ENGLISH EDUCATION

PRESENT PERFECT CONTINUOUS TENSE

noreply@blogger.com (jumarno) — Sat, 11 Jul 2015 03:19:00 +0000

Illustration:

Andrew : How long have you been living here?

Anne : I have been living here for six years.

Andrew : Where do you work?

Anne : I work in Hilton hotel.

Andrew : How long have you been working there?

Anne : I have been working there for two years.

Andrew : Do you enjoy working there?

Anne : Yes, I enjoy working there so much.

Functions:

· Present perfect continuous is used to express about activities started in the past and it is still going on until now.

Example:

I started working in this office two years ago, and I am still working here now.

So we can say:

I have been working in this office for two years.

I have been working in this office since two years ago.

· Present perfect continuous also can be used to express about cause and effect.

Example:

Why are you so tired?

I have been working overtime so I am so tired.

Pattern:

(+) Subject + have/has + been + Verb. Ing + Object / complement.

(-) Subject + have/has + not + been + Verb. Ing + Object / complement.

(?) Have/has + Subject + been + verb. Ing + object / complement?

Note:

Have : I, You, They, We

Has : She, He, It

Time signal: since, for

Example:

(+). She has been reading novel for 30 minutes.

(-). She has not been reading novel for 30 minutes.

(?). Has she been reading novel for 30 minutes? Yes, she has/ No, she has not

Exercises:

I. Write the correct sentences in the space available!

1. (+). We have been studying” present perfect continuous” for 15 minutes.

(-). ________________________________________________________

(?). ________________________________________________________

2. (+). __________________________________________

(-). She has not been listening to music since an hour ago.

(?). ___________________________________________

3. (+). ___________________________________________

(-). ____________________________________________

(?). Have you been working in this company for 3 years?

4. (+). My father has been driving car for 100 km.

(-). ___________________________________

(?). ___________________________________

5. (+). ______________________________________________

(-). They have not been doing homework since 15 minutes ago.

(?)._______________________________________________

II. Answer the questions orally!

1. How long have you been reading this lesson?

2. How long have you been studying at your school?

3. What have you been doing since this morning?

4. Where have you been working?

5. Where have you been living?

III. Write the suitable causes of this case?

1. Why is your father so tired?

2. Why are your eyes so red?

3. Why are your clothes dirty?

4. Why is your sister sad?

5. Why are you so happy?

PRESENT PERFECT TENSE

noreply@blogger.com (jumarno) — Thu, 02 Jul 2015 10:55:00 +0000

Illustration:

Joe : Have you ever gone to Bali?

Jack : No, I haven’t gone to Bali yet. What about you?

Joe : Yes, I have gone to Bali once.

Jack : Really, how long have you stayed there?

Joe : I have stayed there for a week.

Jack : Did you enjoy being there?

Joe : Yes, I did, I enjoyed being there very much, because the beach was so beautiful and the local tradition was so unique.

Functions:

The present perfect is used:

Ø to talk about something that happened during a period of time that is not yet finished:

The train has been late three times this week.

He still hasn’t visited his girlfriend.

Ø when the time in the past is not mentioned, or is not important:

He’s written a novel.

We’ve bought a new house.

Ø when the action finished in the past, but the effect is still felt in the present:

He’s lost his motorcycle (and he still hasn’t found it).

Ø with for and since to show the duration of an action or state up until the present:

I have worked here since 2013.

She hasn’t bought any new clothes for many years.

Ø in British English, with just, ever, already and yet:

We’ve just arrived.

Have you ever been there before?

He’s already packed his suitcases.

Haven’t you finished yet?

Pattern:

(+) Subject + Have/has + V3 /been+ Complement

(-) Subject + Have/has + not + V3 /been+ Complement

(?) Have/has + Subject + V3/been + Complement?

Note:

Have : I, you, they, we

Has : she, he, it

Example:

· (+) She has worked in this office for three years.

(-) She has not worked in this office for three years.

(?) Has she worked in this office for three years? Yes, she is / No, she not

· (+) They have been in Jakarta for a long time.

(-) They have not been in Jakarta for a long time.

(?) Have they been in Jakarta for a long time?

Exercises:

Arrange these words in order to be good sentences!

1. Has-drunk-coffee- father-my- two-of –glasses.

2. They –have- done- not- homework-the.

3. She-America-has-in-lived-three-for-years?

4. Bought –he-a-car-new-has-not-yet.

5. Long- you-have-how-worked-here?

Practice:

1. What activities have you done today?

2. What other country have you ever visited?

3. Has your father gone to work?

4. Have you done your homework?

5. What have you studied at school today?

6. What have you eaten today?

7. What achievement have you ever got?

8. How many times have you flown by plane?

9. What has your mother cooked today?

10. Have you ever experienced any accident?

PRESENT CONTINUOUS TENSE

noreply@blogger.com (jumarno) — Sun, 28 Jun 2015 11:30:00 +0000

What is he doing?
He is knocking the door.

Functions:

Present continuous tense has four functions:

· We use present continuous tense to express activity which is happening now.

Example: I am learning present continuous tense now.

My Uncle is driving car at this time.

Listen! Somebody is calling us.

· We use present continuous tense to express long process activity which is still in progress.

Example: My brother is studying to be a doctor. (It needs long process)

He is still running his new business.

· We can use present continuous tense to express about near future activity.

(Future activity which has been scheduled)

Example: We are having examination tomorrow.

My father is working next Monday.

· Present continuous tense and “always” can be used to express about repeating and irritating action.

Example: She is always coming to school late.

He is always throwing the rubbish anywhere.

Pattern:

(+) Subject + to be + Verb. ing + Object / complement.

(-) Subject + to be + not + Verb. ing + Object / complement.

(?) To be + Subject + Verb. Ing + Object / complement?

Note: I = am

You, they, we = are

She, He, It = is

Time signal: now, at present, at this time,

look!, listen!..etc.

Example:

(+) He is listening to music now.

(-) He is not listening to music now.

(?) Is he listening to music now? Yes, he is / No, he is not

Exercises:

Ø Transform these sentences into the form instructed!

1. (+) He is riding motorcycle.

(-) ___________________

(?) ___________________

2. (+) ____________________

(-) We are not reading novel.

(?) _____________________

3. (+) _____________________

(-) ______________________

(?) Are they watching TV?

Ø Answer this question based on your condition now!

1. Are you smoking now?

2. What are you doing?

3. Is your father working?

4. Where is he working?

5. Are you wearing shirt?

6. What are you wearing?

7. Is it raining in your area?

8. Are you watching TV?

9. What is your mother doing?

10. Why are you reading this lesson?

What is she doing?

Related topic:
Simple present with tobe

SIMPLE PAST WITH VERB

noreply@blogger.com (jumarno) — Thu, 25 Jun 2015 02:37:00 +0000

Functions:

Simple present with verb is used to express past event / activities.

Pattern:

· (+) Subject + V2 + Object/ Complement.

· (-) Subject + did + not + Verb1 + Object / Complement.

· (?) Did + Subject + Verb1 + Object / Complement?

Examples:

· (+) My father arrived at home from Jakarta last night.

· (-) My father did not arrive at home from Jakarta last night.

· (?) Did my father arrive from Jakarta last night? Yes, he did / No, he didn’t.

The change of verbs:

Regular verbs

Verb + d / ed

Verb 1	Verb 2
Arrive Walk Study Finish Watch Close Open Type Help Climb	Arrived Walked Studied Finished Watched Closed Opened Typed Helped Climbed

Irregular verbs

Verb 1	Verb 2
Swim Drink Go Speak Sleep Write Sit Drive Ride Eat	Swam Drank Went Spoke Slept Wrote Sat Drove Rode Ate

Exercises:

A. Write the sentences based on the form instructed!

1. (+) He ate fried chicken this morning.

(-) ____________________________

(?) ____________________________

2. (+) _____________________________

(-) She did not go to America last week.

(?) _____________________________

3. (+) _____________________________

(-) ______________________________

(?) Did they come here yesterday?

4. (+) My mother cooked fried rice last night.

(-) ________________________________

(?) ________________________________

5. (+) _______________________________

(-) Ms. Citra did not operate laptop just now.

(?) ________________________________

B. Answer this Question!

1. Where did you go last night?

2. Why did you go there?

3. With whom did you go there?

4. Did your father work yesterday?

5. Did you go to mall last week?

6. Did your mother cook this morning?

7. What did your mother cook?

8. When did you go to beach for the last time?

9. Did you enjoy being there?

10. What did you do at the beach?

Related topic:
Simple past with tobe

SIMPLE PAST TENSE WITH TO BE

noreply@blogger.com (jumarno) — Sun, 21 Jun 2015 08:04:00 +0000

Function:

We use simple past tense with to be to express conditions in the past.

Examples:

*My father was in Jakarta last week.

*There was an accident on Urip Sumoharjo street yesterday.

*The children were happy at the beach two days ago.

Pattern:

(+).Subject + was / were + Complement(noun/adjective/adverb of place).

(-).Subject + was / were + not + Complement(noun/adjective/adverb of place).

(?).Was / Were + Subject + Complement(noun/adjective/adverb of place)?

Note:

Was: I/ she /he /it

Were: They/ we/ you

Time signal:

- Yesterday

- …. Ago (three days ago, two years ago…)

- Last…(last week, last month..) etc..

Examples:

(+) My aunt was fat when she was young.

(-) My aunt was not fat when she was young.

(?) Was my aunt fat when she was young? Yes, she was/ No, She was not.

Exercises:

A. Arrange these words in order to be good sentences!

1. Was - at - home - her - last - sister - night.

2. Not - in - we - Bali - were - yesterday.

3. His- was – luxurious – car?

4. Was – a – high – beside – there – building – school – my.

5. Sick – was – Andrew – ago – days – three?

B. Answer these questions!

1. Where were you last night?

2. Were you naughty when you were kid?

3. Was your father in the office yesterday?

4. Who was at your home last night?

5. How was your English score when you were at Elementary school?

SIMPLE PRESENT TENSE WITH VERB

noreply@blogger.com (jumarno) — Fri, 12 Jun 2015 07:41:00 +0000

Function:

· To express habitual action.

Example: My father usually drinks coffee in the morning.

I always watch news program on TV every morning.

· To express general truth.

Example: The sun rises from the east.

Water always flows from high to lower area.

Pattern:

(+) Subject + Verb (1/+s/es) + Object/Complement.

(-) Subject + do/does + not + Verb 1 + Object/Complement.

(?) Do/Does + Subject + Verb 1 + Object/ Complement?

Note:

I, You, They, we : verb 1 / Do

She, He, It : Verb +s / Does

Example:

1. (+) They play football twice a week.

(-) They do not play football twice a week.

(?) Do they play football twice a week? Yes, they do/ no, they don’t

2. (+) She often wins singing competition.

(-) She does not often win singing competition.

(?) Does she often win singing competition? Yes, she does / no, she doesn’t

Time signal:

Every…

Once / twice / Three times…..

Always, usually, often, sometimes, seldom, never, etc.

Exercises:

A. Chose the correct verb and change into negative and interrogative form!

1. (+) She always (ride / rides) motorcycle to campus.

(-) __________________________________________

(?)__________________________________________

2. (+) We (study / studies) English twice a week.

(-) __________________________________________

(?)__________________________________________

3. (+) My father often (read / reads) newspaper in the morning.

(-) _________________________________________________

(?)_________________________________________________

4. (+) she and I always (go / goes) to school together.

(-) __________________________________________

(?)__________________________________________

5. (+) He rarely (get/gets) good score on mathematics.

(-) __________________________________________

(?)__________________________________________

B. Answer these questions!

1. Do you study in the university?

2. Does your mother go to market three times a week?

3. Does your father drive car every day?

4. Do you hangout on Saturday evening?

5. Do you understand about simple present?

SIMPLE PRESENT TENSE WITH TOBE

noreply@blogger.com (jumarno) — Fri, 12 Jun 2015 04:42:00 +0000

Fuction:

· We use Simple present with to be to express about present condition.

Example: I am at home.

This building is very big.

· To Express about General Truth

Example: The ice is cold.

The earth is round.

The pattern:

(+) S + is/am /are + Complement (Noun, Adjective, adv.of.place)

(-) S + is/am/are + not + Complement (Noun, Adjective, adv.of.place)

(?) Is/am/are + S + Complement (Noun, Adjective, adv.of.place)?

Note:

Subject To be

I am

You are

They are

We are

She is

He is

It is

Example:

(+) She is a beautiful girl.

(-) She is not a beautiful girl.

(?) Is she a beautiful girl? Yes, she is / No, she isn’t.

Exercises:

A. Create sentences based on the form instructed!

Example: We/in the garden. We are in the garden.

She/not/a doctor. She is not a doctor

Your father/Famous lawyer? Is your father a famous lawyer?

1. My brothers / in America.

2. Her book / not / on the table.

3. Mr. Andrew / in the office?

4. Our teacher / not / present

5. That car / expensive?

6. His homework / difficult.

7. The food / delicious?

8. There / in the class / not / many students.

9. They / diligent children.

10. My house/not/ far from here.

B. Answer these questions!

1. What is your name?

2. Where is your house?

3. Are you fat?

4. Is your house far from here?

5. Are you 17 years old?

6. Is your father a policeman?

7. Is your mother in the office?

8. Are you diligent?

9. Who is your idol?

10. What is your hobby?

English test

noreply@blogger.com (jumarno) — Wed, 02 Nov 2011 04:25:00 +0000

FIRST MONTHLY TEST – FIRST SEMESTER

Subject : English

Class : Primary 4

Day/Date :

Academic Year : 2011 – 2012

I. Please cross a, b, c or d for the right answer

(Sentence for questions number 1-3 )

Wendy cooks the food for the children.

1. The indirect object of the sentence above is . . .

a. the food b. Wendy c. cooks d. the children

2. The direct object of the sentence above is . . .

a. the children b. the food c. Wendy d. does

3. The subject of the sentence above is . . .

a. Wendy b. the food c. children d. does

4. A herd of zebras . . . resting in the shade.

a. are b. were c. is d. am

5. Koala are born . . . ( without hair )

a. hairous b. hairy c. hairful d. hairless

6. Parliaments of owls . . . in the old tree.

a.lives b.live c. living d. not lives

7. They . . .. cheese burger.

a.wolf down b.attended c.duck d.ape

8. The snake is extremely . . . ( full of poison ).

You will most certainly die if you got bitten by this reptile.

a. poisonous b.poisony c. poisoned d. poisonless

9. My trip was cancelled . . . the rain.

a. for b. because of c. how long d. how often

10. He……………bananas .

a.like b.liked c.likes d.buy

11. He was born without hair.

The underlined words means…….

a.hairless b.hair ful c.bold d.long hair

12. They ………..the food as fast as they could.

a.crow about b.aped c.wolfed down d.chicken out.

13. Don’t touch it. It is dangerous.

“dangerous” means………

a. Lack of danger c. full of danger

b. c. full of poison d. lack of poison

14. Ana likes to ………….. the behavior of her favorite actress.

a.crow about b.ape c.wolf down d.chicken out.

15. I have long and black hair.

The object of this sentence is….

a.I b.have c.hair d. long and black hair

(Text for number11-15)

1^st January

Dear Diary,

A new year, a new beginning.

I watched the New Year Countdown- a special programme on the TV last night.

Dad said I should make a New Year resolution. I have decided that this year,

I won’t ever let my disability get in the way of what I want to achieve.

I want to be as normal as can be. I don’t want people to treat me differently

from other 10-year-old girls. And of course, I resolve to work extra hard

for my exams this year.

16.We call the text above as . . .

a. diary b. poem c. list d. letter

17.‘Dad said I should make a New Year Resolution’.

Jade ‘s father meant that she should . . .

a. solve her own problem

b. dream about the future

c. have an ambition

d. set a goal for the new year

18.Jade wrote that she had watched a television program on New Year’s . . .

e. day b. week c. night d.eve

19.Jade wanted to be normal and did not want to be treated differently from other

girls her . . .

a. age b. size c. kind d. build

20.Jade also mentioned her resolution to not allow her . . . prevent her from

achieving what she wanted.

a. mother b. disability c. classmates d. sadness

11.Complete the blank!

Text for questions number 1-5.

SLOTHS

Sloths are unusual animals that live in the rainforest

of Central and South America. They are known

for being extremely slow and lazy.

They spend most of their lives hanging upside down

from tree branches.

Slow Movers

Sloths are the slowest mammals in the world.

Even at their fastest, they travel

About one kilometre an hour.

They sleep all day and wake up only at night.

They move so little that enemies

like the harpy eagle and the jaguar find it had

to spot them.

Lazy Bone

Sloths are lazy animals. In fact, the word ‘sloth’ means ‘laziness’!

Sloths are so lazy that they not even clean themselves.

Before long, a layer of green algae grows on their fur.

The algae provides food for mooth and beetles

that like to live in sloths’fur. The algae also makes sloths

look a bunch of leaves. It is good disguise for them.

Claws

Sloths have long claws, which are just like hooks.

Their claws enable them to cling to the branches of trees,

as well as to grab and pull food towards themselves.

Sloths live on a diet of fruit, leaves, shoots and twigs.

1. Sloths spend most of their lives hanging upside down from..........

2. They move so little that enemies like find it had

to ...........them.

3. sloths use their claws to.................

4. ........................are the enemies of the sloths?

5. They travel about........inone hour?

Decide whether the sentence are true (T) or false(F)!

6. He does not like apple. ( )

7. My uncle work in the office. ( )

8. I does not play guitar ( )

9. He reads the book. ( )

10. We washes our hands before eating ( )

111.Essay

1. Write the sentences with the helping words.

e.g.

-a brood of chickens

- eating

-the farm

(a brood of chickens is eating the farm)

-A flock of birds

-flying

-the sky

( ………………………………. )

2. Change this sentence become negative (-) and interrogative (?) form!

a. (+) He goes to school early.

(-)…………………………………………….

(?)…………………………………………….

b.(+)…………………………………………….

(-) My mother doesn’t cook noodles .

(?)……………………………………..

3. Find out the subject, verb, direct object,

and indirect object from this sentence!

a. He feeds the rabbit a bunch of carrots.

b. I send a letter to my friend.

For number 4-5. Rewrite sentence using to or for!

e.g. She cooks me the noodles.

She cooks the noodles for me.

4. He brings me a hammer.

5.She gives her a new book.

Checklist For Writing Effective Articles

noreply@blogger.com (jumarno) — Sat, 03 Jan 2009 02:57:00 +0000

by: John

Before writing an article, have you ever felt overwhelmed by a blank sensation, not knowing where to start?

...I'll bet you have!

This checklist should help you eliminate some common problems in writing articles:

1. Have a specific purpose in mind.

Always have a specific purpose in mind before you begin writing: you should be crystal clear about what are you hoping to accomplish by writing your article.
Is it an article clarifying an issue for your customers, to attract prospects, to improve the link popularity for your website?

2. Know your target population.

Before writing an article, conduct research on the target population. What are their experience, their interest, and their wants in the chosen topic? What pain or problem do they try to avoid?

3. Develop a detailed outline first, stressing on the benefits.

Now that you have a purpose and a target, organize your article so that scanning it quickly will show immediately to your reader how he will benefit from it and what are the most important points.

4. Stop your reader in his tracks with your title.

Your title should grab the reader's attention and 'force' him to read your first paragraph. Using your most important benefit usually does it.

5. Start your article with the most important information

Again, do not keep your most important information for the conclusion! Give it immediately and develop on it in the following paragraphs.

6. Keep jargon to a minimum.

If possible, avoid jargon as well as prejudices and insinuations. Write your article so that even a child can understand it.

7. Make your article warm and personal.

Speak direct to the reader. Use a lot of 'you'.
Reading your article, the reader should feel warmth and empathy, knowing that you have the same problems and goals than him.

8. Keep sentences short and simple.

Using short and simple sentences will allow a fluid and easy reading, preventing your reader to get bored.

9. Have someone from the target population critique your article.

Who can give you a better feedback than someone from your target population? It will help you

10. Spend more time rewriting than writing.

Besides formatting your article for easy reading and nice presentation, be sure to use tools or an external editor to carefully proofread your writing for grammatical and spelling errors.

Remember that the more writing you do, the better you will get. After sometimes, when you are in the habit of writing, article writing will not seem as difficult as now!

How to Write Articles – Choosing Your Article Subject

noreply@blogger.com (jumarno) — Sat, 03 Jan 2009 02:53:00 +0000

by: John

There are many things to consider when writing an article. One of the main ones is the choice of topic. Choosing a topic you are passionate about is important for several reasons.

· Your writing will not only flow more easily, but your enthusiasm will show through and affect the reader in a positive way.

· Editors like enthusiasm in writing.

· You will know much about your topic, thus saving a lot of time in research.

· Your writing task will be a joy to do.

You might feel that writing in the area of your interest is too limiting, but it is possible to branch out into areas that are similar. For instance, if your area of expertise is in chemistry, then writing about health should not be too much of a learning curve. It will also give you a wider scope for selling your articles. Many magazines have a health section. Health topics can be widened to include such topics as sporting injuries and how to treat them, or nutrition. Nutrition can focus on various age groups. See how the ripples widen? In no time you’ll be able to submit articles to many different magazines or websites and you’ll still be writing with passion and enthusiasm.

Choosing your own topic is easier if you decide to write freelance. You can submit to magazines specializing in that topic, but what happens if you are asked to write about a topic you hate, or know little about? If you are a skilled researcher and writer you will bring all your skills to bear on doing the job correctly. Otherwise, consider refusing. If, for example, you are asked to write about finance and investments and you are not even familiar with the terms used, then unless you are a quick learner and love research, your reputation might suffer.

Publishing articles on the Internet is even riskier to your reputation, since there is not always an editor to scrutinize the details and say yea or nay. You must not only get your facts right, but offer good solid meat in your article. An article that includes the basic information that everyone but the man from Mars knows, will make you a laughing stock in the article world.

For example, everyone knows that Fido needs to be fed, watered and exercised properly to be a happy doggie. But does everyone know that his drooping ears need to be inspected carefully for ticks or disease? Do they know the symptoms of a certain disease that particular breed is prone to and what to do about it? Have they heard about that old remedy that will save them a bomb at the vet? If you can provide information such as this in your article, you will soon have a happy readership.

English Coursework Tips

noreply@blogger.com (jumarno) — Sat, 03 Jan 2009 02:51:00 +0000

by: John Petrucci

Extremely regularly, students face such appealing articles as writing an English coursework. At once, a lot of questions appear in the head – what students must write concerning in their English coursework, in addition how to organise their English coursework as well as what can assist to develop their English coursework? English coursework articles depict information on the language, its growth as well as customs. Students are open to select whichever topic for their English coursework. Good GCSE English Coursework also demands: * Critical thinking skills as well as composition skills; * Original research of the issue addressed; * Creative approach to the article; Writing an English Coursework-Some hints * if probable, students should try to choose a topic in which they are interested – when the writer is concerned into the procedure of writing, the time required is too short; * Deadline management should be the prior concern – students should work out their personal plan that may assist them to map out their time. Although writing an English coursework demands definite mood, students must work on the usual basis not to make immense pauses in the writing procedure. When students come to write their English coursework after 3 months rearrangement students are in all likelihood to be unsuccessful writing in the similar tone as well as manner, furthermore, students can forget their preceding achievements, otherwise what is worst, student may not find the materials offered previously. * take your time – Students should not hesitate to edit and rewrite their work. Students should be sure to communicate the rules of official writing content as well as their teacher’s specifications. * Consult your teacher – Teacher is the mainly dependable basis of the data on student’s English coursework topic. This is his/her opinion student must take care of, considering it as student’s last hope.

Improve The Quality Of Your Writing In Less Than 60 Seconds

noreply@blogger.com (jumarno) — Fri, 19 Dec 2008 09:14:00 +0000

by: Jesse Dawson

Writing is not really an art. It is a craft – and you can learn a craft. Follow these four techniques to improve the quality of your writing, no matter what type of writing you do.

Writing Tip #1: After you run your spell checking software, go back and re-read your writing. Few people are good spellers, which is why so many of us rely on spell checking software. Unfortunately, spell checkers have their own flaws and sometimes flag silly errors. For example, the words "form" and "from" are both good, legitimate words. But if you wrote a business letter that said, "We took $200 form your checking account to cover the payment," most spell checkers won't catch that oversight. Yet this simple typo changed the meaning of the sentence. Spell checkers are a convenience; they are neither authoritative nor foolproof, so don’t rely on them. Always read through your writing at least once after you spell check -- and keep a dictionary handy.

Writing Tip #2: Use that famous "KISS" principle for your punctuation. You know the rule, don't you? "Keep It Simple, Stupid." Apply this rule to punctuation. If you don't know how or when to use a semicolon, then avoid semicolons; you'll only display ignorance if you get it wrong. In keeping with that KISS principle, limit your use of commas. Far too many people use far too many commas. Just because a sentence is long does not mean it needs a comma. Well-placed commas make reading easier. Commas thrown in simply to break up words are incorrect and distracting. Another important rule of punctuation is to avoid using exclamation marks, almost always. If your choice of words, sentence structure, and overall prose don't convey the sense of excitement you are seeking, then using an exclamation mark won't do it. If your writing conveys your sense of excitement, an exclamation point is, well, pointless.

Writing Tip #3: Make sure your writing is grammatically correct. You don't need the skills of an English teacher to use correct grammar. You simply need to learn the basics -- verbs and subjects agree in number, for example. That is, "he was" is correct; "they were" is correct. To say "they was" is incorrect. If you are not sure about using grammar, especially if English isn't your "first" language, go to some good reference sites for fundamental English grammar and usage. (If you are writing in another language, the same advice holds true for that language.) Invest in a good, basic grammar book or style manual. Check with any bookstore, online or offline, and you can find one.

4. When you finish some writing, put it aside for a couple of hours or days (if possible), then re-read it before you let go of it. Of course, if you're writing or dictating a business letter or other "time-sensitive" document, this may not be possible. If you set your article or story aside for a day, then re-read it, you may notice glaring errors or want to make significant changes. And you thought before you had finished. Many writers and teachers have commented that all true writing is done in the rewriting. Take that advice to heart and you will significantly improve your writing.

These four steps, rechecking your spelling, taking care with punctuation, watching for fundamental grammar errors, and rewriting, will improve your writing. They are proven tools used by every wordsmith.

Top 10 Freelance Writing Resources On The Internet

noreply@blogger.com (jumarno) — Fri, 19 Dec 2008 09:07:00 +0000

by: David Drake

RentACoder.com

If you are new to home based money making industry as a writer, RentACoder is probably a good place to start from because its procedures are quite straightforward. Signing up for this website is totally free but you will need to pay 15% of each project you win, as a service fee. Since the money is escrowed by your buyer before project inception, your payments are guaranteed if you do a quality service.

Scriptlance.com

There are many job postings at scriptlance, however; many of those projects never get rewarded. It is quite difficult for a beginner to start off at scriptlance because there is a lot of scamming going on in the bidding phase. However, if you are able to build a good reputation, you can be sure to have a lot of buyers awarding you projects on long term basis.

Guru.com

Guru is a professional freelance website which allows free membership as well as subscriptions known as Guru VENDOR. Although there are many job listings, many buyers choose to have Guru Vendors bid for their projects, so if you sign up with a basic account, you might not go too far with this website.

Elance.com

Elance too has two categories of membership; basic which is free of charge and professional which should be subscribed to. Upon sign up, you cannot bid on any project until you pass an evaluation test from the website. Elance too is a secured site as it facilitates payment escrow.

Craigslist.org

This is a biggest classified portal on the internet and so possibilities of finding work in here is endless. As a writer you could either search for freelance work or post an advertisement promoting your services, free of charge. The downside is that, according to website rules you cannot post too many ads as you will become suspended from the website.

Getacoder.com

This website operates quite similar to RentACoder with the exception of allowing free memberships as well as, premium memberships. Their commission per project is 10% of the project value plus a fixed charge of $5.00

The downfall however is that, if your account remains on zero balance for over 30 days, it will be frozen.

Gofreelance.com

This is a very professional website with a lot of professional and highly paid writing jobs on the offering. However, you will need to subscribe as a member to work. But the good news is that you can apply for a trial period of 7 days by paying only $2.95 thereby, you can have a taste of what you are getting in to before investing money on membership.

Essaywriters.net

If you are a professional writer, essaywriters.net is your perfect opportunity. Signing up for their service is easy however; you will only be able to take up projects once your application is accepted by the website within two weeks.

Getafreelancer.com

You will find quite a lot of writing related freelance opportunities at getafreelancer. Membership is free and here’s how it works. Getafreelancer allow new users to make only 15 bids per month. For each month a writer remains a member at the website, 1 point is added. So if your membership is 1 year old, you will get the chance to bid on 27 (15 + 12) projects per month.

Freelancewriting.com

This is a supermarket of freelance writing jobs. What this website does is to obtain feeds from top freelance websites and display all relevant jobs. So if you don’t have time to spare on several websites, this will be your ideal shopping place.

3 Keys to Better Online Copywriting

noreply@blogger.com (jumarno) — Fri, 19 Dec 2008 09:04:00 +0000

by: Daegan Smith

So you want to be a better online copywriter, huh? You may be good at writing –getting straight A’s for research reports and that sort of thing. But online copywriting is different sort of animal. And as good as you may be at your game. This one has a few rules of its own.

When you copywrite for the internet. You are basically doing two things. You are doing marketing and writing good articles.

If you neglect either, you will put across the impression that you are on a marketing campaign that has a few screws loose. The marketing aspect will gauge whether you can attract attention. It will ascertain if you can connect with the reader and get his or her attention.

The writing aspect will prove if you can get the message across clearly and creatively. If your writing is not polished, the reader will get the impression that you are not a professional at what you are doing. And this is a bad thing to start with.

To avoid this you must keep in mind a few keys to online copywriting success. These keys will help you get a firmer grasp on the interplay between writing and marketing so you can better you copywriting powers.

1. Be Creative

Don’t look for rules when doing your copywriting. Rules are good because they help set a standard for which all of your work will adhere to. Unfortunately, rules can sometimes dampen one’s creative spirit.

In today’s fast-paced information world, he who remains dormant loses out. To keep up with the times you must be constantly on the look out for fresh and exciting ways to get your customer’s attention. This could be a new concept of writing or a creative way to push an advertisement.

The internet makes a lot of new things possible. We are only beginning to scrape the tip of the iceberg with the possibilities the internet brings to the online marketer, and the online copywriter.

For example, some would use startling trivia to get the readers attention. Or blurt out something so preposterous, it would shock the life out of readers – which of course will lead to a logical conclusion that drives interest to the product or service the copywriter is pitching.

However, you must be careful that your creativity will not come across as annoying or misleading. This will drive people away instead of attracting them.

For example, some copywriters would create ads that present a seemingly irresistible offer. The reader, interested by the ad would read on further, only to find out that the first offer was just a ruse to get attention. This would seriously annoy the reader and dash any hope that he or she would develop any further interest in your product.

2. Attention, Attention, Attention

If you ad cannot attract attention, it is a failure. Your ad should be one that when placed among other ads, it would stand out.

Remember that you are not the only one who tries to get ads across to internet users. There will always be competition waiting in the wings. Never be complacent and settle for so-so advertisements. They will only get lost in the rubble of ads that litter the internet.

How do you make the ad stand-out? First of all, you cannot make the ads stand-out for all people. You must remember that you are targeting a specific portion of the population. If your products are pipes, you are trying to speak directly to those who are in need of pipes.

You will have to make an ad that stands out to them. Get their attention! Say something loud, but honest! Make them an offer they cannot refuse. But always make an offer you can come through with.

3. Focus on Benefits, Not the Features

People are not concerned with the features, believe it or not. They want a general statement of how your product or service will benefit them. Don’t go around saying, “Look at my deluxe, 200-horsepower, chrome-plated, vacuum cleaner. It can suck up marbles, dust, and other stuff.” This does not attract people.

Say instead, “Clean any carpet, no matter how dirty it may be!” This leaves out the details but goes ahead to address the direct need of the user. If your product features details that you are sure will sweep the reader off his feet. You may present if after addressing his primary need.

Don’t Forget These Keys

These are merely guidelines that outline the basic tenets of online copywriting. With your talent, you can be sure that you can aid the evolution of the online copywriter. Keep these keys in mind and you can be sure your online copywriting skills will dramatically improve.

7 Ways To Get Paid To Write Online

noreply@blogger.com (jumarno) — Fri, 19 Dec 2008 09:02:00 +0000

by: David Drake

More and more people tend to earn at home nowadays. However, the catch is that stay-at-home jobs don’t work with many fields. If you are a good writer, then you are among the lucky lot and we are about to discover how it is so.

Usually freelance writing work is available through various resources through freelance exchange websites such as rentacoder.com, scriptlance.com etc. There are also a number of sites for classified advertisements where these work can be easily found; e.g. craigslist.com. If you search through such sites, you will understand that you have many options.

? Blog writing and reviewing is one popular option open to writers. Many freelance exchange websites have openings for this kind of projects with an increasing trend. The task at hand could either be to write on a given topic which will become a blog or to make comments on already written blogs with a back link to the buyer’s account, so as to increase search engine rankings to a particular site.

? Writing for SEO is another popular method. Many website owners are interested in getting a high rank in SERPs (Search Engine Result Pages) as it will be advantageous for increasing web traffic and their sales. Therefore, website owners will provide writers with sets of keywords to be included in the article. The writer should be skilled enough to meaningfully use these contents without harming the flow and the originality of the article.

? Writing Newsletters is another method. Various institutes now outsource their newsletter writing through many websites. The writer is given specific topics to be written in standard or specific newsletter formats. This work can be considered relatively easy due to the nature of the work. In most cases, you will be given a newsletter template where your job will be to fill in the content according to the given format.

? Writing auto-responders is an ideal job for creative freelance writers. It is usually a very simple task requiring high creativity. Your task as a freelance writer in here is to come up with attractive auto responders with plenty of creative thought.

? Content writing for websites is a highly paid job because it is the writing that turns visitors in to buyers. So if you are a writer with high language skills and if you have a very good creative mind, this job is for you.

? Ghost writers are those who get paid the most. Whenever you are expected to become a ghost writer, it has to do something with publishing the content be it an e-book, research paper or a single article. As a ghost writer, you are expected to come up with the general outline of your project. Once everything is discussed, the writer will start on the project.

? However, if you want to retain your copyrights and take credit for what you do, you still have the choice to do that with websites such as associatedcontent.com. It’s a place where you can simply publish your article and get paid for the number of page hits you receive. In other words, the more popular your articles become more money you will earn!

ESL and TEFL: Teaching English Grammar to Children through Games

noreply@blogger.com (jumarno) — Thu, 11 Dec 2008 05:08:00 +0000

by: Shelley Vernon

One of the questions ESL and TEFL teachers are asking on forums the world over is: how can you teach grammar through games?

If you don’t want your class to glaze over with dictation, writing exercises and “Jimmy, would you please read paragraph 1,” then take heart! You’ll find you can teach everything you want with games, and the children remember it better to boot.

Here is a disarmingly simple game, which can be used for many purposes. Please note this particular game is for small groups of up to 20 children or so, and you need floor space. If you have more than 20 children, or no floor space then please see the bottom of the article for games suited to your needs.

The players stand round in a circle with one player standing in the middle. Each player has a picture of an item, or a word flash card, except for the player in the middle. Call out two of the picture card items or words. The two players holding these cards have to change places without the person in the middle grabbing one of their spots. If the person in the middle manages to slip into the spot in the circle then the one left standing goes in the middle. The new person in the middle hands their flash card to the child taking their place in the circle.

If someone is stuck in the middle for two turns say, "All Change!” When the players hear this they must all change places, which gives the person in the middle a very good chance of joining the circle. Once everyone has had one go ask your class to pass their picture to the right, and take the one handed to them from the left. You can give them another go with the new picture.

Notice that only 2 children move at any one time (aside from when you say “All Change), which makes it easy to keep control.

How could you use this game in your language teaching? Firstly, you can use it to reinforce new vocabulary, secondly, for revision, thirdly to help spelling by playing the game with word flashcards instead of pictures, and fourthly, to practise a grammatical structure.

Let us say you want to teach the conditional tense and you start with “I would like”. Hand out pictures of food that your pupils already know. Call out “I would like bananas and pie”. The pupil with the bananas tries to change places with the pupil holding the pie without the person in the middle taking one of the spots in the circle. Continue until everyone has had a go, repeating the target structure each time. With a class that learns quickly you can also introduce the rest of the declension (he and she would like, etc.). You are now ready to proceed to a speaking game where your pupils use the target structure, as they will have heard it repeatedly by now. You can follow the speaking game up with a writing game, and hey presto your children can understand, say, read and write the new target structure.

Now what better way is there to teach grammar than that? You are teaching grammar by absorption and repetition, which is the way we learn our native tongue, and for children it is by far the best way to go.

You can sign up free for games and ideas for all class sizes, from private lessons to large classes on http://www.teachingenglishgames.com

About The Author

Learning English Online

noreply@blogger.com (jumarno) — Sun, 23 Nov 2008 05:18:00 +0000

by melville jackson

There are many ways in which you can learn the English language online. Learning English online is of great help especially for people who wants to go abroad for the sake of their studies or for their jobs. There are many ways in which you can study English. But the online courses which have emerged are of great help since they offer comprehensive courses. In these courses the beginner gets to know about the basics of the language and can analyze the language with the skills imparted to them by online tutorials. Therefore in recent times, most people prefer the online courses than the rest.

Get help from tutors: The best way to study English is to take the help of tutors who teach English. They will come to your house and teach you. From some experienced people you can take help and study the language in the best way.

Watching foreign movies (English) helps a lot: : Another way in which one can grasp the language is by watching the English movies. When you see the people in the movie expressing their emotions in some foreign language then you will gradually learn that language (English here) very easily.

Story book is recommended by online English tutorials: : Reading a lot of story books can help. This is because of the fact that when you are truing to read anything in a foreign language (and especially a story), then it is extremely easy to learn that language. Reading story books is also recommended by the online English tutorials.

Recommended newspaper reading: : Reading newspaper is also of great help since you get to know about the world and also your own country from the newspaper. It is much like thinking in English, a foreign language. When you start thinking in English you will learn this language very quickly.

Exams help to understand where you stand: : Give exams in English. Online courses offer this help and you can actually test your skills and the knowledge that you have obtained so long by giving the test. The online schools actually offer these tests. When you give the test then you get to know more about the language.

Language skills are polished and sharpened: : Pronunciation and language skills: when you study in an online school you get a clear idea about the language and the pronunciations. In English pronunciations are of great importance. When you study from an online school, your language skills are polished and sharpened.

Learn English Laughing

noreply@blogger.com (jumarno) — Fri, 21 Nov 2008 03:29:00 +0000

by: Frank Gerace

Humor and Learning

Humor is important in learning a language. Not only does it enable the student to learn new vocabulary in context but it also is a motivating force. When a student understands a joke she begins to feel like she is in the world of the new language. Puns are especially valuable because they stress meaning. We'll give a few jokes and puns as examples and hoope that they will move other teachers to use this powerful resource.

Puns

Laughing? Well, maybe not. Puns usually make people groan. They say that for a pun to be good, it has to be really bad. As a matter of fact, they are called "groaners". A pun is a little word game, playing with language. Most puns use a word that has two meanings, or use two words that sound almost the same.

Here are some puns. Use your knowledge of English, and your dictionary if necessary, to explain the pun.

Example: Why is an empty purse always the same? Because there is never any change in it. In this pun, the word "change" has two meanings: 1. coins and small bills, 2. alteration.

1. Do you know why it’s easy for a hunter to find a leopard? Because a leopard is always spotted.

"to spot", verb: to see, to identify. "spotted", adjective: with spots.

2. When gambling became legal in the city, everyone agreed that the city was now a bettor place.

What we hear could be either of two words that sound the same: "better", adjective, "an improvement", therefore "an improved place". "bettor", noun, "gambler", "someone who bets", therefore entonces "a place for gamblers".

3. The principal called the young cross-eyed teacher into his office. "I’m sorry to say, Ms. Jones, we’re going to have to let you go." "But why, sir? I thought I was doing a good job." "It’s simple," said the principal, "you can’t control your pupils.".

Of course, the word "pupil" could refer to a student or to the middle of the iris of the eye..

4. My friend Sam had decided his kitchen needed painting, and instead of hiring a professional, he decided to do it himself. In the afternoon, I went over to his house to see if he needed some help. When I arrived, I found Sam working hard painting the kitchen walls. But instead of wearing old clothes, he was wearing a leather jacket and a ski parka. I asked him why he was dressed that way on such a hot day. He brought me the paint bucket and told me to read the instructions. I did. It said, "For best results, put on two coats."

The pun is the word "coat" either another layer or paint or an article of clothing.

5. The previous pun about the extra "coat" reminds me of the dog that has a fur coat and pants.

OK, the dog has a fur coat but it doesn't have fur trousers. In this case "pants" o the way dogs breathe rapidly and noisily.

Those were puns. Now for a few jokes.

Jokes

Three Police Jokes

First Joke:

A police officer stops a woman for speeding and asks her very nicely if he could see her license.

She replies in a huff, "I wish you guys would get your act together. Just yesterday you take away my license and then today you expect me to show it to you!"

Vocabulary and Expresssions:

"in a huff": annoyed

"get your act together": get organized

Second Joke: While driving along the back roads of a small town, two truckers came to an overpass with a sign that read CLEARANCE 11'3".

They got out and measured their rig, which was 12'4".

"What do you think?" one asked the other.

The driver looked around carefully, then shifted into first. "Not a cop in sight. Let's take a chance!"

Vocabulary and Expresssions:

"overpass": viaduct

"rig": here truck. Any specialized tool or mechanical arrangement.

"clearance": room to pass, or "clear". "Clearance" is the noun of the verb "to clear" which means (among other meanings) de: "go through without touching"

11' 3" is the abbreviation of 11 feet 3 inches;

12' 4" is the abbreviation of 12 feet 4 inches.

Third Joke:

Recently, a distraught wife went to the local police station, along with her next-door neighbor, to report that her husband was missing. The policeman asked for a description of the missing man.

The wife said, "He is 35 years old, 6 foot 2, has dark eyes, dark wavy hair, an athletic build, weighs 185 pounds, is soft-spoken, and is good to the children."

The next-door neighbor protested, "Your husband is 54 years old, 5 foot 6, chubby, weighs 275 pounds, is bald, has a big mouth, and is mean to your children."

The wife replied, "Yes, but who wants HIM back?"

Vocabulary and Expresssions:

Hubby: popularform of "husband", spouse

distraught: stressed, very worried.

chubby: slightly fat

mean: In this context, strict, severe, even a little cruel

bald: no hair

next-door neighbor: the person who lives in the house to one side of yours

6 foot 4: six feet and 4 inches

How to keep on Learning by Laughing?

You can enter "esl puns" or "esl joke" in Google to find many sites that share our belief that puns and jokes are good ways to help learners of English.

Everything I Needed to Know About Article Writing I Learned from My English Teacher

noreply@blogger.com (jumarno) — Fri, 21 Nov 2008 03:27:00 +0000

by: Glenn Beach

By now you probably understand how important writing for trade publications is to establishing credibility in the home business world.

On to the first hurdle: how do you get past that HUGE writers' block? How do you know what to write about, and how do you make it unique, informative and interesting?

Remember how you resisted writing those reports in school, insisting that you would never need to know how to do that in "real life"? Welcome to the real world of business writing.

Your English teacher gave you the bare bones: pick a topic, research, take notes, make lists and an outline, write a rough draft in your own words, rewrite, rewrite, rewrite. Don't forget introductory paragraphs, summaries, footnotes and bibliographies.

Thanks to the internet, you can use a search engine, copy and paste, cut and paste, type, cut and paste edit into infinity, include hyperlinks and add your resource box at the end.

But...you're still stuck on picking a topic. You feel as imaginative as a two by four. Start with your own home business, internet marketing, or entrepreneurial problems. Better yet, start with your journal. You don't keep one? Here, you can borrow some of my own entries: (better yet, each of these items is looking for a foster home)

Didn't want to get out of bed this morning.

Turned on the computer and would rather play a computer game than work.

The quiet is driving me crazy...music would help...now I want to dance...now that I'm up, I could vacuum....wonder what's on tv...

The noise is driving me crazy, I can't concentrate.

Ok, I finally got started. Ten hours later, I just can't stop. I wonder why my wife is glaring at me.

I can't finish anything--the next new project always looks more interesting.

Friends call and want to chat, the cats want fed, that window needs fixing.

How do I know when to be persistent and when to try something else?

My website has lots of visitors, many don't stay for more than 30 seconds, few sign up.

I'd rather be __________ (fill in the blank): sleeping, golfing, fishing, watching tv, eating, reading, swimming.

Now let's turn that list into a list of how-to's. I need to learn how to: get enough sleep; stay focused; identify goals, strategies and action plans; develop credibility among friends and family; identify success (measurable results?); make my website more sticky; encourage prospects to become active affiliates; balance work and pleasure; plan my day; stay motivated... and so on.

First I brainstorm: when have I been able to accomplish any of these things? (take notes) Then it's off to the search engines. (take notes; bookmarking and copy and paste makes this easy) Now organize your notes: whatever floats your boat, whether it be lists, outlines, mind mapping or freeform writing.

Just keep searching, taking notes and bookmarking until something hits you over the head. "This really might work, especially if you did this first and then tried this..." Be patient, it may take a little time.

Don't copy word for word what another writer has already written; but on the other hand, don't worry about inventing the lightbulb either. If you've done much surfing at all, you realize that the internet is HUGE, a veritable wasteland.

The chances of two people reading exactly the same articles or websites and coming to exactly the same conclusions are slim. Any bleary-eyed surfer will THANK you for your arduous research.

And don't rule out your own experiences and thoughts. I once was dealing with a problem and was becoming more frustrated and angry by the minute. I finally just dropped it and went for a walk. (You can substitute any of those things, such as fishing, that you used to fill in the blank above).

While walking I was thinking about another situation in my life, was looking at the part of the natural world I was walking through, and came to a brilliant conclusion. As soon as it occurred to me, I saw that the solution also applied to the problem I was trying to solve earlier. So you see, sometimes it's good to just follow your instinct and GO FISHING.

I'll write that all up into an article some day soon. It's on my list. Meanwhile, I've got a few more ideas I'm writing up first. Now I can't wait to get them all written into articles. So...there's my topics, my motivation, and my action plan.

If you've followed these steps, thanks to your English teacher, the internet, your own experiences, and your stumbling attempts at writing, you're now an author. But more than that, you've learned:

* how to set yourself a goal: new affiliate signups;
* a strategy: making your name familiar or establishing yourself as an expert;
* and an action plan: write an article, submit it to dozens of websites, post it on your own website, maybe even add a few guest articles and start up a newsletter.

Then start over at the beginning...and don't forget how important it is to take time out for fishing.

Learn To Teach English As A Foreign Language

noreply@blogger.com (jumarno) — Fri, 21 Nov 2008 03:25:00 +0000

by: John Davison

Perhaps you are at career crossroads, and you are looking for a more fulfilling and interesting way to utilize your skills. If you are interested in teaching and traveling to exciting and interesting destinations, then you might want to consider teaching English as a foreign language abroad. English is the most commonly spoken language in the world today, and desire of those in other countries to learn the English language is growing at a steady rate. Therefore, there is a demand for bright and motivated individuals to teach conversational and written English to those abroad, both young and old.

The benefits of teaching English as a foreign language in another country are numerous. Not only are you providing a service to those who desire it, but you will benefit from those you teach as well. In choosing to teach the English language in one of several locales such as Southeast Asia, South America, Western Europe, and the Middle East, you will learn about new cultures and traditions. You will have the opportunity to shatter stereotypes regarding our own American culture. You will have the opportunity to do a large amount of traveling to neighboring nations. You will become self-reliant and self-assured on your journeys, and you will certainly make many new friends.

Teaching English as a foreign language can have many benefits for your career as well. Your exposure to new surroundings and your experience teaching will garner you excellent communication skills. You might find that your prior work experience coupled with your new teaching venture will provide you with a considerable amount of career options when you have completed your teaching duties. You will have opportunities to change your life and career on a global scale.

Because the demand for instructors to teach the English language abroad has increased, so has the demand for more qualified individuals to apply. Language schools are highly discriminating when it comes to hiring new instructors. That is why it is important to get your certification in TEFL/TESOL (Teaching English as a foreign language/Teaching English as a second language) if you intend to apply for a position with a language school. Certification demonstrates to potential employers that you are serious in taking on this challenging new career. Certification can be achieved by taking courses at a number of campuses nationwide, and there are even certification course programs available online. Receiving your certification for teaching English as a foreign language will certainly prepare you to be a more effective and successful teacher by instructing you on how to teach grammar, how to teach vocabulary, how to teach speaking, how to teach writing, how to motivate your students, how to manage a classroom, and how to construct lesson plans. Receiving your certification will also better prepare you for a move abroad, which can be daunting and stressful. Having the peace of mind in knowing that you are fully qualified to perform your new job will help to alleviate some of the stress in throwing yourself into an entirely new country and culture.

Teaching the English language to students in foreign nations can be exciting, fulfilling, and highly enjoyable. It is a mutually beneficial experience for you and your students. Not only are you representing your own country and culture, and imparting your personal knowledge of the English language and your culture onto others, but you are also learning about other individuals and their various experiences and traditions. While broadening your mind and experiencing something totally unique, you are also embarking on an exciting new career, one that has the opportunity to open many new doors for you professionally.

English Pronunciation For The ESL Learner

noreply@blogger.com (jumarno) — Fri, 21 Nov 2008 03:24:00 +0000

by: Lynn Bo

What is an accent? An accent is the carryover of sounds from the speaker’s original language to the second language. When we are infants we literally have the ability to speak any language in the world. We are all born with the necessary speech mechanisms and the capability to learn any language. We end up speaking the language that we do solely by reinforcement. The sounds a baby hears and the speech patterns he is exposed to are the ones that she develops. Soon the baby gains the fine motor skill and control she needs to create sounds herself. The infant will begin by babbling and playing with sounds. Soon she is able to produce simple vowel/consonant combinations which maybe why mama and dada are often their first words, they can make the combination and the big reaction it elicits reinforces their efforts. By 18 months she will be able to produce about 20 words that have meaning and understand around 50 words. Now babies of course have the ultimate immersion experience. In order to obtain any control over their environment they must learn the language and they are surrounded by the language almost 24 hours a day.

Of course the second language learner does not have these advantages. Even if you are now living in an English speaking country, and attending classes to learn English you will still have opportunity to speak and hear your first language with friends and family, this is especially true in America a county of immigrants where finding a community of people with the same language background is possible.

Another challenge is the expectation factor. For many years you have heard a speech pattern and there is an expectation of what you will hear when others speak. You are predicting what sounds will come next based on your subconscious knowledge of language. I call this listening with an accent. It is necessary to break through this barrier, to really hear how others are speaking, to actively listen.

To listen is to learn, and I don’t mean that in an existential way. I really mean that if you can’t hear the way the sounds are produced you cannot learn how to produce the sound. Maybe that is why ETS added speaking and listening sections to the TOEFL. The two skills are so closely linked.

Once you can hear the sounds you must add them to your own phonetic library. This means that you have in your mind the knowledge and understanding of how to produce every sound or phoneme in you original language. Now you must add on some sounds that are in the American sound system that is not in your original language sounds system. Record your self reading a brief paragraph. Only 2-3 sentences in English. Then listen to the recording. Write down exactly what you hear on the recording. Not what you meant to say but what you really did say. How is it different from what was written? Did you say th, when it was written or did you say d? I would suggest sticking with the consonants at first because the differences are easier to pinpoint.

If you would like to get help in improving your pronunciation it would be best to go to a speech therapist rather than an ESL teacher. Speech therapists are trained in physiology of the speech mechanisms and musculature. They understand what is involved in producing each sound and are trained to identify and work with articulation problems. Though an accent is not the same as an articulation problem they have similar characteristics. When a client has difficulty articulating specific sounds the speech therapist can hear and see what they are doing differently and describe and show how to do it correctly. When a client has an accent the speech therapist can see what the person is doing differently and show and describe how to make the sound so it more closely approximates the standard.

The most important advice I can give you is to keep practicing. At first it may feel like you are exaggerating when you “speak with an American accent” but I am sure that the native American speakers around you will not even notice. They will merely be impressed with your great diction!

4 Easy Ways To Learn English

noreply@blogger.com (jumarno) — Fri, 21 Nov 2008 03:22:00 +0000

by: George Williams

Now, you decide to learn how to speak English. There are many online resources that can help you improve and practice you English. Now if you are like most other ESL students reading this article then you already have a fairly good notion of the English language. You most likely are looking for a place to practice and enhance your English skills. So, here are four easy steps to do just that.

1. Preparation

There is no need to start from the beginning, since you already a fairly good notion of English. Take stock of your current skills and find out where you are weak. Once you know what you need to learn...all you have to do is learn it.

So, pick out something from your list of things that you know you need/want to learn. Take a few minutes to analyze why you want learn this information, and make sure you focus on that particular point while studying. It is super easy to get side-tracked onto other topics.

If you do see something of interest while you are on your search for information...make sure to take note of it so you can come back at a later time. But for now...FOCUS on the task at hand!

2. Practice

Now that you know what you know what you want to learn, jump over to Google or Yahoo and do a quick search on your chosen topic of interest. From there you should be able to find sites that will provide you with tools and resources such as audio files, video files, exercises, and tests to practice what you want to learn.

3. Use

Alright! You are ripping, raring, and ready-to-go! You studied what it was you wanted to learn, and now you need to put it into use in real life situations. Use what you just learned on your friends and acquaintances. Hit the forums and try out what you now know. Try to use it at least thirty times to really assimilate it well and make it a part of you.

4. Evaluate

Once you are done for the day, sit down for a few minutes and evaluate how you did. Did you learn everything that is required? Are you still weak in certain areas of this topic?

If you have a strong determination to learn English, take note of these things. Start making plan now and start practice it tomorrow. Make sure to do these four steps everyday, and you will steadily see your skills progressing. So now...just go do it!

About The Author

Tips To Learn English

noreply@blogger.com (jumarno) — Fri, 21 Nov 2008 03:21:00 +0000

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.

How to Easily Write an Article that has Value

noreply@blogger.com (jumarno) — Wed, 05 Nov 2008 10:31:00 +0000

by Lambert Klein

Do you struggle to write valuable articles that are concise and informative? If so then read on to learn some tips and techniques that can assist you with your article writing.

Most beginning authors have trouble writing good articles. Often times you will stare at a blank screen and just don't know where to start. If you have a plan such as an outline, then this helps by focusing your attention on each part of the process instead of the whole project at once. An outline can make it manageable and easier.

Now that you understand how an outline can help, let's look at an example that has worked for many successful authors.

Where to start

First write an outline for your article. The outline could go like this.

1. Article Title: Choose an eye-catching, keyword filled descriptive headline.

2. Article Introduction: Introduce your subject by telling the reader about the subject, and what exactly the points is that you will be discussion.

3. Sub Headlines: (There could be 3 sub headlines here take or give a few) List each sub headline.

4. Article conclusion: Sum up what you just discussed while giving any solutions or advice.

5. Your resource Box: An interesting sentence or two with a link back to your web site.

Each sub headline will be one point from several in your article. This will make your article easier to write and read.

Now you will want to do research on your subject. You can do this by searching on Google, Wikipedia and Article directories to name a few. It may be easier if you research each sub headline separate.

Okay, gather your notes and begin writing your article. Do not copy and paste. You should use your own words. Often it helps if you write like you talk.

Just follow the outline above and fill in each section. When you are done go over it and see how well it reads. Change anything that doesn't flow well so that it does. After you are satisfied go back over your article and fix any grammar mistakes and miss-spellings.

Finally have someone else read your article and give feedback to you.

You may find this to be a bit hard at first, but once you do it a few times it will speed up your writing and increase your article appeal too.

Why are you still sitting there? Let's get that article going.

About the Author

100% Unique Articles at Fantastic Prices With Fast Turnaround Time http://www.ghostwriter4you.com/

Learning Tips for Students

noreply@blogger.com (jumarno) — Mon, 03 Nov 2008 09:26:00 +0000

by: Dev Sri

Long ago, there was a time, when parents told children to read slowly and loudly to understand everything they read.

A lot of things have changed. Today's children have bigger syllabi to learn. Now, learning experts and teachers ask students to read faster and grasp important points.

Here are a few tips for students who have a lot to learn, but very little time.

Make a Timetable

Your timetable should have separate time for eating, playing games, exercise, reading newspaper and study materials. You should not only make a timetable, but also should stick to it.

Give priority to leisure and games in the afternoon, but separate early morning time for studies. Make sure you read all the class notes before you go to bed.

While allotting time to different subjects, allot more time to difficult subjects. You need only less time for the subjects that are easier for you to learn.

Taking Notes

Taking notes is an important part of learning. You need to take lecture notes (classroom notes) and notes from your textbook.

- Go through the lessons on the day before your teacher would teach it in the class. This gives you an idea of what to expect.

- Write down important ideas as bullet points. One word or a phrase is enough to include an idea.

- Give prominence to important ideas by underlining them in your notes.

- Leave lot of space in each face of paper. This will help you add new points later.

- Organize your notes into separate files. Each subject should have a different file. Label the outer page of the file with name of the subject and your teacher. You should also neatly organize each file according to chapters and topics.

- Read the notes (important points) in the night, before going to bed. Read only once. This helps you memorize the lessons clearly.

- While taking notes from a book, label the name of the book and author. Also, note the page number next to your notes. It makes it easy for you to refer to the book three or six months later.

Reading Techniques

You need to read fast and grasp more things. Here are some pointers to fast reading.

- Note the name of the book and its author in the reading log.

- Take a quick look from cover to cover to identify the important chapters.

- Take a quick look over the chapter, identify the important points, and note them down.

- Read the lesson fast. To increase the speed of learning, pass your eyes through the top of the letters and not through the centre. For example, while reading, pass your eyes through the area where the dot above the letter i appears and not through the loop of the letter o.

- Don't take notes while reading.

- Don't go back to read a word or a sentence. If you don't get the idea of the subject, you can come back to the sentence after you finish reading the chapter. Never look up a dictionary while in the middle of reading a chapter. Refer dictionary only if you don't automatically understand the meaning of a word after finishing the paragraph and the chapter.

- Note down the points you remember. Now check if you have taken all the important points, with another fast reading.

How to increase memory

Try to understand completely what you read or hear.

Repeat what you hear or read in your mind.

Make notes of what you learn at school or read from books. A single word can help you remember a whole idea.

Give number to the points.

Don't try to bring to memory all the things you have learned. Learn the technique of bringing to memory one thing at a time.

How to increase concentration

Mental concentration is important to memory and better learning.

Stick to your reading timetable. You should separate a specific place and specific time of the day for reading.

Sit erect. It increases your concentration.

Don't allow disturbances like phone calls, music etc while reading.

Concentrate on the lessons you read. Don't think about the next book you have to read while you are reading a book. A better way is to make an order of the books and lessons to read and arrange them in order before you start reading.

Immediately after reading a paragraph, try to recall the idea from that paragraph. This helps you concentrate more on your reading.

Ideal conditions for reading/learning

A silent location that you don't use for sleeping, eating or leisure purposes is the most ideal condition for reading.

Install a fluorescent tube light in the reading room. This helps mild light to fall evenly all over the room. Don't sit in the darkness while reading. If you use table lamp, arrange it towards your left if you are a right-hander.

Arrange the papers, pencils, boards and books on the table before you start reading.

Never try to read while you are tired or ill.

Eat healthy food rich in carbohydrates, proteins and fibres. Replace fast food, pizza, burger, chocolates, ice creams, etc with fresh fruits, whole grain food items (like chapatti), milk, fruit juices, etc.

Exercise daily. Swimming, cycling and jogging are good for students. Practise yoga. It increases concentration and willpower.

Don't watch TV. Instead, play some games in the outdoors. While TV makes you dumb, the games make you smarter.

Read lot of books. Read classic stories, fables (like Aesop fables, Panchatantra stories, etc), etc. Don't spend too much time on comic cartoons.

About The Author
Dev Sri provides insider information about Kerala Ayurvedic practices at http://keralaayurvedics.com/