Dave's ESL Cafe's Student Discussion Forums

[reniajy]

I have learned English for more than ten years.i prefer it very much.it is resonable that my English is terrific.but the fact is on the contrary.i seldom pracitce it because I haven't got the chance .apart from that I am lack the learning enviroment.the first yeat I went to college ,our solely foreign teacher from Australia came back.from then on ,we have no way to communicate with native speaker.although we have learned much written English ,we still need to use them in our daily life.practise is very imporatant for a language learning.

[will]

hi ... yes ... it's a problem trying to learn without anyone to practice with - which is one of the reasons that "Word Surfing" was developed. You can find out about the method at

http://www.wordsurfing.co.uk/4598.html

This will help you to expand your vocabulary by learning how to use your words as soon as possible - and is a good way of getting some of the vital practice that you need whenever there are no native speakers available.

Try it - and let us know how you like the idea.

all the best

will

[wing]

Hi Will,

Thanks for your private message telling me the useful link to expand vocabulary. I find the method below easy and effective to 'save' new words in mind, so quote it from one of the web pages as follows.

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Once your new words have been entered, you can then practice them - whenever you want - in the following manner

1. Investigation Before deciding upon your “connecting word” it is a good idea to look up each new word in a good quality dictionary. Investigating your new word can help you in various ways.

i) You will become familiar with it through repeated exposure.

ii) You will be able to choose from more possible “connecting words”.

iii) You will be able to learn it’s pronunciation.

iv) Reading example sentences will both deepen your knowledge of words that you already understand – and introduce to other new (and probably wanted) new words.

ii) Creating example sentences in your mind. When deciding upon your “connecting words” - (and later “my words”) - it is natural to try to create some example sentences in your mind. The WS technique therefore helps you to develop the habit of trying to express yourself – and acts as a stepping stone to real conversational practice. This will help you gain in confidence while studying at your own pace.

iii) Getting to know vocabulary by association. Instead of learning lists of translations, the WS method helps you to get to know new words by actually using them.

" I hear and I forget. I see and I remember. I do and I understand "

iv) Recycling and revising. Getting to know new words takes time and practice. As you can see from the findings of research available through our link page, most learners will… (a) …need 5-16 or more exposures to a new word before getting to know it….and (b) forget most of their new words unless they are used regularly. For these reasons the WS Technique encourages you to continually look back through your book to try to fill easily identifiable gaps. Not being able to fill a gap should not be viewed as a problem – but rather an opportunity to go to your other resources and practice what you really want to learn. After you have had that practice, you can then simply leave the gap and try again on another day.
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Go where you wanna go; Do what you wanna do; With whoever you wanna do it with ---Mamas & Papas

[will]

Hi Wing

Mamas and Papas have a pretty good philosophy! - I also like what Holly Johnson used to sing in his "Frankie" days .... "in the land of the free you can be what you want to be ".

Cheers, will