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.