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This column is for self-study or classroom use and gives guided help with reading the wide variety of writing styles and topics that appear as feature articles in the Bangkok Post. The lessons include background information, skill-building practice and vocabulary explanations. July 11, 2006 Life's little problems INTRODUCTION

This lesson should appeal to anyone from teenagers to grandparents, as most of us are naturally nosy about other people's lives. Annie's Mailbox is a syndicated problem page that appears in the Bangkok Post's Outlook section every Monday and Wednesday (there are actually different problem pages every day of the week). Readers write to Annie for guidance and she responds with - often quite opinionated - advice. Teacher's notes The level of today's lesson is most appropriate for intermediate students, although most pre-intermediate students should be able to get something out of it too. Advice columns naturally lend themselves to teaching conditional clauses and interesting idioms. If the language level appears too high for your class, guide them through the text and concentrate on the activities. Students will probably enjoy being as opinionated as Annie when giving their own advice. It would be a good idea to start by showing the class a real copy of Annie's Mailbox from the newspaper and asking students what they think it is. Then ask about problem pages in Thailand. Where do they appear? What kind of problems do people write about? Do people give their real names, or are they anonymous? Why? Do students think problem pages are silly, helpful, entertaining? Very quickly, get students to match Annie's answers to the readers' letters. If feasible, this would be a good mingling activity. You could give each student - or each group - one of the six sections and get them to read the text and find their match. Alternatively, you could stick the sections to the classroom walls before class and have students walk around trying to figure out what goes with what. Activities 1. Giving advice a) Complete these sentences with words from the text.P> 1. If they are damaging your property, … 2. If that doesn't work, … 3. If all else fails, … 4. We would recommend … b) Now complete the sentences with your own advice. 2. Choosing the right word Fill in the blanks using words and phrases from the vocabulary box. Change the form of the words and phrases where necessary. 1. If our teacher keeps giving us too much homework, … 2. Nobody … me that school is closed today. 3. You can't see Worawut. He is my … 4. Those boys are really noisy, but our teacher … 5. I used to like … . It was more fun than college. 6. If you show the bottom of your feet in Thailand, it is bad … 7. My brother used to have … when he had to take a bath. Group activities 1. Imagine you are Annie and write a short reply to one of the three letters. Read it aloud to the rest of the group and have them guess which letter it matches. 2. Write a short letter to Annie. Make two copies. Give one letter to the teacher, who will then give it to a different student. Now write a reply to the letter you have received. When you have finished, take it in turns to read your original letter out loud and listen to the reply from your classmate.

OUR STORY FROM THE BANGKOK POST Annie's Mailbox 1. Noisy co-worker Dear Annie: I work in a very small office. A co-worker has recently taken up gum chewing. This person is in his sixties and ought to have manners by now. He constantly snaps, crackles and pops bubbles, even while you are speaking directly to him. He spends much of his day on the phone, and we can hear the popping noises even when he is providing customer service. He also chews with his mouth open and clips his nails at his desk. We've complained to management, but no one wants to offend this person. Please tell me what we can do, because someone will surely snap soon. 2. Naughty children need to be disciplined Dear Annie: I am married to a man who has a grown daughter, Stella, with small children. I have two young children from my first marriage. The problem is that when Stella is at our place, her children are out of control and she does nothing to discipline them and neither does my husband. Stella doesn't like me, and when I try to stop her children from tearing things up and having screaming tantrums, I run into her extreme disapproval. My husband says it's Stella's problem and he doesn't want to interfere. I have suggested that he visit the grandchildren at Stella's place, but he wants me to go with him. 3. Adult imaginary friend Dear Annie: What would you say about the mental and emotional state of a 47-year-old man with a wife and two children who still talks about his imaginary friend? A. If Stella refuses to discipline her children it is their loss. In your home, try to put up with the noise, or set up a play space for them in a separate room or back yard. You also can take a stroll to the nearest park. If they are damaging your property, insist that your husband visit Stella elsewhere, and by all means, go with him. If they jump on her sofa and break her dishes, what do you care? Plaster a smile on your face and say nothing. B. It's perfectly normal to have imaginary friends - in grade school. Those who keep them into their adult years may be immature or even suffering from mental illness. If this 47-year-old man talks to his imaginary friend, is influenced by him or treats him as a real person, I would recommend a psychiatric evaluation. C. Your co-worker may be trying to give up a bad habit (like smoking) and is using the gum as a substitute. First, try the direct-but-friendly approach: "I'm sure you don't realise how loud your gum chewing is." If that doesn't work, inform management that the customers can hear the gum popping and it could hurt business. If all else fails, try headphones. She does nothing to discipline them. She doesn't try to control their behaviour. screaming tantrums a noisy period of childish anger He doesn't want to interfere. He doesn't want to get involved. manners politeness Someone will surely snap. Someone will lose control, quickly. imaginary friend A friend who is not really there. Plaster a smile on your face. Force yourself to smile. grade school (American) primary school psychiatric evaluation a mental examination inform tell Answers Matching the letters and replies. 1. C 2. A 3. B 1. Giving advice 1. …insist that your husband visit Stella elsewhere. 2. …inform management. 3. …try headphones. 4. …a psychiatric evaluation. 2. Choosing the right word 1. someone will surely snap 2. informed 3. imaginary friend 4. does nothing to discipline them 5. grade school 6. manners 7. screaming tantrums Read our other instant lesson here. Return to our home page. | © The Post Publishing Public Co., Ltd. All rights reserved 2006 | Last modified: July 13, 2006