English for the Real World: Essential Language Skills for Daily Life


Book Description

"English for the Real World: Essential Language Skills for Daily Life" is a practical and engaging guide designed to help learners of English develop the necessary language skills to thrive in their everyday lives. This comprehensive book covers a wide range of topics, including grammar, vocabulary, conversation, and essential communication skills. With a focus on real-world situations, this book provides learners with the tools they need to confidently navigate various scenarios, whether it's ordering food at a restaurant, booking a hotel, or engaging in casual conversations with native English speakers. Each chapter is carefully crafted to provide clear explanations, relevant examples, and useful exercises to reinforce learning. In addition to building strong foundational grammar and vocabulary skills, "English for the Real World" emphasizes effective communication strategies. Learners will discover how to express their ideas clearly, ask questions, and engage in meaningful discussions. The book also offers guidance on writing emails, giving presentations, and understanding cultural nuances in different English-speaking contexts. With its practical approach and learner-friendly format, "English for the Real World" is suitable for learners of all levels. Whether you're a beginner or an advanced student, this book will empower you to confidently communicate in English and make a positive impact in your daily life. Embark on an enriching language-learning journey with "English for the Real World: Essential Language Skills for Daily Life" and unlock the doors to effective communication in the English-speaking world.




The First 20 Hours


Book Description

Forget the 10,000 hour rule— what if it’s possible to learn the basics of any new skill in 20 hours or less? Take a moment to consider how many things you want to learn to do. What’s on your list? What’s holding you back from getting started? Are you worried about the time and effort it takes to acquire new skills—time you don’t have and effort you can’t spare? Research suggests it takes 10,000 hours to develop a new skill. In this nonstop world when will you ever find that much time and energy? To make matters worse, the early hours of prac­ticing something new are always the most frustrating. That’s why it’s difficult to learn how to speak a new language, play an instrument, hit a golf ball, or shoot great photos. It’s so much easier to watch TV or surf the web . . . In The First 20 Hours, Josh Kaufman offers a systematic approach to rapid skill acquisition— how to learn any new skill as quickly as possible. His method shows you how to deconstruct com­plex skills, maximize productive practice, and remove common learning barriers. By complet­ing just 20 hours of focused, deliberate practice you’ll go from knowing absolutely nothing to performing noticeably well. Kaufman personally field-tested the meth­ods in this book. You’ll have a front row seat as he develops a personal yoga practice, writes his own web-based computer programs, teaches himself to touch type on a nonstandard key­board, explores the oldest and most complex board game in history, picks up the ukulele, and learns how to windsurf. Here are a few of the sim­ple techniques he teaches: Define your target performance level: Fig­ure out what your desired level of skill looks like, what you’re trying to achieve, and what you’ll be able to do when you’re done. The more specific, the better. Deconstruct the skill: Most of the things we think of as skills are actually bundles of smaller subskills. If you break down the subcompo­nents, it’s easier to figure out which ones are most important and practice those first. Eliminate barriers to practice: Removing common distractions and unnecessary effort makes it much easier to sit down and focus on deliberate practice. Create fast feedback loops: Getting accu­rate, real-time information about how well you’re performing during practice makes it much easier to improve. Whether you want to paint a portrait, launch a start-up, fly an airplane, or juggle flaming chain­saws, The First 20 Hours will help you pick up the basics of any skill in record time . . . and have more fun along the way.




English as a Global Language


Book Description

Written in a detailed and fascinating manner, this book is ideal for general readers interested in the English language.




Polyglot: How I Learn Languages


Book Description

KAT LOMB (1909-2003) was one of the great polyglots of the 20th century. A translator and one of the first simultaneous interpreters in the world, Lomb worked in 16 languages for state and business concerns in her native Hungary. She achieved further fame by writing books on languages, interpreting, and polyglots. Polyglot: How I Learn Languages, first published in 1970, is a collection of anecdotes and reflections on language learning. Because Dr. Lomb learned her languages as an adult, after getting a PhD in chemistry, the methods she used will be of particular interest to adult learners who want to master a foreign language.




Directory of Distance Learning Opportunities


Book Description

This book provides an overview of current K-12 courses and programs offered in the United States as correspondence study, or via such electronic delivery systems as satellite, cable, or the Internet. The Directory includes over 6,000 courses offered by 154 institutions or distance learning consortium members. Following an introduction that describes existing practices and delivery methods, the Directory offers three indexes: • Subject Index of Courses Offered, by Level • Course Level Index • Geographic Index All information was supplied by the institutions. Entries include current contact information, a description of the institution and the courses offered, grade level and admission information, tuition and fee information, enrollment periods, delivery information, equipment requirements, credit and grading information, library services, and accreditation.




Making Your Doctoral Research Project Ambitious


Book Description

This book presents the doctoral dissertation process as not just a way of getting a qualification or even a method of learning how to do research better, but as a substantial and significant piece of research in its own right. The book will inspire current and prospective PhD scholars to take up ambitious and large-scale study projects, dedicating this most important time to a worthy piece of research. This edited collection provides real and outstanding examples of multiple research design methodologies which will allow doctoral researchers to develop a wide set of research skills, leading to the development of a high-quality academic thesis from which peer reviewed research papers and books can emerge. Each main chapter presents the summary of a doctoral thesis, followed by focused aspects from the projects where the contributors highlight the development of a research design, the process involved in executing the design, and present selected findings with their implications. Each chapter concludes with the researchers’ experiences of learning through this journey and the implications of the process for the development of the discipline and their own career. Ideal reading for doctoral students and supervisors, this book is a source of encouragement and motivation for new researchers seeking to challenge general perceptions in the social sciences that PhD or other doctoral research projects must be small-scale rather trivial studies, but can instead produce robust findings that have real-world implications.




The Cambridge Handbook of Childhood Multilingualism


Book Description

Childhood multilingualism has become a norm rather than an exception. This is the first handbook to survey state-of-the-art research on the uniqueness of early multilingual development in children growing up with more than two languages in contact. It provides in-depth accounts of the complexity and dynamics of early multilingualism by internationally renowned scholars who have researched typologically different languages in different continents. Chapters are divided into six thematic areas, following the trajectory, environment and conditions underlying the incipient and early stages of multilingual children's language development. The many facets of childhood multilingualism are approached from a range of perspectives, showcasing not only the challenges of multilingual education and child-rearing but also the richness in linguistic and cognitive development of these children from infancy to early schooling. It is essential reading for anyone interested in deepening their understanding of the multiple aspects of multilingualism, seen through the unique prism of children.




Assessing Young Learners of English: Global and Local Perspectives


Book Description

This volume documents international, national, and small-scale testing and assessment projects of English language education for young learners, across a range of educational contexts. It covers three main areas: age-appropriate ‘can do statements’ and task types for teaching and testing learners between the ages of 6 to 13; innovative approaches to self-assessment, diagnostic testing, self- perception, and computer-based testing; and findings on how young learners perform on vocabulary, listening, speaking, pronunciation, and reading comprehension tests in European and Asian contexts. Early language learning has become a major trend in English language education around the globe. As a result of the spread of teaching English to a growing number of young children, assessment of and for learning have emerged as key issues. In line with this development, there is a clear and emerging need to make early language programs accountable and to assess both the progress children make over time and to quantify their achievement at various stages of development. This volume informs stakeholders about the realistic goals of early language learning, their efficiency, and how much progress children make over time.




Cognate Connections ENGLISH AND FRENCH COGNATES AND SENTENCE EXAMPLES FOR LANGUAGE LEARNERS


Book Description

The language learning process not only enhances individuals' communication skills but also broadens their cognitive, cultural, and social capacities. Each language, with its unique structure, rules, and cultural background, opens a new world to the learner. Although this process can sometimes be complex and challenging, it also offers countless opportunities. Developing effective strategies to overcome the challenges of language learning and to make this process more efficient is of great importance. This book aims to assist you in overcoming the obstacles you might encounter on your language learning journey and in conducting your learning process in a more systematic way. One of the core focuses of the book is to comprehensively examine the role of cognates and similar words in language learning. Cognates are significant tools that facilitate the learning process by leveraging the similarities between the root structures of a language and their counterparts in other languages. These words present familiar structures to learners, thereby making the acquisition of a new language quicker and more effective. The book provides in-depth information on how to learn cognates, how to make this learning permanent, and the contributions of cognates to the language learning process. The section on Cognates and Similar Words discusses the advantages of these words in the language learning process and how they can be used. The similarities in the meaning and structure of cognates reduce the difficulties faced by learners and make the learning process more efficient. This section offers practical information and strategies on how students can effectively learn cognates and how to make this knowledge permanent. Additionally, it details techniques for working with cognates and the best approaches to learning these words. The section on the Impact of Repetition on Learning explores the critical role of repetition in memory and learning processes. Repetition is considered an effective strategy for transferring information into long-term memory. This section comprehensively examines how repetition should be done, which techniques are effective, and the positive effects of repetition on learning. It details the impact of repetition on expanding vocabulary, mastering grammatical structures, and developing overall language skills. The book outlines ways to implement repetition strategies and the benefits of these strategies in the language learning process. The section on Teaching Methods Combining Cognates and Repetition offers practical suggestions on how to make repetition strategies with cognates more effective. This section provides detailed information on how teachers and students can apply repetition with cognates. It also explains how these strategies can be applied through weekly lesson plans and activities for students. The aim is to demonstrate how successful results can be achieved in the language learning process using these methods. The final section, Conclusion and Evaluation, summarizes all the information presented and assesses the role of cognates and repetition in language learning. This section highlights how the methods discussed in the book can be effectively applied and the contributions of these processes to language learning. It also offers suggestions for future research to further improve the language learning process. This book provides comprehensive information on how to effectively use cognates and repetition strategies in the language learning process. It serves as an important resource for language teachers, students, and anyone interested in language learning. We hope that this book will be useful for anyone looking to overcome the challenges of language learning and make the learning process more efficient. We wish for this book to be a guide in your language learning journey and to make your learning process more meaningful and effective. With the methods and strategies presented, we hope to assist you in achieving your language learning goals.




Technology Enhanced Learning


Book Description

Technology Enhanced Learning is an essential reference for both academic and professional researchers in the field of institutional and home education. Technology Enhanced Learning (TeL) has provided tools and infrastructure to education and training disciplines for over a decade. The papers presented in this volume cover research issues including pedagogical and evaluation theories, integrated learning environments, e-learning experiments, trials and overall results from actual TeL deployment. This state-of-the-art volume contains a compilation of select papers presented during the Technology Enhanced Learning (TeL) workshop co-located with the World Computer Congress, August 2004, in Toulouse, France.