IELTS: Please allow me to introduce myself …

28th January 2021

I Can't Get No....Oops! - Imgflip — Please allow me to introduce Mick Jagger of the Rolling Stones

You never get a second chance to make a first impression

A killer, jaw-droppingly brilliant introduction will really impress your examiner as well as boosting your confidence during what, to be honest, is a nerve-racking experience, namely, the IELTS speaking test.

With that in mind, here’s some tips, advise, guidance, what you will, on how to set up your response.

Let’s take a real-life example. Last week I asked my class a simple question:

I am exhausted and need a holiday. Where should I go to in Vietnam ?

Most answers were pretty run of the mill albeit with the occasional L-FW and an idiom relating to cost (it does or doesn’t cost an arm and a leg). However, I had a former student sitting in, my Princess (you may read about her here, if you so wish: https://thaypaulsnotes.com/2020/09/04/6420/

My Princess began her recommendation thus:

Mr Paul is looking quite exhausted because he has been working extremely hard, burning the candle at both ends, so he really needs a holiday to relax. Vietnam has visually-stunning scenery and beautiful beaches. Allow me to tell you about some of these places …

The class responded thus:

The Jaw Dropping, Head Nodding Truth About Authority - Lies Young Women BelieveLies Young Women Believe

Their jaws all dropped ! However, take heart, a great introduction is, with a little practice, a piece of cake. What follows is a compendium of opening lines, introductions, and templates for you to use and adapt as you see fit.

As with all skills, start slowly then you can build up to more elaborate introductions.

Introductions:

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That’s a very interesting question

Allow me to tell you about …

Well, that’s a great question

Well, there is so much to say about that subject, where shall I start ?

It’s funny you put that question to me because earlier today I was just thinking about …

As a young Vietnamese (add your own nationality), I …

Well, that question is a bit of a sore point with me because …

More Advanced introductions, especially for Part 3:

Well, that’s a very complicated question …

Well, that’s a very complicated question but I will endeavor to answer

What a hard question, I may have to think about this …

I’m not sure I know how to answer that because I don’t have enough information, however …

I’m not sure I know how to answer that because I don’t have enough information, however I can think of one example …

in my experience

allow me to tell you what I do

I can’t speak about other people, but I …

Family

Allow me to introduce my family to you. Firstly there is …

Food

I like many drinks however coffee is my favourite because …

Sai Gon has so many coffee shops, some are cheap while others can be quite expensive although they have a wide range of delicious coffee. Personally, I like going to …

As you may know, I’m a vegetarian. However, all my friends love fast food especially burgers and fries.

Well living in a big city, I have a wide choice of food, including American and European cuisine. Fast food restaurants are ubiquitous so I have eaten, for example, burgers, KFC and pizza, which is my favourite.

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.

Thank you for the question, because I can introduce you to some mouth-watering dishes from Vietnam. Allow me to mention just two which, in my opinion, are the most popular.

Free time / hobbies / shopping

Well, I’m a student at university, so I don’t really have much free time. However, when I’m not studying I like to …

After a hard day of (working, studying, shopping) there’s nothing I like better than watching a great movie and I tend to enjoy action, horror and Marvel films the most.

Watching films and going to the cinema is one of my passions, so choosing just one film is going to be terribly difficult, not to say impossible. However, if I have to select one film, it would be ‘Lost in Translation’, with Scarlett Johannsson.

I have to confess that one of my passions is shopping, be it at a mall, a street market or online. As a young person, I adore buying clothes, though I have to restrain myself as many items cost an arm and a leg.

Well, That’s an interesting question because I actually spend most of my time at school or studying. Most days I’m burning the candle at both ends. Having said that, when I do get free time, which is once in a blue moon, I love to just hang out with my friends, maybe go to coffee shops which are ubiquitous in my city. Although I enjoy movies, I rarely go nowadays.

Future plans

I’m not absolutely sure yet, but I plan to meet up with some friends and just hang out. We have all been so busy, we haven’t seen each other for ages. (for a long time).

Well, that’s a very pertinent question because recently, I have been thinking about where I would like to study, and the UK is certainly top of my list. I am sure there would be some culture shock, especially when it comes to the food.

Well, I’m currently in my last year of high school, so this is a very pertinent question for me. Naturally, I can’t foresee the future however, I could offer some predictions though, of course, this is just my opinion.

It’s funny you put that question to me because just today I was thinking about where I want to study. I have my heart set on studying in the USA as I have some family in Seattle, which is a large city in Washington state. However, to follow my dream, I need a high score in IELTS, so I need to put my nose to the grindstone.

Hometown

Thank you for letting me introduce to you my hometown which is Da Nang, one of the biggest cities in Vietnam, although it is much smaller than Ha Noi or Sai Gon.

Travel

Vietnam has many beautiful places but my choice would be Hoi An.

Ah, that’s an interesting question because I really need a holiday. However travelling now is not a good idea because of the COVID 19 which is an extremely serious pandemic. So, I have to think about after, when it is safe to go on holiday.

Activities

Make introductions for these questions:

Where would you like to visit ?

Who do you live with ?

Do you like your neighbourhood ?

What are you going to do this weekend?

Check out these movies with Black actors you will enjoy.

Tell me about your favourite film. A whole blog on this may be accessed here: https://thaypaulsnotes.com/2020/04/06/ielts-mindset-why-do-you-like-the-film/

IELTS: Vocabulary boosting & fixed expression … there’s nothing I like more !

27th January 2021

IELTS Archives - Page 2 of 10 - IELTS Academic

No preamble, let’s just dive in; how to boost your lexical resources.

Firstly, replace all your basic verbs with ‘better’ ones, L-FWs as IELTS refer to them. Thus, fifteen of the most common English verbs:

be
have
do
say
get
make
go
know
take
see
come
think
look
want
give

Activity 1: Assign three verbs to students (individually or in small groups). They must write a sentence (the more complex the better) utilising the substituted verb. Students can use a thesaurus for assistance.

Example: ‘give‘

I always donate my old clothes to charity.

Activity 2: Convert a simple sentence into a jaw-droppingly magnificent IELTS sentence, employing the whole spectrum of resources, by which I mean phrasal verbs, adverbs, LFWs, idioms etc.

Example:

I always donate my old clothes to charity.

I have to confess that one of my passions is shopping, be it at a mall, a street market or online. As a young person, I adore buying clothes, though I have to restrain myself as many items cost an arm and a leg. Naturally, I accrue a vast wardrobe. From time to time I have a good sort out, sometimes being quite brutal. If I haven’t worn something for, say, two years, then I get rid of it. However, instead of simply throwing them away, or giving to siblings or cousins, I choose to donate to various charities such as UNICEF, Save The Children or Cancer Research. That way, I can contribute to improving the world.

Study the above example. Can you pick out the elements that differentiate this from a basic English class response ?

Write down new vocabulary and make a point of using new words.

Observe how points are introduced, and answers expanded.

How many phrasal verbs are you familiar with ? How about fixed expressions (here I added ‘From time to time‘) which brings us nicely to our next section …

Fixed expressions

As far as I’m concerned // I can’t wait to … //

If there’s one thing that I (love, hate, detest) it’s … // I’m looking forward to … //

It may surprise you to learn that I … // It’s no surprise that … //

The first thing I’d going to do when I … // There’s nothing I like better than … //

Activity 3: Practice using these expressions

Example: After a hard day of teaching, there’s nothing I like better than watching a great movie. Only last night, I saw a fantastic film, ‘The Trial of the Chicago 7’ by Aaron Sorkin who is a highly respected American writer.

The Trial of the Chicago 7 movie review (2020) | Roger Ebert

IELTS: Complex sentences, Practice #2

18th January 2021

The previous blog demonstrated how to form complex sentences whereas this one will give you a chance to actually incorporate them into your everyday speech or, more importantly, your IELTS test which you will want to pass with flying colours.

Let’s dive in !

A typical IELTS question will be about your family. Time to show off your knowledge of adjectives and phrases.

Start with mother. Some positives:

My mother has a heart of gold // She is so kind and caring // She always puts others first.

On the other hand:

I’m afraid my mother is a ‘tiger mum’ // She expects too much of me // She is never satisfied with my work.

As for father:

My father is industrious and so hard-working // My father always has his nose to the grindstone, providing for his family // People say I take after my father // He is firm but fair.

On the other hand:

My father never lets me stay out // He drinks like a fish on holidays // He is a very strict disciplinarian.

Older brother:

He is my role model // I always look up to him // He looks out for me and takes me under his wing.

On the other hand:

My brother is a total slacker // My brother gets aggressive when he’s been drinking // My brother lacks ambition and drive.

Don’t forget sister:

My sister is a little angel // She has the sweetest soul // She has a kind word for everybody.

On the other hand:

My sister is such a prima donna // She only thinks of herself // She won’t lift a finger around the house // She spends all her money on herself.

Let’s extend the family: uncle, aunt, cousin etc. Remember, always be thinking of how you can use IELTS language such as idioms and expressions.

EXAMPLE:

Your uncle lives in a different city (how often do you see him ?) He has a great job, a lot of influence (an expression ?)

Tell me about the people you live with

Allow me to introduce my family to you. Firstly, there is my mother, who has a heart of gold, I can tell her anything. She’s always working, cooking or cleaning. I would say she is the biggest influence in my life. My father is very industrious by which I mean he gets up early, every day, works long hours at his office which is very far away. However, he likes to relax at holiday time. His brother, my uncle, who is a mover and a shaker, occasionally pays a visit at Tet (Christmas, Hanukkah etc) and the two of them drink like fish ! That’s because my uncle, who lives in (a far-away city), only comes to (your city) once in a blue moon.

Piece of cake, right ?

First, decide what idioms are appropriate.

Second, select some impressive L-FWs or phrases.

Finally … it doesn’t have to be true ! We are here to check your command of English, we are not going to check if your uncle really is a mover and a shaker !

Class work:

Ask each other the following questions. Check how many IELTS features the speaker uses, and give encouraging feedback.

Which member of your family are you closest to ?

Which member of your family do you take after ?

How often do you see your cousins, or grandparents ?

Is family important in your country ? Why ?

Do you want to live in a nuclear (small) or extended family ?

What qualities do you admire in your family ?

Now … think on your feet.

Tell me about your brother, who is an actor.

Tell me about your aunt, who teaches music.

Tell me about your cousin, who wants to study at Oxford.

Tell me about your mother, who demands that you get A++ for every exam.

The Yemeni teacher who's setting up a national orchestra, despite war

Young Learners, Level 6: Stay healthy

13th January 2021

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Everybody Up 6, Unit 4: Review new vocabulary, fixed expressions and sentence building

What does she use ?

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In my opinion she uses perfume. She needs shampoo as well as conditioner.

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NOW … Your turn

In ___________________ he uses ___________ . He wants ___________ as well as ______________.

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__________________ she uses __________ as well as ____________. When her hair looks great, she feels de__________ .

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In ___________________ he doesn’t ever use __________ or __________ on his hair. He has a b_____ so he doesn’t need to buy a r________ .

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________________ she uses _________ before playing in the sun. After sports, she takes a ___________ so she needs a b_____ of s______. When she’s finished she puts on d____________ .

I reckon he has no t________ so he doesn’t need to buy a t_____ of __________ or use d_______ f_______. However, he may want to use some m___________ .

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I r___________ the dog wants to go out. The dog doesn’t need ___________ or _________ . However, it is raining cats and dogs, so he feels very dis_________________ .

You should use ________________ before you go to school.

You should ________________ before you go to bed.

You should use ________________ after shower.

You should ________________ after you eat.

What happens next ? Can you act these scenes ?

Adult Speaking Class, Level 2: Future plans

11th January 2021

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What do you want to do, what would you like to be ?

How would you like to spend your holiday … and with whom ?

Here’s a simple, warm-up exercise to promote sentence building and boost vocabulary.

I want to go to Korea but it is expensive.

Subject + wish + discourse marker (‘but’) + reason

Instead, try these:

I really want to … (present simple)

I have always wanted to … (present perfect + adverb)

I have my heart set on … (fixed expression)

Discourse markers:

having said that …

however …

although

Reasons:

Cost or expense (idiom: it costs an arm and a leg)

No time (work or family commitments)

No means or ability (expressions: I have no ear for music, I have two left feet, you’d never catch me doing that !)

Impossibility ! (I can’t see that ever happening)

Now … Your Turn

Transform these mundane, prosaic, boring sentences into some killer statements !

I want to go to Hanoi but I have to study.

He wants to be a doctor but that is a lot of work.

She wants to marry Keanu Reeves but he lives in the USA.

I want to win a lot of money.

I want to travel around the world.

I want to play guitar like Jimmy Page.

5 times Jimmy Page showed up out of nowhere

I want to speak perfect English.

I want puppies but my apartment has a ‘no pets’ rule.

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I want to be Batman !

Thay Paul wants to dance with the Brown Eyed Girls but …

Brown Eyed Girls Preparing For First Comeback In 4 Years | Soompi — Brown Eyed Girls from Korea … I would love to dance with them, however I can’t ever see that happening 😦

IELTS: Getting across the line: how to boost your vocabulary, plus class games.

5th January 2021

A-levels: Dip in top grades as thousands get results - BBC News

Obviously, teachers don’t want to overwhelm the students with an unmanageable amount of new language. Far better to serve up bite-size pieces, then practice, practice and practice. When the language has become second nature to the students, move onwards and upwards.

The first step is to elevate your language; replace basic common or garden verbs with ‘better‘ ( that is, low-frequency) words.

For example, the verb ‘try’. Instead, we can have:

endeavour

To keep trying, not giving up, we can use:

persevere or persist

Let’s take these new words out for a spin:

This year, I shall endeavour to learn Vietnamese. I’ve tried before but gave up as it was simply too hard. However, this time I’m going to persevere.

Can you think of an idiom that could be used to show someone planning to work much harder ?

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Onwards and upwards:

buy:

purchase

get a qualification or certificate by hard work and study:

attain // achieve

to get something without the need for work or study:

obtain (you can obtain the application form in room 7A)

say / said:

exclaim // express // remark (add -ed to form past tense)

use:

utilise (utilize USA) / apply

to eat, consume or do a lot of something:

devour (He devoured the whole pizza by himself // She loves reading, she absolutely devours books)

Transform this simple sentence into something more IELTS-like:

Sarah said that if she gets an ‘A’, her father will buy her a new iPhone.

Tony says he wants to get a visa which he can buy at the UK Embassy, so he can use his English skills in London.

Mary really wants to buy the ‘Fargo’ box set. She said it was the best TV show in years and she plans to watch all the episodes in one day !

Free Photo | Happy young asian woman showing display of phone holding gift.

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Similarly, boost your lexical resources with regards to adjectives.

basic:

fundamental // elementary

hard:

difficult // challenging

tasty:

delicious // mouth-watering // scrumptious

experience:

broaden my horizons // real-life knowledge // culture shock

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Signpost language: (To help the listener or reader follow you)

Firstly / To begin with / I’d like to start by …

Secondly / additionally / another factor is …

What’s more / furthermore / not forgetting

Obviously / clearly / it is evident that …

Moving on / I’d like to change the topic / Let’s turn to …

Finally / all in all / all things considered

IELTS Online Study Material - Sample test, Practice books, Masterclass - Check here! | IDP Nepal

Class Games:

Put students into small teams. One teams challenges the other(s) to form a sentence using as many new L-FWs as they can. Award bonus points for the appropriate use of idioms or fixed expressions.

Students challenge each other to find a L-FW for a basic, prosaic verb or adjective. Teams are allowed a fixed time, say one minute, and are allowed to use a thesaurus such as here:

https://www.thesaurus.com/

Then the group has to use the new word in an IELTS-style sentence by which I mean, an introduction, a signpost word or phrase and, obviously, a suitable idiom (examples – ‘put’, ‘big’, ‘interesting’, ‘watch’, ‘boring’, ‘eat’)

Teams are given a mix of L-FWs, idioms & signpost language. After a short preparation time, they have to construct an inspiring, fascinating and jaw-droppingly brilliant sentence. Piece of cake, n’est ce-pas ?

One student from each group starts answering an IELTS question (travel, food, study, neighbourhood). At a given point, the teacher stops the student and another group has to continue, and so on. Monitor the correct utilisation of signpost language as well as fluency, not forgetting the all-important pronunciation features.

Quick Fire / Rapid Fire Round

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What is the correct word:

To get a certificate after study ?

Delicious food is …

London is brass monkeys in January so _______ bring warm clothes.

A L-FW for ‘use’

Strange behaviour – he is acting _______

Istanbul is famous for its covered market, known as a __________

Nose, jaw, mouth … use these features in phrases

Moving from Europe to Asia will undoubtedly result in a degree of ________ _____.

The unspeakably greedy child ______ all the doughnuts !

Actor Mark Hamill basically disagreed with everything in the film script.

Two words that mean to keep trying

To watch someone or something very closely

Two words for difficult

Signpost language to be used as a conclusion

Mark Hamill: I Fundamentally Disagree... - Star Wars - Tapestry | TeePublic

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Young Learners, level 2: What are they doing in Sweden ?

Review Everybody Up 2 Unit 1 – 5

31st December 2020

A condensed version of a longer lesson on Sweden, available here: https://thaypaulsnotes.com/2019/05/17/young-learners-level-2-focus-on-sweden/

Review of 1st, 2nd & 3rd person continuous verbs in positive, negative & question form.

Warm Up: What are these children wearing ? I expect at least two adjectives before the noun as well as telling me how the children feel.

Moving on up, Swedish food: What do YOU want ? Ask your partner – what does he or she want ? tell the class.

I want / I don’t want // She wants / She doesn’t want

EXAMPLE:

I want meatballs however I don’t want fish.

He wants eggs however he doesn’t want semla (cake).

Filled eggs halves garnish with prawns and Swedish caviar Filled egg halves Fyllda ägghalvor | Scandinavian food, International recipes, Swedish recipes — Swedish eggs

Swedish Potato Salad · How To Cook A Potato Salad · Recipes on Cut Out + Keep — Potato salad

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NOW – what are these Swedish people doing ?

Sweden's Abba reunite to save Mamma Mia island - The Local

They are … however, they aren’t …

Pippi Longstocking, rebel and role model

15 Things Not to Do When You Travel to Sweden

81 Swedish Girls Drawing Stock Photos, Pictures & Royalty-Free Images - iStock

Skilla

What is the Swedish Midsommar festival? | Ritual Trip

Are they writing ? No, they’re …….

Where are the children ? What can you see in the room ?

Where is the table ? Where is the bookshelf ?

Where is the globe ? Where is the window ? What would you like in your bedroom ?

Swedish Fans Parade. People Singing And Dancing. Editorial Photography - Image of scandinavian, fifa: 121120057

Young Learners, Screen Test game

23rd December 2020

Screen Test (TV Series 1970–1984) - IMDb

I adapted this warm-up from a British television show from the 70s and early 80s. Just show a short clip, then ask the students some questions. The game can be quite fun, and has proved very popular. Being December, I’ve chosen a Christmas-themed clip, a TV advert made by the John Lewis Company:

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 ____________

John Lewis Christmas advert 2020 is unveiled | Daily Mail Online

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’

Another clip I have used is from the British film ‘Summer Holiday’:

1) What was the road sign at the beginning of the clip ?

London // Berlin // Paris ?

2) What was the number of the bus ?

9 // 19 // 28 ?

3) What colour was the first car behind the bus ?

red // white // blue ?

4) How many children wore a hat ?

1 // 2 // no children

5) How many men were riding bicycles ?

3 // 4 // 6 ?

6) What does Cliff, the driver, eat ?

a sandwich / a cake / nothing

7) How many women were in the car ?

3 // 4 // 5 ?

BONUS POINTS – Can anyone sing the song – just two lines

“We’re all going on a summer holiday // we’re all going for a week or two.”

IELTS: Mindset 2 first review

22nd December 2020

IELTS information for Ghana students – Achilinks Consult — Ready to pass with flying colours

After three or four lessons, I expect my students to know several common idioms (their meaning and how to use them appropriately), a number of low-frequency words (L-FWs), how to introduce an answer, how to form a complex sentence and to demonstrate varieties of intonation and stress.

Without these features, you ain’t gonna get above a ‘5’, no way. Therefore, time for a quick review, see how you’re measuring up to the standard, whether you need to turn over a new leaf and put your nose to the grindstone.

Therefore, let’s recap

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

turn over a new leaf

put your nose to the grindstone

5 Best IELTS Practice Tests for International Students | ApplyBoard — Students putting their noses to the grindstone

Part 1: What do the aforementioned idioms mean ?

Part 2: Give each student an idiom. They have to use it, correctly, in a sentence.

L-FWs:

gritty / industrial / quite / safe / residential / boring / peaceful / suburban / bustling / vibrant / city centre.

ubiquitous // naïve // stroll // a bazaar // bizarre // predictable

absent-minded // sky-high, astronomical // an entrepreneur //

hawkers or peddlers // a mover and a shaker // consider //

Part 3: Students have to describe their neighbourhood, using as many L-FWs, and idioms, as they are able.

Encouraging IELTS students to read beyond the course book | Collins ELT — Students burning the candle at both ends

Introductions:

That’s a very interesting question

Well, that’s a great question

Well, there is so much to say about that subject, where shall I start ?

It’s funny you put that question to me because earlier today I was just thinking about …

As a young Vietnamese (add your own nationality), I …

Part 4: Students have to demonstrate they know how to introduce their answer.

What do you want to do in the future ?

Give them one minute to prepare a very short reply.

Student Visa For Australia Without Ielts 12th Pass Students in Jalandhar, VISA Solution Services | ID: 8848189962 — It’s funny you asked me that question because recently, I have been considering moving to Australia …

Complex Sentences:

Part 5: Moving on, students have to form complex sentences out of the following information, using intonation to reflect excitement or a positive point and, conversely, a negative factor. Discourse markers to be employed in order to link ideas, naturally. Furthermore, I shall be listening for adverbs and adjectives.

First, choose the correct relative pronoun (who, which, whose or where)

London //

capital of UK // many shops and museums // expensive and cold

Teacher John //

from New Zealand // smiles and plays guitar // talks too fast

Ironman //

real name Tony Starke // very rich and intelligent // is fictional

Thailand //

90 minutes flight from HCMC // friendly people, great food // many western tourists and crowded

ABC English Centre //

located in city centre, District 1 // use laptops and tablets in classes // lessons are four hours long, with extra homework.

Team work

Part 6: Class split into two teams. They have to plan a day in their city (here, of course, it’s Sai Gon) for my friend Ethan.

The exercise can be found on this blog: https://thaypaulsnotes.com/2020/12/16/ielts-planning-a-day-out/

Just look for this picture:

Ethan Hawke Sticks Up For Texas, Reps Beto and Turns a Dead ...

Finally: review negotiation language. Watch this video and discuss your views on the tourists opinion of Sai Gon:

How do the tourists feel about the city ?

As residents, do you agree with the review ?

Students can discuss the video using the following language:

I agree totally // I agree to an extent // I disagree // I’m not entirely sure about that // No way ! // They don’t know what they are talking about !

optimistic // uninformed // delusional // open-minded // enthusiastic

Adult Speaking Class, Level 2: How was your weekend ?

21st December 2020

Lan Kwai Fong: Hong Kong's party district | CNN Travel

My story: I flew, by private jet, to Hong Kong, and had the time of my life, so many parties, so many interesting people, non-stop fun !

Boring Night In. Don't judge me. I usually work very… | by Róisín McLiam | Medium

The reality, the truth: I went to work in the morning, then was so exhausted, I just sat and watched YouTube videos.

Warm – up: Students ask each other about each other’s weekend. Students must tell two stories, one true, one false. Students have to guess which is true.

Naturally, saying I have a private jet is not very believable so the story has to be feasible.

Examples:

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On Saturday, after working in the morning, I met my friend Ms My. I had promised her that I would take her to try western food. Therefore, I invited her to eat pizza. It was her first time and she really liked it but wasn’t sure how to eat it – knife and fork or use hands !

On Sunday, I was too lazy to cook and, because my dog needed a walk, I went to a local restaurant and tried some Vietnamese sea food. The prawns were delicious, but the soup was just OK, nothing special. My dog liked everything and was over the Moon (very happy).

Which one is true ? Did I eat pizza with a beautiful young lady OR did I take my dog to eat seafood ?

Vocabulary

How was your weekend ?

Did you do anything special last weekend ?

What did you get up to over the weekend ?

Thanks for asking, I …

Well, I had a great time. First I …

Oh, nothing special, I just …

Today’s lesson is about people exaggerating about their weekends, in order to seem more interesting. So, a talking activity:

What would you do ?

Your young niece plays piano. It is terrible !

3,127 Kid Playing Piano Photos - Free & Royalty-Free Stock Photos from Dreamstime

Do you …

a) Say that was really good, well done

b) Say hmmm, that is very hard to play, you just need to practice.

c) Say troi oi (omg, oi vey !) that was awful – stop, stop, STOP !

Why did you say that ?

Your partner makes dinner for you. It is terrible ! (partner can mean husband, wife, boyfriend or girlfriend).

Woman Surprised, Man Cooked Dinner for Woman at Home by vla9 | VideoHive

a) Say, “That was delicious, darling,” and eat it all.

b) Say, “It looks wonderful, but I’ve already eaten. I’ll have it later,” then throw it out.

c) Say, “This tastes like dog food ! Never, ever cook again. Order me pizza !”

Your friend or girlfriend comes to your house to visit and meet your parents. Your parents are traditional and old-fashioned.

streetfashiontrends | Kawaii fashion, Harajuku fashion, Japanese street fashion

a) Say that your house is being decorated, so you have to meet in town.

b) Say that you want to meet her parents and will visit her instead.

c) Say, “No way ! My parents will scream ! Put some normal clothes on and wear a hat.”

New vocabulary

Do you know these words?

survey // impress // in fact // psychologist // paperwork // illusion

actually, really // something that looks real but is false //

to show someone that you are very good at something // a report about what people think // writing forms or reports //

// a person who studies how people behave and why.

Most Beautiful South Indian Actresses In Sarees || Tollywood Actress - YouTube

You made those saris yourself ? I’m so ________________

Free Photo | Young african couple doing paperwork together, sitting at kitchen table with lots of papers

We spent our weekend doing ________________

San Antonio Activist's Petition Asks the Tobin Center to Cancel Jordan Peterson Lecture | The Daily

Dr Jordan Peterson is a world-famous ____________

File:A community health worker conducting a survey in the Korail slum, Bangladesh (8630810827).jpg - Wikimedia Commons

This health worker is conducting a _____________ to get information.

Magician Dynamo adds an extra Birmingham date to his first live tour - Birmingham Live

The magician Dynamo, who is from the UK, is walking on the River Thames … but it is just an _________________.