HOT HINTS FOR ENGLISH AS SECOND LANGUAGE

I have learned some hints for learning and improving English, some I have read and others I have learned by myself.

#HINTS THAT I HAVE LEARNED FROM OTHERS:

LISTENING
· Listen to English in the radio;
· Listen to your favourite music and read the lyrics;
· Watch TV in English;
· Watch DVD without subtitles and with.

READING
· Use different resources, books;
· Have an English-English dictionary ( Longman or Oxford for advanced learners);
· Read daily as much you can;
· Make friends and exchange correspondences (e-mails, letters);
· Surf on the internet in English on your favourite subjects.

SPEAKING
· Have some regular conversation with an English-speaking person, whether impossible, do it with an English language classmate;
· Chat in English with your friends, overcome your fears;
· Join a conversation class in your home town.

WRITING
· Make friends and exchange correspondences (e-mails, letters);
· Write a secret diary in English, then you can write daily.

SEVERAL SKILLS
· Volunteer to be an assistant in English classes at a local school.


# HINTS THAT I HAVE LEARNED BY MYSELF:

LISTENING
· Call a toll-free number and try to understand the intructions of some institutions, such as bank, credit card.

READING
· Read everything you have in your hands, and look for more, and you are always looking for something to read;
· Periodically, make revisions from your notes;
· Do not use an English-Portuguese dictionary, just in case of emergency you can use it;
· Have an English Grammar book.

SPEAKING
· Friendship is always important, but prefer making foreign friends, if not you'll speak in your native language. But the English language mustn't be above human values, it means that you should have friends that know more English than you, you can also have friends that know less English, in this case you'll be teaching and simultaneously learning, too.

WRITING
· Write in English as much you want, and you always want to write in English, for example, your    
   perssonal notes;
· Take notes from everything that is new;
· Keep your notes organised.

SEVERAL SKILLS
· An English course in an English-speaking country (Great Britain, USA  etc) isn't so much better for learning it than in your own country, because the methods aren't so different and they don't do miracles. Then, if you compare costs and benefits, maybe it's better studying in your country, but if you have a high English level and you'd like to polish it, I think it is a good idea;
· If you have an English teacher, ask him when you have doubts or questions, but don't make your English teacher's life hell, disturbing him all the time, you can become a very annoying student;
· Record your reading in loud voice, then whilst listening to it you can improve your pronunciation and practice your listening to at the same time.



Sep 10th, 2007