12

to help you improve your english

tips

in 12 days

Learn English Online with a Canadian Teacher

TalktoCanada has been teaching students of all levels from Beginner to advanced since 2006. We are a 100% Canadian company and only hire native Canadian English teachers. Over this time we have come to realize that students need both encouragement and positive reinforcement to learn English successfully. No matter how many ups and downs you may have in learning English, we hope you keep trying to improve your English. If you are really dedicated to improving your English, we would love to have you as a student. I hope you enjoy this pdf on 12 tips to improving your English. Feel free to contact me at marcanderson@talktocanada.com if you have any questions or want to register for online English lessons with TalktoCanada.com." Best wishes,

Marc Anderson General Manager and Founder of TalktoCanada.com

P .S. If your interested in online English lessons with TalktoCanada.com please free to visit our website or call us at (631)731 1620

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Improving your English isnt as easy as 123, it takes time, energy and a lot of effort. Check out these 12 tips to help you improve your English in 12 days.
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PREPARATION
You are embarking on a long, yet very important journey. Youve made the decision to learn another language, and you are excited and anxious to get started! Getting prepared mentally is one of the most important tasks when you first learn a new language. Understand that it takes a while to master a new language, and that it doesnt happen overnight or in a couple of lessons. Patience is a must.

read this:

Stages of Second Language Acquisition by Judie Haynes

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All new learners of English progress through the same stages to acquire language. However, the length of time each students spends at a particular stage may vary greatly.

Stage one

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Pre-production
This is the silent period. English language learners may have up to 500 words in their receptive vocabulary but they are not yet speaking. Some students will, however, repeat every thing you say. They are not really producing language but are parroting. These new learners of English will listen attentively and they may even be able to copy words from the board. They will be able to respond to pictures and other visuals. They can understand and duplicate gestures and movements to show comprehension. Total Physical Response methods will work well with them. Teachers should focus attention on listening comprehension activities and on building a receptive vocabulary. English language learners at this stage will need much repetition of English. They will benefit from a buddy who speaks their language. Remember that the school day is exhausting for these newcomers as they are overwhelmed with listening to English language all day long.

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Judie Haynes, everythingESL.net & Getting Started with English Language Learners (ASCD, 2007).

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Stage two

Early production
This stage may last up to six months and students will develop a receptive and active vocabulary of about 1000 words. During this stage, students can usually speak in one- or two-word phrases. They can use short language chunks that have been memorized although these chunks may not always be used correctly.

They will understand easy stories read in class with the support of pictures.

Speech emergence
Students have developed a vocabulary of about 3,000 words and can communicate with simple phrases and sentences. They will ask simple questions, that may or may not be grammatically correct, such as May I go to bathroom? ELLs (English Language Learners) will also initiate short conversations with classmates. They will understand easy stories read in class with the support of pictures. They will also be able to do some content work with teacher support.
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Stage three

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Judie Haynes, everythingESL.net & Getting Started with English Language Learners (ASCD, 2007).

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Here are some simple tasks they can complete:

Sound out stories phonetically Read short, modified texts in content area subjects Complete graphic organizers with word banks Understand and answer questions about charts and graphs Match vocabulary words to definitions Study flashcards with content area vocabulary Participate in duet, pair and choral reading activities Write and illustrate riddles Understand teacher explanations and two-step directions Compose brief stories based on personal experience Write in dialogue journals

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Dialogue journals are a conversation between the teacher and the student. They are especially helpful with English language learners. Students can write about topics that interest them and proceed at their own level and pace. They have a place to express their thoughts and ideas.

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Judie Haynes, everythingESL.net & Getting Started with English Language Learners (ASCD, 2007).

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Stage four

Intermediate fluency
English language learners at the intermediate fluency stage have a vocabulary of 6000 active words. They are beginning to use more complex sentences when speaking and writing and are willing to express opinions and share their thoughts. They will ask questions to clarify what they are learning in class. These English language learners will be able to work in grade level math and science classes with some teacher support. Comprehension of English literature and social studies content is increasing. At this stage, students will use strategies from their native language to learn content in English. Student writing at this stage will have many errors as ELLs try to master the complexity of English grammar and sentence structure. Many students may be translating written assignments from native language. They should be expected to synthesize what they have learned and to make inferences from that learning. This is the time for teachers to focus on learning strategies. Students in this stage will also be able to understand more complex concepts.

These English language learners will be able to work in grade level math and science classes with some teacher support. TalktoSCeaenada
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Stage V

Advanced Fluency
It takes students from 4-10 years to achieve cognitive academic language proficiency in a second language. Student's at this stage will be near-native in their ability to perform in content area learning. Most ELLs at this stage have been exited from ESL and other support programs. At the beginning of this stage, however, they will need continued support from classroom teachers especially in content areas such as history/social studies and in writing.

To find out more about the 5 stages of second language acquisition please visit www.everythingesl.net or you can order Judie Haynes book 'Getting Started with English Language Learners' (ASCD, 2007)'

Please tak time to sh e the ebook witare this friends, fa h your co-worke mily and rs today.

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REALISTIC GOAL SETTING

Setting realistic goals is important not only for you - but also for your teacher. You need to communicate with them about what you want to eventually accomplish - and how much time you can dedicate to achieving this goal. You should have some short term as well as long term goals to aim for.

Short Term Goals

+ Understand when to use the present perfect + Understand the difference between For and Since and when to use each + Be able to hold a 5 minute English conversation, asking and answering questions without hesitation.

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Long Term Goals

+ Speak English Fluently + Understand every word in a selected text (random text) + Be able to give an hour long lecture about a complex topic (Quantum Physics) and be able to answer all questions.

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FOCUS
"I want to learn English" is something that I often hear as a teacher. This is all fine and dandy - but WHAT do you want to learn exactly? Having a clear focus on what you want to learn is ESSENTIAL to being successful. Learning English is such a HUGE task that understanding and mastering one aspect before moving on to another aspect is necessary to quickly develop your language skills.

Business English English Grammar General Conversation Presentation PREP English for Kids EXAM Prep (IELTS, TOEFL) General Potpourri (Conversation, Grammar, Idioms) English for a Special Purpose (Medical, Travel, Sales etc...)

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trust
Trust in your teacher - yes they all have tons of experience, and know what gives the best results. Everything they choose to do is for a purpose, to help you achieve your goals. Of course if you are not happy with your current learning plan - be confident to explain to your teacher how you want to change it - and how you would benefit from it more if you changed something.

"He picked up random new vocabulary that he was able to use in unusual situations"
I had a student once who started lessons with me and had no idea where to start or what they wanted to learn. We did a general potpourri course, which included elements from everywhere appropriate to his level. Not once did he question "WHY?" we choose such and such article, or look at such and such grammar point. He had complete trust in what I came up with. As a result - he was able to receive general overall English and improved on many different levels. He picked up random new vocabulary that he was able to use in unusual situations, and was up-to-date with many current events and gossip. He surprised me a few times by initiating conversation about something random - and knowing all of the appropriate vocabulary words to describe what he wanted to express. His complete trust enabled him to learn freely and openly.

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DON'T BE

EMBARASSED
If you are embarrassed making mistakes in class, there is no way that you will ever feel comfortable making mistakes in real life situations. Take the opportunity in class to make mistakes - but learn from them - don't be embarrassed or shy it hinders learning and you will just continue to make the same mistakes over and over again.
Pronunciation errors are always something that some sometimes be hard for us English teachers to understand - sometimes we think we hear something but - is it really what the student it trying to say? We rack our brains trying to figure out what they actually mean... and finally we get it. I was chatting with a student about Dubai once, and the ski hill that they have. I was trying to figure out where this famous ski hill was and my student kept on saying "Dubai's Hell in the mall" "Dubai's Hell in the mall" Of course I don't think that this is what he wants to say it took me a while to figure it out... and then I got it.. HILL not HELL. Hahaha!

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VOCABULARY BUILDING
Everyone starts with a basic vocabulary base - and the goal is that each lesson you are including words and building up that vocabulary bank. It's important to write down new words (because you aren't going to remember them 1h after the class) and try to use them in different contexts or my personal favourite - come up with synonyms for them. This helps with retention and comprehension. www.duboislc.org/EducationWatch/First100Words.html

The First Hundred Most Common English Words

1. the 2. of 3. and 4. a 5. to 6. in 7. is 8. you 9. that 10. it 11. he 12. was 13. for 14. on 15. are 16. as 17. with 18. his 19. they 20. I 21. at 22. be 23. this 24. have 25. from 26. or 27. one 28. had 29. by 30. word 31. but 32. not 33. what 34. all 35. were 36. we 37. when 38. your 39. can 40. said 41. there 42. use 43. an 44. each 45. which 46. she 47. do 48. how 49. their 50. if 51. will 52. up 53. other 54. about 55. out 56. many 57. then 58. them 59. these 60. so 61. some 62. her 63. would 64. make 65. like 66. him 67. into 68. time 69. has 70. look 71. two 72. more 73. write 74. go 75. see 76. number 77. no 78. way 79. could 80. people

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81. my 82. than 83. first 84. water 85. been 86. call 87. who 88. oil 89. its 90. now 91. find 92. long 93. down 94. day 95. did 96. get 97. come 98. made 99. may 100. part

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THERE ISN'T A "RULE" FOR EVERYTHING

In English there are many "rules" which you can follow that generally apply for almost every case. But with every rule - there are exceptions. Sometimes it does help to memorize the basics but you shouldn't rely on them for every scenario.
Generally with indefinite articles we can say that we use "A" with consonants and "AN" with vowels A Car, AN Apple But what about "A UNIVERSITY" or "AN UNCLE" both use "U" but use different indefinite articles (the exception here...is not actually based on spelling, rather on pronunciation. So if it SOUNDS like a vowel (hour = our) then we use AN, if it sounds like a consonant (one = won) we use A)

ASK QUESTIONS
Yes you may find yourself repeating everything that your teacher just said. Yes you may ask questions that are coming straight from left field but ASK!!! Your teacher is there to help you understand - and although some questions may be crazy and out of this world if they help you learn and understand. ASK AWAY!! "What if I wanted to say this... "Could I use this construction instead... "What's the difference between... "Why do I use this...

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BE PREPARED
Learning English or any language for that matter takes preparation. It's not just a 10 minute "cram session" before your class starts, it's a long study session before and after class to ensure that you retain everything and know up from down. I encourage many students to write down new words (not only from class but from real life - movies, books, music) and create their own "dictionary" of sorts. Write it down, because in 2 minutes I guarantee you will forget it.

THINGS YOU NEED TO BE PREPARED TO STUDY ENGLISH ONLINE

Other than the obvious - Computer, Headset with great mic, webcam, and highspeed connection. Pen/Pencil Notebook Reliable Translation website (when needed) Open Mind Area Free of distractions

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JUST DO IT!
If your teacher asks you to do something (an exercise) and you aren't feeling it - yes you do have the option to either do it or not - but what's the harm in doing it? The more you practice the more you learn, the quicker you can reach your goals. As mentioned before - who cares if you make mistakes... better to make them with your English teacher than with a complete stranger, or a business deal in the future Most common excuses of why students cannot answer the questions: Ok my brain is mush Too much English in a day makes insert name here go crazy I think those are enough examples for today I'm too tired to think

PATIENCE IS A VIRTUE
out on top.

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Many students sign up wanting to speak like a native English speaker ASAP - this is going to take some MAJOR time - we aren't talking 1 or 2 months but rather a lot longer. Learning a language is an ongoing process that one needs to dedicate their time to, to achieve their goals. Many people get frustrated, or give up half way or even after the first step. But those that have the patience and weather through the storm are the ones that come

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These 12 steps should help you get both mentally and physically prepared to start learning English and get the maximum potential out of it as possible. Good luck on your English learning adventure!!!

visit talktocanada today to learn more!

Whether your preparing for a job interview in English, studying for an English test to move or go to school overseas or wish to further your skills for that job promotion at work or to travel, TalktoCanada is there to help you. With classes over the Internet, you're able to learn at a time that is convenient to you without the headache of travel, over-priced English classes with too many students for you to really improve your English speaking. If you're fine with all the headaches of a traditional classroom, feel free to continue in the old ways of learning however, if your looking for a new and improved method for learning English, you need to try TalktoCanada online English lessons. You have the chance to learn online with an experienced Canadian teacher using Skype or WebEx. With small class sizes, you will be given lot's of opportunity to practice your speaking with a teacher who is trained to correct your mistakes and motivate you to succeed.

"Students in online conditions performed modestly better, on average, than those learning the same material through traditional face-to-face instruction."
All students need lot's of practice to improve their English speaking skills, when your ready to learn TalktoCanada will be there to teach you. Please visit us today to learn more about how we can help you improve your English online. www.TalktoCanada.com

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1. U.S. Department of Education. Evaluation of Evidence-Based Practices in Online Learning. A Meta-Analysis and Review of Online Learning Studies. September 2007. Pg xiv

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