Improve your English Listening with Songs

Using English songs is a fun way to expand your English vocabulary and improve your listening.

Get a song. Most of you probably already have a favourite song in English, but if you don't have one, start listening to for example Live365 or SHOUTcast online radio.
These radio stations show the artist and title while a song is playing. Once you've selected your song, buy your own copy or find it on YouTube and download it with the free RealPlayer Download

Use the lyrics. Play the song a few times and try to write down the text. To check whether you heard it right you need the lyrics (song text). There are many web sites to download the lyrics, but A-Z Lyrics and Lyrics007 usually provide good quality.

Find the meaning. Looking up the song meaning can help you understand the song better. Try to guess the meaning of unfamiliar words from the context ("context clue"). If you still have no idea, use a learner's or slang dictionary to find the meaning.

Sing along. Now play the song again and sing along, so that you also practice the pronunciation of your song. A karaoke version of the video may be available online. Look for example at my playlist "Subtitled Hits 2013"  for some recent hits.

Improve your English Speaking Online

Set up a free profile at SharedTalk to make friends and improve your English (or any other language) speaking online. Search there for other people that want to practice English and voice chat with them. You can also contact them via mail and text chat first.

Another interesting site is Verbling, where you can chat with native speakers, or join online classes by native speakers for free.

To make sure your new friends understand what you're saying, work on improving your pronunciation and your listening.

Improve your English Pronunciation

It doesn't matter what English accent you have, but a clear pronunciation is very important for effective communication.

Basic sounds. The BBC has a page with pronunciation tips videos explaining the so-called phonetic system and modelling the 44 different sounds that make up the
English language in videos. You can also practice the correct pronunciation of the different letters with these EngVid pronunciation videos.

Minimal pairs. Perfect your English pronunciation with shiporsheep audios online. Select one of the 29 minimal pairs (similar sounds, like "ship" and "sheep") and start practising. You can also compare pairs with this series of EngVid pronunciation videos.

Stress and tone. Other pairs, contractions (should've), stress and tones are provided with fonetiks.org audios online in British, American, Australian and 6 other English dialects. A selection of videos to help you practice your pronunciation and word stress is also available on podcastsinenglish.

Select an English Dictionary

So many dictionaries, so much choice. Which one's the best for you? 

First you should decide what kind of dictionary you need. At the beginning you'll need a dictionary in your own language, but you should try using English - English as soon as possible. A good quality dictionary gives you:

• Good information. This includes a translation of the word or expression, but also an example sentence and an explanation on its use (like for example what kind of word it is (noun, verb etc.), whether it is slang, formal or informal, UK or US English).
• The pronunciation. This can be through the phonetic system and/or with an audio sample (which is of course a lot easier).

Good English to English dictionaries are for example the Oxford Advanced Learner's Dictionary, Merriam-Webster and Cambridge. 

For the slang used in films and songs you'll probably have to use a special dictionary like the Urban Dictionary. If you can't find it there, you can try Online Slang Dictionaries and Language Links. 

When your English gets better you can start using a collocations dictionary (word combinations like "bright idea", "talk freely") and a thesaurus (groups of words with a similar meaning like "dictionary", "lexicon, "wordbook" and "glossary"). Oxford has a good collocations dictionary online, and Merriam-Webster provides a thesaurus with their dictionary and in their free app.

If you can usually access the internet and/or carry a smart phone, online dictionaries and apps are your easiest choice. For use at a fixed location at home, in school or the office a paper dictionary will do fine, and although talking dictionaries are becoming less popular, they can be carried around easily by those without internet access and smart phone.

Improve your English with ELLIS

The ELLIS (English Language Learning Instructional Solutions) Essentials system is licensed (NOT FREE) software for English self-study to improve your vocabulary, listening comprehension, grammar and some pronunciation.

There are five programs to work with: Basics, Intro, Middle Mastery and
Senior Mastery support starters to advanced learners. There is a separate program for Pronunciation.

You need a User Id to use ELLIS. Through the User Id the system remembers what program, unit and task you were working on the last time you logged in, and it automatically continues from there.

To decide what program to start with, you do the ELLIS Placement test. The test consists of three parts: Vocabulary, Grammar and Listening Comprehension. Each part takes a maximum of 30 minutes, but usually 10-20. The result of each part is a score between 5 and 605 and a level between 1 and 12. Depending on the results of the test, you are advised to start with the Basics, Intro, Middle Mastery or Senior Mastery program.

The first time you want to use ELLIS for self study, ask your teacher to give you a brief introduction, to create a User Id, and to recommend what program to start with based on the results of your Placement Test.

[ELLIS software is usually installed on a dedicated server in a language lab. The licensed software can not be installed on a regular computer.]

Improve your English with Issues in English

Issues in English is licensed (NOT FREE) software for learning (Australian) English. You can use the software to improve your listening, reading, pronunciation and writing, to learn new vocabulary and review grammar.

The program is organised around the 8 topics animal rights, discrimination,
euthanasia, the environment, gambling, growing old, smoking and public transport, so it should be interesting for teenagers as well as adults.

Each topic is split in 4 levels from beginner to advanced. Each level starts with a video of someone talking about the topic. The video has a script that can be switched on or off, and keywords in the script are explained when the mouse is moved over the text.

Each video is followed by a series of around 20 exercises practising listening, reading, comprehension (understanding what you hear or read), writing - including spelling and dictation -, grammar, vocabulary and speaking (pronunciation), and you will get the correct answers right away. Some of the exercises can also be printed as a worksheet so that you can keep them.

You can use the program at your own speed. Some suggestions on how to use your time from the Hong Kong Baptist University Language Centre: "If you have around 30 minutes you can do a listening and the follow-up exercises. If you have 1 hour, you can add some writing, vocabulary or grammar practice. If you are short of time, try just one listening, the comprehension exercise and 5 minutes on pronunciation."

[Issues in English software can be used on a regular computer.]