Take notes and learn English

Since I decided to take my English studies seriously 5 years ago, I’ve been taking notes. 

Now and then I review this material in order to have everything fresh in my mind. That´s a really useful exercise and I feel like it brings me good results. 

Today I came across an article about how taking notes by hand makes us remember information for a longer time. 

Therefore, I’m quite sure that I’m on the right way, hehe! If you don´t do that yet, give it a try. It´s worth it. 

5 ways to say "awesome"

I've heard that the word "awesome" has been overused lately. Thus... it´s time to learn some different ways to say it.  :) 

image from here

wonderful

incomparable

terrific 

spectacular

perfect

Books Should Be Free

Hey you!!! :) How´s it going?

My suggestion for today is : Books Should Be Free

You can find and download free audio books from the public domain. Amazing, isn´t? Perfect to our listening practice. 

There are many different genres such as: adventure, comedy, history, mystery, Philosophy, fiction, short stories and much more. 

I hope you enjoy it!!

image from here

What´s on my wall?

Today I'd like to share with you what I have hung on my wall, in front of my desk, and where I study and talk to some friends in English. I hang up some lists of expressions (words, sentences) on the wall because, for some reason, I always forget when I need to say them. That´s been helping me a lot. I can easily check them out and the conversation may flow naturally.

I even recorded a video!! However, it´s important to say:

- I am not a video maker. Thus, the video has many technical problems (because of this the first part is in black and white and the second one is out of focus).  I promise that the next ones will be better hehe

Click here to watched the video!

PS. Please... don´t forget that I´m only a student. Therefore, I make mistakes and I´m here trying to fix them :) :) 

I hope it helps you as well!  See you around! ;) 

You think English is easy?

Yeahh... it is!!! However... sometimes... :) :) 

Amazing song ....

... to listen to and to practice pronunciation. 

Good words to practice: Romeo, scenery, sanity, calamity, catastrophe, peculiar

TAKE THE LONG WAY HOME LYRICS - SUPERTRAMP

So you think you're a Romeo
playing a part in a picture-show
Take the long way home
Take the long way home

Cos you're the joke of the neighborhood
Why should you care if you're feeling good
Take the long way home
Take the long way home

But there are times that you feel you're part of the scenery
all the greenery is comin' down, boy
And then your wife seems to think you're part of the
furniture oh, it's peculiar, she used to be so nice.

When lonely days turn to lonely nights
you take a trip to the city lights
And take the long way home
Take the long way home

You never see what you want to see
Forever playing to the gallery
You take the long way home
Take the long way home

And when you're up on the stage, it's so unbelievable,
unforgettable, how they adore you,
But then your wife seems to think you're losing your sanity,
oh, calamity, is there no way out?

Does it feel that you life's become a catastrophe?
Oh, it has to be for you to grow, boy.
When you look through the years and see what you could
have been oh, what might have been,
if you'd had more time.

So, when the day comes to settle down,
Who's to blame if you're not around?
You took the long way home
You took the long way home...........

ON THE DANCE FLOOR

image from here

Get out on the dance floor (start dancing)

Get down on the dance floor (dance enthusiastically)

Go crazy on the dance floor (dance wildly)

source: PhraseMix

ON time/ IN time

ON time : at the planned, not late or early. I need to be on time or I'll get fired. 

IN time: with enough time to spare, before the last moment. We arrived in time to get a snack before the show. 

TO x FOR (II)

As I´ve been saying, memorizing some phrases is a good way to improve our fluency. Especially when it´s difficult to use some prepositions like TO and FOR. Here are some sentences which I try to have in mind and use when I need them.  :).

I gave a present TO him.
I´ll show the figures TO you.
He sold a car TO me. 
He sent a letter TO Marry
Can you lend this book TO me?
I paid $10 TO her. 
Read a story TO the children. 
Hand that book TO me, please. 
The teacher said good morning TO the students.
He´s going to introduce Mary TO his family
It sounds good TO me.


Le me buy a present FOR you. 
I got some food FOR you.
She made a sandwich FOR me.
Did she cook dinner FOR you?
Can you do a favor FOR me? (Can you do me a favor?)
He can find a job FOR you.
He left a message FOR you.
Reserve hotel rooms FOR us.
Can you carry the suitcases FOR me?
Could you open the door FOR me?


For more examples, go to S & K

Collocation use with DO, MAKE, GET, HAVE, SET and TAKE

Collocation is something really useful when it comes to improving our speaking skills. I´d like to share with you some helpful boxes created by Inglês na Ponta da Língua.

TO X FOR

I don´t know about you, but for me it´s hard to identify when I´m supposed to use the preposition TO or FOR. I've tried to follow the rules. However, it's still difficult. Thus, I've decided to memorize some sentences by using the chart below. So, I make some substitutions according to my needs, and it's easier not to make mistakes . :)

I must have got this chat from some website or book. I don´t remember and because of this, I don´t have the source, unfortunately. :(

What´s the best tv show to learn English?

Today I'd like to share something I looked for a lot and one day I finally figured out the answer by myself. It´s simple... it´s that one you like the most! :)

It´s boring when you must watch something you don´t like, isn't? So, choose whatever you enjoy: sports, movies, books, medical subjects, politics, travel, entertainment, etc ... everything by using the English language. At first, I know, it´s hard. But, day by day, you get used to everything. By the way, my favorite tv show is Friends. Actually, Friends was the reason I decided to take my English studies seriously. I watch the same episode many many times and laugh as much as it were the first one. So, I start memorizing phrases, expressions, words... and that helps me a lot. Find out what you like the most, and have your English better!!

This is one of my favorite Friends' episodes:

Are you a coffee drinker?

Yes, I am!!! I love drinking coffee. 

And today... what a good surprise!!!! I got my weekly e-mail from PhraseMix and, for this week, Aaron is posting a phrase collection about this delicious drink. :)

Words and phrases for talking about coffee in English

 

How good is learning by using something that we really enjoy, isn't? . This is one of the big secrets when it comes to studying a second language.

By the way, PhraseMix has a lot of different phrases and expressions. According to Aaron, the website is an excellent "tool for those who want to speak real English". So, memorizing these phrases is a great idea to improve our fluency. It´s worth it!!!

The Listserve - a good way to practice your English

The Listserve is a fantastic idea. It´s a website where you can subscribe and receive a message every single day. It´s described as "(...) an e-mail lottery. One person a day wins a chance to write to the growing list of subscribers. It could be you."

I´ve never had a chance to be this winner, but I've been getting amazing massages from people around the world, every day. It's a chance to make friends (and likely you'll need to talk to them in English), discuss a topic or, simply, practice your reading. Give it a try! ;)

This lovely video makes us to think a bit about what we would say to the world!! 

 

How do I improve my English listening skills?

Listening, listening, listening and .... listening a lot. More and more. Always. Even when my learning level was basic and I was barely able to comprehend a few words, I trained my ears to listen to the language as much as I could. It´s really important to be comfortable with the sound of the English language. Over time you get used to it. On Youtube there are countless good channels and my suggestion is The Ellen Show. Ellen Degeneres speaks really fast but if you watch her every single day, it becomes easier to understand what she is saying and, for sure, you are going to have a lot of fun. :) 

Let x Lets x Let's

According to the Macmillan Dictionary :

Let ("lets" is the third-person ) - "to allow something to happen" :

I stepped back and let him pass.

Here, let me help you. 

She lets her hair down (Tokens' song) 

Let's - "the usual way of saying of writting 'let us' ". Use it when you are making a suggestion:

Let's go, we are late.

Let's not talk about it. 

Now, let me recommend an excellent youtuber English teacher, who has a video talking about this:

Comic strip

Unfortunately, I don´t remember where this picture is from :(.  

What Do Your Colors Say About You?

Today I´d like to share a pretty cool infographic. It´s one more way for studying English by using fun things. You are going to know a bit about what people think of your personality according to the colours you are wearing. Also, you can relate the colours to different adjectives. Thus, you absorb a block of information and reach more positive results in your learning. :)

For more infographics: www.infographicsshowcase.com

Surround yourself with English

Probably you've heard that being surrounded with English is an excellent way to improve your skills. And it's true! When you don´t have the opportunity to be immersed in the language abroad, having everything around you in English may really work. Besides books, magazines, movies, series, etc, it´s a great idea to tag whatever you can. An example? How about your kitchen? On the web you find several labels for free download. It´s going to help your English learning and, also, you are going to have your cabinets organized. Amazing, isn´t ? I love things which have a multitude of uses. :) 

Take a look at this printable:

I´ve got this one from I Heart Organizing  !! Print it and have fun!!!

Each time you need some of these items, the English word is going to be in your mind. :) 

I have mine done!! Check it out.