Hallo to all,
I am from Germany and I started learning English in September last year.
Sometimes I read the magazine “Spotlight”. There are some interesting articels
written in it.
I would like to know, if there are some other people here who read an English
magazine for improving their English. What do you do for getting better in
English?
Looking forward to your answers.
Kind regards
:twisted: teufelchen53
Hi teufelchen, I figure your name is German, isn’t? Is it something like small devil?
As for your question - I guess there is a lot of things you can do to improve your English. I started reading books in the original version some years back and at the beginning I had to look up a lot of words in my dictionary but then I noticed that the number of words I had already encountered was growing and the ratio between unknown and known words changed. I thinks it’s very important that you are really interested in what you read or your mind will not be willing to take on new vocabulary and phrases. So, you can start by re-reading your favorite books in English.
Then you can discuss these books with others. Good idea?
Hi teufelchen and Kievstar,
It sounds good to read books or magazines and discuss them in this forum. Yes, good idea! But I prefer to read blogs because I can use online dictionary like Babylon. There are lots of blogs in English and you must be able to find blogs which you would like them.
Here is one of my favorite blog. Patrick Web
If you are interested in technology, I would recommend you to read.
Here is something he said about himself.
Hallo Kievstar, hallo Bob,
@ Kievstar
Yes, I am from Germany. I live in Bonn. Translatet into English my Nick would be “imp”. A imp is a tiny little devil.
Sometimes I am standing in a bookshop and looking for some English written books. I would prefer detective stories or a little nice novel. But I only looked and didn’t by one. I think the better idea for me is to go to the library and lend one. Last year I lend “Robin Hood”, a simple written version. It was funy. I agree with you, that this is also a good way for learning a foreign language. At the time it is easier for me to read short articels in a magazin. 
@ Bob
I also agree with you. I often read blogs at the internet but only in my mothertongue. The reason is, that I read them for relaxing and I can’t relax when I have to think English. That’s so at the moment, because I am learning English since September last year and since September this year I am learning buseniss English. I have an exam at the 14th November. When this is over I think I’ve got more time and leisure to read some English blogs. I don’t forget to try it in the End of November.
Thank you both for your responses.
Best wishings
:twisted: teufelchen53
Hi Teufelchen, what kind of exam do you have in November?
EFB Level 2
Hi Teufelchen, what is EFB? I typed it into Google and got ‘European Federation of Biotechnology’, are you a Biotechnology professional? How many levels of that exam are there?
Also, you said you read Blogs, I read somewhere on the internet that it’s a combination of ‘web’ + ‘log’. So, it’s some type of diary on the web? Do you know some interesting blogs in English? Thanks.
Hallo Adreana,
look at the internetside
language-learning.net
Here you can find a link
certificates:
certificates: Prove your language skills! Information on various language tests
and certificates of proficiency
And my one is to find under English:
CERTIFICATES / TESTS FOR SPECIAL PURPOSES
Please read the explanation under
Level 3 (intermediate):
EFB (English for Business) - Second Level
There is explained what the test is about, how many time I’ve got and what I have to do.
Hope, you understand, what I do in November.
The certificates are listet on this side are international recognized.
Best wishes
:twisted: teufelchen53
Hi Teufelchen, So you are taking ‘English for Business’? Thanks for that link, I’ve checked it and this is so confusing. So many different certificates. There is ‘Business English’ and ‘English for Business’. Why did you choose EFB and not BEC or any other certificate? How do you prepare for the exam?
Hallo Adreana,
I agree with you that there are many certificates and in the beginning it’s very konfusing.
I am unemployed at the moment at that’s the only training which I could get. It’s assist by our employment office, so I don’t have to pay for it myself. It’s a course for to get better conditions for a new job.
I am sorry, I can’t explain it better. Hope you understand what I mean. I think it is a special condition in Germany and I don’t know if there is something else in other countries.
Best wishes
:twisted: teufelchen53
Teufelchen, how long is your course and are there also companies involved in it? What subjects are you being trained in? Is unemployment in your country (you are from Germany, aren’t you?) What is your profession? I hope it’s OK to ask so many questions
Hallo Kievstar,
it’s okay that you ask. Who don’t ask can’t get any answers.
Yes I am from Germany and here we have some problemes with unemployment. Some areas espally Eastgermany do have more ploblems than other areas. Bonn has luck because it has only around 8% of unemployment.
Our training runs only three month and half of the time we learn Business English. The other time we have some lessons computertraining, training of application and we have some foundations in business management. But you can’t learn enough about this all in only three month. The most important lessons for me are Business English. Computertraining isn’t so interesting for me, because I am good in that and the business management is very dry.
There are no companies involved in this training. In Germany not many companies do much for the training of their staff. It’s very expensive and they have to think about it. I think we have to find a way to finance it. That’s the problem. Most of the employees want to train after work, but the courses so expensive that the companies must support them and the companies don’t have such much money as some years ago. Our economy becoms worser and worser.
Do you want to know my profession? I learnt to be a lawers assistent, but most of the time I worked as a sekretary in diferent business. I think that I find a new job soon (I hope). But first I want to pass the examen at 14th November. Be so kind and keep your fingers crossed for me.
Best wishes
:twisted: teufelchen53
P.S.
And what do you do? Is there much unemployment where you are living?
Hi Teufelchen, first off, let me tell you that I’ll keep my fingers crossed for your so you’ll pass your exam. In Russian we say ‘ни пуха ни пера’ - it stems from the middle ages where they used tar and feathers to fight their enemies. You have to reply ‘к черту’ - ‘go to the devil’ which I find very appropriate in your case because of your nickname
I thought the economy in Germany is the strongest throughout Europe and now you are telling me that it is getting worse and worse. What do you think has to be done in order to create new jobs?
You are asking about unemployment in the Ukraine - well, I think it is a rather serious issue for us too. Since the collapse of the Soviet Union a lot of businesses have been closed down and people have been made redundant and unlike in Germany they have not been supported by state run organizations so everyone has to look for new income resources. I used to work as school teacher and now I have a job at a small translation agency.
What about the other members here on the forum. Where do you work/study? Is unemployment a problem in your country?
Hallo Kievstar,
a apologize for writing so late.
The German economy isn’t as strong as you think. We do have many problems. At the moment many people are displeased with our economy and our politics.
We have more than 4,5 million people unemployed. That’s very bad, I think. The taxes grow higher and higher and thats bad for business.
Many young people don’t find a apprenticeship place after school and our politicians don’t do anything. Germany isn’t the golden West as many foreigner think.
I think we mustn’t rise the taxes. We have to slow them down. If the taxes aren’t so high the better will be the economy. The better the economy the more employed people we have. You understand what I want to say?
Hope I explained you Germany a little bit.
Best wishes
:twisted: teufelchen53
Depending on English learners’ interests, magazines can be more fun and easier to read (thus less discouraging) than newspapers. This reminds me of a little anecdote about my London episode (I can hear a few ‘Oh no! There she goes again’, but I won’t be deterred 
):
Have you ever travelled on the tube (the London underground)? There might hardly be any more businessmen in bowler hats and carrying big black umbrellas, but back in 1977 you could still see a few. Now being shy makes me feel awkward and self-conscious in certain situations and that was one of them: sharing a rush hour journey on the tube with all these serious, self-important looking and brow-knitting people was not my favourite moment of the day. So to make the ordeal more bearable, I found nothing better to do than trying to read the International Herald Tribune or rather pretending to, since I used it more as a shield than for educational purposes – like an ostrich burying its head in the sand, I suppose. Besides, it made me feel terribly grown-up (I was awfully young at that time)!
Between you and me, I didn’t get much of what I was supposedly reading, but who cared as long as it looked (or so I thought) ‘cool’ – not that you used this word to mean ‘impressive’ in those days; you would say ‘smashing’, for instance, but then again this is a stronger word, I think.
The best part of it was that, afterwards, and to make up for it, I just had to treat myself to a Mars bar (for which I seemed to have a constant craving in those days).
EFB Level 2