Spell Better by Using These Spelling Strategies

By Celia Webb

Spelling English words can be challenging. Schools and businesses expect correct spelling. The better your spelling skills are, the more likely you are to do well in communicating your ideas whether you write scholarly papers, articles, or advertisements.

Apply these simple strategies to improve your spelling skills.

Use mnemonics. Mnemonics are rhymes or phrases which make memorization easier. A common spelling mnemonic is "i before e, except after c or when sounded as a as in neighbor and weigh". You can make up your own mnemonic for any word you find difficult or for remembering other spelling rules.

Say it right. Many of us get a little lazy in our everyday conversations and do not pronounce words properly. For instance, it is fairly common to drop the "g" at the end of the "-ing" suffix. So running becomes "runnin". While people will understand what you mean, if you spell the word the way you say it, you would be incorrect. Be sure you pronounce a word correctly and you are more likely to get the spelling correct as well.

Play word games. Improve your spelling skills by playing fun word games. Word searches, hangman, crosswords, Scrabble, and other word puzzles reinforce spelling skills. You can buy books which contain collections of word puzzles or search the internet on any of the games mentioned here.

Research. There are two areas you can research which will give you excellent practice material. Search the internet for "spelling lists". Download those that interest you and use them to learn how to spell new words. The other area to search is for Latin and Greek roots, prefixes, and suffixes. More words in the English language are based on these two languages than are based on Old English! Learning the Latin and Greek roots and affixes (prefixes and suffixes) will increase your spelling skills tremendously.

Know which word you are spelling. Many "spelling" errors are actually problems with selecting the correct word. Homonyms are often the culprits. Homonyms are words that are spelled differently but sound the same (homophones) or words which are spelled the same but have different meanings and different pronunciations (homographs). One of the most commonly confused group of homonyms is their, they're, and there. Spend time reviewing the most commonly misused words. Make sure you clearly understand when to use each word and what its meaning is.

You can be a better speller. Faithfully practice every day using one or more of the spelling strategies presented here. You will very quickly see your spelling is improving.

Celia Webb, President of Pilinut Press, Inc., publishers of advanced readers for children and ESL students. Check out http://www.pilinutpress.com for more free articles on developing reading-related skills, word games and puzzles, and activity sheets for the company's entertaining and educational books.

You Can Learn French in Under Three Months - A Great Tool For Traveling!

By Lynn Halladay

Have you decided on learning French? If so, there are a few tips that will make things much easier for you. Here are a few of the best ones to help you make the learning process more exciting and to assist you in grasping the language much more easily.

No matter why you're thinking about picking up French, you probably feel just a little bit intimidated. Most of the students we talk to feel like the journey is impossible, and that it'll take them years to learn to speak this new language.

The good news is that this doesn't have to be the case. While many courses and schools do still use outdated methods that make learning a new language seem a lot more like a chore, there are also some great self study courses out there. They use a wider variety of methods, developed by psychologists, to help you reduce the time and effort it takes to learn a new language.

While you might be thinking about enrolling in a course at a school or hiring a tutor, remember that these might not give you the kinds of results you want. That's because most classes have too much of a focus on reading and writing, and not enough on speaking.

Since most students' biggest goal is actually speaking French, this fact can be pretty frustrating. That means that one of the best choices is finding a self study program that allows you to learn on your own, and focuses on teaching you conversational French.

Here are a few tips to make your learning experience even better.

1) Remember what your mom said and be sure to listen

It really is amazing how much information you'll pick up about another language just by listening to it. Even though you might not understand everything, there's still an enormous benefit from listening to other people talk in French. You'll understand the flow of the language much better and gradually pick up structure and new terms.

Watching French movies with subtitles in English is another smart idea. This method allows you to listen to the language while reading the meaning, and eventually absorb the French words.

In fact, one student once downloaded an entire season of a television series in French. She watched them all, and by the end had improved her skills significantly. She even picked up some interesting nuances and had a good grasp of slang.

2) Practice but don't practice too much

You've probably heard that practice makes perfect, and this is true in many situations. However, one of the big reasons that people give up on learning French is because it begins to feel boring and like a chore.

You'll need to vary how you practice, and make sure you do what's needed to keep up your levels of motivation. It's not a good idea to set a strict schedule to learn by unless that's the way you learn best. Try to include a little French every day, in some form, instead.

That allows you to engage in the language without feeling restricted by a particular schedule.

3) Vary your practice and mix things up

Remember that while you want to include some French in your daily routine, you don't want to do the same thing and bore yourself. That means you should mix up what you do and when.

Put on a television or radio show in French, do a lesson from your course, or talk with a French speaking friend or neighbor. If you read the newspaper, choose a few paragraphs and think about the best way to translate them into French.

There are many different ways to engage with this language.

Truly learning the language requires you to vary how you learn and use different parts of your brain to learn faster. You'll retain more information and pick up the language much more quickly.

That's why some online study courses have been so successful. They do a wonderful job of providing a good variety of material. That keeps students interested and helps them get the right kind of stimulation.

If you're learning French, it shouldn't have to feel like a full time job. If you go about it correctly, it can actually be exciting and fun. Find the right course of study, follow the tips here and stick with it, and you'll be speaking the language in no time.

Click Here to learn how to start a free trial of the top-ranked self-study French program online. It`s a great way to learn to speak French on your own without having to pay for any expensive lessons!

The Best Way to Learn How to Speak Italian

By Jack Jimmy

Italian is a language that is spoken by more than 60milion people and if you are someone who is interested In learning how to speak it you would most likely what to know what the best is to do so. The good news though is that there are several good ways to learn this language and this article would show you some of them.

The thing you need to understand is that there is really no one way which is the best way to learn how to speak this language and the reason is that why you want to learn and how much of it you want to learn is what determines what would be the best way to learn this language. For instance if you are looking to learn this language because you would soon be moving to a country where Italian is the primary language or because you need it for your job, the best way would probably be for you to go to a college to learn this language

if you are just looking to learn it because you like Italian or because you have friends or family who speak Italian and you like to be able to communicate with them, the best way would probably be to get someone who is really good in this language to teach you or you can teach yourself using a language learning software or using audio tapes which you can get online.

All in all, good ways to learn how to speak Italian include using a language learning software, going to a college to learn it or getting someone to teach you. The best way really depends on why you want to learn it and how well you want to learn it.

You can learn how to speak Italian using a software known as Rocket Italian and if you would like to find out more about it you can do so by Clicking Here Now

Tips on How to Motivate Your English Language Learners to Study ESL

By Dorit Sasson

Rod Ellis defines motivation as referring to "the efforts which learners put into learning an L2 as a result of their need or desire to learn" (1995).

The two main types of motivation, intrinsic and extrinsic, can affect the learning process. Intrinsic motivation is task motivation that derives from an inherent interest in the learning tasks while extrinsic motivation refers to the external influences that affect the strength of learner's motivation such as that which comes from teachers and parents.

While some students have their own intrinsic motivation or external motivation, other students need to be motivated to learn. There are many things that you can do as a teacher in order to motivate students to learn. These strategies are based on various articles I have read below.

Students are more likely to want to learn when they appreciate the value of the classroom activities, and when they believe that they will succeed if they apply reasonable effort. Hence, "student motivation to learn is an acquired competence developed through general experiences but stimulated most directly through modeling, communication of expectations, and direct instruction or socialization by significant others - especially teachers and parents" (Brophy, p.40) When it comes to lower performing learners, teachers realize that such learners are accustomed to experiencing failure, hence, the teacher's task is to help them experience success.

Here are some strategies and tips that may motivate students and stimulate them to learn.

• Provide a supportive environment and establish a trusting bond. "Motivation is the feeling nurtured primarily by the teacher in the learning situation" (Ellis, 1994). Greet your students, interact with them, indicate a personal concern about them as individuals.


• Cater levels of activity to students' level - try and make sure that the learning tasks pose a reasonable challenge to the students - neither too difficult nor too easy.


• Help students recognize links between effort outcome - learning is a long term plan of effort and investment.


• Break down learning steps into digestable pieces.


• Minimize student's performance anxiety during learning activities.

Articles on Motivating Students

Brophy, J. Synthesis of Research for Motivating Students to Learn. Educational Leadership, Oct. 1987. p.40-48. (article summary)

Ellis, R. (1994) The Study of Second Language Acquisition. Oxford: Oxford University Press.

For more tips and links on ESL and to sign-up for your FREE ebook "Taking Charge in the Classroom" visit The New Teacher Resource Center at http://www.newteacherresourcecenter.com When you do, you'll also receive a FREE bimonthly Ezine containing tips, news and information. My special report on differentiated instruction is now available at: http://tinyurl.com/5lbw4a Dorit Sasson is an ESL instructor at CCAC Allegheny College in Pittsburgh, PA. She is the creator of the New Teacher Resource Center.

Language Translation Services - Are We Asking Too Much?

By Charles Tao

A couple of days ago, a generic term of a contract peeved me while I was engaged in translating it into Chinese for there was not a counterpart in Chinese vocabulary as far as I know. Therefore I put it into the search engine of a language translation service which immediately stepped out several lexical items and I chose the closest according to the context. It is something I try not to do too much thinking if there is a valuable resource available and language translation services just play this role.

Once click the mouse to search the services or applications of language translation, one may find thousands of relative items. Baidu, Google, yahoo, etc. are big names of translation services. Chinese to English, Chinese to German, Chinese to Spanish or vice versa, you name it, they have it. The information they provide is amazing, too. One can find the original meaning of a word as well as its derivative meanings in a few seconds which just like an encyclopedia. One thing I appreciate very much is the function of prompting words. People like me, are apt to forget the complete spelling of words if they are not occasionally used. What I need is to input the beginning alphabets and select the right one. It is really helpful.

However, there is not always good news; just every coin has two side language translation services have shortcomings as well. Mostly, I enjoy the convenience and pleasure they bring to me. From a single word to a sentence, even the whole article, just waiting a few seconds, the result is appeared. It sounds amazing, right? However, when I look into the corresponding translation, it really depresses me because the translation of the whole sentence looks like a sequence of haphazard codes without logic, not to mention the translation of a paragraph.

This reminds me of the period when nearly everyone was annoyed by the 8000 words graduation thesis and its fussy format. The first step of us to do was to collect useful information through the internet. Inevitably, some of the information was written in Chinese and this was the golden opportunity of the application of language translation services. A classmate of mine even adopted the total corresponding translation without doing a little readjustment and handed it to his tutor. It would surely save time and energy for at least he didn't need to type the thesis letter by letter. Just imagine the result! He was forced to rewrite his thesis from the very beginning and had to say a lot of good words to beg his tutor to give him another chance.

I do not think this phenomenon only exists in such a small sphere. Walking in the street, one can find various logos and signboards written in English while some of them make me both annoying and funny occasionally which are idiomatical Chinglish. The inaccuracy can be found in grammar, syntax, collocation, etc and the trace of copying directly from the language translation services is obvious. Of course, no one has rights to ask the others not to make mistakes. But it is the responsibility of everyone to make things which are showed to the public correctly.

Here are my guidelines to language translation services: take them just as information providers and do not let them overwhelm my own thinking. A passage or a translation is the creation of one's hardworking. I am seeking delights by writing something, in other words, it fulfills some of my pursuits in the process of writing. I do appreciate the good points that language translation services provide. Since translation is viewed as recreation, just use our own mind to decide how to compose it rather than mechanically copying.

Sana Transhorsa translation Co.,LTD.,Shanghai http://www.transhorsa.org Native translation & Proofreading

Take an English Course in England, and Learn the English Way

By James Ong-Fox

There are destinations all across England in which a student can travel to to attend an English Course. This article aims to help a student considering attending an English Course to choose which destination in which to learn.

England's history provides an excellent opportunity for international students attending an English course to learn and enrich their knowledge of English Culture and History. English history is truly diverse; as it consists of ruling Monarchies from across Europe, including the Romans, the Normans and the Vikings. Therefore, considering its diverse history, any international students considering attending an English Course in England will be openly welcomed as the English are accustomed to newcomers in their land. The historical landmarks within England (such as Stonehenge, Big Ben and the Tower of London) are intriguing and highly educational. For an international student attending an English Course in England, having access to such cultural and educational places it will not only improve their knowledge of the English language and culture but also assist their studies on their English Course. To have the experience of visiting these places also enables a student to discuss the place to which they went during their English Course in England.

Attending an English Course in England means an international student has the opportunity to learn and perfect their English language knowledge in the language's native environment.

England's massive tourist industry is also accommodating towards international students and provides a large range of exciting and interesting things to do for someone attending an English course. Places such as London, Salisbury and Eastbourne are known for their tourist attractions and these places are definitely great places to attend an English Course.

Last bat not least, by attending and English Course at an English School provides students with the opportunity to make new friends.

I hope this article proves useful to any students considering attending an English Course in England. I strongly recommend England as an excellent destination where a student can not only have fun but also learn whilst studying on their English Course.

3rd November 2008 James Ong-Fox

James Ong-Fox is an experienced worldwide traveller, currently working in TWIN GROUP marketing department, a leading company in education and training. Twin Group offers English courses in London, Eastbourne, and Salisbury Internships in the UK, summer vacation courses, group travel programmes, language courses worldwide and work & volunteer programmes abroad.

What it Takes to Learn Basic Spanish Online

By B Matheson

Thanks to major advances made in technology and Internet connection speeds we do a lot more then just send and read email over the web. There are sites popping up all over the web that will help you learn to speak a new language, play a musical instrument and even run a business.

So what does it take to learn basic Spanish over the Internet? That's the focus of this article.

Using What's out there for Free

There's a wealth of free material on the web, and if you're just looking to get the basics down you can likely do so without having to spend a buck of your own money.

First stop should be either Google video or YouTube. Both of these websites are adding new videos daily. Do a search for "Spanish lessons" or "learn Spanish". On either site you'll get several videos pop up.

I suggest using videos because this is the new medium of the web, how ever there are some audios you can use as well.

To find free audios to learn basics Spanish phrases from do a search for "learn Spanish podcasts". I've come across a few in different news letters and on podcast and audio book educational websites.

While it might take some time searching for videos and audios that are free it's worth it once you find them.

What about learning Conversational and Advanced Spanish?

If you're goal is to become conversational with a second language such as Spanish then using the free tutorials and tools available online might take some time to piece together a worth while lesson plan shall we call it.

Instead it might be worth the investment of a few bucks in a quality learn to speak Spanish software package.

These, like websites, are popping up all over the place as well. How ever it's important not to just grab any old software program that says it's going to teach you to speak Spanish.

Often times these programs are just as confusing as using the free materials available online.

Use this basic list to find a good software product to learn the basics of Spanish.

1.) Does it teach you every day phrases and important words, rather then a big vocabulary

2.) Does the program teach you pronunciation (does it offer speech recognition).

3.) Does the program go from beginner to advanced lessons

All three of the points made above are important to consider before you buy a piece of software to ensure that you're getting your money's worth.

The most important of all being that the software package teaches you everyday phrases and worth while vocabulary from the Spanish language.

To many programs and websites concentrate on teaching you hundreds of words, how ever you never learn how to piece them all together into phrases and sentences that you can speak to another native Spanish speaking individual.

For a fantastic learn to speak Spanish software package consider Tell Me More Spanish. It offers lessons from beginner to advanced, and a cutting edge speech recognition feature. Read more about it in this Tell me More Spanish review. To read about more Spanish Learning software check out our learn Spanish reviews.

10 Basic Figures of Speech - An Easy Guide

By Rakesh Ramubhai Patel

The use of figure of speech in creative writing gives ideas or sentiments a unique perspective. It involves a deviation from the more commonly used form of word order or sentence construction. Writers usually employ such figures of speech embellish their composition.

This article is attempted to throw light on various figures of speech that will help you realize how you can craft your writing to meet your expectations.

1. Simile

It is a specific comparison made by means words such as "like" or "as" between two kinds of objects. "Reason is to faith as the eye to the telescope", an example of simile.

2. Metaphor

It uses a word or phrase denoting one kind of idea in place of other word or phrase in order to suggest a likeness between the two.

3. Anticlimax

It involves a series of ideas that suddenly diminish in importance at the end of a sentence or passage. It is used to bring satirical effect.

4. Antithesis

It is a juxtaposition of two words, phrases, clauses, or sentences contrasted in meaning to offer emphasis to contrasting ideas. "To err is human, to forgive divine", is a fine example of antithesis.

5. Climax

It is an arrangement of words, clauses, or sentences in the order of their significance. The least powerful comes first and the others. "It is an outrage to bind a Roman citizen; it is a crime to scourge him; it is almost parricide to kill him; but to crucify him-what shall I say of this?" This particular example rightly tells what climax means.

6. Conceit

It is an elaborate and often extravagant metaphor. It makes an analogy between totally dissimilar things. The term originally means concept or idea. Conceits were widely used in the 17th-century metaphysical poetry. In "A Valediction: Forbidding Mourning", John Donne uses it where the image of the joined arms of a pair of compasses is used to demonstrate the attachment of a pair of lovers; even when one makes s move, the two are attached closely being one.

7. Euphemism

It involves substitution of an inoffensive term or phrase for one that has coarse or sordid unpleasant associations, for instance in the use of words like "toilet" for "lavatory", and "pass away" for "die".

8. Hyperbole

It is a form of inordinate exaggeration. It means a person or thing is portrayed as being better or worse than the actual one. For example, "Dr. Jonathan drank his tea in oceans".

9. Irony

It is humorous or lightly sarcastic mode of speech. Words are used here to convey a meaning contrary to their literal meaning.

10. Personification

It involves representation of inanimate or abstract ideas as living beings. The sentence, "Necessity is the mother of invention" can help you make out this idea better.

The close study of these figures of speech will help you understand the sense of crafting your ideas and imagination in creating fine piece of literature, poetry or other mode of writing.

Rakesh Patel, a master degree holder in English literature has been serving as a lecturer for the last five years finds his efficiency in writing on various topics like English literature, education, philosophy and more.

Learn English in Three Top UK Destinations

By James Ong-Fox

Every year thousands of international students travel to England to attend English Courses. For the student it can be a long and tiresome decision to find the best English Course in the best possible English School in the most suitable destination in England. With this article, we hope to make the decision simpler for international students to choose the right English Course at the best English school.

Our first recommendation is London as a place to attend an English Course. London has a mass of different English schools giving the student a huge range to choose from. One of the reasons why we recommend the capital is because it offers so many different English Courses to suit different requirements and expectations. This gives the student the opportunity to find an English Course that suits them perfectly. Attending an English Course at an English School in London provides the student with chances to visit the many awesome tourist and historical sights, enhancing the student's knowledge of English culture and also assisting the student's progress on their English Course. London is arguably the most exciting city in England, offering excellent nightlife as well as shopping experience. Therefore, when the student is not attending their English Course in London, they will have plenty of things to do in their spare time.

Our second recommendation is the seaside city of Eastbourne. It is an incredibly beautiful and calm place with a laid-back attitude and friendly faces everywhere. It offers excellent English Courses. Eastbourne's location is excellent for any student considering attending an English Course. It is within an hours train ride of both London and Brighton. An English Course in Eastbourne would definitely provide the student with a view into laid-back, British country life as well as an accessible portal into the buzz of the exciting cities.

Our final recommendation is the historical town of Salisbury. Salisbury is home to the tallest cathedral in the UK, and is also 750 years old. It is rich in English History and culture, so to attend an English Course in Salisbury in this very British place will help the student not only improve their English, but also improve their knowledge of Britain. It is also home to one of the world's oldest manmade structures: the famous Stonehenge. Not only is Salisbury home to some of the most historical sights Britain has to offer, but it is also home to some of the best English Schools providing some of the best English Courses the UK has to offer.

© 5th November 2008 James Ong-Fox

James Ong-Fox is an experienced worldwide traveller, currently working in TWIN GROUP marketing department, a leading company in education and training. Twin Group offers English courses in London, Eastbourne, and Salisbury, Internships in the UK, summer vacation courses, group travel programmes, language courses worldwide and work & volunteer programmes abroad.

2 Easy Ways to Learn Spanish - The Best Ways to Easily Cut Your Learning Curve in Spanish

By Prescott Hardcastle

Wouldn't you like to learn the Spanish language quickly and with the least amount of hardcore studying as possible?

Learning a second language takes a lot of patience. To tackle anything new requires a healthy commitment of time and energy.

Luckily, there are some great short cuts I want to share with you to help make the learning of a foreign language both enjoyable and fun.

First, I recommend you watch films in English with Spanish subtitles. Fortunately, today's DVD's come with bonus features that include foreign language subtitles. Go to your local rental store and search in their DVD section of "World Cinema" films. Online stores such as Amazon, Blockbuster and Netflix are also fully stocked with many of these films, and at bargain prices.

Another tip is for you to do a search for "Spanish dual-language books" at Amazon. These books are extremely helpful in reviewing your knowledge of Spanish. If you are an intermediate to advanced student of the Spanish language it will help reinforce what you already have learned, it will expand your vocabulary, and open you up to the rich Latin culture.

If you are a beginner, simply select books that are at the level of a young reader. Read a passage in Spanish and then check if you have the correct understanding by then reading the English translation.

Whatever level you are at, films and books will help you develop a deeper understanding of the Spanish language and help you significantly cut your learning curve.

Want to know how to learn Spanish fast all you have to do is click here now.