Train kept a-rollin’: Train videos for listening and vocabulary.

12th September 2020

A compilation of train-related videos to help you improve your listening skills and to increase your vocabulary.

Contents:

Trans-Siberian Railway:

Listening skills. Native and non-native speakers talking in English. English subtitles.

Shinkansen – 10 cool facts:

Listening to native and non-native speakers.

High-speed trains in China:

Listening skills. English pronunciation & vocabulary.

London Tube at rush hour:

A glimpse of London life.

Why trains can’t go uphill:

Listening skills. English pronunciation. Science vocabulary.

Kindergarten song – Choo Choo Train

Vocabulary for very young learners.

Travelling – The Trans-Siberian Railway

Write down new expressions / vocabulary.

Do you understand the gist (the main points / keywords)

Would this appeal to you ? Why or why not ?

What would you need to bring ?

Shinkansen: Bullet Train – top ten facts:

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 ?

High-speed trains in China:

London Tube at rush hour:

James May – why can’t trains go uphills ?

What do you think of James’ pronunciation – can you understand all ? Try to copy him.

What is the problem with trains and going up gradients ?

What do they struggle to do ?

What are the scientific reasons for this ?

Image result for steepest railroad in uk

What was the problem with James May speaking ?

James normally speaks quite clearly, but there were problems. This was due, I feel, to the speed and the amount of language. Look at this conversation analysis: (0. 10 – 0.42):

“And now, ‘Why can’t trains go uphills ?’ Well, the smarter ones amongst you will have recognised already, especially if you’re a qualified railway engineer, this is a bit of a trick question because of course, train can go uphills … they’re just not very good at it.

If you think about the topography of most of the world, this is clearly a bit of a problem. Human being can, albeit rather sweatily, motivate themselves up a gradient of around eighty degrees, or one in a quarter.”

Listen again– hear how James:

links words
uses expressions (bit of a)
adds addition information / commentary in supporting clauses.
Creative use of adverbs – ‘sweatily’ shows how words can be made into adverbs by adding –ly to the end

Think – does James need to add the clauses ? What is the purpose ? Consider the medium (TV, internet, blog etc) and the target audience.

James is speaking to a fluent, English-speaking audience, probably native speakers, or people who have lived in the UK for a long time. Therefore, they will be more used to this natural way of speaking.

This is why I recommend student put their text books down and read real English books, watch English-speaking films and TV shows and sing English songs. It really helps.

He does make allowances for non-British audiences by showing two fifty-pence coins, but his language isn’t downgraded.

Kindergarten song – Choo Choo Train:

Adult Speaking Class, Level 3 / IELTS: English expressions

25th August 2020

A database of common UK & USA expressions, phrases and idioms for students who want to learn more, in order to increase their command of and respect for the English language. I have provided my IELTS students with half a dozen (a dozen = 12, therefore half a dozen = 6. Having said that, a ‘baker’s dozen’ = 13 … welcome to English !) idioms, but this blog is aimed at students who are willing to go above the barest minimum.

We kick off (start) with expressions and idioms, as they are tremendous fun, then move on to collocations. How words fit together is a powerful tool in learning English … huge chunks of texts suddenly group themselves into small word blocks, enabling you to predict what will be said (especially useful in listening exercises).

Finally, we wrap up with some negotiation phrases. In the next blog, I’ll give you a chance to use these in sentences, but for now, familiarise yourself with a handful of new expressions … it could be right up your street.

Alice Sara Ott - It was a very emotional and intimate... | Facebook — Alice Sara Ott – German-Japanese pianist. I recommended her to a musician friend and he said it was right up his street.

Expressions / idioms

Ring any bells ? // do you remember //

More or less // not exactly but approximately

Get the gist // do you understand the main point ?

Right up your street // this is something you will really like

Rabbiting on // UK slang, especially in London … talking too much

Piece of cake // no problem, very easy, sure

Tongue in cheek // not being serious about something

Tongue in Cheek: Idiom Meaning - English Expression Videos - YouTube — “I think Donald Trump is the greatest US President …” Do you think President Obama would say this and be serious ?

Keep your hand in // to practise something so you don’t forget how it’s done

Bucket down / raining cats and dogs // raining very heavily

Have a go / give it a bash / give it a shot // to try something

Call it a day // to stop work and go home early

Go ahead // sure, do it

Under one roof // everything in one place

Through thick and thin // together in good times and bad times.

To spill the beans // to tell a secret, or to share some private information

I should cocoa // UK slang, old-fashioned = I really don’t believe it or you

kick-off // A sports expression from football – means to start

tied up / snowed under / rushed off our feet / flat out / up to my eyes // very busy

daylight robbery // much too expensive, very over-priced.

on your bike // go away !

Norman Tebbit's dad getting on his bike, looking for work until he ...

to throw a wobbly // to become angry and shout and curse

Bang up to date // totally modern and new or completed all your work on schedule

otherwise engaged // busy – a polite way of saying ‘go away’

I know where you’re coming from // I understand what you are saying and how you think

to get hold of someone // try to make contact with someone by phone, in person, email etc

speak of the Devil // to talk about something and then they appear

to be into something // to really enjoy or like something or someone

to put something over someone / to pull the pull over someone’s eyes // try to trick or cheat someone

There’ll be Hell to pay // you will be in BIG trouble !

Hell breaks loose // people will be very angry and upset

I’ll give you a bell / a shout // I will call you on the phone

Knock off / to finish work

knock it off // stop doing that !

That’s proper loud // UK slang ‘proper’ meaning very – that’s very loud

Well chuffed // extremely happy

come again ? / You what ? // UK slang for say it again, please

What do you reckon ? // What do you think of something ?

Collocations

To run a business

To conduct / carry out a survey

Can I have a word with you / a quick word

Do you have minute ?

Voting with their feet

Can I put you on hold ? / to be put on hold / Hold the line

A victory for common sense

I’m none the wiser

On the button / on the money

get the hang of it

scraping the barrel

Negotiation Language

Negotiation Table Stock Photos And Images - 123RF

I fail to see the relevance

I don’t see how that applies

That’s as maybe

I don’t get/see your point / I think you are missing the point

I don’t see where you’re going with this

I beg to differ

I appreciate that

You raise an interesting point

Having said that

Interesting that you say that

I think / feel that

In my opinion

I take issue with that

I don’t know about that

IELTS: How to pass with flying colours

26th July 2020

Hey ! Ho ! Let’s Go ! Let’s kick out the jams with some new vocabulary from the last lesson:

disappointed (adj) // dread (verb) // spare a few minutes (phrase) // a drive (noun) // big time ! (US expression, popular culture // popular fiction or literature // prima donna

Take a few minutes to read them … THEN …

Our school is having ________ to use less plastic, as well as encouraging people to recycle.

My sister spends so much time in the bathroom, she is such a _________

If we don’t pass IELTS with at least 7.0, Thay Paul is going to be angry at us _______

Miss Julie didn’t get the job at Apple; she was terribly ______________

I don’t understand this app, can you ________ to help me ?

I was terrified of the speaking test, I was _______ it.

The Harry Potter books, although tremendously successful, are considered ‘popular fiction’. Charles Dickens or Jane Austin, on the other hand, are classified as _____________ .

My student told me about a famous Hemingway story called ‘The Old Man and the Fish’ … I think she got the title wrong … _______________ !

Never Yet Melted » Ernest Hemingway (July 21, 1899 – July 2, 1961) — “What do you mean, ‘The Old Man and the FISH ?’ I won the Noble Prize for that book.”

And now, time to put our noses to the grindstone How to get a killer IELTS speaking score … There are four areas to focus on … they are … ?

Marathon Man(1976) starring Dustin Hoffman, Laurence Olivier and ... — “You’ve forgotten ?”

OK, take it easy, to recap, we listen for

Fluency – use of discourse markers. WITHOUT A WIDE RANGE OF DISCOURSE MARKERS YOU WILL NOT GET HIGHER THAN A ‘5’.
Lexical resources – big words. Know synonyms and multi-syllable words to impress the examiner. Not to mention, a sprinkling of idioms, phrases, phrasal verbs, the whole nine yards.
Grammar – it’s OK to make a few mistakes, grammatically, but what we want to hear are complex structures – basically, altering the structure of a sentence or including several pieces of by using information in one sentence by using relative pronouns.
Stress and intonation – listen to native speakers and COPY how we speak, when we stress words, when we ‘swallow’ letters, our body language.

We need to hear examples of ALL the above or YOU WILL NOT GET HIGHER THAN A ‘5’. I will be furious if that happens, big time !

Failure Is Not an Option: Mission Control from Mercury to Apollo ...

Now, look at these idioms:

It’s raining cats and dogs // It costs an arm and a leg // piece of cake // I’m burning the candle at both ends // once in a blue moon // pass with flying colours //

And these words:

Boring: tedious // forgetful: absent-minded // expensive: sky high // what will happen: predict // everywhere: ubiquitous.

How to use these in your responses:

IELTS question: What do you do in your free time ?

Staying at home is boring so I go swimming. I meet friends for coffee. If it’s raining, I like to play video games.

IELTS – style:

For me, staying at home is terribly tedious, so I frequently go swimming. It’s fun, healthy and doesn’t cost an arm and a leg. Sometimes it’s raining cats and dogs so I enjoy playing video games, big time !

IELTS question: Who do you live with ? Notice how we start we a supportive clause

Because I’m still a student, I live at home with my family, that’s my mother, father, younger brother and older sister. My sister is such a prima donna, always in the bathroom, always buying new clothes. Furthermore, she dreads doing housework because she may hurt her nail varnish. She’ll wash up once in a blue moon.

IELTS question: Do you often eat out ?

Well, that’s a great question as I detest cooking. Having said that, I’m extremely lucky because in my neighbourhood, restaurants are ubiquitous, from expensive sea food to affordable street food. I eat crab or lobster once in a blue moon as the prices are sky-high, moreover, I actually prefer simple, mouth-watering street food.

IELTS question: What are your plans for the future ?

Make your own answers, using at least TWO discourse markers, TWO adverbs, TWO low-frequency words AND the idiom given.

TEAM 1: Well, there is so much to say about that subject, where shall I start ? (use ‘nose to the grindstone’).

TEAM 2: It’s funny you put that question to me because earlier today I was just thinking about … (use ‘burn the candle at both ends’).

TEAM 3: As I young Vietnamese, I … (use ‘pass with flying colours’).

happy asian students graduating | Luu Tutoring — Students who passed with flying colours

IELTS Speaking Practice: Making complaints, writing blogs

24th July 2020

Making complaints

Drop Dead”: Why Harassment By Customers is Spiking in Japan | by ...

You buy a T-shirt from a shop, but when you get home, you see the quality is very bad.

How do you feel ? You feel terribly …

What would you do ?

When you return an item to the shop, what do you need in your country ?

Use this video for help. Listen out for new vocabulary or expressions as well as copying her accent.

Vocabulary

I am sorry to have to say this but …

I’m sorry to say this but I am really quite upset/angry/disappointed

Perhaps there was a misunderstanding but …

There appears to be a problem here …”

I’m sorry but I’d like to make a complaint about …”

Could you help me with …?

PRACTICE

One student is an shop assistant, the other an upset customer.

You have bought a dress but it is very bad quality.

How would you complain ? [Be polite, speak calmly and politely].

How to Deal with Difficult Customers: 11 Proven Tips for Retailers ...

How about in this situation:

You go to a restaurant to celebrate a special event. When the bill arrives the amount is much, much more than you expected. It looks like you were charged for extra items you did not order.

What would you do ?

Angry Bagel Shop Customer To Fight Other Viral Video Star | Putnam ...

Speaking practice

Try to speak in long sentences. Tell me about something you like – say why you like it, but also something negative. Remember to use good discourse markers.

EXAMPLE:

I love Highland Coffee because I need damn fine coffee every morning and Highlands has a good choice as well as great quality. I can choose all different types of coffee, some hot, some cold, some with added flavour, and they come in different sizes. In addition, the chairs are comfortable, not to mention the free wifi and no-smoking policy. Having said that, it is rather expensive, especially compared with Milano however I feel the extra cost is worth it.

Now … your turn

Subjects – to help you, talk about smartphone // video games // sport // your pet // shopping // cooking // your best friend

Comparatives and superlatives.

Big / bigger / biggest

interesting / more interesting / the most interesting

Blog writing:

Your apartment block is starting a chat-site for working parents. They invite anyone to join who has both a job and children. They ask you to send a photo and give some brief information.

Your apartment block is starting a chat-site for people who want to practise English

Write a short introduction about yourself for a blogpage.

What information do you need to add ? What is unimportant ?

What kind of photo would you add ?

Adult Speaking Class, Level 3: Street crime.

23rd July 2020

Have you witnessed any crimes ? Have you been a victim of crime ?

What crimes are there in your city ?

What can you do to protect yourself ?

Listening exercise:

Listen to non-native speakers talk about crime-prevention in a big city.

listen for:

snatch and grab // petty theft // tip // during // dynamic // pay attention

What should you do with your bag ?

What shouldn’t you do with your phone ?

Vocabulary:

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

I was walking with a friend along Pham Ngu Lao, 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 bag 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 witness ?

Tell me about the first criminal – height, weight, hair, features …

What was the second man wearing ?

Who stole the motorbike ?

Beginners’ English: I was reading your blog – Past continuous

2nd July 2020

Past Continuous

15 Clever Old-Fashioned Party Tips We Should Bring Back — Talking, laughing, dancing and drinking

Subject + was / were + verb ing

I was reading a book

You were taking a rest

At the party, we were singing, playing music, eating, drinking, talking and laughing.

USES:

Something was happening in the past

When I came to class, teacher was playing music.

[The teacher was ALREADY playing]

Compare with Past Simple:

When I got to class, teacher played music

[Teacher started playing AFTER I arrived]

Something was happening in the past:

Last night, I was reading the news.

Something that happens all the time OR a long time ago:

They are always shouting at each other [happens all the time].

A Wife Caught Her Husband Boarding a Plane with His Mistress

When he was young, he was always playing piano [a long time ago].

The Piano Boy: This 10-year-old's playing skills will shock you ...

Practice:

When I phoned my friends, they (play)———-Monopoly.

When I phoned my friends, they were playing Monopoly.

Yesterday at six I (prepare)————–dinner.
The kids (play)——in the garden when it suddenly began to rain.
I (practice)———–the guitar when he came home.
We (not / cycle)———all day.
While Alan (work)——–in his room, his friends (swim) ——-in the pool.
I tried to tell them the truth but they (not / listen )————-.
What (you / do)———–yesterday?
Most of the time we (sit)——–in the park.
I (listen)———to the radio while my sister (watch)————-TV.
When I arrived, they (play)————–cards.
We (study)———English yesterday at 4:00 pm .

Adult Class Level 2: Recent review – once in a blue moon

28th June 2020

Coffee ~ ologist | Jun ji hyun, Korean actresses, Asian beauty — How often do you drink coffee with a beautiful Korean actress ?

To review recent expressions

once in a blue moon / not as much as I use to / not as much as I’d like to / from time to time / now and then / occasionally / only in my dreams !

How often do you:

Watch foreign films ?

movie 2003] Lover's Concerto 연애소설 - k-dramas & movies - Soompi ...

See your boss smile ?

Play badminton ?

Rent Badminton Game in Lagos Nigeria - Fontt Enterprises

Hang out with friends ?

Cheerful asian young women sitting in cafe drinking coffee with ...

Go to the movies ?

Movie Theaters for Kids in the San Francisco Bay Area

Get a pay rise ?

On the Job by Anita Bruzzese: 6 Tips to Help You Get a Pay Raise

Linking words:

and / as well as / and also / along with

These link positives or negatives:

I like tea as well as coffee He plays football and also badminton

Big C is quite cheap and also has a great choice

but / however / having said that / on the other hand

These link positives to negatives / negatives to positives:

Jet Mart is convenient. Having said that, it is (it’s) extremely expensive.

Czech beer is not easy to find in Sai Gon, however it’s fantastic quality.

‘therefore’ is a conclusion word:

Bài Ca Thịt Nướng King BBQ Hari Won - YouTube

King BBQ is outstanding and has a magnificent salad bar. Mr Park is reasonable (so-so) quality, but more expensive. Therefore, we will eat at King BBQ in future.

Theme: coffee in Sai Gon

Beautiful young asian woman drinking coffee in the terrace of a ...

People Drink Coffee On Street At Old Quarter In Hanoi, Vietnam ...

There are so many choices in Sai Gon. Tran Nguyen has the best quality but is very expensive. On the other hand, Milano is incredibly cheap and very convenient however, many people smoke there. Highlands is really popular. Having said that, it is not cheap. Street coffee is extremely cheap but terrible quality !

Listening exercise:

http://esol.britishcouncil.org/content/learners/skills/listening/having-meal-restaurant

Mamma Mia - Italian Restaurant & Bar ở Quận Hoàn Kiếm, Hà Nội ...

Last Friday, I went out for dinner with Claire and Helen. Helen’s got a new job so we went out to celebrate. Claire booked a table for 7.30pm at her favourite Italian restaurant in town. When we arrived, the waiter showed us to our table, gave us some menus and took our drinks order. We were really hungry so we decided to have a starter and a main. We placed our order and chatted for a while. Our garlic bread soon arrived. We were hungry, so it disappeared very quickly! Next, the waiter brought our mains. He said, “Buon Appetito!”, which is Italian for ‘Enjoy your meal!’. Claire and Helen chose pasta and I had pizza. The food was delicious, but I couldn’t manage a dessert! Claire and Helen had some ice cream, but I just had a coffee. I can’t wait to go again!

Adult Speaking Class, Level 2: in order to improve

30th June 2020

Undergraduate Programs offered by Asian University for Women | AUW ...

New vocabulary for ‘great’

outstanding / magnificent / marvellous fantastic / brilliant / excellent

top marks / top of the class / first class / A1

idioms

I’m under the weather not feeling well

I’m down in the dumps unhappy, depressed

I’m over the Moon extremely happy

Turn over a new leaf to start again, try to be better

cook the books – cheating with accounts ! Making false numbers

Japanese Wives, Foreign Guys: 10 Shocking Things Foreign Men Found ... — They are very happy … they are ________________________

Man flu does exist as men suffer more from high temperatures when ... — He’s feeling __________________

Symptoms of Depression in Women: Types and Causes — She’s feeling ___________________

Enron — FBI — A man is arrested. He is alleged to have made false accounts, to have _________________

The schwa / ə /

most common sound

important words, nouns, adjectives, adverbs are stressed

linking words, pronouns, articles, prepositions, auxiliaries not stressed

unstressed words tend to be quicker and lower in volume. Vowel sound often ‘swallowed’

Example: How much is that laptop ? How muchis that laptop?

English can be described as soft and hard – a soft syllable followed by hard or vice versa.

To sound like a native-speaker, use your face, body and voice. With questions, your voice goes up on the last word.

Read following sentences:

Do you have a brother ? Do you havea brother ?

How often do you play badminton ?

What kind of music do you like ?

What time do you wake up?

These Women Badminton Players Are Making India Proud

Try saying these sentences:

When is your birthday ? // Today was so hot ! // I don’t like beer but I love wine.

I’m learning English in order to get a better job and have a brilliant future.

Main clause / infinite verb / subordinate clause

‘in order to’ links a main clause to a subordinate clause.

Verb will always be base form / infinite …

In the mornings, I drink coffee in order to wake up.

Happy beautiful asian woman smiling and drinking a cup of coffee ...

I don’t dance after 10 pm in order not to annoy my neighbour downstairs.

Happy Smiling Young Man Dancing at Home by dolgachov on Envato ...

NOW … YOUR TURN:

Why do you keep fit ? Play computer games ? Drink beer ? hang out with friends ? Buy your wife/husband presents ?

Why don’t you smoke ? Sing Karaoke ? Talk on your phone when riding your motorbike ?

Adult Speaking Class, Level 2: London – how do I get to … ?

29th June 2020

How do I get to … ?

London: Inside Buckingham Palace and Changing of the Guard ...

Asking and telling directions

Direction language

Expressions

Adverbs

Idioms

Look at the map.

How to get to Buckingham Palace | Royal Collection Trust | Lugares ...

You are standing outside the Palace, at the corner of Birdcage Walk. You want to get to (go to) Victoria Station.

Excuse me, how do I get to Victoria Station ?

Walk straight down Buckingham Palace Road. Walk across the street and you can’t miss it (you will see it easily).

You are outside the front door of Harrods and want to visit the Royal Albert Hall

Harrods' 10 Secrets - Luxury Shopping in London - Black Platinum Gold

Pin by Karin Evans on London | Buckingham palace, London, Hyde park

WELCOME TO LEYTONSTONE

Leytonstone is an area in east London, and was the birthplace of the film director Alfred Hitchcock, footballer David Beckham and singer Damon Albarn of the band Blur.

Damon Albarn unveils blue plaque at childhood home in Fillebrook ... — Damon Albarn showing where he lived in Leytonstone

File:Damon Albarn (Waltham Forest Heritage).jpg - Wikimedia Commons

Next, asking for local directions:

Sorry to bother (disturb) you, but I’m looking for a pub. Is there one near here ?

Yes, there is one quite close, ‘The Birkbeck Tavern’, maybe five or ten minutes’ walk away. Turn left until you come to Bridge Street. Turn left again, and keep walking, past the park, until you reach the bridge. Cross over, and Bob’s your uncle (there you are). It’s on the corner, you can’t miss it.

The Birkbeck Tavern, Leytonstone | Layers of London | Recording ...

NOW: A local map

You are in LISTER ROAD (at the bottom) and want to get to GROVE ROAD.

Take turns asking each other questions.

The red circle with a blue band is the symbol for an underground station, which we call ‘The Tube.’ Here is Leytonstone Tube:

Man charged over Leytonstone tube stabbing remanded - BBC News

Leytonstone | Central line : London Underground ( 1992 Tube Stock ...

Plan a day

What would you like to do, where would you like to visit ?

Things to consider:

Time / lunch / travelling around / a variety of activities

London video

Beginners’ English:Grammar exercises

23rd June 2020

Information for applicants from Vietnam - Queen Mary University of ...

Grammar

Tenses

past
present
future

infinite verb = to + base verb (NO tense).

I + like + infinite verb + object

I like to play guitar // I love to listen to music //

I + like + verb+ing + object: I love playing guitar

Asian woman playing the guitar | The girl playing the guitar… | Flickr

NEVER – I like to listening to music

Tell me about yourself:

At university, my major was accounting and I have worked for 8 years.

Boy = son Girl = daughter.

I have one son, who is 3 and one daughter who is 1.

My manager is a lady (or woman) and she is professional, very friendly and nice. She has short black hair and an oval-shaped face. Usually, she wears a short black dress. My manager, whose name is Dung, always helps and supports me.

20 Asian Short Hair Ideas Perfect for Pinays | All Things Hair PH

Pho is the traditional food of VN. It is soup with noodles, meat (beef, chicken), vegetables and herbs. It can be spicy if we add chilis. It comes with fresh herbs, vegetables and lime.

New idiom: bear with me= please wait a very short time.

My friend is a 29 year-old man. He has an oval-shaped face and short black hair. He is not very tall, he is quite short. However, he is very friendly and funny.

20 Black and White Portraits of a Young Al Pacino During the 1970s ...

Adjectives– size then colour.

He has a large black bag. She plays a big brown guitar

adverbs– very, (a lot) quite (a little)

London is very expensive. Bangkok is quite cheap

exterior / interior = outside / inside

I went on holiday to Singapore with my friend. We went to a shopping mall and visited some museums and enjoyed the food. Seafood at Singapore is very cheap compared to Viet Nam and it was very delicious. I bought some clothes and shoes for my baby. We stayed for four days and the flight took two hours. I will return and revisit the shopping mall.

10 Best Malls in Singapore for an Ultimate Shopping Experience ... — Shopping mall, Singapore

Dialogue

Two friends are in a coffee shop

Cath This is a great cup of coffee ! Ok, what shall we do next ?

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

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

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

How to Deal with a Friend Who Talks Finances | SoFi

Quick questions: How was your weekend ?

My weekend was quite fun.

How about (tell me about) the evening ?

We watched TV and listened to some music. I like V-Pop

I like K-pop very much OR I really like K-pop.

Directions

Where is the bank? Where’s the bank ?

How do I get to the park?

Is there an ATM nearby ?

Go straight

Turn left or turn right

turn around

keep going until you …..

take the second turning on your left

cross the road / street by the ….

go as far as the …… then ….

It’s opposite the …

We are at the bus station and we need coffee !

Is there a coffee shop nearby ?

Yes, turn left then go straight and keep going and it’s on your left.

Excuse me, where is the hospital, please ?

Yes, go straight and then turn left on second avenue keep going straight , the hospital is opposite the park.

Answer these two questions:

I have finished work at school. I need to go to the police station but I don’t know the area.

Xin loi, sorry, I don’t speak Vietnamese. I must go to the police station but I don’t know this area.

Adverbs

so / very / extremely / incredibly

It is hot = it is so hot !

What did you do ? Past tense

On Saturday I drank beer and ate seafood for example, I had shrimp (prawn), octopus, fish, squid. We had lots of fun. Some people drank about six beers but I only drank a little.

Travelling to Thailand

Chubby Hubby - Sawadee ka! Rules of etiquette When travelling in ...

In Thailand, the food is extremely hot (spicy) because they use a lot of chilis.

My Sony camera is very good (excellent) because the picture quality and colours are very clear.

The lens can zoom in 50 metres. The camera was reasonably-priced however, if you buy more lenses, the price increases.

I’m going to take pictures NOT I’m going to taking pictures

Thai Women: Best Wives & Beautiful Brides from Thailand — Sawass dee ka from Thailand