ENGLISH WITH MUSIC

“HOORAY! HOORAY! IT'S A HOLI-HOLIDAY”

BONEY M.

Digge di di do - digge digge di do
Hi-de-hi-de-ho
Digge di di do - digge digge di do
Hi-de-hi-de-ho
Digge di di do - digge digge di do
Hi-de-hi-de-ho
Digge di di do - digge digge di do
Hi-de-hi-de-ho

There's a place I know where we should go (Hi-de-hi-de-ho)
Won't you take me there your lady fair (Hi-de-hi-de-ho)
There's a brook nearby, the grass grows high (Hi-de-hi-de-ho)
Where we both can hide side by side (Hi-de-hi-de-ho)

Hooray! Hooray! It's a holi-holiday
What a world of fun for everyone
Holi-holiday
Hooray! Hooray! It's a holi-holiday
Sing a summer song, skip along
Holi-holiday
It's a holi-holiday

There's a country fair not far from there (Hi-de-hi-de-ho)
On a carousel the ding-dong bell (Hi-de-hi-de-ho)
On the loop di loop we swing and swoop (Hi-de-hi-de-ho)
And what else we'll do is up to you (Hi-de-hi-de-ho)

Hooray! Hooray! It's a holi-holiday
What a world of fun for everyone
Holi-holiday
Hooray! Hooray! It's a holi-holiday
Sing a summer song, skip along
Holi-holiday
It's a holi-holiday

Well, I'm game
Fun is the thing I'm after
Now let's a-live it up today
Get set for love and laughter
Well, let's go
Time isn't here for wasting
Life is so full of sweet, sweet things
I'd like to do some tasting

Hooray! Hooray! It's a holi-holiday
What a world of fun for everyone
Holi-holiday
Hooray! Hooray! It's a holi-holiday
Sing a summer song, skip along
Holi-holiday
It's a holi-holiday

Hooray! Hooray! It's a holi-holiday
Sing a summer song, skip along
Holi-holiday
It's a holi-holiday
It's a holi-holiday

Written by Frank Farian & Fred Jay.

Original version recorded by BONEY M. released on March 26, 1979.

© 2017 ELC Sarkaya on YouTube: https://youtu.be/15avGRE2agQ. Accessed on July 15, 2021.

LANGUAGE LAB - GRAMMAR

ENGLISH VERB TENSES

THE ULTIMATE GUIDE

EF ENGLISH LIVE

Verb conjugations reflect three elements: the subject, the tense, and the mood. The subject may be singular or plural and maybe in the first person (“I” or “we”), in the second person (“you”), or in the third person “he,” she,” “it,” or “they”).
Verb tenses include different forms of the past, present, and future. The term “mood” refers, generally, to the attitude of the speaker toward his subject. The different moods include the indicative, the subjunctive (rare in English), the conditional, and the imperative.
We can classify the English Verb tenses in the past, present, and future.

PAST TENSES

Past tenses are used to talk about things that started and ended in the past or things that started in the past and continue to the present.
There are a number of ways of talking about the past:

Past Perfect Simple

• Subject + Auxiliary verb “HAD” + past participle

The past perfect is a verb tense which is used to talk about an action that took place once or many times before another point in the past.
We use the past perfect simple:

• to indicate that we are talking about something which happened before another action which happened in the past:
• When he got to the station, his train had already left.

Compare this with:

• When he got to the station, his train left.

This indicates that the train left at the same time he arrived.
It is typically used with time expressions such as when, as soon as, after, before.

• She started driving before he’d fastened his seatbelt.

Often with these adverbs: already, just, never

• When he got to the station, his train had already left.

Past Perfect Continuous

• Subject + Auxiliary Verb “HAD” + “BEEN” + Verb -ing

We use the past perfect continuous to also talk about something which happened before another action in the past, but it:

• focuses on the length of time:
• I had been sleeping all day that I didn’t realize you were here.  
• says how long something happened up to a point in the past:
• He had been playing for Manchester for only three games when we scored his first goal.  

Past Simple  

• Subject + Regular Verb (-ed) / Irregular Verb

As a general rule (i.e, for regular verbs), the past simple is formed by adding “-ed” to the infinitive (dropping any unpronounced “e” in the final position, doubling the final conosant in some verbs ended in consonant-vowel-consonant, and changing the final “y” [after consonant] to “i”).
The past simple expresses actions complete in the past. Unlike those described by the present perfect, these actions do not continue in the present. Unlike the past continuous, the past simple does not describe the process or duration of actions, it states them only as completed actions:

• She went to the store this afternoon.

The duration of the action is not important: the past simple may describe an action lasting an instant or many years. Verbs indicating belief, emotion, possession, location, etc. will often be expressed in the past simple:

• I lived in London for three years.

In the negative and interrogative, the auxiliary verb “to do” conjugated in the past simple is used with the infinitive to express the past:

• Did you arrive on time?

Past Continuous

• Subject + Auxiliary Verb “WAS/WERE” + Verb -ing

The past continuous is used to emphasize the ongoing nature of the action described. It is formed using the auxiliary “to be” with the present participle (verb -ing):

• He was eating his dinner when the phone rang.

Normally, if an idea can be expressed with the expression “was in the process of doing” or with “was in the middle of doing”, the past continuous is more appropriate than the past simple.
Consequently, state verbs indicating belief, emotion, possession, etc., are rarely conjugated in the past continuous.
We use the past continuous to talk about:

• an activity which started before and continued until an event in the past:
• He was riding to school when his motorbike broke down.
• an activity which started before and continued after an event in the past:
• I was watching television when the news was announced.

Do not use the past continuous to describe habitual actions in the past.

Used to
To describe habits or states in the past that are not true now, we use the construction “used to + verb”. 

• When I was little, we used to go camping a lot.

We use “used to” to talk about:

• situations or states in the past which are not true now
• My math teacher used to be in the army.
• repeated activities or habits in the past which do not happen now
• She used to run in the London Marathon every year until she injured her leg.

*In spoken English, we often use the modal “would”, followed by the main verb to replace “used to” when describing past habitual actions only, not states/situations.

• When I was little, we would go camping a lot.

PRESENT TENSES

Present Perfect

• Subject + Auxiliary Verb “HAVE/HAS” + past participle

The present perfect describes an action or emotion which began in the past and continues in the present. It is formed by using the auxiliary “to have” with the past participle:

• I have always wanted to visit Israel.

After such expressions as “since”, “for”, “how long”, etc., we generally use the present perfect or even the present perfect continuous:

• How long have you lived in Quebec?

In the negative, the present perfect expresses an action which has not yet occurred:

• I haven’t cooked yet.

Using the word “just”, the present perfect or the past simple can be used to express the recent past:

• I have just arrived.

Note: do not confuse this use of “just” (which indicates the recent past) with “just about”, which indicates, to the contrary, something which will happen in the near future:

• I have just about finished. (I have almost finished; I will finish soon.)

Present Perfect Continuous

• Subject + Auxiliary Verb “HAVE/HAS” + BEEN + Verb -ing

Both the present perfect simple and present perfect continuous talk about something which started in the past and:

• either has a result in the present:
• I’ve been partying all weekend, so I’m feeling tired now.
• or is still happening now:
• We’ve been building an extension to our house (and we haven’t finished yet).

Present Simple

• Subject + Verb(-s)

The present simple is used to express actions which take place in the present or which occur regularly. It also expresses general or absolute statements not connected to a specific time frame.

• Jill speaks four languages fluently.

In the interrogative, the present is introduced by a form of the verb “to do” (do / does):

• Does your father like to cook?

The appropriate form of the verb “to do” is also used for the negative:

• No, he does not (doesn’t) like to cook.

After the conjunctions “when”, “as soon as”, etc., the present is used, even though actions expressed may refer to the future:

• He’ll pay us as soon as we finish.

State Verbs
We usually use verbs that describe states, not actions, in the present simple.
These verbs describe:

• thoughts: believe, know, remember, think (meaning ‘believe’), feel (meaning ‘believe’), suppose, etc.
• feelings: love, like, hate, want, prefer, etc.
• senses: smell, hear, taste, see, feel, touch
• possession: have, belong, own, etc.
• the verb “to be”

When “think” means ‘to use your brain to plan something, solve a problem, make a decision’, etc., it can be used in the continuous:

• I’m thinking about what to do today. (I’m planning.)

When “feel” means ‘to experience something physical or ‘emotional’, it can be used in the continuous:

• I don’t want to come to the party because I’m feeling tired.

Present Continuous

• Subject + AM/ARE/IS + Verb -ing

The present continuous is used for actions that are still in progress (or are continuing) at the time of speaking. It is formed by using the auxiliary “to be” with the present participle:

• He is eating his dinner.

Usually, the present continuous indicates that you are “in the process of” or “in the middle of” doing something. If you cannot replace “to be” form with “in the process of,” the present continuous should probably not be used.

• Indications of emotion, belief, and possession are rarely conjugated in the present continuous:
• Cheryl owns her own house.
• In certain situations, the present continuous can be used for future plans or arrangements:
• They are leaving tomorrow.

Present continuous in the negative
The word “not” comes after the auxiliary “to be”:

• You are not driving fast enough.

Going to

• BE going to + verb

“Going to” is used to talk about future plans and intentions, to make predictions based on current evidence or to express that something is about happen.

• They are going to regret that decision.

*Note: The near future can also be used in past constructions, in which case the verb “to go” is conjugated in the past progressive:

• She was going to leave, but the telephone rang.

FUTURE TENSES

Future simple

• Subject + WILL + verb

The future simple uses the auxiliary “will” followed by the infinitive without “to”. It is used to express actions which take place at a specific time, to make promises, offers, requests or refusals in the future. It is also used to make predictions based on opinion or experience.

• She will go to the library this evening.

To describe a future action which is in progress and/or to emphasize a period of time, we use the future continuous.

• We will be dancing all night long.

“Shall” is used in place of “will” in questions when making suggestions or offers:

• Shall I open the window?

“Shall” can also replace “will” in sentences to sound more formal:

• I shall meet her at the library.

Future continuous

• Subject + WILL BE + Verb -ing

The future continuous is used to express a future action which is in progress at a future point in time.

• I will be waiting for you at six o’clock.

Future continuous or the future simple?
If it is possible to use the expression “will be in the process of”, use the future continuous. It indicates that an action will continue at a given moment. The future simple suggests that the action will be complete. Consequently, the tense choice can influence meaning.

• I will be finishing my homework at 10:00.

This suggests that at 10:00, I will be in the process of finishing my homework. It will be almost complete, in the process of completion.

• I will finish my homework at 10:00.

This suggests that I will finish at 10:00 without doubt.

Future perfect

• Subject + WILL HAVE + past participle

The future perfect is used to express an action will finish before a specific point in the future or to say how long. The action is currently unfinished and will be finished at a future point.

• She will have finished before eight o’clock.

The future simple can be used instead of the future perfect, but the idea that the action is complete before a certain point is lost.

• Tomorrow morning, they will all leave.

Future perfect continuous

• Subject + WILL HAVE BEEN + Verb -ing

Like the future perfect simple, this form is used to express an action will finish before a specific point in the future. It is usually used to emphasize the length of time of the action. It refers to events or actions that are currently unfinished but will be finished at some future time. It is most often used with a time expression.

• I will have been living in Sydney for 2 years when I finish my studies.

EF English Live
Founded in 1996, EF English Live has been at the cutting edge of language learning for nearly two decades, having been the first to pioneer a 24-hour teacher-led online English course. Backed by a world-class team of academic and technical experts, plus two thousand certified online English teachers, our mission is to use technology to create a fundamentally better way to learn English.

Adapted from: https://englishlive.ef.com/blog/language-lab/english-verb-tenses-guide/. Accessed on July 15, 2021. Copyright © 1996 - 2021 © EF Education First Group. All rights reserved. EF English Live and Englishlive.ef.com are registered trademarks.

"ENGLISHES"

IS IT BETTER TO LEARN

BRITISH OR AMERICAN ENGLISH?

SYLINGO

Last update: July 7, 2021

When learning English, many people are faced with the following choice: which variant of the English language should they learn?
Although there are other variants, like Australian English or Canadian English, most people choose between British English and American English.
The answer to the question “Which variant is it better to learn?” will depend on each individual learner.

Are there huge differences?

British and American English are not two separate languages but variants of the same language. If you learn one, you will be able to understand the other fairly well, although some differences may take some getting used to.
However, as these variants are separated geographically, spoken in two different countries with distinct cultures, quite a few differences have developed.
The most noticeable difference is probably the pronunciation. Many things are pronounced differently in these two language variants. For instance, the letter ‘r’ at the end of words like ‘car’ and ‘star’ is not pronounced in British English and pronounced in American English.
There are also differences in vocabulary (BrEn autumn — AmEn fall), spelling (BrEn colour — AmEn color), and even grammar (BrEn needn’t - AmEn don’t need to).
That said, the two language variants are mutually intelligible.

How should you choose?

Although, as stated before, you will be able to understand American English if you learn the British variant and vice versa, there are still cases where learning one variant is preferable over the other.
When making your choice, think of your goals for learning English. For instance, if you are planning to study at a British university, be it Oxford, Cambridge, or any other, learning British English will make achieving that goal a little easier. You will also understand the lectures much easier.
If you are planning to work for an American company or to immigrate to the US, learning American English is, of course, preferable.
However, not every learner has such clear goals or at least goals that will so clearly point to a more preferable variant of English.
If you do not have plans to study at Oxford or move to the USA, you can then choose the more widespread variant. Nowadays, this seems to be American English: it has a large number of native speakers (over 300 million, compared to around 67 million in Great Britain) and more than 50% of people who learn English as a foreign language prefer this variant and consider it to be more important.
There is another way you can make your choice: simply choose the variant that you like more. Quite a few people learn British or American English simply because they enjoy one more than the other.
This preference is usually based on how the two variants sound. If you are not sure which one you prefer, you can go to YouTube and listen to speakers of British and American English to compare.

Final thoughts

The two variants of the English language are not that different. If you learn one, you will be able to understand the other, especially after you learn some new vocabulary and get used to the unfamiliar pronunciation.

Learning British or American English may be preferable if you are looking to work, live or study in Great Britain or the USA. American English is also more widespread, which makes it more desirable for many learners.
Otherwise, it is a matter of what you personally enjoy. The important thing is that the English language, no matter the variant, allows us to connect with the world.

Adapted from: https://www.sylingo.com/blog/en/articles/is-it-better-to-learn-british-or-american-english. Accessed on July 15, 2021.

GREETINGS

22 CUMPRIMENTOS ÚTEIS EM INGLÊS

PARA O DIA A DIA

PREPLY

Originally published on January 26, 2021

Updated on July 12, 2021

O que todas as conversas têm em comum? Elas começam com um cumprimento. Trata-se de uma frase educada ou sinal de boas-vindas que se usa no momento inicial de um encontro com outra pessoa. E essa é sua chance de causar uma primeira impressão positiva.
Todo mundo gosta de um cumprimento gentil. É bem provável que você já faça uso dos cumprimentos mais comuns como “Hello” ou “How are you?” Entretanto, existem saudações mais interessantes para diferentes situações. Para escolher a opção certa, é importante conhecer o nível de formalidade de cada conversa.
Você sabe quando usar cumprimentos formais? E gírias? Neste artigo, você saberá como cumprimentar as pessoas com confiança em qualquer situação.
Vamos atualizar seu vocabulário cotidiano com uma nova porção de cumprimentos em inglês.

Os melhores cumprimentos para conversas formais

Ocasionalmente, você deve usar um idioma mais formal ou corporativo para manter um tom profissional. Confira as situações mais comuns nas quais esses tipos de cumprimentos são necessários:

• entrevista de emprego;
• reunião de negócios;
• comunicação com alta gestão ou CEO;
• conversas com novo colega de trabalho;
• conversações com clientes;
• demonstrar respeito a alguém mais velho;
• falar com alguém que você pouco conhece.

Faça uso dos seguintes exemplos de saudações para iniciar uma conversa formal em qualquer uma dessas situações.

Good morning / Good afternoon / Good Evening
Esses modos formais de cumprimentar as pessoas são usados em diferentes períodos do dia. Seja para falar com um cliente assíduo, colegas de trabalho ou novos vizinhos, essas frases são eficazes para dar o pontapé inicial.
Os cumprimentos variam dependendo da hora do dia. Por exemplo, “Good morning” é normalmente usado das 5h às 12h, enquanto “Good afternoon” é adequado no período das 12h às 18h. “Good evening” é frequentemente usado após as 18h, ou assim que o sol se põe.
Lembre-se de que “Good night” não é uma saudação. Na comunicação formal, essa expressão é usada em despedidas. Por exemplo:

• It was nice to meet you. Good night! (Prazer em conhecê-lo(a). Boa noite!)
• Good night! See you tomorrow. (Boa noite! Vejo você amanhã.)

Para demonstrar respeito, você também pode adicionar o sobrenome da pessoa ao seu cumprimento. Normalmente, os falantes nativos de inglês costumam ser mais informais até mesmo em comunicações corporativas, adicionando o primeiro nome do interlocutor após o cumprimento:

• Good morning, Mr. Houston (Bom dia, Sr. Houston)
• Good afternoon, Ms. Partridge (Boa tarde, Srta. Partridge)
• Good morning, Tom (Bom dia, Tom)
• Good evening, Kelly (Boa noite, Kelly)

Para transformar “Good morning” em um cumprimento casual, você pode simplesmente dizer “Morning”. Quando for preciso falar com um grupo de pessoas, é possível optar por algo como:

• Good evening, everyone! I hope you are doing well. (Boa noite, pessoal! Espero que vocês estejam bem.)

How do you do?
Se você procura uma frase MUITO formal para alguém que irá conhecer pela primeira vez, esta opção acima será mais adequada. Embora essa saudação seja bastante incomum nos dias atuais, ainda é possível ouvi-la a partir de pessoas mais velhas.
“Hello. How do you do?” (olá, como vai você?) é a solução perfeita para um jantar de negócios ou evento formal, como uma conferência. A resposta adequada seria “I’m well/fine/great/better than ever, etc.” (estou bem/ótimo/melhor que nunca/etc.).

Nice to meet you / Pleased to meet you 
Esta opção é um dos exemplos de cumprimento respeitoso que você pode usar como resposta a alguém que conheceu pela primeira vez. Por exemplo:

A: Good morning. I’m Alex White from [Company]. (Bom dia. Sou Alex White da [empresa])
B: Nice to meet you, Mr. White. (Prazer em conhecê-lo, Sr. White)

Quando as pessoas se conhecem, é uma prática comum apertar as mãos. O aperto de mãos geralmente dura alguns segundos, os quais permitem tempo suficiente para dizer “Pleased to meet you” (prazer em conhecê-lo/la).

How have you been?
Esta é uma forma educada de perguntar “How are you?” quando você não vê alguém há muito tempo. Pergunte isso somente se já conhecer a pessoa.

A: How have you been?
B: I’ve been busy working a lot. How about you? (Tenho estado ocupado, trabalhando muito. E você?)

Maneiras informais de dizer “Hello”

Em uma conversa com um vizinho ou bate-papo descontraído com colegas durante a pausa para o café, você pode optar por estes cumprimentos informais:

• encontro casual com colegas;
• conversar com sua equipe;
• networking;
• feira de emprego;
• cumprimentar vizinhos;
• conversar com um amigo.

Hello / Hi / Hey
Em busca dos cumprimentos mais populares para usar em um ambiente informal? “Hello” e “Hi” são as formas certas de cumprimentar alguém nessas circunstâncias. Em geral, elas são seguidas pelo nome da pessoa:

• Hello, Michel. How are you? (Olá, Michel. Como vai você?)
• Hi, Monica. Nice to see you! (Oi, Mônica. Fico feliz em ver você!)

Diga “Hey” às pessoas que você conhece bem. Entretanto, essa opção também funciona ao falar com desconhecidos. Nesse caso, “Hey” não é considerado um cumprimento mal-educado, mas pode confundir o interlocutor.

How are you doing? / How’s it going?
Estas são formas casuais de perguntar “How are you?” As pessoas preferem fazer uma dessas perguntas após o cumprimento principal. Normalmente, ela é seguida por uma resposta curta e positiva. Por exemplo:

A: Hello, Amanda! How are you doing? (Olá, Amanda! Como você está?)
B: Fine, thanks. And you? (Bem, obrigada. E você?)
A: Hi, Michel. How’s it going? (Oi, Michel. Como estão as coisas?)
B: Great! How about you? (Ótimas! E com você?)

Note que essas perguntas também podem ser usadas como parte de um cumprimento principal. Isso pode acontecer quando você encontra alguém, mas não tem tempo para conversar. Nesse caso, não é preciso responder.

Nice to see you / It’s great to see you / Good to see you 
Quando você não vê a pessoa por algum tempo ou encontra alguém inesperadamente, use um destes simpáticos cumprimentos. Você pode usá-los no início da conversa, após a saudação ou como conclusão de um diálogo curto:

• Hello, Veronica. Nice to see you here. (Olá, Verônica. É bom ver você aqui.)
• Well, it was great to see you. Have a good day. (Bem, foi ótimo ver você. Tenha um bom dia.)

Long time no see / It’s been a while
Essas frases comuns são usadas para cumprimentar um velho amigo ou iniciar uma conversa com alguém que você não vê há muito tempo. Essas expressões são normalmente seguidas por perguntas como “How are you?” ou “What’s new?” (quais as novidades?). Elas são uma ótima forma de iniciar um “small talk” sobre tudo o que aconteceu desde o último encontro entre vocês dois.

A: Hey, John! Long time no see. How are you? (Olá, John! Há quanto tempo não nos vemos. Como você está?)
B: I’m fine, thanks! What’s new? (Estou bem, obrigado! Quais as novidades?)
A: Hi, Taya. How’s it going? (Oi, Taya. Como estão as coisas?)
B: Good thanks. (Bem, obrigada.)
A: I haven’t seen you for ages. (Eu não vejo você há muito tempo.)
B: Yes, it’s been a while. (Sim, já faz algum tempo.)

Gírias: uma forma criativa de dizer “Hello”

Os cumprimentos bacanas a seguir são gírias – portanto, extremamente informais. Você deve usá-las somente quando falar com um amigo íntimo ou com familiares. Lembre-se de que essas expressões informais são regionais. Portanto, uma frase que é bem compreendida na Austrália ou usada como cumprimento casual na Inglaterra pode soar bastante estranha nos EUA.

Yo!
Esse divertido cumprimento é originário da cultura hip-hop dos anos 90. Atualmente, ele é comumente usado nos Estados Unidos.

Are you OK? / Alright mate? 
Esta é uma versão em forma de gíria britânica para “Hello. How are you?” Caso seus amigos façam uma dessas perguntas, responda “Yeah, fine” (sim, tudo certo).

Howdy!
Este cumprimento estranho é uma abreviação de “How do you do?”, amplamente empregado em algumas regiões do Canadá e EUA.

Sup? / Whazzup?
Todos os adolescentes sabem que esse cumprimento é uma versão curta de “What’s up?” (O que está rolando?).

Breve conclusão
Uma saudação bem-escolhida facilita o início de uma conversa, seja para falar com um amigo íntimo ou alguém que você praticamente desconheça. Use a lista de cumprimentos descritos neste artigo para ampliar seu vocabulário e fazer seu inglês soar mais natural. Não tenha medo de experimentar essas novas expressões em suas comunicações diárias.

Adaptado de: https://preply.com/pt/blog/22-cumprimentos-cotidianos-uteis-ingles/. Acesso em: 14 jul. 2021. © 2012-2021 Preply Inc.

LEARNING TIPS

HOW TO LEARN ENGLISH

7 tips to help you learn English

quickly and easily

SYLINGO
Last update: July 10, 2021

Learning a foreign language can be very fun and rewarding - and also easier than it seems. Learning English has an additional advantage of it being a very popular language. It means that you will likely have no problems finding the resources, teachers, and practice partners to suit you.
In this article, we will take a look at a few of the most essential steps to take when you are learning English. They will make the process of learning easier, more effective, and more fun.

1. Study and practice regularly, ideally - every day
This seems like a very simple idea but it is essential in mastering English. This is how our brain works to store information, such as new vocabulary or grammar, for instance, in our long term memory we need to repeat that information a few times. A lot of people make the mistake of taking very big breaks between the repetitions.
It is common practice to have English classes once or twice a week. After all, our busy lives hardly allow us to study more. But if you study once a week it is likely that you forget most of what you have learned in one lesson by the time of the next one.
You do not have to spend hours studying every day. Sometimes just a few minutes are enough. You can have a long class one day, do your homework the next day, then watch a short video on YouTube or do some practices on language learning sites.
The important thing is that you practice English regularly - this way you will make steady progress in mastering the language.

2. Try different resources and methods of learning English
There is no method or resource that is perfect for everyone and can be enough to learn English by using it alone. Even if you have a great teacher who provides you with ample practice of all the essential skills you will benefit from independent practice and using English in your daily life. This does not mean that you should cancel classes with your current teacher or give up the textbook you are using. But you can supplement them with other methods of learning and practicing English - this will make your progress even faster.
Here are some of the things you can do, apart from traditional face-to-face classes with a teacher or at a language school:

- Take classes online with teachers from all over the world on websites like italki and Verbling.
- Use language learning websites like Sylingo and Memrise.
- Watch video-lessons or just fun videos on YouTube.
- Watch movies and TV-shows on Netflix.
- Communicate with English-speakers or fellow learners on language exchange websites like interpals.net, hellotalk.com or tandem.net.
- Read and watch the news at BBC or VOA News.
- Read books at Gutenberg and listen to audiobooks at LibriVox.
- Listen to the radio at TuneIn.
- Listen to stories in English while reading the text at the same time in The Fable Cottage.

Most of these resources are free to use or have very affordable premium options. And these are just a few examples - there are many more things that you can try out.

3. Start speaking English from the very beginning
It may sound like a daunting task if your level is not high enough, but it is important to start speaking English as soon as you start learning. Of course, your first conversations will be simple: saying hello, introducing yourself, talking about the weather… But the sooner you start speaking English, the better.
One of the things about mastering English or any other foreign language is that you can learn for a long time, do all the exercises, and be good at it, but you can still have problems when you actually have to speak the language in a real-life situation.
To avoid it, start speaking English right now! Luckily, with the Internet, finding a speaking partner is not that hard: on language exchange websites, like those mentioned in the previous paragraph, you can meet hundreds of people from all over the world who can speak English or are learning it as well.

4. Fit English into your daily life
To learn and practice English more successfully, it is a good idea to combine it with the activities that you already do, but do them - at least partly - in English. If you watch movies, try watching one in English - you can turn on English subtitles to help your understanding. If you enjoy music, listen to songs in the English language. You can find texts of the songs online, and read as well as listen. If you have a hobby, find an English-speaking community or forum devoted to this hobby or watch tutorials in English.
This way you will kill birds with one stone. On the one hand, you will be doing the activity you enjoy. On the other hand, you will also be practicing English. And doing something you enjoy in English makes learning the language much easier!

5. Don’t be afraid to make mistakes, ask questions, ask for advice
This is, of course, easier said than done. But it is an important idea to keep in mind.
First of all, making mistakes is a natural part of the learning process. We simply cannot learn without making mistakes! And although you may be a bit shy about it, it is better to make a mistake and then correct it than keep your mouth shut. True, you make no mistakes if you keep silent, but you also don’t learn anything.
Secondly, it is absolutely okay to ask for a little help or clarification. There are quite a few tricky points in English grammar, there are words that have multiple meanings that can be very confusing. It is normal to ask your teacher to clarify something or, if you are learning by yourself, ask users at a language forum, such as, for instance, English Forward.

6. Be active in your learning
There are different ways of learning that fit different people. But in general, the more active you are, the more progress you will make and the faster you will master English.
Here are some of the ways you can be more active in your learning:

- When reading or watching something, write out useful words and expressions, and, for example, add them to your account on sylingo.com, look them up in a dictionary or use the auto-translation on the site, write down sentence examples and try to make up your own examples. You can also listen to the words and phrases pronouncing and practice them.
- When listening or watching something, pause and repeat some of the lines after the speakers; try to sound as close to their pronunciation as possible.
- After reading a book or watching a movie, discuss it with someone - in English, of course.
- If you are talking to someone and they say something you do not understand, ask them to repeat or clarify.

The idea is to go a step further than just doing an exercise, reading a text, or having a conversation. The more you analyze the language, the more language material you ‘collect’ this way, the more effective your learning will be.

7. Have fun!
Learning English is a serious process, but do not take it too seriously! It is also important to enjoy your learning, to have a little fun in the process. Read some jokes, listen to music, choose topics that you are interested in, have great conversations.
Learning English is much more than learning vocabulary and doing grammar exercises. And it can be much more fun than you imagine - if you allow it to be.

Adapted from: https://www.sylingo.com/blog/en/articles/how-to-learn-english. Accessed on July 14, 2021.

LISTENING SKILLS

HOW TO IMPROVE YOUR

ENGLISH LISTENING SKILLS?

SYLINGO

Last update: July 10, 2021

Along with reading, writing, and speaking, listening is one of the key skills you need to master if you want to master the English language. However, it is also a skill that many learners struggle with.

What makes listening so difficult:
In comparison with reading, there are a few things that make listening harder to master. To understand speech and recordings in English, it is not enough to have a large vocabulary and good grammar. You need to know correct English pronunciation, but, unfortunately, that is not enough either.
Each speaker brings their unique peculiarities to speaking English: their accent, how clearly they speak, how fast they speak. If you have never heard a native speaker talk before, understanding them can be really hard even if your general level of English proficiency is quite high.
The language itself does not make it any easier. English has lots of words that differ a lot in spelling and in pronunciation. If you have seen such words in a text but never heard them, recognizing them in speech is next to impossible.
However, it does not mean that you are doomed to struggle with listening forever - not at all. If you take the right steps (and have a little patience), you can improve your listening greatly.

How you can improve your listening

Here are some tips that can help you take your listening skills to a new level.

1. Practice regularly:
Just as your muscles need regular exercise to stay fit, your ears need regular listening practice to stay sharp. If you listen to even a little bit of English every day your progress will be fast.

2. Listen at every opportunity:
When you learn new words, listen to their pronunciation in an online dictionary like dictionary.cambridge.org or at forvo.com where words are pronounced by native speakers from all over the world.
If you are using a language website like Sylingo.com, have the sound on to hear how the phrases and sentences are pronounced.
Listen to podcasts for English learners, the radio, audiobooks. Watch videos in English on youtube.com, movies, and TV shows. The more you listen the faster your skill will grow.

3.Vary your resources:
If you listen to just one speaker, for example, your English teacher or the presenter of your favorite podcast, you get used to their manner of speech pretty quickly. But listening to other speakers, especially those with heavy accents or those who speak very fast, can still be hard.
Limiting yourself is harmful in this case. Use different listening resources and listen to as many different people as you can.

4. Listen and read at the same time:
Listening to unadapted English speech can be challenging, especially if you are just beginning to develop this skill. One of the ways to get started is to listen and read at the same time. This way, even if the speaker has a peculiar accent or uses words with a challenging pronunciation, you can use the text to check your understanding.
At Ted.com, for example, all the lectures have subtitles and full text available. BBC 6 minute English is a fun podcast for intermediate learners with PDFs of each episode available for download.

5. Listen actively:
Pay attention to the pronunciation of words and phrases, the speaker’s intonation and accent. Listen for key information. Don’t just turn on the listening file and let yourself get distracted.

6. Have fun!
Nowadays, so many resources are out there that you can find what you enjoy. Choose podcasts and YouTube videos on the topics that you enjoy. Watch your favorite movies. Find a radio station at tunein.com that you like.
Listening to what you enjoy not only makes it a more fun experience but also makes your learning more effective.

Source: https://www.sylingo.com/blog/en/articles/how-to-improve-your-english-listening-skills. Accessed on July 14, 2021.

ESL WORKSHEET 3

WORD GAMES

LinguaHouse
Stephanie Hirschman
July 8, 2021

Level: Pre-Intermediate (A2-B1)

Type of English: General English

Tags: Entertainment; Giving Opinions; Modal Verbs; Vocabulary And Grammar

Publication date: 07/08/2021

Students recognize some useful expressions for playing games and then listen to someone teaching a friend how to play a word game. The language point is expressing obligation and free choice when we explain rules. Students activate the target language in a pair work speaking activity, teaching each other two more word games. There are also word games in the two practice exercises, so the optional extension task is to play one more of the games presented in the lesson.

by Stephanie Hirschman

• CLICK HERE to download the student worksheet (color).
• CLICK HERE to download the student worksheet (b/w).
• CLICK HERE to download the teacher's notes (color).
• CLICK HERE to download the teacher's notes (b/w).
• CLICK HERE to download the audio (American English).
• CLICK HERE to download the audio (British English).

AUDIO TRANSCRIPT

Alice: We’ve got ten minutes before the bus comes. How about playing a game?
Barney: OK. I know a good one. It’s called GHOST. Do you know how to play?
Alice: No, I don’t.
Barney: I can teach you. It’s very easy. It’s a spelling game. We have to take turns saying a letter to make a word. The aim is to make the other player finish the word. So, in your turn, you shouldn’t say any letter that can be the last letter of a word.
Alice: But how do I know what word we’re spelling?
Barney: You don’t! That’s the game. Let’s start, I’ll explain as we go along. The first letter is C.
Alice: OK. I’m going to say K for the second letter.
Barney: C-K? You can’t say that. There’s no word in English that starts with those two letters. It must be a real word that you’re thinking of. But you’re not supposed to tell me the word.
Alice: OK, OK. Let’s go for A. So, it’s C-A. Can I say that?
Barney: Yes, that’s fine. Lots of words in English start with those letters. C-A-...T.
Alice: That’s a word - cat! You lose!
Barney: Wait - there’s one more rule that I haven’t told you yet. Three-letter words don’t count. So, it’s your turn again.
Alice: Really? You should explain that rule at the beginning. All right. Hmmmm… C-A-T-C.
Barney: Ooh, that’s difficult. Are you sure that’s a real word? You can’t (mustn’t) say it if you don’t know the word.
Alice: Yes, I’m definitely thinking of a real word. Do you want me to give you a clue?
Barney: You’re not allowed to give me a clue. Let me think... Oh, I see what you’re doing. You want me to say H to make catch, C-A-T-C-H. I guess there’s no other way to finish the word. You beat me!
Alice: I can’t believe I won the game - I’ve never played before!
Barney: Wait - you haven’t won the game yet. You just won the first round. Because I lost, I get the letter G. If I lose again, I get H, then O, and then S, and T. So, the first player to lose five rounds and get G-H-O-S-T, ghost, loses the whole game.
Alice: I see. Well, I hope you’re not going to get angry when you lose the game.
Barney: You don’t have to be so annoying! Who says I’m going to lose?

Source: https://www.linguahouse.com/esl-lesson-plans/general-english/word-games. Accessed on July 13, 2021.

ESL WORKSHEET 2

MARTIN LUTHER KING JR.

LinguaHouse

March 12, 2019

Level: Pre-Intermediate (A2-B1)

Type of English: General English

Tags: People And Places; Society And Change; American Culture; Celebrities And Historical Figures

Publication date: 03/12/2019

Students listen to a mini-profile about the American civil rights leader, Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. The lesson focuses on vocabulary, listening comprehension, and speaking.

• CLICK HERE to download the student worksheet (color).
• CLICK HERE to download the student worksheet (b/w).
• CLICK HERE to download the teacher's notes (color).
• CLICK HERE to download the teacher's notes (b/w).
• CLICK HERE to download the audio (American English).
• CLICK HERE to download the audio (British English).

AUDIO TRANSCRIPT

Martin Luther King Jr. was born in Atlanta, Georgia, in 1929. He was born into a religious family, and his father was a preacher. When King was growing up, black people in the southern part of the U.S. did not have equal rights.

But he believed in non-violent solutions to this problem, and he was involved in many social and political events. He went to a good religious school in Pennsylvania where his teachers saw him as an excellent student.

Later, he was accepted by many universities, including Yale, but he chose to go to Boston University. He graduated at the age of 25 and became a pastor in Alabama.

King was very good at public speaking. He became a leader for many black people who believed in freedom for everyone. In 1960, he and 50 other African Americans went into a department store and asked to be treated like white people.

At that time, African Americans could purchase items from the store but they were not allowed to try on clothes or sit at a table in the restaurant, which was called the Magnolia Room. The 51 protesters sat in the Magnolia Room until the police arrived and arrested every one of them.

King worked hard to organize a big demonstration in 1963 in Washington D.C. There were over 200,000 people and it was there that he gave his famous speech “I have a dream”.

This started the big change across the country, and in 1964 he received the Nobel Peace Prize. Dr. King wanted bigger and faster changes. He wanted white and black people to live together in peace.

On April 4, 1968, while standing on a balcony in Memphis, he was shot dead by a sniper. After his murder, people of different skin color were crying and equal treatment finally began. Every year on the third Monday of January, Americans celebrate his birthday. (Today Americans celebrate his birthday every year, on the third Monday of January.)

Source: https://www.linguahouse.com/esl-lesson-plans/general-english/martin-luther-king-jr. Accessed on July 13, 2021.

ESL WORKSHEET 1

NELSON MANDELA

LinguaHouse
Stephanie Hirschman
July 12, 2021

Level: Pre-Intermediate (A2-B1)

Type of English: General English

Tags: Society And Change; People And Places; Celebrities And Historical Figures; Celebrations And Special Events; Ethics And Conduct; Adjectives; Vocabulary Lesson

Publication date: 07/12/2021

This audio-aided lesson covers the work of South African freedom fighter and president Nelson Mandela. The lesson focuses on vocabulary, listening comprehension, and speaking and includes a quick look at how infinitives are used to explain purpose. There is also an optional extension activity about adjectives with the -ful suffix.

by Stephanie Hirschman

• CLICK HERE to download the student worksheet (color).
• CLICK HERE to download the student worksheet (b/w).
• CLICK HERE to download the teacher's notes (color).
• CLICK HERE to download the teacher's notes (b/w).
• CLICK HERE to download the audio (American English).
• CLICK HERE to download the audio (British English).

AUDIO TRANSCRIPT

Rolihlahla Mandela was born in a small village in South Africa in 1918. His family members were leaders of the Xhosa people. When Mandela went to school, his teachers gave him the English name Nelson. Mandela studied law at university.
In 1943, Mandela joined the African National Congress political party. At this time, South Africa was a racist country, and in 1948, the government introduced apartheid laws to keep the white population separate from other races.
These laws affected every area of life, including housing, education, hospitals, and transportation, and black people could not vote. Mandela set up his law practice in 1952 to defend black people when they broke these unfair laws.
In 1955, Mandela helped to write the Freedom Charter, a plan for non-racist social democracy in the country. However, peaceful protests were not enough to end apartheid.
After the 1960 Sharpeville massacre, where police shot at and killed or wounded 250 peaceful protesters, the African National Congress decided that they would need to use violence to end the apartheid system. The police arrested Mandela for his role in these activities.
At his trial, he gave a famous speech saying that he was ready to die to achieve equality. He went to prison on Robben Island, where conditions were very bad. Later he was moved.
While he was in prison, people all over the world asked the South African government to free him and end apartheid. Mandela was finally released from prison in 1990. In 1991, he and South African president F.W. de Klerk worked together to set up a new political system.
The change was surprisingly peaceful, and the two men shared the Nobel Peace Prize. In 1994, Mandela became president - this election was the first time he had voted! He chose people of all races to work in his government. He also set up a group to find out more about what had happened during the apartheid years. Mandela was president until 1999. He continued to work for peace and equality around the world until his death in 2013, at the age of 95.

Source: https://www.linguahouse.com/esl-lesson-plans/general-english/nelson-mandela. Accessed on July 13, 2021.