joethoma.com

March 14, 2025

Introduction & Job Discussion

• Where do you live?
  • In “Toulouse”
  • “What do you do?”
  • “I am a clinical research associate.”
  • “Great! What kind of research?”
  • “Medical research.”
  • “That sounds interesting!”
• Reason for Learning English:
  • “Why are you learning English?”
  • “For work. I need to speak English fluently because I work with American laboratories.”
  • “That makes sense. Practicing will help you feel more confident!”

English Learning Tips

• Listening & Repeating:
  • Watching TV in English and repeating what actors say can help improve pronunciation.
  • Example: Stop after a sentence and repeat it exactly as they said it.
  • It’s like learning a song—repeat until it feels natural.
• Lessons Provide Feedback:
  • It’s good to get corrections and practice with real conversations.

Talking About the Past

• Common Small Talk Questions:
  • “How was your week?”
  • “How was your day?”
  • “What did you do this week?”
• Example Responses:
  • “Last week was good. I took it easy, worked in the garden, and watched a movie with my wife.”
  • “My week was okay. I worked a lot and did laundry.”

Daily Activities in Past Tense

• Morning Routine:
  • “She got up.”
  • “She went for a run.”
  • “She had breakfast.”
• Work & Evening Activities:
  • “She worked late at the office.”
  • “He cooked dinner at home.”
  • “She watched TV.”
  • “She cleaned while listening to music.”
• Laundry & Chores:
  • “He did the laundry.”
  • “He did the dishes.”

Grammar Notes: Past Tense

• How to Talk About the Past:
  • “How is your week so far?” (For ongoing weeks—until now)
  • “How was your week?” (For completed weeks—past tense)
• “So far” vs. “Last week”:
  • “So far” means until now (e.g., “How is your project going so far?”)
  • “Last week” refers to a completed period (e.g., “How was your project last week?”)

Common Phrases & Conversations

• Describing Your Week:
  • “How was your week?”
  • “It was great!” / “It was okay.” / “It was pretty good.”
• Describing Activities:
  • “I went to a birthday party the day before yesterday.”
  • “I had dinner with my parents two days ago.”
  • “Yesterday, I went to the gym.”
• Understanding “I didn’t do much”:
  • “I didn’t do much” means I didn’t do anything special (e.g., “I stayed home and relaxed.”)

Telling a Story About a Trip

• Example Conversation:
  • “How was your week?”
  • “Pretty good! I went on a trip to my grandparents’ village.”
  • “Wow! What did you do there?”
  • “We talked a lot, cooked, and ate delicious food together.”
  • “Sounds lovely! When did you come back?”
  • “I came back last Saturday.”
• Morocco Trip Example:
  • “I was in Morocco on holiday.”
  • “What cities did you visit?”
  • “I visited Fes.”
  • “Did you buy a fez?”
  • “No, but I bought a babouche!”
  • “How was the food?”
  • “Amazing! We ate tagine.”

Pronunciation Tips

• “Eight” vs. “Hate”
  • “Eight” (no “h” sound, just ate)
  • “Hate” (strong ‘h’ sound)
• “Hall” vs. “All”
  • “Hall” (longer, starts with ‘h’)
  • “All” (shorter, no ‘h’ sound)

Challenging Vocabulary List

1. Fluent (FLU-ent) – Able to speak a language easily and correctly.
2. Laboratory (LAB-ruh-tor-ee) – A place for scientific research and experiments.
3. Pronunciation (pro-NUN-see-AY-shun) – The way a word is spoken.
4. Retire (re-TIRE) – To stop working permanently, usually due to age.
5. Pensioner (PEN-shun-er) – A retired person who receives payments.
6. Admonishment (ad-MON-ish-ment) – A warning or correction given to someone.
7. Mediocre (ME-dee-OH-ker) – Average, not very good.
8. Crowded (CROW-ded) – Full of people or things, not much space.
9. Lounged (LOUNDJ’d) – Relaxed in a casual way.
10. Peddler (PED-ler) – A person who sells things, often in markets or on the street.