Learn how to say things and what you think in English

Đinh Gia H ngư 1
Lecturer in English, DNU 0914622207
Cultural Affairs Assistant, USE.
I. Define everything in English using a special list of 2000 words
For example:
 Flexible: 1) that can bend or be bent easily.
2) that can change or be changed to be suitable for new needs, changed
conditions etc.
 Bend: 1) to force into a curve, angle, or sloping position, away from a straight or
upright position.
 Curve: 1) a line of which no part is straight and which contains no angles.
 Angle: 1) the space between two lines or surfaces that meet or cross each other,
measured in degrees that represent the amount of a circle that can fit into
that space.
and go on this way until you use up 2000 words to say nearly anything in English!
II. Learn key concepts in English using a special list of 1052 words
For example:
comfort/make sb feel better:
 Comfort: to comfort someone, for example by talking to them or putting your arms around them.
 Console: to comfort someone when they feel unhappy or disappointed, especially by saying
something that makes them realize the situation is not so bad.
 Reassure: to make someone feel less worried or frightened about a situation, for example by
being friendly to them or by telling them there is nothing to worry about.
 Soothe: to make someone feel more calm and relaxed when they are upset, anxious, or nervous.
II. Learn a word in its entire collocations.
For example:
 Love (n): - adjectives + love: deep, great, overwhelming, passionate/genuine, pure, real, true/
unconditional/abiding (không thay đ i), eternal, undying/hopeless, ổ
unrequited (không đ c đ n đáp)/thwarted (b ngănượ ề ị
tr )/mutual/free/ở

first/parental, sisterly/courtly (ki u hi p sĩ Trung c ), platonic (lý ể ệ ổ
t ng thu n khi t), romantic, erotic (tình ái, tình d c), physical, ưở ầ ế ụ
sexual/heterosexual, homosexual, lesbian/redemptive (dùng đ c u ể ứ
vãn)/divine (th n thánh, thiêng liêng), human.ầ
- verbs + love: feel, have/search for, seek/find/express, show/declare, profess (bày
t )/promise/return/share/give sb, send (sb)/be in, fall in, fall out of ỏ
(b )/make.ỏ
- love + noun: affair/life/letter/scene, song, story.
- prepositions: for/out of ~, in~, ~between, ~for, ~of.
- phrases: an act of love, deeply/madly/passionately in love, desperately/
hopelessly in love, head over heels in love, love at first sight, the
love of sb’s life.
Ancestor noun [C]
a person, plant, animal or object that is related to
one existing at a later point in time
There were portraits of his ancestors on the walls
of the room.

Đinh Gia H ngư 2
Lecturer in English, DNU 0914622207
Cultural Affairs Assistant, USE.
Studies suggest that life originated only once,
from a single ancestor.
Ancestry: a person’s ancestors considered as a
group or as a continuous line
A woman of noble ancestry.
Gypsy, gipsy romany noun [C]
a member of a race found in parts of Europe and
America who travel from place to place in
caravans.

Energy (STRENGTH) noun [U]
the power and ability to be physically and
mentally active
Since I started eating more healthily, I've felt so
full of energy
Performance noun
The performance of a person or machine is how
well they do a piece of work or activity.
Passion (FEELING) noun
a very powerful feeling, for example of sexual
attraction, love, hate, anger or other emotion
(figurative) Rachel seems to be married to (= very
involved with) her new job at the moment, so we
hardly ever see her.
Flamenco noun [C or U] plural flamencos
a type of Spanish dance music, or the dance
performed to this music
Ballet noun
(a theatrical work with) a type of dancing where
carefully organized movements tell a story or
express an idea
Henry had never been to a ballet before. [C]
Troupe noun [C + singular or plural verb]
a group of performers such as singers or dancers
who work and travel together
Cousin first cousin noun [C]
a child of a person's aunt or uncle, or, more
generally, a distant relative, or a member of a
group of people with similar origins
Hairdresser noun [C]

a person who cuts people's hair and puts it into a
style, usually working in a special shop, called a
hairdresser's or a hair salon
Stamp (FOOT) US also stomp verb
to put (a foot) down on the ground hard and
quickly usually making a loud noise, often to show
anger
Shrug verb -gg-
to raise (your shoulders) and then lower them in
order to express a lack of knowledge, certainty,
interest or care
"Where's Dad?" "How should I know?" replied
my brother, shrugging his shoulders. [T]
"I feel sorry for homeless people, but what can I
do to help them?" said Chris, shrugging. [I]
Dominating adjective often disapproving
She has very strong opinions and tends to be quite
dominating (= having or trying to have control
over people, situations, etc.)
Impulsive adjective
Someone who is impulsive does things suddenly
without any planning and without considering the
possible effects of what is done.
Don't be so impulsive - think before you act.
Unsociable adjective
not enjoying social activity, not fond of being with
people
Purple adjective, noun
(of) a dark reddish blue colour
Violet (COLOUR) adjective, noun [C or U]

(having) a bluish purple colour
Chocolate noun
a usually brown food made from cacao seeds and
usually sugar, eaten on its own or used in other
food such as cakes, or a small sweet made from
this
Cacao noun [U]
(the seeds of) a tropical tree from which chocolate
and cocoa are made
Cocoa noun [U]
a dark brown powder made from the crushed
beans of the tropical cacao tree, used to make
chocolate and give the taste of chocolate to food
and drink

Đinh Gia H ngư 3
Lecturer in English, DNU 0914622207
Cultural Affairs Assistant, USE.
Modern dance is a style of dance usually
performed in a theatre, which is very expressive
and does not have many rules for the dancer's
movements.
Related words
Modern jazz is a type of jazz music which began
in the 1940s and is of an advanced level musically.
Tap (dancing)
a type of dance in which the rhythm is marked by
the noise of the dancer's shoes on the floor. Special
shoes are worn which have pieces of metal fixed
under them.

I did tap classes as well as ballet.
Salsa noun
A type of popular music based on Latin American
dance music. Singers and musicians often dance at
the same time as they are singing and playing.
Ballroom dancing is a type of dancing where a
man and a woman dance together using steps and
movements to special music, such as the waltz or
tango.
Waltz (DANCE) /noun [C]
a formal dance in which two people holding each
other move around a large room, turning as they
go and repeating a movement of three steps, or a
piece of music with three beats in a bar written for
this style of dancing
Jive (DANCE) noun [U]
a fast dance which was very popular with young
people in the 1940s and 1950s
My father taught me how to do the jive.
Marathon noun [C]
a running race of slightly over 26 miles (42.195
kilometres)
the London/New York marathon
She did/ran her first marathon in just under three
hours.
Related words
A marathon is also an activity which takes a long
time and makes you very tired.
The election broadcast, a nine-hour marathon,
lasts until seven o'clock in the morning.

Calorie (FOOD noun [C]
a unit of energy which is used as a measurement
for the amount of energy which food provides
There are about fifty calories in an apple.
Obsessed, obsessive adjective
unable to stop thinking about something; too
interested in or very worried about something
The government seems obsessed by the need for
secrecy.
Why are people so obsessed with money?
They're both obsessed with the fear of getting
AIDS.
Session (ACTIVITY) noun [C]
a period of time or meeting arranged for a
particular activity
Workout noun
A period of physical exercise, e.g. when training
for a sport
Gymnasium gym noun [C]
a large room with weights for lifting, horizontal
bars and other equipment for exercising the body
and increasing strength
Massage verb, noun [T]
to rub, press or hit (someone's body) with regular
repeated movements, esp. in order to relax them or
to reduce stiffness or pain in their joints or
muscles
I've got a dreadful ache in my neck. Would you
mind massaging it for me?
She gave me a wonderfully relaxing massage. [C]

(trademark) A jet ski is a small vehicle on which
one or two people can ride on the water and which
is moved forward by a fast stream of water being
pushed out behind it.

Đinh Gia H ngư 4
Lecturer in English, DNU 0914622207
Cultural Affairs Assistant, USE.
Laze verb
to rest lazily
We spent the morning just lazing (in bed). [I]
HOW TO LEARN SPEAKING
1. Learn pronunciation (h c phát âm)ọ
2. Learn spoken sentence patterns (h c nói theo m u câu)ọ ẫ
3. Learn written and SPOKEN grammar (h c ng pháp văn vi t và ọ ữ ế L I NÓIỜ )
4. Learn language functions (h c ch c năng l i nói (có trên 140 ch c năng))ọ ứ ờ ứ
5. Learn how to combine 2000 defining words and 1052 key concepts (h c cách k t h p 2000 t vàọ ế ợ ừ
1052 khái ni m c b n trong l i nói)ệ ơ ả ờ
6. Read tapescripts in English course books to find how people communicate in the spoken form and
identify spoken patterns and examples of spoken grammar (đ c b n văn c a ph n nghe trong cácọ ả ủ ầ
giáo trình ti ng Anh đ xem cách di n đ t l i nói c a ng i giao ti p và xác đ nh nh ng d ngế ể ễ ạ ờ ủ ườ ế ị ữ ạ
th c l i nói và ví d c a ng pháp l i nói)ứ ờ ụ ủ ữ ờ
7. Learn skills in English: presentation skills, negotiation skills, skills in meeting, telephoning and
socializing (h c các k năng nói ti ng Anh: k năng thuy t trình, th ng l ng, h i h p, đi nọ ỹ ế ỹ ế ươ ượ ộ ọ ệ
tho i và xã giao)ạ
8. Learn the native speakers’ cultural way of speaking, including the “universally cultural” ways of the
people in the English-speaking countries and “particularly cultural” ways of each native speakers
(h c cách di n đ t mang tính văn hóa c a ng i b n ng bao g m nh ng y u t văn hóa khái quátọ ễ ạ ủ ườ ả ữ ồ ữ ế ố
c a ng i dân các n c nói ti ng Anh và nh ng l i nói mang d u n văn hóa c a t ng cá nhânủ ườ ướ ế ữ ố ấ ấ ủ ừ
b n ng )ả ữ

9. Develop a positive attitude to learning spoken English and show essential qualities for developing
speaking skills (phát tri n thái đ tích c c trong vi c h c ti ng Anh kh u ng và phát tri n nh ngể ộ ự ệ ọ ế ẩ ữ ể ữ
ph m ch t c b n trong vi c h c các k năng ti ng Anh)ẩ ấ ơ ả ệ ọ ỹ ế
VOCABULARY
Planet noun
A large body in space that moves round a star,
especially round the sun
Is there life on other planets?
Feature noun [C]
an esp. typical quality or important part
High stress levels are a feature of life (= a part of
the situation that is not avoidable) for business
executives.
Features plural noun
Your features are the parts of your face.
He has wonderful strong features.
She has very regular (= even and attractive) features.
Blonde esp. female, esp. male blond noun [C],
adjective
(a person) with pale yellow or golden hair
Related words
(saying) 'Blondes have more fun' means that a
woman with lightly coloured hair is often
considered more attractive than other women and
so has the admiring attention of more men.
Diamond noun

Đinh Gia H ngư 5
Lecturer in English, DNU 0914622207
Cultural Affairs Assistant, USE.

an extremely hard, valuable stone which is used in
jewellery, and in industry for cutting hard things,
or a shape with four straight sides of equal length
but with two opposite angles which are wide and
two which are narrow
Her ring was set with a large diamond. [C]
Curl noun
A small hanging mass of hair in a curving shape.
Curl verb
To twist into or form a curl or curls
Curly
Having curls or tending to curl
Top noun
A garment worn on the upper part of the body
Suit noun
A set of clothes made of the same material, usually
including a short coat (jacket) with trousers or a
skirt
Belt (CLOTHING) noun [C]
a strip of leather or material worn around the waist
to support clothes or for decoration
She fastened her belt tightly around her waist.
He had eaten so much that he had to undo his belt
a couple of notches.
Boot (SHOE) noun [C]
a type of shoe that covers the whole foot and the
lower part of the leg
Jeans (P)
Trousers made of DENIM (a strong, usually blue,
cotton cloth), worn informally by men, women,

and children, and thought very fashionable among
young people.
Sock (CLOTHES) noun [C] plural socks or US
also sox
a piece of clothing made from soft material which
covers your bare foot and lower part of the leg
Pullover , US usually sweater, ANZ usually
jumper noun [C]
a piece of clothing which is made of a warm
material such as wool, has long sleeves, and is
worn over the top part of the body and put on by
pulling it over your head
Tights UK , US and ANZ pantyhose plural noun
a piece of clothing made of thin stretchy material
which covers the legs and lower part of the body
below the waist, and which is worn by women and girls
Tights are often made of nylon.
She bought a new pair of tights.
Related words
In the US and Australia, tights are the same type
of clothing made from thicker material and worn
by dancers and people doing physical exercises for
health.
Trainer UK , UK also training shoe, US running
shoe noun [C]
a shoe made specially for doing sport, that gives
extra support to the foot
T-shirt , tee shirt
a simple piece of clothing which covers the top
part of the body and which has no collar and

usually short sleeves
I have to wear smart clothes for work all week, so
at the weekend I like to wear comfortable things
like jeans and a T-shirt.
Dress (PIECE OF CLOTHING) noun [C]
a piece of clothing for a woman which covers the
top half of the body and some or all of the legs
A scene can also be an event in real life which
seems like something in a play or film.
When we reached the top of the mountain a scene
of unparalleled beauty lay before us.
Miss (NOT DO) verb [T]
to fail to do or experience (something that is often
planned or expected)
I missed the start of the exam because my bus was late.
Silly (FOOLISH) adjective -ier, -iest
showing a lack of thought or judgment; foolish
Website , site noun [C]
a set of pages of information on the Internet about
a particular subject, which have been published by
the same person or organization, and often contain
colour pictures, video and sound
the internet the large system of many connected
computers around the world which people use to
communicate with each other
Filofax trademark , personal organizer noun [C]
a small book in which a record can be kept of
telephone numbers, future plans and visits,
business meetings, etc.
The details of Sue's entire business and personal

lives are held between the black leather covers of
her Filofax.
A credit card is a small plastic card which can be
used as a method of payment, the money being
taken from you at a later time.
Related words

Đinh Gia H ngư 6
Lecturer in English, DNU 0914622207
Cultural Affairs Assistant, USE.
(UK and ANZ) A credit note is a piece of paper
which can be given by a shop when you return
something you don't want and allows you to buy
other goods of the same value at another time.
Surf (INTERNET) verb
to spend time visiting a lot of websites
Many towns and cities have cybercafés where you
can surf the Internet/Net/Web. [T]
I was surfing until midnight last night. [I]
Cybercafé noun [C]
a cafe where you can eat and drink while using
computers to read information on the Internet
E-mail noun
the system for using computers to send messages
over the Internet, or a message or document sent
using this system
Icon (COMPUTER SYMBOL) noun [C]
a symbol on a computer screen that you point to
with a mouse (= movable control device) to give
the computer an instruction

Desktop (COMPUTER) adjective
(of computer equipment) small enough to fit on
the top of a desk
a desktop computer/machine/printer/system
Compare laptop, notebook, palmtop.
Related words
Desktop publishing (also DTP) is the production
of finished page designs for books or other printed
material, using a small computer and printer.
Desktop (SCREEN) noun [C] specialized
the image that appears on a computer when you
use the type of computer program which makes it
possible for you to perform several activities at the
same time
The menu bar with its windows is one of the
features of the desktop.
Click (OPERATE) verb specialized
to (cause a computer instruction to) operate by
pressing a button on the mouse (= movable control
device) of a computer
When you have selected the file you want, click the
'Open' box. [T]
If you want to open a file, click twice on the icon
for it. [I]
Click to create a new file. [I]
DEVELOPING A STRATEGIC VISION FOR LEARNING ENGLISH
(Phát tri n t m nhìn chi n l c trong vi c h c ti ng Anh)ể ầ ế ượ ệ ọ ế
ENGLISH LEARNING AS A CULTURAL PROJECT
(H c ti ng Anh - M t D án Văn hóa)ọ ế ộ ự
A special project specially designed for Vietnamese students of English

by Dinh Gia Hung
Project objectives (m c tiêu d án):ụ ự
 To internalise the intellectual and cultural aspects of English language and approach idiomatic
production (ti p thu nh ng y u t trí tu và văn hóa trong ti ng Anh và h ng đ n vi c s d ngế ữ ế ố ệ ế ướ ế ệ ử ụ
ti ng Anh nh ng i b n ng )ế ư ườ ả ữ
 To have greater vision for students’ future global integration and get quicker access to the
Information Superhighway to acquire self-learning and research for personal and professional self-
actualisation (có t m nhìn r ng l n h n đ sinh viên có th hòa nh p v i th gi i và đi nhanhầ ộ ớ ơ ể ể ậ ớ ế ớ
h n vào Siêu xa l Thông tin đ t h c t p và nghiên c u nh m v n đ n s phát tri n t i caoơ ộ ể ự ọ ậ ứ ằ ươ ế ự ể ố
c a cá nhân, đó là s hi n th c hóa cá nhân và ngh nghi p)ủ ự ệ ự ề ệ

Đinh Gia H ngư 7
Lecturer in English, DNU 0914622207
Cultural Affairs Assistant, USE.
1) Logistics for collaborative learning
Scarce resource sharing and management (chia s và qu n lý ngu n l c khan hi m)ẻ ả ồ ự ế
- Equipment (thi t b )ế ị
- Materials (coursebooks, workbooks, references, online resources, CDs)(tài li u)ệ
- Finance (cost-sharing policy) (tài chính)
- Location (đ a đi m)ị ể
1) Teamwork
- Peer teaching (b n bè giúp nhau h c)ạ ọ
- Delegation of responsibility (chia s trách nhi m)ẻ ệ
- Vision sharing (each student has a unique way of language expression which originates from his or
her socio-cultural background and they can share their invaluable asset with their peers. This process
can help group members negotiate different meanings, understand and appreciate one another’s
cultural perspectives and practices) (Chia s t m nhìn: m i sinh viên đ u có cách di n đ t ngônẻ ầ ỗ ề ễ ạ
ng đ c nh t vì kh năng đó đ c hình thành trong môi tr ng văn hóa-xã h i c a riêng mình vàữ ộ ấ ả ượ ườ ộ ủ
nhóm h c t p đó có th chia s tài s n vô giá đó v i các b n c a mình. Ti n trình này có th giúpọ ậ ể ẻ ả ớ ạ ủ ế ể
cho các thành viên trong nhóm bàn lu n v các ý đ nh di n đ t ngôn ng c a mình đ ti n t iậ ề ị ễ ạ ữ ủ ể ế ớ

hi u và đánh giá cao nh ng cách nhìn và l i th c hành văn hóa c a nhau)ể ữ ố ự ủ
CULTURE AS AN ICEBERG (VĂN HÓA T A NH T NG BĂNG)Ự Ư Ả
fine arts literature
drama classical music popular music
folk dancing games cooking dress
notions modesty conception of beauty cosmology
ideals governing child-rearing rules of descent relationship to animals
patterns of superior, subordinate relations definition of sin courtship practices
conception of justice incentives to work notions of leadership tempo of work body language
patterns of group decision-making conception of cleanliness attitudes toward the dependent theory of disease
approaches to problem-solving conception of status mobility eye behaviour conception of past and future
role in relation to status by age, sex, class, occupation, kinship, and so forth
conversational patterns in various social contexts definition of insanity nature of friendship
ordering of time conception of self patterns of visual perception social interaction rate
preference for competition or cooperation notions of adolescence facial expressions
notions about logic and validity patterns of handling emotions arrangement of physical space
AND MUCH, MUCH MORE
HOW TO HAVE A CONSTRUCTIVE DIALOGUE WITH THE LANGUAGE TEACHER
• Before holding a direct dialogue with the teacher, students should select some topics and read kinds of
relevant texts written by native speakers, underline new cultural patterns or expressions (and may
compare them with the Vietnamese equivalents to see interesting differences), write them down in their