slang Archives - SkypEnglish4u

What are the Differences: Speaking with a Professional Teacher on Skype, Language Exchange and Language Partners

Active Practice. I am always talking about active practice and actively speaking and using English. How can you do this online?

To actively practice you have to produce the language- mainly speaking in this case (writing is also great too!) I’m an online English teacher, so speaking with me (or any other teacher) is an excellent way to get practice, but there are other options out there that you can do it for free. Let’s have a look and compare the pros and cons of speaking with a professional teacher, doing language exchange and having language partners.

Sessions with a Professional Teacher

Pros

Native Speaker- Unless you are a beginner and need someone who can speak your language to explain things to you, you should be doing English sessions on Skype with an English native speaker so that you can hear their pronunciation and try to speak like that yourself.
Corrections- Professional teachers will identify your mistakes and correct you.
Pronunciation- Besides you hearing their pronunciation, they will listen to yours and make suggestions on how to improve it.
Knowledge- Professional teachers have certifications to teach English as a foreign language as well as knowledge gained through working with other students. They know what works and what doesn’t based on previous experiences. They can work with students of all levels.
Consistency– Speaking with the same teacher will help you to feel comfortable while speaking English and this leads to improvement and confidence.
Organization- There is a topic planned before each session and the teacher is there to make sure that you are getting the best experience possible during your time together.

Cons

Cost- Depending on where you live in the world, the price of native English speaking teachers may be out of your price range.

Language Exchange

Language exchange is when you find someone who wants to learn your language and you want to learn theirs. Usually you split the time in half – half your language / half their language.

Pros

Cost- Language exchange is free! You give some of your time to help someone and they do the same for you.
Flexible- There are web-sites that connect people who want to speak English at any time of day- like http://www.speaking24.com/
Camaraderie– You feel as an equal with your language exchange partner because you are both learners.
Pronunciation- If both people are native speakers, it is a great opportunity to pay attention to pronunciation and natural speech patterns.

Cons

No organization- a common complaint I have heard from students is that they don’t know what to talk about when they meet for language exchange. Who is in charge of the conversation?
Lack of consistency- People come and go. You may have a chat with someone one time and then they disappear, so then you have to search to find someone new and you repeat the same “where are you from” “what do you do?” basic conversation.
Lack of knowledge- Unless you get lucky and your language exchange friend is a teacher, you will most likely not be getting the type of corrections that you would from a professional teacher. Even though they are a native speaker, they won’t have the experience in explaining grammatical structures and why you use a certain word in a certain situation.

Language Partners

Language partners are very similar to language exchange, but you are both learning the same language so you use your time together to speak in a common language. It has some of the same pros and cons as language exchange, but the main difference is that usually neither of the partners is a native speaker of the language being used.

Pros

Cost- It’s free! Just sign up for a site like https://www.interpals.net/ and start your partner search.
Friendship- You may meet someone who you get along with really well and share common interests with and a friendship can be formed from across the globe.
Practice- You get to speak. Sometimes people just need to open their mouth and start speaking.

Cons

Non-native speakers- You may get lucky and find a native speaker who will just chat with you in their native language (without practicing yours), but generally people are looking to practice their spoken English, so the emphasis is on speaking and finding someone who will listen- no matter who they are.
Difference of level- Finding someone at your level may be difficult, especially the for intermediate and advanced speakers. Often the partner sites are full of beginners and lower level students.
Lack of correction- If both people are learning, they may not have the knowledge of the language to identify each other’s mistakes and make corrections.
Lack of knowledge- Language partners are just normal everyday people, so they don’t have experience leading a class nor with explaining things.

#EngVocab

Pros and Cons (plural noun) the favorable and the unfavorable factors or reasons; advantages and disadvantages

consistency (noun) the ability to remain the same in behavior, attitudes, or qualities

camaraderie (noun) mutual trust and friendship among people who spend a lot of time together

*practice using these words in the comments section and I will check them and give you feedback*

September 21, 2016/1 Comment/by Jessica

Andrea, ESL Learning Tips, Vocabulary

Learn Real English: 9 Words for this Holiday Weekend

Today, and this weekend, is a holiday in many countries. A friend and I decided to go on hike in the beautiful village of Deep Cove, near Vancouver. As a result of it being a holiday weekend, here are some words I was thinking about and want to share with you!

1. Long Weekend

A ‘long weekend’ is a 3 day weekend, instead of the normal 2 day weekend. This weekend the extra holiday day is today, Friday, so the weekend is Friday, Saturday and Sunday. People here LOVE long weekends!

2. Spring Break

‘Spring Break’ is usually one or two weeks where students do not have to go to class during the spring season. A ‘break’ is a time of rest from work, so this is a time when students rest from their work as students!

3. Get away

Get away (verb) – to escape or break free

Many people who work or study love the long weekend or their spring break because they can ‘get away’ – which means to be free from their work and go far away from their work or the normal stress of their lives! Today there were many people on the hike who wanted to “get away”.

4. Escape the Rat Race

escape (Verb) – to be free from a place where you do not want to be, or run and be safe from danger

Rat Race (noun) – a word to describe the way that people work too hard to get money and power, and how they can not escape this circle of more, more, more….a comparison to rats in science experiments.
Image credit to artist Polyp.

Many people want to get away on long weekends to escape the rat race for a while. People work very hard and the opportunity to get away from their hard work is very welcome!

5. Unwind

Unwind (verb) – to relax

People who are feeling very tired of the rat race and who need a break often say they need to ‘unwind’ (pronunciation of wind is not like the noun, the verb is pronounced,/waɪnd/ ) The idea of unwind is to relax a body that is feeling tight and stressed.

6. Crowds and Crowded

Crowds (plural noun) – Many many (maybe TOO many!) people
Crowded (adjective) – when there are too many people

When my friend and I were on the hike today, there were so many people that wanted to get away on their long weekend that the hike was VERY crowded!

7. Parking Spaces

Parking Spaces (Plural Noun) – The area where you can park (put) your car

It was not only the hike that was crowded! When we arrived to the village of Deep Cove we had to drive around for almost 30 minutes to find a parking space!

8. Traffic Jam

Traffic Jam (noun) – A time when cars can not move on the road because there are too many cars

We were lucky in one way. It was a very busy day, but we did not get stuck in any traffic jams. I am sure that in other parts of the city and other parts of the world there were many traffic jams on this busy long weekend, but we got away with no traffic jams!

9. Bumper to Bumper

Bumper to bumper (adjective phrase) – a description of cars in a traffic jam

Another adjective phrase we often use to describe a traffic jam is bumper to bumper. We did not experience a traffic jam today, or see any bumper to bumper traffic.

I hope you enjoyed this long weekend/Spring Break vocabulary lesson. Please share below on Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, Google Plus or wherever your friends are who need vocabulary help! You can also follow me on Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest or Google Plus to continue to get posts about English language learning. Thank you and I hope some of you can join me this summer on an English Language Intensive Travel Experience to learn more Real English!

This and more helpful articles can be found here > http://englishretreats.ca/learn-real-english-9-words-for-this-holiday-weekend/

Andrea’s Profile

March 25, 2016/0 Comments/by Andrea

Jessica, Students

Mike – Round Table Testimonial

March 14, 2015/0 Comments/by Jessica

Jessica, Vocabulary

Using a whiteboard to improve your English

I’ve said it once, I’ve said it a thousand times… Surround yourself with English! How about on the walls of your home!?!

Invest in a small whiteboard (or a big one!) and use it everyday to write down new vocabulary words to improve your English. Everyone has a different style of learning and remembering new words, so do what is right for you. Here are some suggestions:

The definition
- If you are at a high enough level, write the definition in English.
- If you still need the help, use your native language– but try to use that the least amount possible.
Sentences using the new words
- Anyone can memorize a word, but to actually be able to use it correctly is another story.
- Look it up and take note of the sentence structure used in example sentence and BAM! you get a grammar lesson as well.
Common phrases or idioms that involve the word
- You want to speak as natural as possible, so do a bit of research and see how the word is used in “real-life”.
Pictures
- Have fun and draw something to help you remember the word.
Questions you think of and want to ask your teacher later on

This method is a great way to bring that passive vocabulary to active. The small amount of time you spend writing the word and the sentences… that alone is going to help you to remember it, not to mention all of the times you will see it in the day. Subscribe to a word of the day service and constantly be on the lookout for words to add to your board. (click below)

Merriam-Webster’s Learner’s Dictionary

March 13, 2015/0 Comments/by Jessica

Business, ESL Learning Tips, Interactive, Jessica, Students

Around the World ‘Round Table’ Discussion

Round Table : a number of people gathered together for conference, discussion of some subject, etc., and often seated at a round table.

Round Table discussions are an excellent way for you to get a chance to practice speaking English with someone from another country and at the same time, learn a bit about their culture and everyday life! You will be exposed to other accents and participate in a ‘real-life’ conversation with someone you have never met before in a comfortable, friendly environment. The general topics are endless and if possible, we can even arrange for you to speak with someone who also works in your industry.

Sessions

I will serve as the ‘host’ making sure that the conversation keeps flowing and that everyone gets a chance to speak.

Generally we will speak in an order assigned at the beginning of the session. Person 1 gives their answer, 2, then 3 and then it is open for discussion as I see fit. I will help keep the order by speaking directly to the student when they are to answer. During the open discussion, participants must be courteous and not interrupt or speak over other people. At any time, I reserve the right to remove someone from the call.

I will keep running notes of vocabulary, grammar issues and sentence structure in the Skype chat.

Scheduling

This options is only available to SkypEnglish4U clients (join today!) that are ‘pre-approved’ and have the appropriate level of English required to partake in one of these group exercises.

Each SE4U student will get one free 30min AWRT credit and will schedule it with me. If a student wants to participate in more, they will pay a % out of their existing sessions based on the people participating in the call– If there are 2 students, for 30min, they each will spend 15min of their existing packages. The maximum amount of students per call is 3.

You will see specific times labeled as ‘Round Table’ on my google calendar and you can select them just as you regularly schedule. I will be very flexible with these sessions… if you want to do one at a certain time, please let me know and I will try to find another student.

March 12, 2015/0 Comments/by Jessica

Janet

AMERICAN IDIOMS STARTING WITH ‘A’

Welcome to our extensive list of American English idiomatic expressions! These kinds of phrases are used by native speakers all the time. Learn and use some of these idioms and you will be able to speak English in a more natural way. 🙂

About time: Nearly time, high time. ex. “It’s about time you bought a new car!”
Absence makes the heart grow fonder: Proverb that means that our feeling for those we love increases when we are apart from them.

(To) act high and mighty: To act proudly and arrogantly. ex. “He has been acting all high and mighty ever since he chased away that mouse.”

Actions speak louder than words: Proverb meaning that’s it’s better to do something about a problem than to talk about it.

(To) act one’s age: To behave in a more mature way. Frequently said to a child or teen. ex. “Bill, stop throwing rocks! Act your age!”

(To) add fuel to the fire: To make a bad problem even worse. ex. “He added fuel to the fire by bringing up old grudges while they were arguing.”

(To) add insult to injury: To make a bad situation even worse.

Against the clock: To attempt to do something “against the clock” is to attempt to do something as fast as possible, usually in order to make a deadline. ex. “They were working against the clock to finish the project.”

All out (adj./adv.): Full-scale; complete. ex: “They said it was only a few skirmishes, but it was an all-out war.”

All set: Ready (to go). ex. “All set?”

All thumbs: Awkward. Clumsy.

A little bird told me: When someone says “a little bird told me”, it means they don’t want you to know who told them.

All in a day’s work: Typical; normal; par for the course. ex. “Talking to famous celebrities is all in a day’s work for some Hollywood reporters.”

(From) all walks of life: (From) all social, economic, and ethnic groups. ex. “People from all walks of life voted for him, but he still lost the presidential election.”

Apple of someone’s eye: Someone’s favorite person (and sometimes thing). ex. “Sarah was the apple of Tom’s eye for quite a long time. He was very much in love with her.”

Armed to the teeth: Heavily armed. ex. “The rebels were armed to the teeth.”

At all hours (of the night): Very late at night, throughout the night. ex. “Her boyfriend would call her at all hours of the night.”

At each other’s throats: Fighting or arguing hard. ex. “They were at each other’s throats. The arguments never stopped.” Richard Burton and Elizabeth Taylor were at each other’s throats as George and Martha.

At this stage: At this point. ex. “At this stage, it’s difficult to say who will win the election.”

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JANET’S PROFILE

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November 6, 2014/0 Comments/by Janet

Riham, Vocabulary

IDIOMS

Oftentimes when we speak, we use idioms to make a point. Idioms are used in many different languages for expression. Though it may be difficult to translate them from one language to another, we may still find ones that share the same basic meaning.

Learning idioms is important if you want to have normal, everyday conversations with native speakers on an informal level. The rules you learn for speech in the classroom do not always apply to the language of the streets, the clubs, the coffee shops, speaking with friends, etc.

Understanding idioms and knowing when to use will help you speak better and help you understand the different phrases you hear. Here are some of the most common idioms used in the English language.

A Chip On Your Shoulder:
Being upset for something that happened in the past.

A Piece of Cake:
A task that can be accomplished very easily.

Back To The Drawing Board:
When an attempt fails and it’s time to start all over.

Bite Off More Than You Can Chew:
To take on a task that is way to big.

Down To The Wire:
Something that ends at the last minute or last few seconds.

Go The Extra Mile:
Going above and beyond whatever is required for the task at hand.

Hit The Nail on the Head:
Do something exactly right or say something exactly right.

Mumbo Jumbo:
Nonsense or meaningless speech

Out Of The Blue:
Something that suddenly and unexpectedly occurs.

Rain check:
An offer or deal that is declined right now but willing to accept later.

October 24, 2014/0 Comments/by Riham

ESL Learning Tips, Rachel, Vocabulary

Reduce reduce reduce!

What am I talking about? – Reductions!

What are reductions? – These are shortened, combined, or ‘reduced’ forms of English words. For example gonna (going to), wanna (want to) and hafta (have to). There aren’t ‘real’ words in English and are not used in writing however they are frequently used in spoken and informal English, especially in movies and music, so it’s a good idea to know about reductions in order to understand these and to sound more natural when you are speaking with native English speakers.

So let’s have a look at some:

gonna – going to
gotta – got to
hafta – have to
hasta – has to
wanna – want to
whaddaya – what do you
howdya – how do you

Have a look to see if you can hear these the next time you listen to some English pop music.

My favourite is ‘dunno’, which means ‘I don’t know’!

Contact Rachel today > http://www.italki.com/teacher/1394345

September 5, 2014/0 Comments/by Jessica

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