T.I.P.S – To Improve, Practice Skills

Tired of studying English through basic grammar practice? There are many other creative ways to practice and improve your language skills than just by using a textbook.

If you would like to practice your conversation skills, but don’t have anyone to talk to, you can try reading out loud as practice. By reading out loud you can pay attention to pronunciation, vocabulary and grammar. Try reading slowly to focus on your accuracy and then try reading more quickly to improve your fluency.

The most important thing is to continually practice your skills and by reading out loud you can improve your speaking skill, even if you don’t have someone to talk to.

If you would like more information on T.I.P.S for English, please email Doctor English with your questions at drenglish@vec.ca.

CANADIAN, EH ?

One of the challenges of learning English is that the language changes depending on the English-speaking country in which you are in. Whether you are in Canada, the United States, England, Australia, or any of the many other countries in which English is the primary language, you will find the language changes. Not only are there distinctions in vocabulary, grammar, and pronunciation, but there are also many cultural differences which affect how we use the language.

You will notice that there are many differences in spelling of words in American English and British English. For example, the word color is American English and colour is British English. Also the word check is American spelling and cheque is British spelling.

In Canada, we typically use American spelling, however British spelling is also considered to be grammatically acceptable. Depending on the situation, you can set your spell check feature to American or British spelling. It is best to pick one spelling format and to use that, rather than switch back and forth between British and American spelling.

If you would like more information on CANADIAN, EH?, please email Doctor English with your questions at drenglish@vec.ca.

BIZ TALK

Using English for business purposes can be challenging. Typically speaking business English is more formal than the language used in everyday situations. However you need to consider not only the use of the language, but also the culture when using English in a business environment.

In Canada, when we address people in a business situation, we follow the rule of “Formal First”. What this means is that the first time you meet someone, you should use a formal title such as Mr., Mrs., or Ms., followed by the person’s family (last) name. Remember that the title Mr. is always used for a man, the title Mrs. is for a married woman and the title Ms. is unmarried, widowed or divorce.

After using a formal greeting in your first meeting, it is common for someone to invite you to call them by their first name. If someone invites you to do this (for example, Mr. Smith says, “Please call me John.”) then you should call the person by their first name from that point onward.
It is quite common to use only first names with people in a business environment.

If you would like more information on BIZ TALK, please email Doctor English with your questions at drenglish@vec.ca

WORDS, WORDS, WORDS

Do you find learning Phrasal Verbs confusing? Well, don’t worry - you are not alone. Most students struggle with all the various meanings of the many phrasal verbs in the English language.

There are many reasons why phrasal verbs are confusing. Often the meaning of a phrasal verb is very different from the meaning of the verb alone.

As well, the same phrasal verb may have more than one meaning. For example:GET – to obtain something

Ex: Please get me some milk.

GET AWAY – 1.to escape; 2. to go on holiday

Ex: The criminal got away from the police.

Ex: I’m going to get away this weekend.

A great way to help you to learn phrasal verbs is to always link the phrasal verb with a particular image or situation in your mind. For example, when I hear the phrasal verb GET AWAY, I imagine a criminal running away from the police. As well, when I think of GET AWAY, I can imagine myself planning a holiday. Linking a phrasal verb to a particular idea or situation can help you to remember how and when to use it.

If you would like more information on WORDS, WORDS, WORDS, please email Doctor English with your questions at drenglish@vec.ca

T.I.P.S – To Improve, Practice Skills

Tired of studying English through basic grammar practice? There are many other creative ways to practice and improve your language skills than just by using a textbook.

Reading is an important skill that can easily be practiced on your own, and at your convenience. The important thing with reading is to practice everyday. That means you should try to read at least a few pages each day.

When you are reading, try to not focus on understanding the meaning of every word, but read for the general idea. Even native English speakers do not always know the meaning of all of the words, but can still understand the basic idea of the story.

In order to enjoy reading, make sure to choose something to read that interests you. It can be a book, magazine, a newspaper, or use the Internet to find links to web pages that you like.

If you would like more information on T.I.P.S for English, please email Doctor English with your questions at drenglish@vec.ca.