Audiobooks can help us with our English language.

 

AUDIOBOOKS

 

        A brief history

In 1934 appeared the first talking book. This kind of book was made to blind readers, in which included The Bible and some Shakespeare's plays. In that time was recorded on LPs and played on grampohone.

In 1955 stablished the fisrt Listening library to distribute those audiobooks only in libraries and schools.

Over the years, these audiobooks were innovating, depending on each medium where it could be reproduced, going from LPs, cassettes, records; until today we listen to them through our cellphones with free apps from google with or without internet connections, providing us with any amount of content for each preference.

At present, these have become very useful in the educational field, and even more so if it is in the area of English.

Audiobooks can help us in several ways when we are learning a language like English:

🕮 Improves our reading level by up to 52%.

🕮 Helps our pronunciation

🕮 Increase pur listening skill
🕮 Enhance our reading comprehension by up to 76 %

🕮 It allow us to be inmersed in the language we are learning

🕮 Open the door to imagination

🕮 You can listen to the way native speakers speak in English

🕮 It gives you the opportunity to learn expressions through the text you are listening to.

    Here I will leave you some links and applications of audiobooks for free and discover other options to get you out of boring and try other ways to learn English.

Google app store

📲 Audio Libros

📲 50000 eBooks & Audio Books.

📲 Goodreads

📲  Beelinguapp 

📲  Story Shots

📲 GoodFM

📲 English Listening Step by Step

📲  AudioBooks HD- Unlimited audio books

                                      

         
                         

 
                       
                              

                                    

               
             

It is possible we can read fast and well!

 

 

At the time to read something, in some ocassion we can lose the meaning some words or understand the context, it is hard, but we can improve our reading when reading aloud?

When read a short text we must  take in consideration some techniques below.

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Don't read at the laisurely pace

This type of reading can slown down our speaking speed and we lose the habit of reading 300 words per minute.

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Don't just learn words, learn phrases

Learn phrases help you to read faster and gain fluency at the moment that you can read and our eyes has the scope to read 1.5 inches long, that means you can read up to nine words at a time.

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Practice more reading 

At the  time of practicing we improve each time the way we read and what we understand.

                                                           

                     
   
             

SPEAKING PRACTICE ACTIVITIES

 

            One of the most difficult parts for those of us who are                         learning English is to speak in this language.

        It is important to keep in mind  that  speaking skill is expressing     our ideas, fears and thoughs. However, to be able to do it and      develop it requires several factor such as: vocabulary,     reading, listening, self-confident, pronunciation and consistency.

Today,  I share with you several activities to practice them.  Personally, it has helped me, and I feel that I have improved,  although  I still have  a long way  to go to reach the desired level, but I have to say  that I am very satisfied with the results.

👉CHOOSE A  PARTNER ON ANY PLATFORM.-

        It is a good way to try to talk in the company of  a person you trust. You can select any free app 

        of your choice wheter it is tandem, speaky, buddy talk or through social media netwroks like

        messenger, whatsapp or instagram.

                 

👉APPLY A  21-DAY CHANLENGE  IN THIS SKILL.-

        For this alternative, we must be realistic of the level we have and be able to make our own                 challenge based on that. 

                                

👉READING SOME INFORMATION IN ENGLISH AND TRY TO EXPLAIN IT.

        You will not only learn new words, you will also better analyze and understand what you are about to read.

  

        

👉TRYING TO SPEAK AT THE END OF THE DAY ABOUT WHAT YOU HAVE DONE ALL DAY.

This activity can help you to remember some of the words you learned during the day and express yourself in correct way.

👉SAYING SENTENCES OUT LOUD WITH YOUR NEW VOCABULARY.

    Believe it or not, this will make it easier for uoy to speak in the present, past or future tense without being attached to a piece of paper, you will exercise your brain to make it easier to think in English.

👉REPEAT PHRASES ALL DAY IN ORDER TO YOU CAN INCLUDE IN YOUR SPEECH.

👉MAKE COMPARISONS OF A COUPLE OF PICTURE SO THAT YOU CAN TALK ABOUT BASIC TOPICS.

This kind of activity can improve your fluency and you can realize  how much you about the topic. 

VALENTINE'S DAY IDIOMS, MEANINGS AND ORIGINS

 

On this special date, I  bring you some idioms related  to Valentine´s day, that will help you to express your feelings to the person you appreciate so much.

Pay attention to these  idioms, their meanings and the reason for their origin.

💘  Heart in the right place:     To show  emotions and  feelings openly.

            Origin: This expression appeared in the Middle Ages, Knights                     traditionally wore colors or some kind of insignia on their arms to signify  the ladies for whom they participated in the jousting tournament.

💘  Love at the first sight:        An instantaneous attraction to someone.

            Origin:  It was originated from Greek and Roman literature where this idea was accompanied by imagery of loves arrow from the God's Eros and Cupid.

💘  Fall head over heels in love with someone:     to be madly in love with someone.

            Origin:  This expression has at least 200 years old. It originated in the 1300s  as  hell over head which it had a different context and it was not until the last 18th century, that its  meaning changed.

💘   Cupboard love:            Show of love only for interest in order to get you want.     

             Origin:   it was used to describe the way a cat showed its artificial affection,  which comes from the 17th, century.

💘   Love is blind:             You show your feelings regardlessof their weaknesses.

        Origin:   This expression was used by Chaucer in his work "The merchant's tale" , then was popularized by William Shakespeare.

💘  Pop the question:       To make an offer of marriage.

        Origin:    Appeared in th 1700s, but in anothercontext related to asking an important question rather than a proposal, although it changed its used in 1826.

💘  On the rocks:          Have a problem in your relationship, in which it will soon end.

        Origin:      It originated  1800s, to refer to the disasters of a relationship that will not last.

💘 Kiss and make up:   To reconcile and outcome your difference.

        Origin:     This idioms replaced another one and appeared in 1900s.

                                        

  
 

Let's get to know the phrasal verbs with the word down.

 

"DOWN"

As far as we know,  phrasal verbs change the meaning of  verbs. Normallly the verb down has a connotation of  a movement toward down, reduction and decrease.

In this section I have provided a list of some phrasal verbs and their meaning:

Weight down:                     To carry too (responsabilities,  problems)

Loaded down:                     Carrying too many things

Write down:                        Write sth on apiece of paper, so as not to forget it.

Shut down:                           Turn off sth

Close down:                         Close a deal/ business

Fall down:                            Fall to the ground

Walf down:                         Eating  too hungry

Dress down:                       Dressing simply

Crack down (on):               Take strong action

Wear down:                        To make sb/sth weaker or less determined with the                                                              pressure

Water down:                        To make a liquid weaker  by adding water / Dilute sth

1. Movement toward down

          Take (sth)down:         remove sth

          Put  sown (sth):           to place a thing on a surface like a table

           Set down:                     to stay or live in one place.

2. Reduction or decrease

        Turn (sth) down:       Decrease the volume of sth

        Slow down:                 Do something at a slower speed

        Cut     down:              To use or eat less (reduce) 

        Break down:               Means to stop working or functioning

        Let (sb) down:             to dissapoint

 

In order to learn phrasal verbs, we have to follows these steps: 

1. Repeating each phrasal verb with its meaning, not all at once, in group of three or five would be good.

2. Once you have learned them you can search for pages with this type of phrasal verbs and take an online test to reinforce  those you have not learned.

Ex.:

3. Another idea is that, you can make sentences with each one of them.

4. Watching videos of your favorite series or movies these phrasal verbs to better understand the context

5. In some visible places of your house you can paste paperswith these phrasal verbs.

Vocabulary to talk about our favorite things

 

When we strike up  a conversation at the beginning, we mention our favorite things to know that person. 

To talk about our favorite things is necessary to know simple vocabulary such as: Colors, movies, free time, sports, actors, food, music, etc.

It is important to know what if we are going to talk about whatever thing we also have to describe and say the reason for that answer, providing more information to the receiver.

Tip: If we want to ask something to someone we have to follow structure:

QUESTION + VEB TO BE + SUBJECT+ COMPLEMENT+ ?

Q: What is your favorite ___color_________?

A: My favorite movie is pink.

    Here we mention some color that you must know in a basic level.

Typical colors                

• Red                                       
• Orange                                       
• yellow                                    
• blue                                        
• Black
• white
• Pink 
• Purple
• Brown
• Green
• Gray

Light- dark- bright

• Light green  - dark green
• Light blue    -  dark blue   
• The words Light, Dark and Bright are placed before the colour.

Word order with colors

We has three different ways to describe a color in a sentence.

1. To Be + Colour. e.g. My car is blue.

2. Colour + Noun. e.g. The blue car is mine.

3. Colour is the Noun. e.g. Blue is the colour of my car.

Take note: The colors are used how adjectives to describe something.

There are many types of movie genres:

• Action movie
• Horror movies
• Comedies
• Sci-fi movies
• Dramas
• Hsitorical films
• Documentaries
• Romcom

Here we left some questions relate to how  can ask someone about this topic.

   

• Which character did you like the best?"

• "What did you think of the plot?"

• "Did you like the cast?"

• "What was your favourite scene?

• What kind of movie do you like?

• Have you ever seen that movie?

A typical question that someone ask us, is about Kind of music. At presents we have too many genres:

 

• Classical
• Electronic
• Reggaeton
• pop
• K-pop
• Rock
• Metal
• Merengue
• Salsa
• Bachata
• Cumbia
• Mariachi

These type of musics are the best know in the world, despite the fact that there are many other rhythms.

• What type of movie do you like to listen to?
• Are there any kinds of music that you dislike?
• Do you ever go to music gigs?
• Have you ever been in a music group or band?
• What is the traditional music of your country?

• Go to the park/ Go to the cinema/ Go shopping
• play an instrument
• Study something
• Read books
• Watch  TV
• Do exercises
• Hangout with friends
• Play video games / do sport
• Spend time with my family
• Surf the internet

When we are going to talk about hobbies or activities we can use stative verbs.

Like + noun /ing form

Love+ noun/ ing form

Be keen on+ noun /ing form

enjoy + noun /ing form

Take note: When we use like + ing / noun is to talk about general likes.

                    and if we use 'd + like + verb  is for a specific occasion.

                    To emphazise something we are going to use "very much" at the end of the                                  sentence and "at all"  to a negative sentence, if you don't like something.

Q: What is your favorite ___activities or hobbies__?

A: I like to wacth series and  listen to music.

A:  I love  being out in nature.

INDIRECT QUESTION ABOUT  YOUR FREE TIME?

 

    What did you do this weekend?

   

    Have you seen _________?

    

    What kind of things do you like to do?

    What other things do you like to do?

    What do you like to do in your free time?

    

    

    

    

 

 

Let's improve our pronunciation

Techniques to improve our pronunciation

As learners of one language learning another is complicated but not impossible. However, pronunciation is an important part of English communication and can make us feel more comfortable in learning.

Getting a good pronunciation requires time, patience and practice to achieve it. Making ourselves understood, and trying to express ourselves as we should is not an easy task, so you can apply these methods or techniques that I know will help you.

The technique of Shadowing in English language learning is widely used by learners as it consists in listening to someone speaking and you repeat what they say in real time, with as little delay as possible. This method will help you improve your listening skills and you will learn some new words and phrases through repetition.

 

Choosing songs of your preference where you can learn them and repeat them over and over again, this is also another way to learn to pronounce words well and even increase your vocabulary.

Tongue twisters are very useful, this will help you to improve your fluency with the words as well as to pronounce those words that are similar, differentiating their sound from others and you will be able to vocalize well.

  

Habits for building English language learning

 

5 ways to get into the habit of learning English

Through this Blog you will learn a good way to learn English through very useful habits.  In particular, it has helped me a lot to improve some areas such as: listening, writing, speaking, reading and pronunciation.

• First, you can Listen to simple music according to your level and look up the meaning of words you don't know.
• Second, You can download applications that will help you in your learning, I suggest some: 

         
                                       

                                                                                                                   

• Third, you can write every day about your day, when you are free and feel comfortable to do so, you can include new words to increase your vocabulary.
• fourth, choose useful words or phrases every day for 5 days during the week and repeat them during the day.
• fifth, at any time of the day you can describe a situation that has happened to you or simply make up stories in English.