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HELPS
FOR LEARNING ENGLISH |
| Some Basic Facts: |
| 1. | Every person's brain is unique. Individuals differ in their ability to learn a language like we differ in our ability to learn to play musical instruments, play sports or practice an art like painting or acting. Some of us are Michael Jordans and some of us always have to work hard to handle the basics. | |
| 2. | The brain is a muscle. It needs to be exercised regularly in order to use it. | |
| 3. | Exercise. Just as the muscles of our body need to be exercised, every function of using a language needs to be exercised. (You can't expect to go to a gym and lift 100 kg unless you've been working out at a gym regularly.) Knowing one function, like reading, does not mean you can speak well, listen well or write well. We use a different group of brain cells for each function – speaking, reading and writing - of using a language. (This is the same as people who go to gyms and use different machines for different muscle groups.) | |
| 4. | Common errors. Advanced learning requires knowing some differences between Chinese and English and the learning of ever-changing idioms, slang and common usage. |
| The sources of slang: (see Internet links to slang from different English-speaking countries.) |
| 1. | sports phrases | ||
| 2. | health phrases | ||
| 3. | teen speak | ||
| 4. | old sayings | ||
| 5. | political talk |
| Some techniques for studing English: |
| 1. | Choose material that interests you. We remember what we have some feeling about. We easily forget what is boring. |
| 2. | Our brains function like a computer. We have a temporary memory and a hard drive. When we first hear new words or phrases, it goes into our temporary memory. If we don't review the new words or phrases soon afterward and move them to our long-term memory – our hard drive – we are likely to forget them quickly. |
| 3. | Use your imagination. If you don't have someone to speak English to, talk to yourself. Make up dialogues in your mind. Repeat dialogues you hear. In certain situations, think English. How would you answer someone's question in English? How would you ask the question in English? Your brain doesn't make a distinction between an actual conversation and an imaginary conversation. They both work. |
| 4. | Watch DVD movies! Play the DVD with Chinese subtitles. Play it with English subtitles. Play it without any subtitles. After you've watched a movie several times, try to act a part. When someone asks a question in the movie, answer his out loud. Practice your English whenever you have a chance. |
| Links for studying English: | |
| Links for slang: | |
| http://www.peevish.co.uk/slang/links.htm | ||
| http://www.slanglinks.cjb.net/ | ||
| http://www.world-english.org/slang.htm | ||
| Links for improving English listening comprehension: |
| http://www.elllo.org/ | ||
| http://www.elllo.org/graphics/links.htm | ||
| http://www.englishlanguagespacestation.com/Listening.htm | ||
| http://accent.gmu.edu/ | ||
| This site from George Mason University shows the accents of people from many different countries speaking English (and other languages). Everyone reads the same paragraph. (It includes speakers from different parts of the US.) | ||
| Click “Browse” | ||
| Then click “language/speakers” | ||
| On that page scroll down and click “English”. | ||
| You will then have a page with many different speakers. | ||
| General links for ESL students and teachers: |