E S L

Another week has gone by. This is my second clip where I talk about methods of improving your English.

Learn English

FREE online lesson with a native speaker. Lesson 2 topic: voiced “th”. All levels.

Topic: “R” as a vowel sound. Level: All levels, though some vocabulary in the explanations and exercises will challenge beginners.

Learning new words can be easy and fun. When you know the meaning of more words, not only will your communication ability improve, but your ability to learn new information will improve too!

If you want to be a great communicator, do you need to have a great vocabulary?

You might be surprised to learn that a really big vocabulary is not necessary in order to express yourself clearly and to move others with your words.

Some of the most dramatic messages that have ever been uttered in the English language actually used very simple words to stir the blood, or touch the heart.

Look at any well-known passage in the Bible. Chances are that the passage does not rely on sophisticated words to create its power.

Think of Lincoln’s Gettysberg Address. Although President Lincoln spoke in a style that is very different from the way we usually speak today, his words still have the power to move us deeply with their clarity and their deep emotion. During the darkest days of World War II, Winston Churchill’s rousing speeches to the British people used very simple, common, powerful words to successfully ignite the courage and determination of his people.

So if it’s possible to communicate effectively without using a lot of very big words, why should we bother to try to expand our vocabulary? The reason is that learning new words expands our understanding and improves our “mental muscles”. Every new word we learn entices our mind to stretch into new areas.

When we have a larger bank of words to draw on, we improve our ability to think and express ourselves. Our thinking will become more fluid and supple, and we will understand more of the world around us and within us, when we have a larger vocabulary. In the modern world the ability to use words effectively is often highly rewarded.

The English language has an enormous number of words, perhaps more than half a million of them. Most people however, use a vocabulary of just a few thousand common words on a daily basis. It is possible to get by in the English language with a limited number of words, but you expand your options as you expand your vocabulary. When you understand very few words, you are limited in your ability to learn new information.

If you want to increase your vocabulary, there are many approaches you can use. One good way is to read books or articles that are slightly more difficult than what you are accustomed to. When you come across a word you don’t know, see if you can figure out its meaning from the context. Look at the way the word is made up, with its letters and syllables. Does it remind you of any words you already know? What parts of it are familiar?

Many words in the English language are made up of common roots they share with other words. You may be able to deduce the meaning of the new word from the way the syllables are put together and the way it is used. You should consult a dictionary to be sure.

If you come across a word you don’t understand during the course of a lecture or a conversation, you can ask someone to explain the meaning of the word. Many people are reluctant to do this because they are afraid of exposing their ignorance by asking.

It is occasionally true that other people may choose to look down on you if you confess that you don’t understand a certain word. On the other hand, they may be happy to teach you something new. If you decide you don’t want to ask anyone else for the meaning of words you don’t know, be sure to make a note of those new words and look them up later.

Should you try to learn new words directly from a dictionary? It depends on your learning style and your preference. Some people will become bored very quickly while reading a dictionary, while others will find it fascinating.

All dictionaries are not alike, and you may find a certain version far more useful than the rest. Good dictionaries will do more than just give a definition of a word. Some will show you an example of the word used in a sentence. Often they will show you alternate spellings, and give the plural forms of nouns and the past tense of verbs. Most dictionaries will show you correct pronunciation. Some will tell you the historical derivation of the word. Many English words have their roots in ancient Anglo-Saxon, French, or German.

Language is always evolving and new words are being created every day. New words can come from technology, from scientific discoveries, from other languages, from pop culture, and from the streets.

When learning new vocabulary, you can better integrate it into your brain if you actively involve yourself in the learning process.

When you encounter a new word, write out a definition of it in your own words, and write one or more sentences using the new word in context. Visualize the word in its printed form. Say the word out loud, and spell it out loud. Say a sentence out loud that uses the new word. Make up an image in your mind that will help you remember the word. If you make the image funny or bizarre, you will probably remember it better.

To improve your use of language and your ability to think, practice summarizing the theme of an entire article or book using just one or two paragraphs. After you have read an article or book, try writing out two different versions summarizing your ideas. Do one version using very simple, everyday words. Make it as clear and simple as you possibly can while still maintaining accuracy. Do another version that uses very complex sentences and advanced vocabulary, like you imagine a university professor might write.

This will give your brain a good work-out and increase your verbal and mental flexibility.

If you are committed to expanding your vocabulary, how many new words should you try to learn in a day? It’s up to you. Just two new words a day will add up to more than 7000 words in ten years. Ten words a day would add 36,000 words in ten years.

Once you have learned a lot of new words, should you work them into your conversation every chance you get? The kind of vocabulary you use should always be appropriate to the context in which you are writing or speaking. For example, if you are speaking to a group of high school dropouts you may want to use different words than if you are speaking to a group of scientists.

Don’t use an impressive vocabulary merely as a means of showing off, always using big words when small ones would do. People can often intuitively feel when you are using fancy words merely for effect, and not because you need them to communicate.

But if your new vocabulary really has become a part of you and has a useful place in your writing and conversation, by all means, go ahead and use it!

I work for a university with an ESL program. I have learned that there are placement agencies that students who want to learn English can use to help them find schools. We would like to market our program on these agencies, but I’m not sure how to locate them on the web. Do you know some, or can you suggest a search term that would work?
Please note: I am not looking for agencies that help teachers find ESL teaching jobs. I am looking for agencies that help students find places to study English.

What aspects of pronunciation do you think ESL learners find more difficult?

Can you give examples please.

I am talking obout the case of students with spanish as a fisrt language.

Keep it neat, succinct and simple. These are the qualities of a well-crafted resume or Curriculum Vitae that create impact and get jobseekers their plum ESL jobs.

o Neat. “First impressions last”. When applying for any of the ESL jobs posted on the internet, your resume is a piece of you that the employer gets to know of first. Present it in a clean and orderly manner so as to create a favorable impression on the mind of your employer before he even gets the chance to speak with you.

Gone were the days of messy typewriter ribbons; today, you can prepare your resume using a word processor with a variety of font sizes and font styles to use. Just bear in mind that when you have chosen a font style, stick to it throughout your document. Avoid turning your resume into a Rembrandt painting by using multi-colored fonts - stick to black.

Arial, Times New Roman, Tahoma and Century Gothic are some of the font styles you can use that can lend a professional look to your resume. Cursive styles are pretty to look at, but they can be better used somewhere else not on your resume. Font size 10 or 12 may be preferred.

o Short. Your CV or Resume should not be more than 2 pages of short-bond paper in length. If you are computer savvy, you can create a personal website that outlines your educational attainment and past ESL jobs with your recent photo on it, too.

o Simple. Avoid writing your resume on scented and colored stationery. The use of white bond paper on standard size is still the “in” thing.

Attach an application letter that will give the employer a quick glance at the facts contained in your resume that are relevant to ESL jobs. Highlight milestones in your career, and give a fast fact about your educational preparation that will fairly give the employer an idea of your strengths toward the job. Provide personal data, but do not elaborate on personal or family matters, unless these are asked of you in a phone interview.

Finding ESL jobs is easy when you deal with a competent online job resource company with a successful track record. At WorknPlay Global(http://www.worknplayglobal.com), landing on the best ESL jobs worldwide even becomes a lot easier because your application is backed by its solid reputation as the only job resource company contracted by South Korea’s Ministry of Education to supply its public schools, native English speakers to teach English among its youths.

With a well-written resume plus the expertise of a highly-reputable ESL company providing you with only the best ESL jobs options, how can you go wrong?

Update: October 2008…
For newer information about getting your E2 visa, check out this vid by “zedg04″
http://ca.youtube.com/watch?v=c47rHsMIgzQ

Thinking of teaching English in South Korea? I was there for several years and wanted to give some honest advice for those who are thinking of making the leap. This is a very general overview of different types of jobs you can get and what might be best for you. Some of the advice recruiters may tell you isn’t always so honest, since they are trying to make a dollar.

This is a huge subject so if you have any specific questions send me a message or write a comment. I’ve been around the block in Korea as a teacher, teaching kindergarten through adult ages.

I’ve made a few other vids on this topic.

Teaching ESL in Korea….part 2
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iNRUpUWnsdk

Teaching ESL in Korea…viewer questions
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LmQJKOOQGnw
(This is the most recent)

LOOKS LIKE VISA RULES FOR ESL TEACHER IN KOREA HAVE COMPLETELY CHANGED (AS OF DEC. 15TH 2007) AND HAVE BECOME FAR MORE STRINGENT. YOU NOW MUST HAVE A CRIMINAL RECORD BACKGROUND CHECK, HIV TEST, DRUG TEST, ETC. CHECK OUT MORE AT THIS LINK:
http://joongangdaily.joins.com/article/view.asp?aid=2883449

If you find this vid useful…please SUBSCRIBE TO MY CHANNEL…there will be more useful vids about teaching esl in Korea to come!

Some good job resources are:

www.englishspectrum.com
www.pusanweb.com
www.worknplay.co.kr
www.eslcafe.com

To become a middle school ESL teacher, what classes should i take in college, and how long would it take me to graduate?