Five Ways to Improve Your English Reading Comprehension

taken from: http://www.1-language.com/articles/five-ways-to-improve-your-english-reading-comprehension

Improving your ability to read English quickly and accurately takes a great deal of practice. However, you don’t have to read boring materials that or ones that contain words and concepts you aren’t interested in. Once you know the basic elements of the English language, you can select from a wide variety of reading materials, including different methods of presentation. Here are a few fun ways to improve your reading comprehension.
Play word games
Today, crossword puzzles and other types of word game puzzles entertain native and non-native English speakers of all ages. If you’re looking for a way to improve your vocabulary and have fun at the same time, these types of puzzles can be of immense help to you. If this is something that interests you, you might also consider Scrabble, word searches and other similar games.
Take a speed reading course
If you aren’t interested in word games, you might want to try taking a course in speed reading. These lessons will teach you how to pick key words out of a paragraph and understand the message without having to read each sentence word for word. That said, if you’re having difficulty isolating nouns and verbs, you may need to practice more before you try taking these courses.
Take notes on subjects that interest you
If you’re reading a book on a topic that you enjoy, take some notes. These can be verbatim samples from the text or you can try putting sections in your own words. As you write, you’ll also have an opportunity to think about the sentence structures and see how ideas are conveyed. This will help you learn to discuss these topics in a way that sounds more natural.
Select materials that will challenge you
Just like with physical exercise, you need to constantly set new goals for yourself so that you continue to progress and improve. For example, if you’re able to work your way through a 100 page children’s book, it’s time to start tackling a longer book or one on a more difficult topic. Regardless of which subjects interest you the most, you’ll be able to find some books that are harder to comprehend than others. By applying yourself to the ones that are more difficult, you’ll gain increased mastery over written English.
Read materials from many different authors
Considering the number of people that have websites, it’s easy to sample a wide range of English writing styles. This will help you to learn about the flexibility of the English language, as well as the means of expression that most people are comfortable with. If you already know a great deal about a certain topic in your native language, you can use that background to help you read websites in English that focus on similar concepts.
For the most part, once you know the basic elements of the English language, practice and time will be your most valuable teachers. It’s important to spend time reading materials that interest you in as many forms as possible – and to spice up your practice with things like word games and speed reading classes. Over time – and with hard work – you’ll see dramatic improvements in your comprehension of written English.

HOW TO STUDY ENGLISH EFFECTIVELY.

TAKEN FROM : http://esl.about.com/od/intermediateenglish/a/study_english.htm
There are many ways to study English, but many students ask which is the most effective. Unfortunately, I don't think there is a single answer that is right for every student.

However ... I can certainly give advice I some helpful guidelines as to how to study that should help.
Warming-up to Study English
Just as there are exercises to help you warm up before you play some basketball or other sport, there are exercises which can help you warm up to study English.

Here are some simple exercises to help you warm up.
Study English I: Activating Your Vocabulary
Activate your vocabulary by thinking or speaking briefly about the subject you are about to work on. For example, if you are going to study English on topics that focuses on vacations, take a moment to think about your last vacation, what you did, what you enjoyed, etc. This simple exercise will help your brain warm-up to vocabulary that you are likely to encounter as you study English about this particular subject.
Study English II: Activating Your Grammar
Activate your grammar by thinking about the general grammar area before you begin to study. For example, if you are going to study English grammar focusing on the past, stop to think about what you did last weekend, where you went, etc. to help activate what you already understand about using the past. As with activating vocabulary, you'll help your brain bring up what it knows about the past simple in an easy way before you begin to focus on studying English grammar in detail.
Study English III: Singing a Song
Before class begins, or before you sit down to study English sing a song in English to yourself. Make sure to use a song that you understand and know very well. This short and fun exercise will help your brain focus on the English language in a relaxing manner. It's important to be relaxed when you study English! Singing a song also helps activate the creative side of your brain which can help you come up with more examples as your practice conversation or do some creative writing.
Study English IV: Typing a Short Paragraph in English
If you going to study English at your desk, begin by typing a simple paragraph in English. You can type about your day, your hobbies, your friends, etc. Anything will do. Typing helps activate the kinetic part of your brain that helps improve learning through physical activity. I also recommend typing while you study your English grammar. This will help solidify your knowledge with movement.
Study English V: A Thousand Words ...
As the saying goes in English: A picture is worth a thousand words. Help activate the creative side of your brain by trying to describe a photo or other image. You can combine use this also to activate your vocabulary by choosing a picture that has something to do with the subject your are going to study in English.

Study English - Tips for Success
Here are some tips for success to help you as you study English.
Study English Every Day
It's important to study English every day. However, don't exaggerate! Study for thirty minutes every day instead of two hours once a week. Short, steady practice is much better for learning than long periods on an irregular basis. This habit of studying English every day will help keep English in your brain fresh.
Study English Using Different Methods to Learn
Don't just use one way to study English. Use a variety of methods which will help all the parts of your brain (multiple intelligences) help you. For example, if you are learning new vocabulary, create a word map, describe a picture, make a list and study that, type out the words five times. All of these methods together help to reinforce your learning.
Study English by Finding some Friends
There is nothing like having a few friends to study English together. You can practice the exercises together, have conversations together (in English!), and, as you study English together, help each other with exercises you may not understand.
Study English by Choosing Topics that Interest You
One of the most important things to do is to study English using topics that you like. This will help motivate you because you will also be learning about a topic you find interesting while you study English.
More Ideas on How To Study English
How To Improve Your Pronunciation
How To Improve Your English
How to Improve your Vocabulary

MORE TIPS ON LEARNING ENGLISH.

***Motivation is half the Work.
“Boring!” Well, that’s definitely not the way it works.
Try to find a positive aspect to studying.
- Why not watch your favourite film in English and write down some useful words or phrases that you want to remember.
- You could also read the lyrics of Top 10 songs and try to understand what they are about.
- Or check out celebrity sites and learn more about famous actors, bands and other stars. This sure is good for your vocabulary and on top of that
– It’s lots of fun. Always look on the bright side of life.

***Study English every Day.
How many English words can I learn per day? 10 English words or phrases per day aren’t too many, are they? Just give it a try. You will find that you can learn them in next to no time.So why not take a little time each day (Monday to Friday) to learn 10 new words? Use the weekend to revise what you have learned during the past week(s). This way you’ll enrich your English vocabulary by 50 new words per week. (That’s 200 new English words after a month!)

***Targets.
Set small, achievable targets, e.g.:
- learn 10 new English words or phrases every day, Mondays to Fridays (repeat on Saturdays, relax on Sundays)
- unlearn one typical mistake before the next test (see our backlog analysis )
- study 15 minutes every day !!!!
- read the lyrics of an English song every week and try to understand its main content.
- read and try to understand one short English text every week.
Reaching your target step by step is much better than setting a huge target that you cannot achieve. Easy does it … and keeps your motivation up.

ADAPTED FROM : http://www.ego4u.com/en/cram-up/learning

TIPS FOR LEARNING LANGUAGES.

FROM: http://www.teach.bravehost.com/
Learning to communicate in another language may be challenging, but it is also a very rewarding and enriching experience. It is the best passport to discovering another culture. Here are a few tips we’ve put together to help you make the most of the experience.

Find out what kind of learner you are
Ask yourself, do I learn something better when I see it written down? Do I only need to hear something a few times before I know it? Do I like to learn grammar rules by heart? Are there other strategies that work well for me? If you recognize your strengths, you can use them to work more effectively.When learning a language, it is important to use a variety of strategies (using the book, listening to the recording, rehearsing dialogues, learning vocabulary, writing things down, listing verb forms, etc.) to practise the different skills of listening, speaking, reading and writing. Work out what your preferred learning style is and use it to your advantage.
Work at your own pace
Make the most of the time you have available to study. As a general rule, don’t try and do too much at once. You will often find you can learn more effectively if you study for half an hour or so at regular intervals, rather than try to do a whole unit in one sitting.With the best will in the world, there will be times when you don’t feel like studying. Try not to skip your session, though, and organize your work according to your mood. If you’re tired, choose less demanding tasks such as repeating activities; if you lack concentration, read a foreign magazine article about a subject which really interests you.
Why not learn with someone else?
It helps if you can learn with someone else. If you can persuade a friend or family member to study with you, it will give you extra impetus to keep working. Agree times to meet and set goals for the week, and test each other regularly.
Language learning is also about intuition
Guesswork is an important strategy in learning a new language and you will probably be pleasantly surprised at how often you’re right.When listening to recorded material, you aren’t expected to understand everything first time round. If you play the same piece several times, you will most probably understand something new each time. Learn to make maximum use of all the clues you can pick up. For example, what do the speakers sound like? Happy? Angry? Calm? etc.Also, in most European languages a lot of words have a common origin, which will help you build your knowledge more quickly. After a while you should also be able to identify common patterns between English and the language you’re learning, for example French equivalents of English words ending in –ly often end in –ment.
Speak, speak, speak!
Practise speaking as often as you can – even speaking to yourself is good practice.Try recording yourself whenever you can – especially when doing the pronunciation practice activities. When you listen to it afterwards, don’t worry if you sound hesitant or have made mistakes. It is important to evaluate your performance. Compare your pronunciation with the master version, see how you can do better and have another go. If you do this several times, you will find that each version is better than the last.Read aloud whenever possible: it will help you memorize vocabulary and structures. Going through the same dialogue several times is a good idea too.If possible, try and find someone who speaks the language you want to learn!
Build up your vocabulary
A wide vocabulary is the key to successful language learning but don’t try to learn too much at once. It’s best to study frequently, for short periods of time. Take a maximum of six or seven items of vocabulary and learn them. Put them into sentences to fix them in your mind, then come back to them later. Much of the vocabulary in the course is presented by topic. Learning vocabulary in this way is usually very effective.
Get the right tools
You may find you want a bilingual dictionary to help translate new words and expressions as you expand your vocabulary. When choosing a dictionary, make sure you pick one that gives you plenty of information on usage through illustrative examples, rather than one which only gives translations for each word with no guidance as to which ones to use in which contexts.Alternatively, you may find a vocabulary builder useful. These are usually arranged thematically and allow you to learn lists of words and expressions associated with a particular topic.
Get used to hearing everyday language at normal speed
Apart from listening to the course recordings, you could watch films with subtitles, listen to a foreign radio station (for example if you're learning English then your best choice is the BBC), or watch foreign language TV stations if you have satellite or cable TV. Even if you don’t understand much of what is being said, it is a good way of getting used to sounds and intonations. Choose programmes according to your own interests, you’ll learn much more effectively about subjects you’re keen on.International news is a good thing to listen to, particularly if you have already heard the news in English that day. Pictures will give you clues. You’ll find that you are picking up a lot of vocabulary by making use of the subtitles especially for expressions that occur regularly.
But most of all, have fun!

How to Improve your English via the Internet.

Here are some tips to improving English both in how your learn and via the internet.

Remember that learning a language is a gradual process - it does not happen overnight.

Define your learning objectives clearly: What do you want to learn and why?

- Take this quiz to find out what kind of English learner you are.

Make learning a habit. Try to learn something every day. It is much better to study (or read, or listen to English news, etc.) 10 minutes each day than to study for 2 hours once a week. - Take the English tip of the day newsletter to help you.

Choose your materials well. You will need reading, grammar, writing, speaking and listening materials - Beginners can use this starting English guide, intermediate to advanced learners can use this continue learning English guide.

Vary your learning routine. It is best to do different things each day to help keep the various relationships between each area active. In other words, don't just study grammar.

Find friends to study and speak with. Learning English together can be very encouraging. - Soziety can help you find friends to speak English over the inernet.

Choose listening and reading materials that relate to what you are interested in. Being interested in the subject will make learning more enjoyable - thus more effective.

Relate grammar to practical usage. Grammar by itself does not help you USE the language. You should practice what you are learning by employing it actively.

Move your mouth! Understanding something doesn't mean the muscles of your mouth can produce the sounds. Practice speaking what you are learning aloud. It may seem strange, but it is very effective.

Be patient with yourself. Remember learning is a process - speaking a language well takes time. It is not a computer that is either on or off!

Communicate! There is nothing like communicating in English and being successful. Grammar exercises are good - having your friend on the other side of the world understand your email is fantastic!

Use the Internet. The Internet is the most exciting, unlimited English resource that anyone could imagine and it is right at your finger tips.

Be patient with yourself.

Practice, practice, practice!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

taken from:

http://esl.about.com/od/speakingenglish/a/howinternet.htm