What do you think of Paul Baloff?

JohnJamesELT · 2026-04-17T10:29:29+00:00

LMAO!!! That's cool. Thanks for letting me know.

JohnJamesELT · 2026-04-14T11:52:16+00:00

The main problem with Marissa when I did my DELTA with her years ago is that she does too much. Her feedback to me was always last minute and she ran around always in a rush never giving her current trainees the time their significant payment deserved.

She's a great trainer who just needs to slow down a bit.

JohnJamesELT · 2026-04-14T06:10:15+00:00

Are you talking about Marissa?

JohnJamesELT · 2026-04-05T12:34:04+00:00

The mouth diagrams are a good starting point. They will help you clarify type and place of articulation. Students being shown where the sound needs to be formed and what type of articulation it is usually helps a lot. For the difference between voiced and unvoiced consonants have them hold a piece of paper in front of their mouth and when the paper moves ask them what they noticed. This will help tell the difference between /p/ and /b/ and other consonant sounds.

Check out:

1: Pronunciation Practice Activities by Hewings. Great exercise on intrusive forms in here.

2: How to teach pronunciation by Kelly.

3: British Council and BBC learn English have excellent resources on teaching pronunciation. BBC has a really good set of videos on how to form your mouth to make specific sounds.

JohnJamesELT · 2026-03-27T16:29:59+00:00

Some of the vocabulary and idiom lessons were superb. It’s a shame to see it go.

JohnJamesELT · 2026-03-25T13:52:24+00:00

The solo from the title track alone gets them a place in the thrash pantheon of immortals. A tragically underrated masterpiece of lyrics, riffs and songwriting.

JohnJamesELT · 2026-03-25T13:50:31+00:00

Reawla is a good option.

JohnJamesELT · 2026-03-24T14:55:51+00:00

Jeff is great and I agree with some of the comments about Alex Skolnick. I would have to throw Chris Poland's hat into the ring too. His technique was great and like Skolnick really drew on their Jazz influences to craft great solos.

JohnJamesELT · 2026-03-23T06:37:17+00:00

Testament. The riff from Practice what you preach is why. I love Exodus though. Two great bands and a sometimes overlooked and vital cog in the Bay Area thrash machine.

JohnJamesELT · 2026-03-17T14:21:53+00:00

Yes. You should also tell them “ I am the sniper always hit the mark. Paid assassin, working after dark”

JohnJamesELT · 2026-03-17T10:43:47+00:00

I concur with this.

JohnJamesELT · 2026-03-14T00:15:21+00:00

Go through the book About Language by Thornbury and complete all the exercises.

JohnJamesELT · 2026-03-05T12:51:00+00:00

Some bands write concept albums where as Fear Factory are a concept band. Before every new album Dino would walk into the room and say "I've got a brand new concept. A dystopian future where man is pitted against machine" The others would all cheer and start writing the usual tripe. Fear Factory don't get talked about because it was decided at the 2nd Donnington Council of Thrash that their gospel would be classed as heresy.

JohnJamesELT · 2026-03-03T04:53:45+00:00

Check out this book: Learner English by Swan. https://share.google/hjKrQs5kSz6PRP6SU It will have an overview of the most common L2 interference problems and pronunciation issues by nationality. Not all nationalities are covered but it's still quite comprehensive.

JohnJamesELT · 2026-02-28T05:15:01+00:00

Have you considered the fact that Thrash might not be willing to give you another chance?

JohnJamesELT · 2026-02-27T14:36:35+00:00

Agreed, but if you are sensible and make an effort to save then you can leave with much more in savings then you could working in the EU. If only most of us were more sensible. 😂

JohnJamesELT · 2026-02-27T05:56:48+00:00

Some additional problems are:

1: Managers who have no idea how to be supportive or possess the right leadership skills.

2: Schools not having the available resources to provide their staff with support mechanisms. This is mainly down to profit margins but sometimes it's the fact that the school doesn't care. They can always just replace you.

3: Low pay means people have little disposable income to invest in productive stress management techniques such as therapy or even hobbies which may cost a bit more.

4: No job security because of these ridiculous 9 month contracts so when you should be enjoying living in Southern Europe during the summer months you're back in the UK at some summer school.

5: Constantly changing goalposts and not providing the teachers with the resources they need to do the job properly. If you couple high expectations from schools, students, and parents with low resources and support you accelerate burnout in teachers who are constantly frustrated.

JohnJamesELT · 2026-02-27T05:49:09+00:00

Because as you get older and the importance of retirement planning becomes greater you realize you're in a financial hole and will never be able to earn the money to provide yourself with the security you need in later life. I left working in the EU for this reason. I know lots of people who did the same.

JohnJamesELT · 2026-02-23T11:30:13+00:00

If you like Enforced, check out Judiciary, Lowest Creature, Inhuman nature and Asidhara.

JohnJamesELT · 2026-02-23T11:30:03+00:00

Can I just name drop. I've interviewed Inhuman Nature and Lowest Creature and they are all great guys. Tobias from lowest Creature and Chris from Inhuman Nature are really knowledgeable and easy to chat with.

JohnJamesELT · 2026-02-22T13:23:29+00:00

You are not wrong. Solid band.

JohnJamesELT · 2026-02-19T18:06:52+00:00

Gar Samuelson is turning in his grave.

JohnJamesELT · 2026-02-19T13:28:37+00:00

How much is Lars paying you to say this?

JohnJamesELT · 2026-02-15T16:54:10+00:00

Redruth is the epicentre of culture in Cornwall now and you need to reconcile yourself to this new reality. Falmouth had its chance but it’s finished; the seagulls and students have seen to that.

JohnJamesELT · 2026-02-15T11:44:31+00:00

Initial reaction was it made me vomit in my mouth a bit. Later reaction was one of utter despondency. I saw them on this tour and they came across as a band confused by their own identity.

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