English Conversations - English Conversation for Language Learners

The Story of America – the Sixties – Alan Ginsberg

Alan Ginsberg was an important figure in the Sixties social revolution. He was a major figure in the Beat generation.

It beat me.

I was all beat up.

I was just beaten by it all man.

Bitten …. by the beat.

the beat man …

dig that beat….

I was just beat

this is the beat generation

The poet, Alan Ginsberg and Neal Cassidy at City Lights Bookstore in San Francisco

Look at the phrases and their variations.

Airline Travel

March 7th back to school
May 7th back to work

Do you have a job?

on BOA plane leaving airport
on BOA arriving at airport

Have you flown with British Airways?

British Overseas Airline Company (BOAC was the former name of British Airways)

fine day in LA
rainy day on BOA

How old were you when you first flew?

Industry

the communists have nothing to offer but …

nothing but ….

the communists create heavy industry

Do you live near an industrial area?

heavy industry
light industry

the heart is also heavy

in the future
in the future

Alcohol

but now drink vodka
and lament the security forces

the capitalists drink gin and whisky

An Old Paradigm

Russia – America and Britain
Vodka – Whiskey and Gin
Communist – Capitalist

the just man is arrested

the cigarette cough of the just man above the clouds in the bright sunshine is a salute to the health of the blue sky …

The Czech Republic

There are many references to:

the Czechoslovakian tongue
Prague airport
Czechoslovakian detectives
Prague
Kafka – Kafka was a Czech writer

I was arrested in Prague.

Have you ever been arrested?

thrice

once
once
once

Being Sent Somewhere

I was sent from Havana by plane.
I was sent from Havana by boat.

by detectives in green uniforms
by detectives in suits

an image that refers to a painting …

Card players out of Cezanne …
Poker players out of Cezanne …

Cezanne was a French painter.

A Character in A Kafka Story

Joseph K

They examined my scribbles (my writings)
They examined what I wrote
They examined what I had written

The King and the Kingdom

The King and the Kingdom are Poetic devices to describe Seasonal rituals in traditional European culture.

I am the King of May

which is the power of sexual view

I am the king of May

Types of Hair

the long hair of Adam and the beard of my own body

the beard and moustache
the pubic hair
the underarm hair
the leg hair
the facial hair

the hair and beard

Listen to the rhythm ..

Adam and Eve
Cain and Abel

old human poetry

I am the King of May
I am the Queen of June

in a few minutes I will arrive at
in a few minutes we will arrive at

we have just arrived at
when are we going to arrive at ..?

Syncretic View of Religious Experience

as I am of Slavic parentage and a Buddhist Jew
who worships the sacred heart of Christ,
the blue body of Krishna,
the straight back of Ram,
the beads of Jango the Nigerian,
singing “Shiva Shiva”
in a manner I have invented …

and the King of May
is a middle European honour!

… despite spaceships and a time machine

I am the King of May that sleeps with you!

the kingdom of May is too beautiful to last for more than a month

Description of the Landing of an Aeroplane at London Heathrow Airport

in a great jet plane

touching Albion’s shores

Albion is the poetic name of Britain

shakes and expels air

Did he fart?

rolls slowly to a stop

Do you like rock and roll?

… thus I have written this poem on a jet-seat in mid-heaven.

Have you ever written a poem?

William Burroughs talks about Ginsberg

his father disapproved of me
his mother approved of me

he thought of me as a decadent millionaire
she thought of me as a decadent playboy

or something like that
or something like this

at that time Alan was still in the grip of …

World English Course

There are lots of things you can learn in the World English Course. There is a place where you can talk about work and there is also a place where you can find a job and a place where you can find staff. There is a place where you can have fun and there is a place where you can talk about food or family. There is also a place where you can talk about money or love or philosophy. You can study anything you want anytime you want. You can do it once a week or every day or any time you like. Have fun! Work hard! Tell your friends and family members! Enjoy!

Lesson One: Cooking in English – The Food Page

Lesson Two: Family and Relationships – The Family Page

Lesson Three: Relaxation and Enjoyment – The Fun Page

Lesson Four: Things you Have to do – The Work Page

Lesson Five: Time and Money – The Money Page

Lesson Six: Art and Love – The Heart Page

The History of Universal City – The Ooze

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People did not pay much attention to the Ooze at first.

pay a lot of attention
not pay much attention

It came out in various places and people did not realize they were connected.

they are connected
they were connected

Then it all came out at once and that was the beginning of the Disaster.

at once
at the same time
in the same moment

The Ooze was poison and Universal City started to sink into the Ooze.

began to sink
began to float

Everybody in Universal City had to build up.

had to
was required to
was forced to

It changed life on planet Earth.

life on earth
life under the earth

Everything was sinking.

sinking – floating

In the middle of the century there was a mining disaster.

at the beginning of the century
in the middle of the century
at the end of the century

The Universal Ooze started to flow.

started to flow
did not stop flowing

Watch this historical video:

Questions about the Ooze

What language are the people speaking?
Can you see the roofs of the submerged houses.
Can you see corrugated iron roofs from old style houses?
Can you see any cement apartment buildings?
What year do you think it is?
How deep do you think the Ooze is at this stage?

Vocabulary

Universal City
Universal Ooze

The Effects of the Ooze

1. Poison

The Ooze is poison.

The Ooze poisoned the earth so it was not possible to grow food in the ground anymore.

2. Food

Food has to be grown in hydroponic tanks raised up from the ground, because of the poisonous ooze that covers the earth.

Have you ever grown vegetables in a tank of water?

Universal City began to sink.

Have you ever been on a sinking ship?

Living with the Ooze

In the beginning there was chaos.
There was panic.
There was mayhem.

The city was sinking.

Politicians did not know what to do.
The military did not know what to do.
The police did not know what to do.
The people did not know what to do.

Nobody knew what to do.

It was industrial and business leaders who stepped in to solve the problem.

Rupert Crowe and the Universal Cement Company

Rupert Crowe is the engineer who is credited with designing the vertical system that launched Universal City above the Ooze.

Rupert Crowe is the inventor who is credited with designing the vertical system that launched Universal City above the Ooze.

Rupert Crowe is the entrepreneur who is credited with designing the vertical system that launched Universal City above the Ooze.

Are you an inventor?

He founded the Universal Cement Company.
He established the Universal Cement Company.

Have you ever worked for a construction company?

The Universal City Cement Company built the pillars that Universal City is founded on.
The Universal Cement Company built the pillars on which Universal City is founded.

Rupert Crowe’s ingenuity is responsible for the world we live in today and tonight.

(on planet earth, if you are talking to everybody, it is always “today and tonight” somewhere)

Economic History – The Universal Cement Company

Rupert Crowe was an inventor and entrepreneur who owned a construction company. The Dutch engineer and inventor designed the Universal Pillars which hold Universal City up above the Ooze. Engineers are constantly rebuilding and maintaining the basic system that he designed over a hundred years ago.

The Universal Cement Company was a private company in the beginning then it was taken over by the Universal City Government as a City Infrastructure Resource,

which is managed on the principles of:

Hard Work
Good Cement
An Incentive Scheme
Top Down Maintenance

which are the principles that Rupert Crowe used to set up the Universal Cement Company.

What are the principles that you live by?

Questions

Link to audio of questions

Where did the ooze come from?

What caused the Disaster?

What were the effects of the Disaster?

How did people grow food before the disaster?

How did they grow it after the disaster?

Who designed the Four Pillars?

What are the Four Pillars?

Have you seen the History and Geography Page?

World English Course

There are lots of things you can learn in the World English Course. There is a place where you can talk about work and there is also a place where you can find a job and a place where you can find staff. There is a place where you can have fun and there is a place where you can talk about food or family. There is also a place where you can talk about money or love or philosophy. You can study anything you want anytime you want. You can do it once a week or every day or any time you like. Have fun! Work hard! Tell your friends and family members! Enjoy!

The Verb Page – Verbal Phrases 4

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Check your answers at this link: the hotel receptionist

I was arrested
I have been arrested

The first one is part of a narrative in the past. The second one is a description of the situation now.

I was in a prison cell
I am in a prison cell

Now or before?

I am free
I am a free agent

They are both the same.

I have got a week’s free accommodation
I have a month‘s free accommodation

at the Grand Hotel
at the Ritz Hotel

What was the name of the hotel?

I am going to go and check in
I will go and check in

Future “will” or future “going to“?

Hello Can I help you sir?
May I help you, Madam?

The second one is a little more formal.

My name is Mike White
My name is Mark White
My name is Mike Voigt.
My name is Mark Wright

Which name did you hear?

How are you?
How are you doing?

The second one is American.

Are you having a good time?
Are you having a nice time?

Yes, I am actually
Yes, I am as a matter of fact.

Adverbial phrases.

Excellent
Wonderful

They are both adjectives.

the woman at the hospital asked if …
The man at the police station told me that …

A question or a request?

I was to have a week’s free accommodation.
I was to have a night’s free accommodation.

Seven nights or just one?

That is right.
That is correct.

You are aware of it?
You know about it?

Which one did you hear?

Here is your key.
Here is your card.

Oh thank you very much.
Oh thanks a lot.

And the manager will take you out there.
And the bellboy will take you up there.

Have you got any luggage?
Do you have any bags?

Do you get bags under your eyes?

They lost my luggage.
They misplaced my luggage.

Do you have a bag?

just down those stairs
Just up those stairs.

Which floor do you live on?

OK thank you.
thanks a million

Gratitude is important!

nt!

And have a wonderful time
and have a nice time

You have a nice time too!

and if you need any help
and if you need any assistance

just give me a call
just give me a ring.

Which one was it?

So what’s your name?
So what’s your number?

A pleasure to meet you
Nice to meet you

Which one did you hear?

See you then.
see you later

Check your answers at this link: the hotel receptionist

Have you seen the History and Geography Page?

World English Course

There are lots of things you can learn in the World English Course. There is a place where you can talk about work and there is also a place where you can find a job and a place where you can find staff. There is a place where you can have fun and there is a place where you can talk about food or family. There is also a place where you can talk about money or love or philosophy. You can study anything you want anytime you want. You can do it once a week or every day or any time you like. Have fun! Work hard! Tell your friends and family members! Enjoy!

The Story of America – The Great Depression

The Great Depression began with The Wall Street Crash in 1929.

Have you ever bought stocks?

stocks
securities
shares

This video has images of that period and traditional music.

Can you make out the words of the song?

Rang dang dilly dang kow hee (a nonsense phrase)

Play on Little Tom Play on He!

Went to the house to get ..

He winked at me and I winked at him

Play on Tom …

I went to the house to get my gun

I first …

Olay on ..

Shot that hawk and I missed my mark

I shot my black …

clean to the heart

Rang Dang Dilly Dang Kow Hee

it’s under the house

play on

call little Bill
saddle

hangin’ on my…

This number is Cripple Creek

Cripple Creek …

goin’ down to Cripple Creek

goin’ on a run

goin’ down to Cripple Creek

to have some fun

goin’ down to Cripple Creek to see my girl

roll my britches to my knees

Britches – Trousers – Long Pants

Who wears the trousers in your family?
Do you wear shorts in Summer?

shorts – short pants
trousers – long pants
undies – underpants

This video tells the story of the great depression in images and with text. You can pause the video to write vocabulary items in your personal notebook.

What?!
You don’t have a notebook?
You are learning English and you don’t have a vocabulary notebook?
Get one!
Get one now!

to devastate – to destroy
devastation – destruction

I want to talk for a few minutes with the people of the United States about …

… what the next step is going to be …

Link to video of Witnesses to the Great Depression

Have you seen the History and Geography Page?

World English Course

There are lots of things you can learn in the World English Course. There is a place where you can talk about work and there is also a place where you can find a job and a place where you can find staff. There is a place where you can have fun and there is a place where you can talk about food or family. There is also a place where you can talk about money or love or philosophy. You can study anything you want anytime you want. You can do it once a week or every day or any time you like. Have fun! Work hard! Tell your friends and family members! Enjoy!

Arab Spring

There isn’t mean reveluation every things were happen in the middel east indecated to grave implication. What dose it mean the revolution is it disobedience ? change the covernment regim? or is it reconsiderated to those valus whish makes the covernment in that was old. is that was suicied, dosen’t had any meaning ? no , actually suppose to support those grew domecracy , evan to make base relationship gether all democracy forceses , i believe that is track able to made peace in the future . how to supose this powefull by education to creat real revolution. i wasn’ optimistic but  lastly i was beleived and convinced it were successfull, those  movement civil society.

By: mohamed eltahir

The Events of the Arab Spring

What does it mean?
What do they mean?

A Revolution or Civil Disobedience

Is it a real revolution or just civil disobedience?

is it possible to change the government?
Is it possible to change the system of government?
is it possible to change the political regime?

Suicide

Does life have any meaning to people who murder and commit suicide?

Is there any meaning to it?
Does it have a purpose?
Does it have a meaning?

Peace in the Future

I believe it is possible to have real peace in the future.
We have to get on track for this.
This is the path that we have to take.

Education

The real revolution is through education.

Education changes the world.
Education can change the world.

Education changes people’s minds.
Education changes people’s hearts.
Education changes people’s hearts and minds.

Present Perfect Tense – to become

I wasn’t optimistic but I have become optimistic.
I wasn’t optimistic before but I have become optimistic.
I wasn’t optimistic in the beginning but I have become more optimistic.
I wasn’t optimistic at first but I have become more optimistic.

democratic forces
civil democratic forces

They have gathered.
They have to gather.