Keys for ESL Students to Improve their English

Keys for ESL Students to Improve their English

1. Practice

Practice English at every opportunity. Practice in and outside class. Don’t be timid. Engage in conversations. Have fun practicing. Read, write, listen and speak. There are 112 waking hours each week. Try to practice English as many of these hours as possible. Practice makes perfect.


2. Self Monitor

Listen to yourself when you speak. Self monitoring means you control your pronunciation and you correct yourself. You think before you speak. The language information in class that students lean helps them become more effective self-monitors. Self monitor every time that you use English. Without constant self-monitoring, students may fall back into old habits and old mistakes. When you self monitor your writing, this is called “editing”.


3. Ask for Correction

Say “thank you” when someone corrects you. Never be defensive or embarrassed about making mistakes. Making mistakes is a natural part of the learning process. No one learns a second language without making mistakes. When someone corrects you, you benefit. You learn from your mistake. Without correction, you will continue to make the same mistakes over and over. Mentally make a note of each correction to avoid the mistake in the future.

from ESL class in CAE school.

Cancelling of student pass

Nguyen Huu Phuc
BLK 43 Sims Drive
#07-203, Singapore 380043

30 July 2009


Ms Amy Rashap
Director in Hawthorn
111 North Bridge Road
Peninsula Plaza # 17-06
Singapore 179098


Dear Ms Amy,
Cancelling of student pass
I'm going to move to MDIS school because I have two problems.
First problem, my sister will study in that school so I want to watch over her.
Second problem, Hawthorn is very far from my house. I have to take a long time to reach school.
I will not be in school on 10 August 2009 onwards. I'm writing this letter to confirm my leaving so that you can cancel my student's pass.
If you have any question, please call for me. My number is 8350.0634

Thank your sincerely.

Nguyen Huu Phuc

What do you know about animals ?

Facts about animals

• penguins have an organ on their forehead between the eyes that de-salinizes water. It can be seen only as a small hole.
• elephants can't jump.
• sheep in scotland faint if you jump out at them.
• bats always exit a cave to the left.
• a giraffe can clean it's ears with it's 21 inch tounge.
• a giraffe can go without water longer than a camel.
• a hippo can open it's mouth wide enough to fit a 4 foot child inside.
• a hippo can run faster than a man.
• a horse can sleep standing up
• a horse has 35 square feet of skin.
• a house fly only lives for 2 weeks.
• a hummingbird weighs less than a penny.
• a jellyfish is 95% water.
• a kangaroo can hop 30 feet at once.
• a kangaroo can't jump unless it's tail is on the ground.
• a large swarm of locusts can eat 80,000 tons of corn a day.
• a lion's roar can be heard a mile a way.
• a male emperor moth can smell a female emperor moth up to 7 miles away.
• a millipede has 4 legs on each segment of it's body.
• a 6 pound sea-hare can lay 40,000 eggs in a single minute
• a blind chameleon can still change colours to match its environment
• a blue whale's heart only beats nine times per minute.
• a cat uses it's whiskers to determine if a space is too small to squeeze through.
• the weddell seal, can travel underwater for seven hours without surfacing.
• a chameleon's tongue is twice the length of its body.
• a cockroach can live several weeks with it's head cut off.
• a cow produces 200 times more gas a day than a person.
• a crocodile always grows new teeth to replace the old ones.
• a crocodile can't move it's tongue.
• a crocodile will some times eat other crocodiles.
• a crocodile's tongue is attached to the roof of it's mouth.
• a dragonfiy only lives for a day.
• a female ferret will die if it goes into heat and cannot find a mate.
• a 2 year old horse has 6 incisors.
• a pig's orgasim lasts for 30 minutes.
• a rhinoceros' horn is made of compacted hair.
• a rodents teeth never stops growing
• a shark can detect one part of blood in 100 million parts of water.
• a shark can grow a new set of teeth in a week.
• a snail can have about 25,000 teeth.
• a species of earthworm in australia grows up to 10 feet in length.
• a starfish can turn its stomach inside out.
• a strand from the web of a golden spider is as strong as steel wire of the same length.
• a typical double-bed mattress contains as many as 2 million house dust mites (demodex folliculorom)
• a rat can last longer without water than a camel.
• a woodchuck only breathes 10 times during hibernation.
• a zebra is white with black stripes.
• abe lincoln's mother died when the family dairy cow ate poisonous mushrooms and she drank the milk.
• according to a recent scientific study, hard rock music makes termites chew through wood at twice the speed.
• you can tell a turtle's sex by it's sound. Males grunt, females hiss.
• all polar bears are left-handed.
• polar bears are the only mammals with hair on the soles of their feet.
• earth worms are hermaphrodites.
• of the many species of the world, 1/4 are bats.
• a goldfish kept in dark rooms will turn white.
• if a frog's mouth is open for too long it will suffocate.
• sharks are immune to cancer.
• after eating, a house fly regurgitates its food and eats it again.
• an elephant can smell water 3 miles away.
• an elephant may consume 500 pounds of hay and 60 gallons of water in a single day.
• an ostrich's eye is bigger than it's brain.
• anteaters prefer termites to ants.
• armadillos are the only animal besides humans that can get leprosy.
• armadillos can be house broken.
• armadillos can have up to four babies at a time and they are always all the same sex.
• goats' eyes have rectangular pupils
• black lemurs are the only primates that can have blue eyes
• it takes seven years for a lobster to weigh one pound
• the difference between male and female blue crabs is the design located on their belly. The male blue crab has the washington monument and the female blue crab's belly is shaped like the u.s capitol
• mice, whales, elephants, elephants, giraffes and man all have seven neck vertebra
• all porcupines float in water
• the poisonous copperhead smells like fresh cut cucumbers
• when angered, the ears of the tazmanian devil turn pinkish red
• a cat has four rows of wiskers.
• cats' urine glows under a blacklight
• an iguana can stay under water for 28 minutes
• the memory spand of a goldfish is three seconds
• all swans and sturgeons in england are property of the queen
• the 2 foot long bird called a kea that lives in new zealand likes to eat the strips of rubber aound car windows
• the honey badger can withstand hundreds of african bee stings that would kill any other animal.
• cats can hear ultrasound
• the cheeta is the only cat that can't retract it's claws
• a lion's roar can be heard from five miles away
• a female swine or sow will always have an even number of teats or nipples
• the sumatran tiger has the most strips of all the tiger subspecies, and the siberian tiger has the least
• tigers' paw prints are called pug marks
• kiwi birds are blind, they hunt only by smell
• all elephants walk on tip-toe because the back portion of their foot is made of no bone just only fat
• giraffes have no vocal chords
• a fullgrown bear can run as fast as a horse
• the mola mola or ocean sunfish lays up to 5 000 000 eggs at one time
• when opossums are playing opposum they aren't really "playing" they pass out from fear
• stag beetles have stronger mandibles than humans
• rhinos are part of the same family as horses, and thought to have inspired the myth of the unicorn
• a ducks' quack doesn't echo
• dogs and humans are the only animals that have prostates
• the placemant of a donkey's eyes in it's head enables it to see all four feet at one time
• camels have three eyelids to protect themselves from the blowing sand
• emus and kangaroos can't walk backwards
• cats have over 100 vocal sounds while dogs only have 10
• hamsters love to eat crickets
• many hamsters blink one eye at a time
• the underside of a horse's hoof is called a frog.
• roosters can't crow if they can't fully extend their necks
• all snakes on the island of tasmania are poisonous
• the fingerprints of koala bears are almost in indistinguishable from those of humans , so much that they could be confused at a crime scene
• emus have double plumed feathers and they lay emerald/forest green eggs

Formal letter !

Michael Nguyen
BLK 43 Sims Drive
#07-203, Singapore 560043

Mr Shan Dani
Teacher in Hawthorn
100 North Bridge Road
Penizula Plaza #06 - 24
Singapore 530222



Dear Mr Shan,

Request to watch a movie,

Today I studied a lot of knowledge so I'm feeling very sleepy and exhausted. I'd like to watch a funny movie. The movie can help me learn English better and I can relax. Another reason I really realize when I watch the movie I can know many newwords and my listening improve very fast. I hope you agree with me.


I hope to hear from you soon.

Yours Sincerely

Michael Nguyen

My plan

At the present, I'm very fine but my study has got some troubles. It goes from bad to worse because of in my head usually think to change into a new school.
I’m intending to do that when I finish half of this course.

I hate my girlfriend,

In recent times, I go out and spend most of time with my girlfriend. She is studying English in Satya’s class and I'm studying in Shan's class. Her English is quite bad and me too. I fell in love with her 4 months ago and I love her very much. Day by day she helps me and change my life to become better. I’m very happy when I sit next to her.
Unfortunately I really realize worry about that because of we took out a lot times already. I known her just learned a little bit English and I didn’t learn anything when we stayed at home. It’s very serious for us when the exam is arriving.
In the case I think it’s my fault. I should and must change, do something.


If she's reading this post I hope she understands and agrees with me.

I promise you I'll never hide.

I Love You!

What did I do on 23 July 2009,

In this morning, I got up at seven to quarter o'clock. I brushed my teeth and had a shower at half past eight. I went out home and ate breakfast in the food center before I went to school by mrt.

My class started at 9 am and our teacher checked absent students. He’s a serious man and quite funny. He usually takes care everybody in class. He teach me and my friends how to write, speak and work group. I have a lot of friends in class and they’re from different countries: Vietnam, China, Indonesia, Malaysia, Russia.

This course, Hawthorn has got 2 class in Intermedia. I know everybody who studies in Intermedia because of we often study, watch movie and have exams in a big room. We have a good break time for lunch near our school. We always talk mother tongue to students who are from same country.

where do I live and Who do I live with ?

I went to Singapore to study for 7 months ago. I live with Singapore family in a flat near Aljunied station. Their house is comfortable and very tidy. They're very kind and goodhearted. My roomate is a fat naughty boy who is from China. He sleeps very late to play computer games and he often snores. Sometimes I can't sleep because of he makes noisy.

Wall-E who is a robot.

This afternoon, My friends and I have watched the cartoon movie. The film has got 2 main characters. Wall-E who was living in the earth and the other character (ABC) is from the other planet. Both of them are robot . They’re very clever and hard working. Wall-E lives with a cockroach. This earth doesn’t have any people, water and trees. When the film started, I saw many big building. I thought it made from the people. It wasn’t true and in the fact It’s made from Wall-E. Everyday, He often collects the litter and creates small square. After that he arranges thing by thing to become a building. After finish his work he comes back home and relax. In the end day he charge new battery for his body to prepare tomorrow morning.

Narrative ^^

Today, I’m going to describe this picture. This picture happens in the park. I choose this picture because of I think it’s very romantic. The weather is very nice and fresh air. It’s lunch time. Someone goes to there to relax. They often sit under the big trees. Two man are sleeping on the clean lawn. They look like exhausted and very alone. I can see 2 old people. They’re talking what happen in the pass. I enjoy to see a lover. They hide in a small umbrella. They’re kissing and talk to each other about love story. That is all.

link: http://095.bz11.com/PicNarration/Michael.wmv


- - - - - - -

I have written a paragraph to tell about a picture. My story is quite simple and I just see a little bit mistakes. I think everything ok.

Today, I’m going to describe this picture. This picture happens in the park. I choose this picture because of I think it’s very romantic. The weather is very nice and fresh air. It’s a lunch time. Someone goes to there to relax. They often sit under the big trees. Two mans are sleeping on the clean lawn. They look like exhausted and very alone. I can see 2 old people. They’re talking what happen in the pass. I enjoy to see a lover. They hide in a small umbrella. They’re kissing and talk to each other about the love story. That is all.

Describe the story in my book,

I'm reading "The Count Of Monte Cristo" story. I saw the film many times and I enjoy it very much. I'm not finish to read book. I just finished chapter 1 and I felt it's not interesting. I'm curious and I really want to know the hold story. But I can't read all in the short time so I decide to look for every pictures in that story. I can guess some information from it. It's very different when I watched the film. Maybe the film isn't true and I think film director makes it more interesting.

Funny week !

This week, I came back Singapore to study in Intermedia in Hawnthorn language school. I was late for 1 week already because my family has got some problems so I didn’t know which class I was going to join. I asked some friends who studies in Satya’s class. They said I studied in Shan’s class. The first I went to study in Shan’s class for 2 hours. My teacher told me have no my name in this class. After that I arrived quickly and asked carefully Andalyn who works in TMC academy at the 17 floor. She told me that I was going to study in Satya’s class. I’m very quiet so when I joined in that class. I’m very afraid of Satya because of she talks very fast, too much and many difficult words but she's very funny and my friends like her very much. I couldn’t follow her and very worry from Monday to Thursday. Another reason, I didn't want to study with my girl friend in a same class because of I couldn't focus to study. I remembered that Ken who is my teacher in Pre-Intermedia. He recommended me go to Shan’s class because of my writing is quite bad. At that moment my thought would like to come back Shan’s class. It might better and accorded with me. Now I study in Shan’s class and I enjoy very much in there.

My vacation

My vacation

My vacation was for 3 days.

Last summer, I went on holiday to Nha Trang and Da Lat with my family by car. Nha Trang and Da Lat are two citys in Viet Nam.

When we arrived Nha Trang. We stayed in the hotel which near the beach. It was very nice and not too expensive. We visited Nha Trang's beautiful sight. Nha Trang people were very friendly and hospitable. The beaches in there so nice with blue pure water. I liked swimming in the sea and sunbathe. My parents and my sister didn’t like the water, they liked to sit on the beach to ate seafood, drank beer and coke. It was very delicious.

The next day, my family went to Da Lat. The weather was cool and a little wet. I visited a lot of places: Hai Mo Hill, Love Valley, Than Tho Lake,...and stayed in a 4 star hotel. Da Lat was called city of flower; because there were many kind of flowers, all of them were very radiant. In the afternoon, we walked to along the hill. Everything were very romantic so I took so much pictures. In the evening, we came back to hotel and spent on long night to sing in a karaoke room.

That was wonderful vacation! I hope I'll come back to there in next vacation.

My oldest friend

My oldest friend

My oldest friend is called T. We met twenty-three years ago when we were both children. He lived in Viet Nam. His house is next to my house. We are neighbours so I see him everyday. We often went to the beach and played football. Sometimes we went shopping and went to the cinema. His family was poor but my family was rich. We studied together in secondary school. He was a good friend and very friendly. We left school fifteen-years later.

Then he went to university, but I didn't. At that moment I was working for my parent's company about four years. He studied for five years because he wanted to be an engineer. He had a lot of new friends. After that I didn't see hime very often.

Now, he has a good job in Viet Nam and I study abroad in Singapore. We often talk on the internet.

Writing and speaking

Instructions
Inform the students that the following topic areas will be covered in a role-play conversation between two students; maximum time 5 minutes. It may be helpful to write the list on the board for students to refer to in terms of topic areas.

Speak about:

• Your age
• Where you live
• your work (in your country)
• languages
• where you are from
• university/ school
• married or not
• your family
• what you like
• what you can/ can't do

Duc Joo Chiat: Hello !

Raymond: Hello !

DJC: Nice to meet you !

R: Nice to meet you, too ! Do you remember me from school ?

DJC: I'm sorry. I don't remember you. Did we study together ?

R: Yes. Are you DJC ?

DJC: Yes, I'm DJC

R: How are you ?

DJC: I'm fine. What about you ?

R: I'm great. How old are you ?

DJC: I'm 20 years old

R: Oh, I'm 26 years old

DJC: Where do you live now ?

R: I live in an apartment in Singapore

DJC: Do you live alone ?

R: No. I don't. I share the apartment with an old friend. Do you study ?

DJC: Yes, I do. I study English in Hawthorn Singapore

R: How do you go to school ?

DJC: I go to school by Taxi

R: How many students are there in your class ?

DJC: 12 students

R: Who is your teacher ?

DJC: My teacher is Eldon Lim. He is Singaporean

R: Which languages can you speak ?

DJC: I can speak three languages: Vietnamese, English, Chinese. Are you married ?

R: No, I'm not married

DJC: Do you study ?

R: No, I don't. Last year, I got a job in Microsoft. Ah, How long will you stay here ?

DJC: I will stay here about three years

R: Oh, I only stay in Singapore about two years. What do you want to do after you gradute ?

DJC: After I gradute, I will come back Viet Nam. What do you like in free time ?

R: In free time, I like go shopping, listen to music and read a lot. What do you like the best about Singapore ?

DJC: I like play girl, watch TV and Singaporean.

R: Why do you like Singaporean ?

DJC: Because they're very kind and friendly

R: May I have your phone number ?

DJC: Yes, It's 89009880. and What's your phone number ?

R: It's 89908009. I have to go now.

DJC: OK, see you later

R: OK, Have a nice day !

DJC: Thank you ! Bye

Write a similar letter

Look at the advertisement for another job and write a similar letter

BLK 43 DRIVE SIMS

#7-203 SINGAPORE

Raymond Nguyen
Director
Happy Holidays
123 Keylang Road
Singapore

February 05,

Dear Nguyen

My name is Jackie Chan. I am twenty-six years old. I come from Viet Nam. I am not married and don't have any children. At present, I live in Singapore with Chinese family. I came to Singapore about two years ago. I finished higher diploma in business at NUS and I can speak three languages: Vietnamese, English, Chinese. I can also use a computer. At the moment I am a manager in my parents company. I heard that your company needs a manager. I like working with people very much. I hope that I will get a job in your company.

I look forward to hearing from you

Your Sincerely

Jackie Chan

My house

MY HOUSE

I live in a house near the center of Da Nang in Viet Nam. It's an old house about 30 years olds and it's medium size. There are there bedrooms and two bathrooms upstairs. Downstairs, there is a kitchen, dining room and lovely living room. Here we spend our free time talking and relaxing. I live in with my parents and two sisters.

To a penriend,

TO A PENFRIEND

(Write a similar letter to a penfriend about you)

BLK 43 SIMS DRIVE

#07 - 203 SINGAPORE 560043

Dear Chan (Jackie Chan ^^')

Thank you for your address in China. My name's Raymond Nguyen. I'm 25 years old. I come from Da Nang in Viet Nam, but now I live with a Chinese family in Singapore. They're very friendly and good-hearted.

I'm a student at a school in Singapore. Every weekday I get up at 7.00 am and have breakfast. Usually I go to school by MRT. I'm in a class with twelve students. Our teacher's name's Eldon Lim. He is Singaporean. He's very funny and very good teacher.

In free time, I often listen to music and watch TV. At weekends I go out with my friends. Sometimes We go to the cinema and sometimes We go shopping.

Everyday I speak two languages: Vietnamese and English. I want to learn English because It's an international language.

My intention is to finish higher diploma in business. After that I will study in England.

What about you? What do you do in China? Please write to me.

Best wish for you


Raymond

My Routine

MY ROUTINE

I get up at quarter to seven. I have a shower then I get dressed. I have breakfast at quarter to eight. I go to school by MRT. I study in Hawthorn Singapore. I study English at nine o'clock. At eleven o'clock I have lunch in Pennisula Plaza. I go home at half past three. Sometimes, I go home by bus. When I stay at home, I watch TV and eat a little food. I go to bed at half past five. I get up at half past six then go out for have dinner in food center. I go home at quarter past seven and learn grammar English, then I learn new words at quarter past eight. I listen to music and read story at nine o'clock. I go to bed at eleven o'clock.

My classmate

MY CLASSMATE

My classmate's name is Chang Zhi Heng. He comes from China. He is 18 years old. At present, he lives in Singapore with his friend. He has a younger sister. He isn't married. He doesn't have any children. He is studying English because he wants to be a businessman. In his free time, he likes to play basket ball, study English and sleep. I'm happy that Zhi Heng is my classmate.