Is it useful to practice speaking English with other students?

Students who learn English often believe that the best way to improve their spoken English is to speak with native English speakers. They think this is best because they will hear "pure" English, and because they believe native speakers will correct their mistakes. For these reasons, English students are sometimes reluctant to practice speaking English with other students.

Of course, it is good to practice speaking English with native speakers of English when the opportunity arises. However, there are several good reasons why students should also practice speaking to each other as often as possible.

First, the idea that native English speakers will correct students' errors is generally mistaken. Westerners consider it impolite to correct other people's language mistakes, so usually as long as Westerners understand what students are trying to say, they won't correct any mistakes. Students should not expect every speaker of English to be a language teacher.

Second, there are relatively few English speaking foreigners in most countries, so students who only practice with foreigners are likely not to have much practice at all. Students who wait until they have a foreigner to practice with will generally not be able to express their ideas very quickly or fluently, so when they do meet a foreigner they may not be able to carry on a conversation in English.

However, the most important reason students should practice speaking to each other is that such practice helps them learn to express their ideas in English more fluently. In speaking English, the most difficult thing is figuring out how to express ideas in English - before the person you are talking to loses patience and leaves. And this is something that students can practice by talking to each other.

No doubt, it is good to practice speaking English with people who speak English well. But practicing with each other is still a good way for students to build their fluency. Students who practice speaking English with each other will be better prepared to converse with foreigners when the opportunity arises.

Word and phrase list:
native speakers (of a language): people who have spoken that language since childhood, those who regard it as their mother tongue.
reluctant to (do something): not want to (do something), not be very willing (to do something). Ex: Even though Sam needs money, he is reluctant to ask his friends for a loan.
to arise: to happen, to occur.
to express ideas: to put ideas into words.
to carry on a conversation: to have a conversation, to talk.
to figure out how to: to think of a way to (do something). Ex: I can't figure out how to solve this mystery.
to lose patience: to become impatient. Ex: The third time Sally forgot to turn in her homework, her teacher began to lose patience with her.
to build fluency: to become more fluent, to become able to use English more easily and smoothly. Ex: The best way to build fluency in English speaking is to practice a lot.
to converse with: to talk with

By: Don Snow, Learning English: A Textbook for English Teachers

Seven Habits of Highly Effective English Learners

Seven Habits of Highly Effective English Learners

Speaking Fluent English Like A Pro

 

Have you ever wanted to speak English fluently and proficiently? Maybe you know an English expert who has already mastered the English language. And now you want to learn the language too.
If so, there are seven key habits of highly effective English learners that you need to be aware of to learn the language efficiently.

Habit #1: Seek ‘Arete’ In Your Language Development
‘Arete’ comes from the Greek word meaning ‘excellence’ and has to do with living life to its full potential. Learning a new language is a great way to increase your knowledge, improve your quality of life, and reach a greater level of fulfillment.
Learning to speak a new language takes motivation. Children learn their mother-tongue out of the need to communicate. But those who become language mavens and learn a second language can already communicate.
However, they learn a new language to communicate with even more people and extend their level of influence. And there is no limit to your language learning potential.

Habit #2: Discipline Yourself And Buckle In For The ‘Long Haul’
Simply desiring to reach your full potential, however, is not enough to become a language maven. Everyone wants to learn a new language, make a million dollars, or look like a movie star.
But not everyone is willing to put in the time and effort to reaching those goals. Sure, they make their New Year Resolutions...but then they break them before the end of January.
Real language mavens who have mastered a new language however, disciplined themselves to stick with the learning process even when they didn’t feel like it.
If you really want to master a second language fluently...then you need to make a commitment to yourself. You have to be prepared to study and practice the language if you really want to master it.

Habit #3: Make Repetition Your Friend
There are many things that you won’t necessarily enjoy during the language learning process. You may not like having to set aside a specific time each day to study and practice the language.
And you may not enjoy drilling pronunciation sounds and sentence structures that give you trouble. However, these are all part of the learning process and are necessary for mastery of the target language.
The more you practice them, the better you will become. The more you do these things, the easier they will become. It may take extra effort to develop these positive habits in your life.
But once they become a daily part of your life...you will do them effortlessly and easily without even thinking about them. That is why it is important for you to develop your own daily language praxis.

Habit #4: Set Clear Goals &Target
Alright, so before you can begin creating positive habits...you need to know what your goals and objectives are. That way you can create positive habits that support your goals.
Most of our current habits don’t support our goals. If they did, we would have already reached them. So, they either need to be eliminated and replaced with new ones.
Watching T.V. for example can hinder your language learning if it keeps you from studying. However, it could simply be modified to watching T.V. programs in the language you want to learn. That way your current language-learning habits support your goals.
However, you won’t know what will help or hinder you...until you know what your goals are. So, make sure you know what you language-learning goals are. Then do what it takes to accomplish them.

Habit #5: Listen...And Listen...And Then Listen Some More
The first ability that all young children develop is their listening. Children begin understanding what they hear. And then they begin to speak.
So, if you want to learn to speak English, first you need to listen to the language. This way you learn the sounds, words, and structures. This means that you need to find ways to hear natives using the language you are learning.
The easiest way to do that is through the use of audio files that you can find freely on the internet...or with audio files created for English students.

Habit #6: Seek To Immerse Yourself In The Language You Are Learning
All language mavens that I know actively involve themselves with the language. They don’t sit at home all the time with their nose in a grammar book.
If you want to speak another language fluently...you have to actively get involved with the language.
And you also need to find ways to practice what you are learning in the language. Did you know that there are over 90 different ways to practice your English skills online?

Habit #7: Cycle Through The Three Key Areas Of Language Learning
As you learn a new language, it is important to develop your speaking in three key areas for fluency...because if you leave one out it will be difficult to express yourself effectively and understand what others are saying.
So, first you need to increase your vocabulary. You need to learn new words to communicate more concisely.
Secondly, you also need to master the sentence structure so that you can order your words correctly.
And of course you also need to improve your pronunciation so that you can reduce your accent and express yourself more clearly.
If you do this on a consistent daily basis your language skills will develop rapidly as you learn to speak English quickly and efficiently.
So, don’t just sit around thinking about becoming an expert. Get going. Do something to make it happen. Begin building these habits into your life on a daily basis and accelerate your way to speaking English fluently.

Why is listening in English so hard?

For beginning students of English, the main reason listening comprehension is difficult is that there are simply too many new and unfamiliar words. However, this isn't the only problem foreign students of English face, and often it isn't the main one. Even students who have studied for years - and who know hundreds or thousands of English words - often still find listening comprehension quite difficult. Why?

For foreign students, the problem is often that "knowing" words means they recognize them when they read them, or can remember what they mean - if they have enough time to think. The problem with listening comprehension is that when you listen to an English speaker, you not only have to recognize words by hearing them instead of by reading them, you also have to recognize the words very quickly. Unlike reading, where you can pause to think about what a word means, listening usually doesn't allow you to pause at all. You must be able to recognize and understand words very quickly because, if you pause to think, the English speaker will keep right on going and you will miss much of what he/she says.

So it is very important to build "listening fluency," in other words, the ability to recognize and understand English words and phrases very quickly when you hear them - without pausing to try to remember. Obviously, this is a skill that is built mainly through practice - lots and lots of practice.

What is the best kind of listening practice? There are many good ways to practice - listening to the radio, to tapes, to native English speakers, and even to non-native speakers of English. The most important thing is to find listening practice material that has the right level of difficulty. If you listen to something that is very easy to understand, it will not challenge your listening skills to improve, and you will probably also become bored. But if you listen to material that is too difficult, you will not be able to understand it even if you listen many times, and you will become discouraged or frustrated.

Here are two suggestions for choosing material for listening practice:

- Choose material you can understand at least part of, but which also challenges you to listen hard. For example, if you practice by using English language tapes, try to find tapes that you can understand partly even the first time you listen. They should be easy enough that you can get the main ideas after listening two or three times.
- If you can't find material that is at just the right level of difficulty, it is usually better to choose material that is a little bit too easy rather than too hard - but not so easy that you can't learn anything new from it.

Word and phrase list:
listening comprehension: the skill of listening and understanding. Ex: Xiao Wang's English listening comprehension is very good.
to face a problem: to need to deal with a problem. Ex: Students with poor listening comprehension face many problems in using English.
to find (something) difficult: to feel that something is difficult. Ex: Xiao Wang finds speaking English very difficult.
doesn't allow you to: doesn't give you opportunity to. Ex: His busy schedule doesn't allow him to relax very often.
to keep right on going: to continue without stopping. Ex: I waved at the taxi, but the driver kept right on going, he didn't even slow down.
in other words: (This phrase is used to introduce another way of saying the same thing.) Ex: He's a loafer; in other words, he's someone who is lazy.
to build (something) through (something): to improve (something) by doing (something). Ex The best way to build listening skills is through practice.
to challenge (something): to make something difficult for. Ex: This difficult problem challenged her creativity.
to become bored: to get bored. Ex: If you sit in class too long, it is easy to become bored.
to get the main idea: to understand the most important idea. Ex: I didn't understand everything in this article, but I got the main idea.

By: Don Snow, Learning English: A Textbook for English Teachers

Is English Grammar Necessary?

Is Grammar Necessary?

To Teach Grammar or not to Teach Grammar?

Author: William Lake
This article is about teaching grammar to ESL students. The advantages and disadvantages of teaching grammar to ESL students will be discussed. At this point, it must be noted that different people learn English for a huge number of different reasons. It is my opinion that a vary degree of importance should be placed on grammar depending on the student, class, and school.

The obvious place to start is with an argument I’ve heard from a colleague of mine. He says, that because native speakers can speak English with no understanding or a little understanding of grammar, ESL students too can learn to speak English with no knowledge of grammar.

The simple truth is, that without and understanding of grammar we would not know how to write and speak English. Certainly, most native speakers couldn’t tell you if they are using the present perfect tense or what conditional they are using. This doesn’t mean that they don’t have an understanding of grammar, it means that they don’t know the technical terms for grammar. Even if you don’t know the names of the tenses you are using, native speakers use them whenever they communicate in English. So native speakers DO have an understanding of English grammar, but most don’t know their present continuous tense from their present perfect. So we have established that native English speakers do use grammar, but only a few know the technical terms to apply to any given rule.


ESL learners are not native speakers and teaching ESL students should not be treated as if they are. So should we teach grammar to ESL students?
The answer is: yes, we should, but how much emphasis should be placed on teaching grammar. The average ESL student will want to learn English to be able to communicate with other English speaking people. Students who want to learn English should understand how to speak English. As it isn’t their native tongue, some grammar needs to be taught, but how much?

If you put too much emphasis on teaching grammar to the detriment of teaching the other core skills: reading, writing, speaking and listening, the student will always be thinking about what grammar to use rather than just speaking. If a student makes a simple grammatical mistake, e.g. ‘yesterday, I go to the market’, the student can still be understood but has made a grammatical mistake. This brings us to the question of why the student is learning English.

If a student only wants and requires a basic level of English, for example they are a waiter in a tourist restaurant, the most important core skill the student will require is listening. If they are not ever going to be speaking a lot of English, then the other skills are more important. This does not mean that all restaurant workers only want to speak a little, some will also want to hone their speaking, writing and listening skills to which grammar would be more important.

For a student to fully understand what they are saying in English a set of grammatical rules are required. But I believe that some teachers put too much emphasis on teaching grammar. I have some students who are brilliant at reading and writing and listening, but lack confidence on their speaking. Having questioned the student, I found that she was always trying to think about which tense she should be using before speaking. This had an adverse effect on her ability to speak English fluently and confidently. My advise to a student like this is to forget the rules of grammar that you have learnt and just try to speak as much as possible. If the student makes a small mistake, or makes repetitive mistakes this can be corrected accordingly. The student has now found a greater confidence in her speaking and the number of grammatical mistakes being made has reduced by far.

On the other hand, if no grammar was taught, the student would have problems in expressing himself or herself effectively. He might know for example, to say, I’m going to work, but might not know how to substitute the verb ‘go’ for another verb using the same tense. He could only repeat what he or she has heard. The student might subconsciously pick up the rules of grammar, but this would be a longer process.

In my opinion, teaching grammar is important, but too much emphasis on grammar to the detriment of the other core skills will disadvantage the learner. Similarly, no teaching of grammar would place the student at a disadvantage when they get to the higher levels of learning english, intermediate and advanced. A happy medium is required.

Also, depending on the age that an ESL student starts to learn will have a bearing on how much grammar is required to be taught. I have students that are 5 years old, speak a lot of English at school and watch English speaking television. I was amazed at their level of comprehension. These students are like native speakers, they understand and can be understood easily. Maybe learning grammar is less important to these students than a student to is starting to learn at say 30 years old.

In conclusion, teaching grammar is important but how much grammar is the question. This depends on the level of students, their ages, and why they are learning grammar. This question is sometimes outside of your control if your school has a curriculum that you need to keep to. Yes, grammar should be taught, but it has both it’s advantages and disadvantages. Just don’t sacrifice one skill for another. For example, too much grammar at the detriment of listening is not good, similarly, too much listening to the detriment of other core skills is not good. If you are a teacher you need to know what is required for each and every student and apply your teaching as per necessary.

Improve Your English With These Easy Steps

How to Improve English Learning

For those who set out to learn the English language, the task can be daunting. English is rife with quirks and confusing prose, making it one of the most difficult languages to learn. As with any other language, however, you can use a variety of techniques to make the learning process easier. With the following advice, you can dramatically improve your ability to learn the English language.

Instructions:

1. Watch American films. Taking in a film that uses a foreign language is an effective way to get accustomed to how the language is spoken naturally. Though you may have difficulty understanding the movie, you will begin to internalize facets of the language. Watch films that are lighthearted at first, as films with a serious tone may be too difficult to follow when you are first learning the language.
   
2. Join a study group. Learning on your own can be difficult, especially when it comes to learning a language. Joining a study group not only allows you to bounce ideas off others, it can be instrumental in providing the support necessary for you to keep on task. As learning a language takes a lot of work, the motivation that comes from working with others is essential.
   
3. Read children's books. Children's books are perfect for those who are striving to learn the English language, as the prose is often simple and easy to follow. Begin with easy-to-read picture books and work up to chapter books as you become more advanced.
   
4. Set realistic goals. Many people who begin learning English set lofty goals for themselves, begin strong but burn out over time. Setting realistic goals will allow you to stay on track. As time goes on, you can adjust your goals to meet your learning abilities.

Methods for Mastering English Conversation and Vocabulary

Methods for Mastering English Conversation and Vocabulary — Language Learning Guide

This is another great post from Mike Shelby who requested to share his ideas on this blog.

I have developed my own unique suggestions on mastering English conversation and vocabulary. They are based on my experience and knowledge, and my tips and advice may be valuable for all students of English. I hope that they will become a short but indispensable guide for many learners of English.

I have thoroughly read on the issue of effective methods and aids for learning English. Those aids include audios, videos, websites, study books, etc. I want to share with you that information for English language learners. Of course, everyday talking in English to native English speakers on a variety of topics helps best in order to be able to speak English fluently. But relatively few learners of English have such long-term opportunity.

To eventually be able to speak English fluently, first of all learners of English must have materials with important content on all everyday topics (audios, videos, printed texts/study books, etc.) for beginning, intermediate and advanced levels of study. The materials must include dialogues, monologues (thematic texts), questions – answers with important content, thematic lists of difficult word meanings and phrases (expressions) with usage sentences, and comprehensive vocabulary on all everyday topics. I believe that learners can master English conversation and vocabulary with the following methods:

1. Learners of English must listen to each sentence in conversations (thematic dialogues) in audio materials several times and see their transcripts at the same time, and understand everything in those sentences clearly.

2. It is necessary that learners of English read (pronounce) each sentence aloud and compare their pronunciation to the narrator’s pronunciation.

3. Speaking activity with self-control. It is essential for learners to check if they can orally convey the content of those dialogues closely to the original dialogues as much as possible. That means they must try to be an actor for both speakers in the dialogues. The most important thing for them is to speak English, and to check in the transcript of conversations (dialogues) whether they have made any mistakes in speaking.
Learners can also make their own written questions on the dialogues that require long answers contained in the dialogues to facilitate (make easier) imitation of the dialogues. Alternatively, learners can write key words and phrases, or main ideas as a plan to make easier for them to imitate those dialogues.

4. It is important that learners prepare potential questions and answers with important content on all everyday topics, and practise speaking. To show different ways of expressing a particular thought they can make several potential questions and answers on one point in this speaking activity. There are websites that contain a lot of ready-made questions in English on a wide variety of topics.

5. Learners of English must have lists of difficult word meanings and of phrases (expressions) on every topic with usage sentences. They must read those ready-made vocabulary usage sentences many times if needed. Longman Language Activator Dictionary (unique English Idea Production Dictionary) covers this issue thoroughly. It is essential that learners also make their own sentences with that vocabulary, taking into consideration real life situations.

6. Students of English can learn a lot of vocabulary on every topic from thematic English dictionaries. Good thematic English dictionaries provide clear word usage explanations and also a few usage sentences for each word meaning, which is especially important. It is essential that students of English also make their own sentences with difficult vocabulary. They should think about the real life situations where and when that vocabulary can be used.

7. Learners can also master new English vocabulary by reading thematic texts (materials), first of all on everyday topics with important content, for example: Practical Tips and Advice to Make Everyday Life Easier and Better (practical solutions for everyday problems). Such self-help books on settling everyday matters are available at book stores.
Learners must write down unknown vocabulary in whole sentences. It is essential that they practise telling the content of the texts that they have read.

8. Constant review of material ensures solid knowledge and success in learning. As people say, practice makes perfect.

9. It is very important that learners also make use of other important aids on a variety of topics to improve their English conversation and vocabulary skills: audios, videos (English learning videos, travel videos, etc.), Internet resources, English learning magazines, newspapers, newsletters, radio programmes (especially the BBC English learning programmes/materials), TV programmes (educational programmes, documentary films, movies, news), books and e-books on a variety of subjects, online communication with native English speakers (chat, email, Skype).
Good libraries also have a wide selection of English learning aids.

Learn English Online: Know Which One Is Best For You

Learn English Online: Know Which One Is Best For You

One of the best ways to impress your potential employers or business partners is to learn English online. While there is no question that being bilingual is already an advantage, learning to speak English is much better over any other language because of its worldwide acceptability. Only when you learn to speak English can you really have a distinct advantage over others because it is the only language many countries worldwide prefer to use. Studies have shown that there is a consistent growth in companies worldwide that require their employees to speak at least two languages. And the second language mostly preferred by businesses worldwide is English. So if you want your business to be ahead of the pack, then learn English online now and increase the worldwide presence of your company.

Why English?
The better question would be why NOT English? The English language is the only language understood in almost every part of the world. Some have it as an official language while many other non-English speaking countries teach it as a second language. It would not have been called an international language if it is not accepted as such. It is also the official language of many internationally known organizations. While there has been a tremendous advancement in technology and global communications, there are still thousands of businesses struggling to get their message across the globe. And where does the problem lie? It’s in their failure to communicate their products effectively. How can a company claim to be credible if they can’t even communicate their message properly, right?
Learn English online if you are eyeing the global market or if you want to have an edge in your career.

Why Business English?
Technically speaking, there is really no clear line between speaking business English and Standard English. In general terms, business English will usually touch on topics related to the workplace or business environment. When you learn English online, it is very important that you specifically choose business English as your primary course - most especially if you are a businessman or an employee seeking career advancement. By specifically learning business English online, you are assured that the students in your virtual classroom all are currently employed or have businesses of their own. Topics to be discussed in a business English course should be about global economy, how to properly deliver business presentations, negotiation skills and public speaking.

There is an increasing need for business English speakers around the world because the global market is getting smaller and smaller each day. Today, it is no longer enough that you know how to read and write in English, there is a demand for you to be able to also speak and effectively deliver your message to potential international business partners as well. This can be readily addressed by taking English lessons online. There are several options that you should consider when you want to learn English online. There is time, schedule, cost, and number of students, teachers involved, and many more. Jumpstart your global presence today and see for yourself how learning online is as easy as clicking the mouse. Learn English online today.

How To Learn To Speak English

How To Learn To Speak English

English can no longer simply be called a language…it is a means of communication that is vital. It is a global language, one that has transcended borders and nationalities to become a universally accepted and recognized mode of communication. In this day and age, a knowledge and understanding of the language English has become essential. It is no longer a question of literacy one has to learn English

English as a means of communication has grown in stature and popularity to the extent where an individual is considered handicapped without knowledge of the Queen’s Language as it was fondly called earlier. It has grown from being the elitist language of the erudite exalted few, to being the language that has global acceptance and now has become common parlance worldwide.

Qualities of English

 

For someone who has not grown up hearing the cadences of spoken English or reading it as part of the daily academic regime, learning English can be a daunting task at first. Primarily because English is a language that is always dynamic and changing. Thus there are no rigid rules to be followed. What was considered a strict no no as far as grammar was concerned even a decade ago can now be recognized as being commonly used and accepted. Thus key word here is usage. Learning the usage of words, their placement, and common expressions…all of this is very important when familiarizing oneself with English. The first step to learning English is the realization that this is a language that is constantly changing and assimilating, absorbing phrases and words from other languages and even from other fields of expertise. 10 years back who knew what 24/7 meant? But today we all know what it means. The best way to learn English is to constantly listen to those who speak well. Thus watching news channels helps one familiarize oneself with not only the diction and inflections of spoken English but also teaches one to get used to commonly used words, phrases and popular terms.

Best Ways to Learn to Speak English

 

The main affliction of those who are not familiar with English is the fear of going wrong. This lack of confidence must be weeded out totally. What matters is the effort to learn, not the mistakes one makes along the way. So read out aloud, from newspapers, editorials, magazines, books to friends, family and even to self. Strike up a conversation with the salesman at a perfume counter or even the cashier at the supermarket checkout.

Try and respond as much as possible in English to those about you. Get into the habit of writing a daily journal entry that will gradually improve the power of expression. Practice makes perfect and the knowledge of English is a skill that is no different from any other. Being shy will get one nowhere. The idea is to keep trying to learn English undeterred by temporary setbacks and eventually the goal will be achieved.

Do You Speak English?

Do Speak English

English is the most spoken international language of the world. It is necessary for each and everyone to learn and speak English properly. Just learning English without speaking is of no good. Therefore all of us do have to speak English.

Why do we Speak English?

 

It is one of the easiest foreign languages for anyone to learn and speak. In order to travel to many countries and survive there for everyday living English speaking has become necessary. English has become one of the most common languages between different countries. So in order to avoid translator and such other problems, do speak English. In order to overcome barriers of communication, do learn and speak English.

Do learn and speak English, in order to avoid trouble in understanding what others speak. Otherwise we will be left alone though we are in a group.

How do you Speak English Fluently?

 

Below are the tips to follow so that one do speak English fluently

1. Listen to English music regularly. It is one easy way to relate you to English on everyday basis so that one can learn how to pronounce each and every word.
2. Always better to refer to dictionary and learn new words so that you don’t run out of vocabulary.
3. Read some books or newspaper or anything of your liking aloud. This will remove the fear of doubt one has in their minds about using the word in a proper manner.
4. Speak in English with your friends and family and use the words that you feel is very tough for you.

The Best Practice is to Speak English:

 

In learning a new language one of the driving factors is to speak and practice. Language is learnt through use, through practice. The more one use the language the more he learns it. Here use of language means to speak and to write which can be involved in the large part of the day. Therefore in order to learn English, people do need to speak it continuously.

Speaking English is important for one’s career as he/she may need to travel for business activities. So that person needs to know and speak English since English is the largest and widely spoken language across the globe. If you do need to speak in eloquent English, only way to attain is to practice.

One of the easy ways to speak English is to go for classes where they teach right from basics to the different modes of speaking English. So one can easily learn to speak English if they go for classes and make it a regular habit of speaking English.

Effortless English Review - Another Student's Opinion

Effortless English Review Start Learning English Today

Recently I have found an interesting review about the Effortless English Lessons. I am going to post this review on my blog today to show someone's else opinion about Effortless English Course.


"I have been using Effortless English Lessons for approximately 4 months. So I want to share my review with people who think of getting the course. I am a student at college and got full one year english preparation class before the high school. Also I took English lessons during the high school at least 8 hours per week.

Four months ago I met a couple of tourists while I was wandering around with a friend. And they asked me a restaurant to eat something. I wanted to answer but i could not. Actually I understood what they said. But I coudn’t reply. I felt so stressed and excited. I also felt embarrassed when my friend said “I thought you could speak English. Why couldn’t you?”. That was one of the most terrible moments in my life.

I asked the same question to myself when I got home. ”Why couldn’t I? I had to speak English very well because English was so important for my future career. It was vital. The world gets more global everyday. It is impossible to be successful in business life without speaking English. So I started to think about that question. And the answer was clear in fact. I taught English to my brain not to my body. I realized that speaking a language is a skill as playing football, playing the guitar and driving a car. You may know how to start the engine, how to shift the gear but this does not mean that you can drive a car. To be able to drive a car you have to practice it. It is exactly same thing at learning a language. I wright and read at schools but don’t listen and speak. We must listen and speak, to understand and reply instantly. Also we need repetitive practices to master it.

So I found the solution to learn English but how could I find people to practice. Firstly I thought of going abroad in the summer. I did some research and found that it would be so expensive to go to an English speaking country. I thought maybe I could find another solution that is cheaper. I typed “practice english” in Google. I found Effortless English. It was saying “How To Speak Excellent English In 6 Months Or Less”. I went on reading and it sounded a litle differrent from another English lessons. I read the testimonials. Then I joined free English course putting my e-mail in the box.

The first was the “The Key”. He was talking about the learning rules. I listened it while reading and I liked it. He also offers 6 month 200% money back satisfaction guarantee so I bought it at that time. I downloaded them immediately to my computer. I didn’t have to wait for shipping and that was really cool.

Today I am really confident when I speak English and I'm a big fan of A.J. Hoge. I appreciate him. His method is amazing. Your speaking skill is improving while you are listening. It is wierd but it is real. Also you may answer the questions outloud. He doesn’t want you to switch to second lesson set before you totally master the first lesson set. But at the schools, teachers go so fast. So we forget them very soon. A.J. goes very slowly and never want you to switch to another lesson untill learning it deeply. Also you have the chance of learning English from a native English teacher. You can speak as an American. I listen the lessons everywhere with my ipod.

This is really amazing. I am so happy with my Effortless English Lessons. Numerous thanks to A.J. for inventing and sharing this method. To conclusion, Effortless English Lessons have solved my problem and will probably solve yours, too.
Don’t hesitate to invest in it." - Derek

Click Here to Get Effortless English Lessons Now!

Speak English Fluently - Improve Your Life

Would you like to learn to speak English fluently, but you are not able to invest in a conventional class? Maybe you have young children both at home and you hold down a full-time job. You may be disabled, and it’s a hardship on you to leave your home. On the other hand, you may don’t have reliable transportation.

Becoming a fluent English speaker is imperative if you live inside a country where English may be the dominant language. Not being able to speak English well can stop you from finding a high-paying job and, therefore, caring for your family financially. If the describes your circumstances, consider another option. Taking a web-based English class can provide a great education in the English language while still granting the ease of staying home.

Taking English language classes online is a wonderful method to learn to speak English fluently. Classes on the web allow students to get exactly the same instruction they’d receive within a physical school. The only real difference is that they learn with the Internet. Of course, since the classes are completely online, a prospective student would want use of a personal computer, microphone, a set of speakers and high-speed Internet access. If these items are unavailable, a student can occasionally purchase or rent them in a reasonable price.

When signed up for an online course made to help people speak English fluently, students will expend the category time learning basic conversation skills. They do this by using voice chat software like Skype. Some schools might even offer virtual classrooms using WebEx, a kind of webinar program. These two kinds of software assistance to boost the chance to learn. Students learn vocabulary, grammar and other important facets of the English language. They will enjoy real-time chat, gaining knowledge from a native English speaker and interacting with other ESL students from all over the world.

Learning to speak English fluently will help you in a lot of ways. In addition to getting a better job, it can help you communicate with your child’s teacher, speak with a sales clerk, confidently order from a restaurant menu and perform other everyday events that English speaking people often take for granted. If you want to master English but you don’t have the time to go to a physical school, you’d do well to consider enrolling in an online ESL program. It can help you improve your English, gain confidence and find a better paying job.

What is the best way to learn English?

English Students often ask, "What is the best way to learn English?" This is an important question, but there is no single answer because "English" is not just one thing - it is a combination of different things.

In part, "English" consists of knowledge. For example, learning English requires knowing vocabulary words and grammar rules. Even more important, "English" also consists of a variety of different skills, such as the ability to speak in English or to understand a book written in English. So, there is no single best way to learn English. Instead, there are different ways to develop each of the English skills students need.

While there is no single best way to learn English, there are two basic rules that will help students decide what the best way is to develop each of the English language skills:

Rule #1: Skills are built through practice. Mastering a skill requires learning to do several different things smoothly and fluently, often within a limited time. For example, in order to read in English, you need to do several different things at once:
- recognize English vocabulary words
- understand English grammar
- use background knowledge; for example, things you know about Western culture
- understand and remember the ideas of the text.

Learning to read certainly requires knowledge of English grammar, vocabulary, and even knowledge of Western culture. But the skill of reading requires being able to put all of this together at the same time, and this can only be learned through practice.

Rule #2: You learn to do what you do. In other words, students who spend a lot of time reading newspaper articles will get better at reading newspaper articles. Students who practice speaking English will get better at speaking English. (And students who practice answering multiple choice questions on tests will get better at answering multiple choice test questions.) So the best way to develop a skill is to practice in a way that is as similar as possible to the skill you want to develop.

Word and phrase list:
a combination of things: a mix of things, many different things all together
(something) requires (something): (something) is necessary for (something). Ex: Learning a language requires a lot of study and practice.
to consist of: to be made up of. Ex: A computer consists of many different parts.
to master: to learn well. Ex: It takes a lot of work to master a foreign language.
fluently: quickly, without stopping frequently
multiple choice test questions: test questions where you choose from several possible answers, usually marked A, B, C, and D

By: Don Snow, Learning English: A Textbook for English Teachers

Why doChinese students fail to learn English?

Even after studying English for many years, many people in China feel their English is still not very good. So a frequently asked question is: Why?

Part of the problem is that it simply takes a long time to learn any foreign language. You have to learn a new grammar system, and thousands of new words. It also takes a lot of practice to develop speaking, listening, reading and writing skills in a new language. So learning any foreign language generally takes years.

This is especially true if you are learning a language that is very different from your own. German people can learn English relatively quickly because German grammar is similar to English grammar in some ways, and also because the two languages share much of the same vocabulary. However, the grammar and vocabulary of Chinese is quite different from that of English, and this makes it harder for Chinese people to learn English.

However, the bigger problem lies more in the way Chinese students study English. Actually the real goal of many students in China is not to learn English - instead, their real goal is to pass English examinations. So most of their time and attention is focused on doing well on exams rather than on learning. When the examination is over, students often promptly forget what they learned, and then they ignore their English study until the next test comes along. (Students in Western countries who study Chinese or other foreign languages often have exactly the same problem.)

While studying for tests may help students learn English, passing tests is not the same thing as learning English. In fact, it is possible to get good test scores without ever actually developing many usable skills in English. If students are to actually learn English well, their focus needs to be on building English language skills (such as the ability to speak or read English), not just on passing tests.

Perhaps even more important, students who actually want to learn English need to take charge of their own language learning, instead of just passively doing what their teachers tell them to do. They must decide for themselves what skills they want to master, and then actively carry out a plan for developing those skills - whether there is any test or not.

Word and phrase list:
the problem lies in: the problem is related to. Ex: The problem with his English lies mainly in his bad study habits.
promptly: quickly
to come along: to appear, to arrive
usable: can be used
to focus on: to pay attention to. Ex: Many students focus on passing tests more than on learning.
to master (something): to learn (something) well
to take charge of: to actively control something or take responsibility for something

Source: "Learning English: A Textbook for English Teachers", Don Snow