“Tơi có đảng, đảng Việt Nam.” – Chủ tịch Hồ Chí Minh Course 213503 Instructor: Asst Prof Dr Siriluck Usaha Nguyen Mai Linh (M5120451) Learning English Effectively for Beginners English is becoming an international language It is the dominant language on the Internet; most of contemporary publications are in English Learning English is a way to communicate with the world and to access to the world knowledge However, learning English is not an easy job, especially for one who has less exposure the language The followings are some recommendations for someone who begins to study language The first thing one has to face when he/she learns any new language is vocabulary Because language is the art of words, one cannot get the message other people want to convey without understanding the meaning of the Đường Cách mệnh & Vui học: cộng đồng hỗ trợ học tập & giảng dạy trị, pháp luật, ngoại ngữ… http://duongcachmenh.wordpress.com http://sites.google.com/site/vuinhudihoc / http://vngrammar.wordpress.com Đặng Thanh Long – SĐT: 09.15.93.15.25 Email: vuinhuhoc@gmail.com Yahoo: vuinhuhoc@yahoo.com Skype: vuinhuhoc “Tơi có đảng, đảng Việt Nam.” – Chủ tịch Hồ Chí Minh words used There are many ways to learn vocabulary; different individuals have different ways of learning Some common ways are making a word list or combining learning new words with reading Some people write down in a piece of paper five to ten new words each day and stick it somewhere easy to see Others start by labeling all domestic devices and furniture with their name in English Some combination of these ways may help beginners to learn new words Another difficulty for beginners is listening comprehension In an EFL real context, one uses and hears his/her mother tongue all the time; one may hear some English songs or news somewhere, but this is not so often In other words, he/she does not have enough exposure to spoken English Therefore, one should create the environment oneself Starting by watching movies or listening to news in English is perhaps beyond a beginner’s proficiency A good starting point many English learners follow is the special English program from VOA, which can be accessed via: http://www.voanews.com/specialenglish/index.cfm In addition, one can work on listening comprehension exercises offered by a lot of free websites such as Randall’s EFL cyber listening lab and Elllo Listening to songs is also Đường Cách mệnh & Vui học: cộng đồng hỗ trợ học tập & giảng dạy trị, pháp luật, ngoại ngữ… http://duongcachmenh.wordpress.com http://sites.google.com/site/vuinhudihoc / http://vngrammar.wordpress.com Đặng Thanh Long – SĐT: 09.15.93.15.25 Email: vuinhuhoc@gmail.com Yahoo: vuinhuhoc@yahoo.com Skype: vuinhuhoc “Tơi có đảng, đảng Việt Nam.” – Chủ tịch Hồ Chí Minh a good way to improve listening skills Combining these methods to fit one’s learning style can help to improve listening comprehension Although one can understand what other people are speaking, it does not mean that he/she can speak out his/her own thoughts Speaking skills also take time to practice The learner can practice speaking out loud and record it to check his/her pronunciation However, this is unnatural; a speaker needs audience Friends are good candidates; a small English speaking club is not so difficult to set up and manage Moreover, with the development of technology to facilitate language learning, one can easily make friends with some native speakers and talk with them as a way of practicing English as well as making new friends The key point to keep in mind is that he/she should not be shy or afraid of making mistakes Reading is another important skill a beginner should practice Reading comprehension is the gate to the information world and the academic world Most of the news we receive everyday is in written form like emails, newspapers both online and offline; research projects are recorded and reported in written English Thus, it is easy to access to reading resources As a beginner, one can start from short stories, fairy tales, or brief news in newspapers These kinds of books are available in every book shop; it is even Đường Cách mệnh & Vui học: cộng đồng hỗ trợ học tập & giảng dạy trị, pháp luật, ngoại ngữ… http://duongcachmenh.wordpress.com http://sites.google.com/site/vuinhudihoc / http://vngrammar.wordpress.com Đặng Thanh Long – SĐT: 09.15.93.15.25 Email: vuinhuhoc@gmail.com Yahoo: vuinhuhoc@yahoo.com Skype: vuinhuhoc “Tơi có đảng, đảng Việt Nam.” – Chủ tịch Hồ Chí Minh easier if one has a computer connected to the Internet Without any effort, the learner can find the stories which fit his/her taste and start to read While reading, one can improve his/her reading skills and learn new words or new grammatical patterns Reading in this sense is not only learning but also relaxing The last and also the most difficult skill for beginners is writing One may think that he/she has just learnt English, so writing is not important, and that he/she can develop this skill after other skills have been improved Indeed, the learner does not need to wait because writing does not mean that one has to write an essay or an article If one often writes his/her dairy or blog in the native language, now he/she can write it in English starting from simple English He/she can emails to their foreign friends in English, or write comments for others’ posts in forums in English The sooner one starts, the better one’s writing skill is Learning English requires learners’ attempts and time to practise, and the integration of four skills is necessary One cannot master English in one or two days and during the study process, the learner will realize that he/she needs many other skills Following the preceding recommendations, a beginner will keep a positive attitude towards English, which is important Đường Cách mệnh & Vui học: cộng đồng hỗ trợ học tập & giảng dạy trị, pháp luật, ngoại ngữ… http://duongcachmenh.wordpress.com http://sites.google.com/site/vuinhudihoc / http://vngrammar.wordpress.com Đặng Thanh Long – SĐT: 09.15.93.15.25 Email: vuinhuhoc@gmail.com Yahoo: vuinhuhoc@yahoo.com Skype: vuinhuhoc ... now he/she can write it in English starting from simple English He/she can emails to their foreign friends in English, or write comments for others’ posts in forums in English The sooner one starts,... Reading in this sense is not only learning but also relaxing The last and also the most difficult skill for beginners is writing One may think that he/she has just learnt English, so writing is not... domestic devices and furniture with their name in English Some combination of these ways may help beginners to learn new words Another difficulty for beginners is listening comprehension In an EFL