Improving Your English A lot of people are always asking, “How do I improve my English?” There are many possible answers, but here are just a few pieces of advice. Be responsible for your own learningSure you have teachers, reading materials, and websites to help you with your English, but who is really responsible for making sure you learn English well? Nobody but you. Make sure you are the one who is taking charge of your own learning. There is a good article about the subject on the 5 Minute English website. It’s at www.5minuteenglish.com/articles. Check it out.Immerse yourself in English as much as possibleImmerse means to be surrounded by something. If you are immersed in English, it is all around you. Of course this isn’t always possible, but you can do some things to surround yourself in English from time to time. Listen to the radio in English.
If there are no English radio stations where you live, listen to one on the internet.
Watch TV and movies in English. If you have English channels on your TV, watch them. If they have subtitles (the words written in your language) underneath the picture, see if they can be turned off. Some people even tape paper across the bottom of the screen so they can’t see the words. Most DVD’s are great because you can choose the language you want to hear.Speak English to your friends.
Get a conversation buddy (friend) and speak in English as much as possible. If it is a person whose native language is the same as your own, you may feel silly speaking in English at first. But don’t worry. Continue to do it and it will become more natural to you. Finding friends whose native language is English is even better. Ask your friend to correct you when needed.Study or travel to an English-speaking country.
Of course the best way to immerse yourself in the English language is to live in an all English environment. You’ll find yourself surrounded with the language everywhere you turn. It can be a more difficult and expensive choice, but you may find it to be a very valuable and helpful experience.
Other ideas. Take an English class, join an English group, find a tutor, read English magazines. Do whatever you can to immerse yourself in the language.Monitor yourselfThis means to pay attention to how you use English. Think (a little) about how you are going to say something before it comes out of your mouth. But don’t think about all of the problems you have in English at the same time. Just choose something your know you are having difficulty with and work on using it correctly. For example, if you know that you have problems remembering to use a, an, and the, spend a few days trying to put them into sentences as you speak. Don’t worry about anything else. Concentrate on that. When you feel that you are improving, choose something else to work on. Just keep trying and little by little, your English will get better everyday.30 April of 2013 – ASTA School
Here are 10 quirky questions job interviewers throw at applicants
According to a recent online study by Jobs Central, many companies ask quirky questions at interviewees to gauge their ability to think on their feet. Below are some of the challenging ones that Singapore employers use.
• If you were a superhero, which would you be and why?
• You have 15 minutes to tell us everything a brick can be used for.
• Give me 3 positive character traits you DON’T have.
• If you were an animal, what kind of animal would you be?
• How would you run the company if you are now the boss?
• If you could trade yourself with somebody, living or dead, real or fictional, who would it be?
• If you could choose any position in this company, what position would that be and why?
• If you were asked to design a mascot for the company, how would it look like?
• Name 5 adjectives to describe yourself and explain your choices.
• What brand would you like to be and why?
The online study was conducted among 396 hiring managers and HR personnel between 13 August and 14 September 2012.Famous People Lessons.com
English Lesson Plan on Mary J. Blige
THE READING / TAPESCRIPT
Mary Jane Blige is a singer, rapper, songwriter and actress. She is widely known as the “Queen of Hip-Hop Soul” for mixing the two musical genres together. Blige has sold over 40 million albums worldwide and has won eight Grammy awards. She also has a World Music Legends Award, despite her young age. Her musical style has influenced many other female vocalists, including Alicia Keys and Ashanti.
Blige was born in 1971 in New York. She grew up listening to the new sounds of hip-hop and rap that were starting to come out of New York. She also loved her mother’s collection of 60s and 70s soul records. She won a talent competition when she was seven and decided she wanted to be a singer.
Blige improved her singing technique in the local church choir. In 1988, she recorded an Anita Baker song at a recording booth in a local mall. Her mother’s friend loved it and sent it to a recording company executive, who signed Blige instantly. She spent several years as a backup singer, before releasing her debut album in 1992.
Blige has recorded eight studio albums, including the highly successful ‘The Breakthrough’, for which she scooped many awards. She also branched out into acting and has appeared in television series, Broadway plays and movies. Blige is also actively involved in several charities and started the Foundation for the Advancement of Women Now, “to inspire women from all walks of life to reach their individual potential.”
248 words
Flesch Kinkaid 9.1
SYNONYM MATCH
Match the words from the article on the left with their synonyms on the right. Are your answers the same as other students’?
Paragraphs 1 and 2
1. widely a. kinds
2 genres b. contest
3. influenced c. music
4. sounds d. commonly
5. collection e. shaped
6. competition f. selection
Paragraphs 3 and 4
7. improved g. a number of
8. executive h. immediately
9. instantly i. polished
10. highly j. promise
11 several k senior manager
12 potential l hugely
PHRASE MATCH
Match the following phrases from the article:
1. She is widely known as the a. collection
2 Her musical style has influenced b. many other female vocalists
3. She grew up listening to the new c. many awards
4. She also loved her mother’s d. sounds of hip-hop
5. She won a talent e. as a backup singer
6. Blige improved her f. potential
7. She spent several years g. of life
8. she scooped h. “Queen of Hip-Hop Soul”
9. inspire women from all walks i. competition
10. reach their individual j. singing techniqueConversation Questions: Future -20/04/2013
• What does the future hold?
• What will the future be like?
• Who invented the very first computer? An eccentric mathmaticianCharles Babbage conceived of the first programmable computer in the 1830s
• What is AI?
• What is the definition of a ‘robot’?
o “any machine or mechanical device that operates automatically with humanlike skill.”
• What is robotics?
o the science or technology of designing, building, and using robots
• Where did the word ‘robot’ come from? The word “robot” (from robota, Czech for “work”)1921
• Can robots tie shoes?
• Will robots replace humans?
• Will robots take our jobs?
• How will the development of robots that think change your future?
• Imagine the job you wish to hold when you get older – could a robot be programmed to do that job as well as you?
• A film like The Matrix has explored the idea that we might be living in virtual reality. But what evidence is there for or against this hypothesis? And what are its implications?
• Do you know ISAAC ASIMOV? What did he do?
Isaac Asimov born Isaak Yudovich Ozimov c. January 2, 1920[1] – April 6, 1992) was an American author and professor of biochemistry at Boston University, best known for his works of science fiction and for his popular science books. Asimov was one of the most prolific writers of all time, having written or edited more than 500 books and an estimated 90,000 letters and postcards. President of MENSA (an international fellowship organization for people with IQ’s in the top 2 percent of the general population. )
• Can you think of movies that have robots in them?
o The Day the Earth Stood Still (Gort)
o Star Wars (c3pio, r2d2)
o The Iron Giant
o Short Circuit (Johnny 5)
• Did you enjoy this movie?
• Do you think we create a new problem with each invention? Think of examples. Cel phone
• Is there anything that does not yet exist that you would like to see invented? What is it?
• Where do you plan on going to college?
• What type of job would you like to do in the future?
• How do you get that type of job?
• Will you make much money in that job?
• Do you want to get married?
• Do you know who you are marrying?
• What high school are you going to go to?
• How can we preserve the future for the next generation?
• How will computers change in the future?
• How will cellphones change in the future?
• How will transportation develop in future times?
• How old will people live to be in the future?
• What kind of developments might happen in health care in the future?
• Could there be another world war in the future? How can we prevent a world war from happening?
• Where do you plan on going in the future?
• Can fortune-tellers predict the future?
• Is it possible to know the future?
• Where do you hope to travel before you die?
• What do you hope to do in your life?
• How will technology change?
• Do you think life will be more difficult or easier for our grandchildren? In what ways?
• How do you think your country will change in the future?
• How will the United States and the world order change in the future?
• How do you think you will change in the future?
• Do you think the future will be better or worse for your grandchildren?
• Do robots go to college?
• Would you marry a robot?
• Do you think that one day robots will serve as childcare providers?
• How would you feel if you child liked the robot better than he/she liked you?
• How will computers change in the future?
• Where do you plan on going in the future?
• How do you think your country will change in the future?
• How will the United States and the world order change?
• Do you think the future will be better or worse for your grandchildren? In what ways?
• How long will people live in the future?
• Would you want to live on another planet?
• Should the world solve all of it’s problems before humans move into space?
• What is the future of money?
• What if you could program your children’s genetics? Would you want to? What would you change?
• Do you believe animals can be preserved?
• Would you like to live in a city inside a building?
• Do you believe faster-than-light travel is possible?
• Do you know who will be your future husband?
• Do you think one day robots will serve as childcare providers?
• If we suddenly found out there were alien civilizations on other planets, would that change our world? How?
• If we could make molecule-sized robots, what could we do with them?
• What new kinds of energy might be used in the next 100 years? The next 1000 years?
• What will the human race look like in 1,000,000 years?
• If it were possible to read minds, would you want to?
• What will the cars of the future do?
• What will future houses look like?
• If you could live under the ocean, would you want to?
• Would you become half-robot if it meant living 1000 years?
• If you could fly on a rocket faster than light, and return to Earth in 1,000 years, would you do it?
• Will there be one global culture? If so, what will it look like?
• Would you like to live in cyberspace? What could you do there? How would it differ from life in reality?
• Do you think the Earth will become overpopulated? Will there be any forests left?
• Would you like to have a robot in your house?
• Who should live on the moon? Should land on the moon be bought and sold?
• What will education be like in the future?
• Do you have an idea for an invention?
• Will robots be as smart as people? Will they get jobs too?
• What are the positive and negative effects of technology in the future?
• If you don’t like your job now. What is the job you would like to have in future?
• What is your lifetime dream?How to use ‘Punctuation’? 04/05/2013
. Full stop Used to end a sentence – also called period. This is my book.
? Question mark Used at the end of a question or interrogation. Where is your book?
! Exclamation mark Used at the end of a sentence or phrase to add emphasis Wow!! What a fantastic book!
, Comma Used as a separator between words. Helps to make the meaning clear. He has a book, a pencil, a pen and a ruler.
’ Apostrophe 1-Takes the place of missing letters.
2-Used to show possession He’s = he is don’t = do not
Bill’s car Ann’s bag
“—–”
‘……’ Quotation marks Used to show direct speech. Can be single or double – also called inverted commas. She said, “My name is Ann.”
‘Goodbye,’ he called.
( ) Brackets Also called parenthesis. Used to set off remarks that explain but are not part of the main sentence. Eat some green leafy vegetables (broccoli, cabbage, lettuce) every day.
– Hyphen Used to divide words or to connect words. X-ray, twenty-three,
ex-husband, mother-in-law
; Semi colon Used to join two connected complete thoughts. The guests are arriving; they are almost at the door.
: colon Shows a division in writing, or before a list Groceries for tomorrow: milk, bread, sugar, cheese, oranges.
Add punctuation to these sentences (Use Capital letters where needed):
1. when is he getting his new car
2. ouch that really hurt
3. im going home now she said
4. she went to the shop and bought carrots beans bread and milk
5. i visited my brother in law on the weekend
6. stop you cant go in there
7. when is your appointment
8. pauls car has broken down
9. The plumber who was working at the house with the tiled roof parked his truck on the footpath.
10. on duty next thursday mary bill tom jill
11. he goes to bed at 8 o clock
12. would you like a biscuit
Answers:
1. When is he getting his new car?
2. Ouch! That really hurt!
3. “I’m going home now,” she said.
4. She went to the shop and bought carrots, beans, oranges, bread and milk.
5. I visited my brother-in-law on the weekend.
6. Stop! You can’t go in there.
7. When is your appointment?
8. Paul’s car has broken down.
9. The plumber, who was working at the house with the tiled roof, parked his truck on the
footpath.
10. On duty next Thursday: Mary, Bill, Tom, Jill.
11. He goes to bed at 8 o’clock.
12. Would you like a biscuit?英语角是什么？免费的？是不是是要报课程才可以？英语角是免费的，由加拿大教师主持。但不是每次报名都赠送。最新的报名优惠是五月十九号至五月二十六号，此期间报名的学员，才可以赠送十节的英语角配套。在这里也分享一些资讯给大家～如果想了解更多，也可以加我QQ5119376.
分类