English learning

Cause and Effect Effects of Stress Stress has become an increasing health problem nowadays. When it becomes severe, it may cause tragedy to those who have it. We can see from the news that many sad events have been associated with stress. At the same time, stress can have many effects on ordinary persons. They are physical effects, mental effects, and social effects. As for the first effect, stress affects a person physically by increasing the blood pressure. This can cause the person to have serious headaches. High blood pressure can also affect blood vessels. If it becomes too high, the blood vessels may be broad. This could be very dangerous to the life of the person. As for the second effect, stress can affect a person mentally. That is, it reduces a person's abiltiy to concentrate and accordingly it reduces his creatively. Unable to succeed what a person has done may cause persisting stress and that makes a person become emotionally unstable. This serious consequen...

Analysis Why Nature Like a Women? Nature has been called Mother for many years. She produces and nurtures many things as her children, teaches them how to live and help themselves and preserves her original beauty. Nature produces and cares for her children. A woman may feel that she is not complete until she mothers a child or two. No one has ever conceived of a mother without children, including Nature. Nature produced all the animals and plants in the world as her own children, feeding and protecting them. Nature without these many things would be unimaginable. Nature teaches her children how to live and grow . After bearing many animals and plants into the world, like a true, good mother, she cannot simply abandon them. Nature teaches her young to grow and to find their own food, to prepare them for adulthood and the event that their parents can no longer support them. Women also teach and raise their children, if they truly desire and love them. Nature remains beautifu...

I t's the end of another class, and one student has stayed behind. No problem, you think, maybe an easy grammar question, or a comment on how they enjoyed the class (or not!)... or maybe it's a question about an ESL exam. "What's the difference between TOEFL and TOEIC?" "Should I take the FCE?" "Who recognizes IELTS?" So if you don’t know your BEC from your KET, or your CAE from your CELS, here's a brief guide to the most popular ESL exams. ESL exams fall broadly into three main categories: General English, Business English and Academic English. General English Probably the most popular in this category are the Cambridge ESOL exams. One and a half million people in 135 countries take Cambridge exams every year. There are five General English exams, sometimes referred to as the "Cambridge Main Suite." The first two levels are the KET (Key English Test) and the PET (Preliminary English Test). The KET and PET have reading and wri...

H ere's an effective way to teach the third conditional to your ESL students. 1. First, write a short story (a few paragraphs is fine) about someone who had a bad day. The first paragraph could start something like this: Sarah had to be at the airport for her flight at 9am, but her alarm didn't go off and so she overslept... With this example you could continue to talk about Sarah's travel problems as the day progressed. Maybe she forgot her passport and had to rush back home to get it, which made her miss her flight, and so on. The key is to create a problem in each paragraph and describe what happened as a result. 2. Once you've got your story, cut it up into paragraphs and you're ready to go. Pre-teach any vocabulary you need to and divide your students into pairs or small groups. Then hand out the story and ask the students to put the paragraphs into the correct order. 3. When everyone has ordered the story correctly, ask your students if Sarah (we'll u...

The IELTS Listening test comes first, and many candidates find it a hard, sometime even discouraging, way to get started. The IELTS Listening task tests a diverse range of skills, and many people find it challenging. There are many ways to prepare for this portion of the IELTS exam. There are, for example, many practice tapes and CD sets on the commercial market. While all of them are helpful to some degree, the one thing you can be sure is that none of them will be the IELTS Listening test you take. The good news is that the best forms of IELTS Listening practice are available free, or at least readily and at low cost. They’re also more fun. They are radio, TV, and movies! If you have access to an English-language radio or TV station, listen to it as often as possible. The benefits are many. - You become familiar with a wide variety of accents and individual ways of speaking - You get the rhythms of spoken English sentences in your ear - You become more familiar with the w...

It takes a long time for students of English-as-a-second-language to learn to read well. This is not because they have a reading problem: They can read perfectly well in their own language. The problem is just that they don’t know the meaning of enough English words. In other words, they don’t have a big enough vocabulary. It’s not easy to build a vocabulary that allows you to read as well, or almost as well, as people who grew up speaking and reading English. It's quite easy to build the basic vocabulary of 1000-2000 words that you need in order to speak English to other people and understand what they’re saying. You’ll probably pick up that many words, without really trying, during the early stages of your study of English. And if that doesn’t happen, you can always sit down with a good vocabulary list and a dictionary and start memorizing. However, to be able to read English well, you need to know a lot more than 2000 words — about ten times that many, in fact. You...

IX. A sample TOEFL essay (based on the outline above) It is a good idea for teenagers to have jobs while they are students because they can learn about responsibility; they can learn the value of money and they can learn how to work as a member of a team. When teenagers have jobs while they are students, they can learn how to be responsible. As an employee, you must follow a weekly schedule. This means, you have to come to work on time. If you are scheduled to begin work at 8 a.m. on a Saturday morning, you have to be there at 8 a.m. It doesn’t matter if you went to a party the night before and do not want to get up. You have to get up. Your boss is relying on you to do your job. As an employee, you also learn that you must serve the customer in a friendly manner. If you are not friendly, the store may lose business and you may lose your job. Finally, an employee is responsible for maintaining the store shelves with inventory. If you work in a department store, you have to ...

VIII. A sample TOEFL outline: TOEFL Question: In some countries, teenagers have jobs while they are still students. Do you think this is a good idea? Support your opinion by using specific reasons and details. I. It is a good idea for teenagers to have jobs while they are students because they can learn about responsibility; they can learn the value of money and they can learn how to work as a member of a team. II. Students can learn responsibility a. They have to come to work on time every day b. They must serve customers in a friendly manner c. They have to maintain the store shelves with inventory III. Students can learn the value of money a. Students will learn that it takes a lot of time and effort to make money b. Students will make wiser choices when buying things with their own money IV. Students will learn how to work as a member of a team a. Students will learn how to compromise with other employees (helping out when someone is sick, etc.) b. Students will learn about the...

V. How to write good body paragraphs: Each paragraph in your essay introduces a new idea. It should include a thesis statement followed by support and examples. Be sure to use LOTS of examples. Within and between paragraphs be sure to use transition words like: on the other hand, however, though, for example, in contrast, likewise, in addition, first, finally. The paragraph should end with a concluding sentence which briefly summarizes the ideas in the paragraph. VI. The elements of a good concluding paragraph: A good concluding paragraph should include a summary of your main points. It may also include the author’s opinion. It should NOT introduce any new ideas. A good concluding paragraph often leaves an impression on the reader. It may make the reader think more deeply about the topic. VII. Preparing to write and writing your answer: I. Read and understand the essay question. (2 minutes). II. Organize your ideas on paper by writing a short outline of the introduction,...

TOEFL essay question #2: Is it better for children to participate in team sports or individual sports? Why? Use specific reasons and examples to support your answer. Restatement & Thesis: It is better for children to participate in team sports rather than individual sports. In team sports, children learn how to cooperate. They learn good sportsmanship and how to rely on their teammates. These are important lessons that will benefit children throughout their lives. Analysis: The first sentence clearly states the author’s opinion. This is followed by three reasons for the opinion. Finally, the author mentions life lessons. In the essay, the three reasons will make up the three main idea paragraphs in the body of the essay. In addition, the author will mention how each main idea is useful throughout life. TOEFL essay question #3: Some people prefer to live in a small town. Others prefer to live in a big city. Which place would you prefer to live in? Use specific reasons an...

III. The parts of an essay: In every essay, there should be an introduction, a body and conclusion. A. The introduction: The introduction restates the question using different vocabulary and/or sentence structure. The introduction also includes your thesis statement…the most important sentence in your essay. B. The body: The body of your essay is also the “heart” of your essay. It will include your main ideas and details and examples to support those ideas. Each new idea should be a new paragraph. Typically, a TOEFL essay will have 3 – 4 body paragraphs. C. The conclusion: The conclusion will be your final paragraph. It will summarize all the main ideas in your essay and it may also include your opinion. IV. How to write a good introduction: Let’s look at some more essay questions to see how to restate the question and how to write your thesis statement. TOEFL essay question #1: Some people prefer to eat at food stands or restaurants. Other people prefer to prepare a...

I. Before you begin: I. Relax and feel confident. II. Remember that you have 30 minutes to write your essay. Use your time wisely. III. You may write your essay on the computer or on paper. Choose the one you are MOST comfortable with. II. You can write an excellent essay if you remember all these tips! II. Understanding the TOEFL question: There are different types of TOEFL questions. You never know which question you will receive, so you must be prepared to write on ALL the types of questions. It is very important that you completely understand the question BEFORE you begin to write. Below are some different essay question types. 1. Choose a point of view and support that view. Example: Some people believe that university students should be required to attend classes. Others believe that going to classes should be optional for students. Which point of view do you agree with? Use specific reasons and details to explain your answer. This type of question asks you to...

Sometimes, it is difficult to figure out where to go with your argument. Aristotle in the Ars Rhetorica lists several inventio. Inventio, or "invention techniques" can help a writer generate ideas while brainstorming. Frequently, these tools can help you think about an issue and possibly develop individual paragraphs. Be warned that these techniques are not a panacea. Some work better than others in specific essays and arguments. For instance, in discussing whether or not healthcare should cover myofascial massage, it may be important to define what exactly a myofascial massage is, and how particular HMOs categorize it. But when writing an essay on automobiles, it seems unlikely one would need to define the word "car" for a reader. TECHNIQUE Narration How did it happen? Description How can it be described? Process How is it made? How is it done? How do you do it? Cause ...

One of our customers recently wrote to me with some feedback on our bingo games. I thought her comments were so typical and highlighted some misunderstandings and problems with ESL bingo. Her comments were -- It took a long time for my students to learn how the game is played but once they did they had a lot of fun. This is a very typical comment and illustrates a ms-conception. If native speakers were to play the same bingo game, it would be simple because we understand the vocabulary and the rules. And if we had questions about the rules, we could easily consult the rules and clarify our concerns. However, for a native speaker, the situation is very different. They don't understand the vocabulary, not the rules, where are in a foreign language. So, it is going to take some time to set up, and probably the first game will be difficult, but after that, our experience is students can't get enough! Here are some pointers and suggestions for playing bingo: * Prepare before you st...

Learning the lessons taught by failure is a sure route to success. (THESIS STATEMENT) The United States of America can be seen as a success that emerged from failure: by learning from the weaknesses of the Articles of Confederation, the founding fathers were able to create the Constitution, the document on which America is built. (BEST SUPPORTING EXAMPLE [1]) Google Inc., the popular Internet search engine, is another example of a success that arose from learning from failure, though in this case Google learned from the failures of its competitors. (NEXT BEST SUPPORTING EXAMPLE [2]) Another example that shows how success can arise from failure is the story of Rod Johnson, who started a recruiting firm that arose from Johnson’s personal experience of being laid off. (NEXT BEST SUPPORTING EXAMPLE [3]) The United States, the first great democracy of the modern world, is also one of the best examples of a success achieved by studying and learning from earlier failures. (TOPIC SEN...

Group 1 Sequencing / Listing First of all, ……….. In the first place, …………. To begin with ……….. First (ly), ……--> Second (ly), ….. --> Third (ly), ……. First, ….--> Next, …--> Then, ..… --> After that, ….---> Finally, ….. Group 2 Reinforcing Also, …………. Besides, ………. Furthermore, …………. In addition, …………… Moreover, ……………. Group 3 Equating In the same way, …………… Likewise, ………….. Similarly, ………….. Group 4 Summarising In conclusion, ………. In summary, ………… To conclude, ………... To sum up, …………. Group 5 Referring For example, ……….. For instance, ……….. In particular, ………… Particularly, …………. …… such as ……….. …..., that is, ……… ......., that is to say, ……… Group 6 Showing Results ……, namely, ……. As a result, ……… Consequently, ……. Hence, ……… So, ……….. Therefore, ……….. Thus, Group 7 Inferring In other words, …….. In that case, ……….. Then, …………… (Or) else, ……….. Otherwise, ………. Group 8 Giving Alternatives Alternatively, ………. On the other hand, ………….. Then again, ……………. Group 9 Restat...

"Hi, Hello, Thank you, and Goodbye" are common English expression that the Thai people use in their daily conversation among the Thai people. It is obvious that English is well known as an international language. It seems possible to attribute this to three things: English as an important language to traders, an official language in colonies of the British Empire, and finally English as one of the easiest languages to typeset. For the first factor, trader from English-speaking countries have been traveling around the global for a long time. People from non-English-speaking countries might not be able to communicate with these traders if they do not know how to speak English. Not understanding English when dealing with them has caused confusion and disputes. When they have problem with them, it will lead to trade delays and lower profits. On the other hand, understanding English reduces the trade delays and lower profits. On the other hand, understanding English reduces th...

When students learn the English language, they want to be able to communicate with native speakers. That is, they must be able to listen, to speak, to read and to write with them. To master these four skills efficiently, they cannot rely on only Thai teachers teaching English and many things should be done in order to improve their English skills. Therefore, in my opinion, there are three guidelines for any student who wants to achieve these goals. They are--studying English with native speakers of English, devoting much time and effort on learning and understanding all systems of rules, and practicing using them very often in the daily life conversation. As for the first guideline, it will be very lucky if any student has a good start learning English with the native speakers, since he or she can have early opportunity to listen and to speak the correct accents. Otherwise, his or her accents will be influenced by the mother tongue or the Thai language. Therefore, good model is nece...

George Bernard Shaw said famously that the American and the British were "two nations separated by a common language". Beneath are some instances of different usage in American and British language. You may already be aware of some of these differences, others may surprise you. US / UK Two weeks / Fortnight Legal holiday / Bank holiday Regular/special shareholders' meeting / Ordinary/extraordinary general meeting (of the shareholders) (Articles of incorporation and) bylaws / (Memorandum and) articles of association Income statement / Profit and loss account Currency exchange / Bureau de change President/Chairman / Chairman Chief Executive Officer / Managing director Realtor / Estate agent Real estate / Property Zip code / Post code Run (for office) / Stand (for office) Checking account / Current account Check / Cheque Mutual fund / Unit trust Penitentiary / Prison These are just a few examples. It is often worthwhile establishing whether your audience/the receivers of you...

People who are currently working usually want to succeed in their work and thus they eventually get promotion. Not every person can accomplish this goal. It depends on the different natures of work and different characteristics and capabilities of a particular person. Therefore, to get promotion at work, one should do at least three things--completion of assigned tasks, continuation of their further education, and participation in organization's activities. The first thing that someone should do in order to get promotion is the completion of assigned tasks. That person should do his work perfectly. Moreover, he should finish the assigned tasks in time. In addition, he should come to work regularly. When he has some reason not to attend his work, prior notice must be delivered. Besides, he should create good of favorable relations with colleagues. Finally, he should create good of favorable relations with colleagues. Finally, he should be a good employee by willingly accepting an...

Universities are places where students come to learn various courses from instructors. A good university must be able to support the learning process. It must have enough qualified instructors, many modern buildings with adequate high technology facilities, and the most of all good management. Being a place where students come to learn, it is important that universities have enough qualified instructors for every course. Being a qualified instructor for a course requires more than having knowledge in the course. It requires having adequate teaching skills. Without adequate teaching skills, knowledge will not be transferred to the students. It is also requires having proper personalities. An instructor without appropriate personalities will be unpopular and disliked. As for the second characteristic, a good university must have many buildings with adequate high technology facilities for students and employees. There must be enough rooms for the courses. The classrooms must be l...

One of the first important lessons a writer learns is that writing is a process, a series of steps that take an idea from concept to completed work. This is true whether the work is an article, a poem, a report, a short story or a book. Understanding this process -- and the role a writer plays in it -- is crucial to their success. One of the most important steps in this process is learning to look at one's own work objectively. To focus on the intended message and ensure that it is delivered properly. While that may seem obvious enough, as the work progresses, it can become blurred. As the old song goes, "I have so much to say; but the words get in my way." To clarify that 'blurring' effect, it is essential to be able to edit your own work. But how does a writer edit their own work? While the process may vary depending on the writer, there are six steps that are integral to editing. 1) COMPLETE THE DRAFT Novice writers should not attempt to edit as they write. Eve...

Restaurants provide food services to customers. People who have no time to cook are forced to eat at restaurants. They are also meeting places for these customers who want to arrange their special occasions in the restaurants, such as marriage's or birthday's parties. They are becoming more important to the society nowadays. However, restaurants do not provide the same level of services. Some provide poor services to customers. The others provide high level of services. Therefore, in my view, a good restaurant must be clean, have good services, and have reasonable prices of food. The first characteristic of a good restaurant is cleanness since it can provide good impression to the customers. A good restaurant must have its areas kept clean. This includes the front area where food is served and the customers sit and eat. It also includes the areas that are not visible to customers like the kitchen. Special care must be given to eating utensils, tools and materials used for pr...

This article on the 10 (no, 11... yes, 11) tips for newbies is not written from the catbird seat point of view of the article host or data base manager. Rather it is by and from the perspective of an author who remembers the early misgivings. It is written especially for the beginning article writer. The Tennessee Mountain Man has written and submitted hundreds of articles for publication to thousands of article hosts and database managers and still finds article writing his nemesis. 1. Necessity vs. Desire: Articles and Blogs are necessary in today's scheme of search engine indexing. Not what the newbie wants to hear. Just remember what the Bible says, "there has nothing over taken you that is not common to man". That's right! All of us hate article and Blog writing at times, and some of us dread the journey to pen and paper (or keyboard as the case may be) all the time. Many a web master would call them "a necessary evil" as they are not generally anyo...