Listen to me read this post
As I've mentioned before, I live in Vietnam and I am trying to learn Vietnamese. So, a lot of the activities I suggest to you to learn English, I do myself to learn Vietnamese. Things like watching TV programs and reading favorite books. And, as I've also mentioned I love to read the Manga series Case Closed. I had brought several English copies of the books with me to Vietnam and I was excited to see they had the same books in Vietnamese in the local bookstores.
Here's how I read Graphic Novels...
Showing posts with label Language learning. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Language learning. Show all posts
Sunday, May 6, 2012
Wednesday, May 2, 2012
Learn English by Reading Graphic Novels and Comic Books
Listen to me read this post
I'm a little late starting the topic of the week this week because, as many of you know, I live in Vietnam and Monday and Tuesday were holidays here. So, I got a little behind in my posts.
Anyway, Last week's topic about How to Learn English and this week's topic about Reading Graphic Novels and Comic Books go hand in hand. Hand in hand is an American idiom that means 2 things that go together well. In this case, learning English and reading Graphic Novels and comic books go together well.
I'm a little late starting the topic of the week this week because, as many of you know, I live in Vietnam and Monday and Tuesday were holidays here. So, I got a little behind in my posts.
Anyway, Last week's topic about How to Learn English and this week's topic about Reading Graphic Novels and Comic Books go hand in hand. Hand in hand is an American idiom that means 2 things that go together well. In this case, learning English and reading Graphic Novels and comic books go together well.
Tuesday, May 1, 2012
Learn American Slang
Listen to me read this post
One of the challenges to learning American English is slang and other informal phrases. In casual conversation, Americans use a lot of non-standard words and phrases. But most English classes and text books don't cover this part of the language. So, how are you suppose to understand it? It's not like you can look up these words or phrases in a dictionary. Or can you?
One of the challenges to learning American English is slang and other informal phrases. In casual conversation, Americans use a lot of non-standard words and phrases. But most English classes and text books don't cover this part of the language. So, how are you suppose to understand it? It's not like you can look up these words or phrases in a dictionary. Or can you?
Monday, April 30, 2012
Sunday, April 29, 2012
English Central - What's your Reason for Learning English?
Another video from English Central on What's Your Reason for Learning English.
If your reason is strong enough, that reason can motivate you to keep trying. Make it real. Write your reasons down on paper and put them someplace you will see them everyday.
If your reason is strong enough, that reason can motivate you to keep trying. Make it real. Write your reasons down on paper and put them someplace you will see them everyday.
Friday, April 27, 2012
Learn English with Music - The Doors
http://englishbrno.cz/en/2012/02/learn-english-with-the-doors/
Just came across this website talking about learning English with music. It has video clips and lyrics from the 1960's band The Doors. Check it out!
Just came across this website talking about learning English with music. It has video clips and lyrics from the 1960's band The Doors. Check it out!
Favorite Links for Learning English
Listen to me read this post
This audio post is about my favorite websites for learning English. It's really long so I'm putting the transcript and all of the links after the break. Click on the "Read More" button if you want to read what I'm saying in the audio.
This audio post is about my favorite websites for learning English. It's really long so I'm putting the transcript and all of the links after the break. Click on the "Read More" button if you want to read what I'm saying in the audio.
Thursday, April 26, 2012
English Central - Tips for learning English
In this English Central Video 3 international students talk about learning English and share some tips. What are your tips for learning English? What has helped you? Share your tips by leaving a comment. It's easy just click where it says comments below.
How to Learn English - Listening
Listen to me read this post
Hello and welcome. Today we are continuing on the topic of How to Learn English.
Yesterday we talked about listening to music but listening to spoken English in general is a really good way to learn English.
This is something I truly believe. The more you listen, the more you will improve your English. Listening to native speakers will improve your comprehension, your speaking, your pronunciation, everything. And all you have to do is sit back and listen. That is why I started this blog and why I record all of the posts. So, you can listen to an American speak English.
It doesn't even matter what you listen to as long as it's in English. You can listen to TV shows, Movies, Cartoons, podcasts, audiobooks, etc.
Here are some tips for picking materials:
1. Choose a topic you are interested in. If you like Gardening, then listen to a gardening podcast such as the one in the show notes from the Victory Garden. If you like history, go to history.com and watch all the videos. And If you don't like cars, then don't watch the BBC show, Top Gear. Although I have to tell you it is hiliarious. The point is if you are interested in the topic you will watch it or listen to it over and over again and you will keep listening longer. Because if you are having fun you will be motivated to keep learning.
2. Try to find materials that are just above your comprehension level. In other words, try to listen to something you understand about 80% of. If it's too hard you will give up or tune out, if it's too easy you won't get anything out of it and you will get bored. Even if that means watching Children's shows or cartoons, that's ok.
3. Find something you are already familiar with the story. If there are TV shows that have been translated into English from you native language, these would be excellent to listen to because you already know the story. Then you will know what's going on and you can get more meaning out of the English.
One last thing, the other day I was reading the website AntiMoon, you can find the link in the show notes. They had a post on how to find everyday English to listen to if you don't live in an English-speaking country. They mentioned in the article that sometimes movies and fiction books can't help you learn eveyday English. The types of phrases that you need for basic commnunication because a story needs conflict and drama to be interesting, not to mention unusual characters or settings. For example, vampires and werewolves in the Twilight series. So, One of their suggestions was to listen to podcasts because it's a great way to hear how people talk to each other naturally. And I have to tell you that podcasts are my new favorite thing. There are podcasts on just about any topic you can think of. I mean there are literally thousands of different podcasts. So try a few until you find ones you like. You can download them onto an mp3 player and listen to them anywhere. So, now you have no excuse for not listening to more English!
That's all for today. Thanks for listening to me, Cassie Brenn at fastfoodenglish.blogspot.com
Show noteswww.history.com
http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/victorygarden/ask/index.html
www.podcastalley.com
www.podcastpickle.com
http://www.antimoon.com/blog/2012/03/learning-everyday-english-without-living-in-an-english-speaking-country/
Hello and welcome. Today we are continuing on the topic of How to Learn English.
Yesterday we talked about listening to music but listening to spoken English in general is a really good way to learn English.
This is something I truly believe. The more you listen, the more you will improve your English. Listening to native speakers will improve your comprehension, your speaking, your pronunciation, everything. And all you have to do is sit back and listen. That is why I started this blog and why I record all of the posts. So, you can listen to an American speak English.
It doesn't even matter what you listen to as long as it's in English. You can listen to TV shows, Movies, Cartoons, podcasts, audiobooks, etc.
Here are some tips for picking materials:
1. Choose a topic you are interested in. If you like Gardening, then listen to a gardening podcast such as the one in the show notes from the Victory Garden. If you like history, go to history.com and watch all the videos. And If you don't like cars, then don't watch the BBC show, Top Gear. Although I have to tell you it is hiliarious. The point is if you are interested in the topic you will watch it or listen to it over and over again and you will keep listening longer. Because if you are having fun you will be motivated to keep learning.
2. Try to find materials that are just above your comprehension level. In other words, try to listen to something you understand about 80% of. If it's too hard you will give up or tune out, if it's too easy you won't get anything out of it and you will get bored. Even if that means watching Children's shows or cartoons, that's ok.
3. Find something you are already familiar with the story. If there are TV shows that have been translated into English from you native language, these would be excellent to listen to because you already know the story. Then you will know what's going on and you can get more meaning out of the English.
One last thing, the other day I was reading the website AntiMoon, you can find the link in the show notes. They had a post on how to find everyday English to listen to if you don't live in an English-speaking country. They mentioned in the article that sometimes movies and fiction books can't help you learn eveyday English. The types of phrases that you need for basic commnunication because a story needs conflict and drama to be interesting, not to mention unusual characters or settings. For example, vampires and werewolves in the Twilight series. So, One of their suggestions was to listen to podcasts because it's a great way to hear how people talk to each other naturally. And I have to tell you that podcasts are my new favorite thing. There are podcasts on just about any topic you can think of. I mean there are literally thousands of different podcasts. So try a few until you find ones you like. You can download them onto an mp3 player and listen to them anywhere. So, now you have no excuse for not listening to more English!
That's all for today. Thanks for listening to me, Cassie Brenn at fastfoodenglish.blogspot.com
Show noteswww.history.com
http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/victorygarden/ask/index.html
www.podcastalley.com
www.podcastpickle.com
http://www.antimoon.com/blog/2012/03/learning-everyday-english-without-living-in-an-english-speaking-country/
Wednesday, April 25, 2012
Learn English with Music
Listen to me read this post
Some people love music. They have their headphones on all the time, they download the lastest songs by their favorite groups, and they know all the words to their favorite songs. They are passionate about music. Do you know someone like that? Are you someone like that?
If you are a music lover, use that passion to help you learn English.
As I've said before, passion helps us stay interested and motivated to keep learning. And music fits in perfectly with that.
Music is fun. It doesn't feel like work, it feels more like play. It can play in the background while we do something else or we can actively listen and read the lyrics at the same time.
Learning English can be stressful but listening to music is relaxing. If you are relaxed and not stressed you are able to learn better and remember more. So, even if you are studying an English lesson from a book, playing music in the background, with or without words, can put you in a relaxed frame of mind and help you learn more.
The internet is full of music sites where you can listen to songs and you can download the lyrics. In the show notes, I have 2 links to some American traditional songs and children's songs that you can download along with the lyrics. You can also buy a DVD from the website but that is not necessary you can download the songs for free and listen to them right away.
Some people say music is not the best way to learn English because some songs use non-standard English, slang and bad words. Although this is true, there are plenty of songs that use appropriate language such as the ones in the links that I have given you. So, just choose wisely and follow your passion!
This has been Cassie Brenn for fastfoodenglish.blogspot.com.
Show Notes
Traditional Songs to download
Children's songs to download
Some people love music. They have their headphones on all the time, they download the lastest songs by their favorite groups, and they know all the words to their favorite songs. They are passionate about music. Do you know someone like that? Are you someone like that?
If you are a music lover, use that passion to help you learn English.
As I've said before, passion helps us stay interested and motivated to keep learning. And music fits in perfectly with that.
Music is fun. It doesn't feel like work, it feels more like play. It can play in the background while we do something else or we can actively listen and read the lyrics at the same time.
Learning English can be stressful but listening to music is relaxing. If you are relaxed and not stressed you are able to learn better and remember more. So, even if you are studying an English lesson from a book, playing music in the background, with or without words, can put you in a relaxed frame of mind and help you learn more.
The internet is full of music sites where you can listen to songs and you can download the lyrics. In the show notes, I have 2 links to some American traditional songs and children's songs that you can download along with the lyrics. You can also buy a DVD from the website but that is not necessary you can download the songs for free and listen to them right away.
Some people say music is not the best way to learn English because some songs use non-standard English, slang and bad words. Although this is true, there are plenty of songs that use appropriate language such as the ones in the links that I have given you. So, just choose wisely and follow your passion!
This has been Cassie Brenn for fastfoodenglish.blogspot.com.
Show Notes
Traditional Songs to download
Children's songs to download
Tuesday, April 24, 2012
How to Learn English - Memorization
Listen to me read this post
Hello and welcome to another addition of Fast Food English. This week we are talking about How to Learn English.
One method used for learning a language is memorization. Repeating a word or a phrase over and over again until you know it by heart.
At first, I was not a big fan of memorization. It is easy to memorize words and phrases that you don't fully understand. And if you don't understand it, you won't use it when you speak and you won't understand it when someone says it to you in a real conversation. Also, memorization exercises, like flash cards, can be boring.
But after reading some of the posts on the PhraseMix blog I understand how memorization can be helpful. You can find the links to those blog posts in the show notes. Aaron, the author of PhraseMix says that when you focus on one small thing and then go back to the big context, you will have greater understanding.
So, that means not just memorizing a phrase, a grammar point or vocabulary word but learning it and understanding it fully until you know it well and then going back to listening to your favorite things in English.
Now when you're listening to your favorite English TV show those phrases, words, and grammar points will jump out at you. Suddenly you are going to hear them and understand them and your overall understanding of English will grow.
So, PhraseMix.com is a great website for memorizing phrases. It gives a good explaination of every phrase so you understand it and use it properly.
Another example of using memorization to learn English is the English Central video I have for you in the show notes. This video is of Japanese students learning English by memorizing speeches by famous Americans. In this example, they are memorizing a speech by US President Obama.
What do you think about memorization for learning English? Do you memorize new words by using flash cards or other methods? Share your thoughts with me and the other readers in the comments.
Thanks for listening this has been Cassie Brenn for fastfoodenglish.blogspot.com
Show Notes
PhraseMix - Why Memorize
PhraseMix - Starting the Snowball
Hello and welcome to another addition of Fast Food English. This week we are talking about How to Learn English.
One method used for learning a language is memorization. Repeating a word or a phrase over and over again until you know it by heart.
At first, I was not a big fan of memorization. It is easy to memorize words and phrases that you don't fully understand. And if you don't understand it, you won't use it when you speak and you won't understand it when someone says it to you in a real conversation. Also, memorization exercises, like flash cards, can be boring.
But after reading some of the posts on the PhraseMix blog I understand how memorization can be helpful. You can find the links to those blog posts in the show notes. Aaron, the author of PhraseMix says that when you focus on one small thing and then go back to the big context, you will have greater understanding.
So, that means not just memorizing a phrase, a grammar point or vocabulary word but learning it and understanding it fully until you know it well and then going back to listening to your favorite things in English.
Now when you're listening to your favorite English TV show those phrases, words, and grammar points will jump out at you. Suddenly you are going to hear them and understand them and your overall understanding of English will grow.
So, PhraseMix.com is a great website for memorizing phrases. It gives a good explaination of every phrase so you understand it and use it properly.
Another example of using memorization to learn English is the English Central video I have for you in the show notes. This video is of Japanese students learning English by memorizing speeches by famous Americans. In this example, they are memorizing a speech by US President Obama.
What do you think about memorization for learning English? Do you memorize new words by using flash cards or other methods? Share your thoughts with me and the other readers in the comments.
Thanks for listening this has been Cassie Brenn for fastfoodenglish.blogspot.com
Show Notes
PhraseMix - Why Memorize
PhraseMix - Starting the Snowball
Monday, April 23, 2012
Topic of the Week - Tips for Learning English
Listen to me read this post
The Topic for the week is ... Tips for Learning English.
I'm guessing that if you are reading this blog you are trying to learn English. Great! You are in the right place. This blog is for people who are trying to learn English and want to learn American English.
But this blog is a little different than your typical "Learn English" site because I'm not an English teacher. I assume you already have one of those. So, there aren't any grammar lessons. There aren't any drills. There is just a lot of talking , in English, for you to listen to.
It's my opinion that if you listen to a lot of English at a level that is easy enough to understand you will improve your listening skills, your speaking skills, and your pronunciation skills.
That doesn't mean that grammar is not important or helpful to your learning. It's just easier to find those lessons in a classroom, a book or the many excellent websites already on the internet. It's harder to find interesting topics in simple English that have audio and text. That's what I try to bring to you each week.
So, that's a little about my idea of how to learn English. This week I will be bringing you links from other websites with other ideas. How do you learn English? What works best for you? Share your ideas with me and the other readers by leaving a comment.
The Topic for the week is ... Tips for Learning English.
I'm guessing that if you are reading this blog you are trying to learn English. Great! You are in the right place. This blog is for people who are trying to learn English and want to learn American English.
But this blog is a little different than your typical "Learn English" site because I'm not an English teacher. I assume you already have one of those. So, there aren't any grammar lessons. There aren't any drills. There is just a lot of talking , in English, for you to listen to.
It's my opinion that if you listen to a lot of English at a level that is easy enough to understand you will improve your listening skills, your speaking skills, and your pronunciation skills.
That doesn't mean that grammar is not important or helpful to your learning. It's just easier to find those lessons in a classroom, a book or the many excellent websites already on the internet. It's harder to find interesting topics in simple English that have audio and text. That's what I try to bring to you each week.
So, that's a little about my idea of how to learn English. This week I will be bringing you links from other websites with other ideas. How do you learn English? What works best for you? Share your ideas with me and the other readers by leaving a comment.
Tuesday, April 17, 2012
Here is a video describing the behind the wheel driving test.
Did you know that YouTube recently added automatic captioning to videos. If you would like to see the English words while the video is playing, press the small cc button at the bottom of the video frame and select transcribe audio. It is a new service and it's not quite perfected yet so on some videos the captions don't match what is being said exactly. For example, when I tried it with this video it didn't work very well. But on other videos it works perfectly. It's one more tool to help you learn and practice English.
listen to me read this post
Friday, April 13, 2012
If I had to pick something ...
Listen to me read this post
In the last post I talked about the common interview question - What is your biggest weakness?
This was the example that I gave
If I had to pick something, I would say my weakness is meeting deadlines.
You may be wondering why I started my answer with the phrase... If I had to pick something
Well, wonder no more... I used this phrase because it's a common way to answer a question in American English that you don't really want to answer.
But you don't have to take my word for it. Check out the website PhraseMix for a more detailed explanation. To find the post on this question and phrase click here.
After you finish reading that post you will want to go to the PhraseMix home page and check out all the other things they have to offer. PhraseMix is a terrific website for learning English. Everyday, website author Aaron Knight publishes a new phrase and explains it's use in clear easy to understand English. It is a great learning tool so, check it out.
In the last post I talked about the common interview question - What is your biggest weakness?
This was the example that I gave
If I had to pick something, I would say my weakness is meeting deadlines.
You may be wondering why I started my answer with the phrase... If I had to pick something
Well, wonder no more... I used this phrase because it's a common way to answer a question in American English that you don't really want to answer.
But you don't have to take my word for it. Check out the website PhraseMix for a more detailed explanation. To find the post on this question and phrase click here.
After you finish reading that post you will want to go to the PhraseMix home page and check out all the other things they have to offer. PhraseMix is a terrific website for learning English. Everyday, website author Aaron Knight publishes a new phrase and explains it's use in clear easy to understand English. It is a great learning tool so, check it out.
Sunday, April 8, 2012
How Do I Learn English?
You want to learn American English and you want to learn it now! What should you do?
Well, I have some good news and I have some bad news.
First the bad news, There is no secret formula for learning English. It takes work, it takes time and it takes trying new things until you find what works best for you.
But the good news is the Internet is full of interesting blogs and websites that can help.
Here is what English Central has to say on the subject.
Well, I have some good news and I have some bad news.
First the bad news, There is no secret formula for learning English. It takes work, it takes time and it takes trying new things until you find what works best for you.
But the good news is the Internet is full of interesting blogs and websites that can help.
Here is what English Central has to say on the subject.
Wednesday, April 4, 2012
Are Poems Good for Learning English
Listen to Cassie reading the following article
YES …
Poems are a fun way to learn English because they are usually short and easy to read. Poems repeat words and phrases so you see them again and again. Poems use visual words that build pictures in your mind. They also involve the senses and emotions.
BUT …
Some poems are for advanced learners. Some poems use made up words. These words can be confusing. Some types of poems use unusual structures and rhythm patterns. They also use symbolic language. Some poems were written a long time ago and use old words that no one uses anymore like thee and thou. Try reading different poets until you find the ones you like best.
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