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Friday 28 November 2008

5 Ways on How to Prepare for a Construction Job Interview

Preparing for a job interview is just like when you’re going to your own ball: you have to look ready, well dresseds and groomed, and more than eager to begin the challenge.

However, the feeling of going through a very rigorous process of the construction recruitment department can sometimes be overwhelming that, in the end, you end up not fit for what could have been the ultimate job for you.

Here are 5 techniques on how to come prepared during your construction job interview:

1. Make sure that you know what you are applying for. There are plenty of construction industry jobs in Basel, for example, that are available, and you have to pick the ones that you think you are qualified for. For example, if you have been fixing pipes for a very long time, or you’ve earned your own home construction certificate or degree, you can be one of the plumbers. When your chosen position fits your experience and your education, you have better chances of getting hired for Basel jobs.

2. Study the company that you want to work with. You may have the experience and the education, but construction companies that offer jobs in Basel these days are more after for your contribution. You will never really know what you can possibly offer to them if you don’t study the company. You can read their vision and mission, as well as their products and services offered. You can then complement your knowledge and your expertise to what you’ve learned. Keep in mind that you can show your worthiness to them during your job interview.

3. Dress to kill. Regardless of the jobs, Basel construction companies still put more points on people who dress to impress. This isn’t done to show off. This is to show to them that you’re a respectable and professional person. Men can wear polo shirts and long pants, while women can don on long-sleeved blouses and black skirts. Don’t forget to look good during your job interview. People would want to work with those who are well groomed.

4. Bring the necessary papers with you. When you’re applying for any building jobs, Basel companies specializing in construction will be an easy entry if you can bring all your requirements with you. These may include your resume, cover letter, professional ID photos, transcripts of records, or certificates that will tell of your experience and your expertise. They may come in handy when the general manager suddenly forgets his own copy of your application letter, when you’re hired on the spot, or when you need to back up your claims.

5. Answer questions honestly. Honesty is and will always be the best policy. Rather than putting your best foot forward, make sure that you can be candid, upfront, and sincere with your answers. Keep in mind that builder jobs in Basel are no joke, and these companies are definitely looking for someone who can handle a number of people, manage projects effectively, and coordinate with the management. You might as well make sure that you’re more than prepared to conquer all the challenges of Basel jobs through your honest answers.


You think you’re ready for that interview for one of the posted jobs Basel? Find out if you have what it takes by checking out Basel Jobs.





Article source : www.freearticledirectory.co.uk



Wednesday 26 November 2008

Learning A Foreign Language Will Open A Window To The World

If you've ever had the urge to travel around the world, visiting exotic places, and ordering authentic local cuisine, then you've probably considered the fact that it might help if you were able to speak the language. Even if only to read the menu at your favorite French Bistro or Italian Restaurant, it is amazing how much more of the menu you will understand simply by learning a few key phrases in a foreign language.


Learning a new language is almost always a thrilling prospect, even better when you can learn a new language for free. In fact, at this price why on earth would anyone stop at just one language? Many of these online language programs are not intended to work as a sole source of language education, but when used in conjunction with other language learning programs can produce amazing results.


If you use the flash cards and matching games that are available on this site, you will be speaking your new language like a native in no time, better yet, you will understand it like a native as well. Have you ever envied those that speak several languages with as much familiarity as their own mother tongues? Be jealous no longer. Apply these lessons, study diligently and you will notice a significant improvement in your vocabulary.


Learn an Arabic language conversation free with lessons online. In fact, learn a few. Take a look at the free online "Learn Spanish Video" and see how many new words you can learn in a short period of time. Take lessons with a friend and have competitions to see who has learned the most new words. Playing games is a great way to learn and still have fun being competitive with one another.


Remember though that the overall goal is learning a new language. Whether your goals are Russian, Hungarian, English, French, or some obscure tribal language on the moon, you might be surprised at the selection available. You can even use this program to help you avoid the syntax errors in English second language learners. This will make an incredible difference in how you are accepted globally as well as corporately.


There are several sites out there that deal with teaching a foreign language and you're bound to find something suitable for your needs even after a few minutes of electronic surfing. Although most will focus on popular languages such as English, French, German, Spanish, Russian, Italian or Portuguese, other "smaller" languages are not left out in the cold either. Regardless of what language you're aiming for, chances are that you can find a site that covers it and offers some learning courses for it.




Source: Free Articles

Increase your foreign language vocabulary at http://www.InternetPolyglot.com by playing online games. The site contains thousands of lessons in different languages from English, Spanish, French, Russian to Hindi, Turkish, Ukrainian and many others.


Monday 24 November 2008

Taking On TOEFL : IELTS The Uphill Challenge

For years, students from around the world have needed two things to be admitted and enroll at American colleges: a visa and an acceptable TOEFL score.

Now TOEFL is also getting competition, and the competition has set off debates at American colleges over the best way to measure students’ English competency, the obligations of American colleges to students from the poorest parts of the world, and the changing nature of international recruiting.

TOEFL and IELTS are now the two major non-native applicants’ examinations for testing English Language capabilities. IELTS is administered by International English Language Testing Service, whereas TOEFL distributed as the Test of English as a Foreign Language. Both the tests are taken for similar purposes, but stand poles apart.

IELTS has long been the dominant test for students from non-English speaking countries seeking to enroll in English-speaking nations of the British Commonwealth. But in the last three years, IELTS has quietly become a force in the United States as well, where the number of colleges accepting IELTS on equal footing with TOEFL has doubled, to more than 800.

“These two are really going head to head, and that’s going to benefit the consumer,” said Julia Funaki, associate director of international education services at the American Association of Collegiate Registrars and Admissions Officers.

The applicants of both these tests TOEFL and IELTS are in constant debate with respect to identifying, which test is best amongst the two and which test is easier. The major similarities between TOEFL and IELTS are that both test the listening, writing and reading skills of the applicant. The IELTS has one additional element speaking, whereas TOEFL tests the written phrase from viewpoint of error recognition and the sentence completion.

While partisans of the two tests point to their differences, they actually have a lot in common. Both are “four skills” exams (reading, writing, listening, speaking). Both are offered all over the world. In terms of language, IELTS tests “international English,” and passages in the test are intentionally a mix of styles of what might be used at universities in Australia, Britain, Canada and the United States.

The most notable difference in the tests may be the way speaking is judged. IELTS uses a live, face-to-face interview with the test taker, while ETS has students taking the TOEFL speak into a microphone for analysis by a panel of test reviewers later.

“Live, face-to-face speaking is more authentic,” said Beryl Meiron, executive director of IELTS International, the United States branch of the organization. She noted that examiners must undergo extensive training and that years of using the system have enabled the organization to be certain that grading is appropriately rigorous.

“You really need to be able to manipulate the language well to do well on our test,” Meiron said.

IELTS is considered to be more difficult than TOEFL by the applicants owing to the speaking module. The speaking module of IELTS necessitates the applicants to take part in an official interview facing an examiner.

In spite of a status of US residency, TOEFL examination has to be given by every student having secondary schooling outside the country of United States, where the principal language is not English. Taking this fact into consideration, the Enoch Olinga College (ENOCIS) has launched a Basic English program for the Spanish speaking applicants. ENOCIS’ new education strategy has received such a resounding acceptance from students of Latin America that the Enoch Olinga College found it necessary to establish representatives for admissions in more than 20 countries of Caribbean and Latin America. This ENOCIS step aims to increase student satisfaction by providing more personal attention.

Dissimilarities between TOEFL and IELTS:

The major difference between the TOEFL and IELTS are listed below:

• IELTS makes use of band scores based on the band scales, with every band equating a varied English aptitude. The IELTS band scores are in terms of whole or the half bands and are given equated to every one of the 4 skill modules. These are later averaged into one band score of IELTS. The band score of IELTS is based on 0 to 9 scale. 9 score is given to an expert applicant, whereas 0 is bestowed upon the applicant filling out the form and not attempting the examination.

• TOEFL on the other hand delegates numerical scores similar to an SAT test, for every skill area. Later, it calculates the grand total, the end result arrived at defines the English proficiency level of an applicant.

• TOEFL incorporates both the computer and pencil version of testing, out of which computer based testing (CBT) is available on few test sites. IELTS on the other hand is still in the process of creating computerized version of the test. As of now, IELTS doesn’t use computer testing and that makes the non speaking testing to aspect of the exam weaker than TOEFL, since it is very hard to accurately test language skills without technological support.

Carol Lynch, the former graduate dean at the University of Colorado at Boulder and now a senior scholar at the Council of Graduate Schools, said that she followed the development of the TOEFL speaking test as an advisory board member for that test. She said the TOEFL speaking test is more comprehensive and consistent, which is vital for a speaking test to be reliable. The speaking test is a new addition to TOEFL, and Lynch called it a “wonderful addition,” designed very specifically to meet the demands of college admissions officers.

ENOCIS Aids in Comprehensive TOEFL Preparation:

The preparatory program of ENOCIS for the TOEFL applicants includes chat rooms, in order to practice the basic skills of English language, a pre-examination program of TOEFL and preparatory programs of English language are being designed in Chinese and Vietnamese. ENOCIS strives to equip students with lifelong leadership and learning skills through basic language preparation. The academic programs of ENOCIS can be accessed throughout the world at convenience. ENOCIS has created a set of English preparatory lessons, in order to assist the students in preparing the TOEFL examination.

Exchangeability of TOEFL and IELTS:

Previously foreign students to be admitted into Western Universities had to compulsorily pass the TOEFL test, in order to get numerical ratings of English language proficiency. Applicants or non-native learners seeking admission for the UK, Canada and Australian universities were required to successfully pass the IELTS test. Now sizable numbers of American universities are also accepting the band scores of IELTS, for judging the applicants of English language abilities. TOEFL and IELTS have now become interchangeable over the last few years. The main reason behind this can be IELTS gaining a more respected and steady status of examination, owing to its structure considered to be more difficult than TOEFL.

Robert Watkins, assistant director of admissions for graduate and international admissions at the University of Texas at Austin, said that there has been a “perception issue” on TOEFL’s cost because it did not have differential pricing. Watkins is a member of TOEFL’s advisory board and believes his university probably receives more TOEFL score reports than any other institution. He thinks TOEFL is a “slightly better” test, but Texas started accepting IELTS scores two years ago — after the university conducted extensive tests on IELTS. “We think it’s a good test,” he said.

Cost comparisons are not as easy to make as one would think. Both testing entities claim that their test is less expensive, said Mari Pearlman, senior vice president of the higher education division at ETS .. Before TOEFL went to differential testing, it was still less expensive on average than IELTS. The issue is important because a price difference of $20 — which might seem like small change in the context of college costs in the United States — is a huge sum to a student in a developing nation trying to figure out if she will be able to gain admission to an American college.

IELTS posts its prices in local currency while TOEFL prices are posted in U.S. dollars. Converting IELTS fees to TOEFL prices in developing nations finds many where prices are within $10, but where IELTS had an edge until TOELF introduced differential pricing. In many developing nations.

Watkins and others said that a big part of the context for the growing IELTS interest is the changing nature of competition for international students. Post-9/11, many American universities struggled to maintain their international enrollment levels as visa regulations became more strict at the same time that many other countries’ universities — some of them in IELTS strongholds — started to step up recruitment of the best foreign talent.

As the the Enoch Olinga College (ENOCIS) is designed to professionally and efficiently address the needs of the underserved peoples of the world, the college looks favorably upon the newly competitive flexible pricing structure which puts education within the financial capability of students whom otherwise might not have the opportunity to be educated to their fullest ability.



David W Morris is an international development specialist with The Enoch Olinga College (ENOCIS) and author of several publications on socio economic development. David is a regular contributor to online article sites on the topics of on line education, underserved peoples, scholarship and educational excellence, continuing education programs and on line TOEFL and language development. David W Morris is also a successful online adviser of ranking blog site http://www.enocis.blogspot.com
Published At: www.Isnare.com




Wednesday 19 November 2008

Free Ebook for Download : Getting Ready for the TOEIC Test

EBook Contains:

I. Overview of the TOEIC

TOEIC is an acronym that stands for the Test of English for International Communication.. It was developed by Educational Testing Service (ETS) of Princeton, New Jersey, a non profit organization that administers other examinations such us TOEFL and GRE. The TOEIC test is an English language proficiency test for people whose first language is not English. It is specifically designed for the Assessment of English as it is used in the global workplace, with over 1.5 million tests administered each year.


II. Tips for taking multiple-choice test

Effective test-taking strategies are especially important with multiple-choice questions found on language test such us the TOEFL and TOEIC. These types of questions often include clues that may help you identify the correct answer. You may be able to improve your performance on such test bay considering the following tips.


III. Improving your listening comprehension

The ability to listen well gives you confidence in communication. You can only talk sensibly when you can understand what is said to you. Failing that, you may miss important information presented to you, or respond in unintended way. Listening in everyday life is real-time skill. Unlike reading, you often don’t have the chance to adjust the pace of speech, listen again, or check an unknown word. The need to understand what you hear on the spot makes it even more crucial that you develop the ability to listen well. The TOEIC test is an excellent measure of just how far advanced your listening ability.


IV. Tips for part I-photographs

This part of the TOEIC test contains twenty questions with four answer choice for each one. In the part I of the TOEIC test writers will use the following tricks to try to confuse you and make the selection of the correct answer more difficult.


V. The importance of learning phrasal verbs

The term “phrasal verb” refers to a verb + preposition structure and is sometimes called a two-word verb or three-word verb. A phrasal verb has a special meaning that is different from the meaning of the individual words that it is composed of.

VI. How to study vocabulary for the TOEIC Test

The following are some useful techniques examinees can use for expanding their TOEIC-related vocabulary base. Vocabulary learning tips :

1. Red, read, read

2. Improve your context skills

3. Practice, practice, practice

4. More ……

VII. How to read faster

Read more efficiently by reading intelligently!

Strategy 1: Know what you want to know

Strategy 2: Use speed-reading techniques

Strategy 3: Active reading

Strategy 4: How to study different sorts of material

Strategy 5: Using glossaries with technical documents



For more detail you can download in here: Getting Ready for the TOEIC Test.pdf




How to Score High on English TOEIC, TOEFL, IELTS, Cambridge Tests

Score HIGH on NEW English Tests

Why international students fail English tests

Students fail because they do not understand the test requirements.

Students fail because they underestimate the large volume of work necessary to pass.

Students fail because they have limited English vocabulary.

Students fail because some English skills are not practiced.

Students fail because they rely on "secret tips" rather than real skill.

Students fail because they cram for tests and become confused.

Students fail because they become upset and cannot perform.

How international students can SCORE HIGH on NEW English tests.

First step in your plan to score high on a specific English test is to understand the test requirements. Is the test a written test only? Do you have to read a text? Do you have to listen to a conversation on tape? How much speaking is required? What type of questions will be asked? What type of answers are required? Students must understand how the English information is presented, what English skills are being tested, and how answers must be submitted.

Second step is to understand the volume of advanced English skills and vocabulary required to score high on these tests. Students must have studied and practiced English for 2500 to 5000 hours counting school classes and self study.

Students require a vocabulary of between 8,000 and 15,000 words to score high on the new TOEFL, TOEIC, AP, IELTS and Cambridge tests.

To score high students require all four English skills (reading, writing, speaking, listening), technical language structure knowledge (grammar) and the application of the grammar knowledge in the active productions of speaking and writing.

The "secret tips" of using specific words that have a higher percentage of occurrence in the correct answers may give you the opportunity to raise your score from 0 to 1 %. If your vocabulary is less than 8000 words or your listening skills or writing less than advanced then you will still fail despite using all the "secret tips" or "secret vocabulary indicating correct answers".

Everyone knows that cramming helps memorizing facts for a short time but does very little for the practice of the application skills. All new English tests are a combination of facts and the application of English skills including technical grammar knowledge. Students who only cram for tests will fail most of the new tests as answers require the application of English grammar skills. The students who cram can only help some of their factual knowledge if they can remember it perfectly. I have never met a student who can remember crammed English facts correctly.

Students become upset when they read questions they cannot answer, questions they cannot understand, words they do not know the meaning of, or "secret words" that occur in two or more answers.

Remember students that are prepared have less chance of becoming upset. Students that are rested, relaxed and arrive on time at the test site will score higher on the tests.

What English Should I study to PASS English Tests?

Diagram showing the overlap between the English concentrations

There is only one English language.

There are a variety of programs and courses that overlap each other. Many business English courses cover 90% of what students require to pass the TOEIC exam. Many advanced English courses cover 90 % of what is required to pass TOEFL, TOEIC, AP, IELTS and other English tests.

Many Toeic, toefl, IELTS courses only provide practice tests without teaching any vocabulary the four English skills and applied grammar practice. Students must create a plan to increase all applied English skills, vocabulary and become comfortable with the test requirements and answer formats.

Students can take combinations of programs and still pass tests.

For example: Advanced students could take 100 hours of business English, 200 hours of academic preparation and 10 hours of toefl and score high on the new Toefl test . The only secret is to have a balance of applied English skills and factual knowledge. The following is an example of a balanced study program.

EXAMPLE PLAN TO PASS ENGLISH TESTS

20% vocabulary

15% grammar comprehension

15% reading comprehension

15% listening comprehension

15% writing skills, short answer and essay

15% speaking skills

5% practicing test formats





Teaching Since 1974

To contact Author: Ross (at) eslincanada (dot) com

Full Article: http://www.eslincanada.ca/passtests.html

The Next Step in TOEIC Preparation

The idea of focused training has entered the arena of the TOEIC Test. OnlineEnglish have captured the market by applying focused training techniques to business English language training with special concentration on preparation for the TOEIC test.

See your level - See where you need to learn - See your progress - See your Improvement - Know when your ready for the test. This is the motto of OnlineEnglish, but how?

Training on the website is unique and commences with a TOEIC estimate test. The test has been developed and tested over 3 years and is designed to analyze a person's English proficiency related to the TOEIC test. The results of the estimate test are shown graphically on what OnlineEnglish call "the performance monitor"

The performance monitor shows students a graph of their ability for each question type in the TOEIC test. From this information a student can see instantly where they need to improve. Students can then train and improve by completing hundreds of TOEIC exercises grouped understandably into question type categories. Naturally this focused training provides faster improvement results than just broad training techniques.

As students complete the exercises, they can always see their progress and moreover, they will be able to see an estimate of their improvement. Completion of the estimate test after a period of training will show the student what score they could possibly get the in real TOEIC Test, so they know when they have a good chance of getting the score they need.

Naturally, geared for the TOEIC, the website also offers many tips and gives advice not only on the questions and how a person is being tested, but also what to expect when attending a test sitting and what to expect in respect to general administration.

But there is much more to TOEIC and business English than just repeatedly completing TOEIC questions, something that many have forgotten. For this reason, at OnlineEnglish students will find a comprehensive English grammar and vocabulary area. This area supports training and helps participants develop their Basic English skills.

But what is the use of knowledge if a person cannot use the language? Language use comes from practice and OnlineEnglish have recognized this as well. Students will find additional exercise areas developed to improve listening comprehension; the identification of information in talks, discussions and conversations, including exercises for speaking and pronunciation.

The most recent addition to these supplementary training areas is the addition of a very unique sentence practice exercise. Students can copy and paste texts from newspapers and magazines into the exercise and it will automatically create a challenging missing word exercise, allowing the student to further improve vocabulary, grammar and sentence structure.

With all these unique features, one may feel that nothing else can be added, but for OnlineEnglish it doesn't stop. "One must appreciate the times and pressures of the test as well as what is expected. One must have the opportunity to plan their test approach and not be disadvantaged for a true measurement of English level to occur" says the creator of OnlineEnglish.

For this reason, students will also find a full 2 hour simulated TOEIC test that they can complete. The test is based upon the real test and really gives students "the feel" they need to overcome any disadvantages.

The story goes on because the training website is far from passive as every student will get the support privately by email from a qualified TOEIC trainer and authorized TOEIC administrator.

To finalize our look at this unique TOEIC training and preparation area, students will receive weekly emails with information, examples, interesting comments and homework.

Continually updated, OnlineEnglish put the true meaning back into the word TOEIC Preparation.






Saturday 15 November 2008

Why I Like the English Language

I really like the English language. I've been speaking it all my life, but it's not until I became an English teacher, teaching English as a foreign language, that I really started to understand how it functions and to appreciate both its richness and its versatility.

I believe that, at an elementary level, English is easier to learn than some other languages. A beginner can form good basic sentences without knowing a lot of complex grammatical forms. English verbs don't have many different endings to memorize before one can express the simplest of thoughts.

Another strong point is that English does not, as a rule, have masculine and feminine nouns and there are no changing forms for adjectives to slow a learner down. For instance, in French you must memorize a number of verb endings and match adjectives to nouns before you can verbalize even the simplest ideas, but a novice does not need to study English for long before being able to construct good basic sentences.

English has a mix of vocabulary with Germanic roots and vocabulary with Latin or French roots, allowing speakers of numerous European languages to recognize and understand many English words. Although sometimes the meanings are no longer the same in the two languages, they are often still similar enough to serve as an aid to comprehension and to help a learner get the gist of texts.

Once English learners have reached a more advanced level, they become exposed to additional structures that reveal some unexpected complexities in the language. For example, the uses of the present perfect tense can be quite confusing. On the other hand, English verb forms allow for a wonderful element of subjectivity and point of view in expressing attitudes towards events. Consider "I've just lost my glasses" and "I lost my glasses an hour ago." Both are fine, but your choice of one or the other reflects your attitude toward the situation. Do you want to emphasize the consequence of losing your glasses? If so, then choose the former, the present perfect tense. If you prefer to focus on when the glasses were lost, then use the latter, the past simple tense.

English can be wonderfully expressive. Because it has accumulated vocabulary from many different languages, there are far more words to choose from than some other languages offer. You can discuss a topic at length without ever repeating yourself or overusing a specific word. You can choose from an array of words with similar meanings to find the most perfect match in meaning and connotation to suit the thought that you want to express.

Sure, you can simply walk down the street, but you can also stroll, march, amble, trot, mosey, shuffle, skip, run, race, promenade, lope, slink, fly, zip, crawl, gallop, whiz, zoom, or careen down the street. A cursory glance reveals that the English section of my bilingual dictionary is considerably larger than the French portion. The enormity of English vocabulary allows for precision and economy of expression. Ideas and instructions can be concisely stated. When viewing multilingual signs and equipment usage manuals, the English version is frequently shorter than that of many other languages. To take a simple example, in French it takes four words, "sautez a cloche pied," to express what English does in just three letters: "hop."

English easily absorbs new words from other languages and cultures. Just think of "salsa," "smorgasbord," "taboo," "wampum," and "pajamas," for starters. When necessary, English also seems to revel in inventing entirely new lexicons of words, such as for new technologies like the Internet. Internet is full of colorful and amusing imagery from "the web" to "spidering" and "click on the mouse," let alone such silly sounding words as "googling," "blogging," and "WIKI." It is a riotously "living" language and this flexibility has helped English become such a widely used international language.

I also love English because colorful wordings and vivid imagery abound in both old and new expressions. I picture tall sailing ships and Errol Flynn films when I hear someone say, "She passed her exam with flying colors." Think of other expressions, too, such as "That makes my skin crawl," "It sent shivers up and down my spine," "He's got his head in the clouds," "She's full of get up and go," and "They're head over heels in love."

English even has a strong sense of whimsy, and so lends itself to delightful combinations of alliterative phrasings like "the whole kit and caboodle," or "footloose and fancy-free." It's also chock full of amusing words that are especially for children. Think of "choo-choo train," "puppy dog," "kitty cat," or "do the hokey pokey." Fun-loving authors have added to the festivities by feeling free to invent their own words, just for the pleasing sound of them, from Edward Lear's "Dong with the Luminous Nose" to Dr. Seuss's "Sneeches with stars on thars." J. K. Rowling has invented an entire vocabulary of her own to use in the magical world that she has created for Harry Potter. The so-called "language of Shakespeare" has contributed much literature and poetry to the world, plus other beautiful expressions of thoughts through the abstraction of words. As someone who writes stories for children, I'm also fond of simple jingles and fun forms such as Mother Goose rhymes.

Now that I'm an English teacher, I try to unlock many of the mysteries of the English language for students who have other languages as their mother tongues. In doing so, I've taken a much closer look at the language myself, in all of its complexities and inconsistencies, all of its rules and abundance of exceptions to its own rules, in its enormous vocabulary and subtleties in shades of meanings. Whenever possible, I try to give my students the logic behind the grammar, so that they can gain a deeper understanding of the thought processes behind our many ways of looking at time, rather than just have students randomly memorize rules.

To put English into perspective and make allowances for its many idiosyncracies, I try to briefly explain the history of English and the many historical influences that have affected it, from a series of early invasions of the British Isles, by people such as the Romans, Saxons, Vikings, and Normans, to later British Empire building around the world, and then to America's melting pot of cultures and languages from the world over. With each new group has come an infusion of new vocabulary. Some element of comprehension of that historical perspective can explain to students both the richness of expression and vocabulary that English possesses, plus the maddening inconsistencies in English spelling and pronunciation. I'm no authority on other languages and I'm not saying that English is the best language in the world but, as I've taught English to others over the years, my own appreciation of it has grown immeasurably and I've really come to love it.





About the Author/Author Bio

Barbara Freedman-De Vito is an American TEFL (Teaching English as a Foreign Language) certified English teacher who teaches live English classes over the Internet, via Skype. She also teaches English lessons by telephone and does face-to-face teaching in the Paris, France area. In addition, she creates amusing TEFL T-shirts and other clothing designs with a TEFL or other educational focus for English teachers and students around the world. Learn more at: TEFL T-Shirts, Clothing and Gifts, Plus Online English Lessons Article Source:http://www.articlesphere.com/Article/Why-I-Like-the-English-Language/134470



Friday 14 November 2008

Ebook for Free Download : English as a global language

David Crystal, world authority on the English language, presents a lively and factual account of the rise of English as a global language and explores the whys and wherefores of the history, current status and future potential of English as the international language of communication. English has been lauded as the most ‘successful’ language ever, with 1,500 million speakers worldwide; but Crystal avoids taking sides and tells the story in a measured but engaging way, backed by facts and figures. This new edition of his classic book contains extra sections (on subjects including the linguistic features of New Englishes, the future of English asa world language, and the possibility of an English ‘family’ of languages), footnotes and a full bibliography. There are updates throughout. This is a book for anyone of any nationality concerned with English: teachers, students, language professionals, politicians, general readers and anyone with a love of the language.

DAVID CRYSTAL is one of the world’s foremost authorities on language. He is author of the hugely successful Cambridge encyclopedia of language (1987; second edition 1997), Cambridge encyclopedia of the English language (1995), Language death (2000), Language and the Internet (2001) and Shakespeare’s words (2002, with Ben Crystal). An internationally renowned writer, journal editor, lecturer and broadcaster, he received an OBE in 1995for his services to the study and teaching of the English language.....



For more details, download here



Monday 10 November 2008

Learning Basic English Is Easy

English has become the international language of business and will remain so for the foreseeable future. Whether it’s a German project manager dealing with a French auto parts manufacturer or a Chinese software developer advising a Mexican medical center the intermediary language is English. So why exactly has English taken front stage when there are so many other languages spoken by a much greater number of people over much vaster regions?

The answer lies in the in the simplicity of the grammatical structure of the English language at its most basic level. Unlike most other languages English doesn’t use the genitive case for definitive articles. This means that every “thing” in English uses the pronoun “it” and the definite article “the”. In many other languages an object can be masculine, feminine or neutral and the gender of the object can affect the whole sentence. It can also change the endings of pronouns which can make learning the basics a little confusing. The same problems apply to adjectives, adverbs and then add pronunciation to the equation to top it off. And this is only dealing with European languages which stem from Latin, Greek and near eastern roots. When one looks Chinese, Japanese, Arabic etc. then one can appreciate the difficulty of learning even the most basic structures of these languages.

Of course, there are also political, historical and economical reasons for English being the most used language when it comes to modern business but the fact that it is easy to get a grasp of Basic English has to be the most appealing advantage for non native speakers of English. Ironically, it is communication between the native English speaker and the non-native English speaker that tends to create the most problems. The reason for this is the tendency of the native English speaker to slip into colloquial speech, slang, idiomatic language, speak too quickly or a simple matter of harsh regional accents. But when two or more non-native English speakers communicate in Basic English it usually works out fine because nobody is out to impress and the ultimate goal is to simply understand and respond at a simple level. This is not to say that English doesn’t have complexities, in fact at higher levels it can be just as difficult as any other language but as long as a learner uses the famous K.I.S.S. technique (Keep It Short And Simple) it is definitely the easiest language for global communication.





Nigel Nix has been teaching business English in Germany for 9 years. Learn English Quickly
Article Source:
http://www.articlesphere.com/Article/Learning-Basic-English-Is-Easy/150437



Tuesday 4 November 2008

How to Easily Learn a New Language

Learning any new foreign language is a challenge. So how do you make it quick and easy? What is the best way for you to learn a new language? Well....

Foreign language

Countless foreign languages are spoken all over the world. Of course, the most commonly spoken language in the United States is English, with 82 per cent of the population speaking English as their native language. English is the common language of business and everyday life. Close behind English as the second most popular language in the United States is Spanish. Approximately 12 per cent of Americans speak Spanish as either their first or second language. However, on the whole, Americans do not speak enough foreign languages. Approximately 370 million people speak English as their native language; whereas, approximately 1.5 billion people all over the globe speak English as a second language. English speakers are focused in the business and tourism industries, so Americans can usually get by. But in an increasingly globalized world, learning to speak a foreign language can take your connections to a higher level.


The benefits of learning a foreign language

There are a lot of advantages to be gained by being able to read and converse in a foreign language, both practical and fun. From a more practical perspective, it is quite important to know how to deal with others in their own language so you can network with people from all over the world. From a more fun perspective, whole new cultural worlds are opened up to you when you learn a foreign language. After all, learning the foreign language that underpins a foreign culture is often the only way to truly experience what it is like to be a part of that culture.

It is obvious that learning a foreign language can be an amazing, and challenging, experience. The challenge is what makes it so much fun; you will get a real sense of accomplishment the first time you speak a whole sentence, the first time you read a newspaper in a foreign language, the first time you converse with a native speaker.

Learning a foreign language

The very best way to learn a foreign language is likely already not a possibility – start young. In order to be completely fluent, to treat the language like a native speaker would, it is usually important to learn the foreign language from a very early age, the younger the better. If this is no longer an option, you can still succeed with formal or even informal lessons. Some people have an amazing capacity to pick up foreign languages just by immersing themselves in the foreign culture. No matter what you do to learn a foreign language, the key is practice and repetition. Try to use the foreign language as much as possible and speak to native speakers of the foreign language as much as possible. Things will also be easier if you pick a foreign language that is related to a language you already know. If you know English, for example, you will be able pretty easily to pick up the general idea of a story in a French newspaper. If you look at a newspaper written in Thai, however, you would likely not even know where to begin – of course, for some people that just makes the challenge more fun!





Steve Dolan is a European who has travelled extensively across Europe and understands the value of languages. Find out how to learn a new language quickly and easily at http://www.foreignlanguageslive.com Learn a Foreign Language and for Spanish try http://www.foreignlanguageslive.com/learnspanish Learn Spanish

Article Source: www.article99.com/view-authors/track.php?bio=7461&author=Steve-Dolan




Monday 3 November 2008

Better Reading Fluency Results In Better Reading Comprehension

Reading fluency is the ability to read quickly and accurately. A person with good reading fluency is able to comprehend more because they instantly group and recognize words.

Doing this instantly frees up the brain for comprehending what is actually being read. Good reading fluency will help people learn more and excel at school or on the job. It is common for people to struggle with reading fluency. There are, however, specific training programs that allow an individual to strengthen their reading fluency. An individual struggling with reading fluency can be extremely frustrated with learning because they have to spend extra time trying to understand what they are reading. This can negatively impact people in a school or professional work setting. When a person struggling with reading fluency reads out loud their reading will typically be slow, choppy, and without natural expression.


Besides having difficulty reading aloud an individual who struggles with reading fluency may also notice that they identify words in a list well, but they can't read the same words fluently in a phrase. It is vital that you help students move from word recognition in isolation to reading fluency in context. This can be accomplished with the proper testing, training, and practice.


The National Institute for Literacy said on their website that, "Repeated and monitored oral reading improves reading fluency and overall reading achievement." This is one of the two steps researched by the National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP). The second step they found for improved reading fluency is silent reading done independently by the students. Practice is one of the key factors to an improvement in reading fluency.


The NAEP has also laid out their definition of reading fluency. They define it as: "the ease or 'naturalness' of reading."
In 1995 the NAEP found that 44% of United States fourth graders were on the lower end of the fluency scale. The study also confirmed that reading fluency and reading comprehension are directly related to each other. It has been proven that many American classrooms neglect to teach or train students to become more fluent readers. This in turn affects student's reading comprehension in the present and carries over later in life.


To help your child or a loved one become a more fluent reader it is important to have them take a simple reading fluency test at a quality learning training center. This test will help you understand their strengths and weaknesses on the reading fluency scale. After the test the learning training center can put together a plan of action for helping to improve the reading fluency. This includes having your child receive professional feedback on their reading. This training process has proven to help improve reading fluency for a lifetime.




LearningRx is a child and adult learning center which provides cognitive skills testing to help individuals pinpoint the causes of their learning disabilities. They provide proven programs to increase reading fluency. To take a self-screening test visit www.learningrx.com.

Article Source: www.article99.com/view-authors/track.php?bio=6042&author=Ken-Gibson




Saturday 1 November 2008

Why Learn to Speak Foreign Languages

Why should we learn another language? Today when the whole world is becoming English-speaking, I don’t see any reasons for learning languages other than English. We can go anywhere in the world and communicate in English with the locals, but knowing foreign languages will take people a step forward in global communication, and it will open more opportunities in their lives. Imagine if you meet your soul mate, and you can’t understand each other because of the language barrier. Therefore, speaking more than one language is a great advantage.


First, speaking foreign languages is a great advantage in the work field. Knowing a foreign language may increase your chances of finding a new job, especially in the tourism and hospitality field. For example, speaking Spanish is a big advantage when looking for a job of any type in Florida. When you start working, you have better opportunities to grow and to get a promotion or to get transfer overseas or to go on foreign business trips if you speak other languages. Who is going to be sent to negotiate in Mexico? Logically, a Spanish speaking person will be sent. Many English-speaking business people don't bother to learn other languages because they believe that most of the people they do business with can speak English, but the locals will probably feel more comfortable using their own language rather than English. Even learning a couple of words and being able to say, “Hello. How are you?” will mean a lot to a potential business partner. That means that you are interested in their culture, not just in the money and profits.


Furthermore, if you want to move to a different country, speaking the local language will help you to communicate and integrate with the local community. English is spoken everywhere, for instance, if you move to my country, Macedonia you can speak English and normally communicate with the locals. If you move to Holland, which is next to England, 90% of the people speak English, it's still worth it to speak the local language, or even show initiative to learn the local language, because that will demonstrate your interest in and commitment to the new country. When you move to a foreign country, you will face different customs and way of living. In order to better understand the culture and way of thinking, it’s very helpful to speak the local language. If you speak or even try to, you will be able to win over sympathies from the locals. That means you show respect to them, for their culture and country, so when you win sympathies that will help you to talk and integrate with the local community faster and easier.


In addition, if you speak more than one language it is easier to travel, meet people, and make friends. I have traveled to many places in the world. I have visited at least 20 countries in Europe, Asia, and America. One thing I learned is that, the more languages you speak, the better it is. I speak four Slavic languages, so whenever I travel somewhere, I meet people from Slavic speaking countries. Even though we speak English after we say a couple of words in Slavic to each other, the fact that I speak or even understand their languages makes me their friend. Knowing even a few phrases of the language will make a huge difference. You will meet many more people and find it much easier to get around when you travel. People are much more receptive if you make an effort to speak their language. This can turn a frustrating experience into the trip of a lifetime. For instance, I know a few phrases in Spanish, so whenever I meet Spanish speaking people, I start saying words in Spanish. Their reaction is always positive because I put an effort to learn and to understand some words and parts of their culture.


Language is what makes us human. It is the medium we use to share our thoughts with the world. Could you imagine thought without language? The world would be a very complicated place for people to understand each other; therefore, learning another language is like discovering another world. One thing is sure, the more languages we speak the better we understand the world and the other cultures.




Source: http://www.ArticlePros.com/author.php?DavidStack



Using Wish

English speakers using "wish" to show that they want the situations to be different.The verb after "wish" is one tense back, so that if you are wishing for a different present situation, the tense that follows "wish" is past simple or past continuous. If you are wishing that a past situation was different, the tense that comes after "wish" is past perfect. You can also use "wish" with modal verbs in English.


Wish and present situations

Situation: My sister is untidy. (Verb "to be" in the present simple)
Wish:I wish she was tidier. (Verb "to be" in past simple)

Situation: I am going to London next week. (Verb "to go" in present continuous)
Wish: "I wish I wasn't going to London next week." (Verb "to go" in past continuous)

Situation: I haven't studied for the English test. (Verb "to study" in present perfect)
Wish: "I wish I had studied for the English test." (Verb "to study" in past perfect)


Wish and past situations

Situation: I didn't go on holiday this year. (Verb "to go" is in past simple)
Wish: "I wish I had gone on holiday this year. (Verb "to go" is in past perfect.)


Wish with modal verbs

With could to refer to ability

Situation: I can't play a musical instrument.
Wish: "I wish I could play a musical instrument."

With would to refer to habits and free will

Situation: He whistles in the office.
Wish: I wish he wouldn't whistle in the office. (In this sentence you are stressing the fact he wants to whistle and makes a habit of it.)

You could also say: "I wish he didn't whistle in the office." (In this sentence you aren't stressing his desire to whistle, but you are just making a comment about a present situation.)




Source : www.english-at-home.com