Como posso melhorar a minha listening comprehension? – Parte 3/3

Por Michael Jacobs

Bom, vamos voltar ao que interessa. Como se desenvolve a listening comprehension para acelerar o aprendizado do inglês? A resposta mais óbvia é, claro, by listening, uai! Mas, se fosse tão simples, bastaria deixar a TV ligada na CNN ou na BBC e pronto. Após horas e horas de listening to the world’s news, você já estaria tinindo. Concorda?

Só que as coisas não funcionam assim. Você não vai chegar a lugar nenhum assistindo à TV passivamente. Aliás, não irá longe fazendo o que quer que seja de maneira passiva – isso até parece uma contradição. Se é de modo passivo, como se pode aplicar o verbo “fazer”? Não pode mesmo trazer bons resultados. Aliás, não traz resultado nenhum.

E é aí que reside o segredo de como melhorar. Praticando a língua, em toda a sua plenitude. Ouvindo, sim, mas falando também, tentando se comunicar. Trial and error, ou seja, por tentativa e erro. Tente, erre, tente de novo até acertar. Faça perguntas; repita-as; peça esclarecimentos; tente entender; cerre os dentes; enfim, tente! Vá em frente. Só assim você irá melhorar, um pouco de cada vez. Mas que a melhora irá acontecer, irá. Desde que você faça a sua parte.

Lamento informar a meus queridos leitores que não tenho fórmulas mágicas para resolver a questão. Não disponho de “regras” nem de segredos para fazer acontecer a tão desejada e crucial melhoria na sua listening comprehension. (E aqui vai uma resposta àqueles que fazem a mesmíssima pergunta para saber como melhorar o vocabulário: será só trocar o termo listening comprehension por vocabulary ao longo desta crônica, e terão a sua resposta também.)

Não é por ser alguém que publicou alguns livros e artigos sobre como melhorar o inglês que, automaticamente, eu possuo os segredos de Estado, guardados a sete chaves, que só digo aos interessados a preço de ouro. Não é por ser professor e autor que tenho o dom divino de saber métodos alternativos de como aprender inglês, nem de como “melhorar” a listening comprehension com facilidade. Acho que, no fundo, o que os meus leitores estão querendo saber é como facilitar o aprendizado, como melhorar a listening comprehension através de algum atalho; se é possível dar algum “jeitinho” para obter resultados rápidos. Basicamente, querem descobrir uma maneira de aprender sem fazer a parte deles, como se quisessem que alguém entrasse com o trabalho para só depois colher os frutos que outra pessoa plantou. (“Como ficar milionário sem trabalhar” também seria uma indagação do mesmo naipe.) Como diz uma leitora num e-mail para mim: Learning English is simple. But not effortless. (“Aprender inglês é simples. Mas não é sem esforço)”.

E eu ainda acrescentaria uma máxima de que uso e abuso. Melhorar a listening comprehension é realmente muito simples. Só que simples não é sinônimo de fácil.

Assim como com tantas outras coisas boas, é preciso um esforço do interessado – às vezes um esforço descomunal, é verdade – para progredir. Com uma única certeza: fazendo esse esforço, os resultados virão. Blood, sweat and tears são a ordem do dia. Foi com sangue, suor e lágrimas que comecei a aprender português. Bom, eu me empolguei e acabei exagerando um pouco. De sangue quase não precisei…

Claro, nestas linhas estou apenas expressando a minha própria opinião. Pode ser que existam na praça métodos milagrosos que provem que estou falando bobagem. Se você os encontrar, peço encarecidamente que me avise e farei o possível e o impossível para divulgá-los. Mas, até lá não tenho muito mais a acrescentar.

Fonte: http://www.teclasap.com.br

Como posso melhorar a minha listening comprehension? – Parte 2/3

Por Michael Jacobs

Confira a primeira parte desse artigo em: Como posso melhorar a minha “listening comprehension”? – Parte 1/3

Na primeira semana, um amigo – bem, ainda não era de fato um amigo, mas viria a ser – testou as suas habilidades de professor e começou a me ensinar os dias da semana. You know, segunda-feira, terça-feira… acho que não preciso dizê-los todos. Ai, que sofrimento! Não conseguia decorá-los, e os misturava, também. Não acertava a seqüência correta. “Sábado” e “domingo” não foram um problema tão grande, mas as duas palavras juntas dos dias da semana me atormentavam muito. Mas persisti e, dentro de umas duas semanas, estava pronto para maiores desafios. Não quero dizer com isso que, naquele ínterim, não tenha tentado outros lances, do tipo “quente”, “frio”, o verbo “gostar (de)” – este, sim, uma grande dor de cabeça, porque para nós, gringos, é um verbo bastante complexo. Ao aprender “gostar (de)”, tinha a tendência de omitir o “de”, o “da” e o “do” que viriam depois do verbo. O interessante é que o verbo correspondente em inglês, like, também é muito complicado. E não é que é um dos primeiros que queremos aprender na nova língua?

Onde eu estava? Ah, sim, falando das palavras que aprendi nas minhas primeiras duas semanas por aqui. Claro, não me lembro de todas elas, mas uma ocasião é nítida na minha memória: eu tentava obter instruções em São Paulo de como e onde pegar um ônibus para Santos. Acho que eu estava no bairro do Ipiranga. O meu vocabulário referente ao assunto estava limitado a “Eu vou para Santos” e “ônibus”. “Onde” era uma palavra que já conhecia, mas que tinha esquecido naquele momento. Com o verbo “pegar”, era pior: ele nem sequer havia entrado no meu vocabulário. A propósito: dizer “Eu vou para Santos”, a primeira frase inteira que consegui articular, me enchia de orgulho.

Como era gostoso poder me comunicar, mesmo parcialmente! Apanhei pra caramba pra achar onde deveria pegar o ônibus. Mas, de qualquer maneira, cheguei a Santos e, pelo que me lembro, foi naquele mesmo dia!

Outro fator que creio ser importante para melhorar a listening comprehension é fazer a distinção entre os verbos to listen e to hear, que, como você já deve saber, funcionam de maneira diferente daquela que ocorre em português. Se você pensa em “ouvir” apenas como to hear, e em to listen apenas como “escutar”, já começa com certa desvantagem. Pois, para melhorar, você precisará listen carefully, ou seja, “ouvir”, mas prestando bastante atenção. Concentrar-se bastante nos sons ao seu redor – e não é que ouvir os outros é uma habilidade, uma qualidade que muitos de nós precisamos desenvolver bastante? Realmente, ouvir os outros prestando bastante atenção no que estão dizendo é uma arte. Afinal, muitos de nós parecem ficar de boca fechada apenas o tempo suficiente para esperar uma brecha e, nisto, introduzir uma opinião própria.

Bom, vamos voltar ao que interessa.

Fonte: http://www.teclasap.com.br

Como posso melhorar a minha listening comprehension? – Parte 1/3

Por Michael Jacobs

Recebo um montão de e-mails com a mesma pergunta, que, embora colocada de várias formas, se resume a How can I improve my listening comprehension?. Outros leitores ainda usam, erroneamente, hearing: How can I improve my hearing?

Antes de mais nada, este é um bom momento para corrigir essa última frase. O inglês está perfeito – desde que você queira saber como melhorar a audição. Pois hearing é justamente isto: audição. A minha sugestão inicial, portanto, seria o uso de cotonetes. Se estes não surtirem efeito, talvez seja indicada aquela lavagem horrível, uma cirurgia ou, no limite, um aparelho (a hearing aid), daqueles com fone de ouvido e pilha. Afinal, quem tem problemas com sua hearing possivelmente está sofrendo de algum distúrbio físico – uma deficiência auditiva –, cujo final triste poderia ser a surdez. Claro, não recebo correspondências que seriam mais bem dirigidas aos médicos; digo isso apenas no intuito de corrigir o inglês.

Cf. Falsas Gêmeas: HEAR x LISTEN

Também acho interessantes as tentativas de verter listening comprehension para o português. Bem que a maioria tenta, e é por isso que a palavra hearing surge. Pessoalmente, também nunca achei uma palavra ou frase adequada. Então, de agora em diante, vou tratar sempre de listening comprehension, e fim de papo. Afinal, listening comprehension significa a compreensão daquilo que se ouve. Bom, o que eu – um simples professor de inglês – posso sugerir para ajudar? Além de dizer “Preste mais atenção, e a melhora virá com o tempo”, que é a minha tendência (ou tem sido até o momento, pelo menos), não tenho muito a acrescentar. Ou será que tenho?

Primeiro, precisamos lembrar que cada pessoa aprende de maneira diferente. Eu, por exemplo, sou muito mais visual. Com freqüência, preciso ver a palavra escrita antes de conseguir decorá-la. Outros são mais auditivos, memorizando tudo só de ouvir. O assunto é tão complexo que acredito não existirem respostas simples. (Talvez nem mesmo respostas complexas! Será que existem respostas para uma pergunta assim?)

Entretanto, neste livro acho que devo enfrentar a questão. Mas por onde começar? Penso naqueles que, nesta altura, poderiam estar quererendo entrar no campo das ciências que estudam e tratam do sistema límbico do córtex do hemisfério direito do cérebro, que comanda as funções do lado esquerdo do corpo, e vice-versa, mas, sinceramente, não é a minha praia (e nem sei se acertei no vocabulário). Honestamente, não sei o que recomendar, além de mais treino e mais treino e mais treino. Fitas, filmes, leitura (para adquirir vocabulário), aulas e conversação. O que mais posso dizer?

E se alguém exigisse de você uma resposta? O que você diria? Quem sabe você poderia começar listando atividades como as que mencionei acima? Assistir a vídeos em inglês com as legendas escondidas, ou mesmo a fitas sem legenda. Ouvir a suas músicas favoritas, tentando entender a letra, para depois checar a sua compreensão e repetir as palavras. Existem ótimas publicações que vêm com diálogos gravados em fita, para você treinar. Poderia até usar aquele velho recurso – o livro! E agora vou usar uma palavra que tento evitar nas coisas que escrevo: etcétera, abreviada para etc. Livros, vídeos, fitas, música, aulas, conversação etc.

Há tanto material disponível no mercado para ajudar o aluno a melhorar a sua listening comprehension que está longe de mim querer reinventar a roda. Acredito que as editoras sabem o que fazem, e, se existisse algo revolucionário para lançar, elas com certeza estariam fazendo exatamente isso. O fato de não o fazerem parece transmitir uma mensagem clara e objetiva, não acha?

Talvez ajude se eu me lembrar de como foi o meu processo de aprendizagem do português. Vamos tentar juntos? OK. No início, tudo parecia que eram sons estranhos – eu não entendia nada! Frustrante? You bet. No meu primeiro dia de Brasil, lembro-me de que, ao ser apresentado a uma pessoa que me disse “Muito prazer”, respondi “Mootu pléja”. Havia entendido pleasure! Viu só? Não estava tão longe assim. Mas olha só o que aconteceu: repeti o som que ouvi, e a pessoa deve ter pensado que eu era um nativo, um brasileiro de fato. Vá, concorde comigo… Senão, vou parar por aqui.

OK. Concordou. Ainda bem. Vou continuar...

Fonte: http://www.teclasap.com.br/blog

Better Homework, Revision & Examinations for ESL Students

by

Josef Essberger

Even if you are learning English in a school, you probably spend a lot of time working alone on your English. The time you spend working alone is actually very valuable for you. And you can increase its value by working in a disciplined, systematic way. At the same time, try to relax. Be cool. You will learn more easily and more quickly.

Here are some tips to help you learn as efficiently as possible. We will consider three aspects of your work:

1.Homework: INput; new language, new grammar, new vocabulary; exercises

2.Revision: reinforcement; looking again at what you have already studied; consolidation. This is very important.

3.The Examination: OUTput; this could be a major exam like the Cambridge Certificate in Advanced English, or an exam like the TOEIC, or a test at school.

Homework

•Decide what time to do your homework each day - and then do it at that time without fail!

•Find a convenient place to work and always work in that place.

•Do your work progressively, a little at a time. Don't wait until you have a lot to do. That will worry you, and you will find it hard to start.

•Be disciplined about your homework time. Don't waste your homework time doing other things, like telephoning friends or making cups of coffee!

•Keep all your work together in a folder or file. Keep it tidy. Don't do it on scraps of paper.

•Keep a record of what you have done each week - and what you plan to do the next week.

•Leave time in your plan for unexpected events.

Revision

•Revise in an organised way. Make a plan at the beginning - and follow to it!

•Do not spend all your time revising! Try to spend time on your normal hobbies and your social life.

•Make your revision interesting by relating it to the real world - the news, for example, or your job.

•Make notes for your revision constantly. And try to practise what you revise.

•If you do not understand something, ASK! Never be afraid to ask. Ask your teacher, ask the local library, ask EnglishCLUB.net. Asking questions helps you to understand.

•Try to talk to other people about your revision. Discuss any problems with your friends and family.

•If it seems difficult, think about the future. You are working hard now for a better future!

The Examination

•Try to relax the night before the exam. Do not revise too late. Go to bed early!

•On the day of the exam, have a good breakfast. Leave home early, so that you will not panic if the traffic is bad.

•Do not worry if you are nervous. It is normal and natural to be nervous. It will make you more alert for the exam and so you will do better.

•Read the exam paper very carefully. Be sure that you understand all the instructions - and then follow them!

•Look for the questions that have the highest marks or points. Do them first.

•Give yourself a time limit for each question so that you can finish the whole exam.

•Make sure that you include your name and all necessary details (examination number, centre number etc) correctly.

Finally, try to be relaxed about your studies. Language is only a method of communication. It is really quite easy. You are already an expert in your own language. Soon you will be an expert in English too!

© 1999 Josef Essberger

Source: http://www.englishclub.com

Listening: A good way to learn English

by

Weena Kanadpon

Everyone knows that there are four skills in learning a language, namely listening, speaking, reading and writing. They are always related in terms of usage, and speaking is viewed by learners as the most desirable skill in face-to-face communication in the globalization era. However, what is the answer to the following questions?

•What do you have to do before you can speak?

•What does a child learn before he talks?

•What do we do before chatting?

Listen, of course!

Naturally, children begin listening to their parents when they are babies. They are often greeted, spoken to and admired without any response expected. Though nobody knows if the baby understands the spoken words, the process continues. Children automatically acquire such language over some time, and later on gradually produce it through actual experience. The production may be incomplete at first, but successful at last. That leads to speaking skill which is quite applicable to daily conversation.

In learning English, listening can help improve speaking considerably. Although it is the first of all skills, it is neither the easiest nor the most meaningless. We need to hear various types of English repeatedly and continuously if we want to communicate properly, meaningfully and naturally.

Why is listening good?

1.When listening, we are reviewing a lot of English usage such as vocabulary, grammatical structures, intonation, accent and our own interpretation.

2.We can learn new words and expressions by hearing them frequently.

3.Besides the English revision, general knowledge from news, features, or even advertising spots is certainly beneficial for regular listeners.

4.We can imitate what we hear and apply it with great confidence.

5.Listening can be a good "hobby" while we do other things such as cooking, ironing, exercising, relaxing etc. In other words, we have no wasted time at all.

6.Listening is also a great way to train our attention.

How can we listen to English?

Nowadays, radio cassette recorders are household appliances, but we often overlook their radio function. We can experience English language radio programmes almost anywhere in the world. They are usually picked up on FM bands and aired particularly for foreigners. Short wave radio programmes are another option. Two of the most easily found English language broadcasters are the BBC and Voice of America. Today, you can even access them by internet. You'll find some useful links for listening to the radio by internet, including "News in Easy English", here.

© 2002 Weena Kanadpon

Weena Kanadpon is a Thai teacher of English. She teaches at Thap Put Witthaya School in Phagnga, southern Thailand. She discovered for herself the value of listening to the radio, and how to find English language radio programmes in Thailand.

Moradores mandam recado para Obama em "inglês carioquês"

Moradores mandam recado para Obama em "inglês carioquês"


A barreira do idioma é o principal temor das autoridades norte-americanas sobre a eficiência do discurso de Barack Obama no Rio de Janeiro no próximo domingo. O comício em ingles terá telão com tradução para o português. No video acima, populares mandam recado para o presidente norte-americano que visita o país a partir deste sábado...



Fonte: Uol

St. Patrick´s day!

St. Patrick's Day is an Irish holiday celebrated all around the globe to honor the patron saint of Ireland, Saint Patrick. Read on to learn more about the origin of the holiday and about the man who inspired it or visit our "Fun Facts about St. Patrick's Day" story.

For even more on St. Patrick's Day, visit our St. Patrick's Day main holiday page for crafts, clip art, recipes, and more.

When Is St. Patrick's Day?

Saint Patrick's Day is celebrated each year on March 17th.

Note for 2008: For 2008, the Catholic Church has officially moved St. Patrick's Day to Saturday, March 15th to avoid a conflict with the Holy Week leading up to Easter Sunday. Most secular establishments in the US and Canada, such as restaurants and bars, will continue to celebrate the holiday on March 17th, and the 17th will remain a national day off from work in Ireland.

Who Was Saint Patrick?

Even though Saint Patrick the patron saint of Ireland and one of the most celebrated religious figures around the world, the factual information about his life and times is quite vague. Most information about St. Patrick has been twisted, embellished, or simply made up over centuries by storytellers, causing much ambiguity about the real life of St. Patrick. However, there are a some elements of his story about which most scholars accept to be true.

According to Coilin Owens, Irish literature expert and Professor Emeritus of English at George Mason University, Saint Patrick is traditionally thought to have lived "between 432-461 A.D., but more recent scholarship moves the dates up a bit." At the age of sixteen he was kidnapped from his native land of the Roman British Isles by a band pirates, and sold into slavery in Ireland. Saint Patrick worked as a shepherd and turned to religion for solace. After six years of slavery he escaped to the Irish coast and fled home to Britain.

While back in his homeland, Patrick decided to become a priest and then decided to return to Ireland after dreaming that the voices of the Irish people were calling him to convert them to Christianity.

After studying and preparing for several years, Patrick traveled back to Ireland as a Christian missionary. Although there were already some Christians living in Ireland, St. Patrick was able to bring upon a massive religious shift to Christianity by converting people of power. Says Prof. Owens, "[St. Patrick] is credited with converting the nobles; who set an example which the people followed."

But Patrick's desire to spread of Christianity was not met without mighty opposition. Prof. Owens explains, "Patrick ran into trouble with the local pagan priesthood, the druids: and there are many stories about his arguments with them as well as his survival of plots against them." He laid the groundwork for the establishment of hundreds of monasteries and churches that eventually popped up across the Irish country to promote Christianity.

Saint Patrick is also credited with bringing written word to Ireland through the promotion of the study of legal texts and the Bible, says Prof. Owens. Previous to Patrick, storytelling and history were reliant on memory and orally passing down stories.

Patrick's mission in Ireland is said to have lasted for thirty years. It is believe he died in the 5th century on March 17, which is the day St. Patrick's Day is commemorated each year.

The first year St. Patrick's Day was celebrated in America in 1737 in Boston, Massachusetts. The first official St. Patrick's Day parade was held in New York City in 1766. As the saying goes, on this day "everybody is Irish!" Over 100 U.S. cities now hold Saint Patrick's Day parades.

Alecia Dixon is a freelance contributor. Laura Young is editor of Crafts and Holidays & Fun on Kaboose.com.

Source: http://holidays.kaboose.com

Better Homework, Revision & Examinations for ESL Students

by Josef Essberger

Even if you are learning English in a school, you probably spend a lot of time working alone on your English. The time you spend working alone is actually very valuable for you. And you can increase its value by working in a disciplined, systematic way. At the same time, try to relax. Be cool. You will learn more easily and more quickly.

Here are some tips to help you learn as efficiently as possible. We will consider three aspects of your work:

1.Homework: INput; new language, new grammar, new vocabulary; exercises
2.Revision: reinforcement; looking again at what you have already studied; consolidation. This is very important.
3.The Examination: OUTput; this could be a major exam like the Cambridge Certificate in Advanced English, or an exam like the TOEIC, or a test at school.
Homework
•Decide what time to do your homework each day - and then do it at that time without fail!
•Find a convenient place to work and always work in that place.
•Do your work progressively, a little at a time. Don't wait until you have a lot to do. That will worry you, and you will find it hard to start.
•Be disciplined about your homework time. Don't waste your homework time doing other things, like telephoning friends or making cups of coffee!
•Keep all your work together in a folder or file. Keep it tidy. Don't do it on scraps of paper.
•Keep a record of what you have done each week - and what you plan to do the next week.
•Leave time in your plan for unexpected events.
Revision
•Revise in an organised way. Make a plan at the beginning - and follow to it!
•Do not spend all your time revising! Try to spend time on your normal hobbies and your social life.
•Make your revision interesting by relating it to the real world - the news, for example, or your job.
•Make notes for your revision constantly. And try to practise what you revise.
•If you do not understand something, ASK! Never be afraid to ask. Ask your teacher, ask the local library, ask EnglishCLUB.net. Asking questions helps you to understand.
•Try to talk to other people about your revision. Discuss any problems with your friends and family.
•If it seems difficult, think about the future. You are working hard now for a better future!
The Examination
•Try to relax the night before the exam. Do not revise too late. Go to bed early!
•On the day of the exam, have a good breakfast. Leave home early, so that you will not panic if the traffic is bad.
•Do not worry if you are nervous. It is normal and natural to be nervous. It will make you more alert for the exam and so you will do better.
•Read the exam paper very carefully. Be sure that you understand all the instructions - and then follow them!
•Look for the questions that have the highest marks or points. Do them first.
•Give yourself a time limit for each question so that you can finish the whole exam.
•Make sure that you include your name and all necessary details (examination number, centre number etc) correctly.
Finally, try to be relaxed about your studies. Language is only a method of communication. It is really quite easy. You are already an expert in your own language. Soon you will be an expert in English too!

© 1999 Josef Essberger

Source: http://www.englishclub.com

7 Tips for Easy Email

by Josef Essberger

The objective of all emails is to communicate. The writer needs the recipient to understand. So s/he should make it as easy as possible for the recipient to understand the message. The writer is writing the email, not the recipient, right? It is the writer's job to write it well, not the recipient's! But often the recipient has to spend a long time and work very hard to understand a message. (This is not just a question of language.) Basically, sending "bad" emails shows no respect for the recipient and is not polite. The writer does a little work and the recipient does a lot of work.

So here are 7 tips on sending emails the best way possible, and making life easier for everyone.

Tip 1. Subject, Cc: and Bcc:

When you write an email, at the top is a box called "Subject:". The subject tells recipients what your message is about, without reading the whole message. It helps them organize their email. Always include a subject, something meaningful like "My Order No. 12345 For Furniture" or "Homework Assignment: Present Perfect". Don't just write "Your Email" or "Letter". Subjects like those are not very helpful. Also, if you include a subject and the recipient replies by clicking on "Reply", you subject is automatically added to the reply (with the expression "Re:", which means "about").

Two more boxes at the top of your email are "Cc:" (carbon copy) and "Bcc:" (blind carbon copy). Any email address you add to the Cc: box will receive a copy of the message, and the original person you are writing to (the To: box) will see the email address that you sent a copy to. Any email address you add to the Bcc: box will also receive a copy of the message, but this time the original person you are writing to will not see this. S/he will not even know that you sent a copy to someone.

Tip 2. Use Attachments Only When Necessary

Email messages can be in two different forms:

•inline plain text

•attachment

Inline text is the normal text that you write in an email. An attachment is a file from your computer (for example a Word document or .gif image) that you "attach" or add to your email. When someone receives an email with inline (normal) text, they can read it immediately. When they receive an attachment, they have to "open" the attachment with the right program (for example Word or PaintShop). There are several problems with attachments, including:

a.Recipients may not have the program for the attachment

b.Attachments can contain viruses

c.Some attachments can take a long time to download

Many people do not like to receive attachments. Usually, it is better to send inline text. Only send an attachment when it is not possible to send the information as inline text and you are sure the receiver agrees.

Tip 3. Use Plain Text, not HTML

The normal text for email looks like typewriter text and is usually the Courier New typeface. In many email programs you can change this to another typeface, such as Arial or Times New Roman. That can be a bad idea. Some email programs cannot read this type of "HTML" text and convert your text into an attachment. So the recipient cannot read your message without opening the attachment. If you want to make life easy for all your recipients, use plain text. (See update below)

Tip 4. Keep Your Line Lengths Short

Have you ever received an email that looked like this?

Thank you for your

email requesting more information about our

products. The XYC Company

specializes in supplying widgets to

the world

and I am sure that you will find our catalogue of interest.

What went wrong? XYZ's email program and your email program did not treat lines in the same way. What is the answer? Keep your lines short, preferably 64 characters (letters) or shorter. That means that after 64 characters, you make a "hard carriage return" by pressing "Enter".

Tip 5. Don't YELL!

Do not write everything in CAPITAL LETTERS. In English, it is not polite to use a lot of capital letters. In fact, text written in capital letters is difficult to read. You never see a book written only in capital letters. Using all capital letters is called "yelling", which is the same as shouting. Why is it difficult to read capital letters? Look at this word:

1.ENGLISH (capital letters)

2.English (initial capital + small letters)

In No.1 the word has no "shape"...it is a simple rectangle. In No.2 the word has a shape...it goes up and down. When we read, especially when we read fast, we read the shape of words. We do not read each individual letter. The shape of "ENGLISH" is exactly the same as the shape of "SPANISH". But the shape of "English" is not the same as the shape of "Spanish". For subjects, it's sometimes ok to use capitals. But if you must make one word in the text more important, don't do it with capitals. Use asterisks, like *this*.

Tip 6. Be Careful With Abbreviations

Examples of abbreviations are "btw" (by the way) and "damhik" (don't ask me how I know). Abbreviations are a good way to save work on typing if both correspondents understand the abbreviations. But if the recipient does not understand your abbreviation, you are not communicating successfully. Here are some email abbreviations .

Tip 7. Sign Your Email

It's a good idea, and more polite, to put your name at the end of your emails. You can even add other information like address, telephone and fax, especially for business. You can create a "signature block" that you add to the end of all messages. Many email services let you create an "auto-signature" that appears at the end of every email you send.

English Checker

•character: a letter or symbol, like a, B, 1, 2, &, * etc

•recipient: the person who receives your email

•shape: the external form of something

•typeface: a particular design of type

•virus: a bug or coding designed to damage a computer

2002 Update: the Internet moves fast, and almost everybody has HTML enabled email now. It's much safer now than it was to use HTML.

© Josef Essberger

Source: http://www.englishclub.com

Your CV or Resume In English

When you apply for a job, employers ask for two important documents:

1.A CV or resume

2.A covering letter

This month we look at your CV. Next month we will look at your covering letter.

Why you need a good CV

Your CV is a summary of your professional and academic life. It usually concentrates on your personal details, education and work experience.

Your CV's job is very simple: to get you a job interview. To do this, your CV must be:

•clear

•well-organised

•easy to read

•concise

•relevant to the job offered

Content

You should include everything that is relevant to your employment or career and nothing that is irrelevant. There are usually 5 general headings of information to include:

a.Personal details: name, address, email and telephone number (and sometimes nationality, age/date of birth and marital status)

b.Objective: a headline that summarises the job you want

c.Work experience: your employment in reverse chronological order

d.Education: details of secondary and university education

e.Personal interests: showing that you are a well-balanced person with an interesting life outside work

Sometimes, you may need to give additional information for a particular job or because you have special qualifications.

Format

In the English-speaking world your CV should be word-processed, for several reasons:

•a hand-written CV is unprofessional

•some recruitment agencies and employers like to scan CVs electronically

•it will be easier for you to update and modify your CV later

It is usually best to limit your CV to a maximum of 2 pages. You can usually put everything you need on 1 or 2 pages.

DO NOT USE ALL CAPITALS LIKE THIS!!! CAPITALS ARE VERY DIFFICULT TO READ AND CAN BE CONSIDERED IMPOLITE IN THE ENGLISH-SPEAKING WORLD.

There are basically 2 standard paper sizes, depending on your part of the world:

•A4 (297 x 210 millimetres) - as used in Europe

•Letter Size (8 1/2 x 11 inches) - as used in the United States

Vocabulary

Your language should be simple and clear.

Use short words and short sentences.

Do not use technical vocabulary (unless you are sure that the reader will understand it).

Talk about concrete facts ("I increased sales by 50%"), not abstract ideas ("I was responsible for a considerable improvement in our market position").

Use verbs in the active voice, not passive voice. Which of these two sentences do you think is the more powerful?

•active: "I organised this exhibition."

•passive: "This exhibition was organised by me."

Use "power words". The most powerful words are verbs. And the most powerful verbs are action verbs. (Action verbs describe dynamic activity, not state).

Here, for example, are some typical power words for Management and Sales skills:

•Management skills: assign, attain, chair, co-ordinate, delegate, direct, execute, organise, oversee, plan, recommend, review, strengthen, supervise, train

•Sales skills: sell, convert, close, deal, persuade, highlight, satisfy, win over, sign

So you should use lots of action verbs matched to your skills, and use them in the active form, not the passive form.

Source: http://www.englishclub.com/

The Olympic Games

"As in the daytime there is no star in the sky warmer and brighter than the sun, likewise there is no competition greater than the Olympic Games." Pindar, Greek lyric poet, 5th century BC

Origins

The ancient Greeks first had the idea of getting men together every four years to hold and witness sporting events (in those days women did not participate, though they had their own, independent, events). The idea was to have the best athletes from all over Greece gather in one field and compete every four years. All wars and fighting had to stop while the athletes and their supporters came together in the town of Olympia for a few days to compete in a few events, mostly related to warfare (throwing the javelin, running, wrestling, boxing and chariot racing).

The first written reference to the Games is 776 BC. They lasted until 389 AD. The idea of having the modern Games was suggested in the mid 19th century but they weren't a world event until 1896. Besides being postponed because of wars, they have been held since then every four years in different cities around the world.

Symbols

The Olympic Games have many important symbols that most people recognize. The five rings that appear on the Olympic flag (coloured yellow, green, blue, black and red) were introduced in 1914. They represent the five continents of Africa, the Americas, Australia, Asia and Europe. The flag is raised in the host city and then flown to the next one where it is kept until the next Games. The Olympic torch, a major part of the ancient Games, was brought back in 1928 and is carried with great fanfare and publicity to the host city where it lights the burning flame of the Games. It is kept burning until the close of the Games. The torch symbolizes purity, the drive for perfection and the struggle for victory.

Music

The rousing Olympic anthem is the simply named "Olympic Music" by John Williams, who wrote it for the 1984 Olympics, held in Los Angeles. What you hear first are the forty or so notes played on horns which form the "Bugler's Dream" (also called "Olympic Fanfare") by Leo Arnaud, first played in the 1968 Games.

The torch, fanfare and flag are clearly evident in the Opening Ceremony, when everyone formally welcomes the participants and the Games can begin. Here we find the dramatic and colourful March of Nations, in which all the athletes from each country go into the venue to the sound of their country's anthem and march behind their flags, thus becoming representatives of their countries.

Athlete's Oath

One part of the Opening Ceremony that tries to keep the spirit of the Games and sportsmanship alive is when one athlete, representing all those participating, takes the Athlete's Oath:

"In the name of all the competitors, I promise that we shall take part in these Olympic Games, respecting and abiding by the rules which govern them, in the true spirit of sportsmanship, for the glory of sport, and the honour of our teams."

Medals

In the ancient Games, only the winner was celebrated. Each winner was given a simple crown of olive leaves to wear on his head. This was the only reward for his victory. Those who came in second or third got nothing. Interestingly, when the Games started again in 1896, silver medals were given to the first place winners. Later in 1904 in the St. Louis Games, gold was the top prize. Now, of course we have gold for first place, silver for second and bronze for third.

Motto

The Olympics' official motto is "Citius, Altius, Fortius". This is Latin for "Swifter, Higher, Stronger". This is said to represent the Olympic spirit, supposed to be present throughout the Games and generally held to be a celebration of brotherhood, competition, sportsmanship, goodwill and peace. The Games help us see how similar we are, and help us celebrate our humanity.

People

As in ancient times, those who participate in the Games are famous for the rest of their lives. Today, it's estimated that some 100,000 people have competed in the Games. These athletes, all supposed to be amateurs (people who play and get no money for their play), have to qualify or win regional and national events. They often play on their countries' national teams. If they are ill or can't make it for an event, they have substitutes. When they start playing, they become competitors or opponents on the playing field.

Officials, referees, scorekeepers and umpires monitor their play, and judges score their performances. Spectators watch the events, and fans cheer the athletes on.

Helping the athletes in their chosen sports are their trainers and coaches. Helping the athletes in their business affairs are their agents and managers. Sometimes athletes have sponsors and after the Games are over the athletes become spokesmen for companies.

The Olympic Games also require people to take on the jobs of announcers, commentators and broadcasters. These people comment on, report and describe the events that are happening and tell us about the standings of the countries and the athletes who play the Games.

Unfortunate events in world history (the 1972 Munich Olympics and 9/11) mean that security is a major concern for the Games. Thus the Olympics also employs those who are responsible for the safe-being of the athletes and spectators, including police (city, provincial and federal) and even national troops or soldiers. They are pitted against 'common' criminals (thieves, pickpockets, vandals...) and terrorists.

In addition, the support staff get the fields, grounds and arenas ready and help to maintain the equipment and facilities.

The nationalities you hear of in the Olympics fall mostly into certain suffix groups, for example:

ish (mostly European): British, Irish,Polish, Spanish, Turkish,Finnish

ese(mostly Asian): Portuguese,Burmese,Chinese,Japanese,Taiwanese,Vietnamese

i (mostly Middle Eastern):Bahraini,Iraqi,Pakistani,Kuwaiti,Israeli, Saudi

an/ian ch other: American, Czech, Filipino,Australian,Dutch, Greek,Canadian, French Icelandic,German, Swiss,Indonesian, Thai ,Korean, Malagasy

Events

The ancient Games had only a few events. Foot racing was in every game and each race had a variety of lengths - the longest being the marathon named after the Greek city and famous battle. The pentathlon, supposedly developed by Jason of Golden Fleece fame, had five events (running, jumping, wrestling, discus throwing and javelin throwing) which were all scored together. Three pentathlon events were important and popular enough to have their own events. Wrestling, discus throwing and the javelin were all recorded in the Homeric poems and were seen as vital for all men to be skilled in. The javelin throw was separated into two categories: length and accuracy (aimed at a specific target). Boxing was one of the oldest events and was written about by Homer. Finally there was the pancration, a combination of boxing and wrestling and various events with horse racing.

Today, of course, there are many more events. The chart below lists the most popular modern events in the Summer and Winter Olympics.

Summer: kayaking, boxing, swimming, diving, gymnastics, track & field,volleyball basketball,tennis, wrestling

Winter:down hill skiing, snowboarding, hockey, speed skating, equestrian hurdles curling bobsledding, figure skating luge, biathlon, ski jumping, skeleton, cross skiing

NB. The following summer sports have been recently recognized and are now legitimate events: air sports; automobile; bandy; billiards; boules; bowling; bridge; chess; dancesport; golf; karate; korfball; life saving; motorcycle racing; mountaineering and climbing; netball; orienteering; pelote basque; polo; racquetball; roller sports; rugby; squash; surfing; tug of war; underwater sports; water skiing; wushu.

Competition

Athletes compete or play against each other in hopes of winning. That might mean crossing the finish line first or putting on a perfect performance. Throughout the Games, the contestants are supposed to play with a spirit of sportsmanship, which can be defined as the character and conduct worthy of a sportsman. This means that they are to play with honour, seeking only to do their very best in their sport, and not specifically to defeat the other players.

When the playing begins, the events have preliminaries, or official trials or contests, in which athletes have to meet specified minimum requirements. This is for the setting of standards and for athletes to gain the right to compete in the final contest.

Sometimes it seems that the spirit and the joy of the Games have been lost to commercialism and the overpowering desire to focus only on victory. When controversy and partisanship take over, it's good to remember what a churchman once said during the 1908 London Games, which is still true today:

"The important thing is not so much winning as taking part."

Unfortunately, some athletes and coaches have taken to cheating or doping, in an attempt to gain an unfair advantage. Steroids, drugs that encourage muscle strength and stamina, are one of the banned substances that give athletes an extra, and illegal, advantage.

In spite of the problems of cheating and doping, and nationalism which can be divisive, the Games carry on and remain popular. This is possibly because the Games show us what we as humans are capable of and that humanity is capable of engaging in friendly competition. We should keep in mind what the father of the modern Games, Baron Pierre de Courbertin, once said:

"Olympism is not a system, it is a state of mind."

© 2004 Keith Landry. Originally from New Orleans, Louisiana in the USA, Keith Landry has a Master's in Liberal Arts and has taught widely in the USA, Middle East and Asia.

Bill Bryson Quote´s

To my mind, the only possible pet is a cow. Cows love you. . . . They will listen to your problems and never ask a thing in return. They will be your friends forever. And when you get tired of them, you can kill and eat them. Perfect.”

“I have long known that it is part of God's plan for me to spend a little time with each of the most stupid people on earth.”

“The remarkable position in which we find ourselves is that we don't actually know what we actually know.”

“What an odd thing tourism is. You fly off to a strange land, eagerly abandoning all the comforts of home, and then expend vast quantities of time and money in a largely futile attempt to recapture the comforts that you wouldn't have lost if you hadn't left home in the first place.”

“He had the sort of face that makes you realize God does have a sense of humor.”

“I come from Des Moines. Somebody had to.”

“In three minutes, 98 percent of all the matter there is or will ever be has been produced. We have a universe. It is a place of the most wondrous and gratifying possibility, and beautiful, too. And it was all done in about the time it takes to make a sandwich.”

“Incidentally, disturbance from cosmic background radiation is something we have all experienced. Tune your television to any channel it doesn't receive, and about 1 percent of the dancing static you see is accounted for by this ancient remnant of the Big Bang. The next time you complain that there is nothing on, remember that you can always watch the birth of the universe.”

“More than 300 million people in the world speak English and the rest, it sometimes seems, try to.”

“English grammar is so complex and confusing for the one very simple reason that its rules and terminology are based on Latin -- a language with which it has precious little in common. In Latin, to take one example, it is not possible to split an infinitive. So in English, the early authorities decided, it should not be possible to split an infinitive either. But there is no reason why we shouldn't, any more than we should forsake instant coffee and air travel because they weren't available to the Romans. Making English grammar conform to Latin rules is like asking people to play baseball using the rules of football. It is a patent absurdity. But once this insane notion became established, grammarians found themselves having to draw up ever more complicated and circular arguments to accommodate the inconsistencies.”

“Germans are flummoxed by humor, the Swiss have no concept of fun, the Spanish think there is nothing at all ridiculous about eating dinner at midnight, and the Italians should never, ever have been let in on the invention of the motor car.”

“We have been chosen, ... by fate or providence or whatever you wish to call it. As far as we can tell, we are the best there is. We may be all there is. It's an unnerving thought that we may be the living universe's supreme achievement and its worst nightmare simultaneously.”

By: D F Dalton

For ESL Students or anyone who wants to learn English it's one of the most mongrel languages on planet earth. That's because over the course of time, English has taken up words from every other major language, and so its spelling and pronunciation rules are more complicated than many languages. But for those ESL students who want to master English pronunciation like ESL teachers tutors or other native speakers, it is not hard to take the learning process step by step.

The first step is to know the alphabet very well and always to be able to think of the primary or basic sound for each letter. Some letters have more sounds than just their primary sound, but these sounds can be learned separately. First, ESL students must practice reciting or singing the 26 letters of the English alphabet together with a fluent English teacher, ESL Tutor or native speaker.

(The phonetic transcriptions below the letters will be explained during the course of these articles. Remember to recite or sing the second line faster, and to pause during the third line, so as to say all the letters in the same period of time as in the other lines. The traditional music of the alphabet song is well-known and has even been used by composer Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart in a piano melody.)

A, B, C, D, E, F, G,

H, I, J, K, L M N O P,

Q, R, S, [pause,] T, U, V,

W, X, Y, and Z.

"ey, bee, see, dee, ee, ehf, dzhee,

eytsh, aee, dzhey, keh-ee, ehl ehm ehn oh pee,

kyoo, ahr, ehss ..., tee, yoo, vee,

duhbuhlyoo, ehks, waee, aand zee"

The Primary Sounds

The five letters in English that are always vowels are A, E, I, O, U; and sometimes Y and other combinations serve the function of vowels. For speakers of Oriental or Romance languages, it will be easier at the beginning to think of or associate the pure vowels as the primary sounds for these letters.

When the letters appear by themselves, the pure vowels, called the long vowels in some systems, are not as frequent in English as the short vowels; but because the pure vowels will be easier to associate, they are given as the primary sounds below. (And even if someone finds it harder to learn the distinction between long and short vowels, this does not make a big difference, because blurring this distinction is often accepted by English speakers as merely a slight Spanish accent.)

Now then, here are the primary sounds for each letter, as they appear in international words and geographical places, and the way each letter can be written in phonetic transcriptions. Letters without notes are transcribed the same way as they are spelled.

A as in father, Washington, Osaka (written as "ah")

B as in baby, ikebana, Lisbon

C as in cook, camel, Caracas (written as, and the same as, "k")

D as in did, mikado, London

E as in peso, melee, Reykjavik (written as "ey")

F as in fifty, fugu, France

G as in go, origami, Togo

H as in ahead, haiku, Holland

I as in paprika, Fiji, Nippon (written as "ee")

J as in judge, kanji, Java (written as "dzh")

K as in kids, karaoke, Kyoto

L as in left, Clinton, Lebanon

M as in mom, anime, Lima

N as in no, katakana, Ghana

O as in hope, noh, Tokyo (written as "oh")

P as in pop, pepper, Poland

Q as in qwerty, sheqel, Iraq (written as, and the same as, "k")

R as in right, Reagan, York

S as in less, sake, Spain

T as in tie, tofu, Tibet

U as in rule, you, Jerusalem (written as "oo")

V as in give, flavor, Venezuela

W as in we, wasabi, Wellington

X as in box, mixup, Lexington (written as "ks")

Y as in yard, teriyaki, Yemen

Z as in zone, puzzle, Zambia

Classical Vowels

The classical long vowels are those which correspond to the vowel sounds in Romance languages: for example, the first syllables of the Spanish words taco, bueno, pita, loco, mucho, or of the Japanese words kana, geta, miso, tofu, fugu. These are also called pure vowels because they are not mixed or diphthongal vowels.

Good transcriptions of the long vowels, in terms of the most recognizable way to pronounce the sounds reliably, are given above: A as "ah", E as "ey", I as "ee", O as "oh", and U as "oo". (Incidentally, in other systems, instead of the vowels just given, the "long vowels" are those sounds which the vowels make in their English names, and when accompanied by silent E; but this naming method is not used in the present article.)

Well, to all the ESL Students, or ESL teachers who happened to come across this, I hope you've found it both enjoyable and helpful. Pronunciation for ESL students is important to building comfort and confidence. Please feel free to drop by ESL Toronto Network and say hi to me, Mr. D.

Mr. D is the founder of ESL Toronto Network

Connecting ESL Students to ESL Schools,

ESL Teachers and ESL Tutors.

It's a Friendly and Fun Social Environment sort of like an ESL Facebook...

So Drop by Today...http://esltoronto.net