gina: No, it’s here in District 3, about 10 minutes away.

Andy: How do we get there? By taxi ?

Gina: No, we jog ! Shall we go tomorrow ?

Andy: Absolutely ! Oh, wait … I am busy. Can we reschedule?

Gina: Ok. When ?

Andy: Maybe next week. I’ll post a messageonline when I’m free.

Gina: Good idea, but remember … once you pay the gym, they don’t give refunds.

Collocations: post a message / give refunds / get there

Linking words: however / for example

Image result for chinese exercise in the park

Vocabulary:

pulled a muscle / sprain / torn a ligament / strain / took a knock

I need to get in shape / I’ve let myself go / I’m taking up a new sport

warm up / stretch / set my own pace / beat my own record

You want to get fit. Work in small groups to suggest ways and possible sports.

Is any equipment needed ?
What advise can you offer ?
What are the pitfalls (dangers) ?

Football– boots – football kit (shirt and shorts and, naturally, socks) gloves if you play in goal (goal-keeper / goalie). Not forgetting a ball and maybe a spare.

A referee (ref) needs a loud whistle, special kit, a stop watch, yellow and red card, also a small notebook and pen.

Professional referees nowadays require a headset and ear-piece. A new innovation is the spray-can.

Linesmen– referee’s assistants ( who carry flags) and the fourth referee.

Image result for sports equipment vocabulary

Cigarette Advertisement

What do these two adverts show ?

Are these adverts positive or negative ?

What are the pros and cons of smoking ?

How do they affect health / finances / appearance / other people ?

Talk about the effects of smoking, using as many words or phrases as you can:

wrinkles / passive-smoking / save money / anxiety / asthma / lungs cancer / heart disease / second hand smoke / bad breath / yellow stains / pregnant / blood pressure / expensive / addiction / colds and flu

Asking questions about an issue

What do you feel about … ?

How do you feel about passive smoking ? (what do you think about passive smoking ?)

What can be done to address this issue ? (What can people do to stop this problem ?)

What’s your take on …. ? (more informal: ‘take’ means view, opinion or experience). What’s your take on pregnant women who smoke ?

Vocabulary builder

World Health Organisation No Tobacco Day 31^stMay

raise awareness – to make people know more about something

health risks – dangers to health

Adult Speaking Class, Level 3, Part 3.

26th January 2020

Contents

Conversation practice: favourite possessions.

Small talk

Vocabulary booster

Small talk

This is polite conversation, to pass the time, or to get to know some basic information about people. Do not ask anything too personal; this will differ from culture to culture, but in the UK and the west in general:

DO NOT

Ask why someone is not married or has no children.

Ask how much money they earn, get from their job.

Ask how much something cost. “I like your shirt. How much was it ?”

Talk about politics. “You’re from China ? Chairman Mao was a disaster !”

PLAY IT SAFE – talk about music, football, food or … in the UK … the weather.

Very warm for this time of year.

Did you see …….. last night ? (the football game, the news etc)

How long have you worked here ?

The traffic was so bad this morning.

What team do you support ?

Echo questions

John: I can speak German. Peter: Can you ?

Bella: Ms Nguyen went to Thailand. Carole: Did she ?

Bill: He likes K-pop. Harry: ______________ ?

We are going to the pagoda later. ______________ ?

Ms Thinh has a new job.______________ ?

Conversation Practice

Talk about:

house prices in your city / why you have or don’t have a pet

an interesting program you saw recently

What you want to do in the future. / Somewhere you would love to visit.

Keep conversations going:

I see / Do you really think so ? /

That’s good point / I hadn’t thought of that

Oh, that’s interesting/ Yeah, right ! / Sure / OK May I just add something ? /

Oh, where is that exactly ?

Speaking Practice – use discourse markers to extend your speaking and to link ideas.

Describe something you own which is very important to you.

You should say:

where you got it from how long you have had it what you use it for and explain why it is important to you.

You will have to talk about the topic for 1 to 2 minutes.
You have one minute to think about what you’re going to say.
You can make some notes to help you if you wish.

Rounding off questions

Is it valuable in terms of money?
Would it be easy to replace?

This could be a physical object, a memento with sentimental value, or an abstract noun such as health, happiness etc

For my Vietnamese students:

How different is Vietnam from other Southeast Asian countries?

What do you think Vietnam will be like 50 years from now?

What do you think Vietnam’s neighbours think of you ?

Image result for vietnam future — The future of Vietnam ?

Vocabulary booster

You have to use these words:

obviously / consequently / notwithstanding / therefore / speculate

We can only (guess) on what will happen in the future

The student did no work __________ he failed the exam.

It rained several days. That fact ____________ (despite), we still had a good holiday.

If you visit Canada in winter, _________ (of course) you will need jumpers, coats and gloves.

Expressions:

cultural differences / one can only imagine / putting myself in their shoes

There are many _____________________ for Asian students who go to study in the USA.

It can be hard learning English. Many students have to work all day. I try ___________________ and seeing what I can do to make the lessons more interesting.

Being a celebratory isn’t always fun; always having your photo taken. ___________________ what it must be like.

Try using these expressions:

There is so much work, I just can’t take it anymore !

A plague on both your houses ! (from ‘Romeo & Juliet’, Shakespeare)

Are you serious ? What possessed you to come up with such a stupid idea ?

I’m speechless … the film was just so moving and emotional; I’m almost in tears.

Image result for speechless — He’s speechless !

Discourse markers: Try to learn new words / expressions here to help you link idea.

Use these words: First, find the meaning for yourself, then use them in a sentence. After, try to use them in your everyday English.

Practice, practice, practice …

For instance / conversely / above all / alternatively / similarly / therefore as revealed by

Image result for for instance — There are many things I enjoy about writing this blog, for instance receiving notes and likes from people all over the world.

For a case in point, I see I have some readers in Nepal, so, just for them: