Real L&S - 2. Learning Tips
Real L&S - 2. Learning Tips
Real L&S - 2. Learning Tips
1. Preparing to speak
It's a good idea to practise describing the situation and think about what people might ask you
before you have to say it, for example, at the chemist's \ post office \ bank etc.
2. Practising new language
Don't worry if you don't say the exact same words as the conversation. Try and say something
that has a similar meaning. The more you try, the easier it will get.
When you learn a new expression, it's a good idea to practise it with different words.
Sometimes it's useful to read an example answer aloud, but don't memorize it. Learning to speak
from notes rather than reading aloud is difficult, but it helps you get better at speaking freely.
Sometimes when you are studying on your own it is difficult to stay motivated. Try doing
different things to keep you interested, like studying with a friend or studying online. Planning your
learning will also help.
3. Thinking about pronunciation
Some sounds change when they are not stressed, fo example, can is pronunced \kn\ in I can go
this weekend. For is pronunced \f\ in Just for one person.
4. Speaking
Talking on the telephone can be difficult because you can't see who you are talking to. To make
it easier you can
Think about what you will say and how you will say it before you talk on the telephone.
Think about what the other person might say before you telephone them.
Repeat part of an answer to check you understand.
Ask the speaker to repeat things you dont understand and to spell numbers, difficult names and
addresses.
To help keep a conversation going, dont just answer questions, make sure you ask them too.
When you give your opinion, it is important to explain your ideas. This helps keep the
conversation going and makes it more interesting for the listener.
When you give a talk or a seminar, give examples to explain what you mean. This makes it
easier for the listener to understand your opinion.
Make your own learning goals and think about what you need to do to achieve them. Talk to
your teacher or a friend about your plans. They might have some other ideas to help you.
5. Making a note of new language
When you look up a new word in the dictionary, remember to check which syllable is stressed. A
is put in front of the stressed syllable e.g. noisy /n.zi/. this means the stress is on the first
syllable.
To help you remember new words, its useful to use mind maps.
When learning useful expressions, its a good idea to look for patterns or things in common, for
example, when you want to talk about completed actions and the time isnt important, we use the
pattern: I + have + verb. e.g. I've filled I've put Looking for patterns in language is a useful way of
helping you to remember expressions.
Thing means the same as object. For materials, liquids or groups of objects we use the word
stuff, e.g. some stuff for cleaning the whiteboard.
It's often a good idea to record new vocabulary in groups because it makes them easier to
remember.
When you learn new language, it's often important to understand whether the meaning is strong
or weak or positive or negative, e.g. must is very strong. It's important to understand these meanings, so
that when you talk you do not give a negative message or sound impolite.
A. Watching movies
1. Think about these questions:
What do you know about the movie?
What happens?
What it is about?
Where is it?
When is it?
Who is in it?
What kind of movie is it (romance, comedy, thriller, action etc.)?
2. Listening tips. As you watch the movie, fill in the three tables below. Get information from
what you see as well as from what you hear:
What are the main events of the film?
Main events Details
e.g. Lola and Patrick meet On the train, he helped her when someone stole her bag
Who are the characters? Choose two and complete the table with information about them.
Characters 1 2
Name
Job
Personality (e.g. friendly)
Other details (e.g. family, plans )
As you watch, write down one to five words you dont know and think are interesting or useful.
Try and guess the meaning. After the movie, check your ideas in a dictionary and record the words.
Word I think it means Meaning
3. Speaking tips
Talk for one to 2 minutes about what you think of the movie. Think about what you will say
before you speak. You could talk about the actors, story, ending, special events, scenery, clothes
Find someone who has seen the movie and ask them (in English) what they think about it.
4. Extra tips. Find out more about the movie or read a review of it. You could look in an
English newspaper \ magazine or these sites on the internet:
http://www.mrqe.com
http://www.imdb.com
http://www.movies.go.com/reviews