BBC Learning English | Watch and Listen
Posted by: Hsiao-yun on: 18 November 2008
Here’s another multimedia resource from BBC Learning English, Watch and Listen. The videos and podcasts here aren’t based on news topics, and are a nice alternative to the news programmes I recommended previously.
Podcasts from The Guardian online
Posted by: Hsiao-yun on: 18 November 2008
To add to my previous posts on listening to the news online, I’d like to recommend podcasts from guardian.co.uk. Download them to listen on the go. I’d recommend this for Upper Intermediate and Advanced students.
Simple English News
Posted by: Hsiao-yun on: 18 November 2008
Teacher and journalist Sam Margolis has put together a great site that makes news in English easier for English language learners. Simple English News covers a wide variety of news, and even has sections for tests, songs and recipes.
Pronunciation Tips from BBC Learning English
Posted by: Hsiao-yun on: 18 November 2008
Want to improve your pronunciation, but not sure where to start? The BBC Learning English site has a great section on Pronunciation Tips, with videos, exercises and quizzes.
Macmillan pronunciation chart
Posted by: Hsiao-yun on: 18 March 2008
Here’s a great pronunciation chart for you. You can play it straight from the website, or download it onto your computer. It’s even better than the one I posted earlier, because not only can you listen to the sounds, but you’ll also hear an example of a word with that sound with each one. As before, you’ll need to install the free Flash player first.
Using “standard” English
Posted by: Hsiao-yun on: 6 August 2007
Here in Singapore, there’s been a lot of discussion regarding the use of Standard Singapore English vs the use of Singlish. Singlish is a fun and interesting language to use, but for work and studies, and to communicate with non-Singaporeans, it’s important to know when and how to switch to a standard English that most English speakers in the world can understand.
The Speak Good English Movement website has lots of interesting tips, games and downloads that every learner (not only those of you in Singapore) would find informative. Check it out!
Reading and listening to the news online
Posted by: Hsiao-yun on: 6 August 2007
A really good way to read extensively is to keep up with the daily news online. The great thing about doing this is that, very often, you can also listen and/or watch the news online. Sometimes, you can even download them onto your iPod or media player, and listen/watch while you’re on the go.
In addition, it is much easier to pick and choose what you like, than if you were reading print newspapers, listening to the radio or watching the news on TV.
These sites were not designed especially for English language learners, and so may be more challenging than what you’re used to. If you find a lot of the materials designed for learners too easy, this is for you!
BBC (UK English)
BBC News
CNN (US English)
CNN
Channel News Asia (for Singapore news)
Channel News Asia
The Guardian newspaper online (UK English)
Guardian Unlimited
Time magazine online (US English)
Time magazine
Grammar practice online
Posted by: Hsiao-yun on: 14 June 2007
Some students have asked me about additional grammar practice they can do at home. My feeling is that the best way is to get a good grammar practice book like Grammar in Use, but those who find it too expensive can try this excellent website written by teacher Bob Wilson. The Grammar Aquarium has an extensive collection of notes and exercises for students to try. Answers are provided.
Chatting in English
Posted by: Hsiao-yun on: 17 May 2007
- In: speaking
- 3 Comments
A frequent complaint by Chinese-speaking English learners in Singapore is that they don’t get enough practice talking in English, since such a large number of locals are bilingual. I feel that you really find as many opportunities to use English as you look for. As a student in the UK and Australia, I noticed that many students from non English-speaking countries tend to stick to people with the same first language as theirs. This is only natural, but it does explain why many of them do not make much improvement in their English even after years of study in the UK or Australia.
Bilinguals tend to switch to the language they feel is most appropriate for the situation, so it’s not surprising that they would choose to speak Mandarin to you if they know you’re from China. If you want to practise your English, then you have to speak English to them, even if they continue to talk to you in Mandarin. If necessary, explain to them that you want to improve your English. I think most people would be sympathetic.
That said, if you really want somebody you can practise English with regularly, consider chatting online. Today, I found a networking service, italki, that connects people who are learning another language with speakers of that language.
The idea is to find a language partner who wants to “exchange” languages with you. So if you want to learn English, and you speak Mandarin, you could look for somebody who speaks English and wants to learn Mandarin. It’s a great way to make friends online too.
You can also find “study buddies” – people who are learning the same language as you – whom you can share what you’ve learnt with. Study buddies can also keep each other motivated.
Another thing you can do on italki is to find a language teacher who gives online classes. The teachers don’t do this for free, but after taking a class, you can rate the teacher so that other italki members will have an idea of the quality of his/her classes.
You can choose to communicate with your new friend by e-mail, live text chat or live voice chat (e.g. Skype). You can also offer to meet up in person, but I wouldn’t really advise that you do that.
The italki website is not difficult to use, but if you’re confused, it’s currently also available in Chinese and Spanish, with more languages to come. Scroll right to the bottom of the page and you’ll find the links there.
italki was co-founded by Chinese entertainer, David Wu, whom you might know. You can find his blog here. David speaks English, Mandarin and Cantonese fluently.
Making use of “Hidden moments”
Posted by: Hsiao-yun on: 16 May 2007
- In: listening| reading| vocabulary
- 1 Comment
Mark is an English language teacher in Taiwan who’s learning Chinese (Mandarin). Recently, he blogged about a good way he’s found for learning languages. See his post here.
The trick is to use those short periods of time you have everyday when you can’t do much anyway (such as when you’re travelling to school). I think his method can be easily adapted to learning English, at least here in Singapore.
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Get a copy of a free newspaper, like Today.
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Read an interesting article (just part of it if it’s long). Highlight the difficult words and put them on cards (flash cards), with the definitions on the back. Remember to include the English definitions too, if you want to use translations. You can put other information, like pronunciation, grammar, examples, etc., if you’ve got a good dictionary. Mark puts 5 words on each card, but it’s up to you how many you want to put on yours. You may not be able to squeeze much in if you’ve got a lot of information for each word.
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The next day, bring your flashcard(s) out with you, so that you can use it for revision while travelling on the bus or MRT. Test yourself by only looking at the words and trying to remember their definitions. Then flip the card over to check if you’ve got it right.
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When you get home, read the same article again (it should be easier now), and the rest of the article if you haven’t finished it.
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At times when you can’t read (e.g. when you’re walking, or doing housework, or travelling on the bus – personally, reading on the bus makes me feel sick), listen to mp3 recordings (e.g. podcasts) for English language learners, or just any English language recording (e.g. radio programmes) available on mp3. I think most of you will have a portable mp3 player. I’ve listed a few websites on this blog where you can download suitable recordings, and I will continue to blog about them as I find more.
Try it and let me know how it works for you!
