学习英语的窍门

Tuesday, 08 September 2009 09:34

学习英语的窍门

学好英语最关键的是先确定目标，规划学习时间。每天都要在计划好的时间学习。和本国人交朋友，用英语思考

General Advice

• The most important thing is goal setting. You need to set short- term goals (e.g. I will learn five new words every day, I will read four books this month, tests, EPA, IELTS etc) and also long-term goals (think about your future).

• Take the time to plan your goals and organise your study time. Try to study at the same time every day, so you will get into a routine.

• Always review your lecture notes half an hour after the lecture. This means elaborating your notes from textbooks and rewriting any material that is not clear.

• Give yourself about 50 minutes for each study period then take a ten-minute break, maybe do some exercise or have a drink.

• Do your work before dinner, when you are still fresh and the day's lectures have not yet faded from your memory.

• Tackle the most difficult work early, when you are fresh and motivated.

• Let your friends know your study timetable and tell them not to interrupt you.

• Review your plan from time to time. There could be changes in your set routines and adjustments may need to be made. If you've been too tough on yourself, you may have to relax a little. Some subjects may need more time than you thought, others less.

• If you take a train or bus, put your travelling time to good use by planning or rote learning material.

• Move into a Kiwi homestay.

• Go flatting with Kiwis or people who don't speak your language.

• Study with a friend - you can test each other on vocab, practise speaking and listening and discuss things you don't understand.

• Make Kiwi friends.

• Go to Kiwi restaurants.

• Join the AIS St Helens student association and meet lots of native speakers.

• Try to think in English, not your native tongue.?

Reading

• Go to the library every day after class and read.

• Read every day for half an hour.

• Surf the internet.

• Read the newspaper. Local newspapers are better than the big daily ones because the language is simpler. Sometimes it's good to read the whole article, but other times just read the headline and the first few paragraphs. Don't use your dictionary every time you find a new word - try and guess all the words you can, and then use the dictionary only for the really important words that you need to understand the main idea.?

Vocabulary

• Revise new words and recycle vocab every day for half an hour.

• Build vocabulary by reading books, newspapers and magazines rather than just using your dictionary.

• Do crossword puzzles in your spare-time.

• In your vocab book don't translate English words into your language - write BOTH the words and the MEANINGS in simple English that you can understand. It may be helpful to group words into subjects (e.g. car words - brake, traffic lights, give-way, hubcap etc).?

Speaking and Listening

• Use every opportunity you can to speak to people in English (e.g. in shops, in bars or other outings).

• Phone someone from your class each day and speak to them in English.

• Listen to the radio. Talkback radio is particularly useful because the people who ring up are ordinary New Zealanders. They repeat themselves a lot and they use common idioms. Also try taping the news on the radio and listen to it several times. The more times you listen, the more you'll hear and understand.

• Watch TV every day. If you've only been learning English for a short time, children's programmes like Sesame Street, which are on in the early morning and early afternoon, are good. They repeat words a lot and have lots of pictures. If you've been learning English for longer, watch 'soaps' like Shortland Street. You can learn lots of New Zealand idioms from this programme. If there's an idiom you don't understand, write it down and ask your teacher or a friend. It's also good to watch the TV news. It can be very difficult to understand but if you have a video it's good to record it and watch it as many times as you need to. Teletext subtitles (if you have them) help you learn the words used.

• Watch videos, go to the cinema.

• Go to a Bible study group or to Church (even if you don't believe in God, it's a great way to practise your English).

• Start a regular discussion or study group with other classmates.

• Listen to English songs. Listen again and again and try and write down all the words you hear.

• Visit classmates after school or at the weekend.

• Come to school early so you can talk with other students.

• Everyday read a short paragraph out loud to practise your pronunciation.

• Get a part-time job in a New Zealand restaurant (you'll need to get a work permit first).?

Writing

• Exchange email addresses with your classmates and email them regularly in English.

• Write a diary in English every day.

• Find a native English speaking penpal to write to.