Wednesday, August 22, 2007

English Learning 3

English Grammar Really Does Matter

by Julee Mitchelsin

Whether we are talking about a five year old that is about to start learning to read or whether we are talking about a thirty year old woman who is attempting to write a thesis for her master's degree, we cannot deny the fact that taking time to learn proper English grammar is important.

When we see or hear about English grammar, the immediate reaction of many people I know is to cringe. They are reminded of junior high and high school English class and the way that their English teachers made them to English grammar exercise after exercise. Because English grammar is usually seen in such a negative sense, it is all the more important that people replace those lies with the truth that learning English grammar really is important for anyone who wants to have a proper perspective of the English language.

When we are speaking or hearing English, not too many of us take the time to think about the fact that English grammar is the very thing that allows us to communicate with and understand one another. It is not so much because we use the same words of the English language, but it is because we all put our words together in certain ways to form thoughts and sentences that we can understand each other. This, in short, is the purpose of English grammar.

English grammar is the mechanics of the English langauge that allows for two people who use the same vocabulary to be able to communicate without misunderstanding. Certainly there will always be some level of misunderstaning that happens when two people communicate, but so much of our problems will be lessened if we all take some time to learn English grammar.

Many schools today are moving away from making English grammar a part of the regular curriculum. So while students may learn how to read and write successfully, they will likely never learn the English grammar or the reasons why they are speaking and writing as they are. So if you or someone you know is struggling with any element of the English language, or if you know a child or someone who is attempting to learn English for the first time, then make sure English grammar is included as an important part of the learning process.

Being able to speak, understand and write a language is an important part of being successful no matter what you do in life. And taking the time to learn even the basics of English grammar will go far in helping people communicate even better.

Julee Mitchelsin is an English professor who insists upon teaching English grammar to her college students because so few of them are proficient in the subject. See www.allenglishgrammar.info to learn more.

Article Source: ArticleSnatch - Article Directory

English Learning 2

Tips To Learn English

By George Williams

Do you have any plan to pursue your further education abroad? Will you need English for your career or your education? If so, you may wish to investigate your options for learning, or improving, your English skills.

The TOEFL Test: TOEFL (Test Of English as a Foreign Language) is a test used by many colleges, universities, government agencies and exchange and scholarship programs in the US, UK and Canada as a means of evaluating the language skills of a person whose first language is not English.

You can find TOEFL study guides easily online with other recommended resources listed. You may be able to access some of the sample tests and prepare with personal study. Or you may look for a class with an instructor to help you prepare for the test.

ESL Classes: ESL classes are a common means for students to learn English with group of classmates. These can be in the form of an evening class with various individuals attending or may be part of a college program during the day.

The course length and the topics covered will differ from country to country and school to school. Some summer programs are geared for international students to gain a basic grasp of the language before starting studies in English taught classes of the college or university.

Since the standards of passing a course, or the course material itself, will vary drastically, some students may feel that the language skills gained upon completing the course does not equip them to handle school work or social interactions adequately.

Some schools offer students and alternative of home-stay programs for students. Home-stay programs benefit the student by placing them for several weeks or months with a host family that speaks English. The student is then able to immerse him or herself in the culture and social speaking of the English country they are living in. There are also online ESL programs that may be suitable for distance education, especially if programs are not readily available in your area.

Private Tutors: Another popular method of learning English is with private tutors. The materials and methods used by ESL tutors will vary greatly and it is important to establish what material will be used and to feel comfortable with the tutor. Asking friends or other students for references can be helpful in finding a good tutor.

A combination of these English learning methods will be effective as well. You can take a summer course while staying with a home-stay host family and then arranging for private tutoring during the school year. Making an effort to use your new language skills regularly in social situations will improve your progress regardless of the program or course you are using.

About the Author: George Williams maintains many translator websites, including Free Translator, French Translator ,and Japanese Translator.

Source: www.isnare.com

English Learning 1

How to learn English

by Rick Martin

It is said that English language is difficult only in the first 25 years of study; after that, it’s piece of cake to learn English. If that were true, why do people try so much to study English? For a huge bunch of reasons, but one is recurrent in almost 99.9% of the answers: good or advanced knowledge of English is always a valuable asset in a person’s resume, which could sometimes make the difference.

That is why parents all over the world want their kids to learn English as early as possible in life, sometimes as early as nursery school age. That is why adults spent big money and hours on courses that would eventually help them study English and improve their speaking, writing, and communication skills, at least for what is largely known as business English or English for business purposes. Companies or corporations worldwide organize or send their employees to English language training sessions, so as to have solid ground in negotiating contracts with foreign partners and dealing with potential clients.

Basically, when you choose to study English, you need to clearly establish whether it is beginner, average or advanced level, business English or literary English, EFL or ESL (meaning, English as foreign language or English as secondary language). Consequently, courses, books and any other relevant materials need to be carefully chosen to help you learn English and meet your final expectations.

The truth is that millions of books offer English language courses, but they are all boring because of their structure. They all contain grammar rule explanations, vocabulary exercises, reading comprehension texts, pair work tasks and many other materials, considered useful by some of us. And still, most of the EFL/ESL books are missing something that is considered vital for students who want to learn English or master the English language: the necessary skills when you want to communicate with another person.

The focus on communication has become the core preoccupation for the modern teaching schools. Most of the people who want to study English are mainly concerned with acquiring enough basic vocabulary so that they can communicate with other native or EFL/ESL speakers. Moreover, they want to learn English quickly, because they don’t have much time to dedicate to this task.

Quick and efficient learning can only occur when there is a sincere interest in what you are doing, which makes your subconscious mind ready to learn English. There are so many unpleasant things in life that we need to cope with. Learning a foreign language should be quite the opposite. How can you learn English and have fun at the same time? Through a different course in which you will live and breathe English all day long with the experts from movingoncourses.com.

MovingOn Courses are very intensive English courses targeted to help people learn English at different levels and for different purposes: either intensive weekend courses or week-long courses in various locations throughout Spain, or intensive summer courses to be held in England, Scotland and Ireland. What makes MovingOn courses unique is the new learning technique used, based on 12 hours of English per day under the direct supervision of qualified native English teachers, daily trips with teachers and other special activities during which English is spoken all the time.

MovingOn classes, both for adults and children, are small sized, comprising a maximum of 8 students per teacher, but usually the average is 6 students per native English teacher, so that all students benefit from equal attention and constant guiding. Although the daily structure greatly varies, the training days have been designed to enjoy and motivate student in their learning experience.

One could easily conclude that the future trends with regard to the methods targeted at helping people learn English focus on interactive communication-based structures, which offer the possibility to study English, have fun and spend the whole day with the teachers.

Article Source: Article-Buzz.com