An exercise for students to use critical thinking, and to practise speaking.
First we shall let the students work in pairs, discussing today’s question:
What’s the problem with your city … and what’s the solution ?
Let’s kick off with some useful vocabulary
pollution
litter
noise
traffic congestion
You may start like this:
I live in Sai Gon (Ho Chi Minh City). The city is very large and busy, and has many great places. However, it also has many problems.
Then talk about pollution (air and water),
litter (paper, plastic, food, bottles, cans etc)
noise (karaoke, motorbikes, street vendors, building work)
traffic (is it fun or safe to drive ?)
Remember to use amazing adjective as well as linking words to give longer, better answers.
Now for some solutions
How can we make rivers cleaner ?
How can we make the roads less congested ?
How can we stop people littering ?
How can we reduce noise pollution ?
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.
Merry Christmas and Happy New Year one and all. Here is what we shall be studying this block, and what I expect from you:
Students will have a large vocabulary, and speak in long, interesting sentences.
Students can tell if a word is a noun, adjective, verb, pronoun etc.
Students will be able to use Simple Present & Simple Past (Verb 1 & Verb 2)
Students will come to class on time, and will be prepared; that means having pens, pencils and a notebook.
Class rules will be followed. I demand that MY students
DO NOT RUN in the halls
DO NOT SHOUT.
If you do, you shall receive a …
Additionally, you will have to sing a David Bowie song in front of the whole class !
Our classes will kick off (start) with a song
‘Love Me Do’ by the Beatles.
Next we shall have speaking time.
I will write a subject and you will talk to your partner for as long as possible. Remember, English is never finished – you can always improve (get better). Today the question is:
What do you want in 2024 ?
You can say want you want to have, where you want to go, and why, what you want to study (and why), what new skill you want, maybe some new food or drink.
Let’s break it down.
First, what do you want to have ?
A new toy // a baby sister or brother // Lucky Money // A+ in your tests // an iPhone 15 !
Next, where do you want to go, and why ?
Da Nang because it is beautiful and cool. Also I can eat fresh fruit.
London because I want to see Mr Paul’s hometown 🙂 Also I can visit many famous places like Tower Bridge.
Thailand because the people are friendly and the temples are amazing and peaceful.
Next, what you want to study (and why)
I really want to study English because …
What new food do you want to eat ?
I want to try British Christmas food because …
EXAMPLE:
In 2024 I want to go to Thailand because the food is spicy and delicious. Also, it is quieter because I don’t hear karaoke.
I want to have great classes with super students who are respectful !
Maybe I will learn some more Vietnamese so I can talk to people.
Finally, I really want to learn this music on guitar. However it is very difficult and very fast. I will have to practise every day.
Happy New Year everybody. Peace and Love.
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.
One of the purposes of teachers asking questions is to give students an opportunity to practise their speaking skills; vocabulary, syntax, intonation etc.
However, many times students, of all levels, will merely answer the question in as few words as possible, and they need to be encouraged to elaborate on their responses.
Teachers are taught to refrain from asking ‘Yes,’ or ‘No,’ answers:
“Did you have a good weekend ?”
“Yes.”
A better option would be:
“What did you do on Saturday ?”
Hopefully this will elicit a more suitable reply.
(Yes, teachers should be prepared for, “Nothing,” “Sleep,” etc … some students simply do not want to learn or work. Teachers have a limited supply of energy and enthusiasm; it should not be wasted.)
And so to work … my young learners have speaking tests soon. Here are some exercises to help boost their scores.
First we need our vocabulary toolbox. Let’s start with some adjectives:
amazing, angry / beautiful, big /clean, clever, cute / dangerous / easy, electric / fantastic, funny / greedy, great, / happy, healthy, huge / important, intelligent / Japanese / kind / lazy / messy / nervous / old, outgoing / popular / quick / rude / sad, selfish, shy, small / talkative, tiny / ugly, unusual / valuable / wealthy / year-long, young
Now some linking words:
also, as well as / because / furthermore / however
Finally, a smattering of expressions and idioms:
in my opinion / it costs an arm and a leg / let’s dive in / more than likely / over the moon.
Let’s dive in ! Work in pairs and ask each other the following questions:
Tell me about your house or apartment
(where is it, how many rooms, what does their room look like, what colour is it, what toys do they have, do they have pets ?etc)
Does this look like your room ?
Tell me about your school
(Name of the school and address, their favourite subjects and teachers, why do they like them, their friends, what do they do at break time, do they play sports or music ? etc)
Does this look like your school ?
Tell me about food you love and food that you hate
Tell me about a film you love
Where would you most like to visit ?
What job would you like to do. What job would you hate ?
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.
Task 3: Write a short story using as many new adjectives as you can. Try these pictures to help:
One day, I was in a …
Task 4: Write your own story. I want at least 6 amazing adjectives. Good luck !
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.
I will show you a card trick. Do you know how it is done ?
J = Jack // Q = Queen // K = King // A = Ace
Now, watch the British magician Dynamo. How does he do his tricks ? Choose one and let the students guess.
Task 6: General Knowledge
Ask the following questions either team by team, or first to raise hands
Which big cat is the strongest ?
How can you make the colour green ?
Who was the first man to walk on the moon ?
What is the capital city of France ?
Which is the fastest animal on the land ?
How many people are there in the world ?
Who painted the Mona Lisa ?
Who helped to cure smallpox by making the first successful vaccine ?
How many planets are there in our solar system ?
How many stars are there in the American flag ?
How many stars are there in the Vietnamese flag ?
Name four countries where English is the first language.
How many types of penguins are there ?
Global warming is caused by the excess of which type of gas ?
Which is the biggest desert in the world ?
How can you kill a vampire ?
What shape is the pupil of a sheep and goat eye ?
How do you say ‘Hello’ in French, German and Italian ?
Can you act like this man and say, “You know this is, excuse me, a damn fine cup of coffee.”
Can you dance like Starlord ?
(clip can start at 0:29 and end around 1:23)
Answers
1 – Tiger 2 – Mix blue and yellow 3 – Neil Armstrong 4 – Paris 5 – Cheetah 6 – Over 7 billion 7 – Leonardo da Vinci 8 – Edward Jenner 9 – 8 10 – 50 11 – 1 12 – UK, USA, Canada, New Zealand, Australia, South Africa 13 – 18 14 – CO2 Carbon Dioxide 15 – Sahara Desert 16 – a steak through the heart or burning but NOT a silver bullet 17 – rectangle or square
18 – Bonjour, Guten Tag, Buongiorno or Ciao !
Ciao, Federico !
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.
Students are put into small teams and given this questionnaire.
The teacher will place information cards around the room, possibly even outside the classroom depending on school layout.
One student from each group will look for the answer, then report back to the group. The answer is written down.
Repeat with a new student each time, then return to the original student.
Pedagogic benefits:
Reading questions and finding the correct answer.
Reporting back to the team.
Writing the answer.
Presenting the answer to the whole class, speaking clearly and loudly.
The Perfect Penguin Quiz
1) We say a herd of sheep and a pride of lions – but what is the collective nouns for penguins ?
2) Why are penguins black and white ?
3) Why do penguins huddle together ?
4) Penguins have solid, heavy bones but other birds have hollow, light bones … why ?
5) How does a penguin keep warm ?
6) Apart from Antarctica, where do penguins live ?
7) How many types of penguins are there ?
8) Why will you never see a penguin with a polar bear in the wild ?
9) Are penguins good walkers ?
10) What does a man penguin give to a lady penguin if he likes her ?
The Answers
1) A group of penguins is called a raft (in water) or a waddle (on land).
2) The black and white is camouflage – they look like waves from above, and sunlight from underneath.
3) Penguins huddle together for protection and to keep warm
4) Penguins don’t fly. Heavy bones are better for swimming.
5) Penguins make oil. They cover their feathers to keep warm.
6) Galapagos Islands, Ecuador, Peru, Chile, South Africa, New Zealand & Australia.
7) There are 18 types of penguin.
8) Polar bears live in the Arctic, in the northern hemisphere.
9) Some penguins can walk 60 miles on ice.
10) A man penguin gives a lady penguin a rock if he likes her. The man shows he wants to build a nest together and start a family. The stones will protect eggs.
NOW … write and draw a story
A penguin goes on holiday to the Arctic and meets a polar bear for the first time. What happens ?
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.
We do not have any instruments in our class (yet … later we shall make a xylophone !), but we all have voices and can sing !
Let’s start with a round. This is when some of the class sing a song, then the other students sing the same song BUT one verse later.
Listen to this children’s song called ‘London Burning.’ Listen and then we shall try to sing. Many points to the best singers.
Teacher’s Note: split the class into small groups depending on class size and motivation. Award points for the best performances.
First question – do you know any famous composers ?
M _ _ _ _ _
B _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _
C _ _ _ _ _
B _ _ _
P _ _ _ _ _ _ _
QUESTION RUNAROUND
Teacher’s Note: Keep class in small groups. Select one student per group to run up to the board and place – not slap – their hand on number 1,2 or 3. Blank the screen so the students can’t see the answers !
Question 1: Who wrote this music
1) BlackPink 2) Paganini 3) PinkBlack
Question 2: Is this music for
1) a birth, 2) marriage or 3) death ?
Question 3: Is this music
1) Happy and joking 2) sad 3) very angry
Play from 17:02
Question 4: This music is about a planet – which one ?
1) Venus (love) 2) Jupiter (happiness) 3) Mars (war)
Question 5: This opera is set in which country ? 1) China 2) Australia 3) Spain
Last Question: Classical music is often used in films. Was this music used in a …
1) comedy 2) animation 3) space film ?
How does the music make you feel ?
What adjectives can you use ?
excited, thrilled, scared, nervous, awe-inspired
Now it’s time to learn about the orchestra and the instruments.
The number 4 is very important in music – do you know why ?
What are the four families of instruments ?
What are the four stringed instruments ?
What are the brass instruments ?
What are the percussion instruments ?
BUT … it’s not always perfect. Take a look at these:
The Korean actress Shin Min-an from the film ‘A Bittersweet Life’
Today’s task is to introduce yourself to your classmates. First give some basic information, then tell us what you like doing. Finally, what you would like to do in the future.
EXAMPLE
Hello, my name is John and I’m from Australia. I’m an English teacher, and I have been in Vietnam for about 2 years.
My hobbies are reading books, watching films and listening to music.
In Vietnam, I have been to Ha Noi and Hue. I was blown away by all the old buildings.
I really want to visit Hoi An and Halong Bay.
{Photo from Google Images}
Maybe you want to study abroad, in London, or the US ?
about: with time. I have been studying English for about 6 months.
really: adverbs I am happy / I am really happy [stronger and more interesting]
continuous verbs: I like to read / I like reading /
Thay Paul's Notes 