PREFACE

The magnitude of English mastery urgency has made the author

of this book formulating guidelines provided for students. It aims making

learners to comprehend and apply what they have gotten in English class

into their lives.

Consequently, the book is composed to provide enlightenment for

early age English teachers on how English should be taught and how to

understand the children’s development process. These are efforts to

optimize the teaching learning process. This book can be utilized by

teachers who will teach English for elementary school students; parents

who will start teaching English to their children; and parties who will open

non-formal education institution.

The author is aware that this handbook is still far from

perfection and has weakness in some aspects. Therefore, criticism and

suggestion are welcomed for the improvement of this work. This

worksheet, hopefully, would give significant benefit among teachers,

students, as well as people in general who read it.

Kediri, 20th of July 2021

The Author
 CONTENT

~ ENVIRONMENT ~

~ HOMETOWN ~

~ NEIGHBORHOOD ~

~ BUILDINGS ~

~ FESTIVAL ~

~ MUSEUM ~

~ MUSIC ~

~ ACCOMMODATION ~
 ~ ENVIRONMENT ~

Some questions that are possibly appear in the conversation related

to environment:

• What’s your favorite weather?

• Does the weather influence your mood?

• Is it worse to feel too hot or too cold?

• How often do you spend time in nature?

• What do you enjoy doing when you spend time in nature?

• Would you like to spend more time in nature?

• Are you interested in the environment?

• Are you interested into topic related to environment issues?

• Do you do anything to help the environment?

• What would you like to do to help the environment in the future?

• Are people in your country concerned about protecting the

environment?

• Does the responsibility for protecting the environment lie with

governments or with individuals?

• Does it help to educate young people on being green?

• Do you think we pollute more now than we did 50 years ago?

• What do you think will happen if we do not reduce current levels

of pollution?
 ~ HOMETOWN ~
Some questions that are possibly appear in the conversation related

to hometown:

• Where is your hometown?

• What do you like about it?

• What do you not like about it?

• How important is your hometown to you?

• Do you think you will continue to live in your hometown?

• In what ways has your town or city changed since you were a

child?

• Are there any traffic problems where you live?

• Do you think it’s better for children to grow up in the city or the

country?

• Why do some people retire to the countryside?

• Are people from your country patriotic?

• Why do people often feel proud of where they come from?

Examples of answers

Q. What’s (the name of) your hometown?

Answer: My hometown is ABC city where is located in the South of [your
country]. It takes a 2-hour drive from here.
Q. Is that a big city or a small place?
Answer: Well, my hometown is a medium city with roughly 15 wards. The
booming population and economy have turned it into a promising land for
many investors.

Q. Please describe your hometown a little?

Answer: There are two words to describe my hometown, which are
natural and dynamic. It has picturesque scenery of mountains and
beaches. On the other side of the coin, its industry is growing fast; and
a lot of industrial zones are being built there.

Q. How long have you been living there?

Answer: I had spent a happy childhood in my hometown for 18 years until
I left for study at university. It’s 5 years since the day I left, but the
memory of my hometown is always in my mind.

Q. What do you like (most) about your hometown?

Answer: I think it’s a peaceful and tranquil place, which always gives me
peace of mind. The people in my hometown also have a strong sense of
community. They live close together and always give others a hand when
they are in need.

Q. Do you think you will continue living there for a long time?
Answer: I think I will definitely go back to my hometown, find a job and
settle down there because I love my hometown so much and it is also a
safe, peaceful and worth-living place.
Q. What do visitors like to go in your hometown?
Answer: I think most of them like to go to historical sites and the
beautiful sunny beaches. Going there, they can learn more about our
fascinating history and colourful culture or have a whale of time on the
beach with crystal clear sky and turquoise sea.

Q. What’s the most interesting part of your town/village?

Answer: Well, there are actually more than one interesting parts and
facts that I can recall about our town and among them, the most
interesting part is that the entire town is an island. You have to take a
ferry or a launch or cross a bridge on a bus to reach our town. Perhaps
the second most interesting fact of the city is that wind power provides
all the electricity we need. If I tell about the most intriguing area of our
town, it would be the north part of the town which is the hub of the town.

Q. What kind of jobs do the people in your town/village do?

Answer: That would be tough to answer because the types of jobs people
do in our town vary to a great extent. However, construction engineers,
IT professionals, fishermen and salespersons would dominate the list, I
believe. Many young people run online businesses and a few rich people
own hotel chains in our town. Since it is a popular tourist destination,
many locals are indirectly involved in the hotel and tourism sectors.
 ~ NEIGHBORHOOD ~
Some possible questions related to neighborhood:

• Do you know the people who live next door to you?

• How often do you see each other?

• What kind of relationship do you have?

• How can neighbors be helpful?

• What kind of problems can people have with their neighbors in a

big city?

• How well do you know the people who live next door to you?

• How often do you see them? [Why/Why not?]

• What kinds of problem do people sometimes have with their

neighbors?

• How do you think neighbors can help each other?

Examples of answers

Q. How well do you know the people who live next door to you?
Answer: I know my neighbors very well. Mr and Mrs. Patrick, who live
adjacent to my house, are more than our neighbors and in fact, they are
like close friends. Mr Albert, who lives across our house, is a great person
and I often visit him to play chess with him. I have a few neighbors who
are close family friends. Thus some of my neighbors are intimate and
dear to us and we have a great relationship.
Q. How often do you see them? [Why/Why not?]
Answer: I see them almost every day. Every time I go out, I see someone
waving his hands at me and I do the same whenever I see them. Besides,
some of our neighbors who walk in the park in the morning often exchange
greetings with me. In terms of visiting each other, we go to their house,
and they also visit us quite frequently - I would say at last once a week.
Since our neighbors live close to us, we see them more frequently and
have more conversations with them than our relatives.

Q. What kinds of problem do people sometimes have with their

neighbors?
Answer: I believe the dispute with the fence and boundaries is a common
issue among neighbors and that could be sometimes the reason for their
animosity. Besides, lack of mutual respects, irrational behavior, letting
pets run wildly could be a few other reasons people do not have a healthy
relationship with their neighbors. Sometimes jealousy can crack their
bond as well.
 ~ BUILDINGS ~
Some questions that are possibly appear in the conversation:

• What role do old buildings and new buildings play in modern

society?

• What changes have taken place in architecture in the past two

decades?

• Do you think it necessary to protect old buildings?

• What is the interesting building in your country?

• Where is it located?

• What is it used for?

• Explain why you think it is the most interesting?

Examples of answers

Q: What is the most interesting you’ve ever visited?

Answer: I think the interesting building is the Great Wall. It runs across
north China like a huge dragon. It was used to enemies. Soldiers used to
keep watch on the Great Wall. When the enemy came, fires were lit to
warn other soldiers. I think the Great Wall is the most interesting
building. Because it is one of the wonders of the world and it was one of
the few man-made objects on earth that could be seen by the astronauts
who landed on the moon. Also, the Great Wall has become a symbol of
both China's proud history and its present strength.
Q: Are there some old buildings in your hometown? Where and
describe it?
Answer: Weifang Tower, built in 1420, is located in the southern of
Anyang City. During the Ming and Qing dynasties, people came to the
tower to worship the God of Heaven and pray for a good harvest.
Nowadays, it serves as a museum of history. Murals of Wenfeng Tower
give visitors a feel for the great artistic achievements of ancient
Chinese civilization. In a word, I think the Wenfeng Tower is the most
interesting building, and it is the oldest building in my hometown.

Q. Compare the differences between the constructions in your city

with them in 20 years ago? Describe the building styles in detail?
Answer: The traditional buildings are made of the red brick and always
have curved eaves. Thousands of buildings look the same. But now, various
buildings with different colors and styles have been going up in my
hometown. In addition, room is equipped with kitchen and bathroom. This
is very convenient.

Q. What are people's attitudes to old building today and that of our
later generation? Should we protect them? Why?
Answer: People, including our later generation, advocate that government
should protect old buildings. Because old buildings represent the great
artistic achievements of ancient Chinese civilization.
Q. What role do you think the old and modern buildings play in the
society?
Answer: Oh, modern buildings are for us to live and work, while old
buildings are for us to visit and research.

Q. Compare the differences between house and apartment?

Answer: In China, there is a big yard beside house, where we can plant
some flowers and trees etc. But house is more expensive. Apartment is
convenient and cheap but small.
 ~ FESTIVAL ~
Some questions that are possibly appear in the conversation:

• What is ‘culture’ to you?

• Do you think that it is important for a society or culture to have

a sense of continuity with the past?

• How will your country’s culture have change in fifty years’ time?

• What is the most important festival in your country?

• Do you think this festival will still be as important in the future?

• Can you tell me how weddings are celebrated in your country?

• What are some forms of traditional dancing in your country?

• Are historical sites in your country popular with visitors?

• Is it more important to preserve historical sites or make way for

the developments of the future?

• What do you think will happen to your country’s historical sites

in the future?

Examples of answers

Q. Can you tell me about the most important festival in your country?

Answer: Malaysia is a multicultural country where people of all religions

and faiths live in peace and harmony, and one of the most important

religious festivals in my country is called “Vesak day” (or Wesak) to

commemorate the Lord Buddha’s Birthday which is usually observed

during the first full moon in the month of May. To all Buddhist people in

Malaysia, this is a very, very important festival because they believe that

the Lord Buddha’s birth, enlightenment and death had occurred on the

same calendar day.

Q. What special food and activities are connected with this festival?

Answer: A typical Wesak Day usually begins at dawn at Buddhist temples

throughout Malaysia by getting devotees to gather in order to meditate

on the Eight Precepts as well as having Monks in saffron-colored robes

to chant the sutras in unison. A candle procession is also the highlight of

the celebration, and at the same time, offerings of prayers and burning

of joss sticks/incense also run-in full swing.

As far as the question of special foods, connected to this particular

festival, is concerned, well-wishers and devotees do come together, at

the end of their prayers, to dine on simple offerings of vegetarian food

and drinks while providing the same to the poor and needy. Donations are

also made available to the deserving ones.

Q. What do you most enjoy about it?

Answer: What I enjoy the most about the “Visak” is that it manages to
bring people from all walks of life in the spirit of “giving” and “charity”
in order to the help the “less privileged” section of our society.
Q. Do you think festivals are important for a country? [Why?]

Answer: I don’t just think, but I actually believe the festivals are

absolutely important for any country as it helps bring all kinds of

different people together so that they could learn about each other and

appreciate them, in a world which has seen too much hatred and

animosities already towards each other. They spread brotherhood, faith,

love, sense of respect and duty among the people without destroying

others’ emotions and beliefs.

 ~ MUSEUM ~
Some questions that are possibly appear in the conversation:

• Are museums popular in your country?

• Did you visit museums when you were a child?

• Do you like going to museums now?

• Have you ever been to an art gallery?

• Do you think you should pay to visit museums?

• Do you think history is important?

• Do you like to learn about history?

• What do you think we can learn by studying history?

• How can people learn about history?

• Do you think people can learn history from films or TV programs?

• Do you think the internet is a good place to learn about history?

• What is the effect of technology on how people learn about

history?

• When you were a child, did you enjoy learning history?

• Have you ever been to a museum to learn about history?

• Have you ever watched movies related to history?

• When was the last time you read a book about history?

• Do you think history is important?

 ~ MUSIC ~
Some questions that are possibly appear in the conversation:

• Do you often (like to) listen to music?

• When do you listen to music?
• How much time do you spend listening to music every day?
• What kinds of music do you like to listen to?
• What’s your favorite kind of music?
• Have you ever been to a concert before?
• Do you like to listen to live music?
• How do you feel when you listen to this music?
• Have you ever been to a musical performance?
• Have you ever learned to play a musical instrument?
• Is music an important subject at school in your country?
• What kinds of music are (most) popular in your country?
• Do you think children should learn to play a musical instrument at
school?
• How easy would it be to learn to play an instrument without a
teacher?
• Is foreign music or music from your country more popular with

people your age?

• Do you think is it necessary for the government to require all

children to learn music?

• Do you think the government needs to do more to preserve

traditional music? What could they do?

Examples of answers

Q. What types of music do you like to listen to? [Why?]

Answer: We all have our own taste and preferences when it comes to

listening or liking a particular type of music. As for me, I like “soft rock”

or mellow music as opposed to the hard rock or intense ones. Soft rock

is a subgenre of light, melodic, radio-friendly pop (some would say “rock”)

music which employs clean and a highly polished piano and/or acoustic

guitar, aided by some bouncy and harmonious bass guitar as well as the

smooth and restrained use of electric guitar.

I listen to soft rock mainly because of its “ambience” as it creates a

relaxed and peaceful atmosphere around me on a subconscious level and

thus allowing me to be anywhere, I like.

Q. At what times of day do you like to listen to music? [Why?]

Answer: I like to listen to my favorite soft rock at night before going to

bed as its mellow and smooth sound, together with a slow rhythm, help

me to get rid of the tiredness of a stressful day.

Q. Did you learn to play a musical instrument when you were a child?

[Why/Why not?]

Answer: No, I didn’t learn to play any musical instrument when I was a

child. I did, however, wanted to learn to play the guitar, but

unfortunately, my parents were against it as it would, according to them,

impact my studies negatively.

Q. Do you think all children should learn to play a musical instrument?

[Why/Why not?]

Answer: Yes, I do really think all children should learn to play a musical

instrument if they are interested in it. They should learn it because it

requires good hand-eye coordination which is crucial to a child's healthy

development. Children also need to read the music and then convert that

in their brain to the physical part of playing the instrument which helps

them develop not only good coordination but also fast thinking. In fact,

studies have shown that learning to play an instrument can make a

difference in a child's academic performance by helping him/her develop

better listening skills.

Q. Which instrument do you like listening to the most? [Why?]

Answer: I mostly like the sound of a piano. The note that a piano produce

is so delightful and melodious. It soothes the ear and refreshes my mind.

The guitar is perhaps my second most preferred musical instrument and

it is widely used with most of the music types.

Q. Have you ever learned to play a musical instrument? [Which one?]

Answer: I once tried to master the skills of playing the guitar. I even

got admitted to a music school to learn to play the guitar but could not

finish the whole course. I can play some basic tones and music in the

guitar but I am not a skilled guitarist.

Q. Do you think children should learn to play a musical instrument

at school? [Why/Why not?]

Answer: I believe schools should have the facility for the interested

students who want to learn to sing and play a musical instrument, but it

should not be forced to all. If a child at school feels passionate about

learning it, he/she should be given the choice to do so.

Q. How easy would it be to learn to play an instrument without a

teacher? [Why?]

Answer: I think it was quite impossible in the pre-internet era. However,

the online courses and the interactive video tutorials make it a bit easier

to learn to play a musical instrument like a guitar or a drum without the

direct supervision of a mentor these days. Nevertheless, having a

teacher is tremendously beneficial as he /she inspires to learn and can

be a role model for mastering the skills of playing a musical instrument.

 ~ ACCOMMODATION ~

Some questions that are possibly appear in the conversation:

• Do you live in a house or a flat?

• Is it a big place?

• How long have you lived there?

• What do you like about living there?

• Is there a garden in the place you live in?

• Does the place you live in have many amenities?

• Is there anything you would like to change about the place you

live in?

• Do you plan to live there for a long time?

• What sort of accommodation would you most like to live in?

Examples of answers

Q. Do you live in a house or an apartment?

Answer: I live in a terraced house that has a living room, a kitchen, three

bedrooms, two bathrooms and a lovely back garden. It’s not really a

spacious house, but it’s just right for me and my family.

Q. Do you usually spend time with your family?

Answer: We often spend quality time together on eating well-prepared

meals by my mother, talking with each other while enjoying our favourite

delicious foods. It’s a precious time when we can momentarily get away

from the hustle and bustle of the city.

Q. Does your family usually do together?

Answer: My family often gathers around the table enjoying a cozy meal

together, communicating and sometimes busting into laughter because of

my father’s humorous stories. We’re also particularly into family game

nights, when we huddle together to play cards or other family favourites.

Q. Can you tell me about the kind of accommodation you live in?

Answer: I live in an apartment with my family and the apartment is

approximately twenty-five hundred square feet. Our apartment is on the

fourth floor and it has four bedrooms, a guest room and a large dining

space. The building is located near the city center and we enjoy a good

view from our apartment.

Q. How long have you lived there?

Answer: My father bought this flat almost 3 years ago, and since then

we have been living there. Before that, we used to live in a rented flat in

the same area.

Q. What do you like about living there?

Answer: We are happy with the apartment we live in and a great lake view

from the apartment is the best thing about it. Since the building is

located beside a lovely lake, we enjoy the fresh air and can walk by the

lake in the morning and evening. I also like the area because almost all

the modern amenities we need are present in the vicinity.

Q. What sort of accommodation would you most like to live in?

Answer: Honestly speaking, I prefer a house over an apartment as a place

to live in. However, due to increasing housing and accommodation

demands, owning or renting a house in the city center is really impossible.

So, for the time being, we are happy with the apartment we live in. But

if I have a choice, I would relocate to a town and own a large house with

a beautiful lawn in front of it.

~ THAT'S COMING ALONG NICELY ~
Common English Phrases

• Let me show you now how to get on the rail. It's pretty easy.

See? It's not that hard.

• Wow! That's amazing. You're really good.

• You ain't seen nothing yet! I can do much harder tricks than

that.

• At first glance, it looks easy, but I don't think I can do it. It's

way too hard.

• Yes, you can. Give it a try.

• Ow! Just my luck. I hurt myself on my first try!

• Been there, done that. I fell many times in the beginning, too.

On the bright side, at least you got up there.

• Yeah, I came close to landing it.

• Your cut looks pretty bad. So maybe you should call it a day.

• You're making too much of it, it's not as bad as it looks.

• It's just a little scrape.

• I couldn't care less about it.

• Hey, sorry but this is my spot of the skate park. You guys have

to go somewhere else.
• First of all, we have the right to skate here just as much as you

do, and secondly, we were here first you'll have to wait your turn.

Like it or not.

• Why should I? Let's face it: you guys don't even know how to

skateboard. He already got hurt.

• Don't jump to conclusions!

• You think you can skate better?

• You bet I can.

• Okay, prove it.

• What you did on the rail is too easy. How shall put it? A baby

could do what you just did.

• Maybe you should mind your own business. We didn't ask what

you thought about our tricks.

• Sorry, I just couldn't help myself. Let me show you something I

learned a couple of years ago. See? You should let someone who

knows how to skateboard use the rail. I rest my case.

• Big deal! I can do that trick, too. I'm just trying to teach my

younger brother a few tricks. He's still learning.

• Okay, then how about we have a contest? Whoever can do the

most difficult trick gets to use the rail for the rest of the day.

• Okay, it's a deal.

• I'm looking forward to seeing my brother beat you. He's really

good.
• When it comes to skateboarding, no one can beat me.

• I'm going to win this contest; you can count on it.

• You should never take winning for granted. It's beyond me why

you can't just wait your turn. If you lose, you won't be able to

use the rail for the rest of the day.

• I know, but I can tell that I’m better than you so I’m not worried.

You go first.

• Nice going. I'm actually impressed. Now, let me show you what I

can do.

• Too bad. I was going to say I couldn't have done it better myself,

but then you fell.

• If it hadn't been for the bump in the rail at the end. I would have

landed it.

• I was just unlucky.

• That makes two of us. The same thing happened to me too.

• Well, on second thought, I guess I wasn't quite good enough to

win. I gave it my best shot, though. You're actually really good.

Your skateboarding is some first-class work.

• Thanks. You're very good too.

• I'm sorry we started off on the wrong foot.

• That's okay. Maybe we could learn from each other.

• Now you're talking!

• Yeah, and maybe you could teach me a trick or two. What's your

name?
• I'm Justin. Sorry for giving you a hard time about using the rail.

• I'm mark. And this is Andrew. And that's okay, it's no big deal.

• Yeah, and it isn't like our contest was written in stone. We'll still

let you use the rail. Thanks, i really appreciate it. You guys are

very nice. By the way, can i show you something I’ve been working

on?

• Sure!

• Wow! Way to go!

• I've been working on one where I only use the edge of my

skateboard, but I forget the name of it. It's on the tip of my

tongue….

• You mean a bluntside?

• Yeah, that's it

• That's coming along nicely! You're very talented.

• We have to go home soon, but do you want to meet up tomorrow?

• Sure, sounds like fun.