Minggu, 23 Desember 2012

Tips to Improve English Speaking Skills




The following 10 tips will help you to improve your English speaking skills and help you feel more confident when you talk.

1.    Practice speaking with other people as much as possible.  If possible try to practice in authentic speaking situations.   Maybe you could join a club or organisation, to help you get more English speaking practice.
2.    Practice speaking by yourself.  You can practice speaking about a particular topic, or write question cards and practice answering them.
3.    Develop your vocabulary so you are able to talk about different topics. Try and learn new words that are useful in different contexts.  Using a thesaurus is a good way to develop your vocabulary.
4.    Practice changing the tone of your voice.  Listen to native English speakers and note the way they say things – the tone of their speech.   Do they sound friendly/unfriendly, bored/interested, kind/cruel.    Listen to how their tone affects the message they are giving you.   Try and vary your tone when you are speaking.
5.    Try and place extra emphasis on the important parts of what you are saying.  English is a rhythmical language which means that in any sentence some words are stressed more to indicate their importance in the message.
6.    Make a note of times when you are asked to repeat yourself.  This may indicate a problem with your pronunciation or accent, and tell you which areas you need to practice on.
7.    To improve your English speaking skills, find a partner to practice your English with.  It is advisable to find someone at the same level as you, but has a different first language.  That way you will be forced to practice in English!
8.    Practice your grammar skills.   Record yourself speaking and try to identify your grammar errors.  Study up on your mistakes and try again.
9.    Practice reading aloud.  When you read, think about the different syllable sounds within the words.
10. Record yourself speaking and check your volume and speed.  Are you speaking loud enough?   Are you speaking too quickly?   If you speak too quickly other people will have difficulty understanding you.  Remember to pause when required.



Remember, to improve your English speaking skills you need to  
PRACTICE, PRACTICE, PRACTICE.

Strategies for Improving Speaking Skills in English Learning

English language learners (ELL) may find speaking the hardest part of learning English. Classroom instruction heavily favors reading, writing and listening skills, but speaking skills should be an integral part of English learning. For strategies for improving speaking skills, the ELL classroom should provide variety in practical speaking situations and use role-playing and presentations to boost student confidence.

1. Group Interaction

          To help your English language learning classroom enjoy practicing speaking in English, use interactive strategies to help them build fluency when speaking. Spend time talking about favorite music groups and song titles and bring that music and lyrics of their favorite songs to class. Bring a copy of each song's lyrics for each student to read over. Listen to the song carefully, and then lead your ELL class into chanting the lyrics. Music and poetry contain a cadence that lends itself to speaking fluently. Practice as a group so your class feels the beat more. Lead a discussion on favorite movies or books familiar to everyone. Give every student the chance to retell the story in his own words. They may need time to organize their thoughts and check pronunciations of uncommon words, but the story-telling should be easy with familiar tales and plots. Use stories you read aloud in your ELL classroom as a jumping off point for personal story-telling. For instance, if you read a story about a scared little boy, ask someone to share a scare time she remembers.

2. Role Playing

       Many ELL students need practice in using everyday phrases and courtesies to speak confidently in English. Provide opportunities for your students to engage in role-playing to improve their speaking skills. Remind students to think in English with the phrases they know would be polite in a situation. For example, set up a mock restaurant with a table and chair and practice ordering in English, or set up a mock store to practice buying something. Doing a reader's theater in the ELL classroom where everyone reads a part in a drama can help your students improve speaking with emotion. Give your class the script ahead of time so they can familiarize themselves with any tricky words. Act out certain universal stories such as "Little Red Riding Hood" to bring the emphasis away from speaking and more onto acting and thinking in English, which will help their English become more natural.

3. Presentations

       Give your students opportunities to present information in class. Hold an informal show and tell day where everyone brings something from home to share with the class. Give your ELL class notice so they can prepare and practice ahead of time. Offer class time to let them ask you questions on any particular words they need. Model for them how and what you want them to do. Bringing something from your home can make them feel comfortable doing their presentation. Do not make shy students stand in front of the classroom if they can adequately share from their desks.

Jumat, 21 Desember 2012

Poetry for Christmas and New Year



 

 

 

Christmas To Me

Christmas season, Christmas day
Christmas list of Christmas wish, !!
Christmas gifts under Christmas tree
Christmas feasts to be shared, it's free!

Christmas is here, Christmas is there

Christmas is celebrated everywhere
Yuletide it brings yonder all
Yuletide it sings in every heart of all.

Christmas I love for all its about

Christmas I yearn that all my love is near
Christmas I hope for all my thoughts to be true
Christmas, may I... that if only I may.

Christmas to me is simply be

Christmas comes, what brings it'll be
Joy and peace among us, as ever be
With love and forgiveness that made us-be. 




Happy New Year Wish


My Happy New Year wish for you
Is for your best year yet,
A year where life is peaceful,
And what you want, you get.
A year in which you cherish
The past year’s memories,
And live your life each new day,
Full of bright expectancies.
I wish for you a holiday
With happiness galore;
And when it’s done, I wish you
Happy New Year, and many more

A New Year With You

I'm so grateful for a new year
to spend with you,
my most special one,
my cherished and treasured love,
who has gifted me with happiness and joy,
adventure and excitement,
comfort and peace.
As I look ahead, I see each day with you
filled with warmth and affection,
a deeper, more fulfilling love,
than I could have imagined
in my fondest, most perfect dreams.
A new year with you
is the most valuable, most precious treasure
I could ever have.