Learning English Online is Free and Enjoyable

By Jessica Spinner

With the convenience and the technology of the Internet, when you want to learn to speak, read and write English you no longer have to take regular classes or travel to an English speaking country to do so. You can stay at home and take English online and study at you own pace without paying the costly tuition and other expenses that would otherwise be involved. The courses are designed to be very comprehensive and include listening passages, reading materials and games in addition to instruction, grammar exercises and quizzes.

The beginning course consists of lessons on:

- subject pronouns

- asking questions

- using the negative in sentences

- contractions

- prepositions of place

- nouns

- articles

- pronouns

- singular and plural

As you take this course, you will also have access to an instructor if you need any help other than that provided in the lessons. You are able to communicate with others taking the same course and these may be people in another country, which gives you a chance to make new friends online. In this way you are able to communicate in English to enhance your learning. You also have a study buddy with whom you can learn from and with each other.

The main focus on learning English is to learn the spelling rules, which include where and when to use capital letters, the different forms of punctuation and how to add suffixes and prefixes. The use of double consonants in English is different than in other languages because there are no double letters in the English language alphabet. You will learn which letters must be doubled when you add endings onto words. such as added ing to hit? hitting.

The next sections on the online English course will take you further into your learning with easy introductory lessons to a wide variety of concepts. Each of these lessons starts with a dialogue based on the concept that you can listen to and read along with the printed version of the dialogue. The lesson also contains key vocabulary words that will increase your level of English vocabulary.

For students English as a second language, when they first start the course they find it slow going because they have to try to translate the English words into their native language. For this reason, they have access to a dictionary in which they can look up English words and find what that word is in just about any language, including Chinese and Korean.

There is also an audio course offered online in which you listen to short passages at first and answer comprehension questions to make sure you understand what the passage is about. These start off with very simple topics and gradually increase in length and the complexity of the topic.

In order to attend college or university in English speaking countries or to immigrate to take a job, you do have to show that you are proficient in the language by taking a test in the basic skills required in speaking, reading, writing and listening. This type of course will prepare you to take this test and give you study tips as well as tips to help you write the required essay.

If you are interested in learning English online you should visit http://www.1-Language.com - This will teach you everything from prepositions of place to indirect questions and more.

Traveling in Your Host Country For ESL Teachers

By George Bellas

Teaching ESL overseas is a challenge. One of the first challenges with teaching abroad is transportation in your host country. Apart from the United States and Canada most countries use public transportation or mass transit to move their population around. If you have a chance to go to New York or Chicago then use those cities' to practice in before you go. Chicago has the elevated trains for commuters as well as regular trains and buses. New York has the subway and share taxis. Theses share taxis usually follow a route and hold from six to twenty people depending on how many they can shove in.

In the Philippines they are called Jeepnease. In Turkey they are called Dolmush. They will usually take you on routes off of the standard transportation routes that buses follow but not always. Many young people will recognize you as a foreigner and want to practice their English conversation skill with you. Some of them learn English online for free and need a native speaker to practice their conversation skills. They will often be very helpful if you need it.

Buses are a common mode of transportation for between cities. Most countries buses are fantastic. Some even have stewards to serve tea and snacks during the journey. The bathroom facilities on public transportation can be pretty bad so go be for you go. Also, always have the necessary hygiene products and anti-diarrhea medicine with you at all times. Door knobs, handles and other peoples' hands are a leading way that you will get sick so wash them, wash them and wash them again after traveling. Bus lines will often give you the option of buying a one way or round trip ticket. Always buy the round trip ticket. You may want to take a detour on your trip but at least you have a way home. If buses seats are not sold many times that run will be cancelled potentially leaving you stranded.

Taxis are last on the list because of expense and the isolation that they create between you and the local culture. First they are expensive on an ESL teacher's salary. Even if they are affordable, it is very easy to get taken by a driver fwho didn't turn on the meter or took you for a joy ride and wants full fair. This can break your budget in one bad cab ride. However, keep enough money in your pocket to jump in one during a blizzard or other emergency. The second and more important reason to avoid taxis is that it isolates you from the local culture. The other teachers and the students will be on public transportation. Many good relationships were born and new things learned by talking in the line at the station or bus stop. It also shows them that you are not better than they are but one of them.

The only mode of transportation that you don't want to buy local are your footwear. Have at least two pairs of shoes that have good support that you can stand in all day while you teach and then walk five miles in. You will be happier and healthier for them. Learning to use and ride the local transportation is in your best financial and social interest.

Learning English online Free English course

Common Mistakes in Learning a Preposition of Place

By Charles Johnson

Prepositions are part of the grammar of every language. In English some of these are used to denote the placement of people and objects. In this case, this is called a preposition of place. Even native English speakers have difficulty with this concept on times, so it should not come as a surprise for students of English as a second language when they have problems depending on their mother tongue. This is due to the fact that there are not many rules for using prepositions in English sentences.

There are rules, however for using some of the prepositions of place, especially the prepositions and The word refers to an object or person being inside something, such as a room. In this sentence, sleep in a bedroom the preposition shows that the person sleeps inside a room. If you want to say that there is an object inside a box, you also use the preposition so that a sample sentence could be he gift is in the box.

Refers to the surface of an object and is outside the object. In the sentence the plate is on the table? the preposition you that the plate is laid on the table. It is sometimes problematic for English language learners because it denotes a place in general, such as it a meeting it the airport or it school Sometimes it means that same thing if you substitute in for it in examples.

It is very helpful to use pictures when teaching or learning the concept of prepositions that denote place. When students can see the word printed in the proper location or a sentence in which the object is in the proper place in the picture, it is easier to tell the difference between how the words should be used in speaking and writing. Most online English courses do have pictures along with instruction in this concept to make it easier for students to understand.

The common prepositions used to denote place in English in addition to in it and in are:

- under

- between

- beside

- behind

- in front of

- next to.

When students can see how these words are used by the pictures they see, they will associate the words with the pictures and internalize these prepositions into their vocabulary.

Exercises on the use of these prepositions should include questions in which the students fill in the correct word to make a grammatically correct sentence as well as looking at a picture and filling in the correct preposition for each place. In the early stages of learning, it is helpful to provide students with a list of such prepositions to choose from and later they can fill in the correct words based on what they have learned without the use of the word list.

The online courses in English also offer students the opportunity to receive immediate feedback when they complete the various exercises and quizzes so that they can go back to review the instruction and take the exercises and quizzes as often as they wish until they answer all the questions correctly.

For more information on prepositions of place, indirect questions and other aspects of English grammar visit http://www.1-Language.com the best site to learn English online.

English Lesson Plans With Color Pictures

By Alexander Golishev

There has been an ongoing debate among ESL/EFL teachers whether color pictures and other visual aids can help learners of English improve vocabulary acquisition. As an ESL teacher, I have always been positively sure that color pictures and flashcards are the best way to introduce new vocabulary. Of course the quality of such pictures is very important. They should look fun and entertaining while also being highly education in nature. To my delight, I have recently found a study which proved my guess.

The Institute of Foreign Language Research has conducted a comprehensive survey in order to find out whether there was any improvement in levels of vocabulary acquisition with ESL students who were offered visual aids. The research was conducted in the USA, Australia, New Zealand, Canada, China, Russia, and Japan. In each of these countries the researchers divided students in two major groups. With the first group, they used visual aids such as color pictures and flashcards to introduce new vocabulary. While with the second group, they only used conventional vocabulary learning methods and techniques, such as translation and definition.

According to this survey, the students from the first group had a 30% higher level of vocabulary acquisition than their peers from the second group. A feedback from the students has also been collected in the form of individual interviews in which students had to answer the question: Do you believe color pictures can help you learn new words better and faster. 70 % of the students said they loved working with pictures and other visual aids and were having most fun in classes where pictures, flashcards and over visual materials were used.

Leaning vocabulary through visual aids has much to do with learns' psychology and psycholinguistics in general. A lot of prominent scientists believe our consciousness is not language-based, but rather image-based. That is we don't think in words and sentences, we think in images. So it seems a natural approach to learn new words through images. This is the shortest way to the students' memory because there is not wasting time on translation. Upon hearing a new word, students are able to see 'that thing' rather than relate it to a specific word in their own language.

Thus a lot of ESL teachers, and I among them, recommend using color pictures with any level EFL students.

Recession - The Best Time to Learn a Language

By Kenneth Leong

Recently I wrote that Britons are missing out on jobs at home and abroad because of their inability to speak languages other than English. Leonard Orban, the EU commissioner for multilingualism, says that small- to medium-sized companies in the UK are increasingly turning to foreign nationals to fill jobs that call for more than one language. In previous articles, I've explored the reasons why people need to learn a second language.

In recessionary times, it's even more important to keep improving and to consider learning a second language. Now is the time to be upskilling to future proof yourself. The ability to speak a second language puts your business or your job prospects one step ahead of the competition. You are also demonstrating to future employers that you have what it takes to stick to something. Employers realise that people who embark on language learning have some key characteristics that are highly valued in such times: commitment and dedication being some key ones.

The reasons people give for not learning a language include lack of time, the cost involved and the difficulty of the subject area. Part of what makes knowing a language a great skill to have is simply because it's not that easy for someone to acquire fluency. If it was, it would quickly lose it's value and won't be treasured as much.

Let's think about it this way. What if you manage to land a big business deal in Asia or Europe, or secure a great job, because you speak a second language? What if you get yourself out of a sticky situation in a foreign country because you speak the local language? What if you find the love of your life as a result of your language learning journey? I've certainly seen these things happen.

The economy may be going through recessionary times, but your personal life shouldn't. This is the time to be preparing yourself for the next boom.

Kenneth Leong is Director of Euroasia, New Zealand's premier provider of foreign language and cross cultural training programmes. Language courses offered include Spanish, French, German, Italian, Chinese, Japanese and Korean. Visit their site at: http://www.euroasia.co.nz

The Elegance of the Japanese Alphabet

By John Hubert

The Japanese Alphabet is an elegant system of writing that consists of two main scripts known as the Hiragana and Katakana alphabets.

It's these two writing scripts that comprise the some 100 kana characters that are used to write and pronounce every sound in the Japanese language. Learning the alphabet has always been a difficult task for new students, as the characters often bare little if any resemblance to one another.

One of the best strategies that people use to learn the kana is to associated mnemonics with each of the hiragana and katakana Japanese alphabet characters. An example would be examining the character 'tsu' and associating it with a tsunami wave. The character resembles a wave that is curved. Since anyone can associate a tsunami with a wave, all we need to take is the 'tsu' sound, and think of 'tsunami'.

Through a mnemonic technique such as this we're able to memorise a character that we perhaps normally wouldn't be able to. We can do this for a number of other characters, however it's often the 'tsu' character that poses many problems for new students of the Japanese alphabet.

As ones studies of the Japanese language progress, the other writing system or alphabet known as the kanji is learnt. This system of writing is quite complex as it consists of many thousands of characters, and thus a mastery of it would involve a mastery of Japanese itself. New students however will find the kanji to be quite daunting, and so the kana is the preferred system of writing, as it is used by the Japanese each and every day, and is also easier to learn than the kanji.

The kana is divided into both the hiragana and katakana alphabets. The hiragana is used by Japanese for native words whilst the katakana is more frequently used for foreign words and foreign names. A native Japanese person will typically write their name in the hiragana alphabet, whilst a foreigner will usually write their name in katakana.

There are a number of changes that can take place with the Japanese alphabet characters, such as the dakuten and handakuten. These modifications typically result in different sounds and meanings of characters. One thing is for certain is that learning the kana becomes easier the more you associate mnemonics with each character. In time, learning both the alphabets will become an easy task that you can easily fulfill.

John Hubert maintains a site on the Japanese Alphabet which also teaches ways of memorizing similar hiragana and katakana characters.

Learning English

By Dr Birbal Jha

Very recently I had an interaction with a correspondent of a national newspaper, who had come to British Lingua for enrolling his wife in the institute. Before the admission formalities he wanted to know whether the methodology of teaching English followed here was the one he cherished in his mind. He put a volley of questions to the counsellor. His main concern was whether English was taught here through the Direct Method. He wanted a method where the learner is directly exposed to an English speaking environment, and one where grammar, etc is taught. He wanted that his wife should get an opportunity to hear people speak only English. That, he thought, was the best, nay, the only way one could learn good spoken English.

So far so good. True, very true; the best method to learn a language is the direct one. But then I suggested that in that case he would better send his wife to an English-speaking country, preferably England itself. Alternatively, such an English-speaking environment should be created at home where she lives.

But is it possible for each Indian learner to go to England to learn English? He, then, admitted the fact that he would not be able to send his wife there. Also, it was neither possible to create a complete English environment at his home for this purpose.

I have my personal experience and feelings that we need an exposure to an English environment when we want to speak that language. But in trying to to learn a language you need to understand the methodology of learning a second language or L-2.

As a matter of fact, many of the adult learners feel bored and inconvenienced when directly put into the direct method. Although it is okay for the children. The adults get discouraged and retreat from such experience. Finally they drop the very idea of learning the language.

What the adults need is an easy-going situation. Once they learn the basics they are quick enough to pick up the words and speak the language. Even personally, I have been quite opposed to teaching the rules of grammar in a textbookish fashion. The learners should not be made to parrot the definitions of grammatical terms which are of no use in communication. But, of course, you need to learn the basic rules of the grammar of a language you wish to learn and use. For example, you take the word 'watch'. It is okay to explain that watch can be used both as a noun and as a verb. For example, we can say - He is watching television, or, He has a wrist watch, or, He keeps a watch on everything happening around him. The actual usage gives you an idea how grammar functions here. In fact, once you have understood how a noun or a verb functions, you may easily understand how a noun or a verb behaves. Hence, the best way to teach a learner is how the sentences are framed, or how the sounds are produced and so on.

Moreover, every language has its own idioms and collocations. Take an example, - we can say, I have a bath daily, I take a bath daily, but never, I do a bath daily. The noun 'bath' collocates with the verbs 'have' or 'take' but not with 'do' or 'make'. This should be explained to the learners so that they may speak the language in tune with the native idiom of the language.

We need to understand the basics of language learning process and its niceties, subtleties and intricacies. We must not be impractical in our approach. Many of the Indians have proved that their English is better than those of many of the native speakers. Hence, you too can learn good English provided you follow practical methods of learning.

Birbal Jha, born at Sijaul in Madhubani, Bihar, 1972; Ph D, M A, M Com, PGD in journalism, Patna University; Founder, British Lingua, the leading language training institute of India; Editor, Lingua Bulletin, a widely circulated English language teaching monthly published from Delhi; Author, a host of books on the English language as well as subjects of general interest; quoted in the New York Times and the People's Chronology Encyclopaedia.

Spanish Language Roots - Tracing Spanish Back to Roman Times

By Anthony Hendriks

Spanish language roots can be traced back to Roman times. Spanish is the fourth largest spoken language in the world. It is becoming increasingly important in the United States as the Latin communities grow there. Learning Spanish has become very important for American companies looking to market to the Spanish community.

Spanish is a very old language that can be traced back to Roman times. Latin was the spoken and written language of the Roman Empire. The empire was very large however and covered most of the known world. During the 3rd century, the Roman Empire was invaded by the Visigoths. These barbarians came from the area we now know as Germany.

There was an attempt to translate the Visigoth language into Latin. Slowly, Vulgar Latin, a mix of Latin and Visigoth, grew out of the Visigoth area of the Roman Empire. Vulgar Latin is the mother of all the Romance Languages that we know today. These include:

• Spanish

• Portuguese

• French

• Italian

• Romanian

During the 4th to 7th centuries the Visigoths invaded and occupied what we know now as Spain. This is where Vulgar Latin was truly born. Modern Spanish can be dated back to the conquest of Moorish Spain by Isabella of Castile and Ferdinand of Aragon. Spanish is spoken today by more than 332 million people around the world. Spanish was spread throughout the world as Spain explored and conquered distant lands with naval exploration. Mexico and the America's are some examples of this exploration and the simulation of the Spanish language.

Software packages you can run on your computer can make learning Spanish easy. Learning Spanish can be fun and is very important for anyone who is in sales or the customer service industry. Spanish speaking people now make up a huge part of the world economy. Now is the time to learn Spanish and it has never been easier.

If you would like to review some of the best Spanish learning software packages available to learn Spanish, visit http://www.yourlanguagelearn.com You will also find some interesting language trivia and learning tips and resources on the site. See you there!

When Your ESL Students Don't Approve of Halloween

By Jane Wangersky

Halloween is a new and confusing holiday for most ESL learners - and for some, it's also controversial.

A few years ago, as I was teaching a class of adults about Halloween, one student said that he and his wife and children wanted no part of the holiday, because their church taught that it was (in his words) "devil day".

Many people, including ESL students, sincerely feel that their beliefs won't let them celebrate Halloween - and will tell you so. What does an ESL teacher do when confronted with a statement like this? Argue that Halloween is harmless fun? Drop the subject and switch to irregular verbs for the rest of the class?

We don't have to do either. I think we all know better than to get into what would end up as a religious argument with students. Avoiding the subject isn't the way to go, either. Halloween is a reality of North American life that touches people whether they like it or not.

That's the best place to begin. Tell the students they need to know what to expect on the night of October 31st - trick-or-treating, firecrackers, pumpkins and all. Next, get into why these things happen: the pagan and Christian roots of the celebration. Explain the ancient Celtic new year and the All Saints' Day custom of beggars asking for food in exchange for their prayers. Explain, also, that Halloween celebrations began in Britain died out there, but lived on in the U.S. and Canada (as one of my TESL instructors said, it's the colonies that preserve the old traditions). In other words, give the class information rather than advocacy for either side. Even students who don't celebrate Halloween may find its background interesting.

You'll probably want to avoid Halloween crafts, or anything else that would make the class feel as if they were involved in getting ready for the holiday - or have an alternate activity ready. Halloween activities could also be optional take-home work.

Handle this potential controversy with respect for all involved, and you'll be demonstrating a little bit of what makes our society great.

Jane Wangersky is an ESL teacher and author. To get a reading for your ESL class right now, visit her site, The ESL Dollar Store.

Here's 4 Criteria to Become a Professional Translator

By Cheow Yu Yuan

Due to globalization, more businesses are expanding into overseas markets. Some markets such as China and Thailand are non-English speaking countries. Therefore, the need for professional translation service is at the highest demand than ever. These businesses will need to translate their professional business documents such as business and marketing plans to the native language. And as a professional translator, you can definitely make money from them.

If you wish to be a translator, you need to know foreign languages well. Other than knowing various foreign languages, you still need to possess the skill to make the right analysis of the meaning of the target language. Therefore, someone who only knows many foreign languages may not be a good translator. Additionally, it will be good if you are a native speaker of the target language as you will tend to understand more about the dialect and culture of the way they speak.

If your dream is to become a professional translator, this article can help you in your quest. Let me share with you 4 criteria that you need to fulfil first before you can become a professional translator:

1. Must know how to read and speak different languages. Knowing how to read and speak different languages is a must if you want to become a translator. If you cannot read foreign languages, there is no way you will be able to translate one language to another accurately. To pick up other languages, you can start attending language classes or reading useful sources such as bilingual dictionaries.

2. Must know how to write well. In order to be a translator, you need to write well. Copywriting skill is something that you cannot afford not to have. When it comes to copywriting, there are different styles of writing based on the type of language that you are writing for. Also, do take note on the punctuation and paragraphing. Proper punctuation and paragraphing will increase the readability and value of the translated materials.

3. Be a good listener. When you are listening to what your client is saying, you need to grasp key notes and specific vocabulary in order to translate a speech accurately. With regular exercises, this skill can be developed over time.

4. Get yourself bilingual dictionaries and utilize them. A bilingual dictionary is a great resource for you to master foreign languages. Do not just leave them on your book shelf. Utilise them and take action. Take note and practise speaking. With more practice, the better you will become.

These are the 4 criteria you must have in order to become a professional translator. Do remember that a good translator is not born overnight. A translator is good because of the amount of hard work and due diligence he or she has put in.

For language translation service, visit WhizWordz now: Click Here --> Japanese Translator and other language services at http://www.WhizWordz.com Feel free to publish this article on your website, or send it to your friends, as long as you keep the resource box and the content of the article intact.