Books what I wrote (sic)
Ken Wilson's Blog
by Ken Wilson
3y ago
Since I first became a published author of English Language Teaching Materials fifty years ago in 1971, I have contributed to another 30+ ELT publications. Here are images of some of them. An American English course published by Oxford University Press, now in its fourth edition, with two completely new levels.I am editor-in-chief of this primary course for Vietnam, a co-production between Macmillan Hong Kong and VEPH Publishers, Hanoi Achievers and High Achievers are published by Richmond SantillanaMy book of drama activities, published by OUP, now sadly out of print.This course was originall ..read more
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The story of Mister Monday, part 2
Ken Wilson's Blog
by Ken Wilson
3y ago
The story so far – a Salford lad with limited musical skills and no experience of working in a studio gets a contract to record ten language teaching songs. Now read on… Two weeks before we were due to go into the studio, the phone rang in the basement flat just off Gloucester Road in West London where Dede and I were now living. It was band member Michael Klein. “Great news!” he said. “We have a session drummer for the recordings.” “Who is it?” I asked. “Terry Cox from Pentangle.” Blimey. Pentangle were a folk-jazz band who were pretty big at the time. In addition to Cox, the band had two qu ..read more
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The story of Mister Monday
Ken Wilson's Blog
by Ken Wilson
3y ago
Singing with Dede at International House music club in 1970 I started work at International House London in the summer of 1969. For those of you not involved in English language teaching, IH was and remains a very influential private language school. At that time the school was located at 40 Shaftesbury Avenue, near Piccadilly Circus, right in the centre of London. One afternoon, I walked into the staffroom and saw a distinctive guitar case under a table. It was covered in white paper in the shape of flowers (this was still the 1960s, after all). Without a second thought, I opened the case, an ..read more
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The Post Office
Ken Wilson's Blog
by Ken Wilson
3y ago
Angela Carr and Garry Fox in The Post Office sketch The Post Office sketch was first performed by the English Teaching Theatre in 1989. An old lady goes to a post office with a fish-shaped parcel that she wants to send to her daughter. At first she claims it’s a coffee pot, which gave us the chance to give examples of (doesn’t) look like, sound like and smell like. She finally admits that it’s a fish and there is some debate about whether she can send it. The sketch was a bit surreal, and we were worried audiences might not get it, so we were delighted and relieved when they clearly loved it ..read more
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The King of Boonland
Ken Wilson's Blog
by Ken Wilson
3y ago
The King of Boonland is one of my favourite sketches, partly because it’s one that I performed many times on stage, and I’m also the voice of the King in the audio. The Buckingham Palace guard is played by Steve Wallace, and the sergeant, who has a couple of lines at the beginning, is John Colclough. Before you let your students listen to the audio, I recommend asking them to listen for the following information: Where is Boonland? Answer: In the middle of the Atlantic Ocean What is the population of Boonland? 14 Where do the people live. In the capital, Boonland City, in the mountains and i ..read more
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The Ticket Inspector
Ken Wilson's Blog
by Ken Wilson
3y ago
This is the audio and script of a sketch from the English Teaching Theatre, written by Doug Case and me back in the 1970s. The ETT was a group of actors, teachers and musicians who toured a stage show for learners of English all over the world. What started out as a six-month experiment at International House in London in 1973, turned into a permanent touring company that continued working for 29 years. The ETT did more than 250 tours to 55 different countries, performing to an estimated million students of English. The last tour was to China in March 2002. More than a hundred actors, teachers ..read more
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It’s January!
Ken Wilson's Blog
by Ken Wilson
3y ago
So here’s a song to help your students remember the months of the year. Sung by Gillian Bartlam, musical arrangement by Richard Vranch. Bass played by Steve Hall. Recorded at Hallmark Studios, Soho London sometime in the 1980s.. The months of the year, with a hint of reggae ..read more
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Will anyone be learning English after Brexit?
Ken Wilson's Blog
by Ken Wilson
3y ago
…. but for how long? In his new book The Great British Reboot: How the UK Can Thrive in a Turbulent World, Alex Brummer lists Britain’s ‘remaining and undersung strengths’, the things which will keep the UK economy robust in a post-Brexit world. His list includes high technology, financial services, universities, pharmaceuticals and the creative industries, particularly popular music.   The author is City Editor of the Daily Mail, so he’s probably contractually obliged to promote the positive aspects of the UK’s departure from the European Union. However, I was in ..read more
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Walking Wounded
Ken Wilson's Blog
by Ken Wilson
3y ago
My uncles James and Thomas Gratrix, who were both killed in the First World War. James was 20 and Thomas was 24. I wrote the following story during my Creative Writing Masters course at Birkbeck College about five years ago. It’s a fictional piece partly based on something that happened in my mother’s family during the Great War, when her brother was wounded in Northern France and sent home to recover, after which he was required to return to France. Salford, 18th March 1917, 8.30am Florence was alone in the cold house in Rochester Avenue. Her younger sister and brothers were on their way to s ..read more
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6. Fear Of Flying
Ken Wilson's Blog
by Ken Wilson
3y ago
I’ve got to leave for the airport It’s almost time to catch my plane Time is running out for me  I’ve got to leave again Tomorrow I’ll sing for some different people  In a town a thousand miles away They don’t know what it’s like for me  Flying every day  I’ve flown a thousand times before And every time it’s the same I get so scared, oh so scared Every time I board that plane The stewardess smiles but it makes no difference to me  When the plane takes off  It isn’t where I want to be  I sit in my seat, and never move My hands are icy cold People tell me ther ..read more
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