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September 28, 2005

Learning vocabulary

Do you keep a seperate notebook for new vocabulary? Do you then use the words in example sentences?

Its always a good idea to keep new vocabulary in a seperate notebook from your classnotes and homework. This makes it much easier to review vocabulary at a later time.

I recommend that you use the following format for your 'Vocabulary Notebook':

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September 26, 2005

Business English Etiquette

A student posted the following question on www.bylingo.com recently:

“One basic question, we normally don't put "san" after the names when we introduce our colleagues to the clients in Japan. Do you use Mr. or Mrs. when you introduce your colleagues in English?”
This is a great question because it addresses the cultural nuances involved in the use of language. Basically, there is no correct answer to this question. As business changes so do business practices. Some industries, IT for example, take a very casual approach to business interactions. So in this case colleagues may be introduced by their first names only.

I think a safe standard to follow is to introduce your colleagues by their full names and position in the company. If you are introducing your supervisor or superior to a client or customer, always introduce them the first time with Mr. / Mrs. Followed by their full names and their position in the company.

Keep in mind many people feel more relaxed when they are on a first name basis with other people. I recommend being professional the first time introductions are made, and after a couple of meetings it’s probably ok for everyone to use first names only.

Thanks for the question!

If anyone has any comments please feel free to post them.

Posted by Kent at 4:27 PM | Comments (0) | TrackBack

Talking about movies (Part 2)

popcorn.jpgLast week we talked about different kinds of films and I introduced some expressions used to describe them in English. This week, I want suggest some phrases for giving opinions:


Saying you like a movie

Saying you dislike a movie

Explaining why you like a movie

Explaining why you don't like a movie

If you found this useful, don't forget to check out Talking about movies Part 1.

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September 16, 2005

Presentation Tips #3

Today’s tip will continue to address the specific language that is used in presentations and speeches. Each group of phrases that we will talk about matches a function or purpose for use in presentations.

Function #4: Restating key points and main themes of the presentation.

Function #5: Concluding and Closing.

Function #6: Questions from the audience.

As I mentioned last week, these specific functional phrases help keep your speech or presentation organized and in a sequenced order. By using functional phrases you will be able to make stronger points, and your audience will be able to follow your speech or presentation easily. This is really important because you want to make a lasting impression with your speech or presentation. Keeping the audience focused on you and the topic you are speaking about is the number one goal of every presenter.

If you have any questions or suggestions about this week’s or any presentation tips entry please leave a comment.

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September 12, 2005

Talking about movies (Part 1)

moviesmall.jpgThe students in my English classes come from a range of backgrounds and often have very different interests. Some are engineers, others work in advertising. There are teenagers hoping to improve their English so that they will get into a good university and there older students wanting to retire overseas. But most have one thing in common:

They all like the movies.

Whether it is going to the movies on a Saturday afternoon with their kids, sitting on the sofa in front of a DVD or perhaps catching a late-night re-run of some samurai classic, just about all of my students enjoy seeing films.

For this reason, I thought I'd introduce some expressions you can use when talking about movies.

Read the story and try to answer the following questions (the answers are at the bottom of this post):

1) What kind of film did he see?
2) Did he enjoy it?
3) Who was the main actor?
4) Did he find the story amusing?
5) Was the story very believable?

I'm a big fan of sci-fi, especially those big special effect films. Last week I saw that new one with Harry Hunter..."Forgotten Tomorrow". Have you seen it? It was great - much better than his other movies. Its about this group of teenagers who build a time machine and then travel far into the future. Sure, the plot is a bit far-fetched, but its a good popcorn film. I especially liked the part where Hunter's character had to eat dinner with the alien ambassador... so funny!

There are many different types of movies, and (like books, music and theatre) these are sometimes referred to as genres. Some of the most popular movie genres are:

Of course not every kind of film fits neatly into a genre. Some filmmakers try to bend the rules of a genre (conventions) to make their movie more interesting.

What kind of films do you like? Does your favourite film belong to a genre?

Answers 1) A science fiction film; 2) Yes; 3) Harry Hunter; 4) Yes, particularly the scene with the alien ambassador; 5) No, it wasn't believable. The story was too far-fetched.

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September 9, 2005

Presentation Tips #2

Today’s tip will be on the specific language that is used in presentations and speeches. Each group of phrases that we will talk about matches a function or purpose for use in presentations.

Function #1: Purpose of presentation or speech

Function #2: Opinions & Ideas

Function #3: Changing topics and Introducing a new point

These specific functional phrases help keep your speech or presentation organized and in a sequenced order. By using functional phrases you will be able to make stronger points, and your audience will be able to follow your speech or presentation easily.

Try some of these phrases in combination with the transitional phrases from the previous presentation tips.

Posted by Kent at 4:31 PM | Comments (0) | TrackBack

September 4, 2005

Studying overseas: the basics

There are three (3) main points to consider when thinking about studying overseas:


Location
flysmall copy.jpgYour choice of location is probably the most important decision as it will affect the quality of the other two points. When choosing a country or city to study in, you should probably consider some of the following:

Most importantly, you should have an interest in the place you choose. You should research some of the local history and culture before you make a final decision on where you want to study English. Remember! Not all English speaking countries share exactly the same culture and traditions.

School
After you have carefully chosen the country and city in which you want to study, next you need a school. ESL/EFL schools are as varied as English students. Some are very small private schools and some are very large schools that are affiliated with universities and other organizations. Some things to consider when choosing a school are:

Price – usually the fees and tuition of schools reflect their size and quality.
You should check out as many schools in your chosen location as possible.
An average year (12 months) of study in Canada costs about $10,000-$12,000 CAD. This doesn’t include accommodation or travel expenses.

Program of study – Before you arrive in your chosen country or city, you should have an idea of how long and what you want to study. Some programs have specific start and finish times throughout the year. Make sure that you know when your course starts. You don’t want to have to wait a month to start your course after arrival. It would be a waste of money.

Additionally, you should have an idea of what ‘kind’ of English you want to study. You may want to take a mix of classes and programs. However, you should set some specific study goals like ‘I want to study TOEIC’ or ‘I want to be able to enter an English university.’

Accommodation
Depending on where you live while studying overseas, living costs can be very expensive. In Canada, for example, you should be prepared to spend between $500-$700 CAD per month on living costs.
There are numerous choices to consider when deciding on where you want to live while you study. Some schools have dorms (on campus accommodation) or home stay programs. You may also want to consider renting an apartment or private room.

I will talk about the pros and cons of each type of accommodation in later TIPS entries.

Posted by Kent at 11:26 AM | Comments (0) | TrackBack

September 2, 2005

What is TOEIC?

pencilsvsmall.jpgIf you are a non-native speaker of English and living in Japan or South Korea, it is likely that you have at least heard of the TOEIC test. The Test of English in International Communication (TOEIC) is a measure of everyday English ability created by the Educational Testing Serice (ETS) of Princeton, New Jersey.

The test is usually taken by non-native speakers who wish to have some official measure of their English skill. Some one and a half million people take the tests each year, two thirds of whom are said to be Japanese.

There are a number of reasons people choose to do the test. Often, it is because they wish to join a foreign company, or because they are seeking promotion within an organisation which places a high value on English ability. Other students hope to study overseas or use the test as a way of checking on how their English is improving.

The test consists of two major sections, a listening section and a reading section, each of which consists of 100 questions. These sections are further broken into seperate parts:

The Listening section lasts about 45 minutes and involves students responding to questions while listening to a recording. The Reading section lasts exactly 75 minutes and requires students to answer multiple-choice questions with four possible answer choces.

That's all for this week. Next week we are going to look at ways to improve your vocabularly prior to the test. And don't forget that if you have any thoughts or ideas that you would like to share, you are welcome to leave comments!

Posted by Marcus at 4:59 PM | Comments (0) | TrackBack

September 1, 2005

Presentations: transitional phrases

Here is the first in a series of weekly presentation tips from Bylingo.

Today’s tip will be on when and how to use transitional phrases.

Firstly, what are transitional phrases? Well they are specific phrases and words that help your speech or presentation to flow smoothly and stay on topic.

Here are a few example sentences to get you started:

To begin with I'd like to introduce myself.
Moving on, I want to talk about Bylingo pod casts.
Next I will focus on the many ways to study English.
Finally, I would like to give you Bylingo’s contact info...

Transitional phrases always come at the beginning of a sentence. They are very useful when you want to switch topics or introduce a new topic in your presentation or speech. The more transitional phrases you use in your speech or presentation the more your presentation or speech will sound well organized and professional.

Here is a list of some common transitional phrases:

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