Tips for ESL's students.

[Lil_fixs]

Taking Control of the English Language

How can I speak English better?
How can I communicate better in English?
How can I express myself better in English?
How can I listen to and understand English better?
How can I improve?

What does taking control of the English language mean?
You speak English at an advanced level. You speak it fluently and you use it every day, yet you aren’t satisfied with your ability. You feel like you can’t express yourself the way you want to. When you can’t say what you want to say or need to say in the manner that you would like to, it might not leave you with the best feeling you could possibly have. There is only one thing to do about it. You must take control of the English language. What does taking control of the English language mean? It does not mean taking control of the entire language. It means taking control of the English language that is yours; the English language that you have. It means using the English that you already have to get more. It means taking responsibility for your own learning.

You might tell yourself that you want to have private instruction with an English language tutor. Great idea! However, there is something you should know and be well aware of. What happens during the time that you meet with an English language tutor is very important, but what happens during the time between your meetings with an English language tutor is even more important. The proactive steps that you take in order to improve have a direct effect on what it is you get out of the time and money that you spend with an English language tutor. In order to receive the maximum benefit possible for the money you spend on a tutor, you must dedicate a sufficient amount of time to studying between each lesson. Of course, the amount of time that anyone is able to dedicate to studying will vary, but nevertheless, it must be done. Furthermore, there are a number of things you should do leading up to the time that you decide to pick up the phone and make that call. So you ask, what is it that I need to do? What can I do on my own?

Read to Increase your Vocabulary
You need to increase your vocabulary. You need to build your lexicon. You need to learn more idiomatic expressions. Does this mean studying vocabulary lists? No. Does that mean buying books that list idiomatic expressions in English and their meanings? That may or may not be helpful. Does it mean going to the Internet and studying idiomatic expressions that are listed at websites? Perhaps, but that wouldn’t be all. Does it mean learning the word of the day that is given by online dictionaries? No! You need to build a personal lexicon. You need to maintain a lexical notebook. You need to learn words and expressions that are interesting to you and will be useful to you. You need to learn words and expressions that are part of your environment. Where can you find these words and expressions? You can find them by listening to the radio, by listening to those that you speak with on a daily basis, and by even listening to those that you don’t speak with. You don’t have to converse with someone in order to listen to someone. Of course, you can find new words and expressions by choosing challenging reading material that is interesting to you: newspaper and magazine articles, books, short stories. In order to start building your new lexicon, I suggest starting by finding something to read.

Now that you have chosen something interesting to read, here is what you need to do. You need to write down the words and expressions that you don’t understand. Take note of the page number and paragraph that the words or expressions are on as you read. After you are done reading, go back to the words and expressions that you didn’t understand and write them in your lexical notebook. Leave space to write an explanation or a definition. From the context, see if you can figure out what the words or expressions mean. After you have done this, go to a dictionary. For idiomatic expressions and phrasal verbs that you are unfamiliar with, I strongly recommend taking advantage of Cambridge Dictionaries Online. It is important that you practice these new words and expressions by writing your own sentences. This is helpful in incorporating them into your daily conversations and speaking habits. Don’t be overwhelmed by thinking you have to read a lot. Read what is good for you. If you come across too many words and expressions that you don’t recognize, it might be a good idea to find some less challenging reading material. What you read should be challenging, but it should not be so challenging that it might be discouraging.

Using Radio to Listen to and Understand English Better
Listen to the news on the radio. Listen to talk shows. Generally speaking, radio announcers that report the news speak clearly, use good vocabulary, and also use idiomatic expressions. If you have a computer, you can listen to news reports from National Public Radio and the British Broadcasting Corporation (NPR and the BBC). You can usually find a RealPlayer link to listen to news stories from both of these resources. However, listening to the radio will suffice as well. If you can, it would be a good idea to record a ten to fifteen minute segment of a news show or any broadcast that might interest you. Take note of any words or expressions that sound unfamiliar to you. Write them down in your lexical notebook. If you were able to record what you listened to, listen to it again to see if you can figure out what the new words and expressions mean through the context that they are used in. If you are unable to figure out what something means, then by all means go to a dictionary. Once again, I suggest using Cambridge Dictionaries Online for a comprehensive overview of any single word. Cambridge Dictionaries Online is a very good resource in that it demonstrates how words are used in idiomatic expressions and phrasal verbs. Cambridge Dictionaries also point out any important secondary definitions that a word might have.

Pay attention to what you hear wherever you go. If you are on a bus or a train, listen to what people say and how they say it. If you are in a supermarket, a shopping mall or any other public place where you can hear others speak, open your ears and try to listen. Take note of what you hear. Jot it down in a small pocket size notebook. Later, you can add it to your lexical notebook. If you pay attention, you are eventually bound to hear at least one word or one expression that is new to you. When you hear it, write it down. Find out what it means later. Learn it. Use it.

When learning new words and expressions, it is important to take note of whether these words and expressions are used in an informal context or a formal context. Many words and expressions are used both formally and informally. If you aren’t sure of exactly how to use a new word or expression, you can try them out with work colleagues and friends. Find people to converse with. They may not be instructive in any way, but you can try out new ways to express yourself. You should also listen as closely as possible when you converse. Listen for anything that sounds different, new, or unfamiliar. If the circumstance permits, don’t be afraid to take out your pocket notebook and write it down. If you say something that isn't quite right, the person you are speaking with might take note of it and let you know. If you aren’t sure of something you said or would like to say, then ask about it. If you hear something and you don’t know what it means, ask about that as well. Some, or even many people, may not view themselves as "teachers" per se, but most native speakers of English should be able to assist you in this manner. I believe most people would be glad to help. It is of the utmost importance to not be afraid to ask questions. That’s part of taking control of the English language. That’s part of making the English language your language. English is not your first language, but there is no reason why it cannot be your language. Get a notebook. Get something to read. Find something to listen to on the radio. Take control of the English language now.

Chea Kannara.

[jupiter]

Hi Kanara,

That's such a fandabidozy contribution.
Keep on ya great work.

Have fun

Jupiter

[soda]

Hi Kanara,
It's such a crucial information for everyone to learn english effectively.You have mentioned most of my problem i've been through.

i'm seem having with the reading.i have to read two or three times to get the meaning of a sentence or a short paragraph.I don't have much problem with the new words, but my memory capacity seems very short.i can't cover all the meaning right away.

Great to see your reply and from everyone.
Thanks,
Soda

[somanithd]

Study English is a kind of complicated subject that everybody has lots of problems to deal with.In part of the world,English is very special event.That,are many people need to communicate with other people.If you want to improve English you should follow these steps: studing with friend, choosing a location,and practicing English.I think all of those steps can help you then you will understand what is it.

[Tdol]

This article has been taken from my website without any credit to the person that wrote it.  Copying other people's work without having the courtesy to credit them and to link to them is an abuse of copyright.  In future, please do not do this again.  Somebody went to a lot of trouble to write that and you think that you can just copy it and paste it without so much as a thank you?

Furthermore, this sort of thing, as well as constituting copyright abuse, can cause problems for a site with search engines like Google- duplication of material incurs penalties in search engines and can lead to a site being excluded from search results, so you are in fact damaging the 5Steps site by doing so.

Please edit the original post- it is fair to include a paragraph or two and a link, but not to reproduce the entire thing.  As I know the copyright holder well and it is my site, there will not be any legal issues, but the copyright laws are very strict and this sort of behaviour could easily get this site closed down and its owner into a lot of trouble.

If you reproduce material in its entirety without permission, you could find a lawsuit or the threat of one coming down on the site in a very short time.  A simple letter to the ISP (Internet Service Provider) is often enough to have a site shut down, so you are endangering your own site by doing this.

[kannara]

Dear Sir or Madam,
           Actually, I had no intention to do so. And I'm terribly sorry about this. My real intention is just to help all 5steps' members to know or have some ideas concerning their English language improvement. I think several people in this 5 steps also do so, but i don't wanna mention who is he or her. Let's you cross check them by youself. Don't just blame me and let away others !!!! Ok Now that you think i did the wrong thing, so i'm sorry again !!! I'll never ever do like this again !!! And hope everybody in this website forgive me.
           My last word for all members in this web site, from now on let's all of you guy find your own way to study English or any other languages. Don't just depend on others to share you ideas, it's not so good, in my view, you won't get anywhere through your whole life !!!! Be your own value, you'll soon see its best result. I won't be able to share all of you guy any more tips, for there's somebody warn me not to share. So again, Be your own value !!!
           
Now that i know, do good recieve bad !!!
Ok Bye Bye !!! I Can Share no more !!!

Nice
Kannara,

[Tdol]

You can share- simply quote a bit of the text, enough to get them interested and then add the link to the source.  That comes under 'fair use' in copyright law.  Share by linking not by reproducing; that's all.  There are legal issues involved here, so  you do need to be careful.  Do it like this:

Taking Control of the English Language

How can I speak English better?
How can I communicate better in English?
How can I express myself better in English?
How can I listen to and understand English better?
How can I improve?

What does taking control of the English language mean?
You speak English at an advanced level. You speak it fluently and you use it every day, yet you aren’t satisfied with your ability. You feel like you can’t express yourself the way you want to. When you can’t say what you want to say or need to say in the manner that you would like to, it might not leave you with the best feeling you could possibly have. There is only one thing to do about it. You must take control of the English language. What does taking control of the English language mean? It does not mean taking control of the entire language. It means taking control of the English language that is yours; the English language that you have. It means using the English that you already have to get more. It means taking responsibility for your own learning.

Read the rest here: http://www.usingenglish.com/speaking-out/taking-control.html

This way, you can share information with people here and respect the copyright of others.  Don't worry about this one, but if you do it right, you will spare Paul and the 5Steps team possible problems in the future. 

[Keo Somala]

Actually, I had no intention to do so. And I'm terribly sorry about this. My real intention is just to help all 5steps' members to know or have some ideas concerning their English language improvement. I think several people in this 5 steps also do so, but i don't wanna mention who is he or her. Let's you cross check them by youself. Don't just blame me and let away others !!!! Ok Now that you think i did the wrong thing, so i'm sorry again !!! I'll never ever do like this again !!! And hope everybody in this website forgive me.
           My last word for all members in this web site, from now on let's all of you guy find your own way to study English or any other languages. Don't just depend on others to share you ideas, it's not so good, in my view, you won't get anywhere through your whole life !!!! Be your own value, you'll soon see its best result. I won't be able to share all of you guy any more tips, for there's somebody warn me not to share. So again, Be your own value !!!
           
Now that i know, do good recieve bad !!!
Ok Bye Bye !!! I Can Share no more !!!

Hi Kanara,

Well, really your contribution to helping our members to understand or see new things is appreciated. It is really an unintentional mistake that you shouldn't have minded because you are recommended to avoid an error in coping with formal and official documents or copyright things like that. It's important to credit the source. I prepared a small grammar book about "Clause" and I had to credit all of the sources I quoted. And when my friend wants to quote something in my book, he or she has to do the same thing. So then we'll know whose original idea it is from.

Anyway, there is nothing to forgive and forget. You are fine and we are glad you have tried your best to help us all see. And I'm sure Tdol is not warning you not to share but to share with the source in a legal and right way. I made this mistake when I studied in high school too. Anyway, it's a very good suggestion about creditting the sources because even in a university abroad, you can be dismissed from a school when you do something like plagiarism or quoting something without mentioning the source.

Just some ideas.
Be happy.

Do good receive good. 

[Greeny]

Hi Kanara,

I understand that everything you did and do on this site is in the purpose of helping the others learn English. You have no intention at all in copying someone's work without any giving them any credit.

keosomala is right. Many high school students do not understand about plagirism. They do not know that they have to acknowledge the author if they want to use his or her work. I used to make the same mistakes too, but when I got to university, I learnt that plagirism is a serious academic crime. No copy work will be graded by teachers.

You know, many people learn from criticism. If someone criticize you, it doesn't mean that the person hates you. You have to consider about the thing the person said, and soon you will understand that the person is simply just trying to get you to the right track. I am sure Tdol was only trying to help you understand about copyright.

Be happy,
I love to see you on the stie.

Greeny 

[lisa]

Hi Kanara and all,

I have gone through your postings, it's such a brilliant idea to share things you know or have in hand.

Kanara, you did the right thing. To convey or transfer information you have is a good deed that you have done for all of us. Please do not feel bad about what Tdol said, he just trying to help you to avoid any future mistakes. I am sure that Tdol has a very good heart, aren't you Tdol? More over, i still need your ideas Kanara, please quote us some more tips that you have in hand :-)

Liz

[kelin]

that's great!!

it's realy a useful idea!!

I like it

[Tdol]

Please do not feel bad about what Tdol said, he just trying to help you to avoid any future mistakes.

I am; the consequences of a mistake can be unpleasant, so it's better to avoid them. ;-)

[stone]

asking your mummy,u will get the best answer.

[kannara]

http://kannara.hi5.com