Search results for 'tag:Pronunciation tag:Antonyms' matching tags 'Pronunciation' and 'Antonyms'

Re: I Want To Be Fluent English Speaker How Please?

Anonymous — Tue, 25 Mar 2008 05:58:38 GMT

Hello to all,

I believe that to learn English depends of the interest of individual and depending of the English knowledge you wanted to learn. like for instance, if you want to speak English all you have to do is to listen very carefully to some tools such as CD, DVD, tapes etc. either audio or video, any kinds of topics as long as educational and knowledgeable and while you are listening just follow and speak what they are talking this is a training of the tongue or tongue twisting trying to develop proper accent, pronunciation, intonation etc, if any words you donât understand have your dictionary besides you and open it. next step just prepare any topics as guidelines [ prepare the main topics, sub topics and conclusion] prolong, elongate and expound the topics you wanted to discuss make it in English version at first you might have the difficulty to speak but try and try until your English would connect and connect at this point your trying to bridge the gap. What is needed in English is that at least you have many words to know {synonym and antonyms} is what i mean.

The basic training of English is that you have to speak English by any topics. I understand that for a person who lived {not speaking country have the difficulty to speak English} on my behalf, English education must start first on basic like for instance if you need English conversation find a person who could talk with you English, or else speak and talk English with yourself even if someone listening at you and say something you are a fool forget it. What is needed is you learn something and speak English. if you have the difficulty to write English just read books literatures etc at this point you can get many ideas and your vocabulary broadens, watch the period, punctuation, commas, etc, if you are not a good English listener try to listen English teachings, news whatever that could improve your English, the four pillars of English are: reading. Speaking, writing and listening, if you have this all then you can speak English although not fluent as what others did but at least you can communicate via reading, writing, listening and speak. Fluent English would follow donât give up keep trying until success.

I am a Filipino not an English speaker, writer, etc but in terms of communication i could communicate. For to me to learn English depends on individual. If we have the basic then we have to improve, have the desire, act on it, and apply no need a tutor individual interest is vital here. Donât be shy to speak English if the English is crooked and someone laughs at you accept it consider yourself that you are not an English person, perhaps the person who laughs at you donât know how to speak English and even to communicate with. Thereâs a saying goes: a noisy person have little knowledge than a silent one. in this world what is important is communication regardless of races, nationality and religion. a crooked English is better than nothing, a crooked or a carabao English has the opportunity to become fluent rather than nothing. but if you have nothing at all nobody blames except yourself, your making your own fate and destiny donât blame your parents and the government its your own decision for what you are now, your right decision now will be your future someday but if you donât plan or decision today do you think you have something to expect in the future. To speak English needs perseverance, long patience and determination to reach the goal this is fundamental requirements. people who cannot speak English has less opportunity to go abroad particularly in the open country, and thatâs the reason why I wanted to learn English even basic for this is my only tool to go to other countries if opportunities permit.

From Philippines,

Rene

accept and except

Lone Swordsman — Sat, 20 Oct 2007 19:59:24 GMT

Hi, all.

I'd like to ask you about pronunciation of these two words: accept and except. For me, it looks like they sound the same, and the worst of all, they are like antonyms. It would be very interesting for me to know how you pronounce these words.

P.S. By the way, on Merriam-Webster website, they utter both of them in the same way - \ik-'sept\.

Re: Communicative English

Titithi — Wed, 16 May 2007 16:02:50 GMT

I think Communicative approach has a relation with other methods. When I began to learn English, my teacher used to explain vocabulary and grammar from a text, then we mimick her to read it. Before teaching, she had an introduction which was very interesting. She had a good accent of a speaker of the BBC. One day, I noticed that she pronounced /f/ in Athens in the title: The Acropolis of Athens.I asked her the reason,she answered me:" Today, people pronounce like this". In that day, I don't know anything about Received pronunciation, Cokneys accent etc.. I thought she read so fast that she made mistake. It's OK. I went on to mimick her but I avoided this mistake.
When I was a teacher, I used to introduce the dialogue by comparing to our real-life. For example: Can I help you? I conveyed to my students:What do you want to buy? You should be nice! Don't chase away your customer:" If you don't buy anything, go away!" It's very rude. You need to show all pens that you have had. What would you like the red pen or the blue one?I show the red pen: It's a little too bright but it's very beautiful. The girl chooses the blue pen: It's very nice, I'll take it. Pictures, gestures, real objects, explanation in simple English, antonym, synonym,family words...It's up to you. The most important thing is your students should understand. After listening the tape many times, we play the role of Mary and the shop assistant by pair work. Sometimes, we divide our class into four groups, the most fluently speakers will etablish the dialogue in front of the class. Pair work and group work play an important role in communicative approach. Any teaching practice that help students to develop their communicative competence is acceptable. Mr Joe has just given us some examples about them.
In our new programme (with the aid of Belgian experts), we should use communicative approach method to teach. If you follow entirely all of the lessons., it means you have used TLC in your class. One thing I like most is the introduction, getting started.Usually, we begin our lesson by the warm -up step. You can direct your students to sing, to play games or to do some easy and interesting exercises to introduce your new lesson such as true-false, matching, gap-fill, multiple choice....and it doesn't need to correct them. There is a mixing of the3 steps warm -up, review the previous lesson and introduce the new lesson. When playing games or doing these exercises, we should do in pair or group in order learning by teaching and use English to exchange. We should encourage our students to speak English. If the teacher doesn't understand what the students say,don't tell them at once. We need to pretend that we don't know anything and react like the wrong that students say. They will conclude there is something wrong. Mistake is OK. That's the best way to encourage learners to develop their confidence to speak English.

Re: :::::: HOW TO SPEAK AND LEARN EGNLISH ::::

Exclusive — Fri, 03 Mar 2006 04:40:42 GMT

How To Learn English ?

PART 2

Learning a language is mainly based upon self-struggle. Maybe the only thing to be done by the teachers on this subject is to advise a method. Because, in a sense, language cannot be taught but learned. So, itâs suitable that the students are shown ways to increase their capabilities and advised methods that give path to discoveries, instead of being obliged to memorize piles of information.

In language learning process, a target should be made clear at first. What can be expected from a student who cannot answer the question âWhy are you learning this language?â. This point should not be forgotten: Language itself is used to reach some certain aims, to make some certain plans real in the real world. Therefore, one should have a target while s/he study a language.

Under the light of these facts, what must your target be? The decision seems to depend on you.
Success in learning a foreign language is closely related to the studentâs knowledge of his/her native language (But, unfortunately, because of the variety of materials in ELT, English is taught in better ways than the native language). A student adds the information s/he knows about his/her native language to the language s/heâs learning at present. Sometimes just the opposite is also possible. A foreign language can make understanding of the native language easy. The student realizes that his/her native language is another language among the others and becomes much more aware about the activities s/he carries out about his/her native language. As Goethe says âOne cannot know his/her native language if s/he does not know his/her native language.â

Repetitions and using the language are vital in language learning. Itâs very easy to learn something if you really need it. Therefore, âmotivation,â which has a main role in learning, should not be ignored.
A language seems to be a pile of infinite rules, but you do not have to know all of them. Once you learn the basic rules, you start to analyze and realize the other rules with ease. The important thing is to understand where these rules are applied, not to memorize them, anyway. Using a language sufficiently is more important than knowing a lot about it.

Learning a language requires talent as well as knowledge; and talent is gained only through practice. You may know how to drive a car, but you have to have much practice to be a good driver.
Practicing with simple examples is not a good idea. Everybody should try to use the language in complexity to gain the ability to think and express him/herself fast.

Memory
Repititio est mater studiorum. (Repetition is the basis of learning.)
The things you remember are the ones to which you pay attention to. Itâs vital to repeat in order not to forget. The secret in not being able to forget the things of great importance to us is repeating them.
The more you know about something, the easier it is to remember it. The more you know about somebody you have met recently (i.e., his/her country, fatherâs name, occupation, school, etc.), the easier it is to remember his/her name, for instance. Addressing him with his name several times, establishing connections between his attributes and the others you have known already makes remembering his name easy. Because, if newly learned information is based upon the old ones, they will not be forgotten with ease.
To learn a new word is similar to meeting a new person. To have information about this new word in detail (itâs written form, pronunciation, word type, base, affixes, etc.), using it orally and in written form several times, establishing links between our past and present knowledge can make remembering easy. This fact must always be on your mind: To remember something, you must recall a clue about that invoke your feelings.
Systematic information may easily be acquired. The opportunity to make a comparison among the arranged sections gives strength to the message and meaning of the text. Only the meaningful things can be remembered.
Another obstacle waiting for the students is to digest the unfamiliar information getting familiar with them in time. Itâs the teacherâs duty to arrange this unfamiliar information and present it to the students.
â¢    Knowledge about language can be divided into three main groups:
1. Knowledge of Vocabulary
Words in target language may be divided into two:
a. Words we recognize: They are the ones we understand passively as if we work out their codes while reading or listening.
b. Words we use: They are the ones we produce actively as if we write a code for them.
(A warning: Communication mustnât be understood that simple. The network of concepts in the brain is in a very complex relationship.)
In understanding process, we follow a way that is from sounds and images to meanings. In oral or written forms, this way is from meanings to sounds and images. Perception is based upon analysis, recall and memorization. Usage is related to synthesis and reproduction. In language learning, perception must precede using the language. If the studies are directed to writing in the target language, learning should take place from a word in the source language to its equivalent in the target language; if directed to reading, this should happen from a word in the target language to its equivalent in the source language.
Researches about memory have shown that words are memorized by connotations. There is also a close relationship between recognizing a word in different texts and using it sufficiently. Therefore, to comprehend the word, it should be put in the middle of a firm network of connotations knitted by preliminary knowledge.
Words in our memory are in a relationship with each other not only in the viewpoint of sound, part of speech and meaning but also in the viewpoint of âshapeâ. We link the words alike in our memory. This link also exists among the words in a text. Coherence, that is the relationship between the concepts, reinforces the connection of meaning. For that reason, reading on a specific subject systematically, that is to say directed to a specific aim, increases the knowledge of vocabulary.
Fries, a linguist, divides knowledge of vocabulary into four:
1. Fundamental words necessary for recognition the structure of the language.
2. Words necessary for forming new words.
3. Words necessary for recognition while reading or listening.
4. Words necessary for special.
Essential points that must be focused on in choosing words for memorizing can be summarized as:
1. Frequency
2. Extensivity
3. Usability
4. Suitability for learning
Continuous listening and reading are the best ways to increase the knowledge of vocabulary. In more contexts you meet a new word the more it is easy to digest it. However, it is possible to make use of some methods before proceeding into this condense reading phase.
You can find the most appropriate method for you trying the ones about memorizing words below:
a. Try to use the newly learned word not only in one sentence but also in a context formed by several sentences. You may use some new words together and even write a short story with them. So, the number of links in your ânetwork of connotationsâ will be increased. This network of connotations is very important in improving the talent of communication.
People think with the help of frames of concepts. For instance, there is a mental frame of Lincoln in an Americanâs mind, and inside the frame are full of information piles. As an example, pronoun âheâ is used when heâs mentioned for that heâs male, he was the sixteenth president, he was assassinated and killed, etc. These piles of information differ accordingly with experiences. The frames in a new studentâs mind are not full at the beginning. Then, as the experiences increase, the frames get filled. These frames are not in an order as one after the other, but they are in a complex network. This complex network, formed by the frames of concepts in relationships, plays a great role in comprehending the multi-directional and delicate meanings in texts.
b. Record the words and their meanings on a cassette and listen to them.
c. Write the difficult words in another color so that it draws your attention.
d. One of the biggest problems of vocabulary is memorizing the abstract words. Therefore, start with the concrete ones.
e. Make use of the words borrowed from the target language. (e.g. system, method, information etc.). But be careful with the change of meaning on some words.
f. Try to remember the words with the resemblance of the sounds with your native language.
g. Memorize the words dividing them into classes. (e. g. colors, fruits, vegetables, etc.)
h. The connotations increase if you memorize the words that are similar in written forms together. (e.g. stationary - stationery)
i. You can use some mnemonics while memorizing words. E.g. in the above-mentioned example, âstationaryâ is an adjective. The only difference between the two words is on the last third letter. The one with this last third letter âaâ is the adjective. (That is âstationaryâ)
j. Words starting with the same letters (or sounds) can be memorized together (e.g. when, which, who, where, what, etc.)
k. Remembering becomes easy if a relationship is established between the word and its physical attributes such as color, sound, smell, etc. (E.g. fruits)
l. Some other relationships such as the words and their functions are also useful. (E.g. furniture that is used for sitting, sleeping, etc.)
m. Memorizing the words with their pronunciation makes remembering easy.
n. Words with the same roots can be memorized together. (E.g. white, whiten, whitish)
o. Connections between the words and the texts can be established.
p. Practicing on texts with some words excluded, guessing the words not written or written partly are also good study for learning the words in context.
The elements causing connotations between words can be ordered as:
a. Synonyms (e.g. flower = blossom)
b. Antonyms (e.g. wet X dry)
c. Classifying as sub-groups (plant > rose)
d. Classifying as upper-groups (spinach < vegetable)
Or: Some other links may be organized between a word against two words.
giving X receiving    = taking
old X new     = young
good X bad    = poor
Elements helpful for guessing the meanings from the context are:
a. Title: Calls up the words related to the subject since it determines the subject
b. Repetition: It is easy to guess the meaning of the word that is repeated in different sentences.
c. Logical correlation: To guess the meaning of a word you can look for logical correlations such as the cause and result relations of the word with the other words.
d. Definitions
e. Examples
f. Similarities
g. Synonym and antonyms
h. Summary: The summary of a text may have clues about meanings of words since itâs a repetition in a sense.
2. Pronunciation
a. Repeat a word carefully after hearing it.
b. Record your own voice on a cassette and compare it with a native speaker.
c. Try to say a sound first on its own, then in words or even in tongue twisters.
d. Make a list of âdifficultâ words for you and study them more carefully.
e. Choose a dictionary and try to get familiar with its transcription system.
3. Grammar
a. Decide on which areas are you successful at, such as changing the tenses of sentences, filling in the blanks, translations, answering the questions, writing a composition etc.
b. Use the tenses not in different sentences but in the same one.
c. Make sure if you are good at oral or written exercises.
d. Decide if an exercise is more useful with rules given beforehand or after.
e. You can notice the exceptions if you put every new grammar rule into an empty grammar table in an orderly fashion. Do not forget to add extra information for unclear points while repeating.
Basic Skills
1. Listening
One learns to understand and speak the target language imitating and listening to a native speaker. Listening to the target language not only improves your reasoning but also helps your pronunciation and speaking.
Choose the listening material according to your aim. If you have started recently you may improve your memory by listening to the cassettes of a text and your pronunciation by repeating what you listen to. Further on, you may increase your perception, grammar and vocabulary by listening to cassettes of conferences, stories and interviews.
The obstacles while listening to something in the target language are:
a. Not being able to remember the long texts
b. Fast speaking of native speakers
c. Unknown vocabulary
The biggest mistake of a student while listening is that s/he tries to understand each and every word. On the other hand, as it is the same in our own language, we usually understand someone not according to what s/he says but according to his/her intention. (Thatâs why we listen to him/her as nothing happened when s/he says something wrong not on purpose). Once we understand his/her intention we do not pay much attention to every word s/he says. Hence, we hear what we hope to hear in a sense. Because, we face with familiar structures and expressions continuously. (Even the ones we are surprised at are within a limit of familiarity, but when this limit is exceeded we react. For instance, we laugh when we hear a child talking like an adult, or an adult talking like a child.) Perception requires choosing the âimportantâ; but if we try to concentrate on every word we hear we cannot talk about perception because of the weight-load of the mind. We need time to get used not to pay attention to the extra information.
A successful communication depends on understanding the person you are speaking to by reasoning with the help of his/her sayings. Besides, talent of communication improves not only with being expertized in language but also with the increase of experiences in society. It is hard to keep the sentences in mind in a foreign language. So, it is suitable to classify them briefly in order to remember them.
Repeating what you listen both reinforces the memory and helps you comprehend the logic of that language listening to something to talk about it later helps you concentrate on that subject. Gestures and mimes also make understanding easy. Body movements, facial expressions, instant changes in breathing, stress and duration of pauses are âbeyond languageâ clues of that kind.
2. Speaking
Speaking about a subject requires some conditions.
a. Meaning
b. A correct grammar
c. Correct pronunciation
d. Suitable words
Mistakes in speaking tend to increase since you have to express yourself faster than in writing. Other conditions are not usually so distinct because meaning is important. Few mistakes of the speaker are accepted because examining each sentence of his/her is too hard for the one s/he is speaking to. The important thing is to notice the repeated mistakes. There is a âtolerance of mistakesâ in each language. Knowing the limit of this assures you speak in a more comfortable way.
Social English (How do you do, see you around, etc.) is also necessary for a fluent and sufficient speaking.
Memory plays a great role in dialogs. Responding the one you are speaking to depends on using the memory adequately. Answering a question of someone relies on comprehending the intention of him/her and guessing his/her allusions.
The importance of knowledge of vocabulary is unquestionable in fluent speaking. But, it is wiser to reach the level of talking about what you mean briefly instead of trying to memorize every word you meet. Because language is for communication. A parrot repeats words but it cannot speak.
3. Reading
Do not look up each word you meet in a text, so be careful while choosing the texts you will read. Look up the words you do not understand after reading the text several times. Do not lose time with the ones you are able to guess. Increase the number of pages and the level of texts as days pass. Choose texts on your favorite subjects. Do not forget to study the magazines and newspapers as well as books. Pictured materials are more comprehensive with the clues they contain. âWho,â âwhere,â âhow,â questions are very useful to perceive the flow of the events and the gist of the text. If you do not understand some words do not give up. Go on reading. Some ambiguity prevails in our native language as well, but we do not give up reading hoping the text will be clearer after a while. This is the same for a foreign language.
Dialogs are easy to remember since they contain real communication among people and are social units. Therefore, they are more important than written texts; and the best way is to stay in the country in which the target language is spoken.

4. Writing
Writing helps us make established to expressions we learn In the target language more lively and remember them. Keeping a diary, writing a short story, summarizing the daily news can contribute to us in acquiring a writing habit. Writing about your ideas of a book you have read, extracting some passages, taking notes on some aphorisms may be beneficial.
5. Translation.
Though it seems as an outdated method, translation is a helpful element that helps students improve their basic skills (reading, writing, listening, speaking). Especially, students can acquire conscience about language through the knowledge of Text-linguistics which studies the elements of a text. Besides, students will have a general information about the subjects they translate. While making a literal translation a method mentioned below may be used. First you read the text several times. You can talk about the ambiguous points in consultation with others. The unknown words are looked up in a dictionary. Then, with the help of a Thesaurus you find these words in the target language that draws the border of the semantic field of the one in the source language. After learning this frame of concept of the word you can find the exact word in an English to English dictionary (if you are making a translation into English). Using a dictionary that gives details about the conceptual fields of a word and its usage is very helpful. (e.g. Collins Cobuild Dictionary.) You choose the best word with the aid of your intuition. Then, you may check which verbs, objects, adverbs, etc. to use with the word in a dictionary such as BBI Combinatory dictionary of English.
Translating on technical fields is also attractive for students; and in that way they can memorize the terminology of a specific field.
Practice is essential
Language should not be a pile of rules but a skill. The points mentioned below may be some of the exercises in the target language.
a. Grammar exercises
Students generally accept a rule as it is and do not try to use it in a different way. The rules should be used as flexible as possible.
b. Vocabulary exercises
When you hear a word try to use it with different objects (E.g. to finish, to finish a school, to finish a work, etc.)
c. Exercises on suffixes, affixes and prefixes
If you know the suffixes, affixes and prefixes in forming words you may memorize words very easily (E.g. reader, rider, teacher, etc.)
d. Speaking exercises
The easiest way to practice is to make repetitions silently, because there is no need for a specific place, time and book. For instance, you can try to say the names of things around, or translate the dialogs during shopping, etc.
e. You can make use of word games, puzzles, etc.
Conclusion
The ability of understanding and using a language is improved not only by learning the meanings of words but also with social experiences, different relations initiated with several people and with continuous studying. As your ability is improved you start to think in the target language. Meanwhile, understanding the jokes and dreaming in the target language are proofs of your progress.
While learning a foreign language a successful student does not claim that he does not know anything about that language. On the contrary, s/he tries to save time finding the similarities and differences between the two languages in the fields of vocabulary, pronunciation and grammar. With constant practice he tries to acquire a firm thinking and an effective communication ability.
Do not forget:
âPractIce makes perfectâ

Re: How to enlarge my vocabulary?

Gary Lee — Sun, 31 Oct 2004 05:43:57 GMT

Hi Friend,

Truely agreed what CalifJim said. Reading is vital to enlarge our vocabulary and knowing the right combination of english structure.

Typically I'll be surfing through the net (reading news, acquiring information, attaining knowledge etc etc) while 2 to 3 helpful dictionaries on the other site will be simultaneously running when i'm reading through my articles. I'm just learning English btw ^^, Thx to this wonderful forum for allowing me to post questions n doubts.

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Currently I'm using :

www.onelook.com - (this site containing vast amout of different dictionaries) *most useful

http:hyperdictionary.com - (for synonyms or antonyms search) *very useful

http://www.m-w.com/ - (a dictionary PLUS audio pronunciation)

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All the best,
Gary