NAUKA ANGIELSKIEGO ONLINE

Posts Tagged ‘Learn’

The acquisition of a language is not simple, whether it’s your first language or a second one. Regardless of what a lot of non-native English speakers the world over like to think, learning English is not easy, either. Those who wrongly think that to learn to speak English isn’t difficult will find out quickly how wrong they are.

First, learning English at a basic, communicative level is admittedly not as difficult as learning some languages is. So many people around the world speak English that many different accents and pronunciations are found even amongst native speakers. Because it’s often easy to pick up conversational English, people make the mistake of thinking learning English is easy.

Second, there are many rules in English. Both grammar and sentence must adhere to strict rules. But nearly every rule has exceptions. And these exceptions often have no discernible logic to them. So, English has lots of flexibility, as well. This leads to many inconsistencies in when and how the rules are enforced. And it makes rote memorization impossible as a method to learn English.

Next, the pronunciation is also inconsistently followed. Because of its fluidity, pronunciation can differ greatly within even nearby regions of native-speaking countries. But mastering English pronunciation is essential to successfully mastering the language. Because of the fluidity, however, mastering the pronunciation is hard. It takes practice and diligence. And then more of each.

A fourth difficulty is recognizing the correct structure, grammar, and vocabulary usage, even when what is correct doesn’t necessarily sound right. An example is split infinitives. It is taught in English class not use split infinitives, yet split infinitives are common in spoken English. This is because they’re often used for emphasis or because it’s thought to sound better.

A fifth issue is knowing when to use colloquial English and when to use proper English. Because celebrities often use proper English wrongly, this isn’t easy. Many who are learning pick this up and then try to imitate. On the other hand, many professionals or academics don’t know how to use slang or speak colloquially.

A sixth problem when studying English is the language “masters” out there claiming that theirs is the best method for learning English fast. This is false, regardless of what scientific facts they present showing how effective their curriculum is. Don’t listen to these charlatans. Learning English, as with learning any language, is not easy and learning it properly takes time, patience, practice, and good teaching.

Finally, English is a fun language. Listening to non-native speakers is not difficult for native speakers. We’re used to hearing a variety of accents from our fellow native speakers. Therefore, if you intend on learning to speak English, even the barest of efforts will allow you even basic communicative abilities.

On the other hand, if you want your skills to progress, it will require what all things require in order to master them. A stable base of the rudimentary, daily pronunciation practice, acquisition of new vocabulary every day, and not being afraid of making mistakes. Remember, though, learning to speak English is not simple. However, it can seem easy if you work hard.

Do you have any plan to pursue your further education abroad? Will you need English for your career or your education? If so, you may wish to investigate your options for learning, or improving, your English skills.

The TOEFL Test: TOEFL (Test Of English as a Foreign Language) is a test used by many colleges, universities, government agencies and exchange and scholarship programs in the US, UK and Canada as a means of evaluating the language skills of a person whose first language is not English.

You can find TOEFL study guides easily online with other recommended resources listed. You may be able to access some of the sample tests and prepare with personal study. Or you may look for a class with an instructor to help you prepare for the test.

ESL Classes: ESL classes are a common means for students to learn English with group of classmates. These can be in the form of an evening class with various individuals attending or may be part of a college program during the day.

The course length and the topics covered will differ from country to country and school to school. Some summer programs are geared for international students to gain a basic grasp of the language before starting studies in English taught classes of the college or university.

Since the standards of passing a course, or the course material itself, will vary drastically, some students may feel that the language skills gained upon completing the course does not equip them to handle school work or social interactions adequately.

Some schools offer students and alternative of home-stay programs for students. Home-stay programs benefit the student by placing them for several weeks or months with a host family that speaks English. The student is then able to immerse him or herself in the culture and social speaking of the English country they are living in. There are also online ESL programs that may be suitable for distance education, especially if programs are not readily available in your area.

Private Tutors: Another popular method of learning English is with private tutors. The materials and methods used by ESL tutors will vary greatly and it is important to establish what material will be used and to feel comfortable with the tutor. Asking friends or other students for references can be helpful in finding a good tutor.

A combination of these English learning methods will be effective as well. You can take a summer course while staying with a home-stay host family and then arranging for private tutoring during the school year. Making an effort to use your new language skills regularly in social situations will improve your progress regardless of the program or course you are using.

Italian is one of the romance languages and contains many beautifully sounding words and phrases. When you want to learn Italian for whatever reason ?business or travel ?you can do so from the comfort of your own home through a free course online. Whether you have some knowledge of Italian or you are a beginner, you can take advantage of all levels of courses from beginner to advanced. You learn to read, speak, write and understand the language to become fluent in the language. There are no additional letters in the Italian alphabet, but it is important to start with learning the different pronunciations of the letters. You have to start at the beginning just as you did with learning your own language.

The pronunciation of the letters of the Italian alphabet should not be difficult for native English speakers.  Many of the letters are pronounced in the same way. The main difference is in pronouncing the vowels. You do not have to change how you pronounce them depending on their position in the word as you do in some English words. The vowels and are the only ones that have different sounds depending on their use in a word. They are always pronounced as short vowels. If you look at the phonetic spelling you will see that there is an included after each one to show that it is short.

When you pronounce a word in Italian that contains an you have to roll the letter around your tongue. This is why you need to listen to native Italian speakers to gain a sense of how to pronounce this letter correctly. There is no graphic way of denoting this sound so you will not notice any difference when you do look at the phonetic spelling of the word. You do have to be cognizant of the way the letter sounds when you say it.

In the Italian language there are special clusters of letters that are pronounced in a certain way. The cluster is pronounced cha. You do not pronounce each letter when you say this combination. The rule to remember is that when ci is followed by a vowel , you do not pronounce the When you say the cluster of you pronounce it as you would in English and sounds like the English sound of The letter when followed by vowels, sounds like the English letter  When is followed by another vowel, the becomes silent. Thus, is pronounced like.

There is also a difference in the way you pronounce words in Italian that have double consonants. Unlike the English pronunciation, you do pronounce both of these consonants as if there were two separate syllables. There is a short suspension between the consonants giving them two distinct sounds. Any consonant can be doubled in the Italian language except for the letter .

In your course, take the time to listen to the sounds of all the letters , the clusters and the double consonants to give you a greater understanding of the proper pronunciation.

It seems nothing could be further from the truth, the desire to learn a foreign language is as strong as ever. I think there is an instant attraction to being able to speak another language from both a romantic and pragmatic perspective.

Firstly, it opens up a new world and gives the speaker a richer life experience. I think this is more apparent when an English speaker is learning French because English has derived so much from the French language. Apart from understanding more about French culture, you will also understand the meanings of words in English and how they have evolved. For example, mutton (Sheep meat) has derived from the French word mouton, which means sheep. It is said to have been adopted into the English language during the times when the Normans invaded England. The Normans set themselves up as the rulers of the country after defeating the English in the battle of Hastings. The Normans became the upper class in English society. They made French the administrative language of the country and had a higher standard of living. So while the Norman ruling class might eat agneau (lamb), the higher priced meat, the English would eat the cheaper mouton. As time has passed this word has become mutton in the English language.

Learning French to a fluent level can give a person a great sense of achievement. It is not easy to learn a new language to a fluent level and if you achieve this level you will derive confidence in your abilities to learn new skills. This confidence can be taken into other challenges that you take on and can help you to be more successful in these ventures.

Speaking French can be good if you decide to go on vacation to a French speaking country. You can book into hotels, shop and negotiate with the locals. It can give you a chance to showcase your language skills and get more practice.

Finally, given the increasing globalisation of commerce and trade, attaining a second language skill can open up further opportunities in a persons career too. So learning a language like French can open up job or business opportunities in France, Canada, Belgium and many countries in Africa and Asia.

So If you decide you want to learn French what should you do about it ?

There are a few options, depending on how motivated and committed you are. The first option would be the most expensive and probably the most effective. That is French immersion. Ideally, you would go to France or a French speaking country. You would do a course for up to 3 months and soak up the language and culture as you lived there. The second method would be to do a course. This could be as intensive as you liked but doing a class once a week probably won’t bring rapid improvement. The other option would be to use a self study course. This is a cheaper option and means the student has to take responsibility for getting into a studying routine. A self study course is more flexible but the student has to be self motivating.

You can learn a great deal about how to speak the English language by taking an audio English course. Such courses are free online and allow you to study at your own pace and at home. You do need to have an Internet connection as well as the Macromedia Flash Player installed on your computer. If you don’t have this player installed, you can download it free through the site you use for learning English online.

The basic courses in English through an audio course start off with simple topics such as making introductions and formal and informal greetings. These topics prepare you for what you should say when you first meet an English speaking person. It will also take you through topics such as how to pronounce names, how to have a conversation about your family, your occupation and your favourite things to do.

In each part of an audio course, you listen to a conversation. You also have the option of reading the script of the passage on the computer screen. This is advisable when you first start so that you can read along with the speaker. Since the speaker s native tongue is English you do get the correct pronunciation of the words. There is a difference in the ways the words are pronounced in Britain and in the US, so you can look for the correct audio course for the country that you intend to visit or work in so that you do learn how to pronounce the words according to the customs of the country, but this is not a necessity.

After you listen to the passage, which you can do as many times as you wish, then the exercises on that passage consist of multiple choice questions designed to tell you how well you understood the passage. These include such questions as where the speakers are when they speak and what responses they give to certain questions. After you finish the exercises, you can receive immediate feedback in the form of a grade.

It is quite common to make mistakes in answering the questions at any time during the audio course and you should accept this as a normal part of learning. Think back to your own school days when you were learning your own language. It is highly unlikely that you got all the answers correct every time and the same thing applies to learning English.

Once you feel comfortable that you understand the concept of each lesson in the audio course, you can move on to the next one. However, there is another way in which you can learn from taking such a course online. You can use it to improve your own pronunciation of English words. You may be able to recognize them when you hear them and understand what they mean, but are you able to read the passage so that you can be understood as well? You should try reading the passages on the screen, record yourself while doing so and then listen to your own speech to compare it with that of the native speaker in the course. This will tell you how well you are progressing in this area.

1. Use A Language Learning Software. More interactive than your typical language courses and cheaper than taking a real class, language learning software offers the most cost-effective medium of instruction for anyone studying English as a second language. The participatory nature of a software course coupled with the flexibility it offers in scheduling and time makes it an obvious choice for anyone serious about learning new languages.

2. Talk to yourself. There’s no faster way to learn English than to speak it and you can do it even when there’s no one around by practicing with yourself. Take a phone book and read the numbers aloud using the new language, watch TV and make comments in English or pick random words out of a dictionary and translate them.

3. Talk to English speakers. Spend time with English speakers and communicate with them using the vernacular. Not only will you be practicing your own speaking skills but you’ll be picking up nuances they might have learned along the way.

4. Listen to English songs. Listening to songs are a great way to improve upon your English, allowing you to hear the language used in both a specific context along with helpful demonstrations of proper delivery. Just make sure to exercise discretion when trying to copy the language used in rap songs and you should be fine. A’ight?

5. Unleash your English skills to the world. When someone converses with you in English, don’t hesitate to respond in kind. Start a free blog and write posts in the English language. You’ll make mistakes but that will only help accelerate your development. Use the language freely and watch yourself improve by leaps and bounds.

Why is English so important?

Humans were not meant to spend our life alone. Our experiences, abilities to learn from those experiences, and our capacity to share the lessons learned are part of what fuels human progress. Think about it: today, the development of technology is accelerating. This is mainly because our ability to communicate has also received a huge boost, thanks to the development of mobile phones and the Internet.

Of course, the technology to communicate would be useless without a shared language. People actually use many different languages in order to communicate. There are two methods that people use to communicate today. They are:

1) Non-verbal - This is communication without the use of words. Although people immediately think of body language when they encounter the term “non-verbal” communication, there are actually other means that people use to express their ideas and share their experiences without using words. Take music and painting, for example. People create art and music in order to share their vision of the world with others. This is communication. Another common way that people communicate non-verbally is through their appearance - what you wear and how you present yourself depends on how you wish to be perceived by others. Non-verbal communication is important in that it allows people to communicate instantly and unconsciously. As they say: a picture is worth a thousand words.

2) Verbal - Of course, words form a very important part of communication today. It is through words that people best explain their ideas and share knowledge. It is through the use of words that people are able to clearly communicate concepts that lead to progress and development.

In order to truly be a part of the world and its progress, you need to learn how to effectively communicate verbally, and today this requires learning English.

Have you ever wondered why children seem to be able to learn to speak English a lot faster than adults? The reason is mainly because they don’t have the fear associated with learning a new language that adults have. The biggest problem that many people face when they start to learn English is a fear of not being able to master the language. They are afraid that they will not be able to pronounce the words correctly or that they will make a mistake that others will find funny and laugh about. Practice is the key to learning any language. You must practice as much as you can and learn from your mistakes, which are bound to happen.

Even if you attend classes to help with your English learning, there are many other resources you can use. The Internet has many sites that offer free instruction in English along with practice exercises and worksheets you can use to complement your classes. If you can, develop a friendship with a native English speaker with whom you can practice and pick up the various nuances of the language and use the rules of correct grammar.

One of the best ways of learning English is to become immersed in the language. If you are learning the language from your native country, you should try to watch English television. However, the best way is to live in a place where everyone speaks English. Then you won’t have any choice but pick up the language. Take notes in English, read English books and listen to English music. Speak the language as much as you can to give you practice. As you start developing your language skills, you will find yourself “thinking” in English, which is important.

Watching English language television and films is an excellent way to learn the language. If your TV has closed captioning capability, you could watch the programs in your own language and read the English words on the bottom of the screen. Not only will you increase your vocabulary, but you will also improve the flow of your speech. Cartoons and educational programs for children are also great ways of learning the vocabulary and rules of grammar. Another method is to use books for beginning readers in English because these books usually have pictures with the English words to accompany them.

Listening to songs in English is an effective way of learning the language as well. Learn the lyrics of the songs and sing along with the singer as you listen. You can get the words to many popular songs online. Study as often as possible to increase your vocabulary.

As you read from English texts, record yourself and then listen to how you pronounce the words. On many online sites there are recorded conversations that you can listen to and read along with. Then when you play back the recording of your own reading, you will be able to see where you make mistakes or areas where you have done well. Even though no one likes listening to the sound of their own voice it is an important part of learning to speak English.

When you can learn English for free, you can stay at home and take the online classes in your spare time. This means you don’t have to give up your job and move away from your family to attend school or to live in an English speaking country. The speed with which you will learn English depends to a large extent on your motivation for taking such a course. Whether you need to learn English in a short period of time for your job or you just want to learn the language for travel purposes and your own interest, you will find all the resources you need for your education in an online course.

The best advice for learning English is to not rush the classes. Take advantage of everything offered and take your time to ensure that you fully understand all the details of grammar and increase your vocabulary. There will be times when you find some of the concepts harder than others, but you shouldn`t let yourself get frustrated. This will only cause you to give up. When you get stuck on a concept, take a break and come back to it at a later time or seek help from the online experts who will gladly help you with any questions that you may have.

You have to recognize your capacity for learning a new language and know how you learn best in order to make the most of your English language learning. Think about the processes you have used in the past to help you learn a new skill in your own language and apply these same processes to learning English. You also have to think about your reasons for learning the language. Even if it`s a hobby and something you always wanted to do, you should enjoy the experience and make it a fun activity for you. Take advantage of the games offered online to help you enjoy the course.

Set achievable goals for each step of the way. This will enable you to approach the learning in small steps and when you achieve each step you will feel a sense of accomplishment. With an online course in English you can set your own schedule and the fact that it is offered online means you can log on to the course at any time of the day or night. You can fit the classes around your availability instead of trying to attend classes at specific times.

If you are easily distracted, remove any of these distractions before you start your online classes each time you sit down at the computer. Let others in your household know that this is your study time so they won`t interrupt you.  Make sure that you have a pen and paper handy so that you can take notes.

Some people learn best by listening and this is one facet of an online course in English. If you don`t want to interrupt others around you, use headphones and record yourself speaking the language so that you can play back the recordings to determine how well you are doing.

Interpreting Statistics - Advanced Level Lesson Plan
This upper level conversation lesson uses statistics as a starting point for students to interpret information and draw their own conclusions. This lesson is especially useful to encourage students to not only repeat information they read, but develop their own opinions. Lesson Plan: Passive Voice
A complete lesson plan with materials included, focusing on passive voice oral production skills through recycling language in stages Lesson Plan: Which School Should We Choose?
Fun conversation lesson focusing on expressing opinions and preferences, disagreeing and negotiation skills. Some of your students’ answers may surprise you! Lesson: Guilty!
“Guilty” is a fun classroom game which encourages students to communicate using past tenses. The game can be played by all levels and can be monitored for varying degrees of accuracy. Lesson: Lego Blocks
Groups decide upon a design, give it a description (a name), and then write down step-by-step instructions for how another group could construct the same design from the six pieces. This activity promotes an enormous amount of discussion within the groups during the instruction-writing phase. Lesson: Teen Advice
Students read about various teen problems and then use modal verbs of deduction to understand the problem in groups. Students follow-up by offering advice on what should be done to resolve the various problems. Let’s Do Tourism -Part 1
Tourism is becoming more and more important - especially for those learning English. Here is a two part lesson which focuses on the question of developing tourism as an industry in your local town. Students need to develop concepts, discuss local economic problems and solutions to those problems, think about possible negative impacts and finally make a presentation. Let’s Do Tourism -Part 2
From Part 2: “You are representatives of rival companies who are looking to gain the contract for this re-development from the council. I want you to give a detailed presentation explaining why your company is the best one for the job. Your aim is to convince the representative of the council that your company offers the best solution.”

Listening Practice

Improve your listening skills with these beginning level listening comprehension quizzes. These listening selections concern everyday subjects such as understanding numbers, making plans and asking about prices.

Man Taking a Survey How Much Does It Cost? Making a Dinner Reservation Making Plans for the Evening Understanding Numbers 1 Understanding Numbers 2 Telling the Time Speaking Help for Beginners

These pages will help you with speaking skills including pronunciation and basic dialogues that you can follow for role-playing.

Basic English Conversations Saying Hello Introducing Yourself and Friends I’d Like a Sandwich - Restaurant Dialogue Going Shopping Ask and Answer Questions - 50 Basic English Questions Introduction to Phonetics English Pronunciation Exercises Pronunciation - Consonants Pronunciation - Vowels Reading Comprehension Practice

These short reading selections will help you with your reading skills. The topics include basics such as working in an office, cooking and friends.

A New Office Cooking Filling in a Form Introductions The Meeting My Friend Peter Review the Basics

These tests will help you review beginning level English grammar and vocabulary.

Beginning English Grammar Review Quiz Beginning English Fill in the Gap Quiz - Key Words What Type of Word?

These pages help you use other important words in English such as adjectives (hot, big, fast, etc.) and adverbs (carefully, always, sometimes, etc.), as well as the comparative (good - better, happy - happier, etc,) and the superlative (the worst, the most difficult, etc.)

Adverbs - Describing How Something is Done Adjectives - Describing What Something or Someone is Like Countries and Languages Comparing People, Places and Things - Comparatives and Superlatives Asking about Things - Question Words Adverbs of Frequency Tense and Verb Form Quizzes

Use these quizzes to test your knowledge of correct tense conjugation and verb forms.

I work on Saturdays. - Present Simple Quiz Tom’s watching TV. - Present Continuous Quiz She’s working or She works? - Present Simple vs. Present Continuous Quiz I worked yesterday. - Past Simple Quiz