How to Learn English as a Foreign Language Confidently

Presenter: Lin, Shin-Chung Ph.D.

Chair of Applied Foreign Languages National Pingtung Institute of Commerce Address: 51 Min Sheng E. Road, Pingtung900 Tel: (08)7238700-3300 Fax: (08)7239277 E-mail: linsc@npic.edu.tw October. 06, 2004
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Why are you going to learn English as a foreign language? Why so many learners are suffering from learning English? How to learn English as a foreign language confidentlyindependent study concerned? How to learn English as a foreign language confidentlylife-time learning concerned? Conclusion

1. Why are you going to learn English as a foreign language?

For what purpose are you going to learn English as a foreign language?
A. Instrumental motivation B. Integrative motivation C. The facts about English

A. Instrumental motivation
(1) To get a better job or a promotion. (2) To pass a required examination. (3) To study in an English-speaking country. (4) To present a research paper in an international conference. (5) To help your students learn English well.
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B. Integrative motivation
(1) To be interested in integrating into the target language group. (2) To know more about the culture of the target language group. (3) To be able to know another quarter of the population in the world.
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C. The facts about English I

(1) 80% of the worlds electronically stored information is in English. (2) Three-quarters of the worlds mail is written in English. (3) 80% of Internet users communicate in English. (4) English is the main language of books, newspapers, airports, and air-traffic control, international business and technology, diplomacy, sport, international competitions, pop music, and advertising.
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C. The facts about English II

(5) English has official or special status in at least 75/ 195 countries, with a total population of over 2 billion. (6) English is spoken as a first language by around 345 million, and as a second language by around
300 million people in the world.
From the British Council Website English Worldwide
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2. Why are so many learners suffering from learning English?

A. The different processes in first and second language acquisition. B. The different nature of Chinese and English. C. The conflict between English learning and expectation. D. The impractical orientation of language learning.
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A. The different processes in first and second language acquisition.

(1) Exposure time (2) For surviving / as a tool only (3) Effort and effortless (4) First language interferes the acquisition of second language a. Interfered by different sound systems. Tones / stress / ending consonants / intonation b. Interfered by different language functions. Auxiliary / transitive V / adj clause / wh-movement / tense etc. c. Interfered by different usage. ( etc.) 9

Ex1: The different usage of interrogative sentences 1. Are you a student? 2. Is your father a doctor? 3. Were you there? 4. Was he angry? 5. Do you watch TV everyday? 6. Did you watch the TV program Sex and the City last night? 7. Does he walk to school everyday? 8. Have you done your homework? 9. Will you have done your homework by then? 10. Had he been waiting for you long before you met him?
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Ex: The different usage of tenses

1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6.
Only 46.8% passed the test.

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Answers to the usage of tenses When he came, I was watching TV. What will you be doing at this time tomorrow? Ive been waiting for you about 20 minutes. When I met her, she had been waiting for you a long time. When he arrives, weII have been practicing for two hours. The children had all gone to bed at nine last night.
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B. The different nature of Chinese and English.

(1) Ideographic language () vs. alphabetic language (). (2) Limited vs. increasing number of the words. E.g. AIDS (acquired immune deficiency syndrome) / tofu / kung fu / Internet / e-mail () / / / / (3) Advanced vs. primary
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Asking boy under pine tree. Saying master going picking up herb medicine. In the mountains. Covering under heavy clouds, dont know where.
(22 words used, 56% spared)
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The possibly acceptable translation I asked a boy under the pine tree. He said that his master is going picking up herb medicine. He is in the mountains. Because the mountains are covered under the heavy clouds, He doesnt know where his master is.
(39 words used)
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C. The conflict between English learning and expectation

(1) Learning English is to pass the exams not to use the language (2) Learning English is a subject not a language per se. (3) Daily language is hard to be learned in a classroom setting and tested. (4) It costs too much to have a test in speaking ability.

The following is what you are going to be tested.

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 1.

PLEASE WAIT BEHINE WHITE LINE What does this sign mean? A. Stay on the line. B. Drive inside the line. C. Keep the line straight. D. Stand in back of the line Responsible and friendly high school or college student is needed to baby-sit active five-year-old on weekends. Call 2943-6262 after 6:00 Where might a person see this? A. On a menu. B. On street sign. C. In a newspaper. D. In a telephone book.
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In summer it is ______ to stay in my parents room because it is airconditioned. A. comfortable B. gentle C. impossible D. serious Mother makes me ______ my homework every day before I can play video games. A. finish B. finished C. finishing D. to finish Elsa: Did Eric buy any vegetables in the market? Bob: No, he didnt, but he bought ______ fish. A. no B. any C. some D. both Rose: Its time to go to bed. You have to get up early tomorrow, ___? Nina: Yes, my class is going hiking tomorrow. A. cant you B. dont you C. arent you D. havent you
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2.

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Read Amys diary and answer the questions.

May 30, 2003 Today I met an American on my way home. He asked me some questions in English, but I couldnt understand him. I was nervous and couldnt say a word. I felt so depressed. I study English very hard and I usually get the best grades on the English tests. I am always looking for opportunities to practice speaking English. But when the opportunity comes, I cant do anything. I think I have to study English much harder.
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What does depressed mean in the letter? A. Sad. B. Bored. C. Lucky.

D. Excited

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What can we learn from Amys experience? A. It is dangerous to talk to strangers on the streets. B. English is the most difficult subject for most students. C. People who get nervous easily cannot get good grades in English. D. Getting good grades in English does not mean we can use English well.

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As the tallest building in the world, Taipei 101 has become a new ______ of Taipei City. A. incident B. geography C. skylight D. landmark Jane usually buys things on ______. Her purchases seem to be driven by some sudden force or desire. A. accident B. compliment C. justification D. impulse

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If people keep polluting the rivers, no fish there will survive ______. A. at all cost B. for a long while C. in the long run D. by no means
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4. Lily 5.

Although Lily was born blind and deaf, she never felt discouraged.
Her story has proved that we can succeed so long as we make efforts.
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D. The impractical orientation of language learning

(1) The starting age mystery.

(2) Language is learned effortless. (3) Picked up vs. learned process. (4) The chagrin of environment

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3. How to learn English as a foreign language confidentlyindependent learning concerned?

A. Phonetics, phonology, and phonics B. Syntax: pedagogical grammar C. Usage: habit formation
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A. Phonetics, Phonology, and Phonics

(1) Phonetics (): The study of the speech sounds that occur in all human language to represent meanings is called phonetics. (2) Phonology (): The study of sound patterns in language or as the sound patterns themselves. (3) Phonics (): A method of teaching beginners to read and pronounce words by learning the phonetic value of letters, letter groups, and especially syllables. 24

Letter o and the Sound it Represents I

o in Words
dog not no of women woman mother

Phonetics Represented
[dCE] [nAt] [no] [Dv] ['w0m0n] ['w?mDn] ['mKMQ]
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Quiz for you

1. How do you pronounce Yotsthe last name of an American friend? 2. Answer 1. It is pronounced the same as yachts. 3. Answer 2. [jAts] 4. How do you pronounce entrepreneur 5. Answer (looking in a dictionary for [`AntrDprD'n"])

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The combined ways

entrepreneur phonetics [`AntrDprD'n"]

phonics

entrepreneur

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Learning vowels I
[ A e i o u ]

[ D

? ]
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Learning vowels I I
[ A [K D Q " [ a0 e $ G a? i o 0 u ] C ? ]

C0 ]
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Learning consonants
Bilabial Labiodental

Inter- Alveolar Alveo- Velar Glottal dental palatal

t d K g N I tN dI

Stops Fricatives

p b f v L M

s z

Affricates Nasals m n

Lateral
Glides

l
r j w
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Learning the conformation of the phonemes

Syllable Combination in Chinese Syllable Combination in English

Chinese V CV CCV

Examples

English V CV CCV CVC CCVC CCVCC CCCVCC

Examples eye tea qua cat what plant springs

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Note. V = vowel

C = consonant

Exercise 1: One syllable 1. [ta0m]

2. [hGlp]

3. [w"k]
Exercise 2: Two syllables 5. ['p0kn0k] 7. ['fr0zbi]

4. [wik]
6. [bD'liv] 8. [hD'lo]

Exercise 3: Three or above syllables 9. ['ta0p`ra0tQ] 10. ['Gvr0`hwGr] 32 11.[0m'pCrtDnt] 12. ['GlDfDnt]

Learning Intonation
Good morning?

How are you?

What is it? Where are you? Where is John?
Exercise 4: Intonation of the sentences 1. [hwAt '0z 0t] 3. [hwAt 'ta0 0z 0t] '0HEl0N] 2. [hwAt 0z jur 'nem] 4. [Ar Me stKd0H
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Spelling and pronunciation

Exercise 1: Diphthongs and vowel letters
1.[let] l __ te 3. [ka0t] k __ te 5. [kjut] c __ te 2. [Miz] th __ se 4. [not] n __ te

Exercise 2: Monophthongs and vowel letters

6. [st$nd] 8. [p0k] 10. [bKs] st __ nd p __ ck b __ s 7. [pGn] p __ n 9. [dCE] d __ g
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B. Syntax I
(1) Moods
a. Imperative mood. (Stand up. / Open your book. / Lets go.) b. Indicative mood. c. Subjunctive mood.

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B. Syntax II
(2) Nine primary sentence patterns of indicative mood. a. S + be + N / Adj / Adv b. S + Linking V + N / Adj c. S + Intransitive V d. S + Transitive V + O e. S + Transitive V + O1 + O2 f. S + Transitive V + O + OC

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B. Syntax III
(3) Tenses
Simple present / past / future tense Progressive present / past / future e tense Perfect present / past / future tense Perfect Progressive present / past / future tense
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B. Syntax IV
(4) Tenses and the meaning of subjunctive mood Simple present / past / future tense

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Ex:
(study) (meet) If Ive time, I will visit you. If I had time, I would visit you.

If I were you, I wouldnt give him money.

If you had studied at home yesterday,

you wouldnt have met her on the street.

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C. Usage I
(1) Can I use the credit card? (2) We are peace maker. (3) May I borrow your telephone? (4) I will learn more knowledge after I graduate. (5) I am glad to have the chance to write for you. (6) The birds are on the tree. (7) I slept at nine last night.
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C. Usage II
(8) The department store is on sale. (9) She pregnant. (10) Did you write your homework? (11) Do you like the movie? Yes, I like. (12) And thank you for the offering on recommendation letter, which I think I will be needing it in the future time.
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4. How to learn English as a foreign language Confidentlylife-time learning concerned?

A. Attitudenative like is not possible / you are better than the ones you have to talk in their language if only you can communicate with them.

B. Sticks on a TV program or a movie that you like very much.

C. Make the note that keeps the track of the usage of the target language. D. Try to have a pen pal who can not read in Chinese to e-mail each other.
E. Jot down what you read and heard and make sure that you understand it well.
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5. Conclusion
Learning English is like playing a sport, or singing a song. It takes time and effort to achieve the goal. Methods + achievement + tactics + motivation + attitudes + time = success

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