What is mastery of a language?

What does it mean to be fluent in a language which is not your own? At what point does fluency become mastery of a language?

Interesting and though-provoking podcast from Kerstin's Fluent Blog. 

YouGlish: Improve your Pronunciation!

How is this for an innovation in learning pronunciation?

YouGlish uses YouTube videos to give you immediate examples of English words used in real life contexts.

Try it! Enter any word (for example, I tried 'sausage'). The search engine locates video examples in British, American or Australian English.

English Through Stories

Lots of great vocabulary tips here on Facebook at English Through Stories. 
Tips on:
* Talking to doctors in English
* Giving directions
* Words to use instead of 'look' and 'say' 
* Phrasal verbs 

And many more! 

Check your pronuciation

If you want to check how to say a word in English, why not visit www.howjsay.com/? This is a free online dictionary - and it talks! (Note - if you use Firefox you can also get an add-on which allows you to access howjsay.com from your keyboard).

For more tips on English pronunciation, including the main sounds in English, see BBC Learning English.

False friends/Faux amis

English and French: False Friends/Faux Amis
Lots of words in English and French are the same - or nearly the same - which is great for people learning or using both languages. But it can also be a language trap: many words look the same but have very different meanings in practice. They are called 'false friends' (or faux amis).

I have a found a great list of English/French false friends - see here.

Word Roots and Prefixes

Why not spend some time in the roots of English?

Word roots are the prefixes, suffixes and other useful bits on which a written language is based.

For example, in English the root abs- is used in words like absent and absolve, and suffixes like -ness are used in words like kindness and happiness.

Knowing word roots is a great way to expand your vocabulary - and maybe to make links with your own language! No language is completely alone in the world. The roots of languages meet and intertwine!

For a big reference chart on word roots see PrefixSuffix.com. For a chart of Prefixes only see here.

Negative Prefixes
Look out for the negative prefixes like im-, in- and il- in words like:
* impractical, impatient, impossible (not unpractical etc)
* inefficient, inactive, instability (not unefficient etc)
* illegal, illiterate, illogical (not unlegal etc)
For practice in this tricky area, see exercises here and here. There are some rules, but practice in this area makes perfect.

Learning English Site

The BBC's celebrated Learning English site has been redesigned. This site is excellent for improving your reading and listening skills and for learning new vocabulary.

The 'Words in the News' section is updated several times a week. You can read a news article, listen to it and sometimes also watch a video as well.

An example: Learn English With Obama...
President Obama's speeches have become a teaching aid for English students in Japan. Read and listen to the story and check the vocabulary here, and then watch the video here.

And what do you think of the teaching technique used by the Japanese English teacher in the video?

Visual Thesaurus

I have already mentioned the the Visual Thesaurus on the blog before. If you have not seen this amazing new concept for learning and exploring words - try it! You can also sign up for an email 'word a day'.

Left: this is the visual thesaurus result for the word 'mind'. Click to enlarge. You can see the different groups of meanings connected to the word.

Good Grammar Web Site

A good and easy to use web site for testing and improving your knowledge of English grammar is English Grammar Secrets by Caroline and Pearson Brown.

The exercises are fun, interactive - and completely free!

Word Cloud

Word Clouds are a great new way to explore a language - and learn new vocabulary!

A Word Cloud is just that - a cloud of words. Made with Java, word clouds arrange words in a way which shows how often they are used in a particular text. And you can keep changing the design of the cloud.

Here is the word cloud for this blog going back to 2005! See Wordle.net to make your own word clouds. 

Improving Listening and Speaking

The BBC Learning English web site (for several years now my favourite web site for English) has launched two new podcast services which could help your listening and speaking skills.

The How to.... podcasts have lots of words and phrases you can use in typical situations such as ordering a drink (very useful!), making a suggestion, and giving instructions. Very clear and practical tips, easy to listen to, suitable for Intermediate level.

Reading Tip

“What gives me hope? Music-making. Because, before a Beethoven symphony, Mozart's Don Giovanni or Wagner's Tristan and Isolde, all human beings are equal."

Israeli pianist and peace activist Daniel Barenboim reflects - on his sixtieth birthday - on peace, art and the Middle East. Barenboim is a unique figure. Born in Argentina, he has both Israeli and Palestinian citizenship.

Read his essay at his web site . Well worth the time and effort, and written in a beautiful style.

Fewer or Less?

When do we use 'fewer than' and when do we use 'less than'?

Both words are comparatives. But they are - usually - used in different situations.

'Fewer' means 'not as many' and refers to things that can be counted and where a plural is possible (eg apples, people):

Fewer than ten apples remained after the meal.

'Less' means 'not as much' and refers to things that are uncountable and do not usually have a plural (eg sugar, time, money);

The organisers had less money and less time than last year.

However, this can be a tricky area when it comes to quantity. For example, with 'ago' we say 'less than' when referring to a single period of time:

I started working here less than six weeks ago. (= one period of time)

For an excellent exercise, see here.

For an interesting discussion about these two little words - 'fewer' and 'less' - see here.

Reading and Listening

One of the best ways to improve your English is to read and listen at the same time.

Here are two BBC sites where you can read articles in English and listen to them at the same time:

1. BBC From Our Own Correspondent. Short stories from around the world. Nice listening length designed for radio.

2. BBC News English. Up-to-date news stories with vocabulary highlighted. Ideal for 10-15 minute break.

Recommended Web Site

If you need to practise your English grammar, try the web site Grammar Quizzes run by teacher Julie Sevastopoulos in California.

This clear, easy-to-use site has lots of exercises on all parts of English grammar with good explanations and answers given.

Check it out!

Learning Phrasal Verbs

As you have probably realised by now, English has a lot of phrasal verbs. That is, verbs which take a preposition (or an adverb) to create a new verb - a phrasal verb.

For example:

put + forward = He put forward a useful proposal for change. (= proposed)
look + into = They agreed to look into all complaints. (= investigate)
work + out = Can you work out the total for me? (= calculate)

Notice that there is usually another, more 'latinate' word available. But phrasal verbs are used a lot in conversation.

How do you learn phrasal verbs?
The best way to learn phrasal verbs is the same as with all other vocabulary: see them, note them, and use them as much as possible.

With phrasal verbs, it also helps to study the contexts in which they are used. For example, a lot of phrasal verbs are used in connection with telephones:

call up, put through, cut off, hang up, speak up

Or driving:

pull over, pull out, turn on, turn round, back up, fill up

Or daily routines:

wake up, get up, wash up, put on, take off, switch on

When you read and listen to English, look out for phrasal verbs because they are everywhere in English, especially in everyday situations.

Resources
For an excellent summary of phrasal verbs, and the four different types of verbs, see this excellent page by Peter Hall.

For another overview of phrasal verbs with examples, see here.
For more exercises and a dictionary of phrasal verbs, see here.

Expanding Your Vocabulary

Several people have asked me recently about good sites for expanding vocabulary in English.

My top tip is the BBC Learning English site, especially the News English section. Here you will find articles every day with vocabulary highlighted. You can also listen to each story. Ideal for a coffee break or lunchtime!

Look out also for 'Words in the News' - and explore the rest of this excellent site for learning English.

Also, see here for a big list of ideas for expanding your vocabulary.

UN Language Proficiency Exams

You might like to know that the web site for the United Nations Language Proficiency Exams has been redesigned. See here.

You can now download practice papers for exams in the six official UN languages.

Great Web Site on Words

What's the most common word in English?

If you are a word-lover you could find yourself spending some happy times at WordCount, a web site that finds words in English and tells you how common they are.

See Word Count.

Language Notes

Here are some random - but common - language issues:

1. resemblance

This word is usually used with the verb 'bear' (past tense: 'bore') + 'no':

The picture bore no resemblance to the person.

Also, 'there' can be used + 'between':
There was no resemblance between the picture and the person.
2. drop

A lot of common phrasal verbs used 'drop'. Here are some examples:

Can you drop the parcel off at my house? (= leave, deposit)
Would you like to drop by some time and we'll have a coffee? (= casual visit)
I'll drop you off at the station. (= give someone a lift)
When we're in Paris we always drop in on our friends the Sarkozis. (= unannounced visit)

3. given

'Given' is widely used as a linking word instead of 'because of' or 'thanks to':
Given the cut in the budget, we will have to reduce the number of missions.
'Given' + 'that' can also mean 'in the light of' or 'as':
Given the success of the programme so far, we are seeking to extend it in the coming year.
4. regardless of, irrespective of

This word is nearly always better than 'without regard for':

Participation in full-time education increased throughout the country, regardless of gender.

Similarly, 'irrespective' is better than 'without respect for':
Irrespective of country of origin, the city's inhabitants feel a strong sense of local pride.
5. economic, economical

'Economic' refers to the economy; 'economical' refers to economic functioning, usually of an object, machine or person:
Economic growth was strong in all sectors.
It is no longer economical for me to run two cars.
6. confirm, suggest, explain, propose

Remember that these verbs can't be followed by a direct personal pronoun such as 'me' or 'her'.

Instead, use 'to me' ('to her' etc) or a relative clause with 'that' or 'how':

Could you confirm that my tickets have been sent? (NOT 'confirm me')She suggested to me that I should start looking for a new job. (NOT 'suggested me')
I will explain to you how it works. (NOT 'explain you')
I propose (that) we meet again on Friday. (NOT 'propose you that')

7. Inversions

Usually adverbs go before or after a verb. For example, 'rarely' in these sentences:

I rarely go shopping.
I go shopping rarely.

But what happens if we put the adverb first in the sentence? Then we need to change the normal order of words (pronoun and auxiliary). We need an inversion. For example:

Rarely do I go shopping. (adverb + DO + I + verb)

Inversions are not possible with all adverbs. Here are some common examples. Complete the sentences:

Seldom have I seen......
Little did we know that the....
Under no circumstances should you.....
Not only do I love you but I also....
Never in all my life have I been so offended....

Note: Inversions like these are usually used to show emphasis.

8. also/as well

These mean the same, but take different positions in the sentence. Use 'as well' after the verb; use 'also' before the verb:

I'm also going to the party.
I'm going to the party as well.

Note: 'too' can replace 'as well' in the same position; but 'too' can also be used before the verb to show emphasis:

I too believe that the climate is changing. (= I agree with your opinion)

9. at all/devoid

Use 'at all' at the end of a phrase to mean 'nothing':

There was no vegetation at all.

Also here you could use 'whatsoever'.

'Devoid' is also used, but before the noun + OF:

The area was devoid of vegetation.

10. lack of

This phrase indicates a shortage or absence of resources:

Owing to a lack of funds, the project can't go ahead.
There was a general lack of support for the idea.

Note: 'Lack' can also be used as a verb:

The team lacks a start player.

Test Your Vocabulary - and Give Rice!

Improve your English vocabulary and give rice to the UN World Food Programme.

See this web game run by FreeRice. For every word you get right their sponsors donate 20 grains of rice to the UN World Food Programme.

See how high you can get in their vocabulary levels - there are 50 in all.

For more on the background to this project, see here.

Apostrophes: a User's Guide

I have had a few questions recently about apostrophes in English.
The apostrophe indicates possession - how one noun belongs to another. The basic rules are as follows:

1. If the first noun is in the singular, the apostrophe goes before the 's':

Adam's relationship with Eve. = one Adam
The city's image has changed a lot. = one city
It's the week's best kept secret. = one week

Note that the second noun can be in the singular or plural - this makes no difference to the apostrophe:
Adam's gardening skills did not please Eve.
The city's parks are charming.
The week's events left everyone exhausted.

2. If the first noun is in the plural, the apostrophe goes after the 's':

The cities' leaders vowed to fight on. = more than one city
The players' wives were proud of them. = more than one player
The weeks' events left everyone exhausted. = more than one week

Again, the second noun can be in singular or plural.

3. If the first noun is singular and already ends in 's', use an apostrophe after the 's' (the most common solution) or add another 's':

Keats' poems are world famous.

Ross's solution was the best.

4. Note that some double nouns are so closely connected in everyday life that they make one compound noun. In these cases, no apostrophe is used. Some examples:
the garden fence (not 'the garden's fence')
the door handle (not 'the door's handle')

Did you know?

Some people don't like apostrophes and want to see the end of them.

See Kill the Apostrophe.

Hyphens

The Hyphen: 'a small object of grammatical desire'......
See this BBC article about the hyphen , that little punctuation mark used to connect (or separate) words.

Is the hyphen going strong? Read the article and find out.

By the way: for my notes on using hyphens see my tipsheet here.

Tips for the CPE exam: New Vocabulary

Get Interested in Words and Collocations

When you come across a new word in your reading it is tempting to work out the meaning from the context, and then move on. This is actually a good strategy, and usually works. But not always. Sometimes you need to dig deeper.

When taking an exam like the CPE - and when learning any language at an advanced level - it pays to get interested in words.

For looking up new words, you might find online dictionaries useful. My favourite is the Cambridge Advanced Learners Dictionary. This gives you a number of search options, including idioms and phrasal verbs.

However, there are many more. See here for my review of the top online dictionaries.

For collocations - words that work in particular verbal contexts but not in others - you might like to try some online exercises like these which give you immediate feedback (see the 'Use of English' practice tests).

Also, at the same site, try the excellent daily exercises at the CPE Word Bank.

In a way, collocation is more significant than grammar when you are trying to perfect your language at an advanced level. To take an easy example, see the different ways in which the verb 'get' collocates:
To get you thinking about collocation, you might like to spend some time at the amazing Visual Thesaurus. This is a great place for expanding your word power (but warning: it's a bit addictive!).

Above all: look around you, take note of words and how they are used, and consciously try to expand your vocabulary in speech and writing.

Grammar Tip 30: Subject/Verb Agreement I

Look out for collective words in English - crowd, public, group, team, staff, family, community.

They can take both plural and singular verbs.


Have a look at these two sentences.

The general public has a right to know what happened.
The public have voted on which song they think should win the competition.

Both use the word 'public'. But the word does not mean the same in each case. The first sentence uses a singular verb; the second uses a plural verb.

'Public' is one of many collective words in English that can be used with both plural and singular verbs. The singular is usually used when the public is seen as a whole unit - as in 'the general public' in the first example above. The plural is usually used when the public is seen as a group of individuals or a section of the population - as in 'the public' in the second example.

However, there are no fixed rules about this. It often depends on the situation.

Other collective words include:

audience, class, college, committee, community, crowd, council, counsel, enemy, family, government, group, jury, parliament, press, school, staff, team, university

Sometimes the singular is needed to show that a whole organisation is referred to as an institution or a single thing:

The school is closing for two weeks.
The staff is growing at a fast pace.
The community around here is very mixed.
Today's crowd is enormous.

The plural form indicates that the whole group is not acting as one unit, but as a group of individuals:

The staff are happy with the proposal.
The audience are very restless tonight.
The jury are undecided.
The crowd are really enjoying the day's play.

But sometimes there is hardly any difference between singular and plural uses:

The team are playing well/The team is playing well.
The class are putting on a play/The class is putting on a play.
The family is divided/The family are divided.

On the whole, the plural is more common than the singular.

Note: 'People' always has a plural verb in English. 'Police' almost always has a plural verb.

Grammar Tip 29: Present Perfect take 2

Continuing my notes on present perfect tense...

2. Recent Events

The present perfect tense is often used for events which are in the past but which are recent or relevant to the present time:

I've been painting all morning - that's why I'm covered in paint now.
I've twisted my ankle - that's why I'm limping.
I've crashed the car - that's why I'm walking home.

Although all these events are complete in the past, the results affect the present. Notice the shift to the present tense in the second half of each example.

Compare:

I painted all morning, but I had another engagement in the afternoon.
I twisted my ankle. It took about two weeks to recover.
I crashed the car. But fortunately it was not a total loss.

In these examples the past tense is used to show that the events are finished in time and are not related to the present.

Here is the News....

If you read and listen to news reports you will hear the present perfect tense used a lot to introduce recent events. Usually the tense appears in the first paragraph. The headline is usually in the present tense or with verbs omitted.

Here are some examples from the news today. Notice the use of present perfect tense in each case.

UN Darfur force 'vital' for peace

The UN's top humanitarian official has said it is vital that UN peacekeepers are allowed into Sudan's Darfur region to help end the humanitarian crisis.

Single government for Iraqi Kurds

The parliament in the Kurdish region of northern Iraq has approved a single administration, uniting two rival parties after more than a decade.

UFO study finds no sign of aliens

A confidential Ministry of Defence report on Unidentified Flying Objects has concluded that there is no proof of alien life forms.

But notice the shift to past tense after the first paragraph in this story:

Spanish town has big blind date

A small town in northern Spain has held a huge blind date party to try and help its many single men find love.

The mayor of Villafrechos posted adverts inviting women from elsewhere to take part, out of concern his town's population was falling.

About 90 women showed up and were taken to lunch by more than 50 of the town's men, whose ages ranged from 24 to 68.

(Examples from BBC News website, May 7 2006).

Cows in Paris

Here are some of the cows I saw in Paris last weekend. Spot the UN logo!

More cows here at the Paris Daily Photo Blog.

Grammar Tip 28: Present Perfect take 1

Here's a quick reminder of the nine main tenses in English:Present Perfect Tense

If you have trouble understanding and using the present perfect tense - don't worry! You're not alone. This week I will offer some tips on this tense and how to improve your knowledge of it.

1. Time Words Help

It is helpful to remember a few time words that usually go with either present perfect tense, past tense, or both. You can think of them as three groups:

Group 1:
so far, already, for + period of time, since + fixed time, yet, lately
>These time words often use present perfect tense to indicate indefinite (or unfinished) time.

Group 2:
recently, just, always, never, ever, in the past, until now, today
>These time words use both present perfect and past tense depending on the situation.

Group 3:
ago, last week, yesterday, during
> These time words nearly always use past tense to indicate definite (or finished) time.

Some examples

Group 1:
So far today I have ironed twenty-five shirts and I'm exhausted!
I have already prepared my speech for the meeting tonight.
I have known Jim since I was a child.
I have known Sue for twelve years.
I have yet to see a good film this year. (or: I have not seen a good film this year yet.)
Lately there has been a slight increase in the temperature.

In all these examples, time is indefinite.

Group 2:
Recently I met an interesting artist.
I've met lots of interesting people recently.

The first sentence uses past tense as the time of the event (the meeting) is definite. The second example uses present perfect as the time is indefinite. Note: the position of 'recently' does not make much difference to the tense used.

I always wanted to meet her.
I have always wanted to meet her.

The first sentence uses past tense as the event (wanting) is placed in definite time. Maybe it is now impossible to meet 'her'. In the second sentence present perfect tense is used as the event (wanting) is open and indefinite. I always wanted to meet her - and I still do.

I saw him earlier today.
I've seen him today.

The first sentence uses past tense as the event (seeing) is the most important thing and is placed in definite time. 'Earlier today' is seen as finished time. The second sentence uses present perfect as 'today' is also important and is not finished. So the present perfect indicates indefinite time.

Group 3:
I arrived here twelve years ago.
I had a day off yesterday.
Last week saw a big increase in airport traffic.
During the night I heard a strange noise outside in the garden.

In all these examples, time is definite and finished.

Note: 'Last week' usually needs past tense. However, 'the last week' or 'in the last week' (with an article) usually need present perfect.

In the last week we have seen a big increase in airport traffic.

'The previous week' needs past tense:

The last week has been busy; but the previous week was quiet.

Note: 'since + fixed time' usually needs present perfect. But remember that since can also be used with a verb in the past tense:

I have known Sue since 1989.
Since I met Bob my life has never been the same.

In the second sentence, 'since I have met Bob' would not be correct as the event (meeting Bob) is finished in the past.

*********************************

Just in Time

The good news is that in everyday conversation people often mix present perfect and past tense. It does not always matter which one you use. There is often only a small difference between them. Example:

Did you pour me that drink?
I just did it. / I have just done it.

Is there a difference? Not really. Maybe the second sentence is slightly more recent. 'Just' can go with both tenses.

Grammar Tip 27: It's Time.....

The phrases 'It's time..' and 'It's about time....' are used a lot in English to describe something that should happen or is planned to happen.

Although 'it's' is in the present tense, the second verb is in the past tense:

It's time we celebrated something.
It's time we did something about the garden.
It's about time men and women received equal pay.

The phrase 'It's time..' can also be used with an infinitive:

It's time to celebrate.
It's time to do some gardening.

Interesting Web Site

NationMaster at http://www.nationmaster.com/index.php is a huge independent online database for statistics about countries.

Browsing this site, you can get answers to questions like:

* Which country has the most TV sets per capita (per head)?
* Which country has the highest cannabis use?
* Which country is the most taxed?
* Which country has the highest level of civil and political liberties?
* Which country is considered the happiest?

Tip: Use the site by going to 'Countries A-Z' in the top menu, or 'Top Stats' on the left.