Of course the second language learner does not have these advantages. Even if you are now living in an English speaking country, and attending classes to learn English you will still have opportunity to speak and hear your first language with friends and family, this is especially true in America a county of immigrants where finding a community of people with the same language background is possible.

Another challenge is the expectation factor. For many years you have heard a speech pattern and there is an expectation of what you will hear when others speak. You are predicting what sounds will come next based on your subconscious knowledge of language. I call this listening with an accent. It is necessary to break through this barrier, to really hear how others are speaking, to actively listen.

To listen is to learn, and I dont mean that in an existential way. I really mean that if you cant hear the way the sounds are produced you cannot learn how to produce the sound. Maybe that is why ETS added speaking and listening sections to the TOEFL. The two skills are so closely linked.

Once you can hear the sounds you must add them to your own phonetic library. This means that you have in your mind the knowledge and understanding of how to produce every sound or phoneme in you original language. Now you must add on some sounds that are in the American sound system that is not in your original language sounds system. Record your self reading a brief paragraph. Only 2-3 sentences in English. Then listen to the recording. Write down exactly what you hear on the recording. Not what you meant to say but what you really did say. How is it different from what was written? Did you say th, when it was written or did you say d? I would suggest sticking with the consonants at first because the differences are easier to pinpoint.

If you would like to get help in improving your pronunciation it would be best to go to a speech therapist rather than an ESL teacher. Speech therapists are trained in physiology of the speech mechanisms and musculature. They understand what is involved in producing each sound and are trained to identify and work with articulation problems. Though an accent is not the same as an articulation problem they have similar characteristics. When a client has difficulty articulating specific sounds the speech therapist can hear and see what they are doing differently and describe and show how to do it correctly. When a client has an accent the speech therapist can see what the person is doing differently and show and describe how to make the sound so it more closely approximates the standard.

The most important advice I can give you is to keep practicing. At first it may feel like you are exaggerating when you speak with an American accent but I am sure that the native American speakers around you will not even notice. They will merely be impressed with your great diction!

English Pronunciation For The ESL Learner is a post from: Reference Education Center | FTP2009Istanbul.com

When we see or hear about English grammar, the immediate reaction of many people I know is to cringe. They are reminded of junior high and high school English class and the way that their English teachers made them to English grammar exercise after exercise. Because English grammar is usually seen in such a negative sense, it is all the more important that people replace those lies with the truth that learning English grammar really is important for anyone who wants to have a proper perspective of the English language.

When we are speaking or hearing English, not too many of us take the time to think about the fact that English grammar is the very thing that allows us to communicate with and understand one another. It is not so much because we use the same words of the English language, but it is because we all put our words together in certain ways to form thoughts and sentences that we can understand each other. This, in short, is the purpose of English grammar.

English grammar is the mechanics of the English langauge that allows for two people who use the same vocabulary to be able to communicate without misunderstanding. Certainly there will always be some level of misunderstaning that happens when two people communicate, but so much of our problems will be lessened if we all take some time to learn English grammar.

Many schools today are moving away from making English grammar a part of the regular curriculum. So while students may learn how to read and write successfully, they will likely never learn the English grammar or the reasons why they are speaking and writing as they are. So if you or someone you know is struggling with any element of the English language, or if you know a child or someone who is attempting to learn English for the first time, then make sure English grammar is included as an important part of the learning process.

Being able to speak, understand and write a language is an important part of being successful no matter what you do in life. And taking the time to learn even the basics of English grammar will go far in helping people communicate even better.

English Grammar Really Does Matter is a post from: Reference Education Center | FTP2009Istanbul.com

Learning English has become essential to boost your confidence in your work life or social life. Success in today’s competitive world lies in learning English. If you aspire to make a difference to yourself and bring changes to the people around, you have to learn English.

English is a second or a third language for most people around the world. But, as the world is turning to be global village where English is the mode of communication and web is the medium, learning English online has become a necessity. English is one language that is used in communication of any kind, be it social, political or job related. Keeping this issue in mind En101 has started out a mission One World, One Language. En101 aims that no one should feel left out, everyone must feel confident and comfortable in presenting oneself in English.

In fact, many want to learn English but they are not sure as to which is right way to learn English for business and career benefits. Many have doubt over what is the affordable, fast and sure-shot way for learning English? Well, En101 opens new vistas for learning English online. The best thing about it is that you can learn English and earn big money from referring others to En101.

En101 is an ideal option for you, as it gives you a business opportunity along with the learning experience. However, you can try for others where they provide the kind of hand-holding that one can rarely find, and where learning is really fun and practical. Most importantly, learn English from an organization that gives full multimedia supports and where you can do real time interaction.

Bear in mind, learning English online should not be a difficult task at all. Remember how you learnt your mother tongue? It is by real life interaction. You should also learn English by real life interactions with your peers and courseware experts. In my opinion learning everyday English should be your first priority than reading the epics. You should have an undercurrent of doing things the English way, i.e., take note of the peculiar usages and pronunciations. Besides, take online one-to-one pronunciation tests, and guidance from an English.

While learning English, the worst part is spelling and pronunciation. If you mistake those things or you are misled to pronounce the wrong way, you have fallen into pitfall. But you wont face this problem with the organizations of international repute like En101. They make learning easy. And you learn English online from home in a comfortable and relaxed manner.

En101 employs a personalized (one-on-one) teaching method to give each person a sense of “specialized” learning experience. It is so real that it seems like the teachers are in the same room with you.

Despite its world class standard quality education, it has kept the costs at a minimum. En101 owns and maintains the product, and, since the product can be delivered online (globally) in a matter of seconds, there are no shipping and handling costs. That’s why it has made learning experience not only affordable, enjoyable too. Once you Enroll in En101.com – everyone in your household learns – at a very affordable price!

The author is a social worker. She is heading an organization to teach English to the underprivileged.

En101 Makes Learning English Online Easy, Affordable and Rewarding is a post from: Reference Education Center | FTP2009Istanbul.com

Before the 17th century the Dutch language was not yet standardized. There were many dialects in existence that it was beginning to pose a problem.

After the 17th century, after the standardization of the Dutch language has taken place, it became so much easier to identify the distinctions between the standard Dutch language and its dialects. But the developments surrounding the Dutch language has continued well into the 19th and 20th century. Because of the influences being exerted by other languages like German, French, and English, the standard Dutch language is undergoing a change.

One of the more noticeable change in the Dutch language over the past century is with regards to pronunciation. The voiceless pronunciation of certain letters or syllables are now entering the standard language and is a unique feature that was more commonly heard from a dialect found in a province in Holland. These voiceless pronunciations commonly revolve around v as f, z as s and g as x. This current trend mirrors the desire for a change in spelling Dutch as near to its phonological sound as possible. This would mean that each particular sound is represented by a single letter or that a grapheme is only made in one particular way.

There is also a shift in how three diphthongs are being pronounced. The diphthongs in reference are ei, ui, and ou. The current shift for these are now moving towards aai, ou, and aau. This change was first seen among women who are middle aged and well educated and who come from the upper middle class. These women are identified with the world of the academia, politics, arts and literature.

From these beginnings the practice eventually spread out to women from other demographics. But lately even men have started employing this language change. It is also becoming employed by children, even those under the age of ten years and from very diverse backgrounds.

Already, this change can be heard in large parts of the Netherlands, but most especially among women of Turkish or Moroccan descent.

There are also some changes being seen in the area of morphology. One very significant change is inclusion of plural endings ( -s) even for nouns. This change is mostly seen in words that end in e for example, hoogte de hoogtes, which was usually hoogten.

Even the suffix baar is becoming more and more prevalently used in modern Dutch usage more often in the use of neologisms. In turn, the suffix -(e)lijk is becoming less and less used and in fact is being ignored in favor of the aforementioned baar.

There is even a rising use of concentrations in modern Dutch. This is most commonly seen when using multi part compound nouns.

Dutch progression: The changes in the Dutch language in the 20th century is a post from: Reference Education Center | FTP2009Istanbul.com

My best friend gave me the Spanish dictionary a few months before I headed out on my trip because she remembered what a difficult time I had in high school Spanish class. She assumed rightly that my Spanish skills were even more poor fifteen years after my last Spanish class. She handed me the Spanish dictionary and wisely advised me to practice the basic words and phrases found in the front of the dictionary every day until I left on my trip. I’ve never been good at following any advice that included the phrase “every day,” so naturally I only picked up my Spanish dictionary a few times before I headed out on my journey.

Many people warned me that having a Spanish dictionary would be one of the best tools for me as I traveled alone throughout several Spanish speaking and foreign countries. I certainly believed the warnings of friends and family, but I had no real idea until I landed in Mexico how true their warnings had been. I was like a lost puppy or a child without her mother. I couldn’t talk with locals or even begin to make out the words on signs or billboards.

I made it through the three week tour, but not without much stress and too many miscommunications. I learned quickly that gestures and pointing can go a long way when no words can be communicated. I made it to every city on my itinerary, so I did not miss out on anything in that sense, but I realized quite quickly that forgetting my Spanish dictionary made me miss out on what would have perhaps been the biggest blessing of the trip. Without a tool to help me communicate with the locals, I missed out on a lot of potentially amazing conversations and on getting to know the ins and outs of Spanish cultures from locals.

I will always regret forgetting my Spanish dictionary when I went on that trip, and not just because I couldn’t get around with ease. I’ll regret it even more because of the lovely Spanish people that I didn’t have the privilege of conversing with during my journey.

Don’t Forget A Spanish Dictionary! is a post from: Reference Education Center | FTP2009Istanbul.com

* Audio Modification

Many companies produce software packages that enable you to transform your voice (or someone else’s). You can make your voice feminine, masculine, or robotic. It can be raised to a high pitch or lowered to bass tones.

So how does this help you learn a new language?

Many foreign languages (French and German, for example) assign gender to nouns. When learning new vocabulary, why not record feminine nouns in a female voice, masculine nouns in a male voice, and neuter nouns in a robotic voice? This approach can also be used with other types of vocabulary learning. Perhaps you could record a list of German dative verbs in a woman’s voice and a list of German accusative verbs in a male voice. You can even take audio files that have been recorded by other people and make them more interesting by morphing voices or adding sound effects.

An internet search for ‘voice cloaking’ or ‘voice modification software’ will provide numerous resources to choose from.

* Don’t Just Print

If you own a color printer you can spice up your vocabulary lists with bursts of color – perhaps feminine nouns in red, masculine nouns in blue, and neuter in dark grey. You might want to highlight irregular verbs in another color – or perhaps apply bold or italics to make them stand out on the page. Experiment with various fonts and weights.

* Websites and Online Sources

Every language student should have at least one online dictionary bookmarked (preferably several). Each dictionary will work a little differently. Some provide audio clips. Others will allow users to submit new words and expressions. (Be aware that not all user submissions will be 100% accurate.) The best dictionaries will clearly indicate ‘verified’ user submissions and will mark colloquial and dialect expressions appropriately.

Are you a poet? Help is as close as your computer. Online language resources include helpful rhyming dictionaries. An internet search for ‘rhyming dictionary French’, ‘rhyming dictionary German’, ‘rhyming dictionary Spanish’ etc. will give you good results.

Try to rely on accredited educational sites (domains ending in .edu) when doing grammar research. For instance, if you are looking for Hungarian verb conjugations, try a search like ‘Hungarian verb conjugations site:.edu’. Although at the time of writing the previous search doesn’t work at MSN, it does work at Google, Yahoo!, Ask.com, and many others. The ‘site:edu’ portion of the search restricts results to domains ending in ‘.edu’ – which are usually universities and other similar educational institutions.

* Online Chatting and Video Conferencing

Video-cams, VOIP, microphones . . . put them all together and talk with foreign friends from all over the world. Using a language in conversation is probably the quickest way to learn.

Whatever you do, remember that the more senses you stimulate during the learning process, the more firmly imprinted the learning becomes. Turn your language education into a fun-filled sensory experience and you will probably stick with it. If it becomes monotonous, you may lose interest.

Creative Use of your Computer Can Make Language Learning Easier is a post from: Reference Education Center | FTP2009Istanbul.com

Never was that as true as when describing the Cockneys.

You’ve certainly heard their accent, made famous in everything from movies based on Dickens and George Bernard Shaw novels to computer-generated gekkos telling real gekkos how to go forth and sell car insurance. The Australian accent has its roots in Cockney culture, as they comprised a large percentage of prisoners who were shipped there by the British when they viewed the Land Down Under as an ideal penal colony. Cockneys are the crafty characters from east London who admire those among their lot who can make a living simply by ‘ducking and diving, mate,’ which is their version of wheeling and dealing on a working-class level.

To be a ‘true’ Cockney, one must be born ‘within the sounds of the Bow bells.’ That’s a reference to the St Mary-le-Bow Church in the Cheapside district of London ‘proper.’ Their sound carries to a distance of approximately three miles, which defines the Cockney digs better than any zoning ordinance could do.

The term ‘Cockney’ first appeared in the 1600s, but its actual origins are vague. Its first known reference was related to the Bow bells themselves in a period satire that gave no reason for the association.

Some believe that ‘Cockney’ came from the second wave of Vikings, known as the Normans. These were descendants of the Northmen (‘Norman’ was the French word for ‘Viking’) who settled in that part of northern France that came to be known as Normandy when King Charles the Simple ceded it to the Vikings in exchange for ceasing their annual summer sackings of Paris. William the Conqueror was a Norman, and when he took England in 1066, a considerable amount of French influence permeated the Anglican language.

Normans often referred to London as the Land of Sugar Cake, or ‘Pais de Cocaigne,’ which was an allusion to what they saw as ‘the good life’ that could be had by living there. Ultimately, this gave rise to a term for being spoiled, ‘cockering,’ and from there, Cockney was a short derivative away.

Cockneys are famous for dropping the ‘H’ from the start of words and infamous in the mind of every grammar teacher for their coining the word ‘ain’t’ to replace the formal contraction for ‘is not.’ However, their most unique feature is their distinctive and catchy rhyming slang.

Legend has it that, during the course of their ‘ducking and diving,’ they would occasionally run afoul of the law. It was not uncommon for groups of Cockneys to be transported together to and from custody and courtroom, obviously in the company of policemen. So that they could speak openly to each other and deny the officers any ability to understand what they were saying, Cockneys devised a word/phrase association system that only the truly-indoctinated could follow. This became known as their rhyming slang.

It’s simple, really. For example:

Dog-and-bone = telephone
Apples-and-pears = stairs
Troubles-and-strife = wife

So, if a Cockney wanted you to go upstairs to tell his wife that there’s a phone call for her, he’d ask you to ‘take the apples and tell the trouble she’s wanted on the dog.’

As a general observation, their technique is that the second word of a rhyming phrase is the link between the ‘translated’ word and the first word in the rhyming phrase, which becomes the word used when speaking. Sometimes, though, to emphasize the word, the entire phrase might be used. Thus, if you are absolutely exhausted and want to make a point of it, you would exclaim, ‘I’m cream crackered!’ This is because ‘knackered’ is an English term for being tired; cream crackers, incidenally, go well with tea.

There are even dictionaries for Cockney rhyming slang, from pocket versions tailored for tourists to online listings. Two good sites for the latter are London Slang and Cockney Rhyming Slang. As with most slang, its vibrance is cause for constant expansion and/or modification of terms, so the Cockney rhymes are always a work in progress.

One note of caution: nothing sounds worse than a visitor attempting to over-Cockney their speech. If you’re thinking of touring an East End market or pub and want to pay your respects by using the local vernacular, be prepared with a few simple terms and deploy them with a smile only when the occasion permits. Otherwise, not being sure if you’re ‘taking the Mickey’ out of them or just ignorant, the Cockneys will most likely view you as a ‘right Charley Ronce’ and turn away.

Given that ‘ponce’ is common English slang for a fool — which had its origins in describing a ‘fancy man,’ now known as a ‘pimp’ in modern times — you may first need a ‘British’ translator to tell you what word the Cockney was using. By that time, you’ll no doubt agree that Churchill wasn’t ‘alf Pete Tong (ie- wrong).

In fact, he didn’t even need to refer to another country in order to be right.

Cockney Rhyming Slang is a post from: Reference Education Center | FTP2009Istanbul.com

Most Americans see money as something created, not as a static quantity to be divided up. This is no coincidence. English is one of the few languages that speaks of “making” money. In other languages, the verb used is “to gain,” “take,” or “get.” The words used affect how people think about money. Personally, I think “making money” is a very healthy perspective.

Hablas Espaol?

Did you know that in Spanish, you’re not thirsty, cold or afraid? You have to say “I have thirst (yo tengo sed)”, “I have coldness (yo tengo frio),” or “I have fear (yo tengo miedo).” Could this change the way a person experiences things?

Definitely. Therapists are now telling people to stop saying or thinking things like “I am afraid.” That way of expressing it creates too much identification with the feeling. It’s healthier to say “I feel fear.” You’re not afraid, you’re a human; fear, like all feelings, is just a temporary visitor.

In Spanish you “take” a decision (tomar un decision). Is it possible that “taking” a decision could be less stressful than “making” one? It might subconsciously limit you, too, since you generally “take” from what’s available, while to “make” leaves your options wide open.

Other Advantages Of Learning A Language

You gain words when you learn a language, but also the ability to understand things better. Who can speak more precisely about snow; someone with three words for it (snow, sleet, powder), or an eskimo with 22 words for it? Which is more efficient, the German word “zeitgeist,” meaning “the taste and outlook of a period or generation,” or the nine words I just used to say the same thing?

According to the research, most people experience a general improvement in memory from studying a language. Research has also demonstrated that you can halt age-related decline in mental function by learning a new language. Tuck that little tip away for later in life, or better yet, why not start learning a new language today?

Improve Your Mind Power With Spanish is a post from: Reference Education Center | FTP2009Istanbul.com

If you are required to learn the Japanese language for your job, consider jumping into an immersion program. There are immersion programs that are available for enrollment that do not require you to travel to Japan, but are held in the United States. Master instructors who are native Japanese speakers will provide a short and highly intensive program in which you will live and breathe Japanese. Do not be intimidated. Immersion programs are known to be highly effective in very short periods of time. You might surprise yourself with how much you learn in such a short period of time. Not only will you come away with a firm grasp of conversational Japanese, but you will also understand the alphabet, and gain a little insight into Japanese culture. At the end of your course, you might be tested on your newly acquired knowledge. The Japanese government provides standardized tests that measure written and conversational understanding, the most common known as the Japanese Language Proficiency Test (JLPT). There is also a test available that measures comprehension of the language in business situations. It is known as the Business Japanese Proficiency Test (BJPT).

Learning the Japanese language will certainly help to enhance your career. If your organization has offices in Japan, or you do business with other Japanese firms, you will not only will be able to communicate with your Japanese business associates, but you will also be able to better represent your organization in your business travels there.

If you want to learn Japanese in order to vacation on the island, and if you have the time and the financial resources, you might opt to learn the Japanese language through an immersion program where you travel to Japan. This way, you will not only learn the Japanese language, but you will also experience the fascinating Japanese culture. Learning Japanese where the language has its origins, you will plunge yourself into the life and culture, and you will learn the language quickly. You will learn the conversational and colloquial styles of the language. You will interact on a daily basis with indigenous Japanese people, who probably wont be willing or able to communicate with you in English. You will be immersed into the everyday life of the island nation. You will grow to understand and appreciate the Japanese culture, including the history, the art, the architecture, the food, and the people. You will attend courses in which you will learn the alphabet, how to write it and read it. Learning the Japanese language through immersion is a fun and ideal way to go.

Whether you want to learn the Japanese language for pleasure, or you are inclined to do so for work, learning to speak, read, and write Japanese gives you the potential to further develop you career by working abroad and make a good impression with overseas associates. Learning Japanese will also enhance your travels in that you will be able to appreciate the lives and culture of the Japanese people. Learning the Japanese language is an intellectually and personally enriching pursuit that will provide you with career opportunities as well as an awareness of a culture other than your own. www.foreign-languages-school.com

Find the essential information on where and how to learn a new or second language at Japanese Language

Immerse Yourself in the Japanese Language is a post from: Reference Education Center | FTP2009Istanbul.com

Learning the Greek language might seem intimidating. The alphabet doesnt look exactly like the English alphabet. The word pronunciation sounds totally different as well. But there are several ways you can go about learning it, and several benefits to doing so. One option is to attend college, and study the language extensively. You have the choice of studying the Ancient form of Greek, or the Modern language. Learning Ancient Greek is useful if you plan to study Ancient Greek art, archaeology, literature, or history, and you intend to pursue this scholarly field. Earning a college degree in Modern Greek will provide you with a thorough written and conversational knowledge of the language that is spoken today, and gives you career options down the road. Having the ability to speak more than one language can have many advantages for you professionally. If you are fluent in the Greek language, and have some expertise in another field such as law, medicine, or business, you can be certified as a foreign language translator. This stimulating career prospect is one that offers you several options. As a certified translator, you can work full-time for a foreign language translation firm, translating business documents, web pages, and other types of communication for global corporations or for small firms looking branch out. You can also do freelance translation work, where you have the ability to be your own boss, and make your own schedule and set you own workload. Yet another career opportunity open to you as a bilingual professional is to teach English as a second language to Greek students in Greece. By knowing English and Greece, you will be able to live and work in Greece, and have no problems communicating there.

Another means by which you can learn the Greek language is by enrolling in an accelerated course that is available online. By learning Greek in this way, you will gain knowledge of a very basic foundation of the language. Learning Greek through an accelerated online course is a rather quick and convenient way to learn a second language. It is ideal for you if you are interested in traveling to Greece, and you want to be able to communicate in a basic way with the residents there. You will find that you will enjoy your travels much more if the stress of a communication barrier is not there.

An ideal option for learning the Greek language is through an immersion program. This is a perfect option for students who are looking to study abroad for a semester, or for bold travelers looking to experience Greek culture in a new and exciting way. You will not only learn the Modern Greek language, but you experience the vibrant and historic Greek culture. Learning Greek in Greece, where our own language and history has its origins, you will learn the language quickly and easily. You will learn the conversational and informal styles of the language by interacting everyday during your adventure with people who are native Greeks, who probably wont be willing or able to communicate in English. You will be absorbed into the dazzling everyday life of the Greek people, its sights, sounds, and smells. You will gain knowledge and appreciate the storied Greek culture: the history, the art, the architecture, the food, and the people. As a part of the immersion program, you will attend courses in which you will learn the Greek alphabet, how to read, and how to write in Greek as well. Learning the Greek language as part of an immersion is a superb way to experience a new culture.

Learning the Greek language, though seemingly intimidating, can have many benefits for you. Knowing a second language gives you the potential to further develop you career by working abroad, or as a translator. Learning the Greek language will make you a better traveler as well. You will be able to communicate with the Greek people, and you will enjoy your adventures in Greece so much more. Learning Greek is a great way to open your eyes to a new (and ancient) culture. www.foreign-languages-school.com

Find the essential information on where and how to learn a new or second language at Greek Language

Immerse Yourself in the Greek Language and Culture is a post from: Reference Education Center | FTP2009Istanbul.com