Improve Your English Vocabulary

Use self-study vocabulary books, these should include a good dictionary, and a thesaurus.

Expose yourself to as much English as possible by reading, watching the TV, films or the news and listening to the radio or music.

Read an English magazine. If you can afford it take out a subscription to a magazine or newspaper.

Do online exercises. Keep a note of how you did and go back in a few weeks to see how you have improved.

Use stick it notes and label things around your home.

Try to memorize whole sentences, not just individual words.

Create or play word games. Scrabble, Crossword Puzzles, Hangman, and Dingbats are all great was to play with words.

Notebooks

Keep a notebook to help you remember what you've learnt.

Here's a guide to keeping an English notebook.

Vocabulary webs

Build a vocabulary web to organise your vocabulary about certain subjects.

For example your personal life:-

and then extend it:-

and then extend it further...

Try this little gadget too.

Flash cards

Start a flash cards box.

Buy or cut out some cards all the same size.

Draw or cut out some pictures.

Paste the pictures onto one side of the card and write the correct word on the other side.

Put new words in the front of the box.

Test yourself using either the pictures, the words or both.

If you have forgotten a word bring it to the front of the box.

!On this site:- Use the vocabulary pages to learn new vocabulary thematically and in context.

!On this site:- You can use my on-line flash cards to practise your vocabulary.

Singing

Try learning the words to English songs, and even sing along with them. With friends or in the privacy of your own bathroom.

!On this site:- You can find some karaoke resources and ideas on the learn English through songs page.

!On the Network: You can find the words to some popular songs on the English magazine.

For further reading you must check this site(http://www.learnenglish.de/ImproveEnglish/improvevocabularypage.htm)

How to Improve English Language Listening Skills in EFL Learners

There are four principal venues that are frequently used in order to develop listening comprehension skills in English as a Foreign Language (EFL) learners. By integrating these resources, the EFL teaching professional can effectively aid learners not only in listening comprehension skills development but also in multiple aspects of connected speech production. Understanding a listening passage can be made all the more difficult by four key influence factors including: the number of speakers in the passage, the technical difficulty and level of the spoken material in the passage, the speed of the speech and the accent(s) of the speakers in the passage and whether or not there is any external support provided for the listening passage. (i.e., photos, illustrations, graphics, vocabulary review or pre-listening activities, etc.) ref. Brown and Yule, 1983

Speech and Language Modeling by the Teacher

If the EFL teacher is a native or near native English speaker, then the dialogues can be modeled in addition to modeling pronunciation and connected speech examples. If the EFL or ESL teacher is not a native (or near native) English speaker, and this teacher does not have sufficient speech and pronunciation in English to model these aspects for the learners, then other English speech modeling and input sources can be used. Besides, we must not limit learners by thinking they can only learn and improve in a particular way. (M. Spratt, 2005)

Audio-Visual Resources

A valuable audio-visual aspect is provided to English as a Foreign Language (EFL) learners by native-speaker-produced CDs and DVDs. Speech and cultural elements can be illustrated or demonstrated using authentic audio-visual materials such as movie clips and documentaries, student-produced recordings and TV programs or commercials, among many others.

Audio cassettes or CD – ROMs

A wide range of CDs and DVDs exist to provide native speech modeling of different speaking, pronunciation, national and regional English accents. Multiple varieties of English are commonly used throughout the world and having examples of these by which learners can be exposed to the differences in spoken English will be helpful in demonstrating pronunciation variables. Online, over-the-air and cable radio broadcasts can be especially effective and are readily available in much of the world.

Three examples of excellent online radio broadcast sites are:

• http://www.live365.com/

• http://www.archive.org/

• http://www.multilingualbooks.com/online-radio.html

Online Audio and Video

Increasingly, institutes of higher learning are making integrated online materials available to learners. These may consist of spoken dialogues, video dialogues, short stories, interactive games, poems, rhymes and riddles, spoken grammar, connected speech examples, movie clips, interviews, documentaries and even pronunciation lists. Learners can log into the website at their institution to receive extended practice materials to complement in-class learning. Many large, well-established universities, institutes and ELT materials publishers are making such materials available online to both clients and the general public. In addition, specialized websites for English language teaching have cropped up in abundance and offer a plethora of materials and didactic assistance for the ELT professional.

Some examples of available materials online include:

• Penguin - http://www.penguinenglish.com/

• Pearson – Longman [http://www.longman.com]

• Heinemann - http://www.heinemann.com/

• Oxford University - Press http://www.oup.com/

• Cambridge University Press - [http://www.cup.org]

• Heinle and Heinle - http://www.heinle.com/esl_d/

• McGraw – Hill - educational resources http://mcgraw-hill.co.uk/kingscourt/

• Harvard University – Open Courseware

http://oedb.org/library/features/236-open-courseware-collections

A web search using “online English language teaching materials” will yield a virtual bonanza of materials, planning and resources for the time-strapped English teacher.

Although listening comprehension skills of themselves cannot be “taught”, the English (EFL) teacher can guide the learner’s practice in listening and increment their intensity of study and practice to aid in the development of listening comprehension skills in EFL learners. This can be especially effective when the learners live in one Braj Kashru’s “outer circle” countries (B. Kashru, 1980) where there may well be a quite limited exposure to spoken English available for the English language learners. English teachers should be resourceful in identifying and acquiring materials to augment their classes in proving as broad a variety of listening comprehension materials as possible for their classes. Thus, by integrating any and all available resources, any English language teaching professional can effectively aid learners not only in developing their listening comprehension skills but also in the demonstration of multiple aspects of connected speech in worldwide Englishes.

Prof. Larry M. Lynch is an English language teaching and learning expert author and university professor in Cali, Colombia. Now YOU too can live your dreams in paradise, find romance, high adventure and get paid while travelling for free. For more information on entering or advancing in the fascinating field of teaching English as a Foreign or Second Language send for his no-cost PDF Ebook, "If You Want to Teach English Abroad, Here's What You Need to Know", immediate delivery details and no-obligation information are available online now at: http://bettereflteacher.blogspot.com/ Need professional, original content or articles for your blog, newsletter or website? Have a question, request, or want to receive more information or to be added to his articles and teaching materials mailing list? Then contact the author at this website for a prompt response.

How to improve your English skills

There are many ways to improve your level of English, but only you can find the right way for you. Here are a few tips that might help:-

Improve Your English Listening Skills

Make sure you have the right software to take advantage of what is available on the www. You can download players and find links to online radio stations at real.com , windowsmedia.com and winamp.com . You can try some of the English radio stations I recommend on my broadcasts page. You can subscribe to podcasts and radio stations on iTunes too.

Films in English are an excellent language resource. Follow my tips on how to use films to improve your English. If you're not sure what films to watch, look at my recommended films pages.

Listening whilst reading is a good idea, there are lots of audio books on the market, I mention some on my recommended books pages, there are also some fun podcasts on the Have Fun with English site and two weekly podcasts on the Interesting Facts site. 

Keep up to date with current events and watch an English-language news station, such as BBC World. Watch news reports on events you are already aware of.

Find out how to switch languages on your TV. If you have digital or satellite TV there are several channels that broadcast in multiple languages. Eurosport is one and Euronews is another, you should be able to set these to the English language.

!On this site:- Use the vocabulary pages to listen to simple vocabulary.

!On this site:- Use the dictation pages to test your understanding.

!On the Network:- Every Wednesday I run a listening session on iVisit. There are no more excuses.

!On the Network:- Little and often is a good idea, so try my Interesting Facts pages. Every week I write some interesting facts and there are accompanying sound files for the most interesting facts.

!On the Network:- Use my English magazine Ezine pages to find some interesting articles, poems or stories to listen to.

!On the Network:- Listen to the advert of the month and read the transcript.

!On the Network:- Listen to English songs and read the lyrics.

!On the Network:- A bit of light-hearted fun on the Have Fun with English page. There are new videos or listening files every month.

! On the forum:- Join the forum and ask me to read a short piece of text out loud. Yes, I take requests.

! On the web:- Go to some TTS (text to speech) web sites and use their free services. Some of the results are surprisingly good. I particularly like Acapela TV for their talking fluffy bunnies.

Improve Your English Speaking and English Pronunciation Skills

The first rule of speaking English is to speak clearly, concisely and use simple vocabulary. KISS - keep it short and simple.  Remember you probably won't just speak to native speakers. There are roughly 380 million native speakers, but as many as a billion people speak it as a second language. So it's a good idea to avoid idioms and slang (I always say learn it, but don't use it). It might sound clever to say "You're barking up the wrong tree," but if you misuse it or if the other person doesn't understand you, you'll only look silly when you try to explain what you meant to say, or what it actually means.

There's also a saying in English "Have you swallowed a dictionary?" It is applicable to anyone who uses long, complicated words when a shorter word will do. Short sentences are just as good (if not better) than long explanations. The value in what you have to say is what you say, not how clever you look or sound when you say it.

English speaking tips

Get over any fear you might have of making mistakes. You will make mistakes.

Be patient with yourself. Learning any language can be frustrating, but frustration won't help you, so let it go.

Grasp every opportunity you have to speak with people in English.

Talk to friends who are also learning English. Go out together for coffee and only speak English to each other!

Read short stories out loud and try to see, say and hear the words to reinforce your memory. Record yourself and play it back later, how does it sound? 

Find native English speaking friends:-

• You might not be able to find any friendly native speakers where you live, butYou can find English speaking people on the Internet! If you can't find anyone who'll actually help you, don't worry, you'll still be able to figure out if they can understand you.
• Look for people with the same interests as you. It's no good asking everyone you meet to help you with your English, rather develop natural friendships based on your hobbies etc. Eventually you will make friends and they will be much more likely to give you correction / guidance.
• Join an English club or conversation group. Around the world there are many English speaking clubs, these clubs aren't just for expats but for people interested in the English way of life. They can be friendly and fun. For a list of English clubs click here. Check magazines as well as your phone book, your local newspaper and your local university. Or if there isn't one in your area - start one! Place an advertisement in your newspaper for people interested in starting a group or go to Meetup.
• Visit an Irish/English/Australian theme pub or British food shop, you can usually find one in the larger cities. Often, the waiters and waitresses come from English-speaking countries, the menu is often in English too!
• Once your English is good enough, go shopping in some tourist areas. You'll find lots of shop assistants speak very good English.
• If you can travel to an English speaking country, do it.
• There are several internet based voice chat programmes out there: iVisit | Pal Talk | MSN Web Messenger | Yahoo! Messenger | Google Talk | Skype and lots more.

Singing

Try singing along to English songs. With friends or in the privacy of your own bathroom. Lots of the major games consoles have karaoke games nowadays, like Sing Star on the Playstation.

!On the internet :- You can speak to me on iVisit (see the forum calendar for times and dates) - you can also listen to or chat with other learners and native speakers there. There are no more excuses.

!On the network:- Use the pronunciation pages to improve your understanding.

!On this site:- You can find some karaoke resources and ideas on the learn English through songs page.

!On the Network: You can find the words to some popular songs on the English magazine.

Pronunciation skills

Don't get too hung up on trying to sound like a native speaker. Would you start learning the piano in an attempt to sound like Mozart? Probably not. Accents don't matter, as long as people can understand you, but pronunciation is important.

Learn the phonetic alphabet.

List words that have the same sound add to the lists as you learn more words.

Work on one problem sound at a time. Read slowly concentrating on the pronunciation of particular words. Record yourself, keep the tape and record yourself later, have you improved? Don't be shy - ask a friend to listen to the tape too.

Don't worry about sounding like a native, it is more important to speak clearly and pleasantly than it is to sound like the Queen of England.

The most important thing to think about is can people understand you? If you have a problem being understood then find someone who speaks English clearly and try to copy the way they speak. Pay particular attention to speed and diction.

Improve Your Reading Skills

Make a habit of reading regularly. Read as many English books, newspapers and magazines as you can get your hands on.

Reading should be fun, so make sure the texts you choose are not too too difficult for you. If the book or article you are reading is a chore, then find something easier. Try reading graded books written especially for ESL learners. I've written a guide on how to choose a book here.

Find an author you like and read all their books. By doing this you will get used to the style of a particular author and the typical vocabulary and grammar they use. As you read more of his/her books you will find it easier and easier.

If you have a local library find out if they stock English books or if they have bilingual editions of English classics. Or ask them to stock English translations of books you are already familiar with.

Try reading things more than once. Read something and then read it again a few weeks/months later. You should find your understanding has improved.

Try to discuss a book you've enjoyed with other people. You can even discuss books with me on the forum, or there are lots of online book clubs and you can even write reviews on book selling sites.

Don't try to read "the classics". Save them for later, start with contemporary short stories. And don't forget, there are loads of excellent comics out there too. I actually started learning German by reading Winnie the Pooh!

!Learning Tip - don't try to understand every word. Try to understand the overall meaning of a sentence or passage.

!Learning Tip - don't translate - only use a dictionary if a word keeps appearing in a text and you still don't understand it.

!Learning Tip - don't just read a book and then forget about it - try to analyse it. You can use this reading log to help you.

!On this site:- Use the English Magazine to find some interesting articles, poems and jokes to read. If there's a word you don't understand double click it with your mouse and the definition will pop up. There are no more excuses.

!On this site:- Check out my recommended books.

!On this site:- Try some Speed Reading tips to increase your reading speed.

!On this site:- Every Monday I run a reading session on iVisit. There are no more excuses.

Improve Your Writing Skill

Write frequently, in a wide range of formal and informal situations.

Get the most out of your dictionary by understanding how to use it correctly . You can use a good English dictionary to find words, for meaning, for pronunciation, to check your spelling and to understand explanations.

Copy out short passages of English text from newspapers, magazines or books.

Try dictation exercises. You can do this online or get friends to read out text for you to write and then check your writing - concentrate on spelling and punctuation.

There are many forums on the net, find one about your interests or hobbies. Observe the niceties of forum use , and apologise if you think you have made any mistakes.

Use a blog to create a diary about your life. Write it in English and if you have a thick skin, ask for feedback. Remember blogs are not private, so do not write anything there which you do not want the whole world to read. I recommend http://www.blogger.com , it is free and very easy to use.

Be careful about using abbreviations when writing on forums and in chatrooms, they are fun and quick, but can cause bad habits to form.

If you are using a computer, use an English spell checker (but don't rely on it). There are spell checkers built in for Google and Firefox browsers.

Check what you've written. Even better, get someone else to proofread what you've written. Check for spelling, capitalisation and punctuation.

Try to find English speaking pen friends and write to them or, use a messenger service like MSN, Yahoo, Google or find a chatroom. If you can't get in touch with native speakers then contact other learners:-

• You can find ePals on the Internet!

!On the Network :- Use the Learn English Network Forum pages to practise your writing.

! Note - If you are going to use forums and chat services, it's as well to brush up on the niceties - otherwise known as Netiquette

Method Of Teaching ESL

Methods of Teaching ESL

Many teachers have a situation in the classroom where one of their students does not speak English. There are a variety of ways that the teacher can teach this student.

• speaking-> Use Real objects, speak with a constant tone, Let students play teacher, ask who what where and when?, Whisper the answer to students, songs are great to use but also use gestures while singing, use repetition, try to remain constant though, students may need to hear things more than once,and remember to PRAISE the student when he/she gets something right.
• Reading-> Read aloud to students, select simple stories at first, use contextual clues to derive meaning form sentences, ask questions that only have one word answers, encourage the students by letting them look for the answers, ask the students to summarize the main idea of the story, try to relate the reading material to the students' own experiences by asking questions, exaggerate word endings, give special attention to vowels and irregular spellings, use labels in the room to identify the items in the room.
• Vocabulary->children of different languages learn at different rates.,children 8-9 years learn five new words each lesson, children 11-12 years learn about eight words each lesson, teach new words in context so that sutcents can learn the skill of deriving word meanings for m content, use a normal speaking tone, use dramatization while teaching, minimize the student's answers by giving models and examples and repetition,always give them opportunities to ask answers, correct errors made during ESL class but not everytime the student tries to communicate to you.

Always remember to have fun while teaching your student! students learn faster when they are having fun!!

ESL teaching methods have come a long way in the past 60 years. Before the 1950s, language instruction in general was a rather tedious and soporific enterprise that relied heavily on drills, repetition, translation and probably knuckle rapping. The emphasis, at least in the United States, was placed entirely on reading ability and not at all on communicative ability. This was mostly because the American people at that time had little opportunity or reason to communicate with people of different language backgrounds. It was not until the U.S. entered World War II that the government realized how vital oral and aural abilities were in foreign language education, and it was out of this realization that many of the ESL teaching methods used today were born.

The Classical Method

The very boring-sounding method of language teaching described above is the Classical Method, also known as the Grammar Translation Method because it teaches grammar as a means to translate text from one language to the other. If you’ve ever studied a dead language (like Latin), you’ve probably experienced this style of language class. Grammar Translation classes are taught in the students’ native language, and they require students to memorize long lists of vocabulary and grammar rules, and to translate classical texts and other arbitrary sentences.

The Direct Method

The Direct Method, developed by Maximilian Berlitz around the 1880s, is based on the premise that a second language should be learned more like the first language. It uses a slow build-up of skills paired with a lot of vocabulary repetition in context to help students learn to communicate from the beginning. The Direct Method uses only the target language for instruction and builds up an arsenal of everyday vocabulary and sentences quickly without teaching grammar explicitly. The teacher teaches vocabulary through pictures, objects and elaborate pantomime, and the students figure out the grammar as they go, partially through imitation and partially by trial and error.The Direct Method was not popular in the United States during its European heyday in the first half of the 20th century due to the fact that it requires the teacher to be a native speaker of the target language (which is still much easier to find and employ in Europe today). Also, the U.S. government simply found foreign language conversational skills overrated, convinced at the time that reading/writing proficiency would be far more useful in a place so far from where other languages were spoken.

The Audiolingual Method

With the outbreak of World War II, the U.S. found itself all over the map, no longer linguistically isolated as it had previously been. It was like a modern day Tower of Babel, and the need arose for military personnel to be able to communicate with both their allies and their enemies.With Uncle Sam footing the bill, structural linguists, teaching methodologists and behavioristic psychologists collaborated for the first time to produce the Army Specialized Training Program (ASTP), also known as the Army Method and later on, the Audiolingual Method (ALM). The ALM teaches grammatical structure patterns and vocabulary through the repetition and memorization of set phrases or dialogues. Once students have mastered a dialogue, the teacher introduces new vocabulary, which the students will then substitute for another word in the dialogue. For example, if one line requests, “Take me to the station, please,” then the words for airport, park and bank can be taught and plugged into the sentence in place of “station.”  A comparison might then be made between “take me” and “she took me,” so students could then correctly say, “She took me to the bank.” In this way, students learn the building blocks they need to say just about anything.

ESL Teaching Methods of the 1970s

Following the relative success of the ALM, researchers began to look more deeply into the structure of language itself and into the psychological factors that go along with language learning success and failure. The teaching methods that developed out of this research hinged largely on making the students feel less anxious about the whole ordeal of learning a new language. Gone were the days of drilling and knuckle rapping. Language classes of the ‘70s were all about comfort.

• Total Physical Response (TPR) involves the teacher giving more and more complex orders to the students, who then respond with an action. The students then get to order each other and the teacher around for speaking practice.
• Suggestopedia is a pretty run-of-the-mill language class, only the majority of the activities take place with Baroque music playing in the background. The idea is that the music will relax the mind so that it can retain more material.
• Community Language Learning is sort of like group therapy. Everyone sits in a circle to have a conversation, and the “counselor” (teacher) assists the “clients” (students) by “mediating.” In the beginning, this means that the teacher translates whatever the students wish to say, and then the students repeat their message in the target language. Gradually, the students need the teacher less and less for mediation and can converse fluently on their own.
• The Silent Way is a method in which the teacher is very hands-off, providing only props, charts and minimal spoken information and then backing off to allow the students to work together to solve language problems.
• The Natural Approach is based on the idea that language learning takes place when what students hear or read is comprehensible but just beyond their production abilities. They’re encouraged to enjoy a “silent period” until they’re ready to begin producing language on their own, and the focus is on basic, everyday, interpersonal situations like shopping, ordering in a restaurant, leaving a phone message, etc.

There are pros and cons to all of these methods, and most ESL teachers today employ bits and pieces of each to suit their teaching style and their students’ needs, but one thing is for sure: knuckle rapping is definitely out.

How to improve reading skill

Reading is an essential part of learning a new language, but it can be a source of frustration for students and teachers alike. Often, ESL students are eager to work on their speaking and listening skills, but find reading rather dull. With some patience, creativity, and lots of variety, it’s easy for any teacher to increase their ESL students’ reading skills.

What do I mean by variety? First, consider the many different strategies for reading that exist. Not one has ever been used with 100% efficiency. That’s because each student is a different type of learner; what works well for one may not work for the next.

To start with, introduce a wide variety of reading materials to your students. Include fiction and non-fiction, short stories, magazine and newspaper clippings, even TV Guide articles. Before diving in to any example, get your students feeling relaxed and comfortable by activating their prior knowledge. Take a look at everything surrounding the text- titles, pictures, captions- and guess what the story might be about. Find out what they already know about this topic. For example, if your class is about to read a fairy tale, discuss what other fairy tales they know. What elements do they share in common? If students have something concrete to grasp onto before jumping into reading, they’ll feel more confident.

A great method for activating prior knowledge before reading is the KWL approach, created by Donna Ogle. On the board, make three columns and label them Know, Will Learn, and Learned. Before reading, have students list in the first column what they already know about this topic. In the second column, have them predict what they think they might learn, or want to learn, from the selection. After reading, fill out the third column with what they learned, and compare and contrast with second column. You can read more about the full method at readingquest.org.

In addition to a variety in reading materials, give students a variety in strategies. Have them scan an article to find a specific piece of information, then skim a different article and sum up the main idea or “gist.” Most importantly, explain to your students that no native speaker analyzes every word when reading, and neither should they. The focus should always be on context, not individual vocabulary words.

Variety in reading methods will also help increase your ESL students’ reading ability. Silent reading is important, but reading aloud should be done regularly, both by students and by teachers. For students, reading aloud reinforces good pronunciation. And when the teacher reads aloud, the natural stress and pauses will indicate to the students which words are most important to the context. Try reading a passage aloud to your students while having them mark on their copy the words you emphasize, and the places you pause. Then when they read silently, they’ll have a better idea of what phrases to focus on.

A variation in classroom set-up will also benefit students. Individual reading time is great, but try paired or group reading as well. When pairing students, try having a better reader matched with one that needs a little extra help. Children learn through observation; simply watching another student’s reading process can help a struggling student more than any explanation. In pairs and groups, students are exposed to consistent modeling and receive constant feedback.

Every student can find a strategy that works for them as a reader. By introducing a wide variety in all aspects to the ESL classroom, teachers can help every student increase their ESL reading skills.

How to improve reading skill

How to improve reading skill