English Trainer

Idiom of the Week-Dark Horse

noreply@blogger.com (Dulce Amor Soriano) — Fri, 27 Jan 2012 04:43:00 +0000

When we watch competitions, we often hear the English idiom 'dark horse'. What does it mean anyway?

dark horse - a candidate not so known by the general public

Usually we refer to someone as a dark horse when at first we didn't notice him and we're rooting for other candidates. And then towards the middle or end of the competition, he begins to shine, surprising people of his capabilities.

Introducing the Englishtrainer Android App! :-)

noreply@blogger.com (Dulce Amor Soriano) — Mon, 14 Nov 2011 07:13:00 +0000

Get the Englishtrainer Android App (Online English Grammar Guide) from the android market. Click here to get it FREE!

Tongue Twister of the Week-Thought

noreply@blogger.com (Dulce Amor Soriano) — Tue, 28 Dec 2010 06:43:00 +0000

Listen to the audio example of the tongue twister as you read the words on the video. Then, start saying this tongue twister slowly, then say it faster and faster as you repeat it. Practicing tongue twisters is a good way of enhancing your English pronunciation. This particular tongue twister is a good practice for pronouncing the word thought.

Tongue Twister of the Week-Cough

noreply@blogger.com (Dulce Amor Soriano) — Mon, 20 Dec 2010 06:41:00 +0000

Tongue Twister of the Week-Witch Wishes

noreply@blogger.com (Dulce Amor Soriano) — Mon, 13 Dec 2010 06:39:00 +0000

FREE E-book Download-The Goose Girl by Harold MacGrath

noreply@blogger.com (Dulce Amor Soriano) — Thu, 09 Dec 2010 12:15:00 +0000

CLICK HERE to download the FREE e-book.

Below is an excerpt from the free e-book The Goose Girl:

An old man, clothed in picturesque patches and tatters, paused and
leaned on his stout oak staff. He was tired. He drew off his rusty felt
hat, swept a sleeve across his forehead, and sighed. He had walked many
miles that day, and even now the journey's end, near as it really was,
seemed far away. Ah, but he would sleep soundly that night, whether the
bed were of earth or of straw. His peasant garb rather enhanced his fine
head. His eyes were blue and clear and far-seeing, the eyes of a hunter
or a woodsman, of a man who watches the shadows in the forest at night
or the dim, wavering lines on the horizon at daytime; things near or far
or roundabout. His brow was high, his nose large and bridged; a face of
more angles than contours, bristling with gray spikes, like one who has
gone unshaven several days. His hands, folded over the round, polished
knuckle of his staff, were tanned and soiled, but they were long and
slender, and the callouses were pink, a certain indication that they
were fresh.

Tongue Twister of the Week-Feel

noreply@blogger.com (Dulce Amor Soriano) — Mon, 06 Dec 2010 06:31:00 +0000

Essay Writing - Points For Consideration

noreply@blogger.com (Dulce Amor Soriano) — Thu, 02 Dec 2010 11:24:00 +0000

Essay Writing - Points For Consideration
By Pirasanth Ravi

First choose the topic that you have knowledge about. The information that you have on the subject may not be enough, therefore, before getting down to writing, collect as much information you can through libraries and by online surfing.

Then decide whether you want to discuss on the topic or you want to make it informative or you want to analyze the subject and give your views on it. This is essential as this would only create the impression that you want to. Convincing a reader to believe what you have written is necessary. Otherwise it is useless investing your time in writing.

Plan the outline properly. First focus the attention on how you are going to start the topic. The starting must be such that the reader is forced to read what you have written ahead. Then set in your mind all the points that you will discuss in the essay and those must be done one by one. Every single issue must be discussed in a different and short paragraph. At the end when you are about the end the article write in short what all you have said in the essay from beginning to the end. It means that the last paragraph must be like the summary of the essay.

Other important points that you must consider when you are writing an essay is that if you want to make it attractive then begin with asking questions to the reader. This will put the reader's mind into action to think about what is he is reading on. This is an easy way to attract the readers.

Always discuss the most important point in the starting and then step by step move to the point that is of least importance. This means that you have to organize all the points before writing them. Each and every paragraph where you discuss any point must force the reader to stay linked to the essay. The impression of the sentences written by you must be such that the reader must be convinced in a manner that he is forced to take an action as per the opinions suggested by you.

And last but not the least the essay must be written in a fluent pattern in simple English language that can be understood by all the readers. The essay must be thoroughly checked for grammatical and spelling errors before the writer is submitting them. To improve on writing essays one must keep practicing by writing regularly and reading the essays written by other writers. This would help generate new ideas and also will make you think on the points which the other writer has made flaws in, so that, you do not make them.

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Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Pirasanth_Ravi
http://EzineArticles.com/?Essay-Writing---Points-For-Consideration&id=3392688

Tongue Twister of the Week-Mr.Tongue Twister

noreply@blogger.com (Dulce Amor Soriano) — Mon, 29 Nov 2010 06:30:00 +0000

Tongue Twister of the Week-Nearly eerie

noreply@blogger.com (Dulce Amor Soriano) — Mon, 22 Nov 2010 06:28:00 +0000

Tongue Twister of the Week-Bought and Brought

noreply@blogger.com (Dulce Amor Soriano) — Mon, 15 Nov 2010 06:27:00 +0000

FREE E-book-The Street Called Straight by Basil King

noreply@blogger.com (Dulce Amor Soriano) — Thu, 11 Nov 2010 12:25:00 +0000

CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD THE FREE E-BOOK

Below is an excerpt from the e-book The Street Called Straight by Basil King:

As a matter of fact, Davenant was under no illusions concerning the
quality of the welcome his hostess was according him, though he found a
certain pleasure in being once more in her company. It was not a keen
pleasure, but neither was it an embarrassing one; it was exactly what he
supposed it would be in case they ever met again--a blending on his part
of curiosity, admiration, and reminiscent suffering out of which time
and experience had taken the sting.

Tongue Twister of the Week-Deaths

noreply@blogger.com (Dulce Amor Soriano) — Mon, 08 Nov 2010 06:26:00 +0000

15 Essential Tips to Learn a New Language

noreply@blogger.com (Dulce Amor Soriano) — Thu, 04 Nov 2010 11:19:00 +0000

15 Essential Tips to Learn a New Language
By Devin Licastro

Learning a new language can be a daunting task, but one that can enhance your worldly travels like no other. If you decide to embark on the quest of learning a new language you might be surprised to find that you first need to learn how to learn a new language. There is a bit of a myth that says you can simply move to another country, listen to the locals and pick up a new language gradually over time. Unfortunately that not really true, I know some people who have lived in China for over 6 years and can only speak a couple sentences to get by. The truth is you need to create a system of learning for yourself because and the speed at which you learn will completely rely on how affective the learning practices you implement are.

I learned a lot about how to learn a language while studying Japanese in Canada and now more recently while learning Chinese here over the past couple months. My training in teaching English as a second language also lead me to some cool insights. I've also spoken to travelers who have spent loads of time becoming fluent in new languages who were eager to share what they learned to prevent others from running into the same mistakes as them.

1. Ensure you know what you're getting yourself into

My first advice is to make sure you really really want to learn the new language. I don't want to discourage anyone from doing it, because it's quite a rewarding experience, but just be aware that becoming fluent in a new language is incredibly time consuming and at times can be quite overwhelming. In the vast amount of time you'll spend learning a new language you could learn many other valuable things. Make sure you have a good reason to learn to keep you motivated, if it's just a hobby chances are your determination will waver when things get tough. Learning a language takes hard work and dedication so ensure you're committed to it.

2. Get the basic pronunciation first

The reason so many people develop a thick accent when speaking a second language is that they don't take the time to fix their pronunciation from day one. Nearly all languages have a least a couple sounds that can't be properly said using the normal English pronunciation but when reading the words they will still be written with English letters. The R's in Japanese are pronounced closer to a combination of 'L' and 'D'and a Zh in Chinese sounds like a strange 'Juh' sound. Find out all the quirks and new sounds you will need to get used to for your new language and practice them. Otherwise you'll form bad habits very hard to correct in the future.

3. Basic Memorization

When memorizing a new word or phrase it's natural to want to look at the word and say its translation over and over in your head, hoping it will stick. This is a very ineffective way to memorize something. The trick to memorization is forcing your brain to let go of the word and then perform recall on it. Take each English word put the translation in your head then let it go by looking at or recalling a different word on your list, then once you've forgotten the original translation attempt to recall it.

If you don't know the word with decent certainty don't guess at it, incorrectly guessing at new words can begin to program your brain into recalling the wrong thing when you need the word in the future. Think about it for a bit and if it doesn't come back to you simply look at it again. This process of forgetting and recalling is what makes words stick. When learning a new group of words stick to around 10 at a time, and make sure to do it from English to the other language and then Vice Versa. It's just as important to know the translation one way for speaking as it is the other way for listening.

4. Relating words

I find I can memorize a group of words in half the time if I use little memorization tricks. I find a way to link the new word I'm trying to learn with an English word or concept that makes me think of it. An example of this is the Japanese word 'wasureta' meaning I forget. When pronounced it sounds a little bit similar to "Where's the letter?" This little association allowed me to learn the word after hearing it only once. Anytime I forgot I was reminded by saying "I forgot... Where's the letter?" Even though the pronunciation isn't the same it was enough to trigger the recall of the actual word in my brain. It can be hard to make associations to new words sometimes, but it gets easier the more you do it and can make memorization a lot faster.

5. Tackling it from multiple angles

Some people are better at learning with audio and others are better learning visually, however with a new language its best to learn both ways. Get some audio lessons for the language in question but also grab a good book as well. With a new language there are 4 skills in question, Listening - Speaking - Reading and Writing. You may decide that you only want to learn how to listen and speak and therefore decide the only thing you need is audio lessons, but doing this will turn out to be a mistake. Even if you will never need to read or write anything in the new language, practicing these skills will drastically improve your recall speed and fluency when listening and speaking. Why is this? Every time you read or write a word you are further engraining it into your brain in 2 new engaging ways. Even if you already know a word by listening to it and you can say it, seeing it written and then writing it yourself will lock it into your brain in a way hearing it and saying it multiple times never can. Even just listening to audio lessons and writing down the new sentences you learn can speed up your learning drastically, you'll be amazed at how easily you remember something and how long it sticks when you practice it with all 4 language skills.

6. Choose your tools

There are many different tools available when learning a language and it's important to find out what kind of tools will be the most useful to you. Take a look at each of the following and decide which ones you want to incorporate.

In Class Lessons, Sentence building books, Phrasebooks, Flashcards, Computer Software, Language Games, Audio Lessons, Online Lessons/Forums, Penpals, Movies, Music.

I have found the most effective audio lessons to be the ones from Pimsleur.

7. Review what you learned

There have been many times when I will memorize a list of 10 new words thoroughly, recall them multiple times then realize a few days later that I have forgotten them. The key is to force the words into a longer term memory quickly. After learning a set of words it is crucial that you review them before learning anything new the next day. A quick 5 minute review will quickly link all the words back in your head and put them into a longer term memory. Ensure at the end of the week you review each of the words you learned during the week one more time, it will only take a few seconds to reinforce each word again and have them stored in your brain for even longer but failing to do so can have them drop out of your memory quickly. Doing a monthly review is also recommended. After this you will most likely have the words stuck in your head for good assuming you use them once in a while in the future. If you have access to someone else who speaks the language you are learning use the material you want to review with them as soon as possible after learning it. Actually saying the new words in the context of a conversation helps them stick even stronger.

8. Five minutes when you wake up

The before way to begin your day is to spend the very first five minutes after waking up on the language. Keep a pad of paper with a review of the previous day's words on it next to your bed and review them before you do anything else. The first thing you do in the morning tends to stick with you, just like how the first song you heard on your alarm clock radio gets stuck in your head really easily. Beginning the day with the new language will get your brain geared towards it and have lasting effects over the whole day.

9. Five minutes before bed

Your brain tends to process the last thoughts you have before going to bed through the night, and making the last thoughts some new words or phrases is a good way to make them stick. Try this and you'll be surprised how well they pop back into your head in the morning.

10. Games

Games are an awesome way to spice up your language learning when you're feeling bored with your traditional methods. Matching games, Word searches, Speed challenges, and Spelling games are awesome for being engaging and interesting. Games are excellent because they don't take a lot of motivation and they also engage your brain in different ways further reinforcing what you're learning. If you really like gaming then know Ubisoft has an awesome series of language learning games. I own the My Chinese Coach and My Japanese Coach games and they are an awesome addition to your learning arsenal.

11. Constant exposure

If you're surrounded by people who speak the language you are learning the constant expose will be a huge benefit to your learning. One of the biggest benefits to my Chinese learning was meeting my Chinese girlfriend, she barely speaks any English so it forces and encourages me to improve my Chinese constantly. We also still can have deeper more meaningful conversations using google translate which is the best translation tool out there.

If you're not lucky enough to be living in a country that speaks the language you're learning find other ways to give yourself as much constant exposure impossible. Use an online resource to meet a friend you can language exchange with. Take a class with other people who want to learn the language and make friends you can practice with. Find penpals on who speak the language on the internet who are also eager to learn your language and exchange letters with them and correct each other's emails. Print out new words and place them around your house so you encounter them often. Listen to music of the language, or watch movies (even if you need subtitles). Carry little flashcards in your pocket. Use any and every method you can to surround yourself with the language as much as possible.

12. Use online resources

Besides Google Translate there are a lot of other free online resources that can help you learn. Things such as flashcard websites, free online lessons, language learning forums, even interesting specialized sites that allows you to, for instance draw Chinese characters and translate them can help you in your language learning pursuit. Do a Google search for your language and see what you find!

13. Thinking in the new language

During your daily routine try to think in the language you are learning as often as possible. At the beginning this will be limited, but even early on you'll be able to count or read phone numbers in the new language. As your skill builds see how long you can make the voice in your head speak only in the new language. Even if there is large gaps in your vocabulary say as much of the sentence as you know in the new language then fill it in with English words wherever you need. Thinking in your new language is the ultimate form of constant exposure!

14. The path to mastery

Studies show when mastering new skills there is a certain curve of progress that you should be aware of. As long as you apply constant effort, your knowledge will follow a specific pattern. First will be smooth improvement, then it will slowly level out, then it will seem like your getting nowhere or even getting slightly worse then you will have a breakthrough. This pattern will repeat many times as you learn, you'll have multiple periods of days where you'll feel you're not getting any better, but then also multiple breakthroughs that make you feel awesome about how far you've come. For that reason never give up when you get discouraged because a breakthrough is right around the corner.

15. Have fun every step of the way

While learning a language can be difficult and time consuming it can also be really rewarding. Every time you meet a new friend thanks to your new language ability it will make all the studying worth it. Don't be too hard on yourself during real conversation, have fun with it and don't be afraid to laugh at yourself when your ideas just aren't getting across right, and make sure you are remember to be proud of yourself every time you effectively use what you recently learned.

Read more articles from this author about personal development through travel at:

http://www.traveltogrow.com

Make sure to bookmark it for later!

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Devin_Licastro
http://EzineArticles.com/?15-Essential-Tips-to-Learn-a-New-Language&id=3389346

Tongue Twister of the Week-Felt

noreply@blogger.com (Dulce Amor Soriano) — Mon, 01 Nov 2010 06:24:00 +0000

Tongue Twister of the Week-Laser

noreply@blogger.com (Dulce Amor Soriano) — Mon, 25 Oct 2010 06:23:00 +0000

Tongue Twister of the Week-Barren Moor

noreply@blogger.com (Dulce Amor Soriano) — Mon, 18 Oct 2010 06:21:00 +0000

FREE e-book -The Amateur Gentleman by Jeffery Farnol

noreply@blogger.com (Dulce Amor Soriano) — Thu, 14 Oct 2010 12:32:00 +0000

CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD THE FREE E-BOOK

Below is an excerpt from the book The Amateur Gentleman by Jeffery Farnol:

John Barty, ex-champion of England and landlord of the "Coursing
Hound," sat screwed round in his chair with his eyes yet turned to
the door that had closed after the departing lawyer fully five
minutes ago, and his eyes were wide and blank, and his mouth (grim
and close-lipped as a rule) gaped, becoming aware of which, he
closed it with a snap, and passed a great knotted fist across his
brow.

Tongue Twister of the Week-Real Rock Wall

noreply@blogger.com (Dulce Amor Soriano) — Mon, 11 Oct 2010 06:19:00 +0000

Four Amazing Speed-Reading Exercises That Will Increase Your Reading Speed in No Time!

noreply@blogger.com (Dulce Amor Soriano) — Thu, 07 Oct 2010 11:16:00 +0000

Four Amazing Speed-Reading Exercises That Will Increase Your Reading Speed in No Time!
By John E Laing

Speed reading exercises usually revolve around two objectives: to calculate your speed in reading and to improve your reading speed. Most speed reading exercises are grounded on the assertion that reading speed need not compromise comprehension. Thus, if you read faster, then you can still understand what you have read better.

Practicing various exercises will go a long way in your efforts to improve your speed in reading. Availing of commercial reading exercises may entail huge costs, while there are some exercises you can do on your own, without involving any expense at all.

The first speed reading exercise is the hand technique. For this exercise, you can choose any document or text that you can read easily. As you read the words in the text, use your finger to point to the space underneath the words. In this exercise, your finger will serve as your pacer. This will make your adjustment to different speeds in reading easier and faster. You can increase the speed of your finger as your reading speed training progresses.

The second type of speed reading exercises is the hand sweeping technique. This technique will be able to teach you how to see several chunks of word in one view. Your finger will serve as the pacer or the pointer. Your finger will form a faster, downward sweeping motion in the middle of the text. This speed exercise will help you widen your eye span.

The next exercise focuses on the unhealthy reading habit of regression or back-skipping. Get a card or another sheet of paper and use it as a cover so you will no longer be tempted to go back to the parts of the text you have previously read.

The zigzag technique is the fourth type of speed reading exercises. These exercises eliminates the unhealthy habit of reading a text word for word, just like how kids or young children have been taught. Reading in a zigzag pattern will help you pick out the most salient points in the text.

John E Laing is an Speed Reading expert . For more great information and tips on speed reading exercises, visit http://www.SpeedReadingCenter.com. I will share my experiences with you and will teach you how to read better and faster. Visit my website and learn these techniques for free.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=John_E_Laing
http://EzineArticles.com/?Four-Amazing-Speed-Reading-Exercises-That-Will-Increase-Your-Reading-Speed-in-No-Time!&id=3206635

Tongue Twister of the Week-Really leery

noreply@blogger.com (Dulce Amor Soriano) — Mon, 04 Oct 2010 06:18:00 +0000

Tongue Twister of the Week-Ragged Rascal

noreply@blogger.com (Dulce Amor Soriano) — Mon, 27 Sep 2010 06:16:00 +0000

Tongue Twister of the Week-Roberta

noreply@blogger.com (Dulce Amor Soriano) — Mon, 20 Sep 2010 06:14:00 +0000

FREE ebook-The Picture of Dorian Gray by Oscar Wilde

noreply@blogger.com (Dulce Amor Soriano) — Fri, 17 Sep 2010 12:42:00 +0000

CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD THE FREE E-BOOK

Below is an excerpt from The Picture of Dorian Gray by Oscar Wilde:

"Too much of yourself in it! Upon my word, Basil, I didn't know you
were so vain; and I really can't see any resemblance between you, with
your rugged strong face and your coal-black hair, and this young
Adonis, who looks as if he was made out of ivory and rose-leaves. Why,
my dear Basil, he is a Narcissus, and you--well, of course you have an
intellectual expression and all that. But beauty, real beauty, ends

where an intellectual expression begins.

Tongue Twister of the Week-Peter Piper

noreply@blogger.com (Dulce Amor Soriano) — Mon, 13 Sep 2010 06:13:00 +0000