How to Improve Your English Vocabulary

This is a very common problem for people who are learning English as a second language. During my experience in the English teaching industry I believe that I have found a method that can work for many people.
I like to call it the 'Paraphrase method'. It is actually very simple to execute and I know that many English language students have already achieved through this method.

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There are five stages to the process.

1. Article
You first need to choose a suitable article, letter, report etc. Be sure to choose an article that suits your level of English.

2. Decide
When you have chosen your article you then need to choose a paragraph of writing from the article. As above choose a paragraph that suits your level, don't make the mistake of choosing something too hard. Don't choose something too easy either.

3. Paraphrase
Next you have to paraphrase the paragraph. To do this I would suggest you have an English - English dictionary and a Thesaurus available to help you. The thesaurus will help you find synonyms of the words you want to paraphrase.

4. Sentences
Now make your own sentences with the new words. This will check your understanding of these new words. If you have an English teacher then check your sentences in your next lesson.

5. Practice
In the final stage you practice using your new words. This means actively using them in everyday conversation as often as possible. I would recommend using the words a minimum of three times each day for one month.
So that is what I call the 'Paraphrase method', I hope that you find it useful.
Good luck
Liam

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Learning to Improve English

With much of our country wrapped in snow, and the kids clamoring to make a snowman, winter sports such as skiing are on my mind. I think back to my high school skiing trips, and learning the basics of how to start and stop while on the beginner slope. And I realized that learning to improve English, spoken or written, is a lot like learning to ski. In the beginning, you just need the basics, a few simple rules to help you survive.

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If you don't live in an English speaking country, the basics may be all you ever need. But, if you move to a country where English is the common language, you will probably want to improve your spoken English and writing skills.

In skiing, if you want to move away from the beginner slope, you may need some instruction to improve your skills. Some people can watch and imitate a more experienced skier, and they learn all they need to navigate the more challenging intermediate slopes. Others, however, need a few hours of coaching from an instructor to master the skills they need to safely make it down the harder slopes.

Learning to improve your English skills is much the same way. Some people can watch and imitate their friends and co-workers and learn what they need at that point. For others, a few hours of personalized instruction with an accent reduction specialist makes all the difference in their language skills and accent.

And then there are those who really want to ski, but just keep falling flat on their face. No matter how hard they try and how much they watch others, they just can't figure out how to keep the skis under them. It is important to them to learn how to ski, so they hire a personal instructor who will watch them, determine exactly what they are doing wrong, and teach them the skills they need to be a successful skier.

For many non-native English speakers, the story is the same. They have tried watching others, reading books, and watching videos, but their English pronunciation just doesn't improve. They really want to speak English more clearly, but they can't figure out what to do. They need a personal instructor, just like the skiers did, to walk alongside them, show them exactly what they're doing that isn't working, and teach them the skills for success.

So, where are you in your journey to improve your English, spoken or written? Have you learned all you need from English classes and friends, or are you looking for the instructor who will guide you in achieving your English pronunciation and writing goals?

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English Study Tips for Kids and Their Parents

Kid whose parents take an active interest in their child's education will probably be much more likely to become successful language learners. This is why parents should get involved in their kids learning process. This article provides some useful tips for both kids and their parents. However, before you start reading this, keep in mind that kids' learning process is not the same with that of adults. So do not except your kids to learn English the same way - and at the same rate - you do.
Useful English Study Tips:
o Help your child access interactive websites on the internet especially relevant to young learners. There are tons of free and useful English websites for kids.
o Encourage good study habits by scheduling regular homework time and offering help and encouragement when necessary,
o Listen to English cassettes - for example music with English lyrics or storytelling.
o Use CD-ROMs with educational games:
o Watch appropriate English DVDs/VCDs/television programs suitable to the age and level of student. Animated films on DVD with language options can be a very good choice. Use English when the child is already familiar with the story. This will help them focus on the language rather than the plot.
o Encourage children to read you any English stories you every day.
o Let your child teach you what they learned in class. Look at the pages in the book your child studied. Ask them to identify pictures and name objects.
o Put stickers around the house labeling objects students have recently learned. This helps to bring language alive and gives learners day-to-day exposure.
o Ask your child to copy new words ten times each. This improves handwriting and reinforces word recognition and good spelling.
o Help your child make a 'personal dictionary'. In a notebook, write a letter of the alphabet at the top of each page. Start with A and end with Z. Children can record new words learned at school on the appropriate page. They can draw pictures to illustrate the meaning, give the translation or use it in a sentence. This can be a great way to review.
o If parents can speak English encourage conversation when possible.
Be Realistic about What Your Child Can Do
o All students have active and passive knowledge. o Focus on what children know rather than what they have forgotten. Students often personalize new words. Lilly might remember "doll", "skipping rope" while Tom remembers words like "dinosaur" or "robot".
o When children acquire their mother tongue, they understand and speak before they are capable of reading and writing. This is also true when learning a foreign language.
o Foreign language learners often go through a 'silent phase' when beginning to learn a language. This is normal. They are listening and noticing language. o Learners need to encounter language many times over a period of time before they 'know' it. Don't expect your child to 'know' it all after the first lesson. The teacher will review words in the next lesson to help students remember.
o Studies show that learners who have regular exposure to another language before puberty are more likely to have better language skills (including pronunciation) by the time they are adults.
o Making mistakes is a natural part of the learning process.
Most important of all: Remember that kids are not sponges! Also, do not be too hard on your kid. Parents should make English learning as enjoyable as possible.

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5 Great Ways to Improve Your Spoken English

Understanding English - or any second language - is one thing. Being able to speak it clearly and confidently is another. There are many great websites to help you learn English; the grammar, sentence structure and vocabulary. Often, though, when it comes to learning to SPEAK the language well, it's easy to find yourself feeling alone.
Here are 5 really good ways to improve your spoken English.

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Drill Solutions of National Examination for Senior High School (SMA) 2010 - English

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Download Bank of English for Senior High School(SMA / MA)

Method 1 - Listen to Native Speakers of English
The first is that, if you are learning English with a teacher who is NOT a native speaker, you will be picking up mistakes as well as valuable information. You will be learning to speak English with the accent of your teacher, and NOT the accent of a native speaker.
What usually happens is that non-native speakers of English actually produce sounds in a different area of the mouth to native speakers, which his why second language speakers often find English sounds like 'r', 'n', 'w' and 'th' difficult or even impossible to say. They will copy their teacher and make a guess at it, often without getting it right. The second reason that this is important is that by listening carefully to native speakers, you will hear the flow and the 'music' of the language. This is something that you HAVE to hear - you cannot learn it from books and newspapers.

Method 2 - Just Say It!
Does this sound familiar? You've decided you're going to practice speaking English...you've thought about what you want to say..you wait for your moment to speak, and when it comes...you say nothing. I've done this, when learning French and Spanish, and I'm sure you have too. Usually we are worried in case we make a mistake, in case we get it wrong, or in case the other person misunderstands, or laughs. FEAR prevents us from practice. Just take a deep breath and SAY IT. It doesn't matter if it doesn't sound perfect, just say it. Speaking out loud is the only way to improve your spoken English (or my French and Spanish!).

Method 3 - Act A Little!
This one might seem strange, but a good way of improving your English is to act a little. For example, to learn a British English accent, you might pretend that you are 'Lord or Lady so-and-so', or another suitable character. Imagine how they would talk: how clearly and precisely would they form their words? This isn't as crazy as it sounds. Many people are nervous about speaking out loud because they are embarrassed or even surprised by the new sounds that they are making. Putting those sounds into a 'character' like this can be a useful way of getting over those nerves. You probably wouldn't want to speak in this voice all the time, but it's a good way to practice on your own!
Linked to this idea about acting, is to focus on the mouth positions needed to speak good, clear English. Make these mouth positions bigger than they need to be when you practice them. Really get used to how the English sounds are made, and how they differ from the same sounds made in your own language. This will go some way towards helping you reduce your accent and the Mother Tongue Influence (MTI) on your spoken English.

Method 4 - Ask!
How many times have you had a question about speaking better English, you've typed it into a search engine, and seen which answers most closely match your questions? What about using this as a starting point and ASKING the information provider your own question? It's a good idea to make sure that your question has a chance of being answered, though - there are many forums where questions can sit for days or even weeks without an answer, and you might not want to wait that long.
There are many people (myself included) with blogs, YouTube channels, twitter and Facebook pages who can and will answer any questions that you have. Sometimes it's easier to ask someone over the internet than put your hand up in class! Perhaps more importantly, we'll either be able to provide you with specific answers, or your questions can be answered in way which will help other learners too.

Method 5 - Sign Up and Subscribe!
Find those useful websites and blogs, and subscribe. That way you'll receive ongoing, useful information to help you improve your spoken English, as well as invitations to online events...AND the opportunity to connect with other learners around the world, and swap ideas. You'll find many opportunities online to hear native speakers speaking in real time in broadcasts of this sort. Choosing one that's about English speaking is obviously a good choice: the host will be speaking slowly and clearly so you can hear and understand as much as possible.
It's also useful to sign up for podcasts etc that are in English but on any subject matter of interest. These will probably be more of a challenge, as you will hear English spoken at a more natural pace. However, if your goal is to learn business English, then listening in to a call about business issues will not only be a chance for you to hear the language spoken at a natural speed, you'll learn some new vocabulary too.
On international calls, listen carefully to the differences between native speakers, and those speaking English as a second language. LISTENING, as you'll already be aware, is a critical part of improving the way you SPEAK. Above all, use this as an extra opportunity to PRACTICE wherever you can. Make sure that the knowledge in your head actually comes out of your mouth!

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