آموزش زبان انگلیسی

آموزش زبان انگلیسی ,آموزش گرامر انگلیسی , مکالمه انگلیسی, اصطلاح , لغت , تست , سرگرمی , ضرب المثل, شعر , داستان , نکته ها ی مهم , و اخبار جالب..

آموزش زبان انگلیسی

آموزش زبان انگلیسی ,آموزش گرامر انگلیسی , مکالمه انگلیسی, اصطلاح , لغت , تست , سرگرمی , ضرب المثل, شعر , داستان , نکته ها ی مهم , و اخبار جالب..

20 Common Grammar Mistakes That (Almost) Everyone Makes آموزش زبان انگلیسی

20 Common Grammar Mistakes That (Almost) Everyone Makes



Who and Whom

This one opens a big can of worms. “Who” is a subjective — or nominative — pronoun, along with "he," "she," "it," "we," and "they." It’s used when the pronoun acts as the subject of a clause. “Whom” is an objective pronoun, along with "him," "her," "it", "us," and "them." It’s used when the pronoun acts as the object of a clause. Using “who” or “whom” depends on whether you’re referring to the subject or object of a sentence. When in doubt, substitute “who” with the subjective pronouns “he” or “she,” e.g., Who loves you? cf., He loves me.Similarly, you can also substitute “whom” with the objective pronouns “him” or “her.” e.g.I consulted an attorney whom I met in New York. cf., I consulted him.

Which and That

This is one of the most common mistakes out there, and understandably so. “That” is a restrictive pronoun. It’s vital to the noun to which it’s referring.  e.g., I don’t trust fruits and vegetables that aren’t organic. Here, I’m referring to all non-organic fruits or vegetables. In other words, I only trust fruits and vegetables that are organic. “Which” introduces a relative clause. It allows qualifiers that may not be essential. e.g., I recommend you eat only organic fruits and vegetables, which are available in area grocery stores. In this case, you don’t have to go to a specific grocery store to obtain organic fruits and vegetables. “Which” qualifies, “that” restricts. “Which” is more ambiguous however, and by virtue of its meaning is flexible enough to be used in many restrictive clauses. e.g., The house, which is burning, is mine. e.g., The house that is burning is mine.

Lay and Lie

This is the crown jewel of all grammatical errors. “Lay” is a transitive verb. It requires a direct subject and one or more objects. Its present tense is “lay” (e.g., I lay the pencil on the table) and its past tense is “laid” (e.g.,Yesterday I laid the pencil on the table). “Lie” is an intransitive verb. It needs no object. Its present tense is “lie” (e.g., The Andes mountains lie between Chile and Argentina) and its past tense is “lay” (e.g., The man lay waiting for an ambulance). The most common mistake occurs when the writer uses the past tense of the transitive “lay” (e.g., I laid on the bed) when he/she actually means the intransitive past tense of “lie" (e.g., I lay on the bed).

Moot

Contrary to common misuse, “moot” doesn’t imply something is superfluous. It means a subject is disputable or open to discussion. e.g., The idea that commercial zoning should be allowed in the residential neighborhood was a moot point for the council.

Continual and Continuous

They’re similar, but there’s a difference. “Continual” means something that's always occurring, with obvious lapses in time. “Continuous” means something continues without any stops or gaps in between. e.g., The continual music next door made it the worst night of studying ever. e.g., Her continuous talking prevented him from concentrating.

Envy and Jealousy

The word “envy” implies a longing for someone else’s good fortunes. “Jealousy” is far more nefarious. It’s a fear of rivalry, often present in sexual situations. “Envy” is when you covet your friend’s good looks. “Jealousy” is what happens when your significant other swoons over your good-looking friend.

Nor

“Nor” expresses a negative condition. It literally means "and not." You’re obligated to use the “nor” form if your sentence expresses a negative and follows it with another negative condition. “Neither the men nor the women were drunk” is a correct sentence because “nor” expresses that the women held the same negative condition as the men. The old rule is that “nor” typically follows “neither,” and “or” follows “either.” However, if neither “either” nor “neither” is used in a sentence, you should use “nor” to express a second negative, as long as the second negative is a verb. If the second negative is a noun, adjective, or adverb, you would use “or,” because the initial negative transfers to all conditions. e.g., He won’t eat broccoli or asparagus. The negative condition expressing the first noun (broccoli) is also used for the second (asparagus).

May and Might

“May” implies a possibility. “Might” implies far more uncertainty. “You may get drunk if you have two shots in ten minutes” implies a real possibility of drunkenness. “You might get a ticket if you operate a tug boat while drunk” implies a possibility that is far more remote. Someone who says “I may have more wine” could mean he/she doesn't want more wine right now, or that he/she “might” not want any at all. Given the speaker’s indecision on the matter, “might” would be correct.

Whether and If 

Many writers seem to assume that “whether” is interchangeable with “if." It isn’t. “Whether” expresses a condition where there are two or more alternatives. “If” expresses a condition where there are no alternatives. e.g., I don’t know whether I’ll get drunk tonight. e.g., I can get drunk tonight if I have money for booze.

Fewer and Less

“Less” is reserved for hypothetical quantities. “Few” and “fewer” are for things you can quantify. e.g., The firm has fewer than ten employees. e.g., The firm is less successful now that we have only ten employees.

Farther and Further

The word “farther” implies a measurable distance. “Further” should be reserved for abstract lengths you can't always measure. e.g., I threw the ball ten feet farther than Bill. e.g., The financial crisis caused further implications.

Since and Because

“Since” refers to time. “Because” refers to causation. e.g., Since I quit drinking I’ve married and had two children. e.g., Because I quit drinking I no longer wake up in my own vomit.

Disinterested and Uninterested

Contrary to popular usage, these words aren’t synonymous. A “disinterested” person is someone who’s impartial. For example, a hedge fund manager might take interest in a headline regarding the performance of a popular stock, even if he's never invested in it. He’s “disinterested,” i.e., he doesn’t seek to gain financially from the transaction he’s witnessed. Judges and referees are supposed to be "disinterested." If the sentence you’re using implies someone who couldn't care less, chances are you’ll want to use “uninterested.”

Anxious

Unless you’re frightened of them, you shouldn’t say you’re “anxious to see your friends.” You’re actually “eager,” or "excited." To be “anxious” implies a looming fear, dread or anxiety. It doesn’t mean you’re looking forward to something.

Different Than and Different From

This is a tough one. Words like “rather” and “faster” are comparative adjectives, and are used to show comparison with the preposition “than,” (e.g., greater than, less than, faster than, rather than). The adjective “different” is used to draw distinction. So, when “different” is followed by a  preposition, it should be “from,” similar to “separate from,” “distinct from,” or “away from.” e.g., My living situation in New York was different from home. There are rare cases where “different than” is appropriate, if “than” operates as a conjunction. e.g.,Development is different in New York than in Los Angeles. When in doubt, use “different from.”

Bring and Take

In order to employ proper usage of “bring” or “take,” the writer must know whether the object is being moved toward or away from the subject. If it is toward, use “bring.” If it is away, use “take.” Your spouse may tell you to “take your clothes to the cleaners.” The owner of the dry cleaners would say “bring your clothes to the cleaners.”

Impactful

It isn't a word. "Impact" can be used as a noun (e.g., The impact of the crash was severe) or a transitive verb (e.g., The crash impacted my ability to walk or hold a job). "Impactful" is a made-up buzzword, colligated by the modern marketing industry in their endless attempts to decode the innumerable nuances of human behavior into a string of mindless metrics. Seriously, stop saying this.

Affect and Effect

Here’s a trick to help you remember: “Affect” is almost always a verb (e.g., Facebook affects people’s attention spans), and “effect” is almost always a noun (e.g., Facebook's effects can also be positive). “Affect” means to influence or produce an impression — to cause hence, an effect. “Effect” is the thing produced by the affecting agent; it describes the result or outcome. There are some exceptions. “Effect” may be used as a transitive verb, which means to bring about or make happen. e.g., My new computer effected a much-needed transition from magazines to Web porn. There are similarly rare examples where “affect” can be a noun. e.g., His lack of affect made him seem like a shallow person.

Irony and Coincidence

Too many people claim something is the former when they actually mean the latter. For example, it’s not “ironic” that “Barbara moved from California to New York, where she ended up meeting and falling in love with a fellow Californian.” The fact that they’re both from California is a "coincidence." "Irony" is the incongruity in a series of events between the expected results and the actual results. "Coincidence" is a series of events that appear planned when they’re actually accidental. So, it would be "ironic" if “Barbara moved from California to New York to escape California men, but the first man she ended up meeting and falling in love with was a fellow Californian.”

Nauseous

Undoubtedly the most common mistake I encounter. Contrary to almost ubiquitous misuse, to be “nauseous” doesn’t mean you’ve been sickened: it actually means you possess the ability to produce nausea in others. e.g., That week-old hot dog is nauseous. When you find yourself disgusted or made ill by a nauseating agent, you are actually “nauseated.” e.g., I was nauseated after falling into that dumpster behind the Planned Parenthood. Stop embarrassing yourself.

some sentences about life

1) Your enemies could be anyone. Mostly those that are close to you hurt you most.

 

2) In short, life is what we choose to make it.


3) We have to fight our way to success. It is an uphill battle. We have to resist becoming discouraged.


4) As difficult as it is, we can still make it. The answer to being a winner is in having the right outlook. If you see yourself as a victim and cringe at every difficulty, you will be miserable and have little success. If you see yourself as a victor, and enjoy matching wits with your obstacles, you will succeed. Life becomes what our dominating thoughts make it.


5) We must direct them in the right direction.


6) A recent study found that optimists outperform pessimists ten to one. Attitude is everything.


7) Negative thoughts drain your energy and positive attitudes bring passion and optimism.


8) His father was a pessimist and barely scraped out a living. He forced himself to think positively and be optimistic, because he did not want the failures his dad experienced.


9) Since life is not on easy street, but difficult avenue, and we are always struggling our way uphill, we cannot afford to dwell on doubts and fears.


10) Those who are relentless in their pursuit, and take advantage of compound interest in their investments can fulfill their dream to be financially independent.


11) There is a mixture of good and bad thoughts in everybody's mind. But you can change the track of your thoughts. You can change the bad and negative into the good and positive.


12) Reading is a rewarding habit. And if you read motivational books then it's even better. Motivational and inspirational books are packed with positive energies.


13) If you mess up just start over.


14) Stop taking today for granted. A great today will give you an outstanding tomorrow.


15) Put in enough effort and follow that up with action success will come.


16) There's so much to do, so little time. I don't have enough hands, or I need to be able to clone myself to get it all done.


17) But even the perception of those people living in a dangerous situation can take a positive spin.


18) With a clear mind, you can think much better and make wise decisions more.


19) Telling someone about your problem is a form of releasing bad energy from your body.


20) Remembering good and happy memories will get your mind off the problem and will also let yourself to be the normal you.

آموزش زبان انگلیسی Dealing With Difficult English Verbs

Unlike many other languages, there are many verbs in English that don’t follow basic rules – making it frustrating for non-native speakers to learn. In many cases, you’re likely to find that irregular verbs are actually more common than ones that follow syntax guidelines! As a result, you may need to rely on sentence cues to determine what, if any, actions are being described. In many cases, even if a verb is irregular, you can still use these cues to arrive at the meaning the author or speaker is trying to convey.

Locating Verbs Based on Noun Position

To begin, if you can recognize a noun within a sentence, chances are you will also find a verb following it that will help you decipher the rest of the sentence. Using this method can help you improve your reading comprehension, as well as eliminate reliance on syntax rules that don’t address many situations. This method will also help you determine the timing of the sentence and the actions that were taken. In addition, once you know where nouns are in relation to verbs, you’ll also be able to decipher the subject of the sentence.

For example, if you look at the sentence “David washed the laundry”, you’ll immediately realize that David is a noun. “Washed” the next word, is a verb that is describing the action that David is taking. In this case, you can recognize that the word has an “-ed” ending, which indicates that the action – washing – has happened in the past. In another example, “David walks with his dog”, you can again find the verb immediately after the noun.

Using Syllable Structures to Isolate Verbs

In many cases, if you suspect that you are dealing with an irregular verb, you can break the word in question down to syllables. As you put the word back together, you should be able to recognize a root word that is based on some kind of action. For example, the word “skipping” breaks down into two syllables – “skip” and “ing”. As you can see, once you remove the “-ing” suffix, you are left with a word that describes a specific kind of motion.

Unfortunately, the “-ing” ending doesn’t always help you determine the time frame of the action. In order to determine this, once again you’ll need to find out who is taking the action and then look for words that offer a time frame in the sentence. In this case, skipping could be proceeded by “was”, “is”, or even “will be”. As you can see, each preceding time frame creates an entirely different meaning for the verb.

Even though English verbs are some of the most difficult aspects of the language, it’s worth your while to gain proficiency with them. That said, if you’re going to try and learn English based on exact rules, you’ll have a difficult time. As with any other language, it is important to be able to comprehend what you are hearing or reading in the context of meaning. Breaking words down into fundamental sounds will give you clues about their meaning and importance, enabling you to understand English verb tenses much more quickly.

stress

Stress is common to everyone. Our bodies are designed to feel stress and react to it. It keeps us alert and ready to avoid danger. It is not always possible to avoid or change events that may cause stress. We can feel trapped and unable to cope. When stress persists, the body begins to break down and illnesses can occur. The key to coping with stress is identifying stressors in your life and learning ways to direct and reduce stress.

What is stress?

Stress is your reaction to any change that requires you to adjust or respond. It's important to remember that you can learn to control stress, because stress comes from how you respond to stressful events.

What causes stress?

Stress can be caused by anything that requires you to adjust to a change in your environment. Your body reacts to these changes with physical, mental, and emotional responses. We all have our own ways of coping with change, so the causes of stress can be different for each person. Common causes include:

  • Death
  • Illnesses
  • Accidents
  • Marriage
  • Pregnancy
  • Divorce
  • Job change
  • Deadlines
  • Moving
  • Money problems
  • Confrontations
  • Crowds
  • Heavy traffic
  • Legal problems
  • Retirement

When you are not sure of the exact cause of your stress, it may be helpful for you to know the warning signs of stress. Once you can identify these signs, you can learn how your body responds to stress. Then you can take steps to reduce it.

What are the warning signs of stress?

Your body sends out physical, emotional, and behavioral warning signs of stress.

Emotional warning signs include:

  • Anxiety
  • Sleep disruption
  • Anger
  • Inability to concentrate
  • Unproductive worry
  • Sadness
  • Frequent mood swings

Physical warning signs include:

  • Stooped posture
  • Sweaty palms
  • Chronic fatigue
  • Weight gain or loss
  • Physical symptoms that your doctor cannot attribute to another condition

Behavioral warning signs include:

  • Over-reacting
  • Acting on impulse
  • Using alcohol or drugs
  • Withdrawing from relationships
  • Changing jobs often
  • Feeling agitated most of the time
What can I do to reduce stress?
  • Keep a positive attitude.
  • Accept that there are events that you cannot control.
  • Be assertive instead of aggressive. "Assert" your feelings, opinions, or beliefs instead of becoming angry, combative, or passive.
  • Learn to relax.
  • Exercise regularly. Your body can fight stress better when it is fit.
  • Eat well-balanced meals.
  • Rest and sleep. Your body needs time to recover from stressful events.
  • Don't rely on alcohol or drugs to reduce stress.
How can I learn to relax?

There are a number of exercises that you can do to relax. These exercises include breathing, muscle and mind relaxation, relaxation to music, and biofeedback. A few that you can try are listed below. First, be sure that you have:

  • A quiet location that is free of distractions.
  • A comfortable body position. Sit or recline on a chair or sofa.
  • A good state of mind. Try to block out worries and distracting thoughts.

Relaxation exercises

2-minute relaxation-- Concentrate your thoughts on yourself and your breathing. Take a few deep breaths, exhaling slowly. Mentally scan your body. Notice areas that feel tense or cramped. Quickly loosen up these areas. Let go of as much tension as you can. Rotate your head in a smooth, circular motion once or twice. (Stop any movements that cause pain.) Roll your shoulders forward and backward several times. Let all of your muscles completely relax. Recall a pleasant thought for a few seconds. Take another deep breath and exhale slowly. You should feel more relaxed.

Mind relaxation-- Close your eyes. Breathe normally through your nose. As you exhale, silently say to yourself the word "one," a short word such as "peaceful" or a short phrase such as "I feel quiet" or "I'm safe." Continue for 10 minutes. If your mind wanders, gently remind yourself to think about your breathing and your chosen word or phrase. Let your breathing become slow and steady.

Deep breathing relaxation- -Imagine a spot just below your navel. Breath into that spot and fill your abdomen with air. Let the air fill you from the abdomen up, then let it out, like deflating a balloon. With every long, slow breath out, you should feel more relaxed





Best wishes & good luck with the exams.


Five Ways to Improve Your English Reading Comprehension

Improving your ability to read English quickly and accurately takes a great deal of practice. However, you don’t have to read boring materials that or ones that contain words and concepts you aren’t interested in. Once you know the basic elements of the English language, you can select from a wide variety of reading materials, including different methods of presentation. Here are a few fun ways to improve your reading comprehension.

Play word games

Today, crossword puzzles and other types of word game puzzles entertain native and non-native English speakers of all ages. If you’re looking for a way to improve your vocabulary and have fun at the same time, these types of puzzles can be of immense help to you. If this is something that interests you, you might also consider Scrabble, word searches and other similar games.

Take a speed reading course

If you aren’t interested in word games, you might want to try taking a course in speed reading. These lessons will teach you how to pick key words out of a paragraph and understand the message without having to read each sentence word for word. That said, if you’re having difficulty isolating nouns and verbs, you may need to practice more before you try taking these courses.

Take notes on subjects that interest you

If you’re reading a book on a topic that you enjoy, take some notes. These can be verbatim samples from the text or you can try putting sections in your own words. As you write, you’ll also have an opportunity to think about the sentence structures and see how ideas are conveyed. This will help you learn to discuss these topics in a way that sounds more natural.

Select materials that will challenge you

Just like with physical exercise, you need to constantly set new goals for yourself so that you continue to progress and improve. For example, if you’re able to work your way through a 100 page children’s book, it’s time to start tackling a longer book or one on a more difficult topic. Regardless of which subjects interest you the most, you’ll be able to find some books that are harder to comprehend than others. By applying yourself to the ones that are more difficult, you’ll gain increased mastery over written English.

Read materials from many different authors

Considering the number of people that have websites, it’s easy to sample a wide range of English writing styles. This will help you to learn about the flexibility of the English language, as well as the means of expression that most people are comfortable with. If you already know a great deal about a certain topic in your native language, you can use that background to help you read websites in English that focus on similar concepts.

For the most part, once you know the basic elements of the English language, practice and time will be your most valuable teachers. It’s important to spend time reading materials that interest you in as many forms as possible – and to spice up your practice with things like word games and speed reading classes. Over time – and with hard work – you’ll see dramatic improvements in your comprehension of written English






Some Tips for Learning How to Speak Englishآموزش زبان انگلیسی

Irregardless of the language that you are trying to learn, connecting the way words sound with how they look on paper is a difficult task. Because the pronunciation rules for English are not consistent, you may often come to points where you will have a difficult time determining how to say things correctly.


It is also important to realize that the English has accents and dialects like any other language. As a result, you may feel confused when you are told to pronounce a word in a certain way, only to hear it spoken in a different way by someone else. Nevertheless, there are still a number of methods that you can use to develop your English speaking skills.


Using a Tape Recorder


In many cases, when you are concentrating on how to form sounds, you may not be aware of how they actually turn out. A tape recorder is very useful for helping you learn the results of your efforts. As you listen, you will be able to hear the difference in what you intended to sound out, and what actually occurred. You can also compare these results to tapes of native English speakers and work on specific sound groups that are difficult to manage. A tape recorder will also help you learn how to control the pace of your speech, as well as your breathing pattern.


Listen and Repeat Numerous Dialects and Accents


Once you have mastered the basic sounds, it may be helpful to listen to these words spoken by people with different accents. As an example, you might want to try and imitate everything from Texan accents to Irish ones. In the process, you may find that some letter pronunciations fit better with your own natural speech patterns.


As you listen and repeat from tapes, it is very important to experiment and find out what will make you speech clear and understandable. You can also find numerous samples of spoken English on the internet. If you visit sites like You Tube, it is possible to download videos on just about any subject. Some video producers may even have content available that shows you the proper lip and tongue positions to form specific sounds. You can also select materials that match a hobby or other personal interest, and gain the benefit of hearing a native English speaker at the same time.


Voice Chat


At some point, you will want to gain steady practice in conversational English. If your computer is equipped with a sound card and microphone, you may be able to find internet chat rooms that also support voice chat. That said, you may not find this of much help if your internet connection is too slow.


Unfortunately, learning to verbalize in English will be very difficult if you do not actually speak out loud. If you cannot find someone to practice with, you can still use a tape recorder, or practice with videos. On the other hand, if your computer has the necessary hardware, you may find that you have unlimited opportunities to carry on conversations with native English speakers from all over the world.

Ten tips to build English vocabulary

Ten tips to build English vocabulary

Feeling overwhelmed trying to memorize so many vocabulary words? It doesn't need to be a daunting task! Check out these top strategies and practical pointers that can help you build your word power!

Connect: It's easier to memorize words based on a common theme. Make your own connections between words and possibly organize them in a spider diagram

Write: Practically using vocabulary can help it stick in your mind. Write sentences with new vocabulary words or compose a story using a group of words or expressions.

Draw: Expose the artist in you by drawing pictures related to the words you study. Your drawings can help trigger your memory in the future.

Act: Get your moves on by acting out words and expressions you learn. Or, imagine and act out a situation where you would need to use them.

Create: Design flashcards in English and study them in your spare time. Each week make new ones, but continue to review all of them.

Associate: Assign different colors to different words. This association will help you recall vocabulary later.

Listen: Think about other words which sound similar to the words you're learning, especially complex words. Associate the other words with this new word to help you remember the pronunciation.

Choose: Remember that topics that interest you will be easier to learn. Therefore, carefully select words that you will find useful or interesting. Even the process of making the choice is a memory aid!

Limit: Don't try to memorize the dictionary in a day! Limit yourself to 15 words per day, and you'll gain confidence instead of feeling overwhelmed.

Observe: Keep an eye out for the words you're studying when reading or listening to English.

.

آموزش زبان انگلیسی Three Words

Three Words
What is the theme of almost every song ever sung -
and almost every movie ever made?

LOVE.

Lost love, found love, risky love, scorned love.
It's endless! We just want love!

Almost everything we do is an attempt to get more love.
We buy cool clothes and flash cars.
We climb the corporate ladder.
We do crash diets, get Botox and pierce body parts.

Everyone you pass on the street and everyone who has ever
walked into your office is aching for love and acceptance -
and some of us are doing crazy things to get it.

We figure:
‎"If I look sexy, people will love me."
‎"If I am clever, people will love me."
‎"If I am successful and 97% wrinkle free, people will love me."

We can get so busy trying to find love that we forget
to love the people we care about …

Fred says, "I told my wife last month that ! I love her.
Doesn't she remember?"
She remembers, Fred, but she wants to be told every month.
Actually, she wants to be told every day.

Children want to hear it.
Little Johnny is born. Dad hugs him daily and tells him,
‎"Daddy loves you!" … until he's about six.
Then Dad decides, "My son is becoming a man."
He stops telling Johnny, "I love you."
He stops cuddling Johnny.
And Johnny wonders, "Doesn't Dad love me any more?"

I've lost count of the number of grown men
that have told me at one time or another:
‎"All I wanted my whole life was for my Dad to tell me
he was proud of me - that he loved me."

It is in times of tragedy that we are
reminded about what matters most.

That's when people say "If only I had told him …"‎
IN A NUTSHELL
To say "I love you" costs so little and means so much.

And whenever it is too hard to say, "I love you",
‎"thank you" is a good start.‎
‎ ‎

Words & Thoughts

 

Words & Thoughts

Imagine a boxer stepping into the ring, and telling himself:
"I'm a loser. I'm a chicken!"
How long would he last?

Imagine a singer walking onstage, and telling herself:
"I'm pathetic! They'll hate me!"
How well would she sing?

It's a recipe for disaster.

Yet, lots of us use this same recipe every day. We tell ourselves:
"I'm fat."
"I have a rotten memory."
"I'm always broke."
"I'm an idiot."
Then we wonder why we fail!

If you expect to forget, you will forget!
If you expect to be broke, you will stay broke.
If you expect to behave like an idiot ...

So how do we start to think positively?

The first step is to watch your mouth! Notice what you SAY about yourself.

From today, NEVER SAY ANYTHING BAD ABOUT YOURSELF.
Never tell people: "I'm hopeless, I always screw up, my boyfriends always dump me ..."

Make a commitment: "From today, I will not criticise myself. If I have nothing good to say about me, I will keep my mouth shut."

It's hard to control our thoughts - but we CAN control what comes out of our mouth. Once we take control of our language, we begin to have more positive thoughts ... and life gets better.

We become what we think about!

Ten tips to build English vocabulary

Ten tips to build English vocabulary

Feeling overwhelmed trying to memorize so many vocabulary words? It doesn't need to be a daunting task! Check out these top strategies and practical pointers that can help you build your word power

Connect: It's easier to memorize words based on a common theme. Make your own connections between words and possibly organize them in a spider diagram

Write: Practically using vocabulary can help it stick in your mind. Write sentences with new vocabulary words or compose a story using a group of words or expressions

Draw: Expose the artist in you by drawing pictures related to the words you study. Your drawings can help trigger your memory in the future

Act: Get your moves on by acting out words and expressions you learn. Or, imagine and act out a situation where you would need to use them

Create: Design flashcards in English and study them in your spare time. Each week make new ones, but continue to review all of them

Associate: Assign different colors to different words. This association will help you recall vocabulary later

Listen: Think about other words which sound similar to the words you're learning, especially complex words. Associate the other words with this new word to help you remember the pronunciation

Choose: Remember that topics that interest you will be easier to learn. Therefore, carefully select words that you will find useful or interesting. Even the process of making the choice is a memory aid

Limit: Don't try to memorize the dictionary in a day! Limit yourself to 15 words per day, and you'll gain confidence instead of feeling overwhelmed

Observe: Keep an eye out for the words you're studying when reading or listening to English

Happiness In a Nutshell

 

Patience

A woman approached the great violinist Fritz Kreisler after one of his concerts...


She said, "Mr Kreisler, I would give my life to play as you play!"
He turned and smiled and said, "I DID!"



If you want to be really good at something, you might need to spend your whole life practising ... or ten years practising ... or at least six months!



A hundred years ago, most people understood this. Nowadays, people want instant results

For whatever you want to do, here's a strategy ... practise every day, but don't expect to see progress every day!



If you are:

* getting your body fit

* learning a language

* refining your golf swing

* taking singing lessons

* learning a new sport, beginning a hobby, starting a new career ...



give yourself enough time.



Get a daily plan, stick with it ... AND allow yourself time to improve.



You might see little progress in a month. Give it six months of effort - or a year of effort - THEN assess your improvement.



Most people quit too soon!

IN A NUTSHELL

To be successful, this is what you need - in order of importance:

1. Patience and persistence
2. Talent  

How To Learn English

!

Here are some tips which may help you to master the English Language!

Speak without Fear

The biggest problem most people face in learning a new language is their own fear.  They worry that they won’t say things correctly or that they will look stupid so they don’t talk at all.  Don’t do this.  The fastest way to learn anything is to do it – again and again until you get it right.  Like anything, learning English requires practice.  Don’t let a little fear stop you from getting what you want. 

Use all of your Resources

Even if you study English at a language school it doesn’t mean you can’t learn outside of class.  Using as many different sources, methods and tools as possible, will allow you to learn faster.  There are many different ways you can improve your English, so don’t limit yourself to only one or two.  The internet is a fantastic resource for virtually anything, but for the language learner it's perfect.

Surround Yourself with English

The absolute best way to learn English is to surround yourself with it.  Take notes in English, put English books around your room, listen to English language radio broadcasts, watch English news, movies and television.  Speak English with your friends whenever you can. The more English material that you have around you, the faster you will learn and the more likely it is that you will begin “thinking in English.” .

Listen to Native Speakers as Much as Possible

There are some good English teachers that have had to learn English as a second language before they could teach it.  However, there are several  reasons why many of the best schools prefer to hire native English speakers. One of the reasons is that native speakers have a natural flow to their speech that students of English should try to imitate.  The closer ESL / EFL students can get to this rhythm or flow, the more convincing and comfortable they will become. 

Watch English Films and Television

This is not only a fun way to learn but it is also very effective.  By watching English films (especially those with English subtitles) you can expand your vocabulary and hear the flow of speech from the actors.  If you listen to the news you can also hear different accents.

Listen to English Music

Music can be a very effective method of learning English.  In fact, it is often used as a way of improving comprehension.  The best way to learn though, is to get the lyrics (words) to the songs you are listening to and try to read them as the artist sings.  There are several good internet sites where one can find the words for most songs. This way you can practice your listening and reading at the same time.  And if you like to sing, fine.

Study As Often As Possible!

Only by studying things like grammar and vocabulary and doing exercises, can you really improve your knowledge of any language. 

Do Exercises and Take Tests

Many people think that exercises and tests aren't much fun.  However, by completing exercises and taking tests you can really improve your English. One of the best reasons for doing lots of exercises and tests is that they give you a benchmark to compare your future results with.  Often, it is by comparing your score on a test you took yesterday with one you took a month or six months ago that you realize just how much you have learned.  If you never test yourself, you will never know how much you are progressing. Start now by doing some of the many exercises and tests on this site, and return in a few days to see what you've learned. Keep doing this and you really will make some progress with English.

Record Yourself

Nobody likes to hear their own voice on tape but like tests, it is good to compare your tapes from time to time.  You may be so impressed with the progress you are making that you may not mind the sound of your voice as much.

Listen to English

By this, we mean, speak on the phone or listen to radio broadcasts, audiobooks or CDs in English. This is different than watching the television or films because you can’t see the person that is speaking to you.  Many learners of English say that speaking on the phone is one of the most difficult things that they do and the only way to improve is to practice.

Finally

Have fun!

 

 

Tips on Studying a Foreign Language

Tips on Studying a Foreign Language

Learning another language is not easy, but most people can learn a second language IF they are willing to put in the necessary time. Here are some practical suggestions for studying effectively, overcoming anxiety, and learning the grammar and skills necessary for success in foreign language classes.

  1. STUDY EVERY DAY! A foreign language course is different from any other course you take. Language learning is cumulative: you cannot put it off until the weekend. Study 1 or 2 hours for every class hour if you want an A or B.
  2. DISTRIBUTE YOUR STUDY TIME in 15- to 30-minute periods throughout the day. Focus on a different task each time: vocabulary now, grammar next, etc. Get an overview during the first half hour: spend 10 minutes reviewing dialog, 10 minutes learning new vocabulary, 10 minutes learning new grammar...so you'll at least have looked at it all. Approximately 80% of your study time should be spent in recitation or practice, including practice in the language lab.
  3. ATTEND AND PARTICIPATE IN EVERY CLASS--even if you are not well prepared. Class time is your best opportunity to practice. Learn the grammar and vocabulary outside of class in order to make the most of class time. Spend a few minutes "warming up" before each class by speaking or reading the language.
  4. MAKE YOURSELF COMFORTABLE IN THE CLASSROOM. Get to know your classmates, so you will feel you are among friends. Visit your instructor during office hours to get acquainted: explain your goals and fears about the course to your instructor.
  5. LEARN GRAMMAR IF YOU DON'T ALREADY KNOW IT. Grammar is the skeleton of a language, its basic structure: you must learn it. Review a simplified English grammar text. Compare new grammatical structures in your foreign language to their English equivalents.
  6. PRACTICE FOR TESTS by doing what you will have to do on the test. If the test will require you to write, then study by writing--including spelling and accents. If you will be asked to listen, then practice listening. Ask for practice questions; make up your own test questions. Invent variations on patterns and forms. Over-learn: study beyond the point of recognition to mastery.
  7. DEVELOP A GOOD ATTITUDE. Have a clear personal reason for taking the class. Set personal goals for what you want to learn. Leave perfectionism at the door; give yourself permission to make mistakes and learn from them.
  8. GET HELP IF YOU NEED IT. Talk with your teacher. Form study groups among class members. Use tutoring services. Don't wait!

READING and WRITING a foreign language are analytical skills. You may be good at these if you are a logical person who attends to detail. Train yourself through practice to notice and remember details such as accents and gender agreement.

READING SKILLS TIPS:

  1. First, read the vocabulary list for the assignment. Next, read the questions about the reading. Then read all the way through a new passage two or three times, guessing at meaning from context. Avoid word-by-word translation. It is a waste of time!
  2. Isolate new vocabulary and study it separately. DON'T write between the lines! Make flash cards. Carry them with you and recite them several times during the day at odd moments. Overlearn them until they are automatic.
  3. Isolate new grammatical forms and study them separately. Write the pattern on a flash card and memorize it. Write out and label a model sentence. When you encounter the form while reading, pause and recite the pattern to recognize the form.

WRITING SKILLS TIPS:

  1. Pay attention to detail: notice accents, order of letters, etc. Compare letter-by-letter different forms (singular, plural, gender, etc.). Write out conjugations of verbs, declensions of pro-nouns, etc., and check your endings. Memorize irregular verbs.
  2. To master spelling, have a friend dictate 10 words to you. Write them out and immediately have your friend spell them correctly aloud while you look carefully and point at each letter. Repeat until you get all the words right.
  3. Write (in your own simple foreign vocabulary words) a story you have just read.


LISTENING and SPEAKING are performance skills. You may do well at these if you are naturally outgoing. Students in foreign language classes often have difficulty hearing and speaking because they are anxious about making mistakes. It's OK to make mistakes! Have fun trying to speak!

LISTENING SKILLS TIPS:

  1. Frequent the language lab. Read the exercises in your book first; then listen and read together; then listen without looking at the print. Say aloud/write what you hear.
  2. Participate silently in class when others are called on to speak. Focus on the task; don't worry about how you'll do.
  3. If you feel nervous, relax yourself physically by taking a couple of slow, deep breaths. When called on, pause, relax, and give yourself time to respond.
  4. Listen while a friend dictates to you and write what you hear. Check for accuracy.
  5. Practice: join language clubs, watch foreign TV, listen to foreign radio.


SPEAKING SKILLS TIPS:

  1. Study out loud! Mimic the sounds of the language. Don't mumble. Although most people feel embarrassed making strange sounds, the language will soon feel more familiar to you.
  2. When called on in class, say something, even it it's wrong: you'll learn from it. If you need a moment to think, repeat the question. If you don't know the answer, say in your foreign language, "I don't know" or "help!"
  3. Practice with a foreign student who wants your help to learn English or with another class member.