In addition to your site and my suggestions here there are a lot of websites with advice and tips for practising English. I’ve explored a lot of websites with advice for practising English, and I’ve selected the most useful practical material to share with people interested in this issue. Maybe users of this site would like to share information (websites, books, articles, etc) on the most useful helpful advice and tips for practising English. Users of this site could benefit a great deal from that information.
When it comes to materials that learners of English can use, it’s important to point out that are two main groups of resources:
- ESL
- authentic
ESL (English as a Second Language) is often contrived, outdated and artificial. I have not met a single native speaker who has ever used any ESL materials. (Apart from English teachers, of course.) The reason for this simple: The vast majority of all ESL materials consist of theoretical explanations and boring dialogues no native speaker would ever want to read or listen to.
Authentic resources are any materials that native speakers use such as TV shows and programs, movies, podcasts, audio books, radio programs, newspapers, books, articles, chatrooms such as PalTalk, etc. Most learners of English are stuck with ESL materials and because they are so boring, the learners often give up. The only reason why learners of English learn English is because they want to understand and communicate with native speakers. That’s why ESL learners need to get rid of ESL materials and resources as soon as possible. Even better, if they never use any ESL materials. They can learn English like native speakers starting by listening to children’s audio books and watching cartoons.[YSaerTTEW443543]
TOEIC listening, question-response: When are you going to submit your cost estimates?[YSaerTTEW443543]
Hi Torsten,
I’ve discovered a website that advances an unusual English learning and practising approach. So far I am sceptical about the effectiveness of that approach.
Maybe you could explore the site bridge2english.hubpages.com/hub/ … mes-Faster and express your opinions in this issue.
Dear Torsten and Competent,
I would like to take online writing classes to improve my writing skills. I have been searching and reading reviews about it, but I am having difficulties to make a choice. I would greatly appreciate if you recommend a very good one.
Kindly,
kkebe
I urge you to read about free online English writing courses on the following websites:
education-portal.com/articles/10 … nline.html
reference.yourdictionary.com/res … urses.html
At your request I could also provide you with a list of websites with resources for developing English writing skills.
Dear
Thank you so much for quick response and suggestion. I will do it.
kkebe
Hi Comptetent,
Some of the ideas outlined in that blog post are very good and I totally agree with them. However, the author is also trying to sell a software program that contains ‘lessons’. Looking at the screenshots of the program I can tell that the contents are as boring as most other ESL materials. Also, learning English using a software program you need to install doesn’t make much sense. Why use artificial materials when the world is full of authentic resources that are used by native speakers?[YSaerTTEW443543]
TOEIC listening, question-response: Where do you get your suits dry-cleaned?[YSaerTTEW443543]
Hi Torsten,
Could we exchange information on the most helpful tips and advice for learning and teaching various aspects of English? We and users of this site would greatly benefit from that information. I hope my articles also help learners and teachers of English in their English language activities.
Hi Competent, sure we can exchange this type of information and yes, your articles are very helpful to learners and teachers of English indeed.[YSaerTTEW443543]
TOEIC listening, question-response: You haven’t registered for the conference yet, have you?[YSaerTTEW443543]
Hi Torsten,
Below are the websites I’ve found on the most helpful advice and tips for learning and teaching English (ESL/EFL). I believe my advice and tips are equally helpful and supplement the advice and tips below. I just wonder how many learners will eventually follow my advice in their English language activities.
ADVICE AND TIPS FOR ESL TEACHERS:
eslgold.net/teacher/tips.html
teachingenglish.org.uk/articles
tesall.com/esl-tesol-articles/
tesol.net/teslart.html
edition.tefl.net/category/articles/
edition.tefl.net/category/ideas/
iteslj.org/Techniques/
btinternet.com/~ted.power/teflindex.htm
teacherjoe.us/Teachers.html
www.rong-chang.com
pearsonlongman.com/teaching- … ethod.html
eslall.com/learn_english_748.html
ADVICE AND TIPS FOR LEARNERS OF ENGLISH:
langcent.manchester.ac.uk/re … ng-skills/
esl.fis.edu/learners/advice/index.htm
bbc.co.uk/worldservice/learn … es/#guides
bbc.co.uk/worldservice/learn … utenglish/
englishtips.org/learnenglish/
learnenglish.de/improvepage.htm
helping-you-learn-english.co … tents.html
linguanet-worldwide.org/lnet … s/tips.htm
linguaphonegroup.com/learningadvice
linguaphone.co.uk/the-lingua … ethod.html
ADVICE ON ISSUES OF LISTENING IN ENGLISH:
englishlistening.com/study.jsp
ADVICE ON ENGLISH VOCABULARY ISSUES:
lc.ust.hk/~sac/advice/english/vocabulary/V1.htm
eslgold.com/vocabulary/learn.html
eslgold.com/vocabulary.html
www.improvingvocabulary.org
www.vocabulary.co.il/vocabulary-learning-resources/
ADVICE ON ENGLISH GRAMMAR ISSUES:
eslgold.com/grammar/review.html
eslgold.com/grammar.html
bbc.co.uk/worldservice/learn … challenge/
bbc.co.uk/worldservice/learn … ex.shtml#b
eslconversationquestions.com … s/grammar/
I would appreciate if you could provide me with some new important information on advice and tips for learning and teaching English.
Dear Competent,
Thank you so much for the website, it is very helpful.
kkebe
Hi Torsten,
Perhaps you may want to learn more about the book below for your teaching activity.
English for All Levels: An Essential Reference for all students and learners of English, 2006, 442 pages). Book description on amazon.com:
The first of its kind reference which helps you learn English from the beginning up to the highest levels easily and within a short time.
Let me know what you have found out about this book (how valuable it is).
Hi Comptetent,
Thanks a lot for posting these resources, I’m sure many of our users will find them useful. As for me, I prefer to use English as a means to achieve my goals rather than viewing English as the goal itself. So, instead of reading books for students of English, I prefer to read books and materials read by native speakers of English. I think I have tried to make that point many times.[YSaerTTEW443543]
TOEIC listening, question-response: What’s the matter with the air conditioning?[YSaerTTEW443543]
Hi Torsten,
Are you an adherent of a particular unconventional English teaching and learning
methodology? What are your views on teaching and learning English grammar?
What English courses do you use in your teaching activity?
Could we exchange opinions about the most practical, comprehensive and helpful courses of general English for daily living use.
As for me I highly value some English courses by Longman Publishing Co., Oxford University Press and Cambridge University Press. There is my list of valuable English courses in one of my posts here.
I’ve gathered a lot of useful information on various issues of teaching and learning English that users of this forum may be interested in and which may be helpful to them
in their English language activities.
Hi Micheal!
I am not preaching you. From my personal views, it could help you.
Sometimes I feel I am a funny one because where is my goal? That is why a lot of
interesting matters are my subjects. The University from I came out in Bangladesh(160
million people), it still leads 60/65% all civil servants got chances from here.
I just avoided civil service in my life.I did right.(my surrounding says wrong including family members). Once in a Garments merchandizing class, (among three of the countries,the USA imported from here), I just said- ‘In business and politics, what you know doesn’t matter, it is whom you know’! That class, a Colonel was present (might have retired!). From next day, he was absent!
This slogan used to put by ‘British Petroleum’ on advertisement in the ‘The Economist’. BP is one of the 500 leading companies in the world, by rating FORTUNE.
I heard, that man is now one of the rating Garment industrialists in Bangladesh.
Torsten wrote about language-bridge.com : “Some of the ideas outlined in that blog post are very good and I totally agree with them. However, the author is also trying to sell a software program that contains ‘lessons’. Looking at the screenshots of the program I can tell that the contents are as boring as most other ESL materials. Also, learning English using a software program you need to install doesn’t make much sense. Why use artificial materials when the world is full of authentic resources that are used by native speakers?”
Below are my views on the issue: My extensive exploration and numerous responses from authoritative specialists, teachers and learners of English to me on the issue of the most effective English courses have convinced me that English communicative integrated skills courses are the most effective and the most comprehensive courses. There is no valid reason to reject those acclaimed successfully tested courses worldwide as inferior to software products like of Language Bridge. Arkady Zilberman is in the abject tiny minority of doubters inventing allegedly easier, quicker and more effective language learning methods and products, but the evidence and verified facts are not on his side. Conventional communicative English teaching and learning that include adequate regular long-term practice in listening comprehension and speaking English yield effective results. Lack of such practice in English produces speculations that conventional English learning and teaching methods don’t work.
Hi Torsten,
I read your professional profile and I learned that in the past your English language activity was connected with Ukraine and Russia. I’ve found some interesting Ukrainian and Russian websites with really good content in English for learners and teachers of English. Maybe you already explored some of them in the past. We could exchange information on this issue since some of those websites have especially useful professional articles in English on learning and teaching various aspects of ESL/EFL and other impressive content. I find the following websites quite useful:
uastudent.com/category/english/e … thodology/
phraseteacher.com/topics.htm (valuable for learning English phrases)
usefulenglish.ru/
fluent-english.ru/
englishtips.org/