Grammar Chants

Question Words

Question Words Chant

Teacher/Leader: Go! Class/Group: Go!

Teacher/Leader: Who goes? Class/Group: Who goes?

Teacher/Leader: He goes. Class/Group: He goes.

Teacher/Leader: Where does he go? Class/Group: Where does he go?

Teacher/Leader: He goes to school. Class/Group: He goes to school.

Teacher/Leader: When does he go to school? Class/Group: When does he go to school?

Teacher/Leader: He goes to school in the morning. Class/Group: He goes to school at in the morning.

Teacher/Leader: How does he go to school? Class/Group: How does he go to school?

Teacher/Leader: He goes to school by bus. Class/Group: He goes to school by bus. Teacher/Leader: What does he do at school? Class/Group: What does he do at school?

Teacher/Leader: He learns lots of things. Class/Group: He learns lots of things.

Teacher/Leader: Why does he go to school? Class/Group: Why does he go to school?

Teacher/Leader: Because he wants to learn. Class/Group: Because he wants to learn. Questions with 'How'

Teacher/Leader: How! Class/Group: How!

Teacher/Leader: How much? Class/Group: How much?

Teacher/Leader: A lot! Class/Group: A lot!

Teacher/Leader: How many? Class/Group: How many?

Teacher/Leader: A few. Class/Group: A few.

Teacher/Leader: How often? Class/Group: How often?

Teacher/Leader: Sometimes. Class/Group: Sometimes.

Teacher/Leader: How long? Class/Group: How long?

Teacher/Leader: Two hours. Class/Group: Two hours.

Teacher/Leader: How far? Class/Group: How far? Teacher/Leader: Twenty miles. Class/Group: Twenty miles.

Teacher/Leader: How are you? Class/Group: How are you?

Teacher/Leader: Fine! Class/Group: Fine!

Teacher/Leader: How do you do? Class/Group: How do you do?

Teacher/Leader: It's a pleasure. Class/Group: It's a pleasure.

Teacher/Leader: How much is it? Class/Group: How much is it?

Teacher/Leader: $20. Class/Group: $20.

Teacher/Leader: How many are there? Class/Group: How many are there?

Teacher/Leader: Ten! Class/Group: Ten!

Teacher/Leader: How! Class/Group: How! Introductions

Teacher/Leader: Hi! Class/Group: Hi!

Teacher/Leader: How do you do. Class/Group: How do you do.

Teacher/Leader: I'm fine, and you? Class/Group: I'm fine, and you?

Teacher/Leader: I'm fine thanks. Class/Group: I'm fine, thanks.

Teacher/Leader: How do you do. Class/Group: How do you do. Teacher/Leader: How are you? Class/Group: How are you?

Teacher/Leader: I'm fine, and you? Class/Group: I'm fine, and you?

Teacher/Leader: I'm great, thanks. Class/Group: I'm great, thanks.

Introductions 2

Teacher/Leader: Hi! Class/Group: Hi!

Teacher/Leader: Nice to meet you. Class/Group: Nice to meet you.

Teacher/Leader: I'm fine and you? Class/Group: I'm fine and you?

Teacher/Leader: What's your name? Class/Group: What's your name?

Teacher/Leader: My name is Fred. Class/Group: My name is Fred.

Teacher/Leader: Where are you from? Class/Group: Where are you from? Teacher/Leader: I'm from Seattle. Class/Group: I'm from Seattle.

Teacher/Leader: Are you American? Class/Group: Are you American?

Teacher/Leader: Yes, I am. Class/Group: Yes, I am.

Teacher/Leader: Where are YOU from? Class/Group: Where are YOU from?

Teacher/Leader: I'm from India. Class/Group: I'm from India Questions with 'Like'

Teacher/Leader: LIKE! Class/Group: LIKE!

Teacher/Leader: What is he like? Class/Group: What is he like?

Teacher/Leader: Nice and friendly! Class/Group: Nice and friendly!

Teacher/Leader: What does she like? Class/Group: What does she like?

Teacher/Leader: She likes sports. Class/Group: She likes sports.

Teacher/Leader: What would you like? Class/Group: What would you like?

Teacher/Leader: Food! Class/Group: Food! Teacher/Leader: What does she look like? Class/Group: What does she look like?

Teacher/Leader: Tall and pretty. Class/Group: Tall and pretty.

Teacher/Leader: LIKE! Class/Group: LIKE!

Teacher/Leader: What would you like? Class/Group: What would you like? Teacher/Leader: Something to drink. Class/Group: Something to drink.

Teacher/Leader: What do you like? Class/Group: What do you like?

Teacher/Leader: Watching TV and reading. Class/Group: Watching TV and reading.

Teacher/Leader: What is she like? Class/Group: What is she like?

Teacher/Leader: Nice and friendly. Class/Group: Nice and friendly.

Teacher/Leader: How is he? Class/Group: How is he?

Teacher/Leader: Fine Class/Group: Fine Verb + Gerund

Teacher/Leader: ING Class/Group: ING

Teacher/Leader: like doing Class/Group: like doing

Teacher/Leader: I like reading. Class/Group: I like reading.

Teacher/Leader: love doing Class/Group: love doing

Teacher/Leader: I love dancing! Class/Group: I love dancing!

Teacher/Leader: HATE doing Class/Group: HATE doing

Teacher/Leader: I hate working! Class/Group: I hate working!

Teacher/Leader: avoid doing Class/Group: avoid doing

Teacher/Leader: He avoided answering. Class/Group: He avoided answering.

Teacher/Leader: finish doing Class/Group: finish doing Teacher/Leader: He finished playing tennis. Class/Group: He finished playing tennis.

Teacher/Leader: practice doing Class/Group: practice doing

Teacher/Leader: He practiced playing the piano. Class/Group: He practiced playing the piano.

Teacher/Leader: try doing Class/Group: try doing

Teacher/Leader: We tried chanting! Class/Group: We tried chanting!

Teacher/Leader: ING! Class/Group: ING!

Verb + Infinitive Teacher/Leader: INFINITIVE! Class/Group: INFINITIVE!

Teacher/Leader: would like to do Class/Group: would like to do

Teacher/Leader: I'd like to come. Class/Group: I'd like to come.

Teacher/Leader: appear to do Class/Group: appear to do

Teacher/Leader: He appears to like the show. Class/Group: He appears to like the show.

Teacher/Leader: claim to do Class/Group: claim to do

Teacher/Leader: They claim to work hard. Class/Group: They claim to work hard.

Teacher/Leader: hope to do Class/Group: hope to do

Teacher/Leader: Hope to see you soon! Class/Group: Hope to see you soon!

Teacher/Leader: learn to do Class/Group: learn to do

Teacher/Leader: He learned to play golf. Class/Group: He learned to play golf. Teacher/Leader: need to do Class/Group: need to do

Teacher/Leader: I need to do some work. Class/Group: I need to do some work.

Teacher/Leader: want to do Class/Group: want to do

Teacher/Leader: He wants to come. Class/Group: He wants to come.

Teacher/Leader: INFINITIVE! Class/Group: INFINITIVE! Pronouns

Teacher/Leader: I Class/Group: I

Teacher/Leader: I, me Class/Group: I, me

Teacher/Leader: My book. Class/Group: My book.

Teacher/Leader: That's mine. Class/Group: That's mine.

Teacher/Leader: You Class/Group: You

Teacher/Leader: You, you Class/Group: You, you

Teacher/Leader: Your book Class/Group: Your book

Teacher/Leader: That's yours. Class/Group: That's yours.

Teacher/Leader: He Class/Group: He

Teacher/Leader: He, him Class/Group: He, him Teacher/Leader: His book Class/Group: His book

Teacher/Leader: That's his. Class/Group: That's his.

Teacher/Leader: She Class/Group: She

Teacher/Leader: She, her Class/Group: She, her

Teacher/Leader: Her book Class/Group: Her book

Teacher/Leader: That's hers. Class/Group: That's hers.

Teacher/Leader: We Class/Group: We

Teacher/Leader: We, us Class/Group: We, us

Teacher/Leader: Our book Class/Group: Our book

Teacher/Leader: That's ours Class/Group: That's ours

Teacher/Leader: They Class/Group: They Teacher/Leader: They, them Class/Group: They, them

Teacher/Leader: Their book Class/Group: Their book

Teacher/Leader: That's theirs. Class/Group: That's theirs. Simple Present

Teacher/Leader: I know you. Class/Group: I know you.

Teacher/Leader: He knows you. Class/Group: He knows you.

Teacher/Leader: I don't know. Class/Group: I don't know.

Teacher/Leader: He doesn't know. Class/Group: He doesn't know.

Teacher/Leader: We Class/Group: We

Teacher/Leader: We enjoy this class. Class/Group: We enjoy this class. Teacher/Leader: She Class/Group: She

Teacher/Leader: She enjoys this class. Class/Group: She enjoys this class.

Teacher/Leader: You Class/Group: You

Teacher/Leader: You don't complain. Class/Group: You don't complain.

Teacher/Leader: She Class/Group: She

Teacher/Leader: She doesn't complain. Class/Group: She doesn't complain.

Teacher/Leader: They Class/Group: They

Teacher/Leader: Do they like it? Class/Group: Do they like it?

Teacher/Leader: Does he like it? Class/Group: Does he like it?

Teacher/Leader: I, you, we, they Class/Group: I, you, we, they Teacher/Leader: no S, no S, no s Class/Group: no S, no S, no S

Teacher/Leader: He, She, It Class/Group: He, She, It

Teacher/Leader: yes s, yes s, yes s Class/Group: yes s, yes s, yes s Describing Vocabulary for Cinema, Movies, and Stars

Speaking about various actor and actress and the films they have appeared in provides an ideal opportunity for students to use "bigger than life" descriptive adjectives - thus widening their the descriptive vocabulary skills.

Aim: Improve vocabulary skills used when speaking about the cinema, films and movies

Activity: Matching exercise combining descriptive adjectives and famous actors and actresses

Level: Intermediate

Outline:

 Ask students to name some of their favorite actors and actresses. Encourage them to use descriptive adjectives to describe them.

 Have students pair up and use the activity. Ask them to choose one or two descriptive adjectives that they feel describes the actor or actress best. Students should feel free to discuss their opinions.

 As a class, go through the list of actors and actresses and discuss which adjectives they have chosen to describe the various actors and actresses.

 As a follow up activity, ask students to choose an actor or actress that they are very familiar with and write a description of the various films that he/she has done using the various descriptive adjectives from the list, as well as others that they know or look up in a dictionary. How would you describe your favorite actor or actress?

 Woody Allen  Handsome  Marilyn Monroe  Comely  Roberto Benigni  Plain  Anthony Hopkins  Overrated  Judy Foster  Impeccable  Dustin Hoffman  Boring  Jim Carey  Extrovert  Demi Moore  Sophisticated  Arnold  Agile Schwarzeneger  Sinister  Sophia Loren  Multi-talented  Bruce Willis  Beautiful  Will Smith  Absurd  Meg Ryan  Versatile  Tom Hanks  Ironic  You choose!  Glamorous  You choose!

 Idiotic  You choose Movies, Films, Actors and Accesses

Almost anywhere you go these days people love to talk about what they have seen in the cinema. Any class, will usually be well versed in both their own native country's films and the latest and greatest from Hollywood and elsewhere. This subject is especially useful with younger students who might be hesitant to speak about their own lives. Speaking about films provides an almost endless font of possibilities for conversation. Here are a few ideas:

Aim: Promoting conversation - especially with younger students who might be hesitant to speak about their own lives.

Activity: General introduction to films, dictation and short listening exercise, followed by students' discussing their answers to dictated questions.

Level: Intermediate to advanced

Outline:

 Introduce the topic by asking students to name different types of film and a film they know of that represents that genre. Example: Comedy - Manhattan by Woody Alan

 Dictate the following questions to the students - they need only write down their responses.

o What is your favorite non - Italian, German, French, etc. (you name the nationality) film?

o What is your favorite Italian, German, French, etc. (you name the nationality) film?

o Who is your favorite actor or actress?

o What is the worst film you have ever seen?

o In your opinion, who is the worst actor or actress in film today?

 Have students put aside their answers to the above questions.

 Read the short description of the film provided with this lesson (or invent a short description of a film you know that most students have seen). Ask the students to name the film.  Have students divide up into small groups and discuss a film they have all seen. After they discussed the film, ask them to write a short description of the film like the one you have read to the class.

 Groups read their summaries aloud to the other groups which need to name the films described. You can easily turn this into a little competitive game setting the number of times the descriptions can be read aloud.

 Returning to the questions at the beginning of class, ask each student to choose one of the questions and answer that question explaining to the other students their reasons for choosing that film or actor/actress as the best/worst. During this part of the lesson students should be encouraged to agree or disagree and add their own comments to the discussion at hand.

 As a follow-up homework task, students can write a short review of a film they have seen to be discussed during the next session.

Which Film?

This film takes place on an Italian island. An exiled, communist poet comes to the island and slowly becomes friends with a simple, local man. The film seems to be about learning which can take place between friends. During the film, the poet helps his friend persuade a beautiful young woman to become his wife by helping the man write love letters. The film follows the maturing of a young, simple man through his contact with a famous man who he admires greatly.

Answer: "The Postman" by Massimo Troisi - Italy, 1995

 Lesson Plan: Integrating Target Structures

 This week's feature focuses on an integrating a lesson plan to focus on one targeted area in using different language skills. The example lesson plan focuses on the use of recycling language, namely the passive voice, to help students learn inductively while at the same time improve their oral production skills. By often repeating the passive voice in various guises the students become comfortable with the use of the passive and can then go on to actually employ the passive voice in speaking. It is important to remember that the subject area that the should speak about needs to be limited as to not male the task too difficult by giving students too much choice. In the past, I have often allowed students to choose their subject, however I have noticed that when the oral production task is clearly defined, students are more able to produce the targeted structure because they are not worried about inventing some subject or saying something clever.

Please feel free to copy this lesson plan or use the materials in one of your own classes. LESSON AIMS

 Students will improve recognition of the differences between the passive voice and active voice with particular attention paid to the present simple, past simple, and present perfect passive forms.

 Students will inductively review passive form structures.

 Students will quickly review language used to express opinions.

 Students will contextualise the use of the passive by first making guesses about Seattle, and then finding out about certain facts about that city

 Students will focus on passive oral production skills in the context of speaking about Tuscany.

 POSSIBLE PROBLEMS  Students will almost certainly have problems with using the passive form in production activities. As the class is an intermediate level, students have principally concentrated on acquiring oral skills using the active voice. For this reason, I have chosen the narrow focus area of speaking about Tuscany so that students can focus on a specific subject in the context of speaking about their part of the world.

 Students might tend to place the subject of the passive sentence after the participle as they are used to an object being the object of a verb and not the subject of the sentence.

 Students might have difficulties in recognising the difference between the passive voice and the present perfect active.

 Students might substitute /d/ for /t/ in certain participle endings with verbs such as 'send'.

SKILLS

1. Reading Short prepared text with passive and active in the present simple, past simple, and present perfect forms.

2. Speaking. Develop skimming skills by scanning text to locate facts about Seattle. Speaking Making guesses and expressing opinions about Seattle. Speaking about Tuscany using the passive voice.

3. GRAMMAR Inductive grammar review of the differences between the passive and active focusing mainly on the present simple, past simple and present perfect passives. MATERIALS Teacher produced

Lesson Plan

Lesson Exercises Purpose Phase Relate story about Cavalleria Rusticana which To call to mind and refresh student was written by Mascagni in awareness of the passive voice in a Warm-up 5 Leghorn, ask students if relaxed introductory segment. By taking minutes there are any other famous about Leghorn, students are prepared for things that are produced the following activities concerning Seattle. etc. in Leghorn. Quick review of language used to A. As a class, illicit expresses opinions and make guesses. language used to express By working through the fact sheet students opinions. will hopefully begin to intuitively use the Guess B. Look at Seattle fact passive voice while contextualising the Work 10 sheet use of the passive when used to describe a minutes C. In pairs, quickly discuss native city or region. This section also which facts they think are creates student interest in the following true or false. reading selection by asking them to guess if the facts are true or false. Reading 15 A. Have students read short To inductively improve the recognition minutes text about Seattle of the differences between the active B. Have students underline and passive voice. In section A students passive voice structures. become aware of the differences by seeing C. Students discuss what repeated use of both the active and passive voice. In section B students inductively increase their recognition skills by underlining the passive form. At the same the differences are between time, students improve their skimming the active and passive skills by checking if their previous guesses voice. about Seattle were correct. Section C D. Class review of passive allows students to learn from each other in structure. a relaxed manner. Finally, section D helps students review the passive voice as a class with confirmation by the teacher. A. As a class, discuss which passive utterances could be used to describe a Use of passive voice to describe region. (i.e. Wine is favourite subjects. By having students produced in Chianti) speak about Tuscany, students con focus Oral B. Have students divide on correct passive voice production in the Production into groups of three. contextualised situation of speaking about 15 minutes C. Each group should focus your native region or city. After having on using the passive voice listened to group work around the class, to describe Tuscany to the teacher can then help students with his/her partners. common mistakes. D. Class correction of common errors.

Here are the Materials used for the lesson:

Seattle Fact Sheet  The basketball team "The Lakers" are from Seattle

 It often rains in Seattle

 Silicon valley is near Seattle

 Bill Gates and Microsoft are located in Seattle

 Chrysler cars are manufactured in Seattle

 Bruce Springsteen was born in Seattle

 "Grunge" music comes from Seattle

 Seattle is in the Southwest of the United States

My Hometown Many years ago, I was born in Seattle, Washington USA. Seattle is located in the Northwest corner of the USA. Recently, Seattle has become the focus of much international attention. Many films have been made there, probably the most famous of which is "Sleepless in Seattle" starring Meg Ryan and Tom Hanks. Seattle is also known as the birthplace of Grunge music, both Pearl Jam and Nirvana are from Seattle. For older people like myself, it should be noted that Jimmi Hendrix was born in Seattle! NBA fans know Seattle for the "Seattle Supersonics" which has played basketball in Seattle for more than 30 years. Unfortunately, Seattle is also famous for its bad weather. I can remember weeks and weeks of grey, wet weather when I was growing up.

Seattle has also become one of the fastest growing business areas in the United States. Two of the most important names in the booming business scene in Seattle are Microsoft and Boeing. Microsoft was founded and is owned by the world-famous Bill Gates (how much of his software is on your computer?). Boeing has always been essential to the economic situation in Seattle. It is located to the north of Seattle and famous jets such as the "Jumbo" have been manufactured there for more than 50 years!

Seattle is positioned between the Puget Sound and the Cascade Mountains. The combination of its scenic location, thriving business conditions and exciting cultural scene makes Seattle one of America's most interesting cities.

Discuss your ideas for effective teaching on the bulletin board.

Conversation - Which school do we choose?

The following conversation lesson provides a fun proposition: If you could choose one of the following language programs in countries where English is spoken as a native language, which would you choose? Discussion of this question among small groups can lead to some very interesting insights about why students have chosen to study English - for the students, as well as the teacher. The functional focus is on expressing opinions and preferences, disagreeing and negotiation skills.

Aim: Conversational skills in expressing opinions, preferences, disagreeing and negotiation Activity: Which school would you choose and why - discuss with partners and choose one school

Level: Intermediate

Outline:

 Have a short class discussion about the different reasons they have for learning English.

 Quickly review vocabulary used for expressing opinions, disagreeing etc. (look at worksheet).

 Ask students to divide up into small groups of 3 to 5.

 Give students worksheets and ask them to choose one of the programs while evaluating the pros and cons of the various school options according to their preferences.

 Hold short feedback session asking students which school they have chosen and why.

 If suitable, ask students how their choices reflect their English learning goals as a way of awareness raising about their own English learning objectives. This can be a rather surprising exercise, as well as insightful and useful for future lesson planning! Which School Should We Choose?

Imagine that your group would like to study at an intensive English program in a country where English is the primary language. You have the following three schools from which to choose. Decide which school you would like to attend basing your decisions on whatever reasons you feel are valid (i.e. free time, English learning goals, cost, duration, curiosity about the country and its culture, etc.). Below you will find phrases and language helpful in expressing opinions, preferences and disagreeing.

Suggestions:

Where shall we...., Let's ..., Why don't we...., What about...., How about....

Opinions, Preferences:

I think..., In my opinion..., I'd like to..., I'd rather..., I'd prefer..., The way I see it..., As far as I'm concerned..., If it were up to me...

Disagreeing:

I don't think that..., Don't you think it would be better..., I don't agree, I'd prefer..., Shouldn't we consider..., But what about..., I'm afraid I don't agree... School Choices British Best

 London, England

 Language instruction 6 hours a day, Monday through Saturday

 Housing with a British family - breakfast included

 14 days - 12 days of instruction

 Teachers qualified with TEFL Certificate

 4 Outings included: Tate Gallery, Concert in Royal Albert Hall, The Countryside around London, Cats (Musical)

 Price: $1,500 round-trip airfare included

Hawaiian Paradise Learning

 School located in a park on Oahu Island 60 miles from Honolulu

 Language instruction 4 hours a day, Monday through Friday

 Housing in a bungalow 5 minute walk from the beach - breakfast, and dinner included

 English native speaking teachers

 Beach Party, Scuba-Snorkel Safari, Wind-Surfing included

 Price: $1,700 round-trip airfare included

English Program at University of Whatchamacallit

 School located in the small town of Paluka in Wyoming, USA, population 40,000

 University staff - all teachers with Masters Degree

 Language instruction 5 hours a day, Monday through Saturday  Dormitory style housing, breakfast, lunch and dinner included

 Nature walks, meet American students party (party to make introductions between US students and international students), skiing at weekends included

 Price: $1,400 round-trip airfare included .

Let's Do Tourism - Discussion and Debate Lesson for Advanced Level Classes

Many thanks to Kevin Roche, a colleague of mine, who has kindly allowed me to include his conversation lesson on the site.

Tourism is becoming more and more important - especially for those learning English. Here is a two part lesson which focuses on the question of developing tourism as an industry in your local town. Students need to develop concepts, discuss local economic problems and solutions to those problems, think about possible negative impacts and finally make a presentation. These two lessons provide a great long term project for upper level students, while offering an opportunity to use English in a number of "authentic" settings. Let's Do Tourism - Part 1

Aim: Discussion, explaining, reasoning, agreeing and disagreeing

Activity: Tourism - Do we need it? Discussion of pros and cons of developing local tourism

Level: Upper intermediate to advanced

Outline:

 Split students into two groups - one group representatives of 'Let's Do Tourism', a tourism development company. The other group representatives of the residents of your city and are in opposition to the plans of 'Let's Do tourism'.

 Give each student a copy of one of the discussion notes.

 Ask students if they have any questions on the explanatory notes.

 Give students fifteen minutes to prepare for the discussion in their groups. Students should discuss the points mentioned and any other points they may come up with in their groups.

 Circulate around the classroom helping students and taking notes on common language problems.

 Have students get back together and try to convince you (or another chosen group of students) of their reasoning.

 Begin the activity follow-up by going over some of the more common mistakes made by students.

 Finish the activity as a class by asking each student to choose one reason either for or against the project. Each student should then disucuss one of the points in front of the rest of the class. Ask other students to comment on the arguments presented. Your Town, The Next Tourist Paradise?

A company called 'let's Do Tourism' is panning to invest a large amount of money to turn your town into a major center for tourists. They have made plans to manufacture a number of hotels and other tourist infrastructure in your town. As well as the hotels, they have also made plans to radically improve the night life in your town by opening a string of clubs and bars. They hope that by the year 2004 your town will be a major competitor within the tourist industry in your country.

Group 1

You are representatives of 'Let's Do Tourism' your aim is to promote the plans of your company and to convince me that tourism is the best solutions for your city. points to concentrate on:

 The increase in jobs that will come with the increase in investment.

 They money that the tourists will bring into the local economy

 The progress and development of your city which will result in it becoming more important with not only your region, but also your country as well.

 Better for the young people of your city as there will be much more investment in leisure industries.

Group 2

You are the representatives of the residents of your city and are in opposition to the plans of 'Let's Do tourism'. Your aim is to convince me that this is a bad idea for your town. Points to consider:

 Environmental issues - tourists = pollution

 Troublemakers - many tourists have no respect for the places they visit and are only interested in getting drunk and causing trouble.  The rise in tourism will bring about radical changes and will result in the traditional way of life in your town being lost. Perhaps forever.

 Rather than promoting the position of your city in your country, this move will make your city the laughing stock of your country. Let's Do Tourism - Discussion and Debate Lesson for Advanced Level Classes

Tourism is becoming more and more important - especially for those learning English. Here is a two part lesson which focuses on the question of developing tourism as an industry in your local town. Students need to develop concepts, discuss local economic problems and solutions to those problems, think about possible negative impacts and finally make a presentation. These two lessons provide a great long term project for upper level students, while offering an opportunity to use English in a number of "authentic" settings.

Let's Do Tourism - Part 2

Aim: Discussion, use of present perfect, present perfect continuous, second conditional, presentation skills

Activity: Tourism - Let's Do Tourism - presentation of tourism scheme developed by student groups

Outline:

 Split students into two or more groups - each group is going to compete for a contract to develop a new tourism center in your town.

 Give each student a copy of one of the discussion notes.

 Ask students if they have any questions on the explanatory notes.

 Give students fifteen minutes to prepare for the discussion in their groups. Students should discuss the points mentioned and any other points they may come up with in their groups.

 Circulate around the classroom helping students and taking notes on common language problems as they work through the project.  Once each group has completed their presentation, have each group deliver its presentation doing its best to convince you of their strategy.

 Take notes and try to ask as many probing questions as possible forcing students to think on their feet in English.

 Once students have made their presentations make a decision. I would highly recommend you make your decision based on the English in the presentations. This will enable you to make excuses when students disagree with your decision!

Your Town, The Next Tourist Paradise?

Tourism Hits Your Town

The town council has decided that the city is in desperate need of an economic boost. They believe that by making the city more attractive to tourists they will be able to achieve their aims.

You are representatives of rival companies who are looking to gain the contract for this re-development from the council. I want you to give a detailed presentation explaining why your company is the best one for the job. Your aim is to convince the representative of the council that your company offers the best solution.

Points to consider

 Think of a name for your company.

 Preparation, what has your company done so far i.e. raised money, support (present perfect)

 Plans that are in progress. Who you have been talking to, what you have been trying to do, what you have been building, etc. (present perfect continuous)

 Explain the problems that have existed within your town up to this point in time. i.e. life in your town has been boring for too may years and needs a change, or that too many people are unemployed and need to find work. (second conditional)

 Finally, conclude your presentation with a short account that sells your company to the council. How To Write Resume in English

Writing a resume in English can be very different than in your native tongue. The following how to outlines a standard resume format.

Difficulty Level: Hard Time Required: 2 hours

Here's How:

1. First, take notes on your work experience - both paid and unpaid, full time and part time. Write down your responsibilities, job title and company information. Include everything! 2. Take notes on your education. Include degree or certificates, major or course emphasis, school names and courses relevant to career objectives. 3. Take notes on other accomplishments. Include membership in organizations, military service and any other special accomplishments. 4. From the notes, choose which skills are transferable (skills that are similar) to the job you are applying for - these are the most important points for your resume. 5. Begin resume by writing your full name, address, telephone number, fax and email at the top of the resume. 6. Write an objective. The objective is a short sentence describing what type of work you hope to obtain. 7. Begin work experience with your most recent job. Include the company specifics and your responsibilities - focus on the skills you have identified as transferable. 8. Continue to list all of your work experience job by job progressing backwards in time. Remember to focus on skills that are transferable. 9. Summarize your education, including important facts (degree type, specific courses studied) that are applicable to the job you are applying for. 10.Include other relevant information such as languages spoken, computer programming knowledge etc. under the heading: Additional Skills 11.Finish with the phrase: REFERENCES Available upon request 12.Your entire resume should ideally not be any longer than one page. If you have had a number of years of experience specific to the job you are applying for, two pages are also acceptable. 13.Spacing: ADDRESS (center of page in bold) OBJECTIVE double space EXPERIENCE double space EDUCATION double space ADDITIONAL SKILLS double space REFERENCES. Left align everything except name/address.

1. Use dynamic action verbs such as: accomplished, collaborated, encouraged, established, facilitated, founded, managed, etc. 2. Do NOT use the subject "I", use tenses in the past. Except for your present job. Example: Conducted routine inspections of on site equipment. Business Letter Writing: Sales Letters

The following letters introduce products for sales.

Useful Key Phrases

 Are you having trouble ...

 This is why it is important to have ...

 At X, we have the skills and experience to ...

 May we stop by and offer you a FREE estimate of how much it would cost to ...

 If so, give us a call at X and set up and appointment with one of your friendly operators.

Example Letter

Document Makers 2398 Red Street Salem, MA 34588

March 10, 2001

Thomas R. Smith Drivers Co. 3489 Greene Ave. Olympia, WA 98502

Dear Mr. Smith:

Are you having trouble getting your important documents formatted correctly? If you are like most business owners, you have trouble finding the time to economically produce good-looking documents. This is why it is important to have a specialist take care of your most important documents.

At Documents Makers, we have the skills and experience to come in and help you make the best possible impression. May we stop by and offer you a FREE estimate of how much it would cost to get your documents looking great? If so, give us a call at 789- 8989 and set up and appointment with one of your friendly operators.

Sincerely,

(signature here)

Richard Brown President

Expanding Descriptive Verb Use

One of the most important steps in improving writing skills is expanding the use of more descriptive language when describing actions. Students tend to repeat verb usage: "He said..., She told him..., She asked..., He ran quickly..., He walked across the room...". The target of this lesson plan is to get students more aware of the subtle variations that they can employ by using more descriptive verbs such as: "He insisted on..., She giggled..., They nibbled on..., etc.".

Aim: Improve descriptive verb usage in writing

Activity: Vocabulary expansion activity followed by writing activity focusing on expanding on a bare-bones extract

Outline:

 Write the verbs 'say, laugh, walk, eat, think, drink' on the board and ask students to divide into small groups to think up as many synonyms for these verbs as they can.

 Once students have finished this exercise, pool the results together as a class. You may want to have a student take notes and photocopy the class results.

 Have students return to their groups to do the exercise below matching general meaning verbs to more specific verbs.

 Once students have finished, compare answers as a class. Your acting abilities might be called for to explain the subtle differences between a number of the verbs.

 Next, ask students to write a simple story about something that has recently happened to them. Instruct them to use simple verbs such as 'say, do, make, tell, walk, etc.'  Have students pair up and exchange their stories. Each student should then elaborate the texts of the other student by using as many verbs previously studied as they can.

 Once students have finished and compared their stories, the class can have some fun reading the stories aloud.

Interesting Writing

Match the more specific verbs to the general meaning verbs in column one

tell move say exclaim toss stagger munch slurp twist laugh writhe hurl sip order swallow insist eat giggle clutch fidget chuckle sprint mutter drink wander instruct nibble gulp snigger lob throw hug trudge munch jog mention wriggle run bend grasp stagger whisper pass swallow move hold walk Error Correction

Error correction is often done by the teacher providing corrections for mistakes made by students. However, it is probably more effective for students to correct their own mistakes. In order to do this, students and the teacher should have a common shorthand for correcting mistakes.

Aim: Teaching students to correct their own mistakes

Activity: Mistake identification and correction

Level: Intermediate

Outline:

 Discuss the importance of correcting your own mistakes with students. Point out that information arrived out inductively (by their own reasoning) is more likely to be retained over the long term.

 Go through the shorthand used in the following exercise for various types of mistakes.

 Ask students to first find mistakes in the short biography.

 Give students the correction marks copy of the short biography

 Ask students to correct the short biography based on the correction marks.

 Give students corrected version of short biography. Correcting Mistakes

Correction Key

 T = tense

 P = punctuation

 WO = word order

 Prep = preposition

 WW = wrong word

 GR = grammar

 Y upside down = word missing

 SP = spelling

Find and mark the mistakes in the following short biography.

Jack Friedhamm was born to New York in October 25, 1965. He began school at the age of six and continued until he was 18 years. He then went to New York University to learn Medicine. He decided on Medicine because he liked biology when he was at school. While he was to University he met his wife Cindy. Cindy was a beautiful woman with hair long black. They went along for yeers before they decided getting married. Jack began to work like a doctor as soon as he graduated to Medical School. They had two children named Jackie and Peter, and have lived in Queens since the past two years. Jack is very interested painting and likes to paint portraits of his sun Peter.

Compare your corrections with the following and then correct the mistakes. Compare your corrected version with the following:

Jack Friedhamm was born in New York on October 25, 1965. He began school at the age of six and continued until he was 18 years old. He then went to New York University to learn Medicine. He decided on Medicine because he liked biology when he was at school. While he was at University, he met his wife Cindy. Cindy was a beautiful woman with long black hair. They went out for years before they decided to get married. Jack began to work as a doctor as soon as he had graduated from Medical School. They have had two children named Jackie and Peter, and have lived in Queens for the past two years. Jack is very interested in painting and likes to paint portraits of his son Peter. Use of Time Expressions

Time expressions are often the key to understanding and planning written work. Students can improve their written and spoken accuracy by having a good grasp of the relationship between time expressions and tenses. This lesson includes an identification and matching exercise and is followed by a longer sentence construction exercise to give students practice in correct sentence structure.

Aim: Increased awareness and/or review of relationship between time expressions and tenses

Activity: Identification and matching exercise, followed by sentence completion

Level: Intermediate to Upper Intermediate

Outline:

 Write a number of time expressions on the board and ask students to identify which tenses can be used with the various time expressions.

 Shortly review the more difficult time expressions with the class.

 Distribute worksheet.

 Have students work together in small groups to complete the first exercise.

 Correct the exercise in class, making sure to review problem areas.

 Have students complete the written work by themselves.

 Ask students to exchange the exercise and check each other's work - this helps students further inductively improve their skills by seeing how other students have used the time expressions.

 Finish with a follow up discussion of any problematic areas.

 Have students write an autobiography or biography of a famous person employing the time expressions employed in the lesson. Time Expressions Matching and Identifying Time Expressions

Draw a line to the time expression with the sentence fragment. Complete by drawing a line to the correct tense identification.

Sentence Fragment Time Expression Tense Used John will have completed ...at the moment. future intention the fourth grade... As soon as I arrive,... present perfect continuous We are studying Roman ...when I was a child. present simple history...... for two hours when you past simple They haven't finished their arrived. homework... future perfect When I arrived,... Jack gets up early... future time clause ...three times this year. ...I will give you a ring. present perfect ...by next June. I began skiing... present continuous at this time tomorrow. ...she was reading a book. past perfect ...since 1997. He had been waiting... future continuous When we arrived,... I used to play tennis every past continuous day...... on Saturdays. present perfect continuous Maria has been living in ...yet. Pisa... past perfect continuous ...five years ago. I will be sleeping... past simple ...in April. We've been to Paris ...

I'm going to visit Germany...

....she had already eaten dinner.

Complete the Sentences

 ...when I was younger.

 ...for many years.

 ...this time next week.

 ...at(on) weekends.

 After he finishes his homework,...

 By the time you receive this letter,...

 ...three years ago.

 ...this week.

 ...since 1996.

 ...while I was watching TV.

 ...next year.

 ...yet.

 ...yet?

 Usually,...

 ...in June. Writing - Combining Ideas to Write Descriptive Paragraphs

Writing well constructed paragraphs is the corner-stone of good English written style. Paragraphs should contain sentences that convey ideas concisely and directly. This lesson focuses on helping students develop a strategy for combining various ideas into well formed sentences which then combine to produce effective descriptive paragraphs.

Aim: Developing descriptive paragraph writing skills

Activity: Idea grouping and consolidation at the sentence level leading to descriptive paragraphs

Level: Intermediate to upper-intermediate

Outline:

 Introduce the topic of writing paragraphs by asking students what they consider a well formed paragraph. Introduce the idea of concise sentences as being integral to good English written style.

 Have students take a look at the example sentences and paragraph.

 Ask students to group the sentences in the example based on the ideas that go together as shown in the following paragraph (i.e., person and describing adjectives, etc.)

 Individually or in pairs, ask students to group sentences in the first exercise.

 Based on this grouping, ask students to write descriptive paragraph.

 Ask students to complete creative writing exercise by following similar steps. (i.e., choose subject, create idea sentences, group sentences, write paragraph)

 Choose some of the compositions to be read aloud in class. Ask students to comment on the examples.

Descriptive Paragraphs Example: New York City

New York City is in the United States. New York City is located in New York State. It borders on the Atlantic Ocean. It was founded in 1625 as "New Amsterdam". It was first settled by the Dutch. It is important for commerce. Wall Street is located in New York City. It has many national and international banks. It has many important skyscrapers. The World Trade Center is located in New York City. The Empire State Building is in New York City. New York City is an important city for immigration. Ellis Island used to be the entry point for many immigrants at the turn of the century. There is an interesting immigration museum on Ellis Island.

New York, New York is located on the Atlantic Coast of the United States of America. It was first settled as "New Amsterdam" in 1625 by the Dutch. Today, New York City is an important commercial and banking center which includes Wall Street. Among its many important skyscrapers are the World Trade Center and The Empire State Building. One of the most interesting museums is on Ellis Island which served as the entry point for many immigrants who passed through New York City at the turn of the century. Exercise 1: Elvis Presley

 Arrange the sentences about Elvis Presley into idea groups.

 Write a paragraph about Elvis Presley using the idea groups to create concise sentences.

Elvis Presley was an American. He was a singer and actor He was famous for rock-and-roll. He was born in Tupelo, Mississippi. He was born on January 8, 1935 He started singing in church. He taught himself to play the guitar. He first became popular on the local touring circuit for country-and-western music. He sang romantic songs. He danced erotically. Teens loved him for his new style. He had many hits. He sang "Love Me Tender", "All Shook Up", and "Don't Be Cruel". He died on August 16, 1977. He died in Memphis, Tennessee. He might have died of drug and alcohol abuse.

Exercise 2: Creative Writing

 Choose a famous place or person.

 Write down a number of important facts about that place or person.

 Arrange the sentences into idea groups.

 Write a paragraph using the idea groups to create concise sentences. Guided Writing Exercise Students - Helping Students Write a Creative Story

Once students have become familiar with the basics of English and have begun communicating, writing can help open up new avenues of expression. These first steps are often difficult as students struggle to combine simple sentences into more complex structures. This guided writing lesson is intended to help bridge the gap from simply writing sentences to developing a larger structure. During the course of the lesson students become familiar with the sentence connectors 'so' and 'because'.

Aim: Guided Writing - learning to use the sentence connectors 'so' and 'because'

Activity: Sentence combination exercise followed by guided writing exercise

Level: lower intermediate

Outline:

 Write a sentence with 'so' and a sentence with 'because' on the board: Example: We needed some food so I went to the supermarket. | He studied all night because he had a difficult test the next day.

 Ask students which sentence expresses a reason (because) and which sentence expresses a consequence (so).

 Now, write these variations of the sentences on the board: Example: I went to the supermarket because we needed some food. | He had a difficult test so he studied all night.

 Ask students to explain what has changed in the sentences. Check the students understanding of the differences between 'so' and 'because'.

 Give the students the sentence matching exercise. Students should match the two sentences that logically go together.

 Once students have completed this exercise, ask them to combine the two sentences in each pair using 'so' or 'because'. Check their answers as a class.  Read the example story to the class as a listening exercise which also sets the tone for the follow-up exercise. Ask students some comprehension questions based on the story. Example Story:

A young Swedish man named Lars met a beautiful young French woman named Lise. They met in a cafe in Amsterdam during the afternoon. As soon as Lars saw Lise, he fell hopelessly in love because she was so beautiful and sophisticated. He wanted to meet her, so he introduced himself and asked her if he could speak to her. Soon, they were talking about their two countries and having a wonderful time. They decided to continue their discussion that evening so they made a date to have dinner in a wonderful restaurant. They continued to see each other every day because they had such a wonderful time together. Five months later, Lars moved to France and they married and lived happily ever after.

 Have students write a similar story using the guided writing prompts provided on their worksheet. Tell them they should be a creative as possible as that will make their story all the more enjoyable.

 Circulate around the room helping students with their short compositions.

 As a follow-up listening exercise which can be a lot of fun, have students read their stories aloud to the class.

Results and Reasons 1. I had to get up early. A. I needed some fresh air. 2. I'm hungry. B. She takes evening courses. 3. She wants to speak Spanish. C. Their friend had a birthday. 4. We needed a vacation. D. We went to the seaside. 5. They're going to visit us soon. E. I had an early meeting at work. 6. I went for a walk. F. He bought a new house. 7. Jack won the lottery. G. We haven't seen them in a long time.

8. They bought a CD. H. I'm cooking dinner. Writing A Short Story

Quickly answer the questions below and then use the information to write your short story. Use your imagination to make the story as enjoyable as possible!

 Which man? (nationality, age)

 Loved who? (nationality, age)

 Where did they meet? (place, when, situation)

 Why did the man fall in love?

 What did he do next?

 What did the two do together that day?

 What did they do after that day?

 Why did they continue to see each other?

 How does the story end? Do they get married, do they separate?

 Is your story a sad or happy story? Guided Writing Exercise Students - Helping Students Write a Creative Story

Once students have become familiar with the basics of English and have begun communicating, writing can help open up new avenues of expression. These first steps are often difficult as students struggle to combine simple sentences into more complex structures. This guided writing lesson is intended to help bridge the gap from simply writing sentences to developing a larger structure. During the course of the lesson students become familiar with the sentence connectors 'so' and 'because'.

Aim: Guided Writing - learning to use the sentence connectors 'so' and 'because'

Activity: Sentence combination exercise followed by guided writing exercise

Level: lower intermediate

Outline:

 Write a sentence with 'so' and a sentence with 'because' on the board: Example: We needed some food so I went to the supermarket. | He studied all night because he had a difficult test the next day.

 Ask students which sentence expresses a reason (because) and which sentence expresses a consequence (so).

 Now, write these variations of the sentences on the board: Example: I went to the supermarket because we needed some food. | He had a difficult test so he studied all night.

 Ask students to explain what has changed in the sentences. Check the students understanding of the differences between 'so' and 'because'.

 Give the students the sentence matching exercise. Students should match the two sentences that logically go together.

 Once students have completed this exercise, ask them to combine the two sentences in each pair using 'so' or 'because'. Check their answers as a class.  Read the example story to the class as a listening exercise which also sets the tone for the follow-up exercise. Ask students some comprehension questions based on the story.

Example Story:

A young Swedish man named Lars met a beautiful young French woman named Lise. They met in a cafe in Amsterdam during the afternoon. As soon as Lars saw Lise, he fell hopelessly in love because she was so beautiful and sophisticated. He wanted to meet her, so he introduced himself and asked her if he could speak to her. Soon, they were talking about their two countries and having a wonderful time. They decided to continue their discussion that evening so they made a date to have dinner in a wonderful restaurant. They continued to see each other every day because they had such a wonderful time together. Five months later, Lars moved to France and they married and lived happily ever after.

 Have students write a similar story using the guided writing prompts provided on their worksheet. Tell them they should be a creative as possible as that will make their story all the more enjoyable.

 Circulate around the room helping students with their short compositions.

 As a follow-up listening exercise which can be a lot of fun, have students read their stories aloud to the class.

Results and Reasons

1. I had to get up early. A. I needed some fresh air. 2. I'm hungry. B. She takes evening courses. 3. She wants to speak Spanish. C. Their friend had a birthday. 4. We needed a vacation. D. We went to the seaside. 5. They're going to visit us soon. E. I had an early meeting at work. 6. I went for a walk. F. He bought a new house. 7. Jack won the lottery. G. We haven't seen them in a long time.

8. They bought a CD. H. I'm cooking dinner. Writing A Short Story

Quickly answer the questions below and then use the information to write your short story. Use your imagination to make the story as enjoyable as possible!

 Which man? (nationality, age)

 Loved who? (nationality, age)

 Where did they meet? (place, when, situation)

 Why did the man fall in love?

 What did he do next?

 What did the two do together that day?

 What did they do after that day?

 Why did they continue to see each other?

 How does the story end? Do they get married, do they separate?

 Is your story a sad or happy story? Setting ESL Objectives

People learn English for many and extremely varied reasons. Taking these reasons, as well as language acquisition needs, into consideration when planning a class or individual instruction is crucial for a successful learning experience. This is probably as important for the student as for the teacher. When a student understands his/her reasons for learning English well, he can then better plan his learning strategy. In the classroom, he/she can help the teacher identify needs and desires. If the student is learning alone, he/she can find learning materials based on a better knowledge of what his/her objectives are.

Let's take a look at two of the more common reasons for learning English and what might work well for achieving learning goals.

I'd like to improve my English in order to find a better job.

In this case, it is important to ask yourself the questions:

1. Will a certificate help the chances of getting a job? 2. Is job specific English required? 3. Who will I (the students) be speaking English with, native speakers or other English as a foreign language speakers?

Point 1: This is very important as the need for a certificate will dictate what is required learning: Grammar, Functional English, Writing Listening, etc. If a certificate is required the student should focus on improving specifics points required by the examination. For example, Cambridge's First Certificate exam will require the skill of sentence transformation, the TOEFL requires the skill of understanding US test taking skills (I'm not joking!). Point 2: If job specific English is required, tasks should be more real-world orientated. If possible, tasks should also be based on the exact type of English required in the specific profession. For example: computer terminology for programming, presentation skills for management, etc.

Point 3: This is extremely important, as students who will be expected to speak English only with other non-native speakers should not have to worry as much about listening skills as those who will be expected to communicate principally with native speakers. An understanding of the culture (British, American, etc) might be important if the learner will be traveling and communicating in these countries.

I'd like to improve my English as a hobby.

In this case, it is important to ask yourself the questions:

1. How will you (the students) be using the English? Communication, Reading, Using the Internet, etc.? 2. Do you (the students) enjoy typical task type activities? Or do you (they) prefer real-world activities? 3. How much do I (the students) want to improve my English? Do I (the students) want to just be able to travel and be understood? Do I (the students) want to be able to read James Joyce?

Point 1: This is of the utmost importance when deciding what type of activities should be pursued. If communication is most important, functional English will be preferable to grammar exercises. If reading Rolling Stone magazine is important, idiomatic language study will be required.

Point 2: This is basically a question of learning style and is very important. Involved students will always learn more in the long run than those who are bored. Is also important to remember that, if you are the teacher, imposing your learning preference on the class can, at times, deter effective learning.

Point 3: Understanding the desired language proficiency goal is probably one of the most important aspects of learning well. If the student desires to communicate basic needs while traveling, focusing on the correct use of the third conditional is beside the point. On the other hand, if students strive to higher levels of grammatical understanding, teachers need to accept that role-play games might not always be the best activity.

These are just a few of the most important questions that need to be asked when planning a learning strategy. This pragmatic approach to English learning is probably most effective when teaching adult learners, as there are generally no state imposed goals. Of course, when curriculum requirements are imposed by an outside source, it is important to construct a syllabus with an eye towards such requirements. Phrasal Verb Focus: Money

As you know, native speakers of English tend to use a lot of phrasal verbs (sometimes called prepositional, multi-word verb, verbs) in everyday spoken English. In fact, this is quite frustrating for students who often have learned one-word verbs during their English studies and then are confronted with an English speaking world where people usually favor phrasal verbs in daily discourse. I'd like to focus on a few specific areas in which these phrasal verbs are commonly used. I'm a great believer in learning vocabulary by groups and so this week I'd like to focus on an area of great interest to all of us: MONEY. In future features I will focus on other specific areas so that you can build your vocabulary of phrasal verbs by focusing on certain situations. For a reference list of phrasal verbs please refer to my phrasal verb reference chart.

Spending

Money to spend money. lay out especially a large amount to spend a lot of money splash out on something you don't need, but is very pleasant run up to create a large debt inf. to pay for something, fork out, fork usually something you over would rather not have to pay for. shell out inf. to pay for something, usually something you would rather not have to pay for. inf. to provide money for cough up something you do no want to Having Just Enough Money to have just enough get by money for your needs to manage to live on very scrape by little money Helping Someone with Money to help a person or bail out organization out of a difficult situation to help someone with money for a period of tide over time until they have enough Paying Debts to return money owed to pay back someone to finish paying all pay off money that is owed Saving

Money save up to keep money for a large expense in the future to save money for a put aside specific purpose Using Saved

Money to spend part of your dip into saved money to start to use money that break into you have saved

Here is a practice dialogue using some of the above vocabulary.

Well, last week I finally dipped into that money that I had been putting aside for the past year and a half. I decided that I should really enjoy myself so I splashed out and had a great meal at Andy's. Next, I went to Macys on Saturday and laid out $400 for that suit I'd told you about. Of course, I used a great deal of what I had saved up to pay back that bill I had run up on my Visa card. It feels great to finally have some money after all those years of scraping by. Thanks again for tiding me over during that long winter of '95. I don't think I would have got by without your bailing me out… Unfortunately, I also had to cough up about $250 in insurance costs. Oh well, I guess shelling out the cash for those things is just as necessary as anything else. …..

One last tip, make sure that when you are studying new verbs in the dictionary to read the entire entry. Don't just learn the main verb; take time to look at the phrasal verbs that are constructed using the verb. This will save you a lot of time in the long run. Believe me, if you haven't been to an English speaking country, chances are that one of the biggest difficulties for you will be understanding phrasal verb usage. If you already live in a country where English is the primary language you certainly have already experienced this…. All the best learning this new vocabulary. Over the next few months I will focus on other areas of every day phrasal verb usage. If you have any suggestions for topic areas drop me a line. Guide to Basic Business Letters

The Basics

The basics of good business letter writing are easy to learn. The following guide provides the phrases that are usually found in any standard business letter. For more detailed help with standard business writing skills, I highly recommend these business English books. By using these standard phrases, you can give a professional tone to your English business letters. These phrases are used as a kind of frame and introduction to the content of business letters. At the end of this guide, you will find links to sites that give tips on the difficult part of writing successful business letters – arguing your business objective.

The Start

Dear Personnel Director, Dear Sir or Madam (use if you don't know who you are writing to) Dear Mr, Mrs, Miss or Ms (use if you know who you are writing to, and have a formal relationship with - VERY IMPORTANT use Ms for women unless asked to use Mrs or Miss) Dear Frank (use if the person is a close business contact or friend)

The Reference

With reference to your advertisement in the Times, your letter of 23 rd March, your phone call today, Thank you for your letter of March 5 th . The Reason for Writing

I am writing to enquire about apologize for confirm

Requesting

Could you possibly? I would be grateful if you could

Agreeing to Requests

I would be delighted to

Giving Bad News

Unfortunately I am afraid that

Enclosing Documents

I am enclosing Please find enclosed Enclosed you will find

Closing Remarks

Thank you for your help Please contact us again if we can help in any way. there are any problems. you have any questions.

Reference to Future Contact I look forward to ... hearing from you soon. meeting you next Tuesday. seeing you next Thursday.

The Finish

Yours faithfully, (If you don't know the name of the person you're writing to) Yours sincerely, (If you know the name of the person you're writing to) Best wishes, Best regards, (If the person is a close business contact or friend)

Here is a sample letter using some of these forms:

Ken's Cheese House 34 Chatley Avenue Seattle, WA 98765 Tel: (206) 456 8967 Fax: (206) 456 6745 Email: [email protected]

Fred Flintstone Sales Manager Cheese Specialists Inc. 456 Rubble Road Rockville, IL 896756

Dear Mr Flintstone:

With reference to our telephone conversation today, I am writing to confirm your order for: 120 x Cheddar Deluxe Ref. No. 856 The order will be shipped within three days via UPS and should arrive at your store in about 10 days.

Please contact us again if we can help in any way.

Yours sincerely, Finding a Job for ESL Learners - Part 5: Useful Vocabulary

Useful Vocabulary for the Resume and Interview

Below is a list of great verbs to help you express just exactly what you did with impressive vocabulary. These verbs are used to express responsibilities and tasks performed:

acted edited identified raised accomplished dealt implemented recommended adapted decided improved recorded administered decreased increased recruited advanced defined indexed rectified advised delegated initiated redesigned allocated derived inspected repaired analyzed designated installed replaced applied detected instituted restored approved developed interpreted reversed arbitrated devised introduced reviewed arranged directed invented revised assisted discovered investigated saved attained distributed justified screened blended documented led selected brought doubled localized serviced built encouraged located set up carried out engineered made solved catalogued enlarged managed sorted maintained sparked mechanized escalated specified merged established started changed moderated estimated stimulated classified motivated evaluated strengthened collaborated negotiated examined summarized compared opened expanded supervised completed operated experienced supported computed organized explored systematized conceived originated facilitated tested conducted overcame finalized trained constructed perceived formulated transacted consulted performed founded transcribed contracted pioneered functioned transformed controlled planned governed tripled cooperated prepared grouped upgraded coordinated presented guided validated corrected presided handled varied counseled processed harmonized verified created programmed harnessed vitalized promoted headed won provided wrote purchased

To describe your skills the following adjectives are useful honest innovative accurate logical active loyal adaptable mature adept methodical broad-minded motivated competent objective conscientious outgoing creative personable dependable pleasant determined positive diplomatic practical discreet productive efficient reliable energetic resourceful enterprising self disciplined enthusiastic sense of humor experienced sensitive fair sincere firm successful genuine tactful trustworthy

Use these verbs and adjectives and really sell yourself. You only have a few minutes to show how good you really are. By using this precise vocabulary and being confident can help you make the best impression possible. The Future with Will

Study the following chart to learn the use of the future with 'will'

Examples Usage Will + Verb (base form)

It will snow tomorrow. Used for predictions She won't win the election. Will + Verb (base form)

The concert will begin Used for scheduled events at 8 o'clock. When will the train leave? Will + Verb (base form)

Will you marry me? Used for promises I'll help you with your homework after class Will + Verb (base Used for offers form)

I'll make you a sandwich. They'll help you if you want. Will + Verb (base form) Used in combination with time clauses (as soon as, when, before, He will telephone as after) soon as he arrives. Will you visit me when you come next week? Structure for ALL Subjects Future with Will

S + will + verb (base form) positve

I'll ('ll is the short form for 'will') see you tomorrow.

S + will not (won't) + verb (base form) negative

I won't be here tomorrow. will + S + verb (base form) question

Will she be here tomorrow? Beginner English - The Weather

Read this weather forecast for tomorrow:

In Seattle, it will be rainy and windy tomorrow morning with rain falling until late in the afternoon. On the east side of the mountains in Spokane, the sun will shine and temperatures will reach 30 degrees Celsius. In the evening, the weather will become windy and cloudy. In the mountains, you can expect snow above 2,000 meters.

Answer these questions:

 What will the weather be like in Seattle?

It w ill be rainy and w indy in the morning.

 What will the weather be like in Spokane?

The sun w ill shine and temperatures w ill reach 30 degrees Celsius.

 What will the weather be like in the mountains?

It w ill snow above 2,000 meters.

 As you can see, we use the future with will to predict the weather in the future

 The question What ... like? us used to ask about the weather.

Write the forecast for your city or country based on the above examples.

Continue learning about the weather. Effective Test Taking Strategies

Sooner or later, most students are confronted with the necessity of taking some form of English examination. These tests include:

 TOEFL (Test of English as a Foreign Language)

 Cambridge Examinations (First Certificate, CAE, Proficiency)

 University examinations

 On the Job examinations

 Examinations given by your teacher

As you have probably noticed, some students are more successful than others when taking such an examination. Often the more successful students are better prepared. However, sometimes students who do well have better test taking skills. These abilities really have nothing to do with understanding English better. They are strategic skills that make taking the test easier, and therefore provide better results.

Some General Guidelines

Here are some very important - and often ignored - guidelines to taking a test successfully.

 Do not insist on completing each question before going to the next.

This is extremely important. If you spend a lot of time on one question that you don't understand there can be two negative outcomes:

o Losing time

Remember one question may only be worth one point, if you are not able to answer questions later because you have lost time you could lose more points! o Becoming nervous

Becoming nervous can make you lose your concentration and that leads to worse results.

 If possible, go through the entire test answering the questions you are sure you know.

This results in your being more relaxed and feeling more confident.

 Go through the test a second time working out the answers to more difficult questions.

Now you will feel more confident and this will improve your test taking. However, remember to not waste too much time on any one question.

 Once you have gone through the test twice, see if any of the questions asked can help you answer those really difficult questions.

This is a little used trick. Sometimes questions asked are answered in later questions asking for different things. This should not be tried until you have finished the test and have some time remaining to try the questions you have had problems with again.

 If you have a strong feeling about a question when you first answer it, don't go back and change it later.

Usually (but not always) a strong first impulse means we know the answer and we don't really have to think about it too much. Going back to think about it usually makes you unsure and often causes an error. This is very common so be very careful!

 Play the odds If you don't know the answer, write something. If you are answering a 4 possibility multiple choice question you will still have a 25% chance of being correct!

 Do not cheat!!!

Taking a test is as much for you as it is for your teacher. If you cheat, you don't help yourself in the long run. Future Forms

Listed below are examples, uses and formation of Future Forms followed by a quiz.

Examples Usage Will + Verb (base form)

It will snow Used for predictions tomorrow. She won't win the election. Will + Verb (base form)

The concert will Used for scheduled events begin at 8 o'clock. When will the train leave? Will + Verb (base form)

Will you marry me? Used for promises I'll help you with your homework after class Will + Verb (base Used for offers form)

I'll make you a sandwich. They'll help you if you want. Will + Verb (base form)

He will telephone as Used in combination with time clauses (as soon as, when, before, soon as he arrives. after) Will you visit me when you come next week? Be going to + Verb

(base form) The future with 'going to' is used to express planned events or intentions. These events or intentions are decided on Frank is going to before the moment of speaking. study Medicine.

Where are they going NOTE to stay when they come? 'Going to' or '-ing' are often both correct for planed events. 'Going She isn't going to buy to' should be used for distant future intentions (example: He's the new house going to study Law) afterall. Be going to + Verb (base form)

Oh no! Look at those clouds. It's going to Used for future predictions based on physical (usually visual) rain. evidence. Be careful! You're going to drop those dishes! Structure Future with Will

SPresent + will +Continuous verb (base form)Used positvefor planned or personally scheduled events. Usually used (be + '-ing') with principle verbs such as: come, go, begin, start, finish, have, S + will not (won't) + verbetc. (base form) negative He's coming tomorrowwill + S + afternoon.verb (base form)NOTE question What are we having I 'Going to' or '-ing' are often both correct for planed events. 'Going for dinner? You to' should be used for distant future intentions (example: He's I'm not seeing the He going to study Law) doctor until Friday. She will ('ll) help you immediately. Simple Present Used for scheduled public events such as train and plane It won'tschedules, leave soon. course schedules, etc. The classWe begins at 11.30.You The planeThey leaves at 6 o'clock.Will it rain tomorrow? Common future next (week, month, year), tomorrow, in X's time (amount of time, time expressions i.e. two week's time), in + year, time clauses (when, as soon as, include: before, after) + simple present (example: I will telephone as soon as I arrive.) soon, later

Future with '-ing' (present continuous)

Conjugate the helping verb "be" and verb + -ing.

I'm (I am) You're (You are) He's (He is) She's (She is) working next week. It's (It is) We're (We are) You're (You are) They're (They are)

Conjugate the helping verb "be" + not + verb + -ing. I'm not (I am not) You aren't (You are not) He isn't (He is not) She isn't (She is not) coming this evening. It isn't (It is not) We aren't (We are not) You aren't (You are not) They aren't (They are not)

Question word + conjugate the helping verb 'be' + subject + verb + -ing am I are you is he What is she doing this afternoon? Differences Between American and British English

While there are certainly many more varieties of English, American and British English are the two varieties that are taught in most ESL/EFL programs. Generally, it is agreed that no one version is "correct" however, there are certainly preferences in use. The most important rule of thumb is to try to be consistent in your usage. If you decide that you want to use American English spellings then be consistent in your spelling (i.e. The color of the orange is also its flavour – color is American spelling and flavour is British), this is of course not always easy – or possible. The following guide is meant to point out the principal differences between these two varieties of English.

Use of the Present Perfect

In British English the present perfect is used to express an action that has occurred in the recent past that has an effect on the present moment. For example:

I've lost my key. Can you help me look for it? In American English the following is also possible: I lost my key. Can you help me look for it?

In British English the above would be considered incorrect. However, both forms are generally accepted in standard American English. Other differences involving the use of the present perfect in British English and simple past in American English include already, just and yet.

British English:

I've just had lunch I've already seen that film Have you finished your homework yet?

American English: I just had lunch OR I've just had lunch I've already seen that film OR I already saw that film. Have your finished your homework yet? OR Did you finish your homework yet?

Possession

There are two forms to express possession in English. Have or Have got

Do you have a car? Have you got a car? He hasn't got any friends. He doesn't have any friends. She has a beautiful new home. She's got a beautiful new home.

While both forms are correct (and accepted in both British and American English), have got (have you got, he hasn't got, etc.) is generally the preferred form in British English while most speakers of American English employ the have (do you have, he doesn't have etc.)

The Verb Get

The past participle of the verb get is gotten in American English. Example He's gotten much better at playing tennis. British English – He's got much better at playing tennis.

Vocabulary

Probably the major differences between British and American English lies in the choice of vocabulary. Some words mean different things in the two varieties for example:

Mean: (American English – angry, bad humored, British English – not generous, tight fisted) Rubber: (American English – condom, British English – tool used to erase pencil markings)

There are many more examples (too many for me to list here). If there is a difference in usage, your dictionary will note the different meanings in its definition of the term. Many vocabulary items are also used in one form and not in the other. One of the best examples of this is the terminology used for automobiles.

American English – British English – hood bonnet American English – British English – trunk boot American English – British English – truck lorry

Once again, your dictionary should list whether the term is used in British English or American English.

For a more complete list of the vocabulary differences between British and American English use this British vs. American English vocabulary tool. Prepositions

There are also a few differences in preposition use including the following:

American English – British English – at on the weekend the weekend American English – British English – in on a team a team American English – British English – please write me please write to me soon soon

Past Simple/Past Participles

The following verbs have two acceptable forms of the past simple/past participle in both American and British English, however, the irregular form is generally more common in British English (the first form of the two) and the regular form is more common to American English.

Burn Burnt OR burned Dream dreamt OR dreamed Lean leant OR leaned Learn learnt OR learned Smell smelt OR smelled Spell spelt OR spelled Spill spilt OR spilled Spoil spoilt OR spoiled

Spelling

Here are some general differences between British and American spellings:

Words ending in –or (American) –our (British) color, colour, humor, humour, flavor, flavour etc. Words ending in –ize (American) –ise (British) recognize, recognise, patronize, patronise etc.

The best way to make sure that you are being consistent in your spelling is to use the spell check on your word processor (if you are using the computer of course) and choose which variety of English you would like. As you can see, there are really very few differences between standard British English and standard American English. However, the largest difference is probably that of the choice of vocabulary and pronunciation. For further information concerning these areas please refer to the following links below.

British vs. American English vocabulary tool Check British to American English or American to British English with this interactive tool.

American-British/British-American Dictionary An impressive resource for reference information concerning the differences in vocabulary use between American and British English.

American Vs. British English An exhaustive study by the University of Tampere on the differences between American and British English and the geo-political reasons behind these differences.

English Around The World An excllent link page to information, recordings, and vocabulary examples of English as it is used in many different countries around the world.

United Kingdom English for the American Novice An amusing (some might find patronizing) instructive site dedicated to helping Americans understand United Kingdom English.

Grammar Chants - Question Words