How to write more accurately and improve your grade, by Celia Webb

Fact checking is an important part of writing an accurate article. Meticulous authors do research prior to committing their thoughts to paper. Not all authors are so careful. Editors and readers serve society and themselves well when they read with a judicious eye. Just because a piece is written and printed does not necessarily make it true. The ability to check facts, coupled with an openness to a possible bias on the part of an author, will enable the discernment of truth or distortion.

Editors have a responsibility to fact check before printing an article or book. Some editors do this very well. Others do not. If you are an editor, the tips below could help you produce better articles thereby building a reputation as a reliable source.

Readers could benefit from these tips by being able to ascertain whether what they are reading is actually true, elaborations on truth, or, just plain inaccurate. In these days of information being rapidly accessed on the Internet where anyone can publish anything, it is vital to know how to pick out what is factual information and what is not. Readers should be aware that facts can be twisted or interpreted incorrectly also, that they can be used as the basis to support a poorly reasoned conclusion. So the fact could be correct, but the logic used to support a particular argument could be defective. This article does not address how to pick out faulty logic.

The Process of Fact Checking. Here is a sequence of steps to follow in fact checking. If you are writing for publication or academic purposes, you will want to do the final step of recording what you find. If you are fact checking for your own edification, this step may not be important to you.

a. Read the material.

b. Read the material a second time, marking passages for checking.

c. Write down the claims to check and list keywords and potential resources to research.

d. Do the research.

e. Record results including the source.

Who is the Author?

The first thing to determine is the qualifications of the author. Experts writing in their field may be given credit as more likely to be knowledgeable and accurate. However, the author may harbor a bias. The use of inflammatory language is one overt clue to bias. The use of subtle innuendo is a covert one. Check for degrees, certifications, awards, and years of experience. Next, look for evidence of due diligence by the author. Are sources listed for claims made? Did the author do original research?

Is the Source trustworthy?

In the case of an editor or author, a “source” would be those references used by the author to support his argument. In the case of a reader, “source” also includes the author of the material. Sources should be reliable, knowledgeable, and unbiased in order to be trustworthy. Ask yourself these questions.

a. Is the source reliable?

Each fact used in a publication needs to come from a reliable source. Authors who list their sources help make your research easier because you can check the source directly and you can make a determination whether that source has provided information in the past which turned out to be accurate. The more well-known the institution or research agency which generated the original information, the more likely it is that the information is reliable. Institutions and research agencies not only do primary research, they also tend to do peer reviews of information prior to its release, and many other interested parties carefully scrutinize their work once it has been released.

b. Is the source knowledgeable?

Look for sources which have credentials in the area of expertise from which the claim emanates. For example, in the case of medical claims, check with organizations and agencies like the National Institutes of Health or the Centers for Disease Control or individuals who have medical degrees. Look for years of related experience and published research. People who have worked at or studied a subject extensively have more understanding of their topic.

c. Is the source unbiased?

Independent laboratories and agencies are the most likely source for unbiased information. Who funds cited research projects? Unfortunately, funding often seems tied to the outcome of the research. Research funded by organizations with significant monetary stakes in the outcome of the research should be viewed with healthy skepticism.

If the author did not list his sources, then more work is required to determine whether the source was reliable. Assessing source reliability is most difficult when the source is listed as a “well-placed source” or “an anonymous source”, or some equally unspecific citing is given. In those cases, treat the information as possibly suspect. Two methods can be pursued at this point. Wait to see how events play out before deciding to treat the information as true or search for collaboration or refutation of the claim from other sources.

Search the Internet with care.

Just because you find something on the Internet does not make it true. Many blogs, newsletters, and articles are not well edited, not reviewed for accuracy, and do not follow journalistic standards. One of the most common mistakes is assuming that because something appears on the Internet, especially if it occurs multiple times, it is true. Since many authors just restate what they read somewhere else without checking the facts, readers can see multiple iterations of inaccurate information. Remember to verify the source. Find the originator of the information and assess their trustworthiness.

If you are researching political statements, you might wish to check FactCheck.org which specializes in researching the issues which appear on the political scene. Other websites which provide more consistently edited and reviewed information include Wikipedia, sites ending with “.gov”, and major newspapers.

Ask a Subject Matter Expert.

As an editor, I occasionally run across something for which it is difficult to find an answer. I turn to experts by searching on the Internet and then send an e-mail request for assistance. Depending on the subject, I might ask college professors, coaches, or whatever other category of expert applies. I provide a short description of my question and ask for their help. I usually send up to five requests which increases my chances of getting at least one response. This has been a successful strategy. I always send a “thank you”!

Ask a Research Librarian.

If you are at a loss for how to check a piece of information, ask your local research librarian. They are well-versed in research techniques and authoritative publications, government, and Internet sources and can refer you to appropriate material in their own reference section.

Check with the Library of Congress.

You can also use the vast resources of the Library of Congress to check on the accuracy of information. Their online “Ask a Librarian” program lets you submit a request for information and their librarians will research the issue and e-mail a response.

Fact checking is worth the effort. Editors will improve the trustworthiness of their publication by ensuring the facts are well-supported and accurate. Readers will be confident about understanding issues and making sound decisions when they know the facts presented are true.

About the Author

Celia Webb is President of Pilinut Press, Inc., publishers of advanced readers for children and ESL students. Check out www.pilinutpress.com for more free articles on developing reading-related skills, word games and puzzles, and activity sheets for the company’s entertaining and educational books.

Celia Webb discusses the benefits of increased vocab acquisition in Business English.

Learning English terms for matters of finance and business is an important part of being a successful business person in the English-speaking world. Most common business actions require reading contracts, invoices, purchase orders, and other financial and legal documents. You will also want to be able to conduct negotiations and perform the common courtesies expected in the business world. In order to successfully transact your business, you must know the language of business.

The first challenge is the number of words related to business and financial matters, not counting all the acronyms like FDIC and APR. The English language contains hundreds of word and phrases related to financial matters. The next challenge is that many of these words describe sophisticated concepts which are difficult to explain and are not widely understood in the first place (for example, how many of us can rattle off an explanation for capitalization?).

Developing your vocabulary of financial terms is critical to your financial management and business success. Here are ways to increase your financial vocabulary.

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Extra! Extra! Read all about it!

Use news stories as a starting point for exploring new vocabulary. Pick a word from the news story and research the word in the dictionary or on the internet. Write the word down in your “financial terms” notebook with its definition. An alternative to a notebook is a system of index cards which are then sorted alphabetically and kept in a small file box.

Read a good book

Financial situations are so fundamental to the daily life of human beings that many books deal with or have an undercurrent of economic themes. Rags to riches, the struggle of the poor, the standard of living enjoyed by the characters, are all themes which often appear in books. Along with the themes comes the vocabulary used to describe what is happening to the characters. As you encounter unfamiliar words, jot them down on an index card along with their definition. If you organize the words alphabetically, you will find them easier to look up when you next run across them. Choose a card each day to carry in your purse or briefcase. Pull out the card whenever you are waiting in line and study it. Books which contain glossaries are helpful since you do not need to carry a dictionary as well. Some publishers also offer vocabulary worksheets, puzzles, and games to help people work with new words. Check the publisher’s website for support materials.

Tool kit

Search the internet using keywords like “financial terms games”, and “business terms” to find all sorts of resources to help you add to your financial vocabulary. There are games, puzzles, word searches, newsletters, tips, and other readily available tools for explaining financial terms and concepts.

Practice time

Practice saying the word often. Say it to yourself several times by sounding out the word. Listen to it being pronounced by English speakers either on the TV or radio. Search the internet using keywords like “English listening online” and “English listening” to find free resources for practicing English listening skills. Many sites offer downloadable MP3 files which you can play numerous times until you feel comfortable with the word’s sound. If you search on “English speaking” or English speaking online”, you will find resources for practicing your pronunciation skills. If you know an English speaker who is willing to practice with you, ask to meet on a regular basis. Or form an English club to give you plenty of opportunities to practice.

The impact of money on our lives is obvious because of the large number of words in the English vocabulary which describe and denote different aspects of money and business. By learning financial terms and their meanings, you provide the groundwork for a successful career in business.

About the Author

Celia Webb, President of Pilinut Press, Inc., publishers of advanced readers for children and ESL students. Check out Pilinut Press for more vocabulary tips, word searches, and other vocabulary activity sheets.

By Celia Webb

Greek provides many important prefixes, suffixes, and roots used in the English language. To understand the full meaning of a word, it is essential to know the original meaning of the roots used to form the word. Not only will your comprehension of the word be more complete and accurate, you will understand many more words since roots and other word parts (i.e. affixes, prefixes, suffixes) occur in many English words. For example, Webster’s Dictionary has seventy-seven listings starting with the Greek root -chrom-.

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Root words are most often combined with other word parts to precisely describe a particular phenomena, action, or thing. Continuing with the root word -chrom- an example of this type of combining is chromolithography =chrom (color)+lithos (a stone)+graphien (to write) which is a method of producing color printed pictures using stone or zinc plates. Many roots are much more productive than -chrom- and certain prefixes (like un- meaning not, lack of, the opposite of as in undo) and suffixes (like -ology meaning a specified type of speaking as in eulogy or the science, doctrine, study of, or theory of as in geology) are in hundreds of words. You can greatly improve your command of English by familiarizing yourself with these word parts.

Your command of English spelling will also be strengthened by knowing the origins of a word. Knowing a word originated from Greek gives clues to some of the tricky spellings in English like the silent initial p- in pneumatic and psychopathic.

Here are frequently used Greek roots and their meanings with an example word. Improve your memory of these roots by copying them into a notebook. Write down the root, its definition, and several examples of its use. You can add examples by looking for more in your dictionary. Practice using the words in sentences when writing and speaking. Look for words with these roots in newspaper, magazine, or books you read and underline them. Create flashcards with the Greek root on one side of the card and the meaning or the reverse. The more often you use the word in some way, the better you will remember it.

-aero- (air) aerobics

-angio- (vessel) angioplasty

-anthrop- (human) anthropological

-astro- (constellation) astronomy

-centre- (center) central

-chrom/o- (color) chromatic

-chron- (time) chronograph

-dem- (people) democracy

-hydro- (water) hydroelectric

-kinesis- (movement) kinetic energy

-leuko- (white) leukemia

-litho- (stone) neolithic

-metre- (to measure) meter, geometry

-morph- (form) morphology

-naut- (sailor, ship) astronaut

-path- (feeling, suffering) pathetic

-ped/o- (child, children) pediatrics (do not confuse this Greek root with the Latin root pedi-meaning foot)

-phil/o-(having a strong affinity or love for) philosopher

-phon- (voice, sound) phonograph

-phos-,-photo- (light) phosphorus, photography

-pneu- (to breathe) pneumonia

-pseudo- (false) pseudography

-psych- (soul, mind) psychoanalyze

-tele- (distant) telephone

-therm- (hot) isotherm

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Knowing Greek roots can help you discern the meaning of a word and expand your vocabulary exponentially. Study them carefully and your ability to understand precisely what you read and hear will improve.

About the Author

Celia Webb, President of Pilinut Press, Inc., publishers of advanced readers for children and ESL students. Check out http://www.pilinutpress.com for more free articles on developing reading-related skills, word games and puzzles, and activity sheets for the company’s entertaining and educational books.

By Celia Webb

English contains many words adopted from other languages. In fact, experts estimate 80% of English words originated elsewhere. The biggest influence on English vocabulary is Latin. An examination of the 20,000 most used words reveals 5,000 words contain prefixes and over 80% of these use one of only fourteen of the many different prefixes available. By learning these important prefixes, you can improve your mastery of the English language. You will be able to discern at least a partial meaning of words you encounter for the first time by understanding the basic meaning of its prefix.

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Listed below are the most used prefixes, their meanings, and example words. To get the most out of seeing these prefixes, copy them into a notebook. Write down the prefix, its definition, and several examples of its use. You can add examples by looking for more in your dictionary. Practice using the words in your writing and speaking. Look for words with these prefixes in newspaper, magazine, or books and underline them. The more you engage the word in some way (writing, speaking, or underlining), the better you will remember it.

Ab- (away from) abhor, abject, abnormal, absolve

Ad- (to, toward) adapt, adept, adhere, adhesion

Be- (on all sides, overly) bedeck, beset, besmear, besprinkle

Com-, con-, co- (with, together) comfort, commence, compel, complain

De- (reversal, undoing, downward) deceit, decipher, default, deliver

Dis- dif- (not, reversal) differ, difficulty, disable, dishonor

Em-, en- (in, into, to cover or contain) embrace, embroider, engage, engrave

Ex- (out of, former) exalt, examine, example, excerpt

In- (into, not) incline, inconsistent, indecisive, induce

Pre- (before) prejudice, prepare, prescribe, preserve, pretend

Pro- (in favor of, before) proclaim, procure, produce, profound

Re- (again, restore) renew, resolve, reveal, revert

Sub- (under, beneath) subcontract, subculture, subject, subordinate

Un- (do the opposite of) unravel, unroll, unseat, unskilled

Although Latin is considered a “dead� language by many, it lives on in the English vocabulary. Not only do many existing words originate from Latin, many new words are constructed from Latin prefixes, suffixes, and roots. New words to describe or name scientific processes or discoveries are often formed from Latin. Think of words like computer, internet, and digital radio. For digital television, you need to be familiar with both Latin and Greek, the other big contributor to the English language. You can learn more about Greek contributions to the English vocabulary in my next article titled “It was Greek to Me: Improving Your English by Knowing Greek Roots�.

About the Author

Celia Webb, President of Pilinut Press, Inc., publishers of advanced readers for children and ESL students. Check out http://www.pilinutpress.com for more free articles on developing reading-related skills, word games and puzzles, and activity sheets for the company’s entertaining and educational books.

By Celia Webb

Most of us recognize that play is an important way to learn all types of skills and knowledge. Play works as a way to learn for a couple of reasons. First, we are more motivated to do an activity if we are having fun doing it. Second, pleasurable activities get repeated and, therefore, give us more chances to practice the skill or piece of knowledge. And as the cliché says – practice makes perfect.

Word games are a great way to pick up new vocabulary and play with vocabulary that is already familiar. Each game focuses on a different set of skills related to learning words, so if enthusiasm wanes for one game, switching to another game can re-energize the learning process. All of the paperless games below can be played anywhere. They require no equipment whatsoever other than your “thinking cap”.

1. The Alphabet Game: (Ages 5 and up)

This game can be played while in a house or riding in a car. Start with the first player. The player must find an object he can see that begins with the letter A. He names the object and now the play moves to player number two. This player must name an object she can see that begins with the letter B. Play continues through the alphabet and group of players. To vary the game, work backwards through the alphabet.

2. The Word Guessing Game: (Ages 6 and up)

In this game the first player thinks of a word. We suggest starting with a four-lettered word (i.e. hope). She announces to the group of players how many letters the word has (in this example – “I’m thinking of a four letter word.”). Then the next player suggests a four-lettered word (i.e. made). The first player compares the suggested word to her word. She is looking for letters in the suggested word that are exactly matched in position to her word (i.e. “hope” compared to “made” has the letter “e” in the exact position in both words). She announces “One Letter”. Now all players know that the word “made” shared one letter with the guess word. The next player will try to think of a word which will test which letter is an exact match. For example, this player may want to test if the letter “m” in the first position is the matching letter and so she might suggest the word “mint”. The first player will respond “No Letters”. Play continues until the players identify the guess word. The player to correctly identify the guess word thinks of the next guess word. It is important to state how many letters are in the guess word. Games using four- and five-lettered words work best.

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3. Find the Letter: (Ages 4 and up)

This game can help very young readers learn their alphabet. This is a good game for players riding in a car. Have the players look for the letters in alphabetical order. The letters might be on road signs, license plates, billboards, or shop windows. You may need to prompt them with “Can you find the letter A?” Repetition will build up their command of the alphabet and help them identify each letter. You can also use the alphabet song to jog their memories of the next letter.

4. A is for…: (Ages 6 and up)

To begin, name a category for the words that will be used in the game (for example: animals, transportation, general, etc). Now the first player must name an object within the category that begins with the letter A (such as anaconda for the animal category, auto for the transportation category, or apple for the general category). The next player names an object beginning with the letter B and the players proceed in order through the alphabet. For the next game try a new category and allow a different person to start the game.

Playing with words can be a fun and rewarding way for your children to learn new words while reinforcing ones they already know. These games will help cement the alphabet in their minds. They will identify letters, learn the order of the alphabet, and practice spelling – all critical skills for reading. Let the games begin!!

About the Author

Celia Webb is an author, illustrator, and company executive. She and her husband, Mack H. Webb, Jr., founded Pilinut Press, Inc., publishing advanced readers for children and ESL students. Their website http://www.pilinutpress.com offers more free articles on developing reading-related skills, word games and puzzles, and activity sheets for their entertaining and educational books.

By Celia Webb

Are you looking for ways to get your child excited about reading? As publishers of children’s books, we often hear from parents about their reluctant readers and what they have done to encourage their child to read. Here are five parent-tested strategies.

1. Let them read comics.

No, we are not kidding. There are more words than SPLAT and KABAM. Interest alone is a big motivator for getting kids to love reading. If comic books are what they are interested in now–OK. You’ll be glad to know that comics include vocabulary-stretching words in addition to the pictures.

2. Read yourself.

Set time aside each day to read something; a book, a newspaper, or a magazine. Show by example that reading is something you do throughout your life for many reasons–enjoyment, to learn something, or to keep up with what is happening in your field of interest.

3. Have a family reading time.

My Mom is British, so each afternoon we would have tea-time. We would drink our tea and nibble on cookies while Mom read a chapter to us from a Laura Ingalls Wilder book. You will all enjoy the family time and your children will learn to enjoy reading and listening.

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4. Give books as presents.

Pick out books on topics your child likes. Animals, princesses, trains, magic; you name it–there is a book out there ready to be enjoyed. Having a book to call their own is always special. Don’t forget to include a nameplate in the front with their name on it.

5. Put money between the pages.

This is especially motivating to teens. Many parents of children older than 10 have mentioned this technique to us. So if nothing else is working, perhaps your reluctant reader will get excited about this approach.

Reading opens up new worlds; creates understanding; and enriches lives. Help your child learn the wonder that can be found between a book’s covers by using these strategies.

About the Author

Celia Webb is an author, illustrator, and company executive. She and her husband, Mack H. Webb, Jr., founded Pilinut Press, Inc., publishing advanced readers for children and ESL students. Their website http://www.pilinutpress.com offers more free articles on developing reading-related skills, word games and puzzles, and activity sheets for their entertaining and educational books.

By Celia Webb

Do you want to expand your vocabulary so you can more clearly express yourself? Here are five ideas for making your quest for word mastery productive and interesting too.

1. Get a good dictionary and use it. You want one of those really big, fat dictionaries which have a large selection of the over one million possible English words. When you encounter a word you haven’t seen before, look it up. It sounds so obvious, but most of us try to divine word meanings from their context in the sentence. We might miss the definition entirely or not capture its nuances. It is worth the effort to look up the word.

2. Do the Word Play section of the Reader’s Digest magazine. Each issue has 20 interesting words to learn.

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3. Check out the following websites for daily vocabulary quizzes and articles:

a. http://encarta.englishtown.com

b. http://encarta.msn.com/encnet/features/dictionary/dictionaryhome.aspx

c. http://www.languagemonitor.com

4. Use index cards to make flashcards of the new words you are learning. Quiz yourself with the cards several times a day (in the bathroom, while you ride the bus, while you wait in line, etc.).

5. Read about things that interest you. You enjoy what you are reading and learn new words as you explore new topics and authors.

By practicing the ideas above, you’ll soon have mastered a bevy of new words.

About the Author

Celia Webb is an author, illustrator, and company executive. She and her husband, Mack H. Webb, Jr., founded Pilinut Press, Inc., publishing advanced readers for children and ESL students. Their website http://www.pilinutpress.com offers more free articles on developing reading-related skills, word games and puzzles, and activity sheets for their entertaining and educational books.

By Celia Webb

Children will be more successful at school if they develop good homework habits at an early age. Parents play an important role in helping the child figure out how to do their homework well. Learning to do homework correctly reinforces skills which will help the child in many areas like planning, time management, memorization techniques, persistence, and concentration. The tips in this article give practical advice on developing productive study habits and what to do if the child reaches a roadblock in understanding the material.

1. Schedule a regular time for homework each day (including weekends).

Get your child a day book or calendar and have them designate the study time. They can also note their extracurricular activities, vacations, and other scheduled events. Learning to keep a calendar and manage their time will be useful to them throughout their life. It allows one to achieve more if one blocks out the time needed for each task.

2. When your child gets home from school, encourage them to eat a light snack.

Half a peanut butter and jelly sandwich and a glass of milk, or try a bit of applesauce, a few crackers, and a cheese stick to supply them with the energy they need to focus on their work instead of their stomach. No high sugar foods (like cookies) as these make the brain sugar levels spike and thinking capability drops tremendously when that happens.

3. Designate an area for study.

It can be the kitchen table, a desk, the coffee table in the living room, or any other place that is relatively quiet, allows sufficient space to lay out books, paper, and writing utensils. Make sure supplies like extra paper, pencils, pens, tape, scissors, and so forth are readily available right there so no time is spent wandering the house looking for pencils.

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4. Have your child carry a folder specifically for take-home worksheets.

Then all the homework sheets are in one place in their backpack and can be readily retrieved when study time begins.

5. The first step for the study session should be to identify all the homework that must be done.

Assignments that have a longer timeline should be noted in their day book and segmented into smaller steps. Each step should be assigned a particular date to complete it culminating in the finished assignment. For example, if the child must write a book report by next Friday, interim steps that might be annotated to the daybook include identifying how many chapters must be read each day, when the draft paper should be written, when the proofreading will be done, and then when the final paper will be assembled in a cover. Planning like this makes completing larger projects less overwhelming.

6. Once your child finishes a homework assignment…

…have them check it off and put the completed work into their backpack ready for school the next day. It helps to see progress being made toward the goal of completing all the homework assigned.

7. Check in often with your child to make sure they are making progress and aren’t stuck on a concept.

If the child is struggling and you can help, do so. Encourage your child by praising the close answers. If you can identify where the problem is, point out what step the child has missed. Sometimes (particularly for mathematical concepts) it helps to have the child write down a series of steps to use to solve the problem. Having a specific procedure to follow helps take the mystery out of the numbers. If your child just isn’t getting it, try taking a break from the material causing a problem. Move to another homework assignment. Come back to the challenging homework later in the session. If your child still doesn’t get it and you don’t get it either, try these techniques to break through the mind block:

a. If your child has a friend taking the same class, have your child call the friend to see if they understand the concept. Sometimes hearing someone else explain the concept will help. By the way, I don’t mean the child should just get the answers from someone else, what is needed is an explanation of what procedure should be followed to get to the answer. b. Talk with the child’s teacher to get suggestions for help. Maybe the teacher can explain what is needed to you or spend a few extra minutes with your child to make sure they know what to do. c. Get a tutor. You can either find someone where you live or hire an Internet service, whatever works for you and your child.

Do not let a problem go very long. Learning builds on previously taught concepts. Once your child develops gaps in understanding of a subject, it is difficult for them to understand later material. Take immediate action to help your child succeed.

8. Encourage your child to use mnemonic devices…

…to remember names, spelling, vocabulary, dates, and other straight memorization feats. A mnemonic is a memory aid to make recalling information easier. Make up silly rhymes or phrases to first letters of a group of related information. For instance: My Ink Spot used to remember the three types of rock – metamorphic, igneous, and sedimentary or “In fourteen hundred and ninety-two, Columbus sailed the ocean blue.”

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9. Teach your child to key into bold print and topic headers in their textbooks.

These are clues to the most important material in the text. Have them make flashcards with words and their definitions on the reverse side. Once they have studied the cards for a time, have a study partner (you or someone else in your household) show them the card and let them recall the definition. Learning the vocabulary for any topic is critical to developing understanding.

10. Encourage your child to use as many of their five senses as they can…

…in order to lock the material into their brain. Have them read it, write it, say it out loud, and dance around the living room singing their mnemonic phrases.

Homework is practice. Teaching your child a structured way to approach their homework will help them make the most of their learning experience. Preparing in this way for the next day of school will increase their confidence and their ability to do well in school.

About the Author

Celia Webb is an author, illustrator, and company executive. She and her husband, Mack H. Webb, Jr., founded Pilinut Press, Inc., publishing advanced readers for children and ESL students. Their website http://www.pilinutpress.com offers more free articles on developing reading-related skills, word games and puzzles, and activity sheets for their entertaining and educational books.

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By Celia Webb

Studies show that people learn words best by engaging as many of the five senses as possible. Associating a new word with a smell, touch, taste, or sound helps us recall the word for later use. So in addition to reading on a daily basis and listening to speakers who use a different vocabulary than you do, you can add words to your working vocabulary list by exploring new activities.

The following suggested activities will boost your vocabulary by engaging more of your senses and putting you into word-rich environments.

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1. Take a class, any class. Learn a new skill. The skill could be knitting or sport fishing, cooking or carpentry, dancing or playing an instrument. Choose something you are interested in and which requires you to use your hands. Each craft or skill will have its own vocabulary. There will be words to describe the equipment, the processes, and the materials. Since you will be doing something with your hands (and maybe more parts of your body as in dancing), you will trigger more activity in your brain than if you just read the words on a page. The increased activity will create more connections in your brain. Not only will you see the word, you will have an experience to tie to it. You will have paired the word with a motor memory (a physical process you have learned to do like knitting) and sensory memories about the material and tools you work with (like the feel of the knitting needles and yarn in your hands). The greater number of connections your brain is able to make with the word, the more likely it is that the word will become part of your working vocabulary.

2. Visit a museum. Children’s museums are a great choice because they often feature interactive displays. Another good option is a “living museum” where you can talk with a docent who can answer your questions about the exhibits. Many “living museums” (Colonial Williamsburg would be one example) have programs where you get to participate. You’ll learn the words associated with the focus of the museum. Your brain will link the experience of the museum, the items you touched, the activities you participated in, and everything else your senses will record about the trip.

3. Go to the zoo. You’ll find interesting animals with exotic names which originate from many different languages depending on where the animal normally lives. English is a living language which adopts foreign words to name things. The word “yak”, for instance, is from the Tibetan word gyak. You will also learn about each animal’s food and habitat requirements. Many zoos now present shows where a trainer works with an animal and explains about that animal’s particular needs and capabilities. Who can resist a cuddly koala supping on eucalyptus leaves? Once again, your mind will be absorbing the new words along with plenty of additional sensory information to link to the word memory.

4. Garden. The lexicon of gardening is rich with Latin-based words describing plants – their names, the parts of the plant, and their life cycles. Latin provides the roots to many English words in the areas of law, science, and religion. The word “vegetable” for example originated in the Latin word vegetare meaning to enliven, bring to life, or quicken. The word “flower” came from the Latin word flos or floris meaning -surprise! – a flower. Understanding the Latin portions (prefixes, suffixes, and roots) of words can help you deduce the meaning of other words that are new to you. In addition to adding lovely flowers to your hall table or fresh vegetables to your kitchen table, gardening will add valuable words to your vocabulary.

Learning new words can be easier, more enjoyable, and result in better retention if you can use multiple senses in the word-learning process. So add a new activity to your life and you’ll soon master a whole new group of words!

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About the Author

Celia Webb is an author, illustrator, and company executive. She and her husband, Mack H. Webb, Jr., founded Pilinut Press, Inc., publishing advanced readers for children and ESL students. Their website http://www.pilinutpress.com offers more free articles on developing reading-related skills, word games and puzzles, and activity sheets for their entertaining and educational books.

By Celia Webb

When you study English, you will probably reach a point where you feel you are no longer making progress. Once you can talk and read well enough to do common tasks, what do you do if you really want to be able to carry on a conversation naturally? Perhaps you wish to write well or read easily at a higher level. How do you get better? Read the tips below to perfect your English skills.

Ask for help. Your best resource is a native speaker who can tell you how to correctly pronounce a word or show you the way to use words in a sentence. Perhaps you know someone who would be willing to help you. If so, be brave and ask for their help. If you do not know anyone, you can find ESL teachers willing to help at “Dave’s ESL Cafe’s Student Discussion Forums“.

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Practice, practice, practice. You will lose your English language skills if you do not use them. Make it a daily habit to practice your skills. You can find fun and interesting ways to practice on websites with a variety of learning activities. Try “Interesting Things for ESL Students” . Search on the keyword “ESL” to find more helpful websites.

Study for the TOEFL. The Test of English as a Foreign Language or TOEFL is the standard way to measure a student’s understanding of and ability to use English. The test is normally taken by people wishing to attend an English university. Even if you do not plan to attend a university, you might want to try studying for this test because the process of studying for the test will improve your use of English. You can find all sorts of study tips and help on the internet by searching on the keyword “toefl”. You can also check out study guides from local libraries or purchase study guides from a bookstore or over the internet.

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Keep a vocabulary notebook. Building vocabulary is a key way to improve your use of English. Add at least one new word to your vocabulary each day. The word can come from something you read or from a “Word a Day” service which you will find on many websites. Dictionary.com is one such source and you can sign up for their free e-mailing service which will send the word directly to you. Study your new word. Look closely at how it is spelled. Read the definition. Write it out. Post it on your desk. Try to use the word in a sentence. Write it in your vocabulary notebook. The more times you use a word, the more likely it is you will remember it for future use.

Read English every day. Read newspapers, novels, travel guides, or websites. Read anything which is interesting to you and written in English. Keep your dictionary handy for the inevitable words you do not know, but challenge yourself to spend at least 30 minutes a day reading. You will gain reading speed, new vocabulary, and insight into the use of English.

Using the ideas above will lift your understanding of English to the next level. Study hard!

About the Author

Celia Webb is an author, illustrator, and company executive. She and her husband, Mack H. Webb, Jr., founded Pilinut Press, Inc., publishing advanced readers for children and ESL students. Their website http://www.pilinutpress.com offers more free articles on developing reading-related skills, word games and puzzles, and activity sheets for their entertaining and educational books.

Subscribe to The ELT Times by Email