In your English notebook keep a list of words you find confusing.
Some words look or sound similar, but have different meanings.
You can find some here
http://www.dailywritingtips.com/50-problem-words-and-phrases/

but keep your own list of words.

Spending 15 minutes every day searching the Web for English web sites will help you improve your reading skills, your English vocabulary and your ability to write in English. A good place to start is www.stumbleupon.com

Look out for opportunities to use your English.  If you see a number plate with some letters, say them in English. If you see a billboard with English words, an advertisement in a magazine,  or sub-titles on TV, say the words you see. This will help to keep your vocabulary alive and help to build your confidence as a speaker of English.

You don’t need to understand every word in a conversation to understand the situation and know how to respond politely.  Ask yourself What’s happening? We often use similar words in the similar situations (asking for directions, ordering food, asking if a seat is free).  Guessing will also help to ‘activate’ your English vocabulary and help you to remember words you have seen or heard before.

Write down new words in a notebook.  Next to the word write a sentence with the word.  This will help to you to remember how to use the word correctly in English.  You can also make a note of the part of speech (verb, noun, adjective etc).  If the word is a noun, you can draw a picture to help you remember the meaning.

Using an English-English dictionary will help you understand the meaning of English words without translating every time you see a word in English.  You can buy an English-English dictionary which matches your own level of English, with meanings you can understand. An English-English dictionary will help you learn how to explain in English. Many English-English dictionaries give you lots of extra useful information, including examples of how to use a word in a sentence.

A useful question for finding out about English words is

What does …. mean?

Example:  What does shabby mean?

Learn more about English Pronunciation

http://www.wix.com/efrondc/english_pronunciation_book/apps/blog

 

 

If this page does not display correctly on your computer, trying reloading.

Welcome to the BitS(Thailand) English blog.

In this blog you will learn about 15 things you can do to have fun learning English

Facebook is a great way for you practice English with your friends and co-workers

You can learn more about English at BitS(Thailand)Facebook http://www.facebook.com/home.php#!/pages/BitSThailand/126583900703710

If you are new to Facebook, find out more here:
Getting started on Facebook, including how to write on your wall, add friends, send messages and upload photos. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l6bO_hbMEBk&NR=1

You can find lots of English videos at Youtube.com which you can use to develop your listening skills.
You will  hear different accents and how native-speakers use English in different situations.
Use the Search option in Youtube to look for interesting videos.

How to add a video to your Facebook
On Facebook, you will see a link option on your Wall. Cut and paste a Youtube link into a Wall Post.
Then click on Share put the link on your Wall.

Watching news videos is a great way to practice your listening skills.  What you see will help you understand the story.

Go to a popular news video site and choose something interesting

Here are some popular news sites:             

Spend 10 minutes a day reading the News in English and you will build your English vocabulary.  Your reading skills and writing skills will improve.

Read what interests you.  Follow the News on the BBC http://news.bbc.co.uk

Use Newsmap to keep see what is in the News today. http://newsmap.jp/

There are thousands of English songs on Youtube.com    

Search for a version of your favourite song with words you can follow.

Sing as you listen.

Example:

 

 

Podcasts are a great way for you to improve your English listening skills on your phone or iPod or tablet.

What is a podcast? http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vMgemQahuFM

Here are some links to podcasts from the BBC.

       

Just play and listen.       

More podcasts from the BBC http://www.bbc.co.uk/podcasts

You can get updates on your favourite podcasts by adding an  RSS feed (see 15 Things No. 3)

Twitter is one of the fastest growing social networking applications and it is a great way for you to practice English

What is Twitter? http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ddO9idmax0o

How can you join Twitter? http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4YGp4cWdndc

You can use Twitter search to find out about people, news and trends  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jGbLWQYJ6iM

What is a blog?  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NN2I1pWXjXI

You are reading a blog created on wordpress.com

Look around the blog.

• The design is called the theme.  You can choose from many different themes on wordpress.
• About gives you more information about the blog.
• You can search for posts to this blog in the Categories list.
• Blogroll is a list of links. 
• Top Stories  from the BBC is an RSS feed.  We will learn about RSS feeds in the next post.

It is easy to create your own English blog on wordpress.com

1) Get together with or a group of friends in your class

2) Choose a subject or topic for your blog.  It can be something you are interested in.

3) Go to WordPress.com and create your blog

http://wordpress.com

Here is a quick and easy guide to getting started.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tE-RXEp52oo

You can also find more information about WordPress.com

here: http://learn.wordpress.com/

Getting English news every day is a great way for you to improve your English reading skills and also of keeping up to date with what is going on.

 You can get the news with an RSS News Feed.

What is RSS?

 Here are some example News feeds:

BBC News

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/10628494 Click where you see Popular BBC News Feeds

BBC Sport here: http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport2/hi/help/rss/default.stm
Click on any of the Sport News Feeds on the right of the screen.

Thailand:  http://www.tourismthailand.org/home/rss-feed/

Look for the orange RSS logo

How to add an RSS Feed to your WordPress English blog:

1.  Log in your blog and click on My Blogs

2.  Click on Dashboard and then look for the Widgets icon on the left of the screen.

3.  Look for RSS.  Click Add

4.  Paste the link

Example:

BBC News – Home

5. Type in a short description:

Example: BBC News

6.  Click on Save Widget