Learning english

english oh gcse english

2011-07-07T01:58:00.000-07:00

progress

need to improve
English 2:40 92%

Print

<="" div="">

GCSE

Task Hours

Overall %
Maths 28:15 90%
History 1:55 65%
Science 13:45 83%
ICT 1:00 79%
English 2:40 92%
Physical Education 0:10 59%

learn english and chemistry

2011-07-07T01:48:00.000-07:00

chemistry

Explain the meaning of the word 'redox'.

Simultaneous oxidation and reduction. (=1 mark)

What colour change occurs in the Potassium manganate (VII) solution.##

Purple to colourless (pale brown) (=1 mark).

====

An impure sample of Iron weighing 0.22g was dissolved in dilute sulphuric acid. The resulting solution required 34.6cm of Potassium manganate (VII) of concentration 0.02mol dm in a titration exercise. The following reactions take place:

Fe + 2H Fe + H

5 Fe + MnO + 8H 5Fe + Mn + 4HO
Calculate the number of moles of MnO used in the titration.

Hint: Use relationship

0.02 x 0.0346 = number of moles of MnO (=1 mark)

0.000692 = number of moles of MnO (=1 mark)

=====

Calculate the number of moles of Fe oxidised by theMnO .
Calculate the number of moles of MnO used in the titration.

Fereacts with MnO in ratio of 5:1

Number of moles of Fe = 5 x 0.000692 (=1 mark)

Number of moles of Fe = 0.00346 (=1 mark)

====

Calculate the number of grammes of Fe ions used in the titration.

Hint: Use relationship

0.00346 x 56 = mass (=1 mark)

Mass = 0.19376g (=1 mark)

===

Calculate the percentage purity of the original sample of Iron.

2010-01-05T16:03:00.000-08:00

question

STL61 Contribute to positive relationships

Knowledge and understanding

You need to know and understand:

1. the importance of giving children and young people full attention when listening to them and how you demonstrate this through body language, facial expression, speech and gesture

2. why it is important to give all children and young people the opportunity to be heard and how you do this in a group

3. an outline of how children/young people’s communication skills develop within the age range 0-16 years

4. why it is important to give children and young people sufficient time to express themselves in their own words

5. why it is important to help children and young people make choices and how you can assist them to do this

6. the key features of effective communication and why it is important to model this when interacting with adults, children and young people

7. the main differences between communicating with adults and communicating with children and young people

8. how to demonstrate that you value adults’ views and opinions and why it is important to the development of positive relationships

9. communication difficulties that may exist and how these can be overcome

10. how to cope with disagreements with adults

11. why it is important to reassure adults of the confidentiality of shared information and the limits of this

12. organisational policy regarding information exchange

13. the importance of communicating positively with children, young people and families

14. how children and young people’s ability to communicate can affect their behaviour.

====

===

==
==
==

STL61 Contribute to positive relationships

Glossary of terms used in this unit
Adults Adults you meet at work. This will vary according to your role and responsibility, but may include one or more of: colleagues, visitors to the setting and members of children/young people’s families.

Children and young people Children and young people who you work with, except where otherwise stated.

Listen Paying attention to what the child/young person or adult is communicating in order to respond appropriately. Listening includes negotiated and agreed alternative methods of communication in situations where there may be hearing difficulties.

Language Includes signing, symbols and other non-verbal language.
Positive relationships Relationships that benefit the children/young people and the children/young people’s ability to participate in and benefit from the setting.

STL61 Contribute to positive relationships

61.1 Interact with and respond to children

Performance criteria

You need to:

1. show children/young people you are paying attention and listening to them

2. use a considerate and sympathetic approach whilst paying attention and listening to children/young people

3. allow children/young people to express themselves in their own time, using their own words or alternative communication

4. ensure that all children/young people are allowed to express themselves and are acknowledged

5. accept and acknowledge children/young people’s expression of feelings

6. ask children/young people questions to confirm your understanding of their language and expressions.

61.2 Interact with and respond to adults

Performance criteria

You need to:

1. give adults your full attention when they are communicating with you

2. demonstrate that you have understood them

3. respond confidently, in a way which shows you have listened to their views with care and attention

4. clarify any misunderstandings

5. make suggestions and give information when requested.

STL61 Contribute to positive relationships

61.3 Communicate with children

Performance criteria

You need to:

1. communicate clearly, in ways that the child/young person will understand

2. use language and actions that show children/young people that their views, feelings and opinions have been listened to with care and attention

3. help children/young people to express their needs and make choices

4. demonstrate your understanding of children/young people’s preferred ways of communicating

5. encourage children/young people to use different communication methods

6. model positive communication skills for children/young people

61.4 Communicate with adults

Performance criteria

You need to:

1. approach adults with courtesy and respect, using preferred names

2. value adults’ individual needs and preferences

3. exchange information with adults in line with agreed practice

4. use communication methods that are appropriate to adults

5. adapt the ways in which you communicate when difficulties are experienced.

why is it important to give children sufficient time to express themselves in their own words

2010-01-05T15:08:00.000-08:00

why is it important to give children sufficient time to express themselves in their own words

It is important that children are given the time to express themselves in their own time as this builds confidence and self esteem. Rushing the child and finishing their sentences for them may cause them to become reliant on others to speak on behalf of them. Listening to a child effectively allows the child to speak freely without feeling pressured. When children feel they have all the time in the world to express themselves they will feel comfortable to talk freely which helps to develop communication and language skills. Giving a child time to express themselves will also build a positive relationship with the child as they will feel they can trust you and will be able to confide in you if needed. Children will use their imagination and be as creative as they can be, if they are allowed the time. When a child is talking as a practitioner you can observe and record their development by listening and acknowledging what they are saying.

Hi,
Because a child's 'feelings' are IMPORTANT and they must be acknowledged and accepted, no matter how 'bad' they may be. When I was little, I'd say 'I feel ... ' and my mother would say 'No, you don't, you feel ...' and she'd say the EXACT OPPOSITE. I KNEW what I felt was 'right' (I was feeling it) and felt that my 'feelings' didn't 'count' and that no one 'cared' about me because I was consistently told 'what to feel, how to feel' and never listened to.
When my kids were young, my second son was really angry at me one day and shouted "I hate you!" I looked at him straight in the eye, and said "Good ... that means I'm doing my job correctly." He looked perplexed, and said "You're not mad at me for hating you?" I said I wasn't angry, that 'hate' is a feeling that REQUIRES love to feel, and that he'd 'figure it out' when he got older. He looked at me again, then put his arms around me (he was already taller than me) and said "I do love you, Mom ... but sometimes you are really FRUSTRATING. I was really angry at you, and now I'm not just 'okay' with you, but I actually do LOVE you even more. I'm going to go think hard about that for awhile." And he went into his room and put himself on a 'long time out' all by himself. THAT is why a child should be given 'sufficient time to express themselves in their own words.' They LEARN FASTER AND BETTER than when they are 'told what and how to feel.' And the 'feeling' they do have is 'valid' no matter what it is ... and it's easier to 'guide' knowing that than to 'assign feelings' and ASSUME the child will do what you want (or what is needed) ...

Language development Language development

2010-01-05T15:06:00.000-08:00

Language development

Definition

Language development is the process by which children come to understand and communicate language during early childhood.

Description

From birth up to the age of five, children develop language at a very rapid pace. The stages of language development are universal among humans. However, the age and the pace at which a child reaches each milestone of language development vary greatly among children. Thus, language development in an individual child must be compared with norms rather than with other individual children. In general girls develop language at a faster rate than boys. More than any other aspect of development, language development reflects the growth and maturation of the brain. After the age of five it becomes much more difficult for most children to learn language.

Receptive language development (the ability to comprehend language) usually develops faster than expressive language (the ability to communicate). Two different styles of language development are recognized. In referential language development, children first speak single words and then join words together, first into two-word sentences and then into three-word sentences. In expressive language development, children first speak in long unintelligible babbles that mimic the cadence and rhythm of adult speech. Most children use a combination these styles.

Infancy

Language development begins before birth. Towards the end of pregnancy, a fetus begins to hear sounds and speech coming from outside the mother's body. Infants are acutely attuned to the human voice and prefer it to other sounds. In particular they prefer the higher pitch characteristic of female voices. They also are very attentive to the human face, especially when the face is talking. Although crying is a child's primary means of communication at birth, language immediately begins to develop via repetition and imitation.

Between birth and three months of age, most infants acquire the following abilities:

* seem to recognize their mother's voice
* quiet down or smile when spoken to
* turn toward familiar voices and sounds
* make sounds indicating pleasure
* cry differently to express different needs
* grunt, chuckle, whimper, and gurgle
* begin to coo (repeating the same sounds frequently) in response to voices
* make vowel-like sounds such as "ooh" and "ah"

Between three and six months, most infants can do the following:

* turn their head toward a speaker
* watch a speaker's mouth movements
* respond to changes in a tone of voice
* make louder sounds including screeches
* vocalize excitement, pleasure, and displeasure
* cry differently out of pain or hunger
* laugh, squeal, and sigh
* sputter loudly and blow bubbles
* shape their mouths to change sounds
* vocalize different sounds for different needs
* communicate desires with gestures
* babble for attention
* mimic sounds, inflections, and gestures
* make many new sounds, including "p," "b," and "m," that may sound almost speech-like

The sounds and babblings of this stage of language development are identical in babies throughout the world, even among those who are profoundly deaf. Thus all babies are born with the capacity to learn any language. Social interaction determines which language they eventually learn.

Six to 12 months is a crucial age for receptive language development. Between six and nine months babies begin to do the following:

* search for sources of sound
* listen intently to speech and other sounds
* take an active interest in conversation even if it is not directed at them
* recognize "dada," "mama," "bye-bye"
* consistently respond to their names
* respond appropriately to friendly and angry tones
* express their moods by sound and body language
* play with sounds
* make long, more varied sounds
* babble random combinations of consonants and vowels
* babble in singsong with as many as 12 different sounds
* experiment with pitch, intonation, and volume
* use their tongues to change sounds
* repeat syllables
* imitate intonation and speech sounds

Between nine and 12 months babies may begin to do the following:

* listen when spoken to
* recognize words for common objects and names of family members
* respond to simple requests
* understand "no"
* understand gestures
* associate voices and names with people
* know their own names
* babble both short and long groups of sounds and two-to-three-syllable repeated sounds (The babble begins to have characteristic sounds of their native language.)
* use sounds other than crying to get attention
* use "mama" and "dada" for any person
* shout and scream
* repeat sounds
* use most consonant and vowel sounds
* practice inflections
* engage in much vocal play

Toddlerhood

During the second year of life language development proceeds at very different rates in different children. By the age of 12 months, most children use "mama/dada" appropriately. They add new words each month and temporarily lose words. Between 12 and 15 months children begin to do the following:

* recognize names
* understand and follow one-step directions
* laugh appropriately
* use four to six intelligible words, usually those starting with "b," "c," "d," and "g," although less than 20 percent of their language is comprehensible to outsiders
* use partial words
* gesture and speak "no"
* ask for help with gestures and sounds

At 15 to 18 months of age children usually do the following:

* understand "up," "down," "hot," "off"
* use 10 to 20 intelligible words, mostly nouns
* use complete words
* put two short words together to form sentences
* chatter and imitate, use some echolalia (repetitions of words and phrases)
* have 20 to 25 percent of their speech understood by outsiders

At 18 to 24 months of age toddlers come to understand that there are words for everything and their language development gains momentum. About 50 of a child's first words are universal: names of foods, animals, family members, toys, vehicles, and clothing. Usually children first learn general nouns, such as "flower" instead of "dandelion," and they may overgeneralize words, such as calling all toys "balls." Some children learn words for social situations, greetings, and expressions of love more readily than others. At this age children usually have 20 to 50 intelligible words and can do the following:

* follow two-step directions
* point to parts of the body
* attempt multi-syllable words
* speak three-word sentences
* ask two-word questions
* enjoy challenge words such as "helicopter"
* hum and sing
* express pain verbally
* have 50 to 70 percent of their speech understood by outsiders

After several months of slower development, children often have a "word spurt" (an explosion of new words). Between the ages of two and 18 years, it is estimated that children add nine new words per day. Between two and three years of age children acquire:

* a 400-word vocabulary including names
* a word for most everything
* the use of pronouns
* three to five-word sentences
* the ability to describe what they just saw or experienced
* the use of the past tense and plurals
* names for body parts, colors, toys, people, and objects
* the ability to repeat rhymes, songs, and stories
* the ability to answer "what" questions

Children constantly produce sentences that they have not heard before, creating rather than imitating. This creativity is based on the general principles and rules of language that they have mastered. By the time a child is three years of age, most of a child's speech can be understood. However, like adults, children vary greatly in how much they choose to talk.

Preschool

Three to four-year-olds usually can do the following:

* understand most of what they hear
* converse
* have 900 to 1,000-word vocabularies, with verbs starting to predominate
* usually talk without repeating syllables or words
* use pronouns correctly
* use three to six-word sentences
* ask questions
* relate experiences and activities
* tell stories (Occasional stuttering and stammering is normal in preschoolers.)

Language skills usually blossom between four and five years of age. Children of this age can do the following:

* verbalize extensively
* communicate easily with other children and adults
* articulate most English sounds correctly
* know 1,500 to 2,500 words
* use detailed six to eight-word sentences
* can repeat four-syllable words
* use at least four prepositions
* tell stories that stay on topic
* can answer questions about stories

School Age

At age five most children can do the following:

* follow three consecutive commands
* talk constantly
* ask innumerable questions
* use descriptive words and compound and complex sentences
* know all the vowels and consonants
* use generally correct grammar

Six-year-olds usually can correct their own grammar and mispronunciations. Most children double their vocabularies between six and eight years of age and begin reading at about age seven. A major leap in reading comprehension occurs at about nine. Ten-year-olds begin to understand figurative word meanings.

Adolescents generally speak in an adult manner, gaining language maturity throughout high school.

Common Problems

Language delay is the most common developmental delay in children. There are many causes for language delay, both environmental and physical. About 60 percent of language delays in children under age three resolve spontaneously. Early intervention often helps other children to catch up to their age group.

Common circumstances that can result in language delay include:

* concentration on developing skills other than language
* siblings who are very close in age or older siblings who interpret for the younger child
* inadequate language stimulation and one-on-one attention
* bilingualism, in which a child's combined comprehension of two languages usually is equivalent to other children's comprehension of one language
* psychosocial deprivation

Language delay can result from a variety of physical disorders, including the following:

* mental retardation
* maturation delay (the slower-than-usual development of the speech centers of the brain), a common cause of late talking
* a hearing impairment
* a learning disability
* cerebral palsy
* autism (a developmental disorder in which, among other things, children do not use language or use it abnormally)
* congenital blindness, even in the absence of other neurological impairment
* Klinefelter syndrome, a disorder in which males are born with an extra X chromosome

Brain damage or disorders of the central nervous system can cause the following:

* receptive aphasia or receptive language disorder, a deficit in spoken language comprehension or in the ability to respond to spoken language
* expressive aphasia, an inability to speak or write despite normal language comprehension
* childhood apraxia of speech, in which a sound is substituted for the desired syllable or word

Parental Concerns

Language development is enriched by verbal interactions with other children and adults. Parents and care-givers can have a significant impact on early language development. Studies have shown that children of talkative parents have twice the vocabulary as those of quiet parents. A study from the National Institute of Child Health and Human Development (NICHD) found that children in high-quality childcare environments have larger vocabularies and more complex language skills than children in lower-quality situations. In addition language-based interactions appear to increase a child's capacity to learn. Recommendations for encouraging language development in infants include:

* talking to them as much as possible and giving them opportunities to respond, perhaps with a smile; short periods of silence help teach the give-and-take of conversation
* talking to infants in a singsong, high-pitched speech, called "parentese" or "motherese" (This is a universal method for enhancing language development.)
* using one- or two-syllable words and two to three-word sentences
* using proper words rather than baby words
* speaking slowly, drawing-out vowels, and exaggerating main syllables
* avoiding pronouns and articles
* using animated gestures along with words
* addressing the baby by name
* talking about on-going activities
* asking questions
* singing songs
* commenting on sounds in the environment
* encouraging the baby to make vowel-like and consonant-vowel sounds such as "ma," "da," and "ba"
* repeating recognizable syllables and repeating words that contain the syllable

When babies reach six to 12 months-of-age, parents should play word games with them, label objects with words, and allow the baby to listen and participate in conversations. Parents of toddlers should do the following:

* talk to the child in simple sentences and ask questions
* expand on the toddler's single words
* use gestures that reinforce words
* put words to the child's gestures
* name colors
* count items
* gently repeat correctly any words that the child has mispronounced, rather than criticizing the child

Parents of two to three-year-olds should do the following:

* talk about what the child and parent are doing each day
* encourage the child to use new words
* repeat and expand on what the child says
* ask the child yes-or-no questions and questions that require a simple choice

===

Language development
Age Activity
Two months Cries, coos, and grunts.
Four months Begins babbling. Makes most vowel sounds and
about half of consonant sounds.
Six months Vocalizes with intonation. Responds to own
name.
Eight months Combines syllables when babbling, such "Ba-ba."
Eleven months Says one word (or fragment of a word) with
meaning.
Twelve months Says two or three words with meaning. Practices
inflection, such as raising pitch of voice at the
end of a question.
Eighteen months Has a vocabulary between five and 20 words,
mostly nouns. Repeats word or phrase over and
over. May start to join two words together.
Two years Has a vocabulary of 150–300 words. Uses I, me,
and you. Uses at least two prepositions (in, on,
under). Combines words in short sentences.
About two-thirds of what is spoken is
understandable.
Three years Has a vocabulary of 900–1000 words. Uses more
verbs, some past tenses, and some plural nouns.
Easily handles three-word sentences. Can give
own name, sex, and age. About 90% of speech is
understandable.
Four years Can use at least four prepositions. Can usually
repeat words of four syllables. Knows some
colors and numbers. Has most vowels and
diphthongs and consonants p, b, m, w, and n
established. Talks a lot and repeats often.
Five years Can count to ten. Speech is completely
understandable, although articulation might not
be perfect. Should have all vowels and
consonants m, p, b, h, w, k, g, t, d, n, ng, y. Can
repeat sentences as long as nine words. Speech
is mostly grammatically correct.
Six years Should have all vowels and consonants listed
above, has added, f, v, sh, zh, th, l. Should be able
to tell a connected story about a picture.
Seven years Should have consonants s–z, r, voiceless th, ch,
wh, and soft g. Should be able to do simple
reading and print many words.
Eight years All speech sounds established. Carries on
conversation at a more adult level. Can tell
complicated stories of past events. Easily uses
complex and compound sentences. Reads simple
stories with ease and can write simple
compositions.

SOURCE: Child Development Institute. 2004. http://www.childdevelopmentinfo.com.

* encourage the child to ask questions
* read books about familiar things, with pictures, rhymes, repetitive lines, and few words
* read favorite books repeatedly, allowing the child to join in with familiar words
* encourage the child to pretend to read
* not interrupt children when they are speaking

Parents of four to six-year-olds should:

* not speak until the child is fully attentive
* pause after speaking to give the child a chance to respond
* acknowledge, encourage, and praise speech
* introduce new words
* talk about spatial relationships and opposites
* introduce limericks, songs, and poems
* talk about the television programs that they watch
* encourage the child to give directions
* give their full attention when the child initiates a conversation

Parents of six to 12-year-olds should talk to the children, not at them, encourage conversation by asking questions that require more than a yes-or-no answer, and listen attentively as the child recounts the day's activities.

Additional recommendations for parents and care-givers, by the American Academy of Pediatrics and others, include:

* talking at eye level with a child and supplementing words with body language, gestures, and facial expressions to enhance language comprehension
* talking in ways that catch a child's attention
* using language to comfort a child
* using correct pronunciations
* using expressive language to discuss objects, actions, and emotions
* playing with sounds and words
* labeling objects and actions with words
* providing objects and experiences to talk about
* choosing activities that promote language
* listening carefully to children and responding in ways that let them know that they have been understood, as well as encouraging further communication
* using complete sentences and adding detail to expand on what a child has said
* knowing when to remain silent
* reading to a child by six months of age at the latest
* encouraging children to ask questions and seek new information
* encouraging children to listen to and ask questions of each other

Television viewing does not promote language development.

When to Call the Doctor

Parents should call the pediatrician immediately if they suspect that their child may have a language delay or a hearing problem. Warning signs of language delay in toddlers include:

* avoiding eye contact
* neither understanding nor speaking words by 18 months of age
* difficulty learning nursery rhymes or simple songs
* not recognizing or labeling common objects
* inability to pay attention to a book or movie
* poor articulation, such that a parent cannot understand the child more than 50 percent of the time

Resources

Books

Bochner, Sandra, and Jane Jones. Child Language Development: Learning to Talk. London: Whurr Publishers, 2003.

Buckley, Belinda. Children's Communications Skills: From Birth to Five Years. New York: Routledge, 2003.

Oates, John, and Andrew Grayson. Cognitive and Language Development in Children. Malden, MA: Blackwell, 2004.

Periodicals

Howard, Melanie. "How Babies Learn to Talk." Baby Talk 69, no. 3 (April 2004): 69–72.

Tsao, Feng-Ming, et al. "Speech Perception in Infancy Predicts Language Development in the Second Year of Life: A Longitudinal Study." Child Development 75, no. 4 (July/August 2004): 1067–84.

Van Hulle, Carol A., et al. "Genetic, Environmental, and Gender Effects on Individual Differences in Toddler Expressive Language." Journal of Speech, Language, and Hearing Research 47, no. 4 (August 2004): 904–12.

Organizations

American Academy of Pediatrics. 141 Northwest Point Blvd., Elk Grove Village, IL 60007. Web site: www.aap.org.

American Speech-Language-Hearing Association. 10801 Rockville Pike, Rockville, MD 20852. Web site: .

Child Development Institute. 3528 E. Ridgeway Road, Orange, CA 92867. Web site: www.cdipage.com/index.htm.

Web Sites

"Activities to Encourage Speech and Language Development." American Speech-Language-Hearing Association. Available online at www.asha.org/public/speech/development/Parent-Stim-Activities.htm (accessed December 29, 2004).

Dougherty, Dorthy P. "Developing Your Baby's Language Skills." KidsGrowth. Available online at www.kidsgrowth.com/resources/articledetail.cfm?id=714 (accessed December 29, 2004).

Genishi, Celia. "Young Children's Oral Language Development." Child Development Institute. Available online at www.childdevelopmentinfo.com/development/oral_language_development.shtml (accessed December 29, 2004).

"How Does Your Child Hear and Talk?" American Speech-Language-Hearing Association. Available online at www.asha.org/public/speech/development/child_hear_talk.htm (accessed December 29, 2004).

"Language Development in Children." Child Development Institute. Available online at www.childdevelopmentinfo.com/development/language_development.shtml (accessed December 29, 2004).

Lorenz, Joan Monchak. "Common Concerns about Speech Development: Part I." KidsGrowth. Available online at www.kidsgrowth.com/resources/articledetail.cfm?id=965 (accessed December 29, 2004)./p

Rafanello, Donna. "Facilitating Language Development." Healthy Child Care America, Summer 2000.Available online at www.healthychildcare.org/pdf/LangDev.pdf (accessed December 29, 2004).

[Article by: Margaret Alic, PhD]

:)

Attention Development

2010-01-05T14:05:00.000-08:00

Attention Development

source

By Clare Carroll BSc., MSc., MIASLT, MRCSLT, National University of Ireland Galway.

Attention control is fundamental to all learning. Language learning requires a mature level of attention (Reynell, 1978). Clear stages in normal development of attention control exist according to Reynell (1978). Children progress through the stages of attention development. A child with a learning disability will need help to facilitate this progression. It is important to see what level your child is at and then focus on the activities for that level to help your child. The aim is to develop a child's attention to facilitate their potential to learn language.

We need to know:

* How much your child can listen to at any one time?
* How long your child can concentrate for?
* Whether spoken words, pictures, objects, or actions are most easily attended to?
* Which situations are the easiest?
* What their interests are?
* How other people influence attending for your child?

Level 1

* extreme distractibility
* fleeting from one object to another
* someone walking by will immediately distract them
* normally in the first year of life

Level 2

* concentrate on a task of his/her own choosing
* will not tolerate any intervention by an adult verbal or visual
* he/she may appear wilful but the attention is single channelled ignoring all external stimuli in order to concentrate
* normally occurs in second year of life

Level 3

* Attention remains single channelled
* Cannot attend to auditory and visual stimuli from different sources i.e. cannot play and listen at the same time
* Normally occurs in third year of life

Level 4

* Child must still alternate his/her full attention (visual and auditory) between the speaker and the task but now does it spontaneously
* Usually occurs in fourth year of life

Level 5

* Child's attention is now two channelled i.e. understands verbal instructions relating to the task without stopping to listen to the speaker
* Concentration span may still be short, however may be taught in a group
* Stage of school readiness

Level 6

* Auditory, visual and tactile channels are fully integrated
* Attention is well established and sustained
* Mature school entry level

PRACTICAL TIPS

* Gain attention before speaking
* Simplify your vocabulary
* Simplify your sentence structure by shortening your sentences, for example, "go and get your coat" to "get coat".
* Use language within the child's level of understanding
* Use visual prompts such as pictures, signs and gestures
* Use the child's interests and experiences to help them understand
* Give the child time
* Encourage your child to ask if they have not understood and to ask for help
* Ensure all who interact with your child are aware of the child's difficulties
* Pay attention to the signals you use
* ‘Pay' attention to ‘get' attention
* Have a strategy for ‘getting' & ‘keeping' attention
* People can't attend all the time - schedule and take breaks
* Try and change the circumstances to promote attention rather than concentrating on the person's inattention

MORE TIPS

* Number of items presented to a child will depend on their memory skills
* Arrangement and number of items will be affected by the child's ability to scan
* Place the key word at the end of the phrase and emphasise
* Gradually reduce the number of visual cues and physical prompts
* Give the child time to consolidate his/her new skill through practice and reinforcement
* Support the child through rewards and reinforcements

Helping a child at level 1

* Keep instructions simple and task related i.e. using key words
* Modelling by showing the child what to do
* Modelling by telling the child what to do
* Use prompts to gain eye contact and attention by using gestures and touch your child's arm or guide face to look at you/object/person

Helping the child at level 2

* Material rewards
* Encourage attention to sounds, nursery rhymes, musical instruments
* Encouraging choice between 2 to 3 objects
* Ask the child to get familiar objects i.e. "I need a cup".

Helping the child at level 3

* Keep tasks short and simple
* Prompt the child
* Rewards must be intrinsic to the task
* Clear instruction must precede the task when you have the child's full attention
* Copying actions or beats on a drum
* Musical statues
* Leaving words out of nursery rhymes
* Pausing during well known stories
* Matching sounds to objects and pictures

Helping the child at level 4

* Give the child time to focus his/her attention before giving instructions
* Prompt if the child gets stuck
* Alert child by calling his/her name
* Make child aware of your physical presence before speaking
* Praise and encouraging keeping to the task at hand
* Standing behind him and comment

Helping the child at level 5

* Encourage child to work alongside another child or small group
* Include child within classroom activities with the help of an assistant to prompt the child
* Simon Says, "I went to the shop and I bought...", bean bag game, Musical chairs
* Increase number of objects/pictures requested

Reference:

Cooper, J., Moodley, M., & Reynell, J. (1978). Helping language development: A developmental programme for children with early language handicaps. London: Edward Arnold Publishers.

Sindrey, D. (1997). Listening games for Littles. Worldplay Publications. www.wordplay.ca

auto reply email?

2010-01-01T07:57:00.001-08:00

replacing yourself in email

wow tool..

How to turn on Microsoft Word readability function:

2009-12-22T22:40:00.000-08:00

How to turn on Microsoft Word readability function:

1.Â On the Tools menu, click Options, and then click the Spelling & Grammar tab.
2.Â Select the Check grammar with spelling check box.
3.Â Select the Show readability statistics check box, and then click OK.
4.Â On the Standard toolbar, click Spelling and Grammar.

When Microsoft Word finishes checking spelling and grammar, it displays information about the reading level of the document.

How to translate reading grade into age (from Janice Harayda’s blog):

American children typically begin grades at these ages: kindergarten, 5; first grade, 6; second grade, 7; third grade, 8; fourth grade, 9; fifth grade, 10; sixth grade, 11; seventh grade, 12; eighth grade, 13; 9th grade (freshman year,high school), 14; 10th grade (sophomore year high school), 15; 11th grade (junior year high school), 16; 12th grade (senior year high school), 17.

source

...

This is a very interesting subject.
much is implied by ascribing a reading age to the population at large.
If as you say the above represents the reading ages of an 8 year old and a fourteen year old respectively, it opens up some interesting questions about other works.
What do you suppose is the reading age of newton’s principia for example?
If your snippet above is a benchmark for a 14 year old, the principia might arguably be written for those with a reading age of a 200 year old?
let’s take things a step further, and look at numeracy in the general population. There are professionals, lawyers etc who are unable to perform long division, very few ever master algebra, and only a handful progress to calculus.
most of the supposedly adult population will poo poo this idea, and dismiss mathematicians, of even some who are functionally numerate as a sub species rather than admit to being innumerate themselves, and accept the implications.
So think on…!

...

NVQ literacy english level Two

2009-12-22T22:35:00.000-08:00

i pass my exam.

will write more on the exam.

panic. difficult and learn something new on the exam day.

For the first time using the Flag button.

Taught before exam and decided to use it.

I flag about twenty questions and start to panic.

I say the test is hard.

I took twenty minutes average to do test before BUT

on the exam day i really use up the one hour. with thinking of
not enough time.

luckily, I PASS.

ALSO there is an EXHIBIT button that i think makes me think
the exam is difficult.

ho ho ho if i think it is difficult with new button on the test date,
i bet there will be many also think like me. unless you are not strike with panic like me. and stay calm no matter what happen or what changes..

good luck for those trying it later.

adios.,

english exam for me level two literacy : National Certificate in Adult Literacy

2009-12-21T04:08:00.000-08:00

english exam for me level two literacy

National Certificate in Adult Literacy

at 9 am

adult college

lancaster

how to study : www.move-on.org.uk

Improve My Spoken English Conversation by Listening, Responding and Asking

2009-12-21T03:58:00.000-08:00

Improve My Spoken English Conversation by Listening, Responding and Asking

Posted: Aug 7th, 2009

source

by Ryan Kent-Temple from WorldEnglishClub.com

There are three parts to any conversation. Whether it is on the phone, over coffee with your friend, or at a business meeting with your boss and your colleagues; Listening, Responding, and Asking.

Listening

Anywhere you go, and by this I mean anywhere you go to try and learn a language, they will tell you to listen. There are many reasons for this. For one, listening is such an important aspect in any language, that you would be at a disadvantage in life if you didn't listen. It is what makes a language. A language needs listeners. That's where you come in.

Listening is a skill. It is something that needs to be practiced a lot. If you are fluent in a language, for example your native language, then the skills you need to work on are different from the skills of someone listening in their second language. I will be speaking briefly on listening in a second language.

If you are just starting out or having a difficult time learning your second language, there is something that you can do to drastically enhance your knowledge of it. It's not studying from a book. And it's not learning how to write it. It's LISTENING to it!

Just listening to a new language can train our brain to the sounds, speech patterns and pronunciations of your new desired language. Take a minute and think about when you first learned how to speak. A baby isn't born KNOWING their language. So how does it learn the language that it eventually speaks?

You're right! It listens. And at first, that's all babies do is listen. But what eventually happens with the baby? That's right! It finally says a word. Odds are that it will say something that has been repeated to it a lot. It does take a long time for a baby to finally grasp a language.

Usually around 3-5 years the child has an understanding of the simple ways that sentences are put together. And passing through the years, eventually has a good grasp of the language around 10-12 years. Minus, of course, the vocabulary.

I am not saying it will take you that long to learn a new language. Clearly you are more sophisticated than a child. I am merely saying that if you listen, you will learn.

Responding

Responding is a very simple skill. But there is one important aspect that you must consider before applying the lessons taught here. And that is LISTEN. You must listen to know how to respond. If you were not listening to what your conversation partner had to say, how will you know what follow up questions to ask.

Responding can show your conversation partner that you are interested in what they are talking about. Not just by the way you were using your non-verbal listening skills. Responding shows that you are actively engaged in this conversation. Remember, just because you are not doing the talking, does not mean you are not a part of the conversation.

This part of the conversation may seem minor, but it is very important in keeping the two-way activity going. Because if you are only nodding and smiling, the other person might just think you are a robot. So you must use this little but important aspect in your conversations.

Responding to what someone has said can be very easy. Especially if you would rather have them keep talking or if you are sincerely interested in what they are saying. You can simply ask what they meant when they were talking about a certain point in their story.

Asking

Asking is part of the responding process. But it is also a key role. Perhaps THE key to active listening. This part of a conversation is a key role because it provides you with the knowledge and understanding of the conversation.

When you are actively engaged in a conversation, you should be getting something out of it. You're goals should be: learning from the person you are speaking with, and creating a friend or partner for the future.

Asking questions will also take the conversation where you want it to go. If your conversation partner is talking about something that offends you (and this can happen) be polite, wait until they finish their thought, and ask a question that directs the conversation away from the previous subject.

Remember now that you have them talking about something of interest to them, they will know if you are listening to what they are saying.

If you want to continue your studies to a university or college level in a country that speaks English then you will have to continue your online studies. During the time you are learning English online you will get the direction that you need for all the classes that you will pursue.

by Ryan Kent-Temple from WorldEnglishClub.com

...

HOW YOUNG CHILDREN LEARN ENGLISH

2009-12-21T03:50:00.001-08:00

HOW YOUNG CHILDREN LEARN ENGLISH AS ANOTHER LANGUAGE
Opal Dunn, educational consultant and author

The advantages of beginning early

Young children are still using their individual, innate language-learning strategies to acquire their home language and soon find they can also use these strategies to pick up English.

Young children have time to learn through play-like activities. They pick up language by taking part in an activity shared with an adult. They firstly make sense of the activity and then get meaning from the adult’s shared language.

Young children have more time to fit English into the daily programme. School programmes tend to be informal and children’s minds are not yet cluttered with facts to be stored and tested. They may have little or no homework and are less stressed by having to achieve set standards.

Children who have the opportunity to pick up a second language while they are still young appear to use the same innate language-learning strategies throughout life when learning other languages. Picking up third, fourth, or even more languages is easier than picking up a second.

Young children who acquire language rather than consciously learn it, as older children and adults have to, are more likely to have better pronunciation and feel for the language and culture. When monolingual children reach puberty and become more self-conscious, their ability to pick up language diminishes and they feel they have to consciously study English through grammar-based programmes. The age at which this change occurs depends greatly on the individual child’s developmental levels as well as the expectations of their society.

..

children english target

2009-12-21T03:46:00.001-08:00

End of YEAR Target level

year 11 (daughter)= A*

year 10 (son) = B

Question:

how do i improve my son learning english target???

Stages in picking up English

2009-12-21T03:41:00.000-08:00

Stages in picking up English

Spoken language comes naturally before reading and writing.

Silent period
When babies learn their home language, there is a ‘silent period’, when they look and listen and communicate through facial expression or gestures before they begin to speak. When young children learn English, there may be a similar ‘silent period’ when communication and understanding may take place before they actually speak any English words.

During this time parents should not force children to take part in spoken dialogue by making them repeat words. Spoken dialogues should be one-sided, the adult’s talk providing useful opportunities for the child to pick up language. Where the adult uses parentese (an adjusted form of speech) to facilitate learning, the child may use many of the same strategies they used in learning their home language.

Beginning to talk
After some time, depending on the frequency of English sessions, each child (girls often more quickly than boys) begins to say single words (‘cat’, ‘house’) or ready-made short phrases (‘What’s that?’, ‘It’s my book’, ‘I can’t’, ‘That’s a car’, ‘Time to go home’) in dialogues or as unexpected statements. The child has memorised them, imitating the pronunciation exactly without realising that some may consist of more than one word. This stage continues for some time as they child picks up more language using it as a short cut to dialogue before they are ready to create their own phrases.
Building up English language
Gradually children build up phrases consisting of a single memorised word to which they add words from their vocabulary (‘a dog’, ‘a brown dog’, ‘a brown and black dog’) or a single memorised language to which they add their own input (‘That’s my chair’, ‘Time to play’). Depending on the frequency of exposure to English and the quality of experience, children gradually begin to create whole sentences.
Understanding

Understanding is always greater than speaking and young children’s ability to comprehend should not be underestimated, as they are used to understanding their home language from a variety of context clues. Though they may not understand everything they hear in their home language, children grasp the gist – that is they understand a few important words and decipher the rest using different clues to interpret the meaning. With encouragement they soon transfer their ‘gist’ understanding skills to interpret meaning in English.

Frustration

After the initial novelty of English sessions, some young children, especially boys, become frustrated by their inability to express their thoughts in English. Others want to speak quickly in English as they can in their home language. Frustration can often be overcome by providing children with ‘performance’ pieces like ‘I can count to 12 in English’ or very simple rhymes, which consist of ready-made phrases.

Mistakes

Children should not be told they have made a mistake because any correction immediately demotivates. Mistakes may be part of the process of working out grammar rules of English or they may be a fault in pronunciation. ‘I goed’ soon becomes ‘went’ if the child hears the adult repeat back ‘yes, you went’; or if the adult hears ‘zee bus’ and repeats ‘the bus’. As in learning their home language, if children have an opportunity to hear the adult repeat the same piece of language correctly, they will self-correct in their own time.

Gender differences

Boys’ brains develop differently from girls’ and this affects how boys pick up language and use it. Sometimes mixed classes make little provision for boys, who may be overshadowed by girls’ natural ability to use language. If young boys are to reach their potential, they need some different language experiences with girls and their achievements should not be compared with those of girls.

Language-learning environments

Young children find it more difficult to pick up English if they are not provided with the right type of experiences, accompanied by adult support using ‘parentese’ techniques.

Young children need to feel secure and know that there is some obvious reason for using English.
Activities need to be linked to some interesting everyday activities about which they already know, eg sharing an English picture book, saying a rhyme in English, having an ‘English’ snack.
Activities are accompanied by adult language giving a running commentary about what is going on and dialogues using adjusted parentese language.
English sessions are fun and interesting, concentrating on concepts children have already understood in their home language. In this way children are not learning two things, a new concept as well as new language, but merely learning the English to talk about something they already know.
Activities are backed up by specific objects, where possible, as this helps understanding and increases general interest.
Reading

Children who can already read in their home language generally want to find out how to read in English. They already know how to decode words in their home language to get meaning from text and, if not helped to decode in English, may transfer their home language-decoding techniques and end up reading English with the home language accent.

Before they can decode English, young children need to know the 26 alphabet letter names and sounds. As English has 26 letters but on average 44 sounds (in standard English), introducing the remaining sounds is better left until children have more experience in using language and reading,

Beginning reading in English goes easily if young children already know the language they are trying to read. Many children work out by themselves how to read in English if they have shared picture books with adults or learned rhymes, as they are likely to have memorised the language. Reading what they know by heart is an important step in learning to read as it gives children opportunities to work out how to decode simple words by themselves. Once children have built up a bank of words they can read, they feel confident and are then ready for a more structured approach.

Parental support

Children need to feel that they are making progress. They need continual encouragement as well as praise for good performance, as any success motivates. Parents are in an ideal position to motivate and so help their children learn, even if they have only basic English themselves and are learning alongside their young children.

By sharing, parents can not only bring their child’s language and activities into family life, but can also influence their young children’s attitudes to language learning and other cultures. It is now generally accepted that most lifelong attitudes are formed by the age of eight or nine.

...

Getting to know Jennifer ESL

2009-12-19T22:26:00.001-08:00

Getting to know Jennifer ESL

ABOUT ME
Jennifer Recio Lebedev

Originally certified to teach Russian as a foreign language by the state of Pennsylvania, I later discovered my true calling as an English language teacher while living and studying in Moscow, Russia. My undergraduate degree from Bryn Mawr College and graduate degree from Middlebury College are in Russian Studies, and I joke with my husband today that I did not major in Russian Studies, but simply took an intensive preparation course for marriage to a native Russian.

I began teaching English in 1996, first as a private instructor and later in the classroom. My teaching experience broadened when I returned to the U.S. in 2001, and subsequently I moved from the EFL classroom to the ESL classroom. At a private IEP in Boston, I joined the teaching staff and earned my TESL certificate. The small size of the school afforded many opportunities for professional growth. In time I coordinated and taught the teacher training program, established a literary magazine, and even wrote a 4-level series for the school’s writing curriculum. The many responsibilities I took on greatly aided my growth as a teacher, but by the end of 2005 I opted to leave my position as a classroom teacher and ESL program coordinator and move in another direction.

It was Pearson Longman that built a bridge for me between my work in an IEP and my work as a materials writer. Vocabulary Power was a labor of love, completed after two years, and it was my debut on the international scene. Prior to this textbook series, I had written only small works for EFL students and teachers in Russia.

Not ready to return to traditional classroom teaching (two reasons: two children!), I experimented with online instruction in the late summer of 2007. I made a tentative entrance on the YouTube scene as “JenniferESL”, but soon became bolder and more committed as the response among viewers grew.

Here I am today, with vodcasts, podcasts, books, and plenty of ideas I am eager to share with the international community of English language learners and teachers. I hope you will continue to welcome my contributions.

GO HERE TO LEARN ENGLISH

YouTube - JenniferESL's Channel

===

i like her humbly and sincere remarks in her blog.

http://englishwithjennifer.wordpress.com/about-me/

Hello!
By all means, please feel free to use my videos in your classroom. I’m pleased they can be of use to you and your students. I’ve given my permission for this kind of use on my YouTube channel. As long as it’s not for profit, I’m happy to share my work through others like yourself. I thank you for helping me to reach more language learners. Best of luck in your teaching!
Regards,
Jennifer

Comment by englishwithjennifer March 2, 2009 @ 2:24 am

Improve your English and maths with Brain Games

2009-12-19T09:10:00.000-08:00

Improve your English and maths with Brain Games

http://www.braingames.org.uk/

http://www.braingames.org.uk/

http://www.braingames.org.uk/

http://www.braingames.org.uk/

====

Brain Games is a new software engine, developed by LSIS, which gives learners a quick and easy way to practise their literacy and numeracy skills.
Brain Games is fun! It aims to engage and motivate learners to succeed by building their skills and confidence as they progress through the game, and tackle incrementally harder challenges. The resource is built round the backdrop of a competitive sporting event, and takes the addictive gameplay of ‘Brain Training’ and applies this to literacy and numeracy, using sound pedagogic principles.
In the Words section, learners can choose from: Getting it? – Understanding; Spell it – Spelling; Scribe – Writing; What’s the use? – Grammar; Full stop – Punctuation; and Word! – Vocabulary.
In Numbers, they can choose from Work it out … Numbers, Bits and pieces – Fractions; How big? – Measures; and More than likely – Statistics. All categories are available at three levels – easy, medium and hard.
In the Stats Centre, learners can view their performance charts, high scores and medals tables, and issue challenges to their training buddies. As they practise core technical skills of literacy and numeracy through the game learners are signposted towards more context-rich learning challenges at www.move-on.org.uk as well as the mini tests supporting the National Literacy and Numeracy tests.
Brain Games is an ideal resource that practitioners can use to help reinforce specific skills taught and the game can also be used by learners to practise their skills independently. LSIS is currently developing further functionality in Brain Games which will enable practitioners to set up and manage learner groups, and track learner progress by subject, category and level. This will be available from early summer 2010.
Brain Games is currently available free of charge to play online and, as Brain Games Lite, it can be installed on a range of mobile phones. In early 2010 a downloadable version of Brain Games will be available to run from a hard disc, or memory stick .

====

Why not try Brain Games Lite on your mobile?

Check the links to see which installer will work with your phone.

Nokia
View supported phones
Sony Ericsson
View supported phones

Manual Installer
View details

Literacy Level 2 = Move-on.org.uk

2009-12-19T09:02:00.000-08:00

Literacy Level 2 - Progress check A

Paper-based questions (Size: 675 Kb)

Paper-based answers (Size: 121 Kb)

On screen version

Download (Size: 2941 Kb)

http://www.move-on.org.uk/practicetestsResults.asp

Lesson 1-Advise/Recommend/Suggest-Common Mistakes in English

2009-12-19T08:55:00.000-08:00

Lesson 1-Advise/Recommend/Suggest-Common Mistakes in English

Advise

Recommend

Suggest

American Slang - Lesson 1 2 3 4

2009-12-19T05:23:00.000-08:00

American Slang - Lesson 1

American Slang - Lesson 2

American Slang - Lesson 3

American Slang - Lesson 4

source

Lesson 2 and 3 - English Vocabulary

2009-12-19T05:20:00.000-08:00

Lesson 2 - "Easy" - English Vocabulary

Lesson 3 - "Kitchen" - English Vocabulary

:)

"TH" - English Pronunciation

2009-12-19T05:07:00.000-08:00

Lesson 1a - "TH" - English Pronunciation

Lesson 1b - "TH" - English Pronunciation

===

Lesson 2 - "TH" - English Pronunciation

English Vocabulary

2009-12-19T05:02:00.000-08:00

Lesson 1 - "Outdoors" - English Vocabulary

out of the woods...

to come out of difficult situations.

(to have) a green thumb)....

a talent of gardening

(no) bed of roses .....

a life of ease and comfort

25 July 2007

http://www.youtube.com/user/JenniferESL

Preferences - English Grammar ...BRILLIANT

2009-12-19T04:54:00.000-08:00

Lesson 1 - Preferences - English Grammar

prefer ( general)

i prefer to drink oranges only at breakfast.

(specific for these 2 expressions below)...

Would you prefer drinking tea or coffee?

or

Would you prefer tea or coffee?

===

i rather have coffee please.

would prefer

would rather

infinitive, gerund or noun

based verb

----

FREE online lesson with a native speaker. Lesson 1 topic: preferences. Level: Intermediate to Advanced.

25 July 2007

http://www.youtube.com/user/JenniferESL

Afraid To Read- Dawud Wharnsby

2009-12-17T13:42:00.000-08:00

Afraid To Read- Dawud Wharnsby

One of my favourite nasheeds by Dawud Wharnsby.

How many words shes read before, shes consumed two thousand books or more.
Musty pulp and glue soundproof her tiny room.
She cannot understand why this book in her hand
Fascinates her now so much that shes almost shy to touch.
Dont think about the words its just a book - paper and ink
She reaffirms, reminds herself, a book cant dictate what to think.
It invites, intrigues her more than others on her shelf
Is it just another book? - She sits questioning herself.

Oh Allah, shes so afraid to read,
The wisdom thats revealed may burrow in her mind
Shell be obliged to admit,
Shell be obliged to submit
But will she be strong enough to live the truth she finds?
Oh Allah, shes so afraid to read.

The hall light is always on every night that he is gone.
He hears his mother toss in bed when he slips in at dawn.
In the book case by the stair, he can see it sitting there
Like a waiting watchful wise-man scolding him with care.
In the morning will they fight about him being out all night?
Will he resent their gift of love and not admit that they are right?
All he wants is to fit in some place, but must he compromise his faith?
He cant look himself or his parents in the face.
He takes the book upstairs unread and sets it closed next to his head
Then counts the prayers hes missed and lays so hopelessly in bed.

Oh Allah, hes so afraid to read,
The wisdom thats revealed may burrow in his mind
Hell be obliged to admit,
Hell be obliged to submit
But will he be strong enough to live the truth he finds?
Oh Allah, hes so afraid to read.

I sent an email to my loved one, just the other day
Its sad communication has evolved this way.
We use so many words but have so little to relay
As angels scribble down every letter that we say.
All the viral attachments sent and passionate insults we vent
Its easy to be arrogant behind user passwords we invent.
But on the day the scrolls are laid, with every word and deed displayed,
When we read our accounts, I know, for one, Ill be afraid.

That day Ill be so afraid to read,
Every harsh word that Ive spoken - and every time I have lied.
Ill be obliged to admit,
Ill be obliged to submit
Will I have strength owning up to each deed Ive tried to hide?
Oh Allah, Im so afraid to read.

Afraid To Read- Dawud Wharnsby

Take Responsibility to guarantee your success

2009-12-13T22:51:00.000-08:00

Speak Excellent English Fast

“How To Learn English 3-5 Times Faster”

You are the only person who can guarantee your success. Teachers can help. I can help. But ultimately, you must take action. Imagine– you are a strong, happy, successful English learner. You, not a teacher, is the cause of your success. You did it. Imagine that you are now an excellent English speaker. Make that dream real!

http://effortlessenglishclub.com/7-rules-to-learn-excellent-english-speaking

“Powerful English Speaking” & “The Key”. These e-books will teach you more about the Effortless English System. Download the e-books now:

Download “Powerful English Speaking” E-book
Download “The Key To Excellent English Speaking” Free Report
If you like what you read, Join my FREE email course now and get 7 Free videos about learning English faster and speaking it better.

My name is A.J Hoge and I will teach you 7 rules for speaking Excellent English.

=========

hmmmm,, anyone or anybody had tried and would like to leave a comment???

i would appreciate that. thanks....

:)

how improve english or How to improve your English skills

2009-12-13T22:47:00.000-08:00

how improve english? i like this advice.

especially about doing it for fun. the more you enjoy the more you learn !!!!
===================

source

How to improve your English skills

=====

My most important piece of advice is: "Do something (anything). If you don't do anything, you won't get anywhere. Make it your hobby, not a chore, but above all have fun!"

Don't be in too much of a hurry. You're setting off on a long journey and there'll be delays and frustrations along the way. Sometimes you'll be in the fast lane and other times you'll be stuck in traffic, but there will also be lots of interesting things and interesting people along the way. Take your time to really enjoy the experience.

There are many ways to improve your level of English, but only you can find the right way for you. Here are a few tips that might help:-

Improve your Learning Skills
Learning is a skill and it can be improved.

Your path to learning effectively is through knowing

•yourself
•your capacity to learn
•processes you have successfully used in the past
•your interest, and knowledge of what you wish to learn
Motivate yourself

If you are not motivated to learn English you will become frustrated and give up. Ask yourself the following questions, and be honest:-

•Why do you need to learn/improve English?
•Where will you need to use English?
•What skills do you need to learn/improve? (Reading/Writing/Listening/Speaking)
•How soon do you need to see results?
•How much time can you afford to devote to learning English.
•How much money can you afford to devote to learning English.
•Do you have a plan or learning strategy?
Set yourself achievable goals

You know how much time you can dedicate to learning English, but a short time each day will produce better, longer-term results than a full day on the weekend and then nothing for two weeks.

Joining a short intensive course could produce better results than joining a course that takes place once a week for six months.

Here are some goals you could set yourself:-

•Join an English course (and attend regularly).
•Do your homework.
•Read a book a month.
•Learn a new word every day.
•Visit an English speaking forum every day.
•Read a news article on the net every day.
•Do 10 minutes listening practice every day.
•Watch an English film at least once a month.
•Follow a soap, comedy or radio or TV drama.
A good way to meet your goals is to establish a system of rewards and punishments.

Decide on a reward you will give yourself for fulfilling your goals for a month.

•A bottle of your favourite drink
•A meal out / or a nice meal at home
•A new outfit
•A manicure or massage
Understanding how you learn best may also help you.

There are different ways to learn. Find out what kind of learner you are in order to better understand how to learn more effectively..

The visual learner
Do you need to see your teacher during lessons in order to fully understand the content of a lesson?

Do you prefer to sit at the front of the classroom to avoid visual obstructions (e.g. people's heads)?

Do you think in pictures and learn best from visual displays including: diagrams, illustrated text books, overhead transparencies, videos, flipcharts and hand-outs?

During a lecture or classroom discussion, do you prefer to take detailed notes to absorb the information?

!Learning Tip - you may benefit from taking part in traditional English lessons, but maybe private lessons would be better.

The auditory learner
Do you learn best through verbal lectures, discussions, talking things through and listening to what others have to say?

Do you interpret the underlying meanings of speech through listening to tone of voice, pitch, speed and other nuances?

Does written information have little meaning until you hear it?

!Learning Tip - you may benefit from listening to the radio or listening to text as you read it. You could try reading text aloud and using a tape recorder to play it back to yourself.

The Tactile/Kinesthetic learner
Do you learn best through a hands-on approach, actively exploring the physical world around you?

Do you find it hard to sit still for long periods?

Do you become distracted easily?

!Learning Tip - you may benefit from taking an active part in role plays or drama activities.

Other English Learning Tips
Travel to an English speaking country:-

•England is only a few hours flight away.
•Specialist holidays are available to improve your English.
•Take an English speaking tour or activity holiday.
Spend your time on things that interest you. If you like cooking then buy an English-language cookbook or find recipes on the net and practise following the recipes. You'll soon know if you have made a mistake!

Keep something English on you (book, newspaper or magazine, cd or cassette, set of flashcards) all day and every day, you never know when you might have 5 spare minutes.

If you are too tired to actively practice just relax and listen to an English pop song or talk radio station.

BRAIN GAMES

2009-12-13T22:44:00.000-08:00

Brain Games - engaging learners with skills practice

http://www.braingames.org.uk/Flash.aspx

http://www.move-on.org.uk/practicetests.asp on google

2009-12-12T15:33:00.000-08:00

http://www.move-on.org.uk/practicetests.asp on google

result as on the screen now............

skillswise engilsh test on google

2009-12-12T15:28:00.001-08:00

skillswise math on google

2009-12-12T15:25:00.000-08:00

The Five Rules of Happiness

2009-12-12T15:20:00.000-08:00

source

http://www.ofspirit.com/burtgoldman1.htm

The Five Rules of Happiness
by Burt Goldman

Are You Happy When You’re Happy?

You know when you’re happy, and certainly no one has to tell you when you’re sad. But what is it that makes a person happy?

It is important to realize, however, that what makes you happy might depress another person. There are people, because of guilt, a feeling they do not deserve what they have, or a feeling they will lose what they have that makes them unhappy when they should be happy. Possessions are a poor measure of happiness. Possessions are subjective and relative to the individual and the individual’s viewpoint. Instead, we will use a philosophy as an example.

This philosophy is about enjoying things you like, avoiding or changing things you do not like, and accepting what you cannot avoid or change by the skillful use of your viewpoint. The use of this philosophy, as embodied in the five rules, will allow you to test many problem areas in your life and find solutions. With this philosophy, you will be well on your way on your pursuit of happiness.

The Rules of Happiness

Pursuit of Happiness - Rule Number One: If You Like a Thing, Enjoy It.

Now that seems outrageously simple. At first you might say, “That’s ridiculous, of course if I like something I’m going to enjoy it.” But when you stop to think about it you’ll probably agree that there are many things in life that we like but don’t enjoy. The reasons we don’t enjoy things we like are (a) guilt, and (b) fear. You will not enjoy something you like if you feel guilty after having done the thing, or if you are fearful of the consequences of doing it.

Pursuit of Happiness - Rule Number Two: If You Don’t Like a Thing, Avoid It.

The second rule seems simple enough, but reflect for a moment on how many people are involved with things they do not like — a job, a person, a vehicle, a type of food, any one of a thousand things — and for some reason they don’t avoid those things. “Well, I can’t avoid it. I have to work there because I need the money.” Or, “I have to be involved with this person for many valid reasons.” How many justifications can you think of for not avoiding the things you do not like to do?

Pursuit of Happiness - Rule Number Three: If You Don’t Like a Thing, and You Cannot Avoid It, Change It.

Here again, the answer is simple: change it. But just as in avoidance we rationalize that we need something about it — the money, the time, the security — something is holding you to that particular thing if you don’t like it, cannot avoid it, won’t change it, but are still involved with it.

Pursuit of Happiness - Rule Number Four: If You Don’t Like a Thing, Cannot Avoid It, and Cannot or will Not Change It, Accept It.

Acceptance — now there is a catch. How can you accept something you don’t like? How in the world do you accept something that is 'unacceptable'? How do you accept a situation that you’re not happy with? How do you accept a person that you’re not happy with? Well, you really don’t have to accept anything; you can, of course, be unhappy. If you don’t like it, won’t change it, cannot avoid it, and will not accept it, I guarantee that you will be unhappy. There are, however, five rules to the secret of happiness, and within the fifth lies the key.

Rule Number Five: You Accept a Thing By Changing Your Attitude Towards It.

You are the result of your viewpoints and attitudes. Everything is relative to the person experiencing it. There are no absolutes — nothing is good, nothing bad, except as it relates to you. Nor is life good or bad. Life simply is. You change those things you wish by changing your viewpoint about them.

How easy!
How difficult!

Your attitudes and viewpoints are all part of your mind and once you develop the power of self mind control you will be the master of your own attitudes and viewpoints. The Power of Self Mind Control will show you how to go to the meditative level and using these five rules, you’ll find yourself on the right path on the pursuit of happiness. You’ll realize why people are unhappy. Eventually it will become automatic, and you’ll find happiness a predominant state of mind. Once you realize the ease of acquiring this emotion, you develop an entirely new scale of highs and lows.

Unremitting happiness, of course, is not a possible or desirable state. According to the principle of rhythm, there is always an inflow and outflow, an ebb tide and a flood tide. You’ll always have highs and lows — there’s no way to avoid that. However, your highs will be higher and your lows will be higher. You’ll then find that what is a happy state for you might be a state of depression for someone unaware of the Five Rules of Happiness.

____________________

The above article is a beautiful chapter from Burt Goldman's latest book, "The Power of Self Mind Control." You can learn more about his latest book at http://www.SelfMindControl.com Burt Goldman has also been a Silva Mind instructor teaching techniques to make the rest of your life the best of your life. To learn about Silva seminars near you just visit http://www.silvaultramindsystem.com

Improve your English and maths with Skillswise

2009-11-30T03:18:00.000-08:00

Improve your English and maths with Skillswise

where ? here

and also at move on here

All of the resources we make available on this site are done so freely. However, we'd like to know who you are, so we ask that you register your details with us below. Once you've done this you'll be taken straight to the free resources.

http://www.move-on.org.uk/practicetestsResults.asp

Literacy Level 2 - Practice Test L
Paper-based questions (Size: 785 Kb)
Paper-based answers (Size: 321 Kb)
On screen version
Download (Size: 3603 Kb)

Literacy Level 2 - Practice Test M
Paper-based questions (Size: 483 Kb)
Paper-based answers (Size: 327 Kb)
On screen version
Download (Size: 3873 Kb)

Literacy Level 2 - Practice Test N
Paper-based questions (Size: 2640 Kb)
Paper-based answers (Size: 355 Kb)
On screen version
Download (Size: 3674 Kb)

Literacy Level 2 - Practice Test O
Paper-based questions (Size: 3705 Kb)
Paper-based answers (Size: 16 Kb)
On screen version
Download (Size: 6161 Kb)

Literacy Level 2 - Practice Test P
Paper-based questions (Size: 2645 Kb)
Paper-based answers (Size: 16 Kb)
On screen version
Download (Size: 5699 Kb)
Download (Size: 5699 Kb)

Literacy Level 2 - Practice Test Q
Paper-based questions (Size: 542 Kb)
Paper-based answers (Size: 16 Kb)
On screen version
Download (Size: 5606 Kb)

Literacy Level 2 - Progress check A
Paper-based questions (Size: 675 Kb)
Paper-based answers (Size: 121 Kb)
On screen version
Download (Size: 2941 Kb)

Literacy Level 2 - Progress check B
Paper-based questions (Size: 2096 Kb)
Paper-based answers (Size: 50 Kb)
On screen version
Download (Size: 2862 Kb)

Literacy Level 2 - Progress check C
Paper-based questions (Size: 244 Kb)
Paper-based answers (Size: 25 Kb)
On screen version
Download (Size: 2822 Kb)

Literacy Level 2 - Progress check D
Paper-based questions (Size: 2090 Kb)
Paper-based answers (Size: 27 Kb)
On screen version

Literacy Level 2 - Progress check E
Paper-based questions (Size: 271 Kb)
Paper-based answers (Size: 27 Kb)
On screen version

Literacy Level 2 - Progress check F
Paper-based questions (Size: 252 Kb)
Paper-based answers (Size: 28 Kb)
On screen version
Download (Size: 3215 Kb)

Literacy Level 2 - Progress check G
Paper-based questions (Size: 277 Kb)
Paper-based answers (Size: 25 Kb)
On screen version
Download (Size: 2803 Kb)

Literacy Level 2 - Progress check H
Paper-based questions (Size: 248 Kb)
Paper-based answers (Size: 25 Kb)
On screen version
Download (Size: 3017 Kb)

Literacy Level 2 - Progress check I
Paper-based questions (Size: 389 Kb)
Paper-based answers (Size: 25 Kb)
On screen version
Download (Size: 3477 Kb)

Literacy Level 2 - Progress check J
Paper-based questions (Size: 333 Kb)
Paper-based answers (Size: 24 Kb)

Literacy Level 2 - Progress check K
Paper-based questions (Size: 348 Kb)
Paper-based answers (Size: 25 Kb)

test result for test L M and N

2009-11-21T21:22:00.000-08:00

target to finish this 3 today

Literacy Level 2 - Practice Test L

On screen version
finished and got 30 / 40

Literacy Level 2 - Practice Test M

On screen version
finished and got 30 / 40

Literacy Level 2 - Practice Test N
Paper-based questions (Size: 2640 Kb)
Paper-based answers (Size: 355 Kb)
On screen version
Download (Size: 3674 Kb)

doing it to pass my english test .. good luck

2009-11-21T21:21:00.001-08:00

Literacy Level 2 - Practice Test L
Paper-based questions (Size: 785 Kb)
Paper-based answers (Size: 321 Kb)
On screen version
Download (Size: 3603 Kb)

Literacy Level 2 - Practice Test M
Paper-based questions (Size: 483 Kb)
Paper-based answers (Size: 327 Kb)
On screen version
Download (Size: 3873 Kb)

Literacy Level 2 - Practice Test N
Paper-based questions (Size: 2640 Kb)
Paper-based answers (Size: 355 Kb)
On screen version
Download (Size: 3674 Kb)

Literacy Level 2 - Practice Test O
Paper-based questions (Size: 3705 Kb)
Paper-based answers (Size: 16 Kb)
On screen version
Download (Size: 6161 Kb)

Literacy Level 2 - Practice Test P
Paper-based questions (Size: 2645 Kb)
Paper-based answers (Size: 16 Kb)
On screen version
Download (Size: 5699 Kb)
Download (Size: 5699 Kb)

Literacy Level 2 - Practice Test Q
Paper-based questions (Size: 542 Kb)
Paper-based answers (Size: 16 Kb)
On screen version
Download (Size: 5606 Kb)

Literacy Level 2 - Progress check A
Paper-based questions (Size: 675 Kb)
Paper-based answers (Size: 121 Kb)
On screen version
Download (Size: 2941 Kb)

Literacy Level 2 - Progress check B
Paper-based questions (Size: 2096 Kb)
Paper-based answers (Size: 50 Kb)
On screen version
Download (Size: 2862 Kb)

Literacy Level 2 - Progress check C
Paper-based questions (Size: 244 Kb)
Paper-based answers (Size: 25 Kb)
On screen version
Download (Size: 2822 Kb)

Literacy Level 2 - Progress check D
Paper-based questions (Size: 2090 Kb)
Paper-based answers (Size: 27 Kb)
On screen version

Literacy Level 2 - Progress check E
Paper-based questions (Size: 271 Kb)
Paper-based answers (Size: 27 Kb)
On screen version

Literacy Level 2 - Progress check F
Paper-based questions (Size: 252 Kb)
Paper-based answers (Size: 28 Kb)
On screen version
Download (Size: 3215 Kb)

Literacy Level 2 - Progress check G
Paper-based questions (Size: 277 Kb)
Paper-based answers (Size: 25 Kb)
On screen version
Download (Size: 2803 Kb)

Literacy Level 2 - Progress check H
Paper-based questions (Size: 248 Kb)
Paper-based answers (Size: 25 Kb)
On screen version
Download (Size: 3017 Kb)

Literacy Level 2 - Progress check I
Paper-based questions (Size: 389 Kb)
Paper-based answers (Size: 25 Kb)
On screen version
Download (Size: 3477 Kb)

Literacy Level 2 - Progress check J
Paper-based questions (Size: 333 Kb)
Paper-based answers (Size: 24 Kb)

Literacy Level 2 - Progress check K
Paper-based questions (Size: 348 Kb)
Paper-based answers (Size: 25 Kb)

Make Spelling Easy for Children

2009-11-05T06:43:00.000-08:00

source

How to Make Spelling Easy for Children
Simple Kids' Activities with Short Vowel Words

© Kalyani Candade
Nov 6, 2008

Read more: http://kids-educational-activities.suite101.com/article.cfm/how_to_make_spelling_easy_for_children#ixzz0Vzpk5uJv

The most effective tool to good spelling is an amazingly simple one: "Open your mouth and say the word".

English spelling is actually not difficult, once the logic is clear. While many spellings are phonetic and are spelt as they are spoken, the confusion arises from groups of words that are drawn from different European languages. Here are some simple exercises you can do with your child to create strong fundamentals.
Make your Child Say the Word Aloud

This is the golden key that can unlock the secrets of the English alphabet. Say the words aloud with your child, play with the sounds of the alphabets, show him or her how the shape of the mouth correlates with the sound made.
Start with the Vowels, the Triangular "A"

Identify about five words with a similar "A" sound and make her repeat the words, for example: Hay, May, Gay, Day, Way. Let her get familiar with the sound of "A". Demonstrate the triangular shape the mouth makes when you say the "A". Experiment with the changing sounds when the shape of the mouth changes. Move slowly into a long "aah", and start making a list of words with that sound; like Car, Bar, Mar, Par, Far. Play around with the many different sounds of "A". You could act, or mime, if you feel like it. Have fun!
Move on to the Circular "O"

After a while, turn the "A"’ into a slow "aaaoooo’"and then make a full "O". Talk about how the mouth makes a complete circle. Move to "O" words. For your examples, use short "O" words like Hot, Got, Dot, Pot, Rot.
Smile your Way into a Wide "E"

When you’re finished with "O", stretch your mouth into a wide smile, and move into an "eeee". Point out the shape of the mouth and the correlation with the sound. Use words with a double "E" for your examples: Feet, Meet, Sweet, Greet, Beet.

Read more: http://kids-educational-activities.suite101.com/article.cfm/how_to_make_spelling_easy_for_children#ixzz0Vzpg6KRx

Then, slowly, mouth still open in a smile, shorten the 'ee' sound to an ‘eh’. Move to words like Pet, Bet, Red, Ten, Pen. Discuss how the shape of the mouth stays the same, but the sound is shortened.
Experiment with the Shape of "I"

After "E", it’s time to move into the slightly less defined "I". Continue the exercise. Discover, along with your child, how the shape of the mouth changes to make the various "I".sounds. For your examples, use words making the short "I". sound; Bit, Kit, Hit, Pit, Lit. Highlight the plosive "I".; play around with the short, expulsive sound and maybe create simple mimes around it.
Discover the fun of the Pursed "U"

Introduce the "Ooh" sound dramatically. Make a long, drawn out sound complete with pursed mouth, and make your child do the same. Repeat it a couple of times for effect and fun. Then create your words; use the long "ue" words to demonstrate the sound of "U"; Blue, True, Glue, Cue, Hue. Explain that "U" often likes to have another vowel along for company. Do not tackle the odd "U" words like "but" and "put" at this stage.
Repeat the Activity and Make it a Game

At the end of this exercise, your child should have a fair understanding of the standard sounds of the vowels, and should begin to enjoy vocalizing the sounds and understanding how they work. It is important that the word groups that you choose should be standard and easy to follow; do not introduce odd spellings or exceptions right now. Repeat this a couple of times, always taking care to choose a simple and predictable set of words. Catch the odd moment, throw it around, surprise each other. Once your child starts enjoying the game, it’s time to move on to activities with vowel combinations like the long "ee" diagraph , the long "a" sound and the long "o" diagraph.
Related Reading

If you enjoyed this, you might want to read Rudyard Kipling's story on 'How the Alphabet Was Made'.

Read more: http://kids-educational-activities.suite101.com/article.cfm/how_to_make_spelling_easy_for_children#ixzz0Vzq8Ridw

===

Spelling Game
By MB5
Clip to ScrapBook
I think this game is a great idea. Our school actually plays a version of this on field day. The class forms a circle around plastic discs that have the letters on them. Then each child takes a turn spelling a word by
running to the letter, and stomping on it. (They're placed about 1 foot apart.) The rest of the class is not allowed to talk, but they can direct their classmate by gesturing.

What I was thinking for your game is that maybe you could play the game in small groups (6-8 kids). They can take turns, and if they get stuck, they can look to their team-mates for non-verbal help. This will

promote teamwork (hopefully), and the other kids in the group will be paying attention to the spelling since they may need to assist their teammate. I think the shower curtain/keyboard idea is GREAT (kinda reminds me of Twister!) I don't know what your floor situation is there, but you could buy that no-skid stuff they sell to put under rugs, and glue strips of it on the back of the shower curtain using rubber cement. If they're permitted, kids could take their shoes off to play, which will add to the appeal of this game. Wow! I'm getting excited about this. I'm off to the dollar store to get my shower curtain!

P.S. Does anyone have other games that they use shower curtains for? I'm very intrigued by this idea...

MB

http://www.proteacher.org/

http://www.proteacher.org/c/186_Spelling_Word_Review_Games.html

Teach Kids Spelling

2009-11-05T06:39:00.000-08:00

source

How to Teach Kids Spelling
Easy, Fun Tips to Help Children Understand Vowel Play and Diagraphs

© Kalyani Candade
Nov 21, 2008
LONG A AS IN AI, Divya Candade
A key tip to teaching spelling is to focus on one sound at a time. After basic vowels and the long "ee" diagraph, it's time to move to the long "a" sound.

The best way to get kids to master the complexities of English spelling is to teach them to understand the sound of words. To do this, it's a good idea to begin with basic vowel sounds, and then move on, one by one, to vowel combinations.

After mastering the basic vowel sounds discussed in How to Make Spelling Easy for Children, and the vowel play in the long "ee" sound, it's time for the long “a” diagraph.
Simple Aids to make the Exercise Memorable

1. A nice big capital “A” graphic, with the horizontal bar of the “A” extending out on both side (for the second vowel to ride along), will make the activity powerful and memorable. A cutout or stick figures will help create strong visual cues for kids.
2. Smaller cutouts of lower case letters “i” and “y”
3. A set of about fifteen cards with the words CAR, MAR, BAR, TAR, FAR written on five of them, and ten blank cards.
4. Brightly coloured sketch pens to write on the cards.

The Different “a” Sounds

Start off with a mime of the triangular “A”, using your fingers to make an “A” triangle, and making the "a" shape with your mouth. Invite your child to do the same. Your child must already be familiar with two “a” sounds : one, as in CAT or MAD, and two,as in CAR, BAR, MAR. Explore how the shape of the mouth changes for both the sounds, from a nice wide triangle in CAT to a more closed, almost oval shape for CAR. Play around with mouth shapes and sounds for a bit.
Long “a” Diagraph : “ai” Words

Then, slowly blend in the “i” sound to make an “ai” sound. Make your child experiment with the sound. Together, explore how the shape of the mouth alters with the sound.

Ask her to think of a word that makes a similar sound. Lead her to words like PAID, MAID. Discuss how “A” is pairing up with “I” to form the long “a” sound. Prop up the graphic “A” that you have created, and place the cutout of the lower case “i” on the horizontal bar to make an “Ai”. Then, ask your child to identify more words making the same sound. Spell them together and write them out on the cards one by one, using the same graphic of “A” and “i” for easy recall. Spell about five words like this : MAID, PAID, GAIT, HAIL, MAIL.

Read more: http://kids-educational-activities.suite101.com/article.cfm/how_to_teach_kids_spelling#ixzz0VzorSIIY

How to Teach Kids Spelling
Easy, Fun Tips to Help Children Understand Vowel Play and Diagraphs

© Kalyani Candade
Nov 21, 2008
LONG A AS IN AI, Divya Candade
A key tip to teaching spelling is to focus on one sound at a time. After basic vowels and the long "ee" diagraph, it's time to move to the long "a" sound.

The best way to get kids to master the complexities of English spelling is to teach them to understand the sound of words. To do this, it's a good idea to begin with basic vowel sounds, and then move on, one by one, to vowel combinations.

After mastering the basic vowel sounds discussed in How to Make Spelling Easy for Children, and the vowel play in the long "ee" sound, it's time for the long “a” diagraph.
Simple Aids to make the Exercise Memorable

1. A nice big capital “A” graphic, with the horizontal bar of the “A” extending out on both side (for the second vowel to ride along), will make the activity powerful and memorable. A cutout or stick figures will help create strong visual cues for kids.
2. Smaller cutouts of lower case letters “i” and “y”
3. A set of about fifteen cards with the words CAR, MAR, BAR, TAR, FAR written on five of them, and ten blank cards.
4. Brightly coloured sketch pens to write on the cards.

The Different “a” Sounds

Start off with a mime of the triangular “A”, using your fingers to make an “A” triangle, and making the "a" shape with your mouth. Invite your child to do the same. Your child must already be familiar with two “a” sounds : one, as in CAT or MAD, and two,as in CAR, BAR, MAR. Explore how the shape of the mouth changes for both the sounds, from a nice wide triangle in CAT to a more closed, almost oval shape for CAR. Play around with mouth shapes and sounds for a bit.
Long “a” Diagraph : “ai” Words

Then, slowly blend in the “i” sound to make an “ai” sound. Make your child experiment with the sound. Together, explore how the shape of the mouth alters with the sound.

Ask her to think of a word that makes a similar sound. Lead her to words like PAID, MAID. Discuss how “A” is pairing up with “I” to form the long “a” sound. Prop up the graphic “A” that you have created, and place the cutout of the lower case “i” on the horizontal bar to make an “Ai”. Then, ask your child to identify more words making the same sound. Spell them together and write them out on the cards one by one, using the same graphic of “A” and “i” for easy recall. Spell about five words like this : MAID, PAID, GAIT, HAIL, MAIL.

Read more: http://kids-educational-activities.suite101.com/article.cfm/how_to_teach_kids_spelling#ixzz0VzorSIIY

Talk to People to be Successful! Who Knew

2009-08-31T00:07:00.000-07:00

Talk to People to be Successful! Who Knew?]

Almost everyone on this planet wants to become successful, there is no doubt about it. You can't blame people for wanting this. Success in wealth can take you places you've always dreamed of going and buy you things you always wished for. Success in contribution allows you to feel the joy and happiness in others feeling fulfilled. Success in spirituality allows one to explore areas of their mind that bring them closer to enlightenment. Since there are several different areas of success that people want to indulge in, it's no surprise they're willing to do whatever it takes to get it.

Do you want to know what the secret to my success is? I talk to people every single day and persuade them to do business with me. Yes, to be successful you have to talk people! No you can't just sit on your computer all day confined in your room. I'm almost always have interaction with other people every single day. Whether I'm meeting potential business partners for lunch to pitching my new idea to a VC, I'm always selling myself. I truly believe that your communication is the key to your success. A friend of mine, AJ Kumar who blogs on Persuasive.net, a personal development blog, writes amazing articles a few times a week on how you can powerfully change the way you communicate. When I met AJ, we both almost instantly realized that way shared the same philosophy. AJ has finally released his highly anticipated book: 7 Day Persuasive Communication which he sent over to me a few days ago. It's a short read, very informative, and teaches you the core skills necessary to become a powerful communicator. The top 10 reasons you should learn persuasive communication are:

1. A person can double their income from $35,000 a year to $75,000
2. Obtain undivided attention with people you communicate with
3. Convince investors to give you $$$$Money$$$$ for your start-up company
4. Go from being laid off to successfully employed within a few interviews
5. Sell your product or service to someone right now to put cash in your pocket
6. Create a powerful network of millionaires and billionaires
7. Acquire that self confidence you have been searching for
8. Bring more readers to your website or blog
9. Sway your website visitors to stay longer on your site to allow the maximum conversion rate
10. Become an expert negotiator to find the best deals possible

For any entrepreneur, this book is definitely a must read and should be implemented right away. I like the way AJ incorporates assignments that easily integrate in your everyday life so you don't have to go out of your way to learn. For a person who can barley find time to breathe sometimes, this is perfect.

The cost of the eBook is less than $20 bucks so it nothing that will dent your wallet. If you, like me, considering your communication skills to be your "ammo", then this is something you should get right away. With the technology, information, and accessibility available to everyone on this planet, it's difficult to become successful. It seems as if everyone can do what you do and many times at a lower rate. The one thing that can separate you from everyone else is your unique ability to communicate. Instead of placing all your focus on small things like making your websites look pretty, invest in your communication skills and network your way to a successful future.

Programming Yourself for Success

2009-08-12T04:58:00.000-07:00

Programming Yourself for Success

very focus on what you want to accomplish..
write it down once.
----------------------------------------------

get a note pad.
write your goals on it and read it aloud.

read that goal sheet of yours and tape into a file.
read and hear it again and again , every day every minute.

make yourself a little cd.
how to reach your goals.

play it again and again.

comment here....

I've never heard of this guy before, but what he's talking about is powerfull stuff. I've tired it and in a mysterious way it works. IT'S JUST TO SIMPLE NOT TOO TRY.

PS: your subconcious is at it,s most reseptive to programming right after you've woken up and right before you go to sleep.

Grey's Anatomy

2009-08-11T03:59:00.003-07:00

"The early bird catches the worm. A stitch in time saves nine. He who hesitates is lost. We can't pretend we hadn't been told. We've all heard the proverbs, heard the philosophers, heard our grandparents warning us about wasted time, heard the damn poets urging us to seize the day. Still sometimes we have to see for ourselves. We have to make our own mistakes. We have to learn our own lessons. We have to sweep today's possibility under tomorrow's rug until we can't anymore. Until we finally understand for ourselves what Benjamin Franklin really meant. That knowing is better than wondering, that waking is better than sleeping, and even the biggest failure, even the worst, beat the hell out of never trying."
(Meredith Grey - Grey's Anatomy)

help our children learn to read

2009-08-11T02:36:00.000-07:00

help our children learn to read

What are the essential tools to help our children learn to read, you ask? just some examples:

Parents,

* read to your children (indeed, both mom and dad). Show them that reading is important to you.

* make your home a place that values The Book as we[ I as many other books: books open worlds and minds.
* show the wonderful world of letters and sounds, of concepts and words, of ideas and sentences; language itself is such a tremendously fascinating gift.

* take your children to the local library; help them to broaden their reading horizon.

* most importantly, help them to discern between what is valuable and wasteful.

* talk to your children about interesting topics they have read about.

* prepare your vacation spots with some advance reading about interesting things to see and learn about. practise what you preach.

Teachers,

*

inform yourselves as fully as possible about that wonderful and awesome ability to read: how letters and sounds relate, how words and sentences are formed, how paragraphs connect, how stories work ....
*

make your classroom a place where reading is valued as a source of information as well as enjoyment, as a means by which we may be persuaded to another point of view.
*

make quality books readily available not just one hour per week during library period; textbooks are usually not the most exciting reading fare: use real books to learn about things.
*

read to your students on a daily basis, fiction as well as nonfiction; why not read out loud an article from Popular Science to your Grade 8 students?
*

practice what you preach.

Young people,

*

discover the marvellous world of books; become world travellers in your own home.
*

develop your own thinking abilities by reading; books contain the thoughts and experiences of other people and reading them brings you into contact with their authors; you can argue, debate, agree, disagree, even cry and swoon . . . you might discover something about yourself.
*

make use of the many resources available to you; never in the history of the world have so many different books been available.
*

learn to discern: not every book or article is equally wholesome; read at least one article from each issue of Reformed Perspective and Clarion
*

talk about a good book with your friends; give them a good book for their birthday.

TEACH A CHILD TO READ WITHIN 90 DAYS

2009-08-11T02:19:00.000-07:00

TEACH A CHILD TO READ WITHIN 90 DAYS!

may be something to think is it good for my kids.???

it's a truly amazing method that will surely aid a

preschooler learn reading in a fun, simple and effective way.

HERE'S HOW IT WORKS:

This proven phonetic method gives you step-by-step instruction to teach your child in a fun and informal way, with little time and effort- for only 7 minutes maximum time to teach... avoid tedious and boring reading lessons ... no memorization ... without any fuss, no pressure at all ... individualized. .. and yet, it's complete, easy and effective! New features: large-sized lower and upper-case letters, parent's/teacher' s guidelines, short and interesting lessons, colorful pictures, games and play ideas that you can combine with every lesson!

You can teach your preschooler to read- because studies show that he has much to gain and nothing to lose!

Just visit the site/s:

http://bookwagon.bravejournal.com

http://learntoreadin90days.multiply.com

http://www.geocities.com/book_wagon/teach_reading

2 books i used at uni cumbria

2009-07-29T06:20:00.001-07:00

Cutting Edge Advanced Student's Book
Author: Cunningham, Moor & Comyns Carr
Publisher: Longman
Format: Paperback
ISBN-10: 0582469430
ISBN-13: 9780582469433
Publication Date: 2003
Price: £20.90
Description: Cutting Edge is a multi-level course for adults and young adults. It combines rich international content,
comprehensive grammar, and real-life functional language within an easy to teach structure.

The advanced level is for students at FCE level and beyond who want to enrich their knowledge of the language. It contains clear and extensive grammar practice exercises and tasks and activities to develop competence in all four skills, particularly speaking.

It focuses on phrases and language 'chunks' to extend vocabulary quickly and effectively and the student's book contains a separate phrase builder booklet containing phrasal verbs, idioms and other useful expressions.

In addition the workbook also contains pronunciation work.

The Teacher's Resource Book includes teaching notes and extra suggestions, a large bank of photocopiable skills worksheets and tests.

CUTTING EDGE ADVANCED Components

| ISBN-13
Pack (Student's Book & Workbook with Key) £23.20 Qty 9781405883672
Student's Book £20.90 Qty 9780582469433
Student's Book with CD-ROM £21.80 Qty 9781405852319
Workbook with Answer Key £11.60 Qty 9780582469457
Workbook without Answer Key £11.60 Qty 9780582501744
Teacher's Resource Book with Test Master CD-ROM £25.90 Qty 9781405843645
Audio CDs (2) £33.60 Qty 9780582469570
Cassettes (2) £33.60 Qty 9780582469464
Student's Audio CD £17.00 Qty 9780582501737
Student's Cassette £17.00 Qty 9780582469587

==================================================================

and secondly,

Writing Academic English (Third Edition) (The Longman Academic Writing…
by Alice Oshima

# Writing Academic English
# (Third Edition) (The Longman Academic Writing Series)
# By Alice Oshima, Ann Hogue

Paperback 267 Pages
Edition: 3rd
ISBN-10: 0201340542
ISBN-13: 9780201340549
Publisher: Addison Wesley Publishing Company
Pub date: Oct 01, 1998

# Writing Academic English
# Answer Key: Intermediate-Advanced Level
# By Alice Oshima, Ann Hogue

Book Details
English Books
Paperback 56 Pages
Edition: 3rd
ISBN-10: 0201670283
ISBN-13: 9780201670288
Publisher: Addison Wesley
Pub date: Jan 24, 2001

increase your feeling of self worth

2009-07-24T05:13:00.000-07:00

Self worth comes from within, you won’t find it by having more money, having more friends, having a fancy car or a big house. It is something intrinsic and something we can’t gain extrinsically, meaning we won’t find self worth from external factors. Here are some things you can do to increase your feeling of self worth.
29 Ways to increase your feeling of self worth

1. Write down 7 minor goals for the week and tick one off each day as you achieve it.
2. Read a book a month. Reading a book is actually an achievement in this technology and media driven world and reading a full book is a great way to achieve a sense of accomplishment.
3. At the end of each day before falling asleep write down something you feel proud about, either on the day or in the past.
4. Tell someone else how much you appreciate them, being able to be open and honest is great for self worth.
5. Say no! Learn the skill of saying no without offending the person asking.
6. Everything you do, do to the best of your ability even if it cleaning the toilets or something equally as mundane, develop a reputation as someone who takes pride in their work.
7. Walk tall and proud. walk as if you’ve got somewhere to go and you need to be there now, never run just walk tall and quickly.
8. Dress as smart as you can for each occasion, whether it be work, meeting a friend, or going for an interview. Take pride in your appearance.
9. Do something for yourself every day.
10. Learn a new skill or take up something you’ve always wanted to and stick with it.
11. Speak up for yourself in every area of your life, this might be hard to do at first but the first time you do it will be immense and if you carry on your self esteem and feelings of self worth will soar.
12. Sing at the top of your voice, not outside but in the house and really give it loads (I love singing Free Fallin’ by Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers at the top of my voice, ah! such a good feeling.)
13. Forgive yourself! (You know what I mean)
14. Get rid of the people who are dragging you down (I don’t mean kill them, I mean just stop having them in your life.)
15. Work on your strengths. A lot of people focus on building up their weaknesses, instead get better at what you are good at.
16. Take a walk in the rain………..Why?………..because you have the power to decide!
17. Listen to other people and what they are saying.
18. Reward your successes. As soon as you achieve something reward yourself.
19. Never let anyone force you to break your core values.
20. Stop the gossiping!
21. Don’t read a newspaper for a week and gauge how you feel about yourself and the world around you.
22. Help other people who need it.
23. Always, Always, Always be honest with yourself and others. There is no need for lies and the energy it takes to continue a lie is unbelievable.
24. Take a chance and take a risk or two. You don’t have long to live so just get up and do it.
25. Listen to your self talk and slap the little person criticising you, I mean it, imagine there are two people one on each shoulder, the one who criticises you give them a slap or a punch in the mouth and start to pay attention to the one who is praising you.
26. Don’t be afraid to accept help from other people, it means they respect you enough to help you with something.
27. Start changing your thinking to be more optimistic about yourself, instead of ‘…I can’t do that….’ say ‘..I’ve never tried it, but I’ll give it a go…’
28. Face your fears. Nothing will send your self esteem soaring more so than facing your fears and eventually conquering them.
29. Always leave comments on a blog you like

books i used at uni cumbria 2

2009-07-24T04:41:00.001-07:00

Longman Academic Writing

Longman Academic Writing Series is a three-part series that teaches basic composition skills and helps ESL students improve their English-writing ability. Paragraph and essay forms are taught in simple, learnable steps through extensive models and writing practice. First Steps in Academic Writing is for high-beginning students; Introduction to Academic Writing is for intermediate students, and Writing Academic English is for Advanced students.

First Steps in Academic Writing is for high-beginning students;
Introduction to Academic Writing is for intermediate students, and
Writing Academic English is for Advanced students.

title: Writing Academic English 4 Book Paperback (limp)
series: Imprint unbekannt
author: Alice Oshima / Ann Hogue
publisher: Pearson Education
cover: Softcover
edition: 4
language: English
pub.-date: Dezember 2005
ISBN13: 9780131523593
ISBN10: 0-13-152359-7

Writing Academic English (Third Edition) (The Longman Academic Writing…
by Alice Oshima

# Writing Academic English
# (Third Edition) (The Longman Academic Writing Series)
# By Alice Oshima, Ann Hogue

Paperback 267 Pages
Edition: 3rd
ISBN-10: 0201340542
ISBN-13: 9780201340549
Publisher: Addison Wesley Publishing Company
Pub date: Oct 01, 1998

# Writing Academic English
# Answer Key: Intermediate-Advanced Level
# By Alice Oshima, Ann Hogue

Book Details
English Books
Paperback 56 Pages
Edition: 3rd
ISBN-10: 0201670283
ISBN-13: 9780201670288
Publisher: Addison Wesley
Pub date: Jan 24, 2001

books i used at uni cumbria

2009-07-24T04:31:00.000-07:00

21 Success Quote By Anthony Robbins

2009-07-24T04:11:00.001-07:00

#1 Success Quote By Anthony Robbins:

I've come to believe that all my past failure and
frustrations were actually laying the foundation for the
understandings that have created the new level of living I
now enjoy.

#2 Success Quote By Anthony Robbins:

The path to success is to take massive, determined action.

#3 Success Quote By Anthony Robbins:

It is not what we get. But who we become, what we
contribute... that gives meaning to our lives.

#4 Success Quote By Anthony Robbins:

Most people have no idea of the giant capacity we can
immediately command when we focus all of our resources on
mastering a single area of our lives.

#5 Success Quote By Anthony Robbins:

You see, in life, lots of people know what to do, but few
people actually do what they know. Knowing is not enough!
You must take action.

#6 Success Quote By Anthony Robbins:

It's not what's happening to you now or what has happened
in your past that determines who you become. Rather, it's
your decisions about what to focus on, what things mean to
you, and what you're going to do about them that will
determine your ultimate destiny.

#7 Success Quote By Anthony Robbins:

Put yourself in a state of mind where you say to yourself,
'Here is an opportunity for you to celebrate like never
before, my own power, my own ability to get myself to do
whatever is necessary.'

#8 Success Quote By Anthony Robbins:

Quality questions create a quality life. Successful people
ask better questions, and as a result, they get better
answers.

#9 Success Quote By Anthony Robbins:

Success in life is the result of good judgment. Good
judgment is usually the result of experience. Experience is
usually the result of bad judgement.

#10 Success Quote By Anthony Robbins:

What we can or cannot do, what we consider possible or
impossible, is rarely a function of our true capability. It
is more likely a function of our beliefs about who we are.

#11 Success Quote By Anthony Robbins:

We are the only beings on the planet who lead such rich
internal lives that it's not the events that matter most to
us, but rather, it's how we interpret those events that
will determine how we think about ourselves and how we will
act in the future.

#12 Success Quote By Anthony Robbins:

You see, it's never the environment; it's never the events
of our lives, but the meaning we attach to the events --
how we interpret them -- that shapes who we are today and
who we'll become tomorrow.

#13 Success Quote By Anthony Robbins:

It's not the events of our lives that shape us, but our
beliefs as to what those events mean.

#14 Success Quote By Anthony Robbins:

One reason so few of us achieve what we truly want is that
we never direct our focus; we never concentrate our power.
Most people dabble their way through life, never deciding
to master anything in particular.

#15 Success Quote By Anthony Robbins:

Take control of your consistent emotions and begin to
consciously and deliberately reshape your daily experience
of life.

#16 Success Quote By Anthony Robbins:

You are now at a crossroads. This is your opportunity to
make the most important decision you will ever make. Forget
your past. Who are you now? Who have you decided you really
are now? Don't think about who you have been. Who are you
now? Who have you decided to become? Make this decision
consciously. Make it carefully. Make it powerfully.

#17 Success Quote By Anthony Robbins:

It is in your moments of decision that your destiny is
shaped.

#18 Success Quote By Anthony Robbins:

It's not what's happening to you now or what has happened
in your past that determines who you become. Rather, it's
your decisions about what to focus on, what things mean to
you, and what you're going to do about them that will
determine your ultimate destiny.

#19 Success Quote By Anthony Robbins:

More than anything else, I believe it's our decisions, not
the conditions of our lives, that determine our destiny.

#20 Success Quote By Anthony Robbins:

The most important thing you can do to achieve your goals
is to make sure that as soon as you set them, you
immediately begin to create momentum. The most important
rules that I ever adopted to help me in achieving my goals
were those I learned from a very successful man who taught
me to first write down the goal, and then to never leave
the site of setting a goal without firs taking some form of
positive action toward its attainment.

#21 Success Quote By Anthony Robbins:

If you can't, you must. If you must, you can.

Take care and all the best.

tips for success. Believe in you can do it. !

2009-07-24T04:01:00.000-07:00

If Success was Easy, Everyone Would do it

Success is a favorable or desirable outcome, the attainment of wealth or favor, as defined Webster’s Dictionary. Success is different for everyone, but it is definitely not an easy thing to accomplish, otherwise, everyone would do what it takes for success.

Success is a feeling and can be created and recreated again and again. Here are some tips to create success in your life:

Tip #1: Enjoy and celebrate each moment on the way to success. Success doesn’t have to be associated with wealth attainment. In fact, most people have achieved a level of success in some part of their lives, achieving a “desirable outcome.” Reminisce the feeling associated with your success achievement. You must have been very happy, inspired to achieve more, and desired to repeat your success. You may have thought that it wasn’t really that difficult to achieve success or maybe it was the hardest thing you did, enjoying in the feeling of accomplishment. As you reach for your next goal, focus on progress only, rewarding yourself every small step of the way. Each daily accomplishment is a small success story on the way to the bigger success story.

Tip #2: Keep the end in mind, always. If you have been striving for success in an area of your life, wealth or other, and are not reaching success, you might have lost sight of the end goal. You might have given up because it was too hard, too much work, or maybe you think that you don’t deserve your goal in the first place. Maybe someone convinced you that you can’t do what you set out to do and you folded and listened to them. You may think that you don’t know enough to be successful. If you focus on the end result as you defined success, you will keep striving for it and no one, not even you, will convince you otherwise.

Tip #3: Create, evaluate, and recreate. Life is about recreating yourself. If something doesn’t work, rather than fold, find a way to recreate. Troubleshoot or recreating is very similar. You create, evaluate and then refine. Keep up this pattern, with rewards for each step of the way on your path to success.

Tip #4: Success can be for anyone. Get out of your head that the successful are gifted or that they were handed their success on a silver platter. If that were the case, they really haven’t achieved success. Success takes work, perseverance, and determination. It doesn’t matter your education, height, knowledge or other factors. It can be for anyone that wants it bad enough.

Tip #5: Success is all about mindset. Know that you can, and you will achieve your goal. Visualize your goal, and you will be even closer. You will remain on the path and you will achieve your success. Be positive and remain on the path to success!

When you see “If Success was Easy, Everyone Would do it,” you may think that it’s too hard to achieve and you might just give up. Follow every tip given here, focus on your end result and you will enjoy success!

how to develop a new habit

2009-07-24T03:01:00.000-07:00

Hard work is the secret to success, so they say. But along with hard work, good habits are essential for becoming successful in life. Good habits can make us "healthy, wealthy and wise." The more good habits you have, the higher your chances of success are in life. They are, in fact, short cuts to success. If you didn't have basic habits such as brushing your teeth or taking a bath, people would surely keep you at bay no matter how intelligent or hard working you are. In such a scenario, a person with basic cleanliness habits who works half as hard as you, or even less, would certainly be more successful in society than you. This simple example shows the power of good habits. This article outlines a few points which, if practiced with dedication and punctuality, can help you develop habits of your choice in due course of time.

1. Have patience. A habit can't materialize overnight. Days, sometimes even months, of practice are necessary for proper development of habits. Be patient and keep trying so the habit has time to evolve. Don't leave halfway through because of frustration. Remember that hard work is not the key ingredient for developing a new habit; patience and repetition are the most important ingredients.
2. Practice repetition. In order for an activity to develop into a habit, it has to be repeated a large number of times. Research claims that any activity repeated for 21 days slowly becomes a habit. I'm not sure of this 21-day deadline, but habits do develop in a month or two if the activity is repeatedly performed. It's not that habits need a large amount of effort and hard work to be formed. (We would have far less cigarette smokers if that were the case.) Habits take time to develop because the "activity" has to be repeated over and over again for it to be stored in our subconscious mind and hence become a habit.
3. Tell people about your goal. Tell people around you about the new habit you are going to cultivate. They can help you accomplish your goal. For example, each time you unconsciously break the new habit, they will point out your mistake and you can correct yourself. You also want to be seen as a "man of your word" among others. Therefore, you will subconsciously avoid breaking the new habit in front of them once you have announced your new goal.
4. Give yourself reminders. Write the habit you are trying to develop on your calendar and keep it somewhere you will see it. Repeatedly seeing this note "programs" your subconscious mind to remember the dream you are pursuing. Each time you tend to break this newly forming habit, the subconscious mind alerts you. If you are well determined, these reminders will help you avoid breaking the habit.
5. Develop small habits first. Try forming small habits that require less effort before attempting to develop larger habits. Once you develop a new habit, your confidence improves and hence you can face newer, tougher challenges with more confidence. Attempting to cultivate tough habits in the beginning may lead to frustration. It might not be possible to realize the habit even with a substantial amount of hard work.
6. Focus on cultivating one habit at a time. Having a long list of habits you want to accomplish is fine. However, see to it that you don't attempt to realize everything at once. Take up one simple habit which you think is the most important now and follow the steps above to develop it. Once you have formed a habit, take up the next one and accomplish it in a similar fashion.
7. Adapt gradually to the new habit. Don't make a steep change in your present lifestyle to adapt to the new habit. If you presently drink five cups of coffee a day and want to stop drinking it (the new habit), then start drinking four cups a day this week, followed by three the following week, and so on. Steep changes in your lifestyle may lead to some health problems because they are habits that you developed over a lifetime. Be patient and gradual while developing new habits.
8. Visualize your life with the new habit. Imagine a few times a day how different your life would be with the new habit. Imagine the rewards you are going to reap once your new habit has been formed. Think about the health benefits you are going to have with your new habit. These images will make your mind eager to adopt the new habit and hence it will be easier and faster to form the habit.

By practicing the above steps, good habits can be formed and bad habits can be removed. Greek philosopher Aristotle taught the following about habits: "We are what we repeatedly do. Excellence, then, is not an act, but a habit."

I wish you all the best for developing the good habits of your choice!

grammar worksheets

2009-07-12T14:05:00.001-07:00

http://www.rhlschool.com/english.htm

This section features original grammar worksheets for teachers and parent-teachers to copy for their kids. Use them for teaching, reinforcement, and review.

Writing for Children and Young Adults

2009-07-12T13:53:00.000-07:00

Children's literature is one of the most enjoyable forms of writing. It allows you to tap into a magical world filled with adventurous plots and whimsical characters. Most of us have fond memories of the books we used to read when we were younger. The stories we read awakened our imagination, encouraging us to exapnd our minds and learn more about the world around us.

The demand for good children's writers is growing streadily, and we can show you how to make a name in this market. Our course shows you how to make the most of your talent, interests and childhood memories and turn them into marketable stories for young readers. You'll also learn how to approach the growing fields of radio, theatre and television for young audiences.

There are fifteen lessons in total.

1. Marketing Your Ideas

2. Creating Memorable Characters

3. Plot Development

4. Tailoring Dialogue to Children

5. Making Your Reader Laugh

6. Educational Writing

7. Working with Words and Pictures

8. Tales of Horror

9. Suspense and Mystery

10. Children's Radio and Television

11. Selling Your Work

12. Handling Ethical Issues

13. Interacting with Publishers

14. The Editing Process

15. Children's Writer's First Aid Kit

mahal 375 pound

english-alphabet-for-kids

2009-07-12T13:51:00.000-07:00

http://funeasyenglish.com/english-alphabet-for-kids.htm

alphabets in english

http://www.supersimplesongs.com/

2009-07-12T13:41:00.001-07:00

http://www.supersimplesongs.com/

ABC Song

bulletcashmethod

2009-07-12T13:35:00.001-07:00

bulletcashmethod

How long to develop a new habit

2009-07-06T13:41:00.000-07:00

21 days to a new habit

Research shows that it takes 21 days to develop a habit. That’s 21 days of going to the gym every day or exercising in some way every day, 21 days to meditation, 21 days to eat healthily, 21 days doing, 21 days of anything.

When you want to start a habit, don’t tell yourself you are doing it for life, tell yourself (your conscious brain) that you are going to try it for 21 days. For example if you want to start the habit of meditating tell your conscious self that you are trying it for 21 days. Now, when you have completed this for 21 days your conscious mind has the choice of stopping it or carrying on, or so it thinks. Your neural pathways have formed already and you will more than likely continue with your new habit, you will have seen the benefits along the way your unconscious will want to continue if it has been beneficial.

This can also work when trying to break a habit, however research has shown that the neural pathways to any habit could be lifelong and a cue or a trigger can cause us to start back up an old habit, like smoking.

This is not a bad thing; we just have to be aware of our thoughts when we have given up a habit such as smoking.

When starting or breaking any habit we tend to tell our conscious mind we are going to change and it’s for life. Your conscious mind will just say ‘is that right? I’m in charge here, I’ll decide’ so there will be a battle between your two sides of your conscious mind.

If you tell your mind you want to try something for 21 days it won’t be so unwilling to co-operate. This might sound a little strange when I say ‘talking to your conscious’ as it is your conscious talking to your conscious. We all know we have conversations with ourselves, should I go to the pub should I not, should I go to the gym should I not. There are a hundred conversations we have with ourselves everyday.

When we want to start something or give up something, smoking for example, you might normally say to yourself ‘right that’s it I’m giving up for good’. Immediately your brain kicks in and says no smoking for life, and then it starts to think of all the situations it likes a good cigarette in; first thing in the morning with a cup of coffee, going out for a drink at night, at work when you’re a bit stressed, just after sex etc. Your brain thinks ‘lack of’ instead of the benefits of. It can’t really think as clearly about the benefits because it hasn’t yet had the benefits of giving up smoking but it knows the supposed pleasures that smoking brings.

So what habits can we start for 21 days?

I have made a list for myself that I am in the middle of doing;

• Give up sweets for 21 days

• Meditate for 21 days

• Write in the blog every day for 21 days

• Get up before 6am every day (I’ve actually made this a habit now)

• Drink a vegetable juice for 21 days

This is just a small list of the things I am doing. Feel free to share you 21 day new habits.

Using online supplements aid your learning

2009-07-06T13:36:00.000-07:00

Right now there are online classes that teach a variety of languages as well as give a background on the culture of the language. This is especially helpful if you are moving overseas to work in the managerial field, as industry-specific words and phrases are taught in online supplements. You will have the opportunity to gain assistance in the language from the comfort of your own home as you prepare to move and then work alongside those who are culturally different to you.

With computer technology continuing to develop, the World Wide Web has become the leader when it comes to tutoring at a distance. This is because of the internet’s ability to incorporate learning in innovative ways. By using the Internet, students can maintain control over the rate and timing of the instruction given to them. Online supplements include video tutorials, online quizzes, as well as web streaming traditional classroom settings, where a teacher stands in front of a blackboard and runs through pronunciation, grammar and conjugation. You will also be able to find online dictionaries and translation systems such as Babelfish resourceful.

If you’re looking for additional ways to assist you in your second language, there are alternative new types of technology besides the web which weren’t available in the very recent past which can help you outside the classroom. The Nintendo DS, for example, has a product which guides you through a language tutorial.

With the various successes of e-learning across a multitude of subjects, the question now is should we be concerned about traditional face-to-face interaction coming to an end? Hopefully not, as the traditional classroom setting brings people together to converse and this is the whole point of learning a second language in the first place, but there is certainly a place for online learning in a supplementary role.

How will the Olympics affect Britain’s language learning norms?

2009-07-06T13:32:00.000-07:00

The 2012 Olympics in London will bring athletes and spectators from all over the world who speak many different languages to the UK.

One reason why London won the right the host the Games was because it is such a cosmopolitan city - it is home to hundreds of different ethnic groups and some 300 different languages. The Chair of the Olympic organising committee, Sebastian Coe, would like all the different communities in London to be involved with the Games.

CILT, The National Centre for Languages, believe that language skills will be essential for those involved with the Games in order to communicate effectively with the participants and to ensure that everything goes smoothly. They also believe that an improvement in language skills among people in the UK will have many benefits for tourism and business.

In order to encourage more people to study languages, especially between the ages of 14 and 19, CILT believe that the ability to speak foreign languages should be promoted as a vocational skill, as well as an academic one, and would like to see more people taking the new specialised diplomas in languages, as well as other types of qualifications, such as NVQs.

The two official languages of the Olympics are French and English, but many recent Games have been multilingual. This involves interpreters and translators, multilingual signage, information and announcements. Tens of thousands of volunteers will be recruited to help with all aspects of running the London Games, and there will be an emphasis on recruiting people with language skills. People who work in the emergency services and for public transport will also need to brush up their language skills for the Games.

During and after the Games many extra tourists are likely to visit the UK. Businesses and organisations involved with tourism will benefit greatly from seeking to increase the foreign language abilities of their staff. The most important languages in this field are Spanish, German, Japanese, Chinese, Italian, French and perhaps Dutch.

The UK has a reputation for being monolingual, however recent surveys have found that this is far from the case. Overall more than 60 languages are taught to children in schools or in classes run by community groups. It is becoming easier to obtain qualifications in a wide variety of languages, and employers are beginning to tap into the diverse linguistic skills of their empolyees.

Source: http://www.cilt.org.uk/sport/olympics/

More about evening language courses in the UK

More about language courses abroad

More about tailor-made language training

How Do I Make Language Learning Fun For My Children?

2009-07-06T13:27:00.000-07:00

How to encourage the kids to pick up a language when young.

If your children are learning a language at school and you’d like to help them and encourage them at home, there are various ways you can do so.

Games in the language they’re learning, especially word games like crosswords, Scrabble, and such like, are a good way for them to learn and practise using vocabulary. Other games that involve questions and answers, such as Trival Pursuit, are also fun ways to practise using the language.

Watching films, reading books and learning songs in the target language are all enjoyable ways for your children to make practical use of the language they’re learning.

Your children will also benefit from attending classes taught through the medium of the language they’re learning. This might be in a country where the language is spoken, and could be arranged via a school exchange or something similar. There might be classes in your area for the children of immigrants who want to retain their language - classes in the language itself, or in other aspects of the culture, such as singing, cooking, etc.

If you have any relatives or friends who speak the language your children are learning, see if you can arrange for the children to spend some time with them. If you know or can find people in your area with children who speak the language in question, even better. Your children could play with the other children and pick up their language in the process.

It might be helpful for your children if you join in with their language learning. This could encourage them to study, especially as they will probably overtake you in their knowledge of the language fairly quickly. In fact they might end up helping you, rather than the other way round!

If you know any families who speak the relevant language and who are learning your own, you could arrange to meet with them regularly to exchange languages. You could have different themes for each meeting and spend half the time speaking the foreign language and half speaking your own.

When given plenty of opportunities to listen to and speak a foreign language with other people, children will usually soak it up and become fluent in a relatively short time. However just sitting them in front of films or TV programmes in the language probably won’t be very effective – they need interaction with others, and need to see that speaking the language is useful and relevant to them.

There are links to many online language learning resources at:
http://www.omniglot/links/

Tags: english, spanish, french, german, italian, culture, learning, children

gender in english

2009-07-06T10:23:00.000-07:00

he is doing is house work

http://hannanconan.blogspot.com/2009/07/gender-in-practice-in-basic-skills.html

lots of new word that i myself discover.

Essentials of mastering English By Carl Bache

2009-07-06T10:21:00.000-07:00

an online book

a book that i find and you can read online.

excellent. read it here.

thanks google book

Help Your Child Learn Writing Skills

2009-05-17T11:31:00.000-07:00

Help Your Child Learn Writing Skills
by Kimberly L. Keith
for About.com

Most kids just aren't that into writing, and it shows in their school work through the years. We save our children's cute early writings; but, except for homework assignments, writing isn't a big part of our kids' everyday life at home. So, what can parents do to help their child develop good writing skills during the elementary years?

Start Writing Early

Educational technology advances have taught us that reading and writing development are intertwined in early learning. The physical act of writing letters and early words enhances the child's ability to read. The complementary relationship between reading and writing continues long after these early efforts, so parents enhance their child's skills dramatically by encouraging the writing habit in childhood. Follow the lead of early childhood educators by allowing phonetic writing rather than worrying about proper spelling in preschool and kindergarten. We get a kick out of trying to figure out my five-year-old nephew's writings to grandmother, but he knows just exactly what it says!

Focus on the Building Blocks of Good Writing

A rich language environment is the foundation for good writing. Learn easy ways to build your child language foundation in this article. Games and activities that build vocabulary increase the range of words your child will know to write with depth. Word games are classic and fun for families. Now, you can find fun word games online. We like Wheel of Fortune and, for the little ones, Between the Lions shockwave games.

* More Language Arts Games Online

Checking your child's homework for spelling and punctuation errors will reinforce the skills your child is learning at school. When she has a report to write at home, help her take the time to write a first draft that you can check. Then, mark the spelling, capitalization and punctuation errors for her to correct. Most middle elementary children are able to use a word processing program to write reports. Teach your child to use the spellchecker, perhaps using the Scholastic Keys program for Microsoft Office.

Provide Tools and Opportunities for Writing

Mechanical pencils and gel pens are fun for kids; and plenty of paper, both lined for your child's grade level and unlined, should be available for spontaneous writing play and projects. Cute note cards and stationery make writing letters and notes to friends and relatives a regular writing habit. Let your child write the shopping list before a trip to the store. Encourage journal keeping for special times such as a family trip. If your child has a creative streak, gifts of writing activity books will encourage that talent.

Learn Easy Strategies for Elementary Writing

Jessie Wise and Susan Wise Bauer, authors of The Well-Trained Mind, talk about the two-step writing process for elementary students. The first step is to practice oral composition. First, encourage your child to talk about what he is going to write. The second step is dictation practice. Children learn to put words on paper by copying sentences from books or from story dictaion. This step teaches sentence and paragraph structure.

Julie Bogart at Bravewriter.com offers great tips for helping elementary children develop writing skills. She makes the point that elementary-age children are very poor writers because it takes at least ten years of writing practice to begin to write well! With Bogart's advice in mind, don't be discouraged by your elementary child's lack of writing skill. Encourage practice, build his fund of language, talk and talk about everything, don't be critical of creative writing efforts, and make it fun to encourage a love of writing from an early age.

Elementary Writing

2009-04-06T08:43:00.001-07:00

Elementary Writing

http://childparenting.about.com/od/elementarywriting/Elementary_Writing.htm

here

A Home Learning Plan for Elementary Reading

http://childparenting.about.com/od/learningenrichment/a/learntoread_2.htm

here

Help Your Child Learn Writing Skills

2009-04-06T08:41:00.000-07:00

http://childparenting.about.com/od/learningenrichment/a/writingskills.htm

here

lang arts games online

2009-04-06T08:40:00.000-07:00

http://childparenting.about.com/od/languageartsgamesonline/Language_Arts_Games_Online.htm

here

2009-04-06T08:25:00.001-07:00

Often when I read about a day of homeschooling I am reminded of Susan Wise Bauer's postings about some of her days of homeschooling. If you haven't read these, 1998, 1999, 2000, and 2004, stop now and go read them. They are wonderful. For awhile my daughters would beg me to read the postings to them once or twice a week.

Memorization and Recitation

2009-04-06T08:24:00.000-07:00

Memorization also builds into children's minds an ability to understand and use complex English syntax. The student who memorizes poetry will internalize rhythmic, beautiful patterns of English language. These patterns have become part of the student's "language store," those wells of language that we all use every day in writing and speaking. Without memorization, the student's "language store" will contain only those phrases and patterns which he hears over and over again — the language patterns that your family uses every day. But memorization "stocks" the language store with a whole new set of language patterns.

Recitation — learning to speak memorized pieces out loud, with fluency and expression — helps to "set" memorized pieces in the student's memory. But recitation also develops skills in presentation. When a student learns to stand still (without jiggling, rocking back and forth, picking his nails, rubbing his nose, or twirling his hair) and speak, he's learning the all-important skills he'll need for job interviews (not to mention gracious social interaction). When he can stand still even under the gaze of multiple listeners, he's learned a poise under observation that will serve him in social situations for the rest of his life.

Children's minds work differently in the three stages of classical education. Elementary students have retentive minds; in grades 1-4, a student can memorize a piece of poetry in a week simply by reading it, out loud, three times, every morning. When the piece is memorized, require the grammar-stage student to recite it from memory in front of something inanimate — a stuffed animal, a picture, or a favorite toy. When he can do this, ask him to recite it in front of a mirror. When he's able to do this (without giggling), ask him to recite it in front of you. When he can do this, ask him to recite it in front of several relatives at once — father, mother, siblings, grandparents, cousins.

In the "logic stage" (grades 5-8), students should still read their memory pieces out loud three times every morning. But since their minds will begin to work more analytically, you can also ask them to pull a poem apart and identify such things as rhyme scheme, alliteration, and type of meter. This analysis will help the student's mind retain the poem. Logic-stage students should be asked to recite before family friends and non-related adults. We don't necessarily recommend peer recitations; students in grade 5-8 can be unintentionally cruel (mocking each others' gestures and tones for fun), and you don't want to embarrass a logic-stage student at a time when self- image can be a huge problem.

"Rhetoric stage" students (grades 9-12) can memorize both through repetition and through analysis. They should also progress on to a careful evaluation of the poem's ideas. Why did the writer choose certain words? What would the contemporary audience have thought of the work; would it have been revolutionary or old-fashioned? How do the writer's words and rhythms manipulate the audience's emotions? Does repetition draw attention to certain words or phrases? Why? Is the poem or speech an appeal to reason or to emotion? How does this change its method of delivery? Rhetoric stage students should take part in public speaking or drama presentations whenever possible; at this age, recitation should take place for peers, as well as for family and friends.

It is often easier to find poetry resources for older students than for younger students. Older students can often commit to memory those works which they are reading in literature. For younger students, however, funny, rhythmic, memorable poems can be hard to locate! The following list is especially useful for grades 1-6. As always, parents should use discretion; we haven't read every single poem in every single book! But these titles should provide plenty of appealing poems that students will enjoy memorizing and reciting.

basic skills of writing

2009-04-06T06:46:00.000-07:00

Elementary-school writing consists of copywork, dictation, and narration,

Years One and Two: Practicing Narration
Before requiring the student to write, teach him to narrate. Narration happens
when the student takes something he’s just read (or heard you read) and puts it
into his own words.
This begins on a very simple level: You read to the student and ask him
specific questions about what he’s heard, such as “What was the most interesting
thing in that story?” or “Who was that history lesson about?” You then require him to answer you in complete sentences. As the student grows more familiar with
the process of narration, you can move on to more general questions such as
“Summarize what we just read in your own words.”

As the young student narrates out loud, he is practicing the first part of
the writing process: putting an idea into his own words. He is practicing a new
and difficult skill without having to come up with original ideas first; because
his narrations are always rooted in content that he’s just read or heard, he can
concentrate on the task of expressing himself with words.

He is also practicing this new skill without having to worry about the
second part of the writing process: putting those words down on paper. As he
narrates, you—the teacher—write the words down for him as he watches.
He can simply concentrate on the task at hand, without worrying about the
mechanical difficulties of wielding a pencil. (For students whose fine motor skills
are still developing, this is essential; they cannot focus on narration if they’re also
contemplating how much their hand is going to hurt when they have to write the
narration down.)

Years One and Two: Copywork and Dictation
Separately, and preferably at a different time during the day, the student
begins to master the second part of the process: putting words down on paper.
This is not a simple task. It requires physical labor, fine motor coordination, and
an understanding of the rules that govern written presentation: capitalization,
punctuation, spacing, letter formation.

This skill is developed through copywork and dictation. Copywork and
dictation allow the student to master the second step of the process without
having to worry about the first, difficult task of putting ideas into words.
The beginning student doesn’t even know yet how written language is
supposed to look. Before he can put words down on paper, he must have some
visual memory of what those words are supposed to look like. So during first
grade, he’ll copy out sentences from good writers, practicing the look and feel of
properly written language.
Once the student has become accustomed to reproducing, on his own paper,
properly written sentences placed in front of him as a model, you’ll take the
model away. Now that his mind is stocked with mental images of properly written
language, he needs to learn how to visualize a written sentence in his mind and then put it down on paper.

Years Three and Four: Putting the Two Steps Together
Around third grade, most students are ready to begin putting the two skills
together. In third grade, students will begin to use part of their own narrations
as dictation exercises. They will tell you the narration; you will write it down for
them, and then dictate the first sentence back to them. Eventually they will learn
that, in order to write, all they need to do is put an idea into words (something
they’ve practiced extensively through narration), and then put those words down
on paper (which they’re accustomed to doing during dictation).
They will begin to write.

essence of good teaching

2009-04-06T06:42:00.000-07:00

the student masters the new and unfamiliar process of writing: putting ideas into words and putting those words down on paper. He will begin by pulling apart the two steps of writing and practicing them separately.

This is the essence of good teaching: breaking tasks down into their component elements and teaching students how to perform each element, before putting the elements back together.

The pianist practices first the right hand, and then the left hand, before putting the two together; the young writer practices putting ideas into words, and then putting words down on paper, before trying to do both simultaneously.

Good writing requires training. It demands one-on-one attention.

http://www.welltrainedmind.com/copywork.php

2009-04-06T05:35:00.000-07:00

http://www.welltrainedmind.com/copywork.php

Why should you use copywork and dictation in the early grades? The purpose of copywork is to get into the child's visual (and motor) memory the look and feel of a sentence that is corrrectly composed, and properly spelled, spaced, and punctuated. The purpose of dictation is to have a child practice transferring his knowledge of the rules of grammar, spelling, and punctuation to actual writing.

So you should do copywork as long s the child is still struggling with the basics of writing conventions: spaces between words, capital letters, punctuation, spelling. (Generally, this is first grade, although it should extend into second grade or as long as the child seems to need it.) You move on to dictation when these basics have been mastered. Now the child is ready to dispense with the visual model and depend more on memory, working from his or her knowledge of the rules.

The final step of each exercise of dictation—comparing what the child wrote with the written model—acts as a "check," so that the child knows whether his mental image of the sentence is correct. Generally this is most useful for second and third grades, but whenever I hear from a parent with an older child who can't punctuate or spell, I encourage them to return to dictation twice a week, because even if the child has memorized rules he obviously isn't applying them to his own writing.

To do dictation, simply read the selection aloud as the child writes what he hears you read. If he has not been used to doing this, it will take some practice on his part. At first, he might be able to do only one sentence at a time. The goal is to gradually lengthen the amount he is required to "hold in his mind" and then write down. This is excellent training for note taking in college!

Young children start with 2-word sentences (The early pages of Phonics Pathways have good starter sentences. Phonics Pathways suggests that you do dictation of sentences all the way through to the end of the book for spelling.) When you have gone all the way through Phonics Pathways, you can then select sentences from good literature that the children are reading. A favorite author to do this from is E.B. White (Charlotte's Web, Stuart Little, The Trumpet of the Swan). Then around 4th or 5th grade you might use some sentences/paragraphs from C. S. Lewis's The Chronicles of Narnia. You can use any literature they are reading.

Be patient with them if you have never done this before! However, don't give up if they complain — maybe shorten the amount they have to do at one "saying" of the material—and just keep practicing and lengthening gradually. As a general guide, Susan suggests to aim for one dictation per week in second grade, 2-3 per week in third grade, and 3-5 per week in fourth grade.

What does this do for the brain? It trains the mind to retain what is heard. It increases concentration. These are valuable practical skills for any learning situation, and especially for notetaking in a college classroom.

between lions

2009-04-06T05:33:00.000-07:00

http://pbskids.org/lions/games/index.html

click here

Help Your Child Learn Writing Skills

2009-04-06T05:28:00.000-07:00

Most kids just aren't that into writing, and it shows in their school work through the years. We save our children's cute early writings; but, except for homework assignments, writing isn't a big part of our kids' everyday life at home. So, what can parents do to help their child develop good writing skills during the elementary years?

Start Writing Early

Educational technology advances have taught us that reading and writing development are intertwined in early learning. The physical act of writing letters and early words enhances the child's ability to read. The complementary relationship between reading and writing continues long after these early efforts, so parents enhance their child's skills dramatically by encouraging the writing habit in childhood. Follow the lead of early childhood educators by allowing phonetic writing rather than worrying about proper spelling in preschool and kindergarten. We get a kick out of trying to figure out my five-year-old nephew's writings to grandmother, but he knows just exactly what it says!

Focus on the Building Blocks of Good Writing

A rich language environment is the foundation for good writing. Learn easy ways to build your child language foundation in this article. Games and activities that build vocabulary increase the range of words your child will know to write with depth. Word games are classic and fun for families. Now, you can find fun word games online. We like Wheel of Fortune and, for the little ones, Between the Lions shockwave games.

More Language Arts Games Online

Checking your child's homework for spelling and punctuation errors will reinforce the skills your child is learning at school. When she has a report to write at home, help her take the time to write a first draft that you can check. Then, mark the spelling, capitalization and punctuation errors for her to correct. Most middle elementary children are able to use a word processing program to write reports. Teach your child to use the spellchecker, perhaps using the Scholastic Keys program for Microsoft Office.

Provide Tools and Opportunities for Writing

Mechanical pencils and gel pens are fun for kids; and plenty of paper, both lined for your child's grade level and unlined, should be available for spontaneous writing play and projects. Cute note cards and stationery make writing letters and notes to friends and relatives a regular writing habit. Let your child write the shopping list before a trip to the store. Encourage journal keeping for special times such as a family trip. If your child has a creative streak, gifts of writing activity books will encourage that talent.

Learn Easy Strategies for Elementary Writing

Jessie Wise and Susan Wise Bauer, authors of The Well-Trained Mind, talk about the two-step writing process for elementary students. The first step is to practice oral composition. First, encourage your child to talk about what he is going to write. The second step is dictation practice. Children learn to put words on paper by copying sentences from books or from story dictaion. This step teaches sentence and paragraph structure.

Julie Bogart at Bravewriter.cobegin m offers great tips for helping elementary children develop writing skills. She makes the point that elementary-age children are very poor writers because it takes at least ten years of writing practice to to write well! With Bogart's advice in mind, don't be discouraged by your elementary child's lack of writing skill. Encourage practice, build his fund of language, talk and talk about everything, don't be critical of creative writing efforts, and make it fun to encourage a love of writing from an early age.

Practice Exercises Index

2009-04-06T05:25:00.000-07:00

go here

http://owl.english.purdue.edu/handouts/interact/index.html

and here

http://childparenting.about.com/gi/dynamic/offsite.htm?zi=1/XJ/Ya&sdn=childparenting&zu=http%3A%2F%2Fowl.english.purdue.edu%2Fhandouts%2Fgrammar%2Findex.html

Pink for Polar Bear

2009-04-02T07:50:00.000-07:00

by valerie Solis

[for my children]

Nanook the polar bear was not like her brother and sister.Her fur was pink.

Some of the big polar bears said that Nanook was different because she had been born at sunset. They thought the sun's pink rays had coloured her fur. Her family calles her Nanook, the "daughter of the setting sun".

"Who was ever heard of a pink polar bear?" said a very large and curious bear. The other bears laughed.

Nanook felt sad and lonely. She very much wanted to be a white polar bear like all the others.

"Maybe, I am not a real polar bear at all?" She thought sadly.
"Polar bears love to chase seals,swim and catch fish. I don't like chasing the poor seals, and I'm not much good at swimming or catching fish."

One day a terrific snowstorm blew up as Nanook and her family were coming home after a day's fishing.

The wind howled and raged all over the north pole. The snow fell so thickly that Nanook couldn't see a thing as she struggled to keep up with her family.

"I'm so tired. The wind is far too strong. Perhaps I should rest and catch up with the others later," she thought.

Nanook curled up in the snow and before long she fell into a deep sleep.

The next morning, Nanook awoke to find herself covered with snow.

"Oh dear! I must have slept for hours.!" she thought.

Then she realized that she was all alone on an iceberg floating out to sea.

"Oh no! My family will never find me now!" she exclaimed.

Nanook floated further and further out to sea. Soon she began to feel very hungry.

She thought for hours about jumping into the sea to catch a fish, but the rough waves frightened her.

Suddenly, Nannook heard a cry above her.

A beautiful plump fish dropped out of the sky at her feet.

Nanook looked up and saw Gullak, the seagull.

"Oh, thank you a million times, Gullak , thank you!" shouted Nanook.

"You're welcome," replied Gullak.

Every day, Gullak caught the biggest and best fish for Nanook.

Gullak was a great storyteller as well as a great friend.

Nanook loved to listen to his tales about mermaids, flying fish, singing humpback whales, shipwrecks and many other fantastic things he had seen in his lifetime.

Nanook missed Gullak a lot when he wasn;t around. There was nothing much to do on an iceberg except count other icebergs. Sometimes, Nanook saw some seals or walruses but they were either sleeping or too far away to hear her.

One nightm beautiful melodies echoed all over the North Pole, waking Nanook from her dreams.

It was the singing humpback whales! Suddenly, a great spray of water blew high into the air and a family of whales appeared near Nanook's iceberg.

"You must be the humpback whales that Gullak talks about!" cried Nanook. "Your songs are beautiful! I wish I could sing like you and be heard far away. Then I would never be lonely/"

"And so you shall," replied the largest whale called Fluke. "We give you 'the gift of song'. From now on, you will be able to talk to us by singing, no matter how far away we are. You will never feel lonely again. Nanook, daughter of the setting sun."

Then music filled Nanook's heart and she burst into song. Her voice was as sweet as a nightingale.

The delighted whales blew great fountains of water into the air to show their pleasure, and set off to show their pleasure, and set off on their long journey to other sears.

From that moment Nanook never stopped singing.

She sang to the humpaback whales as they travelled to distant seas. The starry skies echoed with her sweet songs.

Miracles of The Brain - Harun Yahya

2009-03-28T04:15:00.001-07:00

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-t8iralOiI0&feature=related

watch here

Stages of Language Development

2009-03-28T03:38:00.000-07:00

Illustrates the five stages of oral language development in English Language Learners

5 stages and very interesting do go here

1 silent period stage

may last 10 hours to 6 months.
The students may not speak but can respond using
a variety of strategies including pointing;
performing an act; gesturing or nodding.
[ I still can remember my youngest daughter nursery teacher told me
that she is silentfor 6 months. so this research is very true
and applicable to my situation.. :) ]

2 Early production stage
another 6 months
The students can usually speak in one- or two-word
phrases and can demonstrate comprehension of new
materials by giving short answers to simple
yes/no, either/or, or who/what/where questions.

3 Speech Emergence period stage
another one year

The students begin to use dialogue and can ask
simple questions and are able to answer simple
questions. Students may produce longer sentences,
but often with grammatical errors that interfere
with their communication.

4 intermediate proficiency stage

may take up to another year
after speech emergence. Students are beginning to make
complex statements, state opinions, ask for clarification,
share their thoughts, and speak at greater length.

5 Advanced Language proficiency stage

students can participate fully in grade level classroom
activities if given occasonal extra support.
students can speak English using grammar and vocabulary
comparable to that of a native speaker.

English Language Learners

2009-03-28T03:28:00.000-07:00

Video project about challenges facing English language learners, or students who are learning English as a second language, in elementary schools in the United States

Starting Points:Working with Young English Language Learners

2009-03-28T03:13:00.000-07:00

Core strategies to support young English language learners. A preview from Educational Productions (www.edpro.com). STARTING POINTS gives mainstream teachers the strategies to support successful...

go here

How do you support second-language learners in the classroom

2009-03-28T03:10:00.000-07:00

Put second language-learners on the path to success with the tips demonstrated in this glimpse into one early childhood classroom where everyone is developing their language.

ESL 1: To Be... Introduction

2009-03-28T03:06:00.000-07:00

A educational intro on how "to be"... Meet some new friends!

ESL3: Verbs - How to use Present Tense

2009-03-28T03:01:00.001-07:00

Let's learn how to use verbs!

English Composition: Writing Good Conclusions

2009-03-28T02:56:00.000-07:00

A good conclusion is like ending the day well. Make it strong and make it count. Don't just restate-- leave a lasting impression. Learn three ways to improve.

English Punctuation: Comma 1 -- Separating Items

2009-03-28T02:55:00.001-07:00

Some things are optional in life. Did you know that no comma is needed if the adjectives belong in different categories and comes before the noun in a list of things? Let's learn about the "yield...

English Punctuation: The Semicolon

2009-03-28T02:37:00.000-07:00

Semicolon

English Punctuation: Exclamation!!

2009-03-28T02:33:00.000-07:00

Yes!! A real look at the exclamation mark... emotional declarations of excitement!

English Punctuation: The Apostrophe

2009-03-28T02:30:00.000-07:00

Another 'Inside the word' mark is the Apostrophe. Let's learn how to use it correctly.

English Grammar: Nouns

2009-03-28T01:54:00.000-07:00

Let's learn about common, proper, compound, and collective nouns!

English Grammar: Adverbs

2009-03-28T01:46:00.000-07:00

When does one use "good" and "well"? Learn when to use which; plus a good adverb education.

English Grammar: Compound and Complex Sentences

2009-03-28T01:05:00.000-07:00

Combine your knowledge with this clip on how to correctly form complex sentences and how to distinguish the different clauses. Also, learn how and when to correctly use the colon, semi-colon, and ...

English Grammar: What is a Verb?

2009-03-28T00:15:00.000-07:00

Verbs. What are they? How do we use them? How do they change form according to the nouns? Find out how it all works!

English Grammar: Noun-Article Agreement

2009-03-28T00:11:00.001-07:00

"A," "an," and "the" are those tiny words we tend to forget about. They may sound simple, but there are Standard Edited American English rules of how to use these articles correctly.

How to Navigate Studio 4 Learning

2009-03-28T00:08:00.000-07:00

wow there are many other course in this site here..

English Grammar: Simple Sentences

2009-03-28T00:05:00.000-07:00

Sentence has a subject. A sentence without subject is an instruction.
You is implied here.

English Grammar: Run-On Sentences

2009-03-28T00:00:00.001-07:00

this video is on run-on sentences. A too long sentences can be cut into 2 or more sentences.

contoh

2009-03-27T04:49:00.001-07:00

test