Don’t rely on books alone to improve your English
Even if you’ve got everything it takes to excel in academics, you may simply fail to perform due to your lack of verbal or written English skills. It’s never too late to make a new start with a bang. Lim Chuwei from Champion Tutor shares advice on how you can master English Language by using online resources.
There are English classes in Singapore of all kinds, and many of them are heavily promoted. Especially classes geared at children.
But what is the best place for adults improve their English?
In this article, I’ll cover the most common options:
1. Full-time English classes
Speak English well and be confident in your next business meeting
Are you trying to find out where to learn English in Singapore, for yourself or someone else? In this article, I’ll try to provide a starting point to finding the most suitable courses.
Where is the best place to learn English in Singapore is for you, depends on your situation and what you want to achieve.
Here are a few questions to ask yourself. The answer will tell you where to look first for a suitable course.
Do you have time to learn full-time?
“These days, traffic congestion is an ever increasing problem in many countries”
I mentioned in my previous post that it is good to memorize some writing phrases for the IELTS Writing paper. As an IELTS writing tip to you, I’d like to share some practical examples of this.
Let’s start with Writing Task 2 first. There are a few common types of questions in this Task. Yet for each type you’re most likely asked to deal with a social topic which is of current interest. Because of this, it is possible to start the essay with a sentence that includes a generic phrase. Some examples of this include:
“These days, NOUN PHRASE is an ever increasing problem in many countries.”
You can fill in the noun phrase to create sentences like these:
“These days, traffic congestion is an ever-increasing problem in many countries.”
“These days, obesity is an ever-increasing problem in many countries.”
Or take this generic phrase:
If you’re taking the IELTS exam, you would probably agree that the most difficult paper is the Writing paper. You may be able to carry out a conversation with others decently in spoken English yet still find writing a challenge. This is because when it comes to writing, grammatical accuracy is hugely important.
The problem for most students taking the IELTS is that their grammar is far from where it should be. And very often, students only have a month or two before sitting for the exam. This is especially so for those taking the General Training paper for migration purposes or those sitting for the Academic paper for postgraduate studies.
Add to this the fact that one’s grammar is not something that can be easily transformed within a short period of time and we’ll start to understand the difficulties involved in getting a credible score for the Writing paper.
With the above context in mind, what would be the best way for you to prepare for the IELTS Writing paper?
Are your kids missing out on the three top life skills?
Do you remember how you learnt the three top life skills?
Those three skills being financial management, cooking and social etiquette (including grooming). If you could give yourself a grade in these areas what would it be?
Financial Management
Think about your financial story – how did you learn this crucial skill?
When I was growing up I was a Brownie (the younger arm of the Girl Guide Movement) and I took the Thrift Badge which aimed to teach financial skills. I remember having to keep a savings account to show how I could save money, and also show how I cared for the things I owned. This was probably financial management at its most simplest and today is woefully inadequate.
Before you start studying for a degree, it’s important that you can express yourself well in both written and spoken English.
James Cook University Singapore turned away 16 students for not speaking English well enough, according to The Straits Times.
English Reality
How can you benefit from any good quality diploma or degree course if your English language is dodgy?
You can’t.
Requirement Reasoning
If your English is not up to the mark, don’t even contemplate a diploma or degree.
Learn English first.
Requirements are there for a reason.
Who should read this article?
Little Bears
I teach a Little Bears class for children officially aged at least 2 and half, although if the child is ready before that age they can join. Usually children are in the two to three age group. In my experience, kids have to be at least aged two before they can appreciate some of the activities.
There is more to learning English than going to regular class and absorbing what the teacher says. Do you want to get started with English self study? Here are some methods you can use.
Ways to self study English online.
The internet is one big pot of references for you. Google should be your best friend. Google anything!
Other useful websites have different learning modes and structures, but they all give you the chance to learn English on your own pace and style preference.
When we have learned a new language, we will usually say we “speak” it. As in: “I speak English”. But what good is it to be able to speak English, if you cannot understand what others say?
If you are learning English, Podcasts can be a great way to exercise your listening skills. Listen to them on the go and you’ll easily squeeze in an extra hour of learning time every day.
Here are 6 podcasts for learning English that I can recommend:
Which podcasts work well for you? Are you listening to podcasts I haven’t mentioned? Let me know in the comments!
