The title of Unit 1A of the course book is "Learning Experiences".
What does this mean to you? What kind of learner are you? What is/was school like for you? Are you doing any other courses at the moment? What can you do to become a more effective learner? If you could learn a new skill, what would it be?
We look forward to reading your great ideas on how to be a better learner!!!
What does this mean to you? What kind of learner are you? What is/was school like for you? Are you doing any other courses at the moment? What can you do to become a more effective learner? If you could learn a new skill, what would it be?
We are going to start an advice service to help each other to become more effective learners. Think of the techniques you use to help you to learn things and write them in the "COMMENTS" box here in the blog. Let's share our ideas and help each other to become more effective learners!
For example, one of the best ways to remember things is to ... WRITE THINGS DOWN!!! So we are looking for ideas for making the most of our vocabulary notebooks.
For example, one of the best ways to remember things is to ... WRITE THINGS DOWN!!! So we are looking for ideas for making the most of our vocabulary notebooks.
Remember, you need to open a Gmail account in order to make comments on the blog!
We look forward to reading your great ideas on how to be a better learner!!!
Andy
Great idea to have a learners "help-line"! When I record new vocabulary I always write a short sentence using the new word. This is much better than just writing a list of new words in isolation. It makes it much easier to remember!
ReplyDeleteWhen I'm learning Castellano I try to find an antonym (opposite) of the word I've just learned. For example stingy - generous or fat - skinny. My castellano is still terrible though!!!
ReplyDeleteI wasn´t very creative when I was learning new words at school- I wrote French on one paper and English on the other and then I matched and then I wrote out long lists of words from translation. I should have written meaningful sentences with new words, I would be able to remember those words now, if I had!
ReplyDeleteI have a alphabetical telephone book that I have used to create my very own Spanish-Spanish dictionary. I don't do it with every word that I learn (that's why it personalised just for me), but I find it really useful to do every now and then. Defining words forces me to use relative clauses and work on pronombres and prepositions, which are often difficult areas for learners. It also helps with synonyms, antonyms and identifying parts of speech.
ReplyDeleteI'd be happy to show it to you!
Lisa
I like to keep a separate lexical notebook for recording all the new words and phrases I come across in Spanish. I find that the process of transferring new lexis from my classnotes to the notebook, deciding how and where to record it (e.g. in separate themed sections) and writing some example sentences really helps me remember the new language.
ReplyDeleteI also keep a section at the back where I note down the errors that I make and try to learn from them.
If only fixing my pronunciation was so easy!
Chris
What i do is watch an exagerated amount of tv shows... like loads of them. and when i say loads, i mean it:
ReplyDeletedr house, fringe, the mentalist, lost, heroes, supernatural, prison break, 24, ghost whisperer, the 4400, skins, charmed, family guy, weeds, and the list keeps on going..
due to the difficulty and length of the downloading subtitles process, i've been watching those tv shows from the beginning to the very end in english audio.
i also read a lot, and most of what i read is from abroad, and as i can't stand translated novels, i'd rather get them in the original language (english) and read them. there i have another good learning source..
and whenever i get across a word i didn't know or even if i understand the main meaning but i'm not so sure of it or i don't imagine how it's used, i pause the film/tv series' chapter/reading and look it up. usually, i remember it afterwards, but if i'm not certain of it, i write it down elsewhere and read the list through a couple of nights.. but that doesn't happen very often, they usually get stuck in my mind.
by the way, i'm Manzioni, from tom's advanced 1 class, ih recoleta.
ReplyDeleteTo remember the new vocabulary/expressions, I just write them in my vocabulary notebook, so when I see those notes, I immediately remember the meaning.
ReplyDeleteIn summer, as I don't have English lessons, I use to read books referred to the World War II to practice my English, such as the book called "Great Photographs of World War II", which shows lots of images of battles in the different places of Europe, USSR, North Africa and the islands of the Pacific previously accompanied of a short description of the battle.
Also, I like to watch movies (in English, of course) without reading the subtitles.
Alejo, from Andy's Advanced 1 class
I think that there are several ways of learning. I reckon repetition is the best technique that I employ. I also try to use some of the new words that can be heard or read everyday like from newspaper, a book or even from listening music or either from english lessons as the I.H. ones.
ReplyDeleteMartin (Andy`s class)
To my mind, the best way to learn English is to incorporate it in the things you most enjoy. For example, as I'm keen on playing medieval themed games, when I play some of these games I'm always expanding my vocabulary with words related to this field of knowledge, such as chainmail or crossbow.
ReplyDelete