Adult Mechanics: What can possibly go wrong ?

A boxed-set of lesson notes and exercises initially designed for professional engineers and mechanics. The levels vary from beginner to advanced.

Contents:

Listening: Far Flung Floyd BBC TV (advanced)

Listening: Robot dog (advanced)

Listening: World’s strongest robot (beginner to advanced)

Listening: Top Gear BBC TV program (advanced)

Speaking practice and vocabulary (advanced)

breaking the law / Coffee shop talk / going green / buying a motorbike /

Video clip: China’s high-speed train.

Vocabulary: Cars / Car manufacturers / Environmental concerns (advanced) / tools (beginner)

Listening

Keith Floyd (TV chef) ‘Far Flung Floyd’

Floyd in Vietnam (12.53 – 15.29): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fO6cSQ8Vly8

What ingredients does he use ?

What does he say as he starts cooking ?

How long does it simmer for ?

What does ‘moisten’ mean ?

Listening: robot dog (advanced) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=op0bhZNUJFE

Do you understand any of the engineering terms / words in English ?

Newsinlevels.com (World’s strongest robot – choose your own level, 1,2 0r 3) https://www.newsinlevels.com/products/strongest-robot-in-the-world-level-2/

What country produced this robot ?

How much can it lift ? That is the same as … ?

Is it delicate or sturdy ? What word is used to describe this ?

Top Gear

Break for the border part 1: (0 – 0.52)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I0K8AXUEH8E

How much petrol do the chaps (men) have ? How many points for getting to the border ?

What is the phrasal verb for using all the petrol ? What is the punishment for this ?

What does Richard say about this ? Which country has the closest border ?

Break for the border part 2:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K3StTHXS2Ic&t=3s

What word does James use to mean ‘the winner’ ?

What expression does Richard use to mean he will stop trying to beat James ?

What expression does James use to show he is in trouble ?

We hear the word ‘gloat’ twice … what does it mean ?

What is the phrasal verb for using up ALL the petrol ?

What is the ‘hard shoulder’ ?

What does Richard say when he sees Jeremy ?

Top Gear: £1500 Porsche challenge: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_jPaYnaKVDk&t=317s&list=PL97HViQblvdEM3zsauRxnIg1baFTNmsDM&index=16

Top Gear in Vietnam

Full video on Facebook:

https://www.facebook.com/richardhammondtgt/videos/706329819546314/?v=706329819546314&external_log_id=45059a07d87e44e56f7250b63bf526de&q=top%20gear%20special%20episodes

Vietnam clip (39.00 – 43.00)

New Vocabulary / expressions

set about = to do something

pay someone back for something = to get revenge

cross = angry / furious = very angry

(people have) turned out = arrived

borrow = to get something from someone, then give back

hang on = wait a little

metaphor = phép ẩn dụ

What does Jeremy say is a metaphor for Vietnam ?

What phrasal verb does James use to mean he stops trying ?

What does the Viet lady do to the bikes in the car park ?

Speaking & vocabulary practice

Exercise 1: New vocabulary:

prosperity / represent / footage/ annoyed / superior / essentially

to sue / suing / law suit / (law) case / ruling / embezzle/ lawyers / judge

pocketing (UK slang) / cost of living (rent, food, travel etc) / can vary

therefore / out and about / basically / you see / obviously /though (although)

Dale Sorry I’m late. Hope you’re not annoyed, I’ve been out and about.

Gordon Not at all. It’s been very exciting here. Mr Smith was caught

embezzling company money. The boss is suing.

Dale What the hell !How much was he pocketing ?

Gordon Who knows ? A lot, that’s for sure. Basically, he’s been stealing

for the last six months.

Dale I know the cost of living is increasing, but he was essentially a

great worker though he did always drink superior cognac.

Gordon And buy superior clothes, particularly designer shirts.

Mr Kim and Mr Chi also discuss this incident 3^rdMarch 2018

Kim He was caught on CCTV footage. He’s had to engage a lawyer.

Chi If the ruling goes goes against him, it could mean a fine and prison.

Kim Yes, it can vary from two to twenty years. When’s the case ?

Chi The suit will be heard later this year. The company are shocked.

Kim Obviously. You see, they trusted him, he had been here for years.

Chi That’s awful. This year has started out terribly, therefore it can only

get better !

Kim Yes, it mustn’t get us down, we need to learn from this experience.

Exercise 2: Coffee shop talk / talking shop / the environment

Don, Joe & Tim are on break at work. Tim looks stressed.

Don Hi guys, what’s happening ? What’s wrong with Tim ?

Joe The supervisor has been giving him a hard time because of his punctuality.

Tim Sorry, I’ve gotta lot of things on my mind … and tons of work.

Don In my experience, work’ll lighten up. Do you agree, Joe ?

Joe Spot on ! Although, less work, less money, obviously.

Tim Actually, it’s my girlfriend; she has a terrible habit.

Don Oh, what is it ?

Tim She has a habit of spending MY money !

Later, at lunch at Coffee House

Joe We should think more about the environment. Our company should go green.

Tim What’s on your mind ? What do you recommend ?

Don Yeah, aside from recycling what steps can we take ?

Joe Well, switching to unleaded petrol, saving water and making sure we turn off …

Tim Our brains ? No, I’m pulling your leg. In fact, those are brilliant ideas.

Don I agree totally. Anyway, what are you having to eat ?

Joe I’m not hungry, I had a snack earlier. I’ll just take a coffee.

Tim Ah, here comes our coffee. Things are looking up.

Joe WAIT ! … mmmmm, this is a damn fine cup of coffee !

NOTE: the colour green is associated with the environment

Exercise 3: buying a motorbike

Jim is talking with his buddy (friend) Kev about buying a motorbike. He asks for advice.

Jim Which do you suggest ? The Honda or the Yamaha ? I’m miserable without a bike.

Kev Buy both … no,I’m pulling your leg.In my opinion, Yamaha looks cool.

Jim Yeah, I agree totally. Blue and white. However, Yamahas are uncomfortable.

Kev Good point. In my experience, Hondas are very reliable. Good engineering.

Jim Maybe I should buy a German bike ? Sounds good ?

Kev Sure, buy a luxury BMW, really cool … but really, really expensive !

Jim Ok, so I’ll take the Honda. Wait … what is that awful sound ?

Kev Oh no ! The karaoke has started. All day, every day. I want to scream !

Video Clips

AC / DC current explained: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vN9aR2wKv0U

High-speed trains in China: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0JDoll8OEFE

Tech flops: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P4Rzd21U-1c

Vocabulary

Cars:

Car parts vocabulary: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aazWo7OeJJY

Which of these cars would you like ?

Land Rover / Toyota / Volva / Dacia

Image result for land rover" — Land Rover

I choose the …

because it’s …. cool /economical /fast / beautiful / reliable

however, it’s also … expensive / ugly /unreliable /uneconomical /slow

Vocabulary: Car parts

How many parts can you name ?

Automobile companies

1. Abarth	16. Ford	31. MG	46. Smart
2. Alfa Romeo	17. Honda	32. Mini	47. Ssangyong
3. Aston Martin	18. Hyundai	33. Mitsubishi	48. Subaru
4. Audi	19. Infiniti	34. Morgan	49. Suzuki
5. Bentley	20. Jaguar	35. Nissan	50. Tesla
6. BMW	21. Jeep	36. Noble	51. Toyota
7. Bugatti	22. Kia	37. Pagani	52. Vauxhall
8. Cadillac	23. Lamborghini	38. Peugeot	53. Volkswagen
9. Caterham	24. Land Rover	39. Porsche	54. Volvo
10. Chevrolet	25. Lexus	40. Radical	55. Zenos
11. Chrysler	26. Lotus	41. Renault
12. Citroen	27. Maserati	42. Rolls-Royce
13. Dacia	28. Mazda	43. Saab
14. Ferrari	29. Mclaren	44. Seat
15. Fiat	30. Mercedes-Benz	45. Skoda

This is a list of the 15 largest manufacturers by production in 2016.[35]

Rank	Group	Country	Vehicles
1	Toyota	Japan	10,213,486
2	Volkswagen Group	Germany	10,126,281
3	Hyundai	South Korea	7,889,538
4	General Motors	United States	7,793,066
5	Ford	United States	6,429,485
6	Nissan	Japan	5,556,241
7	Honda	Japan	4,999,266
8	Fiat Chrysler Automobiles	Italy / United States	4,681,457
9	Renault	France	3,373,278
10	PSA	France	3,152,787
11	Suzuki	Japan	2,945,295
12	SAIC	China	2,566,793
13	Daimler	Germany	2,526,450
14	BMW	Germany	2,359,756
15	Changan	China	1,715,871

Tesla, Inc. (formerlyTesla Motors) is an American multinational corporation that specialises in electric vehicles, energy storage and solar panel manufacturing based in Palo Alto, California. Founded in 2003, the company specialises in electric cars, lithium-ion battery energy storage, and residential photovoltaic panels(through the subsidiary company SolarCity).The additional products Tesla sells include the Tesla Powerwall and Powerpack batteries,solar panels and solar roof tiles.

CEO Elon Musk said that he envisions Tesla as a technology company and independent automaker, aimed at eventually offering electric cars at prices affordable to the average consumer.

Tesla Vs Jeremy Clarkson (Top Gear) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_KEN-cxmGw8

Some famous UK car companies

Rolls-Royce and Bentley have been owned by VW since 1998

The Mini is owned by BMW

Jaguar and Land Rover are owned by Tata Motors (India)

Who owns the ‘British’ car companies ? https://www.borro.com/uk/borro-blog/british-car-brands-owners

The second biggest car manufacturer is VW. Why are they so big ?http://The second biggest car manufacturer is VW. Why are they so big ?

BMW = beemer

Cadillac = Cadi = gas guzzler (guzzler = drink a LOT!)

Environmental concerns / issues (advanced) http://shanghaiist.com/2017/06/15/polluting-companies.php

Does this news story surprise you ? Is China worse than Vietnam (in your opinion).

recent/ investigate / emission standards / specifically

ignore / strict / established

World’s biggest polluters

Which countries do you think are in the top ten worst ?https://www.reuters.com/news/picture/who-are-the-worlds-biggest-polluters-idUSRTXRKSI

Any surprises here ?

I’m surprised to see …. on the list / make the list

It doesn’t surprise me that …

Identify these tools. What are they used for ?

There is one black and red hammer. It is used …

Signs, symbols and icons: information and worksheet

21st August 2019

I actually prepared this for my top students in a Young Learners’ Level 3 (ages from 9 – 11) class; university-level semiotics. While most of the class just do the assigned work – no more, no less – others make no effort at all and are unable or unwilling to answer a question to which I have just given the answer. Then we have the top cats … I’m lucky to have two exceptional students in my class as well as two others who, with some effort, could also reach those Olympian heights.

The following is a very simplified, breakdown of everyday signs, symbols and the modern use of the word ‘icon’ as related to technology. The original categorisation into ‘icon, index & symbol’ was devised by Charles Sanders Peirce, and more information can be found on this Wikipedia page: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Semiotic_theory_of_Charles_Sanders_Peirce#II._Icon,_index,_symbol

The following I have printed out as a three-page activity worksheet for my top cats (who generally finish bookwork before others have even started).

A sign uses pictures to give information or to tell people what they can or can not do:

What do these signs mean ? /// The first sign means no smoking.

The second sign means … /// The third sign means …

A symbol is a picture or things that represents a place, city or country.

The ao dai and non la are symbols that represent Viet Nam

What do these symbols represent ?

Icons are used on computers and smartphones. For example, this icon:

represents a dictionary. How about these ?

Draw two more icons from a computer or smartphone.

Draw two signs that could be used in Vietnam

What do these signs from Singapore mean ?

SG50 Singapore's Finest

What do you think of these signs ?

Do you agree ? Do you disagree ? Tell me why …

Young Teens: course review.

27th February 2019

This is my final class with this group as they have tests next week, conducted by the Vietnamese staff. Therefore it is a review lesson, going over recently-acquired words and practising listening skills.

It threatens to be quite passive (although this class is anything but passive) so I need to start with some energetic team games, focussing especially on speaking.

To begin, a STB game based on the previous unit (‘Special Places’). I’ll show various pictures of world landmarks and ask about them, for example where is this:

Bonus points for naming the mythological creature, and for asking the riddle with which it is associated. Other sites include the Taj Mahal, the Parthenon, a lighthouse, and the recently-discovered Hang Soon Dong cave here in Vietnam.

Here we can review UNESCO and world heritage sites. Vietnam currently has eight sites on the UNESCO list – how many can the students name ? https://whc.unesco.org/en/statesparties/vn

Next a ‘run ‘n’ write’ activity. I’ll board an incorrect sentence and the students must correct. I need about seven sentences to give everyone a chance to take part:

What London like

was the weather what like

We goes on a boot trap (in past tense)

It weres (ADVERB) interesting

£75 is ext … exp …

You should criss the rood careful

Dali were a really famous lawyer.

As a bonus, can they draw a Dali-esque clock ?

Next we can have small group work. I shall show various photos and they have to write a short piece using as many adjectives and adverbs as possible:

really / quite / very / not very /

expensive / popular / delicious / boring / exciting / scary

carefully / easily / quickly / noisily

psycho / palace / famous for / in common / gadget.

As usual, it helps to give a model to serve as an example. I shall use this photo:

In this picture, the British spy James Bond is surrounded by some very scary alligators who are extremely hungry. He tries using his magnet gadget on his watch but it doesn’t work. Bond is famous for escaping from very dangerous situations. Quickly, he runs across the water stepping on the backs of the creatures. Bond films are incredibly popular because they are amazingly exciting. Do you find them interesting or boring ?

Now for the students:

The magnificent Heath Ledger as the Joker in ‘The Dark Knight’ 2009.

London’s Buckingham Palace, hone to the Queen.

To end the activity section, an opinion poll. This makes the students get up and ask classmates for their views, so listening and speaking skills are utilised – and no teacher-talking-time !

This survey will be based on Special Places. The students are offered a choice of four locations: The Pyramids of Giza, the Parthenon in Athens, The Taj Mahal in India and Buckingham Palace in England.

Which site do you want to visit most ?

Why ?

What is the weather like there (use adverbs) ?

What can you do there ?

What could be a problem ?

After this, it’s time for the book work and assigned lesson plan. As mentioned, there is a lot of listening and video watching, so that should occupy most of the remaining time.

To finish we need a high-energy game. ‘Family Fortunes’ is good as it makes the students work together, and can be a test of general knowledge. I could ask: name four countries in Europe, four typical dishes from USA, four famous singers etc.

A list of class games can be found in a previous post: https://thaypaulsnotes.com/2018/12/17/note-explanations/

If the energy is just not there, I can always play a YouTube clip of funny animals, or a song (in English) that has been requested.

Let the students leave smiling … but also prepared for next week’s tests.

IELTS: warm up games.

25th February 2019

This is the penultimate class before the speaking test, and the assigned work involves a fair amount of reading and listening. Therefore, I want to introduce more speaking activities so the students can practice and I can check for pronunciation and correct use.

We’ll kick off with a warm up – I’ll board some fixed expressions and the students must complete them:

Long time no …..

At the end of the ….

Better luck next ….

Same thing, day in ……

There’s someone for ……..

(Answers at the end)

At the end of the … is a very common expression, especially used by footballers in post-match interviews. Here is just one example: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VIucUjHlMbE

The last expression leads into the second activity, ‘Lonely Hearts.’

I’ll re-use the photos from a class I took last week, where I show three men and three woman with a very brief bio of each one. The students have to match them up, then speculate on what the outcome of the date will be …

The activity can be found on this blog: https://thaypaulsnotes.com/2019/02/20/adult-class-level-1-computer-world/

After, there will be a quick-fire vocabulary game to go over the meaning of recently-learnt words and expressions.

something that is everywhere, very common, easily found

Quoting a fact from somebody else

An adverb that means much more

An adverb that is mild, a little, a little more

To repeat something

(Again, answers at the end)

The next game is Desert Survival. Students are put into two groups and given a sheet with a number of items. They have to work together to decide upon five items ONLY that will help them survive in the desert.

Desert survival

You need to select five items below to help you survive in the desert.

Factors to consider:

food, drink, heat, cold, injuries, attracting attention, wildlife

First aid kit / matches / rope / knife / compass

cigarettes / blankets / barrel of water /flare gun /torch

magnifying glass / Beatles CD / make-up set / dried food

grammar study book / Angry Birds game / air rifle / sun block

Negotiation language

I see your point but … / that’s interesting, however …

I’m not sure about that / I can’t go along with that

I don’t feel that is entirely right / I fail to see the merits

I respectfully disagree / I find your contention somewhat flawed

Your case (arguement) is not without value, but …

Have you fully considered the implications of your decision ?

The students have to practice the given language and negotiate with each other, then with the other team. We need to find a consensus of five items.

This will probably be enough to take us to the book work.

The first item is the difference between ’cause’ and ‘make’

Look at this sentence:

There was a recession in 2008 because of the collapse of the housing market.

This can be re-written, to alter the style of writing:

Because of the collapse of the housing market, there was a recession in 2008

The collapse of the housing market caused a recession in 2008.

We can see ’cause’ in because of. Here, we are talking about a thing (the housing market). When we talk about the effect on people, we usually use ‘make.’

The recession made many people loose their jobs.

In the area of Ho Chi Minh where I live, there are a lot of open-air karaoke singers, and a vacant lot hired out for wedding parties.

On Saturday, a wedding party caused a lot of noise.

The guests made a lot of noise

Listening to drunken people screaming karaoke makes me angry !

Additionally, ’cause’ is more informal, while ‘make’ is frequently used in informal collocations:

The delay was caused by heavy traffic. The delay made me late.

The heavy traffic caused me to be late. The incessant noise caused me to be angry

This is a more formal than ‘made me late’ but the sentence structure has to be altered; to be is added before the adjective (late).

After, with about thirty minutes left, the energy and motivation will probably be somewhat low (to say the least), so an activity to wake them up and to encourage them to speak and express their views. I shall simply write two contentious issues on the boards, in the hope of provoking the students:

Vietnamese are so lazy

Vietname should be part of China

I am expecting a vociferous outcry, but the object here is to let the students gather their ideas and verbalise them in a suitable way for IELTS.

They will need to give their opinions, use adverbs, and back them up with reasons.

Finally, we can play a Family Fortune (FF) game. Students are put into small groups and have a set time to come up with four answers. These can be learning based (e.g. four adverbs of degree), new vocabulary or general knowledge questions. To make it more fun, I could ask questions regarding my experiences (I have lived in four countries; which ones ? What are my favourite Vietnamese dishes ? What do I like more in VN than UK ? etc).

Hopefully the class will be happy at 9.00 pm, NOT because the lesson is over, but because it has been worthwhile … probably a mixture of the two !

The answers: see / day / time / day out / everybody

ubiquitous / according to / significantly or remarkably / quite or somewhat / reiterate.

Adult Mechanics: Olympics – going for gold.

10th February 2019

This is a lesson plan for an adult class I teach comprised mainly of professional engineers and mechanics. The level is mixed, as is natural with all classes, but I would place most students at Intermediate level. In order to boost them to the next stage, I will introduce more expressions, higher vocabulary and more student talking time.

I’ll be trying to implement a CELTA-style plan: ‘Present, Practice, Produce’ (PPP) which basically means I demonstrate some new language, allow the students to practice and then use the language on their own, checking for pronunciation, intonation and context. The key word is PRACTICE; whatever your field, whatever natural talent you may possess, you have to be disciplined and work, train … which brings us (neatly, I thought) to our subject – the Olympics.

Aside – the themes aren’t really that important, they are merely a starting point for learning. Having said that, they have to hold some measure of interest for the student. Allow me to quote the C15th monk John Lydgate, “You can’t please all the people, all of the time.” Even if some of the students aren’t big sports fans, they will at least be aware of the Games, and should find the videos interesting and beneficial.

I’ll begin with a video about the Olympics. It’s aimed at young native speakers, which is helpful for English – learners as the language will be easier to follow. Additionally, it will introduce some European history to my Vietnamese learners, and afford them the chance to listen to native speakers at a natural pace. And now, without further ado, the video:

Video: Listening practice

Try to watch before the lesson, and make a note of any new vocabulary.

listen for: gather together/ for the length of the games/ common ground/ truce

in honour of/ originally/ ancient/ off and on/ alternating / interlocking/ myth/

Questions – Ask each other Speaking practice

When were the first Games ? When were the final (ancient) games held ?

Who was Zeus ?

How many events were there at first ? What events were later added ?

What were winners given ?

Where and when were the first modern games staged ?

What are the Paralympics ?

What are gold medals made of ?

Why were the five colours of the rings chosen ?

What is the goal of the Olympics ?

“The most important thing is not to win but to take part.” Do you agree ?

Video:

What do you think of the video ? Give positive and negative reactions.

Try to use some of the following expressions:

specular / impressive / co-ordinated / visually stunning / well-organised / you get what you pay for

a waste of money / a drain on natural resources / spectacle but no substance

Team work speaking practice

The Olympics are going to be held in Vietnam. Is this good or bad ?

Divide the class into two teams, one ‘for’, the other ‘against’.

Points to consider:

The cost – how will it be financed ?

How can it generate revenue for Vietnam ?

Impact on the environment

Does Vietnam have the infrastructure to cope ?

Is south-east Asia a good choice in terms of climate ?

Is Vietnam a good choice ?

Does it have big cities ?

Does it have space for an Olympic village ?

What about crime and petty theft ?

Are the police able to deal with the influx of crowds ?

Do the Vietnamese people care enough about sports ?

Is Vietnam enthusiastic about sports ?

Politics – people from all different countries and political beliefs will arrive. Could that be an issue ?

The legacy – what will happen after the Games are over ?

Raising awareness of Vietnam on the world stage.

What do people think when they hear ‘Vietnam’ ?

Encourage overseas investors

Is the cost worth it ?https://www.theguardian.com/sport/2012/oct/23/london-2012-olympics-cost-total

This is from a ‘high-brow’ newspaper and quotes a figure of £8.921 billion. Can Vietnam afford this kind of money ? In China, a lot of money went on infrastructure such as improving airports, subways and roads, and it has been claimed that a profit of $146 was generated. However, Montreal took over 30 years to pay off debts incurred by hosting the Olympics.

Part of the London Olympic complex with the athletes village and, in the distance, the Olympic Stadium, now home to West Ham football club.

Sir Paul McCartney at the Olympic opening ceremony in London 2012

What could Vietnam organise for an opening ceremony ?

Make a plan for the next lesson. Think about celebrating the country’s traditions, nature, economy, history, beauty. What would attract people to Vietnam ?

Tag: Vietnam

Adult Mechanics: What can possibly go wrong ?

Signs, symbols and icons: information and worksheet

Young Teens: course review.

IELTS: warm up games.

Adult Mechanics: Olympics – going for gold.

Vietnam vo dich !