Learn English
In the blog we've been talking about many free online resources to learn English. Now it?s time to take a step forward and create different guides with tips about how to use these Web pages and get the most of these free resources.
Please consider translating this post into your native language with this ?Google translator?, just in case you don?t understand everything.
Where should we start?... What about the beginning? :) How to learn English from scratch? A difficult and seemingly impossible task. When you start to learn a language the key is to be patience, consistent and determined.
How do I know if this guide is for me? Is my English level elementary or null? Well, honestly answer the following questions:
You can begin with something fun and interactive by enroling in the ?English 101? course from Livemocha.
The course is free, has an estimated length of 50 hours and you?ll learn the basics of the English language:
Livemocha is a social network to learn languages where people help each other a lot. If you correct exercises (from people learning your native language) they?ll surely become your friends and then (if they are native English speakers or advanced users) they?ll correct your exercises too. In the future you could chat or exchange your Skype, msn ? addresses to start talking a little bit. But that happens after a couple months!
Note 1: If you have any doubt about how to register in Livemocha, access the course, carry out the lessons or anything else, just leave a comment with your question and we?ll answer you asap (as soon as possible).
Note 2: In the coming weeks we?ll be explaining how to use other free websites to start learning English. So stay tuned!
Answers to the questions in the Basic English Test:
First question:
We don?t know which your own language is, sorry!
Second question:
I am, You are, He / She / it is, we are, you are, they are.
Third question:
Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, Friday, Saturday, Sunday.
Fourth question:
How old are you?
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Learn English
How to learn English from scratch? - Livemocha
In the blog we've been talking about many free online resources to learn English. Now it?s time to take a step forward and create different guides with tips about how to use these Web pages and get the most of these free resources.
Please consider translating this post into your native language with this ?Google translator?, just in case you don?t understand everything.
Where should we start?... What about the beginning? :) How to learn English from scratch? A difficult and seemingly impossible task. When you start to learn a language the key is to be patience, consistent and determined.
- You have to be patient because learning a language takes a lot of time and effort. If you expect to be bilingual in a week then you will end up frustrated and probably quit.
- Be consistent because consistency is the key to learning a language. If you vow to study for 20 minutes a day you know that you will improve over time. It might be slower than you would like but it will happen (remember?be patient).
- Learning a language takes determination and effort. In our opinion most if not all language programs work, when the learner puts the effort into using them. Think about an aerobics video that someone buys to loose a couple pounds? It doesn't work well if the video collects dust on the shelf. Make the effort and you will see the results.
How do I know if this guide is for me? Is my English level elementary or null? Well, honestly answer the following questions:
- Translate the following English into your native language: hello, bye, dad, mom, brother, twenty-seven and yellow.
- How do you conjugate the verb ?to be??
- What are the days of the week in English?
- How would you ask someone?s age?
You can begin with something fun and interactive by enroling in the ?English 101? course from Livemocha.
The course is free, has an estimated length of 50 hours and you?ll learn the basics of the English language:
- The pronouns: I, you, he, she,
- Negative: not
- The occupations: police officer, student, doctor,
- Plurals, ?and? conjunction and words ending in ?s?.
- More lessons!
- Starting with something fun, simple and easy is the best way to begin learning. Do not go out and buy a grammar book like so many people do. Start with fun interactive courses or websites and when you have a base of vocabulary and understanding start working on grammar.
- As said above, the course correctly deals with the basics of English and it?s very important to start from this point.
- The course is well-structured in units and that makes its execution easier.
- Each unit has the same organization. It repeats the new ideas in different ways: Learn (an image is shown, along with the text and the pronunciation of the word), Reading (you read a word and choose the correct image), Listening (you hear a word and then choose the correct image), Magnet (you listen to a word or sentence in your own language and then you have to select the word(s) in the correct order to translate what you have heard into English, Writing (you are given a simple writing exercise to do), Speaking (short text in English that you can read aloud).
Livemocha is a social network to learn languages where people help each other a lot. If you correct exercises (from people learning your native language) they?ll surely become your friends and then (if they are native English speakers or advanced users) they?ll correct your exercises too. In the future you could chat or exchange your Skype, msn ? addresses to start talking a little bit. But that happens after a couple months!
Note 1: If you have any doubt about how to register in Livemocha, access the course, carry out the lessons or anything else, just leave a comment with your question and we?ll answer you asap (as soon as possible).
Note 2: In the coming weeks we?ll be explaining how to use other free websites to start learning English. So stay tuned!
This document has been written in collaboration with Diana Tower, an English teacher with 3 years teaching experience. She is also the author of the free Web page Helping you learn English.
Answers to the questions in the Basic English Test:
First question:
We don?t know which your own language is, sorry!
Second question:
I am, You are, He / She / it is, we are, you are, they are.
Third question:
Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, Friday, Saturday, Sunday.
Fourth question:
How old are you?
- Don't Have Time To Learn English? No Problem!
Does this sound familiar? Your English is...OK. As a non-native English speaker, you are able to communicate pretty well. You can go shopping or talk to someone about your favourite film. But be honest, your English isn't as good as you want it to...
- Skype And Live Mocha - Two Great Ways To Learn Alongside Learners
For those of you who have spent much time in the classroom (and who hasn't?), you know how boring it can sometimes be to have a teacher always telling you what to do. But the beauty of learning the English language (or any language), is that most...
- Wordchamp - Learn English Vocabulary With Flashcards
WordChamp is a language-learning network that offers very valuable and free resources to practice English. The first thing that attracts one?s attention is the Flashcards, which include different activities to brush up your vocabulary through several...
- Livemocha - Great Social Network To Practice English
This website is really good. It offers free online courses for learning different languages; at present: German, Mandarin, Spanish, French, Hindi, English, Icelandic, Italian, Japanese, Portuguese and Russian. What interests us is the English course....
- Language Social Networks - Don't Stop Learning!
Due to the globalized world we live in, many people decide to learn a foreign language for different reasons and purposes. The best opportunity to learn it is being immerse in the context the language is spoken but not everybody can afford to live in...