End of Time … Zones

20th March 2025

Just two more lessons and we have finished the textbook … and then you have the tests.

Don’t worry, let’s have a warm up to prepare for the BIG ONE.

So, Whop bop b-luma b-lop bam bom, let’s Rock ‘n’ Roll

1) FREE TIME: draw a mind map about free time.

2) What is a prodigy ?

3) What do you need to be a prodigy ? I want two answers.

4) Describe one of your classmates. I want appearance and personality … and be polite.

5) What can you see at a Madame Tussauds museum ?

6) Tell me three accessories people wear.

7) What is your favourite colour and why ? How do you feel when you wear this colour ?

8) What do these words mean:

a] Five days in a row b] rural c] try on

9) What is the superlative of

a] big b] famous c] less

10) Tell me three interesting facts about the Amazon Rainforest.

11) Give me synonyms for

a] search b] amazing c] fast

12) What is your favourite type of music. Tell me as much as you can, give examples.

13) “Your eyes are bigger than your stomach.” What does that idiom mean ?

14) Food can taste … give me four adjectives.

15) How can we prevent the flu and being ill ?

16) Tell me where you would most like to visit. Tell me why, how you can get there, what would yo do ?

Remember, tell me more, higher score

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Murakami on the Shore; talking animals and a whole lot more.

11th December 2024

A writing exercise for students at Level 4, ages 8 – 11

Let’s kick off with a speaking exercise:

Ask your partner these questions … and speak in ENGLISH only.

What is your English name ?

How old are you ?

What is your favourite food and why ? What food do you hate ?

What is your favourite game or toy, and why ?

Then present to the class.

Time for you to be creative and use your imagination.

First, some wonderful words. Translate them into your language:

excited

extraordinary (very, very special)

surprised

unbelievable

unique

Now, time to use them. Complete this story about a time when YOU met a talking animal. The animal can be real, or fantasy.

Try to use simple past [Verb 2].

After the writing, make a drawing or comic. Most importantly … have fun!

One [adjective] day I was walking down the street. Suddenly, I heard a [adjective] voice. I turned around but there was nobody there … only a/an {adjective + animal}

“Hello,” said the …

Tell me what happened. The animal can be:

Fishing with birds: a writing exercise

25th August 2023

Let’s dive straight in ! Watch this short clip.

Board some new words:

swallow (verb) // count (v) // seek (v)

peaceful (adjective) // calm (adj) // tranquil (adj) // golden (adj) //disgusting (adj) // talented (adj) // cheeky (adj) // expert hunter (adj + noun)

landscape (noun) // cormorant (n) // noose (n) // tiddler (n)

Remember this chart ?

This blog may be accessed here: https://thaypaulsnotes.com/2023/05/23/boost-your-english-speaking/

We shall have four sections to our writing:

1) Landscape 2) the men 3) the birds 4) the cheeky bird

1) Landscape

Where is this ? What can you see ? Describe the scene

(China, mountains, river, lake, trees, rocks. The sun is rising with a golden light. The scene is peaceful and tranquil.)

2) The Men

What do they look like ? What do they do ?

(The men are old, with lines on their faces. They smoke and have disgusting teeth, yellow and black. They dance and chant. They feed the birds tiddler fish.)

3) The Birds

Describe them

(The birds are intelligent and talented. They are expert hunters and can swim well. Also, they can count, up to 7. After 7, they refuse to work unless they get some tiddlers to swallow.)

4) Cheeky bird

What does the cheeky bird do ?

Now, write your short story about fishing with birds. Advanced students can practise writing in the simple past, using verb 2.

Good luck !

Young learners, level 3: Let’s tell a story.

18th August 2022

Let’s tell a story !

First we need a subject, a person or animal, or both:

Now, what are they doing ? Maybe they are:

walking // playing // working // talking // watching // reading // doing homework // making a video // looking for something

What other verbs do you know ?

Now we need some adjectives. What adjectives do you know ?

old / young / beautiful / handsome / ugly / happy / angry / sad / amazing / clever / cute / dangerous / exciting / great / healthy / unhealthy / intelligent / interesting / lazy / talented

Now, let’s make a story. I will choose the teacher.

One day a handsome teacher was making a video for YouTube. The teacher has short, straight, black hair, and a black beard. He looks very friendly and happy. He is speaking about sharks. Sharks are very dangerous, big and angry. The video is very exciting and interesting.

Now … your turn. Tell me an interesting story. You may draw and colour as well

Teenage IELTS Challenge

21st June 2022

The Three Johns, a Rock band from the UK

Can a young teen class have better English than an IELTS class ? That is the challenge. Without pushing the students too far, and with realistic expectations, let’s introduce some low-frequency words (L-FW), phrases and idioms.

Furthermore, students will also be expected to speak in longer sentences, using connectives as well as a wide range of adjectives.

The subject of our current unit is very dear to my heart: music. Let’s rock !

First match the new words with the meaning

ubiquitous // over the moon // genre // extremely

kind of or type // to feel very, very happy // everywhere // an adverb that means very, very

Roll up your sleeves and practice: Fill in the gaps using the new words AND your own ideas.

Today, music is ______________ . We can hear music on our _______ and when we go to _______________.

Yoyoka, a Japanese drummer, is ____________ talented. She must ________ many hours, every day to be so skillful.

If I pass my English test with A+, I will be ___________________ . My parents will be so happy, they will _______________.

My favourite _______ of music is ____________ because it makes me feel ___________ and ____________ .

Genres (types) of music:

Jazz / rap / pop / rock / classical / electronic

Look at the photos. What genre are they ?

Why do you think so ?

Grammar exercise. Rewrite the following blog post in the Past Tense (verb 2)

EXAMPLE: Yesterday I go to school and I have a speaking test. I do very well and my parents are over the moon.

Yesterday I went to school and I had a speaking test. I did very well and my parents were over the moon.

Now … your turn

Last week I see a concert on TV. The group is Blackpink and they play for 30 minutes. They sing many songs and dance extremely well. It is so exciting I am over the moon. The next day I buy their music and decide to be a pop star too !

Watch this concert and write your own blog using Past Tense (verb 2) as well as adjectives and new words. Let me help you with the start:

This morning I watched a video from T-ara. The band … (what song did they play ? Did they all sing ? What else did they do ?

Did you like the music ? Why or why not ?

Were they alone on stage ? What did they wear ?

How did the audience feel ? Do you wish you were there ?