The Smart Way to Learn English

The SE teaching method is based on the student. They will have conversation with the teacher, do speaking exercises like stories, write homework, review class notes, read in class and at home, watch TV and movies in English, and English will become a normal part of their lives. The teachers will take class notes and homework will be focused on the student’s needs and past content that has been learned in SE classes.They should be encouraged to: Ask questions, talk as much as possible, and review past notes!

Course Plan

Month 1: Basic grammar rules (preps, conj, sentences), Vocabulary needed for class (common vocab + chinglish corrections), Pronunciation (mouth movements, phonetics, etc).

Month 2: Longer sentences, adv grammar (tenses etc), upgrading vocabulary (writing + speaking), pronunciation (connecting words)

Month 3: Email & Chat writing, adv grammar cont, pronunciation practice (accents, reading, fast connection), filler words for thinking.

Month 4-12: Usage – Correction – Review.

Course Learnings

Grammar

Verbs & Nouns: how they work 动词&名词—如何运动
 Making good sentences 造句
 Understanding prepositions 了解介词
 Understanding conjunctions 了解连词
 Verb Nouns – 动名词 / Describing verbs – 形容动词
 To / At / With
At / On / In: talking about time 如何和相应的时间连用
 Making longer sentences: 如何运用 which, who, when 制造长句
 Verbs: telling the time with verbs 动词－动词的时态
 For / To – reason 原因
 The / A – what’s the difference? The/A的区别
 Here / there / places

Vocabulary

Most common and useful words for learning English 最常用的词汇
 Have / Don’t have: Have done / Haven’t done
There is / It has
Let / Get / Make – 让
 Used to do / Am used to doing
Fun / Funny / Interesting
Work / Company / Job / Office
Numbers in English 英语中的数字
 Take / Cost / Spend
See / Look / Read / Watch
Talk / Speak / Say / Tell
Because / And / But / So
Bored / Boring / Tired / Tiring

Pronunciation

Moving your mouth correctly 口型的变化
Phonetics 音标
Connecting words 连读
Speaking fast 快速阅读

Studying at SE

How to review & do homework
Using Email & WeChat Service
How to use the SE online system
Choosing the teachers best for you
Self studying at home

Teaching Resources

Simple articles for Pronunciation & Beginners
Phonics A-Z
Vocabulary book – picture book
Most common 100 words in English

GRAMMAR

Grammar teachings at SE will come from

1 – Conversation & Questions

2 – Speaking & Writing Exercises

3 – Books & Materials

Verbs & Nouns: “the 3 questions”

Verbs – What time?
Nouns – Which one? / How many?

I went to a park and it was very fun.

I really like computers because they can help us with many things.

There are many people in China and these people like to buy iPhones and other expensive things.

Making Sentences

[ Main Idea + Details ] ___CONJUNCTION___ [ Main Idea + Details ]

[ I come to Smart English + to study English + with Jesse ]__BECAUSE __[ I think English is important + for me + to improve myself. ]

[ Main Idea ] = [ TIME + SUBJECT + VERB + OBJECT + TIME ]

[ Yesterday, Jesse went to Australia ] / [ Jesse went to Australia yesterday ]

[ Details ] = To study / For English / With Judy / At 5PM / By myself / At Smart English

Prepositions

These short words are used to add details to your sentences and be more specific or less specific. They give nouns and verbs direction and connect them.

I went home to sleep in bed like a baby. Then,I went out to see my friend around JingAn Temple.

I like to run around the park.

Conjunctions & Connecting Words

These are words to put your ideas together.

and, or, but, so, because, if, when, where, who…

I went to work because I need money.

I don’t want to go to work but my boss said I must go.

When I see my friends, I am happy.

If I had a lot of money, I would be happy, but if I was poor, I would be sad.

Verb Nouns / Describing Verbs

Verb + ing = verb noun

I am running = verb (now)
Running is fun = verb noun
Coffee is good = noun

I think English is fun. Learning English is one of my hobbies. I think learning English is really fun.

I can’t swim. Swimming is hard to learn. My friend’s can swim. They think swimming is fun.

To | At | With – what’s the difference?

To = arrive, distance, from and to

At = direction, point

With = together, connect

Talk to | Go to | Different to

Talk at | I am at Starbucks | Look at

Talk with | I study with Jesse | Have a problem with sth

At | On | In – talking about time

At = time (Short) | point

On = day (Middle) | touch

In = month / year / period (Longer) | inside

I sleep at 10PM at night

On Monday I will go to Japan

In the morning I like to drink coffee

My birthday is in January

Longer Sentences – which | who | when

Which – describe an object or an idea – “and it”

Who – describe a person – “and they”

When – describe a time – “at that time that”

Where – describe a place – “and at that place”

I have a computer which is black
I found a new job which took me 3 months to find

I have a friend who is very friendly

I finished school when I was 18 years old
When I wake up, I often feel tired

I went to a cafe where I had some coffee

Verbs – most important times

Verbs are amazing! They tell us the time, so we can be lazy!

Do – ANY TIME – time is not important

Am doing – NOW – continuing

Will do – FUTURE

Did – PAST – which time is important

Have done – PAST – which time is not important

Had done – PAST – before a different past time (did + have done)

Have been doing – PAST – started in the past and continuing (have done + am doing)

Every year I go to Japan 3 times. Last time I went in February and it was really fun. Next week I will go there again. I have been to Japan many times in my life, and every time I go, I always see my brother. My brother has been living in Japan for 5 years. Next year in October, he will have lived there for 6 years!

Today, I went to the cafe to buy a coffee and I asked my wife “Have you bought a coffee yet?” and she said “Yes I have already bought one! I bought it at 10AM this morning”. So, when I woke up this morning at 11AM, my wife had already bought her coffee! So, I will just buy a coffee for myself and in the afternoon I will buy another one. So by tonight, I will have had 2 cups of coffee! I have been drinking coffee for most of my life and I have always loved it.

For / To – Reason

For + Noun

To + Verb

I come to Smart English to learn English

I go to a cafe for coffee

We come here for learning (vn)

The / A

The = this / that

A = any

I go to a cafe every morning

I went to the cafe today for coffee

I go to the cafe outside my office every afternoon

Here / There / Standard Places / Other Places

Come here / I am here

Go there / I am there

Go home / I am at home

Go to work / I am at work

Go to the bank, the park, the bus stop, the metro station, the airport, the train, the bus, the metro, the subway, the lift, the escalator, the stairs, the road…

I am at the bank, the park….

Go to a cafe / Go to the cafe / Go to my office / Go to my friend’s house

I am at a cafe / at the cafe / at my office / at my friend’s house

I go to a cafe every morning

I went to the cafe today for coffee

I go to the cafe outside my office every afternoon

VOCABULARY

Vocabulary at SE will come from

1 – Suggestions & corrections from teachers in conversation

2 – Upgrading your vocabulary from speaking & writing exercises

3 – Books & materials

Common words for learning English

Spell
How do you spell _____?
e.g.: How do you spell that?
Whale is spelled, W H A L E, whale.

Synonym
What is a synonym for _____?
e.g.: What is a synonym for big?
A synonym for Big is Huge.

Opposite
What is the opposite of _____ ?
e.g.: What’s the opposite of late?
The opposite of late is early.

Similar
Red is similar to pink.

Mean (V) / Meaning (N)
What does _____ mean? / What is the meaning of _____?
e.g.: What does exhausted mean?
Exhausted means you are very tired.
e.g.: What is the meaning of Exhausted?
The meaning of exhausted is very tired.

Pronounce
How do you Pronounce _____?
e.g.: How do you pronounce that word?
Hour? Hour is pronounced like, Oww Errr. You don’t pronounce the H.

Tense
Past, Present, Future
e.g.: What tense is this? I go to bed at 8pm.
This is present tense.
e.g.: Can you change the tense?
I went to bed at 8pm.

How do you say ______?

Sorry? Could you say that again? / Sorry? What do you mean?

Have < > Don’t have | Have done < > Haven’t done

Have < > Don’t have + noun

Have done < > Haven’t done + verb

I don’t have much money… but I have many friends!

I have traveled to many countries, but I haven’t been to Australia

There is / It has

There is / There are – describes the location / existence of something

It has / A place has – describes part of / owned by

There is a cup of coffee on the table

I have 2 arms, 2 legs and 1 head

Let / Get / Make

Let = Allow – want to

Get = Ask – should / neither want nor don’t want

Make = Force – don’t want to

My mum lets me play computer games every night after school

My boss gets me to reply to emails quickly

I make my husband go shopping with me

Used to do / Am used to sth

I used to do = in the past I did it but now I don’t

I am used to sth / doing = I’m familiar / comfortable with it

I used to live in Japan but now I live in China

I am used to living in China because I have lived here for many years

I used to play guitar for many years so I got used to it

Fun / Funny / Interesting

Fun = makes you happy / excited

Funny = makes you laugh

Interesting = makes you think

Playing games is fun! We have a good time when we play.

That joke is so funny! hahaha!

Reading books can be very interesting… hmmm!

Work / Company / Job / Office

“I go to work to work on my work!”

company = a business

office = a place

work = a place + verb / noun for the things you do

job = a position / responsibility

I work for a company named Smart English and I love my work. My office is in JingAn, and I go to work by taxi every day. My job is a teacher and it is my job to teach the students.

Numbers from 0 – 100,000,000

0.5

10, 20, 30 …99, 100

110, 150, 199

200… 900

1000, 1001, 1010, 1100, 1250, 1999

2000…9000

10,000, 10,001, 10,010, 10,100, 10,150, 10,101, 10,500

19,999, 20,000 … 90,000

100,000

1,000,000, 10,000,000, 100,000,000…

888,888,888.88

505,550,500.05

Take / Cost / Spend

It takes time / It takes me time

It costs money

I spend time / I spend money

It takes about 30 minutes to get to work every day, and it costs about 5 RMB.

I like spending time with my family. I don’t have to spend any money, and we always have a great time!

Every day I have a shower, which takes about 20 minutes. I take the time to wash myself very carefully.

See / Look / Read / Watch

See = your eyes’ ability / experience sth with your eyes

Look = use your eyes to focus on a point

Watch = moving

Read = words

When I open my eyes I can see many things.

When I talk to someone I always look at them.

I like to watch TV every night after work.

When I watch TV I often read the English subtitles.

I saw a movie last night. When I was watching it, my cat was sitting on me.

Talk / Speak / Say / Tell

talk – to communicate with sb
speak – to communicate with sb / use a language
say – to use words “….”
tell – to give information with words

I talk to her every day
I speak to her every day
I speak English with her
I said that she was pretty
I said “you are pretty” to her
I tell her that she is pretty
I tell her “you are pretty”

Because / And / But / So

Because = As = Since = Due to the fact that
Because of = Due to

But = However = Although

So = Therefore = Which means that

And = Also = As well as this…

I went to work late today as I woke up late.

I love coffee and I drink it every day. Since coffee isn’t expensive, sometimes I buy 2 in one day!

I talked with my mum last night on the phone. However, after 10 minutes, she needed to go to have dinner.

My friend is very fat, therefore he decided to try to lose weight which means he will soon be more healthy. Also, his girlfriend said she wants a skinny boyfriend so I think he should do it quickly!