There are several reasons to learn English.

• For business purposes
• For educational purposes
• For use of the internet
• To increase employment opportunities
• To make travel easier

English for business

English is the first language of the world’s biggest economy, the United States of America. Many businesses deal with American clients, products and services. English speaking employees and managers are more likely to gain business from English speaking countries. By understanding the language they have knowledge of the culture of the country. Therefore English is an advantage for those who are in business.

For educational purposes

As English is the first language of so many countries it is a useful skill for students. Many academic articles and scientific discoveries are the work of English speaking people.  Being able to read these in the original language is advantageous for students of various disciplines.

In addition, many universities in Europe and Asia are now English speaking campuses. This means that English is a requirement for a degree or diploma from these institutions. These universities are an acknowledgement of the importance of English to the business and educational fields.

Internet use

The internet was an American discovery. As such, most of the information on the internet is written in English. To use the web effectively, English language ability is a required skill. It increases access to various web pages and enhances the ability to fully utilise programs and information.

Employment

Many economic giants such as the United States and India use English as their first language. Having English speaking skills will increase employment opportunities for people wishing to work in companies who deal with these countries. For people wishing to work in tourism, business or IT, English is an advantage. Being able to speak English will improve employment opportunities in these industries.

Travel

One in four people around the world can speak some level of English. Therefore when travelling, having English language skills can be an advantage. Most hotels and tourist destinations will have staff who can speak some English.

English is easy to learn

Basic English is an easy language to use. This is due to the fact that most people have had some exposure to it through American culture such as movies, books or the internet. Most countries teach English at school and most big cities have an English school. Australia has many schools which can teach various kinds of English such as business or technical English. These schools provide educational supplies which make learning English easy.

Speaking English is an important skill for modern life. It improves employability, educational and business prospects. English is widely accepted by advanced economies as the world language. It will continue to grow in popularity as globalisation increases.

• Research. If we are planning a new campus or school in another region, research will be a costly exercise. Online schools can replace all research, and make revenue at the same time. Ironically, it is the online school that will tell us where to open a new location. If we have a lot of students in a particular geographical region using our online courses, we can evaluate interest, and pre-book them into a new school we open in that region. An online division of our traditional school can replace research for expansion.

• Marketing. Online marketing is the most effective tool for marketing communications for a language school to reach their target audience. Most potential students of English are of a particular age, and are in particular in a region. An online school can replace your online marketing, and if done well, it can be more productive, produce better results, and even generate more revenue. Some form of online school makes real sense for any traditional school.

• Sales. The goal of marketing is to sell. A traditional school could be very far away from a potential customer. Online activities are only an extension of older marketing methods. When you have online students, you establish a relationship with them. The unique selling points of your traditional school will be a part of what makes your online school popular. It is your best tool for demonstration of what makes you different. Your students can actually graduate from your online school into your traditional school – that is an idea!

• Differentiation. I was the owner or operator of a traditional school I know what I would do. I would redefine online schools by demonstrating to the market of my school. Traditional schools have the most experience in their industry. Transferring that knowledge to online methods would demonstrate the difference. The majority of online schools do not have a traditional history – differentiation is inevitable. Sometimes we can only communicate through action. Some schools are using business mobile phones in unique ways. For example, a teacher gives real live language examples by teach in live situations through a business mobile phone.

Technology and outsourcing techniques have grown to encompass much more than they once did. Building business can replace the expenses of your current operations.

What’s the best way to engage kids and keep up the interest in a lesson? Yeah, you guessed it, introduce some fun activities, and games for kids into your lessons! Teaching English as a second language needed be a chore especially when there are thousands of great ESL Games for Kids out there on the net! Here is one such game that’s incredibly easy to use in the classroom and the kids will enjoy it!

ESL Spelling Games

This is one of the simplest ESL Spelling games out there. It only requires a little prep time and it’s easy for even the younger kids to follow. Simplicity is the key when teaching youngsters!

Instructions for play…

Divide the class up into two teams. You could say team A & team B for arguments sake. Have the kids choose a suitable name for their teams.

Go over to the whiteboard and divide it into two equal parts with a line down the middle. Get the kids from each team to write their team names in their allotted spaces on the board.

Have a list of words that you want them to spell. Then pick a word at random off your list and say it out loud so the students can hear it.

After that have a student from each team go to the board and write down the correct spelling of the word.

Award points for students who correctly spell a word.

More great ESL Gamer for Kids can be found at http://esljobs4teachers.com Have fun!

Currently there are just under thirty-five million speakers of Spanish in the United States and Spanish is the second most spoken language.   Most of these speakers are concentrated in the southwestern part of the United States as the climate in this area is similar to the climate in their own countries of origin. Many immigrants left their countries because of political instability.

There are many benefits to learning English.  Firstly, many adult immigrants who want to learn English are highly motivated to learn English because they understand that their financial security depends on their ability to communicate effectively on the job.  Many, however, have a desire to preserve their heritage rather than to learn the American way of life.  As a result, they may never learn the language.  There is more discussion on this in my article, ESL & Should Immigrants Learn to Speak English.

On the other hand, those who hold professional and technical degrees may find that they lack certain skills which are necessary to perform their jobs here in the United States.  As a result, they are motivated to learn the language so that they can use the credentials which they hold.  Some are in anguish because they are working in jobs not related to their professions, or are unemployed, not having learned the language.

Secondly, many immigrants who experienced harsh conditions in their country have found it easier to make a living in the United States doing just about anything.  The cost of living in the United States is much higher than the Spanish countries and therefore, the wages are higher.  Those who are motivated by the better quality of life opt to work two or more jobs so that they can help their other family members move to this country as well.  This alone is a motivator for many immigrants to learn English.

Thirdly, if Spanish immigrants want to become a citizen of the United States and acquire all of the benefits of being a citizen, they would need to learn English to pass the citizenship test.  Many, however, begin learning English in their countries before they actually emigrate to the United States.   This helps them communicate with their family members who have integrated with the American people.

Finally, many will need to learn English just to survive and be able to function in the new way of life that the United States offers.  Without knowledge of speaking English, it is difficult for the Spanish people to go shopping, locate housing, communicate with doctors and nurses, and understand the monetary system.  Trying to get their needs met can be very frustrating for a new alien or resident who does not know English.

There are many free and fee-based classes available for adults who want to learn English.  Many employers offer classes on the job.  Children can learn English in the public school system.  Therefore, the Spanish people have many opportunities to learn English in the Unites States and they stand to make more money as a result.

So why do some people not succeed in learning good English?  Because they don’t try hard enough.  Many learners of English find it really hard to learn as  their tongue refuses to cooperate.  They want to say “water” but a German  tongue says “voter.”  They want to say “vow” but a Chinese tongue insists on “wow.”  Some Filipinos will themselves to say “perfect” but it still comes up as  “ferpect.”   A Japanese  can say  for sare   when in fact he means for sale.  So much effort has been put in, and when no results come up despite the efforts, the attempt to learn is given up.   Once they give up, they go back to saying things the easier way.  Why hassle themselves  in saying very  when  they can take the comfortable  way and say it as bery  or  wery.

You, of course, know by now the importance of English and what it can do to your  life.  What’s a little persistence to apply in your daily life?  Be determined  and will yourself to say it correctly.  Now that the rules are laid out, you should   try hard  in applying it.  Don’t worry if the tongue doesn’t follow the brain right away,  it will surely loosen in time.   But know that the tongue will never learn if you don’t practice.  So you’re talking with someone and  you just said  that’s fan.  And you realize that the right way to say the word fine is fayn.  You remember your  English Tutor saying that  i   is a combination of the two sounds  a and e ,  therefore you should take time to pronounce it and not hurry.  Go back, and don’t let your tongue get away with it.  Concentrate for a second , correct yourself  and say  that’s fayn.  Again, do not let your tongue get away with it.  Your  tongue follows your  brain and will to learn, and not the other way around.    

Let us then take it step by step.  First, know the rules.  Get a tutor  who can help you in knowing the rules, as well as check if you are indeed saying things correctly.   Second, apply what you learned in your daily life.  Look out for good opportunities to practice.  Read newspapers aloud.  Even signboards can give good practice, if you’re too busy too read.  The more mistakes you make, the more chances of learning. Go back and don’t let your tongue get away with little mistakes.  Always correct yourself  and say it correctly.  Third,  discipline your tongue through every day practice.  Tongue twisters like  “Peter piper picked a peck of pickled peppers.”  is great practice for the sounds of p and the sounds of  e.    For the sounds of  v,  practice “Vivian believes violent, violet bugs have very big value.”  Your aim is to say these twisters smoothly and correctly.  Say these at least ten times everyday—again,  as smoothly and as correctly as you can.  When do you stop?  When your tongue finally picks up and realizes that is has to say the sounds correctly and without effort.  You will know that you succeeded when you can look at a sound, and,  in a second, you can say it correctly without  actual effort from your part. Yeah, I actually thought of  thanking you by sending you thirty three roses this Thursday.  And you said it without effort.  And lastly,  speak English, use English  as much as you can.  Look for an English buddy and converse with him everyday.  Don’t get comfortable and  forget.  Practice always makes perfect.      

English is the most used language in the world. Today without the knowledge of English it is very hard to get a job in your own country, let alone somewhere else. It is no wonder that people are looking to learn English online as this is the most cost effective and probably the easiest way to learn English today.

Technology has allowed us a very easy and cost effective way to learn English or any other language or subject. If you wish to learn English online all you need is a computer, an internet connection and some time followed by your dedication.

Instead of going to a class each day, traveling back and forth from your home, where you have to pay not only for tutoring but also for the expenses that come with the classroom, you can just connect to your online language tutor and start your lesson when it suits you. The reason why it is more cost effective to learn English online is because there is no need for a classroom, the expenses of your tutor are meaningless, and so you only pay for the actual tutoring. One of the best parts of it is the fact that you get the tutor all to yourself, well, you can get an online classroom going, but the price is almost the same but the effects of your learning are much better if you study one on one.

If you are wondering who will be your tutor there is no need to. Most online language websites that offer tutoring let you choose your own language tutor. These are usually native speaking tutors that know your language as well. They will help you not only learn to speak in English or any other language; they can prepare you for the TOEFL test exam.

One on one tutoring has proved to be a very productive method of learning. You get all the attention of your tutor to yourself, which in return speeds up your learning. With online language tutors you get to choose the time of your classes and the tutors will make every second of that time count. When compared to a regular English class you can expect to have your online tutor work with you on the most difficult areas, while in a regular class you would be forced to follow a curriculum.

The chance to learn English online gives you an advantage, not only will you be able to save time and money on English classes, but all your activities will be saved as well. You will not have to skip work or sacrifice an hour that you would lose in your travel from class to your home. You can do everything from your home at your convenience.

So if you want to learn English online you can, it is easy and affordable. Like we said, all you need is a computer, internet connection, Skype or other instant messenger and the will to learn.

If you wish to learn English online with the best online tutors visit www.myplt.com and we will start teaching you immediately, and remember, the first lesson is free.

Its funny the way some English words have taken on a new meaning these days. There are certain words that have just adopted complete new meanings.  Examples:

1) Pulled – A man / woman has attracted the opposite sex. 

2) Bird/Chick  – Now referred to as a Woman or Lady. 

3) Doughnut - In the UK, we use this for someone stupid. E.g. “What are you talking about you doughnut?” 

4) It – Well, I can’t even say innocently to my friends. “I did it yesterday” without them winking at me and saying “Oh yeah? Elena, do you want to tell us more  or  who with”?   (they say it jokingly) 

5) Balls - Then there’s balls. Don’t even ask me to explain. 

Are there any other words that have changed meaning or even have another meaning in your part of the world?

 Also Read: Commending Speakers of Other Languages

Some things that help with recordings are that they can be viewed or listened to more than once until the student feels that they have gotten everything possible from them. These can even be used to compare the student’s pronunciation with the announcer’s. Just use a portable recorder or your computer to record you playing the recorded TV or radio and you repeating after them. Then you can listen and compare so that you can make it better. Another way to use these is to listen to news in English and write down what you understand. Then listen in your mother tongue and compare the results. You can go back and forth until you get it all. You can even use the computer to plot your pronunciation and timbre (tone) using sound editing software. Also, try using a mirror as you watch TV and imitate the way the face, especially the mouth, looks. Sometimes it is that simple. If you can see how the words are made, you can make them.

One of the main reasons to use TV and radio is that the announcers are usually really good examples of Standard English. In fact, in Britain, there is a learned dialect of English called Received Pronunciation (RP for short) that is not localized. That is, the accent is not naturally occurring in the populace. There is no location for RP, because it is made up, created especially for use in public speaking. It is an ideal of British pronunciation and was favoured for many years. It may go out of fashion, simply because people with localized accents feel that they suffer from discrimination due to the use of RP. “My Fair Lady” is actually built upon this premise.

A third way to use radio and TV to help you learn English is passive environmental change. If you have English sound in the background all the time, your brain picks up on it, even if you pay no attention. Because of the psychological effects of not paying attention to ads, it might be better to use public broadcasting stations with no advertising if possible. However, if you remain aware of the effects of subliminal brainwashing by advertisements on radio and TV when you shop you will not suffer any ill effects, except, perhaps, a curious craving for junk food. Having English going on in the background while you do other things takes no time and after some weeks will actually produce tangible results. I know this from personal experience. I was away from my home in Montreal, and I was afraid that I would lose my French. So, I started playing my favourite radio station on my computer as I worked. As a technical writer I often stop between parts of a project to rest and clear my mind for a bit before going on to the next. After several weeks, I sat back to relax a few minutes and I noticed that I understood everything the singer was singing. Thinking that this might simply be an easy song I listened to a few more, and my comprehension had really risen. So when I returned to Montreal, my French was actually better than when I left.

Try these things and see if they do not help. They do not cost anything and they take very little time. If you cooperate with one or more other learners, you can even increase the learning by discussing TV and radio programs that you have all watched. Sharing your learning makes it last a lot longer.

Be Focused
The four pillars in learning English are reading, listening, writing, and speaking. If you learn the four aspects together at the same time, you spread yourself too thin. Instead, focusing your learning on two to three aspects can help you double your effort and learn more efficiently. Take reading and writing for example. When you concentrate your effort on these two things only, the combined effort can help you strengthen your reading and writing skills in a positive way. The result would be more satisfactory than when you learn reading and writing separately, or when you learn all things together, which would be too overwhelming.

Immerse Yourself
A nurturing learning environment is the envy of every language learner. When you don’t live in an English-speaking country, it can be well said that a nurturing learning environment is lacking. But you can overcome this obstacle by being resourceful: free English learning materials are everywhere, both online and offline. Some of them include English TV programs, English speaking clubs, and grammar newsletters. If you want some fun out of learning English, you can subscribe to blogs that pique your interests. The more you are exposed to the language, the easier you would find learning is.

Practice
Practice has an overriding importance in learning English. Time and again, it has been reiterated that practice is the holy grail in learning languages. It’s a cliche, but so true. No matter how much you read about how to write and how to speak, if you don’t hold a pen to write and open your lips to speak, there is no way for you to improve your level of proficiency.

Have an Open Mind
English may differ from other languages you know to various levels. A mistake that English learners often make is they compare English with other languages they know. You have opened a Pandora’s Box because of this. If you compare two languages and argue that one language shouldn’t be like that because the other has nothing similar, you are in the wrong. Each language has its uniqueness. If you expect to find similarities between English and other languages, why do you learn English at all?

Wish you luck in your learning journey!

A lot of ESL teachers are literally a slave to the book! What the book says goes! Though when teaching it is always better to get the views of your students, what would they like to learn in an English lesson and once more how would they like to learn?

If a lesson is just full of endless repetition and the students are spoon fed with grammar, they’re just going to go into a state of stagnation! What does this mean for you the ESL teacher? To put not so finer point on it, this means, that your students will be bored! What do bored students equal to any teacher? Yes, you’ve guessed it, bored students equal students who are not learning!Bored students equal students who don’t want to come to your lessons! Bored students equal students who become frustrated, which in turn creates classroom discipline problems for you!

The easy way around this rather bleak scenario for you is simple. Just add some ESL games and activities to your lessons! They can help to reinforce the language and vocabulary points that you’ve previously taught! Everyone is a winner. I’m going to introduce you to one such classroom game, very simple and a great way to end the last 15 minutes or so of your lesson.

Simple Simon says activity

You can use a variety of vocabulary and phrases for this game. It’s great at getting the kids active and out of their seats after a long lesson.

Write a few phrases on the board that the kids are familiar with. For example you could put things like… Simon says… stand up and turn around. Simon says.. sit down and read your books. Simon says… stand up and put your hands on your head.

Procedure

Start by creating two teams.

Call out a command you want them to do, eg: Simon says… Stand up!

The team that complete the action first get a point for being correct.

There are many variations on this game. You of course can tailor it to suit your own needs and the needs of your students. Have fun with simple Simon!  ESL games activities   or Jobs.