Dave's ESL Cafe's Student Discussion Forums

[fiona ting]

hi frens,
Can i have suggestions from you all about how to master a good English? Good in mastering all four main skills, speaking,writing listening and reading. I m an English language studies student. Although i have taken the English course for three years, i still can't speak fluently and write well in English. How can one improve his/ her English language skills?

[Philo Kevetch]

Fiona Ting - Studying English is good.... but, it's not enough. Find ways to USE your English everyday.

Reading comes before writing....... read everyday!

Newspapers and news magazines are not the best. Try to find something at your level written in contemporary language that has a lot of dialog(ue) and isn't too long. (Don't start with an 18 th century novel 300 pages long!!)

Listening comes before speaking...... listen everyday!

Watch a "soap opera" (NOT a sit/com) from an Eng. speaking country on cable, satellite or internet T.V. Cover the captions ( if you're reading.... you're not listening! )

It's okay if you don't understand ( if you could.... you wouldn't need to practice! ). Just relax and listen. As you become familiar with the characters and stoty, your "ear" will open and you will begin to "hear".

Don't make a tape and memorize the dialog(ue). You can't memorize conversation.

[advoca]

Philo Kevetch, this is one of the best pieces of advice I have seen. All students of English should read it and take the advice.

I would only add one thing. If possible, try and get feedback. I meet many students of English and many users of English who are never corrected, never get any feedback. As a consequence they get into bad habits and stop making progress.

I meet hundreds of cases where people are sending e-mails every day with many examples of bad English but the e-mails are understood by the native English speakers who receive them. However, nobody corrects the bad English and it becomes engrained. Getting rid of bad habits is very difficult when there is no feedback, no corrections.

[Philo Kevetch]

Advoca - Yes, feedback is a good idea. Thanks for the kind words.

[fiona ting]

Philo Kevetch, I am glad that to have a good piece of advice from you. Yup, I agree that reading comes before writing and listening comes before speaking. Actually I like to learn English vocab whenever i read. I try to find out every unfamiliar word and try to memorise the meaning. I know that it might help me in writing. BUT i am weak in applying the vocab that i have learnt in writing. Although I knew the word meanings well, sometimes, it might not be approprite to use in my writing. I feel that it is hard to produce a good essay with difficult vocab. Therefore, most of the time i prefer to write an essay with simple vocab. However, i feel that it is not a University's student level. I am so envy the students who can write well in English. Can i also be one of them some days?