Take A Free English Speaking Course Online

You might think that the only way you can take an English speaking course is to actually enroll in classes, but you can take such a course completely online. This type of course will help you learn and practice conversational English enabling you to carry on a conversation if you decide to move to an English-speaking country of if you want to do business with a company in such a country.
Speaking English is not just about using the proper pronunciation of the words. It is possible for a person to know what how to pronounce words and to read sentences], but if you do not know the rules of grammar and be able to understand what you read, you cannot really call yourself a fluent English speaker.

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There are many free online courses you can take to help you learn to speak English or become better at speaking the language. While some people just want to learn English for the sake of knowing another language, there are those that want to attend college to gain a specialized diploma or degree that is only offered in an English-speaking country and others want to learn to speak English to advance their careers. There are very comprehensive online courses in English that are completely free.
Your reasons for taking the course will dictate the commitment you make to the learning process. You should set a schedule for yourself so that you will have a certain time that you dedicate to your studying online. This includes doing some of the listening activities, repeating the sentences, doing the activities and playing some of the games.
If you did enroll in classes, the instructor will use various techniques to help you learn and perfect your speaking skills. The same is true of an online course. You can take an audio course in which you listen to conversations and passages on a wide variety of topics. Since the script of the passages is available on the screen, you can read along with the speaker and then record yourself reading the same passages. This activity will help you learn the correct nuances of pronunciation of the English language.
An online course also includes lessons on the rules of grammar that start right at the beginning with how to introduce yourself to someone else. This takes the form of short dialogues that you can read on the screen and listen to. Then you can go to the instruction on how to use the various structures and then to different kinds of practice exercises to make sure that you have learned the concept. The practice exercises for the audio lessons take the form of comprehension questions to make sure you understand what you hear and read.

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Most Guaranteed Way to Learn English

If you would really want to master English efficiently and also make improvements to your English vocabulary, you could, for one, utilize a wide range of free web-based software available online web-based applications which you will find in the interned for free, or invest in a few of English vocabulary software. One more solution is to be part of an official English language class online in which you're in charge of submitting study materials and even finishing tests as one is working through the said course. Whatsoever approach one selects for gaining knowledge of English, there are usually some outstanding web-based software around to assist you to study the language in no time. The following are only a number of the techniques offered:

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Flash cards: Definitely an easy way to gain knowledge of a second language in the least amount of time possible, flashcards and vocabulary cards may well assist you in developing your language vocabulary proficiency easily. One can certainly buy several such cards specifically created to work with groups of phrases and words, as well as create your own vocabulary cards by referencing an English thesaurus.
A person should make the flashcards to show a word or phrase on the card and then the definition on the other, after which, you should shuffle the cards while you discover every word along with its corresponding explanation. Vocabulary cards may perhaps also end up being applied in foreign language softwares for computers. In such cases, you will then have to just click to the card to hide the words or phrases in the hopes that you remember each and every explanation in the flash card and apply it in sentences.
Applications: A foreign language's vocabulary education programs and also English grammar programs present you the opportunity to develop your English vocabulary skills as well as to know brand new words and phrases easily. Whenever you work with a software package for developing vocabulary and grammar, you could also engage in online games, work on puzzles and also work through practice exercises in your convenience. A foreign language's vocabulary applications and programs make it enjoyable as well as quick to enhance your English vocabulary and acquire a far better communication skills.
Tutorials that are web-based: A interesting way to learn a foreign language quickly and improve your vocabulary might be to make use of the availability of online courses. There are actually numerous kinds of online lessons out there. Some are usually presented in a classroom-type format in which you would have to participate in several internet-based tutorials within a certain period of time. Some are available for immediate access or downloading so you could learn more about the English language as you wish. DVDs: DVD learning is yet another option available to aid you in mastering a foreign language rapidly, and can help you in appreciating English words as well as the manner that they should be spoken using a combination of visual slides and speech guidelines. DVDs which include activities and practice exercises surely makes it fun to study English rapidly and build your vocabulary without difficulty.
Compact Discs: When you choose to learn away from the computer, Compact discs could very well be a handy tool to aid you in learning a foreign language in no time. Audio tracks which consist of a group of phrases are very good for practicing ways to say brand new terms and phrases.

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Best Words in the English Language

Suppose you could only hear two words. Which one solitary phrase would you prefer?
When I was fresh and young and waited anxiously to be "Grown Up"; days extended for weeks, years fossilized agonizingly into forevers, and the sight of shiny, wrapped, sparkling presents covering the kitchen table, illuminated by the glow of candles on a brightly colored cake, brought two joyful words: "Happy Birthday."
Years paraded onward until hours were crammed with binders, book covers, and ballpoint pens. Forcing my head from the soft pillow each weekday morning via the nasty braying of an alarm, I stared impatiently at the oversized, featureless, inhumane, institutional school clock as it clunked sloth-like, minute by minute, until the end of my annual imprisonment. I longed to fill my ears with the sounds of: "Summer Vacation."

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The phrases that bring joy change with life's seasons. Education's victory lap culminates in "College Graduate." Career searches terminate with the contracted: "You're Hired."
Expressions of elation come from all places. Upon ratcheting up my courage enough to ask her to share her life, my love blessed me with, "I Will," which became - declared in front of friends and family - "I Do."
Children came forth and the doctor greeted us with, "Perfectly Healthy." And as grown men, I remain burst-your-buttons proud of "My Sons."
So much emotion; so few syllables.
Earlier this year, my 47-year old brother-in-law - more brother to me than in-law - went for a "Routine Procedure." Without forewarning two words inalterably stabbed through his life, "Rectal Cancer." Two more followed thereafter: "Stage Three."
Our family has felt like it has been in free-fall since that time, "Complete Upheaval." He, my sister, and their nine-year old, intelligent, loquacious, spirited son, have had their lives put "On Hold." "Feeling Powerless." "Very frightened." "Praying hard."
With "Unbearable Anticipation," I answered a phone call to hear the results of the surgery to remove his tumor and rid his liver of a lesion. She was his rock, facing her own fears, to "Be Strong" "For Him."
"The doctors said it went real well. It began as a self-conscious chuckle; a slight, faint trickle of happiness. Reinforced by the doctor's words as they slowly began to sink in, the joy and laughter merged to become a wild, freewheeling, uninhibited torrent of jubilation pouring forth from an inner place that once again dared look forward to tomorrow. Laughter, tears of joy, oft times interrupted with two words, repeated endlessly, as if what the doctor said would vanish if not restated: "Cancer Free." "Cancer Free." "Cancer Free."
There is light again.
"Thank God."

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Importance of Structure in English Grammar

Very often, when conveying your thoughts in writing using the English language is also a test of your intelligence. This is because you are judged by how convincing you are able put your message across. Learning English grammar is therefore important in proving your intelligence. There are many tests of such intelligence you need to be wary of.
One common grammar rule that even native speakers forget is in showing possession. This is a common theme in the English language. When showing possession with "your", be careful not to be confused with "you're" or "you are". For example, in this sentence, "The library book is not yours, so you're reminded to take good care of it." One way of remembering this rule is to replace the contraction with the phrase "you are" to check if it fits correctly.

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Another common mistake is the use of the words "effect" and "affect". In fact, even professionals sometimes get tripped up on the correct usage of these words. Just be wary that "affect" is a verb and is therefore the action to be done in a sentence, such as "Your diet affects your health." On the other hand, "effect" is a noun or adjective, and used in a sentence such as "The effect of a poor diet is poor health."
This leads us to two more words which are commonly confused with each other for learners of English. The word "there" is used to indicate a location, while "their" is used to show ownership. However, this one is easy to remember. "Good" and "well" are two words that are often taught wrongly in English language schools. For example, "I am feeling good," sounds normal and is common among speakers of English. "Well" is a noun, and so it should be used to replace "good" in this case. So, "I am feeling well" is the proper response to the question "How are you feeling?"
One of the biggest stumbling blocks for foreign learners of the English language is the proper usage of "a" and "an". We use "an" before a word that begins with a vowel like "egg". This seems easy enough, but gets problematic with words like "hour", which doesn't begin with a vowel. Only when it is pronounced do we understand why the word "an" is required.
Although learning the English language can sometimes be frustrating, with patience and practice it can be easily grasped within a year. It just requires practice, practice and more practice.

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Speaking and Listening to English

Many people throughout the world are learning English due to the fact that English can be used everywhere for communication. However, lots of them haven't reached the level that they can use English as a global language fluently to communicate with people from other parts of the world. How could they improve their English level?
As for this problem, you need to consider at least two aspects in your learning process. One is speaking, the other is listening. At first, let's look at English speaking.

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Based on some basic English knowledge like pronunciation, vocabulary and basic grammar, you can start speaking English. You can try to make up some very easy sentences slowly in the beginning in case that you may make very stupid mistakes while talking with others. But you shouldn't be too careful to be afraid of speaking any sentences. You have to bear in mind on the other hand that everybody makes mistakes. Really the first step for you to take is to open your mouth to speak a different language in spite of others' laughter and your own shyness.
Certainly if you think possible, you can use some language learning software to help you speak. To be honest, it is a very nice way to try, but you must know that you can only imitate the standard pronunciation and learn how the software organizes different suitable topics for consistent speaking. Generally, using this software, you can really understand how to speak English in your way.
Then you must keep listening to English everyday. When you listen to the native English speakers, you need to keep very focused, trying to catch every English word he or she says. On the one hand, you need to learn more things about English culture; on the other hand, you have to enlarge your vocabulary. Really there might be some other kinds of problems biting you, but you need to pull them out one by one and solve them afterwards.
In fact, this paragraph is something about intensive English listening, but you need to do extensive English listening on the other hand. This time you don't need to understand everything of your target passage, you only need to generalize the meaning of it and you can learn some good traditional English expressions incidentally.
In a word, you must save no energy to learn this new language for your future use.

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Decoding the English Language

Last night I was walking through my neighbourhood and passed a fruit and vegetable store. They had a sign out front advertising a real bargain: "Cherry Special, $3.49 a pound."
For a moment I amused myself by imagining they were selling a giant cherry. But of course it was just a case of someone not understanding the difference between singular and plural; what they meant was "cherries," plural, not "cherry," singular.
It made me think, not for the first time, how confusing the English language can be. And not just for non-native English speakers. All of us can find ourselves struggling to understand aspects of this tricky language.

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There's a poem circulating on the internet called "English Is A Confusing Language" that sums it up perfectly - this is just an excerpt:
"We'll begin with a box, and the plural is boxes,
But the plural of ox becomes oxen, not oxes.
One fowl is a goose, but two are called geese,
Yet the plural of moose should never be meese.
You may find a lone mouse or a nest full of mice,
Yet the plural of house is houses, not hice."
So funny, so true. There are areas of the English language that simply are not logical. So how do you make sense of English, and use the correct words in your writing? Here's the bitter pill we all must swallow: sometimes you just have to memorize.
1. Plural versus Singular: Many plurals are formed by adding -s or -es to the singular noun. House becoming houses, (not "hice!") for example. But singulars that end with a "y," preceded by a consonant, become plural by using "ies." Thus more than one cherry becomes cherries.
2. One Word, Various Meanings: There are many examples of this. Take the word "bar" for example. It might mean something you leap over if you are horse. What I recommend when one encounters a word with various meanings is to use it in a sentence, so that the context helps to make the meaning clear. For example: "There was a bar at the door to the pub, but I leapt over it so that I could get a drink at the bar. 3. Same Pronunciation or Spelling, Various Meanings (a.k.a. Homonyms): A classic example - "sight, cite, and site." If you see something, it's in sight. If you wish to quote something, you wish to "cite" it. If you are camping, chances are you have a camping "site." Some people are so fascinated by homonyms that they keep lists of them.
If there are aspects of the English language that confuse you, please do drop me a line by commenting, and I can take it up on the blog. Meanwhile, I leave you with this example of homonyms from another neighbourhood stroll, when I passed a café with a sly sense of humour. The board outside their door advertised the following special: "Leek and Pea Soup." Try explaining that to someone just learning English!

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Working As an English Teacher in China

With the job situation so bad in the UK, many people are looking outside of the country to seek employment. Some are considering teaching English abroad as an option and some might even look as far as China for work. In this article I want to pass on some information and a little advice about working as a teacher in China and what you can expect from a life here.

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Qualifications.
You will need to have a teaching certificate in teaching English and this comes in the form of a TEFL certificate - Teaching English as a Foreign Language. However, you are not going to get a good job with just that; for many teaching positions here you will need a degree, especially for jobs in the big cities like Shanghai and Beijing. Of course if you are already a teacher, then it will be much easier for you. It is possible to find teaching posts with just a TEFL but they will be in lesser schools in the main cities or in schools in other smaller cities.
Online TEFL - Teaching English as a Foreign Language.
There are many courses you can take to gain a TEFL certificate and many online courses too. I took an online course from a company called i-to-i; it was 120 hours. However I wasn't impressed with the course. Firstly I found that it didn't really teach me much about teaching and secondly I didn't consider the online tutor to be that helpful. My wife Crystal however, who is Chinese and a qualified English teacher, took at the same time an ITTT International course. She thought it might come be useful one day, especially if were to go to Europe. The ITTT course was more expensive than mine and it turned out to be much better.
She learnt the subject in greater depth and had better support from her online tutor. A word of warning however about TEFL courses; if your knowledge of grammar is shaky, you will either need some help or will need to embark on some further study. I have to confess that my knowledge of English grammar was very poor indeed and ironically it was my Chinese wife who was able to help me through the course. It does seem amazing that one can speak, read and write reasonably well in English and yet have a poor knowledge as to how one's own language works. I guess you could say we native speakers learn our language organically, whereas foreign students gain it in a more regimented way through text books and concentrated study. I can write better than my Chinese wife and of course speak better but she knows much more than me about pronouns, adjectives and passive voice etc.
Teaching oral English however doesn't rely on explaining grammar but it is advisable to know more than your students. If a student were to ask you a question to which you cannot answer, you are going to look pretty stupid! What's more your students will happily tell their teachers about your apparent lack of knowledge
City based TEFL courses overseas.
Many companies offer courses in the country where you are planning to teach. Zunyi is where I have been teaching these past three years. Apparently they had a great time in Beijing, visiting the bars every evening and they got to see some of the great tourist attractions but financially their six months in China was a loser.
You will have to pay a tidy sum for the overseas course and secondly you will not get paid the going rate at whatever school you end up at. Many schools however will pay for one return flight every year or pay a completion bonus of a similar amount. The lesson is - if you allow others to make all your arrangements, it will cost you a lot of money.
Types of teaching positions
If you have a degree and teaching experience, you'll probably be able to get a good job in a university/college teaching whatever subject you are experienced in, for example English literature, economics etc.. Educational institutions often have specific names such as Zunyi Medical College but that doesn't mean the only subjects they teach are medical; you will find here, students majoring in English and other subjects not related to medicine. The school I teach at is grandly called the Aerospace School but the only subject that could be remotely connected with this is a metalwork workshop; so don't be put off by the name of the school.
If you have a degree but don't have teaching experience you can still find a reasonably well paid job but you will only be expected to teach oral English. Chinese English teachers reach a very high standard in grammar, probably higher than most folk in the UK; therefore it is unlikely you will be asked to teach it. What's more, you need to speak Chinese in order to explain the grammar rules clearly and it is impossible to do so without speaking Chinese. If you don't have a TEFL certificate but not a degree you can still find a job teaching oral English in either a middle school, junior school or kindergarten but your salary will be lower.
In china there are universities and colleges which are basically the same thing; senior middle schools (students 15-18 years), junior middle schools (students 12 -15 years), primary schools (6 - 12) and kindergarten (aged 3 - 6, although some children start much younger) and all will teach English as part of their curriculum. Some kindergarten in the big cities will employ native English teachers but of course these are very informal classes and you should have a Chinese classroom assistant to help you. Don't expect a Chinese assistant in schools for older students. Some schools are privately owned and some are state run. My school was previously state run but is now privately owned.
Salary
Whatever school you teach at in China, you're not going to make a lot of money. However, you can have a comfortable life here because generally the cost of living is much lower. In the bigger cities, someone with a degree and perhaps a background in teaching can earn around 12,000 rmb a month which currently is about £1,200. However other teaching jobs in the big cities start at around 8000 rmb. If you go to one of the smaller cities you can expect to earn a lot less but it depends on what type of school you teach at. At a private English language school which teaches mainly at weekends and evenings, you will earn more than at middle or junior school. So many students take extra classes at the weekend or in the evening and their parents have to pay extra for this. At a large and successful privately owned English school in Zunyi, the teachers get around 8000 rmb which is a very good salary here. In contrast, at a state owned middle school, the teachers there earn a mere 2500 but there is a good reason for this difference. The two teachers who work there gained their qualification in Beijing through i to i, prior to coming to this city. The school will be paying a lot more for their services because they will also be paying the TEFL organisation and agents. So as you can see, salaries can vary greatly.
Accommodation
Many schools will offer accommodation as part of the package and of course accommodation will vary greatly. I am very fortunate, I have a lovely apartment with two bedrooms, a living room, dining room, kitchen, shower room with western loo, TV DVD and computer, and the rent/electricity is paid for by my school. However the teachers I referred to earlier have a single room in an office building within the school complex, and the shower room with squatting toilet they have to share with other members of staff. What makes their accommodation even worse is that the school imposed an eleven o'clock curfew for them to be in during the week and the school bell was outside the door and even at weekends they had no rest from it. Having said that, if you come with an agency it's going to pretty difficult to find out any concrete information in advance. Bear in mind that some schools will not pay for your accommodation and you will have to find it yourself and of course you will need help with this.
Last year (2009), I made enquiries through an agent to get a teaching job in Shenzhen. The agent also offered me a small room in a shared apartment with three other people (teachers) and the price for this one room was 1700 rmb. So with higher costs of food and travel, I would have been no better off and my living accommodation would have been much worse - I declined the offer.
Cost of living in China
Like any country, the cost of living varies greatly between city and provincial areas. Salaries are higher but so too are living costs in a big city. I can't give you prices of things in other cities but I can give you some relative examples from the city I live in. A simple meal based around rice or noodles will cost 5 rmb (50p) whereas a decent meal for four people at a simple restaurant will cost 60 - 100 and at an expensive restaurant, 200 - 300. Taxi fares start at 5 rmb for quite a long distance and all bus fares in the city are 1 rmb. So although my salary is low, I can live very cheaply indeed. In fact because I spend so little and don't use a credit card or have a loan to pay, this is the first time in my life that I could actually save money on a regular basis. It is wonderful to have no debt and no worries about money.
Other considerations
Internet: The Chinese government strictly controls what people can view on the Internet, especially adult sites. At the time of writing you can't use Facebook and YouTube, and much to my annoyance even Blogger is blocked. I created a lovely blog about Chinese tea and now I can't use it. If you can't live without Facebook or YouTube then don't come to China.
Food: In the bigger cities, you can dine on a wide variety of western foods but expect to pay much more for this. If you are a western fast food fan, you'll find more outlets than you can shake a stick at in the bigger cities but in the smaller cities you won't find many. Large cities will have supermarkets like Walmart and Carrefour and even in Zunyi there are two Walmarts, which sell a small selection of western foods.
Entertainment: In the big cities you will find all the entertainment you could hope for and of course western bars selling western beers and spirits but expect to pay high prices for these. In smaller cities like Zunyi, you'll be lucky to find any.
Language: Don't expect everyone in Beijing or Shanghai to speak English because although every student in China will learn some English, most will not use it and forget it. Today English is the second language taught at schools but forty years ago it was Russian. If you want to be independent, and you may well have to be, you will have to try and learn some Chinese. However, every city and region has its own dialect. The national language is mandarin and is taught in all schools but different dialects are spoken in every city. Don't expect to learn mandarin and then understand a conversation in Shanghai because there they speak Shanhaiese.
Cultural differences: See my article Culture Shock - A westerner living in China.
Finally:
If you want to come and live and work in China, my advice is put aside your thoughts of home and accept life as it is here. Don't compare life at home with life in China; if you do you'll only get deeply frustrated and want to go home. Life in China can drive you up the wall at times but there are many wonderful aspects about living here also which may not at first be apparent. There are so many things to consider before you accept a job as an English teacher in China, too much to write about here - read my other articles in my blog for more information about life in China.

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Tips to Speak Fluent American English

Do you want to become a fluent American English speaker? Are you looking for some tips to speak fluent American English? If so, continue reading, because you are in the right place. In this article I'm going to show you three tips that will greatly help you speak better American English.

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1. Work on your speaking skills

If you want to become fluent, you should mainly concentrate on your speaking skills. Fluency is about expressing yourself and most people express themselves by speaking. You should also work on your accent which is very important if you want to be understood while speaking with native speakers or other learners. The best way to work on your speaking skills is to speak with native speakers a lot - online or face to face.

2. Work on your writing skills

Fluency is also about your writing skills. The best way to improve your writing skills and grammar is to start a free journal on Lang-8.com and write there short journal entries in English. Native speakers will proofread them for you for free.

3. Improve your vocabulary

If you want to be a fluent speaker, your vocabulary is also important. Don't learn from wordlists - they aren't useful. Instead of wordlists use flashcards or simply immerse yourself in American English and if you encounter a new word, look it up in a dictionary and try to memorize it using image association.

That's it - three tips to speak fluent American English. Good luck and have fun!

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