Input x Ouput

" A challenge turns into a leisure

When you do it with pleasure"

Daniela Ono (An English Learner)

Há quatro habilidades importantes que todo estudante precisa treinar quando começa a aprender inglês: listening e reading ( input), speaking e writing ( output).

Todos os cursos de idiomas incluem em seus exercícios nos livros didáticos, oportunidades para que o aluno passe a treinar essas habilidades, afim de proporcionar ao aluno, o domínio da língua estrangeira e junto com o livro e as aulas, o estudante é orientado a exercitar o seu inglês não somente nas aulas ( input), mas principalmente a produzir trabalho: os famosos " homeworks" ( output). O único problema é que os coordenadores das escolas de idioma acabam se esquecendo que o entusiasmo inicial do aluno que começa o curso passa logo e com o entusiasmo passa também o interesse que os alunos possuíam para pesquisar e continuar fazendo seus homeworks para reforçar o que aprenderam.

Como esse processo é natural, os estudantes começam a depender exclusivamente das aulas e da presença do professor em sala, para obter o seu avanço nos estudos. E com essa dependência cria-se um vício de ensino, onde o único estímulo do aluno é aguardar passivamente instruções ( input), ao invés de colocar em prática, aquilo que aprendeu ( output).

Consequentemente, com o acúmulo de " inputs", a compreensão do estudante aumenta, dando-lhe a impressão de avanço no idioma:

- Nossa, já consigo entender e ler! - diz o aluno entusiasmado.

Contudo, assim que ele tenta falar ou escrever, ele descobre que há algum tipo de bloqueio:

- Como assim? Eu consigo entender, mas não consigo falar nem escrever direito. O que houve?

Ora, se nos últimos meses ( em alguns casos, anos), o aluno só recebeu input, como ele espera produzir output?

Sim, é simples assim.

Se nos últimos tempos, você só leu livros e assistiu filmes em inglês, essas habilidades ( reading and listening) estão bem treinadas, e como todo treino, essas práticas estão cada vez mais naturais e expontâneas. Porém, se pudéssemos aprender inglês somente lendo e ouvindo, os cursos de inglês não precisariam gastar tanto tempo, tentando te ensinar as outras duas habilidades ( speaking and writing), isn't it?

Sabendo isso, o que você pretende fazer para aumentar o seu output?

Alguns vão querer largar os livros e filmes, e tentar obter uma enxurrada de output ( viajar para outros países, ter dez aulas de conversação por semana, escrever um livro e por aí vai...); outros dirão que não tem tempo, que precisam aprender mais vocabulário e so on e tal!

Se vocês querem um conselho ( e se ainda estão lendo até aqui, deve ser porque esperam instruções) o que posso indicar é justamente isso: parem de depender tão passivamente de seus professores e comecem a buscar qualquer output que lhe interessem. No começo é mesmo confuso, mas com a devida instrução sobre como começar ( para isso, serve o seu " teacher"), o que parece desafio começa a se transformar em prazer.

Continuem com os seus livros e filmes, mas não só isso! Transforme essas atividades de input em output, fazendo notas em inglês do que vocês estão lendo ou assistindo; colecionando novas expressões, ou seja, have fun!!!

Lembre-se: a diferença entre um estudante e um learner não é apenas duas preposições: in e out! E sim, a junção das duas: " information coming in and communication getting out". Daí, a importância de saber se você apenas consome informação ( passive consummer) ou também produz comunicação ( active learner).

Frank Oliveira

Some Fun Ways to Practice Reading English

Even if you do not live in a country where English is a primary language, you can take advantage of many opportunities to practice reading in English. As you progress with your studies, you will come to appreciate the richness and variety of styles that individuals will use to express themselves. As with your own language, you are likely to find that you will prefer the way one author writes over others. By taking advantage of a wide variety of sources, you will also gain some insight into the boundaries that define expression of thoughts and concepts.

Reading Classic Books Online

If you have never had a chance to read the works of Dickens, Poe, or other classical English writers, you can find some of their works for free online. Among other things, you can download entire novels from Project Gutenberg. You may also want to browse the internet and look for critical reviews of classical materials. This will help give you some insight into the materials you have just read, and also provide an opportunity to see if others interpret the materials in the same way.

Purchasing Books on Topics of Interest

If you are not interested in classical literature, perhaps it does not make much sense to force yourself to read these materials. Fortunately, there are millions of books written in English. As an example, if you enjoy water color painting, you may want to purchase a book about it written in English. In many cases, you will be able to locate and purchase books for just a few cents per book.

Subscribe to Internet Newsletters

Chances are, if there is a hobby you are interested in, there are authors writing newsletters about it in English. If you search the web, it should be fairly easy to locate websites that sponsor free newsletters. These newsletters are ideal, in part because they provide you with fresh and contemporary reading materials. In addition, because they are about a topic that you already know something about, you will be able to appreciate the information that is shared, as well as practice your reading skills.

Read News Articles in English

Unlike years ago, you can have access to news in English whenever you want. If you are interested in particular area of the world, you may even want to dedicate your reading time to those sections of the news. In most cases, you can find free news resources on the internet. These may also be an excellent place for you to find the names of other websites that have additional information that you might be interested in.

Over the years, the internet has created a tremendous amount of access to materials written in English. If you want to have fun and improve your reading skills at the same time, these can provide you with hours of interesting materials to practice on. In the process, you may even uncover new information about a hobby, or meet people from around the world that share your interests.

http://www.1-language.com

English Language Practice Activities

There are many fun ways for a student of the English language to practice and improve their English speaking, reading, and writing abilities. One of the best ways is through the use of English language practice activities. This kind of practice keeps students motivated by making studying enjoyable while also learning new words. This is an invaluable way to learn how to use English.

English Object Words

This is a fun English language game for students to enjoy while traveling on a bus or on a train or even in a car. It can also be played walking through a building or looking around a room with lots of things in it. The basic premise of the game is for two or more English language students to take turns pointing to objects and saying the English word that corresponds to the object. This easy game can also be played by one student or a combination of students and native English speakers. The game is can be fun to play with the right people.

English Interview

This is a fun way to practice and prepare for an English language job interview for a position at a company. The basic concept is for a student to pretend to have a job interview in English with a native English speaker who plays the role of an interviewer at a company. It is good to choose a native English speaker with a business background when possible. The student should either invent a job that they would like to have or prepare for a job interview they already have scheduled. Have the native English speaker prepare a list of interview questions or find a list of common interview questions online using a search engine. If possible, dress appropriately and practice the meeting in a location similar to the company where the student would be interviewing. The interviewer and the student being interviewed should both try to act as serious as an actual interview with a company would possibly be.

English Question and Answer

This is a fun and spontaneous English language practice activity that can improve a student’s language ability through both asking and answering questions. Two or more English language students or a combination of a native English speaker and one or more students can be a good way to start. The basic concept of the practice activity is for one person to ask questions about objects that can be seen in the surrounding location. For instance, a question about an orange could be “What shape is that orange?” or “What is that called?” This kind of English language practice can be a lot of fun and it is using spoken English in a practical situation. For additional fun, try using some simile when describing the objects in the room. This will make for a more creative English language practice. For instance, the answer about the shape of the orange could be “It is round, like a baseball.”

These are some fun ways to practice English with other students and native English speakers.

Source: http://www.1-language.com

Literary Choices for Students of English as a Second Language

Once you’ve achieved a basic mastery of the English language and have a good understanding of English vocabulary, the world of books and literature will open up to you. There are many good choices in the realm of English literature for you as a newly-minted speaker.

One of the best places to start is with the works of Ernest Hemingway. He is not only noted for his use of simple words, but his mastery of the English language is one of the best of all time. It would be hard to make a bad choice among his collected works, but a favorite of many new English students is The Old Man and the Sea.

In this book the characters are portrayed simply, and the language becomes a tool for that portrayal. The levels of characterization are complex, but that is never reflected in complex grammatical structures. Hemingway’s mastery is in the way that his simple terms and simple sentence structure become complex images. For example, to describe a fish as it is pulled from the sea, Hemingway wrote, “The fish came out of the water endlessly.” Immediately the reader knows, and knows deeply, that this is a big fish. But the word choices are uncomplicated and easy for a reader to grasp while retaining the great beauty of his prose.

Another good choice for the new English reader are the James Herriot books, known collectively as All Creatures Great and Small. Their portrayal of the veterinary practice of a mid-twentieth century veterinarian in the Yorkshire countryside is an easy read, but one that speaks to anyone who grew up on a farm – regardless of where that farm was.

Where the Red Fern Grows is another fine choice for the new English reader. Not only is it an interesting story, but it’s written in simple language that isn’t hard to decipher. The novel centers around a boy and his dogs, another theme that many new readers can relate to. In keeping with the dog theme, there’s also Travels With Charley by John Steinbeck, another American master of 20th century literature. Like Hemingway, his evocative style isn’t diminished by his simple vocabulary choices.

There is another book by Steinbeck that should be mentioned – his telling of the Arthurian legend, published under the title The Acts of King Arthur and His Noble Knights. Steinbeck was impressed by this book when he was a young boy, and as he grew as both a man and a writer, he became concerned that these stories were becoming less and less accessible to the common man. He wanted to change that with the writing of this book, which features simple, easy to read text and rich descriptions.

But, of course, no list of great English literature would be complete without a mention of Harper Lee’s classic To Kill a Mockingbird. The serious subject matter of racial injustice is set off with humor and a tight storyline – all written in simple, understandable language. In fact, it has been said that Lee is more of a storyteller than novelist, and this novel gives an enjoyable introduction to a very dark time in American history.

Of course, these books are only the tip of the iceberg of great English literature, and many deserving works have been left out of this list. But hopefully, this will give you a good introduction to finding great literature. In addition, every community has an expert that will be glad to help you – you’ll find these wonderful and helpful experts behind the desk of any library.

Easy Ways to Practice Time frames in English

Unlike many other languages, there is not always an exact pattern to the way English is spoken and written. As an example, in Spanish, and many other languages, the suffixes added to verbs routinely denote tense and who is being discussed or addressed. When it comes to English, these indicators are not standard, and can be attached to almost any word in a sentence. There are still a number of things you can do to improve and speed up your comprehension of the English language.

Break Big Words Into Syllables

In many cases, if you break a word down into syllables, you can quickly unmask any prefixes and suffixes. As an example, the word “predetermine” breaks down into “pre” “de” “ter” “mine”. As you can see, “pre” is immediately isolated. From there, if you put the remaining three syllables back together, you have “determine”.

Interestingly enough, if you practice verbally breaking words down into syllables, you will soon notice that each syllable represents a fairly large change in either your tongue or mouth shape. If you do not have a dictionary on hand, this may help you to break down words more easily than using visual methods.

Experiment With Existing Sentences

One of the best ways to navigate Time frames in English is to change sentences so that they refer, by turns, to past, present, or future events. As an example, if you have a sentence “I went to the store”, you can change it to suit a different time frame. In this case, the present tense might read “I am at the store”, and the future tense can be written as “I am going to the store”. Each time you change the sentence, it is also important to stop and think about the activity in its proper time frame. This will help you connect the words and meanings into your everyday experiences.

Have a List of Alternative Phrases on Hand

In some cases, you may understand the meaning of a sentence, but not know how to respond using a specific set of words. If you know some of the basic rules that apply to verb tenses and pluralization, you can keep a list of words or phrases on hand that follow them. As you come across sentences that you suspect do not follow the basic rules, you can use some of the ones that do in order to compose your response. As you continue to learn English, you will soon remember these words, as well as how to respond to them.

Even though English has far fewer phonemes than many other languages, it is considered one of the most difficult languages to learn. English has many words that have their origin in other languages. In some cases, these languages are derived from language groups spanning entire continents. As a result, the syntax rules for English are very fractured and difficult to follow. That said, if you can learn English, you may find it much easier to learn other many diverse European languages.

Source: http://www.1-language.com

O Que Vale Mais: Aprender Mil Palavras ou Uma Frase?

Pode parecer " chover no molhado", mas quem tem aula comigo vive ouvindo a palavra " self-study" o tempo inteiro e se insisto nisso é que não há outra maneira de aprender inglês, se o processo não contar com você, meu caro learner!

Por essa razão, quando eu entrego a minha avaliação para um aluno, ele nunca ganha um 10. Se ele for mesmo esforçado e tiver ido bem, ele receberá um "A", mas esse A não é o mesmo A que recebemos em nossos exames convencionais, seguindo aquela tradicional sequência de B,C, D; not at all!!! Esse A representa " Active Producer", ou seja, esse aluno não é mais apenas um estudante dependente apenas dos ensinos de um professor, ele também estuda por conta própria e produz aprendizado.

Agora, se ele for mal na avaliação, provavelmente ficará surpreso quando receber um " P" na sua prova:

- Teacher, fui tão mal assim?- ele dirá- Já recebi vários Ds e até Es na vida, mas receber um P? É fim de carreira, né não?

Nada disso! Um aluno " P" é apenas mais um Passive Consumer, alguém que segue passivamente consumindo tudo o que lhe ensinam nas aulas, com a esperança que se obter muita informação, seu canarinho inglês vai poder fazer summer e ele acordará, um dia, como se por um encanto, falando inglês fluentemente. Ora, do que vale mil palavras, se o sujeito não conseguir montar nem uma frase?

Um Active Learner já aprendeu que basta aprender uma frase, para fazer outras mil sentenças. Ao estudar as estruturas de uma frase dentro da sala de aula e pesquisar, por conta própria, outros elementos que possam modificar essa frase, um Active Learner passa a aumentar gradativamente o controle do seu estudo, e com esse controle, surge a confiança de estar finalmente aprendendo; e com essa confiança, logo na sequência, surge o poder da comunicação ativa que somente quem estuda a língua para valer consegue obter, ou seja, a tão esperada fluência!

Professor Frank

If you can't master English, try Globish

By Mary Blume

It happens all the time: during an airport delay the man to the left, a Korean perhaps, starts talking to the man opposite, who might be Colombian, and soon they are chatting away in what seems to be English. But the native English speaker sitting between them cannot understand a word.

They don't know it, but the Korean and the Colombian are speaking Globish, the latest addition to the 6,800 languages that are said to be spoken across the world. Not that its inventor, Jean-Paul Nerrière, considers it a proper language.

"It is not a language, it is a tool," he says. "A language is the vehicle of a culture. Globish doesn't want to be that at all. It is a means of communication."

Nerrière doesn't see Globish in the same light as utopian efforts such as Kosmos, Volapuk, Novial or staunch Esperanto. Nor should it be confused with barbaric Algol (for Algorithmic language). It is a sort of English lite: a means of simplifying the language and giving it rules so it can be understood by all.

"The language spoken worldwide, by 88 percent of mankind, is not exactly English," Nerrière says. "I don't think people who think this gives them an edge are right because it's not useful if they cannot be understood by English speakers." His primer, Parlez Globish, is an attempt to codify worldspeak and since its publication by Eyrolles in Paris last year, he says, his Web site www.jpn-globish.com has had almost 36,000 hits.

A retired IBM marketing executive, Nerrière speaks excellent English but switches to Globish if he is not getting through. "I look at their faces. Lack of understanding is very easy to decipher."

The main principles of Globish are a vocabulary of only 1,500 words in English (the OED lists 615,000), gestures and repetition. Grammar will be dealt with in the next volume, "Découvrez le Globish," due next month.

The Web site also includes song lyrics because Nerrière reckons this is an excellent way to learn words, even if they are not on the Globish 1,500. "Strangers in the Night" is one choice, but what is the student to do when Sinatra goes "scoobie-doobie-do"?

"Doesn't matter," Nerrière replies buoyantly. "I saw 'A Chorus Line' three or four times on Broadway and I know all the songs by heart. I never understood the line 'If Troy Donahue can be a movie star you can be a movie star,' but I managed to reproduce it well enough in a way it could be understood."

The point, he says, is to reach the threshold of understanding. But neither threshold nor understanding is on the 1,500-word list. "In Globish it would be the target, the goal, the objective. I use three words to reach the point where you would be understood everywhere."

The list goes from "able" to "zero." Niece and nephew, for example, are not included, "but you can replace them with the children of my brother," Nerrière says. He feels he erred in putting in both beauty and beautiful and in including "much" and "many" but not "lot."

"Much is for ideas, many is for things you can count. A lot works for both cases, the others require a little more understanding."

The seeds for Globish came about in the 1980s when Nerrière was working for IBM in Paris with colleagues of about 40 nationalities. At a meeting where they were to be addressed by two Americans whose flight had been delayed, they started exchanging shoptalk in what Nerrière calls "une certaine forme d'anglais perverti." Then the Americans arrived and beyond their opening phrases, "Call me Jim," "Call me Bill," no one understood a word. And Jim and Bill, needless to say, did not understand perverted English.

One might say that, except for Jim and Bill of course, everyone was speaking Globish though they didn't know it. "They all, like me, spoke low-quality English, not really Globish. One might have a vocabulary of 2,000 words, another of 1,200 and not the same words. One of the things of interest in Globish is that with 1,500 words you can express everything. People all over the world will speak with the same limited vocabulary."

With many corporations imposing English as the lingua franca wherever their base, Nerrière sees a great future for Globish, which he has trademarked. Learning it by computer and practicing it by free-access telephone will make things even easier. And there is a new law in France that gives employees the right to 20 hours per year of instruction in a given subject.

"The idea is to increase their employability by teaching them skills unrelated to their present employment. For me, the odds of someone asking for a course in macramé are very small and the odds of asking for a course in Maltese are also small. Why not Globish? If it could be of use in this small grocery shop where I work maybe it will help me in the big hotel where I hope to be."

There is an other advantage, he argues. "At 20 hours a year you need 24 years to learn English with no result whatsoever since it would be spread too thin for the learner to remember what had been said two weeks earlier. With Globish you not only have free telephone access via the Internet but you could get cheap lessons in places like India where people speak good English and wages are low."

Nerrière reckons that with 182 hours plus learning "Strangers in the Night," the student should be able to communicate in Globish. It is not a pretty language - full of redundancies and lumpy constructions - but Nerrière repeats that it is nothing but a tool when proper English is not understood. "It is not the language of Hamlet, Faulkner or Virginia Woolf," he explains.

But the worst thing for the French about this international language is that it isn't French. Nerrière argues rather subtly that if people learned Globish, the French language would remain unsullied because franglais would die out.

"It would end this crazy French terror about English and francophonie. The French say you are killing the French language and I say, no, we are saving it from being killed by English."

There is one possible hiccup in this scheme. The fluent Globish speaker will not be understood by native English speakers. No problem: Nerrière already is preparing a Globish version in English in addition to the Italian and Spanish editions, which will be out shortly. So he is not only protecting French from invasion but he is getting Americans to become, so to speak, bilingual.

"Absolutely!" Nerrière says triumphantly. "This is the way to get Americans to learn another language."

Source: http://www.nytimes.com