Savoring and Improving

Although the difficulties, the journey to speak English is a blessing for the mind. It is known by the cientists and neurolinguistics that the brain gets stronger when one is learning a new language or how to play a musical instrument. The students usually complain that it takes a long time to master a new  anguage, but at least, they need to realize that this long process improves their cognition and can even prevent them from mind diseases such as Alzeimer, among others.

We don't need to preach about the benefits of learning English for a person career, however, one ought to know that the only way to master the language is by practicing every single day a bit and the real learning

can only take place if the students become learners of the language and study by themselves, after all, they do not learn English inside the classroom or with a teacher, but mainly on their own.

Therefore, if you have made up your mind about becoming a learner, don't wait for your teacher to tell you what to learn at home. Use your creativity and research things you like, watch videos, translate songs, most of all, enjoy the process and soon, you will be savoring your progress and speaking as much as you want.

Professor Frank Oliveira

source: www.afrankexperience.com.br/portugues

O Trampolim

Nada me dá mais prazer que observar meus learners se esforçando para se comunicar. É isso o que o aprendizado de uma língua estrangeira  significa: tentativa-erro, tentativa-erro...tentativa e acerto e aprendo.

Cada tentativa é um exercício mental que fortalece conexões, facilita as associações que são tão preciosas para que a fluência apareça naquele momento " a-há consigo falar" que todo aluno quer alcançar,  however... Sim tem always um however.

Não gosto de " howevers" pois eles indicam um porém, curto mesmo o " therefore", pois mostra continuação, progresso de idéias e flow - palavra tão importante quanto associação. Você sabe o que " flow" significa?

Flow não é o mesmo que fluency; mas eu posso garantir que flow é um nível possível para o seu inglês - fluency é só para inglês ter. However ( olha o however aí de novo) para sentir esse flow, os learners precisam ter coragem para encarar o perigo de pular do trampolim - the springboard - e deixar seu inglês fluir.

Flow é se deixar falar com todos os erros que a prática exige e se concentrar em se perder nesse falar, sabendo que naquele momento só o flow está valendo, todo o resto ( boicotes, síndrome de nunca vou conseguir, medo de errar, etc) ficou lá atrás, pois quando você tenta falar, você quer therefore, seguir em frente, continuar. Com o flow não  há " howevers", nada de but, nada de don't, nada de nothing; pois o flow se torna everything: there and fore!!!

And when the flow becomes everything, your English is flowing like a river, like the wind and you see that you are using a second language. Yes, you are practicing it and you are reading it and understanding it and it gives you a lot of pleasure because finally, you can tell your teacher: what gives me pleasure is to learn.

Learning is let your English flow and only real learners can move forward and jump from this springboard  to their progress.

The flow in English doesn't depend on your teacher or the grammar that you can use or the vocabulary that you can memorize. The flow is all about communicating.

There will be occasions when the português vai aparecer no seu English; there will be situations where  you will get the (            ). However, if you get  the (            ) or if the Portuguese continuar invadindo o seu inglês, breath in and breath out, but keep talking in English. Don't give up, because this effort is what is going to guarantee your flow.

What really gives me pain is when a learner has a retrocession and instead of keep talking, they give up trying and look at me saying:

- Deixa eu falar isso em  português!

One thing is to mix Portuguese with English and keep working with the flow, the other thing is giving up trying and start speaking only in Portuguese.

They are not having English classes to speak Portuguese. If they are tired, we can always finish the class and start over next class. Therefore, evolution is practice and practice is the secret of all languages learning processes.

I know, as a teacher, how hard it is not to be able to communicate properly. I  want to be there  and keep helping my learners to jump from their springboard, however, I know as well when the learner stops learning and decides to become " again" a student.

This is the moment when the flow stops and the experience with the language is frankly over.

However ( and this is a good however), once the learners jump from their springboard, the flow will be there for good and for ever as the learners will become speakers.

After the flow, there is no return, no retrocessions and finally, the English teacher mission with You will be finally accomplished.

Nada me dá mais prazer que observar meus learners se esforçando para se comunicar. É isso o que o aprendizado de uma língua estrangeira  significa: tentativa-erro, tentativa-erro...tentativa e acerto e aprendo. 

Cada tentativa é um exercício mental que fortalece conexões, facilita as associações que são tão preciosas para que a fluência apareça naquele momento "a-há consigo falar" que todo aluno quer alcançar,  however... Sim tem always um however.

Não gosto de "howevers" pois eles indicam um porém, curto mesmo o "therefore", pois mostra continuação, progresso de ideias eflow - palavra tão importante quanto associação. Você sabe o que "flow" significa?

Flow não é o mesmo que fluency; mas eu posso garantir que flow é um nível possível para o seu inglês - fluency é só para inglês ter. However (olha o however aí de novo) para sentir esse flow, os Learners precisam ter coragem para encarar o perigo de pular do trampolim - the springboard - e deixar seu inglês fluir.

Flow é se deixar falar com todos os erros que a prática exige e se concentrar em se perder nesse falar, sabendo que naquele momento só o flow está valendo, todo o resto (boicotes, síndrome de nunca vou conseguir, medo de errar, etc) ficou lá atrás, pois quando você tenta falar, você quer therefore, seguir em frente, continuar. Com o flow não  há "howevers", nada de but, nada de don't, nada de nothing; pois o flow se torna everything: there and fore!!!

And when the flow becomes everything, your English is flowing like a river, like the wind and you see that you are using a second language. Yes, you are practicing it and you are reading it and understanding it and it gives you a lot of pleasure because finally, you can tell your teacher: what gives me pleasure is to learn.

Learning is let your English flow and only real learners can move forward and jump from this springboard  to their progress. 

The flow in English doesn't depend on your teacher or the grammar that you can use or the vocabulary that you can memorize. The flow is all about communicating.

There will be occasions when the português vai aparecer no seu English; there will be situations where  you will get the (            ). However, if you get  the (            ) or if the Portuguese continuar invadindo o seu inglês, breath in and breath out, but keep talking in English. Don't give up, because this effort is what is going to guarantee your flow.

What really gives me pain is when a learner has a retrocession and instead of keep talking, they give up trying and look at me saying:

- Deixa eu falar isso em  português! 

One thing is to mix Portuguese with English and keep working with the flow, the other thing is giving up trying and start speaking only in Portuguese.

They are not having English classes to speak Portuguese. If they are tired, we can always finish the class and start over next class. Therefore, evolution is practice and practice is the secret of all languages learning processes. 

I know, as a teacher, how hard it is not to be able to communicate properly. I  want to be there  and keep helping my learners to jump from their springboard, however, I know as well when the learner stops learning and decides to become " again" a student. 

This is the moment when the flow stops and the experience with the language is frankly over. 

However ( and this is a good however), once the learners jump from their springboard, the flow will be there for good and for ever as the learners will become speakers. 

After the flow, there is no return, no retrocessions and finally, the English teacher mission with You will be finally accomplished.

Professor Frank

source: http://www.afrankexperience.com.br/Portugues/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=65:newsletter-55&catid=21:newsletter&Itemid=19

To Translate or Not To Translate it?

To Translate or Not To Translate it?

By Professor Frank

The translation is a great tool of learning, specially when it comes to acquire a second language; however, one must know when it starts blocking the flow of their English.

As a non-native English teacher and a Brazilian English learner, I have been collecting a variation of common mistakes in translations during my classes. Those "mistakes" are not that bad, specially when an educator takes into account that all errors are  signs of progress, therefore, the learners are trying their best to get it right. 

My job is to help them to perceive it as I have learned that the teacher's corrections per si don't help them effectively.

Nevertheless, I have collected a few phrases and their translations and I would like to invite you to look it trough. 

Let's see two examples today; shall we?

1. "Eu vou trabalhar amanhã"

 This sentence can lead a brazilian learner to a series of mistakes:

A) I go work tomorrowB) I go to work tomorrow C) I will go to work tomorrow

 The best translation will be those three examples below:

A) I will work tomorrow ( if the learner is not sure about it)B) I am going to work tomorrow ( if the learner has a plan to do it)C) I am working tomorrow ( if the learner has no doubt about it) 

 As you see, the perfect translation will be according to the learner's point of view. However, the most important thing here is the mistakes. The question is: why the first three sentences are wrong?

" I go work tomorrow"

 Over here, we have the classic brazilian mistake with future tenses. In Portuguese, it is quite common to say "eu vou ser" instead of "eu serei". This mistake will be transferred to English as "I go work" doesn't mean " I will work".  The translation of "vou" to "go" is something that the learner will only correct if they realize it. 

"I go to work tomorrow" 

 Over here, we have the same problem above  with the inappropriate use of "to" from the infinitive form. Every time we use a modal ( will, would, can, could, etc) with another verb in English, we need to remove the "to" from the infinitive.

Without the "to" in this sentence, the phrase still falls into the previous mistake, the translation of "vou".

"I will go to work tomorrow"

 At this sentence, the learner makes almost the same mistake of translating "vou" to "I will go". If the learners wants to use "I will go", they will have to give it an object. 

Work can be an object as the same way as job:

I will go to work I will go to my job

 Although we can understand that, the meaning of it will be slightly different from the original phrase. At the original one, the meaning is straightforward: eu vou trabalhar. If the learner keeps this translation, "I will go to work", the meaning will be: "eu vou pro trabalho " , but it doesn't mean that he will, in fact, work.

2. Ela tem 30 anos, mas ela não tem experiência em sua vida.This example might lead you to a very good study of Portuguese ( the main language) interfering and affecting the second language. Let's see some possible translations:

 A) She has thirty years, but she doesn't have experience in her life.B) She is thirty years old, but she does´t have experience in her life.

 "She has thirty years, but she doesn't have experience in her life."

 The use of the verb "to have" can deceive most of the learners, specially when they are talking about age. The verb "to be" will work much better here. "She is thirty"

We can see this same problem, when one tries to translate the following:

Eu tenho certeza disso Eu tenho medo de algo

On those two cases, most basic (or not) learners would use "have". 

I have sure about it I have afraid of it

 Yet, " to be" will work much better to describe fear and certainty. 

Returning to the sentence, changing to have for to be won't be enough as "she is thirty years" can also bring some misunderstanding here.

A mispronounced " years" can become " ears" with no effort.

Therefore, instead of understanding that somebody is thirty years old, your listener might hear: she has thirty ears (ela tem trinta orelhas). Needless to say that this example is not related to aliens.

The study of the second part of the sentence will be discussed within the example below:

"She is thirty years old, but she doesn't have experience in her life."

 On this example, the first part of the phrase is ok, however, on the second one, the use of the present simple can indicate a fact though (she doesn't have experience at all), but it would be better to change the time tense and use the Present Perfect on it: she hasn't had experience in her life.

She is still alive, so if she didn't have experience before (in the past), she might acquire it as she learns. 

Yes, the use of the Present Perfect is something that really annoys the Brazilians learners for it's complexity and oddness. 

That's why, on the next newsletter, we will be studying it and another very usual mistake in brazilians translations: "Eu estou trabalhando aqui por cinco anos" 

Try to translate this sentence and on the next newsletter we will discuss the difference between the present continuous and the present perfect continuous. 

Does it sound hard? 

Well, I am sure that after the next newsletter, you will never get confused with it again.

To be continued...

Pronouns: a summary

By Jane Strauss

Definition:
A pronoun is a word that takes the place of a noun. Pronouns can be in one of three cases: Subject, Object, or Possessive.

Rule 1

Subject pronouns are used when the pronoun is the subject of the sentence. You can remember subject pronouns easily by filling in the blank subject space for a simple sentence.

Example:

 ______ did the job.

I, you, he, she, it, we, and they all fit into the blank and are, therefore, subject pronouns.

Rule 2

Subject pronouns are also used if they rename the subject. They follow to be verbs such as is,are, was, were, am, and will be.

Examples:

It is he.

This is she speaking.

It is we who are responsible for the decision to downsize.

NOTE: In spoken English, most people tend to follow to be verbs with object pronouns. Many English teachers support (or at least have given in to) this distinction between written and spoken English.

Example:

It could have been them.

Better:

It could have been they.

Example:

It is just me at the door.

Better:

It is just I at the door.

Rule 3

Object pronouns are used everywhere else (direct object, indirect object, object of the preposition). Object pronouns are me, you, him, her, it, us, and them.

Examples:

Jean talked to him.

Are you talking to me?

To be able to choose pronouns correctly, you must learn to identify clauses. A clause is a group of words containing a verb and subject.

Rule 4a

A strong clause can stand on its own.

Examples:

She is hungry.

I am feeling well today.

Rule 4b

A weak clause begins with words such as although, since, if, when, and because. Weak clauses cannot stand on their own.

Examples:

Although she is hungry...

If she is hungry...

Since I am feeling well...

Rule 4c

If a sentence contains more than one clause, isolate the clauses so that you can decide which pronoun is correct.

Examples:

Weak Strong

[Although she is hungry,] [she will give him some of her food.]

[Although this gift is for him,] [I would like you to have it too.]

Rule 5

To decide whether to use the subject or object pronoun after the words than or as, mentally complete the sentence.

Examples:

Tranh is as smart as she/her.

If we mentally complete the sentence, we would say, "Tranh is as smart as she is." Therefore,she is the correct answer.

Zoe is taller than I/me.

Mentally completing the sentence, we have, "Zoe is taller than I am."

Daniel would rather talk to her than I/me.

We can mentally complete this sentence in two ways: "Daniel would rather talk to her than to me." OR "Daniel would rather talk to her than I would." As you can see, the meaning will change depending on the pronoun you choose.

Rule 6

Possessive pronouns show ownership and never need apostrophes.

Possessive pronouns: mine, yours, his, hers, its, ours, theirs

NOTE: The only time it's has an apostrophe is when it is a contraction for it is or it has.

Examples:

It's a cold morning.

The thermometer reached its highest reading.

Rule 7

Reflexive pronouns - myself, himself, herself, itself, themselves, ourselves, yourself, yourselves- should be used only when they refer back to another word in the sentence.

Correct:

I worked myself to the bone.

Incorrect:

My brother and myself did it.

The word myself does not refer back to another word.

Correct:

My brother and I did it.

Incorrect:

Please give it to John or myself.

Correct:

Please give it to John or me.

Source: http://www.grammarbook.com/grammar/pronoun.asp

Teaching Pronunciation: Seven Essential Concepts

Teaching Pronunciation: Seven Essential Concepts

Empowering English Learners

Empowering the Language Learner: A Discussion with Diane Larsen-Freeman
THE NEW SCHOOL FOR GENERAL STUDIES


g

How to Communicate with a Non Native English Speaker

Steps

1. 1
   Speak clearly and pronounce your words correctly. Exaggerated pronunciations will not help your listener and may cause more confusion. However, you may find that it helps to pronounce some words as the non-native speaker does. This will be especially true if the proper pronunciation is very different from the non-native pronunciation.
   
   
2. 2
   Recognize that people wrongly think that turning up the volume somehow creates instant understanding. Avoid this common mistake (however, do not speak too quietly).
3. 3
   Do not cover or hide your mouth because listeners will want to watch you as you pronounce your words. This helps them figure out what you are saying in many cases.
4. 4
   Do not use baby talk or incorrect English. This does not make you easier to understand. It will confuse your listener and may give the wrong impression about your own level of competence.
5. 5
   Avoid running words together ( Do-ya wanna eat-a-pizza?). One of the biggest challenges for listeners is knowing where one word ends and the next one begins. Give them a small pause between words if they seem to be struggling.
6. 6
   When possible, opt for simple words instead of ones that are complex. The more basic a word is, the better the chance is that it will be understood. ("Big" is a better choice than "enormous" for example. "Make" is a better choice than "manufacture.") However, with a Romance language speaker (i.e. Spanish, French, Italian, Portuguese, Romanian), these 'complex' words can be useful as they are rooted in Latin.
7. 7
   Avoid verb phrases that sound very similar to non-native English speaker. "Look out" sounds very close to "look for." Both are similar to "look out for." Many times you can use another word in these cases. (Example: look out = be careful, look for = search for, look out for = watch for).
8. 8
   As much as possible, avoid using filler and colloquialisms ('um...', 'like...','Yeah, totally.') as non-native speakers, especially ones of lower proficiency levels, may get hung up on these thinking the filler language is vocabulary that they don't possess. Colloquialisms are likely to be unknown as well, especially if they are not easy to find in the dictionary.
9. 9
   If asked to repeat something, first repeat it as you said it the first time. Then again. It could be that they simply didn't hear you. If your listener still doesn't understand, however, change a few key words in the sentence. It may be that they couldn't understand one or two of the words. Also repeat the whole sentence and not just the last couple of words. It's time consuming, but it helps prevent confusion.
10. 10
    Consider the fact that your dialect may not be what the other person has learned in school. For example, most non-Americans expect the second t in the word "twenty" to be pronounced.
11. 11
    Paraphrase. if you happen to know a similar word to the word you are searching for then use it. As your knowledge of the foreign language builds this becomes even easier.
12. 12
    Avoid using contractions or short forms. Use long forms. “Can’t” is one word you must use the long form with. It is difficult for a non-native speaker to understand the difference between “can” and “can’t” in a sentence. For example, “I can’t take you on Friday” and “I can take you on Friday”. Use the long form, “cannot”. “I cannot take you on Friday”.
13. 13
    Decrease the use of words that fill your sentences. The idea is to remove the “noise” from your speech. Imagine trying to listen to the radio with two young children in the same room. They are playing and screaming. What is the result? "Family of...car...on vacation...in Arizona." If your oral communication is filled with "um", "like", "you know", or other fillers, comprehension is more difficult. “Right” is a word that commonly fills conversations. I prefer to use “Yes, that is correct”. A non-native speaker may not understand “right” and confuse it with its opposite, “left”.
14. 14
    Be explicit: Say “Yes” or “No”. Do not say: “Uh-huh” or “Uh-uh”. Those words are not in grammar books!
15. 15
    Listen and try not to form your response while the other person is talking. Wait until the person is done so that you can clarify if needed and give correct information based on all they have said.
16. 16
    Be aware that other cultures have different standards regarding touching, eye contact and personal space. Someone standing too close or not looking you in the eye is merely following their own cultural standard and not trying to offend.
17. 17
    Be patient and smile. The more relaxed you are, the more you are in control of your communication. Do not give a busy lifestyle or a meeting agenda permission to control your speech. Think as you speak and do not speak as you think.