English with Russ
Introduction
HELLO
My name is Russell Soens.
I have been teaching English for Conversation in Thailand for7 years.
I have been involved with MEP programs at both Pratom and High schools levels here and I have had great success getting zero English speakers talking.
I have an Advanced Diploma in TESOL
From The
AUSTRALASIAN TRAINING ACADEMY
In Australia.
This book has been created to help students with little or no knowledge of English.
You won’t find hard or confusing exercises in Grammar. Just easy conversations to get you started.
Gradually the exercises will get bigger
Learning to speak English takes practice.
Find a friend and practice these conversation exercises every day.
Don’t worry if you make mistakes
Just
Have Fun.
| Table of Contents | |
|---|---|
| Chapter 1: Greetings and Time | 5 |
| Chapter 2: What is Your Name? | 7 |
| Chapter 3: Feelings | 8 |
| Chapter 4: Nicknames | 10 |
| Chapter 5: Review Test | 11 |
| Chapter 6: What Country Are You From? | 12 |
| Chapter 7: Can You Speak English? | 13 |
| Chapter 8: Where Do You Live? | 14 |
| Chapter 9: How Old Are You? | 15 |
| Chapter 10: When is Your Birthday? | 16 |
Repeat 5x
Good Morning
Wake up until 12:00 PM (Noon)
Repeat 5x
Good Afternoon
12:00 PM until 6:00 PM
Repeat 5x
Good Evening
After 6:00 PM until bedtime
Repeat 5x
Good Night
Saying goodbye or going to sleep
MONDAY, 9:00 AM
Student A
Good morning! How are you today?
Student B
Good morning! I am very well, thank you.
MONDAY, 7:00 PM
Student A
Good evening! Are you going home now?
Student B
Yes! Goodnight, see you tomorrow.
Happy
Excited
Calm
Brave
Read the dialogue below:
Person 1: How are you feeling?
Person 2: I feel very happy today!
Happy
Sad
Angry
Excited
Nervous
Calm
Brave
Proud
Practice this conversation:
Student A: Why are you smiling?
Student B: I am excited because it is my birthday!
😊Happy
😢Sad
😠Angry
🤩Excited
😨Nervous
😌Calm
🦁Brave
✨Proud
/* Base Styles */
.lesson-container {
font-family: ‘Segoe UI’, Tahoma, Geneva, Verdana, sans-serif;
color: #2d3748;
max-width: 800px;
margin: auto;
}
.lesson-title {
color: #2c3e50;
border-bottom: 3px solid #edf2f7;
padding-bottom: 10px;
margin-bottom: 25px;
}
.section-title {
color: #4a5568;
margin-top: 40px;
}
/* Grid Styles */
.feelings-grid {
display: grid;
grid-template-columns: repeat(auto-fit, minmax(130px, 1fr));
gap: 15px;
margin: 20px 0;
text-align: center;
}
.feeling-card {
background: #fdfefe;
border: 2px solid #edf2f7;
border-radius: 12px;
padding: 20px 10px;
font-weight: bold;
color: #2c3e50;
text-transform: uppercase;
transition: all 0.3s ease;
cursor: pointer;
box-shadow: 0 2px 4px rgba(0,0,0,0.02);
}
.feeling-card:hover {
background: #fff5f5;
border-color: #fc8181;
transform: translateY(-5px);
box-shadow: 0 4px 12px rgba(252, 129, 129, 0.2);
}
.emoji {
display: block;
font-size: 2em;
margin-bottom: 8px;
}
/* Practice Zone Styles */
.practice-zone {
background: #f8fafc;
border-left: 5px solid #48bb78;
padding: 25px;
border-radius: 0 10px 10px 0;
margin: 20px 0;
}
.instruction-text {
color: #718096;
font-size: 0.9em;
text-transform: uppercase;
letter-spacing: 1px;
display: block;
margin-bottom: 15px;
}
.dialogue-line {
margin-bottom: 12px;
font-size: 1.15em;
line-height: 1.6;
}
.s1-label { color: #2b6cb0; font-weight: bold; }
.s2-label { color: #2f855a; font-weight: bold; }
.highlight-word {
color: #e53e3e;
font-weight: bold;
border-bottom: 2px dashed #e53e3e;
}
Vocabulary: Feelings and Emotions
Explore the different ways we describe how we feel. Hover over a card to see it react!
😊Happy
😢Sad
😠Angry
🤩Excited
😨Nervous
😌Calm
🦁Brave
✨Proud
Speaking Practice
Read out loud with a partner:
Speaker A: You look very calm today.
Speaker B: Thank you! I feel happy because the sun is shining.
Daily English Basics
👋 Greetings & Essentials
☀️Morning
🌤️Afternoon
🌙Evening
👋Hello
🤝Nice to meet you
🙏Thank you
⏰ Time & Frequency
🕒Now
📅Today
🔜Soon
⏳Later
🔄Always
🚫Never
😊 Feelings & Emotions
😊Happy
😢Sad
😠Angry
🤩Excited
😌Calm
🦁Brave
🗣️ Practice Dialogue
Conversation Example:
Person A: Good morning! How are you feeling today?
Person B: Hello! I am feeling very excited because I am going on holiday soon!
Person A: That is great. Thank you for telling me!
Daily English Basics
👋 Greetings & Essentials
☀️Morning
🌤️Afternoon
🌙Evening
👋Hello
🤝Nice to meet you
🙏Thank you
⏰ Time & Frequency
🕒Now
📅Today
🔜Soon
⏳Later
🔄Always
🚫Never
😊 Feelings & Emotions
😊Happy
😢Sad
🤩Excited
😨Nervous
😌Calm
✨Proud
❓ Common Questions
🤔How are you?
📍Where is…?
🕙What time?
🏷️How much?
🙋♂️Who is…?
💡What is…?
🗣️ Practice Dialogue
Conversation Example:
A: Good morning! How are you feeling today?
B: Hello! I am feeling very excited, but what time is the party?
A: It is happening soon! Where is your bag? We should go now.
B: It is over there. Thank you for waiting!
Chapter 1: What country are you from?
🌍 Vocabulary: Countries
🇦🇺Australia
🇹🇭Thailand
🇯🇵Japan
🇨🇳China
🇪🇸Spain
🏴England
👥 Pair Work: Practice
Form pairs. Choose who will be Student 1 and Student 2.
Now change places!
Student 1: Hello, where are you from?
Student 2: Hello, I am from
Now change places!
Student 2: Hello, where are you from?
Student 1: Hello, I am from
😊 Feelings & Emotions
😊Happy
😢Sad
🤩Excited
😌Calm
⏰ Time & Questions
🕒Now
📅Today
📍Where is…?
🕙What time?
English Basics: Chapter 1 Continued
🗣️ Ability: Can you speak English?
People travel to Thailand from many countries. Most will have some basic English. Here are the three ways people usually answer:
✅ Yes
❌ No
🤏 A little bit
👥 Pair Work: Speaking Practice
Student 1 asks the question. Student 2 chooses an answer.
Student 1: Hello, can you speak English?
Student 2: Yes! / Yes, a little bit.
If they say NO, thank them and go:
Student 1: Hello, can you speak English?
Student 2: No.
Student 1: OK, thank you. (Smile and leave)
🔄 Now change places! Student 2 asks the question.
🌍 Country Review
🇦🇺 Australia
🇹🇭 Thailand
🇯🇵 Japan
🇪🇸 Spain
Chapter 1: Where do you live?
🏠 Vocabulary: My Location
🏘️Village
🏙️City
🏫School
🌳Ban (Village)
🏢Office
🏠At Home
👥 Pair Work: Speaking Practice
Student 1 asks the question. Student 2 answers with their village name.
Student 1: Hello, where do you live?
Student 2: Hello, I live at
🔄 Change places! Now Student 2 asks the question.
Student 2: Hello, where do you live?
Student 1: Hello, I live at
✅ Chapter 1 Review: Ask a Friend!
Topic: ORIGIN
Where are you from?
Where are you from?
Topic: ABILITY
Can you speak English?
Can you speak English?
Topic: RESIDENCE
Where do you live?
Where do you live?
Topic: EMOTION
How are you feeling?
How are you feeling?
Chapter 1: How old are you?
🎂 Vocabulary: Age Numbers
7
8
9
10
11
12
13
14
15
👥 Pair Work: Speaking Practice
Talk with your partner about your age:
Student 1: How old are you?
Student 2: I am years old.
🔄 Change places!
Student 2: How old are you?
Student 1: I am years old.
🎓 Chapter 1 Checklist
You can now ask and answer about:
- ✅ Greetings: Hello, Good morning.
- ✅ Origin: Where are you from?
- ✅ Ability: Can you speak English?
- ✅ Residence: Where do you live?
- ✅ Age: How old are you?
When is your Birthday?
The day you were born is your birthday. Find your month in the table below!
📅 Vocabulary: Months of the Year
1.January
2.February
3.March
4.April
5.May
6.June
7.July
8.August
9.September
10.October
11.November
12.December
👥 Pair Work: Speaking Practice
Ask your friend about their birthday:
Student 1: When is your Birthday?
Student 2: My Birthday is in
🔄 Now change places!
Student 2: When is your Birthday?
Student 1: My Birthday is in
🎓 Chapter 1 Graduation
You have finished Chapter 1! You can now talk about:
👋 Greetings
🌎 Countries
🗣️ English Ability
🏠 Where you live
🎂 Age
📅 Birthdays
Where are you going?
Use this question when you see a friend walking or traveling somewhere.
🚗 Vocabulary: Places to Go
🏫School
🏪7/11
🛒Lotus’s
🛍️Robinson
🏙️Bangkok
🏠Home
👥 Pair Work
Student 1: Where are you going?
Student 2: I am going to .
🔄 Change places!
Student 2: Where are you going?
Student 1: I am going to .
🏆 Chapter 1 Review
Residence: Where do you live?
Destination: Where are you going?
Chapter 1: How do you get to school?
Practice talking about how you travel to school every day.
🚌 Vocabulary: Transport
🏍️Motorcycle
🚌Bus
🚗Car
🚲Bicycle
🚶Walk
🚐Van
👥 Pair Work: Speaking Practice
Ask your partner about their journey:
Student 1: How do you get to school?
Student 2: I get to school by .
🔄 Change places!
Student 2: How do you get to school?
Student 1: I get to school by .
💡 Grammar Tip: We always use “by” before the vehicle (by car, by bus, by motorcycle). If you use your feet, you can say “I walk to school.”
Chapter 1: What are your Hobbies?
Hobbies are things you like to do in your free time, after school, or on the weekend.
🎨 Vocabulary: My Hobbies
💻Computer
🎤Singing
🖍️Drawing
🏊Swimming
⚽Playing Sport
📚Reading
👥 Pair Work: Speaking Practice
Ask your friend about their free time:
Student 1: What are your hobbies?
Student 2: I like .
🔄 Change places!
Student 2: What are your hobbies?
Student 1: I like .
💡 Try this: You can also ask, “What do you like to do on Saturday and Sunday?”
Final Review Test
CHAPTER 1 COMPLETE! 100%
You have reached the end of the chapter. Let’s finish with one last practice!
📝 Example Conversation
1. Hello, good morning. Ans: “Hello, Good morning”
2. What is your name? Ans: “My name is Russ“
3. How are you? Ans: “I am ok“
4. What is your nickname? Ans: “My nickname is Spiffy“
🗣️ Partner Practice
Student 1 asks, Student 2 answers. Then change places!
1 S1: Hello, good morning.
2 S1: What is your name?
3 S1: How are you?
4 S1: What is your nickname?
🔄 CHANGE PLACES NOW!
🏆
Congratulations!
You have finished Chapter 1. You are ready for the next lesson!
“Practice makes perfect”
Happy
Excited
Calm
Brave
Read the dialogue below:
Person 1: How are you feeling?
Person 2: I feel very happy today!
😊Happy
😢Sad
😠Angry
🤩Excited
😨Nervous
😌Calm
🦁Brave
✨Proud
Practice this conversation:
Student A: Why are you smiling?
Student B: I am excited because it is my birthday!
😊Happy
😢Sad
😠Angry
🤩Excited
Student A: Why are you smiling?
Student B: I am excited because it is my birthday!
Chapter 1: How do you get to school?
Practice talking about how you travel to school every day.
🚌 Vocabulary: Transport
🏍️Motorcycle
🚌Bus
🚗Car
🚲Bicycle
🚶Walk
🚐Van
👥 Pair Work
Student 1: How do you get to school?
Student 2: I get to school by .
🔄 Change places!
Student 2: How do you get to school?
Student 1: I get to school by .
💡 Grammar Tip: We always use “by” before the vehicle. If you use your feet, say “I walk to school.”
What are your Hobbies?
Hobbies are things you like to do in your free time, after school, or on the weekend.
🎨 Vocabulary: My Hobbies
💻Computer
🎤Singing
🖍️Drawing
🏊Swimming
⚽Playing Sport
📚Reading
👥 Pair Work
Student 1: What are your hobbies?
Student 2: I like .
🔄 Change places!
Student 2: What are your hobbies?
Student 1: I like .
💡 Try this: You can also ask, “What do you like to do on Saturday and Sunday?”
📚 Chapter 1: Vocabulary Recap
| Category | Key Words |
|---|---|
| 🗓️ Birthdays | January – December, Born, When |
| 🏠 Places | School, 7/11, Home, Market |
| 🚌 Transport | Motorcycle, Bus, Car, Walk |
| 🎨 Hobbies | Singing, Drawing, Swimming, Sports |
| 😊 Feelings | Happy, Excited, Brave, Proud |
WELL DONE! 🎉
You have mastered all the topics in Chapter 1.