Absolutely everything.
(On a side note, check out this hilarious clip from the movie "Rush Hour," starring Jackie Chan and Chris Tucker, in which the classic 70's urban protest song "War" is playing in the background. And while you're on YouTube, take a look at the music video of the song, from 1970, to understand the historical and cultural context.)
Unlike war, vocabulary is good for absolutely everything. Perhaps your most important task as an English learner is to build up your vocabulary. A limited vocabulary will hold you back, and prevent you from understanding and speaking English effectively.
Developing your vocabulary is time-consuming, but, unfortunately, there is no shortcut.
Although it's true that you will acquire new words just by hanging out with native English speakers, or even by watching TV, you must continuously learn and use new words until you reach a level of fluency. Using new words (speaking, writing) is the surest path to total acquisition.
Did you click on the link just above, on the word shortcut? It's linked to http://www.thefreedictionary.com/. I recommend bookmarking this site, the best online English dictionary I have found. Not only does it provide excellent definitions, but it also allows you to hear how the word is pronounced. You will also find translations in your native language.
Now I have two words for you when it comes to learning vocabulary: flash cards. There is no better method. Word lists are also good, but flash cards are better. After making a flash card, start learning the word. Keep at it until you've learned it. When you've learned a word, put the flash card away --you won't need it anymore. Try your new words on friends and teachers -- they will be suitably impressed! Use new words in conversation whenever you can. Practice saying them out loud to yourself and others. And if you forget the correct pronunciation, ask a native speaker, or find the word on http://www.thefreedictionary.com/ and play the audio.
Technology -- you gotta love it. Wish I had the Internet when I was a student. But sometimes low-tech is the way to go. And you can't get more low-tech than a 3'' x 5" index card and a pencil.
Thursday, April 30, 2009
Pre-Reading
By pre-reading we mean the activity that takes place before you begin to read a new passage (the prefix pre means before). Pre-reading includes previewing, scanning, and predicting. Your background knowledge will determine how much you already know about the subject of your reading. Looking at the pictures and reading the photo captions and subtitles (all part of previewing) will give you an idea of what the article is about. Scanning or skimming over the paragraphs and focusing on the first few words of each paragraph is also very useful.
VOCABULARY
preview (v.) to look at something in advance
scan (v.) to look over quickly
predict (v.) to offer an opinion on what might happen in the future
caption (n.) the title beneath a picture or photo in a text
boldface (v.) to highlight a word in a document by making it darker
background (n.) the environment or setting against which something is displayed
knowledge (n.) learning; understanding gained through study
VOCABULARY
preview (v.) to look at something in advance
scan (v.) to look over quickly
predict (v.) to offer an opinion on what might happen in the future
caption (n.) the title beneath a picture or photo in a text
boldface (v.) to highlight a word in a document by making it darker
background (n.) the environment or setting against which something is displayed
knowledge (n.) learning; understanding gained through study
Wednesday, April 29, 2009
How Do You Get to Carnegie Hall?
A tourist stops a man on the street in New York City and asks, "Excuse me, sir. How do I get to Carnegie Hall?" The man's reply: "Practice, practice, practice."
This is a classic joke. Carnegie Hall is among the world's most famous concert venues; only the best musicians perform there.
The joke, of course, is that the tourist is merely asking for directions, while the man being asked the question interprets it differently. To him, the question "How do I get to Carnegie Hall?" means "How do I get good enough to be able to perform at Carnegie Hall?" or "How do I develop the necessary skills?" The punchline (that is, the part of the joke that makes it funny) is "practice, practice, practice" rather than "go two blocks south, turn right on 53rd St., walk two more blocks, and you're there."
So how do you "get to," or arrive at, becoming a better reader in English? By practicing. Read in English for a minimum of 20 minutes a day. It doesn't matter what: a newspaper, a magazine, a book, an Internet Website, or the back of a breakfast cereal box. Get into the habit of reading in English, and don't worry if you don't understand what you're reading -- do it anyway. Your comprehension will gradually improve as your vocabulary expands.
Reading is a skill. As with any learned skill, performance improves with time, practice, and repetition. The more you read, the better you'll read. So tell me: how do you get to Carnegie Hall again?
This is a classic joke. Carnegie Hall is among the world's most famous concert venues; only the best musicians perform there.
The joke, of course, is that the tourist is merely asking for directions, while the man being asked the question interprets it differently. To him, the question "How do I get to Carnegie Hall?" means "How do I get good enough to be able to perform at Carnegie Hall?" or "How do I develop the necessary skills?" The punchline (that is, the part of the joke that makes it funny) is "practice, practice, practice" rather than "go two blocks south, turn right on 53rd St., walk two more blocks, and you're there."
So how do you "get to," or arrive at, becoming a better reader in English? By practicing. Read in English for a minimum of 20 minutes a day. It doesn't matter what: a newspaper, a magazine, a book, an Internet Website, or the back of a breakfast cereal box. Get into the habit of reading in English, and don't worry if you don't understand what you're reading -- do it anyway. Your comprehension will gradually improve as your vocabulary expands.
Reading is a skill. As with any learned skill, performance improves with time, practice, and repetition. The more you read, the better you'll read. So tell me: how do you get to Carnegie Hall again?
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