How to write better?

If it takes you twice as long to write something in English as it does in your own language, then try these tips.

Before you start

Ask yourself "Why am I writing?" By thinking about the purpose of your text (perhaps you want to explain something, or ask something etc) you can choose the most appropriate vocabulary and level of formality.

Who are you writing to? Who is your reader, and what is their level of knowledge or English? Choose your language carefully and avoid words and expressions that are too technical or complicated.

Plan before you write. Prepare for writing by making a plan, and looking up all the words you need before you start writing.

A plan helps you keep a clear focus and helps you avoid repetition. Just jot down the points you want to make and order them into logical paragraphs. Remember that paragraphs shouldn't be too long. In fact, in certain types of writing, such as emails, your paragraphs can be one sentence long.

It's quicker to look up all the words you need before you write so you don't interrupt your "flow" of writing.

What to write

Say why you are writing in the first sentence. Use phrases such as "I am writing to enquire about…" so that your reader understands why you are writing. If you're replying to someone, you can write "Thank you for your email."

Use standard greetings and endings. Most letters begin with "Dear Mr X" or "Dear Ms X" and should end "Yours sincerely" (or in American English, "Sincerely yours"). If you know your reader quite well, you can be less formal with "Dear (first name)" and end "Best wishes" or "Best regards". If you absolutely have to write "Dear Sir" end with "Yours faithfully" rather than "Yours sincerely".

In emails you can start with the first name "Jane", or precede it with "Hi". If you are writing to a number of people, you can leave out the greeting. To end an email you can write "Best wishes", "Kind regards", "Thanks" or in British English "Cheers".

Use a closing expression in letters such as "Please do not hesitate to contact me if I can be of further assistance." In emails you can write, for example, "Many thanks for your help."

In letters, write the date out in full: 7 June 2006 or June 7, 2006. Avoid using abbreviated dates such as (7/6/2006) as although British speakers will understand this as 7 June, Americans will understand it to be July 6.
Extra tips

Use linking expressions to connect ideas and sentences. Words such as 'and', 'but', 'therefore', 'however', guide your reader through your ideas and make your writing easier to read. See also Linking Words in our Grammar section.

Be careful of referring words such as 'this' and 'it'. Make sure they refer to the right word or phrase.

Write as concisely as possible. Don't make your sentences too long, as they might become difficult to read. Avoid more than two ideas in any sentence.

Follow this word order principle to keep your sentences concise:

Subject – Verb – Object – Manner – Place – Time
(Who — Does—What— How— Where- When)

"Please could you send us the confirmation as quickly as possible."

"The Managing Director will visit the factory on Monday 10 July at 10 am."

Edit what you write. Use your computer spell-check, but check for grammatical mistakes yourself.

Edit out unnecessary words and phrases and avoid old-fashioned words such as "hereby", "herewith" and above-mentioned". Rather than writing "We hereby enclose a brochure", get to the point with "We are enclosing a brochure."

Read what you have written out aloud. Is it easy to read, or are the sentences too long? Have you put in enough punctuation?

Get someone else to check what you have written. Another person may see something that is unclear or a mistake.

Posted by Editorial Team on 18:39 in Lee Peace, Writing

5 Easy Steps to Write a Good Essay

To write a good essay on English literature, you need to do five things:

1) Understand the purpose of writing essays about literature.

2) Understand how to understand a work of literature.

3) Define "English."

4) Focus your essay.

5) Write your essay.

Let's take these in order.

1) Purpose. There are two closely related purposes of writing essays about literature. Instructors have you write them to make you examine literary works more closely. These works deserve your attention. They have moved people to tears and express the greatest thoughts and feelings of humanity in the best-known writing. As a student, the purpose of writing such an essay is to demonstrate that you understand this work fully and deeply.

2) Understanding. But how do you get that understanding? You get it by reviewing the work closely and repeatedly, and by looking at content, form, and function. You might think of the process as taking an engine apart and putting it back together. In the process, you should come to understand this particular "engine" (literary work) well. To do so, examine each choice made by the author until you can explain how it relates to the whole. Slow down, and take all elements of the work into account: sound, shape on the page, structure (chapter length, number of chapters, etc.), point of view, and so on. Assemble a list and move through it, always keeping the larger purposes of the essay in mind.

3) English. Don't take the term "English" for granted. It's been the subject of a lot of debate over the centuries, and you want to know how you're using it. Research the work's historical period and the author, and take what you learn to define your use of "English." Where is the author from? How did that location define itself during this period in relation to England—and how does it show up in the work?

4) Focus. As you write a literary essay, you argue for a specific interpretation of the work. The essential focus of your essay should be expressed in the thesis statement. Though there are many ways to phrase a thesis statement, you should always be able to translate it to a statement like this: "In this essay, I will prove ___ about this work." Your focus must relate to the purposes of literary essays. You should always be proving that you understand this work on a profound level, but also that you understand the larger meaning of this literary form, this period of English literature, writing, and humanity. Focusing well requires a lot of reflection.

5) Write the essay. This is where most people start. Don't. If you start here, you're likely to find the process hard and the result mediocre. Instead, do the other steps first. Come to the writing stage with a pile of notes and a clear sense of your focus regarding the work. Then start your essay with a clearly defined introduction that hooks your readers' interest and ends with a clearly stated thesis. Write three or more body paragraphs, each of which makes points that support your thesis, points that you illustrate with specific evidence from the work itself and your outside research. Provide transitions between each paragraph that guide your readers to a conclusion that sums up the essay, expresses what you learned by writing the essay, and, in the best possible world, rewards readers for reading your essay by teaching them something new. However, before you give the essay to them, review it. Make sure it completes its functions. Then proofread it until the work is error-free. You want every line of your essay to quietly declare, "You can trust me. I understand this work."

Posted by Editorial Team on 07:37 in Lee Peace, Tips, Writing

Improve Your Personal Writing Skills

Your writing skills have gradually increased with time, and I am sure your skills will continue to grow with time. When you are writing online you want to provide articles that people enjoy reading. To do that you need to improve your writing skills.

1. Read often. When you read, you tend to learn more about the writing process. Do not just read articles online, anyone can publish these articles. Read books, magazines, and other printed materials that have great writing.

2. Write often to grow your personal writing skills. When you write on a regular basis you tend to learn with the process. You begin to notice things you are not doing properly, and learn to correct things before you publish.

3. Read your writing out loud. When you are reading it you will notice if something does not sound appropriate.

4. Take a writing course at your local Community College. You can find classes that do not cost a lot, and provide a great learning opportunity.

5. Use word processors to increase your writing skills. The word processors show you what you are doing wrong. After you continue to use the word processor you will begin to notice fewer mistakes.

Posted by Editorial Team on 09:19 in Lee Peace, Writing

Kỹ thuật viết câu trong tiếng Anh

Bước 1. Chép lại câu có sẵn

Để viết câu tiếng Anh, đầu tiên bạn chép lại những câu trong bài học. Mỗi câu viết một dòng. Chép câu nào hiểu nghĩa câu đó. Ban chọn những câu đơn giản nhất viết trước. Không nên viết các câu phức, có liên từ.

Đề thi tiếng Anh cấp thấp nhất sẽ có những câu viết đơn giản nhất và phù hợp nhất với người mới bắt đầu học viết tiếng Anh. Đề thi này hỏi bạn những câu đơn giản, nhằm vào nội dung thông dụng hằng ngày.

Bước 2. Viết về chính mình

Bạn tập dùng chính những câu có sẵn để áp dụng vào mô tả mọi hoạt động cuả bạn hằng ngày. Chú ý động từ thay đổi theo ngôi. Bạn cứ tra cứu sách ngữ pháp và từ điển, miễn là bạn viết được về mình. Viết về chính mình thường dễ dàng hơn và được áp dụng nhiều.

Bạn vẫn viết câu đơn, với một động từ chính.

Bước 3. Viết mô tả về mọi người, sự vật hiện tượng

Bây giờ bạn có ít vốn từ và khả năng viết câu khá hơn rồi, bạn mô tả mọi thứ xung quanh mình dễ lắm, chỉ cần chia động từ cho đúng với ngôi thứ.

Bạn khá hơn rồi, mạnh dạn mà viết thêm vài liên từ... để câu cuả bạn nhiều ý thêm một chút. Như vậy bạn bắt đầu nối hai ý trong câu với nhau.

Thế là bạn đã làm tốt văn miêu tả đấy.

Posted by Editorial Team on 06:08 in Lee Peace, Writing

Mẹo nhỏ luyện Viết

Có thể bạn viết nhiều nhưng lại luôn thấy rằng từ ngữ trong bài viết được dùng một cách vụng về. Hoặc có thể bài viết của bạn đơn điệu và không gây ấn tượng gì. Nếu bạn đang băn khoăn xem làm thế nào để viết một bài thật nổi bật thì đây là những bí quyết đơn giản bạn nên biết.

1. Viết theo cách của bạn

Hãy luôn viết theo cách mà bạn cảm thấy tự nhiên nhất. Việc so sánh văn phong của bạn với người khác sẽ làm bạn cảm thấy thất vọng với bản thân, và kết quả là bạn không thể khám phá được lối hành văn của riêng bạn.

Hãy tìm ra một cách viết tự nhiên nhất và bắt đầu viết.

2. Viết bài và sau đó soát lại

Khi viết bài, đừng quá bận tâm tới việc soát lỗi, bởi việc này sẽ làm bạn xao nhãng và đôi khi quên mất thông điệp mà bạn muốn truyền tải trong bài viết.

Việc đọc lại và sửa lỗi sai rất quan trọng nhưng còn quan trọng hơn khi bạn viết ra được những ý tưởng khi chúng vẫn còn mới mẻ trong đầu.

3. Đừng đánh giá thấp sức mạnh của động từ và tính từ.

Cách bạn sử dụng động từ và tính từ có thể biến một bài viết đơn điệu thành thú vị và ngược lại. Động từ và tính từ thổi hồn sống cho câu văn và biến những câu văn đơn giản thành những tuyên bố đầy sức mạnh và có sự cuốn hút.

Tuy nhiên, nếu được sử dụng quá mức, động từ và tính từ có thể làm cho bài văn của bạn trở nên nặng nề và phản tác dụng.

4. Soát lại bài.

Sau khi hoàn thành bài viết, hãy đọc và “biên tập” lại. Đây là lúc sửa ngữ pháp, các lỗi in ấn, đánh máy, liên kết các đoạn văn và giúp bài văn trở thành một “tác phẩm” hoàn chỉnh.

Posted by Editorial Team on 02:24 in Lee Peace, Writing

For good impression at a job interview

Last year, my cousin, Jake, went to a bank to apply for a job. As you know, when you apply for a job, you must be ready to answer a lot of question. Some of the questions that an interviewer may ask you include: educational background, previous jobs, and salaries you earned. The problem with Jake was that he was not prepared for the questions. The interviewer asked Jake a lot of things that he could not answer. Because Jake was not prepared for the interview, he did not get the job. If you do not want to be in that situation, you may want to follow these steps.

As you can see, it is necessary to be well prepared for the job interview. Having the answer ready, being properly dressed, and being on time can all help to make a good impression on the interviewer. If you follow these steps, you will soon find yourself sitting behind the desk at that coveted job.

Posted by Editorial Team on 07:52 in Lee Peace, Writing

How do you spend your time after school?

As I am now preparing for an important examination which will be held at the end of this year, I spend most of my time reading books. There are, however, a few other things that I sometimes do during my leisure.

As soon as I reach home everyday after school, I have lunch quickly in order to have as much time as possible to read books. Eating quickly is not good for health but I have to do to pass my examination. Therefore, the more I am able to read the more certain I can be of passing my examination. It is for this reason that I read books for about two hours after lunch everyday.

After reading in the afternoon, I have a bath and then a cup of tea. Having done these things, I go out to my friend’s house near by and discuss our lessons for about an hour. Sometimes we go for a walk and as we do so, we talk mainly about our lessons. My friend is a good student. She explains many of the things that I do not understand clearly in school.

Sometimes, however, I remain at home to help my mother in the kitchen, especially when we expect some visitors. I must admit that I enjoy doing the cooking, for it helps me to learn how to prepare a good meal. I have already learned how to make some delicious cakes from helping my mother.

Then, I spend some of my time working in our vegetable garden. My parents have planted many kinds of vegetables. I help them to water the plants so that they can grow well.

Further, I also spend some time decorating my house when I feel that things in my house have become too dull to look at.

At night, I study my lesson again, and go to bed late after dinner. I can say that my time after school is spent in a variety of ways.

Posted by Editorial Team on 11:43 in Lee Peace, Writing

My school

The name of my school is Oxford English School. It is situated in the middle of the town I live in. it is a very large school.

The school building is old but beautiful. There are many classrooms in it. The Principal is a middle-aged European. He is a kind and very efficient man.

The teachers of my school are of many races. Some are Chinese, some are Malay and some are Indian. There are also a few European Teachers. They are all very clever and hardworking Teachers. All the pupils like them very much.

As there are many pupils in my school, the library, the play ground and the hall are all very large. Pupils may be seen learning in the library, playing in the playground or performing gymnastics in the hall with great interest.

I am indeed proud of my school.

Posted by Editorial Team on 07:51 in Lee Peace, Writing

Cách viết đơn xin việc bằng tiếng Anh

Bất luận là nhà tuyển dụng có yêu cầu hay không, ứng viên thời hội nhập vẫn nên gửi một bức thư xin việc bằng tiếng Anh, kèm theo các văn bằng, chứng chỉ,… Tuy nhiên, không phải ứng viên nào cũng có thể có một bức thư xin việc bằng tiếng Anh hoàn hảo, lọt vào tầm ngắm của các nhà tuyển dụng. Bài viết này, chúng tôi xin nêu một số bí quyết để có một bức thư xin việc bằng tiếng Anh một cách hoàn hảo nhất.

Trước hết, phải tuân thủ nguyên tắc trình bày thư đã quen thuộc với hầu hết người nước ngoài, đó là thứ tự và căn chỉnh các đoạn. Để tránh rườm rà, hãy thực hiện căn trái toàn bộ nội dung, dùng font chữ chân phương, chẳng hạn Times New Roman (13 points). Bên trên cùng, ghi địa chỉ liên lạc và số điện thoại của bạn, sau đó đến ngày viết thư, rồi tên người nhận.

Nội dung thư được trình bày trong diện tích còn lại của trang A4, nên ngắn gọn, rõ ràng.

Văn phong tiếng Anh có đặc thù là đi vào mục đích chính ngay khi mở đầu nội dung. Vì vậy, bạn nên “đặt tên” thư bằng một dòng in nghiêng, mở đầu bởi từ dẫn Reference, ví dụ: Re: Salesman post (Dự tuyển vị trí nhân viên bán hàng). Chú ý, câu này sẽ được sắp xếp ngay sau địa chỉ người nhận và trước khi bắt đầu trình bày thư.

Tổ chức nội dung thư có nhiều cách khác nhau và còn tuỳ thuộc vào các yếu tố: kiến thức cá nhân của người viết, yêu cầu của nhà tuyển dụng. Tuy nhiên, để tránh lan man, chỉ nên gói gọn lại trong 3 đoạn, lần lượt nói về nguyên nhân đăng ký thi tuyển, những hiểu biết về chuyên môn của bạn và một số điểm mạnh cá nhân (thông minh, nhanh nhẹn, sẵn sàng công tác xa…).

Kết thúc thư, hãy khẳng định với nhà tuyển dụng rằng bạn mong muốn được gặp trực tiếp họ trong một buổi intervew (I am looking forward to an intervew at your office).

Dưới đây là một mẫu khá thông dụng để bạn tham khảo:

Nguyen Van Nam
6 Lang Trung, Dong Da, Ha Noi
Tel: 090-260448

May 10, 2001

ABCD Enterprise

Attn: Human Resources Manager

Re: Salesman post

Dear Sir,

In reply to your advertisement in the Newspaper, I am pleased to enclose my C.V to apply for the Salesman position of your office in HCMC.

From my C.V, you will see that, I graduated from Foreign Trade University with a good bachelor degree. I have a good command of Vietnam economic and social situation, and I am confident in doing business.

At present, I am working for….

In addition, I am active and enthusiastic. I am willing to learn and do what takes to get a job done well even under pressure or on far mission.

I am looking forward to an interview at your office.

Yours faithfully,

Nguyen Van Nam

Posted by Editorial Team on 06:42 in Lee Peace, Writing

The advantages and disadvantages of money

Everybody knows the value of money. Nothing is more powerful than money.

In fact, if we have no money, we cannot buy goods, clothes and other necessaries we need. Without money, we cannot go to the movies, theaters or other amusements places.

How can we spend our free time pleasantly on rainy evenings without a color television in front of us? Music from a new hi-fi can relax us quickly after a hard day of work. But how can we satisfy our needs, our desires and our pleasures when we cannot afford to buy them?

Thanks to money we can improve our spiritual activities easily. We can go to any schools, any universities we like to further our knowledge. If our parents are wealthy and powerful we may be sent abroad to study. Moreover, we can enjoy pure happiness by contributing our money to Charity funds to help the poor, the wretched and the victims of other disasters.

But money not only brings us the good but the bad as well. This accounts for much of the wickedness in the world. The rich often depend on it to oppress the poor and millionaires sometimes treat their servants with great cruelty. Many young people, being purse proud of their parent’s wealth and richness, neglect their school activities, always play truant and indulge themselves in alcohol, gambling and debaucheries. They often commit suicide after playing ducks and drakes with all their parents’ fortune. Money, in this way, is the root of all evils.

To sum up, happiness does not depend on the quantity of money but on the way how we use it. We should use our money properly. The right use of money may bring us a comfortable life and a cheerful heart.

Posted by Editorial Team on 05:55 in Lee Peace, Writing

The advantages and disadvantages of the cinema

Cinemas are a common sight nowadays. They are found in every town. The existence of so many cinemas reflects their popularity. They have indeed become the most popular places of entertainment.

The cinema attracts large numbers of people everyday. It is the magnet of the town. It sometimes attracts even those who do not wish to see a film.

As it is so popular, the cinema exerts a profound influence on the minds of many people, young and old. The influence is sometimes good, and sometimes it is bad. Films showing criminal activities and the sensual desires of man have caused much harm to many youths. Some youths have become criminals themselves though almost every film shows how the good always triumphs over the evil. The cinema has also caused many people to waste money. Such people have become so addicted to visiting the cinema that they see almost every film, good or bad. In this way money is wasted not only on purchasing tickets for admittance to the cinema but also on travelling and many other things.

Often, however, the cinema helps to spread knowledge. There are many films which show the activities of the various races of people living in the remote regions of the earth. Some films show how man has struggled through the centuries to make the world a better place to live in. There are also films which show the events that led to some of the important battles in the past. They are shown with so much realism that one remembers them for a long time. Such films are indeed invaluable, especially to those who are illiterate. In this respect the cinema could be regarded as a school. Even the dullest student learns many things if he sees an educational film in the cinema though he may learn nothing from his teacher or his books. Such is the effect of the film, and in many countries, educational authorities are trying to make the best use of the cinema to spread knowledge and information.

It is therefore clear that the cinema has many advantages as well as disadvantages. Often the advantages outweigh the disadvantages. Those who visit the cinema with the purpose of learning something good are sure to benefit from almost every visit to the cinema.

Posted by Editorial Team on 05:50 in Lee Peace, Writing

Life in the city

Life in the city is full of activity. Early in the morning hundreds of people rush out of their homes in the manner ants do when their nest is broken. Soon the streets are full of traffic. Shops and offices open, students flock to their schools and the day's work begins. The city now throb with activity, and it is full of noise. Hundreds of sight-seers tourists and others visit many place of interest in the city while businessmen from various parts of the world arrive to transact business.

The towards evening, the offices and day schools begin to close. Many of the shops too close. There is now a rush for buses and other means of transport. Everyone seems to be in a hurry to reach home. As a result of this rush, many accidents occur. One who has not been to the city before finds it hard to move about at this time. Soon, however, there is almost no activity in several parts of the city. These parts are usually the business centers.

With the coming of night, another kind of activity begins. The streets are now full of colorful lights. The air is cooler and life becomes more leisurely. People now seek entertainment. Many visit the cinemas, parks, and clubs, while others remain indoors to watch television or listen to the radio. Some visit friends and relatives and some spend their time reading books and magazines. Those who are interested in politics discuss the latest political developments. At the same time, hundreds of crimes are committed. Thieves and robbers who wait for the coming of night become active, and misfortune descends upon many. For the greed of a few, many are killed, and some live in constant fear. To bring criminals to justice, the officers of the law are always on the move.

Workers and others who seek advancement in their careers attend educational institutions which are open till late in the night. Hundreds of them sit for various examinations every year. The facilities and opportunities that the people in the city have to further their studies and increase their knowledge of human affairs are indeed many. As a result, the people of the city are usually better informed than those of the village, where even a newspaper is sometimes difficult to get.
The city could, therefore, be described as a place of ceaseless activity. Here, the drama of life is enacted every day.

Posted by Editorial Team on 19:19 in Lee Peace, Writing

Why is agriculture important in the world of today?

Since the dawn of history, agriculture has been one of the important means of producing food for human consumption. Today more and more lands are being developed for the production of a large variety crops. In Asia, vast areas of land are being used to produce rice, wheat, rubber and a variety of other crops. In Asia, vast areas of land are being used to produce rice, wheat, rubber and a variety of other crops. More than half of the lands occupied and developed by human beings in the world are devoted to agriculture.

That agriculture is one of the most essential means of producing food is realized easily when we think of the types of things that we eat. The rice or wheat that we eat comes from the land. Even potatoes and other roots or vegetables and even leaves such as tea, as well as the fruits that men eat are the products of the soil that covers the earth. In fact, everything that we eat except meat, fish and other kinds of flesh comes from the land and what grows on the land is part of agriculture. Even the sugar, oil, coffee and other beverages that we use are products of plants that grow on the land. In the same way, many of the medicines that we use are made of plants that grow in various parts of the world. The tobacco that we use for relaxation also comes from a plant.

Thus, it can be easily observed that without agriculture we would be almost without food. It is true, however, that in the remote past men did live mainly on flesh that he obtained by hunting. But such a kind of life was unhappy and inconvenient, for animals were not found everywhere easily. Therefore, men turned to agriculture for his livelihood. Today, agriculture continues to provide almost all the foods that men require to survive on the earth.

Posted by Editorial Team on 19:15 in Lee Peace, Writing

What subject you like best in school?

The subject I like best in school is geography and the subject I hate is arithmetic. Even from my younger day, I have been longing to know more about other countries and the people who live there.

Geography teaches me not only about my own country but also the neighouring countries and the world in general. From what I have studied, I have a longing to see London, Paris, New-York and Tokyo. I have heard much about Mount Fujiyama, the snow-capped mountain of Japan. I also want to see Japan during the cherryblossom season. I want to see New-York and its sky-scrapers.

Geography interests me because without visiting these places I learn about them in books. For pupils like me who are poor and cannot afford to visit these places, the knowledge of geography is all the most useful. It is perhaps the second best means of knowing more about other countries.

Posted by Editorial Team on 19:13 in Lee Peace, Writing

The advantages and disadvantages of television

Nowadays many people all over the world spent most of their free time watching television; but since its appearance, television has brought to man many advantages as well as disadvantages.

First, television plays an important role in our daily activities: it keeps us informed of all current affairs in the world. Events through television are more vivid than those through books and magazines.

Second, television helps us enrich our spiritual lives. Our knowledge is broadened in many ways. Through language teaching programs, we can learn the language we like such as: English, French, German, Chinese, Japanese and so on. We can become skilful and clever at doing jobs, making cakes or arranging flowers through practical courses taught on television.

Finally, television is a source of recreation. Humorous stories and funny films bring us minutes of relaxation after a hard day’s work. For me, sitting comfortably in an arm-chair to watch an international football match on television is more interesting than having to queue for tickets at a crowded stadium.

Apart from its advantages, however, television also brings lots of disadvantages to viewers too.

First, television viewers gradually become passive in their action. Television may be a splendid media of communication, but it prevents us from communicating with each other or with the outer world. The world seen through television is only the restricted one: It separates us from the real world.

Second, television, with its fascinating power, makes people of all ages sink into oblivion: whole generations are growing up addicted to the telly. Pupils and students are so absorbed in television that they neglect their school activities. Food is left uneaten, homework undone and lessons unprepared. Housewives are so keen on watching television that they neglect their duties toward their husbands and their children. Instead of watching television, we may use the time for a real family hour. Without the distraction of television, we may sit around together after dinner and actually talk to one another to know and like each other better.

Finally, the evil influence of television on the young generation is inevitable; it encourages them to commit crimes. Spectacles of sadism and violence on television lead them to robbery, theft, rape and murder.

In a nutshell, television is useful to us when we know how to use it: Be careful not to overindulge ourselves in it and use it in a discerning manner.

Posted by Editorial Team on 02:13 in Lee Peace, Writing

The advantages and disadvantages in teaching English to Adult Learners

A brief look at the current English language teaching and learning context in Vietnam will show that the demand for English learning is very great. This is clearly seen in the multitude of institutions and centers that offer English courses as well as in the great number of learners who go to English classes. Among these learners adult learners form a big special group. Due to some of their characteristics the teaching of English to this group of adult learners has some advantages and disadvantages as follows.

The first advantage is that adult learners have some degree of extrinsic motivation. They may study English for a variety of reasons but they all do so because they want to or need to. For some students, the motivation may be in the form of integrative motivation because they wish to integrate themselves into the culture of an English-speaking country like Britain, America, Canada or Australia. For others, the motivation is instrumental in the sense that the mastery of the English language is seen as an instrument that can bring them a better job or position. When these adult students go to class with some motivation they are easier to teach than those who bring no motivation to the classroom.

The second advantage is that adult students can transfer those study skills and learning strategies they have acquired in their first language to their study of English. Unlike children and adolescents, adults are autonomous in some way. They have finished their studies or have undertaken at least some in their own language, so they must have gained some basic skills like reading, summarizing, identifying and applying formulae and information and such critical thinking skills as analyzing, synthesizing, hypothesizing, speculating, etc. Moreover, they may also have some well-established strategies for learning. Therefore, the English language teacher can make his job easier by creating conditions for adult students to reactivate these study skills and learning strategies and apply them to their study of a new language.

One more advantage is that adult learners can make use of whatever kind of knowledge they have accumulated in their own language. Again this advantage cannot be seen in other groups of learners like children and adolescents. First, adult learners have extensive experience of using a language, which is their mother tongue. Now that they start learning English, they can remember the new langue system better by making use of what they know about their own language. It is not uncommon to see learners comparing and contrasting their first language with the foreign language they are learning to find out areas in which the two languages are different or similar so that they can learn the new language more quickly. Second, adult students’ life experience, world knowledge and specialist knowledge can contribute much to their learning a foreign language. It can help them a lot when they have to read about or discuss complex or controversial topics in English. So the English teacher can engage adult learners more easily if he knows how to tap the knowledge they have gained over time.

On the contrary, there are some disadvantages to the teaching of English to adult students as well. The first disadvantage is that English learning makes a strong demand on adult learners in terms of time. As a matter of fact, it is really difficult for adult students to make time to learn English. As most institutions and centers teach English in the evening adult students have to study after work. Three one-hour-and-a-half sessions or three three-hour sessions a week seem not to add up to a lot of time but not all adult students can manage to set aside that much time for study purposes. The simple reason is that they all have their own lives to live outside the classroom or they all have other commitments in life than learning English. As a result, some students fail to invest as much time and effort in learning as they should. Of course, teachers will have difficulty in monitoring the performance and progress of those students who cannot attend class regularly.

Another factor that can interfere with or even impede adult students’ learning English is their fear of failure and frustration with lack of progress. As can be seen, some adult students are very successful professionals or have a high status at their work place. And now, at school they are just normal students coping with tasks, assignments, examinations, etc. as they have been successful in their career, they do not want to fail to achieve their desired goal of mastering English. They may therefore put themselves under unnecessary stress if they do not give themselves enough time to achieve their goals or if they set themselves unrealistic goals. Other students may be hard on themselves in a different way. For example, adult intermediate and advanced students, those who already know a lot, may find progress difficult to perceive. In this case, the teacher has more work to do: they must help these students get the level of challenge right or view success in a broader sense.

In addition, the lack of well-qualified teachers and the poor physical conditions of the classrooms at some English language schools and centers can be damaging to student motivation. Currently, in Vietnam a great number of institutions and centers provide English courses and they range form universities and their satellite centers, joint-venture centers, privately-owned centers to privately-run home-based classes. Such proliferation of schools and centers is useful in the sense that it offers students a wide variety of programs to choose from. However, because of a lack of quality control, the reality of some schools and centers may fall short of student expectations. Some teachers are untrained or inexperienced, delivering boring or uninteresting lessons; the physical classroom conditions and resources for learning are just basic. All this cannot of course supply students in general and adult students in particular with any intrinsic motivation, a crucial factor for successful language learning.

In general, this analysis of the current teaching context for adult learners of English in Vietnam in general and of the characteristics of this group of learners in particular partly reflects the increasing need for English language learning and mainly shows the advantages and disadvantages that adult students have in their English study. Both teachers and students need to be aware of these findings of the analysis so that they can find ways to maximize the advantages and minimize the disadvantages. Only in this way can teachers deliver quality English language programs for students to benefit from.

Posted by Editorial Team on 02:09 in Lee Peace, Writing

An adventure in a forest

A few months ago some of my classmates and I made a trip to Borneo with our Geography teacher to seek adventure in the forests of Borneo.

Soon after our arrival in Borneo, we made all the preparations and began our journey to the forest early one morning. After miles of travel through the forest, we arrived at an open space. As it was already late in the evening, we decided to erect our tent and spend the night there. night soon fell on this place and we lighted our oil lamp.

Feeling tired, we had our meal early and went to bed. There was silence all around; but soon, creatures that love the night world became active. The forest was now full of frightful noise. Breaking through this noise, came another noise, more frightening; the noise of native drums. And as the minutes slipped by, it seemed to come nearer and nearer. We all froze into deadly silence. The tension mounted rapidly, but still nothing happened. Then, as suddenly as it began, the noise stopped. We were alarmed. We were now sure that some natives have seen us and we would be attacked. In such a situation, we could not sleep. Death might come at any time.

Minutes lengthened to hours; but in our anxiety to preserve our lives, we hardly noticed the coming of day. Then, all of a sudden, we found ourselves surrounded by half-naked natives with spears in their hands. Surprised and terrified, we remained speechless for some time. Then, one of them, presumably their leader, uttered a word. He seemed eager to talk, but there was no language in which we could understand each other.

Our teacher, who is always full of ideas, then offered a cigarette to the man who uttered the word. The man, however, seemed to suspect our teacher’s intentions. He refused to accept the cigarette. Our teacher then put it between his own lips and after lighting it, began to puff at it. The man now made a sign which showed that he would not mind having a cigarette after all. At once our teacher gave him one and helped him to light it. As he was puffing at it, we observed signs of satisfaction. Realizing that in this way we could become friends, our teacher gave him a few more cigarettes. The man was so delighted at this demonstration of friendship that he uttered some words, and soon all those who came with him, began to dance and sing.

After they had stopped singing, they made several gestures which showed that they had enjoyed our company. They left us after about an hour with smiles on their faces. Our journey into the interior of Borneo was indeed an adventure.


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Posted by Editorial Team on 21:55 in Lee Peace, Writing

My first day at school

The first day at school probably had been much impressed on your life. Give your impressed on that day.

My first day at school is a day I will never forget. I went to school for the first time when I was only seven years old but I can recollect all the happenings on that day. The day before my school opened, my father asked me to keep my books ready.

The next morning, I woke up very early. Then I bathed and dressed myself neatly. Then my father took me to school. In the school I saw a number of new boys and girls waiting in the corridor. They were all like me in the school for the first time. I was then taken to a classroom.

For sometime, I found myself helpless, but it did not take much time for me to be friendly with other students. After two periods, they began to tease me, I was much annoyed. During the recess time, all my classmates gathered around me. One pulled my shirt while another pulled my ear. A third boy challenged for a fight. I was frightened and began to cry. My teacher seeing me crying came to me and asked me why I was crying. When I told him my “story”, the teacher punished the boys, and from that time onwards they stopped bullying me. We had no lessons on the first day. But lessons started from the second day. I was really happy to be in school on the first day. It was indeed a memorable day.

Posted by Editorial Team on 21:21 in Lee Peace, Writing

Should teachers give pupils too much homework? Discuss.

Many people now think that teachers give pupils too much homework. They say that it is unnecessary for children to work at home in their free time. Moreover, they argue that most teachers do not properly plan the homework tasks they give to pupils. The result is that pupils have to repeat tasks which they have already done at school.

Recently many parents complained about the difficult homework which teachers gave to their children. The parents said that most of the homework was a waste of time, and they wanted to stop it. Spain and Turkey are two countries which stopped homework recently. In Denmark, West Germany and several other countries in Europe, teachers cannot set homework at weekends. In Holland, teachers allow pupils to stay at school to do their homework. The children are free to help one another. Similar arrangements also exist in some British schools.

Most people agree that homework is unfair. A pupil who can do his homework in a quiet and comfortable room is in a much better position than a pupil who does his homework in a small, noisy room with the television on. Some parents help their children with their homework. Other parents take no interest at all in their children’s homework.

It is important, however, that teachers talk to parents about homework. A teacher suggests suitable tasks for parents to do with their children. Parents are often better at teaching their own children.

Posted by Editorial Team on 07:43 in Lee Peace, Writing