Teaching "Used to" to ESL Students

by: Keith Taylor

Here's a way to introduce the structure "used to" to your ESL students.

1 Find or draw on the board a picture of someone who looks like they could have just won some money. A photo from a magazine of someone driving an expensive car, or sitting in a luxurious room, for example, would work well. Give the person a name, and set the scene for your students of someone who has just won the lottery, or elicit it from them ("Why is Jane driving an expensive car?"; "How did she afford her expensive clothes?" etc.)

2 Ask students about Jane's life after winning the lottery. Depending on the imagination of your students, you might have to prompt them a little ("Where does she live?"; "Does she have a job?"; "Is she happy?"; "Where does she go on holiday?" etc.) Then ask students to describe how Jane's life was different before winning the lottery ("Where did she live?"; "Was she happy?"; "What was her job?") After you have built up some facts about Jane's life before and after her lottery win, put your picture to one side and tell them to remember Jane because you will be returning to her later in the class.

3 Next, as a group, brainstorm important inventions in history. Take one suggestion (it doesn't matter which one, as this is just an example to model the exercise which will follow). Elicit what life was like before this invention, and how life changed with the invention. For example: "The internet. Before the internet, most people wrote letters, but now most people send emails."

4 Now put students into pairs and have them think of three more important inventions, what life was like before the invention and how life has changed with it. When they have done this, have each pair share one of their ideas with the class, but this time introduce "used to" by rephrasing their ideas as they give feedback. For example:

Student: "The aeroplane. Before the aeroplane, people travelled long distances by ship. Now they fly."

Teacher: "Good! So, people used to travel long distances by ship, but now they fly."

5 After the first round of feedback, students will be starting to catch on, so now do a second round, asking students to use the new structure with their second invention. They will probably still need some prompting, but by the third round of feedback, using their third invention, they should be producing "used to" without too much help.

6 Use one or two of the students' ideas to highlight the written form of the structure on the board. Don't forget the question and negative forms!

7 Now it's time to go back to your picture of Jane. Ask the students if they remember Jane and why she is driving her expensive car. Then ask them once again to tell you about her life before and after winning the lottery, this time using "used to". ("She used to live in a small flat, but now she has a mansion"; "She used to work, but now she doesn't"). Be sure to give students plenty of practice with the question and negative forms as well. You could have one student ask another a question about Jane's old life, and ask some questions yourself that require a negative response.

8 For further controlled communicative practice of "used to", you could devise a questionnaire about students' childhood for students to use in pairs. This could contain some prompts, such as "go to school"; "live". One student in each pair must then form a question ("Where did you use to live?") and the other must answer ("I used to live in Paris").

And there you have it, an easy way to introduce "used to" to your ESL students.

About The Author
Keith Taylor is the founder of http://www.eslbase.com/ providing resources, information and advice for TEFL teachers, as well as a directory of TEFL courses and current TEFL jobs worldwide. He also maintains the eslbase language exchange, http://www.eslbase.com/language-exchange/, an easy way to practise English or any language online.

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Teaching ESL to Children

by: George Stocker

Teaching ESL to children is challenging but also very rewarding. Before I walk into a class of 10-year olds, I take a deep breath. Children have no attention span AT ALL, and so I tell myself to slow right down before I start. Teaching children requires patience and a sense of fun and playfulness. Even though it seems obvious, a common mistake is to think that children are simply 'short adults!' This is sure to get you off on the wrong foot!

Here are some tips for teaching ESL to children:

1. Involve Children in an hands-on Activities. Children's minds are incredibly open and they learn by absorbing ideas and concepts directly. Children need to be actively involved. Get students up and out of their chairs and moving around. Sing songs, and play games.

2. Avoid talking for long periods of time. I find that the energy level of the classroom drops lower and lower. Explain an activity quickly and then go to it. Keep the energy moving! If your planned activity is a flop, move on. Keep a few extra activities handy for this purpose. Children need lots of stimulation all the time.

3. Children learn by interacting with each other and with the teacher. Try to talk to each child individually each class. Whenever possible, have children working in groups and in pairs.

4. Review, Review, Review. New information is absorbed and has meaning when it is related to information students have already learned. Quickly review new concepts at the beginning of each class.

5. Encourage students to correct themselves and other students. Self correction or self-regulation is an important part of learning. Students should be encouraged to ask, "How am I doing?" and "Am I doing this right?" in an open and non-judgmental environment. Children raised in authoritative cultures may need additional re-inforcement.

6. Use what is learned in different contexts. The more contexts used the better, and the more concrete and 'real life' the contexts the better. Make it real for students by talking about them and their lives.

7. Praise, Praise, Praise. Encourage and build students up in a natural way. Learning occurs when students are motivated and feel good about themselves.

Looking back on my years of teaching, the children's classes took a bit of getting used to, but were the most memorable and fun!

About The Author
George and Daisy Stocker have traveled the world teaching ESL to children and adults. Their website, ESL for Children offers ESL curriculum, including textbooks and Storybooks for children age 7 - 12. Their adult ESL site, ESL offers ESL activites and curriculum for adults.
efl-esl.com
brian@efl-esl.com

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ESL Role Play

by: George Stocker

Learning a language is a complex and long process as anyone who has tried will agree. One of the most difficult and frustrating things is making the transition from the classroom to the 'real' world. In the classroom, everyone knows you are a student and mistakes are allowed, and the environment is contained and safe. Speaking another language outside the classroom is completely different and often students are lost at sea as soon as they step outside the door. Lists of memorized vocabulary are suddenly useless when ordering in a restaurant.

Role-plays, or simulations are one of the ways ESL instructors can ease students' transition into using English in real world situations. A simulation is where students act out a real-life situation, for example checking into at a hotel, but do not act out a different personality. Role-plays are where students take on different personalities. In a role-play, for example, one student may be asked to take on the role of "an angry neighbor" which is out of character for the student. Role-plays require more imagination by students and teacher and can be difficult to manage because they are unpredictable. The initial scenario develops from the students intenerating with each other and can literally go in any direction. This gives students practice in a non-threatening environment, and gives the motivation and involvement where they have to think in English. Role-plays are interesting, memorable and engaging, and students retain the material they have learned. In their assumed role, students drop their shyness and other personality and cultural inhibitions, making them one of the best tools available for teaching a second language.

Here are a few pointers and suggestions to assist ESL teachers using and managing role-plays:

- The more engaging the better. The value of role-plays come from students immersing themselves in the material.

- Choose a 'hot' topic and stage a debate. Assign students positions on the topic (for/against). This will get students out of their personality and into the role where they do not have the same inhibitions.

- Preparation is very important to success. Give students 'personality cards' which sketch out their personal characteristics or scenario. Divide students into groups and give them time to sketch out various scenarios, and go over extra or special vocabulary ask them to discuss how they will act, think about the character and plan what they will say. For example, what are possible responses/replies for the angry neighbor?

- The teacher, as facilitator of the role-play must support students in their role, i.e. they 'are' in the backyard arguing over the fence. Don't do anything to interrupt the pretend environment. Leave grammar correction to the end. Correcting students in the middle of an argument interrupts the pretend environment. Make notes and do a debriefing after.

- Exaggeration is good! Encourage students to exaggerate their actions, opinions and movements. Exaggeration helps students immerse themselves in the role.

- Stage a rehearsal first. Have students practice their role in small groups with coaching from the other students.

- While the role-play or debate is in progress, have other students suggest vocabulary first, and act as backup if they do not know.

Role-plays are unpredictable which makes them both a valuable learning tool and at the same time difficult to manage. Sketch out the various routes the role-play can take from the initial scenario. This will give you some idea what to expect and avoid any surprises.

Suggested topics for role-plays:

Lovers problems (He has to move away to get a new and better job)

Spending money (Government, United Nations etc. spending money, who gets what)
Traveling (where would you go? what would you do?)

Debates on current affairs/politics. Extreme opinions or opinions at the opposite ends of the spectrum work well (i.e. left wing/right wing etc.)

Role-plays can range from 30 minutes or one hour to a year-long corporate simulation for business English. Staging role-plays can be challenging for an instructor, but is also great fun. After you have done a few, you will know what to expect and feel more confident. My experience is students love them retain what they learn, and often leave the classroom laughing and still arguing all the way out of the building!

About The Author
George and Daisy Stocker have travelled the world teaching ESL to children and adults. Their website, http://www.efl-esl.com/ offers ESL curriculum, activities, an online forum for ESL teachers and students, free newsletter for ESL teachers and more!

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English Pronunciation For The ESL Learner

by: Lynn Bo

What is an accent? An accent is the carryover of sounds from the speaker’s original language to the second language. When we are infants we literally have the ability to speak any language in the world. We are all born with the necessary speech mechanisms and the capability to learn any language. We end up speaking the language that we do solely by reinforcement. The sounds a baby hears and the speech patterns he is exposed to are the ones that she develops. Soon the baby gains the fine motor skill and control she needs to create sounds herself. The infant will begin by babbling and playing with sounds. Soon she is able to produce simple vowel/consonant combinations which maybe why mama and dada are often their first words, they can make the combination and the big reaction it elicits reinforces their efforts. By 18 months she will be able to produce about 20 words that have meaning and understand around 50 words. Now babies of course have the ultimate immersion experience. In order to obtain any control over their environment they must learn the language and they are surrounded by the language almost 24 hours a day.

Of course the second language learner does not have these advantages. Even if you are now living in an English speaking country, and attending classes to learn English you will still have opportunity to speak and hear your first language with friends and family, this is especially true in America a county of immigrants where finding a community of people with the same language background is possible.

Another challenge is the expectation factor. For many years you have heard a speech pattern and there is an expectation of what you will hear when others speak. You are predicting what sounds will come next based on your subconscious knowledge of language. I call this listening with an accent. It is necessary to break through this barrier, to really hear how others are speaking, to actively listen.

To listen is to learn, and I don’t mean that in an existential way. I really mean that if you can’t hear the way the sounds are produced you cannot learn how to produce the sound. Maybe that is why ETS added speaking and listening sections to the TOEFL. The two skills are so closely linked.

Once you can hear the sounds you must add them to your own phonetic library. This means that you have in your mind the knowledge and understanding of how to produce every sound or phoneme in you original language. Now you must add on some sounds that are in the American sound system that is not in your original language sounds system. Record your self reading a brief paragraph. Only 2-3 sentences in English. Then listen to the recording. Write down exactly what you hear on the recording. Not what you meant to say but what you really did say. How is it different from what was written? Did you say th, when it was written or did you say d? I would suggest sticking with the consonants at first because the differences are easier to pinpoint.

If you would like to get help in improving your pronunciation it would be best to go to a speech therapist rather than an ESL teacher. Speech therapists are trained in physiology of the speech mechanisms and musculature. They understand what is involved in producing each sound and are trained to identify and work with articulation problems. Though an accent is not the same as an articulation problem they have similar characteristics. When a client has difficulty articulating specific sounds the speech therapist can hear and see what they are doing differently and describe and show how to do it correctly. When a client has an accent the speech therapist can see what the person is doing differently and show and describe how to make the sound so it more closely approximates the standard.

The most important advice I can give you is to keep practicing. At first it may feel like you are exaggerating when you “speak with an American accent” but I am sure that the native American speakers around you will not even notice. They will merely be impressed with your great diction!

About The Author
Lynn Bo is a speech therapist and an expert in the field of accent reduction who posses advanced training in accent reduction and phonology. She is also the founder of http://www.accentmaster.com/ a line of accent reduction software programs. She can be reached at Lynn@AccentMaster.com.

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ESL Activities With Little Preparation

by: Keith Taylor

How often do you find yourself preparing a class, racking your brain for something different, a new activity to liven up a group of tired students, or just to bring something fresh to the classroom? If you are like most teachers, thinking of something new and exciting every day is not easy, and often we simply don't have the time (or energy!) So we revert to our tried and tested (and sometimes a little worn) ideas, or to following page after page of a textbook.

Well, it doesn't have to be that difficult. A lot of ideas can be adapted to many different language points, giving you something that can be used again and again. If the activity has a clear focus, motivation (students need to know why they are doing something - adding an element of competition to an activity is one way to achieve this) and, of course, clear instructions, then you're on to a winner.

There are many good resource books available with hundreds of quick and easy activities requiring little or no preparation. Have a hunt around your school's resources for books such as "Five Minute Activities" by Penny Ur and Andrew Wright, or "Keep Talking" by Friederike Kippel. Don't forget that your fellow teachers are good resources too - use them!

Here are a few ideas to get you started:

1. You may know "Backs to the Board", where a representative from each of two teams faces away from the board, while his/her teammates try to explain the word that you have written on the board to him/her, without saying the word or any variations of it. Well, why not extend this to whole sentences? The teams have a minute to explain the sentence to their teammate, without using any of the words, or spelling them, or using gestures. You can adapt this to any tense or structure that you want to practise.
2. Sentence reduction: Write a long sentence or a short paragraph on the board, rich in vocabulary. In teams, students take it in turns to erase either one, two or three consecutive words. The sentence must still make sense, gramatically, afterwards. If it doesn't, replace the words and move to the next team. Carry on until no further reduction is possible (your students will be amazed at how short the sentence can become, while retaining its grammatical sense!) The winning team is the one who removes the most words. (Variation: Do the opposite - start with one word and have students replace it with two or three, expanding the sentence.)
3. For spelling and vocabulary practice, try this: Start with one letter on the board, say "S". The first student then thinks of a word beginning with "S" and adds the next letter, for example "ST". The next student then thinks of a word starting with "ST" and adds another letter, and so on. If someone in the group thinks there is no such word, he can challenge the writer to name his/her word. If there is no such word, the writer is out, but if he/she was thinking of a real word, then the challenger is out. The winner is the last student remaining.
4. If your students are imaginative, give each group four or five pictures cut out from magazines, and get them to create a picture story - you can keep the context very open, or have them focus on a particular tense or function. If you want to focus on oral communication, don't let them write their story down! If you also want to evaluate their writing, have them write it down as they go along. When they've finished, have each group tell their story to the rest of the class.
5. As a "Getting to know you" exercise, ask students to write three things which are true about themselves, and two which are not true (but believable). Students take turns to read their sentences to the rest of the group, who must discuss, and ask questions to the reader, and try to find out which of his/her sentences are true. A good ice-breaker is to do this yourself first so that they get the idea - write the five things about you on the board. (Variation: Write five one-word facts about yourself on the board, for example "32", "Liverpool", "Three", "Bloggs", and have students, in pairs, try to guess the questions which will give them these answers.)
6. Another one for imaginative students: Dictate the first line of a different story to each of several groups. They have a few minutes to continue the story, and then pass their piece of paper to the next group, who read the story so far and add the next part. Carry on until the stories reach their original groups, who then conclude and read out the stories. To focus on a particular language point or item of vocabulary, you can do this orally as a chain story: Give the first sentence, then have the first student continue the story. They must at some point use the tense, or structure, or word (allocated beforehand), that you want to work on. Carry on until all the students have contributed.
7. For some energetic writing practice, divide the board into three columns, and give each column a header with three structures that you want to practise (for example "first, second, third conditional", "yes/no questions, indirect questions, tag questions", "present perfect simple, present perfect continuous, past simple"). Split students into pairs. One from each pair is the writer, the other is the runner. Give each pair many small slips of paper and some blu-tac, and tell them that they must construct as many gramatically correct sentences as they can, in each of the three categories, and stick them on the board (with their initials to identify them). Set a five or ten minute time limit. The writer writes a sentence, then the runner takes the slip of paper and sticks it on the board. Shout "CHANGE" every so often for them to swap roles. At the end, have all the pairs look at the sentences and evaluate them. If they find an incorrect one, they tell you, and that sentence is not counted towards that pair's score. (Variation: You can make this activity more difficult by saying that each sentence must contain a minimum of 10 words, for example.)
8. Another favourite is to give each student a secret famous identity, which they stick to their back or forehead. They go around the class, asking yes/no questions to establish their identity. You could make sure they practise the past simple by making all the famous people dead ("Did I live in the USA?"), or present perfect, by making them alive (Have I acted in many films?), or future, by imagining that these famous people have not yet been born (Will I be an actor?).
9. Stand students up, and shout out two opposing ideas, or people, or concepts, or adjectives, or places. For exanple, "beach or mountains", "Spielberg or Hitchcock", "red or blue", "Playstation or Nintendo" depending on the age/interests of your students. Point to one side of the room for one idea, the other side for the other. Students move to the side of the room they choose - pick a few students each time to explain the reasons for their choices. If you like, you can let it develop into a debate between the two groups.
10. Do a "grammar auction" or "gap fill auction" with mistakes that students have made (and that you've made a note of) or with a language area that you want to work on. Split students into teams, and allocate each team $100, or 10,000 yen or any amount you like. If you can photcopy some real money, so much the better. For the grammar auction, give each team a worksheet with 10 (or more) sentences (based on the mistakes they've made or the language area you're working on). Some should be grammatically correct, others incorrect. Give teams some time to discuss whether they think the sentences are correct or not, and then have them gamble on that decision for each sentence. Then give them the answer - if their decision was right, they double the amount they gambled - if not, they lose their stake. For the gap fill, give them 10 or more gap fill sentences (again based on the area you're practising or their mistakes) and this time they choose the correct word to go in the gap and gamble on it.

You can find variations on these activities, and many, many others in the books mentioned at the beginning of this article, among others. Try one of them today for something different in your ESL classes!

About The Author
Keith Taylor is the founder of eslbase, http://www.eslbase.com/, with TEFL jobs and TEFL courses worldwide, as well as information, advice and resources for teachers. He also runs the eslbase language exchange, http://www.eslbase.com/language-exchange/, an easy way to practise any language online.

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Studying A Foreign Language Online

Author: mgavr68

Studying a (new) foreign language is a time consuming process and with the fast paced lives we're living in today, time is not a commodity we can often spare. A lot more popular in the past, local language centers are losing more and more students due to the sheer waste of time it takes to go to and come from the actual center as well as the preset hours in which the courses take place. Fortunately, the Internet has an alternative to this that can save you a lot of time and will allow you to study the language of choice whenever you want and how much you want.

Free online language courses

Free online language courses can be found on hundreds if not thousands of sites that deal with foreign language teaching and their quality may vary from extremely poor to high quality ones. It's up to you to see how these language courses fare, but then again there's no harm in trying more than one, since, after all, they're free.

Online educational games

Online educational games can also be found in abundance and their main advantage over other language learning methods is that they provide a relaxing, fun study environment which in most cases will be more efficient. The downside is that a learning process based on online educational games will take much more time than with conventional methods, but, as stated earlier, the information you get through games will stay in your memory longer and it will be easier to access and use.

Media and foreign websites

Over the last few years, the Internet has become a great platform for all sorts of media elements and you will need to use this to your advantage when studying for your new foreign language. For example, streaming or downloading audio or video files in the particular tongue you're studying can be extremely helpful in building your vocabulary as well as getting used to the pronunciation of words and characters.

Similarly, reading through websites written in the foreign language you're studying (assuming you already have a basic ground to work upon, otherwise you won't be able to understand what you're reading) is also a good method of assimilating vocabulary, spelling and grammar rules.

Video conference lessons

Although this is a newer concept to the language learning world, live Internet video teaching is becoming more and more popular. Studying with a teacher that's miles away, through your Internet connection is quite a new milestone in the above-mentioned field. Although video conference lessons might be a bit costly, they do allow you to benefit from the same advantages that a local language center would offer you, but you will able to benefit them from the safety of your home and from the comfort of your favorite chair.

As you can see, the Internet offers a great variety of language learning methods, but it's up to you to choose which ones will suit you best and which ones you have the time/money for. Check out a few sites offering online language learning services and only take a decision after a solid think-out.

About the Author

Increase your foreign language vocabulary at http://www.InternetPolyglot.com by playing online games and become a true polyglot. The site contains thousands of lessons in different languages from English, Spanish, French, Russian to Hindi, Turkish, Ukrainian and many others.

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3 Ways To Improve Your Vocabulary

Author: mgavr68

Building up your vocabulary is arguably the most important part of a language learning process. If you don't have a base vocabulary to work with, you can't study grammar, you have absolutely no use for spelling or pronunciation exercises and writing or reading is definitely out of the question. That's why it's crucial to have a good vocabulary work-up at the beginning of your studies but also to keep building it up as you go. Here are a few ways to do this.

1. Translated texts

This is a great method to use in the beginning of your studies, when you can't handle reading (and understanding) a text solely in the foreign language you're emphasizing on. Translated texts act as a natural dictionary as they will involuntarily form connections as you read the two versions of the same text. The downside however is that if the texts are too ambiguous or too complicated, you risk misunderstanding entire phrases or mistakenly attributing meanings to certain words. That's why it's extremely important that the translated text you're working with is well written and doesn't have any slang, confusing words, words with different meanings and so forth. You should also look for the most basic translated texts at first. Don't worry if you find it silly to translate "It's hot during the summer", it's a starting point and you won't be better off skipping it.

2. Vocabulary games

Vocabulary games are a great way to enhance your word base, but they should usually be used only as an additional method for this purpose. The fact with vocabulary games is that they cannot teach you the same amount of new words as say translated texts or other methods that deal with improving your vocabulary, but they can be a fun alternative to take during those study breaks. Also, remember that everything we learn while relaxing and having fun is assimilated a lot easier and for a longer period of time.

3. Foreign language media

Media is obviously a strong source of vocabulary gain and the fun fact about it is that you won't be shedding a sweat learning the new words, as they will come naturally. Every bit of radio, TV, stationary ad, computer game or any other type of media you can watch or hear in the foreign language you're studying should be treated as an opportunity to improve vocabulary. Obviously, some languages will be harder to learn through this method, whereas others will be extremely easy (English/Spanish anyone?). If you find a good learning source, you could use foreign language media as a main method of vocabulary increase, but if these sources are scarce, you shouldn't rely solely on it.

Once you have a relatively good grasp on that language's vocabulary and you formed a solid word database with which you can work with, feel free to move on to more complex elements of the language, such as spelling, pronunciation, writing, grammar and so forth. As to where you can find translated texts, vocabulary games and even language-specific media, know that there are several language learning sites out there that provide such content for both novice and advanced students.

About the Author

Increase your foreign language vocabulary at http://www.InternetPolyglot.com by playing online games and become a true polyglot. The site contains thousands of lessons in different languages from English, Spanish, French, Russian to Hindi, Turkish, Ukrainian and many others.

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Learning A Foreign Language

Author: mgavr68

The speed and consistency at which you assimilate a foreign language depends on a lot of factors, including:

1) Whether or not your mother tongue and the foreign language you're learning have a shared lexical family and glossary (Latin or Germanic languages for example)

2) Your own ability to assimilate new words and think in the new language, rather than translate everything in your mother tongue, translating everything to the new, foreign language afterwards

3) The amount of contact you're receiving with that particular language, externally (for example, English is a lot easier to learn than other languages for most foreigners, since they receive a lot of external contact with it from movies, computer activities, commercials and so forth).

Regardless of the fact that the language you're trying to learn fits into any of the above categories, make no mistake about it, every language is learnable if you follow a few important steps and if you invest a constant stream of time in the learning process. Taking medium to long breaks from learning will be extremely negative in the long run, since it will be harder to get back on track and "re-learn" what you've once assimilated. Think of learning a foreign language as taking care of a huge furnace. You need to place a huge amount of coal in it in order to get it started and then you need to keep the fire burning by constantly shoving medium amounts of coal. If you stop shoving and let the fire go out and the furnace go cold, you'll have to invest almost the same amount of work to get it back on.

So you might be wondering how to start learning a new foreign language, what should be the base point for the learning process. Well, some basic vocabulary will get you started with understanding and pronouncing the language as well as give you something to work with later on. Language learning games are extremely useful in this first stage, since the correlation between images and words will get them to print easier in your mind. Using flashcards is also a good option and although learning what "duck" is in German for example, might not be that satisfying, think about the fact that the whole game thing has a higher purpose. And if you're an adult, try getting past the inherent awkwardness and silliness of this first learning stage as it is proven to be one of the most efficient yet. And who knows, you might even have some fun while you're at it :).

After you're familiar with the new language, after trying out pronouncing what you've seen on the flashcards, or in the game (by the way, always keep a "mother tongue - foreign language" dictionary close to you, since you'll want to check on pronunciations often) you should start off with a couple of translated texts that you can compare. Don't worry about the subject, reading "Little Red Riding Hood" with the annexed translation will be equally helpful as reading a technical view on computer architecture with the relevant translation (actually Little Red might be even more useful, since it will be easier for you to relate the words). Try reading the foreign text, sentence by sentence and then re-reading it in the translation. While doing so, try and spot the similarities in grammar and sentence structure and focus on noun gender, and plurals. It's extremely helpful to get used to the new language's gender and plural system early on or you might get the "habit" of mixing them up, sounding funny at best.

The above-mentioned method of learning a foreign language might not necessarily be the one most appropriate for you. Still, it simulates the way we learn our mother tongue, which makes it easier for us, your brain adapting easier to the new learning process since you've "already been there and done that" once. If you're looking for alternative ways of learning a foreign language, be it Spanish, German, Japanese, Italian, Dutch, Portuguese, Romanian, Turkish, Hindi, Polish, Greek and many more, you could look up one of the many sites out there offering free or paid lessons and tutoring services.

About the Author

Increase your foreign language vocabulary at http://www.InternetPolyglot.com by playing online games. The site contains thousands of lessons in different languages from English, Spanish, French, Russian to Hindi, Turkish, Ukrainian and many others.

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Learning A New Language Makes The World Seem Smaller

Author: mgavr68

The Internet is becoming a massive force in the lives of many people around the world. It is used to connect to the world at large, to communicate for the purposes of business, family, and friendships, as well as to find entertainment. The Internet is quickly replacing the television as the preferred medium of entertainment around the world as well as opening doors to new cultures, ideas, and beliefs as well as new opportunities.

As a result of this, we've seen an abundance of people interested in learning new languages as they meet friends and build relationships across the cultural and language barriers that once seemed so much larger than they are today. With the global community literally at your fingertips it is great to know that you can get free language lessons online or that you can easily find courses and books to help you skill up in a foreign language, regardless of its popularity across the Globe. You'd be amazed to find out how many sites offer such great services for free. Not only are these lessons free, but you can also find programs that offer fun matching games, flash cards, and word game worksheets to help you build your skills.

Not only will you learn the basic vocabulary of other languages, but also how to improve your existing vocabulary skills in your own language. You will study language arts activities, pronouns, adjectives, and common slang terms of the language you are studying. You will be able to travel with the ease of a native without the worry of needing translations of road signs and simple instructions thanks to flash cards, and free language lessons online.

When used alone, the results of this will be slow and not provide a comprehensive learning experience, but when you combine the power of such an interactive site with your other language courses, you will be amazed at how quickly your progress and even advance in your studies. Play games designed to improve vocabulary while receiving a top-notch foreign language education. In fact, you have the ability to teach yourself at your own pace and learn far more than you would ever learn in a traditional classroom. It is well known that learning through entertainment is the easiest and most effective way of dealing with any given subject, even more so with a foreign language, since it requires a lot of assimilation to be done.

After completing your lessons you should be able to speak your new language like a native while having a better understanding of how your own language works. Perhaps what you learn about yourself and the language you know already is worth just as much if not more than the priceless gift of learning a new language and opening a window to the world.

About the Author

Increase your foreign language vocabulary at http://www.InternetPolyglot.com by playing online games. The site contains thousands of lessons in different languages from English, Spanish, French, Russian to Hindi, Turkish, Ukrainian and many others.

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Efficient Language Learning

Author: mgavr68

If you skim through the Internet, you will be able to find virtually thousands of different language learning techniques and methods, some that will prove to do wonders to your progress while others will tend to slow you down. From free language learning courses online, to course books and educational language games, everyone boasts their technique as "the most efficient language learning method". Well I rounded up a few of these methods that have truly proven to be effective and also explained how they work.

The "Study out loud" method

This method involves uttering out words out loud when studying and focusing as much as possible on conversation, self-talk and verbal rehearsal of words. The Study out loud method has two main advantages. The first one is that you will be able to assimilate what you've studied a lot better if you actually say it rather than just say it in your head, since this way you will be using both your auditory and visual memory. Auditory memory is extremely powerful and when it's combined with visual memory, they're unstoppable.

The second reason for which the Study out loud method is great is that it will get your mouth used to the language, which will help a great deal with pronunciation. It happens to most of us, if we don't practice a language for a long time, we can still "think" that language perfectly and pronounce the words perfectly in our heads, but when it's time for an actual conversation you will need a few days of getting used to. Well this method basically eliminates that buffer time, since you'll be constantly pronouncing the words, literally getting your mouth "used to" the language.

Fun learning

Studies upon studies have been made on the subject and they all proved the same fact: we learn something a lot easier and more efficiently if we've studied it while having fun or at least through a more relaxing method. Fun learning can include anything from using flash cards, playing educational language games in that particular language, watching or listening to media in that language, playing memory games or quizzes and so forth. Take note that fun learning is not as fast as the "normal" learning, but it's more efficient. The only problem is that the amount of information you are able to assimilate through fun learning methods is usually smaller than the one you can assimilate from normal learning methods.

E-learning

E-learning is a relatively new teaching method that emphasizes on giving the student as much learning room as possible and it focuses on using interactive audio-video components in the learning process rather than the classic course books and lessons. E-learning also bases itself heavily on the student setting his own learning pace instead of being forced a schedule that could make the learning process stressful or annoying.

Because of their efficiency, these methods are gaining more and more popularity amongst websites dealing with language learning and local language courses alike. Actually, you could try searching for one of these sites and if you're not comfortable with the above mentioned methods, you could try to find other ones that could prove to be more efficient in your particular case. Good luck!

About the Author

Increase your foreign language vocabulary at http://www.InternetPolyglot.com by playing online games and become a true polyglot. The site contains thousands of lessons in different languages from English, Spanish, French, Russian to Dutch, Portuguese, Arabic and many others.

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Internet Trips That Perfect Your Foreign Language

Author: mgavr68

It has been stated on numerous occasions and in most specialty books and courses that the best way to learn and to build up on a foreign language is to live in an environment where this language is constantly present.The most obvious choice would be to visit or even move in a country that speaks that particular language but this often involves great costs and requires that you sacrifice a hefty amount of time for the trip (staying there for 2-3 days won't help too much, obviously). However, there is an alternative that can get you surrounded by the language you're learning without involving the costs and time requirements of actually visiting a foreign country: the so called "Internet Trips".

Internet trips will have you surfing the Internet for a learning location that is completely covered with the foreign language of choice. Using your favorite search engine, you could type in a common phrase in that language and click through the various sites resulted, in search of one that has some interesting information to read, view or listen to. If possible, try looking for a site that is completely built in that language, with as little English as possible. You need to feel "abroad" on this site, so it needs to be as foreign as possible in what regards its content.

Forums are also a great place to arrange an e-trip on. It doesn't really matter what the forum's subject is, as long as everyone or most of the participants in the discussions on are speakers of the language you're learning. Getting involved in the discussions, or even simply reading what others have to say about a subject will boost your vocabulary and general knowledge of that language. However, please note that it's a common fact for forum users to use slang, grammatically incorrect expressions or even common spelling mistakes.

The third option is to visit a "live chat" channel using one of the various programs designed for this purpose, or programs that offer live chat channels as an addition to their real purpose. Amongst such programs, we can include the IRC, DC and all of their variations. Visiting such channels gives you a chance to dynamically engage in conversations with native speakers of the language you're learning, but the same hindrance as in the above mentioned forum case remains: grammar and spelling are often sacrificed in favor of faster typing or simply commodity on these channels. Not to mention that sometimes the chat can get overly trivial for no reason, so you might be building on the wrong side of the vocabulary.

This said, I wish you a safe journey. If you're after a more focused location for the language learning subject, you can skim through the numerous sites offering such services. If you find the language you're learning amongst those covered by these sites, try combining them with the above mentioned methods to get a better overall experience of your trip :).

About the Author

Increase your foreign language vocabulary at http://www.InternetPolyglot.com by playing online games. The site contains thousands of lessons in different languages from English, Spanish, French, Russian to Hindi, Turkish, Ukrainian and many others.

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Learning A New Language on Your iPod

Author: dstargel

Your iPod is the niftiest little invention, isn't it? You can take it anywhere and listen to whatever music you love best, whenever you like.

iPod audio books are another really fun way to use your Mp3 player. Catching up on Nicholas Sparks' newest release while you are walking makes exercise so much more enjoyable, doesn't it?

Well, now there is yet another cool use for your mobile audio device. Did you know you can learn a new language by using your iPod?

Audio books that teach a foreign language are an easy way to absorb the information you need to know. If you have always wanted to be fluent in French, then listening to the translation of words in English then in French on the train as you commute to work is a great way to soak up the language.

Getting ready for a trip to Spain? Purchase an audio book that teaches proper conversational Spanish! Audio books offer you so many choices and titles that there is a tutorial book for almost any language you choose.

Why not use your spare time to broaden your horizons through your iPod? Hiring a private tutor to teach you Italian used to be the way to go if you wanted to learn quickly and correctly. Now for under $10.00 you can purchase a tutorial in whatever language you wish to learn!

There are audio books that teach Dutch, Czech, Eastern Armenian, and even Mandarin Chinese. These tutorials are slow, repetitious, and methodical which is what you need when you are a beginner linguist.

If you don't have an iPod you can still learn a new language with books on CD. Because CD players are now so inexpensive, almost everyone has one in their home or their car. Some local libraries will rent CD player's out to their patrons.

You always knew you loved your iPod and we have just given you one more reason to. Choosing to use books on CD or iPod audio books for learning a foreign language is a smart decision that will change your life.

They are simple to use and much less expensive than taking a class or hiring a private tutor. Why spend all that money when you can learn a new language in your own home on your own time?

You will most likely be able to find an audio book tutorial for any language you could ever want to learn. Check out online audiobooks today and begin realizing your dream.

About the Author

David Stargel publishes an audio book related website in addition to writing about all sorts of audio book related topics. Shop at http://www.audiobookcottage.com

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Learning A Foreign Language Through Educational Games

Author: mgavr68

If you have children of your own, or if you have a little brother or sister that you've watched growing up, you might have noticed how they started learning your native language. The first words they usually speak out are the ones that they come into contact the most often, usually the name of their parents, parental appellatives such as "mama" or "papa" or "dada" and so forth. Later on, as they are encouraged to express verbally, their vocabulary base will consist of words that they meet in their "daily activities", which for most children simply include eating, sleep and... playing. This is where I actually wanted to bring the discussion to, learning a language through playing and especially through educational games that are specifically aimed for this purpose.

Since most children follow the above mentioned pattern when learning their native language many scientists claim that simulating the process at an older age can produce the same learning effects with a foreign language. The reason for this is that the brain already got used to that specific type of learning and it will adapt easier when confronted with a similar situation later on in life. That's why learning a foreign language through children's games has become increasingly popular among adults, despite the slight awkwardness of the situation. Flashcard games are such an example, a flashcard being a small piece of material with a picture of an item printed on it and a related word (or small text) describing the picture. The image-text correlation is extremely potent when having to memorize words. Using flashcards is a good way to start building the basic vocabulary for the language you're learning and it gives you a first contact with the language pronunciation (you'll need a dictionary for this of course).

Another great way to learn a foreign language is by playing computer games. Although most games are in English (and if you're reading this, you already know English I assume...) some computer games have translated versions for specific languages (mostly German, Spanish, French or Italian). If you can get a copy of one of these translated games it could be a great way to start learning that specific language and have fun at the same time.

A study exists in this sense, where a young English boy that couldn't speak any language but his native one was invited to play a popular online PC game on a French server. Although he was extremely confused at first, the constant contact with the other human players in the game, combined with a natural correlation between what he saw on the screen and the game chat gradually helped him understand the French language. The game experience was almost like throwing him in the middle of say, Paris, with no knowledge of the French language. After living in a foreign environment, hearing and reading a particular language at all times and instinctively correlating words with actions and images one actually starts learning that particular language, a fact proven by the above experiment. This just proves that online educational games (well not necessarily educational ones, but simply "games") may yet become the future language learning centers of tomorrow. To the same extent, millions of players all around the world learn and perfect their English language skills while playing the numerous online games available today.

Of course, there are still "classic" educational games out there that you can try out. Some sites offer several such educational games for languages ranging from English, German, Spanish or Italian to Polish, Romanian, Turkish or Ukrainian (and many more). If you're thinking about beginning to learn a new language, these educational games might prove to be starting point that you need. Some are actually fun and quite addictive and they are a surefire way towards boosting your vocabulary in that particular language.

About the Author

Increase your foreign language vocabulary at http://www.InternetPolyglot.com by playing online games. The site contains thousands of lessons in different languages from English, Spanish, French, Russian to Hindi, Turkish, Ukrainian and many others.

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Learn A New Language From Home

Author: aagekold

It always impresses me, when I hear someone fluently speak a foreign language. I find it very admirable when a person learns to master another tongue. Besides my own language (Danish) I was taught English, German and French in school, although French was only for two years and let's just say it has been a while since then. I don't consider myself a master in the English language, but I feel that I can handle myself in just about any situation. As for German I can read it fairly well and also keep up in simple conversations.

Knowing other languages is great when I travel. Needless to say it's a lot easier to communicate with other people, when you don't have to spend several minutes trying to explain a simple question like: "Where is the nearest bus station?" or "Do you know what time it is?". My parents have never traveled much. I know they have always had trouble finding time for it, but I can't help but wonder if the fact that they don't speak any foreign languages plays a role too.

Besides from just wanting to know a foreign language or being able to impress your friends and family there could be many very good reasons for learning one:

- If part of your education gave you the opportunity to work for a period of time for a company in a different country as a trainee.

- Or perhaps you wanted to finish your education at a foreign university.

- Maybe you are no longer satisfied with your job and your life in general and you want to try something completely different like working and living abroad.

- Your kids are all grown up and have moved away and you want try something exciting like working and living under a different sky.

Regardless of your motivation you are still faced with a very big task, which can be time consuming and require you to make changes to your daily life. Those changes are perhaps inconvenient for you or maybe not even possible. I am of course talking about taking classes, but what if you have to be at work or some place else at the same time. There can also be other problems like the course you want to participate in takes place too far away from where you live, or maybe you live in a small town, where it isn't even possible to take a language course.

All hope is not lost though; since it is possible to learn a foreign language all by yourself in the comfort of your own home. You can get complete interactive language packages, which will teach you to read, write and speak and you don't even need to be in the presence of a teacher.

This will of course not substitute many years of regular schooling with professional teachers by your side every step of the way, but that isn't really the point. You are most likely not even looking for big and shiny diploma either. All you want is to get yourself to the point, where a particular language no longer is a hindrance. A new learning experience will then take place, once you have arrived in whatever country you decided upon. What I mean is that getting really good at speaking a foreign language can only be achieved by actually using it and there is no better way than being among people native to that particular tongue.

About the Author

Aage Kold Jensen Countries visited: UK, Holland, Spain, Portugal, Greece, Turkey, Czech Republic, Greenland, Iceland. Website: http://www.speak-foreign.com

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Learn English Online To Speak In the Global Language

Author: jimzorn

If you are planning to learn English online, then you have made the best decision of your life. The English language has become the universal language, being spoken in all the countries across the mother planet. The rising popularity of the internet has created this small village called the globe, and the global language is none other than English. There are numerous online resources imparting English language learning.

Advantages of Online Learning

Online learning of a language, especially English offers many distinct advantages. First and foremost is the fact that online English learning can be self-paced and self-directed. When you start to learn English online, you need not adhere to a specific time schedule of classes. Moreover, you may choose from many methods and techniques available. This also means that the student is free to select the most appropriate technique of learning based on her skills, interests and needs. Last but not the least, the cost of learning is very low compared to those in conventional methods of learning. In short, if you are planning to learn English online, you save your precious resources in terms of time, money and efforts.

Contents of Online Learning

English language, presumed to be one of the richest languages, offers a wide variety of items to learn. Assuming that you are at an intermediate level to learn English online, the syllabus will be different from those at basic and higher levels. In general, the online learning of English language starts with the alphabet and numbers. Once the student has mastered these, she is exposed to words (the vocabulary) and composition. The arts and literature come towards the highest end of the hierarchy.

Boston English Language Institute offers many courses in the English language stream. These certification courses vary from one to eight months. Belford University offers a bachelor's degree in English and English Literature for those having work experience of four years. Ellis College at New York offers an online Bachelor's degree. Their focus is on preparing students to face challenges in the professional world. Other universities offering three year Bachelor programs in online English are U of Southern New Hampshire, U of Illinois, American Military U, and Fort Hays State U. Getting notes or teaching material is easy - you get it through the internet in the form of workbooks, test papers, tutorials (video and audio).

You can start to learn English online in different ways. You may choose to subscribe to free and paid online courses teaching online English language. You may also opt for purchasing ebooks and CD's that you can study offline. However, you must remember one thing all the time - not to forget to complete the exercises given at the end of each chapter. This not only tests your gained knowledge, but also offers a new punch of motivation for you to learn English.

Online learning of the English language can be a wonderful experience. You will suddenly find yourself in the middle of the world with your first steps in learning English. Such is the prowess of the English language.

About the Author

Jim Zorn is web master of the Guide to Distance Learning. Please visit to learn more about online colleges and universities, distance learning degrees, majors and courses offered as well as distance learning technology. http://www.guide-to-distance-learning.com

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English Intonation: The Noun And Verb

by: Frank Gerace

Listen and Learn: The Different Intonation of the Noun and the Verb
Intonation, the "music" of a language, is perhaps the most important element of a correct accent. Many people think that pronunciation is what makes up an accent. It may be that pronunciation is very important for an understandable accent. But it is intonation that gives the final touch that makes an accent correct or native. Often we hear someone speaking with perfect grammar, and perfect formation of the sounds of English but with a little something that gives her away as not being a native speaker.

Therefore, it is necessary to realize that there are three components to an accent, pronunciation, intonation, and linking. In other places we will examine pronunciation, the proper formation of vowels and consonants, and linking, the way that syllables within a word, and the beginning and ending of words come together.

But what interests us now is the issue of intonation, and in particular the difference in intonation in saying the same word (same spelling) when it is used as a noun and when it is used as a verb. It is a perfect example of how meaning affects intonation.

We will try to hear clearly the difference that intonation makes in the daily use of a proper North American English accent. The practice with the following examples will help you to notice, practice, and master the different intonation patterns that you will discover as you concentrate more on your use of North American English.

Intonation: Noun or Verb

Knowing when and where to stress the words you use is very important for understanding, and is part of a good accent. A clear example is that of the different stress in nouns and verbs.

It will be useful for you to be aware of the stress in both cases. Here is a list of a few that will get you thinking and give you some practice in identifying them and using them correctly. Underline the syllable that is stressed, and write a brief explanation to indicate that you understand the difference. I start the exercise with two examples, the words "suspect" and "present". You do the rest. And make sure you pronounce the words OUT LOUD.

Usually (although there are some exceptions), the stress of a verb is on the last syllable, and that of a noun is on the first syllable.

It will be useful for you to be aware of the stress in both cases. Here is a list of a few that will get you thinking and give you some practice in identifying them and using them correctly. I start the exercise with two examples. I have indicated the stress with CAPITAL LETTERS. You underline the syllable that is stressed, and write a brief explanation to indicate that you understand the difference. You do the rest of the table. And make sure you pronounce the words OUT LOUD.

to susPECT: meaning, to have an opinion

a SUSpect: meaning, a person under suspicion

to preSENT: meaning, to give, to introduce

a PREsent: meaning, a gift, now

Now, you do the rest of the table, underlining the accented syllable and defining the word to emphasize your understanding that the accent goes with the meaning.

to conflict, a conflict
to contest, a contest
to contract, a contract
to convert, a convert
to convict, a convict
to incline, an incline
to insult, an insult
to object, an object
to permit, a permit
to present, a present
to produce, a produce
to project, a project
to protest, a protest
to rebel, a rebel
to recall, a recall
to reject, a reject
to research, a research

Practice on the following sentences that contain some of the words of the list used buth as noun and as verb. Underline the accent and read the sentences out loud

You need to insert a paragraph here on this newspaper insert.

How can you object to this object?

I'd like to present you with this present.

The manufacturer couldn't recall if there'd been a recall.

The religious convert wanted to convert the world.

The political rebels wanted to rebel against the world.

The mogul wanted to record a new record for his latest artist.

If you perfect your intonation, your accent will be perfect.

Due to the drought, the fields didn't produce much produce this year.

Unfortunately, City Hall wouldn't permit them to get a permit.

About The Author
Frank Gerace Ph.D has worked in Latin America on UN and national Educational and Communication Projects, and has taught in Bolivian and Peruvian Universities. He currently teaches English in New York City at La Guardia College/CUNY. He provides resources on accent reduction and the proper American English accent at http://www.goodaccent.com/

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Intonation In English: Expressions Of Two Words

by: Frank Gerace

Listen and Learn: The Intonation of Two-Word Expressions

Many people think that pronunciation is what makes up an accent. It may be that pronunciation is very important for an understandable accent. But it is intonation that gives the final touch that makes an accent correct or native.

Intonation is the "music" of a language, and is perhaps the most important element of a correct accent. Often we hear someone speaking with perfect grammar, and perfect formation of the sounds of English but with a little something that gives her away as not being a native speaker.

Therefore, it is necessary to realize that there is more than the correct pronunciation of the vowels and consonants of a language. This is very important and we do stress it in other articles. But it is only one of the three components to an accent, pronunciation, intonation, and linking.

In other places we will examine the correct pronunciation of vowels and consonants, and linking, the way that syllables within a word, and the beginning and ending of words come together.

But in this article we will look at how the difference that intonation makes in the daily use of a proper North American English accent. The practice will help you to notice, practice, and master the different intonation patterns that you will discover as you concentrate more on your use of North American English.

Two Word Stress

Knowing when and where to stress the words you use is very important for understanding, and therefore, as part of a good accent. A clear example is that of stress in two word expressions.

According to whether it is an ordinary two-word expression or a special, set expression, the place of the stress changes. In an ordinary expression the two words are used to describe something like a "white HOUSE" (meaning a house that is painted white, and not blue or gray). In this case the most important note is the noun because we are talking about a house that happens to be white. Similarly, a "fat BOY" is an overweight young male.

But sometimes short two word expressions are set or "consecrated", (that is, they mean something special) and have to be made different from similar expressions. One example is "the WHITE house" where Mr. Bush lives. In this case, the emphasis is on the adjective because we are more interested in stressing that it is the house that is known because it is white. In the same way, "FAT boy" is the nickname of a boy, chosen because the word fat emphasizes his weight.

It will be useful for you to be aware of both types of two word expressions. Here is a list of a few that will get you thinking and give you some practice in identifying them and using them correctly. Underline the syllable that is stressed, and write a brief explanation, for both uses of each phrase. I start the exercise with two examples. You do the rest. Make sure you say the phrases OUT LOUD!

WHITE house

In Washington

white HOUSE

House painted white

LIGHT bulb

Shines with electricity

Light BULB

A bulb that is not heavy

Now do these, underling the syllable that is stressed, and defining the word that has the indicated intonation.

Dark room, Dark room

A cold fish, A gold fish

The paper box, The paper box

An old key, A door key

A nice watch, A wrist watch

A sticky web, A spider web

A clean cup, A coffee cup

A toy gun, A water gun

A bright star, A movie star

A new ball, A foot ball

A sharp knife, A steak knife

An old brush, A hair brush

A dry leaf, A fig leaf

A pointy tack, A thumb tack

A blackboard, A black board

A green house, A green house

For more articles on intonation, search with the keyword "intonation".

About The Author
Frank Gerace Ph.D has worked in Latin America in UN and national Educational and Communication Projects, and has taught in Bolivian and Peruvian Universities. He currently teaches English in New York City at La Guardia College/CUNY. He provides resources on accent reduction and the proper American English accent at http://www.goodaccent.com/

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Best Way To Learn A Foreign Language

by: Richard Henderson

I have never quite understood how to learn a foreign language. It is a shame too. Learning a foreign language is pretty necessary in this day and age. If you learn foreign language, it makes you more employable in a variety of areas, as well as enhancing your cultural experience. Say what you want about modern translations, but until you learn foreign languages you never get to experience the beauty of foreign writers. Nevertheless, I have only managed to learn a foreign language once, and it was so difficult for me that I doubt I will ever try it again. It was just too much work!

I managed to get all the way through college without ever successfully completing a learn foreign language program. I took a little bit of French in high school, but I dropped it after a couple of semesters. In general, I was a good student. Most subjects came easy to me, but I couldn't manage to learn foreign language no matter how hard I tried. I loved French culture and French literature, and I desperately wanted to learn how to speak French, but it just wouldn't come. I ended up taking an American sign language class to get rid of my learn foreign language requirement. Even that was difficult!

I struggled with learning a foreign language all through college. I went to a liberal arts university that demanded it, and I knew that I could not graduate with the degree that I wanted unless I managed to learn foreign language. I tried using how to speak French software, hiring a private tutor, and working with conversation partners, but nothing worked. I only successfully managed to learn foreign language when I finally went abroad. I spent a year in France, and it was one of the most difficult years of my life. Ultimately, however, it was also one of the most rewarding. I would never have managed to learn foreign language without it, you see.

To this day, I believe that the only way to really learn foreign languages is to completely immerse yourself in another culture. If you can speak English at all, you will not learn how to speak a foreign language. Instead, you will keep falling back on your English skills. If you need to learn foreign language in order to interact on a daily basis, however, it will come much more quickly. If I learned a foreign language in a year, you can probably do it using the same methods in six months!

About The Author
Rich Henderson runs his own internet marketing business from home. Check out these great Learning Online resources or the more specific Learn Languages Online. http://www.learningonlinenow.net/

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Sufficient English Language Knowledge, A Must-Have In Today’s Society

If you’ve ever had problems in communication with others because your familiarity with English is not as it should be, then you need to change all that by starting to study courses with a qualified teacher. Choosing the right person to aid you or the right intensive English course is an important decision and should be given a lot of thought as it directly determines the results you will gain at the end of the day.

Have ever had difficulties in communicating with your associates, partners or just friends from abroad because you couldn’t always understand what they were saying or because you couldn’t make yourself understood? Have you been feeling left out of a debate because your knowledge of English was not as advanced as it should be? Did it ever occur to you that your business success was held back by this particular problem and that you could do so much better if you could remedy it? If the above describe a situation you’ve experienced, then it is time to find out how you can tip the scales in your favour. First of all, acknowledging that it is high time you took some measures is the foremost step in putting the conversational handicap behind you permanently. English has slowly become a universal language, spoken in all fields of activity, from education to business, and it is conventionally established that every person involved must know the minimum required for his message to be understood entirely. Therefore, deciding to study English and get help in trying to overcome your problem is a necessary step and it will pay off almost instantly. All it takes is patience, devotion and hard work, as well as a well qualified teacher or an Intensive English course.

Although the market is bursting with different self-learning courses, cassettes, how-to-learn-at-home videos and other similar items, it is advisable that you acquire the services of a professional English teacher instead. Choosing the latter option will allow you to absorb more information, learn English terminology, and study English phonetics, all in a more natural way and in record time. Certain grammatical and vocabulary issues would be impossible to learn using a cassette, for example, while a qualified professor can lead you through an ongoing study of the matters. Also an important benefit of this kind of learning is its inter-human aspect, allowing you to feel more comfortable throughout the learning process. A residential English summer course could be the ideal answer. A family stay can be ideal but also can prove complicated. Staying in a residence offers independence but if the course organizers can assure a mixture of nationalities then hopefully you will be speaking English all day. A few courses offer the presence of teachers all day, this is obviously very recommendable.

However, you should pay great attention when choosing the person (or institution) that will instruct you as not all so-called “professional teachers” are indeed professional nor have the same qualifications. Neglecting this aspect can result in a series of drawbacks in the knowledge you gain, and consequently the results would not be the ones you had hoped for. Consider devoting a fairly long amount of time to this decision by studying different offers via the Internet or agencies, gathering opinions from people who have acquired the services of a certain teacher and make your choice based on the conclusions you draw from all these sources. In conclusion, choosing to learn English or to improve your English language skills is a compulsory step, especially in the business world nowadays, as it allows you to make your ideas heard and also comprehend other people’s opinions. Leave your pride aside and get help from a professional and you won’t regret it even for a second.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Tim McKeown, after studying zoology at Cambidge University Tim has spent 4 summers attending the intensive english summer courses with http://www.movingoncourses.com/

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