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Saturday, January 30, 2021
Thursday, September 26, 2019
Drunken Sailor
Drunken Sailor
Way hey and up she rises
Way hey and up she rises
Way hey and up she rises early in the morning
1) What shall we do with a drunken sailor
What shall we do with a drunken sailor
What shall we do with a drunken sailor
early in the morning
What shall we do with a drunken sailor
early in the morning
Way hey and up she rises
Way hey and up she rises
Way hey and up she rises early in the morning
2) Shave his belly with a rusty razor (3x)
Way hey and up she rises ...
Way hey and up she rises ...
3) Put him in the long boat till he's sober! (3x)
Early in the morning!
Way hey and up she rises ...
4) Throw him in the hull with the captain's daughter (3x)
Way hey and up she rises ...
5) That's what we'll do with a drunken sailor (3x)
Way hey and up she rises ...
Wednesday, September 25, 2019
Jamaica Farewell Calypso by Harry Belafonte
1)
Down the way where the nights are gay
And
the sun shines daily on the mountain top
I
took a trip on a sailing ship
And
when I reached Jamaica I made a stop
(chorus)
But I'm sad to say I'm on my way
Won't
be back for many a day
My
heart is down, my head is turning around
I
had to leave my friends in Kingston town
2)
Down at the market you can hear
Ladies
cry out while on their heads they bear
'Akey'
rice, salt fish are nice
And
the rum is fine any time of year
But
I'm sad to say ...
3)
Sounds of laughter everywhere
And
the dancing girls sway to and fro
I
must declare my heart is there
Though
I've been from Maine to Mexico
But
I'm sad to say ...
(Jamaican
Calypso)
More Calypso Songs (Island in the Sun)
To my A2 students this year,
Here are two calypso songs from Jamaica. The singer is Harry Belafonte.
Here are two calypso songs from Jamaica. The singer is Harry Belafonte.
ISLAND
IN THE SUN
(Jamaican
Calypso)
Oh,
island in the sun
Willed
to me by my father's hand
All
my days I will sing in praise
Of
your forest, waters, your shining sand
1)
Morning breaks the heaven on high
I lift my heavy load to the sky
Sun comes down with a burning glow
Mingles my sweat with the earth below
I lift my heavy load to the sky
Sun comes down with a burning glow
Mingles my sweat with the earth below
2)
You see woman on bended knee
Cutting
cane for her family
You see man at the waterside
Casting nets at the surging tide
You see man at the waterside
Casting nets at the surging tide
Oh,
island in the sun…
Friday, May 3, 2019
Wednesday, May 1, 2019
Road to Zway
Here are Mariana (right) with Clara (middle) and their Canary friend Irina (isletera) at an Ethiopian restaurant and dance club in the capital of Addis Ababa. Travel to an amazing country in the eastern Horn of Africa with a group of eager, enthusiastic young people who want to live and learn from the Ethiopian students and our host teachers, it is very worthwhile. So it was easy to write the song Road to Zway which I hope you like. Here is the song:
ROAD to ZWAY
by David Shea /Delmar Lemming
Well I ve never seen your country
Says the pirate to the guy
Who is busy checking passports
As we set our sights on Zway
On the road to Zway
We've been yearning, ever burning
On the road to Zway
You can fix that old two-wheeler
Said an angel with a sigh
But we had better get back to choir
And the mission house in Zway
On the road to Zway
On the road to Zway
We've been burning
Ever learning
On the road to Zway
Comments on Clara in the Rain
My song Clara in the Rain is based on a real experience. A couple of years ago in the month of August, my daughter Mariana and her friend Clara (pictured above) and I participated in a summer school program in Zway, south central Ethiopia, in the Horn of Africa. In a violent thunder and lightning rain storm, we had to abandon our sports day and take refuge in the camp base where we were staying. Once all 15 volunteers were safe from the torrential rains, their "fearless leader" realized he had left his rucksack in the playground. Yikes! It was going to get soaked! Well, Clara only needed that excuse to go running back in search of the missing bag. That is the story and here are the lyrics.
Run Like Clara in the Rain
Bag
left in the mission yard
Thunder, lightning, it
was raining hard
I told Irina, told
Mikel, too
They told Clara, see
what she might do
I’d like to run like
Clara in the rain
Refrain
I’d like to run like Clara in the rain
Feel such joy within my veins
Drench my clothes through and through
Run with Irina and Mikel too
I’d like to run like Clara in the rain
2”Hey,” says Clara “let’s have a little
race”
Mad dash to the playground gates
Mud tromp down a pebble lane
Make that forgotten treasure claim
I’d like to run like Clara in the rain
3 Thanks for your kindness, that
crazy spree
Muddy clothes, imagination free
I warned them but it was no use
That bag had just been their excuse
To run like Clara in the rain
Feel such
youth within their veins
So
ran Irina and Mikel
To catch
dear Clara in the rain
4 Youth is contagious, joy is just
Laughter’s a bike that will not rust
Unless you leave it in the rain
Defy all sorrow, go a little insane
When you run like Clara in the
rain
Thursday, April 25, 2019
Clara in the Rain
Clara in the Rain by Delmar Lemming (D Shea)
This is a song I wrote in celebration of a summer storm in the town of Zway, East Shoa, Ethiopia. My daughter, Mariana Shea, and her dear friend Clara, travelled to Zway to team teach with Ethiopian instructors from Mary Help School during the month of August 2017. It was a fantastic experience. Everything described in the story actually happened. Or I think it did, anyway.
Wednesday, January 23, 2019
Thursday, November 10, 2016
Hop along, Peter,
Old
Uncle Peter, he got tight,
Started up to heaven on a stormy night.
The road being rough and him not well,
He lost his way and he went... to...
CHORUS:
Hop along, Peter, where you going?
Hop along, Peter, where you going?
Hop along, Peter, where you going?
Hop along, Peter, won't you bear in mind
I ain 't comin' back till the gooseberry time.
Old
mother Hubbard and her dog were Dutch,
A bow-legged rooster and he hobbled on a crutch.
Hen chewed tobacco and the duck drank wine;
The goose played the fiddle on the pumpkin vine.
Down
in the barnyard playing seven-up,
The old tom cat and the little yellow pup,
The old mother Hubbard, she's a-pickin' out the fleas,
Rooster in the cream jar up to his knees.
I've
got a sweet gal in this here town,
If she weighs an ounce, she weighs seven hundred pounds,
Every time my sweet gal turns once around,
The heel of her shoe makes a hole in the ground.
Wednesday, October 19, 2016
Book review NI1
Book review
Introduction:
give the title and author of the book.
-
Body:
1. Summarize the plot in a few sentences.
2. Mention the setting: the place and time of the plot.
3. Say something about the main characters.
4. Say something about the content.Conclusion:
1. Comment on the book.
2. Let others know why you liked the book.
3. Is the author's style good or bad, is the book interesting?.
4. Would you recommend the book to certain people (fans of romance, horror, history)?
Write
about 150 – 200 words about the book
Deadline
for this assignment: November 22, 2016
Tuesday, October 4, 2016
Cat on the Moon?
You may want to know more about our new cat song. Please search in the box provided (above) for the song. You need to enter a key word. That is all.
Wednesday, September 28, 2016
ROVING GAMBLER
ROVING GAMBLER
(Cisco Houston)
I am a roving gambler, I
gamble all around
Whenever I meet with a deck of cards I lay my money down.
I've gambled down in Washington, I've gambled over in Spain
I'm on my way to Georgia to gamble my last game.
I had not been in Washington not many more weeks than three
When I fell in love with a pretty little gal, she fell in love with me.
She took me to her parlor, she cooled me with her fan
She whispered low in her mother's ear, "I love that gambling man."
"Oh daughter, Oh dear daughter, how can you treat me so?
To leave your dear old mother, and with a gambler go?"
"Oh mother, Oh dear mother, you know I love you well
But the love I have for this gambling man, no human tongue can tell."
"I hear that train a-coming, it's a-coming 'round the curve
A-whistling and a-blowing and a-straining every nerve"
"Oh mother, Oh dear mother, I'll tell you if I can
If you ever see me back again, it'll be with that gambling man."
Whenever I meet with a deck of cards I lay my money down.
I've gambled down in Washington, I've gambled over in Spain
I'm on my way to Georgia to gamble my last game.
I had not been in Washington not many more weeks than three
When I fell in love with a pretty little gal, she fell in love with me.
She took me to her parlor, she cooled me with her fan
She whispered low in her mother's ear, "I love that gambling man."
"Oh daughter, Oh dear daughter, how can you treat me so?
To leave your dear old mother, and with a gambler go?"
"Oh mother, Oh dear mother, you know I love you well
But the love I have for this gambling man, no human tongue can tell."
"I hear that train a-coming, it's a-coming 'round the curve
A-whistling and a-blowing and a-straining every nerve"
"Oh mother, Oh dear mother, I'll tell you if I can
If you ever see me back again, it'll be with that gambling man."
Monday, September 26, 2016
The Ballad of Jesse James
The
Ballad of Jesse James
Jesse
James was a lad that killed many a man
He
robbed the Danville train
He
stole from the rich and he gave to the poor
He'd
a hand, a heart, and a brain
(Chorus)
(Poor
)
Jesse
had a wife, to
mourn for his
life
And
three children, they were so brave
But
that dirty little coward that shot Mr. Howard
Has
laid poor
Jesse
in his grave
Jesse
was a man, a friend to the poor
He
couldn't see a brother suffer pain
And
with his brother Frank
he
robbed the Springfield bank
And
he stopped the Glendale train
(Chorus)
It
was Robert Ford, the dirty little coward
And
I wonder how he feels
For
he slept in Jesse's bed and he ate o' Jesse's bread
But
he laid Jesse James in his grave
(Chorus)
It
was with his brother Frank that he robbed the Gallatin Bank
An'
carried the money from the town
It
was at that very place that they had a little chase
For
they shot ol' Captain Sheets to the ground
(Chorus)
They
went to a crossing, not very far from there
And
there they did the same
For
the agent on his knees delivered up the keys
To
the outlaws, Frank an' Jesse James
(Chorus)
It
was on a Wednesday night, not a star was in sight
When
they robbed the Glendale train
Those
people, they did say for many miles away
It
was robbed by Frank an' Jesse James
(Chorus)
It
was on
a Saturday night,
When
Jesse
was at home
Just
talking with his family brave
Robert
Ford came along like a thief in the night
And
laid poor Jesse in his grave
(Chorus)
Now,
the people held their breath
When
they heard of Jesse's death
They
wondered how he ever
came
to die
It
was one of his own gang called little Robert Ford
An'
he shot Jesse James on the sly
(Chorus)
Jesse
went to his rest with his hand upon his breast
And
there are many who never saw his face
He
was born one day in the County of Clay
And
he came from a solitary race
(Chorus)
This
song was made by Billy Gashade
As
soon as the news did arrive
He
said there's no one man with the law in his hand
Could
ever take ol' Jesse James alive
Tuesday, September 20, 2016
Into the Holler (by D Shea and Katy Hooper)
This is a song I wrote with my friend Katy Hooper who sings with me on this recording. We were pleased to have the able accompaniment of Diego Torres on the flute. I hope you like it.
Friday, September 16, 2016
Questions, a key language learning technique (for all my students)
For the last few academic years, I have been considering different strategies to stimulate conversation in my classes. One fairly simple method of getting people talking is to propose topics of interest. For each topic, the students are presented with a series of questions to share with a partner or in small groups.
This idea is not original, it actually dates backs to the Greeks, but more recently, I have been taken by the work of Larry Pitts who teaches English language and culture in Korea. His book has been a valuable resource for me. I do not use all his listed questions, but rather choose a few that I hope the students will appreciate. In future postings here, you will find some of my lists.
ADVICE
Advice
What
three pieces of advice will you give your children?
Whose
advice do you follow more, your parents’ or your friends’ advice?
If
you could give the leader of your country some advice, what would it
be?
If
you could go back in time and give yourself some advice, what would
you
tell your younger self?
tell your younger self?
Who
was the wisest person in your country’s history?
What kind of
advice did that person give?
Where
do you go to get good advice?
Now
it’s your turn to give some advice:
1)
2)
3)
What
are some things students should do to improve their English?
What
should I do to make more money?
How
can I get more free time?
What
should people do when first meeting their boyfriend/girlfriend’s
parents?
What
should someone do to be happy?
( Adapted from the following source materials: http://iteslj.org/questions/)
Wednesday, September 14, 2016
CLIL students
Welcome to all my CLIL students who want to improve their communication skills, achieve better speaking skills.
Here are our first questions:
Here are our first questions:
1) How useful is English to you? |
2) How often do you use it? |
3) What are your strengths in English? |
4) What English speaking countries have your visited? |
5) Do you have any strategies for improving your spoken English? |
Huddie Ledbetter, great American singer, songwriter and the king of the 12-street guitar
Huddie Ledbetter, as known as Leadbelly, is one of my favorite singers. I am going to include two of his songs in the next few classes. I hope you like them and find them interesting and fun to sing!
biographical data for Huddie Ledbetter
On a Monday (by Huddie Ledbetter, aka Leadbelly)
On
a Monday (by Huddie Ledbetter, aka Leadbelly)
On a Monday
I was arrested
And on a Tuesday,
I was arrested
And on a Tuesday,
I got locked up in
jail
And on a Wednesday
My trial was attested
And on a Thursday
Nobody would go my bail
Yes I'm gone
Aaaalmost most gone (3x)
And I ain't going to be seein' them pretty women no more
Take these stripes
These stripes from off my shoulder
Take these chains
These chains from off-a my leg
Well these stripes,
You know that they don't bother me
But these chains
These chains are killin' me dead
Yes I'm gone…
And on a Wednesday
My trial was attested
And on a Thursday
Nobody would go my bail
Yes I'm gone
Aaaalmost most gone (3x)
And I ain't going to be seein' them pretty women no more
Take these stripes
These stripes from off my shoulder
Take these chains
These chains from off-a my leg
Well these stripes,
You know that they don't bother me
But these chains
These chains are killin' me dead
Yes I'm gone…
Now on a Friday
My baby went out walking
And on a Saturday
You know she locked up the door
And on a Sunday
She must have done some talkin'
Cause on a Monday
She had sold all o my clothes.
Yes I'm gone …
Thursday, April 21, 2016
Speaking Test Tips
RULE
ONE: BE POLITE
“Good
afternoon, my name is Fabio BL…. (entire name) and I
am very happy to have this opportunity to share my thoughts today. “
THEN
enter into your topic:
“In
this photo, we can see ….” or “I can see “ or “There are
many people dancing ...”
RULE TWO: LOOK
BEYOND THE IMAGE
“I
also notice that many of the people in the picture are in a hurry,
they are walking along the road toward the port, perhaps they are
going to take a boat to another island or maybe they will meet
someone who is arriving at the port of Las Palmas.”
RULE THREE (IMPORTANT): Finish off with a flourish!
Examiner:
“Okay, excuse me, your time is up, the exam is finished.”
You:
“Well, that's all I would like to say, thank you for listening to
me and have a great afternoon.”
Friday, April 15, 2016
Another Interesting Link
To my EOI Students of English at any level,
Here is another link
which you may find of interest.
Best wishes!
Here is another link
which you may find of interest.
Best wishes!
Thursday, April 14, 2016
NI1 Speaking titles for May 2016
Speaking Titles for the May Exams
Monologue (2 minutes)
1
Talk about what you consider to be a balanced
diet.
2
Describe an old post card of
Gran Canaria, photos taken in the early 20th
century. Use extensive vocabulary and interesting expressions.
century. Use extensive vocabulary and interesting expressions.
3
Why are stereotypes so common in our
society?
4
Talk about how you manage your income.
5
Talk about how you spend your free time.
Dialogues (4-5
minutes)
1 Interview with a difficult public figure
(politician, pop star, actor and so on). One journalist
and one person being interviewed.
and one person being interviewed.
2 Give advice
to a person who is looking for work. Candidate A is the unemployed
person,
candidate B is the career counselor.
candidate B is the career counselor.
3 Greeting
the good news. Candidate A has just had a baby and candidate B must
give the
congratulations and get all the details of the birth (what name they are going to give the
baby, size, weight and hair color).
congratulations and get all the details of the birth (what name they are going to give the
baby, size, weight and hair color).
4 Giving advice to a friend with a problem.
Candidate A has a son/daughter who is
addicted to the WWW, surfing all day and all night long. Candidate B has to give A some
advice on how to deal with this unpleasant situation.
addicted to the WWW, surfing all day and all night long. Candidate B has to give A some
advice on how to deal with this unpleasant situation.
5 Managing
our money. Candidate A always
spends money on shopping, gambling, music
and so forth. Candidate B is more thrifty and advises A to be careful with his/her funds.
and so forth. Candidate B is more thrifty and advises A to be careful with his/her funds.
Wednesday, April 13, 2016
Improve your listening skills in English
Here is a terrific resource for all my students, intermediate and advanced, to improve your listening skills.
Just click on the link and do as many listening tests as you can. They are well-ordered and graded.
Randall's Listening Page
Good luck!
Just click on the link and do as many listening tests as you can. They are well-ordered and graded.
Randall's Listening Page
Good luck!
Tuesday, April 12, 2016
Writing paper for final exams NI1 level
Writing Paper for NI1
1. Describe a sport or hobby that you enjoy.
How long have you done this activity? (Present perfect)
Why did you take up this activity? ( simple past)
Have you made friends through it?
2. Imagine you have won a contest with a travel company.
They have awarded (given) you a trip around the world.
You have one year to travel and can visit 6 countries.
What countries are you going to include and why?
Both essays should be 130 – 150 words.
You will be graded on
-
Expression
-
Grammar
-
Spelling
-
Vocabulary (adjectives)
-
Register
-
Content
Email me with your essay if you
Wednesday, April 6, 2016
NI 1 CD 3 Track answers
NI1
CD3
1.
1.
A long dress with short sleeves
2.
At the coffee house
3.
21st
March
4.
One video and a couple of novels
5.
On the radio
6.
Channel 4 news
7.
Horse riding
2.
1B
2C
3A
4C
5B
6C
3.
1.
gym
2.
Saturday
3.
215
4.
lessons
5.
age
6.
Reysall
4.
1F
2T
3F
4T
5T
6F
5.
1.
11:15
2.
A salad, a bowl of soup and a roll
3.
Under her chair
4.
By bus
5.
A sofa
6.
Going to the cinema
7.
Cloudy
6.
1B
2A
3B
4C
5A
6C
7.
1.
The dining room
2.
9:15
3.
forest
4.
village
5.
boat
6.
(sun) hat
8.
1F
2F
3T
4T
5F
6T
9.
1.
A lamp for his desk
2.
No glasses and blond hair
3.
In a house
4.
Computer World
5.
An opera evening
6.
8:15
7.
Making himself some supper
10.
1C
2A
3B
4A
5C
6B
11.
1.
Monday(s)
2.
post office
3.
18 February
4.
violin
5.
photograph
6.
(course) books
12.
1F
2T
3F
4T
5F
6F
13.
1.
The music
2.
A piano concert
3.
A beach bag
4.
Cloudy
5.
On the dining room table
6.
At the bookshop
7.
3:15
14.
1B
2B
3C
4A
5A
6C
15.
1.
(sandy) beaches
2.
70
3.
fan
4.
teabags
5.
owner
6.
flight(s)
16.
1T
2F
3F
4F
5T
6T
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