education – Page 3

How to Learn Proper Grammar

You haz cheezeburgerz. I haz cheezeburgerz. We all haz cheezeburgerz. The “I Haz Cheezeburgerz” Internet sensation might be cute. It might produce some giggles. But that fat cat does not know the first thing about proper grammar. He has completely misused the to have verb, and he has left out the indefinite article “a.” His online meme would be grammatically correct if he had written, “You have a cheeseburger. I have a cheeseburger. We all have a cheeseburger.” There is nothing wrong with having fun with grammar (like with “I Haz Cheezeburgerz”), but there is a time and place for such language-play. In academia, business, and most of everyday life (e.g., menus, signs, newspapers, etc.), it is important to learn proper grammar (and use it).

If you owned an upscale burger restaurant, you would not tell your prospective clients that you “has cheeseburgers for sale” (unless you were the creator of the “I Haz Cheezeburgerz” meme). Instead, you would tell your hungry customers that you “have burgers, including cheeseburgers” on your menu. The difference between has and have might seem minor, but if you consistently use poor grammar, you will appear unprofessional and may lose many potential customers.

While it is one of the most widely used languages in the world, English is also one of the most difficult languages to learn. It might seem daunting at first to learn proper grammar (including when to use full verbs, auxiliary verbs, and definite and indefinite articles), but the more you practice, the better you will become at speaking and writing grammatically correct English.

There are five useful tips that can help native- and non-native English speakers learn proper grammar. The first tip is to read, read, and read. Go to the library, download e-books, read magazines and cookbooks (The Book of Burger by Rachel Ray is a cookbook that will help you find wonderful recipes while learning proper grammar). The point is to read as frequently as possible. Pay attention to every sentence that you read. Make an effort to fully grasp what the author is trying to tell you. This will help you to understand how sentences are structured and learn English grammar faster.

Another great tip is to read aloud. Reading the written word aloud has many proven benefits. It helps individuals discover the relationship between how words appear on a page and how they sound when spoken. There is a difference between written and conversational English; reading aloud will train you to notice the subtleties between the two, and in so doing, will help you to learn proper grammar. This brings us to the next tip: the parrot method.

When you are about to travel to a country where a different language is spoken, you might try to learn the very basics of that language. Books, podcasts, and language CDs are excellent tools that will help you learn basic English grammar. When you use a podcast or language CD, a language instructor will typically encourage you to repeat after him or her. This repetition of a word or phrase is known as “the parrot method.” Verbal repetition is a great way to learn how to precisely mimic what an instructor is saying. The more you repeat, the better you will become at learning how the consonants and vowels of a language should sound. It also teaches you where to place the subject, object, and verb in a sentence, which are key components for anyone who is trying to learn proper grammar.

While some people watch television or listen to the radio to learn how to speak a language, you have to be careful. TVs and radios are powerful tools for learning conversational English and building your vocabulary, but they are not necessarily the best avenues to learn proper grammar. You may also want to consider taking online English grammar courses to help learn grammar. There are many available online, so be sure to find one that is from a reputable company.

The last tip is to practice writing to enhance your grammatical prowess. Be sure to write in complete sentences (which means including a subject and a verb). If you have a friend who has impeccable English skills, you might ask him or her to read what you have written. Feedback from an English language expert should help you to improve your grammar as well.

If you do not wish to sound like a virtual cat, you can learn proper grammar by practicing one, some, or all of the aforementioned tips.

ESL Lessons

A child’s first language is not taught but acquired naturally. However, for an individual to be able to speak, think, and write in a foreign or second language, they must study and practice. In today’s world, where diverse cultures and nationalities regularly come together in integrated settings, the English language has emerged as a common means of communication. Therefore, the practice of teaching English as a Second Language (ESL) has become increasingly widespread. The following suggestions will help teachers prepare their ESL lessons, and will help anyone wanting to learn more about planning lessons.

Identify your students

ESL lessons should be individualized for beginner, intermediate, and advanced levels and designed for either adults or children. Determine your students’ learning styles (visual, auditory, tactile, or a combination) and be aware of any listening barriers (environmental distractions, information overload, daydreaming, overconfidence, inaccurate perceptions, or non-listening behaviors). Ascertain what your students already know and where they might be deficient. Create your ESL lesson plan to fit the overall group of students, and then modify it to account for more advanced students or those who may be struggling or unmotivated.

Write an ESL lesson plan

A good ESL lesson plan is a road map for both the teacher and the student. Students learn more when they are interested and motivated. Lesson plans should include enjoyable visual and interactive elements to increase the likelihood that students will remember the important lessons you’ve tried to teach them about English grammar. However, exercise caution; putting too much emphasis on fun might blur the lesson’s objectives. Every ESL lesson should be educationally focused.

Even though you might see the same students every day, each ESL lesson should include an introduction and a short icebreaker activity that takes up no more than 10% of the total lesson time. You might present a topic of conversation, talk about a picture, or quickly review material from the last class.

Let students know what they will be learning and doing in their ESL lesson by writing a brief agenda on the board, or tell them about the day’s lesson. This will help keep them more engaged and on track. Explain the material several different ways to catch the students’ attention and appeal to their different learning styles. The effective organization of class time also helps students follow your presentation, remember better, and understand the rationale behind in-class activities.

ESL lessons should have clear, specific objectives, such as “students will be able to discuss their favorite movies using new vocabulary words and the present simple tense.” You should write down the lesson’s objectives and an outline for the rest of the lesson so you can refer to it and make notes and adjustments during the class. What is the topic of the ESL lesson? What do your students expect to learn? How can you engage your students? What do you want the students to understand and be able to do by the end of the class? What do you want students to take away from this particular ESL lesson? Once the learning objectives are placed in order of importance, design the specific activities you will use to get students to understand and apply what they have learned.

Incorporate the four skills

The four skills that should be acquired when learning any language are reading, writing, listening, and speaking. A well-rounded ESL lesson should touch upon each of these four skills, as well as pronunciation and grammar.

Consider time constraints

When planning your ESL lesson, be aware of time constraints and your students’ abilities. Have realistic expectations. If there’s a great deal of material to cover, break the lesson into sections that you can speed up or slow down to accommodate changes as they happen. Ranking your learning objectives in terms of importance will help you manage class time and accomplish the more important goals.

Another strategy that will help you with time management is anticipating students’ questions. When planning your lesson, decide what kinds of questions will be productive for discussion and what questions might sidetrack the class. Be prepared to diverge from the lesson plan if necessary; also plan how to bring the class’s attention back to you when it wanders. Above all, be flexible.

Prepare multiple lesson plans

Outline the major points of the lesson you are planning. Next, write an ideal ESL lesson plan, a shorter version to use if there is confusion or an unforeseen time restraint, and a longer version in case your students grasp the concepts more quickly and you have more time than expected.

Plan extension activities

You should plan activities for students who finish early in class or for students who would like to practice additional exercises at home.

Check for comprehension

It is essential that you check your students’ understanding at several points during the ESL lesson. Be prepared to backtrack a little to allow slower students to catch up with the rest of the class. “Does everybody understand?” is not always an effective question to ask. ESL students are often shy and reluctant to ask for help or repetition for fear of ridicule. You might ask students to use the lesson’s targeted information in a way that demonstrates their understanding (e.g., “Tell me about your last family vacation using some descriptive verbs and adverbs”).

Leave enough time for review

Even if your students seem to have understood the concepts presented in their ESL lesson, a review session at the end may reveal any obscure problems. Ask your students to help you summarize the main points of the lesson, or talk to them as they leave the classroom. Conclude by previewing the next lesson to spur your students’ interest.

After the class ends, review your plan and reflect on how it worked in practice. Using the feedback and questions from the review, you can plan a more effective follow-up lesson.

A final thought

There you have it—a few simple steps to keep in mind when preparing your ESL lessons. Writing such plans may seem daunting at first, but with organization and effort, you will provide your students with a positive and productive learning experience! In addition to having a solid ESL lesson plan, it is essential that you know your material inside and out.

Online Grammar Course

Get help choosing the best online grammar course now

When you envision learning English grammar, what do you picture? Do you see stacks of books and hours spent in a classroom painstakingly repeating stilted phrases? Do you see yourself moving to a foreign country to fully immerse yourself in the language, potentially leading to culture shock? At one time, these were the two most common options. However, in recent years, experts have developed countless online courses for English language learning. These courses can be flexible and engaging, offering content to individuals seeking to learn English grammar online.

In fact, there are so many online English grammar courses that it may be difficult to find a course that suits your needs. A quick Internet search will return pages of links to various sites that offer everything from conversational English to college-level grammar—with an equally wide range of fees. Some free sites can help you get started, but they often do not continuously generate content or provide further challenges once you’ve mastered the basics. After you have moved on from a basic understanding of English grammar, where can you go to learn more?

The answer is more complex than a simple link. Online courses have certain advantages in common, such as the ability to work from a variety of locations and often at your own pace. Beyond that, however, they can differ widely. To find the best online grammar course, you first need to determine your particular needs. Before selecting a course, consider the following criteria.

Quality: An online grammar course is only as good as its content. Look for a site that is rated well in terms of both accuracy of information and depth of coverage. Research the site to determine whether the instructors are native speakers and have received formal training. Most reputable sources will provide you with a syllabus or course overview to help you determine if the course is right for you.
Audience: While some web sites are targeted to businesspeople, others may be targeted to teenagers, university students, or other types of learners. The intended audience for a particular online English grammar course will determine the depth (delving into intricacies/deeper issues) or breadth (covering a wide variety of topics) of its content. Additionally, your reason for learning English—such as gaining the ability to engage in casual conversation, improving your business communication skills, or becoming an English instructor—will help you determine which online grammar course is right for you.
Ease of use: If you are new to the English language, web sites in English can be difficult to navigate. Look for an online grammar course that uses intuitive navigation tools so you can easily find your way around. A course that moves seamlessly from lesson to lesson and provides quick access to additional resources can go a long way toward reducing frustration.
Variety: An online grammar course that provides variety, such as games, interactive lessons, videos, podcasts, quizzes, and live tutoring, may be the most beneficial for you.
Social media: While this fits into the “variety” category, social media is important in its own right. Learning a new language requires you to practice. The more you write blog entries, forum posts, and comments on other students’ work, the greater your understanding of English will become. Real-world practice in language learning is vital, and social media provides a unique chance for you to have instant, continuous access to other English speakers.

Knowing what you want from an English grammar course will help you find the one that’s right for you. The best online English grammar course is the one that meets all your needs.