Plunge into it head first!

No matter how great, how experienced, or how knowledgeable your teachers are, you will never absorb the teachings they impart through osmosis. Do not think you can just sit quietly in the back of the classroom, and just listen and watch what goes on. If you really want to improve your English, you have to dive into the experience; participate and be actively engaged in the lessons, right from the start, even if you’re a beginner and will only be able to say a few words. This is not the time to be shy or self-conscious about your English, after all, you’ll be surrounded by students just like you!

Do your homework

Throughout your life you’ve always heard teachers and parents tell you to study and do your homework, and let’s face it, they were a pain in the neck. But they were right. After school study is essential to strengthen everything you’ve seen in class. All of those new words, grammar tenses, and expressions must be reviewed, practiced, and chewed on, so to speak. This way you’ll increase your chances of remembering and effectively using everything you’ve learned. Besides the exercises assigned to you by your teacher, there are several fun things you could do for “homework”. You could read short news articles or blog posts. Watch videos on YouTube or CNN.com. Make a note of any new words or vocabulary and then look them up in your dictionary. The resources are endless!

Get out and mingle!

It is absolutely essential that you practice what you’re learning in class in real life settings. Engage the locals in conversation and ask them about their customs, history, sites of interest, and activities. Even if you’re a beginner there’s lots you could say and practice, from day-to-day phrases, to polite requests. No matter what your level is, you must make the effort to speak to people outside the classroom. You could join a club or organization, even sign up for extracurricular classes, like cooking, pottery, or skiing.

There is an amazing variety of ESL programs to choose from, but once you do make your choice, you have to commit to it for the duration. An English course in the US is an investment, and one you won’t want to waste. To really make it worth your time and money, you must do your part. If you do, you won’t be sorry. You’ll feel more confident speaking English and be ready to take on the world!

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Grove Developments has been chosen to build the new sports center.

Most students will be able to understand this sentence; however, using the passive voice when you speak or write may not be as simple. It is important that you know, first, how it is formed, and secondly, you must know the past participle form of every verb you learn as this is essential to understand and make sentences in which the passive is used.

The passive voice is formed with an auxiliary verb, or several, and the past participle of the verb. Students should also be able to use the passive voice in the correct verb tense, so look through all the tenses and see how you pass verb forms from active to passive. Notice also how the subject changes.

Simple Present
They sell more than 6 million tins of beans every week. > More than 6 million tins of beans are sold every week

They say Kent Industries is thinking of expanding overseas. > Kent Industries is said to be thinking of expanding overseas.

The company employs 200 people. > Two hundred people are employed by the company.

Simple Past
An American company took them over last year. > They were taken over by an American company last year.

They made no attempts to explain the inconsistency in the figures. > No attempt was made to explain the inconsistency in the figures.

They won the contract in the face of strong competition. > The contract was won in the face of strong competition.

Present Perfect
We have lost 110 working days so far this year as a result of industrial unrest. > 110 working days have been lost so far this year as a result of industrial unrest.

We have put prices on the list for 2010. > Prices have been put on the list for 2010.

We have received new machines. > New machines have been received.

With Will
They will build their new factory on the outskirts of town. > Their new factory will be built on the outskirts of town.

They will send a prospectus to all potential investors. > A prospectus will be sent to all potential investors.

We will hold an extraordinary general meeting next Wednesday. > An extraordinary general meeting will be held next Wednesday.

With Can, May, or Might
People can know a product by different names in different countries. > A product can be known by different names in different countries.

A new client may buy one thousand units this week. > One thousand units may be bought this week by a new client.

Our company might build new facilities for the South American operation next year. > New facilities for the South American operation might be built next year.

The use of the Passive Voice is one of the essentials covered in any good ESL program. Together with the other basics, it will give you the solid foundation you need to communicate more fluently and effectively in English.

If you liked this article, tell all your friends about it. They’ll thank you for it. If you have a blog or website, you can link to it or even post it to your own site (don’t forget to mention www.englishlci.com as the original source).

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In the following examples, you’ll see the differences and the most common mistakes students tend to make in their ESL classes.

Good vs. well

*Good is an adjective which describes a noun.

*Well is an adverb which describes how you do the action.

She did well on the test.
He played well in the tennis match.
She sang well.

He’s a good tennis player.
She’s a good dancer.
I’m a good singer.

Bring vs. take

*We use bring if the speaker refers to something that is at his current location and when something moves from there to here.

*We use take if the speaker refers to something that is in a different location and when something moves from here to there.

I brought all my books to class.
He brought his pictures to show his friends.
I promise I will bring it next time.

Jon took his boy to the baseball game.
I’ll remember to take everything to the picnic.
She felt sick so he took her home.

It’s vs. its

*It’s is the contracted form of it is. This is a subject (it) with the verb to be.

*Its is the possessive case.

It’s a great idea! Let’s go to the concert.
It’s mine! What are you doing?
What wrong with Bill’s behavior? It’s something we should be concerned about.

That watch is nice. Its color is rare.
That’s your new shirt. Its style is nice.
It’s a great house and its price is reasonable.

Everyone vs. every one

*Use everyone as a pronoun to mean all the people in a group.

*Use every one as a noun to indicate each person.

Do you think everyone will go to the play?
Everyone contacts her to leave her comments on her blog.
Everyone is considering going to the party.

Every one of the experts has different points of view.
The teacher told every one of the students to behave.
Every one of the dancers was told to improve.

Since vs. for with present perfect

*We use since with the present perfect to indicate that something has happened since a point in time.

*We use for with the present perfect to express that something has happened for a period time.

I’ve worked here since 2001.
She’s been married since October of this year.
He’s been repairing the car since two this afternoon.

He’s worked on this project for 2 years.
Jon has been playing rugby for 1 hour.
I’ve worked on this report for 1 week.

Too, two, to

*Too is the same as also and is used at the end of a sentence. Too is also too much of a particular quality.

That house is too expensive for me!
I love eating pizza too!
This is too much for me! Help me solve it.

*Two is the written form of number 2.

I’ve always wanted two children.
She is so lucky; she has two houses.
I’ve corrected two tests so far.

*To is usually used as a preposition and also used as part of the infinitive form of verbs.

Tomorrow I’m going to my grandmother’s house.
I spoke to her about the inconvenience we had at tennis.
He returned the key to her when they broke up.

If you liked this article, tell all your friends about it. They’ll thank you for it. If you have a blog or website, you can link to it or even post it to your own site (don’t forget to mention www.englishlci.com as the original source).

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Most teachers disregard this criticism simply because serious teaching and playing games in class often go hand in hand, and many experts in teaching find that games are quite useful for the learning experience.

If you think playing games is not a professional way of teaching the English language, and you want to be heard by your ESL school and teacher, first confirm if they have a valid reason for making your ESL class a game:

1.    To create a more instructive and controlled practice
You can only repeat the same grammar or sentence a certain amount of times before your brain shuts down.  Through games, nevertheless, you can repeat the same sentence or practice a lot more times in appealing ways, and in this way, you will be able to function better next time you talk to someone in English.

2.    To make the link between fun and memory
It is easier for you to memorize a language when you are having fun while hearing or using it.

3.    To reinforce class spirit
When playing games, it is easier for classmates to get to know each other and to learn to work together.  You will feel more motivated to go to class and pay attention because of the team spirit within the group.

4.    To know how well you are doing
It is hard to know when you are speaking well, or not, when you learn a language, but through a game with points it is easy to know how well you’re doing.

5.    To warm you up
Games are great to wake you up and get your brain going and ready to assimilate the language.

6.    To train different parts of your brain
During ESL class, you use your memory skills a lot to learn vocabulary, and other logical skills to understand grammar rules; however, your learning experience becomes richer if you can involve other parts of your brain through drawing, hand-eye coordination, and music.  All of these are elements that can be easily included through games.

7.    To support the natural way of learning
We know that babies learn the language by copying people, but we tend to forget that they also use it a lot when playing; they use nonsense words, puns, and skipping rhymes to make up new words.  This is the playful and inventive attitude that many adults lack when learning a language, and it can be stimulated through games.

8.    To encourage competition and motivation
People have a competitive nature, thus, they learn faster when they race against others.  When playing a game to learn the language, their competitive nature arises, making them work harder to learn it better than the others.

9.    To please students
Most students like games, thus, teachers may be trying to please them and get them motivated to learn.  When each game has a serious teaching objective, everyone gains something from the experience.

10.    Students complain about games for the wrong reasons
Many students blame their teachers for their inability to learn and never blame their lack of interest, thus, games become an easy target.

11.    To encourage variety
As every other thing you learn, in order to master a language you have to approach it from many different angles.  If you exclude games, you are losing a lot of different opportunities to enhance your reading, listening, speaking, and writing skills.

12.    To remember the language through the game
In many cases, the best way to recall a language is to remember the first time you heard or used it.  In a classroom there is a limited amount of people, making it possible for the teacher to make each ESL class unforgettable for every student.  This is easily achieved through playing different games each week.

If you liked this article, tell all your friends about it. They’ll thank you for it. If you have a blog or website, you can link to it or even post it to your own site (don’t forget to mention www.englishlci.com as the original source).

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The best dictionary for ESL students on an intermediate to advanced level is the Longman Advanced American Dictionary. Although it is not a dictionary that specifically mentions it is designed for ESL, it beats others like the Oxford ESL Dictionary for Students of American English, which is becoming hard to find.

Longman is the best dictionary out there to support students taking ESL classes because it gives definitions that are commonly used nowadays.  Many dictionaries either give too many definitions, even some that are obsolete, making it difficult for the ESL student to find the accurate definition for a word, or are very small and don’t have all the necessary definitions.  Longman keeps it simple and relevant.

Among the advantages that the Longman Advanced American Dictionary offers are:

-It has all the vocabulary students need for school, including terms related to Arts, Science, IT, and Computing.

-It has 19,000 example sentences that explain the meaning of the words.

-It encompasses thousands of synonyms shown in Thesaurus boxes.

-It offers an activities’ section that teaches dictionary-consulting skills to help students become proficient in its use.

-It has two separate sections on preparation for the TOEFL and TOEIC tests.

-It includes a full color picture dictionary.

-It tells students when a word is usually mistaken with another one.

-It gives a list of spoken phrases.

-It lists many phrasal verbs with definitions.

-It offers a lot of grammar usage notes to aid ESL students in selecting a word.

This dictionary has been highly praised by its users and is recommended by numerous ESL schools and teachers throughout the United States.  Longman publishes many dictionaries, but look for this specific one; you won’t regret it. On the contrary, you will gain a new best friend in your English learning quest.

If you liked this article, tell all your friends about it. They’ll thank you for it. If you have a blog or website, you can link to it or even post it to your own site (don’t forget to mention www.englishlci.com as the original source).

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Outside the class, the speaking style is much more relaxed and informal, and in English, there are many idioms and slang terms to learn, so it is crucial that you look for opportunities outside the classroom to practice English in the way you will be using it the most.

Here we show you the 3 best ways to practice your English and to include the language in your daily life:

1.    Find someone to talk with
This person should be someone from your school or community that is a native speaker and who is willing to spend some time regularly talking with you in English about anything and everything.  Maybe in return for their help you can offer to teach him or her your language, or help them with other school topics you are good at.

Find someone you feel comfortable with and whom you trust, so as to enrich your experience, because then you will feel at ease asking questions about how to say something correctly, to avoid misinterpretation, and to learn to talk about topics that interest you.

2.    Watch TV and go to the movies
Watch as many TV shows or movies as possible.  In the beginning you will feel that the actors speak too fast; however, try to focus on understanding single words or phrases.  Soon you will start understanding more and it will get easier to follow what they are saying.

Put your attention on identifying pronunciation patterns and on how the voices rise and fall when they ask questions and make statements.

If you want to review the basics, for example, the alphabet, counting, names of things, colors, etc., turn to children’s shows, and if you wish to learn more about the culture and lifestyle in the United States, pay attention to the advertisements and watch game shows.

3.    Go out every day
If you are visiting or living in the United States or any other English speaking country, never miss a chance to go out and practice.

Every day, go out to places like shops, restaurants, and banks.  No matter how brief the visit, try to order or ask questions in English, because as soon as you are able to buy something or get some information in English, you will feel more confident about your capacity to mingle among the locals.

Once you feel comfortable in these situations, try to talk to others casually, for example, commenting about the weather.  These simple conversations and routine activities will make you feel more capable.

It may not excite you at all to go grocery shopping in your hometown, but doing so in a foreign place can be a fascinating experience. You can learn something new every step of the way!

These are ways in which you will become a highly active user of the English language.  Through the effort that you make to speak, listen, and mingle with others, you will gain the practical knowledge and skills to become fluent in English.

If you liked this article, tell all your friends about it. They’ll thank you for it. If you have a blog or website, you can link to it or even post it to your own site (don’t forget to mention www.englishlci.com as the original source).

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Have you ever considered how you learned your language?  When you think about it, you realize that you never learned it; you just started using it when you were around two years old.  You started with a few words, but rapidly moved to employing whole sentences and communicating fully.

All this happened because you can hear.  During your first two years of existence, you heard people talking all around you, and this was the decisive factor for you to start speaking.  This is why, if now you want to learn English, you have to hear and listen to it as much as possible.

But, how can you constantly hear and listen to English if you live in a country where the language is not spoken fully?  In fact, there are many ways to do it.

1.    Radio
No matter where you are, there is always a radio station playing music or talking in English.  Just consider the two major international networks: BBC World Service and Voice of America. Both of these have special programs for ESL students.

2.    TV
The TV is probably one of the best resources to hear and listen to English, because it offers a visual backup that helps you understand what is being said.  Most people now have access to TV with English-speaking channels; however, you can also watch programs on the Internet.

3.    Internet
There are thousands of radio stations on the Internet, and you can also watch all kinds of videos in hundreds of sites.  Soon enough, you will have TV channels available on the Web.

4.    Music/ songs
We don’t have to tell you how much music there is in English.  You can listen to music on the radio, TV, Internet, or get some CD’s.  Practice writing down the lyrics, or download them from the Internet to follow while you listen to the song.  Start with an easy one, maybe a slow tune, and chose a singer whose voice is clear.  Some songs are difficult to understand even for native English speakers.

5.    Movies
Around the world, many movie theaters show movies in English, with subtitles in the country’s language.  Try to watch a lot of these movies; even if you have to read the subtitles, you are listening to the words in English.

6.    Video
The great advantage of videos is that you can play them as many times as you wish.  You can watch and listen to a certain part, or the whole movie, as much as you need to understand the subtleties of what’s being said.  Equally, you can enable the subtitles or not; these can be an aid, but you should try to avoid them little by little.

7.    Friends
Try to speak English with your friends who speak the language.  Here you will practice your speaking as much as your listening, and it is very helpful to hear the language from someone who is right there, standing next to you.  You can also chat on the phone, which is a much more difficult listening exercise than listening in person.

As teachers have most certainly told you in your ESL program, don’t worry if you don’t understand everything you hear. The important thing is that you hear the language. Sooner than you think, the understanding will come alone.

If you liked this article, tell all your friends about it. They’ll thank you for it. If you have a blog or website, you can link to it or even post it to your own site (don’t forget to mention www.englishlci.com as the original source).

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Anyone who writes an email must make it understandable for the recipient, and the simpler, the better.  In many cases, the recipient has to work really hard to decipher what the sender is trying to say, and this is not just a thing of knowing the language or not.  A bad email shows disrespect for the recipient; it is not polite to make someone work hard to understand a few lines that you have written carelessly.

Here are 7 tips to help you write effective emails easily, even if you are not an English master yet:

1.    The Subject, Cc: and Bcc: boxes
The subject must tell the recipient what the email is about before he or she reads the message.  It allows them to organize their inbox.  It is indispensable to write a meaningful and relevant subject, a truly helpful and descriptive one.

The ‘Cc:’ (carbon copy) and ‘Bcc:’ (blind carbon copy) boxes must be used with care.  Email addresses that you add to the ‘Cc:’ box will be seen by the main recipient, and he or she will know that these people are also getting the message sent directly to them, while under the ‘Bcc:’ the recipient will not be aware of whom else is reading the message.

2.    Include only relevant attachments
If you are going to include an attachment in your email make sure it is absolutely necessary, because the recipient may not have the program to open it installed. It may be a very big file, or it may contain a virus.  Many people don’t like to receive attachments, thus, make sure they are aware of the fact that you are including an attachment, and only because it is important.

3.    Write short lines and paragraphs
Different email programs treat lines differently; thus, keep your lines short to ensure these don’t get cut in a weird way on the other side.  In the same way, short paragraphs are easier to read and understand; try to keep them at five lines.

4.    Use simple language
An email, even if it is about an important subject, is better when it is written using simple vocabulary.  Do not feel that you have to use big words to impress; it is much more impressive to read a simple but well articulated, clear, and intelligent email.

5.    Do not SHOUT
Never use ALL CAPS (all capital letters).  In English this means you are shouting, and it makes the text difficult to read because the human brain processes letters and words based on their shape; ‘ENGLISH’ has a single shape, while ‘English’ has movement.  If you want to highlight a word in the text, use asterisks (*) instead of capital letters.

6.    Use abbreviations wisely
There are very common and useful abbreviations, like btw (by the way) and ASAP (as soon as possible).  Everyone understands them and these make communication more fluid; however, if you use lots of abbreviations and these are not known by the recipient, they’ll feel like they’re reading an alien language.

7.    Sign every email
A signed email is more respectful and highly helpful.  You can add your address, phone number, and any other relevant information below your signature.

If writing emails is a big part of your daily routine, and you don’t master the English language yet, ask your ESL school for practice tools to sharpen your skills.  There is no such thing as too much practice or too much learning.

If you liked this article, tell all your friends about it. They’ll thank you for it. If you have a blog or website, you can link to it or even post it to your own site (don’t forget to mention www.englishlci.com as the original source).

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What is the difference between the two sentences in the following three sets of statements?

1.    The girl’s papers are on the table, and
The girls’ papers are on the table

2.    The book’s pages are damaged, and
The books’ pages are damaged

3.    What you see there is the dog’s food, and
What you see there is the dogs’ food

The possessive apostrophe is always used, as its name states, to denote possession of something.  It is normal for those taking ESL lessons, to feel confused by the position of such an apostrophe in a noun; however, it is truly very simple to understand.

The trick, if you want to see it as such, is for the ESL student to define if the possessive noun, or the owner of the thing, which can be a person or a thing, is singular or plural, and whether or not it ends in –s in its written form.

These are the rules:

1.    When the possessive noun is singular, always add an apostrophe (’) + an -s.  For example:

-    The cat’s litter
-    Laura’s house
-    The baby’s crib

2.    When the possessive noun doesn’t end in –s in its written form, always add an apostrophe (’) + an –s.  For example:

-    Mary’s children
-    The dog’s food
-    The house’s roof

3.    When the possessive noun is plural and ends in –s, which includes most plural nouns, just add an apostrophe (’).  For example:

-    The cats’ tails
-    The foods’ flavors
-    The texts’ meaning

This is why you see sentences with things like the following:

-    Charles’s car (Note that ‘Charles’ is singular)
-    The children’s toys (Note that ‘children’ is plural, but it doesn’t end in –s)
-    The boss’s office (Note that ‘boss’ is singular)

And this is also why you don’t know if something belongs to one person or to several until it is written down.

In fact, you basically have to remember the third rule; if this one doesn’t apply, always add an apostrophe (’) and an –s.

Now you’re ready to go out and impress everyone at your ESL class, but remember to spread the joy. Let your classmates into the big secret you just learned and release their fear too!

If you liked this article, tell all your friends about it. They’ll thank you for it. If you have a blog or website, you can link to it or even post it to your own site (don’t forget to mention www.englishlci.com as the original source).

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You may be too homesick to focus, or feel out of place, or your financial situation is not what you expected, and you are now seriously considering transferring to another campus.

This is a valid move; however, before you make up your mind, check these 6 considerations, to avoid bumping into the same rock twice:

1.    Do your homework
This is, research the college you are considering, but first, identify what it is in your current college that makes you unhappy.  Make a list of what changes will make your current college life more enjoyable and make sure your new option meets them all.  It will be truly frustrating to transfer only to find you feel the same.

2.    Pay it a visit
We mean, visit the new campus.  College campuses are very different one from another, and you have to make sure the new layout fits your needs and likes.  Some are enclosed and tight facilities while others have ample green space and distance between buildings; some are located in big cities and others in small towns. What do you prefer?  Go see if you can picture yourself living there.

3.    Be open to change
You better consider that you may have to reorganize your graduation schedule if you transfer.  You may find it difficult to transfer some of your credits; you may need to take summer courses or more subjects during the semester to catch up and graduate on time.  This will be easier if you are transferring within the same state and between public universities, because these work under the same curriculum.

4.    Gather everything you need
You must have transcripts and course descriptions for all of your courses ready, because these are decisive for you to transfer as many credits as possible.  You can find these in the guidebook you used upon registering for your classes or in the college’s website.

5.    Get oriented
Before beginning classes, attend a transfer student orientation session.  It will help you immerse yourself into college life and is a great opportunity to meet other students.  In some of these sessions, the college also gives assessment testing specific to that university, so make sure you find out exactly what is expected of you when you attend.

6.    Check out the surroundings
College life is not just about attending classes inside campus, you have a lifestyle, and you have to make sure the college’s surroundings provide everything you need.  For example, if you are taking ESL lessons, find out if there’s an ESL school nearby, if it fits your needs, or if the college offers one.  Check out the social scene: does it fit your style?  Are there exercising options you like?  Well, you get the point. Extracurricular activities are as important as your curricular ones, and it is recommended that you achieve a balance in your student life. Thus, pay close attention to what your new college can offer, and expect to be impressed.

If you liked this article, tell all your friends about it. They’ll thank you for it. If you have a blog or website, you can link to it or even post it to your own site (don’t forget to mention www.englishlci.com as the original source).

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