INTRODUCTION In this short handbook you are going to learn how to use 5 amazing web tools that you can use on a daily basis to improve your listening and writing skills in English. There is such a myriad of materials and resources available on the web. The problem, however, is that most people do not know which ones to use and how. Not all of them are suitable to their needs and levels, and some of them might even be of very poor quality. The tools that I am about to present have been a complete success with my students. They love all of them and found them very helpful. What they like most about them is that they are a lot of fun and easy to use. I know how frustrated you might feel when you watch your favourite film or the news and you are not able to understand what is going on. Or even worse, when your business partners or friends from abroad visit you and you struggle to communicate and have a relaxed conversation. Your business deal might fail because you cannot express yourself. You feel embarrassed and disappointed. But it does not need to be like that. The tools that I am about to reveal today are a wonderful way to practise your English skills on a daily basis and can help you considerably improve your listening skills, so that you get the feel for the language and its structure. Do it regularly and you will soon be able to understand more than ever before. #1 LYRICS TRAINING The first tool is called www.lyricstraining.com. This is one of my favourite online applications and I highly recommend it to everyone because it is so simple to use and is great fun. It is wonderful because you can practise your listening skills, spelling and the use of grammar while listening to your favourite songs. It is proven that we learn a foreign language much faster if we enjoy it. With this 1
tool you will do it almost effortlessly. You will be able to learn practical English and learn how sounds are used when we speak fast. You can choose between different songs and levels (the green box means easy, the orange one medium and the red one hard). Now let's take a look at how you can use it. 1. First of all, you have to select the right language. 2
2. Choose the song or the artist. 3. Next, select the appropriate mode. You can decide how many words you would like to be missing in the song. 3
4. Now press the play button and start listening. There are some great features of this tool. You can replay the line of the song as many times as you want by pressing the backspace key. If you still cannot guess it, you should hit the tab key and the word will appear. The aim of the game is to collect points. The faster you can type in the missing words, the higher the score. The more time and help you require, the fewer points you get. 4
If you run out of time (the red line indicates how much time you have left), the game is over. If you would like to listen to the end of the song, you can continue playing the song. Try it out and let me know how you did #2 Free Rice The second tool is called Free Rice http://freerice.com/#/englishvocabulary/1358. It is a great application that helps you practise vocabulary. With each correct answer you donate 10 grains of rice to people in need. There are different levels available (1-60). You can also compete with others and compare scores if you sign up. The aim of the game is to choose the synonym for the given word. If you choose the wrong answer, the same question is repeated after a while, so that you can permanently ingrain it into your memory. After you have answered a couple of questions correctly, you are automatically moved to the next level. To make sure that you have pronounced the word correctly, click on the loudspeaker. 5
If you would like to expand your vocabulary in other fields, you can change subjects. You can revise English Grammar, check and improve your knowledge of sciences, art, geography, humanities, etc. It is great fun and a wonderful way to learn new words. Once you have answered the first question correctly, you can change the level if desired. 6
You should try level 50 and above and you will see how challenging the words are. Enjoy the game and make sure that you write down the words that you would like to remember. I suggest you have a special notebook for new words. Use them in a sentence and revise them on a regular basis. 7
#3 ESL VIDEO ESL Video www.eslvideo.com is another great site that my students love using. There are hundreds of different quizzes available. First, you should choose the right level. Levels range from beginner to high intermediate. Once you have selected the right level, you should choose the video that you would like to watch. You can choose anything from short film clips to documentaries and cartoons. Watch the video and do the quiz questions that are listed on the right side of the screen. At the end check the answers, and if necessary, watch the same clip again. 8
#4 LISTEN AND WRITE If you have problems with spelling, this is the right application for you. It is a fantastic dictation tool and is incredibly popular among students. There are a number of news reports, articles or film clips downloaded from the web, which are then played for you. The aim is to write down the exact words that you hear. Each part is automatically repeated until you have written down all words correctly. You should press the stop button if you need a break and do not want the track to be repeated again. The great thing about this tool is that not only do you improve your writing, but also your listening skills. You are trained to recognize different sounds and learn how words are pronounced in speech or a fast conversation. 9
So, how do you use Listen and write? First of all, you should choose the appropriate level and the language. There are 22 levels, 1 being the easiest and 22 the most difficult. After you choose the video or listening track that you would like to listen, you should choose the type of exercise. There are 4 different modes available. You can sign up if you want to get access to all 4 types. If not, you can only do the full mode exercise. The full mode exercise means that you have to type a complete track (everything that you hear). 10
Now you are ready to start. Click on the play button and begin listening to the track. You should write down exactly what you hear. If you get stuck, you can click on the hint button or the stop button if you want to make a pause. The play button The stop and hint buttons A dictionary lookup 11
The great thing about this tool is that all the words that you misspell get listed under the Dictionary Lookup. If you click on the word that you missed or misspelled, you are directed to a dictionary, where you can check its meaning. Once you have completed the first track, you are automatically moved to the next one. You can also skip a track and select a different one. Select a different track If you prefer watching videos, click on the Youtube button and you will be able to watch TedTalks, songs or clips from famous films. You will finally get the opportunity to understand and decipher what the stars in a film are saying. I suggest that you practise this at least ten minutes a day and you will see how quickly your listening skills improve. 12
#5 PODGALLERY By now you have probably discovered that one of the best ways to improve your listening skills is to listen intensively. However, your learning will be even more effective if you listen to recordings that you are interested in or passionate about. Podcasts or recorded audio programmes are some of the best ways to improve your English on a regular basis. Podcast gallery is again one of my favourite sites as it gives you access to literally thousands of different podcasts. Visit http://podgallery.org/ to access countless audio and video podcasts. What I like about Podcast Gallery is how easy it is to navigate the site. Just click on the podcast that you are interested in and listen to it in your browser or download it to your computer. 13
You can also upload it to your smart phone or mp3 player, so that you can listen to it on your way to work or while waiting for the bus or train. Listen to it in your browser Download it to your computer Depending on your level and your preferences you can choose between various topics. Click on Explore and choose subjects that you find most engaging. 14
If you would like to improve your grammar structures or your vocabulary, click on the English language and explore the podcasts there. Most of them are short and very practical. They are wonderful and I highly recommend you to listen to them regularly. To make your learning more effective, you should make notes and write down useful expressions to memorise them permanently. If you sign up, you can also create your own collection of podcasts, so you do not need to search for them any more. TIP! I recommend that you choose your favourite three podcasts and listen to them every day for a month. Then select the next three and do the same for another month. 15
Great, right? But be careful - IMPORTANT information to follow So, there you have it. I hope you have enjoyed the tools and that you will start using them straight away. Remember: Practise makes perfect. You should do it regularly, so make a plan and stick to it However, I have to warn you here. These tools are a fantastic way to improve your listening skills, but this is still passive knowledge. In other words, you will be able to understand and write better, but these methods do not improve areas such as speaking ability. Being able to understand what someone is saying is the first step towards effective communication. The next step, however, is to speak and practise real and practical English, as well as learn words that you need in your daily communication in English. To do this, you will need someone to guide you through the process, work with you, and pinpoint your weaknesses, as well as determine your learning styles and goals. The problem most people have is that they are not able to make significant progress until they really decide to invest in improving their English. They might enjoy all the wonderful resources, but fall out of the habit of improving their English on a daily basis very quickly, as they do not get enough support and feedback on their progress. 16
We all know that it is necessary to speak English today. However, just being able to speak English is no longer enough. This might have been true ten years ago, but nowadays the English language has become ubiquitous. It is used everywhere. Unfortunately, most people do not realize how important it is to master English. If you want to make business deals or negotiate, speak in public, make presentations or write blogs in English, you need to be able to speak English at an advanced level! One of the most common mistakes people make when they try to improve their English is that they sign up for a language course and only do the exercises from the workbook (or sometimes not even that). Despite the fact that this approach does not bring desired results, many language schools let their students move to a higher level without achieving their goals. The students, however, still make basic mistakes. If you would really like to become fluent and excel in English, you need to be in touch with the language on a daily basis and learn it through the topics that are close to what you really like and need. One of the things that makes my courses different is that I really follow your progress and make sure that you achieve your learning goals. At the start of the course we prepare a clear plan of action which is based strictly on your needs and desires. The courses are communication-based and you are encouraged to be in touch with the language on a daily basis. 17
Longer texts and videos are watched at home, so that during your classes you can really focus on communication and your needs. Your learning is more effective as it takes place in a relaxed environment; you practise presentations, and learn the expressions and topics that you need at work and that you are fascinated with. There is a reason that there are six levels of English (A1, A2, B1, B2, C1 and C2) and if you are stuck at a pre-intermediate or an intermediate level and cannot make progress, you should not wait any longer. The time for action is now. If you want to bring your English to the next level in a more structured and focused way with an in-depth support and training, sign up for one of my courses http://languageart.si/packages-prices/ and you will not regret it. There is so much more to language learning than you know and I am firmly convinced that anyone can learn English. It has worked for so many of my students and I am sure that it will work for you too. Do not wait a lifetime to learn and finally master your English. The places are filling up fast, so do not miss this opportunity. Call 041 867 115 or contact me at info@languageart.si to reserve your place or obtain more information. I look forward to having the opportunity to work with you and help you excel in English! Your language trainer, Katja Kranjec 18