LEARNING HOW TO LISTEN!!

-Listen for signposts which tell you what the lecturer thinks is important For eg. "There are three main points ...", "On the other hand ...", "Interestingly, ...". -Predict and anticipate Listening can be separate in three options: multiple choice questions: underline the key words in questions (you will focus on the important information) listen for words which mean the same as the key words you have to listen not only by the person in question, you may also listen for its attitude. at the first time you listen, try to identify the correct answer. sentence completion: write the exact word/phrase you hear spoken, and nothing else. choose the correct information you hear. multiple matching: when you first read the question, try to think of other ways to say it. This will help you to find the answers. Here you can acces to some links that will help you to practice and improve your listening: http://www.esl-lab.com/index.htm http://www.engvid.com/ http://www.eslvideo.com/ http://www.esolcourses.com/content/topicsmenu/listening.html http://www.englishpond.com/listening/index.html http://www.manythings.org/voa/rss/ http://www.learnenglishfeelgood.com/listening/index.html http://www.tesolmaster.com/pronunciation.htm http://www.onestopenglish.com/skills/listening

European Language

English is the official language of the United States. On the other hand, in Europe you can find an amount of different languages, so there's not a unique and official language. For example, in Spain we speak Spanish but if you go to France or Germany you will notice that they speak French and German respectively. Imagine that in fifty years time we speak only one language everywhere in Europe. If that happens, I would like this language to be English. Firstly, English has became one of the most popular and spoken languages around the world. That’s why it is important to study English and have a basic knowledge about this language which is demanded for a lot of jobs. Furthermore, I think it would be much better for us to speak the same language in all the European countries because we could communicate easily. Another reason is that we could travel and work to another European country without any problem. In addition, we could work for any international company. On the other hand, I am not sure that this unique language could be English because German is also becoming a really popular and international language. In conclusion, I want English to become the official European language because I like it and I think it is great and very interesting.

Are you a good language learner?

The most important qualities and abilities that you need to be a good language learner are the following: 1) motivation 2) personality 3) learning skills 4) independence To start with, there are two different types of motivation: Instrumental (or external) motivation (for example: to pass an exam) and Integrative motivation, which is probably best for the speed of learning (for example: to get married someone from the other language). You need to have personality but it is not necessary to be extrovert. That is, it is important for you to be confident to make mistakes. For example, good language learners don't mind being in situations that they can't control because they are prepared to take risks. About learning skills, they include having a good ear, revising efficiently, monitoring your own speech and having a suitable organisation. Finally, it is very important to be independent of the teacher and accept responsibility for learning, otherwise you make no progress. P.D. Research does suggest that women are generally better language learners than men.

Test your English!

Three years ago my best friend Esther went to Manresa and she got lost. She asked a boy how she could ­­­­­1)……. to the Space Needle and he guided her. She hadn’t been there 2)……. she was two, so it was unknown 3)……. her. After having been walking for a few minutes it started to rain very hard and she was really frightened because she hates storms. While she was running to a safer place, she 4)……and she 5)…… by a good man called Victor. 6)…... Esther said it wasn’t necessary, she 7)….... to hospital and the doctor 8)…… her leg was fine. Then Victor 9).….. her to coffee and she accepted because he had taken good care 10)…… her. They went to the nearest cafe 11)……. get wet. Maria and Victor were talking 12)…… lots of things and 13)…… they became friends. Time went by so quickly that Taylor almost lost the train so they had to say each other goodbye and she thanked him 14)........ all his help. My friend never saw the Space Needle but she had the opportunity to make a really good friend with whom she continued to speak. One month ago they 15)…… in Donosti and now they have a love relationship. 1) arrive, get, find, take off 2) for, since, before, ago 3) to, from, with, of 4) had fallen down, fall down, was fallen down, fell down 5) pick up, was picked up, was pick up, picked up 6) although, however, in spite of, but 7) took, take, was took, was taken 8) was said, say, said, had said 9) welcomed, invited, suggested, pleased 10) about, towards, of, for 11) for not to, in order not to, to not, so as not to 12) after, about, upon, during 13) so that, because, therefore, whereas 14) on, for, of, with 15) meet, were met, were meet, met CORRECT ANSWERS 1) get 2) since 3) to 4) fell down 5) was picked up 6) although 7) was taken 8) said 9) invited 10) about 11) so as not to 12) about 13) therefore 14) for 15) met

How can I learn grammar and vocabulary?

The bases of a language are grammar and especially vocabulary. For example, if you travel abroad you should know some basic vocabulary to have a minimum idea. By learning rules of grammar you will be able to transform a chaotic list of words into an understandable phrase. That's why it is important for you to learn vocabulary and grammar in English. In order to understand the grammar of the language you are learning you need to look for patterns. However, you have to take in account that the word order can change in different languages. It would be good for you to make logical deductions based on the examples you see. In addition, a good grammar book with your level would also be useful for you. One grammar book I would recommend you is the following: EASTWOOD, J. Oxford Practice Grammar. Oxford University Press. When you try to learn vocabulary it is important not to just make a big list of words with their translation and memorize them. Try to choose those words that are important and useful for you and write them in context or organise them into topic groups. I think one of the best online dictionaries you can find is Wordreference (http://www.wordreference.com/) That's all about grammar and vocabulary, and remember that the best way of learning English is by reading a lot and traveling abroad!

How to improve your Listening skills

It is very important for you to improve your listening. However, this is a difficult part when you are learning a language. First of all, you will notice that it is almost impossible to get all the words that you listen. Don't worry because this is something that almost anybody can avoid. If you want to improve your listening skills you need to practice your speaking skills, too. Then it will be easier. One advice I give to you to improve your listening is watching a lot of music, videos and movies in English. Start reading the subtitles or the lyrics while you are listening. When you have a higher level, try to do it without subtitles! You can also travel abroad and listen to native speakers, it will help you a lot. To understand better a video it is good to predict before. You will find some interesting videos from different topics in English in the following website: http://www.esolcourses.com/content/topicsmenu/listening.html

How to improve your Writing skills

Writing is an important skill to improve because we write everyday. We use writting to communicate by letters or by e-mail. Moreover, letters are a safer way of communication than phone calls. If your aim is to practice and improve your writing skills you can choose an interesting topic and discuss it on your own words. A diary is also a good idea because you will have to write what you have done everyday. To write a good text or composition you should mix short and long sentences and you should not use contractions. Writing paragraphs with one sentence is really bad so do not do it. Connectors are really important when you write something. You should also use expressions and variate the vocabulary, verbs and structure to enrich your writing. Finally, remember that mistakes are not tolerated in a written text so look over your work to see if you had some mistakes and correct them. You should know that there are different structures depending on the kind of composition. For example, articles often have a title, paragraphs, headings and the name of the writer. Reports do not have a title but they have paragraphs, headings and the author's name. Letters do not have either title or headings. Of course, stories and discursive compositions do not have headings. I hope it was useful to you!