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A follow up blog, to help wrap up lessons. At the end of an online class, I asked a question about what was inside a camel’s hump (or humps because camels can have one or two humps).
One young lady was adamant that the answer was water, as her teacher had told her. What do you think ?
What do camels have in their hump(s) ?
Are you ready ?
Hhhmmmmm … let me think.
The answer …
… it’s NOT water. A camel stores fat in the hump(s).
OK, let’s go ! The answers are at the end of the blog.
First question: A snow leopard is a leopard. An Arctic fox is a fox, but what is a killer whale ?
Moving on to cute cats … 2) How do cats talk to each other ? Do they meow ?
Let’s go back to snow leopards … 3) How loud is a snow leopard’s roar ?
Staying in the snow … 4) What colour is a polar bear ? Do polar bears play or fight with penguins ?
Let’s leave the animal kingdom and turn to history …
5) Where were the first boomerangs found ? Do they always return if you throw them correctly ?
6) How long was the 100 Years War in Europe, fought over who would be king of France ?
Finally, you must be getting hungry, so how about some food ? Want to know if you’re going to be lucky ? Try a Chinese fortune cookie … 7) What country invented the Chinese fortune cookie ?
Made in China ?
The Answers
1) A killer whale is part of the DOLPHIN family. These dolphins actually work together and kill whales, so they were known as ‘whale killers.’
2) By meowing … ? No, cats meow (mostly) to get attention from humans. With other felines, cats use scent and touch, maybe hissing, and body language, but not by meowing.
3) Trick question … a snow leopard CAN’T roar; it can hiss, purr and meow but only makes a non-aggressive sounding ‘chuff’.
4) A polar bear’s skin is black, it is just the fur that is white. Also, polar bears live in the Arctic, the penguins spend their time on ice in the Antarctic, so they only meet in fake pictures.
5) Did you say AUSTRALIA … used by Aborigines ? Boomerangs were invented some time between 25 000 and 50 000 years ago, and used for hunting. The earliest one was found in POLAND, believed to be 20 000 years old. The first boomerangs DID NOT fly back. The Aborigines are thought to have discovered that a boomerang will return if made of curved wood, but these were used for sport, not hunting.
6) The War started in 1337 and finally ended in 1453, so a total of 116 years, although there were long periods of truce and peace.
7) Fortune cookies were invented by the Japanese in the C19th, then became popular in California, USA starting first in either San Francisco or L.A. (it is disputed, but the time period would be 1890 – 1918)
This blog will help intermediate students develop sentence-building skills, based around the theme of travel and how to relate your experiences or wishes.
To warm up … use the new vocabulary to express your feelings about the following photos:
Make complex sentences using these words or phrases
Example: I recently stayed in a world class, seven-star hotel which was an unforgettable experience for example; the chef created such spectacular food.
Now … your turn
Tower Bridge, LondonMicchu Picchu, PeruDesigner labels and luxury goodsCute Maid Cafe, JapanView from the Willis (Sears) Tower, Chicago, USATrying some of the local food in ThailandThe British magician Dynamo tries a new way to ride a bus.
I know that yoga and exercise are popular activities among my students, so let’s use this topic for some sentence building.
IELTS candidates will be expected to speak for two minutes on a given subject, then engage in a dialogue with the examiner.
The candidate will feel more confident with an arsenal of phrases, expressions, idioms, discourse markers, and an impressive array of ‘low-frequency vocabulary‘ (big words).
The candidate, additionally, has to employ complex sentences and well-structured responses in order to boost their score.
As with music, practice is the key:
I set a test for one of my IELTS students, Ms Nguyen. As a warm up, I asked her to tell me about a place she wanted to visit, so this was similar to an IELTS speaking test, Part 1. Following that, I asked her to prepare a Part 2-style answer about a hobby which prompted her to relate her experiences regarding yoga.
To start, we went over some phrases and sentence structure. Ms Nguyen was recovering from a slight injury: how could she phrase this …
I’m not in any pain, but I’m only about 70% recovered.
I’m not in any pain, although I’m only about 70% recovered.
Although I’m not in any pain, I’m only about 70% recovered.
Although I’m only about 70% recovered, I’m not in any pain.
Here, we replaced ‘but’ with ‘although’, and then altered the word order.
Which sentence do you prefer ?
Exercise: Rearrange this basic sentence (sample answers at end of blog)
I’ve been to South Korea but I haven’t been to Japan
Part 1 exercise: tell me about a place you’d like to visit.
{Low-frequency words & expressions: extraordinary, outstanding nature, notwithstanding}
Japan:
I like the culture, by which I mean sophisticated cuisine, outstanding nature and kind-hearted people. Good points notwithstanding, I am not so enamoured on the working culture which seems to be highly stressful especially compared to the norm in Vietnam.
Although I really like Japan, I am currently undecided as to whether to study there or not. On the plus side, the subject, sustainability, fits in with their life ethos. Additionally, the fee is lower for international students and, furthermore we will be supported by extra classes. Despite these benefits, I have some serious concerns over issues such as sexism as well as the constant pressure which leads to a high rate of suicide.
POINTS TO CONSIDER:
Do you see how Ms Nguyen gave three examples in her opening sentence, and used the adjective + noun structure (‘outstanding nature’ etc).
Use of adverbs (‘highly’, ‘currently’).
Low-frequency words (‘enamoured of’, ‘sophisticated’, ‘notwithstanding’).
Moreover, see how Ms Nguyen utilises complex sentences. Keep these in mind as you read her second exercise:
Part 2 exercise: tell me about a hobby or activity you enjoy.
{I gave Ms Nguyen some time to prepare, and allowed her to use a thesaurus to look up better words. Having said that, there are still some little grammar mistakes; can you spot any ? Don’t worry, a few mistakes are to be expected.}
Yoga
Every yoga student has individual needs and abilities therefore the instructor will suggest a method suitable to our needs and requirements. This including advise to prevent us from harming ourselves or pushing our bodies too far.
To be specific, on Tuesday we shall concentrate on stretching our shoulders, neck and spine . We shall do this by adopting positions designed to facilitate this objective. Initially, I felt some soreness because it was an unnatural position. However, there are various levels and when one has mastered the first, they can progress, move on to the next.
If I have a great, productive class, I feel relaxed, calm and refreshed. Some people may overemphasis the benefits of yoga but for me, it isn’t that complicated. I find it a pleasing way to release stress from work and to keep myself active.
Otherwise, I tend to just stay at home socialising with my family, then watching my favourite documentary shows.
Yoga, despite being seen as a very restful and gentle past time, can actually be very dangerous including concussions, injuries and broken bones. Having said that, I know my limits and keep within those parameters.
In conclusion, yoga is my favourite activity as it not only helps my body to reduce stress and keep healthy, but also it is a fun way to occupy my free time and bond socially with my colleagues.
SAMPLE ANSWERS:
Although I’ve been to South Korea, I’ve yet to visit Japan.
I, so far, haven’t been to Japan, although I once travelled to South Korea.
I visited South Korea although I haven’t been to Japan.
Ms Nguyen’s mistake: in the first paragraph, she uses include in the continuous form, not the present simple (“This including advise,” instead of ‘this includes advise.’)
Can I get a bus to the city centre from here ? Is it possible ?
Can you hit the lights, please ? request – turn on/off the lights
Who’s that ? It could be Peter. Speculation
You have to get over 60% or Thay Paul will KYA (kick your ass !) Obligation
Oh, you must see the new Iron Man film. Suggestion
Will you help me with my tieng Viet ? Request
May I go to the party ? Permission
You musn’t use your phone when riding a motorbike. Obligation
You ought to stop drinking so much coffee. Suggestion
You should all read English books. Suggestion
Exercises:
….. I use my mobile phone in class ? Asking permission
You ………. answer all three questions. Obligation
It’s too heavy; …… you help me lift it ?
Don’t wait too long – he ……. not come.
… I buy an iPhone or a Samsung Galaxy ?
Speaking Practice
This activity makes students speak English to each other, exchanging information and giving them practice in taking down facts such as dates, phone numbers etc.
Arrange class into small groups and give them each an information sheet. They take turns reading aloud to their group, using natural rhythms and intonations.
It’s highly probable that other students will not understand all, so they must use some of the following phrases:
I’m sorry, could you repeat that, please.
I didn’t catch your phone number.
Would you mind speaking slower, please.
How do you spell that ?
Let me confirm, your name is …
Speaker One:
Hello, I’m calling from Los Angles and I want to know what time does your office open ? I’m arriving on the 10th July so can you meet me at the airport ? My cell is 555 – 0743 – 9291. Also, can you recommend a good hotel downtown ?
Speaker Two:
Hi, this is Mr Muller from the Berlin office. We are waiting for your design for the Audi components. Could you email them as soon as possible. We have an important presentation on the 12th so we need them.
Speaker Three:
Hello, I’m looking for … Mr nnngggg yyyyyuun ?? Sorry, I cannot pronounce Vietnamese. This is Jack Ginsberg from the Beijing factory. We cannot meet your order by the deadline. We need at least three more days. Sorry for the inconvenience.
Speaker Four:
London calling, this is Mr Thompson for Mr Thanh. We need to rearrange the time of our conference Skype call. We must bring it forward to 11 o’clock your time. Hope that is not an issue. Any problems, give me a bell on my office number or drop me an email.
Speaker Five
My doctor told me to cut down on fast food and to cut out alcohol completely. I also have to hit the gym, go swimming and take up a sport. I tried jogging but I gave up, it was too damn hot. My girlfriend is always on at me to loose weight.
Speaker six:
All the world’s a stage, And all the men and women merely players: They have their exits and their entrances; And one man in his time plays many parts, His acts being seven ages.
Shakespeare ‘As You Like It’ Act 2, Scene 7
Just A Minute
Can you speak for a minute without deviation, hesitation or repetition ?
Students work in pairs, using a stopwatch. One student has to speak for one minute on a subject but must not repeat information, take too long to answer or to speak about different subjects.
school or work / local food / Asian women / great things about your city / bad things in your city / your family / your hometown/ free time
4th September for 7th September 2019. E Up 3 pp. 40 – 41 Final Lesson 1 – 4 review.
Today is the last lesson, so a lot more writing and work books for the students. There’s also a special Autumn Festival event at the end of the class, so my planning can be quite short. I’d like to make the first part active and interesting, but also reinforcing language and grammar from the recent lessons.
Warm Up: Small groups with boards and markers. Write four things people use for eating (fork, knife, spoon, chopsticks).
Pass around four flashcards (fork, knife, spoon & cup). Student has to say:
“This fork is mine.”
Then pass it on … meanwhile, give the first student a second card:
“This knife is mine.”
Suddenly I say STOP !
I say ‘me’.
The class has to say “This is my spoon – it is mine.”
I will need my TA to explain this procedure . I will board: me – mine / you – yours etc.
I repeat with ‘you’, ‘his’, ‘her’.
Run ‘n’ write: where can I buy a shirt ? Eat soup and salad ? Watch a movie ? Play football ? Students, in pairs, must run to the board and write the word.
Mime: I take a student aside and show a card of an illness. Student then mimes the condition (headache, stomachache, fever, cold). Answer must be in the form of a sentence: “He has a headache“, etc.
Next, to review four countries about which they read last lesson. Mix up the countries:
yektyru // anapj // sirusa // omixce
Bring a globe to the class. Two students must find the four countries. Next, tell me about Vietnam:
(Stock photo from Google. NOT my students.)
Follow the pattern in the book and tell me about Vietnam
[We’re from Mexico. This is our flag. It’s ours. It’s green, white and red.]
Now … tell me about Teacher Paul
He’s from … // This is …… // It’s ….. (possessive) // It’s ….. (colours) .
Finally, role-playing, asking prices and identifying cultural items. Students can decide their own prices. They can work in small groups or in pairs, to make sure everyone has a chance to speak.
Excuse me, how much is this, please ?
Oh, no … that is too much // OK, I’ll take it.
Then they must conclude by saying, “It’s a present for my ….” and I quickly show a family card (grandparents / parents / aunt / uncle / cousin or cousins).
To end on a bum note (or notes) … let’s hear the Russian National Anthem … and then played by an Egyptian orchestra.
And then, time to hit the books. The workbook extends over three pages, so we’ll do a little, then check as a class. A fond farewell to a lovely class. Cam on 🙂
Thay Paul's Notes 