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/