Well, it is already 2005! I remember when in 1958 as a 13 year old I read the book 1984 by George Orwell, the year 1984 seemed far off in the future.
Now is the time to make New Year's resolutions. My resolution is to be better organized and get more things done. I propose the following two resolutions to our members.
Resolution # 1. Use the REVIEW section!
I recently spoke to a new member who has only been using The Linguist for three weeks. She is delighted with her progress. She uses the REVIEW section daily. She does three tests of her new words and phrases every day. THREE! She does this because if she does not review the individual words and phrases she will have trouble remembering them.
This is called "bottom-up" learning. It is the study of the components of the language- the words and phrases. It reinforces the learning power of the other activities, like reading, listening, writing and speaking. Research has shown that the individual study of words and phrases using flash cards or similar systems (like our REVIEW section) is very effective. Many of our learners just read and listen. Some join the voice chat and some write. But too few use the REVIEW function. It is time for a New Year's resolution. Use the REVIEW section in 2005!
Resolution # 2. Use the Import Content section!
To enrich your vocabulary you need to read. If you have trouble reading the newspaper, magazines or books for pleasure, you can use The Linguist to help you.
Go to an Internet website on a subject that you are interested in. It might be a newspaper website, or a website on health or cuisine. Copy as many paragraphs as you can handle into the Import Content section in READ. Use the power of The Linguist to save key words and phrases for later review. Read the article several times over a few days. Then go back to the same website again for another article on the same subject. Stay concentrated on one subject for a few weeks.
You may be interested in following news about the recent Asian tsunami disaster. Or you may be interested in issues related to a healthy diet. By concentrating on one subject you will encounter the same words many times in different sentences and contexts. This will help you learn vocabulary that is meaningful to you. This kind of strategic reading will enrich your vocabulary and prepare you for pleasure reading in English, which is so important to your success.
I want to know who was able to make these two resolutions for the new year. Send me an email. Meanwhile, I will try to be better organized in the new year.
