4.29.2011

Best Five Websites for Intelligent Reading

Since Ana's not continuing her classes this semester, I sent her a list of websites where she could practice her reading (advanced level.) I thought I'd share them with you, too.

The New Yorker - The website also features a number of very interesting podcasts - the monthly fiction/short story podcast is especially good.
The Independent - Good, in-depth reporting.
The Atlantic Monthly - A wide variety of different subjects, but especially strong on economy, American history, politics and urban planning.
Parents Monthly - A favourite magazine and website for my friends who have kids.
The New Internationalist - A British magazine dedicated to topics about global development. If you enjoy thought-provoking articles about the world at large, you'll probably enjoy NI. It's also an exceptionally good source of vocabulary for people who need vocabulary that focuses on international relations and economics.

Some of you will ask why I didn't include "The New York Times". Unfortunately, the "Times" has adopted a new policy that only gives you twenty free articles per month, and while most students won't read more than twenty articles, I think it's a good reason to start looking elsewhere for things to read.

Practice, not study: Mar's ideas

Mar and I were having class yesterday in the Parque del Oeste, and the topic came up about study versus practice. Here's what she does when she wants to work on her English, but doesn't have time to get study in....

- Washing dishes: What are these things called? What adjectives can you use to describe utensils, pots and pans?
- Cleaning around the house: What prepositions and adverbs do you need to describe location and movement? What are the machines called? How do you spell the names of the machines?
- Grocery shopping: What are the English words that describe the groceries that you usually buy every week? Which ones are countable, and which ones are uncountable?

Remember: Study is fine as long as you're disciplined enough to do it. Most of us benefit from regular, steady consistent practice. Five minutes, twice a day, every day will help you more than one hour of staring at a grammar book!

4.28.2011

Communication isn't just about talking.

Me: What do you want to focus on? Where do you need the most help?"
Student: "I really need to improve my spoken English."

This is a common request, but in my experience, it's only half the problem. Yes, it's important to know that you have to make people understand you. Communicating your message is only 50% of what communication is.

When you speak with people in English, how much do you listen? Do you try to listen actively and show the other person that you're mentally connected to what they're saying?

When you speak in English, do you practice your listening with the other person (or people) you're talking to? Or do you focus on how you're going to say the next thing you want to say?

To be a good speaker, it's fundamental to be a good listener.

4.26.2011

Bad teacher!

This ad is so...bad...on so many levels, it almost doesn't bear thinking about:


If you're not sure what I mean, take a look at the various meanings of "oral" in an English-only dictionary.

Somehow I don't think this guy's ad has anything to do with language.

4.25.2011

Thought for the day:

I haven't failed. I've just found ten thousand ways that won't work.

-- Thomas Alva Edison, American inventor.

If you only consult one web page to help you learn English...

...consult this one. Over the past ten years, Kenneth Beare has worked his tail off to create one of the best general English-learning sites on the Internet:


Be sure to sign up for the English learning tip of the day!

4.23.2011

Shakespeare and Cervantes... was it true?

Happy World Book Day!

There's a common belief that William Shakespeare and Miguel de Cervantes died nearly 400 years ago today. But is the story true? Today in Literature has the complete story.

4.13.2011

Announcing the ENGLISH FOR EMIGRATION course

It felt weird typing that when I had to do it for the first time. Immigration - when people come INTO a country - has been such a hot topic in Spain for such a long time that it seems strange to think that people leaving the country is now an issue.

But so it is.

I started getting calls and e-mails last summer: "I want to practice for the TOEFL course; I can't find a job here and I can't see the point in staying here." "I'm not working in what I was trained to do and I don't want to wait forever." "I might as well do a master's degree in the States

Here's the story.

You can find basic information on the course at:
http://www.tusclasesparticulares.com/profesores-ingles/english-for-emigration-new-hopes-new-opportunities-152378. Unfortunately, this website doesn't allow you to put in a bunch of relevant information, so here's the other stuff that you should know:

* The course is on Tuesday nights from 8PM to 9.30 PM, so that's twelve hours over 8 weeks (from Tuesday, April 26th to Tuesday, June 14th.) If enough people agree to it, I may switch the course to Sunday nights.

* The cost of the course is €169, and if you're unemployed (you have one of the little carta things the Comunidad gives you), I'll take €30 off the price. Remember, as with all STOP SPANGLISH courses, all of your materials are included in the course. If you sign up with a friend, I'll also give each of you a €30 discount.

* Minimum number of participants is 3 and maximum is 6 - if I get three paid confirmations by April 25th, it's a go.

* If you'd like a week-by-week description of what the course offers, send me an e-mail and I'll send you a detailed course schedule.

I don't think that anyone should *have* to leave their jobs if they don't want to. But...if you're planning on leaving, you need to be prepared!!

4.11.2011

What makes a successful learner of English?

I put that question to a group of Advanced level students two weeks ago. Here are the ideas that they came up with:

DO:

Watch movies, tv programs

Love English

Memorize grammatical structures

Submit themselves to the pressure

Connect with people

Take risks

Put themselves into English speaking environment

Tolerate ambiguity

Realize that not everyone learns the same way

Read!

ARE:

Motivated and know why

More concerned with correct English, not perfect English

(Thanks to Víctor, Paco, Miriam, Rosa and José Ignacio!)