NEWS!
Updates, student stories and announcements from Pete’s Lab!
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A student was recently using the Preply AI report to show his speaking speed had increased. The AI is improving and it’s good to see some students putting it to good use. 😉🫡😎
FERRARI HAS PULLED OFF A MIRACLE AND IS WITHIN 30 POINTS OF FORD!
The five English tests we’ve decided to use for our question sets are:
“For Sale: Baby Shoes, Never Worn” is a famous six-word story often attributed to Ernest Hemingway. The story is a thought exercise that forces the reader to use their imagination. The rest is up to YOU. What are the possibilities? What could it mean? Before you Google it or ChatGPT it, THINK about it. 💡🧠
Below are ten of the most popular sing-along/Karaoke songs ever. 🎶🎤💃🏼🕺🏼🎉🎈
“Bohemian Rhapsody” – Queen A rock opera that captivates with its dramatic shifts and memorable lyrics.
“Don’t Stop Believin'” – Journey An anthem of hope and perseverance, perfect for singalongs.
“Sweet Caroline” – Neil Diamond Known for its catchy chorus, it’s a crowd favorite.
“Livin’ on a Prayer” – Bon Jovi A powerful rock ballad that encourages audience participation.
“I Will Survive” – Gloria Gaynor A classic empowerment anthem that resonates with many.
“Billie Jean” – Michael Jackson A pop classic with an iconic beat and memorable lyrics.
“Wonderwall” – Oasis A staple in acoustic performances, loved for its singable melody.
“Shake It Off” – Taylor Swift A modern pop hit that gets everyone moving.
“My Heart Will Go On” – Celine Dion The emotional ballad from Titanic that many love to sing.
“Hey Jude” – The Beatles A timeless classic that invites everyone to join in on the chorus.
As I recently said, this was a tough book to read. So, I bought this hard cover version and will continue working on it for the next few weeks. (Again, this book is not recommended for ESL learners. Perhaps, just perhaps in your native language??) 😉
Reading definitely slows down during the summer! Even so, a student read ‘EPICAC’ by Kurt Vonnegut this week. It is long for one of our short audio stories. But, it is a fun and interesting early look at AI with a big question: Can computers ‘feel’ real love?
Some of EPICAC’s (The AI) last words: “Good luck, my friend. Treat our Pat well.” – EPICAC🥲
🎯 Business English — Visa Interview Prep! One of my students is preparing for a US L1-B Visa interview. We are practicing through real dialogues — questions, answers, professional vocabulary and confidence building. This is exactly what Business English is for. Good luck! 🍀🫡
ESL CHALLENGE (In the WhatsApp Group): Team FORD has taken a big lead over team FERRARI this past week!
A student and I sang Barry Manilow’s ‘Copacabana’ this week. Here is the best part: we did it without reading or using the lyrics. Neither of us read any words, and we sang it from beginning to end. This is the first time this has ever been done in class! This is another new step for the Music English Program. 🎵🎤🎖️🏅🎆🎇🎈🎉🎊 CONGRATULATIONS!
Invisible Cities is a 1972 novel by Italo Calvino, where the Mongol emperor Kublai Khan talks with the explorer Marco Polo. As the emperor feels his empire is falling apart, Marco tells him stories about 55 strange and beautiful cities, each one a dream-like place that makes you think about memory, desire, and what it means to be human.
I can’t recommend this week’s book to ESL learners in ENGLISH. I also might not recommend it your native language either. The book is interesting but just too unconventional for practical reading. I will be continuing my work on it in the coming weeks…
Our August ESL Challenge starts today! There are just two teams this month because so many people are on vacation, etc. It’s Ford vs. Ferrari like the 2019 film about the famous LeMans race. This month will feature more questions from major English tests like the IELTS, TOEFL and TOEIC but MORE fun!😜 The challenge runs 20 days until August 31. Good luck team Ferrari! Good luck team Ford! 🏆🏎️
What is Drama English? 🎭
Drama English is one of my most popular and unique classes.
In Drama English, students read and act out dialogues — in English. The dialogues are about real situations: job interviews, vacations, conversations at work, everyday life.
Sometimes I write custom dialogues based on YOUR real life. Sometimes we use famous movie scenes.
Why does it work?
Because acting forces you to FEEL the language — not just read it. You use emotion, tone and expression. You stop thinking about grammar and start thinking about meaning.
This week in Drama English:
Check back here for scenes, dialogues and exercises from Pete’s Drama English classes. 😊
“All the world’s a stage — and your English should be too.” 😄