Bad Day Revisited

12th May 2023

A writing exercise to help build narrative. We shall use signpost language, paragraphs, amazing adjectives, adverbs and linking words, as well as some new expressions.

I shall tell you about last Sunday – it was terrible and here’s why.

The plan of my day:

6.50 Book Grab on my iPhone and leave for work.

7.40 – 9.40 Young Learners class, level 1 (24 students)

10.10 Arrive home

10.11am – 2.30pm Wedding party across the street

10.30 – 12.00 Prepare work online

5.00pm – 9.30pm Another wedding party but much louder, more karaoke singers

6.00 Go for coffee

BUT 11.30pm Barcelona win 1- 0 so ‘All’s well that ends well.’

So what were the problems ?

“Hey, where is my bike ? I am late for work !”

I only have one class; I hope they are nice and quiet. OK, they are screaming, loudly ! But now I can go home and relax. Wait a moment …

A wedding party with singing and drinking and karaoke … for four hours ! No problems, I will wear headphones, listen to my music and prepare my work online.

I give up ! This is never going to happen. However, after 2.30pm it starts to be quiet. I can work, read and at 4.45 I started to sleep … until at 5.00:

These gentlemen do not sing beautifully, they sound like cats having a fight. I decide to go out to a quiet coffee bar. The server is very friendly … but then a man walks in …

My dreadful day was nearly over. At 11.30 I watch TV and see …

Yes, my team Barcelona are playing. I am blown away by how good they are and I am over the moon because they win the game. All’s well that ends well.

NOW … your turn

Write about Mr Paul’s terrible day.

TIPS

Use a short introduction, then a new paragraph for each new event.

Use signpost language (first, next, then, afterwards, finally).

The story is in the past so you have to use simple past (Verb 2). Noun & verb agreement (he is, he was)

End with a short conclusion.

Use new adjectives and synonyms (terrible, awful, dreadful, horrendous).

I insist that you use at least one new expression (over the moon, blown away, all’s well that ends well).

Let me kick start you:

Last Sunday was absolutely dreadful.

First, I booked Grab on my iPhone but he was extremely slow and late. My manager was …

now you finish my day

Good luck with my bad day

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Young Learners, Level 3. Let’s start a new country up.

6th April 2023

Yes, let’s, “Put our heads together, start a new country up.”

Today’s project is to create a new country. What do we need ? First, a country can have:

mountains, waterfalls, lakes, deserts, forests, beaches.

The cities may have old and interesting:

bridges, churches, shops, castles

Or maybe new and modern:

parks, museums, shopping malls, tall buildings, future buildings

Maybe some ancient buildings ?

Now, create your country … and have fun !

Young Learners: Amazing Adjectives

9th August 2021

Movie and TV Cast Screencaps: Maggie Cheung as Flying Snow / Hero (2002) / 32 Screencaps — The amazing Asian actress Maggie Cheung in the famous film ‘Hero’.

The brilliant breathtaking Blues musician Robert Johnson

Adjective Game 1

Let’s start with ‘A’, the first letter. Who knows these adjectives ?

Am__________ (This word means very good, wonderful)

What other adjectives can you think of beginning with ‘a’ ?

Be___________ // (This word means very pretty)

What other adjectives can you think of beginning with ‘b’ ?

Cu__ // Dan______ // ele_____ // fan_______ (very good) // gr_______

// he________ // int_________ // Ja____ (from an Asian country) // ki___ //

la__ // me____ (not clean. Also the name of a talented footballer) //

ner___ // outg______ (opposite of shy) // pop_____ // qui__ // ru__

// sel____ // tal________ // unu_____ // valu____ (costs a lot of money)

Here Are 10 Of The Most Expensive Paintings In The World Right Now

// wea______ (if you can buy the Mona Lisa, you must be extremely wea_____) // Xenop_______ (do not like people from other countries) // ye__ – _____ (lasts for 12 months) // Zamb___ (person from Zambia)

Suitable answers: amazing / beautiful / cute / dangerous / electric / fantastic / greedy, great, Greek / healthy / intelligent / Japanese / kind / lazy / messy / nervous / outgoing /popular / quick / rude / selfish / talkative / unusual / valuable / wealthy / xenophobic / year-long / Zambian

Adjective Game 2

Sentence building using adjectives is very easy. Even using basic adjectives can improve your English. Colours, sizes and where someone is from are all easy adjectives. Look at this example:

The flag is very large and is white with a red circle in the middle. The flag is Japanese.

Look at these flags. Choose one and describe it to the class. Points for the students who guess which flag. Extra points if they know the country.

Adjective Game 3

Describe these people:

Park Soyeon - T-Ara - Posts | Facebook — Park Soyeon from Korea

Young learners, level 6: Travel Journal Project

10th December 2020

Everybody Up 6, Unit 2 project

Make Your Own Travel Diary : 8 Steps (with Pictures) - Instructables

Class will be arranged in four small groups and they will be assigned a city. The students have an hour to collect information, produce a short journal (with maps, photos, illustrations etc) and present to the class.

The destinations are:

London, Barcelona, Seoul & Rio de Janeiro

I shall provide some photo printouts for their covers.

The journal must include:

When to go // an itinerary // a famous museum or building // how the students got there

Virtual itineraries – a digital day out in London - Lonely Planet

London: best time to go is in Spring // British Museum is free -Open daily 10.00 am – 5.00 pm // Take the Tube (subway) to Holborn // Hamleys Toy Shop – Open 11.00 – 5.00 // Take the 25 bus and walk down Regent Street.

6 Of The Top Places To Take Kids In London | London Planner Magazine

Barcelona: Best time is May – June // Gaudi Church (Sagrada Familia) Open 9.00 – 7.00 pm // Take Metro Line 2 (subway) // Have a picnic in Gaudi park (Parc Güell) – Open 9.30 – 7.00 pm) -get there by taxi // At night walk along the famous street Las Ramblas and walk around the old town centre

A guide to La Rambla, Barcelona | Insight Guides Blog

Seoul: Best time is summer // Seoul Tower – take bus number 2 – Open 10.00 – 11.00 pm // Traditional village – take a taxi. // Walk around, visit small museums and try traditional food // At night, walk along city creek and try Korean street food.

Rio de Janeiro: best time is February, for the Festival // Walk there from your hotel // Visit the Christ statue – take a taxi but go early morning. // Go to the beach at Ipanema – take the Metro Rio (Subway) // Try amazing Brazilian food like crazy beef or foot bug ! //

Some Brazilian food for you know when you visit us. - 9GAG

Rio de Janeiro Carnival 2021 Dates - Feb 12 thru Feb 20, 2021 — Festival in Rio !

NOW … have fun

Adult Class, Level 2: Travel language revisited

22nd June 2020

Dahab travel guides 2020– Dahab attractions map – Qesm Saint ...

Vocabulary review:

Use these new words in a sentence

breathtaking / spectacular / unforgettable / magnificent / unique / exhilarating

once-in-a-lifetime / never-to-be-forgotten / unmissable / natural beauty

Hoi An is …

(where else?)

I went swimming with sharks – it was … (What else is ?)

The views are …

Versailles Palace is … (What palaces or castles have you seen ?)

Seeing the Pyramids is a / an …… experience

Water puppets are ….. to Vietnam.

10 great places to see water puppet show in Vietnam

England’s Lake District is an area of …

10 things to do in the Lake District | The Independent

Gaudi was a … architect

Architectural Marvels by Gaudí | Essential Marbella Magazine

NOW – add adverbs

Adverbs add more information and description to verbs and adjectives.

It is expensive HOW expensive It is so / very / extremely expensive

Most adverbs end in ‘-ly’ extremely / unbelievably / incredibly

Some common adverbs: so / very have no ‘-ly’ ending

Some good mild adverbs: quite / somewhat

Seoul is quite expensive.

5 Trendy Shopping Areas in Seoul - Alexis Jetsets – Travel Blog ...

The film was somewhat confusing

Un-Cannes-y Valley: The Double Life of Veronique | The Long Take — ‘The Double Life of Veronique’

Adult Speaking Class, Level 1: What do you need … ?

21st May 2020

What do you need …. ?

What do you need to make pho ? (Vietnamese beef noodle soup)

Cách nấu phở bò thơm ngon bổ dưỡng cho cả nhà

I need: onions, lemons, meat, noodles, vegetables, chili and stock (water with flavour)

What do you need to ride a motorbike ? Is riding a motorbike fun ?

Why I'll Never Ride a Scooter in Southeast Asia Again - Just a Pack

It is very dangerous. It is very stressful

Firstly, I need a motorbike. The motorbike needs petrol

(petrol = British English, gas = USA)

GRAMMAR NOTE: I need / you need / he, she, it, name needs

What else do I need ?

I need a helmet, a face mask, gloves, glasses or goggles

Through the lens: Motorcycle fashion in Vietnam | Anita's Feast — Helmets with a ponytail slot – ingenious !

What do you need for a party ?

Stonebwoy – African Party (Official Music Video) » Townflex

We need people, wine, food … what else ?

Also, plates and glasses. Of course, we need music !

Non-alcoholic drinks – for example orange juice … we call them ‘soft drinks’.

bread and flowers. We also need decorations for a birthday, Christmas, or Tet.

Tips for planning the perfect Bar or Bat Mitzvah party — A Bar Mitzvah celebration, when Jewish boys turn 13

What animals do you need for a zoo ?

We need elephants, monkeys, tigers, birds (parrots)

crocodile or alligator

Lions, camels and hippos. Also, rhino and giraffes. Lastly, zebras.

Chimpanzee bottle feeds tiger cubs at zoo in Bangkok, Thailand ...

What do you need to do before you go out ?

Fast Quick Forward Young Asian Woman Selecting Clothes Thinking ...

Buster Keaton Shaving Barber Decor Silent Film Photo Poster 16″ x ...

Adult Speaking Class, Level 2: Giving opinions – architecture

9th April 2020

Architecture

What do you think of these styles ? Which do you like and why ?

Use adjectives and opinion expressions

I think / I feel / It seems to me / In my opinion /

I especially like / I especially dislike / This appeals to me

Some adjectives:

imposing / impressive / incredible / magnificent / symmetrical / dazzling / unique / minimal / functional / decorative /

Expressions:

A sense of space / playful decor / somber facade / elegant lines / spiritually enhancing / an icon of national identity

Some contemporary architects and styles

Would you like to or visit any of these buildings ?

How do you react to them ?

What are they trying to say ?

Kazuyo Sejima (Japan b. 1956)

Daniel Libeskind (Poland / USA b. 1946)

Dubai (UAE)

Which one expresses optimism, growth and confidence ?

Which one challenges conventional structures ?

Which one uses architecture to reflect a destruction or shattering of society ?

Finally:

Here’s a great video charting the advances made in architecture over the last century: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PuTqWxuAazI

EVOLUTION of WORLD'S TALLEST BUILDING: Size Comparison (1901-2022 ...

Are we getting close to the Biblical Tower of Babel ?

Bruegel, Tower of Babel (video) | Khan Academy — Tower of Babel by Peter Breughal 1563

For those who are interested in the story, here is the extract from The Bible, Genesis 11

Genesis 11 New International Version (NIV)

The Tower of Babel

11 Now the whole world had one language and a common speech. ²As people moved eastward,^[a] they found a plain in Shinar^[b] and settled there.

³They said to each other, “Come, let’s make bricks and bake them thoroughly.” They used brick instead of stone, and tar for mortar. ⁴Then they said, “Come, let us build ourselves a city, with a tower that reaches to the heavens, so that we may make a name for ourselves; otherwise we will be scattered over the face of the whole earth.”

⁵But the Lord came down to see the city and the tower the people were building. ⁶The Lordsaid, “If as one people speaking the same language they have begun to do this, then nothing they plan to do will be impossible for them. ⁷Come, let us go down and confuse their language so they will not understand each other.”

⁸So the Lord scattered them from there over all the earth, and they stopped building the city.⁹That is why it was called Babel^[c]—because there the Lord confused the language of the whole world. From there the Lord scattered them over the face of the whole earth.

Adult Speaking Class, Level 2. Theme: Plan a luxury day

12th March 2020

Grammar: second conditional

Object: encourage creative thinking and sentence building.

Vocabulary: expressions related to money

What would you do IF you were a millionaire ?

What would you do IF you were a millionaire for a day ?

Second conditional – this is used for a situation that is not impossible … but not very probable.

If I had a million pounds, I would … (stop working !)

If you had a billion $, you could … (buy an island)

If + Sub + had …, Sub + would / could

If you had unlimited money, what would you do ?

Plan a luxury day

How would you spend a luxury day ?

To develop narrative writing / speaking – use words/phrases such as:

Firstly, initially, I would start, it would kick off with …

secondly, thirdly etc

after that, afterwards, following that, and then …

for a change, as a contrast, for a break, to take a break from all the …

lastly, I’d end up, I’d round the day off with

Example:

To kick off, I would have salmon breakfast at a five-star … no, seven-star hotel. After that, I would go shopping for some suits and ties and then drive around London in a Rolls-Royce car, chauffer-driven, of course.

To take a break from the hustle and bustle, I’d relax at my hotel spa, then go for afternoon tea at another top hotel.

Lastly, I’d round the day off with a helicopter trip around the city and then fly direct to a stadium and go to my VIP (Very Important Person) seat to see one of my favourite bands play live.

Your turn:

You could:

OR add your own ideas

Where would you go ? What would you do ? What would you buy ?

Expressions connected to money

A ton of money = very much money

Having money to burn = having more money that someone needs

It costs an arm and a leg = something very expensive

Money talks ! = having money can solve many problems

Rolling in it = having so much money (‘it’ refers to money)

Swanky = slang for very expensive or elegant (it’s a swanky restaurant)

However, as Shakespeare said,

Image result for all that glisters is not gold quote

Would money make you happy ?

Can money buy you health, love or happiness … maybe that is for another lesson.

Young Learners, Level 3: My town.

11th July for Saturday 13th July 2019. Everybody Up, U 2 L 1

Warm Up: Musical statues

Board write: to review recent lessons. Put class into small teams and give a mini board and marker. Have one of the top students read out the following:

To make an omelet we need ….

To make a smoothie we need …

To make a fruit salad we need …

To make a milkshake we need …

What can you see ? to review ‘be healthy’ show some typical breakfasts. Elicit as much information about the photos as possible:

Student talking time: Students must select which breakfast they like best then interview each other, and say why. What is your favourite breakfast ? Which one do you like ?

New vocabulary:

healthy

delicious

unhealthy

colourful

high sugar

hig fat

Class Vote: Who would like which breakfast ?

Whisper run ‘n’ write: class form into three or four lines. I whisper a word or phrase to the last person, that person whispers it to the nest and so on until we come to the first person who must run and write it on the board. This practices listening, speaking and basic writing.

Lesson lead -in: Our new topic is ‘Around Town’. Let’s elicit some buildings that one would find in a town. In teams, we can do Pictionary – I’ll tell one student per team of a building, they have one minute to draw it and for their team to guess.

(hospital, school, cinema or movie theatre, park, library etc)

Book work: teaching new vocabulary, and practising.

Walk the line: Arrange six new flashcards on the floor in a line. Have two students at opposite ends. They must walk the line, saying the cards. First to finish is the winner.

Group activity: to encourage group work and to review new vocabulary, the students in small teams are given a large sheet of paper. they can design and colour their own town. Special points for the most interesting town. To inspire them I can show Google images of: