Learning to Speak in English - How to Learn the Right Grammar

Learning to Speak in English - How to Learn the Right GrammarThe English language is one of the hardest languages to learn for many people. Sometimes, the reason for this is because of the way that the language is constructed and because English grammar is a difficult subject. The simple fact is that grammar is not really very important to English speakers. They are more interested in knowing how to use language properly and correctly to be understood.The problem with grammar and language is that it seems to be something that one has to study endlessly to become proficient in. In actuality, you can learn grammar and learn to use the language within a matter of days if you use certain key words and phrases on a daily basis. These can be words like: 'for 'if', 'it 'them'. Use these words with regularity and you will begin to improve your understanding of the English language.English grammar is rather simple and easy to understand once you have this information in your head. The only th ing that you need to do is try to learn the grammar rules by placing them in the right spots in your speech. You can take a look at other people's speech, which is usually written down and try to put it into your own voice as closely as possible.The problem with learning grammar to improve your English is that it can be very distracting. It can keep you from concentrating on your language learning and concentration is very important for successful language learning.When you learn to use words and phrases in the correct English order, you are also improving your comprehension of the language and you will be a more effective communicator. Once you get past the first step, where you understand the language, you can then begin to improve your speaking ability and improve your English language ability.If you find that you need to brush up on your English grammar, you can continue to use the same methods, but you may want to supplement your vocabulary with some phrases. As you see how the se phrases are constructed and what they mean, you will begin to see how quickly you can learn a new language.You can learn grammar to improve your English at your own pace, once you have the tools needed to do so. However, remember that the most important aspect is learning to speak the language correctly, which is often more important than how quickly you can learn the language.

Advanced Vocabulary Booster #1

Advanced Vocabulary Booster #1 Next 12 words? Welcome to the first installment of the Virtual Writing Tutors Vocabulary Booster. On this page, you will find a dozen randomly chosen, low-frequency, high-impact vocabulary words that you can integrate into your speaking and writing. If you are preparing for the IELTS or the TOEFL exam, using these words correctly will give the examiners a good impression of the size and sophistication of your active vocabulary. Scroll to the bottom of the page to download a PDF of these words arranged onto cards. Print them out, cut them up, and play a guessing game with friends and family. See below for instructions. (adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({}); sensational /sen-SAY-shun-nul/ Adjective Calculated to produce a startling impressionIntended to thrill obnoxious /obb-NOCK-shuss/ Adjective OdiousObjectionableOffensive vindictive /vin-DICK-tiv/ Adjective VengefulCharacterized by a desire for revenge or retribution prudish /PROO-dish/ Adjective Excessively modest, demur, or primUptight deter /de-TUR/ Verb Discourage and stop by inciting fear or doubt erotomania /ee-ROT-uh-MAY-nee-uh/ Noun Madness caused by sexual excitementAbnormally strong sexual desire feasible /FEE-sib-bull/ Adjective Capable of being donePossibleViable solicitous /so-LISS-si-tuss/ Adjective AnxiousApprehensiveDeeply concerned desolate /DESS-so-luht/ Adjective Solitary, lonely, miserableUninhabited, abandonedRhymes with “chocolate” fastidious /fass-TID-dee-us/ Adjective Hard to pleaseEasily disgustedSqueamish obese /oh-BEES/ Adjective Very fat callipygian /kall-lip-PID-jyan/ Adjective Of, pertaining to, or having shapely or finely developed buttocks Download and play the card game Download and print the cards and the card backs on a double-sided sheet of paper. Cut the cards along the lines and place them in a pile facedown. In groups of 3 or 4, take turns selecting a card from the top of the pile, reading the definitions. Player One takes a card from the pile and reads the definition and part of speech. The other players try to guess the word first. The first player to guess correctly gets the card, placing it faceup in front of him or her. The player to the left takes the next turn. If no one can guess the word from its definition, the player whose turn it is reads the answer and returns the card to the bottom of the pile, and selects another card from the top of the pile. The player with the most cards (and therefore the best vocabulary) at the end of the game is the winner. Advanced vocabulary card game pages 1-2Download More words ? (adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({}); Please follow and like us:

30 English Idioms Describing Character and Personality - Effortless English

30 English Idioms Describing Character and Personality - Effortless English You are already familiar with some of the adjectives that describe people. Today lets have a look at some English informal expressions and idioms describing character and personality. Some of you might have heard one or two (or maybe 10!) idioms describing character and personality. And Im sure that most of you have met or heard of someone who matches one of the below definitions. 30 English Idioms Describing Character and Personality 1. Pain in the neck â€" an irritating, annoying personEx. Sarah is such a pain in the neck these days.2. Bright spark â€" a clever personEx. He is a real bright spark in the class.3. Party animal â€" someone who likes to attend parties oftenEx. Are you going out again tonight? You are such a party animal.4. Cold fish â€" someone who has very little emotions, who is regarded as hard-hearted and unfeelingex. John said nothing at all when I told him about my problems. He is a cold fish.5. Dark horse â€" someone who has greater abilities than he shows or than other people are aware ofEx. I didn’t know Nick could play the guitar so well. He is a real dark horse!6. Lone wolf â€" someone who prefers his own company and does not like socialising. We can also say a lone bird.Ex. Jack became a real lone wolf since his wife passed away last year. He never goes out.7. Nerd â€" someone who is very interested in science or technology, particularly in computersEx. He spends all weekends at his la ptop, he is such a nerd. 30 English Idioms Describing Character and Personality? - Infographic Enjoyed this infographic? Here’s what you can do next: 8. Moaning Minnie â€" a person who complains a lot about insignificant things.Ex. Oh stop being a Moaning Minnie! Just concentrate on your homework.9. Happy camper â€" a person who is always happy and satisfied. ‘Happy camper’ is often used in the negative.Ex. The apartment was much smaller than I expected, I was not a happy camper.10. Smart cookie â€" somebody who has got a strong personality or who is quite smart.Ex. Katie is such a smart cookie, she can make any project a success.11. Wet blanket â€" a person who ruins other people’s fun by staying pessimistic and complaining all the time.Ex. Katie is so negative about everything, she is such a wet blanket.12. Chatterbox â€" a person who talks a lotEx. My son always gets detentions in school for talking in class, he is such a chatterbox.13. Crank â€" a person whose behaviour or way of life is regarded as strange. We can also say an oddball/fish/bird or a weirdo (very informal).Ex. Peter never eats green vegetables, he thinks they make him sleepy. He is such a crank!14. Rolling stone â€" a person who moves from place to place, job to job, without staying anywhere longEx. My brother was a rolling stone until he met his wife.15. Rough diamond â€" someone who seems impolite or is not well-educated, but who has a kind heart and good character.Ex. Mike may be a rough diamond, but he is kind and always willing to help. 30 English Idioms Describing Character and Personality 16. Life and soul of the party â€" someone who is energetic, and good fun during social occasions.Ex. It was a great night, Jim was life and soul of the party.17. Wallflower â€" a shy person, usually a girl who has no one to talk to or dance with at a partyEx. Jane is a bit of a wallflower, she is very shy when she is around a lot of people that she doesn’t know.18. Wimp â€" a weak person, someone who lacks confidence.Ex. I always avoid confrontations, I am such a wimp.19. Golden boy â€" a winning person that everyone is fond of.Ex. Wayne Rooney is the golden boy of English football.20. Bunny boiler â€" a girl who behaves improperly after a relationship break up.This expression comes from the film “Fatal Attraction” in which the character kills and boils her ex-boyfriend’s family pet rabbit.21. Slave driver â€" someone who makes other people to work really hardEx. My boss is such a slave driver, I had to work two weekends in a row.22. Early bird â€" a person who wakes up, arr ives to work, etc. before the usual timeThis expression comes from the English proverb “The early bird catches the worm”.Ex. My Mum is the early bird in our family, she gets up at 5 o’clock in the morning.23. Tearaway â€" a person who behaves in a stupid or wild manner, and frequently gets into trouble.Ex. Jack was a bit of a tearaway in secondary school, always getting into trouble.24. Busybody â€" a person who expresses great interest in other people’s private livesEx. My next door neighbour is a real busybody.25. Scrooge a miserable person who hates spending money.This expression comes from a character in “A Christmas Carol” novel by Charles Dickens.Ex. My last boss was a real Scrooge, for years we never received a Christmas bonus.26. Daydreamer â€" someone who is having dreamlike thoughts when they should be focusing on the presentEx. I’ve always been a bit of a daydreamer in school.27. Skiver â€" someone who is absent from school or work without a good reasonWe c an also say ‘someone who is pulling a sickie’.Ex. He didn’t bother to turn up for work on Monday, he is a skiver.28. Clock-watcher â€" someone who has no interest on the current activity, and keeps watching the timeEx. I hate to be a clock-watcher, but I can’t wait to get out of here.29. Big mouth â€" someone who is not able to keep a secretEx. Never tell her a secret, she’s got a really big mouth.30. Creep â€" a nasty person, someone who is trying to impress higher authorityEx. What a creep this guy is.

One Week Traveling in Malaysia

One Week Traveling in Malaysia One Week Traveling in MalaysiaIf you teach abroad in Southeast Asia, you’re bound to have enough time off to explore more of your surroundings. Vibrant cities, a diverse culture and extraordinary natural beauty make for a perfect week-long vacation in Malaysia.Day 1 â€" Experiencing Kuala Lumpur To start off your week in Malaysia, explore Kuala Lumpur. Visiting the Petronas Towers, the tallest twin building in the world, will give you a stunning view of the city. If you’d rather take a look at the Petronas Towers from a distance, visit the Menara Tower, another one of Kuala Lumpur’s unique landmarks. While you’re already in the heart of the capital, one of the following activities should be on your travel itinerary of Malaysia:Visit Aquaria KLCC, a large aquarium featuring a 300-foot underwater tunnel and over 5,000 animals from Malaysia and around the world.Go shopping and experience Malaysia’s diversity. The Pavilion and Berjaya Times Square offer anything you could be lo oking for, from designer goods to Malay restaurants. Complete your shopping experience in Kuala Lumpur by exploring Chinatown and the Wet Market, a colorful market where you can find rare food items and cheap electronics.Meet exotic birds that have made the Kuala Lumpur Bird Park their home. This public aviary gives visitors the chance to view an abundance of exotic birds in their natural habitat.Day 2 â€" Temples, Caves and Golden StatuesMalaysia is a diverse country, heavily influenced by Chinese and Indian immigrants, thus featuring a multitude of temples, shrines and mosques. Thean Hou, Kuala Lumpur’s most popular Buddhist temple, astonishes visitors with its exquisite Chinese architecture and is famous for its excellent view of the city. After a relaxing morning at the temple, head to the Batu Caves. These caves are said to be 400 years old and feature a collection of Hindu shrines. The 140-foot golden statue of Murugan, a Hindu deity, is bound to take your breath away.Day 3 â€" Cameron HighlandsHeavily influenced by the British rule, the Cameron Highlands allow visitors to escape the heat and explore buildings from the colonial era. Tea, coffee, and fruit plantations are enclosed by lush hills and provide a sudden contrast to Kuala Lumpur’s metropolitan feel. You will find golf courses, missionary manors, and the truly British Smokehouse Inn.Day 4 â€"PenangExcite your taste buds and learn all about where these spices come from. A visit to Penang’s Tropical Spice Garden will appeal to all senses. Small paths lead guests past waterfalls and through lush spice gardens. To truly appreciate the variety of exotic tastes, stroll along Gruney Drive and try the rich variety of hawker food offered here. At night, take a trip to Batu’s popular night markets.Day 5 â€" Georgetown and Places of WorshipNo trip to Malaysia is complete without wandering through Georgetown. This open-air museum features a collection of historic buildings from the colonial era incl uding many sites of worship. The Buddhist Kek Lok Si Temple, Hindu Sri Mahamariamman Temple, St. Georg’s Church and the Kapitan Keling Mosque are all in walking distance and worth seeing. Additionally, if you’re not afraid of snakes, take a trishaw ride to the Snake Temple.Day 6 and 7 â€" Langkawi IslandEnd your vacation in Malaysia by relaxing at one of Langkawi’s numerous beaches. Fine sand, clear water and some amazing resorts allow visitors to soak up the sun for a while. For some variety, observe jugglers and snake charmers in the Oriental Village, take the cable car to the Telaga Tujuh Waterfalls and visit the Crocodile Adventureland.Travel in Malaysia to explore metropolitan cities, majestic mountains and hills, historical sights and marvelous beaches. Most of Malaysia’s incredible sights are bound to take your breath away, so why not look into teaching abroad in Malysia?Dorothee Rembold is an intern at Teach Away Inc.

4 ways to prepare for your teach abroad job interview

4 ways to prepare for your teach abroad job interview After you make the decision to teach abroad, the next step in the process is to land a job at a school that meets your life and career goals. To that end, you might opt for applying for jobs online with a recruiter like Teach Away or decide to attend a teacher job fair or some in-person interview sessions. Regardless of which path you take, however, one thing is certain: You will be interviewed at some point in the hiring process - whether it’s over phone, Skype or in person. Congratulations, your teaching credentials and experience landed you an interview and now it's time to seal the deal. Depending on your level of experience, you may have attended many, many interviews in your time. Or maybe your last interview was your first. No matter which bucket you happen to fall into, I wanted to share my first-hand experience and advice for anyone interviewing for a job teaching abroad. Hopefully, this will give you some idea of what to prep for when interviewing for what (hopefully) will turn out to be your very own dream job teaching abroad. I’m not going to give you a laundry list as there are so many resources out there already. For example, as I was preparing for the job fair, Teach Away hosted a webinar that gave advice and tips for job fair interviews (just an FYI that the job fair experience can be very different if you have never attended one). I also found these three posts helpful, so I recommend checking those out if you’ve got time: 6 interview tips that will get you the job - straight from a teach abroad recruiter Preparing for an international teaching job interview 11 tips for a successful teacher phone interview Below, I’ve listed some of the things that I felt really helped me make a strong impression throughout the interview process: 1. Do due diligence on the school you’re interviewing with. Hopefully, you have already done a lot of research before the interview process to decide on where you want to teach and live. If you haven’t, I recommend you do so. Each country and region has their own unique culture, and it is important to have an idea which fits you and/or your family’s lifestyle. Next, you need to do the research to familiarize yourself with the prospective school’s vision, mission and curriculum philosophy. Research on the school can be beneficial in two areas. First, it gives you an opportunity to see if you would be a good fit for the school. Second, it will give you valuable information you can use and reference when answering questions in the interview. Teach Away will usually have a page on their site with key school information If not, you can also google and find the school’s official website. At the Teach Away job fair, I was also lucky enough to get the chance to sit in on info sessions held by the hiring schools in attendance. I made sure to take notes on key areas, such as the school’s philosophy, to ascertain how it matches my own strengths and values as an educator. Watch this video: This is what schools look for on your Teach Away profile 2. Don’t be afraid to self-reflect and sell yourself. After doing your research, take a look back at your past teacher evaluations and your career as an educator. For some that might be a long career, others very short. Either way, it is important to self-reflect in order to truly understand your strengths and areas where you can improve as an educator. After all, we all have room to grow. Many of the schools that I interviewed with during my job hunt were interested in me teaching Advanced Placement (AP) classes or International Baccalaureate (IB) classes. If you are a secondary content teacher and have AP or IB experience that will increase your stock. I, however, do not have AP/IB experience, but many schools pay for professional development. I was open and honest in interviews about my lack of AP/IB experience. However, I made it clear that I was willing to attend PD sessions and continue to grow professionally in those areas. Being honest about the areas that you can improve when asked in an interview is really important, especially if those areas are bound to be brought up as the school is doing reference checks. Although you want to be honest about the areas that you can improve, it is also important to sell yourself. Two of the most common questions you will get in a teacher job interview are (although asked in different ways) are: Why do you want to work at our school? What would we see if we were to walk into your classroom? These are two unmissable opportunities to sell yourself as an educator. The first question is where your research on the school is crucial. As you’re answering, you have the chance to get across just good a fit for their school you are by conveying how your philosophies and strengths align with the school’s mission, vision, and curricular programs. The second question is where your self-reflection can help you sell yourself as a classroom instructor. Be prepared to give specific examples of teaching strategies you use in the classroom. You are good enough for this job, so don’t be afraid to tell the school why. Sign up to Teach Away today for access to the latest teaching jobs around the world. 3. Practice makes perfect. Like anything else, interviewing is a skill that can be mastered with practice. Of course, just like most other things, interviewing comes easier to some than to others. Whether you feel like you’re a natural or you’ve come to dread the interview process, practicing before a real interview will not only help prepare you for the possible questions that could be asked, it will also go a long way in helping battle those pesky nerves that tend to sneak up as the interview date looms. The questions I shared above are a great place to start. Have a friend, spouse or colleague ask you questions specific to the teaching job you’re in the running for and practice responding to them. You don’t have to memorize your answers verbatim but it’s a good idea to jot down your responses so you can work on refining them as you do your interview preparation. It’s also worth practicing for an interview with a formal administrative colleague that can share some valuable insight into the common questions they like to ask during the interview process. You can either review these questions or conduct a mock interview with them. I’m very fortunate to have a father who is a former administrator who is always happy to help me run through my interview responses. During past interviews, I have foundIdo have either a tendency to get caught in those annoying ummm...uhhhhh...pauses when questions catch me off guard, or I. Oy to avoid any awkward silence so I s at allstart speaking before I’ve really thought my answer through. With enough practice, however, I was I can start tonate my awkanyrd pauses and keep my cool if I happened to momentarily thrown by a tricky question. 4. Practice getting comfortable in front of the camera. Video interviews are common practice when recruiting teachers from overseas, largely due to convenience, flexibility and the money-saving benefits for schools. As a result, practicing interviewing in an online setting is important. Interviews online or over Skype have a completely different feel from in-person interviews. For example, depending on how reliable your internet connection is, the video quality might be spotty and you might find it difficult not to talk over each other in the interview. Due to financial and family constraints, my wife and I were unable to attend the teacher job fair together. Instead, I flew out to the fair while Grace stayed home with our two boys. However, Grace was able to interview with the same schools I did - just over Skype. We even interviewed as a team in some instances - I was physically in the room and while Grace was sat next to me on a laptop (which was a unique experience for everyone involved!) Grace and I also had multiple Skype interviews following the fair. She’s an elementary teacher and I’m a secondary teacher, so it stood to reason that both principals wanted to meet with us. I think it’s safe to say we’re old hands at Skype interviews by now! So here are some of our basic tips when interviewing over Skype: Dress professionally, just as you would for an in-person interview. Make sure your technology is up to scratch. Test your interview location and camera angle by calling a friend. (The last thing you want is something embarrassing being visible in the background.) Be on time. Make sure you know who’s calling who. Take care to articulate your words clearly and speak a touch louder than you normally would in an in-person interview. Be sure to look right into the camera as much as you can. (This is the Skype version of making eye contact, however unnatural it might feel!) Take the quiz: Where should I teach abroad in 2018? If you’re currently gearing up for an interview to teach abroad, remember that preparation is key for a successful interview, whether it’s face-to-face or via Skype. Hopefully, the tips and tricks provided above will help you land your dream job teaching abroad this year. And if you’ve already had a call saying you’ve gotten the job offer, that’s awesome! I know first hand that accepting a new job teaching abroad is a life-changing decision, so be sure to read this blog about what should be included in your teach abroad contract before you sign on the dotted line! In the meantime, if you’re not preparing for an interview to teach abroad, I recommend you continue to self-reflect and build your instructional knowledge by incorporating best practices into your current classroom. That way, when you do start to prepare for your very first teach abroad interview, you’ll be able to draw on those instructional strengths in your interviews as well as your future classroom.

A Guide For Having People Over In Your Small Space

A Guide For Having People Over In Your Small Space Image: Kelsey Chance via https://unsplash.com/photos/ZrhtQyGFG6s Keep it clean Even though you have a crazy schedule as a student, it is important to keep your dorm or apartment clean. Unnecessary clutter only makes your already limited space that much tighter, especially if you have items on tables or couches where your friends are meant to be. You also do not want friends and classmates to think you are a slob. If you find yourself in this situation, plan to clean up one section of your apartment or dorm each day. That way, you do not feel as overwhelmed about having to clean everything at once and you can do it in small chunks that fit with your schedule. While working on class assignments and studying, throw some laundry in so that your clothes are not piling up. If you have to, take your textbooks to your apartment’s laundromat and study there while your clothes are being cleaned. Coordinate schedules with your roommate(s) If you have a roommate, it is crucial that you check with them to make sure they do not have people coming over or other plans to use the apartment or dorm. Nothing makes a small space even smaller than having too many people in it at once. If you have mutual friends, this will not be too much of an issue. However, having two different study groups over at the same time can make your space more cramped. To fix this, have a calendar in a space that you and your roommate share so that you can each write down plans, particularly ones that involved having people over. That way, you will limit the congestion in your apartment. Practical décor As mentioned before, clutter can make your small space feel even smaller. In order to help decrease clutter, use décor that doubles as organizers. For example, make a picture frame key holder so you can hang your keys up as soon as you get home and you know where they are so that you are not scrambling to get out the door. You can decorate old shoeboxes as storage units by decorating them with decorative paper. Make a magnetic bulletin board out of an old cookie sheet to hang up important documents or announcements you want your roommate to be. That way, your apartment looks nice for when people come over. Lighten up a bit Darkness can make your small space appear smaller, so, on the contrary, light can make it appear bigger. This is especially important if you want to have people over. You do not want to feel cramped, especially since more people will add to the congestion. If you have the option to change your wall color, paint it a light color. If not, use ceiling lights and lamps throughout your space to make it appear lighter. Light-colored area rugs and furniture can help out if you are not allowed to paint or change the carpets. Having people over to your small space can seem impossible, but taking advantage of any space you have and decluttering can help increase the space so you and your guests do not feel cramped. Looking for an easy way to furnish your off-campus apartment? Renting furniture from CORT saves you time and money. See how easy it is to get great looking furniture without breaking the bank.

Teach Away Telegram - October 2008

Teach Away Telegram - October 2008 Happy Halloween! We hope that everyone is ready for Halloween this weekend. We hope that you enjoy your Halloween candy responsibly and that your costumes are as innovative as ever!A quick note for those wishing to go abroad early in the new year: deadlines are coming up for some amazing jobs abroad, so pass the word around, and apply today!Public School Jobs in Korea - Free flight Exotic location, monthly start datesApply at: www.teachaway.com/form/application.phpFinding Teaching Jobs OverseasFinding a country to teach English in can be a daunting task in itself, let alone trying to find a legitimate company to get you the job. A simple Google search reveals that there are countless individual recruiters offering jobs to teach English all over the world. It is important to do your research before applying to a job and be skeptical when something seems to good to be true.The unfortunate truth about many internet recruitment agencies is...Click here to read more about finding teachin g jobs overseas.Dos I assumed it was the same. Couples would exchange cards and gifts and go out for a romantic dinner. Now, I know that doesn't always happen, but I suppose that is the general consensus. On Valentine's Day in Korea, girls actually buy gifts before the boys...Click here to read more about Theresa's teacher story from Korea...