3. Reading books, underlining unknown words...

3. Reading books, underlining unknown words, finding them in dictionaries and later...
(see point 2)
Seven-eight years back I had a student who once had told me he had to 'survive'  7-10 opening pages of almost any new book. 
Then, as soon as he learned the author's vocabulary, the rest of the book 's could be read without a dictionary.
I'd tried to check this statement and had to agree with my student.
The readers' notes, underlined words or written in pencil Czech equivalents on the pages of the English books that I borrowed from the library, proved this observation. 
I have thought about reading English literature by learners of English and now would like to share with you a few ideas.
Here are a few general goals for reading literature.
1. Getting information (the most used these days)
2. Entertainment
3. Other.
Reading books in English brings an additional goal: learning a real language used in real life by real English-speaking people.
Here are some pros and cons, though.
Well, literature written by a English native speaking (and writing) author is certainly a big bonus for a learner of English.
But one has to be careful: English is so hugely different in all pats of the English-speaking world, in all kinds of groups of people, in all spheres of human activities where folks speak English.
Another readers' 'headache' is the time when the book was written: English changes slightly almost every five-seven years and changes more 'dramatically' every decade.
So, if you still say: "How do you do?" meeting an English-speaking individual for the first time, instead of 'Hi' or "Hello', get ready to receive an ironical look, at the least.      
That's why I recommend you to choose a book that was written 3-5 years preferably by a writer who started her writing career not long ago. 
Otherwise you are in danger of familiarizing with the language which was used decades ago.
( Or, which is the best choice, read newspapers. )
All right. Let's assume, the book is chosen.
What to do next?
To read for comprehension or understanding each word and therefore, learning the language?
English publishers came to the answer to this question very wisely a long time ago.
They adjust the books to the levels of readers, i.e. the same works are published for the readers of various levels.
That simply means that the same story can be offered with the authentic vocabulary, initially used by the author and several versions of the same text adopted for readers of different levels in accordance with their general knowledge of the language.
I'm afraid, I cannot help you here with the decision making.
One thing I know for sure: nothing is more frustrating that underlining every other word in the authentic text and, on the other hand, reading a primitive text where every word is clearly understood.
Whatever your choice is, always remember: reading is an educative process and apart from any purpose you may try to follow, development of your command of English is one of the most significant goals of reading any English text.
Try, perhaps, to find a balance between a generally informative and linguistically educative reading.
Define the vocabulary you use in your native and learn the same vocabulary in English: it will help you express your ideas easily in a foreign language.
Remember, contrary to a popular statements of your educators, advocates of the method of  thinking in English for speaking English, you always unconsciously create your phrases in your native before producing them in a foreign language unless you speak English 6-7 hours ever day for at least one year...
Remember also, which method of reading you take for yourself, 
                                                  You are responsible!
Till next time, bye-bye.
 George

2. Learning vocabulary in city transport on the way to and from work.

"What's wrong with this method of developing one's English skills?" you may say. Commuting and reading magazines, books, or just listening to music is a regular thing to do, right?If so, why not to spend the same time with learning English vocabulary, instead? 

Actually, I personally, have nothing against it. All methods are good, why not transport self-studies? 

Let's talk about a few most common habits of travelling learners or learning travelers. 

Group A. These students just learn all from small dictionaries. Any time these dictionaries can be taken from the beg and after a few minutes of 'learning' taken back into the bag. 

Group B. After texts vocabulary from the textbooks are read and learned by the advocates of this method. 

Group C. Card 'players'. A pack of self-made cards with one language on one side and their equivalents on the other one. 

Group D. Printed/hand-written lists of words collected from the texts or other sources.

A tiny bit more thoughts about each approach. First of all. Whatever is done is netter than nothing is done at all. Period. 

With method A learners have little motivation for blindly repeating the vocabulary and the temptation to divide the words on 'necessary' and 'unnecessary'. Let's say a student sees the word and based on his own native language experience accepts this word or phrase as a candidate for probable future life usage or, on the other hand, for neglecting. The real life situations where the ones or the others may or may not be used can be very much different. 

Method B seems more productive for a learner knows the situation described in the text and hopes that something similar may some day happen to him. This learning makes more sense, though. 

Method C doesn't make much sense to me as it evolves a mechanical memory for learning the words and phrases that are not gathered into a story and learned separately from the contest. 

Method D is the most useful as it goes as a logical continuation of the process of learning that was started in a classroom.

As a conclusion, we can acknowledge the fact that the bus, train or metro atmosphere with people talking around can hardly help us concentrate on the words and phrases we so no wonder that most of transport learning has little or no progress at all.

Till next time 

George 

Nine 'most useful' methods of learning English.

Dear Friends,
Let's talk about nine, accepted by many, 'most useful' methods of learning English.
Starting from the least effective, here's my list.
1. Watching American movies with subtitles.
2. Learning vocabulary in city transport on the way to and from work.
3. Reading books, underlining unknown words, finding them in dictionaries and later...(see point 2)
4. Listening to American music
5. Exchanging messages with English-speaking forums' participants
6. Listening to educational CDs in a car.
7. Having free online lessons.
8. Learning English in groups.
9. Watching video lessons.

1. Watching American movies with subtitles.
I have never met one person who had not advocated this method of learning English.
Well, as in many areas of human life, we like living in the world of nice dreams, fantasies and illusions.
 Watching American movies with subtitles is one of our most pleasant learning English fantasies.
Most of my students believe that the fact of seeing an American movie will automatically and inevitably bring them to a higher level of their English.
This just not true and here is why:
We go to movies, don't we, to spend good time, to enjoy a nice work of movie-makers, esp. if their film had received movie awards. Popcorn, coca-cola, and other attributes of movie-trips multiply the enjoyment.
Now, imagine an English learner who is at a start of her endeavor of developing English speaking skills, watches the movie, tries to grasp a few words of English speech and simultaneously reads the lines of translated sentences.
(sometimes a far cry from what it is in English).
After a few minutes she finds herself in the position of neither spectacle nor learner.
Do you agree?
About the next point, #2, tomorrow.
Till then, bye-bye
George

Spiritual Values vs Materialistic Values

Something about a well-known subject of happiness.
I believe there are two basic concepts of getting closer to the state of happiness:

• Collecting materialistic values and 
• Gaining spiritual treasures.

Do I have to say which is much more acknowledged by the majority of the humankind?

Collecting material values is the number one choice for most of us.
Here is the trap, however.
The more we have the more we want to have. It holds true with anything: houses, islands, cars, lands, money...you name it.
To satisfy the hunger of our pride, this 'monster' living in us, is almost impossible.
As soon as we have a new car, we think of another one bigger, more modern or more comfortable.
At the very instant we see something worth seeing in the possession of our neighbors, we become restless, sleepless unless we own the same something or preferably, better...
But the worse thing is that these values do not please us for a long time-a day a week a month, perhaps.
Than, at once we find out that a nice journey is what we need for a complete happiness!
We return home and realize that geography is not the way to escape from yourself. 
Yet, even much worse that we feel we are still far from the so long awaited state of happiness: something is still missing and we are sure that as soon as we possess this something we will become happy.

Now, spiritual way of moving towards happiness.
This is how you grow spiritually: what kind of wise books you read, what people you listen to and how much you think about what you are ready to bring to people around you.
In short, your mission.
Your message to the people of the world. Why 'the world'?
Simple: the messages you post in your blogs, the comments you post are read by people from as many as seventeen -twenty countries from all corners of the planet!
You are responsible for forming your readers' philosophy.
Today one of my students asked me if I hoped that what I shared with my listeners would immediately change something in the way they see they thing of behave.
"I'm just doing what I believe is true, correct!" I replied.
I am responsible for anything I say and do.This is my credo and this is my message.
We are responsible for our own spiritual growth because spiritual treasures do not change daily!
That is their real value!
Till next time!
George

Know-How of English Pronunciation.

In my latest message I shared with you some ideas about three basic elements for speaking or starting to speak English
Now let's look critically at the fourth aspect of speaking English which is:
Pronunciation
Who has never been troubled by the way English speakers talk to themselves and to their listeners around the world.
Learners of English are amazed by the variety of sounds produced by the speakers from different parts of the English -speaking world.
But, do you ever think that even in such a small territoriality country as the Czech Republic dwellers also enjoy a variety of accents and dialects?
They can easily recognize a native of Moravia (Eastern part ) or villagers next to the town of Cheb on the West as soon as the moravians or chebians address to the natives of Prague.
 OK, what to do with the English pronunciation? Which one to accept as the right one for you?
Let me ask you a simple question:
"Have you noticed that when you spend a lot of time in the company of someone who often repeats some words and expressions, you unconsciously, begin using the same phrases after your communicative partner?"
 Yes, you got it!
Whatever the way you pronounce the words in English, as soon as you spend some time in the English-speaking environment, you will automatically imitate the accent of people around you.
I have met Czech speakers of English who adopted Irish pronunciation after a couple of months spent in Ireland or American accent during their two-months stay in LA.
What if you have no .... to live/work in an English-speaking country?
Good question!
Find out on the Internet the speakers you enjoy listening and imitate them!    
Just that simple!
The best way, however, is to use the dictionaries where the words are pronounced (Google-translator, for example) and keep repeating the words!
Just get going!
And the final recommendation:
 The more you repeat the better you are at ANYTHING!
English is no exception!
So, repeat dozens of times words and phrases and you'll be fine!
Cheers
George

Three Basic Elements to Speak English

Dear Learners of English
In order to say a sentence in English, you should know the Three Basic Elements:

• The Tense.
• The Word order.
• The Vocabulary.

The Tense. 
If you want to explain something and to be understood, you should use a proper English grammar tense, one of the twelve tenses.
In fact the more educated you are the more tenses you are able to speak with.
But, for a start learn these four: three Simple and the Present Continuous Tenses. With these four you can say anything you need to describe past present and future events and future intentions (Present Continuous). This is a must, a necessary minimum.
Some even native speakers have hardly any ideas of the total number of the tenses or the names of the ones they use (tested and checked, trust me).

The Word Order.
Simple sentences in English have a strict word order for affirmative, interrogative and negative forms. Learn them and you'll be safe til the moment you feel the impulse of getting ahead towards more complicated (advanced) English.

The Vocabulary.
Record your native command of the language during the day, fix the words you use for daily life situations, be amazed by a limited amount of your vocabulary and make a list of the same words in English.
Learn them and you'll be happy till the instant you have upgraded yourself mentally to the level when you started speaking a more sophisticated native language. This will inevitably lead you to a better English performance desired.

Pronunciation???
It's the talk of the next post.
Till then,
Bye-bye
George