Lesson 3 Focus Point: Past verb tense practice

1. Lesson 3 Focus Point: Past verb tense practice Dialogue. Han is a teacher who is applying for a new job as a translator and is being interviewed by Bob. (Listen especially for verb tenses.)

2. Lesson 3 Focus Point: Past verb tense practice • Bob: Please tell me about your education, Mr. Han. • Han: I graduated from Zhongshan Teachers College in 1965. I was an English major. • Bob: How about your work experience? • Han: I have been teaching in Hua Dong middle school for the past 30 years. • Bob: Have you ever been a translator? • Han: No. I have always been a teacher. • Bob: Why are you applying for this job? • Han: Because I don't like children very much.

3. Lesson 3 Focus Point: Past verb tense practice • Focus point: Verb tenses: • Simple past tense. "graduated" "was". Used for a completed action or condition. • Present perfect tense. "have been". Action that started in past, still continues. • Present perfect progressive tense. "have been teaching" Action that started in past, still continues. Often interchangeable with present perfect, but emphasizes continuous nature of action a bit more. • Other points to note: • Personal information questions for interviews. "Tell me about...." "How about...." "Have you ever…?

4. Lesson 3 Focus Point: Past verb tense practice • Verb + preposition: "graduate from (school)" and "graduated in (year)". • "How about...." Used after a previous question has made context clear. • "don't like ___ very much" (In Chinese the word order is different.)

5. Lesson 3 Focus Point: Past verb tense practice • Pronunciation practice. • Syllable stress: education, graduated, English major, experience, translator. • Practice syllable stress for numbers, example: difference between "14" and "40". Stress on second syllable for "teen" numbers (thirteen, fifteen, etc.), on first syllable of multiples of ten (twenty, sixty, etc.). First, you say numbers while students listen and try to tell the difference. Then, have students practice saying numbers.

6. Lesson 3 Focus Point: Past verb tense practice • Sentence stress. In English, some words are stressed more in a sentence than others. Read the dialogue again and have students listen to see which words are stressed most in each sentence. (Underlined above.) • Hard sounds: /th/ in thirty; final /l/ in tell. • Final stop: Final /b/ in job. Final /b/, /d/, and /g/ sounds in words like job, had, bag are often not voiced by students, so sound like *jop, *hat, and *bak. Make sure the final consonant is voiced, and also make sure the vowel is somewhat longer. (Ex: The main difference between had and hat is that the vowel sound in had is longer.)

7. Lesson 3 Focus Point: Past verb tense practice • Practice activity: Job interview • 1. Assign half the class to be employers, half to be job applicants. Ask employers to 1) write the name of their company on a sign and place it on their desks; 2) decide what job they are interviewing for; and 3) prepare a list of questions. Ask applicants to 1) make up a (fake) resume including their education, previous work experience, and other information about themselves. • 2. When ready, have applicants interview at several different companies. After one interview, they should move to another. During interviews, everyone should pay special attention to verb tenses. • 3. Close by asking a few employers who they want to hire and why.

8. Lesson 4 Focus Point: Talking about future plans Dialogue: Xiao Lin and Xiao Ling are about to finish an English course and they are talking about their future English study plans. (Listen especially to expressions of future tense.)

9. Lesson 4 Focus Point: Talking about future plans • Lin: Are you going to keep studying English? • Ling: I hope so. I plan to listen to the radio every night. What about you? • Lin: I hope to read for an hour every night, but I suppose it will be hard to find enough time. Anyway, at least I'll try to read 21st Century each week.

10. Lesson 4 Focus Point: Talking about future plans • Focus point: Talking about future plans: • "Are you going to _____" . Also "Will you ____?" • "I plan to (+ verb)..." • "I hope to (+ verb)...." Note differences between "hope" and "wish". Ex: "I hope that it rains." (Seems like a real possibility.) "I wish it would rain." (Seems less like a real possibility.) • Other points to note: • "What about you?" • "I suppose ____" Admitting a difficult reality. • "it will be hard to" • "Anyway"

11. Lesson 4 Focus Point: Talking about future plans • Pronunciation practice. Suggested points: • Blending: Elision of "Are you going to..." to [Are ya gonna...]. • Unvoiced final stops: /p/ in hope, keep; /t/ in night, what. (In normal speech, a final /p/, /t/, or /k/ is not aspirated; i.e. you don't actually "explode" the air out at the end of the sound. Usually, the airway is just closed by the lips, tongue, or throat, respectively.) • Voiced final stops: /d/ in read, hard.

12. Lesson 5 Focus Point: Giving directions; prepositions of location Dialogue. Foreign tourist Sue is lost and asks Chinese student Min for directions. (Listen especially for how location words like "next to" are used.)

13. Lesson 5 Focus Point: Giving directions; prepositions of location • Sue: Excuse me, could you tell me where the post office is? • Min: It's next to the bank on Main Street. • Sue: How do I get there? • Min: Walk two blocks down this street, then turn left. Across from the post office there is a bookstore and in front of the post office there is a big sign. So it's easy to find.

14. Lesson 5 Focus Point: Giving directions; prepositions of location • Focus point: Prepositions of location: (You may want to add others.) • "next to" • "on _____ street" • "across from" • "in front of" • Focus point: Giving directions: • Note that the imperative form of verbs is used. "Walk ______." "Turn _____."

15. Lesson 5 Focus Point: Giving directions; prepositions of location • Other points to note: • "Could you tell me where ________ is?" Note that for "Could you tell me ____" questions, the verb moves to the end of the sentence, unlike other yes/no questions. • "How do I get there?"

16. Lesson 5 Focus Point: Giving directions; prepositions of location • Pronunciation practice. Special points: • Consonant clusters: /ksk/ in excuse; /st/ in post; /nt/ in front; /kst/ in next. • Final voiced stop: /g/ in big. • Vowel sound: /ay/ in main. (Some Chinese learners have difficulty with this.) • Short vowel: /i/ in it, big. • Blending: the /d/ and /y/ in "Could you" elides into a "j" sound -- "coujoo"

17. Lesson 7 Focus Point: Prepositions and time Dialogue: Lee is complaining to Hal about how busy her intensive English course is. (Listen especially for the prepositions Lee uses with time words.)

18. Lesson 7 Focus Point: Prepositions and time • Lee: Every day we have to get up at 6:00 for breakfast. Then we have classes from 8:00 to 12:00. At 12:00 we have lunch, and then a break. In the afternoon, class starts at 2:30 and goes until 4:00. At 4:00 on Monday, Wednesday, and Friday there is English Corner and on Tuesday and Thursday we have talks. In the evening we need to study / so we only have free time on weekends.

19. Lesson 7 Focus Point: Prepositions and time • Focus point: Prepositions and time: • at + (time) "at 6:00". • from (time) to (time)" "from 8:00 to 12:00" • starts at (time) and goes until/to (time) • on (day of week) "on Monday(s)" Note: "on Monday" can either mean "this Monday" or "Mondays (in general)" • in the morning, afternoon, evening • Other points to note: • to have lunch = to eat lunch

20. Lesson 7 Focus Point: Prepositions and time • Pronunciation practice. Special points: • Sentence intonation. Re-read dialogue and have students note where your intonation rises in each sentence and where it falls. (Be sure to practice this first so that you are aware of your intonation.) • Intonation pattern Afrom 8:00 (rising) to 12:00 (falling)@ • Patterns for presenting choices or listing. Ex: "...Monday (rising), Wednesday (rising) and Friday (falling)..." "...on Tuesday (rising) and Thursday (falling)..." Note: The tone rises or falls on the stressed syllable of whichever word is being emphasized.

21. Lesson 7 Focus Point: Prepositions and time • Vowel: /ay/ in Monday, Tuesday, etc. • Consonant clusters: /ndz/ in weekends; /lks/ in talks; /rts/ in starts (no /r/ in British Standard). • Final unvoiced stops: /t/ in get; /p/ in up. • Final /l/ in until

22. Lesson 8 Focus Point: Politely expressing disagreement Dialogue: Anne and Mick are arguing politely over whether cats or dogs make better pets. (Listen especially for how they indicate disagreement.)

23. Lesson 8 Focus Point: Politely expressing disagreement • Anne: I think that cats usually make better pets than dogs. / For one thing, they are quieter. • Mick: That may be true, but sometimes they make a lot of noise crying at night. • Anne: For another, cats are more affectionate. • Mick: Really? I don't think so. • Anne: Of course they are. They always love to sit on your lap. • Mick: That's just because they want something from you. • Anne: Yes, but they are so sweet about it.

24. Lesson 8 Focus Point: Politely expressing disagreement • Focus point: Step: Disagreeing: (When disagreeing politely, Westerners will often first agree with part of someone else's opinion before disagreeing. "Yes, but...." patterns are very common.) • For introducing counter-arguments "Yes, but ...." "That's true, but...." "I agree, but...." • For expressing reservation "That may be true, but...." Also "I suppose that's true, but ..." • For complete disagreement: "I don't think so." "I disagree." "I'm not sure I agree." Often prefaced by "Really?"

25. Lesson 8 Focus Point: Politely expressing disagreement • Other points to note: • "I think that...." For expressing opinions. • "For one thing...." "For another...." Common expressions for introducing a reason. • Note that the plural form is used when speaking about nouns in general. Ex: "Cats usually make better pets than dogs do." • "That's just because..." Just = only. Often used to minimize something. • Verb + preposition: "to want something from somebody" • Adjective + preposition: "sweet about (something)"

26. Lesson 8 Focus Point: Politely expressing disagreement • Pronunciation practice. Special points: • Stressing key words. Read the dialogue again to students and have them listen to see which words are stressed most in each sentence. Have them repeat it back, sentence by sentence, stressing key words. • Final /r/ in quieter and are. This is silent in standard British English, but is pronounced in most North American accents as well as in many other English accents (such as Scotland, Australia, etc.) • Consonant cluster: /ts/ in cats, pets; /gz/ in dogs. • Final stops: /p/ in lap; /t/ in sweet. • Short vowel: /e/ in pets; /i/ in think, thing, it. • Final /ing/ in crying, something. (Some areas of China make no distinction between /ing/ and /in/.)

27. Lesson 9 Focus Point: Mass nouns and countable nouns Dialogue: Lee is in a Western-style fast-food restaurant ordering her meal. Tom is the server. (Listen especially to how the count and non-count nouns are used.)

28. Lesson 9 Focus Point: Mass nouns and countable nouns • Tom: What would you like to have? • Lee: How about a salad and some soup./ I also want a hamburger and an order of French fries. • Tom: Small, large, or medium? • Lee: Large. I would also like apple pie. • Tom: Anything to drink? • Lee: A large Coke. • Tom: Wow, you must be hungry. • Lee: Not very, but I want to try everything.

29. Lesson 9 Focus Point: Mass nouns and countable nouns • Focus point: Mass nouns and count nouns. (Some nouns like "sandwich" are always countable, hence need either an article or a plural ending. Other nouns like "water" "rice" "bread" are virtually always mass nouns. Yet other nouns can be either, depending on how they are used. Ex: "a salad" or just "salad". Students need to memorize which is which.) • Count nouns: "a hamburger" "French fries" • Mass nouns: "soup" • Nouns that can be both: "salad" "pie" "Coke" ("a Coke" is really short for "a cup of Coke") • "an order of (something)"

30. Lesson 9 Focus Point: Mass nouns and countable nouns • Pronunciation practice. Suggested points: • Eliding AWould you@ d + y = j. • Point out how English speakers reduce the vowels in certain words to achieve the rhythms of rapid speech. Longer, clearer vowels are reduced to schwa ("uh") in words like "you","to","the", " and", "for" when these words are not stressed. Ex: "What would you like to have?" [What wud ja like ta have?] Note that in "You must be hungry" "you" is stressed, so not reduced to "ya". You might have students try practicing the dialogue using these reduced vowels to increase their speed. Note that these reductions are NOT sloppy or lazy English, but simply a way to speak more quickly, especially in casual conversation.

31. Lesson 9 Focus Point: Mass nouns and countable nouns Jazz chant: What would you like? I’d like salad and soup - salad and soup What about bread with your salad and soup? I’d like garlic bread, garlic bread. Something to drink? Any dessert? Coffee and pie That sounds good! Mm -- mm – That sounds good!

32. Lesson 10 Focus Point: Clarifying Dialogue: The phone rang and Phil has picked it up, but the connection is very bad and he can't hear what the caller is saying. Sorry, but we can only hear one side of this conversation. (Listen especially for how Phil tries to clarify what the caller is saying.)

33. Lesson 10 Focus Point: Clarifying Phil: Hello, Phil Collins speaking. Sorry, what did you say? This connection isn't very good. Would you mind repeating that? I didn't catch what you just said. Could you say the last part again? Did you say something about a fish? Sorry, I didn't catch the last word. Did you say you want to marry a fish? Oh, you want Mary Fisher! Sorry, but she's not here.

34. Lesson 10 Focus Point: Clarifying • Focus point: Clarifying: -- "What did you say?" -- "Would you mind repeating that?" Or "Would you repeat that?" To ask for repetition. -- "I didn't catch what you said." = "I didn't hear what you said." To indicate you didn't hear something. -- "Could you say the last part again?" "I didn't catch the last word." For indicating what you didn't hear. -- "Did you say something about....?" "Did you say that...?" For checking whether you understood. Other points to note: -- "Phil Collins speaking." A common way to answer the phone.

35. Lesson 10 Focus Point: Clarifying • Pronunciation practice. Suggested points: -- Show students how stress and intonation can change the meaning of a sentence by saying the following sentence three different ways -- ask them to tell you the difference in meaning. (Add other examples.) Ex: "Could you say the last part again?" "Could you say the last part again?" "Could you say the last part again?" -- Consonant clusters: /ksh/ in connection; /tsh/ in catch. -- Final stop: /d/ in word, said, good. -- Short vowel /i/ + final /l/ in Phil.

36. Lesson 11 Focus Point: Making suggestions Dialogue: It is a holiday. Fred and Lynn are trying to decide what to do with their day. (Listen especially to how they make suggestions.)

37. Lesson 11 Focus Point: Making suggestions Fred: What do you want to do today? Lynn: I don't know. What would you like to do? Fred: Why don't we go to a movie? Lynn: We could, but there will be lots of people there today. Fred: Then how about going to a park? Lynn: There will be lots of people there too. Fred: Well then, what do you think we should do? Lynn: I guess I'd like to stay home.

38. Lesson 11 Focus Point: Making suggestions Focus point: Making suggestions: -- "Why don't we (+ verb)..." Also "Lets (+ verb) -- "How about (verb + ing)..." Also "What about (verb + ing).... Other points to note: -- "Well then..." = "In that case..." --"I guess" for hesitant opinion.

39. Lesson 11 Focus Point: Making suggestions Pronunciation practice. • Blending and reduction of syllables – What do you@ to [Whadaya]. "Would you" to [Wouja]. -- Read the dialogue again and have participants listen to see which word carries the sentence focus (stress). • Note how English speakers use stress to show contrast. Ex: "What do you think we should do?" -- Hard sound: /v/ in movie. (A few students may have problems with this). -- Consonant cluster: /pl/ in people. -- Short vowel /i/ + final/l/ in will.

40. Lesson 12 Focus Point: Giving advice Dialogue: Ann is a parent having trouble with her children; Sara is a friend gently offering advice. (Listen especially for the phrases Sara uses to offer advice.)

41. Lesson 12 Focus Point: Giving advice Ann: My children never want to do their homework! / I just don't know what to do with them. Sara: Why not try punishing them? Ann: I have, but they still don't listen to me. Sara: You could always reason with them. Ann: I've done that, but they just ignore me and watch TV. Sara: If I were you, I would get rid of the TV set.

42. Lesson 12 Focus Point: Giving advice • Focus point: Giving advice: • "Why not try + (gerund)" • "You could always + (verb)" • "If I were you, I would + (verb)" • Other points to note: • Verb + preposition: "to listen to" • Verb + preposition: "to reason with" • Adjective + preposition: "to get rid of”

43. Lesson 12 Focus Point: Giving advice Pronunciation practice. • Ask participants to look at the dialogue and decide which words they think should be stressed in each sentence. Then have volunteers say a sentence as they think it should be stressed. (Note: There may be more than one possibility.) Close by saying the dialogue as a group, stressing the appropriate words. • Final stop: /d/ in rid. • Short vowel /i/ + final /l/ in still. • Stop /g/ in ignore.

44. Lesson 12 Focus Point: Giving advice Practice activity: The teacher's problem child • 1.Tell participants that you have a 12-year old son, a stubborn child who absolutely and totally refuses to do any kind of homework. You are at your wits end and need help. • 2.In groups, make a list of suggestions that you could try. • 3.Then present the suggestions, one suggestion per group at a time. (To make this more fun, express thanks for each suggestion but sadly explain why you don't think it will work, hence necessitating further suggestions.) • Finally, vote on the best suggestion, and perhaps the worst.

45. DialoguesLesson 13 • Focus point: Refusing politely • Bob likes Ann and wants to invite her out on a date. Ann does not like Bob very much, but doesn’t want to be rude. Listen especially to how Ann puts Bob off.

46. Bob: Are you busy on Friday night? • Ann: Why do you ask? • Bob: Are you interested in going to see a movie? • Ann: That would be nice, but I should really stay at home and work. • Bob: How about next weekend? • Ann: I’m not sure right now. Let’s wait and see.

47. “Are you busy?” This question frequently serves to introduce a request or an invitation.

48. Instead of answering Bob’s first question directly, Ann asks more about his intentions. • That would be nice, but (reason). Polite refusals usually follow the pattern “I would like to but….”( followed by a reason.) The more vague the reason is, the more it seems like an excuse. Also, “I wish I could, but (excuse)” “I would love to but (excuse.)”

49. Sometimes instead of directly refusing a request, people will give a “maybe” answer such as “I’m not sure right now” or “Let’s see later”. Westerners are often more willing to give a direct “no” answer than the Chinese are, but still sometimes try to avoid it, especially if a direct “no” would hurt someone’s feelings.

50. Lesson 14Focus point: Refusing more directly Tom wants Ed to go with him to see a movie, but Ed has no interest in going to the film. ( Listen especially to how Ed refuses Tom.)