Meeting 1

Activity 1
Getting To Know You
Choose five of your fellow students and complete a copy of the questionnaire below for each of
them by asking them the appropriate questions. Consider how you will ask them to answer your
questions, especially if some of the questions are rather private.
Name
Address :

Postal Code

Telephone:
Email:
Date of birth:
Gender:
Schools attended:

(home)

Current employment:
Hobbies:
Computer knowledge: PC / Mac
Application:
List any major illnesses:

(dd/mm/year)

(mobile/pager)
Nationality:
Marital status:

Getting To Know You

Activity 2
You are applying for a job and you have been asked to complete this form. Complete it now.
APPLICATION FOR EMPLOYMENT
Date:
Address :

Postal Code

Telephone:
Email:
Date of birth:
Gender:
Position applied for:
Expected salary:
Education
From (yr) To (yr)

(home)

(mobile/pager)

(dd/mm/year)

Nationality:
Marital status:

School / College/ Institution

Highest standard passed

Previous employment, if any

From (yr)

To (yr)

Name of company

Computer knowledge: PC / Mac

Application:
Do you have a valid driving licence? Yes / No
If yes, please state class
Do you have any health problems? Yes / No
If yes, please state

Position
held

Salary

Reason for leaving

Getting To Know You

Activity 1
HELLO, I AM ...

Meeting 1
Activity 2
Find Someone Who. . .
Activity 1

Find Someonewho. . .
Activity 2A
FIND SOMEONE WHO...
Ask your fellow students if they fit any of the descriptions below. Record their name in the space
provided if they do. You may be able to get more than one name in some cases.
was born on Friday 13th.
goes to bed after midnight.
has a part-timejob.
is trying to stop smoking.
plays the piano.
loves mountain climbing.
likes rock music.
goes to school by bus.
has never been to a soccer match.
sleeps more than ten hours per day.
prepares his/her own meals every day.
is a first-born child.
speaks two foreign languages fluently.
is celebrating his/her birthday next month.
has five pairs of glasses.
can drive a car.
reads a newspaper every day.
is an only child.
has an overseas pen friend.
can name at least four cities in Australia.

Find Someone Who...

Activity 2B
FIND SOMEONE WHO...
Ask your fellow students if they fit any of the descriptions below. Record their name in the space
provided if they do. You may be able to get more than one name in some cases.
was born in a leap year.
travels abroad regularly.
has an Internet account.
has more than three brothers.
keeps an unusual pet.
likes reading science fiction.
goes to concerts often.
goes jogging regularly.
has never cooked even the simplest meal.
goes to the cinema at least once a month.
washes and irons hisser own clothes.
has sailed a boat.
keeps a diary.
celebrated his/her birthday last month.
has more than five pairs of shoes.
can paint portraits or landscapes.
rarely watches television.
has lived overseas.
has relatives living in other countries.
can name the president of Russia.

Meeting II
Activity 1
Are You Who You Think You Are?
Activity 1

TALKING ABOUT HOW WE WATCH TELEVISION.

Well, it really depends. Sometimes I watch one TVprogramme, sometimes
two,sometimes three; but sometimes I dont watch TV at all.So, I guess, er...,
it depends on whether there are goodprogrammes on TV.If I uh... don 't have
anything much to do, ifI don 't have homework, or things like that,I watch
more than one programmes ...

Are You Who You Think You Are?

Activity 2
ARE YOUWHOYOU THINK YOU ARE?
Read the statements in the first column. For each statement, choose the most appropriate answer
by putting a check mark (). Then, in small groups, discuss your answers with your friends.
Please be prepared to elaborate on your answer.
Statement
I watch at least one TV programme per day.
I stand up for what is right.
I feel nervous at exam times.
I work hardest when under pressure.
I am good with money.
I feel bored when I am alone.
I delay doing things until the last minute.
I get irritated if people are late.
I give to charity
I am a romantic person.
I have a large circle of friends.
I trust my intuition.
I enjoy being busy.
I try to remember people's names when I am
introduced to them.
I plan for the future.
I'm afraid of heights.

Always

Usually

Seldom

Never

Meeting II
Activity 2
Focus On Health
Activity 1

FOCUS ON EATING STEAKS

Eating steaks frequently is bad, especially for older people. You see,
there's a lot offatin red meat, uh ... it increases your cholesterol level ...
and, youknow, ... too much ofanything is not good. Uh, you should eat a
little bit ofeverything, uh, you should eat things in moderation. It's not that
you should not eat steaks, you know, uh ... ... but you should reduce the
red meat content ofyour diet.

Focus On Health
Activity 2
FOCUS ON HEALTH
Look at the following list of daily activities. Do you think they have any effect on your health?
For each activity, decide whether it is GOOD, BAD or IRRELEVANT for your health. Please be
prepared to give a reason why. For example, eating steak frequently is bad for your health
because this will increase your fat intake and cause blockages in your blood.
ACTIVITY
l. Eat steaks frequently
2. Do exercise regularly
3. Eat candies, chocolate often
4. See a medical doctor regularly
5. Go fishing on every Sunday
6. Take your kids to the movies each week
7. Watch TV 4-6 hours every day
8. Smoke two packets of cigarettes each day
9. Study hard every day
10. Drink 5 cups of coffee daily
11. Tell funny stories at least once a day
12. Stay up late every night
13. Sleep more than 10 hours every night
14. Drink four glasses of whiskey each day
15. Learn four foreign languages at the same time
16. Go mountain climbing once a month
17. Try different diet pills to stay slim
18. Others

GOOD

BAD

IRRELEVANT

Meeting II
Activity 1
Problems In The Language Classroom
Activity 1

ENGLISH IS DIFFICULT
Well, yes ... a lot of the sounds in English are difficult like the sound thin the
word... uh think, breath, smooth ...and uh the sh sound in share, fish and smash
you know, and there are a lot ofwords ...that are really difficult to say ...uh for
example, psyche, er uh conscientious and Pseudoscientifically...you know the
spelling of the words does not help you at all uh it can be frustrating at times.

Problems In The Language Classroom

Activity 2
Here are some problems that you may encounter when studying a foreign language such as
English. Please indicate how important each of them will be for you. For each problem, check
either the Yes or the No column, then write a brief explanation of your response in the Reason
column.
PROBLEMS
Learning a new sound system
Acquiring new vocabulary
Learning different terms of address
(e.g. Mr, Miss, etc)
Learning grammar rules
Difficulties in spelling the foreign
words
Keeping up with the endless stream of
a homework
understanding native speakers of
English
Understanding your teacher's English
Writing a business letter in English
Speaking in front of the class
Learning to read technical texts
Difficulties in making yourself
understood
Learning idiomatic expressions,slang,
colloquial language, etc
Mixing up similar-sounding words
(e.g. beer and bear, tree and three)
Other problems (what are they?)

YES

NO

REASON

Meeting III
Activity 2
Do You Agree?
Activity 1

1. Look at the picture. How many children do the couple have?

2. Do they look happy?
3. How would you describe the family in the picture?
4. Do you come from a small or large family?
5. In China, a couple can only have one child. Do you agree with this policy?
6. Is a family of four (parents plus two children) an ideal one? Why?

Do You Agree?
Activity 2
DO YOU AGREE?
People have different opinions about issues in life. For example, some people think it is nice to
have many children; others, however, feel that they wouldn't be able to get ahead in their careers
if they had too many children. Some feel that marriage is a sacred thing: a married couple should
never get divorce. Others think that divorce should become an alternative when everything else
fails. Study the topics in the table below, and check the appropriate column: (1) Strongly Agree;
(2) Agree; (3) Disagree; (4) Strongly Disagree. Write down your reason in the appropriate
column.
TOPIC
People should not have more than one
A
child.
Once you're married, you should never
B
get a divorce.
For every problem there is poly one
C
correct solution
D Untidy people are not nice to know.
E

Women are not as intelligent as men

Older is not necessarily wiser.

Children are basically good, spoiled only

by their environment

H Everyone has a right to live and to die.

I

A friend in need is a friend indeed

Where there is a will there's a way.

K Students dont need examination

L

Fishing is a very interesting hobby.

REASON

Meeting IV
Activity 1
Food Survey
Activity 1

Food Survey
Activity 2
FOOD SURVEY
How often do you eat the following foods? Use usually, not very often, quite often, once a week,
sometimes, occasionally, rarely, almost never, never, or it depends for your answers.

Dinner

Lunch

Breakfast

FOOD SURVEY
TYPES OF FOOD
Cereal
Fish
Fried rice
Scrambled eggs
Bananas
Rice porridge
Instant noodles
French toast
Orange juice
Pancake with syrup
Other
Pizza
Salad
Carrots
Fried chicken
Hamburger
Instant noodles
Meatballs
Cheese/tuna/egg sandwich
Cooked mead and vegetables
Other
Lasagne
Spaghetti
Casserole
BBQ Chicken/beef/pork
Shrimp steak
Chinese mixed vegetables with
meat
Frogs legs in black bean sauce
Other

HOW OFTEN
..
..
..
..
..
..
..
..
..
..
..
..
..
..
..
..
..
..
..
..
..
..
..
..
..
..
..
..
..
..

Meeting IV
Activity 2
Dining Etiquette

MIND YOUR MANNERS!

1. Briefly describe what is happening in the picture above.
2. Do you think it is a common scene in your country?
3. Do you often eat together with your family?
4. Do you do any of the following things at mealtime?
Chew loudly
Say prayers
Tell funny stories
Blow your nose
Leave the table before everyone has finished

YES

NO

DINING ETIQUETTE
Activity 2
DINING ETIQUETTE
Sometimes people find themselves entertaining people from other cultures for lunch or dinner,
either for business or social purposes. Because mealtimes operate differently for people from
different cultures, you should be aware of what is/isn't appropriate to do during mealtimes. Listed
in the table are some of the things that people do during mealtime. Fill in the table below by
checking the appropriate column(s) in relation to your own culture. Do you know if the items
listed are appropriate in other cultures (Japanese, American, Italian, Egyptian, etc.). Please be
ready to explain or elaborate on your responses.
Things People do during meals
Chew loudly.
Burp after the meal.
Ask somebody to pass something.
Men eat first.
Use your hands to eat.
Speak with food in your mouth.
Wait for everybody to sit, down together
Eat soup first and then the meatsecond
Eat cake or ice-cream after the meal
Spill food on the table cloth.
Slurp your noodles.
Sit and talk at the table for a long time.
Take a second helping.
Not finish all the food on your plate.
Thank your host for the lovely meal.
Help to do the dishes.
Use a toothpick to clean your teeth.
Eat fruit after the meal.
Eat rice with every meal.
Bring some food or drink for the host.
Other..

Polite
Yes No

Common
Yes No

Remark

Meeting V
Activity 1
Who Should Get The Money?
Activity 1

WHAT'S IN A WILL?
l . Use as many of the following words as possible to describe the picture:
patient
die
no children
a share of the money
remained unmarried

doctor
money
inheritance
suffer from
no heirs

nurse
heart disease
hospital
sad
life support

2. Do people usually draw up a will before they die? Why or why not?
3. When people die, who should their money go to? Explain your answer.
4. What happens to the inheritance if the deceased has no immediate family?
5. If you were rich and had no immediate family, who would you give your money to when you
died? Why?

Who should Get The Money?

Activity 2
WHO SHOULD GET THE MONEY?
Mr Li died of a heart attack last week, leaving behind a rather large amount of money. He was a
rich man who preferred to remain single throughout his life. He had no direct heirs, and made no
will before he died. The following people all claim that they should get a share of Mr Li's money.
Your task is to decide which of the following people deserve money. Be sure that you have a
very good reason as to why s/he should inherit the money. tohelp you with the task, use the task
sheet provided on the next page.
Mrs Tan

Mrs Tan is Mr Li's widowed cousin, his only remaining relative.She is

69years old and lives alone in a small village in fairly comfortable
circumstances. The money would enable her to hire a nurse, pay the medical
bills for her frequent illnesses, buy a car and travel. She is not very popular
with her neighbors. Years ago she quarrelled with Mr Li and did not speak to
him again.

Grace Lim

Ms Lim nursed Mr Li for the last ten years of his life. She is 45 years old,
loved her work and is a very able nurse. She was well-paid by Mr Li and her
savings will mean that she can take a long holiday before taking up her next
position. She is a very kind and considerate person and she helped Mr Li
enjoy the last years of his life.

Joy Koh

MsKoh is a good-looking woman in her late twenties. She claims to have

been Mr Li's girlfriend and that he was the father of her small child. She has a
letter that appears to have been written by Mr Li but refuses to (or cannot)
give any other details of her life with Mr Li.

Steven Soh

Steven is the son of Mr Li's old driver. Mr Li liked him and paid for his
education. Steven would like to continue his education overseas but has no
money. He is planning to get a temporary job and save. He is an attractive and
popular young man. He likes fast cars and has lots of girlfriends. Some say he
is not very honest.

Who Should Get The Money?

NAME

FOR

AGAINST

Mrs Tan

Grace Lim

Joy Koh

Steven Soh

Decision: ..

REMARKS

Meeting V
Activity 2
Monthly Expenditure
Activity 1

A TIGHT BUDGET
1. Who do you think the man on the bike is?
2. What is he thinking about?
3. Does he look sad, happy, tired, frustrated?
4. Do civil servants make a lot of money?
5.Why do people want to work as civil servants?
6 Use the following words/phrases to describe the man in the picture.
old bike
civil servant
to look tired
to make ends meet
to work two jobs
wife
monthly budget
children
utility bills
to be in the red
to borrow money
to have been working many ears

Monthly Expenditure
Activity 2
MONTHLY EXPENDITURE
Nguyen Van Thanh is thirty-two years old, married with two children aged two and four. He lives
in Danang, Vietnam and has been an elementary sports teacher at a government school for about
seven years.
Salary/allowance
Additional earnings (tennis lessons)
Wife's salary (saleswoman at a shoe store)
Total earnings

VND 814,000
VND 750,000
VND 1,000,000
VND 2,564,000

Electricity
VND 30,000
Transport to work
VND 375,000
Meals at work
VND 500,000
Savings plan
VND 125,000
Groceries (meat, vegetables, milk, etc.)
VND 900,000
Household supplies (soap, toothpaste, etc.)
VND 412,500
Medical check-ups for expecting wife
VND 65,000
Miscellaneous (medicine, clothes, etc.)
VND 300,000
Total expenses

VND 2,707,500

Monthly deficit

VND 143,500

* Note: US$1.00 is approximately VND 15,000.

VND stands for Vietnamese Dong, the legal tender in Vietnam.
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.

LET'S TALKABOUTIT
How long has Mr. Nguyen Van Thanh been a civil servant?
What is his total earnings? What about his wife's?
Do you think they can make ends meet?
Do you think they should watch their budget more carefully? Is there any particular item(s)
they should spend less money on?
Is there anything they can do to make some extra money?
Do you usually spend more than you should?
Do you spend a lot of money on food, clothes, movies, perfume?

8. How much do you spend every month? Please include the following items:
Food
Insurance
Housing
Savings
Clothes
School Fees
Hairdresser
Private Tuition Fees
Transport
Newspapers and Magazines
Entertainment Utility Balls (electricity, phone, water)
Cigarettes
Medical Bills
9. What would be a reasonable monthly expenditure for a family of four? Make sure you
include the items listed in question 8 above.

Meeting VI
Activity 1
Interview Your Friends
Activity 1

1. How does the person in the picture describe himself?

2. Are there other words you would use to describe him?
3. Think of some other words that you could use to describe someone you like, or someone you
don't like.
4. How would you describe your best friend? Please use the following words to describe him/her.
Are there any other words that you may want to use?
a. pretty
g. gracious
m. friendly
b. intelligent
h. loveable
n. hard-working
c. elegant
i. vulgar
o. humorous
d. charming
j. aggressive
p. sensitive
e. sweet
k. touchy
q. modest
f. motherly
l. cheerful

Interview Your Friends

Activity 2
INTERVIEW YOUR FRIENDS
Please study the interview sheet below. Then, interview one of your friends and write down
his/her responses on the sheet. You may ask some questions of your own if you wish. After you
have finished, ask your friend to interview you.
INTERVIEW SHEET
Name:
Age
Gender: Female / Male
Address :
Tel :
Five words / phrases that describes You:
Your favourite television programme
Your favourite music
Your favourite movie
Places you would like to visit
A game you enjoy playing
The person you enjoy playing
The person most important to you

Meeting VI
Activity 2
The Job
Activity 1

1. What do you think the picture is about?

2. Are the two people in the picture having a friendly conversation?
3. What does the woman's reply Whatever you say'' mean?
4. Is it easy or difficult to get ajob nowadays?
5. Have you been to ajob interview before?
6. Are the following things usually asked about in ajob interview?
YES NO
Age

Health

Hobbies

Education

Favourite food

Sleeping habits

Expected salary

Examination results

Previous work experience

Other (please specify) .....

The Job
Activity 2
THE JOB
A friend and I were applying for a job as a sales assistant. I was interviewed first. Towards the
end of the interview, the interviewer asked me how much was $23 times 6. I was proud of my
maths skills and quickly replied $368. Later my friend was asked the same question and
answered, Whatever the manager says. My friend got the job!
LETS TALKABOUTIT
1. If you were an applicant, would you answer like the first or second applicant? Why?
2. If you were the boss, which applicant would you prefer to hire? Explain your answer.
3. Your boss nearly always hires close friends and relatives, even though there are other people
who are more able and qualified. Do you agree or disagree with his actions? Why? If you
disagree, what would you do in this situation?
Would you
(a) keep quiet and forget it?
(b) keep quiet but look for anotherjob?
(c) say something to your boss?
(d) have the other employees sign a petition?
4. Your boss has many employees who have families. He pays these people much more money
than he pays you and other unmarried employees. This frustrates you as you do more work
than them. Do you agree or disagree with your boss? Why? Will you say or do anything?
5. Make a list of things people do to get promoted in their career.
6. Is sexual harassment an issue in the work place? How do you define sexual harassment?
What is your attitude towards it?.

Additional Material
Are You Young Or Old?
Activity 1

TALKING ABOUT ELDERLY PEOPLE

1.
2.
3.
4.
5.

How old are the people in the picture?

What are they doing?
Are there a lot of elderly people in your country?
Is the size of tile elderly population in your country expected to increase?
Use the following words/phrases to describe the picture
remain active
stay healthy
elderly men
woman
over sixty years old
after retirement
early in the morning
look happy
croquet stick
ball

Are You Young Or Old?

Activity 2
ARE YOU YOUNG OR OLD?
AGE
Age is a quality ofmind
If you have left your dreams behind
Ihope is cold
If you no longer plan ahead
If your ambitions all are dead
Then you are old.
But ifyou make of life the best
And in your life you still have zest
If love you hold
No matter how the birthdaysfly
You are not old.
Anonymous

1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.

LET'S TALK ABOUT IT

What does the poem say about age?
According to the poem Age, when is a person considered old?
What do you like about your present age?
What did you like about being younger?
What is the ideal age? Why?
Do you often think about growing old?
What is your attitude towards elderly people ---- pity, sympathy?
Linda is an only child and is single. She is a successful career woman. She works
everydayfrom 8:00 to 5:00, but often comes home late in the evening. Her mother is an
eighty-year-old widow, and has not been in good health lately. Linda feels that she is too
busy with her work to look after her mother.
a) Do you think the mother should live with Linda? Why or why not?
b) Should the mother live in an old people's home? Why or why not?