F2F Class Notes (Lily)[R]

Pronunciation

had= h a-d (a for apple, bad)

hard= h R d (ar for park)

hide= h i de ( i for high)

hid= hid (i for hit)

heed= h EEEEE d (e for need)

travelling= tra- vau- ling

time-  t I me ( i for nine)

memorising= ME-mo- ri- zing (ri like rise)

Vocabulary

dedicate: to put in lots of time into doing something

ex: I dedicated a lot of time into learning English

https://english-magazine.org/english-reading/learn-language-articles/4483-is-immersion-better-than-learning-english-online-or-in-an-academy

Firstly, I had the wrong attitude. I expected the learning to happen without putting in any effort – I thought that just the exposure of the language from people or songs was enough. I never wrote new words down. I didn’t study them or revise them, which meant that when I wanted to use those words again I just couldn’t remember them.

Secondly, I was travelling alone, with no one to help me. Since nobody was a teacher, they didn’t know how to explain words or grammar points to me in a simple way. I met lots of Spanish speakers and when I listened to them speaking, I could only catch a few words that I understood. Participating was almost impossible: by the time I had put together a response in the language, the conversation had moved on to a different topic. This intense listening left me exhausted and demotivated.

So, what’s the lesson? Just being in an English-speaking country and being exposed to English from native speakers is not enough. Yes, use the environment around you as a source of language, but dedicate your time to writing down and memorising vocabulary and grammar, and then using it!

For those of you who do not have the time or option of living and travelling in an English-speaking country, there are ways to learn English that are just as effective, whether it’s going to an English school with other students or taking learning English online on your own. Most importantly, it’s vital to have people to practice your speaking with who can correct you and guide you. Look for places in your city where English speakers go, try Skype English classes with a native English teacher or find an exchange partner who wants to learn your language.

However you do it,  learning English (or any other language for that matter) requires a lot of time and dedication, and it should be treated with the same amount of study as any other subject, if not more… There are no quick fixes or tricks, but in the end it is definitely worth it!