27.3.10

The Power of Reading - one of the best way to improve your English

The title “The Power of Reading” comes from a book by Dr. Stephen Krashen, probably the number one expert on language learning and language teaching in the world. He has done an incredible amount of research on the topic of learning languages.

I'm going to concentrate on just one particular idea that comes from Dr. Stephen Krashen and his research and that is the power of reading. Dr. Krashen did a lot of research about how do native speakers, and people learning foreign languages learn vocabulary, how do they get good grammar and how do they acquire excellent writing skills.

One of the most important methods is reading for pleasure. And if you learning English or any other language, that means reading a lot of easy books. It might be just children’s novels. In other words we learn to read by reading. We learn vocabulary from reading. We learn a lot of our grammar from reading. We learn our writing skills from reading. Not by analyzing and studying grammar. Not be trying to memorize vocabulary.

It’s the same for grammar. The best grammar have people who are just reading lots of novels. The readers have much better grammar than the people who are studying grammar from textbooks.

This is fragment from Dr. Krashen's book:
“When second language learners read for pleasure, they develop the competence they need to move from the beginning ordinary conversational level to a level where they can use the second language for more demanding purposes. Such as the serious study of literature, business and so on. When they read for pleasure they can continue to improve in their second language without classes, without teachers, without study. And even without people to converse with.

When we read we really have no choice. We must develop literacy. We rarely find well‑read people who have serious problems with grammar, spelling and so on. They write acceptably well because they can’t help it. They have subconsciously acquired good writing style as well as the conventions of writing. Our problem in language education, is that we have confused cause and effect. We have assumed that we first learn language skills and then apply these skills to reading and writing. But that is not the way the human brain works. Rather, reading for meaning, reading about things that matter to us is the cause of language development.”

This article is about reading but, in fact, listening is the same thing. So when you’re reading and listening a lot, that’s the first step to improve your language skills. And you need to do so much of it. You’ve got to read and listen for pleasure, for fun. If you do that first, the grammar skills then come later. They come from the listening and the reading. The writing skills come from reading a lot. Your vocabulary comes from reading a lot and listening, too. Your pronunciation comes from listening a lot. It’s the input that is the most important. And specific kind of input, it’s got to be meaningful, real, enjoyable, pleasurable. So that’s the power of reading.
If you like get his book. The book is called "The Power of Reading" by Dr. Stephen Krashen.
The Power of Reading: Insights from the Research (1st Edition)
 

23.3.10

Learn English from your favourite songs

You can learn English in easy way from English songs. You can choose songs you like and find videos with text subtitles on internet. Then you can listen the song and read the text at the same time. Next you can try to translate text to your language. This is funny and enjoyable way of learning English. You will like your favourite songs even more.
Here are few music videos with English subtitles:





22.3.10

Improve Your English With Online Learning

A person not able to converse in English or not fluent in English is considered inferior and the doors of success and progress are shut down upon him in one or the other way. Many non-English speakers feel dire need to be able to communicate in English to improve their skills and value.

To overcome these obstacles, English online learning ourses are available which do not require full time devotion from you. Even if you are working or cannot afford to be able to get registered with regular English classes, you can easily manage online English courses which provide you facilities according to your specifications.

Around the world, English is being recognized as the global language and almost all major newspapers, magazines, news reports, talk shows and even the World Wide Web is in English. You cannot afford to be handicapped in such a critical domain where all the functions are being conducted in this language. Therefore learning English becomes the primary requirement.

The major advantage with online learning courses is that you can get practical exposure and practice sessions through online videos and news channels which communicate in English. Online English courses can be easily found on many websites offering various language courses. Getting registered with such courses would be very beneficial, both time and cost wise. Thus, do not wait and give it a head start immediately.

16.3.10

Optimize Your English LearningTime

Learning a language requires an investment in time, luckily there are some short cuts to help you achieve English fluency. It won't happen overnight but with time and dedication it's more then possible.
If you are like me then you do not have a lot of free time. Between work and family there is little time to do anything small let alone time for classes. You know that if you could improve your foreign language skills that it would help you with work and you may even get promotion. You may have tried books that end up collecting dust on the bookcase only a few days after you have bought them. You may have tried audio tapes that just teach you how to say phrases that you already know. But these proved ineffective and you wonder if you could handle an English language learning course.

Fortunately with the improving communication tools on the internet there are many more resources out there for English language learning. These tools can help you optimize your study time and allow you to work at your own pace, leaving time for the other things in your life. These include free resources like YouTube and online dictionaries and some pay sites that offer various methods of instruction designed around your busy life. Some of these are very effective and similar to a traditional classroom approach.

But there are things to consider about online English language learning. Online sites are not all created equal it is up to you to find one that is in your price range and provides you with the resources you need. It is good to make sure the teachers are qualified native speakers of English. Native speakers' knowledge of their own language makes them highly effective teachers.

Another thing to investigate is how much they tailor their program to fit your needs and what methods they use because it will determine your final success. It is important to carefully consider all the factors in deciding on an online course to go with. If you don't know too much about the school you should try investigating it on internet forums or blogs. That is exactly what I did when I tried to find the best English learning method for myself.

15.3.10

How To Make Learning English Fun For A Non-English Speaker

There are quite a number of ways in making learning English fun for a non-English speaker. One of the first things that you can do is not to mind the grammar. A good way to study a new language is to know that words are the most important; grammar only comes in second. You can always communicate with the right words - even with bad grammar and construction. But if you have the perfect grammar but you don't know the words, you'd be left misunderstood.
Making English learners understand that words are more important can encourage them to speak more often. The best way to study a language is to think that way, and speak the language. There are many learners who fail to learn because they are too shy to speak. Encouraging them to speak with different talking games and speaking topics can help them to think and speak in English.
Kids, teenagers and adult learners love music - this is a fact. This is probably one of the reasons why a lot of teachers use music in teaching English because it helps in making learning English fun for a non-English speaker. You can also use lyrics as guides to help you establish a nice English conversation.
English music lyrics can provide learners new words and a way to remember them. Remembering a language through music usually works better for most students because they connect words with melodies, making them easy to recall.
There are also some learners who prefer to study both with visuals and with audio, thus the use of videos when learning English. Others may also choose different sitcoms, movies, cartoons and even movie trailers. These things make word association and word recall easy, especially for those who tend to remember things better through visuals.
And of course, who can forget about various games? A simple charades game can make students recall their vocabularies even better. There are also various games which can target both vocabulary and grammar.
Learning English doesn't have to be strapped to the books and lesson plans. With a mixture of conversations, games, film and music, making learning English fun for a non-English speaker is as easy as 1-2-3.

13.3.10

Business English and Success Course

If you feel confused during business meetings, or you are frustrated with your career I would like to recommend you excellent Business English course. This course is different than most traditional business courses. This course offers not only business vocabulary. Following this course you can learn how to start your own business and get powerful new business skills.
Most business English lessons, in fact, teach business terms that are very old and very formal.  The problem is, modern businesspeople don’t speak that way. Business has changed.  Rapidly changing technology, the new global economy, and new management ideas have created a completely new kind of business.
Do you want to learn old business English, or do you want to learn new business and new business English?
If you are a new businessperson - this course will help you. It will help you learn business English, and you will learn new business skills at the same time.

SUCCESS BUSINESS ENGLISH COURSE
8 complete lesson sets include English lessons plus:
    * The new business secrets to improving in your job or career
    * The number one secret to success in new business
    * The “Effortless Success” audio-book, with text
    * How to start your own small business
    * How to market and grow your career or business online
This English Business course is exellent and can help you change your career or start and grow your own business. Surprisingly this course is much cheaper than most other courses.
Check this site and find out more about Business English Success Course:

12.3.10

You Need Emotion To Learn English Fast

If there is one “secret” to success in anything, including learning English, it is emotion!  Not methods. Not teachers. Not books. Emotion.
With powerful positive emotion, you can succeed at anything. We talk a lot about learning methods. But even the best method is useless without emotion.
Simply put - if you are bored, tired, or sad you will not learn English well.  This is how our brains work.  Brains don’t learn quickly when your emotions are mostly negative.  Even if you use the very best learning methods and materials- you will get poor results if your emotions are weak or negative.

Tony Robbins, the famous peak performance coach, states that emotional mastery is the single biggest key to success, and I agree.  The best students– the ones who learn the fastest and get the best results– are always energetic, enthusiastic, and positive. When they are learning English, they are smiling. They are laughing.  They are focused and they have energy. If you want to improve quickly like them, you should imitate them.

How?  Put yourself into a strong positive emotional state every time before studying English. First, sit quietly, close your eyes, and remember happy positive memories from your life.  Feel the way you felt at that time.  Remember times you succeeded. Remember times you were excited. Remember times you felt love.
Next, move your body.  Stand up.  Jump around.  Smile. Lift your arms into the air.  Get your blood moving!
Finally, put on some happy, energetic music.  Choose a favorite song that makes you feel happy and alive. Dance and move with the song.  Consciously smile a huge smile!

Now you are ready to study English!   Always do this before studying, so that you are always in a happy emotional state when you are learning English. Do this and you will learn much faster. Your brain will remember much more. You will get much better results. Master your emotions to master English!
Find out more about effective English learning:

11.3.10

How to write an essay in English

Essay writing is a skill you need to develop through patience and diligence. The word essay means attempt. So, the essay is an attempt at conveying your ideas on a given topic in simple prose which is clear and literary. There are several different kinds of essays such as descriptive essays and expository essays.
Essay writing cannot be taught. Actually every writer has his own style of writing an essay. There are still a few points a person should bear in mind while writing an essay.
Use simple modern language. Avoid the use of bombastic and archaic words. Also avoid the use of technical/business jargon which only industry insiders can understand. Your essay should be written in such a language that everybody- not just domain experts – can fully grasp the intended meaning.
Variation in the length of sentences is desirable but try to avoid using sentences having numerous clauses.
State your ideas clearly, but don’t digress from the given topic. Also avoid repetitions.
An essay should consist of a number of paragraphs all knit together. Note that each paragraph should be a natural progression of the previous paragraph and should give a distinct idea which is generally an enhancement of the ideas expressed earlier.
Proper attention should be given to the introductory and concluding paragraphs. The opening sentence can be written in a number of ways. It may directly begin the theme or create the appropriate atmosphere. To grab the attention of the reader, you can also begin the essay with an appropriate quotation.
How to sharpen your writing skills?
Writing a good essay requires excellent writing skills. You can sharpen your writing skills through reading and observation. Read all types of books, magazines and newspapers. Read at least five to ten pages a day. Read stories, articles, news items, novels, essays and biographies. Each piece of writing will give you an insight into the method of organizing and presenting the subject matter.
Be observant. Look around you. Keep your eyes and ears open and learn from your experiences. Personal experiences will give depth and a personal touch to your thoughts and writing.
Write
The more you write the more you learn to write. You will not be able to sharpen your writing skills if you do not write. Everyday you must write at least two pages on any given topic. The habit of writing diaries also helps in improving your writing skills.

10.3.10

Active reading boosts English speaking skills

Reading could help quickly improve your English speaking ability. Try to make your daily English reading ritual that will boost your English. You can set aside an hour of reading newspapers early each morning. Plenty of immersive reading will help you collect new expressions.
Active reading is a process in which learners recognize useful expressions in text and then try to appreciate their usage and practice them repeatedly. For instance, the learner reads an English newspaper article on a given topic such as a nuclear power plant, and highlights key expressions. Writing down those expressions in a separate notebook is also effective. The final step is to read a newspaper in learner's mother language with an article on the same subject, this time trying to sum up the content in English while trying to recall and use the expressions from the English article.
Thematic approach also matters when it comes to English speaking. Dealing with diverse topics through active reading paves the way for boosting the learner's speaking skills that can be readily applied to real situations. Students should focus on memorizing entire sentences rather than vocabulary items. Some students still favor memorizing single words separately but I think memorizing sentences is much more effective for improving speaking competence.

7.3.10

Learning English Online

There are many different English learning resources out there such as books, tapes, classroom and online courses. Even in areas with no classroom English classes it is possible to take online English courses. With advancements in technology the online courses are becoming easier and easier to use. 
Programs like simple email and text messengers have given way to voice chat and video conferencing. These tools make English learning online even more like a traditional classroom setting. Teachers can speak directly to students giving them important tips and personalized instruction. The students can hear a words pronunciation from a native speaker. Speaking directly with a native speaker can also help build the confidence of the student. These things make the experience much more complete for the student.
In an interactive English learning environment students can flourish. Because they have access to those resources as they need them they can work along at their own pace. Some people are able to move at a very quick pace. For the rest of us often we need certain things explained again ,perhaps even in a different way. With an online course this becomes much easier because of the interaction between student and teacher. The personal connection that develops can lead to the teacher introducing new ways for the student to study. The teacher can recommend movies that the student might like in English making their study time more enjoyable.
If you are interested in English learning online it is a good idea to check out the resources that are out there. There are many different courses available many tailored to suit the needs of a specific group of people, be it business man, student, foreign diplomat or international lawyer.

3.3.10

Top Misspelled English Words 2009

The year 2009 is finished. So we thought of taking a look back to see which the top misspelled words were out of our millions and millions of search queries this year. Thanks to all the bab.la users we proudly present our Top 10 Misspelled Words 2009 list. And just to give you something back we added our own mnemonic rhymes for you. Enjoy the list and don’t forget to turn on the auto-correct function in Word :-)
1.wich - which, witch. It doesn’t matter which witch you think you can see, as long as there’s an h or a t
2.advertizing - advertising: You shouldn’t advertise the fact that you use z where there’s supposed to be an s.
3.maffia - mafia. It wouldn’t be wise to double cross the mafia by using two f’s.
4.adress - address. A double d is what we need to see. Think of “please add your address” as a reminder!
5.particulary - particularly. It’s not particularly convincing when you leave out the last l.
6.belive - believe. You must believe that i usually comes before e, except after c.
7.awsome - awesome. If you’re in awe of this word, don’t forget the e!
8.wether - whether, weather. Whether you have problems with the weather or not, you can’t leave out a letter.
9.seperate - separate. If you separate the word right in the middle you have one e and one a on either side.
10.dogy - dodgy. There’s no dog in dodgy.
 http://en.bab.la/news/top-misspelled-words-2009

2.3.10

How optimism can help you learn English

The pessimist says the glass is half empty. The optimist says it’s half full. The pragmatist says its liquid contents are at 50% capacity. The ironist says it’s half full of air. The practicalist says the glass is twice as big as it should be.

Each one of these is a different perspective on exactly the same thing. A negative one is by far one of the biggest issues people have that holds them back from learning languages, in my opinion. Optimism isn’t just having a smile on your face despite setbacks, it can dramatically alter the course of your personal missions. People have amazing ways of justifying why something it’s not possible for them. Bad news will always come your way and you have to develop the ability to filter it only for useful facts.

I could have spent a lot of time complaining about this “damn” English grammar, but that would not have helped. Instead I just said “Oh well” and got through it. With a bad attitude, anything can be hard to study and you’ll get through it much slower and much more reluctantly. Never say never, and especially never say “impossible”. It’s a word people throw around too much. If anyone in the history of the world has done it, then you can certainly do it. If they haven’t then what’s stopping you from being the first?

If something’s hard, work through it or skip it and come back to it after you’ve learned something else important for your task, or find a better approach to deal with that hard aspect. This is why I generally skip most grammar and focus on speaking languages from the start. Once you start speaking it (albeit incorrectly), grammar is more interesting and much easier to learn.

With a positive attitude, your learning process becomes more fun and easier. If your current learning method doesn't help you, find new approaches to learn English (or any language) until you find a better method that does indeed make things “easier” for you.