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This is your one stop blog for tips, tricks and general help for all areas of English. 

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Big Problems: English in Perspective 

28/3/2017

 
So I've been thinking lately about the bigger things in life. Why? Mainly due to the fact that I have been on a forced digital detox (and no, still no WiFi). I got to thinking about how some of these things related to learning languages and in particular, learning English. 

Here are some the conclusions I arrived to:
  1. Perfection is not essential
  2. Mistakes are good (if used in the right way)
  3. Don't worry if it takes you longer than expected to hit your goals
  4. Don't worry about the small things - put things into perspective

I'd like to expand on some of these points, if you don't mind...

Perfection is not essential 

 Everybody wants to be perfect in another language. This is totally understandable. But is it achievable? Well, it depends. With enough time and dedication, of course it is. But it is not something that happens quickly.

This following questions may seem stupid but it is worth thinking about: how long did it take you to become perfect in your mother tongue? With the ideal conditions, it still took years - thousands and thousands of hours. So don't worry if you aren't perfect in English just yet. It will happen but take it step by step. 

Mistakes Are Good

Too often, I see students having red faces when they ​make a mistake. But in reality, the mistake seems much bigger to you than it does to the person who hears it. If they even notice it. 

I know this feeling. I had it too when I first started speaking German. It is totally natural. But most people are polite and will smile if you make a mistake. It is really not something to worry about. In fact, mistakes can be good if you learn from them. 

Even as I write this post, I have a smile on my face thinking about some of the mistakes I made during conversations in German. They can be some of the funniest conversation you have. For every "big" mistake I made, I never made again as the image in my mind was so clear that I could never forget it. True, fun and effective learning. I suggest you enjoy any mistakes you make and try to learn from them.  

Don't worry if it takes you longer than you thought 

All good things can to those to wait, right? Wrong! I think all good things come to those to persevere and don't give up. As mentioned above, it can take a long time to reach your goals in English. But that's not really a big problem, is it? Everything is hard before it's easy. 

But here's the thing: if you do give up, it will always be hard. The best example I can think of is when you first learn to drive. It was difficult, wasn't it? There was so much to remember and that's even before we had to parallel park! But after enough time, it became easy. Maybe, the journey wasn't a smooth one but you got there. And you will with English if you keep at it. 

Not everything will always go to plan so recalculate and then keep going. Just never ever ever give up!

Put Your Language into Perspective

What's the difference between annoying and bad? Well, actually, sometimes it's hard to make the distinction. For example, I've gone 8 weeks now with WiFi. At the beginning, as you can imagine, I thought this was terrible and why me? Now, I have realised that it is annoying but it is not bad. 

Bad things involve not being healthy or something happening to your family. Making a mistake in English, not speaking perfectly or not having WiFi are not bad things - simply annoying ones. And there's no reason to let these annoying things occupy too much of your time. Life is too short for that. 

​So, relax, smile and enjoy the journey. 

Let me know what you think please by putting a comment below. 

How to pronounce -ed at the end of a word in English

13/10/2014

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How to pronounce -ed at the end of a word in English

Here is the complete transcript:


Hello there,

and welcome to another Grammar Bites from Learn-EnglishOnline.net. In today's Podcast, we will cover how -ed is pronounced at the end of a word in English.

Basically, the -ed ending can have three different sounds – all of which will be explained. Also, there will be a complete transcript to this Podcast, just in case you can't remember everything.

The first sound we will look at is -ed as a 't'. If a word ends in F, K, S or P, the -ed is pronounced like a -t. So to make this easy to remember, just think of 'F, K, S and P, -ed sounds like 'T'.' There are three other sounds which make -ed at the end of word sound like a 'T'. These are Ch, Sh and Th. To remember this, think 'THe CHurch SHop has Tea'.

-ed at the end of a word can also sound like -id. If the end of the word sounds 'T' or 'D', then it will sound like – id. Simple as that. 


For all other sounds, -ed at the end of word will sound like 'D'.

There are 9 common words which are exceptions to the previous rules. The words are aged blessed, crooked, dogged, learned, naked, ragged, wicked, wretched. The good news is, as you can hear, they all sound like -id.

So just to recap quickly, 'F, K, S and P, -ed sounds like 'T'.' So does Ch, Sh and Th. Think 'The Church Shop has Tea' Then for all other sounds, '-ed sounds like 'D'

That's it folks. Please comment if you have any questions. Don't forget to check out the website, www.learn-englishonline.net. I have been Jay O'Reilly from Learn-EnglishOnline.net and until the next time, happy learning.  


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Grammar Bites: Two Quick and Easy Ways to Form and Use The Future Tense in English

8/10/2014

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Two quick and easy ways to form and use the future tense in English

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Discover the biggest secret to success for an English Oral Exam

20/9/2014

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Discover the biggest secret to success for an English Oral Exam

If you are preparing for an English oral exam, then this post is for you. It is going to show you the biggest secret to success for any English oral exam. It is so simple, you will be thinking to yourself, 'Why didn't I think of that?' So, are you ready for it? Then read on.


Change your emphasis from what you are saying to how you are saying it. Allow me  to elaborate. 


Most people think the way to get a good score in an oral exam is to impress the examiner with your answers. This is totally wrong. You will impress the examiner by expressing mistake-free English in a coherent and clear manner. Let me let you in on another tip: the examiner is not looking for totally original and wise answers. It is not the place for it. You don't have the time nor the subject matter to do it. 

So instead, focus on being able to say less but say it perfectly. Now, this may seem like a step backwards but firstly, I am not saying only speak basic English but speak, let's say conservative English. So only use the structures and words you absolutely know and forget the rest. The oral exam is not the place half remember a word and use it wrong. So, you need to find that balance between basic English and conservative English. Secondly, the examiner does not really care what you say but rather how you say it. I mean they can only ask you a limited set of questions so they have probably heard it all before. 



Take a second to think about it. Which seems better to you: someone who speaks a little conservatively but makes no mistakes compared to someone to tries to use vocabulary and structures that they have not yet mastered and therefore make mistakes? 
   
So that's it. Told you it was simple. Just change your focus from what you are saying to how you are saying it and reap the benefits. 
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The Differences between 'Make' and 'Do'

12/9/2014

 

Grammar Bites: The Differences between 'Do' and 'Make' Podcast

In today's Grammar Bites Podcast, we are going to look at the differences between 'do' and 'make'.

How to prepare for that all important interview

20/8/2014

 
"Fail to prepare, prepare to fail" - this is so true when it comes to job interviews. With such a competitive job market at the moment, those who do not prepare will be left behind. You could be the prefect person for the job, but if you do a sloppy interview because of lack of preparation, you can kiss that job goodbye. But, luckily, there are several ways you can prepare for that all important interview. 


The best way to prepare is to do a job interview classes with an experienced and trusted professional. This way you can get feedback and great advice to dramatically improve your interview technique. You will also get a lot of confidence from answering interview questions in an non-pressurized environment. Your teacher can help you prepare natural sounding answers in English.  If you are interested in these classes, please look here.


Another way, you can prepare for job interview is going looking up common job interview questions. This is a good way to see what interviewer generally ask interviewees.  However, if you are making some mistakes, you will not know about them until the actual interview. But if you are confident in your English speaking abilities, then this may be a good option for you. Also, do not forget to try and find job interview questions related specifically to your job. 


The final way to prepare for your interview, is to just rehearse your CV and cover letter. This is the minimum you should do and is not advised in isolation. You get the job interview based on your cover letter and CV so you must know both inside out. If the make a reference to either in the interview and you cannot remember what you said, you are in big trouble. Try to flesh out what your interview says into good responses focusing on the essential skills for that particular job. 


So there you have it! The best thing is to take classes with a professional but failing that, make sure you have prepared common questions and know your CV and cover letter perfectly!


Until next time, happy learning! 

Why preparing for a job interview is so important

15/8/2014

 
Some people just leave it up to fate when it comes to the job interview and hope for the best. This is a huge error, particularly, if the job interview is in English and English is not your first language. But, there is one thing you can do to improve your chances immensely: Prepare, prepare, prepare and when you are done, prepare some more. 


Why is preparation so important? Well, it's simple really. It gives you so many benefits such as confidence, clarity of thought and how to really impress your interviewer. 

I have broken it down into three major areas to prepare:

First thing to prepare: your research on the job and the company. This is so important. Some interviewers will even ask you what can you tell them about their company. Just by googling them, you are giving yourself a head start. This also ties in well with why you would like to work with that company.

Second thing to prepare: Your CV. You got to the interview stage because of your CV so it is important that you can give concise and coherent answers to flesh out what is written on CV. This is a great opportunity to show why you are the person for the job. Make the most of it so prepare it well. Think about why your work and educational experience are perfect for the vacancy and perfect it by practising with someone or in the mirror. Also, avoid saying, 'ehm' or 'er'. If you have some other interesting life experiences that could useful too. Remember to tie them back into why these experiences make you the person for the job. And don't forget the golden rule: if it is not relevant, it is not worth mentioning. 


Third thing to prepare: Yourself! This is fairly obvious. But dress for the occasion, shave if you are man and be on time. Basically, present a professional appearance. It is a good idea to try and model yourself after what your interviewer is looking for! Also, try to get there a little bit early so you are not sweating. Make sure if you are bringing any documents that you have them all and that they are in immaculate condition. 


And lastly, remember to breathe and you will WOW them!


Please share your good/bad interview experiences below. Or anything you should be prepare for a job interview. 

One thing English language learners can learn from Robin Williams

12/8/2014

 
Today, the world lost a great person in Robin Williams. His comedic genius, intelligence and warmness will really be missed.  But fortunately, his memory will live on through his family and work.


He has thought us many things - just one look at his quotes list shows us that. But one thing English language learners can learn and use from the late Robin Williams is not to rely on scripted answers. He was known for coming up with many his best known lines on the spot, as I am sure many actors do, but Robin Williams had a special talent for this. 


What I am getting to here is do not just rely on scripted conversation answers in grammar or exercise books to improve your English. Because simply they won't. And you will sound very dated. 


This applies to all areas of English. If you can use your skills to construct an intelligent and rememberable answer, it will be infinitely better than just repeating a phrase or a sentence you read in an exercise book. For example, in a job interview or in an exam.


Another problem is that most everyday conversations that happen in English are not like anything that you see in grammar and exercise books. And neither are the questions or answers. 


Also by challenging yourself to think like this and increase your English level will be much more beneficial for you than simply repeating something you saw. 


To finish this post, try to challenge yourself to think independently in English- of course it is going to be difficult but you will improve a lot quicker. 



One big difference between 'Earn' and 'Win' in English

10/8/2014

 
So this one is for speakers of a Romance language (Italian, Spanish, Portuguese, to name but a few) in particular. I often hear these speakers make the same mistake and it is to do with earning money. 

In their own language, you win money. So they think it's correct in their own language so why shouldn't it be as correct in English. While, that is logical, it unfortunately does not work like that. 

As mentioned, in the first paragraph, you earn money in English, not win. It's as simple as that. Why can't every

So I've kept it short and sweet today. I hope you enjoyed. Comment below if you have any questions. 

Why everybody should game online and why your English will thank you for it

8/8/2014

 
PictureTime to brush down your old console
Lately, I have taught several teenagers and some, let's say 'older teenagers', who spoke really well but yet had not studied English beyond the basics. I asked them how is their English so good and they all told me that they game online and, crucially in English. 


The reason their English is so good is because they spend hours gaming, they interact with other people ,they come across a wide variety of vocabulary and I think most of all, they have fun doing it. Some even so far to say that gaming in English is much better than gaming in their own language.  Beats looking in a book, doesn't it?


It is the sort of learning we like at Learn-EnglishOnline.net. Interacting and being engaged in English, beats book learning every time. 


There are so many different games to chose from and many for free, so there is a game for every body. Another benefit of this is that you will also make genuine friends in the process. Maybe, you can show them some of your own language too. 

If you do not want to game online for whatever reason and but still would like to try gaming in English, then I recommend playing Fallout 3 and above. It is perfectly suited for learning English. There are hours of dialog with professional voice actors as well as being able to interact with every object so you can learn the names of every object without ever opening a book. Sound good or what?


So it is well and truly time to brush down your old video console. 


Let us now what games you have played in English or want to play in English below.  


Image courtesy of imagerymajestic / FreeDigitalPhotos.net

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