Thursday, May 20, 2010
Belajar Bahasa Inggeris dengan Mudah
Kepayahan Bahasa Inggeris menyebabkan ramai pelajar yang tercicir daripada menguasai bahasa tersebut. Ini kerana ramai yang berpendapat Bahasa Inggeris sukar untuk dipelajari. Ramai yang mengalami jalan buntu sebelum sampai ke destinasi menguasai bahasa tersebut.
Read more...Monday, May 10, 2010
How To Improve Vocabulary and Reading
Today we are going to talk about learning vocabulary, and how to use reading to do it.
How will you improve your English READING fast and easily? How will you learn difficult English vocabulary? Is it possible to improve reading and vocabulary very quickly? **Yes, You Can Improve Very Fast
You are lucky. There is a lot of research about this topic. The research tells us what methods are successful-- and what methods are failures. The research is very clear and very strong. If you use the correct methods, you will learn very fast.
**What You Must NOT Do
Do NOT read difficult articles and textbooks. Do not. If you read difficult articles and textbooks, your reading ability will improve very very slowly.
Many students try to improve by reading very difficult English articles & textbooks. They use their dictionary and take notes and study them. They may need one or more hours to read just one article.
They think they will learn faster by studying very difficult textbooks... but they are wrong. Totally and completely wrong.
**Fun, Easy Reading Is The Best Way
There is no doubt-- to improve reading very fast, you must read easy and interesting books (not textbooks). Yes, you must read a lot (one hour a day or more), but you should read EASY books.
My rule for reading is simple- you should NOT need a dictionary to read and understand the book. If you need a dictionary, its too difficult and you should find something easier.
You should understand 98% (or more) of the words on every page.
When you understand 98-99% of the words-- its very easy to guess the meaning of the few words you don't know. You won't need a
dictionary.
**3-5 Times Faster
Research shows that reading easy books will improve your reading, and vocabulary and grammar 3-5 times faster than reading difficult material. 3-5 times faster.
**What Should You Read?
What kind of novels should you read? Any that you like: childrens', mystery, science fiction, romance, comic books, etc.. All are fine.
**9 Months To Reading Power
When you do this 1 hour every day-- you are amazed. You improve super-fast.
I guarantee you will improve much faster than students who read difficult textbooks.
So relax, find some easy and interesting books-- and read.
Good luck with your English learning! >>> Click here to view more details
"Top 5 Mistakes English Learners Make"
What are the most common mistakes that English learners make? Which mistakes do most English learners need to correct, in order to learn English much faster?
Here are the top 5 English Learning Mistakes:
1. Focusing On Grammar
This is the biggest, most common, and worst mistake. Research shows that grammar study, in fact, actually hurts English speaking ability. Why? Because English grammar is simply too complex to memorize and use logically.... and real conversation is much too fast.
You don't have enough time to think, remember hundreds or thousands of grammar rules, choose the correct one, then use it.
Your logical left-brain cannot do it. You must learn grammar intuitively and unconsciously, like a child. You do this by hearing a lot of correct English grammar- and your brain gradually and automatically learns to use English grammar correctly.
2. Forcing Speech
Both English students and teachers try to force speech before the learner is ready. The result is that most students speak English very slowly- with no confidence and no fluency. Forcing speech is a huge mistake. Don't force speech. Focus on listening and be patient. Speak only when you are ready to speak- when it happens easily and naturally. Until then, never force it.
3. Learning Only Formal Textbook English
Unfortunately, most English students learn only the formal English found in textbooks and schools. The problem is- native speakers don't use that kind of English in most situations.
When speaking to friends, family, or co-workers, native speakers use casual English that is full of idioms, phrasal verbs, and slang. To communicate with native speakers, you must not rely only on textbooks.. you must learn casual English.
4. Trying To Be Perfect
Students and teachers often focus on mistakes. They worry about mistakes. They correct mistakes. They feel nervous about mistakes. They try to speak perfectly. No one, however, is perfect. Native speakers make mistakes all the time. You will too. Instead of focusing on the negative- focus on communication.
Your goal is not to speak "perfectly", your goal is to communicate ideas, information, and feelings in a clear and understandable way. Focus on communication,focus on the positive. You will automatically improve your mistakes in time
5. Relying On English Schools
Most English learners rely totally on schools. They think the teacher and the school are responsible for their success. This is never true. You, the English learner, are always responsible. A good teacher can help, but ultimately you must be responsible for your own learning.
You must find lessons and material that are effective. You must listen and read every day. You must manage your emotions and remain motivated and energetic. You must be positive and optimistic. No teacher can make you learn. Only you can do it!
While these mistakes are very common, the good news is that you can correct them. When you stop making these mistakes, you change the way you learn English. You learn faster. Your speaking improves. You enjoy learning English.
Good luck... you can do it! >>> Click here to view more details
Best Way To Learn English- Research Studies Say....
Hi. How are you doing today? How is your English learning?
However, it is a VERY important topic. Why? Because independent research is the only way we can judge different English learning methods.
Everyone has an opinion. Some people will tell you, "You must study grammar". Some will tell you, "You must practice speaking all the
time".
Everybody has an idea about the best way to learn English. How do we know who is right?
We only know by looking at independent, test research. We must look at a lot of studies to find the answer.
When we do that, we find the following:
1. Listening to understandable and interesting English is the best way to improve speaking.
2. The Listen & Answer Stories Method is the most powerful teaching method to improve English speaking (and listening).
3. Grammar study and translation are not successful. Memorizing word lists is not successful.
4. Free, easy, fun reading is the best way to build vocabulary and advanced grammar ("academic English").
That is what the research tells us. How does the research work? Usually they divide a big group of students.
One group is put in a normal English class (grammar study, vocabulary study, etc.). The other group is put in a Listen & Answer Story class (also called "TPRS").
After 4-24 months, they test both groups of students. The students in the Listen & Answer group do better on Vocabulary tests,Speaking tests, Listening tests, Reading tests, and even Grammar tests. The longer the time, the bigger the difference between the groups.
That is why I am so strong about the Effortless English method.
Good luck with your English learning, >>> Click here to view more details
Sunday, April 25, 2010
The Key To Excellent English
What is the most important English skill? What skill must you have to communicate well?
Obviously, number 1 is Fluency. What is fluency? Fluency is the ability to speak (and understand)
English quickly and easily... WITHOUT translation. Fluency means you can talk easily with native speakers-- they easily understand you, and you easily understand them. In fact, you speak and understand instantly.
Fluency is your most important English goal.
The research is clear-- there is only ONE way to get fluency. You do not get fluency by reading textbooks.
You do not get fluency by going to English schools. You do not get fluency by studying grammar rules.
Listening Is The Key
To get English fluency, you must have a lot of understandable repetitive listening. That is the ONLY way. To be a FANTASTIC English speaker, you must learn English with your ears, not with your eyes. In other words, you must listen. Your ears are the key to excellent speaking.
What kind of listening is best? Well, it must be understandable and must be repetitive. Both of those words are important-- Understandable and Repetitive.
If you don't understand, you learn nothing. You will not improve. That's why listening to English TV does not help you. You don't understand most of it. It is too difficult. It is too fast.
Its obvious right? If you do not understand, you will not improve. So, the best listening material is EASY. That’s right, you should listen mostly to easy English. Most students listen to English that is much too difficult. They don’t understand enough, and so they learn slowly. Listen to easier English, and your speaking will improve faster!
Understanding is Only Half The Formula. Understanding is not enough. You must also have a lot of repetition. If you hear a new word only once, you will soon forget it.
If you hear it 5 times, you will still probably forget it! You must hear new words and new grammar many times before you will understand them instantly.
How many times is necessary? Most people must hear a new word 30 times to remember it forever.
To know a word and instantly understand it, you probably need to hear it 50-100 times!
That's why I tell my students to listen to all of my lessons many times. I tell them to listen to the Mini-Stories, the Vocab Lessons, The Point-of-View Stories, and the Audio articles everyday. I recommend that they listen to each lesson a total of 30 times (for example, 2 times a day for two weeks). So, the two most important points are: listen to easier English and listen to each thing many times.
Powerful Listening and Excellent Speaking
1. Practice “Narrow Listening”
“Narrow listening” means listening to many things about the same topic. This method is more powerful than trying to listen to many different kinds of things. Students who listen to similar things learn faster and speak better than students who listen to different kinds of things.
For example, you can choose one speaker and find many things by him. Listen to all of his podcasts, audio books, and speeches. This is powerful because all speakers have favorite vocabulary and grammar. They naturally repeat these many times. By listening to many things by the same person, you automatically get a lot of vocabulary repetition. You learn faster and deeper!
Another example is to choose one topic to focus on. For example, you could read an easy book, listen to the same audio book, listen to a podcast about the book, and watch the movie.
2. Divide Your Listening Time
Which is better: to listen for two hours without a break, or to divide that time during the day? Well,dividing your listening time is best.
By dividing your time throughout the day, you remember more and learn faster. So its much better to listen 30 minutes in the morning, then 30 minutes in the car or train, then 30 minutes coming home from work, then 30 minutes before sleep. In fact, this is the exact schedule I recommend to my students!
3. Use an iPod or MP3 Player
iPods are fantastic. You can put a big listening library on one. Then you can carry your English lessons everywhere. You can learn English while walking, while shopping, in the car, in a train, while cooking,.......
With an iPod or MP3 player, you don’t have to worry about CDs. Also, you can find a lot of English listening on the internet. You can find lessons, stories, podcasts, TV shows, interviews, and audio books. Simply download the audio, put it on your iPod.. and learn English anywhere!
4. Listen To Movies
Movies are great for learning English BUT you must use them correctly. Don’t watch all of an English movie. You will not understand it, and therefore you will not learn anything.
Only watch one scene or segment per week (maybe 2-3 minutes). Follow this method:
a) First, watch the scene with subtitles in your language. This will help you understand the general meaning.
b) Second, watch the scene with English subtitles. Pause. Use a dictionary to find new words you don’t understand. Write the new sentences in a notebook.
c) Listen to the scene a few times, with English subtitles. Do not pause.
d) Listen to the scene a few times, without subtitles.
e) Repeat a) - d) everyday for one week.
On the second week, go to the next scene/segment and repeat again. It will take you a long time to finish a movie. That’s OK, because you will improve your listening and speaking VERY FAST. This method is powerful-- use it!
5. Read and Listen at the Same Time
Listening and Reading together are very powerful. While you listen to something, also read it. This will improve your pronunciation.
Reading while listening also helps you understand more difficult material. Read and listen to learn faster. After you do this a few times, put away the text and just listen. You will understand a lot more and you will improve faster. Always try to find both audio and text materials.
To start, you can read my blog and listen to my podcast at:
Click here to visit Effortless English LLC.
Another great idea is to get both a book and its audio book (ie. the above example of “Charlie and the Chocolate Factory”).
6 Months To Excellent English Speaking
Follow the above suggestions (and the 7 Rules) and you will speak excellent English.
I have been teaching over 10 years. Every student who follows these methods succeeds. Always!
The Effortless English method is the key to speaking excellent English. It is the key to fluency.
You only need 6 months-- 6 months and you will speak easily to native speakers. 6 months and you will speak quickly and naturally. 6 months and you feel relaxed when you speak English.
You have tried the old ways. You tried textbooks. You tried schools. You tried grammar study.
It is time to try something new!
Good luck. I wish you success with your English learning!
Click here to view more details
Rule 7 Use Listen & Answer Stories
Listen To The MP3 Audio Below
Click here to visit Effortless English LLC.
Hi. Today is the last rule! Remember, I promised you 7 Rules. Today is number 7
Today is the last Rule, and it is the easiest: Most English CDs use “listen and repeat”. The speaker says something in English, and you repeat exactly what they said. This method is a failure.
Thanks very much! I am studying English according to your method. I will introduce your lessons to my friends! –Fred Zhao
Emi, a Japanese woman, had a problem. Her speaking was SLOW. She could not answer questions quickly. Emi listened to many English tapes and CDs. She listened. She repeated what the speaker said. Emi emailed me. I recommended “Listen & Answer” lessons. I told her not to use “listen and repeat”.
I told her to use “Listen & Answer” Mini-Stories.
I told her that “listen and repeat” is not enough– when you repeat, you only copy the speaker. But when you hear a question and you ANSWER it– you must think in English.
After using listen & ANSWER lessons for just 4 months, her speaking was fast, easy, and automatic.
Emi was excited. She wrote: “The lessons are FANTASTIC! I love them. My speaking is so much faster now. I understand quickly and I can now speak English without thinking. I can’t believe it!”
RULE 7: Listen and Answer, not Listen and Repeat
Use Listen & Answer Mini-Story Lessons
Use Listen & Answer Mini-Story Lessons
In each Mini-Story Lesson, a speaker tells a short simple story. He also asks a lot of easy questions. Every time you hear a question, you pause and answer it. You learn to answer questions quickly– without thinking. Your English becomes automatic.
How can you use Listen & Answer Stories? Easy! Find a native speaker tutor. Ask him to use this method: Ask him to tell a story… and to constantly ask you easy questions about it. This will teach you to think quickly in English!
You can also find Listen & Answer lessons. They will teach you to think quickly in English.
Your technique is really mind blowing and working for me nicely. Fantastic! Once more thanks a lot! –Sameer Ansari
Thanks for allowing me to teach you.
Have a great day!
PS: Today’s English Homework
1. Listen to this rule- 10 times while reading, 10 times without reading.
Download the audio now. Click here to visit Effortless English LLC.
2. Ask your native speaker tutor to create Listen & Respond stories
Ask them to record the stories
Listen to the stories every day.
3. If you don’t have a tutor- listen to my Listen & Respond lessons every day.
Click here to view more details
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