Student questionnaire : What do you like, What does he like, she like ?
Vocabulary booster: likes and dislikes
What are they doing ?
Corrections
Correct all the mistakes in this piece of writing:
Every days I wokes up at between 6.00 am and 6.15 am. I always usually do the same thing namely get up, brush my tooth, put the kettle in and make coffee. Nowever, on last yesterday I getted up at 5.00 because I must to go to the airport to meeting my friend.
I had a hard time get a taxi because it was cats and dogs raining. On the airport there was so much people, all looking exhausted and depressed by the weather bad. I have never come on a plane without one time when I flyed to Ha Noi.
I seemed to wait forever for my friend. Maybe she had a problem immigration. But no I seed her and she looked very cute but also exhausted and also a little smelly.
She needed to freshen up after her long flight.
Instead of wenting to home, we came to a nice coffee shop with great coffees and good music and also so many people so we having to waited for a sit. The coffee made us to wake up so then we came to home but first she wants to doing some shop.
I taked her to Diamond plaza and we saw many shops, a whole multitude of things to see and do. We saw beatiful ao dai from silk made but it was too very expensive; it cost a leg and an arm. So instead we did window shopper which is more cheaper.
It costs an arm and a leg = an idiom that means very expensive.
Introductions:
What is your name / What’s your name ?
What is your job ? What do you do (for a living) ?
Are you married ? Do you have any children ?
[Culture note – in English, we don’t ask people’s age. It is impolite.]
How are you ?
I’m very well, thank you
I’m great / I’m good
I’m so so / I’m OK / I’m not bad = depends on intonation
I’m under the weather (this is an idiom which means a little bit unwell)
[Culture note – in English, we always say ‘please’, ‘thank you’ & ‘sorry’]
Student Questionnaire
do / have / like / love
What does he / she do ? What does she / he love but doesn’t like ?
On Mondays I have / On Mondays he has / She has …
For lunch I eat / He eats / She eats …
What do I like to do ? He likes to / She likes to …
Lessons – I love / He loves / She loves …
I don’t like / He doesn’t like / She doesn’t like …
What do I do after school or work ? What does he do ? What does she do ?
Can I juggle 3 balls ?/ Can he ? / Can she ?
Can I sing a song in English ? Can he ? Can she ?
Which songs can you sing in English ?
Vocabulary builder:
Like – love / adore
dislike – hate / detest
Note: hate & detest are very strong !
What do you like ?
Give me two examples of things you like, and two you don’t like.
Example: I adore dogs. I detest cold weather.
He loves … He hates …. They adore …
Use adverbs to make sentences stronger:
I really like films OR I like films very much. I really hate karaoke !
NOT: I very much like films
Negative: I don’t like Karaoke very much. They don’t enjoy karaoke.
What are they doing ?
Try to build long sentences using the continuous verb (verb + ing)
Example: What is he doing ?
He is reading
The dog is reading
The small black and white dog is reading an orange book and smiling.
Now your turn. Match the picture with the sentences then add more information:
eating and talking / singing / playing / sleeping NOT working / drinking / walking / laughing
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 ) ofhaving 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.
How would you describe the emotions / feelings of these people ?
Maori wedding in New ZealandScotlandA 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.
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)
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 :
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.
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
I am John = I’m John // You are Anna = You’re Anna
Past Continuous exercise
Write positive sentences in past continuous.
I was reading a great book
subject + was / were + verb ing (+ noun, adjective + noun)
you / play / cards /// you were playing cards
Alice / walk / around the lake
Fiona and Sam / visit / the castle
we / read / a book about Australia
my sister / feed / the birds
Greg and Phil / count / their money
Past tense
Write in the past tense
Andrew (am) born in New York and (come) to Viet Nam in 2016. He (live) in District 1 but it (is) too expensive so he (move) to District 9. Last week, he (have) a party and he (dance) all night and (drink) too much Tiger and Sai Gon Special beer. In the morning, he (catch) a plane and (go) to Ha Noi.
In Vietnam’s capital he (see) Uncle Ho, (hear) traditional music and (buy) many Rolex watches … but they (are make) in China.
Present simple & Present continuous
Present simple & continuous exercise: use always + ing
Tony has lost the key again. He’s always losing the key. [This is permanent.]
My motorbike has broken down again. It is ………… (break + ing)
The rice is burnt ! She is ………. the rice. (burn + ing)
The security guard is asleep. He is ……………… on duty. (sleep + ing)
powerful (very strong), flood (big water), missing (we do not know where these people are, or if they are alive).
Speaking practice:
Hello, my name is John and I’m from New York. I’m a taxi-driver, and I have been in Vietnam for one year. My hobbies are dancing, watching films and playing computer games. In Asia, I have been to Thailand and Laos and I really want to visit Japan and Korea.
continuous verbs (verb + ing): I like reading.
How many continuous verbs can you see ?
Interests / hobbies
Now you write something and introduce yourself.
Name / Job / How long have you been at (your company or school ?)
Hometown / Hobbies/ Where you want to visit
Vocabulary
Try to learn these words / expressions:
like / love / adore /
dislike / hate / detest /
and / as well as / additionally
but / however / on the other hand /
usually / normally / often /
sometimes /occasionally
And these adverbs: very / really / extremely / highly / quite / somewhat
Now make short sentences. For example:
I adore coffee as well as tea (I like coffee and tea)
London is extremely expensive. On the other hand, Thailand is quite cheap.
Vocabulary booster.
Match the words or expressions:
tired // considering
sometimes // selfish
thinking about // kind of
type of something // exhausted
Not generous // occasionally
Now practice using them:
I can’t go out tonight, I’m ………..
Bill is ……………. buying a new motorbike
Ms Vi only goes to visit her family in Hue ………….. because it is so far.
What ………… laptop are you using ?
Share your sweets with your friends ! Don’t be ……..
What is the best word ?
want / like / need / prefer
She likes coffee but …….. tea
I ….. to speak English to study in USA.
He …. to buy a new Yamaha Exciter but he …… to save up money.
realise / suppose / understand / remember
I ……. we could go shopping and then go swimming.
Do you ……… when you were at school ?
She didn’t …… he was Chinese, so she spoke Korean to him !
The Gothic style of architecture first emerged in Northern France during the 12th century. In engineering terms, it was a major step forward from the Romanesque style that had dominated European architecture up to that time. It allowed people to construct cathedrals, churches and other buildings on a scale that dwarfed anything that had gone before. The technological superiority of the Gothic approach was the result of three engineering breakthroughs: the pointed arch, the ribbed vault and the flying buttress.
The stone ceilings of Romanesque buildings were heavy and inefficient, and placed severe limitations on the size of buildings that could be constructed. The situation changed dramatically with the advent of the Gothic style.
One of the greatest innovations was the flying buttress. This system allowed builders to construct soaring cathedrals with massive interior spaces, while allowing walls to exhibit expansive stained glass windows.
The engineering innovations of pointed arches, ribbed vaults and flying buttresses meant such buildings could be the longest, widest and tallest of their day.
Notre Dame Cathedral, Paris. An example of the Gothic style. Note the flying buttresses.
Fillipo Brunelleschi (1377 – April 15, 1446)
Early in his career as an architect, Brunelleshi came forward as a mover and a shaker. He discovered, or rather, rediscovered the lost Greek and Roman rules of perspective, such as the principle of having a single vanishing point. His (re)discovery of these rules had a profound influence on the artists of his time
In 1420, the church awarded Brunelleschi the commission to design a dome to top the Florence Cathedral, which had been left, for many years, with a 140″ diameter hole gaping atop. The problem was not a new one to the world of architecture; for decades architects had been trying to design the perfect dome to crown the Cathedral but had been defeated by the restrictive structural limitations inherentin the Cathedral’s design. Brunelleschi, managed to succeed, however, were all others had failed by 1446.
Brunelleschi’s dome for the Cathedral in Florence, Italy.
Famous for his saying “less is more,” was one of the preeminent modernist architects, well known for pioneering the extensive use of glass in buildings. His works introduced a new level of simplicity and transparency, and his buildings were often referred to as “skin-and-bones” architecture for their emphasis on steel structure and glass enclosure.
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 …
The man is teaching …… lip-readingThey are enjoying …
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
1st point
2nd 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.
Vocabularybooster:
Match the words with their opposite meanings
generous // hard working
reliable // light-hearted
serious // arrogant
lazy // selfish
modest // unreliable
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.
This lesson is about Easter, a public holiday throughout many western countries. Unlike Christmas, Easter does not have an exact date (similar to Tet in Asia). This year, easter falls on Sunday April 12th.
The videos will introduce you to the celebration as well as teaching new words and expressions.
Easter traditions
New vocabulary:
to experience – to feel something, to do something.
I have experienced Tet holiday in Viet Nam
resurrection – to come back to life after death.
festivities – things to do at parties or what happens on a public holiday
symbol – a sign or logo – yellow star is a symbol of Viet Nam, golden arches McDonalds
hang on a minute ! – stop and wait !
mythical – something that is like a legend, probably not real
coincides – happens at the same time. John’s wedding coincides with the World Cup.
break up – phrasal verb – to have a school holiday. The kids break up on the 24thJuly.
This video is intermediate to advanced level, but it’s a chance to listen to naturtal speaking from a British lady.
Another video, this time from the newsinlevels website. Here, you are able to select the level (1, 2 or 3) that is best for you. Furthermore, the speaking is designed for English learners, so has less intonation and chunking: https://www.newsinlevels.com/products/gold-easter-bunnies-level-1/
What holiday is next week ? In which city ?
What is special about one egg ? Do people like them ?
Speaking practise:
Nina Have you seen this western tradition ? They give chocolate eggs at Easter.
Eva Are you serious ? I adore chocolate. Who gives them ?
Nina Well, parents give to children, husbands give to wives, boyfriends to girlfriends.
Eva I haven’t seen them. Can you tell me about them ?
Nina Sure, I saw them in England. It is a large piece of chocolate shaped like an egg.
Eva I like the sound of that. A giant chocolate egg, sounds like heaven.
Nina That’s only part of it. Inside the egg, there are more chocolates.
Eva Ok, next year I am going to England. I will eat like a pig. A chocolate pig !
chocolate Easter eggs
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.
This is the eve on a new IELTS class, utilising a new text book, and the first lesson is …listening. When I ask students (and they make the effort to reply) what is the hardest part of learning English, understanding the spoken word is invariably top of the list.
As with all skills, practice is the obvious answer, starting slowly, then building up and improving. Naturally, language skills are integrated; a knowledge of ‘chunking’ – or linking words together and natural contractions will be extremely beneficial. Likewise, the more vocabulary the student knows, the more chance they have of understanding what is being said.
The key problems are straightforward:
Speed of conversation.
Chunking, contractions, natural speech patterns (which differ markedly from the written word).
Accents (both native and non-native).
Unknown vocabulary.
Dialects, slang words, expressions, idioms … figurative not literal language.
Cultural references (subjects only known by local people)
Now I will concentrate on ‘real-world’ examples, videos aimed at native speakers, not for English students.
I choose these videos to illustrate the whole world of spoken English; no disrespect is intended to anyone who speaks in a non-standard way, or is struggling with pronunciation. On the contrary, anyone who can converse in a second language has my utmost respect … it is a skill unavailable to the writer of this blog 😦
And now, without further ado, lets’s kick off with my hometown. Here’s some native Londoners having a chat (talking):
The subject of this video – which has useful captions, or subtitles, in English – is ‘which possession would you never lend to another person ?’ You will also be able to see some famous London landmarks.
TIPS: watch the video is short sections – maybe just in ten-second sections – repeat and repeat until you feel familiar with the words and are able to repeat them.
Street trader – London
Next up, a street-market trader. Here, the trader has to project his voice, to attract customers. It’s a mixture of commerce and performance: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Sw94R0P2dOs
An additional benefit from watching real-life videos is that you will pick up many expressions that you will simply not find in text books. Remember, many speaking tests give extra points for ‘natural language’. For example, the trader uses the phrase, “On and off,” meaning he has been doing the job but not continuously. Let’s say I have been teaching for ten years, but during that time, I took some long breaks, to study, to travel etc. I would say,”I’ve been teaching for ten years, on and off.“
You will also notice how ‘real’ people often deviate from standard English. In this clip, the man says, “Me and my wife have been ….” though the ‘correct’, the standard form would be, “My wife and I have been …”. This merely illustrates that text guides are just that … a GUIDE … they are not real life. To learn English, to really learn, you must immerse yourself in videos, music, films and, dare I repeat myself (yes, I dare) PRACTICE.
British English speaker, Asian theme: east meets west
This is a favourite clip of mine, a British beer enthusiast trying a Vietnamese beer. This clip introduces new vocabulary relevant to beer (‘head’, ‘aroma’, ‘carbonated’, as well as some good expressions such as, “More than likely,” and, “Let’s dive in.”
I’ll ease you in softly; this first clip is designed for English learners, and has a variety of different scenes, actors and situations, all intended to prepare you for the variety of American accents … and in such a big continent, there are a wide variety of accents.
Is this easy to understand ? Do you notice any differences between the London accent and the USA accent ?
Same tip, watch as much as you can, pause, try to copy, say the words, then continue. When you feel confident, turn off the captions and see how much you are able to understand. Do not expect to understand everything. Maybe you will only understand half, but see how this figure increases with practice.
TV show, American accent.
This is from a USA sit-com called ‘Friends’ (1994 – 2004)
In this short clip, some friends are joking about the way one of them speaks, putting the stress on the ‘wrong’ word in a sentence. Again it has captions, so listen and … practice !
But now, time to turn it up a notch (make it harder). This clip is advanced, the speaker is very enthusiastic, very quick. and uses a lot of everyday phrases you will – more than likely – not know. Therefore, a quick pre-teaching session:
recommend– to suggest something good / something YOU think others will like
aside from– something else, apart from
staple food– food that can be part of every meal (rice, bread, potatoes)
drowned– totally covered in a liquid or sauce
popular– something many people like (negative form is ‘unpopular’)
original– the first of something. Adverb is originally.
mix– adding two or more things together. Mixed is the past tense.
tons of– lots of (slang, common) e.g. Ha Noi has tons of coffee shops
amazing– adjective means really great, very special.
districts– areas of a city (Quan)
snack– eating food to stop you getting too hungry. Verb – snacking.
super– common adverb to mean very, very much e.g. Sai Gon is super hot.
This video exemplifies all the problems students have listening to English: the vocabulary, the accent, the linking together and the sheer speed of speech. Don’t worry … apply the same principles; watch in small sections, read the captions, repeat and repeat until you feel comfortable. Remember – you don’t have to understand every word, just enough to follow what he is saying.
And now, let’s go to a land down under and listen to some different forms of English. This time, Australian:
Again, let’s take it easy to begin with, learn some Aussie (Australian) expressions and listen to the local accent:
This lists ten expressions that you may have heard in films or TV shows. But now it’s time to put them into practice. Here’s a genuine news story. Without using text or captions, how much can you understand ?
The clip is called ‘Australian Hero’ so that should give you an idea.
Bringing It All Back Home – an Australian in Vietnam
This ex-pat (someone who has emigrated from country and now lives and works in another) from down under (Australia) is going to show us where he lives in Sai Gon, District 3 (near the city centre) (0:22 – 0:45):
(He starts by saying he had some camera problems):
“Hopefully I’ve got that all sorted now and I can give you a decent tour of the …um, the apartment.
“It’s a really nice er, street here, sort of early morning and it’s quite a hustle and bustle. Here we got office workers coming out to eat and what have you.
“Ah, I’ll just take you into the er, where is this ? This is the actual building, here, and er … and this is where I actually, er … down, gotta (got to) go through this alley, it’s very congested … and this is how I get to where I live.”
And now the fun begins !
Quite possibly, the majority of my students will be using English as a lingua franca with other non-native speakers. I therefore encourage them to use the standard form, in order for them to be (hopefully) understood. I encourage slow and clear enunciation, avoidance of contractions and figurative language. Here, English is functional, precise communication is the aim.
We refer to this as a form of code-switching: basically changing the language to suit the occasion, something we all do naturally (for the most part). Namely, we change our vocabulary, syntax and accent(s) depending on whom we are addressing, be it a parent or younger brother, a police officer or a troublesome telesales caller, our manager, our colleague, our first-day intern.
Our first non-native speaker is from Germany. I had some students who worked here in Vietnam for a German company, so I felt it relevant they familiarise themselves with English through a German filter.
On a cultural note, many Germans have English as a second language, so travelling there only speaking English shouldn’t pose such a problem. UK and Germany have something of a ‘love-hate relationship’, with Britons seeing Germans as lacking in humour and having a very limited diet (potatoes, sauerkraut and sausage). Having said that, we secretly admire, if not envy, their efficiency and technological expertise, not to mention their success on the football field.
Working life in Germany:
In this clip, a worker is describing a typical German schedule (01.26 – 02.07):
How long do they work in Germany ? How many breaks does the man have ?
You may start to notice slight mistakes in grammar and syntax (word order) yet the meaning should be very clear. Remember – you are not expected to be perfect, so never be discouraged.
The boot’s on the other foot
We’ve had native speakers talking about Vietnam. Now let’s have Vietnamese talking English
These young Vietnamese are offering advice to travellers about taxis and scams in Sai Gon:
During one evening class, a student asked me for some advice; his manager is Korean and when the manager speaks to my student, in English, my poor student is unable to understand what is being said. Obviously, there is little I can do about the manager’s English, but I gave the student some useful phrases that are polite and should stop the Korean from ‘losing face’, and I’ll add these after the video.
Serendipity is a word for luck or coincidence. Just two days after this conversation, I was surfing on YouTube when I came across this perfect video from my new YouTube chum (friend), Ms Rachel Kim. Ms Rachel is very friendly and sweet, so I recommend you visit her channel, like and subscribe. I’m sure it will make her very happy.
Thay Paul's Notes 