Southeast Asian Ministers of Education Organization
Regional Language Centre
Centre of Choice
Basic English Language and
Communication Skills Course
for Government Officials
English for Professional
Purposes (EPP)
Booklet A
1
SINGAPORE COOPERATION PROGRAMME
INITIATIVE FOR ASEAN INTEGRATION (IAI)
GENERAL INFORMATION BROCHURE FOR VIET NAM
BASIC ENGLISH LANGUAGE AND COMMUNICATION SKILLS
3 TO 21 APRIL 2023
Sponsored by the
MINISTRY OF FOREIGN AFFAIRS, SINGAPORE
under the framework of the
INITIATIVE FOR ASEAN INTEGRATION
Initiative for ASEAN Integration
Course Objectives
The Initiative for ASEAN Integration (IAI) was
launched by then Singapore Prime Minister (PM)
Goh Chok Tong at the 4th ASEAN Informal Summit in
2000 to narrow the development gap between
ASEAN-6 and Cambodia, Lao PDR, Myanmar and
Viet Nam and to support ASEAN integration and
community building. To date, Singapore has made
four pledges totalling S$170 million to the IAI.
The course aims to provide participants with a
basic proficiency in the English language and by
the end of which, they should be able to:
A key IAI project by Singapore was the establishment
of training centres in Phnom Penh, Vientiane,
Yangon and Hanoi, which have been upgraded to the
Singapore Cooperation Centres. More than 46,000
CLMV government officials have attended our
training courses at these centres covering diverse
areas outlined in the four IAI Work Plans. The latest
IAI Work Plan IV (2021-2025) is structured around
the strategic areas of food and agriculture, trade
facilitation, MSMEs, education, health and well-being
as well as the enabling actions which are aimed at
promoting sustainable development, sharing best
practices in public policy, governance and regulatory
development, improving data collection and analysis
capabilities; and strengthening the role of social work
to realise a people-oriented, people-centred and
inclusive ASEAN Community.
The IAI is in line with the spirit of the Singapore
Cooperation Programme (SCP). Established in 1992,
the SCP brings together various technical assistance
programmes offered by Singapore. As a country
whose only resource is its people, Singapore
believes that human resource development is vital for
economic and social progress. Singapore has also
benefited from training provided by other countries
and international organisations and has increased
the range and number of training programmes under
its SCP to meet the development needs of
developing countries.
• Understand
simple
conversations
and
expressions;
• Respond to simple questions about self, work
and work-related issues;
• Read basic text and have a decent level of
English vocabulary and grammar to start and
maintain a simple conversation;
• Speak and express ideas, requests and
information clearly in contexts where English is
used for international communication; and;
• Write simple texts with correct grammar in a
variety of formats used at the workplace
Synopsis
This course syllabus has been designed for
participants to obtain specific learning skills, and
outcomes, that are aligned with the Common
European FR A1 level in a work-based setting. It
is focused on providing participants with listening,
speaking, reading and writing skills in the English
language at the basic level through training in the
following key areas:
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
Listening and Reading Comprehension
Parts of Speech
Grammar and Sentence structure
Vocabulary
Functional Business and Workplace Writing
Pronunciation and Phonology
Oral Communication and Presentation
INITIATIVE FOR ASEAN INTEGRATION:
BASIC ENGLISH LANGUAGE AND COMMUNICATION SKILLS
3 TO 21 APRIL 2023
Page 1 of 2
SINGAPORE COOPERATION PROGRAMME
INITIATIVE FOR ASEAN INTEGRATION (IAI)
GENERAL INFORMATION BROCHURE FOR VIET NAM
Methodology
Class Size
The in-person course will include a variety of training
methods comprising elements of synchronous and
asynchronous e-learning sessions.
Minimum 20 participants
Maximum 30 participants
Venue
Regulations
Participants are required to comply with the following:
The course will be conducted at the VietnamSingapore Cooperation Centre in Hanoi.
•
Address:
•
Strictly observe course schedules and not miss
training sessions, and
Carry out instructions and abide by conditions as
may be stipulated by the nominating authority or
government and the Government of Singapore
and its appointed trainer, with respect to the
course.
Duration
Unit 401 - 403, Level 4
Pacific Place
83B Ly Thuong Kiet
Hanoi
Socialist Republic of Viet Nam
Terms of Award
The course will be held from 3 to 21 April 2023.
The Government of Singapore will be responsible
for the training fees for the conduct of the course
by the trainer(s).
Participants’ Profile
Application Procedure
Participants should be:
The National Coordinator will be responsible for
obtaining the list of nominations before forwarding
the list directly to the Singapore Embassy in
Hanoi.
• Government officials with elementary knowledge
of the English Language;
• Able to attend all the synchronous sessions and
participate in the asynchronous e-learning
sessions;
• Nominated by the government of Viet Nam; and
• In good health.
The nomination list, which should include the
email addresses of the participants, should reach
the Singapore Embassy in Hanoi not later than
Monday, 13 March 2023.
f ollow us at
SCP Friends
. . . . .
INITIATIVE FOR ASEAN INTEGRATION:
BASIC ENGLISH LANGUAGE AND COMMUNICATION SKILLS
3 TO 21 APRIL 2023
Page 2 of 2
STRICTLY FOR INTERNAL USE/ REFERENCE ONLY.
NOT FOR PUBLICATION.
WEEK 1 - 3
TIMETABLE
LT/2122/022
3 - 21 April 2023
Basic English Language and Communication Skills Course
for Government Officials
(VIETNAM)
BLENDED LEARNING COURSE
SEAMEO Regional Language Centre
Friday
7 Apr 23
Thursday
6 Apr 23
Wednesday
5 Apr 23
Tuesday
4 Apr 23
DAY
VN-TIME
Monday
3 Apr 23
DAY
VN-TIME
0830 - 1200
English for
Professional Purposes
Ms Claudine Ang
Ms Claudine Ang
Mr Paul Dixon
Pronunciation,
Listening & Speaking
Ms Claudine Ang
English for
Professional Purposes
Mr Paul Dixon
Pronunciation,
Listening & Speaking
B
R
E
A
K
Mr Paul Dixon
Pronunciation,
Listening & Speaking
Ms Claudine Ang
English for
Professional Purposes
Mr Paul Dixon
Pronunciation,
Listening & Speaking
Ms Claudine Ang
English for
Professional Purposes
1330 - 1600
Ms Claudine Ang
Mr Paul Dixon
Ms Claudine Ang
Mr Paul Dixon
1330 - 1630
RELC
Pre-Course Test
(TalentLMS)
Listening, Reading & Writing
L
U
N
C
H
1200
1330
Introductions
& Icebreakers
(1040 - 1200 hrs)
English for
Professional Purposes
Mr Paul Dixon
Pronunciation,
Listening & Speaking
Ms Claudine Ang
English for
Professional Purposes
Mr Paul Dixon
Pronunciation,
Listening & Speaking
0900 - 1200
Registration of Participants
(0830 - 0900 hrs)
Opening Ceremony
(0900 - 0930 hrs)
Admin Briefing
(0930 - 0945 hrs)
Course Briefing
(0945 - 1025 hrs)
Ms Claudine Ang
SEAMEO Regional Language Centre
Mr Paul Dixon
Pronunciation,
Listening & Speaking
Ms Claudine Ang
English for
Professional Purposes
Mr Paul Dixon
Pronunciation,
Listening & Speaking
Ms Claudine Ang
English for
Professional Purposes
Ms Claudine Ang
Mr Paul Dixon
RELC
Pre-Course Test
Speaking
Basic English Language and Communication Skills Course for Government Officials
(VIETNAM)
BLENDED LEARNING COURSE
3 - 21 April 2023
LT/2122/022
Tea Break (1025 - 1040 hrs)
Tea Break (1025 - 1040 hrs)
Tea Break (1430 - 1445 hrs)
Tea Break (1430 - 1445 hrs)
26 hrs
5 hrs
5 hrs
5 hrs
5 hrs
Hrs
6 hrs
Hrs
EPP (TalentLMS)
40 mins
PLS (TalentLMS)
40 mins
EPP (TalentLMS)
40 mins
PLS (TalentLMS)
40 mins
EPP (TalentLMS)
40 mins
PLS (TalentLMS)
40 mins
EPP (TalentLMS)
40 mins
PLS (TalentLMS)
40 mins
Independent
Online Learning
EPP (TalentLMS)
40 mins
PLS (TalentLMS)
40 mins
Independent
Online Learning
Week 1 : 3 - 7 April 2023
Friday
14 Apr 23
Thursday
13 Apr 23
Wednesday
12 Apr 23
Tuesday
11 Apr 23
Monday
10 Apr 23
DAY
VN-TIME
Pronunciation,
Listening & Speaking
Mr Paul Dixon
Pronunciation,
Listening & Speaking
Mr Paul Dixon
English for
Professional Purposes
Mr Paul Dixon
Pronunciation,
Listening & Speaking
B
R
E
A
K
Ms Claudine Ang
English for
Professional Purposes
Mr Paul Dixon
Pronunciation,
Listening & Speaking
Ms Claudine Ang
English for
Professional Purposes
Mr Paul Dixon
Pronunciation,
Listening & Speaking
English for
Professional Purposes
Ms Claudine Ang
Ms Claudine Ang
Mr Paul Dixon
L
U
N
C
H
English for
Professional Purposes
1200
1330
Pronunciation,
Listening & Speaking
Ms Claudine Ang
Tea Break (1025 - 1040 hrs)
Ms Claudine Ang
English for
Professional Purposes
Mr Paul Dixon
Pronunciation,
Listening & Speaking
Ms Claudine Ang
English for
Professional Purposes
Mr Paul Dixon
Pronunciation,
Listening & Speaking
0900 - 1200
1330 - 1600
Ms Claudine Ang
English for
Professional Purposes
Mr Paul Dixon
Pronunciation,
Listening & Speaking
Ms Claudine Ang
English for
Professional Purposes
Mr Paul Dixon
Pronunciation,
Listening & Speaking
Ms Claudine Ang
English for
Professional Purposes
Basic English Language and Communication Skills Course for Government Officials
(VIETNAM)
BLENDED LEARNING COURSE
3 - 21 April 2023
LT/2122/022
SEAMEO Regional Language Centre
Tea Break (1445 - 1500 hrs)
25 hrs
5 hrs
5 hrs
5 hrs
5 hrs
5 hrs
Hrs
EPP (TalentLMS)
40 mins
PLS (TalentLMS)
40 mins
EPP (TalentLMS)
40 mins
PLS (TalentLMS)
40 mins
EPP (TalentLMS)
40 mins
PLS (TalentLMS)
40 mins
EPP (TalentLMS)
40 mins
PLS (TalentLMS)
40 mins
EPP (TalentLMS)
40 mins
PLS (TalentLMS)
40 mins
Independent
Online Learning
Week 2 : 10 - 14 April 2023
Friday
21 Apr 23
Thursday
20 Apr 23
Wednesday
19 Apr 23
Tuesday
18 Apr 23
Monday
17 Apr 23
DAY
VN-TIME
TEST
Pronunciation,
Listening & Speaking
Mr Paul Dixon
TEST
English for
Professional Purposes
Ms Claudine Ang
English for
Professional Purposes
Mr Paul Dixon
Pronunciation,
Listening & Speaking
B
R
E
A
K
1330 - 1600
Closing Ceremony
(1500 - 1545 hrs)
Ms Claudine Ang
Mr Paul Dixon
Ms Claudine Ang
Mr Paul Dixon
Mr Paul Dixon
TEST (Speaking)
Pronunciation,
Listening & Speaking
Ms Claudine Ang
English for
Professional Purposes
Mr Paul Dixon
Pronunciation,
Listening & Speaking
Ms Claudine Ang
English for
Professional Purposes
Course Review
Course Evaluation
Mr Paul Dixon
TEST (Speaking)
Pronunciation,
Listening & Speaking
Ms Claudine Ang
English for
Professional Purposes
Mr Paul Dixon
Pronunciation,
Listening & Speaking
English for
Professional Purposes
L
U
N
C
H
Ms Claudine Ang
Mr Paul Dixon
Ms Claudine Ang
English for
Professional Purposes
1200
1330
Pronunciation,
Listening & Speaking
Ms Claudine Ang
Tea Break (1025 - 1040 hrs)
Ms Claudine Ang
English for
Professional Purposes
Mr Paul Dixon
Pronunciation,
Listening & Speaking
Ms Claudine Ang
English for
Professional Purposes
Mr Paul Dixon
Pronunciation,
Listening & Speaking
0900 - 1200
Basic English Language and Communication Skills Course for Government Officials
(VIETNAM)
BLENDED LEARNING COURSE
3 - 21 April 2023
LT/2122/022
SEAMEO Regional Language Centre
Tea Break (1445 - 1500 hrs)
24 hrs
4 hrs
5 hrs
5 hrs
5 hrs
5 hrs
Hrs
EPP (TalentLMS)
40 mins
PLS (TalentLMS)
40 mins
EPP (TalentLMS)
40 mins
PLS (TalentLMS)
40 mins
EPP (TalentLMS)
40 mins
PLS (TalentLMS)
40 mins
EPP (TalentLMS)
40 mins
PLS (TalentLMS)
40 mins
EPP (TalentLMS)
40 mins
PLS (TalentLMS)
40 mins
Independent
Online Learning
Week 3 : 17 - 21 April 2023
Southeast Asian Ministers of Education Organization
Regional Language Centre
Centre of Choice
Basic English Language and
Communication Skills Course
for Government Officials
English for Professional
Purposes (EPP)
Booklet A
1
Exchanging business greetings
1.
Introducing yourself
Task 1
Introduction 1
A: Hi, I’m James.
B: Hi. I’m Hiroko, from Japan.
Introduction 2
A: Hello. My name’s Desmond.
Desmond Smith, the Marketing
Manager from United Hotel. Nice
meeting you.
B: Good morning. I’m Ikuko Wada,
the Director from Sakura Travels,
Japan. Nice meeting you too.
1. Which introduction is more formal? Why?
2. What do you say when you welcome visitors at work?
3. How would you introduce yourself to the other people in your class?
Task 2
My informal self-introduction to new friends.
My formal self-introduction to colleagues at
my workplace.
2
2.
Getting to know others
Small talk is an informal conversation about things that are not important. It does
not cover any main topic. We make small talk to someone you don't know very
well. We also do so to make the time pass when we are together. We should
remain polite when we make small talk.
Task 1
1.
What are some common topics for small talk in your workplace? List two topics
that are common to talk about with your colleagues.
2. In your workplace, what questions are considered to be sensitive and impolite to
ask? Give two examples of topics that are not appropriate for small talk in your
workplace.
3.
In pairs, practise reading out the questions that are appropriate for small talk.

Ask a general question about their life
o So, how are things?
o How's the job going?
o Did you watch the football match on TV last night?

Make a positive comment about their appearance, work or skills
o Your English is very good. Where did you study?
o Are you enjoying the conference?
o Which session did you like most?

When you end your conversation, decide if you want more contact
or not.
o It was very nice talking to you. I hope you have a great trip! Bye.
o Oh, I'm late. I'd better go. It was nice talking to you. Bye.
o It was very interesting talking to you. Here is my card, and
please call me while you're in town.
3
Task 2
Grammar - Verb
When we meet new people, we ask and answer questions using the present
simple tense. Complete the questions and answers below.
Question
Positive answer
Negative answer
Where (1) ________ you
live?
I live in Rome.
I don’t live in Brazil.
Where (2) ________ you
from?
I’m from Spain.
I’m not from Italy.
What (3) ________ your
job?
I’m a receptionist.
But I (4) ________ not
responsible for sales.
Are you from Rome?
Yes, I (5)
________.
No, I’m not.
Do you (6) ________ a
ticket?
Yes, I (7)
________.
No, I don’t.
(8) ________ you got a
ticket?
Yes, I have.
No, I haven’t.
Task 3
1.
Identify the mistake and write the correct answer in the spaces provided.
1. Do you working for the Ministry of Defence?
2. Has you taken the file from this cabinet?
3. Let’s meeting John this Friday.
4. I doesn’t work on Saturdays.
4
2.
Match the beginnings and endings to form complete sentences.
Beginning …
… Ending
1. I work for …
… the Philippines originally.
2. My grandparents were from …
… the new personal assistant in this division.
3. My hometown is in…
… about four times a year for official meetings.
4. I’m …
… the Central Provident Fund, a statutory board.
5. I go to the USA …
… Ipoh, about 174 kilometres from Kuala Lumpur.
Task 4
Marie and Christy are visitors at the International Sportex Show. Complete
their conversation using the words provided.
from
go
sell
you
don’t
work
I’m
make
do
come
are
too
Marie:
So, where (1) __________ you from, Maria?
Christy:
(2) __________ from Italy.
Marie:
Really? Are you (3) __________ Rome?
Christy:
No, I’m not. I’m from Milan. (4) Do ______ know Milan?
Marie:
Yes, I went there on holiday last year. It’s a lovely place.
Christy:
Yes, it’s beautiful. Do you (5) __________ to Italy often?
Marie:
No, I (6) __________ travel much, maybe two to three times a year for
business.
Christy:
Which company do you (7) __________ for?
Marie:
I work for Skateline.
Christy:
Skateline? Yes, I know the name. What (8) __________ you do exactly?
Marie:
We (9) __________ inline skates. And you? What do you do?
Christy:
We (10) __________ Bianche road bikes.
Marie:
That’s great! Well, I need to (11) __________. Enjoy your day.
Christy:
Have a wonderful day (12) ___________.
5
Task 5
Scan the QR code and read the article on how to ask better questions at work.
Then answer the questions that follow.
1.
Read the section on “What are better questions at work?”. Then, create your
own sentence for each type of question. Share your answers in class.
Information-seeking questions
Rhetorical questions
Examination questions
Indirect requests
2.
Why should we ask better questions? Suggest 4 advantages or benefits.
1.
2.
3.
4.
6
Task 6
1.
Read the second column that contains inappropriate questions. Why should
we avoid asking such questions?
2.
In pairs, take turns to practise asking the appropriate questions in the last
column. You can create a suitable reply or response to these questions.
Situations
Inappropriate Questions
Appropriate Questions
1. When are you going to fix
your part of the
presentation?
2. Why weren’t you available
when we agreed to go
through the brief at 12?
3. I don’t get it, what do you
mean by that?
1. Can you look at some of the
comments I left on your part of
the presentation?
2. I have many other tasks
today, can we please agree on
a specific time for going
through the brief?
3. Can we arrange a meeting
and discuss this more
thoroughly?
Asking
supervisors
1. I’m the perfect candidate,
why didn’t you hire me?
2. When can I get a raise?
3. I’m too busy, can’t you ask
someone else to do it?
1. What areas do you think I
should focus on improving?
2. What kinds of opportunities
for growth does the company
offer?
3. I’m afraid it would be hard to
fit that into my schedule, is it a
priority?
Asking
subordinates
1. Why did you fail to do the
task?
2. Do you like your new
coworker?
3. This is so simple, when
are you going to learn?
1. What did you find
challenging about this task?
2. What do you find most
interesting about your new
coworker?
3. Is there any way I can make
this topic more clear for you?
Asking peers
7
Task 7
Get to know the other people in your
class. Ask and answer questions about
their:
 job
 organisation
 family
 home
Tips:
When you meet someone for the first time:
1. Begin with Nice to meet you or Hello.
2. Ask questions about their job, organisation, home, city, etc.
3. Respond with words like Really or Interesting as you listen to what they say.
4. Stress the you when you ask the same question back.
5. End the conversation with Nice to meet you or Nice meeting you.
8
Telephone skills
When you speak, it is important tell the caller your name using the right tone. If they
don’t get it correct, then it is fine to spell it out for them slowly.
Speak clearly so there is no misunderstanding as the listener needs to understand what
you are trying to say.
Speak slowly so that the listener does not miss any content. This is important so that
there is no breakdown in communication.
When we get a call and we can’t give the caller an answer immediately, we need to write
down their request.
For this, we must make sure we note the information correctly. We need to take down
the message and pass it to the person the caller wanted to contact.
Task 1
Telephone greeting
1.
Scan the QR code and watch the video on telephone greeting used in the
workplace.
Write down the three steps you need to follow for a telephone greeting.
Step 1.
_________________________________
Step 2.
____________________________________
Step 3.
____________________________________
9
2.
Fill in the blanks to make the telephone greeting complete.
“Good morning, ABC Business Center. Gerald ______________, how
__________ I help you?”
Hold ______, please.
May I ____________ who’s the on the ____________?
3.
In pairs, practise the telephone greeting with each other.
Task 2
Language Focus: Phrasal Verbs
1.
Scan the QR code and watch the video on phrasal verbs.
Fill in the preposition for each phrasal verb. Discuss the meaning of these
phrasal verbs.
Pick ______
Put _____________
Speak ___________
Get __________
Get _________
Turn ___________
Pass ________
Phone ___________
Break ____________
Call ________
Cut___________
Get ____________
Hang ________
Hang ___________
Hold ____________
10
2.
Choose any 3 phrasal verbs and create your own sentences.
1.
2.
3.
Task 3
Taking messages and arranging a meeting
1.
2.
The table below shows how take down a telephone message.
1.
Name of the caller
2.
Company name
3.
Telephone number
4.
Time and date of call
5.
The message (Keep it short!)
6.
You have to repeat the message to confirm the content.
7.
Don’t forget to thank the caller when you end the call
8.
End the call by addressing the caller using his name.
In pairs, practise the dialogue between the receiver (R) and the caller (C).
R:
Good morning. United Hotel. Anna speaking. How may I help you?
C:
Good morning. May I speak to Mr James Gibson, please?
R:
Who’s calling, please?
C:
This is Ms Jenny Smith, from Oregano Ltd.
R:
Mr Gibson is in the meeting. May I take down the message?
C:
Yes, Anna. I would like to submit my proposal to the client tomorrow
instead of the following week. I need to seek his permission for this.
11
R:
Alright. So let me confirm that you wish to check if you could submit
the proposal to Mr Gibson tomorrow instead of the following week.
C:
Yes, that right.
R:
I’ll let Mr Gibson know. Please give me your contact number.
C:
Oh..It’s 98563738.
R:
Let me repeat. 98563738. Is there anything else I can help you
with?
C:
3.
Nothing. Thank you so much.
Now, the receiver will take down the telephone message by filling in Form A
for Mr Gibson. The call was made on 23 March 2022 at 10 am.
Form A
1. Name of the caller __________________
2. Company name ____________________________
3. Telephone number _________________
4. Time and date of call __________________________________
5. The message (Keep it short!)
___________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________
6. You have to repeat the message to confirm the content.
7. Don’t forget to thank the caller when you end the call.
8. End the call by addressing the caller using his name.
12
Task 4
Student A calls Student B and asks for Florence. Practise taking down
telephone messages.
Student A
Student B
Information
Information




Your name is Peter.
You work for Good Life Assurance.
Your number is 00 41 1
4473322511.


You work in the same office as
Florence.
You receive a call from Peter.
Florence is out of the office all day.
Role play making a phone call.
Role play receiving a phone call.
Call Florence to tell her that you are free
on Friday morning from 9 to 11 o’clock
for a project meeting.
Take a phone message for Florence
and get the caller’s name and number.
Task 5
Please read the instructions below.
Choose ONE scenario and practise the dialogue.
1. Work in pairs.
2. There are two scenarios.
3. Each pair takes one scenario.
4. Create a telephone conversation between a caller (C) and a receiver (R).
5. The tone must be polite and pleasant.
6. Use magic words ‘please’, ‘sorry’ and ‘thank you’
7. Turn-taking between C and R must be smooth.
8. Use the structure you have learnt.
9. Planning: 5 min; Role-play: 1 min per pair.
13
Role Play 1
•
You are an officer in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
•
Your division head calls you to tell you that next month’s meeting with the
Canadian Foreign Ministry has been postponed.
•
What questions do you need to ask? What information do you need to know?
Role Play 2
•
You are the HR manager and you work for the Ministry of Agriculture.
•
Your division head wants to call for an urgent meeting for all staff and you have
been asked to convey the information to them.
•
What questions do you need to ask? What information do you need to know?
Task 6
Practise the dialogue in pairs.
Call 1
A
Good afternoon. ABC Engineering. How can I help you?
B
Hello, this is Mr Lee. Can I speak to Mr Sim?
A
Could you tell me what it’s about?
B
It’s about a new order.
A
I’m sorry, I didn’t catch your name.
B
Mr Lee.
A
Just a moment. I’ll put you through.
Call 2
A
Hello.
B
Hi, Ms Koo here. Is that you Mr Lim?
A
Sure is. How are you, Ms Koo?
B
Fine, and you?
A
Not too bad. So, what can I do for you?
B
The reason I’m calling is to fix a meeting with you next month.
14
Call 3
A
Good morning. Nam speaking.
B
Hello. This is Poon here. Can I speak to Ms Koh please?
A
Ms Koh is not in today. Can I help?
B
I’m not sure. The reason I’m calling is to discuss next week’s meeting.
A
Let me just get her diary… Oh yes, on Wednesday at 10 o’clock.
B
That’s it. You see, I’ve got to change the date of the meeting.
Talking about jobs
In a social setting (e.g. at a gathering or over dinner) someone may ask you about
your job. They could use one of the following questions:

What do you do?
What do you do for a living?
What is your job?
What line of work are you in?



They all mean the same.
You can answer like this:
I’m a ________________________. (name of your job)
I work for ____________________. (state the kind of work you are in)
I work in ____________________. (state the field of work you are in)
Task 1
1.
Underline the correct preposition for each sentence.
1. I’m part
of / for
a consulting company.
2. I work
on / for
Google.
3. I work
in / at
training.
4. I’m responsible
of / for
the welfare of my staff.
15
2.
5. I work closely
with / for
two female colleagues.
6. I’m in charge
for / of
the placement unit in HR .
7. An important aspect
of / at
my job is email contact.
8. I work
at / in
the former Soviet Union.
Make similar sentences about yourself.
1. I’m part
________________________________________________
2. I work
________________________________________________
3. I work
________________________________________________
4. I’m responsible
________________________________________________
5. I work closely
________________________________________________
6. I’m in charge
________________________________________________
7. An important part
________________________________________________
8. I work
________________________________________________
Optional video : Scan the QR code and watch the video on talking about jobs.
16
Task 2
Language Focus: Nouns and Verbs
It is important to use verbs and nouns correctly.
 A verb is a word to describe an action
 A noun is a word to identify people, places, or things
Example:
1.
Verb – train
Noun - training
I train the officers from the military school.
I do a lot of training since I need to build my stamina.
Underline the correct noun or verb in these sentences.
a. I (meet / meeting) a lot of people in my job.
b. I work for a small (organise / organisation).
c.
I (communicate / communication) a lot by email.
d. I (manage / management) a small team of Japanese students.
e. As a team leader, I have a lot of (discuss / discussions) with my members.
f.
I would like to seek some (advise / advice) regarding this new proposal.
g. I did some (amend / amendments) to the proposal.
h. I wish to (clarify / clarification) the total cost of this project.
2.
Create questions to ask people about their jobs using these verbs and nouns.
Example: Do you meet a lot of people in your job?
Where is your meeting this afternoon?
1.
meet (verb)
___________________________________________
2.
meeting (noun)
___________________________________________
3.
organise (verb)
___________________________________________
4.
organisation (noun)
___________________________________________
17
5.
communicate
___________________________________________
(verb)
6.
communication
___________________________________________
(noun)
7.
manage (verb)
___________________________________________
8.
management
___________________________________________
(noun)
9.
discuss (verb)
10. discussion (noun)
3.
___________________________________________
___________________________________________
In pairs, pose the above questions to your partner. Your partner will answer
them. Once completed, switch roles and repeat.
Question:
Do you meet a lot of people in your job?
Answer:
Yes, I do. / No, I don’t.
Task 3
Ask your partner about his/her job and organisation. Look back at some of the
questions in this lesson to help you. Note down your partner’s answers.
Work




Job title
Main responsibility
One thing I like in my job
Other information
Organisation




Name of the organisation
What it is about
Number of employees
Other information
18
Your Questions
Your Partner’s Responses
Task 4
Language Focus : Adverbs
1.
Put these time adverbs in the correct position below.
sometimes
2.
usually
often
rarely
Complete the time expressions below.
1. I have lunch in the canteen once or twice __________ week.
2. I check my emails __________ morning.
3. I travel to Brussels three __________ a month.
4. Although my dad is mainly working from home, he goes to the office _____________.
5. I ____________ take the train because I have car.
19
3.
4.
Correct the mistakes in the sentences.
1.
I start normally work at 7.30.
2.
She travel on business once a year.
3.
How often does he calls you?
4.
Does you often speak English at work?
Complete the text below with the words in the box.
never
always
every
a
times
usually
Javier’s life is (1) ___________ very busy. He is president of his own company,
Tecna, which makes equipment for farms. He doesn’t begin too early because he
works late (2) ______________ evening. He (3) _____________ finishes at 9 0’ clock
but sometimes later. Javier goes to Cuba three (4) _____________ a year to visit
important customers. He also travels to Australia, China, Mexico and the USA, maybe
15 weeks (5) ___________ year. So how does he stop stress? He walks to work most
days and walks home for lunch. And he (6) ___________ works at the weekend. This
is for spending time with his family on the beach!
20
Email writing
Structure
Task 1
Read the email below and indicate the parts of the email.
Sample email
From: Peter Chew Ing Kam@gmail.com
(1)
(2)
To: K.A. Chang @relc.org.sg
Date: 13 August 2022
(3)
Subject: My learning experience at RELC
(4)
Dear Miss Chang,
I am Peter from Singapore. I am writing to share my learning
experience at RELC.
Ever since I started work five years ago, I do not have many
opportunities to learn English full-time. In my daily life, I speak
mostly Mandarin as I do not have the confidence to speak in
English.
I am very happy to have the chance to learn English at RELC six
months ago. Besides attending your class on email writing, I also
learnt a lot from Mr Ken who taught us pronunciation and speaking.
Today, I am able to use the skills that I learnt in my work.
(5)
I really appreciate the efforts of all the lecturers at RELC for giving
me a great learning experience.
Thank you!
Best regards,
Peter
21
Parts of an email
Parts of an email
1)
Recipient line
The email address of the person to whom the email is sent
2)
Sender line
The email address of the person who sent the email
3)
Date line
Date on which the email was sent
4)
Subject line
The topic of the email message
5)
Message section
What the sender wants to communicate
When writing emails, we often write with four main parts:
1. Greeting
2. Reason for writing
3. Action point
4. Close
Task 2
Complete the email with the phrases in the box. Write the letter to each part of
the email.
From: Sandy
a Best wishes
To: Frank
b Could you please send
me an agenda as soon
as possible?
Subject: Sales meeting
Greeting
(1) ………….
Reason for writing
(2) ………….
Action point
(3) ……...….
Close
(4) ………….
c Dear Frank
d I can confirm that I will
be at the sales meeting
next week.
22
Reasons for writing
Task 3: Match the reasons for writing (1 - 4) with the action points (a – d).
Reasons for writing
1 I need to contact John about a
Action points
a Can we discuss flight arrangements
computer problem, but can’t find
for Tuesday after the marketing
his number or email address.
meeting?
2 It would be good to discuss the
production schedule.
3 Attached is an Excel file with
b Could you send them to me as soon
as possible? Thanks.
c Please contact me if you need any
information about product no.
more information.
3256.
Best regards.
4 I spoke to Peter yesterday on the
phone about our trip to Canada.
d Could you give me a call tomorrow?
Regards
Task 4
Write a short email with a reason for writing and an action point.
Imagine that you are John Ngyuen. Write an email to your colleague Mr Alex Toh. Tell
him that the Manager of your department, Mrs Dorcas Lim, will be arriving at Changi
Airport (Singapore) from Maldives on 29 September 2020 at 5.00 pm.
Ask him to:
1. Arrange for a taxi to fetch Mrs Dorcas from the airport to RELC International
Hotel, and
2. Plan a dinner meeting at Shangri-La Hotel at 8.00 pm.
23
From:
_______________________________________________
To:
________________________________________________
Subject: ________________________________________________
Dear
,
Mrs Dorcas
Would you
Best regards,
24
Useful email phrases for general purposes
Formal
Dear Mr/Ms/Mrs Lee
Dear Mary
Informal
Hi/Hello Mary
Mary,... (or no name at all)
Previous contact
Thank you for your email of ...
Further to your last email, ...
I apologize for not getting in
contact with you before now.
Thanks for your email.
Re your email, ...
Sorry I haven’t written for ages,
but I’ve been really busy.
Reason for
writing
I am writing to inform you…
I am writing to invite you…
I am writing to confirm…
I am sending you a file…
Please find attached my report.
I’m sending you ... as a pdf file.
I’d be grateful if you could ...
I wonder if you could ...
Thank you in advance for your help
in this matter.
Just a short note about ...
Please note that ...
Promising action
I will ...
I’ll investigate the matter.
I will contact you again shortly.
I’ll ...
I’ll look into it.
I’ll get back to you soon.
Offering help
Would you like me to ...?
If you wish, I would be happy to ...
Let me know whether you would
like me to ...
Do you want me to ...?
Shall I ...?
Let me know if you’d like me to
...
Apologizing
We would like to apologize for any
inconvenience caused.
Please accept our apologies for …
We will make sure that this will not
happen again in the future.
I am afraid I will not be able to ...
I’m sorry for the trouble I caused.
I apologize for ...
I promise it won’t happen again.
I’m sorry, but I can’t …
Name
Attachments
Requests
I’ve attached ...
Here is the ... you wanted.
Please could you ...
Could you ...?
Can I have ...?
I’d appreciate your help on this.
25
Final comments
Close
Formal
Thank you for your help.
Do not hesitate to contact me
again if you require any further
information.
Please feel free to contact me if
you have any questions. My direct
line is ...
Informal
Thanks again for ...
Let me know if you need
anything else.
Just give me a call if you have
any questions. My number is ...
I look forward to ... (+ ing)
Best wishes
Regards
Best regards
Yours faithfully
Yours sincerely
Looking forward to ... (+ ing)
Best wishes to ..
Bye (for now)
All the best
Best
Arranging meetings by email
Task 5
Alex wants to arrange meetings with four colleagues.
Match Alex’s emails (1 – 4) with Replies from his colleagues (a – d).
Alex’s emails
1) Hi, can we meet next Monday at 8
o’clock?
Replies from his colleagues
a) That’s fine. But could we make it 2.30
instead?
2) Are you free next Tuesday for a
meeting?
b) Fine, my office then. Will you send an
agenda?
3) Would Wednesday be convenient
for a meeting? Say 2 o’clock?
c) Sorry, I’ve got a meeting at 8.15 with
Simon. How about 9.30 instead?
4) Could we fix a meeting for
Thursday? How about 10 in your
office?
d) I’m afraid not. I’m on holiday next
week. I’ll call you when I get back. Is
that OK?
26
Useful email phrases for arranging meetings
Reason for
writing

Suggesting
time/place


Saying when

you are free or
not free


Formal / Neutral
I’m writing to arrange a time
for our meeting.
What time would it be
convenient for you?


Could we meet on Monday at
3 pm?


I would be able to attend the
meeting on Thursday
morning.
I’ll be in class till 2 pm.
Any time after that would be
fine.




Confirming


I’d like to confirm ...

That’s fine. I will call/email you 
tomorrow to confirm the
details.
Changing
arrangements

This is to let you know that I

will not be able to attend the
next meeting next Thursday.
I wonder if we could move it to 
...?

I apologize for any
inconvenience caused.


Close


I look forward to meeting you.
Let me know if you need to
change the arrangements.


Informal
Just a quick note to arrange a
time to meet.
When would it suit you?
How about Mon at 3 pm?
Are you free sometime next
week?
I’m free on Thursday
morning.
I will be teaching until 1.30
p.m.
Any time after that is okay.
Sorry, can’t make it next
Monday.
Thursday is good for me.
That should be okay. I’ll get
back to you if there’s a
problem.
Regarding our meeting next
week, I’m afraid I can’t make
it on Thursday.
How about ... instead?
Sorry for the inconvenience.
See you soon.
Give me a call if anything
changes.
27
Task 6a
Write a short email to your partner to arrange a meeting. Then give it to your
partner.
From:
________________________________________________
To:
________________________________________________
Subject: ________________________________________________
28
Task 6b
Reply to the email which you received. Ask to arrange the meeting. Then give
your email to your partner.
From:
_________________________________________________
To:
_________________________________________________
Subject: _________________________________________________
When arranging meetings by email, remember to:

State the time, date and place clearly

Refer to any attachments you are sending

Confirm when you receive documentation for the meeting.
29
Tone
Tone is the attitude you put across in your message, whether it is formal, optimistic
or friendly. It refers to the feeling your audience will get when they read your email.
Tone is important in emails – the wrong tone can get you into trouble
When writing business emails in a hurry, we often forget to check the tone.
Task 7
Describing tone
How would you describe the tone of the following lines from business emails? What
words, phrases, or other elements suggest that tone? Take turns to say aloud the
sentences and see if there is a match between the ‘sender’ and the ‘recipient’ in terms
of your interpretation of the tone.
a. avoiding
b. appreciative
c. helpful
d. blaming
e. demanding
f. defensive
Email
1
“If the project leader had set a reasonable schedule, we wouldn’t be
in this mess now.”
2
“Thanks for working so hard on this project.”
3
“I want these numbers in the next two hours.”
4
“I don’t remember you saying when this was due.”
5
“What can we do at our end to help your team to complete this by
June?”
6
“I’m not giving excuses for missing the deadline but your
department gave us the information very late.”
Tone
30
Talking about workplaces
1.
Describing your workplace.
Task 1
Language Focus: Countable and Uncountable Nouns
Check Your Grammar
We can use ‘There is / There are’ with countable nouns and uncountable nouns to
describe where we work. Complete the sentences below using the words in the
box.
any
are
Countable singular
some
are
is
aren’t
Countable plural
Uncountable nouns
Positive There’s a restaurant.
There’s an open office.
There (1)_____ some
table games.
There’s (2)___
information on the new
database.
Negative There isn’t a fixed
desk.
There isn’t an exercise
room.
There’s no solution.
There aren’t (3)___
personal offices.
There are no personal
offices.
There isn’t any paper.
There’s no paper.
Question Is there a restaurant?
Is there a swimming
pool?
(4)_____ there any
places to work in
private?
(5)_____ there any
personal space?
Yes, there are.
No, there (6)_____.
Yes, there is.
No, there isn’t.
Answer Yes, there is.
No, there isn’t.
Note:
1. We often use some in positives and any in negatives and questions. But we also use
some when we ask for or offer something.
Example: Would you like some coffee?
2. We can use a lot of in positives, negatives and questions with countable plural nouns
and uncountable nouns.
Examples: There are a lot of table games. There isn’t a lot of time.
31
2.
Comparing different office spaces
Task 2
Underline the mistakes in these sentences. Write the correct word above it.
1. There is two training rooms on the first floor.
2. There aren’t a private office on the top floor.
3. Are there any computer equipment on the first floor?
4. There isn’t a lot of space in the car park.
Task 3
Bob is showing David round his office. Complete the dialogue with the correct
question, negative or positive form of There is or There are.
David: So, (1)__________ a car park for employees?
Bob: Yes, (2)__________ some space but only for top management.
David: What do other people do?
Bob: Well, (3)___________ a railway station nearby so lots of people come by
train.
David: I see. What about lunch? (4)__________ a staff restaurant?
Bob: No, but (5)__________ a lot of bars and restaurants in the same street.
David: (6)__________ a gym or swimming pool?
Bob: No, (7)__________ anything like that. But (8)__________ two parks
across the street and a swimming pool half a kilometre away.
David: (9)__________ somewhere I can get a drink?
Bob: Yes, (10)_________ a lot of drinks machines in the building. Let’s get
something.
32
Task 4
Circle the correct words in these sentences. Sometimes more than one word
or phrase is possible.
1. There are
( some / a lot of / any )
new computers for everyone.
2. There’s
( some / any / no )
information on our intranet.
3. There aren’t
( any / a lot of / no )
free spaces in our car park.
4. There isn’t
( a / some / any )
nice food in the staff restaurant.
5. There’s
( a lot of / any / no )
new furniture in my office.
Task 5
Make similar sentences about your workplace.
1. There are
________________________________________________
2. There’s
________________________________________________
3. There aren’t
________________________________________________
4. There isn’t
________________________________________________
5. There’s
________________________________________________
Task 6
1. Talk to your partner about each other’s workplaces.
2. Ask questions to find out about his/her office building and the area around it.
3. Fill in the table on the following page. Then compare your office spaces.
4. Which workplace do you prefer?
33
Compare workplaces
“Are there any …?”
“Are there a lot of …?”
“Is there a …?”
“Is there any …?”
Your workplace
Your partner’s workplace
Office building
Individual offices
Car park
Staff restaurant
Staff resting area
Any others
Area around it
Shops
Fitness centre
Banks
Restaurants
Any others
34
About the Speaking Task
Make a presentation about your organisation.
On the last session of the EPP module, you are required to do an
individual presentation.
Topic
Describe your organisation
Imagine that you are presenting to a group of clients who are interested to work with your
organisation.

Prepare a short introduction about yourself and your organisation to your
clients. Your presentation should be about 2 to 3 minutes long.

You may use cue cards to help you with the presentation. Do make your
presentation positive and interesting.
Use the diagram below and the rubrics on the following page as a guide.
Oral Presentation Rubric
Criteria /
Mark
Range
Band 1


Mostly poor
 Somewhat clear
pronunciation and
pronunciation
articulation
and articulation
 Mostly
 Somewhat
inappropriate pace,
appropriate
volume and
pace, volume
intonation
and intonation
 Mostly inappropriate  Somewhat
use of non-verbal
appropriate use of
cues (posture,
non-verbal cues
gestures, eye
(posture,
contact)
gestures, eye
contact)
 Lacks confidence
 Somewhat
confident






Verbal
Qualities
Non-verbal
Qualities
Mostly not relevant
to the topic
Mostly not
organised,
informative and
coherent
Mostly not effective
use of presentation
tools

Mostly inaccurate
language use
Mostly
inappropriate word
choice

Band 3
Somewhat
relevant to the
topic
Somewhat
organised,
informative and
coherent
Somewhat
effective use of
presentation
tools
Somewhat
accurate
language use
Somewhat
appropriate word
choice
Content
Language
Use
Band 2










Generally
relevant to the
topic
Generally
organised,
informative and
coherent
Generally
effective use of
presentation
tools
Generally
accurate
language use
Generally
appropriate and
effective word
choice
Generally good
pronunciation
and articulation
Generally
appropriate
pace, volume
and intonation
Generally
appropriate use of
non-verbal cues
(posture,
gestures, eye
contact)
Generally
confident
Band 4







Very relevant to
the topic
Very well
organised,
informative and
coherent
Very effective use
of presentation
tools
Accurate language
use
Very appropriate
and effective word
choice
Very
good pronunciation
and articulation
Very appropriate
pace, volume and
intonation
 Very appropriate
use of non-verbal
cues (posture,
gestures, eye
contact)
 Very confident
36
Southeast Asian Ministers of Education Organization
Regional Language Centre
Centre of Choice
A Basic English Language and
Communication Skills Course for
Government Officials
ENGLISH FOR PROFESSIONAL PURPOSES
Booklet B
1
Letter writing & memo writing
Introduction to Letter Writing
Q1
What is a business letter?
A business letter is a formal letter for official and professional communication.
Q2
Who sends and who receives business letters?
Business letters can be used in different ways, such as the ones shown below.
Sender
1) From one organisation
To
another organisation
2) From one organisation
To
its clients, employees, stakeholders, etc.
To
another individual
3) From
Q3
Recipient(s) / Reader(s)
one individual
Why use business letters when we can use emails?
Yes, email is the most common form of communication today. However, printed
business letters are still used for some important or serious types of communication,
including reference letters, employment verification, and job offers.
Q4
What are the sections of a business letter?
A business letter has the following sections:
1. your contact information & your recipient’s
2. salutation
3. body of the letter
4. closing
5. your signature
Q5
What should we include in the “body of the letter”?
The body of the letter contains the main message or information.
To help the reader understand its message more easily, follow the guidelines below.
Opening paragraph

State clearly why you are sending the letter.
2
Next paragraphs

Provide important information to help your
reader(s) understand your message.

Keep your message short and concise.

Do not include unnecessary details.
Structure of business letters
The sample below is a common, standard structure for business letters in English.
There are other formats or structures as well, but this is always acceptable. It is also easy
to follow.
Many organisations and companies have their own standard template for letters, which may
be different.
Task 1: Look at the business letter given.
Complete the descriptions of its structure using the letters in the box.
A. Sender's address
B. Recipient’s address
C. Full date
D. Subject
E. Call for action
F. Brief description
G. Reason for writing
H. Closing
I. Salutation
3
Business Letter Format
Company, Inc.
123 Alphabet Drive
Los Angeles, California 90002
1.
2.
15 October 2016
3.
Mr. John Doe
Customer Service Representative
Widgets Galore, Inc.
987 Widget Street
Miami, Florida 33111
4.
5.
Dear Mr. Doe:
RE: Delivery of Widgets
I am writing you concerning a recent purchase of widgets. Approximately two weeks ago, on October
1, I ordered a total of 50 widgets for Company, Inc. via the Widgets Galore client webpage. I received
an email notification two days later confirming the receipt of payment and the shipment of the
widgets. According to your website, shipments should reach their destination within 3-5 business days
of being sent, but I have yet to receive the widgets. Do you have any information on what may have
happened to delay the shipment or where the shipment is currently?
6.
7.
I have worked with Widgets Galore, Inc. in the past and have the greatest confidence in your products
and customer service. We need the shipment of widgets soon, however, and I hoped you might be
able to provide me with an idea of when I can expect them. Thank you in advance for any help you
might be able to offer.
Sincerely,
Sam Brown
Vice President of Company, Inc.
555-555-5555
s.brown@companyinc.com
8.
9.
4
Writing and replying to business invitations
Task 2: Complete the following sentences often used in letters of invitation.
would like to
writing to invite you
Would you like to
How about
Why don’t you
would like you to
1. _________________________ joining us for lunch this Saturday?
2. _________________________ attend the concert this evening?
3. I will be hosting a workshop for senior managers and ______________________ take
part, if you can.
4. I’m _________________________ to the opening of our new headquarters.
5. I _________________________ invite you to present an award at our awards ceremony
in May this year.
6. ________________________ come over to my office on Friday at 11.00 am, and we can
talk about the details then?
Task 3: In Letters A and B, underline
a) two phrases to show that the reader has received the invitation
b) a phrase for accepting an invitation (i.e. will be going)
c) a phrase for declining and invitation (i.e. will not be going)
Letter A
Letter B
Dear Mr Max,
Dear Mr Max,
Thank you for your letter inviting me to the
launch of your new product.
Many thanks for the invitation to the
launch of your new product.
Unfortunately, I am unable to attend
because of a former engagement. However,
my colleague, Peter, from our Finance
I would be happy to attend the launch
event.
I look forward to seeing you there.
5
Department, would be happy to attend the
function in my place.
Regards,
Sonia Kim
Yours sincerely,
Sonia Kim
Task 4a: Refer to the notes to complete this formal letter of invitation. Write in your
own words.
Dear Alex,
I’m very pleased to tell you that we have now completed (1) _________________
_________________________________________________________________.
It is largely thanks to your (2) _________________________________________,
that we have been able to complete this project.
I would be delighted if you would accept our (3) ___________________________
_________________________________________________________________,
which will take place on 26 February at 6.00 pm, in the new extension.
Please (4) _______________________________________________________ ,
and once again, many thanks for your continuing support.
Regards,
Sam
6
Tip
Use standard formats and fixed
phrases to help you write more
easily and quickly.
Example:


I look forward to hearing from
you soon.
I’m writing to …
A standard format also helps
make your letters clearer for the
reader.
Task 4b: Imagine you are Alex and you have received the letter from Sam. Write back
to him, either accepting or declining the invitation.
Phrases for accepting invitations
(i.e. will be going)




I’m delighted to accept the invitation.
I’ll be happy to see you there.
I’m very grateful to you for the …
It’s very kind of you to …
Phrases for declining invitations
(i.e. will not be going)


I’m afraid I won’t be able to …
I’m sorry to tell you that I …
Your reply:
Dear ________________,
7
Writing the Basic Business Letter
Introduction to business memo writing
Q1
What is a business memo?
A memo (short for memorandum) is a reminder or short message. Organisations
often send business memos to their staff to communicate company events, policies,
procedures or other official matters.
Q2
How are business memos and business letters different?
Both business memos and business letters are official written communication.
However, there are some differences between them.
Comparison
Business Memo
Business Letter
Purpose
For internal communication
(people within the
company)
For external communication
(people outside the
company)
Parties
Departments, units or
superior-subordinate
Two companies or
between company and
client
One to many
One to one
Informal
Formal
Short and concise
Long and informative
No signature needed
Signature needed
Communication
Tone
Length
Signature
8
Parts of a business memo
Task 1: Look at Business Memo Sample 1 and 2.
Can you identify the following parts of the memo? Mark out each part clearly.
TO: a. The names and job titles of all recipients
Part 1
Header
FROM: b. Your name and job title
DATE: c. Complete date (Day, Month, Year)
SUBJECT: d. A short description of what the memo is about
Opening e. State the purpose of the memo clearly.
Part 2
Message
Body f. Be direct. Go straight to the point.
g. Keep it short. Do not include details.
Closing h. End with a call to action.
Business Memo Sample 1
MEMORANDUM
TO: All Staff
FROM: Sonny Toh, Head, Human Resource Dept
DATE: 9 November 2022
SUBJECT: Nancy’s Baby Shower
I am writing to inform you of a baby shower we’re planning for Nancy, before she
goes on maternity leave.
The party will be held at our Staff Lounge at 12.30 pm on Friday, 20 Nov 2020.
Lunch will be provided by the company.
RSVP to Sonny Toh by Wed, 25 Nov. Please include in your RSVP any dietary
restrictions.
9
Business Memo Sample 2
MEMORANDUM
TO: All Employees
FROM: Lily Ho, Head, Marketing Department
DATE: 21 December 2020
SUBJECT: Facilities Update
I’m writing to inform you that, over the next few weeks, our kitchen will be under
construction as we re-model.
As our company continues to grow, we feel that it is necessary to provide more
dining space for all our staff. We are grateful to our facilities team for making that
happen. In the meantime, we are sorry for the inconvenience.
From 1 – 31 January 2121, please use the kitchen on the second floor if you need
a microwave.
Thank you for your understanding and cooperation.
How to write a memo
Task 2: Business Memo Writing Practice
Miss Gina Guna is the Deputy Head of the Occupational Safety and Health Division.
Due to the easing of COVID-19 precautions in her country, she must ensure that all staff
are informed while still keeping safe at the workplace.
As she is very busy, she asks you to help her draft a memo.
In the memo, inform the staff of the easing of COVID -19 precautions. At the same time,
remind the staff to follow workplace safety guidelines. Include the following:





That wearing masks will no longer be mandatory in the office from 1 Feb 2023.
Staff may resume having meals together.
Meetings can be arranged in person/ face to face.
Reminder to take precautions if they feel unwell.
To practise social responsibility and take the ART test if they feel unwell.
10
MEMORANDUM
TO: _________________________________________________________
FROM: ______________________________________________________
DATE: _______________________________________________________
SUBJECT: ____________________________________________________
I’m writing to …
I would like to remind …
Thank you for …
11
Describing people at work
Task 1: Describing Your Personal Qualities.
What are your personal qualities? Tick () your answers.
Personal Qualities
Strongly
Disagree
Disagree
Agree
Strongly
Agree
1. I finish my work on time.
2. I’m a hardworking person.
3. I am not confident.
4. I feel tired and stressed.
5. I plan my time well.
6. I have a bad temper.
7. I am an impatient person.
8. I make new friends easily.
9. I get angry easily.
10. I’m neat and well organised.
Time to Talk
Describe 2 personal qualities to your partner. Include an example to show the quality. Take
turns speak.
Task 2: Vocabulary for Describing Your Personality
Read the three stories below to learn real-life English vocabulary.
Each person has answered the question: How would you describe yourself to someone you
just met?
Choose a word in bold that matches the meaning and write in the space provided.
Story One
I guess the most important thing about me is I’m a bit of an introvert. I mean, I’m always
the wallflower. But that doesn’t mean I don’t like being around people. I actually love it.
I thrive on deep conversations where I feel a strong connection with someone. And I’d like
to think I’m a good listener and a good conversationalist. Maybe it’s because I don’t like to
talk about myself so I’m always asking others questions about themselves.
12
1. _______________ (verb). To prosper or be successful. Synonyms include to flourish, to
grow, to prosper, to shine, or to succeed.
2. ________________ (noun). A person who doesn’t find it easy to talk to others or
someone who is often viewed as shy or reserved. The opposite would be an extrovert. An
extrovert is sociable and gets energy from being with other people.
3. ________________ (noun). Someone who enjoys and/or contributes to a good
conversation; someone who is interested in conversations.
4. _______________ (noun). A person who is shy; someone who often sits or stands away
from the centre of attention at a party; someone who is solitary.
Story Two
Oh, that’s easy. I’m super loyal, determined, and goal-driven. I’ll do almost anything to get
what I want. I suppose a lot of people would say I’m stubborn, but I prefer to see the
positive – I’ll always find a way or a solution. That’s not only true for me but for my friends
and family as well. I’ll do anything to help them out.
1. ________________ (adjective). It means someone who has reached a decision and will
stick to that decision. Synonyms include driven, steadfast, purposeful, persistent, or
resolved.
2. ________________ (adjective). It means someone focused and motivated by goals.
3. ________________ (adjective). It is similar to determined but it is in a rather negative
way.
4. ________________ (phrasal verb). It means to do something so another’s task or job is
easier.
13
Story Three
I’d say I’m pretty easy-going and sociable. I love to crack jokes, to make people laugh. At
work, I’m the guy that gets along with everyone. And I feel good knowing other people are
comfortable around me. The downside of being that guy – the life of the party guy – is that
people think I can’t be serious. I’m afraid my boss might think that actually. But when I need
to, I can be very focused.
1. ________________ (adjective). It means relaxed and casual. Synonyms include laidback, easy-go-lucky, low-pressure, or mellow.
2. ________________ It means to tell a joke that is striking or in a sudden manner.
3. ________________ (adjective). It means to be or to remain on friendly terms with
someone.
4. _____________________ is an idiom. It means a person who is lively; someone who
makes events fun; someone who is at the centre of attention.
Adapted from https://www.speakconfidentenglish.com/describe-your-personality-english/
Describing other people
Task 3: Complete these sentences with the correct word (adjective). Use a dictionary
to help you.
1. He can do his job quickly and well. He’s very ________________
direct
2. She always has a lot of new ideas. She’s very _______________
impatient
3. May hates waiting for anything. She’s very __________________
punctual
4. Bob wants to be the best. He’s very _______________________
efficient
5. He says what he thinks. He’s very _________________________
competitive
6. She always arrives for meetings on time. She’s very __________
confident
7. Dan is not afraid to speak English! He’s very ________________
creative
14
Task 4: Make sentences about the people you know (e.g. your boss, colleague,
customer, business partner). You can use the adjectives below or select other
adjectives to describe them.
Examples:  My boss has many new ideas. He is very creative.
 My grandmother uses her money very carefully. She is very thrifty.
1. My _____________________________________________________________.
2. My _____________________________________________________________.
3. My _____________________________________________________________.
4. My _____________________________________________________________.
5. My _____________________________________________________________.
Language use
Look at two important ways to build sentences using adjectives.
1. She’s good at presenting. = the verb to be + adjective + at + activity
2. She’s an excellent tennis player. = the verb to be + a/an + adjective + personal noun
15
Task 5: Use the table below to make sentences about other people. Add your own
ideas.
Business
Activity
presenting
managing
people
selling
(your ideas)
General
Personal noun
presenter
manager
sales person
(your ideas)
Activity
socialising
swimming
reading
(your ideas)
Personal noun
socialiser
swimmer
reader
(your ideas)
Quality
adjectives
excellent / great
good / very good
not very good
bad / very bad
terrible / awful
Example: He’s good at presenting but not very good at writing reports.
1. He’s _____________________________ but _____________________________.
2. He’s _____________________________ but _____________________________.
3. She’s ____________________________ but _____________________________.
4. She’s ____________________________ but _____________________________.
5. She’s ____________________________ but _____________________________.
Task 6: Time to Talk
Think of a famous person. Describe his/her personal qualities without identifying who the
person is.
Talk about the following:


Two positive and two negative qualities of the person.
One quality which you have in common with this person.
Positive qualities
 _______________
Negative qualities
 _______________
 _______________
 _______________
Similar quality to you
 _______________
Can anyone in your class guess who you are describing? Who is the person? Did
anyone guess it correctly?
16
Participating in Meetings (1)
What is a meeting?
A meeting is defined as the coming together of two or more persons such as a committee,
to make decisions or to develop recommendations.
Types of Business Meetings








Formal meetings
Informal meetings
Project status or update meetings
Planning meetings
Governance cadence business meetings
Innovation meetings
Team building meetings
Problem-solving meetings
Starting meetings
Task 1
What topics from this list are most suitable for the chit chat at the start of a meeting, do you
think? What other topics of conversation are and are not suitable in this situation?
o A recent sports match
o The weather
o The news
o Recent celebrity gossip
o A recent movie/ Going to the cinema
o This week/ This weekend/ This morning/ Last night
o Travelling here
o How well you all know this city or area
o How you’ve all been since last time you met
o The last time you met
o Colleagues or friends that you know
o Appearance/ clothes
o Holidays and travel
o Days off
17
Task 2: With your partner, take turns to talk about these topics.
Then discuss with your partner other possible small talk topics that are suitable to break
the ice at the start of a meeting. Write them here.
Tips for listening and speaking in a meeting
When LISTENING in a meeting, always:

try to understand chunks of language

avoid translating in your head – work in English

use active listening

ask for repetition

summarise the key points to check your understanding
When SPEAKING in a meeting, always:

prepare adequately

use visual supports and handouts

speak clearly and slowly

keep eye contact

keep to the point

use sequencing words

check that people understand you

If needed, ask for clarification on your understanding of what was said
18
Task 3: In groups, organise a short meeting using the agenda below.
Role-play: You are the management committee which needs to address the problem
described. Appoint a chairman for the meeting. Group members can take turns to speak
during the meeting.
Agenda
Meeting to discuss the use of the internet for non-work related matters during office hours.
Objective:
To manage the use of the internet among company employees during office hours.
Information:
A report shows that many staff use the internet during office hours for personal or nonwork related matters. It was estimated that on average, about 2 to 3 hours a day were
spend on the internet for non-work related matters. The report suggested that employees
are less efficient because of this.
Possible actions:
 Check all websites visited by each member of staff.
 Give internet access to a limited number of staff.
 Send an email to all staff asking them not to use the internet for non-work related
matters.
 Include in employment contracts a paragraph that says unauthorised use of the
internet can result in suspension or termination of the contract.
 Nothing. Restricting staff freedom may have a negative impact on motivation.
 Other actions …
Planning a Working Lunch
Describing different types of food
Task 1: Match the foods, countries and pictures.
Food
 burritos
 chilli crab
 couscous
 curry
 foie gras
 roast beef and Yorkshire pudding
Country
 England
 France
 India
 Mexico
 Morocco
 Singapore
19
1
Food
__________
2
Food
_________
Country
__________
Country
_________
3
4
Food
__________
Food
_________
Country
__________
Country
_________
5
6
Food
__________
Food
_________
Country
___________
Country
_________
Which of the above dishes have you tried? Did you enjoy the dish?
Speak to your partner and describe why you liked or did not really like the dish.
Task 2: What is your favourite dish? Write something about your favourite dish and take
turns to talk about it.
20
Task 3: Comparative and superlative adjectives
We can compare things using the comparative and superlative forms of
adjectives. Complete the table below.
Rule
Adjective Comparative
Superlative
1 One syllable: add –er/-est
cheap
cheapest
2 Two syllables ending in y:
tasty
(1)
_________
(2)
_________
more/less
modern
(4)
_____/least
modern
change y to i and add –er /-est
3 Most other two syllables
modern
adjectives*: use more / less and
most / least
4 Three or more syllables: use
(3)
_________
expensive (5)
______/less
expensive
most/(6)
______
expensive
5 Learn the irregular adjectives
good
(8) _____
better
worse
6 *Some two syllable adjectives
quiet
polite
polite
quieter
politer
more/less
polite
(7)
_________
worst
quietest
politest
more/least
polite
more / less and most / least
take –er / -est. Some can take
both forms.
Task 4: Underline the mistakes in these sentences. Write the correct word(s) above it.
1. I learn vocabulary more fast than I learn grammar.
2. For me, English grammar is more easier than French grammar.
3. My writing is badder than my speaking.
4. The importantest language for international business is English.
21
Task 5: Re-arrange the words and write the complete sentence.
1. than / healthier / fresh fruit / chocolate / is
_________________________________________________________________
2. cheaper / salmon / Russian cavier / is / than
_________________________________________________________________
3. than / Champagne / more expensive / is / Cava
_________________________________________________________________
4. quicker to eat / a meal in a restaurant / a sandwich / than / is
_________________________________________________________________
5. is / English food / Indian food / than / spicier
_________________________________________________________________
Planning a working lunch
Task 6: Group work
You are a member of your organisation’s Working Lunch Committee. As your
organisation or department is planning a working lunch next week, your committee
needs to recommend which restaurant to go.
In your group, you need to:
1. Suggest three restaurants (that serve different foods)
2. Compare and discuss their differences
3. Decide which is the best, and why
4. Present your recommendation to your department’s director.
22
Participating in Meetings (2)
Leading a meeting
As a Government Official, consider the following questions:
1) Do you have internal meetings conducted in English in your organisation?
2) Do you have meetings conducted in English with customers or other people from
outside your organisation?
3) Do you ever participate in or chair meetings in English?
Task 1: Look at the meeting introductions below. Match each of the 9 steps with the
correct description (a – i).
1.
Right … I think we should start now. Robert, Alice … could you …?
Robert…? Thanks.
2.
OK, so, is everybody here? Who are we waiting for? Hmmm … well, I
think we’ll have to make a start without them. We’ve got a lot to get
through this afternoon.
3.
Right, well, as you know, the purpose of today’s meeting is to see where
we are with the marketing plan, and to work out what we still need to do
before the launch, which is now just six weeks away.
4.
By the end of the meeting, we need to have a list of firm action points for
the next month. Hopefully, we’ll then need only one more meeting next
month to tie up any remaining loose ends.
5.
Did everyone get a copy of the agenda I sent round? OK, good.
6.
As you say, we’ve got a lot to get through, so please let’s stick to the
agenda. I’ve set aside two hours for this meeting, and we really can’t
afford to run over. Ideally, we can cover everything in an hour and a half.
Does that sound reasonable?
7.
Ah, Helena, come and take a seat. We started without you.
8.
So, perhaps we can get the ball rolling by going through the list of
action points from the last meeting.
23
Borys, you were going to look into the costs of various options that came
up last time. Could you tell us what you found out?
9.
Descriptions of the 9 steps in leading a meeting
a.
b.
c.
d.
e.
f.
g.
h.
i.
Stating the desired outcome.
Introducing the first point on the agenda.
Getting people’s attention, interrupting small talk.
Handing over to the first speaker.
Dealing with non-attendees.
Dealing with a late arrival.
Explaining time limits and procedures.
Stating the purpose.
Checking people have seen the agenda.
Task 2: Make use of the words in the box to complete the useful phrases for getting a
meeting started.
make
run
have
cover
see
get
tie
go
send
look
stick
come
set
find
1. to ____________ aside X hours for something
2. to ____________ the ball rolling by doing something
3. to ____________ everything in X hours
4. to ____________ into something
5. to ____________ a lot to get through
6. to ____________ over
7. to ____________ round a copy of the agenda
8. to ____________ a start without somebody
9. to ____________ something out
10. to ____________ through a list of action points
11. to ____________ to the agenda
12. to ____________ up (at the last meeting)
24
13. to ____________ up any remaining loose ends
14. to ____________ where we are with something
Asking for and giving opinions
All of us have our viewpoints regarding issues and problems. We may express our opinions
at meetings or even at social functions when we meet someone and the person is
interested in our opinion.
Sometimes, we also invite others to voice their opinions. This involves skills which we use
to encourage others to speak up.
Task 3: Write down different ways of asking for opinions and stating opinions.
Asking for opinions
Stating opinions
25
Task 4: Underline the phrases used to give opinions
1. In my opinion, it’s a good idea.
2. If you ask me, we should buy it.
3. Personally, I don’t think we should rush to a decision.
4. As far as I’m concerned, unless they increase their offer, I’m not interested.
5. You know what I think? It’s a great restaurant.
6. If you don’t mind me saying, yellow really suits you.
7. The way I see it, it’s better to keep trying than give up now.
8. Frankly, I think this is a bad idea – used when what you are about to say is your honest
opinion, even though others might not like what your view.
Task 5: Asking and giving opinions.
Select 2 phrases and complete the sentence. Take turns with a partner to practise asking
for and giving opinions.
Purpose
Phrases
Select a topic and complete
the sentence that asks for an
opinion, or gives an opinion
What do you think …?
Asking for opinions
What’s your opinion on …?
What about …?
(Using a name) Alex?
I agree (with you / that).
Absolutely.
Agreeing
That’s true.
26
You’re probably right.
Yes …
I think …
Giving opinions
I don’t think …
In my opinion …
My view is …
Actually, I don’t agree.
But …
Disagreeing
I’m not sure about that.
I see what you mean but …
Yes, but …
Task 6: Look at the opinions on the following topics. Choose one opinion to discuss. Do
your group members agree or disagree with the opinion? Give reasons to support your
opinions.
Work
1. Working hours: “People work too many hours – there should be more holidays.”
2. Open plan offices: “Open plan offices are a bad idea. People talk too much, they’re too
noisy and you can never get any work done.”
3. Email: “Email is the worst thing to happen to office communication in years. It wastes so
much time.”
Other Topics
1. Fashion: “Fashion is bad for us all, but especially women – it makes so many people
unhappy.”
2. Television: “TV is the best form of entertainment and teaches people a lot.”
3. Modern music: No one makes good music any more. All the best music was written
years ago.”
27
Task 7: Using diplomatic language
Using diplomatic language can protect people’s feelings, avoid conflict and build trust.
On the other hand, direct language conveys a sense of urgency and seriousness, often to
prevent confusion.
Whether to use diplomatic language or not depends on the situation.
How can we sound more diplomatic?
1
2
3
4
5
6
Use the past continuous to sound more distant.

We were hoping to have the meeting today.

We were thinking of postponing the meeting to tomorrow.
Use negative questions to make suggestions.

Wouldn’t it be better to...?

Don’t you think we could...?

Couldn’t we...?
Use modifiers to make things seem less or smaller.

That may cause a slight problem for the school.

There has been quite/ a little/ a bit of a challenge.
Use modals.

We might be able to agree to that, provided you agree to do what we say.

We may not be able to agree to that.
Use phrases to signal bad news for the listener.

Unfortunately, I can’t agree with you.

It seems there has been some unhappiness with the policy.

Apparently, there has been some disagreement.
Use questions to suggest.

Are we sure this is the right thing to do?

Would it be better that we do it tomorrow instead?

Wouldn’t it be better to talk about it more?
28
Practice using these phrases in your discussions.

What do you think about …?

I think that …

Would you agree that ….?

Actually, I don’t think I completely agree with that.

Perhaps I could suggest a different view to this issue.
A note on the use of imperatives
Instructions have to be clear in a crisis. Which of the following is a better way to give
instructions in a crisis?
1. If you place your fingers too close to that piece of machinery, there is every likelihood
of a serious accident.
2. Don’t touch that machinery!
Task 8: Change the following sentences using more diplomatic language.
1. I want you to give me an answer quickly.
________________________________________________________________
1. You should think of a better programme.
________________________________________________________________
2. We should stay to finish up the planning.
________________________________________________________________
3. You can solve the problem in a number of ways.
________________________________________________________________
29
4. It’s impossible to finish the scheme of work by next week.
________________________________________________________________
5. You are late in submitting the document.
________________________________________________________________
Meeting and welcoming a visitor
Welcoming visitors: Effective introductions
1. Stand up (or rise as much as you can).
2. Move towards the person, establish eye contact and smile.
3. Shake hands.
4. Greet the other person and repeat his/her name.
5. Unless otherwise told, address individuals by their titles and last name (i.e. Mr. Smith,
Ms. Jones).
6. If you forget a person’s name when introducing a third party, you can say: “I am terribly
sorry but I have forgotten your name” or “I remember meeting you but cannot recall your
name”.
Verbal communication
Every encounter offers a chance to impress the other person. Keep in mind that:
• Someone who talks too much may be seen as nervous or insensitive
• Someone who ignores others could be considered snobbish
• Someone who only discusses work may come across as limited
Make sure you find a professional balance during your interactions with colleagues and
clients.
30
Meeting someone at the airport
Task 1: Koji is a Japanese client of Shirley’s. He plans to visit Perth to see her and
confirms his visit by email. Complete the email using the words in the box.
take
flight
meet
seeing
confirm
wishes
arrival
plan
Hi Shirley
Just a short email to give you my (1)____________ details. The (2)______________
number is BC4567 and I arrive at Perth at 11.15 on Thursday morning. Please
(3)___________ that someone will (4)___________ me at the airport. If not, I will
(5)___________ a taxi to the hotel. I (6)___________ to be at your office at 9.00 on
Friday morning.
Look forward to (7)___________ you.
Best (8 ___________
Koji
Task 2: Shirley meets Koji at the airport. Let’s practise reading the sentences below.
1.
It’s good to see you again. How are you?
2.
Did you have a good trip?
3.
It was a long flight so I am a little tired now.
4.
Can I help you with your luggage?
5.
No, I can manage, thanks.
6.
The car’s in the car park.
7.
OK. Here we are.
31
Task 3: You are meeting an important client at the airport. Use the ideas below to role-play
the meeting with your partner. Then change roles.
How to welcome a foreign visitor at the airport
What would you say or ask your visitor when you meet him/her?
Write your ideas here.
Tips:
When welcoming visitors, remember to:
 Give a warm welcome: “Welcome to …”
 Ask polite, neutral questions: “Is this your first time …?”
 Offer help if they need it: “Let me help you with …”
32
Welcoming visitors to your organisation
Task 4: You are meeting a visitor in the reception area of your organisation. Use the ideas
below to role-play the meeting with your partner. Then change roles.
Tips:
When meeting people who are visiting your organisation, remember to make them feel
welcome:

Welcome to …

Please follow me.

Please take a seat.

Would you like something to drink?

I hope you have a nice stay.
Visiting an organisation
Task 5: Use the words in the list to complete the conversation between Keiko Sumi and a
company receptionist at the London office of a major charity.
moment
could
appointment
tell
course
badge
sign
At the reception
Keiko: Good morning. My name’s Keiko Sumi. I’ve got an (1)_______ with
Patrick Hart at 10 o’clock.
Receptionist: Just a moment, Ms Sumi. I’ll (2)____________ him you’re here.
Could you (3)____________ the visitors’ book?
Keiko: Of (4)____________.
Receptionist: Right. Mr Hart will be with you in a (5)____________.
33
Keiko: Thank you.
Receptionist: And (6)_________ you put on this security (7)______, please?
Practise reading the conversation with a partner.
Participating in Meetings (3)
Summarising and closing
Consider these questions:

What are the advantages of summarising the key points of the meeting?

What should be included in the closing of a meeting?
Task 1: Look at the phrases below (1 - 9). Write them in the correct category below.
1. OK, so the main point is this.
2. We’ve agreed that the budget will remain the same for the coming year.
3. Well, I think time is running out.
4. We’ve had lots of good ideas about marketing this product…
5. If there are any more questions, that’s fine.
6. Please get in touch if you need any more clarification.
7. Well, I’d like to sum up the discussion.
8. We’ll close the meeting here.
9. Of course, there’ll be a report on this to follow.
Phrases (1 – 9)
Category
Indicating the end of a meeting a. Let’s close the meeting now.
b. _________________________________
c. _________________________________
Asking for questions a. Any questions?
b. Any other points anyone wants to make?
c. _________________________________
34
Leaving a positive message a. This has been really useful …
b. We can look forward to the future …
c. _________________________________
Summarizing a. _________________________________
b. _________________________________
c. _________________________________
Looking ahead a. I think we should fix a date for the next time.
b. _________________________________
c. _________________________________
Task 2: In pairs, practice ending meetings using the prompts below. Switch roles after you
have completed the three examples.
Example 1
Close a meeting of your R&D team:
 Say you have another meeting to go to;
 that a report will follow;
 remind about the follow-up items for discussion at the
next R&D meeting;
 close the meeting
Example 2
Summarise a discussion (the computer system needs to be
upgraded but the work cannot be done this year):
 End with a positive message;
 ask for questions;
 give a reminder to refer to a report on the meeting;
 Close the meeting.
Example 3
Summarise possible new ideas for customer service:
 Ideas: use external consultants to get customer
feedback; more staff training; improvements to technical
support;
 Comment positively on the meeting;
 thank everyone; and
 close the meeting.
35
Task 3: Conduct a short meeting on ways to raise $20,000 for a children’s charity. After a
few minutes, end the meeting. Use phrases learnt in this unit.
When closing a meeting, you can use these phrases:
1
Summarise
 We’ve agreed that …
 The main point is …
2
Sound positive
 It’s been a good meeting …
 We can look forward to the future ….
 We’ve made some very useful decisions.
3
Look ahead
 The next step will be …
 We should fix another meeting ….
 We’ll have another meeting soon.
Making presentations
Task 1: Talking about your organisation.
1.
Margita Westring works at Växjö Hospital. We interviewed her about her job. Match
each of the four headings (1- 4) with her answers.
1) My organisation
2) Who pays the bill?
3) The customer comes first
4) Why I like the job
A
Heading: _______
B
Heading: _______
It’s a very modern hospital. We say it’s a
‘county’ hospital, so it’s for the whole area
not just the city. We have about 2,100
employees. Most of them are nurses –
there are 900 nurses and about 200
doctors and then other employees too. We
also use outside consultants. I think that at
Our first objective in the hospital is to focus
on our customer, the patient. It’s very
important to talk to patients a lot so they
understand what a doctor is doing. We also
always make sure patients don’t stay in
hospital too long. We think people prefer to
be out of hospital quickly and at home
36
the moment we have around 350 hospital
beds.
C
Heading: _______
D
Heading: _______
In Sweden, people pay 250 Swedish krona
for every visit to a doctor. This is the
standard cost for a national health service
visit. Of course, you can go to our
competitor, a private medical centre, but
you pay 500 to 1000 Swedish krona. It’s a
lot of money but some people are happy to
pay.
I work as a human resources officer. I like
working in the public sector because I want
to look after people and not only think
about profit and I like the idea that
everyone has the right to health care. So I
plan to stay at Växjö Hospital. I always
want to work in the public sector and never
go into the private sector.
2.
Read the text below. Fill in the blanks with the correct answers.

There are (1)_____________ people working at Växjö Hospital.

The most important objective for employees in Växjö Hospital is to
(2)__________ on the (3)_____________.

A national health service visit usually costs (4)____________ Swedish
(5)__________.

Margita wants to work in a public sector hospital because she likes to
(6)______________________ and not just interested in (7)__________.
Task 2: Organisation profile
The box below shows the words you need to talk about your organisation.
Complete the sentences with the words from the box below.
headquarters
offices
department
based
started
active
1. Asia Medical Relief was _______________ 25 years ago.
2. At the beginning, the _______________ was in Malaysia.
37
3. We are now _______________ in Indonesia, Singapore and Thailand.
4. We are expanding very quickly and have _______________ all over Asia.
5. We are _______________ in 15 countries.
6. I work in the human resources _______________ as the HR Manager.
Task 3: Organisation activity
The box below shows the words that can describe your organisation.
Complete the sentences below with the correct verb.
makes
sells
provides
supplies
publishes
gives
1. Asia Medical Relief _______________ medical help in over 15 countries.
2. Cambridge University Press _______________ a range of academics,
educational and reference books.
3. Ericsson _______________ equipment to the telecoms industry.
4. Honda _______________ automobiles.
5. Tesco _______________ millions of products in thousands of stores.
6. Credit Suisse _______________ a wide range of banking services.
Speaking Task: Making a short individual presentation
Topic
Describe your
organisation
Imagine that you are presenting to a group of clients who are interested to work with your
organisation.
 Prepare a short introduction about yourself and your organisation to your clients.
 Your presentation should be about 2 to 3 minutes long.
 You may use cue cards to help you with the presentation.
 Do make your presentation positive and interesting.
38
Use the diagram below and the rubrics on the following page as a guide.
Your script
39
Oral Presentation Rubric
Name: _______________________________
Criteria /
Mark
Range
Band 1


Content


Language
Use


Verbal
Qualities
Non-verbal
Qualities

Band 2
Mostly not relevant 
to the topic
Mostly not
organised,

informative and
coherent
Mostly not effective
use of presentation 
tools
Mostly inaccurate
language use
Mostly
inappropriate word
choice


Mostly poor

pronunciation and
articulation
Mostly

inappropriate pace,
volume and
intonation
 Mostly inappropriate
use of non-verbal
cues (posture,
gestures, eye
contact)
 Lacks confidence
Band 3
Somewhat
relevant to the
topic
Somewhat
organised,
informative and
coherent
Somewhat
effective use of
presentation
tools

Somewhat
accurate
language use
Somewhat
appropriate word
choice

Somewhat clear
pronunciation
and articulation
Somewhat
appropriate
pace, volume
and intonation

 Somewhat
appropriate use of
non-verbal cues
(posture,
gestures, eye
contact)
 Somewhat
confident




Band 4
Generally
relevant to the
topic
Generally
organised,
informative and
coherent
Generally
effective use of
presentation
tools

Generally
accurate
language use
Generally
appropriate and
effective word
choice

Generally good
pronunciation
and articulation
Generally
appropriate
pace, volume
and intonation

 Generally
appropriate use of
non-verbal cues
(posture,
gestures, eye
contact)
 Generally
confident




Very relevant to
the topic
Very well
organised,
informative and
coherent
Very effective use
of presentation
tools
Accurate language
use
Very appropriate
and effective word
choice
Very
good pronunciation
and articulation
Very appropriate
pace, volume and
intonation
 Very appropriate
use of non-verbal
cues (posture,
gestures, eye
contact)
 Very confident
Remarks:
40
Southeast Asian Ministers of Education Organization
Regional Language Centre
Centre of Choice
Basic English Language and
Communication Skills Course
for Government Officials
Pronunciation, Listening and
Speaking Skills (PLS)
Listening and Speaking Skills
1. Getting to know you
Greeting others
In your groups, make a list of different ways to say “Hello” in English.
Write them in the bubble below.
Nice to meet you!
Greet each other in English. Remember to smile and have eye contact with him or her.
Read more about greetings in English here
What is small talk?
It is casual conversation which helps people to relax or “break the ice” in unfamiliar
settings. We usually carry out small talk when we meet people for the first time or when
we do not know some people very well.
1
We would not want to reveal what is on our ID card, such as our card number, full
name, address and our age. We also do not wish to share information such as our
salary, our marital status and our political views.
Introducing yourself
1. Look at your ID card. What information can you find on it?
2. What information about yourself would you not want to share if you were introducing
yourself?
Write down five things about yourself in the boxes that you would tell someone
when you are introducing yourself.
Fill in the blanks with information about yourself.
Hi! /Hello! My name is____________________________________________________.
In my free time, I enjoy ___________________________________________________
I like _________________________ but I don’t like ____________________________.
My favourite ________ is ____________ because ____________________________.
I can ________________________________________________________________.
2
Language focus : The verb “to be”
The verb “to be”
The verb "to be" is one of the most common verbs in the English language. It has many
different forms in the present tense.
The forms of the verb “to be”.
When?
Who?
Form
Example
be
It can be simple.
I
am
I am here.
You
are
You are here.
He/She/It
is
She is here.
We
are
We are here.
They
are
They are here.
Base form
Simple Present
A. Read the sentences and underline the correct verb “to be” (am, is, are).
1. What am / is / are your name?
2. I am / is / are Alex.
3. She am / is / are my best friend.
4. How am / is / are you?
5. I am / is / are fine, thanks.
6. He am / is / are the manager.
B. Circle one mistake in each sentence and write out the correct sentences.
1. He are in the office. _______________________________________________
2. How am you? ____________________________________________________
3. I is fine, thanks. __________________________________________________
4. My name, Fred. __________________________________________________
5. Their names is Yi Min and Su Li. _____________________________________
3
C. Fill in a verb “to be” (is, are, am) to complete these questions.
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
________ he Spanish?
________ they actors?
________ she from Japan?
________ they students?
________ I late?
D. Complete the questions using the verb “to be” (is, are).
An example is shown in the first question.
1. a) What is his name?
David Beckham.
b) Where _______________________________?
Britain.
c) __________________ an actor?
No, he isn’t.
d) What ________________________________?
Football.
2. a) What ________________________________?
Celine Dion
b) Where _______________________________?
The US.
c) What ________________________________?
American
d) ___________________ a singer?
Yes, she is.
Language focus: Possessive adjectives
A possessive adjective comes before a noun in the sentence to show who or what
owns it. Examples of possessive adjectives are: my, your, his, her, its, our, their, and
whose.
Complete the dialogue with the words from the box.
1. A: What’s (1) ______________ name?
B: (2) _______________ name’s Peter.
2. A: This is a picture of my friend.
B: What’s _____________ name?
A: Her name’s Janet.
3. A: Look! That’s (4) __________ manager.
(5) _________ name is Andy. He’s new.
4. A: Andy and Paul are managers. This is (6) _________ office.
4
Telling others more about yourself
Complete the sentences below. Then share your answers in your group.
1) I really love _________________________________________________________
2) I’m quite good at _____________________________________________________
3) When I was young, I enjoyed ___________________________________________
4) I’m not interested in __________________________________________________
5) I spend a lot of time __________________________________________________
6) I’m not really good at _________________________________________________
7) When I’m bored, I usually ______________________________________________
8) I enjoy _____________________________________________________________
9) I’ve never __________________________________________________________
10) My favourite colour is __________ because_______________________________
__________________________________________________________________
11) I hope to ___________________________________________________________
12) I think learning English is ______________________________________________
5
Language focus: Asking questions
-Wh questions
•
What is used for a thing.
•
Who is used for a person.
•
Why is used for a reason.
•
When is used for a time or date.
•
Where is used for a place.
•
Which is used for a choice.
•
Whose is used for possession.
•
How is used for an amount or the way.
Examples of questions and answers
1
What is the weather like in your country?
It’s hot and humid.
2
Who are you meeting later?
My former neighbour.
3
Why are you wearing such a thick coat?
I’m feeling cold.
4
When are you attending the wedding?
Tomorrow evening.
5
Where are you from?
I’m from Singapore.
6
Which direction are you heading to?
I’m going towards the east.
7
Whose umbrella are you using?
My sister’s.
8
How are your parents enjoying their holiday?
They love sight-seeing.
6
Interrogative pronouns and adverbs
Choose the correct answer to complete the questions for the given answers.
1. A: ________________ often do you watch TV?
B: Nearly every evening.
a) Who
b) What
c) How
(
)
(
)
(
)
(
)
(
)
2. A: ________________ far is this place from your house?
B: About five kilometres.
a) Who
b) How
c) What
3. A: ________________ were you born?
B: In 1980.
a) Who
b) Where
c) When
4. A: ________________ are you wearing a coat?
B: I feel cold.
a) When
b) Why
c) What
5. A: ________________ long have you known Sally?
B: Since I was a child.
a) How
b) When
c) Why
7
6. A: ________________ restaurant do you want to go to for dinner? The Chinese
one or the Italian one?
B: The Italian one.
a) When
b) Which
c) What
(
)
(
)
(
)
(
)
7. A: _______________ is Rick Malone?
B: He’s an actor.
a) Which
b) What
c) Who
8. A: _______________ colour is your brother’s hair?
B: It’s brown.
a) Which
b) What
c) When
9. A: _______________ is Toulouse?
B: It’s in the south of France.
a) When
b) What
c) Where
10. A: _______________ much did your airline ticket to Melbourne cost?
B: About US$520.
a) Which
b) How
c) What
(
)
8
Language focus: Using contractions
A contraction is a shortened form of a word or group of words used in speech and
informal writing with the omitted letters often replaced in written English by
an apostrophe.
1. what’s = what is
1. What’s the time?
2. who’s = who is
2. Who’s that man?
3. where’s = where is
3. Where’s Sam?
4. how’s = how is
4. How’s your mother?
5. when’s = when is
5. When’s your birthday?
# Note: it’s … = it is
It’s already twelve midnight.
Be careful. Don’t step on its tail.
its … (possessive form)
Work in pairs. Ask each other the following questions. Write your answers.
1. Who’s the person who sits next to you at work?__________________________
2. What’s your favourite hobby? ________________________________________
3. Where’s your favourite shopping street?_________________________________
4. How’s work at the moment?__________________________________________
5. When’s the last day of your English course? _____________________________
9
Global listening
Global listening: Listening for the main idea or gist
• When you listen for the main idea, ask yourself “What is the speaker talking about?”
• Listen for the main idea or topic. Don’t try to understand every word.
Audio 1.1
Listen to Nice to meet you. Circle the main idea each person talks about.
1
Eve
(a) her job
(b) her classes
(c) her interests
2
Rich
(a) his friends
(b) his family
(c) his home
3
Min-ki
(a) his hometown
(b) his country
(c) his family
4
Maria
(a) her hobbies
(b) her friends
(c) her name
Close listening
Close listening: Listening for specific information
• Close listening requires active listening to information provided by a speaker
• Close listening skills can further our understanding and knowledge of a
topic.
Audio 1.1
Listen again and circle the correct letter.
1
Eve is a …
a
high school student
b
college student
2
Eve has …
a
two computers
b
three computers
3
Rich is short for …
a
Richard
b
Richie
4
a
single
b
married
5
Two of Rich’s sisters are
…
Park is Min-ki’s …
a
nickname
b
family name
6
Min-ko …
a
likes his hometown
b
doesn’t like his hometown
7
Maria has
a
three names
b
four names
8
Maria’s parents call her …
a
Maria
b
Maria Conchita
10
Role Play: Introducing yourself
You are at a friend’s birthday party. There, you meet other people you do not know. While
looking for your friend, someone you don’t know started talking to you. Introduce yourself
and continue the conversation with him/her.
Learn more about English Greetings and Introductions
Role Play: Introducing others
Take turns to introduce your friend to the class.
1. Hi. This is my friend. His/Her name is ____________________________________.
2. During his/her free time, he/she enjoys____________________________________
3. His/Her favourite food is _______________________________________________.
4. He/She would like to visit _____________ because _________________________.
5. He/She hopes to _______________________________________ from this course.
Learn more about introducing other people
11
2. Family
Language focus: The possessive ‘s and s’ after a noun
The possessive of a singular noun is formed by adding an apostrophe and s, whether
the singular noun ends in s or not. E.g. Danny’s bag or Chris’s / Chris’ bag.
The possessive of a plural noun is formed by adding only an apostrophe when the noun
ends in s, and by adding both an apostrophe and s when it ends in a letter other than s.
E.g. students’ teacher or people’s suggestions.
QUIZ: Possessive ‘s and s’
1. This car is mine and that car is my _____________ .
a) sister
b) sisters
c) sister’s
(
)
2. _____________ bicycle is spoilt, so today he is taking a bus to work.
a) Lucas
b) Luca’s
c) Lucas’
(
)
3. My _____________ like to go swimming at a lake near our home.
a) brothers
b) brothers’
c) brother’s
)
(
4. Those are my _____________ toys on the floor. They did not put them away.
a) children
b) children’s
c) childrens’
(
)
5. My _____________ house is over there. They live just across the street.
a) cousins
b) cousin’s
c) cousins’
(
)
6. Let’s take a fifteen __________ break.
a) minute’s
b) minutes’
c) minutes
(
)
7. After a hard __________ work, he was exhausted.
a) day’s
b) days
c) days’
(
)
12
Family relationships
A Family Tree
N is M’s sister
I is M’s aunt
D is M’s granduncle
M is N’s brother
H is M’s uncle
I is J’s cousin
L is M’s (& N’s) cousin
F is M’s grandfather
I is K’s cousin-in-law
J is M’s father
G is M’s grandmother
K is F’s (& G’s) daughter-in-law
K is N’s mother
C is M’s grandaunt
E is J’s aunt
J is E’s nephew
E is M’s grandaunt
D is G’s brother-in-law
A is M’s great-grandfather
D is F’s brother
B is N’s great-grandmother
13
Quiz: Family and relatives (Select your answers from the box below)
1. My *maternal grandfather’s daughter is my _____________________________.
2. My *paternal grandmother’s son is my _________________________________.
3. My father’s / mother’s grandmother is my ______________________________.
4. My father’s sister is my ____________________________________________.
5. My mother’s brother is my __________________________________________.
6. My mother’s sister’s child is my _______________________________________.
7. My sister’s husband is my __________________________________________.
8. My sister’s daughter is my __________________________________________.
9. My brother’s son is my _____________________________________________.
10. My brother’s wife is my ____________________________________________.
11. My brother’s children’s children call me _______________________________.
12. My son’s or daughter’s children are my _______________________________.
Helping words:
niece
aunt
sister
brother-in-law
grandfather
sister-in-law
mother
great grandmother
cousin
brother
grand-aunt
father
uncle
grandchildren
nephew
grandmother
*maternal - related through the mother's side of the family
*paternal - related through the father's side of the family
14
Read this description of a family tree.
My name is Kevin. I have a large family. I live with
my parents. My father is an engineer. His name
is George. My mother is a nurse. Her name is
Carol. I have two sisters. One is a university
student. She’s 21. Her name is Dana. Her major
is European history. My older sister is Jennifer.
She and her husband live near us. Their son is
named Peter. I like my nephew a lot. He’s very
funny. My grandmother lives with us. She’s my
father’s mother. She’s seventy years old.
(grandfather)
Carol
(husband)
Jennifer
(grandmother)
George
Dana
me
Peter
Draw your family tree and be prepared to explain it to your partner.
15
Listening for details
Audio 2.1 - Tell me about your family
Listen to three people talking about their families. Number the pictures from 1 - 3.
Audio 2.1
Listen again. Circle the correct answers.
1
What is Kyle’s father’s job?
a
a police officer
b
a teacher
2
Where does Kyle study?
a
in middle school
b
in university
3
What are the names of Andrea’s
a
Emilia and Natalia
b
Emilia and Ana
daughters?
4
Where is Andrea’s son?
a
in school
b
at home
5
What is Laura’s sister like?
a
funny
b
smart
6
What does Laura want?
a
a brother
b
another sister
16
3. Numbers, directions and shopping
Discussion
Discuss these questions with a partner.
1 Where do you like to shop? I like to shop at ….
2 Is there anything you want to buy soon? I want to buy …
3 Do you look carefully at prices in stores? I look / don’t look carefully at prices.
Global listening and close listening
Global listening
Audio 3.1
Listen to the four ads in Weekend sales. Check (√) what you can buy at each sale.
1
Pixie’s Pink Tag Sale
jewellery
2
kitchen appliances
electronics and kitchen appliances
sports clothing
sports equipment, shoes and
clothing
furniture
clothing and furniture
Madison’s 24-Hour Sale
sports equipment
4
jewellery and fashion accessories
Electric City Super Sale
electronics
3
fashion accessories
Frank’s Discounts Fun Sale
clothing
17
Close listening
Audio 3.1
Listen again and circle the correct letters to complete the sentences.
1
Pixie’s Pink Tag Sale is on ____.
a Saturday and Sunday
2
Pixie’s has discounts of ____.
a 10% – 20%
3
b 20%
This weekend, a lamp at Frank’s Discounts costs ____.
a $19
7
b 30%
Bring an old pair of sneakers to Madison’s and get ____ off a new pair.
a $20
6
b 6:00 am
The first one hundred people to purchase items at Electric City get a ____ discount.
a 10%
5
b 15% - 20%
The sale at Electric City ends at ____.
a 10:00 pm
4
b Friday, Saturday and Sunday
b $39
Frank’s Discounts closes at ____ this weekend.
a 6:00 pm
b 9:00 am
18
Listening for numbers
LISTENING FOR NUMBERS
•
One detail we often need to listen for is numbers.
•
Cardinal numbers (e.g. one, two, three) are used for quantities, times, sizes, and
prices.
o I’m a size eight.
o It costs one dollar.
•
Ordinal numbers (e.g. first, second, third) are used for dates and the order of
things in a series or sequence.
o Today is October third.
o We’re on the fifth floor.
Listen and complete the sentences with the correct number.
Audio 3.2
Conversation 1
1
The cosmetics section is on the ____________ floor.
2
The people are on the _________ floor now.
Conversation 2
3
The basketball is $ ______________.
4
The tennis racket is $_______________.
Conversation 3
5
The store closes at ______________ o’clock on Sundays.
6
The earrings are $ _______________.
Conversation 4
7
The man wants a size ______________ blouse.
8
The electronics section is on the _______________ floor.
19
Vocabulary
Cross out one thing you will not be able to find in these sections of a department
store.
1 men’s clothing
a necktie
b
dress
c
belt
2 women’s clothing
a skirt
b
blouse
c
undershirt
3 fashion accessories
a purse
b
sunglasses
c
table
4 sporting goods
a dresser
b
basketball
c
tennis racket
5 houseware
a microwave
b
swimsuit
c
coffee maker
6 cosmetics
a makeup
b
perfume
c
dishwasher
7 jewellery
a necklace
b
shoes
c
earrings
8 electronics
a shirt
b
cell phone
c
camera
Before you listen again, look at what we often hear when shopping. Who says
them? Mark them S (salesperson), C (customer), or E (either).
____ Can I help you?
____ How much is it?
____ Cash or charge?
____ What size?
____ Here you are.
____ Do you have it in black?
____ Thank you.
____ It looks nice on you.
____ Where is the fitting room?
Audio 3.2
Listen to Can I help you? again. Four people are shopping in a department store.
What section are they in or are going to? What are they shopping for? Complete
the chart.
Section
What are they shopping for?
1
2
3
4
20
Complete the department store advertisement with the words from the box below.
Davis Department Store’s Big Weekend Sale is coming to you this weekend!
Everything in the store is (1) _______________ this Saturday and Sunday. Stop by
and find a (2) _______________ on clothing, accessories, and more. Check each price
(3) _______________ for a (4) _______________ of 25%, 30% or even 50%!
Please note that after you (5) _______________ an item, you can only
(6)
_______________
it
for
a
different
item
if
you
keep
your
paper
(7) ________________. You cannot receive a (8) _______________ on any sale item.
bargain
discount
exchange
on sale
purchase
receipt
refund
tag
Discussion
Discuss these questions in a group.
1 Do you like to shop alone or with another person? Why?
I like to shop …………. because……………………………………………………………
2 Do you prefer to use cash or credit cards? Why?
I prefer to use ………… because ………………………………………………………….
3 Do you shop online? Why?
I do / don’t shop online because ……………………………………………………………
21
Vocabulary focus: using synonyms
A synonym is a word that has the same meaning as another word. When you learn a
new word, list any synonyms you know with it. Use the symbol = to indicate synonyms.
E.g. cash = money
enjoy = like
Write the correct synonym from the box next to each adjective.
difficult
fast
happy
large
1
hard =
4
close =
2
glad =
5
alike =
3
big =
6
quick =
near
similar
Match the nouns and verbs in bold in these six sentences to the words 1 – 12 below.
•
I need to speak to the clerk at the shop.
•
I want to purchase that couch for my living room.
•
Some weekend sales begin on Friday and end on Sunday.
•
Will that carpet fit into the back seat of a cab?
•
Choose any present from this table.
•
Please tell the kids to get to Rory’s party before 3:00.
Nouns
Verbs
1
children =
7
come =
2
store =
8
finish =
3
gift =
9
talk =
4
taxi =
10
start =
5
rug =
11
pick =
6
sofa =
12
buy =
22
Read through this dialogue with a partner.
Salesclerk:
Can I help you?
Customer:
Yes, how much are these sunglasses?
Salesclerk:
They’re $12.
Customer:
Do you have them in blue?
Salesclerk:
No, I’m sorry. But those sunglasses over there come in blue.
Customer:
Oh, those are nice. How much are they?
Salesclerk:
They’re $169.
Customer:
Um, I’ll keep looking.
Role-playing a shopping situation
1. Work with a partner to create a scenario in a supermarket.
2. One of you is a salesperson/cashier and one of you is a customer.
3. Practise your conversation with your partner.
4. Then perform your role for the class.
Giving directions to a nearby shop or shopping centre
1. Think of a shop or shopping centre near your place that you would like to recommend
to a friend.
2. Give directions to get to that place from where you live or work or from where you are
now.
Video – Asking for and Giving Directions
23
4. Food, taste and health
Food preferences
Read the statements below, then change the statements into questions.
Ask your partner the questions and ask them for a reason for their answer.
Record their answers by circling Yes or No.
Example:
Do you think fast food is bad for health?
a. My partner thinks that fast food is bad for health.
Yes / No
b. My partner is a fussy eater.
Yes / No
c. My partner loves chocolate.
Yes / No
d. My partner does not like to eat vegetables.
Yes / No
e. My partner dislikes eating certain fruits.
Yes / No
f. My partner is allergic to some types of food.
Yes / No
g. My partner likes hot and spicy food.
Yes / No
h. My partner thinks it is unhealthy to snack.
Yes / No
fussy(adjective): not easily satisfied, or having high standards about particular things
allergic (adjective): having a negative response by the body to a substance
Describing a favourite snack or meal from your country.
Think of a snack or meal you enjoy. Complete the chart about it.
Snack / meal
What’s in it
Taste / texture
When I eat it
Why I like it
24
Tastes of food
Sweet
Bitter
Savoury
Milky
Sour
Salty
Buttery
Spicy (with herbs)
Sweet and Sour
Peppery
Minty
Spicy (chilli hot)
Write down 5 tastes that you like and name the types of food that you eat that
have this taste.
Taste
Type of food / dish / drink
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
25
Making comments
Making comments about food
When talking about food, we can make positive and negative comments.
•
I did not enjoy the strawberries. They were sour.
•
I enjoyed the apple tart. It was very sweet!
•
I do not like the soup at all. It’s too bitter.
•
I love the fish curry. I enjoy spicy food.
•
The pizza is very tasty! Can I have another piece please?
•
I like this chicken pie. It is savoury.
•
I absolutely love this dessert! It is not too sweet.
Think of some types of food that matches the comments given. Write it in the blanks
provided.
1. I did not enjoy the ____________________________. They were sour.
2. I enjoyed the ___________________________. It was very sweet!
3. I do not like to eat __________________________ at all. It’s too bitter.
4. I love the ________________________________. I enjoy spicy food.
5. The ________________________________ is very tasty! Can I have
another piece please?
6. I like this ________________________________. It is savoury.
26
An interview
Now look at the following list of questions about eating in your country.
Using the questions, interview one of your classmates on his or her food habits.
Name of your classmate: _____________________________________
1.
What is your favourite local dish?
________________________________________________________________
2.
Why do you like it so much?
________________________________________________________________
3.
How often do you eat out?
________________________________________________________________
4.
Which is your favourite eating place?
________________________________________________________________
5.
Do you think eating out is expensive? Why?
________________________________________________________________
6.
How much do you usually spend on a meal?
________________________________________________________________
7.
How do you prefer your food to be cooked? Steamed, grilled, fried?
________________________________________________________________
8.
Which dish do you think best represents your country?
________________________________________________________________
27
Listening for times
When you listen for times, be aware that there are different ways to express them.
Listen to words such as between ... and …, about, around.
7:00
seven / seven o’clock
7:05
seven “oh” five / five past seven
7:15
seven fifteen / (a) quarter past seven
7:20
seven twenty / twenty past seven
7:30
seven thirty / half past seven
7:45
seven forty-five / (a) quarter to eight
7:50
seven fifty / ten to eight
12.00 p.m.
noon/midday
12.00 a.m.
midnight
Fill in the blanks of the following statement.
1
a) What time do most people in your country eat breakfast, lunch, and dinner?
People usually eat …………..….…../……..………….. /……..…………. at about
………….…. in the morning / ……….……. in the afternoon / and ……….……
in the evening.
28
How to order food at a restaurant
Scan the QR code to watch these two video clips:
Listening Activity
Listen to the recordings of Brian and Tracy ordering food at a Thai restaurant and later
giving their comments for the food they have eaten at the restaurant.
First listening: What did they order?
29
Second listening: Did they like it?
Did they like it? Put Yes if they liked it, No if they didn’t like it and OK if it was satisfactory.
Starter
Main
Dessert
Brian
Tracy
Role-play
30
Discussion
The Great Global Food Gap of Families Round the World (Photos)
1. a) What does the food eaten or bought by each family tell you about them
b) How do you feel about the lives of some of these families compared to yours?
2. a) Do you know what’s a National Dish?
b) Name two of your country’s national dishes?
31
Food and health
Watch the video on food and health in Okinawa and answer the questions below.
1. How many hours does the lady
pick fruit for every day?
2. How old is she?
3. How long has she worked on the
farm?
4. How old are her daughters?
5. What three illnesses are unheard
of in Ogimi?
6. What advice does the 90-yearold man give the journalist?
7. What does Okinawa have the
highest percentage of in the
world?
8. What four factors contribute to
longevity on Okinawa?
9. What does Craig Wilcox believe
longevity on Okinawa
demonstrates?
32
5. Hobbies and Leisure activities
Discussion
Discuss these questions with a partner.
1
Do you have a lot of free time?
I have / don’t have … because …
2
Do you have more free time during weekdays or at the weekends?
I have more free time … because …
3
Think about now and one year ago. Do you have more or less free time now?
I think I have more / less free time now because …
Language focus: Using the verbs “play”, “go” and “do” with sports
How to use the verbs “play”, “go” and “do” with sports.
1. Use “play” for team sports or sports played with an apparatus eg. ball, bat etc.
badminton
baseball
basketball
cricket
golf
hockey
rugby
soccer
tennis
volleyball
Examples:
Do you play any sports?
I love to play basketball.
I played volleyball when I was in high school.
My friends and I play soccer in our free time.
33
2. Use “go” for sports that end in “-ing”. Examples of such sports are:
climbing
diving
golfing
jogging
running
skating
skiing
swimming
I love to go jogging around the park every evening.
Her brother and her go rock-climbing at the adventure club during school holidays.
They want to go swimming at the public pool this weekend.
Exceptions: Do not use “go” for boxing, fencing and weight-training.
These three sports also do not combine with “play” and “do”.
3. Use “do” with sports that you don’t need any equipment to do:
aerobics
gymnastics
karate / martial arts
yoga
I do aerobics to keep myself fit.
My daughter does gymnastics as a school sports activity.
He does karate and often represents his country at international games.
Fifteen words about Leisure Activities
How to talk about your free time activities and leisure
(play, go and do) – lesson with exercise
34
Listening for details
Audio 5.1 – A typical day
Listen to four students talk about their free-time activities.
Circle the activity they spend most of their free time doing.
1
Sophie
(a)
shopping
(b)
walking around
(c)
watching TV
2
Colin
(a)
reading
(b)
playing sports
(c)
playing games
3
Kumiko
(a)
knitting
(b)
talking on the phone
(c)
shopping
4
Eduardo (a)
reading
(b)
writing on his blog
(c)
playing the guitar
T
Audio 5.1
Listen again. Circle the correct answers.
1 Sophie watches TV for … hours a day.
a two
b three
2 Sophie’s major is ….
a animal science
b biology
3 Colin has … hours of free time every day.
a five
b six
4 Colin … after he cooks dinner.
a reads
b watches sports
5 Kumiko goes out with her friends … studying.
a before
b after
6 Kumiko and her friends like to talk about school and…
a friends
b the weekend
7 Friends and … read Eduardo’s blogs.
a family
b teachers
8 Eduardo wants to be a … someday.
a writer
b musician
35
Making inferences
LISTENING: MAKING INFERENCES
Speakers do not always say things directly. You may have to infer meaning. You do
this by using knowledge and common sense.
For example, a friend says, “I have to go to the supermarket.”
You can infer the friend needs groceries. You are not sure, but it is very likely.
Audio 5.2
Listen to four excerpts. Choose the answer based on what you infer.
1
Sophie has classes in the __________.
a)
afternoon
b)
evening
2
Colin prefers __________ sports.
a)
individual
b)
team
3
Kumiko __________.
a)
is a sociable person
b)
doesn’t have many friends
4
Eduardo is __________.
a)
single
b)
married
Think about these questions and how you can answer them.
1
Which of the four people would you like to spend time with? Why?
I’d like to spend time with … because both of us…
2
What do you like to do with friends? Why?
I like to … with friends because …
3
What do you prefer to do alone? Why?
I prefer to … alone because …
36
Talking about leisure activities
BRAINSTORM: List three activities you do in your free time.
For each activity, make some notes related to who, when, where, and why.
Activities
Notes (e.g. who, when, where, why)
1.
2.
3.
PLAN: Write questions to ask someone about his/her free-time activities.
1) Who ______________________________________________________________?
2) When _____________________________________________________________?
3) Where ____________________________________________________________?
4) Why ______________________________________________________________?
SPEAK: a) Interview your partner about his/her free-time activities.
b) Take notes on your partner’s answers.
c) Take turns to tell your group members about your partner’s answers.
37
6. Making plans
Making, accepting, and declining invitations
MAKING, ACCEPTING, AND DECLINING INVITATIONS
We can invite someone to do something with us in different ways.
o Do you want to see a movie?
o Would you like to see a movie?
We can accept an invitation.
o Thanks. I’d love to.
o Sure. That sounds great.
When we decline an invitation, we usually give a reason.
o Sorry, I can’t. I need to study.
o I’m sorry, but I can’t. I have to study.
Audio 6.1
Number the parts of each conversation in order from 1 to 6. Then listen and
check.
Conversation 1
A:
B:
A:
B:
A:
B:
Are you free tonight?
Sure. Let’s meet at the
theatre.
Do you want to go see
Super Drive 3 at the
Green Theatre?
Yeah. I think so.
Great. Is the 7:00 show
OK?
Thanks. I’d love to.
Conversation 2
A:
B:
A:
B:
A:
B:
That’s too bad.
What time is the game?
Would you like to go to a
baseball game tonight?
Maybe some other time.
At 7:00 this evening.
Sorry, I can’t. I have to
meet my study group.
Work with a partner. Practise the conversations above.
Work with a partner. Take turns inviting each other to do these things. Accept
some of the invitations. Decline others and give reasons.
38
1) visit the museum
4) do homework
7) go to the beach
2) go for a run
5) go hiking
8) go swimming
3) have dinner
6) play online games
9) study
Example:
A: Would you like to go for a run?
B: Sure. That sounds great. / Sorry, I can’t. I have to finish my homework.
Making an invitation
A:
Accepting an invitation
B:
Making an invitation
A:
Accepting an invitation
B:
Making an invitation
A:
Declining an invitation
B:
Making an invitation
A:
Declining an invitation
B:
39
Listening: Listening for reasons
Work with a partner. Look at these possible excuses for declining an invitation.
Which have you used?
1
I don’t have time.
6
I have to do my homework.
2
I need to study.
7
I don’t feel good.
3
I’m quite busy.
8
I’m having dinner now.
4
I’m too tired.
9
I have to wash the dishes.
5
I have to clean the house.
10 I have a headache.
Audio 6.2 - Are you free?
Listen to five phone calls. What do the callers invite their friends to do?
1
attend a lecture
go to a bookstore
join a study group
2
go swimming
go jogging
go bowling
3
attend a talk
do research
go to the library
4
visit a friend
go over notes
plan a project
5
go to class
visit a museum
see a movie
Audio 6.2
Listen again. Do the friends accept or decline the invitation?
1
accept / decline
2
accept / decline
3
accept / decline
4
accept / decline
5
accept / decline
40
ESLgold.com Accepting and Refusing
Listening for reasons
Listening for reasons
•
When we decline an invitation, we might give a reason (or an excuse).
•
We can use “because” before a reason, or we can say the reason in a new
sentence.
•
Listen carefully so you can understand why your own invitation is not accepted.
•
Example: Do you want to see a movie tonight?
Sorry, I can’t. I need to study.
declines
reason
Audio 6.3
Listen to three of the calls. Write the friends’ reasons for not accepting the
invitation.
1
I _______________________________________________________________
2
I _______________________________________________________________
3
I _______________________________________________________________
Making, Accepting and Declining Invitations
41
Forming compound nouns
A compound noun is a noun that is made up of two or more words.
Many compound nouns are made up of noun + noun.
E.g. grocery store
video game
tennis player
A. Match the first set of nouns to the second set to make compound nouns.
a) 1. movie
b) 1. salon
2. hair
2. dinner
3. stationery
3. theatre
4. graduation
4. store
5. tennis
5. arcade
6. video
6. station
7. bus
7. park
8. amusement
8. player
B. Use the clues given to complete this crossword puzzle.
1
2
ACROSS
M
M
1. There’s a van Gogh exhibit at the city ____.
3. Who are you planning to invite to your
graduation _____?
3
P
4. A soccer ________ is black and white.
4
5. I’m meeting my cousin at the train ________.
B
7. Let’s wait for the next bus at this bus _______.
5
6
S
O
8. Would you like to watch a baseball ______ on TV?
DOWN
1. You can always get fresh fish at the fish _______.
7
2. What time does the shopping _______ open?
S
5. Please pick up some milk and bread at the grocery
_________.
8
6. The post __________ is closed on Sundays.
G
42
Additional exercises
We will use these pictures and tables for classroom activities during the course.
Giving directions: Treasure Hunt Map
43
Saying numbers: Student A
44
Saying numbers: Student B
45
How healthy are you?
Total score:
Restaurant dialogue
46
Southeast Asian Ministers of Education Organization
Regional Language Centre
Centre of Choice
Basic English Language and
Communication Skills Course for
Government Officials
Pronunciation, Listening and
Speaking (PLS)
Pronunciation
Introduction to this booklet
This booklet will be used to support your learning on this course. The teacher may also
ask you to use this booklet for homework practice too.
Throughout this booklet, you will see links to QR codes.
If you scan the QR codes, you will be sent to links such as videos and other resources
helpful for your learning.
Please ensure you have a QR code scanner app downloaded onto your phone.
Let’s try this one…
What webpage did you land on?
Before, you start the course, please make sure you download these…
App for IPA Chart:
and access the Cambridge Dictionary here:
2
What is pronunciation and why is it important?
What is pronunciation?
Pronunciation (noun): the way in which we pronounce a word
Pronounce (verb): to make the sound of a word
“Pronunciation" refers to the way in which we make the sound of words.
To pronounce words, we push air from our lungs up through our throat and vocal chords,
through our mouth, past our tongue and out between our teeth and lips. (Sometimes air
also travels through our nose.)
To change the sound that we are making, we mainly use the muscles of our mouth,
tongue and lips to control the shape of our mouth and the flow of air. If we can control the
shape of our mouth and the flow of air correctly, then our pronunciation is clearer and
other people understand us more easily.
Speakers of different languages tend to develop different muscles of the mouth for
pronunciation. When we speak a foreign language, our muscles may not be well
developed for that language, and we will find pronunciation more difficult. By practising
the foreign language pronunciation, our muscles develop and pronunciation improves.
As well as creating correct vowel and consonant sounds using the muscles of our
mouth, tongue and lips, there are other important aspects of pronunciation, including:
•
word stress - emphasis on certain syllables in a word
•
sentence stress - emphasis on certain words in a sentence
•
linking - joining certain words together
•
intonation - the rise and fall of our voice as we speak
Why is pronunciation important?
By using the correct sounds when you speak, others can quickly understand what
you're trying to say. If you are great at grammar and know many different words, good
pronunciation will help others hear and understand you even more clearly.
3
Task 1: Discussion. Discuss in pairs and be prepared to share with the class
•
•
•
•
•
Do you think pronunciation is an important skill?
How does pronunciation reflect the person speaking?
What aspects of pronunciation do you need to improve?
Did you learn pronunciation as part of your English studies before?
Is pronunciation as important as grammar and vocabulary
Pronouncing the alphabet
The alphabet is the set of 26 letters (from A to Z) that we use to represent English in
writing:
ABCDEFGHIJKLMNOPQRSTUVWXYZ
It is very important to understand that the letters of the alphabet do NOT always
represent the same sounds of English.
Did you know? The English word alphabet comes from the first two letters of the Greek
alphabet: alpha, beta
Listen to the teacher for how we say the letters of the alphabet. Remember, this is just
for how we say the name of each letter. When we use the letters in words, they often
have a different sound.
4
Sounds of the alphabet
ABCDEFGHIJKLMNOPQRSTUVWXYZ
(in alphabetical order)
The letters above (↑) are in normal "alphabetical order".
But the letters below (↓) are NOT in alphabetical order. They are in "sound order". They
are grouped by sound. There are only 7 basic sounds for the whole alphabet. The
letters in each column all have the same vowel sound. Listen to the alphabet sounds as
your teacher reads them by column:
5
Phonemes (sounds) and letters
We use letters to write English. There are 26 letters in the English alphabet.
A B C D E F G H I etc
However, there are 44 sounds (phonemes in English). These sounds are represented by
phonemic symbols like the ones you can see on your IPA chart.
Look at the following words:
BEST – 4 letters and 4 sounds
GREEN - 5 letters and 4 sounds (/i:/ is for long ee sound)
SIX – 3 letters but 4 sounds /sɪks/
When we study pronunciation, it is useful to think about sounds and not spelling
Task 1: Look at the table below. Write the number of letters and the number of sounds in
these words. If you aren’t sure about sounds, check the dictionary and count the
phonemic symbols e.g. /griːn/ = Green = 4 sounds
Word
green
Letters
5
Sounds
4
1. all
2. back
3. should
4. knee
5. sixty
6. thing
7. blue
8. address
6
Task 2: Some pronunciation symbols are easy. Write the words next to their normal
spelling.
e.g. /big/
big
4. /veri/
1. /dres/
5. /wel/
2. /frend/
6. /nekst/
3. /gɪv/
7. /help/
Task 3: All five words in each group have the same vowel letter –a, e. i, o, u – but one
has a different vowel sound. Circle the word with the different vowel sound in each group.
1.
on
top
stop
one
gone
2.
give
time
sit
think
rich
3.
apple
bad
wash
catch
bank
4.
much
bus
sun
push
up
5.
many
maths
man
hat
flat
7
Vowels, diphthongs and the phonemic chart
The difference between vowels and consonants
Before we look at what vowel sounds are, let’s look at the difference between vowel
sounds and consonant sounds.
AB
The first two letters of the English alphabet are A and B.
A is a vowel.
B is a consonant.
So? What is the difference between vowel sounds and consonant sounds?
The difference is actually very simple:
To say A you open your mouth.
To say B you close your mouth.
In general, when you say a vowel you do not block the flow of air.
However, when you say a consonant, you block the flow of air, for example by
•
pressing your lips together (as for B)
•
pressing your bottom lip against your teeth (as for F)
•
pressing your tongue against the top of your mouth (as for L)
Task 1: write a sentence to describe the difference between vowel sounds and
consonant sounds.
______________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________
8
Vowel sounds
Task 1: Look at your IPA chart. Where are the vowel symbols?
Task 2: Look at the short vowels. Write the symbol for each short vowel sound and then write 3
words which contain that short vowel sound.
Short vowel IPA symbol/sound
Three words which include that sound
Task 3: Look at the long vowels. How can you identify the long vowel sounds in the IPA chart?
Write the symbol for each long vowel sound and then write 3 words which contain that long
vowel sound.
Long vowel IPA symbol/sound
Three words which include that sound
9
Diphthongs
A diphthong is a gliding vowel, where the sound begins as one vowel sound and
moves to another vowel sound. Diphthongs can come at the beginning of words (for
example out), the middle of words (caught), or the end of words (enjoy). With a
diphthong, the two vowels glide together to make a unique sound.
Task 1: Look at the IPA chart. Can you identify the diphthongs? Write the symbol for
each diphthong and then write 3 words which contain that diphthong.
Diphthong IPA symbol/sound
Three words which include that sound
10
Vowel sound activities
Some speakers of English do not distinguish between some vowel sounds such as /e/
and /æ/. This can affect understanding. The following activities will focus on improving
your articulation of vowel sounds.
/eɪ/ and /æ/
/eɪ/
/æ/
Task 1: Write words for the things in the picture in the correct part of the table
/eɪ/
/æ/
Task 2: Circle the word with a different vowel sound.
Example: black
1. sad
2. far
bag
fat
3. watch
4. rain
5. case
want
salt
map
catch
said
lake
mad
tap
add
match
fail
change
7. break
great
land
train
name
6. space
hand
care
plate
square
heat weight
11
/ɜː/
/ɜː/ is spelled ir, or, ur, our, ear or er. Listen to the teacher say the following words:
ir
or
ur
our
ear
er
bird first birthday circle thirty
word work world worse worst
turn Thursday
journey
early earth heard learn
service Germany prefer dessert weren’t
verb
university
Task 1: Read the sentences below. Pay attention to the words in bold.
1. My birthday’s on Thursday the thirty-first, and hers is a week later.
2. When would you prefer, Tuesday or Thursday?
3. That was the worst journey in the world!
4. Have you ever heard this word?
5. A: They cake’s weren’t very good. B: I thought they were.
6. She went to university to learn German
12
Task 2: Put the words in the correct group.
beard car chair church curtains dirty door floor four girl horse
large March near nurse pair parked purse shirt shorts stars
surfer third warm wearing
Words with /ɜː/
(9 words)
Words with /ɔː/
(6 words)
Words with /a:/
(5 words)
Words with other
sounds
(5 words)
13
Task 3: Look at the picture and put the words from Task 2 into the correct place in the
sentences below.
1. The _______________ is sitting on a ________________ next to the
_______________.
2. The boy’s _________________ a __________________of ______________ and a
___________________.
3. There’s a man with a _________________ standing ___________ the
__________________
4. The girl’s _____________ is on the _________________ next to the bed.
5. It’s _________________ in the room.
6. The date is the _______________ of ____________________.
7. There’s a picture of a _______________ and a picture of ______________
_________________
8. There are flowers on the ____________________.
9. Through the windows, you can see a _______________, with a _____________
_____________ ________________ outside. There are some _____________ in
the sky.
14
/aɪ/ and /ɪ/
/aɪ/
/ɪ/
Task 1: Write 7 words that start with the beginnings in the table below and 7 words that
end with the endings in the table below. Use the vowel sounds /aɪ/ and /ɪ/
beginnings
wi
endings
ght
li
mi
fe
ni
t
fi
ce
ti
si
ne
me
words with the vowel /aɪ/
wife
qui
le
de
ll
sh
te
n
words with the vowel /ɪ/
sit
Task 2: Read the dialogue. Circle the /aɪ/ sounds and underline the /ɪ/ sounds. Count
them and write the number at the end.
Number of /aɪ/
Number of /ɪ/
A: Why did Jim hit Bill?
B: Well, Jim’s a guy who likes a fight.
A: But Bill’s twice his size.
B: Yeah, that’s why Jim got a black eye
and a thick lip.
A: And Bill’s got a big smile.
B: That’s right!
15
Task 3: Complete the sentences. All the missing words have /aɪ/ or /eɪ/.
bye day dry eight
flight
great miles
night
right
time way white wine
1. The plane left in the evening and arrived the next morning. It was a
_______________
______________.
2. It’s best to drink ________________ ____________ with fish.
3. Fourteen kilometres is about _________________ ______________.
4. The was no rain yesterday. It was a _____________ ___________.
5. I think I’m lost – is this the ____________ _____________ to the beach?
6. We’ve had a _______________ ____________, thanks. _____________!
/ɪə/ and /eə/
/ɪə/
/eə/
Task 1: Read this note and underline 4 /ɪə/ words and 4 /eə/ words
Dear Mary,
I’m really pleased you can come to the theatre with us tonight.
We’ve got seats upstairs, near the front. See you there!
Sarah
Task 2: Complete these sentences with /ɪə/ words and /eə/ words.
1. She’s got fair h______________
2. The ch____________ are under the st___________
3. How many y_______ have you lived h__________?
4. There’s a man with a b____________ sitting in the ch____________
5. Speak up! I can’t h__________ you.
6. It’s a cl____________ day – you can see for miles
16
/uː/, /ʊ/ and /ʌ/
/uː/,
/ʊ/
/ʌ/
Task 1: Do the underlined words have an /ʌ/ or an /uː/ sound?
I studied at a school in London last summer. I was there for two months: May and June.
England is famous for bad food and weather, but I thought the food was good. The pub
lunches were very nice, but it’s true about the weather. Too much rain for me!
/ʌ/
/uː/
studied
school
Task 2: Complete these sentences from the word in the box.
brother
full
wood
moon
boot
juice
Cup
won
put
month
June
son
would
good
1. Two things you can _________ /ʊ/ on a foot are a shoe and a _________ /uː/.
2. The ____________/ʌ/ after ______________/uː/ is July.
3. My mother’s other _________________/ʌ/ is my ______________/ʌ/.
4. Fruit is _______________/uː/ for ________________ /ʊ/ for you.
5. Brazil _____________/ʌ/ the World ___________/ʌ/ in 2002.
6. There is a _______________ /ʊ/ _______________/uː/ once a month.
7. You pronounce _____________/ʌ/ exactly the same as ____________/ʌ/.
17
Task 3: Circle the word with the different vowel sound.
1.
foot
look
blood
push
2.
soon
book
boot
room
3.
rude
luck
run
but
4.
shoes
does
true
blue
5.
pull
full
put
rule
6.
done
move
love
son
18
Vowels summary activity (long and short /i:/ vs /I/ sounds)
Task 1: Start from tea and move to meal in a single line, passing only through words with
an /i:/ sound/
19
Awareness of sounds: pronunciation journey
Task 1: Listen to the teacher and look at the words on the board. Decide to take the left
or right route from Start of Journey depending on the word the teacher says
20
Consonants and the phonemic chart
Some users of English sometimes have difficulty articulating some of the consonant
sounds. This can affect meaning. There are 24 consonant sounds in English.
What are consonants?
•
with vowel sounds we do not block the air flow
•
with consonant sounds we block the air flow, at least partially
21
Task 1: The table below features some of the more challenging consonant sounds in
English. Complete the table with three words for each consonant IPA symbol.
IPA symbol
/ʤ/
/ʃ/
/ʧ/
/θ/
/ð/
/ŋ/
/j/
Three words which feature the sound
Voiced and unvoiced consonant sounds
22
Task 1: Look at your IPA chart. Are the letters written in grey or black voiced? Indicate
with a tick whether the sounds in the table below are voiced or unvoiced.
Sound
/p/
/b/
/s/
/z/
/f/
/v/
Voiced
Unvoiced
Pronunciation of th - consonant sounds /θ/ and /ð/
Listen to the two sounds /θ/ and /ð/. Notice that in /θ/ there is no voice from the throat.
Instead, you can feel the air from your mouth on your hand. In the sound /ð/ there is
voice from the throat. It is possible to make both sounds long.
Look at the diagram.
/θ/
/ð/
Task 1: Listen to the teacher read out the target
sound /θ/ in the words below and compare it with the words on each side.
thick
both
three
sick
boat
free
sick
boat
free
Task 2: Listen to the teacher read out the words below and repeat these examples of
the target sound.
thank
healthy
earth
think
birthday
length
thought
maths
fourth
Martha Smith’s an author and an athlete.
23
Task 3: Listen to the teacher read out the target sound /ð/ in the words below and
compare it with the words on each side.
breed
den
van
breathe
then
than
breed
den
van
Task 4: Listen to the teacher read out the words and repeat these examples of the
target sound.
these
other
breathe
though
weather
with
they
clothes
sunbathe
My father and brother live together with my other brother
Task 5: Write the words
Task 6: Find a way from Start to Finish. You may pass a box only if the word in it has
the sound /θ/. You can move horizontally (
) or vertically ( ) only.
24
Task 7: Try these tongue twisters with –th. Can you find any –th sounds which are
voiced? How many?
Thanks for the things you sang for me.
These things finish sooner than you think.
There is my brother from another mother
Three thousand spears were thrown at the throne.
The first thing that they think of is this.
25
Pronunciation of consonant sounds /l/ and /r/
/l/
Look at the diagram and listen to the target sound being produced. Note that the
sound can be made into a long continuous sound and there is voice from the
throat.
Task 1: Listen to the teacher and repeat
leave
slow
fill
litre
caller
final
life
help
whistle
/r/
Task 2: Listen to the teacher say the /r/ sound and look at the diagram to see how
to
make the sound. Notice that you can make this into a long continuous
sound and there is voice from the throat. However, when you finish the sound,
the jaw opens a little and the tongue goes straight again.
26
Task 3: Listen to the teacher and repeat
right
carrot
wrote
sorry
rhyme
dress
Task 4: Look at the pictures and complete the sentences with the words in the box.
hello double middle bottle letter
little apple
litter
table alphabet
single
letter
1. Did you say the ____________ box or the ____________ bin?
2. __________________. My name’s I. I’m the twelfth __________ of the
_________________.
3. There’s an _____________ in the _____________ of the _________.
4. Would you like a _____________ room or a ________________?
5. What’s in that ______________ ____________?
27
Task 5: Put the words in the correct places, in their normal spelling.
1. Hey, look! I found these old ______________ _____________ in a
______________ bin.
2. ___________________again – what _______________weather!
3. Are you ________________ sure this is the _____________ __________?
4. Stop ________________ ________________ the __________! We’ve got to get
__________________ to go out.
5. A: Oh no, I’ve lost an ________________.
B: I’m _________________ Anna ____________it!
6. A: _______________ up!
B: Why? It isn’t a _______________.
A: We’re _____________ late!
B: Don’t __________________, they’ll wait till we _____________.
Task 6. Circle the word in which the /l/ or /r/ is silent.
1
cold
calm
collect
film
2
follow
fold
folk
file
3
hurry
hairy
hungry
hair
4
shoulder
should
sailor
slow
5
artist
arrow
arrive
around
28
Pronunciation of consonant sounds /ʧ/, /ʤ/ and /ʃ/
/ʧ/
/ʤ/
/ʃ/
Listen to the teacher pronounce the /ʃ/ sound. Look at the mouth diagram to see how to
make this consonant sound. There is no voice from the throat, and you can feel air on
your hand when you put it in front of your mouth. If you add voice, you get the sound /ʒ/.
Listen to the teacher pronounce the sounds /ʤ/ and /ʧ/. With /ʧ/ there is no voice from
the throat, but with /ʤ/ there is.
29
Task 1: Listen to the teacher and circle the odd word out
1.
larger
generally
guess
fridge
2.
village
get
Germany
page
3.
coach
check
Christmas
temperature
4.
June
vegetable
give
cabbage
5.
station
Russian
picture
information
Task 2: Read the following sentences aloud. Circle the /ʧ/, undeline the /ʤ/ and put a
tick above the /ʃ/ sounds.
1.
I went to a small Russian village
2.
Cabbage is my favourite vegetable
3.
I was in Germany at Christmas
4.
Look at this page of information
5.
I am going to the coach station
6.
Can you check the temperature please?
30
Task 3: Put the nationality words in the right column according to the sounds
Jamaican Swedish Chinese
Russian
British Finnish Jordanian
Contains /ʤ/
Contains /ʃ/
Czech
Danish
Dutch Polish
Egyptian
Contains /ʧ/
Task 4: Try saying the tongue twisters below!
If two witches would watch two watches, which witch would watch which watch?
If Charlie chews shoes, should Charlie choose the shoes he chews?
What a shame such a shapely sash should show such shabby stitches.
31
IPA puzzles
Task 1: To find out what the cat is doing, match the phonetic transcriptions to words in
the picture. Then join the dots by these words in the same order as the list of phonetc
transcriptions. Some dots may be used twice.
Task 2: To find out what the bear is doing, match the phonetic transcriptions to words in
the picture. Then join the dots by these words in the same order as the list of phonetc
transcriptions. Some dots may be used twice.
32
Consonant clusters – an introduction
A consonant cluster in a word is a group of consonants with no vowels between them.
The longest possible cluster in English is three consonant sounds at the start, such as
'splash', and four at the end, as in 'twelfths'.
There are SO MANY consonant clusters in English.
Some are obvious and some are hidden, that’s one of the reasons why consonant
clusters are challenging for non-native speakers of English.
What is a Consonant cluster in English?
•
•
•
A consonant cluster is 2, 3 or 4 consonant sounds in a row. Examples of
consonants clusters with 2 consonant sounds are /bl/ in ‘black’, /sk/ in ‘desk’ and
the /pt/ at the end of ‘helped’.
Examples of clusters with 3 consonant sounds are /str/ in ‘string’, /sks/ in ‘tasks’
and the /kst/ in ‘sixty’.
Examples of clusters with 4 consonant sounds in a row are /ksts/ in ‘texts’ and
/mpst/ in ‘glimpsed’.
Why are consonant clusters so important in English?
There are a 3 main reasons why pronouncing consonant clusters correctly is so
important for speaking clear English that people can understand easily.
•
•
•
Consonant clusters are everywhere
The first reason is simply that consonant clusters are in so many English words.
If you mispronounce them, you’ll be mispronouncing many, many words in
English.
Consonant clusters distinguish between words
The second reason is that if you mispronounce a consonant cluster, it can mean
another word, and this is confusing to listeners. For example, if you leave the /l/
out in ‘black’ it sounds like ‘back’ and ‘click’ becomes ‘kick’. If you leave the /r/ out
in ‘free’ it’s ‘fee’ and ‘trip’ it becomes ‘trip’. Consonant clusters are essential in
telling one word from another in English. Mispronouncing them causes confusion.
Consonant clusters are needed for grammar
Correct consonant clusters are essential for pronouncing grammar markers in
English. Important grammatical markers such as past tense endings and plurals
require the pronunciation of consonant clusters.
33
For example, if a speaker leaves the /t/ sound off the end of ‘helped’ it becomes ‘help’
which means the listener doesn’t know that it happened in the past. This is confusing to
listeners and can be an obvious grammar mistake.
Leaving the /s/ sound off when there is more than one of something, such as ‘I have 3
meeting’ which should be ‘I have 3 meetings’ or ‘The client are waiting ‘ instead of ‘The
clients are waiting’. These are obvious grammar mistakes
Pronouncing consonant clusters clearly is very important for pronouncing English
clearly.
Task 1: To give you an idea of how common consonant clusters are, take a look at this
sentence. How many consonant clusters can you see in the sentence below?
“Access to the road was blocked from traffic yesterday because of the
accident”.
Consonant clusters that are obvious: /bl/ in blocked, /fr/ in from, /tr/ in traffic, /st/ in
yesterday, /nt/ in accident.
Consonant clusters that are less obvious: /ks/ in access, /kt/ in blocked, /ks/ in
accident.
So, there are 8 consonant clusters in that sentence
Task 2: Complete the words. They all have two consonant sounds and two
consonant letters.
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
I don’t like travelling by _ _ane.
The sky’s _ _ue today.
What would you like to _ _ink?
Is it the _ _elfth today?
Is this seat _ _ee?
It’s five o’ _ _ock.
How many languages can you _ _eak?
Don’t sit on the dirty _ _oor.
34
Task 3: Complete each phrase with one of the words from the box.
boots
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
physics
west
silence
thousands
isn’t
banks
last
First and __________
Maths and ___________
It wasn’t and it _________
Hundreds and _______
Socks and __________
Shops and __________
Sound and _________
From east to __________
Consonants at the end of syllables
Some one syllable words have no consonant sound (C) after the vowel sound (V), for
example go. If we add one or more consonant sounds (C) to the end of these words, they
are still only one syllable. Here are some examples:
Go!
Goal!
Gold!
Sometimes, if you do not pronounce the last consonant of a word, you in fact say another
word. For example, if you do not pronounce the final /k/ in think (/θɪŋk/), you get thing
(/θɪŋ/). Look at the table below and note how the words on the left sound the same as the
words on the right without the final C, so you can see it is important to pronounce the final
consonant. Some English users have a tendency to mispronounce final /l/ sound or add
/d/ or /t/ to ends of words.
35
Task 1: Read the words aloud from the table below. Then listen to your teacher read one
of the words from each pair. Circle the word you hear.
1.
cold
colder
6.
hole
hold
2.
bell
belt
7.
go
goal
3.
dance
dancer
8.
sent
centre
4.
well
welt
9.
fast
faster
5.
old
older
10. fill
film
Task 2: Complete the sentences below with words from the table above. Then read the
sentences aloud.
1. Yesterday was ________________, but today’s ______________.
2. My wife’s a good _______________ but I can’t ___________ at all.
3. I’m _______________ than you, but not too ___________ to learn English.
4. I _______________ my daughter to buy some things in the shopping ________.
5. The bus is ________________ but the train’s ______________.
Task 3: Underline the consonant groups at the end of some of the words in the dialogue
below.
1. A: Have you seen that film? B: No, I haven’t
2. A: Be there at six. B: Is that when it starts?
3. A: Have you been to France? B: Yes, once.
4. A: How do you say ‘Hello’ in French? B: I can’t speak French.
5. A: Have some of these biscuits. B: No, thanks, I don’t like them.
6. A: I found some money in the street today. B: How much? A: Fifty pence.
7. A: What’s for lunch? B: Fish and chips.
8. A: I only slept six hours last night. B: I didn’t sleep at all.
9. A: What colour are your new gloves? B: Pink and orange!
36
Word stress: an introduction
What is word stress and why is it so important?
Word stress is your magic key to understanding spoken English. Native speakers of
English use word stress naturally. Word stress is so natural for them that they do not
even know they use it. Non-native speakers who speak English to native speakers
without using word stress, encounter two problems:
1. They find it difficult to understand native speakers, especially those speaking
fast.
2. The native speakers may find it difficult to understand them.
Word stress: syllables
syllable (noun): a unit of sound that has one vowel sound



To understand word stress, we need to understand syllables.
Every word is made from syllables.
Each word has one, two, three or more syllables
Cat – one vowel sound = 1 syllable
Monkey - two vowel sounds = 2 syllables
Elephant – three vowel sounds = 3 syllables
37
Task 1: How many syllables are there in the words in the table below?
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
Word
China
Germany
telephone
egg
tomato
aeroplane
Syllables
Word stress: what is word stress?
In English, we do not say each syllable with the same force or strength. In one word, we
accentuate ONE syllable. We say one syllable very loudly (big, strong, important)
and all the other syllables very quietly.
Let's take 3 words: photograph, photographer and photographic. Do they sound the
same when spoken? No. Because we accentuate (stress) ONE syllable in each word.
And it is not always the same syllable. So the "shape" of each word is different.
This happens in ALL words with 2 or more syllables: TEACHer, JaPAN, CHINa, aBOVE,
converSAtion, INteresting, imPORtant, deMAND, etCETera, etCETera, etCETera
Try to hear the stress in individual words each time you listen to English - on the radio,
or in films for example. Your first step is to HEAR and recognise it. After that, you can
USE it!
There are two very important rules about word stress:
1. One word, one stress. (One word cannot have two stresses. So if you hear two
stresses, you have heard two words, not one word.)
2. The stress is always on a vowel.
Where do I put the stress on words?
There are some word stress rules about which syllable to stress. But...the rules are
rather complicated! Probably the best way to learn is from experience. Listen carefully
to spoken English and try to develop a feeling for the "music" of the language.
When you learn a new word, you should also learn its stress pattern. If you keep a
vocabulary book, make a note to show which syllable is stressed. If you do not know,
38
you can look in a dictionary. All dictionaries give the phonetic spelling of a word. This is
where they show which syllable is stressed, usually with an apostrophe (') just before or
just after the stressed syllable. (The notes in the dictionary will explain the system
used.)
(Read more on syllables and word stress here)
39
Task 1: We can show stress with circles: each circle is a syllable and the bigger circle
shows which syllable has the stress. For example, Saturday is Ooo.
Listen to teacher read the conversation and listen to the stress patterns of the words in
bold. What is their problem?
A:
When do you begin your holiday?
Ooo
o O
B:
On the thirtieth of August.
Oo
Ooo
A:
That’s next Saturday!
Ooo
B:
We’re leaving in the afternoon.
ooO
A:
And when are you coming back?
B:
Saturday, September the thirteenth.
o O
oOo
A:
Thirtieth?
Ooo
B:
No, thirteenth!
o O
Task 2: Write in full words in the correct column, according to their stress pattern
Mon
Nov
Tues
Thu
Sat
today
nd
th
holiday
2
11
13
Oo
oO
tomorrow
30
13th
Ooo
Apr
30th
Jul
17
oOo
Aug
70
Sept
Oct
afternoon
ooO
40
Task 3: Circle the word with the different stress.
1.
exam
excuse
explain
extra
2.
actor
after
afraid
also
3.
before
belong
better
between
4.
paper
pencil
picture
police
5.
coffee
colour
concert
correct
6.
English
enjoy
evening
every
Task 4: Complete the sentences. Choose the word with the correct stress from the box
below. You do not need to use all the words.
afternoon
expensive
seventeen
telephone
bicycle
holiday
seventy
today
conversation
delicious discussion
exercises
morning
normally
often
Saturday
sixty
Sunday
Sweden
Switzerland
yesterday
1. We had a oOo __________ meal on Ooo ___________.
2. We Ooo _____________ go on Ooo ____________ by car, but this time we’re
going by Ooo ______________.
3. I did ten grammar Oooo ______________ Ooo ____________.
4. Is Ooo _________________ an oOo ______________ country?
5. My son’s ooO ____________ and my father’s Ooo ____________.
6. I had a long Ooo ____________ ooOo _________________ this ooO ________.
41
Task 5: Find a way from Start to Finish. You may pass a box only if the word has the
same stress pattern Ooo. You can move horizontally (
) or vertically ( ) only.
42
Introducing sentence stress
Sentence stress is the music of spoken English. Like word stress, sentence stress can
help you to understand spoken English, even rapid spoken English.
Sentence stress is what gives English its rhythm or "beat". You remember that word
stress is accent on one syllable within a word. Sentence stress is accent on certain
words within a sentence.
Most sentences have two basic types of word:
•
content words
Content words are the key words of a sentence. They are the important words
that carry the meaning or sense—the real content.
•
structure words
Structure words are not very important words. They are small, simple words that
make the sentence correct grammatically. They give the sentence its correct
form—its structure.
If you remove the structure words from a sentence, you will probably still understand the
sentence.
If you remove the content words from a sentence, you will not understand the sentence.
The sentence has no sense or meaning.
Imagine that you receive this Telegram message:
This sentence is not complete. It is not a "grammatically correct" sentence. But you
probably understand it. These 4 words communicate very well. Somebody wants you
to sell their car for them because they have gone to France. We can add a few words:
The new words do not really add any more information. But they make the message more
correct grammatically. We can add even more words to make one complete,
grammatically correct sentence. But the information is basically the same:
43
In our sentence, the 4 key words (sell, car, gone, France) are accentuated or stressed.
Why is this important for pronunciation? It is important because it adds "music" to
the language. It is the rhythm of the English language. It changes the speed at which
we speak (and listen to) the language. The time between each stressed word is the
same.
Summary
Individual words have a stress pattern, that is a pattern of strong and weak syllables.
Sentences also have a stress pattern, and this is sentence stress. Sometimes a word and
a sentence have the same stress pattern. Listen to these examples.
Ooo
oOo
word
sentence
word
sentence
photograph Answer me! September Excuse me.
Canada
Doesn’t he? tomorrow
I think so.
cabbages
Copy it!
remember
He told her
ooO
word
sentence
afternoon
Do
you
Japanese
smoke?
Portuguese One
of
these?
He’s
arrived.
Short sentences and phrases in English have some typical stress patterns.
OoO What’s the time? Yes, of course!
OoOo See you later! Pleased to meet you!
oOoO A piece of cake. The shop was closed.
OooO What do you do? Where do you live?
ooOo Are you coming? Do you like it?
44
Sentence stress rules
The basic rules of sentence stress are:
1. content words are stressed
2. structure words are unstressed
3. the time between stressed words is always the same
The following tables can help you decide which words are content words and which
words are structure words:
Content words – stressed
Words carrying the meaning
Example
main verbs
SELL, GIVE, EMPLOY
nouns
CAR, MUSIC, MARY
adjectives
RED, BIG, INTERESTING
adverbs
QUICKLY, WHY, NEVER
negative auxiliaries
DON'T, AREN'T, CAN'T
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Structure words – unstressed
Words for correct grammar
Example
pronouns
he, we, they
prepositions
on, at, into
articles
a, an, the
conjunctions
and, but, because
auxiliary verbs
do, be, have, can, must
Some easy examples…
•
•
•
I LIKE your CAR.
My FRIEND is LIVING in LONDON.
I’d LIKE to BUY a COMPUTER.
As you can see as a basic rule you stress important words (nouns, verbs…) and you
don’t stress less important words (pronouns, prepositions…)
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Task 1: Underline the sentence which does not have the same stress pattern as the
word at the beginning of the line.
1.
Ooo
cinema
Wasn’t it?
Hasn’t she?
Don’t you?
2.
oOo
tomato
Close the door.
He told me.
I like it.
3.
ooO
afternoon
Does he drive?
Were you cold?
What happened?
4.
oOo
December
It’s open.
They arrived.
They listened.
Task 2: Write the sentences in the correct column according to the stress pattern.
The bus was late
Come and look.
Close the window?
What do you want?
The water’s cold.
Give me a call.
What did she say?
Phone and tell me.
Nice to see you.
Where’s the car?
It’s cold and wet.
What’s the time?
OooO
oOoO
OoO
OoOo
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Task 3: Combine phrases from the boxes A, B and C to make three sentences or
phrases with these patterns:
OOO
OoOoOo
OooOooOoo
Limericks and sentence stress
Limericks can be a good way of practicing the timing of sentence stress. Note the stress
and rhythm of when you read out the following limerick:
There once was a lady named Lynn
Who was so uncommonly thin,
that when she essayed
to drink lemonade,
she slipped through the straw and fell in!
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Task 1: Which words are stressed? Which syllables are stressed on multi-syllable words?
Try these limericks. Where is the stress?
1. There once was a farmer from Leeds,
Who swallowed a packet of seeds.
It soon came to pass,
He was covered with grass,
But has all the tomatoes he needs.
2. A canner, exceedingly canny,
One morning remarked to his granny.
A canner can can,
Anything that he can,
But a canner can't can a can, can he?.
3. There was a young woman named Bright,
Whose speed was much faster than light.
She set out one day,
In a relative way,
And returned on the previous night.
4. There once was a man from Tibet,
Who couldn't find a cigarette.
So he smoked all his socks,
and got chickenpox,
and had to go to the vet.
5. There once was a man named Brice,
Who had a nasty head full of lice.
He said, If I eat them,
Then I'll have beat them!
And besides they taste very
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Pronunciation of /s/, /z/, /ɪz/ on plurals and verb endings
(Three plural –s endings)
There are three plural –s ending sounds.
1. /s/
after the sounds /t/ /p/ /k/ /f/
sports
caps
books
names
colours
knives
actresses
ages
watches
2. /z/
after the sounds /d/ /b/ /g/ /v/ /l/ /m/ /n/
/r/
3. /ɪz/
after the letters s, sh, ss, z, x, ge or ch
Task 1: Say these words and write them in the correct column.
apps
/s/
bags boxes classes desks edges fans
kinds lives matches parents teachers
/z/
/ɪz/
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Syllables: other –s endings
When we add –s to make the third person singular present, it is the same. For example,
the verb know /nəʊ/ is only one syllable and the third person form knows /nəʊz/ is also
only one syllable.
One syllable
One syllable
know /nəʊ/
knows /nəʊz/
When we add –s’ to make the possessive it is also the same. For example, Paul and
Paul’s are both just one syllable.
One syllable
One syllable
Paul /pɔːl/
Paul’s /pɔːlz/
Sometimes, plural, third person and possessive endings are another syllable.
For example, fax / fæks/ is one syllable, but faxes / fæksɪz / is two syllables.
One syllable
Two syllables
fax / fæks/
faxes / fæksiz/
/s/
Chris’s kisses, the nurse’s purses, Max’s faxes
/ʃ/
Trish’s wishes
/z/
Rose’s roses
/ʧ/
The witch’s watches
/ʤ/
George’s fridges
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When the –s ending is another syllable, it is pronounced as /ɪz/.
Task 2: Put the verbs in the correct column in the table.
eat watch play make drink move build bring
carry kiss kick try love live catch fly put
/s/
/z/
/ɪz/
Task 3: Match the beginnings and ends of these phrases so that they rhyme.
Ms Fox’s
fridges
My niece’s
boxes
The witch’s
pieces
Mr Bridge’s
phones
Mr Jones
kisses
Chris’s
plans
Anne’s
switches
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Task 4: Write the correct phonemic symbol in the gap after each ending.
There’s / z / no life on the town’s /
Nobody stops /
/ and talks /
There used to be a butcher’s /
/ shops /
/ streets /
/ any more. Nobody goes /
/ there.
/ while they’re shopping – the shops /
/ have all closed.
/, a greengrocer’s /
/, a newsagent’s
/
/ clothes /
/, lots /
/
/ to the big shopping centres /
/ of small cafes /
/, a chemist’s /
/ - all gone. Now, everybody drives
/ outside town.
Connected speech
In speech, words are not separated; they join together. Sometimes it is difficult to know
where one word finishes and the next word begins. For example, pets enter sounds the
same as pet centre because the consonant /s/ could be at the end of the first word or at
the start of the second word. Look at the following examples:
pets enter
stopped aching
ice-cream
known aim
called Annie
clocks tops
missed a night
pet centre
stop taking
I scream
no name
call Danny
clock stops
Mr Knight
(Introduction to connected speech)
Rule 1
In fluent speech, people join words together. When one word ends with a consonant and
the next word begins with a vowel, imagine that the consonant is at the beginning of the
next word. For example:
Got up at eight
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Task 1: Mark out the places where words are connected below.
1. Choose the correct answer and tick it.
2. Which page is it on?
3. How do you spell it?
4. How do you pronounce it?
5. What does it mean?
6. I can’t understand this.
7. Look it up in your dictionary.
8. It isn’t easy to speak English.
9. Listen – which language it that?
10. Don’t worry if you make a mistake?
Task 2: Complete the sentences with the correct form of the verb.
1. A: What do you think of yoga?
B: I don’t know, I’ve never __________ (try) it.
2. A: What happened to my favourite cup?
B: It _______________ (fall) off the table.
3. A: Which film shall we go to?
B: I don’t mind. I’ve _________(see) all of them before.
4. A: You look pleased.
B: Yes, I’ve____________ (find) a new job.
5. A: What did you do last night?
B: I just ___________ (stay) at home.
6. A: Where did you buy that hat?
B: I _____________ (make) it myself.
7. A: Does your dog like biscuits?
B: I don’t know. I’ve never ___________(ask) it.
8. A: How did you get here?
B: I ____________ (swim) across the river.
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Rule 2
The consonant sound /r/ is used to separate vowel sounds when there is a letter R at the
end of the first word. In many accents, including Southern British, the final letter is not
pronounced, so the word ends in a vowel sound e.g. car /kɑː/. But, if the following word
begins with a vowel sound, the /r/ is pronounced, in order to separate the two vowels e.g.
the /r/ is pronounced for in car engine /kɑːrenʤɪn/
R not pronounced
her card
under sixteen
after nine
clear skies
R pronounced
her ace
under age
after eight
clear air
Sounds like…
her race
under rage
after rate
clear rare
Task 3: Circle the /r/ sounds that you think will be pronounced.
1. Where are you going?
2. Where shall we go?
3. Where did I put my scissors?
4. I don’t know where I put my scissors.
5. Have another biscuit.
6. Have another apple.
7. They’re all coming with us.
8. They’re coming with us.
9. Are you sure?
10. Are you sure about that?
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Rule 3: Linking vowel to vowel
When one word ends with a vowel sound and the next word begins with a vowel sound,
we link the words with a /j/ or /w/ sound. It depends on the shape of our mouth at the end
of the first word.
When the first word ends in an a, e, i vowel sound [ eɪ / i: / aɪ ], our lips are wide. Then
we insert a /j/ sound at the beginning of the next word:
We write
first
word
ends
with
We say
pay all
/eɪ/
payyall
the end
/i:/
theyend
lie on
/aɪ/
lieyon
When the first word ends in an o, u vowel sound [ əʊ / u: ], our lips are round. Then we
insert a /w/ sound at the beginning of the next word:
we write
First word ends with
we say
go out
/əʊ/
gowout
too often
/u:/
toowoften
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Task 1: Mark where you think a /w/ or /j/ sound will be inserted.
1. Is it blue or grey?
2. What day is it today? Thursday or Friday?
3. Coffee or tea?
4. Where’s my interview suit?
5. Play a song for me.
6. Hello. Reception? Which city is this?
7. See you in the evening.
8. Why do we always have to get up so early?
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Suggested resources for autonomous learning
BBC Learning English Pronunciation:
RP Phonemes
Sounds of English
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Youglish
Shadowing practice
English Central
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Review activities
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