> Another day,another new interesting site to log on to! Right?LOL > I'm overwhelmed by so many sites Pablo provided,but time to explore
It's amazing all the tools, services, new technologies to our disposal, isn't it? One can't stop looking for new things ;) One day we'll have the definitive and ultimate I-only-need-these-few-sites list ;) > The author of "Learning Spoken English in Half the Time" sounds very > interesting to me,too considering his background... The book can be boring to read, as Diana says, for someones, but nice to other eager theoric ones ;) Well, when will I have some time to read? ;) > I agree frustratingly with what he experienced that when you don't > speak the language of the locals,you appear STUPID to them.They seem > to even doubt your IQ or EQ which have nothing to do with anything > linguistic at all...:( Good point LOL > It seems I have to start taking language exchange seriously and begin > my formal Polish acquisition if I want to communicate with my kids' > classmates,their parents and teachers freely without any extra > interpretation, translation or speculation..:D Poilsh grammar rules > are so much more complicated than French ones...and its pronunciations > are just so different from all other languages I used to learn...:( > Well,age is another barrier to break through.LOL Best wishes with your Polish! Pablo > > Got to go and run some errands...:( > > Great week ahead of us all! > Pln > > On May 14, 5:21 am, Pablo <[email protected]> wrote: > > > Dear all: > > > A free (public domain) book: > > > Learning Spoken English > > . . . in half the time. > > >http://www.freeenglishnow.com/lse.pdf > > > About the author: > > >http://www.freeenglishnow.com/lseauthor.html > > > And some interesting related URLs: > > >http://www.eslgold.com/speaking.htmlhttp://www.focusenglish.com/dialo... > > > That's all for the time being. > > > Regards, > > > Pablo > > > On 13 mayo, 21:23, Pablo <[email protected]> wrote: > > > > Hi everybody! > > > > I think 'the universal google search' tool perhaps can give us a lot > > > of ideas about how to use the language, and more. I see it dates back > > > to 2007, but Google has been working on it since then, and now it's > > > news. > > > > "Breakthrough or not, user or Google oriented, the fact is that this > > > development is a breakthrough in search engine development." Here a > > > short article about the news: > > > >http://www.searchenginejournal.com/google-unifies-search-engine/4926/ > > > > What impressed me most is 'the wonder wheel'. Here you can see and > > > try by yourself: > > > >http://www.google.com/search?hl=en&tbo=1&tbs=ww%3A1&q=english&btnG=Se... > > > > It seems there is no a home page for that tool yet. And here the > > > official announcement: > > > >http://googleblog.blogspot.com/2009/05/more-search-options-and-other-... > > > > Thank you, > > > > Pablo > > > > On May 11, 9:58 pm, Pablo <[email protected]> wrote: > > > > > Hi Pln and all, > > > > > At this time of my day, I'm a bit tired, so, I'll post just short > > > > sentences. > > > > > > First of all,thank you for remembering to wish me "Happy Mother's > > > > > Day!",Pablo! > > > > > Guess what... I forgot my wife's happy birthday :( Well, that happens, > > > > doesn't it? > > > > > Well my doctor prescribed to me, some pills, vitamins and a cream (I > > > > forgot to buy the cream!). And at the same time, I'm jogging again as > > > > I told you. But, my right calf is hurting me... :( I guess I need > > > > something more serious, like physiotherapy... > > > > > > I had the same fear and concern when SARS struck Taiwan,too in > > > > > 2003...: > > > > > ( > > > > > We had to go everywhere with masks and our elder child in the pram > > > > > with a rain cover during hot summer days! > > > > > > As long as you and your family,especially your daughter wear mask > > > > > properly(and don't forget to change it when torn),and wash your hands > > > > > as often as you can!(we used to use a lot of hand sanitizer(a tiny > > > > > bottle of transparent liquid,quite handy when you can't wash hands > > > > > with water right away)) > > > > > Thank you very much for your advice. I'll read and get more info. > > > > > > I will reply to Mr.D's and your reply to him regarding my kids' > > > > > exposure to 3 languages hopefully tomorrow! > > > > > I'm looking forward to listening to about your kids languages > > > > experiences. > > > > > About my daughter, as happens with kids, they learn in a 'natural way' > > > > and I was careful about that. I mean, I never taught her grammar, > > > > just talking and watching videos again and again. The last weekend I > > > > was doing this activity with her: I have a nice illustrated > > > > encyclopedia for teenagers, with lots of subjects of 1 or 2 pages of > > > > length. I was reading to her in Spanish and she gave me the sentences > > > > in English. I think inverse translation is stimulating and also useful > > > > because you work around the output. For instance, in the "Animals > > > > page", we found this phrases: "Female chickens are called hens". She > > > > didn't know or had forgotten the word "Female". Another: "Hens lay > > > > eggs". The eggs hatch. She didn't know the word "lay". What about > > > > this one: "Farmers use machines to spread manure over plough > > > > fields" (or something like that). (perhaps four unknown words for her, > > > > and one or two for me). Fish breath with gills. (I didn't know that > > > > word). Well, but mainly, easy phrases, to get a little of fluency. > > > > > Well, a first conclusion is that I don't know a lot of words of a > > > > reference easy book like the one mentioned above. I mean, we can use > > > > such kind of texts to learn a lot of basic vocabulary. The second > > > > conclusion, when you have someone who do some activity with, you can > > > > reinforce, review and also learn a lot. > > > > > And we watched a movie too, audio in Spanish, captions in English, > > > > with songs in English :) Sometimes, we watch movies with audio in > > > > English and captions in English or Spanish. > > > > > Thank you, > > > > > Pablo > > > > > > Good day to us all! > > > > > Pln > > > > > > On May 10, 12:41 am, Pablo <[email protected]> wrote: > > > > > > > Hi Mr. D. > > > > > > > I think it's important to comment to all of you about my experience > > > > > > with my daughter. > > > > > > > When she was 4 or so, I decided it was about time she learned > > > > > > English. Perhaps it had better been before but it couldn't be like > > > > > > that. Well, I started to teach her the alphabet and her first > > > > > > words. > > > > > > And I used to talk to her in English, e.g. "please, pass me my > > > > > > shoes", > > > > > > "go to bed", "are you ready?" (for school), "hurry up!", etc. I had > > > > > > to learn new words or expressions and I was practicing at the same > > > > > > time. Now she is 12 and I consider she can hold a conversation. I > > > > > > think she is high beginner and I keep talking to her or practicing > > > > > > with her. > > > > > > > I mean, it's really valuable if you have somebody who you can > > > > > > practice/ > > > > > > talk to. I keep trying to get new partners, be native, or EFL > > > > > > learners > > > > > > like me. I also have tried to have an English club at home, no luck > > > > > > so far. > > > > > > > About your suggestion, to tell the truth, I think it can turn out > > > > > > difficult or not so pleasant if words don't come up, I think it's > > > > > > easier to follow a text or dialog. From now on I'll try to focus > > > > > > myself on using the words and the language. Here some ideas: > > > > > > > - Read aloud a book/text/paragraph, repeat 'interesting' phrases > > > > > > - Get texts oriented to fluency, and read them aloud > > > > > > - Repeat phrases while listening to your mp3 player/tv news, etc, no > > > > > > pauses, you just repeat what you are able to hear > > > > > > > By the way, my mp3 player has a function to repeat 2 or more times, > > > > > > a > > > > > > segment A-B. You press twice to decide the segment duration. My > > > > > > mp3 > > > > > > player is cheap but has a smart function and can break sentences > > > > > > relatively well. It's more useful when the audio is not so > > > > > > understandable. > > > > > > > Or simply, read any book or whatever you like, aloud. I think most > > > > > > of > > > > > > us (EFL learners) keep listening to or have listened to a lot of > > > > > > audio > > > > > > input, but the output has been very limited, perhaps in a > > > > > > proportion 9 > > > > > > to 1 if not more? The same about writing, I think we read/write in > > > > > > a > > > > > > proportion 9-1 if not more? > > > > > > > Evereybody, ;) looking forward to knowing about your experiences, > > > > > > opinions, ideas. And a happy mother's day! Especially to Pln, who > > > > > > else? ;) > > > > > > > Thank you, > > > > > > > Pablo > > > > > > > On 9 mayo, 09:02, "Mr. D" <[email protected]> wrote: > > > > > > > > Hey Pablo, > > > > > > > > Absolutely, the first thing I ask a student is "Do you want to > > > > > > > speak > > > > > > > English?" > > > > > > > > They always answer yes. Then I say...speak English with an over > > > > > > > the > > > > > > > top > > > > > > > enthusiasm to try and illicit a response and to break the ice a > > > > > > > bit. > > > > > > > > Here's a method I tell students to use, perhaps you guys can try > > > > > > > it > > > > > > > with > > > > > > > yours. I ask them to try to these "simple" but not necessarily > > > > > > > "easy" > > > > > > > tasks. > > > > > > > > 1. When they get up in the morning they should go to the mirror to > > > > > > > brush > > > > > > > their teeth and look at themselves and say OUT LOUD! " Today, I > > > > > > > will > > > > > > > speak English, maybe tomorrow I'll speak (native language) but for > > > > > > > today > > > > > > > I will speak English. > > > > > > > > 2. I encourage them to say everything OUT LOUD that they are > > > > > > > thinking > > > > > > > as they prepare to > > > > > > > go to school or work. No matter how simple or odd it may seem. > > > > > > > Like, > > > > > > > hmm... > > > > > > > I think I will wear my blue shirt or brown shoes. Oh, it's almost > > > > > > > 7:30am I > > > > > > > better go have a shower, or where is my > > ... > > leer más » --~--~---------~--~----~------------~-------~--~----~ You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "ESL Podcast". To post to this group, send email to: [email protected] or just reply this message For invite your friends, visit: http://groups.google.com/group/eslpodcast/members_invite Know how help us, visit this FAQ at: http://groups.google.com/group/eslpodcast/web/frequently-asked-questions -~----------~----~----~----~------~----~------~--~---
