Young Learners, levels 3 & 4. Tell me a Classical story

2nd December 2022

Today we shall focus on story-telling, using nouns, adjectives, verbs (in the past tense or Verb 2) and linking words.

Students can also practise intonation and pronunciation when they make their presentation.

Quite simply the class, in small teams, are going to retell the story of Theseus and the Minotaur. We have covered this myth several times already, but here’s a quick reminder curtsey of the good people at Lego:

If the class works in small groups, it could be a good idea to give them some large paper in order for some to draw, while others write. However, every member of the team must write something, and speak during the presentation.

First, a quick recap:

Every year, the King of Athens has to send 12 children to Crete to feed the Minotaur. The King’s son, Theseus, said he will go and kill the monster.

When Theseus and the children arrive in Crete, Princess Ariadne sees Theseus and falls in love. She says she will help him.

The Minotaur lives in a labyrinth, or maze, and it is very hard to get out. However, the Princess gives Theseus some string, so he can find the exit.

Soon, the Minotaur smells the Greek hero and they fight but Theseus wins and the Minotaur is dead. The children are safe.

Theseus and Ariadne sail away from Crete back to Greece.

Now … your turn

Write and draw this story. First you, like Theseus, need some weapons, only your weapons will be words:

NOUNS Greek / hero / Prince / Princess / labyrinth / sword / string or thread

VERBS fight / sail / defeat / fall in love / smell /

ADJECTIVES brave / beautiful / scary / terrifying / strong / intelligent / dark / cold / hideous / overjoyed / celebrate

LINKING WORDS and / as well as / but / however / because / also /

Naturally, they lived happily ever after … well, not really, but that’s another set of stories.

Titian (1506 – 1576) Bacchus and Ariadne 1521 – 1523 in London’s National Gallery

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.

Young Learners, level 4 and Top Cats. Snakes & ladders review game.

30th November 2022

Continuing from yesterday’s blog, which was aimed at younger learners, a review lesson focusing more on listening and pronunciation skills.

Warm up

Quick writing: You have 10 seconds to write down as many words as you can beginning with the letters:

s / p / t

Tell me something you like and something you don’t like.

EXAMPLE: I really like English because it is fun, however I don’t like maths because it is so difficult.

Tell me four things you can have in a:

kitchen / bedroom / living room

Tell me about your family. Try to speak for as long as possible.

Example: I have a mummy, a daddy and two brothers. My mummy is friendly. She is small and has black hair. My daddy is tall. My older brother likes to play video games. My young brother likes to read books.

Write a sentence with these adverbs. One sentence each:

always / usually / sometimes / never

Screen test. Watch this Christmas advert, then answer the questions.

The Questions:

What colour was the girl’s umbrella ?

How many buttons (not eyes) did the snowman have ?

Name three shops that you saw.

How many snow people were on the street ?

What was on the wall in the man’s kitchen ?

What toy did the old man have in the bath ?

What was the old man’s job ?

How many pigeons were standing on the street ?

What fruit was the man on the subway (Tube train) holding ?

What was the number of the bus ?

Complete the slogans: Give a little _______ Together we can make a big ____________

Pronunciation, intonation and stress

Thay Paul loves coffee and so does his friend Agent Cooper: Students can act out the scene. Not only does it require stress and emotion, but also pacing.

Tell me the story of Theseus and the Minotaur

The Answers

Red // 5 // Scarf Hut, Pharmacy, Opticians, Florist // 8 (one in the window doesn’t count) // a fish, a picture of the family, a shelf // a toy duck // a barber or haircutter // 4 // an apple // 222 // ‘love’ & ‘difference’

Young Learners, level 2: Greek heroes to help you learn.

14th November 2022

Divide the class into small teams. Each team is given paper, crayons, markers and a board.

The teams are names after Greek heroes:

Heracles

Theseus

Perseus

The heroes need to fight evil monsters.

Heracles must beat Cerberus, an angry dog with three heads.

Theseus must beat the Minotaur, an animal half man, half bull. The Minotaur is very, very strong.

Perseus must beat Medusa, a woman with dangerous snakes in her hair. Anyone who looks at Medusa will turn to stone.

The task is not easy, it is a task for heroes. The heroes must answer questions, write, draw and conjugate verbs.

The first team to get 10 points will win. Let’s get started.

1) Write down an animal that is black and white

2) Write down 2 animals that can fly

3) Write 3 animals that can swim

4) A _________ can _____ a house

5) A _________ can ____ fruit and vegetables

6) A ________ can ____ people who are not well.

7) A football player scoring / scores goals.

8) A teacher teach / teaches students.

9) I play / plays guitar.

10) Chose one person to draw. On the board, draw your monster (Cerberus, Minotaur or Medusa). You have three minutes each.

11) Complete the sentences with adjectives.

A dog is very ____ and _____ .

A crocodile is very ______ and ______ .

A panda is very ______ and ________ .

12) Write 2 things you do in the morning

13) Write 2 things you do in the afternoon

14) Write 2 things you do in the evening

15) Draw a clock on your board

Show me five o’clock

Show me seven o’clock

Show me twelve o’clock

16) Write 2 words that begin with bl, cl, pl.

17) Conjugate these verbs

Heracles:

I am scared of lions / you / he / she / it / Mr John / we / they

Theseus:

I am very strong / you / he / she / it / Mr John / we / they

Perseus:

I am not scared of snakes / you / he / she / it / Mr John / we / they

18) Answer ‘Sure, that sounds fun,’ ‘Good idea,’ or ‘Not really.’

Do you want to fight a lion ?

Do you want to do homework all day ?

Do you want to play tennis ?

19) Team Heracles suggest something to Team Theseus and get a response. Team Theseus ask Team Perseus, and Team Perseus ask Team Heracles.

EXAMPLE: Do you want to drink water ?

20) Some or any.

There is ____ milk.

There isn’t ____ chicken.

There are _____ grapes.

Are there ______ eggs ?

Is there ____ juice ?

_____ there _____ water ?

21) You have 10 seconds. Write food that is healthy. Write food that is unhealthy. Write some drinks.

22) Write 2 fun places for children in Sai Gon

23) Write a sentence using

exciting / dangerous / happy

24) Sing the finish work song (“Dear teacher, I am finished.”)

25) How can you kill a skeleton. Watch the hero Jason.

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.

Young learners, levels 1 & 2: what to do in Sai Gon

8th November 2022

An activity for lower-level students, to help develop listening skills as well as creative thinking. Students should be encouraged to speak in sentences as opposed to shouting out single-word answers.

Putting students into teams, creating a competitive atmosphere is very beneficial. Therefore split the class into groups of four or so students. Each group is given a marker and board, paper and crayons.

The video is about activities for children to do in Sai Gon (the actual video starts around 0:30, and the subtitles are not always correct):

Tell the class to watch very carefully; they will be asked questions about the video.

After the first viewing, ask some basic questions, such as what activities did they see, have they been or done any of these, did the children have fun etc.

Then play the video again and ask more detailed questions

Question 1: What was the first activity ?

2: Name 5 animals you saw 3: What can you do there ?

4: What was activity 2 ? 5: how high is the wall ? 6: do you think this is dangerous ? 7: how much does it cost ?

8: what was activity 3 ? 9: what can you hear ? 10: is the show in English or Vietnamese ?

11: what was activity 4 ? 12: what day is it closed ? 13: what is the cost for adults and children

Part 2: what activity do you like best. Tell me why. Try to use these adjectives:

fun / exciting / healthy / dangerous / happy

Part 3: draw a day out in Sai Gon and write about your day. You may have 1 activity or many.

Example:

I go to Dam Sen Water Park with my family.

It is fun and we are happy.

We can swim and play in the water. The Water Park is exciting.

It is a great day.

Part 4: Grammar

I am very happy // You … very happy // He … // She … // It … // Ms Huong // We … // They …

Answers 1: Artinus 3-D Museum 2: cheetah, lizard, gorilla, butterfly, unicorn, frog, dinosaur, birds, bears, fish, octopus, lion 3: take photos 4: X-rock climbing 5: 20 metres 6: yes, it can be dangerous 7: $6 an hour 8: water-puppet show 9: you can hear singing and traditional music 10: in Vietnamese 11: Dam Sen Water Park 12: Tuesdays 13: $6 adult, $3 child

How to kill a vampire: post-Halloween review game

1st November 2022

A chance to review recent lessons, and be a brave hero.

First, split the class into two or three teams: Vampire, the Mummy & Werewolf.

Second, what can kill these evil creatures ?

For a vampire, we can use garlic, and a crucifix or cross.

For the Mummy, we can use fire, and a cat.

For a werewolf, we can use a silver bullet or mercury.

Team Vampire

Team Mummy

Team Werewolf

The game:

Ask the students questions, testing vocabulary, pronunciation, grammar and writing skills.

A correct answer means the student may roll a die. The following numbers represent weapons:

1 = garlic // 2 = mercury // 3 = an Egyptian cat //

4 = fire // 5 = silver bullets // 6 = crucifix or cross

Therefore, Team Dracula needs a 1 or 6, Team Mummy needs a 3 or 4, Team Werewolf needs 2 or 5

The first team to reach 5 points is the winner

Sample questions

Adjectives: what is the opposite of …

sharp / smooth / easy / cheap / high / modern / soft /

Countries: what countries begin with letter …

B / D / E / G / H / R / S / T / V /

Grammar: conjugate the following verbs …

I don’t like vampires / You / He / She / It / Ms Anh / We / They …

I’m not scared of the Mummy / You’re …

I don’t want to be a werewolf / You …

Speaking: tell me about the pairs of food, using adjectives and your opinion

Example: water and cola

I always drink water because it is very healthy. However I never drink cola because it is bad for my teeth.

Pair 1: banana and crisps

Pair 2: hamburgers and salad

Pair 3: phở bò (beef noodle soup) and pizza

Free speaking. How long can you speak about …

Give the students some time to prepare as a group, then select one spokesperson.

Sports //

What you can do at home //

Your family //

Bonus Goth points … an extra throw of the die for the student who can sing this song, ‘Bela Lugosi’s Dead.’

The song builds up, and the vocals don’t start until around the 2:50 mark

Bauhaus

Young Learners, level 2: Basic Simple Past exercises

26th October 2022

A chance to review the simple past (verb 2).

I expect all students to be able to use the past tense by the end of the seminar.

infinite / present (verb 1) / past (verb 2)

1 to be am / was [I am / I was]

are / were [they are / they were]

2 to have have / had

3 to do do / did

4 to say say / said

5 to go go / went

6 to get get / got

7 to make make / made

8 to know know /knew

9 to think think / thought

10 to take take / took

11 to see see / saw

12 to come come / came

13 to want want / wanted

14 to use use / used

15 to find find / found

Past Tense Exercise

1. You (have) a test yesterday.

You had a test yesterday.

2. They (do) their homework last night.

They ——- their homework last night.

3. You (are) lazy last week.

You ——- lazy last week.

4. I (am) hungry yesterday.

I ——- hungry yesterday.

5. Sam (go) to Hong Kong last year.

Sam ——- to Hong Kong last year.

6. The man (make) tables and chairs yesterday.

The man —— tables and chairs yesterday.

7. Two weeks ago the boy (has) a new bicycle.

Two weeks ago the boy ——- a new bicycle.

8. In London I (know) many people.

In London I _______ many people.

9. I (get) 10 points in my English test.

I ______ 10 points in my English test.

10. I (want) to see a great film.

I _______ to see a great film.

Extra work for Top Cats

Corrections: Write in the past tense

I (am) born in Vietnam and (arrive) in Sai Gon in 2020. I (go) to school in District 1 because I (want) to work near my home. Last week, my friend (have) a party. She (dance) all night and I (hear) her singing. In the morning, she (have) a headache.

Adjectives for Young Learners. Level 1

24th June 2022

This short blog introduces young learners to adjectives, and how they can start to build longer sentences.

First, let’s start an adjective word bank:

big // small

cute // dangerous

strong // clever

yummy // healthy

plus colours

Game 1:

Who can tell me a colour beginning with the letter y ?

Letter b ? Letter o ? g ? r ? p ? Letter w ?

Game 2:

Tell me an animal begins with the letter d Letter g Letter e Letter s Letter l Letter c Letter w Letter z

Game 3:

What is it ? Tell me about these animals. Use 2 adjectives.

EXAMPLE

It’s a cute white sheep

Now … your turn

Finally – tell me about the food

Young Teens. Totem poles – history and meaning.

26th March 2022

Totem poles, which are large carved and painted logs, were created by Native Americans in western Canada and the north-west of the USA.

As you can see, they can be very beautiful, colourful and mysterious. Totem poles are usually made from only one piece of wood, mostly from the cedar tree.

Unfortunately the rainy climate destroys the paint, so most totem poles only last about 70 years.

How tall can they be ?

The tallest one still standing is Kalama, Washington, at 140 feet tall. However, that wasn’t made by a Native American.

In Alert Bay, British Columbia, a pole is 173 feet but that is constructed from two pieces of wood.

The thickest totem pole is in Duncan, British Columbia, at over 6 feet in diameter.

Centennial Pole from 1988, in Duncan, British Columbia.

What are they for ?

Totem poles can stand outside a home, and tell the story of that family. Some are used as grave markers. The word totem means a guardian or ancestor. They are respected by the family.

The interesting figures on the poles tell stories, and each animal has a meaning.

How to read a totem pole

You can see many animals carved here:

The thunderbird is a mythical creature. The bird is said to control the weather, and it represents power.

The raven is a symbol of the Creator.

The eagle means peace and friendship.

The whale shows strength.

The snake means change, and maybe also medicine and good harvest (because snakes shed their skins).

The wolf means loyalty and family (because wolves live in packs).

The beaver means determination and creativity (because they are amazing builders).

Finally, the bear represents strength and authority but also motherhood and teaching.

Project

What animals would you use in your country ?

Do you have any legendary or mythical creatures ?

What do these animals mean ?

Which animals are lucky ?

Sources:

https://www.britannica.com/art/totem-pole

https://www.wonderopolis.org/wonder/what-is-a-totem-pole

https://www.scribd.com/article/449477475/What-Are-Totem-Poles

https://www.countrylife.co.uk/travel/curious-questions-whats-worlds-largest-totem-pole-202800

Young Learners: Kids’ Guide to … listening and comprehension exercises

5th February 2022

A chance for younger students to watch short videos in order to practise their listening skills. After the clips, the teacher can ask basic comprehension questions.

Top Five Activities for Children in HCMC

What was the name of the first activity ?

What is special about the pictures ?

Where is the museum ?

How high is the climbing wall ?

How much does it cost ?

What can you hear at a water puppet show ?

On what day is the Water Park closed ?

How old was the youngest child on the bike tour ?

What would you like to do, and why ?

Is there any place you would not like to visit ? Tell me why.

Answers

Artinus 2. The pictures are 3-D 3. District 7 4. 20 metres 5. About $6 6. Singing (in Vietnamese) and traditional music. 7. Tuesdays 8. 2-years old.

Now to my home town: what can kids do in London ?

First, board some new words and expressions. The kids can shout out when they hear them spoken.

loads and loads / I reckon / really / very / amazing

What are the names of the kids from the UK ?

What can you see at the Natural History Museum ?

Where does the Queen live ?

What can people do on the South Bank ?

How many people can ride in the London Eye ?

What was the girl’s favourite waxwork ?

How much are the Crown Jewels worth ?

What is the name of the bus that can drive into the river ?

What films were made at Warner Brothers Studio ?

How can people travel around London ?

What is the most exciting thing for YOU in London ? Choose 3 things to want to do or see in London.

Answers

Robert, Jess, Lara & Olive 2. dinosaurs 3. Buckingham Palace 4. See buskers, shows and markets 5. 800 6. Hulk 7. 23 billion GBP 8. Duck Tours 9. Harry Potter 10. The Tube (subway) walk, bud, taxi, bicycle

Young learners: Animal Magic

25th January 2022

Orangutan's Incredible Reaction To A Magic Trick Is The Only Thing You Need To See Today - UNILAD

A compilation of animal videos for comprehension, information or just end-of-lesson entertainment.

First, a chance to practise superlatives.

What is the largest mammal ? // What is the smallest one ?

How much does a blue whale weight ?

What is the largest bird ? // What is the smallest one ?

What is the largest reptile ? // What is the smallest one ?

How long is the crocodile ? // How long is the dwarf gecko ?

What is the largest fish ? // What is the smallest one ?

How long is the whale shark ?

A whale shark can be up to 10 meters long

The text book, which I follow, uses the USA spelling (meters not metres).

Activity: Make two crosses at the front of the class. Have two students stand on them; one will ask the question, the other answer. Repeat until all the class has participated.

Encourage full answers:

How long is the whale shark ?

“It’s up to 10 meters long.”

“The whale shark can be up to 10 meters long.”

Baby Animal Wallpaper Free Download #7003262

Answers:

The blue whale // the bumblebee bat // [up to] 200 tonnes // ostrich // hummingbird // saltwater crocodile // dwarf gecko // whale shark // stout infant fish

Bonus points for additional facts such as a hummingbird can fly backwards, an ostrich can’t fly.