Thursday, November 09, 2006

Ways to Improve Your Reading Comprehension 加強閱讀文章的理解力

The primary obstacle my ESL students face in reading is understanding and combining the overall idea. They read every sentence carefully, look up each unknown word diligently, yet, at the end of the essay, they still have no clue what they had just read.

Their problem is this. Although they know the definition of each word, they do not have the skills to put the pieces together correctly. Reading doesn't have to be this challenging. Look at it like a puzzle, each word is a piece that fits somewhere.

First, understand the English grammar thoroughly, know the part of speech of the vocabulary you are unfamiliar with. Second, find the definition of the words according to their parts of speech. Lastly, put the words together, sentence by sentence, and summarize in your own words. Most importantly, before you even pick up a dictionary, read the entire paragraph by ignoring or guessing the meaning of unfamiliar words.

Try reading this paragraph (an excerpt from Studio Classroom Nov 2006 issue):
Even though Lin didn't choose a career in politics, he still lives up to his name. He serves society both culturally and socially. In 1999, he founded Cloud Gate 2, a dance group that fosters the talent of young choreographers.

career - noun; foster - verb; choreographer - noun; live up to - idiom

You should understand this passage without any difficulties. Try reading short novels and newspaper articles to improve your reading comprehension.

**Answer to vocabulary challenge: aquatic ~ aqua: water, -tic: relating to; defintion: relating to water

Sunday, November 05, 2006

My Studio Classroom Class 空中英語教室


It has been over a month since I opened the first Studio Classroom in Vancouver, and so far, the outcome has been magnificent. We have nearly 20 students every lesson. Students of all ages, backgrounds, and English levels create a diverse studying environment and make the lessons fun and exciting.

Each week on Thursday we meet in a large hall that seems empty and cold at first, but as soon as 10 o'clock approaches, the room starts to fill with smiles. The enthusiastic learners I get in the classroom warm up the hall. Everyone forgets that their native language is not English and for the next two hours, it's an all-English environment.

Students learn useful vocabulary for an everyday use, correct pronunciation, conversation practice, common expressions, reading comprehension, and global knowledge. In addition to these, they also receive a special grammar lesson from our coordinator, Dr. Ken Kuo (http://drkenkuo.blogspot.com), and a healthy morning exercise instructed by one of our students, May. The brain and body work-out use the two hours to the fullest.

Join us if you like. Please contact Dr. Kuo at kenckuo@yahoo.com regarding Studio Classroom.

Wednesday, November 01, 2006

Step One to a Larger Word Bank 增加字彙的第一步驟

I once picked up my Japanese dictionary and attempted to memorize all the words alphabetically as the last resort to broaden my vocabulary skills. Did it work? You guessed it - no. It became dull and uninteresting after the first three pages. Similarly, an effective way to learn English is not studying the dictionary. Instead, find a list of frequently used words to start with. For example, the word "controversial" appears in writing often, look it up and memorize it! As you add frequently-used words in your word bank, you will realize all those times when you missed these words because you were clueless about their definition.

Now, there are tricks in memorizing vocabulary. Forcing it in your head will not work. You need to first identify the prefix, suffix, and root of each word. For example, "biology" - "bio" is a prefix meaning life, and "-logy" is an ending meaning study of, so this word means the study of life. Simple? Try another - "aquatic". I will reveal the answer in the proceeding post.

Another trick in word memorization is finding something in the word that can help you remember. For example, when I see the word "parallel", I see two L's that are parallel to each other. This helps me remember the meaning of the word "parallel". One more example, "persist" means to constantly repeat. You can try to remember it this way: insist also contains the root "-sist", which is similar to the meaning of persist. Make a sentence like, He in'sist's 'per' day (see that there is per and sist in the sentence). This can help you remember this word permanently.

So, find a list of words, memorize 10 a day, review the previously-memorized words, use all words in daily conversation, and most importantly, practice practice practice.

What's next? Look for these words in real life - cereal boxes, newspaper, flyers, etc.

The Key to a Larger Word Bank 如何增加字彙

Imagine jogging on a rocky beach barefeet, every two steps you take you run into a boulder. Your feet are eventually so bruised that you stop running and start walking. If your vocabulary skills are weak, reading can be as frustrating as jogging on a rocky beach, your speed is decreased and you are discouraged.

What will help you overcome this challenge?
1. Memorize 10 words a day and use them in daily conversation.
2. Read an article in the paper or a magazine everyday.
3. Write a story or an essay using vocabulary you memorize.

Following the above 3 steps will help you tremendously. I will go more into the details of each in the proceeding posts. Stay tuned.