≠ means that these things are opposites, e.g. big ≠ small
This areis are mistake someone made in class.
[> the part that is underlined is better than this]
Any word written like this can be omitted without changing the meaning.
Something written (spelling) like this indicates that this was a letter that was left out when a word was written.
This√ is OK. (that√) [Shows that both of these two words are correct to be used in this situation.]
Pronunciation Notes
- if the stressed part of the word has the same pronunciation as the letter, then only that 1 letter is underlined.
i.e. pain, eat, Einstein, roam, unit,
This rule also applies if the stress is on any other letter and has the same sound: e.g.ceiling, details, deaf, hotel, chemists, energy, queue, started, mess, experts,
- if the stressed part of the syllable doesn’t have the same pronunciation as the vowel or letter sound, then it will be underlined with another letter next to it, for example i.e. satellite, let, book; company, busy, four,
Apologies for the delay, but for what for some reason, there wasn’t an internet connection in class computers this afternoon at LSE, so I’ve had to wait until I'm home to post these.
Promise I’ll try and do better tomorrow!
Stu Language Notes – Sunday 19th October 2014
For those of you who weren't here, we've decided to adjust the class times. This is in order to make it more convenient for parents who have children to collect from school, and the new times will be 11.05 to 13.05. I hope that's convenient for people. Now, let's get on with your studies!...
CONVERSATIONS & NEW WORDS:
She lives in a nursing home for elderly people. [older = elder]
If you have a family member who works in Qatar, it's possible to come.
He's not familiar with the problem.
CLASS EXERCISES:
"What's your name?"
"My name's Stuart."
"Nice to meet you. / How do you do." [> A pleasure.]
"How old are you?" How old you are?
"I'm in my early 30s." 30-33 I'm in my 30s. [30-39]
"I'm in my mid-30s." 34-36
"I'm in my late 30s." 37-39
"Where are you from?" You are from?
"I'm from Spain." "Whereabouts in Spain?"
"I'm from Madrid."
"Can you tell me a little bit about your family?" [direct family - extended family]
"What do you do?" "I'm a teacher."
my mother-in-law [mother of my spouse] vs. my step-mother [after divorce]
I have 2 brothers & 1 sister so I have 3 siblings.
I have 2 sons & 1 daughter so I have 3 children.
Lekhwiya is relatively famous.
To win – won We won 1-0." "one-nil"
We drew 2-2. "2-all"
We drew 0-0. "nil-nil"
We lost 3-2." "3-2" [x 2-3 even if we played an away match]
It's famous for its spas and baths.
Have you come alone or with your family?
My son lives with a male friend. Vs. He lives with his boyfriend.
"His son lives with a boyfriend."
"Actually, my son lives with a male friend."
There are some creatures in the sea called jellyfish.
He has only been here for 3 months. "How have they found Qatar? = Has it been hard or difficult?"
My wife isn't working at the moment.
"Do you live on the same compound?"
I have 2 children.
She works at Newton in Barwa.
I have 2 more friends there. [x 2 friends more]
He's a goalkeeping coach from Denmark.
Will the stadium have a/c for the World Cup?
I'm curious.
In Germany, the pitches are warmed.
It's exactly the same!
[= "Same-same!" which is what people from the Indian sub-continent say.]
"How have they found Qatar?"
"It's been quite difficult." It has
"In what way?"
"They've found the local dress quite difficult to adapt to."
"How long have you been in Qatar?"
"I've been in Qatar for 3 years."
"I've been in Qatar since 2012. How about you?"
"How have your family found Qatar?"
"It's been quite difficult."
"Two years more and I'm going to leave." "Famous last words!"
I came here on the 7th of August and the heat knocked me sideways!
"What was it like?"
In the old airport, you got off the plane and you walk in to the open air: I thought I was standing in front of the airplane jet. The bus took you all the way around the runway. [Where the planes take off and land.]
It's absolutely luxurious! = It's absolute luxury!
One woman practically attacked me in a mall during Ramadan for wearing sandals! She said that I was in offensive dress.
The Doctor told me not to come to school in shorts or polo-shirts.
some pants vs. some trousers
Doha has many things like this. For instance, if you want your driving licence you cannot wear shorts.
Do you have a driving licence? [> permit ]
I always put ham in my case and the customs have never stopped me: Touch wood!
I can't risk getting caught at Customs because my wife works for QFE.
"How have you found living in Qatar?" "It's been quite challenging." "In what way?"
"How are you today?"
"How did you get on in the match?"
"Here you are." "Thank you." "My pleasure." / "Not at all."
PAST TENSES: I've been to Oman once with my wife. I was there in 2008. understand – understood, win – won, draw – drew – drawn, lose – lost, go – went - gone
SHORT LINKING WORDS: It's on the Pearl.
I was there at around the same time.
It's on the coast.
"I arrived on the 1st of July during Ramadan."
LANGUAGE: It has the oldest souq in the Middle East.
The people are muchfriendlier than in Qatar. [more friendlier]
Where do you come from?Where are you from?
[Where are you come from?]
Are you a student?
People say this.[x says] They say that it's good.
I make some mistakes although Stu makes more mistakes!
My husband works for QF. [x is working]
My husband is currently working on a project with QF. We've been here for 15 months.
I know where La Hoya is. [x where is La Hoya ] Is there anything like that now? [> Do we have …]
You need to know the short-cutsto get to school. [xforget ]
HOW TO SAY WORDS: "R" Oman, Muskat, private, Mosque, stadium, assistant-coach, Rome, footballer, interesting, Nepal – Nepalese, crisis, sandals, win - women, call-girls,
It's a big fat knot in the tie. family, vs. familiar
HOMEWORK: You've almost finished it! Finally, we're going to talk more about our hobbies [and those of our close family] in tomorrow's class, with various partners, so I'd like you to think about these questions:
-What are your hobbies?
-When and how did you get started on them?
-Are there any other things you'd like to do in the future?
-What did you use to like doing at various stages of your youth?
Language Notes – Wednesday 1st October 2014 Pinch, punch 1st of the month! CONVERSATIONS & NEW WORDS: Touch wood! = ‘Oja la’! in Spanish "I'd rather not talk about it." / "I'd prefer not to talk about it."
To tell a little white lie is when you lie but it's not a bad lie that will kill anyone! For example, "I won't be coming to class over the next couple of weeks because I'm going to be busy working with some new business contacts back in Spain."
I might stay here until next summer or maybe I will go on holiday. An energetic friend of my wife's has invited me to her 70th birthday in Munich.
We use don’t know for people and information, but not really for places. I've never been to Munich. [> I don't know Munich.] I don't know my brother-in-lawvery well.
“Have you ever been to Germany?” "No, I haven't." "What's one of your favourite cities in Europe?" "Two of my favourite cities are Rome and Paris. I like Paris but I had a bad experience." "Can I ask what happened?" "I was there with my husband and we took a taxi from the centre of the city. We were in the city-centre and we got the taxi to take us back to our hotel. However, he took us a long way outside of the city and he jumped traffic lights so when the car stopped we got out and ran away!” "That sounds frightening! "Where did you get the taxi from?" "The driving is as frightening in Doha as it is in Paris." "For me, it's more frightening in Paris. I am more afraid of it.” "Why's that?" "People often speed in the streets." "What's the most frightening place for you?" "If there's a national football match, then Madrid because the traffic is chaotic!" "The road is called the M30." [M stands for motorway in the UK. For example, the M25 is a big road that goes hundreds of kilometres around the edge of London.] "I went to London on the train and went to a biker's club on theoutskirts of the city." Ace Coffee is the most popular club in Europe. Istanbul is dangerous when you're taking a taxi in all suburbs. We went there on our honeymoon. We took a taxi from the airport to go to our hotel. The 2 men were well-built.vs. fat vs. big "Have you been to Istanbul?" "Yes, I have. I went there in August. It was fantastic and I will definitely go back again."
When I was young, I went to Morocco for a whole month. I went to try the Moroccan way of life. I used to a bit of a hippy. I tried to do business with Moroccans so that they'd repair my car for free, or for a small exchange. There are a lot of beggars and begging. girlfriend / boyfriend "One of my first holidays without my parents was when I went to Lisbon with my friends when I was 20. We went for 1 week and we were all ladies – there were 6 of us." "What was the highlight?" [the best part] "It was all good fun!" "Are you friends now?" "Not really, they all have families." Outside Istanbul I think it's different. I also think Moroccans outside Rabat are very different. It's a good vantage point for the photos. I think it would be impossible to live apart from my wife. We're planning on staying on Doha for 3 more years. "They don't know how long the project will last." [dura] "Have you ever lived apart from your spouse?" "We lived apart for 1 year when he first came to Doha?" "How was it?" "I came here for 10 days in August and 10 days in December. I lived alone in Madrid." “What would you recommend about Rome?” “I recommend going to the Coliseum. However, I don't recommend going to any pizzerias!” Fuji is a fantastic suburb of Rome that has delicious foods! While I was there I put on 5 kilos! It was all very different food. "I like pizza, but to be honest, I didn't like it in Rome." [a ver / haber] "What are your plans for the holiday?" "Let me see, I'm going …” “Let’s see, I’m going …”
"The traffic in Rome is worse than here!" "I don't believe it!" danger – dangerous / frightening You 'take your life in your own hands' when your drive in Doha!!!
CLASS EXERCISES: Communication 17 – Getting there…:
"Good morning, Doha bus-station, Stuart speaking, how can I help you?"
"Good morning, can you tell me if there is a bus/train/plane to in the morning/afternoon/evening, please?"
"Certainly Sir, there is …"
"Certainly Madam, there is …"
….the bus number 3, that leaves between 6.25am and 22.25pm.
….the train to Liverpool, that leaves between 10.45am and 20.45pm.
Can you tell me how long that takes, please?
Can you tell me how much it costs, please?
Certainly, it arrives 15 minutes later. Would you like any other information?
It costs QR50 one-way, and QR60return. Would you like any other information?
"Thank you. Can you also tell me….
"Thank you. Can you also tell me….
Vocabulary: zoo, town centre, bus stop, To meet, to visit someone/somewhere, to catch a bus/train/plane
You can buy a 2-week bus pass. one-way ticket / return ticket
I'd like to know _, please? > I need to know….
LANGUAGE: very + adjectiveIt's very good. It's really good. [x much ] much / many + nouns I don't have too much money. He doesn't have many friends! There were 5 people in the small car. My wife was in the front, and I was in the back, with 2 well-built men either side of me! [x mens ] 1 child - 2 childrens,
Present continuous – 100% future plans I'm flying to the UK at 22.30 this evening. "10-30" Stuart's starting again at LSE on the 19th of October. [100% plan]
All the people say it's good. [x says] / Everybodysays it's good. x say
I've never been to Oslo. I haven't been to Oslo. never. I like the area where Picasso and other painters lived at times in their lives.
“Would you rather go to Paris, New York, Madrid, Oslo, Rome or Budapest if I paid for your ticket?” “If you paid for me to go to one of these cities, I would choose Paris.” “If you paid for me to go to one of these cities, I would choose New York.” I haven't been to New York. vs. I don't know New York very well.
SPELLING: Lisbon,
SHORT LINKING WORDS: It's good by day and also at night. I like it very much. vs. I liked the food too much so I put on weight! [negative] You can go to listen to music. [x for ] It's good for listening to music. It's far from Istanbul. [x farto] It's a long way to Istanbul from there.
HOW TO SAY WORDS: Hamburg, hamburger, ground, Muslims, young, Morocco, Moroccan, to/a repair, city, Turkey – Turkish, "I" guy – gay, Bohemian, musicians, atmosphere, special, to discuss "SHH" chef vs. chief, quieter, tourist scenery, days,
HOMEWORK: Can everyone note down interesting or exciting things so we can talk about them when we get back! [You only need to make notes, I won’t check your writing!]
I'm better today, and we were talking and didn't look at the photos we'd planned so I've still got some funny photos for you to look at, which we can discuss [and laugh about!] tomorrow.
Language Notes – Tuesday 30th September 2014
The pain was very strong so I booked an appointment at al-Ali. Now I'm taking some drugs for it and I'm also on painkillers.
I had some blood tests. They did some blood tests.
We put plasters on cuts.
"How would you rate public transport back home?"
The government privatised public transport in the 80s. It's not as good as it used to be.
"In Spain it's bad." "In what way?" [> Why? ]
There have been quite a lot of strikes. [to/a strike]
It's a government train company. Anna told me that the company was part private and part government.
A joint venture
They've changed the age of retirement in Spain.
Before the change, in the UK, women used to retire at 60 and men at 65. However, they now retire at 63 and 67, respectively.
Women have maternity leave when they have children. Men have 2 weeks' paternity leave in Spain.
Under the Spanish system, they record the years you work overseas, and the government can make you pay tax after you return to Spain. If they know you've been working outside the EU, in your annual tax statement, you need to tell them your earnings. If you don't say anything, there's a possibility that the governments may collaborate with each other and exchange the information.
You can get around this problem by going to the Ministry of Expatriate Affairs, obtain a letter which says that you don't have any Spanish bank accounts, and then go to the Spanish Embassy in Doha and get the letter stamped.
I have to have an offshore bank account.
The shore is the water at the beach. The Isle of Man has secret, tax-free bank accounts.
If you live overseas for more than 180 days in a tax year, then you are not liable to tax. [calendar year]
My wife works for an American.
It's justified.
People have private pension schemes.
Income tax in the UK is 45% at the highest level.
In Spain, the government calculate your level of tax based on all of your assets, minus any liabilities such as children.
Your mortgage is the money you borrow from a bank to buy any property.
I have a 25-year mortgage. [25-years]
The house is worth $100k. [100,000] 1km = 1000m 1kg = 1000kg
Amount of money [= quantity of money]
The banks lend people money so that they can buy things. They then have to repay the money.
People borrow money from banks.
I borrowed 250k from the bank. = The banks lent me 250k. [a loan]
The pound is higher than the euro.
Some people have repayment loans but others have interest-only loans.
"I think interest-only loans should be illegal." "I don’t really have any strong thoughts on this." > I don't know.
Is there anything you'd change about your financial situation in the past.
"I recommend not lending money to friends. My mortgage is higher now than when I took it out. I bought my home in 2007, and now I owe the same amount of money and my repayments are higher.
I took it out in Chinese Yuan and Swiss Francs and the exchange rates have moved against me.
"Is there anything you'd change about your finances in the past?"
"I think I'd change pretty much everything! If you don't use the same bank as your employer, then the banks will charge you fees on transfers between the 2 accounts.
employer ≠ employees
I'm planning on buying some property in Qatar. The banks here cannot charge interest because it is 'haram' or sacrilegious.
I asked my friend to lend me 300k. = I borrowed 300k from him.
Banks can repossess your home if your fail to pay your mortgage.
The amounts I need to pay each month.
I would tell Cathy, that her husband is an idiot!
Some twins are identical and others are similar.
I hate it when twins wear the same clothes.
One of Anna's twin cousin's driving licence expired so she used her twin-sister's licence. I know another twin who took driving tests and university tests for his twin brother.
I would be embarrassed!
I would be lost for words! I would be captivated!
The most embarrassed I've ever been was when … The most embarrassing thing I've ever done was when …
I wished the ground would open up and swallow me!
The last New Year's Eve, I saw one of my neighbours come in drunk. He was an older man and he was 'all over the place!'
"Have you ever got drunk and done anything stupid?"
"Where do I start? I've rolled done my trousers and 'done a moonie' in the car!
I did a selfie of my own moonie at a wedding reception. The brideand groom left a camera on each table for people to take pictures as a memento for the newly-weds. So a friend and I went to the bathroom and selfied our 'rear-end'! [a friend and Ix me and a friend ]
partner – spouse
After a wedding, the newly-weds go on honeymoon.
I've never confessed to my friends.
He's talking out of his rear-end! = He's talking out of his ae! [He's lying!] It was with a disposable camera. He said it was attempted arson! [attempted murder]
Arson is a crime when you set fire to something. When I was young, an example of something I did in high school was when I let down my French teacher's tyres. I put a small stone under the cap and then turned it. There were actually 4 of us - 1 on each tyre! let – let He was very strict with everyone. The rest of my friends made a sign and put it on the roof of the building that said various bad things about him. He took a week's holiday and then when he came back he was better.
When my younger sister had a birthday party, she invited her friends. [x made a party ] During the party I turned off the electricity! She's the second after me.
"What would you have said if your brother or sister had done this to you?" "If I was having a party and my brother had turned off the electricity, I would have shouted at him!" "If I was having a party and my brother had turned off the electricity, I would have beaten the sh*t out him!" "If I was having a party and my brother had turned off the electricity, I would have got revenge by putting toothpaste in his ears, or wetting the bed with water so he thought he had wet himself!" I improve by doing my homework!
I hate packing with a passion! I put my suitcase on the ground the day before. I change my mind too much.
She's a having a check-up with the gynaecologist. I haven't been to the Souq since the summer. He has a lot of money. He's a lawyer, so he's not poor. I'm an advocate of the death-penalty. I support.
Devil's advocate A friend and I went to the bathroom
Iberia is the most popular airline in Spain and it merged with BA. Then BA took the best flights and the company has fallen. BA took over Iberia. [a takeover] Sony and Ericsson merged in the 1990s. [mergers and acquisitions - to merge – to acquire]
LANGUAGE: It's possible to say what your salary is here. [x what is your salary – We only use this in questions: What is your salary here?]
PAST TENSES:
SHORT LINKING WORDS: I was at home. Where is she? I pay for my son and daughter's school fees.
HOW TO SAY WORDS: pharmacy, pincers, muscle, hours, government "guvament", my account, bureaucracy, mortgage, wait vs. white,
HOMEWORK: Think about what your plans are for the Eidh holiday. Also think if there is anything you'd like me to bring back from the UK.
Language Notes– Monday 29th September 2014
COMMON EXPRESSIONS
I'm not sure I understood all of that, can you say it again please? "I live on the Pearl." "How is it?" / "What's it like?" "I live in St. Regis." "How is it?" / "What's it like?"
Pardon? / Sorry? [x What?] "I know Delia on there." "Me too – it's a small world!" "What would you like to do this evening?" "How about going to the cinema?" "What do you find difficult here in Doha?" "Where do I start?!" [What is difficult?] This can be for positive or negative classes, e.g."What do you like about Stuart's classes?" "Where do I start?!" [Sorry, I couldn't resist that opportunity!]
CONVERSATIONS & NEW WORDS: "Are you in this class as a trial or long-term?" "Where did you stay?" "It was St. Luca which is close to Cadiz." This year there were too many people. "How are the people different between the north and the south?" "People are more laid-back and relaxed in the south. In the north people are more serious. The way of living is not so hard in the south. It's a hilarious film called 'Eight Vasco's Surnames!'
"I am more like my mother because I'm slim and I have blonde hair. Which of your parents are you more like and in what way?" "Everybody says I am more like my father. I don't have moustache, but we have similar facial expressions and similar builds. My father has passed away." "I'm sorry to hear that." "I failed my exam." "I'm sorry to hear that." I'm slimmer and taller than my father, but peoplesay my face is similar." [x says] I'm similar to both. For example, my father is tall and my mother is slim. My face is more similar to my mother.
"How does that feel?" "Some days are good but other days I feel tired and bored. I have many friends, but some are colleagues of my wife and do not have a standard week. Perhaps their spouse works a normal working week, but for the people whose spouses are pilots don't have a similar timetable." There are many people who live on the Pearl and many of them are Spanish – thank heavens!"
Talking about hair: LENGTH – COLOUR – STYLE She has long, dark, curly hair. ≠short, light, straight hair long – medium-length - short My wife has medium-length, blonde, German style hair. She's from Germany but is also Canary. My husband is partially bald. [partially bald – completely bald] My grandfather was bald by the age of 44, so there's no hope for me! I think bald looks distinguished.
Delia has found a new apartment on the Pearl. ≠ Delia is looking for an apartment. She has now had a baby. I'm very comfortable now. I'd like to live in another place, but in mid-summer it around 9o higher. At 11 in the morning it's much hotter. I prefer living in a villa, but now it's clear to me that I'm going to be living on The Pearl." "How many different apartments have you lived in here?" "My wife had lived in a hotel before I came, but with me it's only been 1."
"A colleague was moving and he asked if anyone was interested, so my wife and I went there to look at it."
"What was the average age of some of the students?" "They were from around 9 to 11." "What time were the classes?" "They were from 4pm to 6." You can refresh your memory and revise.
The 4 Seasons spring- summer- autumn – winter [UK] spring- summer- fall – winter [USA] colour [UK] color "Ladies first!"
"My husband's an engineer."
"He works in tunnels." "Is that dangerous?" "He's a planner and doesn't work on site**." [always related to and in connection to work]
CLASS EXERCISES:
Where are you from?
"I'm from Spain."
"Whereabouts in Spain?"
"I'm from the north. I was born in the north."
"I'm from the south. I was born in Huelva. [the Huelva ]
"Huelva is a nice place to eat prawns."
"Have you been there many times?"
"I went there a couple of years ago."
Are you married? What does your spouse do? Do you have any children?
"Are you married?" "Yes, I am. How about you?" [>And you?]
What do you like doing in your free-time?
"I like going to Sealine, going the beach, anywhere except the city centre and the malls."
"Why don't you like going to the city centre?"
"I buy all the groceries ready for my wife to cook the meals at home. I'm bad at cooking! C'est la vie! I'm the shopper and my wife's the cook. [cooker = oven]
I cook in our house midweek although my husband cooks at weekends.
When did you 1st come to Doha? Where were you before that?
"My first trip here was in 2012." "How long did you stay here then?" "I stayed her for 5 months and then went back to Spain. I was only there for 1 month, before coming back to Doha. I had to organise the relocation."
LANGUAGE: "Are you in this class as a trial or long-term?" [You are ?]
"I liked the beach very much." [x too much]
"I was there 3 or 4 years ago. I liked the beach very much." [x too much]
This year there were too many people so I didn't like it.
This year there were many people so I liked it.
People aremuch friendlier in the north. [more friendly] "Do you have any children?" [x childrens] You need the internet to see it. [x for see]
I went there to see the races motorcycle. [x for see ]
"I like going to Sealine, eating in restaurants , anywhere except the city centre and the malls."
Conditional Tenses
[1st conditional – real possibility] if + present simple+ will
If it is hot, I'll stay at home.
[2nd conditional – small/impossible situation] if + past simple + would
If I was an animal I would be a monkey.
If I was a woman, I would
[3rd conditional – past possibilities] if + past perfect + would have past participle
If I had studied maths, it would have been much more useful than politics.
If I hadn't come to Doha, I think I would have moved to China.
If I hadn't come to Doha, I think I would have stayed in Spain.
PAST TENSES: cost – cost he/she/it costs - he/she/it cost he/she/it puts – he/she/it put
When I 1st moved there it cost QR12k a month but now it costs QR13200. I argued with the owner when he wanted to put it up to 14k. to argued "I first came here in August last year." A friend left a course for me to try.
SHORT LINKING WORDS: "My wife's a pilot for Qatar Airways."
"Like many Spanish pilots, she came here for a test and now she's a pilot." "I stayed her for 5 months and then went back to Spain.
It's near to me.
HOW TO SAY WORDS: "or" prawns, crabs, although, "1" tunnels, subtitled, "of" course,
"SHH!" special, colleague,
HOMEWORK: What you're doing now is always the most important part! I’d also like to look through the older notes, so that you can tell me tomorrow if there are any things you don't understand. Well done today, see you tomorrow!
Language Notes – Wednesday 24th September 2014 CONVERSATIONS & NEW WORDS: You can buy 2nd hand clothes, CDs, books, and toys in charity shops. Charity shops are very common in the UK. Oxfam, BHF, NSPCC, Salvation Army, NSPCA, They're much cheaper. More cheap High – muchhigher – by far and away the highest interesting – muchmore interesting – by far and away the most interesting
"What's Brighton like?" "It's friendly and I like the older area." 'Quadrophenia' is a film about the 'Mods' and the 'Rockers' and I've seen it many times. It's set in Brighton and there's quite a lot of fighting and violence. A film-set The majority of movies are set in Rome. There is a large filming area. The cast are the people in the film and the lead actor and actress are the stars. To/a cast The credits is the list at the end of the film. "Do you know a film called 'Black Gold' that's set in Qatar. "What's the night-life like?" There's a very big area which is closed off with a very, very large fence and you have to be admitted by security guards. "He said it wasn't allowed to ride on this land." "That sounds like he was making it up!" "Is it before or after al-Garia?" "It's about 40 km before." You should just 'nod and smile!' I've seen a movie "Have you seen the most recent movie by Besson?" Did you watch the football at the weekend? I like documentary programmes, such as programmes about crime and the crime problem. There isn't much crime in Qatar. There were some serious crimes in the area. Crime has been getting worse in Qatar. For example there was the body of an English teacher that was found in the desert. "Did the police charge anyone for murder?" "It was her ex-boyfriend." "Was he found guilty or not guilty?" "What was the sentence?" "He was sentenced to life imprisonment." The maximum sentence is 30 years, but if you have more than 1, they are not concurrent. In the UK we have a life sentence or life imprisonment for the most serious crimes. In Spain, there is more crime now, partly crimes of passion, but also due to the rising number of immigrant. It is in the news every day. [x all the days] The death penalty "The Vatican was the last country to have the death penalty." "Fk me sideways!" I believe in the death penalty, how do you feel about it? I believe it's correct for paedophiles. "I couldn't agree more!" = I agree 100%. "It's easy to execute somebody and steal their life. I think forced labour is better." "If you do this, then human rights organisations will say it's wrong." In China they have the It's more common problem in China. [vs.popular] Belarus is 'White Russia' in Russian. I'm lost for words! The alibi is the reason why it wasn't you. The evidence is what the defence and prosecution present to the court, such as fingerprints, DNA samples, witnesses, et cetera. The criminal and civil courts are 2 different places. In the civil court, people and companies sue each other for damages for various things, including defamation of character. The damages are the money that are paid to each other. It's also for divorce cases. The judge or the jury are the people who makes decisions. It was very talked about and covered by the media. Manslaughter is an unplanned murder. They let him off lightly. CLASS EXERCISES: To think about = to consider To go out = to leave to get on a plane = to board You choose a French car 'you make your own bed!'
ENGLISH VOCAB. IN USE - 80 – Phrasal Verbs 2 - Can you tell us about a time that you were in a car that broke down? My car once broke down when I was on my way to London and it 'cost an arm and a leg!' "My car once breaks down more or less every week!" "I think you should buy a new 1." "If I were you, I'd buy a Ford Raptor, but only here, as a full tank in Italy would cost about 300 euros." "How big is the tank of a Landcruiser?" "It's a 4.8 litre engine." How much would it cost to fill up in Italy or Spain? "Maybe the equivalent of QR900! It's technologically advanced and thus it's more fuel efficient and there's less fuel consumed. If you need power, you just 'put your foot down'! Does it have different settings? If a car is not in gear it is in neutral. I can change gears so I have more control. I've tried many cars, in different countries and the logical option is the automatic. Everyone drives automatics in most countries. It was only a 1-hour drive. A 'cinqo ciento' is a well-known car in Italy. the brakes [to brake] the accelerator [to accelerate] We change gear. You don't need to do anything. I used to think the same as you. The dodgems I last tried them a long time ago. It's good fun. Friends was a TV show that was funny. I've driven a Mini and a Nissan Micra. "I've driven a Renault, Fiat, Seat, Mercedes and a Porsche." "How do they compare?" "By far the most comfortable was the Mercedes!" "The most powerful car I've driven is a Range Rover." "They consume a lot of fuel." A petrol-driven car is faster and cheaper to maintain than a diesel. Diesel pollutes more and is therefore not permitted in some cities without government permission. However, diesel engines are stronger and last longer. This is why most trucks and heavy goods vehicles use diesel. It used to be much cheaper, perhaps half the price, but now it's only 10c cheaper. GLP is becoming more popular in Europe. If you go to work every day by car, a hybrid is OK. If you really put your foot down, you can get to 120 an hour. I’ll come and pick you up and we'll go to the airport and I was quite nervous. When I got there I realised I had forgotten my passport so I had to go home and get it. Mercedes = "Merk" in the UK He used a hook to close his Mini. You take a turn and the Mini moves immediately. I've only driven a Mini once. [x 1 time]
LANGUAGE: Questions Is it very far? Do you know a film called Black Gold? Is it before or after al-Garia? Is there the life sentence in Qatar? Does it have different settings? [Settings is a useful word we can use to talk about anything technical, such as TVs, radios, cars, computers, et cetera.] - People say he's in another school. [x says] It's very far.Vs. x It's too far. It's very expensive, darling. [You still buy it and 'get in the good books'!] Vs. x It's too expensive, darling! We won't buy it.] I haven't seen it yet. [x didn't see ityet] I still haven't seen it. [xstill didn't see] I've never seen it. I'd like to see all the Tarantino films because I like his genre. Leon is a film about an assassin. You can have a BBQ. [X make ]
PAST TENSES: He said it wasn't permitted to ride on this land. At the moment, - At that moment,
SHORT LINKING WORDS: At the moment
HOW TO SAY WORDS: …castle, "fish" artificial, "there" area, island, a police HQ, quiet, rare, crime, fuel, exclusives material, exhaust, manual, Morocco, kinds, "fifth" 5th gear, a "Merk", diesel, methane, "I" hydrogen - hybrid, interesting I heard about a teacher at Newtown school that has been arrested.
HOMEWORK: Can you think of some other examples of things which people are unsure about, but in which you think the pros outweigh the cons, or vice versa. For example:
"Sometimes 2nd-hand clothes don't last as long as new clothes, but they're much, much cheaper, so I think the pros outweigh the cons."
Language Notes– Tuesday 23rd September "It's a good place to live." "In what way?"
CONVERSATIONS & NEW WORDS: "Touch wood!" [With luck!] I didn't do much really. I picked up my kids from school and wentshopping. I bought some general groceries for the house. I took my brother to school.≠I picked up my brother from school. I wenthome after class and went to The Mall and did some shopping. We didn't really have anything at home. [x nothing ] I am 27. I am 27years old. I am 27 years. [xI have27.] My son is 14. [x has ] "I went diving in the Seychelles." "It's a hard life!" I've never been there. "I went to Sri Lanka last year." "What was it like?" "Was it a good hotel? Would you recommend?" It's quite unspoilt by tourists. [There aren't too many tourists.] "I bumped into my old school friend by accident in Sri Lanka. Have you ever bumped in to anyone by accident?" "This summer, I bumped into an old neighbour on the beach." "When was the last time you had seen her?" "Twenty years ago! She's the sister of an old friend from the suburbs of Oviedo." [barrios] "If you could bump into anyone from your past this afternoon, who would you choose?" "If I could bump into anyone, I'd choose my cousin because it's been such a long since I've met up with him. It's probably been around 4 years. To meet someone is sometimes for the 1st time, but meet up is not.
"If I could bump into anyone, I'd choose my best friend because I haven't seenherfor a long time. "If I could bump into anyone, I'd choose my best friend because I haven't seen him for a long time.
"What's one of the most surprising or shocking things that's ever happened to you?" "One trip my wife prepared as a surprise for me a trip to California. It was a surprise trip. All my friendsknew but she didn’t tell me where we were going! I took some swimming trunks. "Where are we going?"
She lives in Pasadena which is very close to Los Angeles and some other places of interest. [> special points] If you go with people that know it well, it's OK. However, at night, it can be different if you're on your own. I never really felt afraid. I've never been to the USA, and it doesn't really hold any attraction. I first when went there 16 years ago and stayed there for 3 1/2 years. "After he had finished his Masters we came back to Qatar and then in 2010 I went there for treatment for my daughter." "I'm sorry to hear that." "What was your husband's Masters?" "It was in educational technology."
"What is it like in Kansas?" They have a strong accent. There's a different in most states of the USA.
Coloured or African-American people have a different accent. It's the middle-class, white liberals who are politically correct [PC] that say 'black' is offensive!
CLASS EXERCISES: Myprincipalhobby is motorcycling. [= main** hobby]
Motorcycling Vocabulary:
Motorbike, helmet, equipment, leathers, to accelerate ≠ to brake, balance, go around a bend, to be brave!
A normal bike for the everyday man.
A second-hand bike ≠ a new bike
First impressions are important when buying a bike.
Looks can be deceptive!
Test the bike to see how it feels.
If the ignition is easy it's OK.
I listen to the sound of the engine.
We can borrowsomething. ≠ lend
We rent a bike.
We negotiate the price. "It costs 50." "I'll give you 40." "How about 45?" "OK."
Next, get on the bike. ≠ get off
I have a bigger bike for riding further without needing petrol.
I was over-confident.
I thought I could go faster around the corner and didn't check the situation. A carwent through a red light and hit me side-on. [/ head-on] Kaput!
I fell off my bike. I also fell off my motorbike.
A car in front of me changed direction without signalling. I hit the brakes the road was wet and I lost control and I hit the car from behind.
I was injured but not seriously.
I had a check-up but I hadn't broken anything.
/ They did a check-up and I hadn't broken anything.
I was going with my friend and a gust of wind blew and capsized the boat.
/ a strong wind
We had to right the boat. [right ≠ wrong]
"How long did it take?" "We had to swim to the sea-shore. It took about an hour! In November we had something similar but we didn't capsize."
Prepare your equipment for class, with everything.
Give your students rules.
Don't be late. Be on time.
I give them homework.
It's difficult to explain.
You can't control them.
"What's better mixed or single-sex classes?"
"In my opinion, for teenagers it's better to be single-sex." "It's a fine line." [a small space between 2 sides]
"In my opinion, for university classes, it's better to have …
"Why do we need to divide the class into male and female?" "Where do I start?!" Young men and women get to know each other and learn things.
"Some are mixed and some are single."
"Which ones have better results?"
"It depends more on the individual than the university."
Fishing:fishing rod, fishing line, hook and bait, net, water, we catch fish [catch – caught], diving, mask & snorkel, boat,
I dive with a harpoon. It's better for the environment as you only catch the fish you want to, not any extra fish that you do with a net.
You wait until the fish is tired before you pull it in.
Put on the oxygen tank on to go deeper.
Do you have a buoy?
They use a buoy to see well. They attach themselves to the buoy for safety.
I know a pilot who goes harpoon fishing and goes home with lots of fish and gives them to his neighbours. He says it's like an addiction. He says you always need a dive-partner when you dive.
I have dived in Oman. / I did a dive in Oman last year.
LANGUAGE: I try to teach well. [x good]
In the past they were muchbetter.
Is it bigger? [more big ] Is the water clear?
Using DOS on computers: laptop, mouse, screen, keyboard, turn on ≠turn off, plug into the socket To/a plug We plug the plug into the socket.
Where do I start?!
In the modern world, the computer is more common than before. The laptop works well.
We assemble the computer,
There used to be another form of computer, in primordial format. It was very different pre-Windows.
[Pre-Windows ≠ Post-Windows]
It's important to know a little bit about the DOS.
We waste lots and lots of timeon computer.
I have a love-hate relationship with the computer!
I think I spend about _ on the computer each week! There are pros and cons to the tablets.
With regards tablets, I think the pros outweigh the cons. I'm still undecided. I used to be indecisive but now I'm not sure! It's too difficult to say and put it into such a simple sentence! With regards tablets, I think the advantages outweigh the disadvantages.
PAST TENSES: catch – "or" caught, lend – lent, send – sent, take – took – taken
SHORT LINKING WORDS:also vs. as well I also fell off my motorbike. I fell off my motorbike as well. I go at the weekend. It's in the west. Is it close to the beach? "It's a good place to live." With regards tablets, I think the cons outweigh the pros.
HOW TO SAY WORDS: "wish" nutritionist - delicious, geography, "quit" equipment, kind / type, full-throttle, quickly, instantly, holes, confidence, knowledge, assemble, manual, precious, buoy, scuba-diving, 3 1/2 years "three and a half years" "3 years and a half" 0.5 "nought point 5"; "here" = "hear"; to punish or to tell off, patience, intelligence
HOMEWORK: Can you think of some other examples of things which people are unsure about, but in which you think the pros outweigh the cons, or vice versa. For example:
"Sometimes 2nd-hand clothes don't last as long as new clothes, but they're much, much cheaper, so I think the pros outweigh the cons."
Language Notes– Monday 22nd September 2014
CONVERSATIONS & NEW WORDS:
The main idea is to start a small trading company. We construct a building.
This is changing all the time. [> all days]
For every 100 people, 1 of them is a biker and this person will need to buy a bike for to go to work, the desert, et cetera.
At present there aren't really any services for bikers. The ones that there are currently are very expensive, for all of the clothes, equipment and other things. Both sides of Salwa Road have showrooms for cars, but there is only 1 showroom for bikes.
You can go to Suzuki to change your tires.
It's a big dealer to buy a car.
There was an explosion at a restaurant. It exploded because of
At home I have 3 bikes, but there isn't a workshop to change my tire if I have a puncture, I have to go back home and fix it myself. There aren't any places where you can pay for these services.
I've got a machine arriving next week, and I'm going to try and make some copies of this machine in al-Khor and market them. It will be easy to assemble and put together.
It company will try to meet the needs of people in Qatar.
Honda is one of the biggest brands in the world and you have to go to a place close to Salwa Road. When you get there it's like a war-zone such as Khandahar with big holes in the street! There are people in the middle of the street.
They have machines for DIY. do-it-yourself
There are lots of people from the Indian Sub-continent.
They are accustomed to it.
They have big beards.
It's called sidikior sid that people drink illegally in the Middle East. You can get cut an uncut.
He became alcoholic in Saudi Arabia!
It's like BladeRunner at night!
There's an area close to the zoo that people say you can buy anything. People say that people smuggle things back in to Doha under their thobes.
I have an Argentinian friend that says you can buy anything for certain.
I went there in 1985 with my friends.
My sister-in-law told me that my brother was 'all over the place' after a bad trip!
unconscious
One ambulance went to my brother's home to help and needed 4 people to restrain him and put him in the ambulance! They had to handcuff him to the bed before they could give him the medicine. To/a handcuff
We have an idea that it may have been caused by a migraine that he had 2 days before. He had to take some tablets and they think it was the side-effects of this medicine. You can lose your personality, get very angry, have a fever, et cetera.
Medicine have side-effects, but not in everyone.
I went to Nice.
I used to smoke Cuban cigars.
There was a teacher of physics and chemistry.
I like the characters she plays in movies, such as 'Tomb Raider'.
Who are some of your favourite actors and actresses?
One of them is Morgan Freeman and another 1 is Jonny Depp. He has played in more art-house movies.
In reality, Clint Eastwood is probably my favourite, alongside other older actors.
Is Sting El Golpe in Italian?
One of my favourite films is The Godfather.
Big Brother is a reality-TV show we all hate! The situations are all false and forced.
"Another problem is that it shows children the wrong way to behave."
I have a daughter who's 20 and she tells me about it. My son is younger and I hope that he doesn't watch it.
I think it should be banned! To/a ban
The player got a 3-match ban after he was sent off.
The reason why it's become popular is because it represents the ambition of teenagers and adolescents. [x answer]
It's an easy way to become famous.
For Pete's sake!
A task is a part of a job or work.
Businessmen have briefcases, but they now call it a 'man-bag'.
['Mariconera' is what they call it in Spanish!]
Bum-bandit-bag A bandit
People watch Big Brother. I saw the 1st Big Brother with my ex-wife and she has custody of my children. My wife watches Big Brother.
It's rubbish!
A cook is the person and the cooker or oven is the machine they use.
You have to wade through channels and channels to find anything worth watching!
I had to wade through lots of tasks on my first day back!
CLASS EXERCISES:The Most Difficult Job Interview Questions- Explanation
"Tell me about yourself"
"Let me see, where do
I start? X I do
I come from Italy and I'm in my early 30s.
..the last 4 years. [x lastest]
It's the capital of the Italy.
We're some of the most important researchers, doing what many consider to be some of the most important research.
We deal with both outpatients and in-patients.
I was assigned to lead a group
"Why should we recruit you?" [give you a job]
"Well, I have extensive and comprehensive experience.
I saw the a job advertisement.
I have a lot of expertise in children's nutrition.
Another of I like working with children face-to-face.
"Why did you leave your last job?"
"Why did I leave my last job, well the truth is I didn't feel good because they weren't very passionate about their work. My contract lasted at the end of the year.
We're in a recession.
"What are your salary expectations?"
"That's a tough question, I'd answer that by asking what you pay my potential colleagues who are at the same level in the organisation?
I'd like a salary that meets the cost of living.
"What are your weaknesses?" /Do you have any weak points?
"Weakness, hmm, unfortunately I do have some weaknesses – although I think this is true of everyone! I ask the other people to solve problems. / I ask the other people in the organisation to solve the problem. I used to be anxious before the lesson. [> I usually was]
"What mo__tivates you?"
I love my job and also sharing my experience. I love seeing the face of a parent whose child is recovering.
"If you were an animal, what would you be? If you were a car, what would you be?"
"That's an equally tough question!
The Most Difficult Job Interview Questions– Explanation
Interviews are designed to do just one thing: identify the best possible candidate for the advertised job. And sometimes it may feel that the questions being asked have been designed to deliberately catch you out or make you question whether you are up to the job or not.
But that's not their intention. Some questions aim to establish how well you cope under pressure, others will be to reveal your personality or to see what your career aspirations are. Just remember that there is no need to draw a blank or clam up if you have done your research and preparation beforehand.
If you want to avoid an interview disaster, here are some of the toughest interview questions and suggested responses.
"Tell me about yourself"
This is perhaps the most open-ended question of them all and is typically used by interviewers as a warm-up question to give you the opportunity to shine. But resist the temptation to start talking about your life history. What your interviewer is looking for is a quick two or three minute snapshot of who you are and why you are the best candidate for the job. So keep your response relevant to the position you are applying for. For example: I started my media sales career five years ago as a telesales representative, rising through the ranks before gaining promotion to sales manager three years later. I am now responsible for training and developing a team of 15 sales consultants that are currently the company's best performing sales team.
"What are your salary expectations?"
You should have done some research into the average salary and remuneration that this type of position will pay. Try to deflect the question by turning it around and asking the interviewer about the salary on offer. Typically, they will start with a lower figure than they are prepared to offer because they want to keep their costs down. So if you are pressed to give a number, its best to give a range to avoid pricing yourself out of contention. For example: I'm sure whatever salary you're paying is consistent with the rest of the market average of £23,000 to £25,000.
"Why should we hire you?"
This can be a killer question and can make or break your chances of winning the job. And how you answer will depend on how well you have probed your interviewer about their requirements and expectations. So what the interviewer is really asking you is, What can you do for my business? Your response needs to answer that question. For example: As I understand your needs, you are first and foremost looking for someone who can increase your advertising sales and has experience of managing a sales team. I have a proven track record in successfully managing and developing my territory within this sector, having increased my sales from £150,000 to £210,000 over the last two years alone.
"If you were a car ... tree ... animal what would you be?"
Baffling though it may seem, some interviewers still insist on asking silly questions, such as If you were a car, what type of car would you be and why? There are no right or wrong answers. The interviewer is simply testing your reactions under pressure to see how you will cope with the unexpected in an attempt to gain an insight into your personality and how you view yourself. Don't get hung up on the implications of what type of car you say you would be, just be mindful that you will be expected to explain your choice. For example: I would probably be a 1962 Alpha Romeo Spider -- classy, stylish, driven and fast off the mark
"Why did you leave your last job?"
You know this question will be asked at some stage, so have your answer ready in advance. The rule of thumb is to always remain positive about your current and previous employers because you never know when your paths may cross again. Besides, who are you going to turn to for a reference? For example: I learned a lot from my previous employer and enjoyed my time there. However, promotional opportunities were few and far between and I am keen to advance my career sooner rather than later.
"What are your weaknesses?" /Do you have any weak points?
Career manuals abound with ways to tackle this question. And most of them seem to suggest that you should take one of your strengths and portray it as a weakness. For instance, I work too much. But this will actually work against rather than work for you because it may imply that you do not organise your workload effectively, or that you have poor time management skills. Instead, opt for a genuine weakness. For example: I used to struggle to plan and prioritorise my workload. However, I have taken steps to resolve this and now I have started using a planning tool and diary system on my laptop.
"What motivates you?"
Short of telling your interviewer that you are motivated by the prospect of earning a footballer's salary, driving a Bentley or having a holiday home in St Tropez, try and give a constructive answer that will excite your interviewer into understanding what benefit you will bring to his business. For example: I get a real kick out of seeing my team exceed their sales targets and completing the project on time and within budget.
"How would your former colleagues describe you?"
This is a sure sign that the interviewer likes you and is already thinking about contacting your previous employer for a reference. And this is the time when you realise how important it is to choose your referees carefully. So answer this question in the way that you would like to think your employer would respond. For example: I have an excellent working relationship with my manager and we have mutual respect for each other. He considers me to be hard working, dedicated, reliable and able to work well using my own initiative.
LANGUAGE: She helps many people in the world.
Me? [x I?]
IMAGINARY SITUATIONS- If + past simple + would + infinitive without to
If I was an animal, I would be a dolphin because they are very sensitive.
If I was an animal, I would be a small monkey.
If I was a car, I would be a 4X4, because they're very strong. [x is too ]
If I was a car, I would to be a motorhome or campervan.
When I am in Spain, I'd like to have a California.
Most people have campervans in Germany.
I'd like a small 2-bedroom house in Spain.
PAST TENSES: They used to go there in the 80s.
SHORT LINKING WORDS: He goes home after he finishes his work. [to go to home]
HOW TO SAY WORDS: sensitivity, parents, survivor, to live, life, leaf, target, quiet, tomb, raider, castle, many, dynamic, "fish" artificial, fame, false, adolescents, accessories, necessities of , needs of, holes, police, zoo, quantity, meningitis, "or" sister-in-law, migraine, versatile, "SHH!" machine - special
HOMEWORK: Go through the notes, as you've been doing. I'd also like you to think if there is anything else you'd like to say to answer the job interview questions, after reading the notes.
Finally, the websites I recommended are www.musescore.com, www.virtualdj.com
The "School of Comedy" programme I recommended after class, is such as the information at this website.
We're thinking of having a corner with some scenery where people can have crazy photos. This will then give us a souvenir of the wedding.
We're talking about our wedding and wedding reception. A wedding is where 2 people are married. [vs. guys]
It's a camera that you can take the picture and it makes the picture immediately.
We put stamps on the outside of postcards and letters.
It's relatively inexpensive.
'I'll keep my eye out' for some cufflinks for the wedding.
"What's the best relativelycheap present you've ever been given?"
"Nothing really comes to mind."
I gave her an earring made of lava.
"What's one of the best presents you've ever been given?"
"One of the best presents I've ever been given was my ring.
I was given it for my 18th birthday.
It's a touching story.
"Thank you, that's very touching!"
Your engagement ring / wedding ring
Most people do it in Australia. [Everybody [x all the people]
What was the most recent present you gave someone?
It was the kitchen fittings for our house. We were given this by
What was the most recent present you were given? [last present]
The most recent present we were given was the bedroom fittings for our master bedroom. We were given this by Anna's father.
What was the most recent present I received, well, the most recent present I received was …
I had no idea how expensive it would be to build my own house!
I was given a watch by my mother.
To be superstitious is illogical! [logic]
I used to do the same thing although I didn't used to have the same daily routine. I used to have a lucky pen for exams.
A lucky mascot is
"Who's the most superstitious person in your family?"
"It's my cousin on my mother's side. He takes superstition to a new level! I lived with him for a number of years and an example was that he used to leave his shoes at the same position at the end of his bed. Before going to bed, he went to the bathroom, washed his hands, switched off the lights, he got in to bed, and then he would get up and go back to the bathroom without touching anything, wash his hands, and then go back to bed.
I'm 99.99% certain he still does it!
He has 1 child who's only 9-months old.
He used to go to school at exactly the same time every day!
He doesn't walk under ladders.
It's almost a pathological condition. [x disease]
He's OCD! OCD = obsessive compulsive, disorder
I'm OCD
I used to be plump and I used to weigh myself every morning and evening. [= a little fat]
To weigh yourself – weight
When I was 18 I used to weigh 98 or 99 kilograms.
I used to weigh 92 kilos.
To be obese
In your sub-conscious your brain thinks about it.
To be on a diet
"How did you lose weight?"
"I started doing lots of sports and eating less food. Sometimes I used to not eat during the day and it was pathological."
I got down to 72 kilos.
My favourite healthy food is
My favourite unhealthy food is burgers.
"I don't know if they're unhealthy."
"What's your favourite fast-food chain?"
"I like TGI Friday."
"I don't eat fast food very often, but sometimes when I was on holiday, or with nothing to do, I'd go to Burger King."
"I've never tried KFC."
"Have you ever seen the
"They have big fat pans and they fry the burger in there."
Thechicken is not very fatty.
The last time I ate there was 3 years ago.
I prefer salty food to sweet food. Salt & pepper
I'd like to give up eating the bread in my diet.
I eat too many crisps. [UK] chips [USA] [e.g. Pringles]
We eat burger and chips. [UK] French Fries [UK & USA]
"It's positive and negative at the same time. It depends on how you use it. You can be more informed about things.
You can find incorrect information. [> wrong]
You are now able to communicate with more people.
2nd Part
To trawl Fishermen use trawler nets to catch lots of fish.
You have to trawl through thousands and thousands of pages to find your information.
She's addicted to the internet. [addicted to smoking cigarettes, addicted to heroin]
When we were young, we used to use libraries to research things.
To concentrate and resolve
If you weren't able to solve a problem, you were given the answer at school.
Children's parents don't have control.
I've seen children of around 9 using the smart phone.
All of the peoplein the room started smoking.
Almost everybody starts smoking before 18. [x all the people]
They are going through puberty.
…the best way to utilize the mobile.
It's a dependence on phones.
I think it's bad-mannered to use a phone for a long time when you're with other people.
When we were young, my mum didn't want my brother and I to use too many electronic devices.
I have an old colleague who's now a friend who's a mathematician and statistician.
Holland – Dutch
Germany – German [x Deutsche]
Two years ago he got another degree in the restoration and renovation of books from previous centuries.
We have 2 types of book, paperbacks and hardbacks.
His 'bird' says they're amazing, so all that's left – is the proof that love's not only blind but deaf!
Love is blind.
LANGUAGE: "Was it for your birthday?" [X It was]
"No, she gave it me for graduating from high-school and getting a high mark."
"It doesn't make any difference."
"No, probably not."
I used to have a lucky pencil case. I used to take it to school and then I took it to university. [x bring]
If I have children, I think I'll bring them up in this way.
If I had children, I think I'd bring them up in this way. [more hypothetical]
It lasts 2 minutes. [x during]
PAST TENSES: I gave the earring to Anna.
give – gave – begiven teach – taught – betaught
He used to get up early. = He would get up early.
SHORT LINKING WORDS: I took it to uni. Vs. I had it at uni.
HOW TO SAY WORDS: scenery, Sweden – Swedish, "here" hearing vs. earring, smell vs. smile
72kg "72 kilos, 72 kilograms, x 72 "K-G", to research, - research,
availability vs. viability, traceability, adults, the air-force, aeronautical,
HOMEWORK: Continue the homework from last Wednesday that we didn't look at today.
Language Notes – Wednesday 17th September
CONVERSATIONS & NEW WORDS:
"I had a meeting." "What was it like?" / "How was it?"
"I saw a film." "What's it like?"
"How old are you?" "I’d rather not say."
"How old are you?" "I'm in my early 30s." "mid-30s.""in my late 30s."
"What's your profession?"
"I used to work in graphic design when I was in Spain. I'm looking into different options for business here in Doha. How about you?"
"I work in medicine."
"It'smuch easier in Dubai."
Your accent is the same.
I'm from Naples. I'm a Napoli. 'Napolese' Nepal - Nepalese
I'm from Spain.
I used to be able to speak good Spanish but I've forgotten a lot!
The Basque Country.
When I was young I used to be able to do karate but I stopped 10 years ago.
When I was a child I used to fight with my brother.
They cook paella in a big pan.
There's a lot of nature. It's very, very rich. banking secrecy laws.
Isle of Man has the pound as its currency.
When the Second World War happened, a lot of Jews had their money stolen and put in Swiss bank accounts.
The have the Isle of Man TT in July.
You need to make a reservation for next year because it's very, very popular. This year they say there were 100kpeople who went there for the race!
It's very dangerous and there are 2 or 3 riders who die on an average year.
The Spanish motorcycle federation ban riders from going to the race.
He broke his leg last year. He was going around a corner and caught
This is Antonio's leg.
Have you ever ridden a motorbike?
It's goodfun! vs. It's funny!
It's more fun. vs. It's funnier!
We go off-road.
I always wear a white helmet that's easy for people to see. I also think it reflects the sun better.
It's customized
How long do you foresee staying here? [to predict]
I foresee staying in Qatar for another 3 or 4 years.
How long do you foresee staying the UK?
I foresee staying in the UK for 3 or 4 years.
"Do you like travelling alone, or with friends or family?"
"I prefer to travel alone."
"I agree with you." [x I'm agree.]
CLASS EXERCISES:
If I said I would buy you 1 of these bikes, which one would you choose?
If you said you'd buy me 1 of these bikes, I'd choose that one.
If you said you would buy me 1 of these bikes, I'd choose that one.
you'd = you would or you had
Before the economic crisis in Spain we had our wedding on the 7/7/7 in Asturias.
She had 1 daughter so I have a step-daughter.
After finishing studies she came here in 2007.
"How did you come to school today?"
"I came in my white LandCruiser." "Really?" ["Really, what's new?!" (inf.)]
"De verdad? No me digas. Que me cuentas."
"I've never driven in the desert. Why are some cars better than others in the desert."
Now there are a lot of Raptors in the streets.
It's safer to drive a big car here.
We need a big car for our safety. It's big enough for people to see at roundabouts.
They just put their foot down and don't think about it.
The 'jinglies' are the worst drivers!
It's prohibitively expensive.
To come here, I flew with Turkish airlines, so we had a stopover at Istanbul.
Turkish airline have a low-cost carrier called Pegasus.
You need to read all the small print because they will charge you a lot of extra charges.
You pay an extra 20 euros if you don't have a printed ticket! To land a plane≠to take off
The pilot of some RyanAir companies call the tower and tell lies about their
The flight attendants try and sell you things before going through the safety tickets, even lottery tickets. 'There's no such thing as a free lunch!'
What have you found most challenging about living in Qatar and the Middle East?
The lack of alcohol. There's not enough alcohol.
My biggest challenge is the lack of places in which to socialise.
My wife travels a lot because she is a pilot for Qatar Airways. My friends are the opposite to me.
I meet people in a bar. vs. I know some people.
I have dinner and a drink with Anna. [> take]
It's like an old colonial city.
People are more or less the same.
People are exactly the same.[Same, same.]
LANGUAGE:
I have a bike that I use on the Pearl but at the weekends it's muchtoo dangerous!
[x too much] much too adjective
There's too much danger.too much noun
Do you have any specialities?
My best friend's wife is Spanish. [x wife of my friend]
Many people say they like paella. In order to do the training it needed a lot of time so I gave up. [x For to do ]
Now I also like riding but only in the summer time. [x like also]
I have a bike that I use on the Pearl but at the weekends it's much too dangerous!
There are too many people. I have too much time. [/ a lot of]
There are a lot of people. I have a lot of time.
I don't have enough money.
We've had many classes.
The Moors controlled much of Spain in the Middle Ages.
There were maybe 20 or 30 people. [x 20 people or 30 people] I'd never been to any other regions before I came here. I had never been…
Did you like it? [x Did you like?]
It's much too cold. [x too much ] One of my father's cousins lives there.
They go there twice a day. [once, twice, 3 times, 4 times a day]
PAST TENSES: ride – rode - ridden I rode a motorbike throughout much of Europe. Have – had put – put He puts it on.– He put it on. Cut, hit, let, set, Fall – fell – fallen
She went there. She came here.
When I first came here and rented a car, the other cars used to 'beep' me.
fly – flew – flown To come here, I flew with Turkish airlines. I flew to Qatar with BA last month. I've never flown with the Emirates.
To be able to – can – could
SHORT LINKING WORDS:
"How did you meet your wife?"
"I met her in Tenerife on the Canary Islands. It was a meeting of motorcyclists. She had 2 motorbikes.
I've been in Doha since 2012.
I've been in Doha for around 2 years.
I've lived in Doha since 2012.
It depends. It depends on the business. [x of ]
I went to Dublin. I stayed in Dublin.
I rode a motorbike throughout much of Europe.
I have a bike that I use on the Pearl but at the weekends it's much too dangerous!
Have you ever been to Spain? At home we have 1 bike for her and 1 for me. At the weekend
HOW TO SAY WORDS: issues, to/a step, authentic, To ride – rode – ridden riding, "S" recipes, experiment, "E" cuisine, ingredients, Arabia, Arab, Arabic, parsley, special,
non-European country, Switzerland Swiss, isle, island, aisle,19-63, April, diesel, ₠1.56
4x4 "four by four", "SHH!" social, "or" resort, sea, salt, brain,
HOMEWORK: Think of the questions you're likely to be asked in the next interview. Alternatively, think about what the main aspects of your future business options are so that you can explain them to us.
Language Notes – Tuesday 16th September 2014
If we don't hear what someone says we can say: Pardon? Sorry, I didn't quite catch that? What? Another useful expression if you disagree with someone on something is:Let's agree to disagree on this!
LAST CLASS KEY NOTES:
I'm in my early 30s. / I'm in my mid-30s. / I'm in my late 30s. thirties etc.
I'm a teenager.
CONVERSATIONS & NEW WORDS:
I'll get fully-furnished accommodation.
Sidra currently has 400 beds which will grow to around 500 over the next 12 months.
I want to find a job here. Toregret to dosomething vs.to regret doingsomething
I regret to tell you that your car has failed it's test.
"Is there anything you regret not doing or buying?"
"I regret not studying maths at university." [UK]
"I regret not studying medicine at university. This is because if you are a general doctor you have more opportunities open to you. [general practitioner GP]
"I regret not studying biology at school."
"Why's that?"
"I chose not to study it because I thought it's not important, but now I realise I was wrong."
We start to choose subjects at school when we're 14.
You can choose the school where do you want to go. They specialise in different fields, such as science, humanities, the arts, et cetera.
I chose to study culinary art but then I came across nutrition and I never looked back!
I study in the field of science and I study the subject …
I've never studied philosophy but I regret not studying it. You can study it on your own. I have some books
but they're at the back of my bookshelves gathering dust! I agree completely! I'm in agreement. [x I'm agree.]
Is it the same for Arabic?
"Yes, that's correct."
Areas and countries in the Middle East have different dialects.
What do you think about corporal punishment either at school or domestically? I'm for it. / I'm against it.
I assume you're speaking about children!
I got the cane when I broke a window.
I think it's harmful to children.
I think parents shouldn'tsmack children. [vs. to hit] Let's agree to disagree on this!
We usually played with paper balls. [x Usually we played (order)] Normally, we played with paper balls.
My parents used to smack me, probably around twice a week.
My dad's only smacked me once or twice.
We used to get the wooden spoon or the slipper if we were very bad.
Wewear slip-ons or flip-flops inside and outside.
What do you think judge?
The judge decides if the accused is guilty or not guilty in the court.
If someone commits sexual abuse, they remove their genitals.
What do you think about capital punishment? I'm for it. / I'm against it.
That's a difficult question.
[2nd conditional]
If every country had capital punishment, there would be less crime and fewer criminals. However, in America there is capital punishment, and it seems that the only people that get it are black and/or poor. I therefore prefer corporal punishment, such as chopping off the hands of robbers.
If someone commits sexual abuse, they remove their genitals.
A life-sentence
The cost per prisoner exceeds £40,000 or the equivalent of QR 240,000.
The wife didn't commit the crime.
A working camp is where the prisoners have to work.
I heard about a journalist who was sentenced to 6 years' hard-labour because he went there as a tourist but in reality he was a undercover journalist.
He went there. He came here.
There are humanitarians that disagree with it, so it's impossible to please everyone!
It's controversial when rich people support poverty!
"I disagree with democracy."
"In what way?"
"I live in a democratic country and the situation is unacceptable because everybody want to be in government
and embezzle public funds! All the people in the government will talk about things, but they won't doanything to change it."
"What's the answer?"
"I think dictatorship is equally unacceptable, but I don't have the answer."
"In Qatar, there is a royal family as well as some administrative bodies."
I think this is one good approach to governing and government.
If I could change anything, I'd
If you stay in power, after some years you can become corrupt.
The latest President is Obama and the last 1 was Bush.
Bush Jr. was hideous. Bush Sr. was also quite hideous but he was 'the lesser of 2 evils!'
Yasser Arafat won the the Nobel Peace Prize in the 1990s.
They now provide free water and electricity to its citizens.
It is tax-free for Qataris.
The income tax in Italy is around 50%.
Would you like to see any change in the Italian income tax system?
In the next 2 or 3 months we're going to be taxed for other areas.
deficit ≠ surplus
Four or 5 million people are unemployed and a lot of companies have been declared bankrupt and the government has been paying their employees salaries for 3 years. They also pay people unemployment benefits.
I'm 99.99% certain that there's going to be a new tax.
There are a lot of people who work on the black market and get 'paid under the table'. For this reason they don't pay tax on their earnings.
It's impossible to find a job.
The cost of living is rising.
PART TWO - I had an interview with someone at Sidra earlier in the year and they said they were happy. However, they then told me, that they had found a suitable employee who was from Qatar and that this was better for them, purely because of the 'Qatarisation' process which has been happening this year.
In This week, she's going to speak to a contact in Sidra, and she told me that she'd get back to me by Friday with an answer for another interview.
I'd like to prepare a talk which goes in to more detail of my experience and skills.
They're going to ask if I've ever prepared a menu for the hospital canteen.
She asked me if I'd ever worked in a team. [x never equipe]
She asked how many people were above move in the company structure and how many people I had who accounted to me.
Predominantly, when I work in a team, it's a team of around 4 people. I usually report directly to my professor. We work in collaboration with other teams and have a leadership meeting around once a week, unless there are some issues to be dealt with, in which case we will meet more often. I also have contact with my direct manager as necessary, either in person or over the phone and this will tend to happen once a week.
I always try to be good friends with the people in the team, but at the same time, I am aware of being the team-leader, and thus avoid any conflicts of interest. I think communication is an essential part of a team functioning, and as a result I make the maximum effort to be both in contact with other people, as well as ensuring that I come across as being approachable to all team members.
A problem might be if a member of staff are a little unsure about a certain aspect of a patient's diet, such as something arising from some uncommon pathology. For this reason, I make it clear to all team members, that I know that this may be a problem, in order that they feel more comfortable communicating with me.
It's important to understand why any problem is occurring in order to find the best solution. For example, there was a problem in Rome, when there was a disagreement between 2 members of the team, concerning the best treatment for a patient and they argued about it. This was then resolved, by meeting with both team members at the same time, discussing it, and deciding on a treatment that everyone agreed with.
At some points, new members of staff would often join the team from other parts of the hospital, and there were obvious challenges presented in order keep the team functioning in the same way. We found that a good way of dealing with this was to have the new team-member shadow 1 of the more experienced staff on the team, in order to learn the way this particular team functioned.
LANGUAGE: I bought some cleaning products, groceries, clothes, CDs et cetera.
I bought some cleaning products, groceries, clothes, CDs etc. and then I went home. i.e. such as this, this and this.id est e.g. for example
SHORT LINKING WORDS: I spoke to 4 people, 1 of whom was the leader.
I told her that I'd had another interview that was related to research and training.
HOW TO SAY WORDS: I would be a hypocrite if I said I really liked it.
Biologist, Bedioun, Controversial, controversy, democracy, asked, declared bankrupt
I'm 99.99% certain that it's not. 3.239322346376% cm
HOMEWORK: Think of some questions you might be asked in a job interview.
Language Notes – Monday 15th September 2014
LAST CLASS KEY NOTES:
We used to ask the viability of working with classes. [x disponibility]
CONVERSATIONS & NEW WORDS: Pardon? Sorry?[What?] I'd rather not answer that. [If it's a question that is too personal.]
"Can you tell me a little bit about yourself?"
"I'm from Qatar."
"Whereabouts in Qatar are you from?"
"I live in a 6-bedroom house in Garafa. [x 6-bedrooms]
"Have you always lived there?"
"Yes, I have."
"Can you tell me a little bit about your family?"
"I have 5 siblings, 2 sisters and 3 brothers."
"Do you know when your exam is?"
"No, I don't know yet."
"How was it?"
"I found section 3 of the listening difficult and also the speaking."
"They asked me to talk about waiting for people and what sort of things I do when I'm waiting for people."
I'm in my early 30s.
What do you do?
I'd like to visit England.
Are you studying at the moment?
In which school did you study?
I'd like to study electrical and mechanical engineering.
We could say that engineers are somewhat 'recession-proof!' Water-proof clothes are ones that we can wear in the rain.
The latest worldwide recession started with the Lehmann Bank collapse in 2008.
People buy less presents and gifts in a recession so they spend less on greetingcards.
The Great Depression was in the 30s. I'm not working at the moment. [x I don't work ]
I left my last job because I didn't like the working environment there. I didn't like it
I didn't completely dislike it, but I didn't like some of their working habits.
He wanted me to work for only my pride and not for money, now he's holding it against me for leaving!
I have another 3 years left on the course, so I am in contact with him occasionally.
"I was a little bitlost for words!"
I went to the _ and I was lost for words!
I went to Angel Falls and then Canaima and I was lost for words!
When was I lost for words, let me see,
When I was in Berlin and visiting the Jewish museum, there was a place that emulated the atmosphere in a concentration camp and in the gas chambers and I was lost for words.
"Have you ever been lost for words?"
"Have I ever been lost for words, let me see, I don't really think so."
"What do you like doing in your free time?"
"I like visiting the north of Qatar with my friends and going sea-fishing in a boat."
I like fresh-water fishing.
What kind of fish are there in the north of Qatar?
"I've never been fresh-water fishing."
I'm a qualified diver. I like diving. I like snorkelling. to/a snorkel
We have a 6-bedroom house. Our househas 6 bedrooms.
I live in a 1-bedroom apartment. [/ flat (UK)]
Is it good to eat and tasty?
We go fishing with a fishing rod, hand-line or a net.
I have 3 very close friends, 1 is my brother, another is Pepino and the 3rd is Renato and lives in Dublin with his family. They have 2 daughters, 1 called Ariana and the other is called Innes. I don't think they thought about the connection between her name and Guinness.
Have you ever seen the colour of beer? Most beer is yellow, but Guinness is almost black. When you pour it into the glass it's brown but then it turns black. One of my closest friends is someone called Shaheer who is my cousin.
"Why do you get on well with him?"
"If you were an animal, what would you be?"
"I wouldn't like to be any animal."
"If you had to be an animal, what would you choose?"
"If I had to be an animal, I'd be a dolphin."
"That's a quite difficult question, if I was an animal, I’d be a turtle. My life is quite stressful at the moment. The longevity of turtles is very long." [tortoise]
"How about being a koala?"
"They live in trees and it seems awful but turtles can go anywhere."
Pandas now live in reserves because they are an endangered species and I think they have a good life. [x he]
I've never seen or touched 1, but I've heard from some of my friends that koalas really stink!
That idea stinks!
"If I was an animal, I’d be a dolphin."
"If I could fly, it would be difficult to decide where to go."
If you could choose to go anywhere,
They only want to reproduce and have specific objectives.
There's an organised tour to see the turtles laying eggs.
What does he do?
He works in procurement.
He lives and breathes football!
"What are some of your strengths?"
"I really enjoy working with children and I also like being part of a team. I like working in a safe and secure environment.
"I would like to do this work because of the multi-cultural nature of Sidra and that this will allow me to compare the way I have been taught to work with that of other cultures in order to learn from them."
"What are your weaknesses?"
"Is this regarding life at work or in general?"
One benefit from my background in my work in Italy and working with people with eating disorders, is that I have always been forced to look at everything in 360o. I believe that this will help me in dealing with young people [and their parents] who come from a whole range of different backgrounds.
360o 360 degrees
It's in my mind-set to get this job. "Can you tell me about an achievement of which you are proud?" "One of my biggest achievements was getting my PhD. When I started studying, I couldn't imagine arriving at this point. I'm proud but not arrogant, and my pride is in my job and my team doing the best possible. However, I'm not a stressful person, so I don't put too much pressure on team members – I am always conscious of maintaining a balance in this way, as well as a balance between responsibilities among team members. "In this way, when I'm commended by a superior, I am always keen to point out the team's work to the superior, and then pass on the thanks to all members of the team." It's the day of reckoning!
LANGUAGE: I think so. [x I think.]
I like it. [x I like.]
Why's that? [x Why? ]
"How often do you fishing?"
"I go most weekends."
"I go once a week. / twice a week. [ 3 times, 4 times]
"I go one timea week."
"Who's 1 of your closest friends?" "One of my closest friends is someone called…" [1 of my …] Two of my friends live in Portsmouth. [2 of my …] Three of my friends are married. [3 of my …]
I have some equipment [x equipments]
PAST TENSES: I did the exam last week. [x do ]
"I took the exam last week."
have – had catch - caught "or" go – went – gone
Do you eat the fish you catch?
catch - caught What's the biggest fish you've ever caught?
Last week I caught a 12-kilogramfish. [x kilogrammes]
SHORT LINKING WORDS: Do you have any ambitions regarding work? [about]
I have a degree in nutrition. [x one]
I have 1 degree in nutrition and 1 deb At that time, I was also going to another course at a different place. [x In that time]
If you go 25km out to sea you can catch bigger fish.
SPELLING: We revive someone who isn't breathing.
HOW TO SAY WORDS: pharmacy, behaviour, specific objectives, curious, powerful, to migrate, migration,
HOMEWORK: Is there anything you regret not doing or buying?
Language Notes – Sunday 14th September This is how we can also translate the sentence with disponibility. We'd ask the viability of working with classes, and they would choose which ones to work with.
Another word which I've realized while typing this up isconsentnotconsensus. With their parents' consent, we used a glucometer to measure the thickness of skin of children. [x consensus] A consensus is when we ask many people what they think about something.
CONVERSATIONS & NEW WORDS: She's going to ask about my previous experience and work experience with children. As part of the onboarding process, the Nutrition Education Program pairs a new employee with a mentor. "I look forward to this onboarding process, as well as learning from this process to do the same for future new employees. Some companies and organisations also offer shadowing programmes for graduates or under-graduates, in which they accompany an employee on days' work. After I'd graduated and was working for the university as a researcher, one of my roles was to have undergraduates or new graduates shadow me, in order that they may gain experience of my position. I found this experience fascinating, because you can learn or relearn things with the students and it also leads you to re-examine your procedures to ensure that they are as effective as possible. I also appreciated the enthusiasm of the new students, and it brought back memories of being in the same position myself! It also allowed to me to 'address' something which I had found as a new-graduate, which was that some professors were protective of their knowledge, for various reasons. [x jealous] Therefore by acting as a mentor, I was making this opportunity possible, in a way that was not always so for myself. I believe that this also has an impact on my ability to work with children and young people. This is because when you are acting as a 'teacher' in some way, it makes you more considerate of how the other person [or people] will react to your work. Although working with children is not the same thing, I think it's the same 'consideration' which is a key part. At university we did a project with a local school. [x made] This was to evaluate the nutrition and health of children in schools throughout Italy. I was in charge of controlling the school canteen and the menu that we created was published as a national guideline for Italian schools. Of more importance in relation to this job for Sidra, was that in order to study the children's eating habits, we spoke to children both with and without their parents. We prepared a PowerPoint with some images to explain the importance of food, eating habits, and obesity. The children were between 6 and 9 years old, so it was only possible to talk to around 60 at a time. The presentation was obviously short enough to match their attention span! In order to evaluate their body composition, we worked with 2 or 3 children at a time and spoke to them for around 30 minutes. Of course, it was easiest to make them relaxed and in a good mood. With their parents' consent, we used a glucometer to measure the thickness of skin of children. I was the lead co-ordinator and chose the people in our department to do this work. It was also slightly ironic, in that I was the lead co-ordinator, yet in each group of 3 that I was in, I always tried to be 'the good guy' and make the children more at ease, almost as if I was the 'junior' member of staff! One difficulty was to find a school in which to do the study. I would contact the headmaster or headmistress, and tell them that we have a project financed by the government to study these areas. Some schools refused because it would involve too much time for their teachers, but others accepted Of course, a key part of working with children patients is the way that you interact with their parents. In this respect, at the hospital I worked in at Rome, we had a department for eating disorders, in which I worked at twice a week. This would sometimes involve working with young anorexic or bulimic girls and their parents. I worked in a team with a psychologist, doctor of internal medicine, and sometimes a psychiatrist, although we preferred not to do this if possible.
"What was most difficult about dealing with the parents?" "Where do I start?!"
The percentage of anorexics is 8 females for every 2 males. They have quite a distorted view of both reality as well as their bodies. In addition, to this dealing with their parents was quite difficult at times, which is inn part caused by the fact that these conditions are sometimes caused by strained relationships with their parents. For example, some of the patients had parents who were obsessive compulsive [OCD], or parents who are obsessive. [OCD] Of course, the psychological aspects were not within my field, however as part of the team, I would always discuss any information or behaviour that I observed, as well as learn a little from how team members would address these problems. We had weekly or bi-weekly meetings depending on how many patients we had. This was the best way to resolve problems particular to certain cases. Annual – bi-annual - monthly - fortnightly - weekly bi-weekly Our hospital is locatedin the suburbs of Rome. [on the outskirts of] There's a lot of crime and poorly-educated people in these areas. The instructions are what you get with a piece of equipment telling you how to use it. Parental instruction and guidance. 'Stop beating yourself up!' = Don't be too hard on yourself!" What was it like working with them? = How was it? vs. What did you like working with them? We had patientswith eating disorders transferred from other hospitals in the south of Italy, as we were the first hospital in the region to have this type of department. The Italian healthcare system doesn't think that the problem is very significant. They close their eyes to the problem. We can only receive people twice a week. I think that everybody has some type of eating disorder in some way, but it's the extreme cases that we have to work with. [> all the people] What 'was the damage'? How much did it cost? I'm a bit worried they may have banned me from Champions! To ban someone from somewhere or something. The player was banned for 5 matches. She weighed 21 kilos but was 1.7 metres tall. [Her weight was 21kgs.] We know how much it costs a year. American companies use the BMI to calculate premiums. Obesity affects , _, _ the list goes on so some companies prefer to pay for surgery to reduce obesity. There are approximately 130k illegal Muslim immigrants in Italy.
Being towards the south of Italy, Rome is home to a large percentage of Italy's 1.3 million Muslims, and as a result, I have had quite significant experience in working with this part of the population. In addition, as the capital city, Rome is also home to a greater number of people from various parts of the world, with whom I have worked with as patients in the hospital, which will have helped me prepare for working with the international community in Doha.
What are you most excited about with this opportunity? I've read about it, and seen that it is a very ambitious place, so I'm really attracted to it for this reason. "How long are you planning to stay here?" "My wife is already working here and is very settled in her job, so for this reason, I don't really see any reason for us to leave in the foreseeable future." "How does that fit in with possibly having children?" "There is a very developed international school system, so we don't see any reason for us to leave. Children can adapt more rapidly than adults to different cultures and accept other ways of life as they do not have pre-conceived ideas. From this point of view, I know quite a number of families that have lived in Doha for a long time, and would not really change anything. Children 'don't bat an eye-lid' to changes, so I think it's best to bring up children in multi-cultural society.
To address a problem[ = to try to solve] vs.an address is where we live Viabilityis how possible something is. Availabilityis if there are tickets left.
SHORT LINKING WORDS: At the same time, we got various measurements, such as height, weight, waist, et cetera. [x in]
HOW TO SAY WORDS: We did a questionnaire. ["there"] squire "hair" square, $3bn "3 billion of dollars" $1m " 1 million of dollars" vicious "wish"
HOMEWORK: Go through the notes, and continue to think about how you can use this past experience to the benefit of working with children.
Language Notes– Tuesday 9th September, 2014 CONVERSATIONS & NEW WORDS: "What do you think about dogs being able to drive?""It's not something I've ever really given any thought to. I think it would be interesting as acontrolled experiment, but I think that I'm just thinking out loud now." I'm in the dog-house! = I'm in trouble!We have to c ompromise. We have to reach a compromise. One of the 2 people has toback down.I paid the monthly fee for the training course and Anna paid the quarterly fee. [bi-annual, annual fee]It's 'a 9 to 5 job'. [a normal job] I'm mad about going back home and seeing my friends!I'm mad about eating. I'm fonder of reading old-fashioned books than e-books. I'm fond of more historical books.
It's old-fashioned. = old vs. It's fashionable. = popular/ trendy"What sort of authors do you read?""I've read 5 or 6 books written by Agatha Christie. The genre is murder mystery."I spend time read ingEnglish. It gives me chance to switch off.Printing houses is where they print books and printing presses are where they print papers.I used to read a newspaper calledthe Republica.There are 5 to 10 journals dedicated to obesity!A journal is specific to a profession or industry. The Lancet is the most well-known medical journals in the UK.There a few cases where the obesity is genetic. There's an important legal case taking place at the moment.They said it's genetic for people to load guns and set the trigger.There are several schools of thought, that believe the obese lose their perception ofbeing sated.It's 'a vicious circle'.There have been several studies on twins that were separated at birth.Genetics is only a smaller percentage of the cause.If we live in a corrupt country, then corruption becomes endemic.In the vast majority of cases they will become obese.They leave them in a children's home and they are adopted. [to foster / to adopt]"Do you know anyone who's been adopted?" "I know some people that have been adopted.""How well-adjusted are the adopted children you know? Do they have any strange or unusual tendencies?""He wants to know where he was born and who were his real parents."My friend's family is not as wealthy as the other family that adopted from Africa at the same time.If I adopted a child, I'd be wary of the situation when they wanted to see their natural parents.If I were to adopt, I think I'd adopt from another country, such as somewhere in Latin America or Asia.In my mind, I think it would be impossible to find. [x brain]The social services want to know lots and lots of information.Her brother has adopted children in Rome and social services asked
her how much she earned! "The social services come 2 or 3 times a week unannounced to check what's happening.""How long has this been going on?""I don't really know how long, but it has been at least a year. It's rude, and at the same time, why don't they go to check all parents?This makes it difficult to read impartial news.Journalists write columns with their opinion.Over the last few trips, I haven't really liked flying.When we were taking off there wasn't turbulence but we hit an air-pocket. The Captain didn't announce it and we continued taking off. I hate landing and even more so, taking off. I think too much.I took a flight from Rome to Cattania. When we were in flight there was some thunder and lightening and 1 streak of lightening hit the plane! It sounded like an explosion!I'm indecisive.I don't really think too much about what I wear.I'll have endless permutations going through my mind.He hates flying because he's claustroph obic: He even hates taking elevators! He can take sleeping pills.Valium is now frowned upon and there are alternative drugs with less effect.An overdose of valium could kill you through cardiac arrest.You live in your own world.You used to be able to buy it over the counter but now it's only prescription. "By utilizing and incorporating this cutting-edge technology into your treatments, we can safely say that Hamad Hospitalwill be leading the way in not just only the country, but the Middle-East." Your childhood is the time when you're young.Your neighbourhood is the area where you live.They used to prescribe LSD for depressed people but at the same time the dose was increased.If I could travel in time, I'd go to the 60s and 70s.At that time, people were more intelligent and cultured.It seemed more innocent.I think we are misled by the media.LSD inhibited their senses and they thought they could fly.When I came we took an Airbus A380 'Dreamliner'. It was so big it 'took my breath away!'LANGUAGE: If we have a healthy lifestyle, we won't be obese.It's too difficult to adopt children now. [general sentences use plural]Child abuse can happen in any situation, including with their parents.If someone reads a lot of books they can be more intelligent. [x one people]One person spoke to me."I really like ing!" "Why's that?" "I don't really like ing." "Why not?" Pack your luggage in the last 2 hours before go ingto the airport. Don't go back again after leaving.
Anything/something The word anything is for questions and negatives, something is for positive sentences.Did you feel anything?I didn't feel anything. [x nothing]I felt something. There was nothing there. Anyone/someone The word anyone is for questions and negatives, someone is for positive sentences. Anyone is questions and negatives someone /no-one for positives Did you see anyone?I didn't see anyone.I saw someone.There was no-one there. / There wasn't anyone there. PAST TENSES:Fly – flew – flownI flewon a small plane from Rome to Zurich.sit – sat I sat on a brick.SHORT LINKING WORDS: She went to see her home town. [x for ]All the newspapers in Italy are government-funded, and hence effectively controlled by the government.All the newspapers in Italy are government-funded, and therefore effectively controlled by the government. HOW TO SAY WORDS:
innovative, versatile, versatility, utility, 8pm / 8 o'clock / 8pm o'clock, line vs. lane, library, twins, twines, "wish" vicious, Scientific, genetic, bureaucracy, bureaucrat, suddenly, "or" cause
Language Notes– Monday 8th September, 2014
CONVERSATIONS & NEW WORDS: After class I went to Ana's office and she finished work at 3.45 and we went home. We stopped at thesupermarket to buy some things and then we went swimming. We're doing a swimming training courseand I had to register.I like swimming. I don't mind ironing./ I can't stand spitt ing. It's 7 lanes and 25 metres long. I swam 10 lengths.My favourite swimming stroke is breast-stroke. / front-crawl/freestyle / butterfly / back-stroke"What's the furthest you've ever swum?" [furthest / farthest]"The longest I've ever swum is 1 hour.""I learnt how to swim when I was older."You have more time to breathe. [a breath]To avoid thebends you have to rise to the surface slowly after you've dived at a deep distance.Last month, 3 people died because the oxygen tank was full of carbon monoxide.We can say that some women are 'getting clucky' [informal] when they start wanting to have children.Her mother was the head councillor for our village.An MP in the UK goes to London and the Houses of Parliament. [Member of Parliament]He's wealthy and he's ostent atiousabout it. He's a bit up his own rear-end sometimes!There are quite a lot of wind-turbines around our village.My friend's a real goal-getter. [= ambitious]The stock market has been quite sluggish. [= slow]Slugs are like snails but without shells.For our house in Italy, we have used floor tiles for floors in all rooms, as well as for the bathroom walls.We live on quite a narrow street.Men have a stag night and women have a hen night before they get married. On my friend's stag night, we blindfolded and handcuffed him, and drove him around our village!In order to work in the UK I need to register with the NHS but I need an IELTS score to do this.A self-portrait is a drawing or painting or ourselves, but a 'selfie' is the word we now use for a photo.What percentage is it? / How strong is it? LANGUAGE: In the last month, I've visited Italy. Thelast monthNext monthIn the next month,In the last month, [last 30 days]In the last month, I've been to Positano that's on the coast near Naples.He's getting married next year. [xthenext year]She's Pepino's cousin. PAST TENSES: run – ran – runswim – swam - swumI haven't swum since 2011. / I haven't swum for 3 years.I didn't swim when I was back in Italy.I have swum in the sea. SPELLING: …a beach vs. a beech tree
HOW TO SAY WORDS: "me" beach,"it" bitch, pizzeria, cucumber, "" cabbage, stomach-ache "take", wind-turbines, wealthy, spirits, 5-a-side, on sa__le, politicians,
HOMEWORK: I've put some common IELTS speaking topics below, which I'd like you to think about and we can discuss in future classes.
● Favourite teacher
● Means of transportation
● Favourite pet
● Best personality
● Describe a museum you visited last week
● Your favourite restaurant
● Your favourite book
● An incident you can never forget
● The happiest day of your life
● Uniform
● Dress code
● First day at school
● Best person in the family
● Enjoyable trip
● Favourite movie
● Favourite character in a movie
● Favourite drama
● Favourite website
● Favourite book or favourite author
● Family event
Language Notes – Sunday 7th September, 2014
CONVERSATIONS & NEW WORDS: A very good answer to lots of difficult questions: It's difficult to put in to words!
I spent a month in Ireland. One was a man and the other 2 were women. [1 was a man…] The class wasn't very big, there were only 7 or 8 of us. [..we wereonly 7 or 8] The classroom wasn't very big, only about 5x3m. I did 8 hours a day in class. The stairs at the school were wooden and creaky! I missed the door and had to ask if it was a real school! It was a very narrow building. The windows were very big. We had a party and we were in the pub until about 3 in the morning and I must've drunk about 25 pints of Guinness! The Irish can really hold their drink. The flight was quite reasonable even though it was the day before St. Patrick's Day. They have a parade through the streets. They drink the same amount of Guinness in 1 day as the rest of the world drinks in a year. The party lasted 3 days as they had St. Patrick's and then another day off. The party was 3 days in duration.
It was a very traditional pub and didn't have any music, you could only drink and throw rings on to hoops on the wall. The population of Ireland is only 4 million. The people in the country are friendlier for various reasons. [x motives] The motive for the crime was for money. It only takes 1 minute to get from 1 side of the village to the other, as opposed to 2 hours in Rome and with its traffic. I think it's better to talk to people when you're angry, stressed or annoyed. I got nervous before the exam. Everyone needs a visa to go in to the Vatican. Russia's population is 143,455,000 whereas the total population of Europe without Russian is just under 600million. Putin seems like a dictator and he was in the KGB before becoming President. The power is only in the hands of a few of the people. The only difference between communism and capitalism is democracy. We live in a false democracy. [>fake] I thought Obama would be better than he has been. He's had his hands tiedin effect by capitalists and capitalism. I think the world is governed by masons and the leaders are just mannequins. I think it's an effective of governing the world. How would you feel if you were me? I think I'd be excited but at the same time nervous and apprehensive. Just nod and smile! "I'm getting married on the 19th of July. We haven't finished our house and we need more furniture." "At what stage is the house?" "This month we're having the doors and windows fitted. Then we I go back, they'll fit the kitchen." My father and I were the architects. Is it nearly ready?
"Did you have any contact with any friends while you were back in Europe? Is there any news or gossip?!" "Of my 2 best friends, 1 got married a week ago!" "How was it?" "The reception started at 8 and they cut the cake at 2am! Then the party started for the close friends. At the reception the bride and groom have to circulate among the people. We played some games!" "How was the hangover?!" "It was terrible all day. I wasn't able to do anything." "Hair-of-the-dog is a solution to hangovers. I drank but not too much as it wasn't very close, so I preferred not to drink. We were still sitting down at midnight. My friend and his wife went to Greece for a week on honeymoon. It's necessary to take preventative medicine for malaria. They are trying to create a vaccine for ebola by examining the blood of people who have survived ebola after catching it. They are looking at any natural anti-bodies their bodies have produced. I once met a veterinary surgeon that worked for a research company. The vaccines weren't very effective on monkeys but they still wanted to test the vaccines on humans. [> man] She reported this to the authorities and as a result she lost her job and was sacked. She told the authorities but her employers denounced this and said it wasn't true. The company has laid off 200 people because of the recession. The company has made 200 redundant because of the recession. If the vaccines don't work on animals, then I'm 99.99% certain they won't work on humans! In Italy we have to have a civic wedding at the council office, & then have the religious ceremony 40 days later. It's a common sickness for older cats. United Kingdom = England, Scotland + Wales Great Britain = +Northern Ireland Ireland is a different country! ISIS is the successor to Tanzim Qaidat al-Jihad fi Bilad al-Rafidayn- later commonly known as Al-Qaeda in Iraq. It was 1 month, but I didn't have much time so I'd like to go back again. Where would you recommend for me in Japan? I'd recommend Kyoto, which is the old capital. It's quite traditional and you can They have geishas. Almost all the foreigners who visit Japan buy cheap electronics goods as it's much cheaper. I'd recommend either spring for the 1st time and then autumn for the 2nd time.
A little white lie is a lie that's not a bad lie. For example, I really think that your body gets much worse and you get ill a lot more after you 40 but I'll say "Don't worry Stuart, nothing changes after you get 40."
I'll enjoy 3 weeks on my own. [not being with anyone else] vs. I'll enjoy 3 weeks being single. [being able to have relations with other people!]
LANGUAGE: My friends have 2 children who are 5 and 2 years old. I spoke with her in English.
PAST TENSES: We've chosen the restaurant. SHORT LINKING WORDS: You need to book 2 years in advance. You need to book 2 years prior to the day. I booked it 2 years previously. It depends on the pub, but it's not always expensive. I went to Cork.
They have 143 million of people. I hope it'll be ready by December. VS. We'll stay there in December. The world would be over-populated.
HOW TO SAY WORDS: "win" women, 5x6m "5 by 6 metres", compromise, AIDS, to be HIV+, vaccines, vaccinations, HOMEWORK: What is something you are [or you used to be] naïve about? Language Notes – Wednesday 3rd September
CONVERSATIONS & NEW WORDS: "What did you do yesterday after class?" "Nothing special. After spending so much time out of the country, when I'm back I'm happy just spending time with my family." "I'm quite happy in my own company." I make new friends. If I had to choose somewhere to live, I'd choose Morocco. If I had stayed here, then I think I would be closer to my friends, but I'm not - c'est la vie! Bon appetit! There's a sticker on the car that makes it look like a toy! The salesman said it was the only 1 in Qatar so I 'snapped it up!' However, yesterday I went to the showroom & there was another one with the same sticker. There wasn't a salesman, but if there had been, I would've said something to him. We drive on the left-hand side of the road. It's tiny in comparison to a LandCruiser! There's a black and white check pattern like a finishing flag on the roof and a number 5 on the bonnet. When I go back, I'll ship it back to Japan. My son saw people picking up rubbish and decided to use a similar stick for selfies.
CLASS EXERCISES: I've photoshopped the picture. The photo is blurred and out-of-focus. ≠ clear IELTS Speaking 1 Your home town can be where you live or also where you are born. It's a city of around 1.4 million people. "one point 4 million" Are there a lot of shops and restaurants? [xIsthere] There are 2 main parts to Yokohama. The people who live directly on the coast are more middle class, but those on the hill are more upper class. The majority of people work in the private sector, and are predominantly office-based. ≠ public sector "It's a good place to live." "Why's that?" / "Why not?" "Why?" "You can buy pretty much everything and anything." Although, it's on the coast, the mountains are quite accessible from Yokohama. province = prefecture In the UK we say county and in the US they say state. Landmark is within walking distance from our compound. [= close enough to walk] I've been living there for over 3 years. The garden isn't huge, but it's large enough for what I'm trying to achieve. [x gardening] The compound is open plan so there aren't any walls. This makes my garden seem larger than it would if there were walls. I like the old-fashioned school of thought for architecture and not the new approach with open plan houses becoming more and more prevalent. [common] They wanted the hotel to be modern, so I had to make the best of a bad job! I've even been to an apartment in Canary Wharf that had an open plan bathroom and toilet! Architects create auras. They've changed their mind-set about where they live. People's apartments are 60m2 maximum. Stuart's wife's apartment. People like to live there. [x Peoples] All of the building materials come from the land and earth. Different types of houses
detached house
semi-detached house
semi-detached house
terraced house
terraced house
terraced house
terraced house
terraced house
Speaking Test 1b My house is within walking distance of the equestrian centre. The majority of people / Most people Most of people Most of the people in the room were Qataris. There are a lot of expats. There are an increasing number of expats. My old house was just across the street, so it was quite easy to move! We give people advice. [x advices] He advises people. He's an architect. vs. He studied architecture. Speaking Test 2a I got it 10 years ago. I've had it for 10 years. / I've had it since around 2004. At the start of the year, I … Earlier in the year, I went there. Earlier today/ Earlier this week / Earlier this month Thank heavens, Thank God, [x thanks] He said he'd never heard of Montevideo before. With a debit card I can only buy something if I have the money. You need to read the small print!
One day the ticket cost ₤5 and the next day ₤8!
After midnight, there's only self-serve machines so you have to do it by yourself. He's built like a brick-sh*t-house! [very, very informal!] I felt scared as there were only machines to buy everything. Speaking Test 2b What is something very important to me? Well, The reason I bring them with me is … I have a pair of shoes and I love them. They were cheap. They were a cheap pair. I've recovered my confidence now. That's a good question. If I recover my confidence I'll throw them away. Training shoes / trainers
LANGUAGE: I've hadit for 9 years. [x I have it for 9 years.]
I'm travelling to Dubai and I'm flying tomorrow at 12.30.
I'm going to visit friends.
I'm flying to Japan on the 15th of September at 1.30 in the morning. I'll get to Japan around 5 I the evening.
"How long does it take?"
"Going there is takes 10 hours, but coming back it takes 12 because of the wind."
PAST TENSES: to keep – kept, to read – read, to feel- felt
SHORT LINKING WORDS: The same as before [x like]
Can you take a picture of my wife, please?
They're afraid of falling over. On the tube they have different systems and at the weekend as well.
SPELLING: naïve / naive, to resume vs. résumé, café,
The fiancé is the man and the fiancée is the woman who are engaged.
HOW TO SAY WORDS: imports, orted, to live, convenient, province, tower, wind vs. window
To boast vs. to/a post, academic, to introduce, an introduction,
"or" aura vs. era / area
What kind of place is it?
quiet "kh-why-et" vs. quite "kwhite"
read – read,castle,
HOMEWORK: Continue with your IELTS preparation, for those of you working towards IELTS, that is! I've also put some common topics below, which I'd like you to think about and we discuss in future classes.
● Favourite teacher
● Means of transportation
● Favourite pet
● Best personality
● Describe a museum you visited last week
● Your favourite restaurant
● Your favourite book
● An incident you can never forget
● The happiest day of your life
● Uniform
● Dress code
● First day at school
● Best person in the family
● Enjoyable trip
● Favourite movie
● Favourite character in a movie
● Favourite drama
● Favourite website
● Favourite book
● Favourite author
● Family event
Language Notes – Tuesday 2nd September, 2014
CONVERSATIONS & NEW WORDS:
Let's move on to talk about … [meeting] Moving on, I'd like to talk about …. [speech/meeting]
"Shall we do this or this?" "Either way is good."
There's a lot of new slang. [x slangs]
In the UK,English has evolved. [evolution] Humans and other animals are always evolving.
There was a Viking invasion as well as a French invasion. The French invaded the UK in 1066. As a result, French was the language of the Royal family and upper classes until about the end of the 13th century!
The lower classes were speaking English and the upper-classes spoke French. For this reason, for most verbs there are 1 word verbs, with phrasal verb equivalents, such as to consider = to think about. The 1 word verbs in English sound more formal and intelligent. The city has become over-developed. We have some retail areas as well as residential areas. Most of the people work in the public sector not the private sector, so they are state employees. In an ideal world, I'd like the government to provide more parks and green areas in our suburb, for people to utilize and benefit from. In this way, I stronglybelieve people would be much healthier and exercise more often. [x more healthy] [to provide > give]
CLASS EXERCISES: - There really aren't enough shops. There are too few shops. - We have toolittle shops. [We have 2 little shops.] - It's close to Zurich so people are drawn to the city. [automatically 'pulled' to the city] - [x are orientated to the city] - There are some doctors, medics and nurses. [x medicines] Medicine is what doctors give us to cure problems.
"I live in a suburb on the outskirts of Doha towards the west of the city. It lies around 20 kilometres from the city-centre and it takes around half an hour to get in, regardless of whether it's rush-hour or not." "Would you like to see any changes?" "I'd like to see a change in the building regulations as well as the granting ofplanning permission, in order to limit the amount of industrial and commercial activity in the suburb." to grant planning permission = to allow to build to get planning permission = to be allowed to build "Would you like to change any buildings that have been built?" "I think that rather than change the past, I'd like to focus more on the future and see the construction of more libraries and other similar facilities, both in my suburb, and various other parts of the city." "I'm a hotel, architectural specialist in a real-estate investment company. Unfortunately the market for the design and building of hotels has been quite limited over the past few years, and as a result, my work has involved a large number of postings overseas." "How long would a typical posting be?" "It depends completely on the type of posting. Some of the postings have been purely for the design stage of the process, and once this was completed, I would return. However, there were also other postings which involved the overseeing and co-ordination of the construction stage, based on a design which had already been completed by other consultants from my employer. In my last posting, I was responsible for both stages of the project. As a result, it took around 3 years to complete." "Why's that?" [> Why?] He might feel there's something wrong with the building, but he 'can't put his finger on it'. "Can you give me a brief outline of the tendering process?" "There are stages of the process, which are the following. Initially, the company will put it out to tender and they will do this by advertising in both newspapers and industry-specific journals. In addition to this, they may also approach previous contractors. Following this, the tenderers that express interest will have to sign an anti-corruption contract as well a confidentiality contract. As part of this process, tenderers will also have to submit the finance for a type of bond. This bond is designed to ensure that the tenderers have the financial viability in order to meet the requirements. In addition, if theymake any mistakes as part of the process, they will forfeit the bond and my employer will be able to liquidate it." "How long does this take?" "That's 'the million dollar question'! However, I think that rather than changing the past, the future should be focused on and how to upgrade and improve this system. I have no doubt that this will be attempted, as the state are under pressure to meet the various deadlines necessary in order to be able to host the 2022 World Cup. "They're trying to improve things around the clock, and they have solved a significant number of problems, such as amending the existing labour regulations, as well as the working conditions. "They've had brain-storming sessions with some leading figures in the relevant areas, and this has been to a great level of success in many ways. This is very much an ongoing process. If we face any problems, we will need to step back and look at feasible solutions."
I got cabin fever when I was on the rig! It's very confined. a confined space = a small space
LANGUAGE: Most people work in the public sector. [X Most of people] Most of the people work in the public sector not the private sector. to make a mistake [x do]
That's the million dollar question. [x dollars]
PAST TENSES: "Have there been any changes to date?" [up 'til now] "There haven't really been any changes."
SHORT LINKING WORDS: We don't use and or but at the start of a sentence. However, [x But] In addition, [x And]
HOW TO SAY WORDS: familiar, to give / to live live [adj.], 20 kilos = 20kgs, 20 kilometres, "will" built, 2.25 million "2 point 2-5 million", 3.549% ["3 point 5-4-9 million", castle, a pharmacist, finance, financial
HOMEWORK: Go through the notes and pick out the key words to talk about your work.
Language Notes – Monday 1st September, 2014
CONVERSATIONS & NEW WORDS: I'm quite superstitious!
I think it's good for the environment. [It's quite 'green'.] "I think it's good for handling the environment." [It helps people.] "I think it's good for handling the environment." "In what way?" "It's good for dealing with the high temperatures." I'm fond of doing the ironing. "What's 1 of your fondest memories of school?" "What's 1 of my fondest memories of primary school? Well one of my fondest memories is probably hanging out with my best friends. I'm still friends with friends I've known since kindergarten." [hang out with = spend time with] Kindergarten/ nursery school [3-5] Primary school [5-11] Secondary school [11-16] I've known these guys since I was around 6.
I've known these guys for ages!
There were 4 of us, but one of them has emigrated to the USA. To emigrate ≠ to immigrate [immigrant] I'm an expatriatenot an immigrant as I'm not living here permanently. To expatriate He's been there almost 20 years. One of my best friends is Kanko. I met her when I was around 8 years old. She used to live close to my family's house so we used to hang out. [Kango] We grew up together. We can meet up every time I go back. I didn't keep in touch with her when I was working. I met up with her again 3 years ago, and that was the 1st time I'd seen her for up to 20 years. Our looks had changed as we had got older, but we recognised each other immediately! She'd put on a little bit of weight. She'd been very skinny. Fat ≠ thin/slim We met up again and she said that when her son had beena baby he'd had some heart problems but he'd had an operation and it was successful. He hadn't had a transplant, just an operation to rectify the problem. We met up again in London, he said he'd had difficulties when he'd emigrated to the States. He said he'd had problems adjusting to the new environment and handling some situations. How would you feel about emigrating to the States? If I was going to emigrate anywhere, it would be to Spain. Real estate is very cheap there at the moment. The cost of living is lower. [X life] I worked in Morocco for 2 years, in Tangiers. Almost every week, I used to go over to various places in the south of Spain. They moved to different parts in the south of Spain from Gibraltar. "They don't say they are avoiding tax, but the cost of living is cheaper than in the UK." "Yeah, whatever!" [very, very informal – only with friends] Last summer, it was raining almost incessantly! Solar power comes from the sun. Lunar is from the moon. I've heard Spanish people saying they like to move to Portugal because it's safer and cheaper. The vast majority of them came from Brazil. It's one of the most developed countries south of the Sahara. It 'costsan arm and a leg'! [It's very, very expensive.] I stayed in an apartment in Zone 1 that cost 2500 a month. It's the most expensive city I've ever visited. Cars are very expensive, so people use the tube or bus, which is still very expensive. Sometimes there are strikes on the public transport. "I go bowling 6 times a week." "Each to their own!" Everyone likes different things! It's a good comparison. We behave in a similar way. They are very hospitable and they offer help without being asked. One of the only things I'd change, is that it's so difficult to find anything without pork in it! If you eat pork without knowing it's no problem. I used to feel bad when I ate it before, but since I've been travelling, I've become more comfortable with it. Before I learned how to cook it, I'd always used chicken cubes in pasta. Take a frying pan, pour some olive oil into the pan, put in to 2 cloves of garlic, 2 or 3 fresh basil leaves. Chop the tomatoes up, put them in the pan and put it on the hob for around 15 minutes. Put in a touch of salt but no pepper. A sauce-pan or frying pan It's absolutely delicious! I sometimes cook when I'm travelling alone. He's never cooked anything for me. After we finish eating, he gets down and I organise the dishes and washing up. Before we start eating, we lay the table. To sit down at the table ≠ to get down from the table
PAST TENSES: Grow – grew We grew up together. grow – grew - grown; know – knew - known
SHORT LINKING WORDS: It depends on the weather.
Letters
Dear Sir/Madam,
Dear Ms. Smith
LETTER CONTENTS
LETTER CONTENTS
Yours faithfully,
Yours sincerely,
Mrs Masako Hirasawa
Mrs Masako Hirasawa
Encs
encs [enclosed]
HOW TO SAY WORDS: "wish" superstitious, Portugal – Portuguese, Tanzanian, Angolan, accidentally, ham, basil, foreigner,
The USA, the United States, the United Arab Emirates, the UAE
HOMEWORK: If you could, what would you change about the schooling system that was in place when you were at school?
Language Notes – Sunday 31st August 2014
CONVERSATIONS & NEW WORDS:
She passed away when she was 99 and 9 months. She hadn't been able to understand anything from the age of 96 or 7. [x waspassed away
My grandmother on my mother's side was happy because she didn't know any different.
If I get to 99 and I'm still healthy it will be OK, but if not I won't be happy.
I'm superstitious. [adj.] I have a superstition. [noun]
If my husband had socks like that then I'd throw them away! This is because if he did, I would be worried about what the people in the ambulance would think if he had an accident!
A typical superstition in Japan is about green tea. When you pour it into the cup there are green tea leaves and they always sink. If it floats then you'll be happy. Rural people are generally more superstitious.
People don't like to sleep with their heads closest to the north.
The north, south, east and west are compass points.
The tides are lunar and controlled by the moon.
2ND PART
I hate the cold. / I hate cold weather.
I love shopping, so I'm very happy but my husband's not so happy!
I'm an engineer.
I'm going to take IELTS.
"I used to live in Egypt." "Whereabouts in Egypt did you live?"
"I'm from Portsmouth in England. Are you familiar with the city?" Three months ago I went to Portsmouth. [x last 3 months ago]
"How long has your friend been living there?"
"He's been living there for almost 3 years."
"How much longer is he going to stay there?"
"He needs another 2 years to complete his study. We're from the same extended family."
I don't mind ironing. I don't mind cleaning and doing the housework.
I don't mind cleaning the horse's stables!
[I don't mind tocleaningthe horse's stables!]
I used to ride horses when I was young.
I used to ride a bike when I was young.
I last rode a bike 2 months.
Horses are cooler!
Since you've been here, have you been to the Equestrian Centre.
I'm quite fond of gardening.
I like to garden. / I like gardening. I can't stand people smoking! My favourite horse is called Harris and when I was away I missed him as much - if not more than - my children! "Do you have any pets?" "I have a cat. He has got long hair. He's a mixed breed." "They're 'pets' but really they're a part of our family." My cat's called Goe. "Did you used to have any pets when you were young?" "As a child, I used to have a German shepherd called Rashid." There are some sniffer dogs. I didn't have any pets when I was a child because my father hated animals! Some people are mixed race are Every horse has a family tree and breeding certificate. Of your horses, how many are mares and how many stallions?
3RD PART Speaking Test
In this picture, there are a couple of people who appear to be buying and selling goods at a market. The woman wearing a white t-shirt is the market trader and the person wearing a shirt is the purchaser. It seems to be an outdoor market in the Asia-Pacific. I think that they are negotiating the price for vegetables and the woman in the white, is selling – among other things – broccoli and cauliflower. In the background, there is another market trader who is preparing her stall. There also a number of other people who seem to be shopping and 'going about their normal business'. The weather seems to be quite good, although as the lady on the left is wearing long sleeves, I don't imagine it to be very hot! The two people are enjoying talking to each other. purchaser, preparing A store = a shop A stall in the market You're doing well – 'don’t beat yourself up'! South-Pacific, North-Atlantic, Mid-Atlantic the Pacific Ocean, the Atlantic Ocean, to/a buy / a buyer to/a purchase / a purchaser
PAST TENSES: to ride – rode - ridden
SHORT LINKING WORDS: He works in the natural gas industry. He works for JGC.
HOW TO SAY WORDS: ["wish"] superstitious, spectacular, "SHH!" spacious, "there" treasure,
London School of English, Blue Valley Inn, Lake Mead,
"E" technique, elegant, "her" purchase,
HOMEWORK: Have a look through more of the TOEIC question format. [The location of this material is http://www.toeic.ca/toeic/ca/sample-questions/speaking-test/ if you'd like to look at more information and sample tests.] Language Notes – Wednesday 27th August 2014
CONVERSATIONS & NEW WORDS:
The Giants are one of the most popular teams in Japan and they are based in Tokyo.
Although Masako and Stuart are Japanese and English, they are based in Doha.
My father supports the Hiroshima Cubs. He normally watches it on television and sometime goes to watch them when they play Yokohama Bay-Stars. [A cub is a small lion.]
They aresponsored by DNA. / DNA sponsors the team. DNA is the team's sponsor.
The teams first play in their own prefecture, and then the winners go to the next round. The winners all go to Osaka in the summer and it's a direct knockout.
There are 9 players in the team and some substitutes. [to/a substitute]
We have stand-ins and extras in movies.
This year's competition was won by 1 of the schools in Osaka.
Most Japanese players have an ambition to play in America. [ambitious [adj.]
Dervish's mother is from Iran and his father's Japanese.
Glasgow has 2 football teams, Celtic and Rangers. Celtic are traditionally a Catholic team, whereas Rangers are Protestant.
The television companies buy the rights to show football matches.
We earn from our work. [earnings]
"She says the Filipino who married her brother-in-law has caused some problems." "In what way?" "She says she's lazy." "Maybe she's joking?" "I'm sure she's not joking, but she's always very, very nice to me."
I know some English men who are married to Filipinos. ['Flippers' - very, very inf.]
She opens a real can of worms when she's talking about her sister-in-law! She's in her mid-to-late-30s and he's a similar age.
She showed me a picture of her sister-in-law and I thought she loved her because she kept the photo.
One of the things she can't put up with is that her niece and nephews are half-caste so they don’t look as Italian as other people in their family. Her family are all quite light-skinned.
light-hair ≠ dark-hair
"She's from Milan and she says that anywhere south of Rome is not 'Italy'! Perhaps she says that 'tongue-in-cheek', but perhaps not. I'm really not sure."
One day I told her about my husband and our age difference. [age-gap] She asked me straight away where he's from – I think she thought he was a Westerner.
She doesn't have any malice and she's very honest. [adj.] [Honesty [adj.] Honesty is important.]
It's a 'mixed bag'. [1/2 good + 1/2 bad]
It's a mixed bag having children that go to International schools overseas.
I think she's quite sensitive.
We don't really keep in touch any more. I know how difficult it was for her, so I'm giving her lots of space.
I believe that if someone is an only-child sometimes they are spoilt.
She bought some Armani, Gucci and other designer-label baby clothes.
Snobbishness is one of my pet-hates.
"Do you have any pet-hates?" "I hate spitting!"
"Do you have any pet-hates?"
"I don't mind waiting in general, but I hate waiting for long periods if someone is due to come at a certain time."
"One of my pet-hates is not really having anything to do at the weekends!"
If I had a problem at my flat, it took a long time for the to fix. [x got]
They would never, ever come on time, sometimes it wasn't even the correct day!
wind me up – wound me up It really wound me up!
"Does your husband have any pet-hates?"
"Nothing springs to mind."
I'm more short-tempered than my husband.
"I think she's a bit of a snob! One of the most snobbish people I've met is my ex-grilfriend's mother. She 'looked down her nose at people'. How about you – do you know any snobs?"
"No-one springs to mind."
"Where's the best restaurant in Doha?" "Nowhere springs to mind."
"What's the computer to buy at the moment?" "Nothing springs to mind."
CLASS EXERCISES:
Do you have any problems you need to sort out? What is 1 of the problems that you sorted out in the past?
I need to sort out my registers for one of my company classes.
We need to sort out how we're going to repatriate our savings from Doha.
We need to sort out where we're going to buy property in Japan.
It occupies me each day, what I cook in the evening. [I think about it.]
It pre-occupies me each day, what I cook in the evening. [I worry about it.]
I'm pre-occupied about it. I'm worried about it.
It plays on my mind each day, what I cook in the evening.
It's playing on my mind, what I'm going to cook this evening.
It plays on my mind. It worries me.
Who's 1 of the people you get on with the most?
I have a big stack of papers from different classes I need to sort out and organise.
I need to sort out sending my car back to Japan.
The government doesn't allow the Fiat engine because of its emissions so I need to get it adjusted.
I think it's going to be prohibitively expensive. [= cost too much]
LANGUAGE: In Japan there are around 50 prefectures and there are a lot of high-schools.
to have vs. to get
She had her 1st baby last year. [x got ] She got pregnant when she was in Qatar and then went back to Italy to have the baby. She's not planning to have any more children.
HOMEWORK: Ask your husband if there's anything he needs to sort out at work, and if he has (or has ever had) any pet-hates. If you'd like, you can also think of any questions that you'd like to ask my friend Richie Moran, who's the professional footballer player that played in Japan for a year. Language Notes – Monday 25th August 2014
CONVERSATIONS & NEW WORDS: He came back earlier than normal so we could go to QDC.
It's a sweet white wine. Fitou is a dryred wine.
A connoisseur is someone who likes the best type of something. You could talk to him about
it 'until the cows came home!'
He was very passionate about it!
One of my old colleagues is fascinated by computers.
I would ask him when my screen froze.
He almost alwaysexplained what he was doing!
He almost always insisted on explaining what he was doing! "Please, let me explain."
I went out with my friend and he insisted on paying. "Please, let me pay."
"Do you have any other strange ex-colleagues?"
"One of them loved anime and was always talking about it. We call people like this 2-D men! He would even talk about her as his wife!"
"I'm lost for words!"
They're quite strange, but they work hard and don't do any harm.
It's harmful!Warning: This can be harmful to children.
I'm not passionate about anime.
Did he ever socialize with people?
They're different to the average man.
There weren't any of these people when I was a child.
People have natural needs and monks and nuns abstain from some of these.
I've never met anyone like this.
She's very promiscuous. I sometimes think that it's almost an illness! We had a problem when we went to Greece together. We shared a bedroom in twin-beds. There was a tour-guide and she often used to talk to him. Then 1 night she slept with him in the bed next to me.
After that, we went abroad together and she never did it again. The last time I met up with her she was still single.
Rats and cockroaches are forms of pests.
We can use née to show a woman's maiden name which is her surname before she got married. For example Mosako Hirasawa-née-Nakaishi, or Patricia Hurman-née-Ough.
A non-profit organisation is an organisation that is not trying .
Yardstick
I went to a seminar on cats.
If something is enclosed, it is in the same envelope.
My husband is eligible to 4 weeks holiday per annum.
PAST TENSES: I met her when I was 18. [the 1st time]
The last time I met up with her was about 5 years ago.
SHORT LINKING WORDS: He changes taste depending on his mood.
He was fascinated by computers. Stuart's quite passionate about music.
different [adj.] to differ
I'm differentto them.
It was differentto what I had supposed.
There is a car-boot sale once a month. [It is similar to a flea market.]
The Korean government decided to scrapkanji words and use hangel [letters].
After we finish using cars they become scrap metal.
This was relatively recently.
Some Japanese tourists say they are treated badly in Korea. [x behaved]
The Korean behaved badly with the Japanese.
The Chinese have a bad reputation in Japan, regarding doing business with them.
"I'm calling regarding my appointment next week." [= about]
"Me?" [x I? ]
clean [adj.] – cleanliness [noun]
I think cleanliness is 1 of the biggest differences between the Chinese and Japanese.
They don't follow the rules.
Buddhism is more like a philosophy than a religion.
If you don't drive this, then you won't go anywhere. It's a vicious circle.
I'd already met his wife in Qatar before I went there.
I think some of the young people in our countries 'needawake up call'!
My husband will retire by the end of next year, so I need a wake-up call regarding what to do when I'm back in Japan.
Pollution's a problem in India partly because of car emissions. In the cities I felt that I couldn't breathe! In Japan they can only sell environmentally-friendly cars. They use lead-free petrol.
Poverty is people being very, very poor.
A beggar is someone who begs for money but this wasn't a problem in Kerala.
They got their water from a water-well.
We use oil-wells to get oil.
After they eat the coconut they can throw the shell because it's bio-degradable but only if they throw it back to nature.
They have bigger problems to be concerned about.
It's a vicious circle.
I was able to enjoy it.
I like curry, but they eat it 3 times a day, so the novelty wore off! [It got boring!] Even the cookies and crisps tasted like curry!
Three days after I arrived there I had stomach problems.
Sweet and savoury foods.
Some people can be 'a bitin your face' sometimes! For example, they kept asking me 'how was it' when I was eating. In Sri Lanka, they give you more space.
We never kiss anyone on the cheeks, not even our parents or children. We can slow-dance with people of the opposite sex.
At our school we used to have a school disco once every 2 months on a Friday evening.
The minimum age for clubbing in Japan is 20, the same as for smoking and alcohol. We can drive from the age of 18. Men can get married at 18 but for girls it's 16.
I started clubbing around 15.
The bouncers are the 'guards' at the door of a nightclub.
We used fake ID to get in to clubs.
We didn't need it, we just used to dress more like an adult.
Stuart's friend wore high-heels at a cross-dressing party!
I once wore a pair of 7-centimetre-high-heels. Some people wear pin-heels.
World's biggest high-heels
A cross-dresser is a man that likes wearing ladies clothes.
Women's shirts are called blouses.
CLASS EXERCISES: 79 – Phrasal Verbs
- Can you tell me about a time when you or 1 of your friends or relatives fell oversomething?
I once fell over a bag that I'd put down in the room and forgot about!
I oncefell overbut there wasn't anything there!
I fell over.
- What is something that you didn't use any more and gave away to someone or someone gave away to you and when did they give it away to you?
I gave away my old bike to my younger brother when I left home.
I gave away my scooter to my mother when I left Japan. She's now in her 70s, so she sold it.
- What was 1 of the things that you've given up doing?
I used to smoke about 3 packs a day, but I gave up 4 or 5 years ago. My colleague passed away due to lung cancer. At the same time my father got stomach of the intestines. He's OK, because sometimes the cancer growth is much slower in older people as their metabolism is slower.
I've now given up drinking alcohol.
I gave up alcohol over a month ago, maybe almost 2 months. month. I also gave up coffee. I used to have around 10 cups a day.
Caffeine is addictive. When you give up drinking coffee, you might have withdrawal symptoms.
When I gave up smoking, one of my withdrawal symptoms was my appetite increased and I 'hada sweet tooth'. I put on around 5 kilos. My mood didn't change though.
I want my husband to start checking the price when he buys things. Sometimes I only see it when we're at the cashier I can't really say anything.
The symptoms of an illness, are what tells you it is an illness.
'Decaff' coffee is without caffeine.
LANGUAGE: Her husband's an engineer. We both left Egypt and we came to Qatar and they went somewhere else that slips my mind. Five years later she emailed me and said she was in Qatar.
I don't know where she got the turkey.
PAST TENSES: buy – bought, meet – met,
SHORT LINKING WORDS: At Christmas she cooked turkey in my oven.
They took me to the mountains and also on toa boathouse.
Regarding our next class, I'd like to tell you guess the year of the 1st parachute jump.
Aboutour next class, I'd like to tell you guess the year of the 1st parachute jump.
HOW TO SAY WORDS: follow, cleanliness, metabolism
HOMEWORK: Think about what you can do to answer the wake up call for when you go back to Japan. [Anyone reading this can also tell us what if you have any good ideas about what Masako can do when she's back in Japan!]
Language Notes – Wednesday 20th August 2014
I didn't post any notes on this day, as Masako and I were talking about financial & economic issues.
Language Notes – Tuesday 19th May 2014
CONVERSATIONS & NEW WORDS:
Anime are science-fiction cartoons.
It's a sci-fi called 'Tiger & Bunny'.
What's the plot? What's the story?
I think there isn't life on other planets.
There are millions and millions of other planets!
The Earth is one planet in our solar system, along with Jupiter, Mars, et cetera.
Some people use solar panels to get energy from the sun.
A galaxy is a group of stars. The whole universe is everything! Outer space is everywhere off our planet!
The Milky Way is our galaxy.
An astronomer likes looking at stars. An astrophysicist studies the science of stars.
He's single. He's a single man.
The average person doesn't have enough money. [x popular ]
Economics Language & Vocabulary
Economics affects our whole lives.
Economics is all about opinion, whereas maths is more factual.
macroeconomics vs. microeconomics Consumers buy products and services. Consumer demand
Macroeconomics is a branch [area] of economics dealing with the performance [good or bad!], structure [system], behaviour [what people do], and decision-making of an economy as a whole, rather than individual markets [1 product or service]. This includes national, regional [Middle East], and global [whole world] economies.
Macroeconomists study aggregated indicators [all numbers] such as GDP [Gross Domestic Product] [GNP – Gross National Product = GDP + exports - imports], unemployment rates, and price indices [inflation] to understand how the whole economy functions.
Macroeconomists develop models that explain the relationship between such factors [things] as national income, output, consumption, unemployment, inflation, savings, investment, international trade and international finance. In contrast [= However,], microeconomics primarily [firstly/mostly] studies the actions of individual agents, such as firms and consumers, and how their behaviour determines [affects] prices and quantities [numbers of] in specific [exact] markets.
While [Although] macroeconomics is a broad field [wide area] of study, there are two areas of research that are emblematic of the discipline [really show what the subject is about]: the attempt to understand the causesand consequences [why it happens and what happens next] of short-runfluctuations [short-term changes] in national income (the business cycle), and the attempt to understand the determinants [causes] of long-run economic growth (increases in national income). Macroeconomic models and their forecasts [predictions] are used by governments to assistin [help] the development and evaluation [how good or successful] of economic policy. Keynes is one of the world's most famous economists.
On Black Tuesday, October 29, 1929, the crashed, triggering the Great Depression, the worst economic collapse in the history of the modern
A company is in the black it is making money, but if it's in the red it's losing money.
I'm interested in how some incidents and factors affect economics and economies.
I think the Japanese economy may be stable this year. I don't think it will decline because there's no news either way!
We don't have any military at the moment but they're creating a 'domestic force' that we can use if necessary.
China is becoming an 'enemy' for Australia in some ways. They are looking to expand their naval
In some countries, men have to do a period of national service in the military.
I think young people can learn things in national service and be stronger.
I'm a regular at a bar called 'Isari'.
LANGUAGE: I'll never go to China!
If I hadn't got married to him, I wouldn't have resigned from the company.
I wouldn't have resigned from the company if I hadn't got married to him.
If I hadn't lived abroad, I wouldn't have thought about studying English.
If I had studied cooking before I left Japan, I could've improved it faster.
When I'm in Japan, I go to the bar every day. [GENERAL]
If I'm in Japan, I go to the bar every day. [GENERAL]
When I go back to Japan next month, I'll go to the bar. [future 1st]
If I was in Japan now, I'd go to the bar every day. [UNREAL 2nd ]
If I had been in Japan last night, I wouldn't have gone to the bar. [PAST UNREAL 3rd ]
SHORT LINKING WORDS: "It's set in Tokyo, in the future." / It's set on another planet.
If I hadn't got married to him, I wouldn't have resigned from the company.
HOW TO SAY WORDS: economics, economy, It's economical. science-fiction, sci-fi
HOMEWORK: Look at the economics vocabulary we looked at.
Language Notes – Monday 18th August 2014
CONVERSATIONS & NEW WORDS:
We can buy older properties and renovate them. renovation
Some houses are empty and others are abandoned and left toruin.
Children inherit properties from their parents.
We might buy something like this.
A property like this might cost around $100,000 and then another $100,000 to renovate.
Tatami flooring is partly made of straw.
One of the advantages of tatami is that it's made of natural substance and so the air passes through it more easily. This keeps the house cooler in the summer and also warmer in the winter.
Demand for tatami has fallen and as a result, lots of companies have stopped making it. Now there are insufficient tatami producers nowadays which has meant prices have got much higher. insufficient = not enough demand and supply to produce = to make
Producers to the work and the directors get the glory!
The producers have skills which are more common. [x popular ] Obesity is becoming a common problem in Japan. [obesity = being fat]
He's obese. = He's very fat.
Early retirement is becoming lesscommon in the UK. [more/less]
News 9 is a popular TV programme.
I'd prefer to have a 2-storey house. He told me a story.
There are often 3 bedrooms on the 1st floor, but they are usually bigger than a modern Japanese house.
It's a 3-bedroom house. [x 3-bedrooms]
I'd like to have aporch at the front of the house.
I'd like to have a tiled, sloping roof. [≠ flat]
Women should never sit cross-legged in Japan, or with their legs wide open in lots of other places.
A parking space is where we can park a car.
I used to go skiing in Okaido almost every weekend, but I'd rather not now.
Niagara Falls had frozen when we went to Canada in October. I couldn't get out of the car.
We very rarely have earthquakes in Europe.
We'll rent it out and we hope the income will cover the mortgage.
I'd like to have more space.
One of the nicest places one of my acquaintances has is my younger brother's in Nagano. They asked a housing builder to build it for them and it's made of all natural, locally made wood."
"How long did it take to build?"
It took a year.
An acquaintance is someone you know in any way.
Nature is good for children to grow up in and therefore for raising children. [x growing]
Parents raise their children. [x growing ]
Plants grow or we grow plants.
The sun rises.
One of the most important things about the way my parents raised me, was that they smacked me when I was naughty. My mother used to smack me a lot!
He was beaten in the tennis match.
My friend was beaten up by 2 men.
Our teachers used to hit us with a ruler at school. Students were scared of him.
People used to get cane at my school.
There's no common sense.
Stuart has very little common sense sometimes, for example when he crashed his bike in to a car because he was cycling with his eyes closed!
That's a big generalisation!
The common Japanese person isn't like me.
In Japan, we go to nursery from 3 to 6, we start studying at 7 and can leave school at 18. We start studying English at 13.
My parents pleaded with me to go to high-school. [Please, please, please!]
I'm pleased! = I'm happy!
LANGUAGE: 3rd conditionalIf + hadpast participlewould/might/couldhavepast participle
If I hadn't been employed by the construction company, I wouldn't have been able to work in television. The construction company set up a television company and I moved to television. All of the other employees had university degrees, so I was lucky I could transfer because I wouldn't have been able to work for them if not. To go – go – went - gone to be able to - can – could – been able to
If I hadn't come to Qatar, I think I would have moved to Australia.
If I hadn't come to Qatar, I think I could have moved to Australia. [/might]
PAST TENSES: find – found
HOW TO SAY WORDS: to raise – to rise, "can" Canada,
HOMEWORK: Tell your husband the example of me not having much common sense! Please also ask him if he knows anyone with little common sense.
In addition, the sites below are ones with practice for the 3rd conditional we looked at today. I found out today when searching, that if you're looking for something with a number in it – such as the 3rd conditional – it's better to do the search for an exercise in words not numbers. For example, a search for the 3rd conditional doesn’t find anything, but a search for the third conditional does.
CONVERSATIONS & NEW WORDS:
We went to Laguna as usual.
We have state-run schools. A public school in the UK is the same as a private school!
I went to a private school but my siblings went to state-run schools. They give free tuition to high achieving or low achieving students. Free tuition = free classes and teaching
Stuart was quite square at school and I was quite rebellious! [a square ≠ a rebel] Sometimes I would bunk off school. I used to go to MacDonald's and other shopping places.
We went to Laguna as usual.
We have state-run schools. A public school in the UK is the same as a private school!
I went to a private school but my siblings went to state-run schools. They give free tuition to high achieving or low achieving students. Free tuition = free classes and teaching
Stuart was quite square at school and I was quite rebellious! [a square ≠ a rebel] Sometimes I would bunk off school. I used to go to MacDonald's and other shopping places.
I had a part-time job in a supermarket. The school didn't let us work, because we were lower-achieving students. [> stupid] part-time job ≠ full-time job]
I worked part-time in the supermarket from the age of 15 to 18. I used to work 4 days a week, for 3 hours each time.
In the UK paperboys and papergirls deliver newspapers to people's houses.
Stuart reads the FT [Financial Times] when he's in the UK, whereas I read the 1st 3 pages of the Gulf Times.
If someone had asked me to be a papergirl I wouldn't have liked to do it, because I'm not an early riser.
She's remarkable! / incredible / brilliant I'm not an early riser. I don't really know anyone who can compare! / I don't really know anything that can compare!
"He weighs over 300kg." "That's obscene!"
"A few younger people are overweight and it's a problem for us because our bone structure is different. They get sick more easily. They're getting bigger with junk food." ""What do you think is the answer to this problem?"
People take out medical insurance to pay for private healthcare.
When I was a child there was less junk food and chocolate.
"The next election in Japan is in around 2 years. I've never voted."
"Me neither. Is there any particular reason why you haven’t voted?"
"I think all politicians are the same."
"In what way?"
"When they first get elected they are good but later they are worse!"
He's honest. [I think honesty is important.]
I think George Bush Jr. was odious! [People hated him!]
We got in the lift and there was a man in the lift who wouldn't look at us. Better the devil you know than the devil you don't!
A despot is a bad, evil leader.
The Ayatollah is the most senior religious leader in Iran.
If my husband said we had to move to one of Iran, Iraq, Libya, Syria, Saudi Arabia or Palestine, I'd refuse.
If I had to go to one of them, I'd choose Saudi Arabia.
"When my husband was in Kuwait, he got arrested. He doesn't like to talk about it, but he says one of his colleagues took a lot of money from the office and ran away. My husband was his boss and the police arrested him. He was hit and beaten when he was in custody."
"How much longer did he stay in Kuwait after it happened?" "He only stayed for another few weeks. He paid them all his money and he could leave. He had to sell some of his jewellery to get enough money to buy a ticket.
When we got married, he told me the gold jewellery was very important and to keep it safe, gold is always valuable if you don't have any money.
They used to wear a lot of gold in Egypt. I asked them why and they said because they could – they couldn't wear it in the Philippines. They said that if they wore it in the Philippines, they might cut your arm off!
"I'm going to Japan." "Whereaboutsin Japan?"
You have to buy the uniforms and books.
Eton and Harrow term prices are about £30k a year. QR180,000
Fish and chips and roast dinners are most famous UK foods. The most popular restaurants are Indian and Chinese.
Haddock, plaice and cod are the most common fish eaten as part of fish and chips in the UK.
The St. Regis in West Bay has the Opal restaurant which is the Gordon Ramsay restaurant.
LEGAL LANGUAGE: We're in custody before we go to court and the judge or jury will decide if we're guilty or not guilty. In the UK, the jury decide if we're guilty, and if we are, the judge decides the punishment. In Japan the jury system started 10 years ago.
PAST TENSES: To choose – chose – chosen, shoot - shot
HOW TO SAY WORDS: "sick" cigarettes, Gadaffi, economy, ja, custody, punishment, queue - Kuwait - Kuwaiti,
In today's class, we were looking at a lady running in a 100-metres race, who is NINETY-NINE YEARS OLD! It's from the BBC, and you can look at it in the following link: Absolutely incredible!!
≠ means that these things are opposites, e.g. big ≠ small
This are is are mistake someone made in class.
[> the part that is underlined is better than this]
Any word written like this can be omitted without changing the meaning.
Something written (spelling) like this indicates that this was a letter that was left out when a word was written.
This√ is OK. (that√) [Shows that both of these two words are correct to be used in this situation.]
- if the stressed part of the word has the same pronunciation as the letter, then only that 1 letter is underlined.
i.e. pain, eat, Einstein, roam, unit,
This rule also applies if the stress is on any other letter and has the same sound:
e.g. ceiling, details, deaf, hotel, chemists, energy, queue, started, mess, experts,
- if the stressed part of the syllable doesn’t have the same pronunciation as the vowel or letter sound, then it will be underlined with another letter next to it, for example i.e. satellite, let, book; company, busy, four,
Apologies for the delay, but for what for some reason, there wasn’t an internet connection in class computers this afternoon at LSE, so I’ve had to wait until I'm home to post these.
Promise I’ll try and do better tomorrow!
Stu
Language Notes – Sunday 19th October 2014
For those of you who weren't here, we've decided to adjust the class times. This is in order to make it more convenient for parents who have children to collect from school, and the new times will be 11.05 to 13.05. I hope that's convenient for people. Now, let's get on with your studies!...
CONVERSATIONS & NEW WORDS:
She lives in a nursing home for elderly people. [older = elder]
If you have a family member who works in Qatar, it's possible to come.
He's not familiar with the problem.
CLASS EXERCISES:
"What's your name?"
"My name's Stuart."
"Nice to meet you. / How do you do." [> A pleasure.]
"How old are you?" How old you are?
"I'm in my early 30s." 30-33 I'm in my 30s. [30-39]
"I'm in my mid-30s." 34-36
"I'm in my late 30s." 37-39
"Where are you from?" You are from?
"I'm from Spain."
"Whereabouts in Spain?"
"I'm from Madrid."
"Can you tell me a little bit about your family?" [direct family - extended family]
"What do you do?" "I'm a teacher."
my mother-in-law [mother of my spouse] vs. my step-mother [after divorce]
I have 2 brothers & 1 sister so I have 3 siblings.
I have 2 sons & 1 daughter so I have 3 children.
Lekhwiya is relatively famous.
To win – won We won 1-0." "one-nil"
We drew 2-2. "2-all"
We drew 0-0. "nil-nil"
We lost 3-2." "3-2" [x 2-3 even if we played an away match]
It's famous for its spas and baths.
Have you come alone or with your family?
My son lives with a male friend. Vs. He lives with his boyfriend.
"His son lives with a boyfriend."
"Actually, my son lives with a male friend."
There are some creatures in the sea called jellyfish.
He has only been here for 3 months.
"How have they found Qatar? = Has it been hard or difficult?"
My wife isn't working at the moment.
"Do you live on the same compound?"
I have 2 children.
She works at Newton in Barwa.
I have 2 more friends there. [x 2 friends more]
He's a goalkeeping coach from Denmark.
Will the stadium have a/c for the World Cup?
I'm curious.
In Germany, the pitches are warmed.
It's exactly the same!
[= "Same-same!" which is what people from the Indian sub-continent say.]
"How have they found Qatar?"
"It's been quite difficult." It has
"In what way?"
"They've found the local dress quite difficult to adapt to."
"How long have you been in Qatar?"
"I've been in Qatar for 3 years."
"I've been in Qatar since 2012. How about you?"
"How have your family found Qatar?"
"It's been quite difficult."
"Two years more and I'm going to leave." "Famous last words!"
I came here on the 7th of August and the heat knocked me sideways!
"What was it like?"
In the old airport, you got off the plane and you walk in to the open air: I thought I was standing in front of the airplane jet. The bus took you all the way around the runway. [Where the planes take off and land.]
It's absolutely luxurious! = It's absolute luxury!
One woman practically attacked me in a mall during Ramadan for wearing sandals! She said that I was in offensive dress.
The Doctor told me not to come to school in shorts or polo-shirts.
some pants vs. some trousers
Doha has many things like this. For instance, if you want your driving licence you cannot wear shorts.
Do you have a driving licence? [> permit ]
I always put ham in my case and the customs have never stopped me: Touch wood!
I can't risk getting caught at Customs because my wife works for QFE.
"How have you found living in Qatar?" "It's been quite challenging." "In what way?"
"How are you today?"
"How did you get on in the match?"
"Here you are." "Thank you." "My pleasure." / "Not at all."
PAST TENSES: I've been to Oman once with my wife. I was there in 2008.
understand – understood, win – won, draw – drew – drawn, lose – lost, go – went - gone
SHORT LINKING WORDS: It's on the Pearl.
I was there at around the same time.
It's on the coast.
"I arrived on the 1st of July during Ramadan."
LANGUAGE: It has the oldest souq in the Middle East.
The people are much friendlier than in Qatar. [more friendlier]
Where do you come from?Where are you from?
[Where are you come from?]
Are you a student?
People say this.[x says]
They say that it's good.
I make some mistakes although Stu makes more mistakes!
My husband works for QF. [x is working]
My husband is currently working on a project with QF.
We've been here for 15 months.
I know where La Hoya is. [x where is La Hoya ]
Is there anything like that now? [> Do we have …]
You need to know the short-cutsto get to school. [x for get ]
HOW TO SAY WORDS: "R" Oman, Muskat, private, Mosque, stadium, assistant-coach, Rome, footballer, interesting, Nepal – Nepalese, crisis, sandals, win - women, call-girls,
It's a big fat knot in the tie. family, vs. familiar
HOMEWORK: You've almost finished it! Finally, we're going to talk more about our hobbies [and those of our close family] in tomorrow's class, with various partners, so I'd like you to think about these questions:
-What are your hobbies?
-When and how did you get started on them?
-Are there any other things you'd like to do in the future?
-What did you use to like doing at various stages of your youth?
Language Notes – Wednesday 1st October 2014 Pinch, punch 1st of the month!
CONVERSATIONS & NEW WORDS:
Touch wood! = ‘Oja la’! in Spanish
"I'd rather not talk about it." / "I'd prefer not to talk about it."
To tell a little white lie is when you lie but it's not a bad lie that will kill anyone! For example, "I won't be coming to class over the next couple of weeks because I'm going to be busy working with some new business contacts back in Spain."
I might stay here until next summer or maybe I will go on holiday.
An energetic friend of my wife's has invited me to her 70th birthday in Munich.
We use don’t know for people and information, but not really for places.
I've never been to Munich. [> I don't know Munich.]
I don't know my brother-in-law very well.
“Have you ever been to Germany?”
"No, I haven't."
"What's one of your favourite cities in Europe?"
"Two of my favourite cities are Rome and Paris. I like Paris but I had a bad experience."
"Can I ask what happened?"
"I was there with my husband and we took a taxi from the centre of the city. We were in the city-centre and we got the taxi to take us back to our hotel. However, he took us a long way outside of the city and he jumped traffic lights so when the car stopped we got out and ran away!”
"That sounds frightening! "Where did you get the taxi from?"
"The driving is as frightening in Doha as it is in Paris."
"For me, it's more frightening in Paris. I am more afraid of it.”
"Why's that?"
"People often speed in the streets."
"What's the most frightening place for you?"
"If there's a national football match, then Madrid because the traffic is chaotic!"
"The road is called the M30." [M stands for motorway in the UK. For example, the M25 is a big road that goes hundreds of kilometres around the edge of London.]
"I went to London on the train and went to a biker's club on the outskirts of the city."
Ace Coffee is the most popular club in Europe.
Istanbul is dangerous when you're taking a taxi in all suburbs. We went there on our honeymoon. We took a taxi from the airport to go to our hotel.
The 2 men were well-built.vs. fat vs. big
"Have you been to Istanbul?"
"Yes, I have. I went there in August. It was fantastic and I will definitely go back again."
When I was young, I went to Morocco for a whole month. I went to try the Moroccan way of life.
I used to a bit of a hippy.
I tried to do business with Moroccans so that they'd repair my car for free, or for a small exchange.
There are a lot of beggars and begging.
girlfriend / boyfriend
"One of my first holidays without my parents was when I went to Lisbon with my friends when I was 20. We went for 1 week and we were all ladies – there were 6 of us."
"What was the highlight?" [the best part]
"It was all good fun!"
"Are you friends now?"
"Not really, they all have families."
Outside Istanbul I think it's different. I also think Moroccans outside Rabat are very different.
It's a good vantage point for the photos.
I think it would be impossible to live apart from my wife.
We're planning on staying on Doha for 3 more years.
"They don't know how long the project will last." [dura]
"Have you ever lived apart from your spouse?"
"We lived apart for 1 year when he first came to Doha?"
"How was it?"
"I came here for 10 days in August and 10 days in December. I lived alone in Madrid."
“What would you recommend about Rome?”
“I recommend going to the Coliseum. However, I don't recommend going to any pizzerias!”
Fuji is a fantastic suburb of Rome that has delicious foods! While I was there I put on 5 kilos! It was all very different food.
"I like pizza, but to be honest, I didn't like it in Rome." [a ver / haber]
"What are your plans for the holiday?"
"Let me see, I'm going …” “Let’s see, I’m going …”
"The traffic in Rome is worse than here!" "I don't believe it!"
danger – dangerous / frightening
You 'take your life in your own hands' when your drive in Doha!!!
CLASS EXERCISES: Communication 17 – Getting there…:
To meet, to visit someone/somewhere, to catch a bus/train/plane
You can buy a 2-week bus pass.
one-way ticket / return ticket
I'd like to know _, please? > I need to know….
LANGUAGE: very + adjective It's very good. It's really good. [x much ]
much / many + nouns I don't have too much money.
He doesn't have many friends!
There were 5 people in the small car. My wife was in the front, and I was in the back, with 2 well-built men either side of me! [x mens ] 1 child - 2 childrens,
Present continuous – 100% future plans
I'm flying to the UK at 22.30 this evening. "10-30"
Stuart's starting again at LSE on the 19th of October. [100% plan]
All the people say it's good. [x says] / Everybodysays it's good. x say
I've never been to Oslo. I haven't been to Oslo. never.
I like the area where Picasso and other painters lived at times in their lives.
“Would you rather go to Paris, New York, Madrid, Oslo, Rome or Budapest if I paid for your ticket?”
“If you paid for me to go to one of these cities, I would choose Paris.”
“If you paid for me to go to one of these cities, I would choose New York.”
I haven't been to New York. vs. I don't know New York very well.
SPELLING: Lisbon,
SHORT LINKING WORDS: It's good by day and also at night.
I like it very much. vs. I liked the food too much so I put on weight! [negative]
You can go to listen to music. [x for ]
It's good for listening to music.
It's far from Istanbul. [x far to]
It's a long way to Istanbul from there.
HOW TO SAY WORDS: Hamburg, hamburger, ground, Muslims, young, Morocco, Moroccan, to/a repair, city, Turkey – Turkish, "I" guy – gay, Bohemian, musicians, atmosphere, special, to discuss
"SHH" chef vs. chief, quieter, tourist scenery, days,
HOMEWORK: Can everyone note down interesting or exciting things so we can talk about them when we get back! [You only need to make notes, I won’t check your writing!]
I'm better today, and we were talking and didn't look at the photos we'd planned so I've still got some funny photos for you to look at, which we can discuss [and laugh about!] tomorrow.
http://weknowmemes.com/2014/09/21-of-the-worst-airline-passengers-in-the-history-of-air-travel/
http://weknowmemes.com/2014/08/people-of-public-transport-22-pics/
Language Notes – Tuesday 30th September 2014
The pain was very strong so I booked an appointment at al-Ali. Now I'm taking some drugs for it and I'm also on painkillers.
I had some blood tests. They did some blood tests.
We put plasters on cuts.
"How would you rate public transport back home?"
The government privatised public transport in the 80s. It's not as good as it used to be.
"In Spain it's bad." "In what way?" [> Why? ]
There have been quite a lot of strikes. [to/a strike]
It's a government train company. Anna told me that the company was part private and part government.
A joint venture
They've changed the age of retirement in Spain.
Before the change, in the UK, women used to retire at 60 and men at 65. However, they now retire at 63 and 67, respectively.
Women have maternity leave when they have children. Men have 2 weeks' paternity leave in Spain.
Under the Spanish system, they record the years you work overseas, and the government can make you pay tax after you return to Spain. If they know you've been working outside the EU, in your annual tax statement, you need to tell them your earnings. If you don't say anything, there's a possibility that the governments may collaborate with each other and exchange the information.
You can get around this problem by going to the Ministry of Expatriate Affairs, obtain a letter which says that you don't have any Spanish bank accounts, and then go to the Spanish Embassy in Doha and get the letter stamped.
I have to have an offshore bank account.
The shore is the water at the beach. The Isle of Man has secret, tax-free bank accounts.
If you live overseas for more than 180 days in a tax year, then you are not liable to tax. [calendar year]
My wife works for an American.
It's justified.
People have private pension schemes.
Income tax in the UK is 45% at the highest level.
In Spain, the government calculate your level of tax based on all of your assets, minus any liabilities such as children.
Your mortgage is the money you borrow from a bank to buy any property.
I have a 25-year mortgage. [25-years]
The house is worth $100k. [100,000] 1km = 1000m 1kg = 1000kg
Amount of money [= quantity of money]
The banks lend people money so that they can buy things. They then have to repay the money.
People borrow money from banks.
I borrowed 250k from the bank. = The banks lent me 250k. [a loan]
The pound is higher than the euro.
Some people have repayment loans but others have interest-only loans.
"I think interest-only loans should be illegal."
"I don’t really have any strong thoughts on this." > I don't know.
Is there anything you'd change about your financial situation in the past.
"I recommend not lending money to friends. My mortgage is higher now than when I took it out. I bought my home in 2007, and now I owe the same amount of money and my repayments are higher.
I took it out in Chinese Yuan and Swiss Francs and the exchange rates have moved against me.
"Is there anything you'd change about your finances in the past?"
"I think I'd change pretty much everything! If you don't use the same bank as your employer, then the banks will charge you fees on transfers between the 2 accounts.
employer ≠ employees
I'm planning on buying some property in Qatar. The banks here cannot charge interest because it is 'haram' or sacrilegious.
I asked my friend to lend me 300k. = I borrowed 300k from him.
Banks can repossess your home if your fail to pay your mortgage.
The amounts I need to pay each month.
I would tell Cathy, that her husband is an idiot!
Some twins are identical and others are similar.
I hate it when twins wear the same clothes.
One of Anna's twin cousin's driving licence expired so she used her twin-sister's licence. I know another twin who took driving tests and university tests for his twin brother.
I would be embarrassed!
I would be lost for words! I would be captivated!
The most embarrassed I've ever been was when …
The most embarrassing thing I've ever done was when …
I wished the ground would open up and swallow me!
The last New Year's Eve, I saw one of my neighbours come in drunk. He was an older man and he was 'all over the place!'
"Have you ever got drunk and done anything stupid?"
"Where do I start? I've rolled done my trousers and 'done a moonie' in the car!
I did a selfie of my own moonie at a wedding reception. The brideand groom left a camera on each table for people to take pictures as a memento for the newly-weds. So a friend and I went to the bathroom and selfied our 'rear-end'! [a friend and I x me and a friend ]
partner – spouse
After a wedding, the newly-weds go on honeymoon.
I've never confessed to my friends.
He's talking out of his rear-end! = He's talking out of his ae! [He's lying!]
It was with a disposable camera.
He said it was attempted arson! [attempted murder]
Arson is a crime when you set fire to something.
When I was young, an example of something I did in high school was when I let down my French teacher's tyres. I put a small stone under the cap and then turned it. There were actually 4 of us - 1 on each tyre!
let – let
He was very strict with everyone.
The rest of my friends made a sign and put it on the roof of the building that said various bad things about him.
He took a week's holiday and then when he came back he was better.
When my younger sister had a birthday party, she invited her friends. [x made a party ] During the party I turned off the electricity!
She's the second after me.
"What would you have said if your brother or sister had done this to you?"
"If I was having a party and my brother had turned off the electricity, I would have shouted at him!"
"If I was having a party and my brother had turned off the electricity, I would have beaten the sh*t out him!"
"If I was having a party and my brother had turned off the electricity, I would have got revenge by putting toothpaste in his ears, or wetting the bed with water so he thought he had wet himself!"
I improve by doing my homework!
I hate packing with a passion!
I put my suitcase on the ground the day before.
I change my mind too much.
She's a having a check-up with the gynaecologist.
I haven't been to the Souq since the summer.
He has a lot of money. He's a lawyer, so he's not poor.
I'm an advocate of the death-penalty. I support.
Devil's advocate
A friend and I went to the bathroom
Iberia is the most popular airline in Spain and it merged with BA. Then BA took the best flights and the company has fallen.
BA took over Iberia. [a takeover]
Sony and Ericsson merged in the 1990s. [mergers and acquisitions - to merge – to acquire]
LANGUAGE: It's possible to say what your salary is here. [x what is your salary – We only use this in questions: What is your salary here?]
PAST TENSES:
SHORT LINKING WORDS: I was at home.
Where is she?
I pay for my son and daughter's school fees.
HOW TO SAY WORDS: pharmacy, pincers, muscle, hours, government "guvament", my account, bureaucracy, mortgage, wait vs. white,
HOMEWORK: Think about what your plans are for the Eidh holiday. Also think if there is anything you'd like me to bring back from the UK.
Language Notes – Monday 29th September 2014
COMMON EXPRESSIONS
I'm not sure I understood all of that, can you say it again please?
"I live on the Pearl." "How is it?" / "What's it like?"
"I live in St. Regis." "How is it?" / "What's it like?"
Pardon? / Sorry? [x What?]
"I know Delia on there." "Me too – it's a small world!"
"What would you like to do this evening?" "How about going to the cinema?"
"What do you find difficult here in Doha?" "Where do I start?!" [What is difficult?]
This can be for positive or negative classes, e.g. "What do you like about Stuart's classes?" "Where do I start?!" [Sorry, I couldn't resist that opportunity!]
CONVERSATIONS & NEW WORDS:
"Are you in this class as a trial or long-term?"
"Where did you stay?"
"It was St. Luca which is close to Cadiz."
This year there were too many people.
"How are the people different between the north and the south?"
"People are more laid-back and relaxed in the south. In the north people are more serious.
The way of living is not so hard in the south.
It's a hilarious film called 'Eight Vasco's Surnames!'
"I am more like my mother because I'm slim and I have blonde hair. Which of your parents are you more like and in what way?"
"Everybody says I am more like my father. I don't have moustache, but we have similar facial expressions and similar builds. My father has passed away." "I'm sorry to hear that."
"I failed my exam." "I'm sorry to hear that."
I'm slimmer and taller than my father, but peoplesay my face is similar." [x says]
I'm similar to both. For example, my father is tall and my mother is slim. My face is more similar to my mother.
"How does that feel?"
"Some days are good but other days I feel tired and bored. I have many friends, but some are colleagues of my wife and do not have a standard week. Perhaps their spouse works a normal working week, but for the people whose spouses are pilots don't have a similar timetable."
There are many people who live on the Pearl and many of them are Spanish – thank heavens!"
Talking about hair: LENGTH – COLOUR – STYLE
She has long, dark, curly hair. ≠short, light, straight hair
long – medium-length - short
My wife has medium-length, blonde, German style hair. She's from Germany but is also Canary.
My husband is partially bald. [partially bald – completely bald]
My grandfather was bald by the age of 44, so there's no hope for me!
I think bald looks distinguished.
Delia has found a new apartment on the Pearl.
≠ Delia is looking for an apartment.
She has now had a baby.
I'm very comfortable now.
I'd like to live in another place, but in mid-summer it around 9o higher. At 11 in the morning it's much hotter.
I prefer living in a villa, but now it's clear to me that I'm going to be living on The Pearl."
"How many different apartments have you lived in here?" "My wife had lived in a hotel before I came, but with me it's only been 1."
"A colleague was moving and he asked if anyone was interested, so my wife and I went there to look at it."
"What was the average age of some of the students?" "They were from around 9 to 11."
"What time were the classes?" "They were from 4pm to 6."
You can refresh your memory and revise.
The 4 Seasons spring- summer- autumn – winter [UK]
spring- summer- fall – winter [USA]
colour [UK] color
"Ladies first!"
"My husband's an engineer."
"He works in tunnels."
"Is that dangerous?"
"He's a planner and doesn't work on site**." [always related to and in connection to work]
CLASS EXERCISES:
"Whereabouts in Spain?"
"I'm from the north. I was born in the north."
"I'm from the south. I was born in Huelva. [the Huelva ]
"Huelva is a nice place to eat prawns."
"Have you been there many times?"
"I went there a couple of years ago."
"Why don't you like going to the city centre?"
"I buy all the groceries ready for my wife to cook the meals at home. I'm bad at cooking! C'est la vie! I'm the shopper and my wife's the cook. [cooker = oven]
I cook in our house midweek although my husband cooks at weekends.
"How long did you stay here then?"
"I stayed her for 5 months and then went back to Spain. I was only there for 1 month, before coming back to Doha. I had to organise the relocation."
LANGUAGE: "Are you in this class as a trial or long-term?" [You are ?]
"I liked the beach very much." [x too much]
"I was there 3 or 4 years ago. I liked the beach very much." [x too much]
This year there were too many people so I didn't like it.
This year there were many people so I liked it.
People aremuch friendlier in the north. [more friendly]
"Do you have any children?" [x childrens]
You need the internet to see it. [x for see]
I went there to see the races motorcycle. [x for see ]
"I like going to Sealine, eating in restaurants , anywhere except the city centre and the malls."
Conditional Tenses
[1st conditional – real possibility] if + present simple + will
If it is hot, I'll stay at home.
[2nd conditional – small/impossible situation] if + past simple + would
If I was an animal I would be a monkey.
If I was a woman, I would
[3rd conditional – past possibilities] if + past perfect + would have past participle
If I had studied maths, it would have been much more useful than politics.
If I hadn't come to Doha, I think I would have moved to China.
If I hadn't come to Doha, I think I would have stayed in Spain.
PAST TENSES: cost – cost he/she/it costs - he/she/it cost he/she/it puts – he/she/it put
When I 1st moved there it cost QR12k a month but now it costs QR13200. I argued with the owner when he wanted to put it up to 14k.
to argued
"I first came here in August last year."
A friend left a course for me to try.
SHORT LINKING WORDS: "My wife's a pilot for Qatar Airways."
"Like many Spanish pilots, she came here for a test and now she's a pilot."
"I stayed her for 5 months and then went back to Spain.
It's near to me.
HOW TO SAY WORDS: "or" prawns, crabs, although, "1" tunnels, subtitled, "of" course,
"SHH!" special, colleague,
HOMEWORK: What you're doing now is always the most important part! I’d also like to look through the older notes, so that you can tell me tomorrow if there are any things you don't understand. Well done today, see you tomorrow!
Language Notes – Wednesday 24th September 2014
CONVERSATIONS & NEW WORDS:
You can buy 2nd hand clothes, CDs, books, and toys in charity shops. Charity shops are very common in the UK.
Oxfam, BHF, NSPCC, Salvation Army, NSPCA,
They're much cheaper. More cheap
High – muchhigher – by far and away the highest
interesting – muchmore interesting – by far and away the most interesting
"What's Brighton like?"
"It's friendly and I like the older area."
'Quadrophenia' is a film about the 'Mods' and the 'Rockers' and I've seen it many times.
It's set in Brighton and there's quite a lot of fighting and violence.
A film-set
The majority of movies are set in Rome. There is a large filming area.
The cast are the people in the film and the lead actor and actress are the stars.
To/a cast
The credits is the list at the end of the film.
"Do you know a film called 'Black Gold' that's set in Qatar.
"What's the night-life like?"
There's a very big area which is closed off with a very, very large fence and you have to be admitted by security guards.
"He said it wasn't allowed to ride on this land." "That sounds like he was making it up!"
"Is it before or after al-Garia?"
"It's about 40 km before."
You should just 'nod and smile!'
I've seen a movie
"Have you seen the most recent movie by Besson?"
Did you watch the football at the weekend?
I like documentary programmes, such as programmes about crime and the crime problem.
There isn't much crime in Qatar. There were some serious crimes in the area.
Crime has been getting worse in Qatar. For example there was the body of an English teacher that was found in the desert.
"Did the police charge anyone for murder?" "It was her ex-boyfriend."
"Was he found guilty or not guilty?" "What was the sentence?" "He was sentenced to life imprisonment."
The maximum sentence is 30 years, but if you have more than 1, they are not concurrent.
In the UK we have a life sentence or life imprisonment for the most serious crimes.
In Spain, there is more crime now, partly crimes of passion, but also due to the rising number of immigrant. It is in the news every day. [x all the days]
The death penalty
"The Vatican was the last country to have the death penalty." "Fk me sideways!"
I believe in the death penalty, how do you feel about it?
I believe it's correct for paedophiles.
"I couldn't agree more!" = I agree 100%.
"It's easy to execute somebody and steal their life. I think forced labour is better."
"If you do this, then human rights organisations will say it's wrong."
In China they have the
It's more common problem in China. [vs. popular]
Belarus is 'White Russia' in Russian.
I'm lost for words!
The alibi is the reason why it wasn't you. The evidence is what the defence and prosecution present to the court, such as fingerprints, DNA samples, witnesses, et cetera. The criminal and civil courts are 2 different places. In the civil court, people and companies sue each other for damages for various things, including defamation of character. The damages are the money that are paid to each other. It's also for divorce cases.
The judge or the jury are the people who makes decisions.
It was very talked about and covered by the media.
Manslaughter is an unplanned murder.
They let him off lightly.
CLASS EXERCISES:
To think about = to consider
To go out = to leave
to get on a plane = to board
You choose a French car 'you make your own bed!'
ENGLISH VOCAB. IN USE - 80 – Phrasal Verbs 2
- Can you tell us about a time that you were in a car that broke down?
My car once broke down when I was on my way to London and it 'cost an arm and a leg!'
"My car once breaks down more or less every week!"
"I think you should buy a new 1."
"If I were you, I'd buy a Ford Raptor, but only here, as a full tank in Italy would cost about 300 euros."
"How big is the tank of a Landcruiser?"
"It's a 4.8 litre engine."
How much would it cost to fill up in Italy or Spain?
"Maybe the equivalent of QR900!
It's technologically advanced and thus it's more fuel efficient and there's less fuel consumed.
If you need power, you just 'put your foot down'!
Does it have different settings?
If a car is not in gear it is in neutral.
I can change gears so I have more control.
I've tried many cars, in different countries and the logical option is the automatic.
Everyone drives automatics in most countries.
It was only a 1-hour drive.
A 'cinqo ciento' is a well-known car in Italy.
the brakes [to brake] the accelerator [to accelerate]
We change gear.
You don't need to do anything.
I used to think the same as you.
The dodgems
I last tried them a long time ago. It's good fun.
Friends was a TV show that was funny.
I've driven a Mini and a Nissan Micra.
"I've driven a Renault, Fiat, Seat, Mercedes and a Porsche."
"How do they compare?"
"By far the most comfortable was the Mercedes!"
"The most powerful car I've driven is a Range Rover."
"They consume a lot of fuel."
A petrol-driven car is faster and cheaper to maintain than a diesel. Diesel pollutes more and is therefore not permitted in some cities without government permission. However, diesel engines are stronger and last longer. This is why most trucks and heavy goods vehicles use diesel.
It used to be much cheaper, perhaps half the price, but now it's only 10c cheaper.
GLP is becoming more popular in Europe.
If you go to work every day by car, a hybrid is OK.
If you really put your foot down, you can get to 120 an hour.
I’ll come and pick you up and we'll go to the airport and I was quite nervous. When I got there I realised I had forgotten my passport so I had to go home and get it.
Mercedes = "Merk" in the UK
He used a hook to close his Mini.
You take a turn and the Mini moves immediately.
I've only driven a Mini once. [x 1 time]
LANGUAGE: Questions
Is it very far?
Do you know a film called Black Gold?
Is it before or after al-Garia?
Is there the life sentence in Qatar?
Does it have different settings? [Settings is a useful word we can use to talk about anything technical, such as TVs, radios, cars, computers, et cetera.]
-
People say he's in another school. [x says]
It's very far.Vs. x It's too far.
It's very expensive, darling. [You still buy it and 'get in the good books'!]
Vs. x It's too expensive, darling! We won't buy it.]
I haven't seen it yet. [x didn't see it yet] I still haven't seen it. [x still didn't see] I've never seen it.
I'd like to see all the Tarantino films because I like his genre.
Leon is a film about an assassin.
You can have a BBQ. [X make ]
PAST TENSES: He said it wasn't permitted to ride on this land.
At the moment, - At that moment,
SHORT LINKING WORDS: At the moment
HOW TO SAY WORDS: …castle, "fish" artificial, "there" area, island, a police HQ, quiet, rare, crime, fuel,
exclusives material, exhaust, manual, Morocco, kinds, "fifth" 5th gear,
a "Merk", diesel, methane, "I" hydrogen - hybrid, interesting
I heard about a teacher at Newtown school that has been arrested.
HOMEWORK: Can you think of some other examples of things which people are unsure about, but in which you think the pros outweigh the cons, or vice versa. For example:
"Sometimes 2nd-hand clothes don't last as long as new clothes, but they're much, much cheaper, so I
think the pros outweigh the cons."
Language Notes – Tuesday 23rd September
"It's a good place to live." "In what way?"
CONVERSATIONS & NEW WORDS:
"Touch wood!" [With luck!]
I didn't do much really.
I picked up my kids from school and wentshopping. I bought some general groceries for the house.
I took my brother to school.≠I picked up my brother from school.
I wenthome after class and went to The Mall and did some shopping.
We didn't really have anything at home. [x nothing ]
I am 27. I am 27 years old. I am 27 years. [x I have 27.]
My son is 14. [x has ]
"I went diving in the Seychelles." "It's a hard life!"
I've never been there.
"I went to Sri Lanka last year." "What was it like?"
"Was it a good hotel? Would you recommend?"
It's quite unspoilt by tourists. [There aren't too many tourists.]
"I bumped into my old school friend by accident in Sri Lanka. Have you ever bumped in to anyone by accident?"
"This summer, I bumped into an old neighbour on the beach."
"When was the last time you had seen her?"
"Twenty years ago! She's the sister of an old friend from the suburbs of Oviedo." [barrios]
"If you could bump into anyone from your past this afternoon, who would you choose?"
"If I could bump into anyone, I'd choose my cousin because it's been such a long since I've met up with him. It's probably been around 4 years.
To meet someone is sometimes for the 1st time, but meet up is not.
"If I could bump into anyone, I'd choose my best friend because I haven't seen her for a long time.
"If I could bump into anyone, I'd choose my best friend because I haven't seen him for a long time.
"What's one of the most surprising or shocking things that's ever happened to you?"
"One trip my wife prepared as a surprise for me a trip to California. It was a surprise trip.
All my friendsknew but she didn’t tell me where we were going!
I took some swimming trunks.
"Where are we going?"
She lives in Pasadena which is very close to Los Angeles and some other places of interest. [> special points]
If you go with people that know it well, it's OK. However, at night, it can be different if you're on your own. I never really felt afraid.
I've never been to the USA, and it doesn't really hold any attraction.
I first when went there 16 years ago and stayed there for 3 1/2 years.
"After he had finished his Masters we came back to Qatar and then in 2010 I went there for treatment for my daughter." "I'm sorry to hear that."
"What was your husband's Masters?" "It was in educational technology."
"What is it like in Kansas?"
They have a strong accent.
There's a different in most states of the USA.
Coloured or African-American people have a different accent.
It's the middle-class, white liberals who are politically correct [PC] that say 'black' is offensive!
CLASS EXERCISES:
My principal hobby is motorcycling. [= main** hobby]
A second-hand bike ≠ a new bike
I was over-confident.
I thought I could go faster around the corner and didn't check the situation. A car went through a red light and hit me side-on. [/ head-on]
Kaput!
I fell off my bike. I also fell off my motorbike.
A car in front of me changed direction without signalling. I hit the brakes the road was wet and I lost control and I hit the car from behind.
I was injured but not seriously.
I had a check-up but I hadn't broken anything.
/ They did a check-up and I hadn't broken anything.
I was going with my friend and a gust of wind blew and capsized the boat.
/ a strong wind
We had to right the boat. [right ≠ wrong]
"How long did it take?" "We had to swim to the sea-shore. It took about an hour! In November we had something similar but we didn't capsize."
Give your students rules.
Don't be late. Be on time.
I give them homework.
It's difficult to explain.
You can't control them.
"What's better mixed or single-sex classes?"
"In my opinion, for teenagers it's better to be single-sex."
"It's a fine line." [a small space between 2 sides]
"In my opinion, for university classes, it's better to have …
"Why do we need to divide the class into male and female?" "Where do I start?!"
Young men and women get to know each other and learn things.
"Some are mixed and some are single."
"Which ones have better results?"
"It depends more on the individual than the university."
Fishing: fishing rod, fishing line, hook and bait, net, water, we catch fish [catch – caught], diving, mask & snorkel, boat,
I dive with a harpoon. It's better for the environment as you only catch the fish you want to, not any extra fish that you do with a net.
You wait until the fish is tired before you pull it in.
Put on the oxygen tank on to go deeper.
Do you have a buoy?
They use a buoy to see well. They attach themselves to the buoy for safety.
I know a pilot who goes harpoon fishing and goes home with lots of fish and gives them to his neighbours. He says it's like an addiction. He says you always need a dive-partner when you dive.
I have dived in Oman. / I did a dive in Oman last year.
LANGUAGE: I try to teach well. [x good]
In the past they were much better.
Is it bigger? [more big ]
Is the water clear?
Using DOS on computers: laptop, mouse, screen, keyboard, turn on ≠turn off, plug into the socket
To/a plug We plug the plug into the socket.
Where do I start?!
In the modern world, the computer is more common than before. The laptop works well.
We assemble the computer,
There used to be another form of computer, in primordial format. It was very different pre-Windows.
[Pre-Windows ≠ Post-Windows]
It's important to know a little bit about the DOS.
We waste lots and lots of timeon computer.
I have a love-hate relationship with the computer!
I think I spend about _ on the computer each week!
There are pros and cons to the tablets.
With regards tablets, I think the pros outweigh the cons.
I'm still undecided.
I used to be indecisive but now I'm not sure!
It's too difficult to say and put it into such a simple sentence!
With regards tablets, I think the advantages outweigh the disadvantages.
PAST TENSES: catch – "or" caught, lend – lent, send – sent, take – took – taken
SHORT LINKING WORDS: also vs. as well
I also fell off my motorbike. I fell off my motorbike as well.
I go at the weekend.
It's in the west.
Is it close to the beach?
"It's a good place to live."
With regards tablets, I think the cons outweigh the pros.
HOW TO SAY WORDS: "wish" nutritionist - delicious, geography, "quit" equipment, kind / type, full-throttle, quickly, instantly, holes, confidence, knowledge, assemble, manual, precious, buoy, scuba-diving, 3 1/2 years "three and a half years" "3 years and a half" 0.5 "nought point 5"; "here" = "hear"; to punish or to tell off, patience, intelligence
HOMEWORK: Can you think of some other examples of things which people are unsure about, but in which you think the pros outweigh the cons, or vice versa. For example:
"Sometimes 2nd-hand clothes don't last as long as new clothes, but they're much, much cheaper, so I
think the pros outweigh the cons."
Language Notes – Monday 22nd September 2014
CONVERSATIONS & NEW WORDS:
The main idea is to start a small trading company. We construct a building.
This is changing all the time. [> all days]
For every 100 people, 1 of them is a biker and this person will need to buy a bike for to go to work, the desert, et cetera.
At present there aren't really any services for bikers. The ones that there are currently are very expensive, for all of the clothes, equipment and other things. Both sides of Salwa Road have showrooms for cars, but there is only 1 showroom for bikes.
You can go to Suzuki to change your tires.
It's a big dealer to buy a car.
There was an explosion at a restaurant. It exploded because of
At home I have 3 bikes, but there isn't a workshop to change my tire if I have a puncture, I have to go back home and fix it myself. There aren't any places where you can pay for these services.
I've got a machine arriving next week, and I'm going to try and make some copies of this machine in al-Khor and market them. It will be easy to assemble and put together.
It company will try to meet the needs of people in Qatar.
Honda is one of the biggest brands in the world and you have to go to a place close to Salwa Road. When you get there it's like a war-zone such as Khandahar with big holes in the street! There are people in the middle of the street.
They have machines for DIY. do-it-yourself
There are lots of people from the Indian Sub-continent.
They are accustomed to it.
They have big beards.
It's called sidiki or sid that people drink illegally in the Middle East. You can get cut an uncut.
He became alcoholic in Saudi Arabia!
It's like BladeRunner at night!
There's an area close to the zoo that people say you can buy anything. People say that people smuggle things back in to Doha under their thobes.
I have an Argentinian friend that says you can buy anything for certain.
I went there in 1985 with my friends.
My sister-in-law told me that my brother was 'all over the place' after a bad trip!
unconscious
One ambulance went to my brother's home to help and needed 4 people to restrain him and put him in the ambulance! They had to handcuff him to the bed before they could give him the medicine. To/a handcuff
We have an idea that it may have been caused by a migraine that he had 2 days before. He had to take some tablets and they think it was the side-effects of this medicine. You can lose your personality, get very angry, have a fever, et cetera.
Medicine have side-effects, but not in everyone.
I went to Nice.
I used to smoke Cuban cigars.
There was a teacher of physics and chemistry.
I like the characters she plays in movies, such as 'Tomb Raider'.
Who are some of your favourite actors and actresses?
One of them is Morgan Freeman and another 1 is Jonny Depp. He has played in more art-house movies.
In reality, Clint Eastwood is probably my favourite, alongside other older actors.
Is Sting El Golpe in Italian?
One of my favourite films is The Godfather.
Big Brother is a reality-TV show we all hate! The situations are all false and forced.
"Another problem is that it shows children the wrong way to behave."
I have a daughter who's 20 and she tells me about it. My son is younger and I hope that he doesn't watch it.
I think it should be banned! To/a ban
The player got a 3-match ban after he was sent off.
The reason why it's become popular is because it represents the ambition of teenagers and adolescents. [x answer]
It's an easy way to become famous.
For Pete's sake!
A task is a part of a job or work.
Businessmen have briefcases, but they now call it a 'man-bag'.
['Mariconera' is what they call it in Spanish!]
Bum-bandit-bag A bandit
People watch Big Brother. I saw the 1st Big Brother with my ex-wife and she has custody of my children. My wife watches Big Brother.
It's rubbish!
A cook is the person and the cooker or oven is the machine they use.
You have to wade through channels and channels to find anything worth watching!
I had to wade through lots of tasks on my first day back!
CLASS EXERCISES: The Most Difficult Job Interview Questions - Explanation
"Tell me about yourself"
"Let me see, where do
I start? X I do
I come from Italy and I'm in my early 30s.
..the last 4 years. [x lastest]
It's the capital of the Italy.
We're some of the most important researchers, doing what many consider to be some of the most important research.
We deal with both outpatients and in-patients.
I was assigned to lead a group
"Why should we recruit you?" [give you a job]
"Well, I have extensive and comprehensive experience.
I saw the a job advertisement.
I have a lot of expertise in children's nutrition.
Another of I like working with children face-to-face.
"Why did you leave your last job?"
"Why did I leave my last job, well the truth is I didn't feel good because they weren't very passionate about their work. My contract lasted at the end of the year.
We're in a recession.
"What are your salary expectations?"
"That's a tough question, I'd answer that by asking what you pay my potential colleagues who are at the same level in the organisation?
I'd like a salary that meets the cost of living.
"What are your weaknesses?" /Do you have any weak points?
"Weakness, hmm, unfortunately I do have some weaknesses – although I think this is true of everyone! I ask the other people to solve problems. / I ask the other people in the organisation to solve the problem. I used to be anxious before the lesson. [> I usually was]
"What mo__tivates you?"
I love my job and also sharing my experience. I love seeing the face of a parent whose child is recovering.
"If you were an animal, what would you be? If you were a car, what would you be?"
"That's an equally tough question!
Interviews are designed to do just one thing: identify the best possible candidate for the advertised job. And sometimes it may feel that the questions being asked have been designed to deliberately catch you out or make you question whether you are up to the job or not.
But that's not their intention. Some questions aim to establish how well you cope under pressure, others will be to reveal your personality or to see what your career aspirations are. Just remember that there is no need to draw a blank or clam up if you have done your research and preparation beforehand.
If you want to avoid an interview disaster, here are some of the toughest interview questions and suggested responses.
"Tell me about yourself"
This is perhaps the most open-ended question of them all and is typically used by interviewers as a warm-up question to give you the opportunity to shine. But resist the temptation to start talking about your life history. What your interviewer is looking for is a quick two or three minute snapshot of who you are and why you are the best candidate for the job. So keep your response relevant to the position you are applying for. For example:
I started my media sales career five years ago as a telesales representative, rising through the ranks before gaining promotion to sales manager three years later. I am now responsible for training and developing a team of 15 sales consultants that are currently the company's best performing sales team.
"What are your salary expectations?"
You should have done some research into the average salary and remuneration that this type of position will pay. Try to deflect the question by turning it around and asking the interviewer about the salary on offer. Typically, they will start with a lower figure than they are prepared to offer because they want to keep their costs down. So if you are pressed to give a number, its best to give a range to avoid pricing yourself out of contention. For example:
I'm sure whatever salary you're paying is consistent with the rest of the market average of £23,000 to £25,000.
"Why should we hire you?"
This can be a killer question and can make or break your chances of winning the job. And how you answer will depend on how well you have probed your interviewer about their requirements and expectations. So what the interviewer is really asking you is, What can you do for my business? Your response needs to answer that question. For example:
As I understand your needs, you are first and foremost looking for someone who can increase your advertising sales and has experience of managing a sales team. I have a proven track record in successfully managing and developing my territory within this sector, having increased my sales from £150,000 to £210,000 over the last two years alone.
"If you were a car ... tree ... animal what would you be?"
Baffling though it may seem, some interviewers still insist on asking silly questions, such as If you were a car, what type of car would you be and why? There are no right or wrong answers. The interviewer is simply testing your reactions under pressure to see how you will cope with the unexpected in an attempt to gain an insight into your personality and how you view yourself. Don't get hung up on the implications of what type of car you say you would be, just be mindful that you will be expected to explain your choice. For example:
I would probably be a 1962 Alpha Romeo Spider -- classy, stylish, driven and fast off the mark
"Why did you leave your last job?"
You know this question will be asked at some stage, so have your answer ready in advance. The rule of thumb is to always remain positive about your current and previous employers because you never know when your paths may cross again. Besides, who are you going to turn to for a reference? For example:
I learned a lot from my previous employer and enjoyed my time there. However, promotional opportunities were few and far between and I am keen to advance my career sooner rather than later.
"What are your weaknesses?" /Do you have any weak points?
Career manuals abound with ways to tackle this question. And most of them seem to suggest that you should take one of your strengths and portray it as a weakness. For instance, I work too much. But this will actually work against rather than work for you because it may imply that you do not organise your workload effectively, or that you have poor time management skills. Instead, opt for a genuine weakness. For example:
I used to struggle to plan and prioritorise my workload. However, I have taken steps to resolve this and now I have started using a planning tool and diary system on my laptop.
"What motivates you?"
Short of telling your interviewer that you are motivated by the prospect of earning a footballer's salary, driving a Bentley or having a holiday home in St Tropez, try and give a constructive answer that will excite your interviewer into understanding what benefit you will bring to his business. For example:
I get a real kick out of seeing my team exceed their sales targets and completing the project on time and within budget.
"How would your former colleagues describe you?"
This is a sure sign that the interviewer likes you and is already thinking about contacting your previous employer for a reference. And this is the time when you realise how important it is to choose your referees carefully. So answer this question in the way that you would like to think your employer would respond. For example:
I have an excellent working relationship with my manager and we have mutual respect for each other. He considers me to be hard working, dedicated, reliable and able to work well using my own initiative.
LANGUAGE: She helps many people in the world.
Me? [x I?]
IMAGINARY SITUATIONS - If + past simple + would + infinitive without to
If I was an animal, I would be a dolphin because they are very sensitive.
If I was an animal, I would be a small monkey.
If I was a car, I would be a 4X4, because they're very strong. [x is too ]
If I was a car, I would to be a motorhome or campervan.
When I am in Spain, I'd like to have a California.
Most people have campervans in Germany.
I'd like a small 2-bedroom house in Spain.
PAST TENSES: They used to go there in the 80s.
SHORT LINKING WORDS: He goes home after he finishes his work. [to go to home]
HOW TO SAY WORDS: sensitivity, parents, survivor, to live, life, leaf, target, quiet, tomb, raider, castle, many, dynamic, "fish" artificial, fame, false, adolescents, accessories, necessities of , needs of, holes, police, zoo, quantity, meningitis, "or" sister-in-law, migraine, versatile, "SHH!" machine - special
HOMEWORK: Go through the notes, as you've been doing. I'd also like you to think if there is anything else you'd like to say to answer the job interview questions, after reading the notes.
Finally, the websites I recommended are www.musescore.com, www.virtualdj.com
The "School of Comedy" programme I recommended after class, is such as the information at this website.
http://www.tv.com/shows/school-of-comedy/episode-2-1356882/
Language Notes – Sunday 21st September 2014
CONVERSATIONS & NEW WORDS:
Pardon? [x What?]
It's not very good but it 'does the trick'.
We're thinking of having a corner with some scenery where people can have crazy photos. This will then give us a souvenir of the wedding.
We're talking about our wedding and wedding reception. A wedding is where 2 people are married. [vs. guys]
It's a camera that you can take the picture and it makes the picture immediately.
We put stamps on the outside of postcards and letters.
It's relatively inexpensive.
'I'll keep my eye out' for some cufflinks for the wedding.
"What's the best relatively cheap present you've ever been given?"
"Nothing really comes to mind."
I gave her an earring made of lava.
"What's one of the best presents you've ever been given?"
"One of the best presents I've ever been given was my ring.
I was given it for my 18th birthday.
It's a touching story.
"Thank you, that's very touching!"
Your engagement ring / wedding ring
Most people do it in Australia. [Everybody [x all the people]
What was the most recent present you gave someone?
It was the kitchen fittings for our house. We were given this by
What was the most recent present you were given? [last present]
The most recent present we were given was the bedroom fittings for our master bedroom. We were given this by Anna's father.
What was the most recent present I received, well, the most recent present I received was …
I had no idea how expensive it would be to build my own house!
I was given a watch by my mother.
To be superstitious is illogical! [logic]
I used to do the same thing although I didn't used to have the same daily routine. I used to have a lucky pen for exams.
A lucky mascot is
"Who's the most superstitious person in your family?"
"It's my cousin on my mother's side. He takes superstition to a new level! I lived with him for a number of years and an example was that he used to leave his shoes at the same position at the end of his bed. Before going to bed, he went to the bathroom, washed his hands, switched off the lights, he got in to bed, and then he would get up and go back to the bathroom without touching anything, wash his hands, and then go back to bed.
I'm 99.99% certain he still does it!
He has 1 child who's only 9-months old.
He used to go to school at exactly the same time every day!
He doesn't walk under ladders.
It's almost a pathological condition. [x disease]
He's OCD! OCD = obsessive compulsive, disorder
I'm OCD
I used to be plump and I used to weigh myself every morning and evening. [= a little fat]
To weigh yourself – weight
When I was 18 I used to weigh 98 or 99 kilograms.
I used to weigh 92 kilos.
To be obese
In your sub-conscious your brain thinks about it.
To be on a diet
"How did you lose weight?"
"I started doing lots of sports and eating less food. Sometimes I used to not eat during the day and it was pathological."
I got down to 72 kilos.
My favourite healthy food is
My favourite unhealthy food is burgers.
"I don't know if they're unhealthy."
"What's your favourite fast-food chain?"
"I like TGI Friday."
"I don't eat fast food very often, but sometimes when I was on holiday, or with nothing to do, I'd go to Burger King."
"I've never tried KFC."
"Have you ever seen the
"They have big fat pans and they fry the burger in there."
Thechicken is not very fatty.
The last time I ate there was 3 years ago.
I prefer salty food to sweet food. Salt & pepper
I'd like to give up eating the bread in my diet.
I eat too many crisps. [UK] chips [USA] [e.g. Pringles]
We eat burger and chips. [UK] French Fries [UK & USA]
colour [UK] color [USA]
This year, I've gone to 3 countries. [UK]
G'day Sport! [Australia] Hello 'Mate'.
house-mate, class-mate, work-mate, room-mate, flat-mate,
"It's positive and negative at the same time. It depends on how you use it. You can be more informed about things.
You can find incorrect information. [> wrong]
You are now able to communicate with more people.
2nd Part
To trawl Fishermen use trawler nets to catch lots of fish.
You have to trawl through thousands and thousands of pages to find your information.
She's addicted to the internet. [addicted to smoking cigarettes, addicted to heroin]
When we were young, we used to use libraries to research things.
To concentrate and resolve
If you weren't able to solve a problem, you were given the answer at school.
Children's parents don't have control.
I've seen children of around 9 using the smart phone.
All of the people in the room started smoking.
Almost everybody starts smoking before 18. [x all the people]
They are going through puberty.
…the best way to utilize the mobile.
It's a dependence on phones.
I think it's bad-mannered to use a phone for a long time when you're with other people.
When we were young, my mum didn't want my brother and I to use too many electronic devices.
I have an old colleague who's now a friend who's a mathematician and statistician.
Holland – Dutch
Germany – German [x Deutsche]
Two years ago he got another degree in the restoration and renovation of books from previous centuries.
We have 2 types of book, paperbacks and hardbacks.
His 'bird' says they're amazing, so all that's left – is the proof that love's not only blind but deaf!
Love is blind.
LANGUAGE: "Was it for your birthday?" [X It was]
"No, she gave it me for graduating from high-school and getting a high mark."
"It doesn't make any difference."
"No, probably not."
I used to have a lucky pencil case. I used to take it to school and then I took it to university. [x bring]
If I have children, I think I'll bring them up in this way.
If I had children, I think I'd bring them up in this way. [more hypothetical]
It lasts 2 minutes. [x during]
PAST TENSES: I gave the earring to Anna.
give – gave – begiven teach – taught – betaught
He used to get up early. = He would get up early.
SHORT LINKING WORDS: I took it to uni. Vs. I had it at uni.
HOW TO SAY WORDS: scenery, Sweden – Swedish, "here" hearing vs. earring, smell vs. smile
72kg "72 kilos, 72 kilograms, x 72 "K-G", to research, - research,
availability vs. viability, traceability, adults, the air-force, aeronautical,
HOMEWORK: Continue the homework from last Wednesday that we didn't look at today.
Language Notes – Wednesday 17th September
CONVERSATIONS & NEW WORDS:
"I had a meeting." "What was it like?" / "How was it?"
"I saw a film." "What's it like?"
"How old are you?" "I’d rather not say."
"How old are you?" "I'm in my early 30s." " mid-30s." "in my late 30s."
"What's your profession?"
"I used to work in graphic design when I was in Spain. I'm looking into different options for business here in Doha. How about you?"
"I work in medicine."
"It'smuch easier in Dubai."
Your accent is the same.
I'm from Naples. I'm a Napoli. 'Napolese' Nepal - Nepalese
I'm from Spain.
I used to be able to speak good Spanish but I've forgotten a lot!
The Basque Country.
When I was young I used to be able to do karate but I stopped 10 years ago.
When I was a child I used to fight with my brother.
They cook paella in a big pan.
There's a lot of nature. It's very, very rich.
banking secrecy laws.
Isle of Man has the pound as its currency.
When the Second World War happened, a lot of Jews had their money stolen and put in Swiss bank accounts.
The have the Isle of Man TT in July.
You need to make a reservation for next year because it's very, very popular. This year they say there were 100kpeople who went there for the race!
It's very dangerous and there are 2 or 3 riders who die on an average year.
The Spanish motorcycle federation ban riders from going to the race.
He broke his leg last year. He was going around a corner and caught
This is Antonio's leg.
Have you ever ridden a motorbike?
It's good fun! vs. It's funny!
It's more fun. vs. It's funnier!
We go off-road.
I always wear a white helmet that's easy for people to see. I also think it reflects the sun better.
It's customized
How long do you foresee staying here? [to predict]
I foresee staying in Qatar for another 3 or 4 years.
How long do you foresee staying the UK?
I foresee staying in the UK for 3 or 4 years.
"Do you like travelling alone, or with friends or family?"
"I prefer to travel alone."
"I agree with you." [x I'm agree.]
CLASS EXERCISES:
If I said I would buy you 1 of these bikes, which one would you choose?
If you said you'd buy me 1 of these bikes, I'd choose that one.
If you said you would buy me 1 of these bikes, I'd choose that one.
you'd = you would or you had
Before the economic crisis in Spain we had our wedding on the 7/7/7 in Asturias.
She had 1 daughter so I have a step-daughter.
After finishing studies she came here in 2007.
"How did you come to school today?"
"I came in my white LandCruiser." "Really?" ["Really, what's new?!" (inf.)]
"De verdad? No me digas. Que me cuentas."
"I've never driven in the desert. Why are some cars better than others in the desert."
Now there are a lot of Raptors in the streets.
It's safer to drive a big car here.
We need a big car for our safety. It's big enough for people to see at roundabouts.
They just put their foot down and don't think about it.
The 'jinglies' are the worst drivers!
It's prohibitively expensive.
To come here, I flew with Turkish airlines, so we had a stopover at Istanbul.
Turkish airline have a low-cost carrier called Pegasus.
You need to read all the small print because they will charge you a lot of extra charges.
You pay an extra 20 euros if you don't have a printed ticket!
To land a plane ≠to take off
The pilot of some RyanAir companies call the tower and tell lies about their
The flight attendants try and sell you things before going through the safety tickets, even lottery tickets.
'There's no such thing as a free lunch!'
What have you found most challenging about living in Qatar and the Middle East?
The lack of alcohol. There's not enough alcohol.
My biggest challenge is the lack of places in which to socialise.
My wife travels a lot because she is a pilot for Qatar Airways. My friends are the opposite to me.
I meet people in a bar. vs. I know some people.
I have dinner and a drink with Anna. [> take]
It's like an old colonial city.
People are more or less the same.
People are exactly the same.[Same, same.]
LANGUAGE:
I have a bike that I use on the Pearl but at the weekends it's much too dangerous!
[x too much] much too adjective
There's too much danger. too much noun
Do you have any specialities?
My best friend's wife is Spanish. [x wife of my friend]
Many people say they like paella.
In order to do the training it needed a lot of time so I gave up. [x For to do ]
Now I also like riding but only in the summer time. [x like also]
I have a bike that I use on the Pearl but at the weekends it's much too dangerous!
There are too many people. I have too much time. [/ a lot of]
There are a lot of people. I have a lot of time.
I don't have enough money.
We've had many classes.
The Moors controlled much of Spain in the Middle Ages.
There were maybe 20 or 30 people. [x 20 people or 30 people]
I'd never been to any other regions before I came here. I had never been…
Did you like it? [x Did you like?]
It's much too cold. [x too much ]
One of my father's cousins lives there.
They go there twice a day. [once, twice, 3 times, 4 times a day]
PAST TENSES: ride – rode - ridden I rode a motorbike throughout much of Europe.
Have – had
put – put He puts it on.– He put it on.
Cut, hit, let, set,
Fall – fell – fallen
She went there. She came here.
When I first came here and rented a car, the other cars used to 'beep' me.
fly – flew – flown To come here, I flew with Turkish airlines.
I flew to Qatar with BA last month.
I've never flown with the Emirates.
To be able to – can – could
SHORT LINKING WORDS:
"How did you meet your wife?"
"I met her in Tenerife on the Canary Islands. It was a meeting of motorcyclists. She had 2 motorbikes.
I've been in Doha since 2012.
I've been in Doha for around 2 years.
I've lived in Doha since 2012.
It depends. It depends on the business. [x of ]
I went to Dublin. I stayed in Dublin.
I rode a motorbike throughout much of Europe.
I have a bike that I use on the Pearl but at the weekends it's much too dangerous!
Have you ever been to Spain?
At home we have 1 bike for her and 1 for me.
At the weekend
HOW TO SAY WORDS: issues, to/a step, authentic, To ride – rode – ridden riding, "S" recipes, experiment, "E" cuisine, ingredients, Arabia, Arab, Arabic, parsley, special,
non-European country, Switzerland Swiss, isle, island, aisle,19-63, April, diesel, ₠1.56
4x4 "four by four", "SHH!" social, "or" resort, sea, salt, brain,
HOMEWORK: Think of the questions you're likely to be asked in the next interview. Alternatively, think about what the main aspects of your future business options are so that you can explain them to us.
Language Notes – Tuesday 16th September 2014
If we don't hear what someone says we can say:
Pardon? Sorry, I didn't quite catch that? What?
Another useful expression if you disagree with someone on something is: Let's agree to disagree on this!
LAST CLASS KEY NOTES:
I'm in my early 30s. / I'm in my mid-30s. / I'm in my late 30s. thirties etc.
I'm a teenager.
CONVERSATIONS & NEW WORDS:
I'll get fully-furnished accommodation.
Sidra currently has 400 beds which will grow to around 500 over the next 12 months.
I want to find a job here.
To regret to do something vs. to regret doing something
I regret to tell you that your car has failed it's test.
"Is there anything you regret not doing or buying?"
"I regret not studying maths at university." [UK]
"I regret not studying medicine at university. This is because if you are a general doctor you have more opportunities open to you. [general practitioner GP]
"I regret not studying biology at school."
"Why's that?"
"I chose not to study it because I thought it's not important, but now I realise I was wrong."
We start to choose subjects at school when we're 14.
You can choose the school where do you want to go. They specialise in different fields, such as science, humanities, the arts, et cetera.
I chose to study culinary art but then I came across nutrition and I never looked back!
I study in the field of science and I study the subject …
I've never studied philosophy but I regret not studying it. You can study it on your own. I have some books
but they're at the back of my bookshelves gathering dust!
I agree completely! I'm in agreement. [x I'm agree.]
Is it the same for Arabic?
"Yes, that's correct."
Areas and countries in the Middle East have different dialects.
What do you think about corporal punishment either at school or domestically?
I'm for it. / I'm against it.
I assume you're speaking about children!
I got the cane when I broke a window.
I think it's harmful to children.
I think parents shouldn'tsmack children. [vs. to hit]
Let's agree to disagree on this!
We usually played with paper balls. [x Usually we played (order)]
Normally, we played with paper balls.
My parents used to smack me, probably around twice a week.
My dad's only smacked me once or twice.
We used to get the wooden spoon or the slipper if we were very bad.
Wewear slip-ons or flip-flops inside and outside.
What do you think judge?
The judge decides if the accused is guilty or not guilty in the court.
If someone commits sexual abuse, they remove their genitals.
What do you think about capital punishment?
I'm for it. / I'm against it.
That's a difficult question.
[2nd conditional]
If every country had capital punishment, there would be less crime and fewer criminals. However, in America there is capital punishment, and it seems that the only people that get it are black and/or poor. I therefore prefer corporal punishment, such as chopping off the hands of robbers.
If someone commits sexual abuse, they remove their genitals.
A life-sentence
The cost per prisoner exceeds £40,000 or the equivalent of QR 240,000.
The wife didn't commit the crime.
A working camp is where the prisoners have to work.
I heard about a journalist who was sentenced to 6 years' hard-labour because he went there as a tourist but in reality he was a undercover journalist.
He went there. He came here.
There are humanitarians that disagree with it, so it's impossible to please everyone!
It's controversial when rich people support poverty!
"I disagree with democracy."
"In what way?"
"I live in a democratic country and the situation is unacceptable because everybody want to be in government
and embezzle public funds! All the people in the government will talk about things, but they won't doanything to change it."
"What's the answer?"
"I think dictatorship is equally unacceptable, but I don't have the answer."
"In Qatar, there is a royal family as well as some administrative bodies."
I think this is one good approach to governing and government.
If I could change anything, I'd
If you stay in power, after some years you can become corrupt.
The latest President is Obama and the last 1 was Bush.
Bush Jr. was hideous. Bush Sr. was also quite hideous but he was 'the lesser of 2 evils!'
Yasser Arafat won the the Nobel Peace Prize in the 1990s.
They now provide free water and electricity to its citizens.
It is tax-free for Qataris.
The income tax in Italy is around 50%.
Would you like to see any change in the Italian income tax system?
In the next 2 or 3 months we're going to be taxed for other areas.
deficit ≠ surplus
Four or 5 million people are unemployed and a lot of companies have been declared bankrupt and the government has been paying their employees salaries for 3 years. They also pay people unemployment benefits.
I'm 99.99% certain that there's going to be a new tax.
There are a lot of people who work on the black market and get 'paid under the table'. For this reason they don't pay tax on their earnings.
It's impossible to find a job.
The cost of living is rising.
PART TWO - I had an interview with someone at Sidra earlier in the year and they said they were happy. However, they then told me, that they had found a suitable employee who was from Qatar and that this was better for them, purely because of the 'Qatarisation' process which has been happening this year.
In This week, she's going to speak to a contact in Sidra, and she told me that she'd get back to me by Friday with an answer for another interview.
I'd like to prepare a talk which goes in to more detail of my experience and skills.
They're going to ask if I've ever prepared a menu for the hospital canteen.
She asked me if I'd ever worked in a team. [x never equipe]
She asked how many people were above move in the company structure and how many people I had who accounted to me.
Predominantly, when I work in a team, it's a team of around 4 people. I usually report directly to my professor. We work in collaboration with other teams and have a leadership meeting around once a week, unless there are some issues to be dealt with, in which case we will meet more often. I also have contact with my direct manager as necessary, either in person or over the phone and this will tend to happen once a week.
I always try to be good friends with the people in the team, but at the same time, I am aware of being the team-leader, and thus avoid any conflicts of interest. I think communication is an essential part of a team functioning, and as a result I make the maximum effort to be both in contact with other people, as well as ensuring that I come across as being approachable to all team members.
A problem might be if a member of staff are a little unsure about a certain aspect of a patient's diet, such as something arising from some uncommon pathology. For this reason, I make it clear to all team members, that I know that this may be a problem, in order that they feel more comfortable communicating with me.
It's important to understand why any problem is occurring in order to find the best solution. For example, there was a problem in Rome, when there was a disagreement between 2 members of the team, concerning the best treatment for a patient and they argued about it. This was then resolved, by meeting with both team members at the same time, discussing it, and deciding on a treatment that everyone agreed with.
At some points, new members of staff would often join the team from other parts of the hospital, and there were obvious challenges presented in order keep the team functioning in the same way. We found that a good way of dealing with this was to have the new team-member shadow 1 of the more experienced staff on the team, in order to learn the way this particular team functioned.
LANGUAGE: I bought some cleaning products, groceries, clothes, CDs et cetera.
I bought some cleaning products, groceries, clothes, CDs etc. and then I went home.
i.e. such as this, this and this. id est
e.g. for example
SHORT LINKING WORDS: I spoke to 4 people, 1 of whom was the leader.
I told her that I'd had another interview that was related to research and training.
HOW TO SAY WORDS: I would be a hypocrite if I said I really liked it.
Biologist, Bedioun, Controversial, controversy, democracy, asked, declared bankrupt
I'm 99.99% certain that it's not. 3.239322346376% cm
HOMEWORK: Think of some questions you might be asked in a job interview.
Language Notes – Monday 15th September 2014
LAST CLASS KEY NOTES:
We used to ask the viability of working with classes. [x disponibility]
CONVERSATIONS & NEW WORDS: Pardon? Sorry? [What?]
I'd rather not answer that. [If it's a question that is too personal.]
"Can you tell me a little bit about yourself?"
"I'm from Qatar."
"Whereabouts in Qatar are you from?"
"I live in a 6-bedroom house in Garafa. [x 6-bedrooms]
"Have you always lived there?"
"Yes, I have."
"Can you tell me a little bit about your family?"
"I have 5 siblings, 2 sisters and 3 brothers."
"Do you know when your exam is?"
"No, I don't know yet."
"How was it?"
"I found section 3 of the listening difficult and also the speaking."
"They asked me to talk about waiting for people and what sort of things I do when I'm waiting for people."
I'm in my early 30s.
What do you do?
I'd like to visit England.
Are you studying at the moment?
In which school did you study?
I'd like to study electrical and mechanical engineering.
We could say that engineers are somewhat 'recession-proof!'
Water-proof clothes are ones that we can wear in the rain.
The latest worldwide recession started with the Lehmann Bank collapse in 2008.
People buy less presents and gifts in a recession so they spend less on greeting cards.
The Great Depression was in the 30s.
I'm not working at the moment. [x I don't work ]
I left my last job because I didn't like the working environment there. I didn't like it
I didn't completely dislike it, but I didn't like some of their working habits.
He wanted me to work for only my pride and not for money, now he's holding it against me for leaving!
I have another 3 years left on the course, so I am in contact with him occasionally.
"I was a little bit lost for words!"
I went to the _ and I was lost for words!
I went to Angel Falls and then Canaima and I was lost for words!
When was I lost for words, let me see,
When I was in Berlin and visiting the Jewish museum, there was a place that emulated the atmosphere in a concentration camp and in the gas chambers and I was lost for words.
"Have you ever been lost for words?"
"Have I ever been lost for words, let me see, I don't really think so."
"What do you like doing in your free time?"
"I like visiting the north of Qatar with my friends and going sea-fishing in a boat."
I like fresh-water fishing.
What kind of fish are there in the north of Qatar?
"I've never been fresh-water fishing."
I'm a qualified diver. I like diving. I like snorkelling. to/a snorkel
We have a 6-bedroom house. Our househas 6 bedrooms.
I live in a 1-bedroom apartment. [/ flat (UK)]
Is it good to eat and tasty?
We go fishing with a fishing rod, hand-line or a net.
I have 3 very close friends, 1 is my brother, another is Pepino and the 3rd is Renato and lives in Dublin with his family. They have 2 daughters, 1 called Ariana and the other is called Innes. I don't think they thought about the connection between her name and Guinness.
Have you ever seen the colour of beer? Most beer is yellow, but Guinness is almost black. When you pour it into the glass it's brown but then it turns black.
One of my closest friends is someone called Shaheer who is my cousin.
"Why do you get on well with him?"
"If you were an animal, what would you be?"
"I wouldn't like to be any animal."
"If you had to be an animal, what would you choose?"
"If I had to be an animal, I'd be a dolphin."
"That's a quite difficult question, if I was an animal, I’d be a turtle. My life is quite stressful at the moment. The longevity of turtles is very long." [tortoise]
"How about being a koala?"
"They live in trees and it seems awful but turtles can go anywhere."
Pandas now live in reserves because they are an endangered species and I think they have a good life. [x he]
I've never seen or touched 1, but I've heard from some of my friends that koalas really stink!
That idea stinks!
"If I was an animal, I’d be a dolphin."
"If I could fly, it would be difficult to decide where to go."
If you could choose to go anywhere,
They only want to reproduce and have specific objectives.
There's an organised tour to see the turtles laying eggs.
What does he do?
He works in procurement.
He lives and breathes football!
"What are some of your strengths?"
"I really enjoy working with children and I also like being part of a team. I like working in a safe and secure environment.
"I would like to do this work because of the multi-cultural nature of Sidra and that this will allow me to compare the way I have been taught to work with that of other cultures in order to learn from them."
"What are your weaknesses?"
"Is this regarding life at work or in general?"
One benefit from my background in my work in Italy and working with people with eating disorders, is that I have always been forced to look at everything in 360o. I believe that this will help me in dealing with young people [and their parents] who come from a whole range of different backgrounds.
360o 360 degrees
It's in my mind-set to get this job.
"Can you tell me about an achievement of which you are proud?"
"One of my biggest achievements was getting my PhD. When I started studying, I couldn't imagine arriving at this point. I'm proud but not arrogant, and my pride is in my job and my team doing the best possible. However, I'm not a stressful person, so I don't put too much pressure on team members – I am always conscious of maintaining a balance in this way, as well as a balance between responsibilities among team members.
"In this way, when I'm commended by a superior, I am always keen to point out the team's work to the superior, and then pass on the thanks to all members of the team."
It's the day of reckoning!
LANGUAGE: I think so. [x I think.]
I like it. [x I like.]
Why's that? [x Why? ]
"How often do you fishing?"
"I go most weekends."
"I go once a week. / twice a week. [ 3 times, 4 times]
"I go one timea week."
"Who's 1 of your closest friends?"
"One of my closest friends is someone called…" [1 of my …]
Two of my friends live in Portsmouth. [2 of my …]
Three of my friends are married. [3 of my …]
I have some equipment [x equipments]
PAST TENSES: I did the exam last week. [x do ]
"I took the exam last week."
have – had catch - caught "or" go – went – gone
Do you eat the fish you catch?
catch - caught What's the biggest fish you've ever caught?
Last week I caught a 12-kilogramfish. [x kilogrammes]
SHORT LINKING WORDS: Do you have any ambitions regarding work? [about]
I have a degree in nutrition. [x one]
I have 1 degree in nutrition and 1 deb
At that time, I was also going to another course at a different place. [x In that time]
If you go 25km out to sea you can catch bigger fish.
SPELLING: We revive someone who isn't breathing.
HOW TO SAY WORDS: pharmacy, behaviour, specific objectives, curious, powerful, to migrate, migration,
HOMEWORK: Is there anything you regret not doing or buying?
Language Notes – Sunday 14th September
This is how we can also translate the sentence with disponibility.
We'd ask the viability of working with classes, and they would choose which ones to work with.
Another word which I've realized while typing this up is consent not consensus.
With their parents' consent, we used a glucometer to measure the thickness of skin of children. [x consensus]
A consensus is when we ask many people what they think about something.
CONVERSATIONS & NEW WORDS:
She's going to ask about my previous experience and work experience with children.
As part of the onboarding process, the Nutrition Education Program pairs a new employee with a mentor.
"I look forward to this onboarding process, as well as learning from this process to do the same for future new employees.
Some companies and organisations also offer shadowing programmes for graduates or under-graduates, in which they accompany an employee on days' work.
After I'd graduated and was working for the university as a researcher, one of my roles was to have undergraduates or new graduates shadow me, in order that they may gain experience of my position. I found this experience fascinating, because you can learn or relearn things with the students and it also leads you to re-examine your procedures to ensure that they are as effective as possible. I also appreciated the enthusiasm of the new students, and it brought back memories of being in the same position myself!
It also allowed to me to 'address' something which I had found as a new-graduate, which was that some professors were protective of their knowledge, for various reasons. [x jealous] Therefore by acting as a mentor, I was making this opportunity possible, in a way that was not always so for myself.
I believe that this also has an impact on my ability to work with children and young people. This is because when you are acting as a 'teacher' in some way, it makes you more considerate of how the other person [or people] will react to your work. Although working with children is not the same thing, I think it's the same 'consideration' which is a key part.
At university we did a project with a local school. [x made] This was to evaluate the nutrition and health of children in schools throughout Italy. I was in charge of controlling the school canteen and the menu that we created was published as a national guideline for Italian schools.
Of more importance in relation to this job for Sidra, was that in order to study the children's eating habits, we spoke to children both with and without their parents.
We prepared a PowerPoint with some images to explain the importance of food, eating habits, and obesity. The children were between 6 and 9 years old, so it was only possible to talk to around 60 at a time. The presentation was obviously short enough to match their attention span!
In order to evaluate their body composition, we worked with 2 or 3 children at a time and spoke to them for around 30 minutes. Of course, it was easiest to make them relaxed and in a good mood.
With their parents' consent, we used a glucometer to measure the thickness of skin of children.
I was the lead co-ordinator and chose the people in our department to do this work. It was also slightly ironic, in that I was the lead co-ordinator, yet in each group of 3 that I was in, I always tried to be 'the good guy' and make the children more at ease, almost as if I was the 'junior' member of staff!
One difficulty was to find a school in which to do the study. I would contact the headmaster or headmistress, and tell them that we have a project financed by the government to study these areas. Some schools refused because it would involve too much time for their teachers, but others accepted
Of course, a key part of working with children patients is the way that you interact with their parents. In this respect, at the hospital I worked in at Rome, we had a department for eating disorders, in which I worked at twice a week. This would sometimes involve working with young anorexic or bulimic girls and their parents. I worked in a team with a psychologist, doctor of internal medicine, and sometimes a psychiatrist, although we preferred not to do this if possible.
"What was most difficult about dealing with the parents?"
"Where do I start?!"
The percentage of anorexics is 8 females for every 2 males. They have quite a distorted view of both reality as well as their bodies. In addition, to this dealing with their parents was quite difficult at times, which is inn part caused by the fact that these conditions are sometimes caused by strained relationships with their parents. For example, some of the patients had parents who were obsessive compulsive [OCD], or parents who are obsessive. [OCD] Of course, the psychological aspects were not within my field, however as part of the team, I would always discuss any information or behaviour that I observed, as well as learn a little from how team members would address these problems.
We had weekly or bi-weekly meetings depending on how many patients we had. This was the best way to resolve problems particular to certain cases.
Annual – bi-annual - monthly - fortnightly - weekly bi-weekly
Our hospital is located in the suburbs of Rome. [on the outskirts of]
There's a lot of crime and poorly-educated people in these areas.
The instructions are what you get with a piece of equipment telling you how to use it. Parental instruction and guidance.
'Stop beating yourself up!' = Don't be too hard on yourself!"
What was it like working with them? = How was it?
vs. What did you like working with them?
We had patientswith eating disorders transferred from other hospitals in the south of Italy, as we were the first hospital in the region to have this type of department.
The Italian healthcare system doesn't think that the problem is very significant. They close their eyes to the problem. We can only receive people twice a week.
I think that everybody has some type of eating disorder in some way, but it's the extreme cases that we have to work with. [> all the people]
What 'was the damage'? How much did it cost?
I'm a bit worried they may have banned me from Champions!
To ban someone from somewhere or something. The player was banned for 5 matches.
She weighed 21 kilos but was 1.7 metres tall. [Her weight was 21kgs.]
We know how much it costs a year.
American companies use the BMI to calculate premiums.
Obesity affects , _, _ the list goes on so some companies prefer to pay for surgery to reduce obesity.
There are approximately 130k illegal Muslim immigrants in Italy.
Being towards the south of Italy, Rome is home to a large percentage of Italy's 1.3 million Muslims, and as a result, I have had quite significant experience in working with this part of the population. In addition, as the capital city, Rome is also home to a greater number of people from various parts of the world, with whom I have worked with as patients in the hospital, which will have helped me prepare for working with the international community in Doha.
What are you most excited about with this opportunity?
I've read about it, and seen that it is a very ambitious place, so I'm really attracted to it for this reason.
"How long are you planning to stay here?"
"My wife is already working here and is very settled in her job, so for this reason, I don't really see any reason for us to leave in the foreseeable future."
"How does that fit in with possibly having children?"
"There is a very developed international school system, so we don't see any reason for us to leave. Children can adapt more rapidly than adults to different cultures and accept other ways of life as they do not have pre-conceived ideas. From this point of view, I know quite a number of families that have lived in Doha for a long time, and would not really change anything.
Children 'don't bat an eye-lid' to changes, so I think it's best to bring up children in multi-cultural society.
To address a problem[ = to try to solve] vs. an address is where we live
Viability is how possible something is.
Availability is if there are tickets left.
SHORT LINKING WORDS:
At the same time, we got various measurements, such as height, weight, waist, et cetera. [x in]
HOW TO SAY WORDS: We did a questionnaire. ["there"] squire "hair" square,
$3bn "3 billion of dollars" $1m " 1 million of dollars" vicious "wish"
HOMEWORK: Go through the notes, and continue to think about how you can use this past experience to the benefit of working with children.
Language Notes – Tuesday 9th September, 2014
CONVERSATIONS & NEW WORDS:
"What do you think about dogs being able to drive?""It's not something I've ever really given any thought to. I think it would be interesting as acontrolled experiment, but I think that I'm just thinking out loud now."
I'm in the dog-house! = I'm in trouble!We have to c
ompromise. We have to reach a compromise.
One of the 2 people has toback down.I paid the monthly fee for the training course and Anna paid the quarterly fee. [bi-annual, annual fee]It's 'a 9 to 5 job'. [a normal job]
I'm mad about going back home and seeing my friends!I'm mad about eating.
I'm fonder of reading old-fashioned books than e-books.
I'm fond of more historical books.
It's old-fashioned. = old vs. It's fashionable. = popular/ trendy"What sort of authors do you read?""I've read 5 or 6 books written by Agatha Christie. The genre is murder mystery."I spend time read
ing English.
It gives me chance to switch off.Printing houses is where they print books and printing presses are where they print papers.I used to read a newspaper calledthe Republica.There are 5 to 10 journals dedicated to obesity!A journal is specific to a profession or industry. The Lancet is the most well-known medical journals in the UK.There a few cases where the obesity is genetic. There's an important legal case taking place at the moment.They said it's genetic for people to load guns and set the trigger.There are several schools of thought, that believe the obese lose their perception ofbeing sated.It's 'a vicious circle'.There have been several studies on twins that were separated at birth.Genetics is only a smaller percentage of the cause.If we live in a corrupt country, then corruption becomes endemic.In the vast majority of cases they will become obese.They leave them in a children's home and they are adopted. [to foster / to adopt]"Do you know anyone who's been adopted?" "I know some people that have been adopted.""How well-adjusted are the adopted children you know? Do they have any strange or unusual tendencies?""He wants to know where he was born and who were his real parents."My friend's family is not as wealthy as the other family that adopted from Africa at the same time.If I adopted a child, I'd be wary of the situation when they wanted to see their natural parents.If I were to adopt, I think I'd adopt from another country, such as somewhere in Latin America or Asia.In my mind, I think it would be impossible to find. [x brain]The social services want to know lots and lots of information.Her brother has adopted children in Rome and social services asked
her how much she earned!
"The social services come 2 or 3 times a week unannounced to check what's happening.""How long has this been going on?""I don't really know how long, but it has been at least a year. It's rude, and at the same time, why don't they go to check all parents?This makes it difficult to read impartial news.Journalists write columns with their opinion.Over the last few trips, I haven't really liked flying.When we were taking off there wasn't turbulence but we hit an air-pocket. The Captain didn't announce it and we continued taking off. I hate landing and even more so, taking off. I think too much.I took a flight from Rome to Cattania. When we were in flight there was some thunder and lightening and 1 streak of lightening hit the plane! It sounded like an explosion!I'm indecisive.I don't really think too much about what I wear.I'll have endless permutations going through my mind.He hates flying because he's claustroph
obic: He even hates taking elevators!
He can take sleeping pills.Valium is now frowned upon and there are alternative drugs with less effect.An overdose of valium could kill you through cardiac arrest.You live in your own world.You used to be able to buy it over the counter but now it's only prescription.
"By utilizing and incorporating this cutting-edge technology into your treatments, we can safely say that Hamad Hospital will be leading the way in not just only the country, but the Middle-East."
Your childhood is the time when you're young.Your neighbourhood is the area where you live.They used to prescribe LSD for depressed people but at the same time the dose was increased.If I could travel in time, I'd go to the 60s and 70s.At that time, people were more intelligent and cultured.It seemed more innocent.I think we are misled by the media.LSD inhibited their senses and they thought they could fly.When I came we took an Airbus A380 'Dreamliner'. It was so big it 'took my breath away!'LANGUAGE: If we have a healthy lifestyle, we won't be obese.It's too difficult to adopt children now. [general sentences use plural]Child abuse can happen in any situation, including with their parents.If someone reads a lot of books they can be more intelligent. [x one people]One person spoke to me."I really like
ing! " "Why's that?"
"I don't really like
ing." "Why not?"
Pack your luggage in the last 2 hours before go
ing to the airport. Don't go back again after leaving.
Anything/something
The word anything is for questions and negatives, something is for positive sentences.Did you feel anything?I didn't feel anything. [x nothing]I felt something. There was nothing there.
Anyone/someone
The word anyone is for questions and negatives, someone is for positive sentences.
Anyone is questions and negatives
someone /no-one for positives
Did you see anyone?I didn't see anyone.I saw someone.There was no-one there. / There wasn't anyone there.
PAST TENSES:Fly – flew – flownI flewon a small plane from Rome to Zurich.sit – sat I sat on a brick.SHORT LINKING WORDS: She went to see her home town. [x for ]All the newspapers in Italy are government-funded, and hence effectively controlled by the government.All the newspapers in Italy are government-funded, and therefore effectively controlled by the government.
HOW TO SAY WORDS:
innovative, versatile, versatility, utility, 8pm / 8 o'clock / 8pm o'clock, line vs. lane, library, twins, twines, "wish" vicious, Scientific, genetic, bureaucracy, bureaucrat, suddenly, "or" cause
Language Notes – Monday 8th September, 2014
CONVERSATIONS & NEW WORDS:
After class I went to Ana's office and she finished work at 3.45 and we went home. We stopped at thesupermarket to buy some things and then we went swimming. We're doing a swimming training courseand I had to register.I like swimming. I don't mind ironing./ I can't stand spitt
ing.
It's 7 lanes and 25 metres long. I swam 10 lengths.My favourite swimming stroke is breast-stroke. / front-crawl/freestyle / butterfly / back-stroke"What's the furthest you've ever swum?" [furthest / farthest]"The longest I've ever swum is 1 hour.""I learnt how to swim when I was older."You have more time to breathe. [a breath]To avoid thebends you have to rise to the surface slowly after you've dived at a deep distance.Last month, 3 people died because the oxygen tank was full of carbon monoxide.We can say that some women are 'getting clucky' [informal] when they start wanting to have children.Her mother was the head councillor for our village.An MP in the UK goes to London and the Houses of Parliament. [Member of Parliament]He's wealthy and he's ostent
atious about it.
He's a bit up his own rear-end sometimes!There are quite a lot of wind-turbines around our village.My friend's a real goal-getter. [= ambitious]The stock market has been quite sluggish. [= slow]Slugs are like snails but without shells.For our house in Italy, we have used floor tiles for floors in all rooms, as well as for the bathroom walls.We live on quite a narrow street.Men have a stag night and women have a hen night before they get married. On my friend's stag night, we blindfolded and handcuffed him, and drove him around our village!In order to work in the UK I need to register with the NHS but I need an IELTS score to do this.A self-portrait is a drawing or painting or ourselves, but a 'selfie' is the word we now use for a photo.What percentage is it? / How strong is it?
LANGUAGE: In the last month, I've visited Italy. Thelast monthNext monthIn the next month,In the last month, [last 30 days]In the last month, I've been to Positano that's on the coast near Naples.He's getting married next year. [xthenext year]She's Pepino's cousin.
PAST TENSES: run – ran – runswim – swam - swumI haven't swum since 2011. / I haven't swum for 3 years.I didn't swim when I was back in Italy.I have swum in the sea.
SPELLING: …a beach vs. a beech tree
HOW TO SAY WORDS: "me" beach,"it" bitch, pizzeria, cucumber, "
HOMEWORK: I've put some common IELTS speaking topics below, which I'd like you to think about and we can discuss in future classes.
● Means of transportation
● Favourite pet
● Best personality
● Describe a museum you visited last week
● Your favourite restaurant
● Your favourite book
● An incident you can never forget
● The happiest day of your life
● Uniform
● First day at school
● Best person in the family
● Enjoyable trip
● Favourite movie
● Favourite character in a movie
● Favourite drama
● Favourite website
● Favourite book or favourite author
● Family event
CONVERSATIONS & NEW WORDS:
A very good answer to lots of difficult questions: It's difficult to put in to words!
I spent a month in Ireland.
One was a man and the other 2 were women. [1 was a man…]
The class wasn't very big, there were only 7 or 8 of us. [..we wereonly 7 or 8]
The classroom wasn't very big, only about 5x3m.
I did 8 hours a day in class.
The stairs at the school were wooden and creaky!
I missed the door and had to ask if it was a real school! It was a very narrow building.
The windows were very big.
We had a party and we were in the pub until about 3 in the morning and I must've drunk about 25 pints of Guinness!
The Irish can really hold their drink.
The flight was quite reasonable even though it was the day before St. Patrick's Day.
They have a parade through the streets. They drink the same amount of Guinness in 1 day as the rest of the
world drinks in a year.
The party lasted 3 days as they had St. Patrick's and then another day off.
The party was 3 days in duration.
It was a very traditional pub and didn't have any music, you could only drink and throw rings on to hoops on the wall.
The population of Ireland is only 4 million.
The people in the country are friendlier for various reasons. [x motives]
The motive for the crime was for money.
It only takes 1 minute to get from 1 side of the village to the other, as opposed to 2 hours in Rome and with its traffic.
I think it's better to talk to people when you're angry, stressed or annoyed.
I got nervous before the exam.
Everyone needs a visa to go in to the Vatican.
Russia's population is 143,455,000 whereas the total population of Europe without Russian is just under 600million.
Putin seems like a dictator and he was in the KGB before becoming President.
The power is only in the hands of a few of the people.
The only difference between communism and capitalism is democracy.
We live in a false democracy. [>fake]
I thought Obama would be better than he has been. He's had his hands tiedin effect by capitalists and capitalism.
I think the world is governed by masons and the leaders are just mannequins. I think it's an effective of governing the world.
How would you feel if you were me?
I think I'd be excited but at the same time nervous and apprehensive.
Just nod and smile!
"I'm getting married on the 19th of July. We haven't finished our house and we need more furniture."
"At what stage is the house?"
"This month we're having the doors and windows fitted. Then we I go back, they'll fit the kitchen."
My father and I were the architects.
Is it nearly ready?
"Did you have any contact with any friends while you were back in Europe? Is there any news or gossip?!"
"Of my 2 best friends, 1 got married a week ago!"
"How was it?"
"The reception started at 8 and they cut the cake at 2am! Then the party started for the close friends.
At the reception the bride and groom have to circulate among the people. We played some games!"
"How was the hangover?!"
"It was terrible all day. I wasn't able to do anything."
"Hair-of-the-dog is a solution to hangovers.
I drank but not too much as it wasn't very close, so I preferred not to drink. We were still sitting down at midnight.
My friend and his wife went to Greece for a week on honeymoon.
It's necessary to take preventative medicine for malaria.
They are trying to create a vaccine for ebola by examining the blood of people who have survived ebola after catching it. They are looking at any natural anti-bodies their bodies have produced.
I once met a veterinary surgeon that worked for a research company. The vaccines weren't very effective on monkeys but they still wanted to test the vaccines on humans. [> man]
She reported this to the authorities and as a result she lost her job and was sacked.
She told the authorities but her employers denounced this and said it wasn't true.
The company has laid off 200 people because of the recession.
The company has made 200 redundant because of the recession.
If the vaccines don't work on animals, then I'm 99.99% certain they won't work on humans!
In Italy we have to have a civic wedding at the council office, & then have the religious ceremony 40 days later.
It's a common sickness for older cats.
United Kingdom = England, Scotland + Wales
Great Britain = +Northern Ireland
Ireland is a different country!
ISIS is the successor to Tanzim Qaidat al-Jihad fi Bilad al-Rafidayn- later commonly known as Al-Qaeda in Iraq.
It was 1 month, but I didn't have much time so I'd like to go back again.
Where would you recommend for me in Japan?
I'd recommend Kyoto, which is the old capital. It's quite traditional and you can
They have geishas.
Almost all the foreigners who visit Japan buy cheap electronics goods as it's much cheaper.
I'd recommend either spring for the 1st time and then autumn for the 2nd time.
A little white lie is a lie that's not a bad lie. For example, I really think that your body gets much worse and you get ill a lot more after you 40 but I'll say "Don't worry Stuart, nothing changes after you get 40."
I'll enjoy 3 weeks on my own. [not being with anyone else]
vs. I'll enjoy 3 weeks being single. [being able to have relations with other people!]
LANGUAGE: My friends have 2 children who are 5 and 2 years old. I spoke with her in English.
PAST TENSES: We've chosen the restaurant.
SHORT LINKING WORDS: You need to book 2 years in advance.
You need to book 2 years prior to the day.
I booked it 2 years previously.
It depends on the pub, but it's not always expensive.
I went to Cork.
They have 143 million of people.
I hope it'll be ready by December. VS. We'll stay there in December.
The world would be over-populated.
HOW TO SAY WORDS: "win" women, 5x6m "5 by 6 metres", compromise, AIDS, to be HIV+, vaccines, vaccinations,
HOMEWORK: What is something you are [or you used to be] naïve about?
Language Notes – Wednesday 3rd September
CONVERSATIONS & NEW WORDS:
"What did you do yesterday after class?" "Nothing special. After spending so much time out of the country, when I'm back I'm happy just spending time with my family."
"I'm quite happy in my own company."
I make new friends.
If I had to choose somewhere to live, I'd choose Morocco.
If I had stayed here, then I think I would be closer to my friends, but I'm not - c'est la vie!
Bon appetit!
There's a sticker on the car that makes it look like a toy! The salesman said it was the only 1 in Qatar so I
'snapped it up!' However, yesterday I went to the showroom & there was another one with the same sticker. There wasn't a salesman, but if there had been, I would've said something to him.
We drive on the left-hand side of the road.
It's tiny in comparison to a LandCruiser!
There's a black and white check pattern like a finishing flag on the roof and a number 5 on the bonnet.
When I go back, I'll ship it back to Japan.
My son saw people picking up rubbish and decided to use a similar stick for selfies.
CLASS EXERCISES:
I've photoshopped the picture.
The photo is blurred and out-of-focus. ≠ clear
IELTS Speaking 1
Your home town can be where you live or also where you are born.
It's a city of around 1.4 million people. "one point 4 million"
Are there a lot of shops and restaurants? [x Is there]
There are 2 main parts to Yokohama. The people who live directly on the coast are more middle class, but those on the hill are more upper class.
The majority of people work in the private sector, and are predominantly office-based. ≠ public sector
"It's a good place to live."
"Why's that?" / "Why not?" "Why?"
"You can buy pretty much everything and anything."
Although, it's on the coast, the mountains are quite accessible from Yokohama.
province = prefecture
In the UK we say county and in the US they say state.
Landmark is within walking distance from our compound. [= close enough to walk]
I've been living there for over 3 years.
The garden isn't huge, but it's large enough for what I'm trying to achieve. [x gardening]
The compound is open plan so there aren't any walls. This makes my garden seem larger than it would if there were walls.
I like the old-fashioned school of thought for architecture and not the new approach with open plan houses becoming more and more prevalent. [common]
They wanted the hotel to be modern, so I had to make the best of a bad job!
I've even been to an apartment in Canary Wharf that had an open plan bathroom and toilet!
Architects create auras.
They've changed their mind-set about where they live.
People's apartments are 60m2 maximum. Stuart's wife's apartment.
People like to live there. [x Peoples]
All of the building materials come from the land and earth.
Different types of houses
house
house
house
Speaking Test 1b
My house is within walking distance of the equestrian centre.
The majority of people / Most people Most of people
Most of the people in the room were Qataris.
There are a lot of expats. There are an increasing number of expats.
My old house was just across the street, so it was quite easy to move!
We give people advice. [x advices] He advises people.
He's an architect. vs. He studied architecture.
Speaking Test 2a
I got it 10 years ago. I've had it for 10 years. / I've had it since around 2004.
At the start of the year, I …
Earlier in the year, I went there.
Earlier today/ Earlier this week / Earlier this month
Thank heavens, Thank God, [x thanks]
He said he'd never heard of Montevideo before.
With a debit card I can only buy something if I have the money.
You need to read the small print!
One day the ticket cost ₤5 and the next day ₤8!
After midnight, there's only self-serve machines so you have to do it by yourself.
He's built like a brick-sh*t-house! [very, very informal!]
I felt scared as there were only machines to buy everything.
Speaking Test 2b
What is something very important to me? Well,
The reason I bring them with me is …
I have a pair of shoes and I love them.
They were cheap. They were a cheap pair.
I've recovered my confidence now.
That's a good question. If I recover my confidence I'll throw them away.
Training shoes / trainers
LANGUAGE: I've had it for 9 years. [x I have it for 9 years.]
I'm travelling to Dubai and I'm flying tomorrow at 12.30.
I'm going to visit friends.
I'm flying to Japan on the 15th of September at 1.30 in the morning. I'll get to Japan around 5 I the evening.
"How long does it take?"
"Going there is takes 10 hours, but coming back it takes 12 because of the wind."
PAST TENSES: to keep – kept, to read – read, to feel- felt
SHORT LINKING WORDS: The same as before [x like]
Can you take a picture of my wife, please?
They're afraid of falling over.
On the tube they have different systems and at the weekend as well.
SPELLING: naïve / naive, to resume vs. résumé, café,
The fiancé is the man and the fiancée is the woman who are engaged.
HOW TO SAY WORDS: imports,
To boast vs. to/a post, academic, to introduce, an introduction,
"or" aura vs. era / area
What kind of place is it?
quiet "kh-why-et" vs. quite "kwhite"
read – read,castle,
HOMEWORK: Continue with your IELTS preparation, for those of you working towards IELTS, that is! I've also put some common topics below, which I'd like you to think about and we discuss in future classes.
● Means of transportation
● Favourite pet
● Best personality
● Describe a museum you visited last week
● Your favourite restaurant
● Your favourite book
● An incident you can never forget
● The happiest day of your life
● Uniform
● First day at school
● Best person in the family
● Enjoyable trip
● Favourite movie
● Favourite character in a movie
● Favourite drama
● Favourite website
● Favourite book
● Favourite author
● Family event
Language Notes – Tuesday 2nd September, 2014
CONVERSATIONS & NEW WORDS:
Let's move on to talk about … [meeting]
Moving on, I'd like to talk about …. [speech/meeting]
"Shall we do this or this?"
"Either way is good."
There's a lot of new slang. [x slangs]
In the UK,English has evolved. [evolution]
Humans and other animals are always evolving.
There was a Viking invasion as well as a French invasion. The French invaded the UK in 1066. As a result, French was the language of the Royal family and upper classes until about the end of the 13th century!
The lower classes were speaking English and the upper-classes spoke French. For this reason, for most verbs there are 1 word verbs, with phrasal verb equivalents, such as to consider = to think about. The 1 word verbs in English sound more formal and intelligent.
The city has become over-developed.
We have some retail areas as well as residential areas.
Most of the people work in the public sector not the private sector, so they are state employees.
In an ideal world, I'd like the government to provide more parks and green areas in our suburb, for people to utilize and benefit from. In this way, I strongly believe people would be much healthier and exercise more often. [x more healthy] [to provide > give]
CLASS EXERCISES:
- There really aren't enough shops. There are too few shops.
- We have too little shops. [We have 2 little shops.]
- It's close to Zurich so people are drawn to the city. [automatically 'pulled' to the city]
- [x are orientated to the city]
- There are some doctors, medics and nurses. [x medicines]
Medicine is what doctors give us to cure problems.
"I live in a suburb on the outskirts of Doha towards the west of the city. It lies around 20 kilometres from the city-centre and it takes around half an hour to get in, regardless of whether it's rush-hour or not."
"Would you like to see any changes?"
"I'd like to see a change in the building regulations as well as the granting ofplanning permission, in order to limit the amount of industrial and commercial activity in the suburb."
to grant planning permission = to allow to build
to get planning permission = to be allowed to build
"Would you like to change any buildings that have been built?"
"I think that rather than change the past, I'd like to focus more on the future and see the construction of more libraries and other similar facilities, both in my suburb, and various other parts of the city."
"I'm a hotel, architectural specialist in a real-estate investment company. Unfortunately the market for the design and building of hotels has been quite limited over the past few years, and as a result, my work has involved a large number of postings overseas."
"How long would a typical posting be?"
"It depends completely on the type of posting. Some of the postings have been purely for the design stage of the process, and once this was completed, I would return. However, there were also other postings which involved the overseeing and co-ordination of the construction stage, based on a design which had already been completed by other consultants from my employer.
In my last posting, I was responsible for both stages of the project. As a result, it took around 3 years to complete."
"Why's that?" [> Why?]
He might feel there's something wrong with the building, but he 'can't put his finger on it'.
"Can you give me a brief outline of the tendering process?"
"There are stages of the process, which are the following. Initially, the company will put it out to tender and they will do this by advertising in both newspapers and industry-specific journals. In addition to this, they may also approach previous contractors.
Following this, the tenderers that express interest will have to sign an anti-corruption contract as well a confidentiality contract. As part of this process, tenderers will also have to submit the finance for a type of bond. This bond is designed to ensure that the tenderers have the financial viability in order to meet the requirements. In addition, if they make any mistakes as part of the process, they will forfeit the bond and my employer will be able to liquidate it."
"How long does this take?"
"That's 'the million dollar question'! However, I think that rather than changing the past, the future should be focused on and how to upgrade and improve this system. I have no doubt that this will be attempted, as the state are under pressure to meet the various deadlines necessary in order to be able to host the 2022 World Cup.
"They're trying to improve things around the clock, and they have solved a significant number of problems, such as amending the existing labour regulations, as well as the working conditions.
"They've had brain-storming sessions with some leading figures in the relevant areas, and this has been to a great level of success in many ways. This is very much an ongoing process. If we face any problems, we will need to step back and look at feasible solutions."
I got cabin fever when I was on the rig! It's very confined.
a confined space = a small space
LANGUAGE: Most people work in the public sector. [X Most of people]
Most of the people work in the public sector not the private sector.
to make a mistake [x do]
That's the million dollar question. [x dollars]
PAST TENSES: "Have there been any changes to date?" [up 'til now]
"There haven't really been any changes."
SHORT LINKING WORDS: We don't use and or but at the start of a sentence.
However, [x But]
In addition, [x And]
HOW TO SAY WORDS: familiar, to give / to live live [adj.], 20 kilos = 20kgs, 20 kilometres, "will" built, 2.25 million "2 point 2-5 million", 3.549% ["3 point 5-4-9 million", castle, a pharmacist, finance, financial
HOMEWORK: Go through the notes and pick out the key words to talk about your work.
Language Notes – Monday 1st September, 2014
CONVERSATIONS & NEW WORDS:
I'm quite superstitious!
I think it's good for the environment. [It's quite 'green'.]
"I think it's good for handling the environment." [It helps people.]
"I think it's good for handling the environment."
"In what way?"
"It's good for dealing with the high temperatures."
I'm fond of doing the ironing.
"What's 1 of your fondest memories of school?"
"What's 1 of my fondest memories of primary school? Well one of my fondest memories is probably hanging out with my best friends. I'm still friends with friends I've known since kindergarten." [hang out with = spend time with]
Kindergarten/ nursery school [3-5]
Primary school [5-11]
Secondary school [11-16]
I've known these guys since I was around 6.
I've known these guys for ages!
There were 4 of us, but one of them has emigrated to the USA.
To emigrate ≠ to immigrate [immigrant]
I'm an expatriatenot an immigrant as I'm not living here permanently.
To expatriate
He's been there almost 20 years.
One of my best friends is Kanko. I met her when I was around 8 years old. She used to live close to my family's house so we used to hang out.
[Kango]
We grew up together.
We can meet up every time I go back.
I didn't keep in touch with her when I was working.
I met up with her again 3 years ago, and that was the 1st time I'd seen her for up to 20 years.
Our looks had changed as we had got older, but we recognised each other immediately! She'd put on a little bit of weight. She'd been very skinny. Fat ≠ thin/slim
We met up again and she said that when her son had beena baby he'd had some heart problems but he'd had an operation and it was successful. He hadn't had a transplant, just an operation to rectify the problem.
We met up again in London, he said he'd had difficulties when he'd emigrated to the States. He said he'd had problems adjusting to the new environment and handling some situations.
How would you feel about emigrating to the States?
If I was going to emigrate anywhere, it would be to Spain. Real estate is very cheap there at the moment. The cost of living is lower. [X life]
I worked in Morocco for 2 years, in Tangiers. Almost every week, I used to go over to various places in the south of Spain.
They moved to different parts in the south of Spain from Gibraltar.
"They don't say they are avoiding tax, but the cost of living is cheaper than in the UK."
"Yeah, whatever!" [very, very informal – only with friends]
Last summer, it was raining almost incessantly!
Solar power comes from the sun. Lunar is from the moon.
I've heard Spanish people saying they like to move to Portugal because it's safer and cheaper.
The vast majority of them came from Brazil.
It's one of the most developed countries south of the Sahara.
It 'costsan arm and a leg'! [It's very, very expensive.]
I stayed in an apartment in Zone 1 that cost 2500 a month.
It's the most expensive city I've ever visited.
Cars are very expensive, so people use the tube or bus, which is still very expensive. Sometimes there are strikes on the public transport.
"I go bowling 6 times a week." "Each to their own!" Everyone likes different things!
It's a good comparison. We behave in a similar way. They are very hospitable and they offer help without being asked.
One of the only things I'd change, is that it's so difficult to find anything without pork in it!
If you eat pork without knowing it's no problem.
I used to feel bad when I ate it before, but since I've been travelling, I've become more comfortable with it.
Before I learned how to cook it, I'd always used chicken cubes in pasta.
Take a frying pan, pour some olive oil into the pan, put in to 2 cloves of garlic, 2 or 3 fresh basil leaves. Chop the tomatoes up, put them in the pan and put it on the hob for around 15 minutes. Put in a touch of salt but no pepper.
A sauce-pan or frying pan
It's absolutely delicious!
I sometimes cook when I'm travelling alone.
He's never cooked anything for me.
After we finish eating, he gets down and I organise the dishes and washing up.
Before we start eating, we lay the table.
To sit down at the table ≠ to get down from the table
LANGUAGE: Five people were also there. [x 5 people were …]
It's safer and also sunnier. [x more safe]
Today, she's eaten some fish.
She's eating fish at the moment for lunch./ She's ate at the moment for lunch.
https://elt.oup.com/student/englishfile/preint/a_grammar/file01/grammar01_c02?cc=qa&selLanguage=en
PAST TENSES: Grow – grew
We grew up together.
grow – grew - grown; know – knew - known
SHORT LINKING WORDS: It depends on the weather.
The USA, the United States, the United Arab Emirates, the UAE
HOMEWORK: If you could, what would you change about the schooling system that was in place when you were at school?
Language Notes – Sunday 31st August 2014
CONVERSATIONS & NEW WORDS:
She passed away when she was 99 and 9 months. She hadn't been able to understand anything from the age of 96 or 7. [x was passed away
My grandmother on my mother's side was happy because she didn't know any different.
If I get to 99 and I'm still healthy it will be OK, but if not I won't be happy.
I'm superstitious. [adj.] I have a superstition. [noun]
If my husband had socks like that then I'd throw them away! This is because if he did, I would be worried about what the people in the ambulance would think if he had an accident!
A typical superstition in Japan is about green tea. When you pour it into the cup there are green tea leaves and they always sink. If it floats then you'll be happy.
Rural people are generally more superstitious.
People don't like to sleep with their heads closest to the north.
The north, south, east and west are compass points.
The tides are lunar and controlled by the moon.
2ND PART
I hate the cold. / I hate cold weather.
I love shopping, so I'm very happy but my husband's not so happy!
I'm an engineer.
I'm going to take IELTS.
"I used to live in Egypt." "Whereabouts in Egypt did you live?"
"I'm from Portsmouth in England. Are you familiar with the city?"
Three months ago I went to Portsmouth. [x last 3 months ago]
"How long has your friend been living there?"
"He's been living there for almost 3 years."
"How much longer is he going to stay there?"
"He needs another 2 years to complete his study. We're from the same extended family."
I don't mind ironing.
I don't mind cleaning and doing the housework.
I don't mind cleaning the horse's stables!
[I don't mind tocleaningthe horse's stables!]
I used to ride horses when I was young.
I used to ride a bike when I was young.
I last rode a bike 2 months.
Horses are cooler!
Since you've been here, have you been to the Equestrian Centre.
I'm quite fond of gardening.
I like to garden. / I like gardening.
I can't stand people smoking!
My favourite horse is called Harris and when I was away I missed him as much - if not more than - my children!
"Do you have any pets?"
"I have a cat. He has got long hair. He's a mixed breed."
"They're 'pets' but really they're a part of our family."
My cat's called Goe.
"Did you used to have any pets when you were young?"
"As a child, I used to have a German shepherd called Rashid."
There are some sniffer dogs.
I didn't have any pets when I was a child because my father hated animals!
Some people are mixed race are
Every horse has a family tree and breeding certificate.
Of your horses, how many are mares and how many stallions?
3RD PART
Speaking Test
In this picture, there are a couple of people who appear to be buying and selling goods at a market. The woman wearing a white t-shirt is the market trader and the person wearing a shirt is the purchaser.
It seems to be an outdoor market in the Asia-Pacific. I think that they are negotiating the price for vegetables and the woman in the white, is selling – among other things – broccoli and cauliflower.
In the background, there is another market trader who is preparing her stall. There also a number of other people who seem to be shopping and 'going about their normal business'.
The weather seems to be quite good, although as the lady on the left is wearing long sleeves, I don't imagine it to be very hot! The two people are enjoying talking to each other.
purchaser, preparing
A store = a shop
A stall in the market
You're doing well – 'don’t beat yourself up'!
South-Pacific, North-Atlantic, Mid-Atlantic
the Pacific Ocean, the Atlantic Ocean,
to/a buy / a buyer
to/a purchase / a purchaser
PAST TENSES: to ride – rode - ridden
SHORT LINKING WORDS: He works in the natural gas industry. He works for JGC.
HOW TO SAY WORDS: ["wish"] superstitious, spectacular, "SHH!" spacious, "there" treasure,
London School of English, Blue Valley Inn, Lake Mead,
"E" technique, elegant, "her" purchase,
HOMEWORK: Have a look through more of the TOEIC question format. [The location of this material is http://www.toeic.ca/toeic/ca/sample-questions/speaking-test/ if you'd like to look at more information and sample tests.]
Language Notes – Wednesday 27th August 2014
CONVERSATIONS & NEW WORDS:
The Giants are one of the most popular teams in Japan and they are based in Tokyo.
Although Masako and Stuart are Japanese and English, they are based in Doha.
My father supports the Hiroshima Cubs. He normally watches it on television and sometime goes to watch them when they play Yokohama Bay-Stars. [A cub is a small lion.]
They aresponsored by DNA. / DNA sponsors the team. DNA is the team's sponsor.
The teams first play in their own prefecture, and then the winners go to the next round. The winners all go to Osaka in the summer and it's a direct knockout.
There are 9 players in the team and some substitutes. [to/a substitute]
We have stand-ins and extras in movies.
This year's competition was won by 1 of the schools in Osaka.
Most Japanese players have an ambition to play in America. [ambitious [adj.]
Dervish's mother is from Iran and his father's Japanese.
Glasgow has 2 football teams, Celtic and Rangers. Celtic are traditionally a Catholic team, whereas Rangers are Protestant.
The television companies buy the rights to show football matches.
We earn
"She says the Filipino who married her brother-in-law has caused some problems." "In what way?" "She says she's lazy." "Maybe she's joking?" "I'm sure she's not joking, but she's always very, very nice to me."
I know some English men who are married to Filipinos. ['Flippers' - very, very inf.]
She opens a real can of worms when she's talking about her sister-in-law! She's in her mid-to-late-30s and he's a similar age.
She showed me a picture of her sister-in-law and I thought she loved her because she kept the photo.
One of the things she can't put up with is that her niece and nephews are half-caste so they don’t look as Italian as other people in their family. Her family are all quite light-skinned.
light-hair ≠ dark-hair
"She's from Milan and she says that anywhere south of Rome is not 'Italy'! Perhaps she says that 'tongue-in-cheek', but perhaps not. I'm really not sure."
One day I told her about my husband and our age difference. [age-gap] She asked me straight away where he's from – I think she thought he was a Westerner.
She doesn't have any malice and she's very honest. [adj.] [Honesty [adj.]
Honesty is important.]
It's a 'mixed bag'. [1/2 good + 1/2 bad]
It's a mixed bag having children that go to International schools overseas.
I think she's quite sensitive.
We don't really keep in touch any more. I know how difficult it was for her, so I'm giving her lots of space.
I believe that if someone is an only-child sometimes they are spoilt.
She bought some Armani, Gucci and other designer-label baby clothes.
Snobbishness is one of my pet-hates.
"Do you have any pet-hates?" "I hate spitting!"
"Do you have any pet-hates?"
"I don't mind waiting in general, but I hate waiting for long periods if someone is due to come at a certain time."
"One of my pet-hates is not really having anything to do at the weekends!"
If I had a problem at my flat, it took a long time for the
They would never, ever come on time, sometimes it wasn't even the correct day!
wind me up – wound me up It really wound me up!
"Does your husband have any pet-hates?"
"Nothing springs to mind."
I'm more short-tempered than my husband.
"I think she's a bit of a snob! One of the most snobbish people I've met is my ex-grilfriend's mother. She 'looked down her nose at people'. How about you – do you know any snobs?"
"No-one springs to mind."
"Where's the best restaurant in Doha?" "Nowhere springs to mind."
"What's the computer to buy at the moment?" "Nothing springs to mind."
CLASS EXERCISES:
Do you have any problems you need to sort out? What is 1 of the problems that you sorted out in the past?
I need to sort out my registers for one of my company classes.
We need to sort out how we're going to repatriate our savings from Doha.
We need to sort out where we're going to buy property in Japan.
It occupies me each day, what I cook in the evening. [I think about it.]
It pre-occupies me each day, what I cook in the evening. [I worry about it.]
I'm pre-occupied about it. I'm worried about it.
It plays on my mind each day, what I cook in the evening.
It's playing on my mind, what I'm going to cook this evening.
It plays on my mind. It worries me.
Who's 1 of the people you get on with the most?
I have a big stack of papers from different classes I need to sort out and organise.
I need to sort out sending my car back to Japan.
The government doesn't allow the Fiat engine because of its emissions so I need to get it adjusted.
I think it's going to be prohibitively expensive. [= cost too much]
LANGUAGE: In Japan there are around 50 prefectures and there are a lot of high-schools.
to have vs. to get
She had her 1st baby last year. [x got ] She got pregnant when she was in Qatar and then went back to Italy to have the baby. She's not planning to have any more children.
HOMEWORK: Ask your husband if there's anything he needs to sort out at work, and if he has (or has ever had) any pet-hates. If you'd like, you can also think of any questions that you'd like to ask my friend Richie Moran, who's the professional footballer player that played in Japan for a year.
Language Notes – Monday 25th August 2014
CONVERSATIONS & NEW WORDS: He came back earlier than normal so we could go to QDC.
It's a sweet white wine. Fitou is a dry red wine.
A connoisseur is someone who likes the best type of something. You could talk to him about
it 'until the cows came home!'
He was very passionate about it!
One of my old colleagues is fascinated by computers.
I would ask him when my screen froze.
He almost alwaysexplained what he was doing!
He almost always insisted on explaining what he was doing! "Please, let me explain."
I went out with my friend and he insisted on paying. "Please, let me pay."
"Do you have any other strange ex-colleagues?"
"One of them loved anime and was always talking about it. We call people like this 2-D men! He would even talk about her as his wife!"
"I'm lost for words!"
They're quite strange, but they work hard and don't do any harm.
It's harmful! Warning: This can be harmful to children.
I'm not passionate about anime.
Did he ever socialize with people?
They're different to the average man.
There weren't any of these people when I was a child.
People have natural needs and monks and nuns abstain from some of these.
I've never met anyone like this.
She's very promiscuous. I sometimes think that it's almost an illness! We had a problem when we went to Greece together. We shared a bedroom in twin-beds. There was a tour-guide and she often used to talk to him. Then 1 night she slept with him in the bed next to me.
After that, we went abroad together and she never did it again. The last time I met up with her she was still single.
Rats and cockroaches are forms of pests.
We can use née to show a woman's maiden name which is her surname before she got married. For example Mosako Hirasawa-née-Nakaishi, or Patricia Hurman-née-Ough.
A non-profit organisation is an organisation that is not trying
Yardstick
I went to a seminar on cats.
If something is enclosed, it is in the same envelope.
My husband is eligible to 4 weeks holiday per annum.
PAST TENSES: I met her when I was 18. [the 1st time]
The last time I met up with her was about 5 years ago.
SHORT LINKING WORDS: He changes taste depending on his mood.
He was fascinated by computers. Stuart's quite passionate about music.
different [adj.] to differ
I'm different to them.
It was different to what I had supposed.
HOW TO SAY WORDS: fashion, passionate, to insist,
HOMEWORK: Ask your husband if he likes the grape fitou? HOMEWORK: Have a look at the TOEIC information at the websites below and also
- Official Japanese Website: http://www.toeic.or.jp/english.html
- General info: https://www.ets.org/toeic/test_takers
- TOEIC Score guide - http://www.toeic.or.jp/english/toeic/guide04/guide04_02/score_descriptor.html
- Information & Advice for test takers https://www.ets.org/toeic/test_takers
- Speaking test info - http://www.toeic.ca/toeic/ca/sample-questions/speaking-test/
- Writing test - http://www.toeic.ca/toeic/ca/sample-questions/writing-test/
- Reading Test - http://www.toeic.ca/toeic/ca/sample-questions/reading-test/
- Listening Test - http://www.toeic.ca/toeic/ca/sample-questions/listening-test/
Language Notes – Sunday 24th August 2014
CONVERSATIONS & NEW WORDS:
My glasses steamed up after I got out the car.
I didn't see anything there.
There is a car-boot sale once a month. [It is similar to a flea market.]
The Korean government decided to scrap kanji words and use hangel [letters].
After we finish using cars they become scrap metal.
This was relatively recently.
Some Japanese tourists say they are treated badly in Korea. [x behaved]
The Korean behaved badly with the Japanese.
The Chinese have a bad reputation in Japan, regarding doing business with them.
"I'm calling regarding my appointment next week." [= about]
"Me?" [x I? ]
clean [adj.] – cleanliness [noun]
I think cleanliness is 1 of the biggest differences between the Chinese and Japanese.
They don't follow the rules.
Buddhism is more like a philosophy than a religion.
If you don't drive this, then you won't go anywhere. It's a vicious circle.
I'd already met his wife in Qatar before I went there.
I think some of the young people in our countries 'needawake up call'!
My husband will retire by the end of next year, so I need a wake-up call regarding what to do when I'm back in Japan.
Pollution's a problem in India partly because of car emissions. In the cities I felt that I couldn't breathe! In Japan they can only sell environmentally-friendly cars. They use lead-free petrol.
Poverty is people being very, very poor.
A beggar is someone who begs for money but this wasn't a problem in Kerala.
They got their water from a water-well.
We use oil-wells to get oil.
After they eat the coconut they can throw the shell because it's bio-degradable but only if they throw it back to nature.
They have bigger problems to be concerned about.
It's a vicious circle.
I was able to enjoy it.
I like curry, but they eat it 3 times a day, so the novelty wore off! [It got boring!] Even the cookies and crisps tasted like curry!
Three days after I arrived there I had stomach problems.
Sweet and savoury foods.
Some people can be 'a bitin your face' sometimes! For example, they kept asking me 'how was it' when I was eating. In Sri Lanka, they give you more space.
We never kiss anyone on the cheeks, not even our parents or children. We can slow-dance with people of the opposite sex.
At our school we used to have a school disco once every 2 months on a Friday evening.
The minimum age for clubbing in Japan is 20, the same as for smoking and alcohol. We can drive from the age of 18. Men can get married at 18 but for girls it's 16.
I started clubbing around 15.
The bouncers are the 'guards' at the door of a nightclub.
We used fake ID to get in to clubs.
We didn't need it, we just used to dress more like an adult.
Stuart's friend wore high-heels at a cross-dressing party!
I once wore a pair of 7-centimetre-high-heels. Some people wear pin-heels.
World's biggest high-heels
A cross-dresser is a man that likes wearing ladies clothes.
Women's shirts are called blouses.
CLASS EXERCISES: 79 – Phrasal Verbs
- Can you tell me about a time when you or 1 of your friends or relatives fell oversomething?
- What is something that you didn't use any more and gave away to someone or someone gave away to you and when did they give it away to you?
- What was 1 of the things that you've given up doing?
LANGUAGE: Her husband's an engineer. We both left Egypt and we came to Qatar and they went somewhere else that slips my mind. Five years later she emailed me and said she was in Qatar.
I don't know where she got the turkey.
PAST TENSES: buy – bought, meet – met,
SHORT LINKING WORDS: At Christmas she cooked turkey in my oven.
They took me to the mountains and also on toa boathouse.
Regarding our next class, I'd like to tell you guess the year of the 1st parachute jump.
Aboutour next class, I'd like to tell you guess the year of the 1st parachute jump.
HOW TO SAY WORDS: follow, cleanliness, metabolism
HOMEWORK: Think about what you can do to answer the wake up call for when you go back to Japan. [Anyone reading this can also tell us what if you have any good ideas about what Masako can do when she's back in Japan!]
Language Notes – Wednesday 20th August 2014
I didn't post any notes on this day, as Masako and I were talking about financial & economic issues.
Language Notes – Tuesday 19th May 2014
CONVERSATIONS & NEW WORDS:
Anime are science-fiction cartoons.
It's a sci-fi called 'Tiger & Bunny'.
What's the plot? What's the story?
I think there isn't life on other planets.
There are millions and millions of other planets!
The Earth is one planet in our solar system, along with Jupiter, Mars, et cetera.
Some people use solar panels to get energy from the sun.
A galaxy is a group of stars. The whole universe is everything!
Outer space is everywhere off our planet!
The Milky Way is our galaxy.
An astronomer likes looking at stars. An astrophysicist studies the science of stars.
He's single. He's a single man.
The average person doesn't have enough money. [x popular ]
Economics Language & Vocabulary
Economics affects our whole lives.
Economics is all about opinion, whereas maths is more factual.
macroeconomics vs. microeconomics
Consumers buy products and services. Consumer demand
Macroeconomics is a branch [area] of economics dealing with the performance [good or bad!], structure [system], behaviour [what people do], and decision-making of an economy as a whole, rather than individual markets [1 product or service]. This includes national, regional [Middle East], and global [whole world] economies.
Macroeconomists study aggregated indicators [all numbers] such as GDP [Gross Domestic Product] [GNP – Gross National Product = GDP + exports - imports], unemployment rates, and price indices [inflation] to understand how the whole economy functions.
Macroeconomists develop models that explain the relationship between such factors [things] as national income, output, consumption, unemployment, inflation, savings, investment, international trade and international finance. In contrast [= However,], microeconomics primarily [firstly/mostly] studies the actions of individual agents, such as firms and consumers, and how their behaviour determines [affects] prices and quantities [numbers of] in specific [exact] markets.
While [Although] macroeconomics is a broad field [wide area] of study, there are two areas of research that are emblematic of the discipline [really show what the subject is about]: the attempt to understand the causesand consequences [why it happens and what happens next] of short-runfluctuations [short-term changes] in national income (the business cycle), and the attempt to understand the determinants [causes] of long-run economic growth (increases in national income). Macroeconomic models and their forecasts [predictions] are used by governments to assistin [help] the development and evaluation [how good or successful] of economic policy.
Keynes is one of the world's most famous economists.
On Black Tuesday, October 29, 1929, the
A company is in the black it is making money, but if it's in the red it's losing money.
I'm interested in how some incidents and factors affect economics and economies.
I think the Japanese economy may be stable this year. I don't think it will decline because there's no news either way!
We don't have any military at the moment but they're creating a 'domestic force' that we can use if necessary.
China is becoming an 'enemy' for Australia in some ways. They are looking to expand their naval
In some countries, men have to do a period of national service in the military.
I think young people can learn things in national service and be stronger.
I'm a regular at a bar called 'Isari'.
LANGUAGE: I'll never go to China!
If I hadn't got married to him, I wouldn't have resigned from the company.
I wouldn't have resigned from the company if I hadn't got married to him.
If I hadn't lived abroad, I wouldn't have thought about studying English.
If I had studied cooking before I left Japan, I could've improved it faster.
When I'm in Japan, I go to the bar every day. [GENERAL]
If I'm in Japan, I go to the bar every day. [GENERAL]
When I go back to Japan next month, I'll go to the bar. [future 1st]
If I was in Japan now, I'd go to the bar every day. [UNREAL 2nd ]
If I had been in Japan last night, I wouldn't have gone to the bar. [PAST UNREAL 3rd ]
SHORT LINKING WORDS: "It's set in Tokyo, in the future." / It's set on another planet.
If I hadn't got married to him, I wouldn't have resigned from the company.
HOW TO SAY WORDS: economics, economy, It's economical. science-fiction, sci-fi
HOMEWORK: Look at the economics vocabulary we looked at.
Language Notes – Monday 18th August 2014
CONVERSATIONS & NEW WORDS:
We can buy older properties and renovate them. renovation
Some houses are empty and others are abandoned and left toruin.
Children inherit properties from their parents.
We might buy something like this.
A property like this might cost around $100,000 and then another $100,000 to renovate.
Tatami flooring is partly made of straw.
One of the advantages of tatami is that it's made of natural substance and so the air passes through it more easily. This keeps the house cooler in the summer and also warmer in the winter.
Demand for tatami has fallen and as a result, lots of companies have stopped making it. Now there are insufficient tatami producers nowadays which has meant prices have got much higher.
insufficient = not enough
demand and supply
to produce = to make
Producers to the work and the directors get the glory!
The producers have skills which are more common. [x popular ]
Obesity is becoming a common problem in Japan. [obesity = being fat]
He's obese. = He's very fat.
Early retirement is becoming lesscommon in the UK. [more/less]
News 9 is a popular TV programme.
I'd prefer to have a 2-storey house. He told me a story.
There are often 3 bedrooms on the 1st floor, but they are usually bigger than a modern Japanese house.
It's a 3-bedroom house. [x 3-bedrooms]
I'd like to have aporch at the front of the house.
I'd like to have a tiled, sloping roof. [≠ flat]
Women should never sit cross-legged in Japan, or with their legs wide open in lots of other places.
A parking space is where we can park a car.
I used to go skiing in Okaido almost every weekend, but I'd rather not now.
Niagara Falls had frozen when we went to Canada in October. I couldn't get out of the car.
We very rarely have earthquakes in Europe.
We'll rent it out and we hope the income will cover the mortgage.
I'd like to have more space.
One of the nicest places one of my acquaintances has is my younger brother's in Nagano. They asked a housing builder to build it for them and it's made of all natural, locally made wood."
"How long did it take to build?"
It took a year.
An acquaintance is someone you know in any way.
Nature is good for children to grow up in and therefore for raising children. [x growing]
Parents raise their children. [x growing ]
Plants grow or we grow plants.
The sun rises.
One of the most important things about the way my parents raised me, was that they smacked me when I was naughty. My mother used to smack me a lot!
He was beaten in the tennis match.
My friend was beaten up by 2 men.
Our teachers used to hit us with a ruler at school. Students were scared of him.
People used to get cane at my school.
There's no common sense.
Stuart has very little common sense sometimes, for example when he crashed his bike in to a car because he was cycling with his eyes closed!
That's a big generalisation!
The common Japanese person isn't like me.
In Japan, we go to nursery from 3 to 6, we start studying at 7 and can leave school at 18. We start studying English at 13.
My parents pleaded with me to go to high-school. [Please, please, please!]
I'm pleased! = I'm happy!
LANGUAGE:
3rd conditional If + had past participle would/might/couldhave past participle
If I hadn't been employed by the construction company, I wouldn't have been able to work in television. The construction company set up a television company and I moved to television. All of the other employees had university degrees, so I was lucky I could transfer because I wouldn't have been able to work for them if not.
To go – go – went - gone
to be able to - can – could – been able to
If I hadn't come to Qatar, I think I would have moved to Australia.
If I hadn't come to Qatar, I think I could have moved to Australia. [/might]
PAST TENSES: find – found
HOW TO SAY WORDS: to raise – to rise, "can" Canada,
HOMEWORK: Tell your husband the example of me not having much common sense! Please also ask him if he knows anyone with little common sense.
In addition, the sites below are ones with practice for the 3rd conditional we looked at today. I found out today when searching, that if you're looking for something with a number in it – such as the 3rd conditional – it's better to do the search for an exercise in words not numbers. For example, a search for the 3rd conditional doesn’t find anything, but a search for the third conditional does.
■Lesson A third conditional (1)
https://elt.oup.com/student/englishfile/intermediate/a_grammar/file07/nef_int_grammar07_a01?cc=qa&selLanguage=en
■Lesson A third conditional (2)
https://elt.oup.com/student/englishfile/intermediate/a_grammar/file07/nef_int_grammar07_a02?cc=qa&selLanguage=en
Language Notes – Sunday 17th August 2014
CONVERSATIONS & NEW WORDS:
We went to Laguna as usual.
We have state-run schools. A public school in the UK is the same as a private school!
I went to a private school but my siblings went to state-run schools. They give free tuition to high achieving or low achieving students. Free tuition = free classes and teaching
Stuart was quite square at school and I was quite rebellious! [a square ≠ a rebel] Sometimes I would bunk off school. I used to go to MacDonald's and other shopping places.
We went to Laguna as usual.
We have state-run schools. A public school in the UK is the same as a private school!
I went to a private school but my siblings went to state-run schools. They give free tuition to high achieving or low achieving students. Free tuition = free classes and teaching
Stuart was quite square at school and I was quite rebellious! [a square ≠ a rebel] Sometimes I would bunk off school. I used to go to MacDonald's and other shopping places.
I had a part-time job in a supermarket. The school didn't let us work, because we were lower-achieving students. [> stupid] part-time job ≠ full-time job]
I worked part-time in the supermarket from the age of 15 to 18. I used to work 4 days a week, for 3 hours each time.
In the UK paperboys and papergirls deliver newspapers to people's houses.
Stuart reads the FT [Financial Times] when he's in the UK, whereas I read the 1st 3 pages of the Gulf Times.
If someone had asked me to be a papergirl I wouldn't have liked to do it, because I'm not an early riser.
She's remarkable! / incredible / brilliant
I'm not an early riser.
I don't really know anyone who can compare!
/ I don't really know anything that can compare!
"He weighs over 300kg." "That's obscene!"
"A few younger people are overweight and it's a problem for us because our bone structure is different. They get sick more easily. They're getting bigger with junk food." ""What do you think is the answer to this problem?"
People take out medical insurance to pay for private healthcare.
When I was a child there was less junk food and chocolate.
"The next election in Japan is in around 2 years. I've never voted."
"Me neither. Is there any particular reason why you haven’t voted?"
"I think all politicians are the same."
"In what way?"
"When they first get elected they are good but later they are worse!"
He's honest. [I think honesty is important.]
I think George Bush Jr. was odious! [People hated him!]
We got in the lift and there was a man in the lift who wouldn't look at us.
Better the devil you know than the devil you don't!
A despot is a bad, evil leader.
The Ayatollah is the most senior religious leader in Iran.
If my husband said we had to move to one of Iran, Iraq, Libya, Syria, Saudi Arabia or Palestine, I'd refuse.
If I had to go to one of them, I'd choose Saudi Arabia.
"When my husband was in Kuwait, he got arrested. He doesn't like to talk about it, but he says one of his colleagues took a lot of money from the office and ran away. My husband was his boss and the police arrested him. He was hit and beaten when he was in custody."
"How much longer did he stay in Kuwait after it happened?" "He only stayed for another few weeks. He paid them all his money and he could leave. He had to sell some of his jewellery to get enough money to buy a ticket.
When we got married, he told me the gold jewellery was very important and to keep it safe, gold is always valuable if you don't have any money.
They used to wear a lot of gold in Egypt. I asked them why and they said because they could – they couldn't wear it in the Philippines. They said that if they wore it in the Philippines, they might cut your arm off!
"I'm going to Japan." "Whereaboutsin Japan?"
You have to buy the uniforms and books.
Eton and Harrow term prices are about £30k a year. QR180,000
Fish and chips and roast dinners are most famous UK foods. The most popular restaurants are Indian and Chinese.
Haddock, plaice and cod are the most common fish eaten as part of fish and chips in the UK.
The St. Regis in West Bay has the Opal restaurant which is the Gordon Ramsay restaurant.
LEGAL LANGUAGE: We're in custody before we go to court and the judge or jury will decide if we're guilty or not guilty. In the UK, the jury decide if we're guilty, and if we are, the judge decides the punishment. In Japan the jury system started 10 years ago.
PAST TENSES: To choose – chose – chosen, shoot - shot
HOW TO SAY WORDS: "sick" cigarettes, Gadaffi, economy, ja
HOMEWORK: Show your husband this, which is an incredible 99-year old woman running in a 100 metres race! https://uk.eurosport.yahoo.com/blogs/world-of-sport/99-old-great-great-granny-smashes-100m-world-085025467.html
In today's class, we were looking at a lady running in a 100-metres race, who is NINETY-NINE YEARS OLD! It's from the BBC, and you can look at it in the following link: Absolutely incredible!!