(corrected text:)
I need a change in my life, at least I think so. Why? Maybe you are asking me that question. It is mainly because I want to improve my family relations and to put in order my thoughts about some important activities that I want to do.
By the way, I have some problems with my concentration skills, and usually skip from one thing to another. Furthermore, I have the impression that I am not taking advantage of my English studies on the Internet. In fact, when I connect my computer to study English, I do other tasks at the same time, so I have to make up my mind to change this habit!
(corrected text):
Yes, I have depression, at least I think so because my thoughts are too pessimistic. Recently, I have discovered some of my personality features that I do not like very much.
Sometimes, we have to live through certain evil situations that can overload our minds and change our beliefs. At the present time, I do not have many problems, but I cannot face them with faith and hope. A long time ago, I had a different point of view about life.
What must I do to overcome this handicap?
First of all, I need to share my thoughts and feelings with my friends and family if I want to get better. If I do not, it is very possible that I could fall down into a serious illness.
Furthermore, I need to spend more of my free time with my friends and family, especially with my children and wife. I need to do more activities outdoors instead of indoors. I need to believe in my own possiblities to change the future and to tear off bad pages. I want to have more hope and faith in God than I do now.
(corrected text:)
Nowadays, I have some projects to do in the near future, but I am not sure about what is more
interesting for me. In fact, I have some doubts and different alternatives at the same time! What is the best way? What must I do? First of all, I want to continue studying English and perhaps complete my education. It may be a good idea to enroll in a Distance University, because I do not have much free time to spend at the University of Alicante.
(corrected text:)
How many years must I study English to speak fluently and understand well? It is a hard question, because everyone is different from each other and there are no rules for that. Therefore, while many students improve these skills easily, other people have problems to communicate effectively and naturally. Having a wide vocabulary could be a good solution, but it is not enough; you have to learn how to use it accurately in a real context.
I think that only with daily practice will I be able to do this in the near future, at least I hope so. Now I am trying to study everyday with the new English System LINGQ. I will tell you about this method next week!
(original text:)
How many years I must study English to speak fluently and understand well? It is a hard question, because everyone is different to each other and there are no rules for that. So, while many students improve these skills easily, other people have problems to communicate effectively and naturally. Have a wide vocabulary could be a good solution, but it is not enough, you have to learn how to use it accurately in a real context.
I think that only with daily practice I will be able to do it in a close future, at least I hope so. Now I am trying to study everyday with the new English System LINGQ. I tell you about this method next week!
Corrected text:
Nowadays, our society has a lot of stress and depression problems, mainly because our lifestyles. There are many
possibilities to fall into drugs, alcohol, gambling, or other addictions related to the bad use of modern technologies: TV, computers, and the Internet, especially in teenagers.
Who has the responsibility? Of course, the parents. If we have children we must know where these dangerous activities are and try to explain about their risks and dangers. Only if we act in this manner, will they grow up more conscious about the world around them.
My original text:
Nowadays, our society has a lot of stress and depression problems, firstly, because our life style. There are many possibilities to fall down in drugs, alcohol, gambling, or other addictions related to bad use of moderns technologies: TV, computers, INTERNET, especially in teenagers.
Who has the responsibility? Of course, the parents. If we have children we must know where are these dangerous activities and try to explain about their risks and dangers. Only if we act this manner they growth up more conscious about the world around them.
Today is Tuesday, 6th of March, 2007. I want to write about some thoughts and ideas that I have about how to learn English more efficiently. For two years I have been working with different systems to improve my English skills. My goal is to be fluent in English; that is to say I could understand what people are saying when they walk along the street or when I am listening to the BBC news, or another English radio station, or a TV program, or any film.
Last year, in March, in order to achieve my goal, I became a member of The Linguist (I was a member for a year, but I do not have in mind to renew my membership yet; I have taken a break until next June or so). It is a community in the Internet which offers to us some new revolutionary ideas about the learning of languages. The following are some of their essential principles:
· You do not need a traditional teacher, you can improve yourself.
· It is very important to listen to the same content as many times as you can, to understand at least 85%.
· In the Internet there are many audio files, some of them are free and they have their own complete text to review and study while you are listening or afterwards.
· You must save whatever words and phrases you don’t know for review in other moment.
· You can send a little essay about any subject that you want. In the following next 48 hours a tutor sends you the corrected text.
· It is possible to speak with your tutor by Skype (a program that allows you to phone by Internet) for about 10 minutes or if you prefer you can participate in a discussion with three other students and a tutor for an hour. Five sessions in total, “one to one conversations” and “discussion group”.
· There is a huge library of contents; based in audio files on mp3 format with their own texts. You can listen to them wherever you are with a mp3 player, a cd player, or a computer. You can do the same with the text of these audio files, print them or simply review on the screen.
· The system has an online electronic dictionary to find out words and phrases. You can add your own commentary.
· In the future they will want to implement “flash-cards”. It is a good method that I’ve known before. It is based on playing cards, on the reverse side you put the word or phrase, on the other side the translation. It permits you to solve some tests or quizzes or if you like to print them on a card format to study later.
· It is very easy to find and import new texts into your own library, with contents that you could find more interesting.
· When you start to study a new language there is a stage which they called “a silent period”. It is a period where you have only a lot of inputs in your brain. These inputs are from readings and listenings. When you are be self-confident, you will be able to write and speak naturally and of course improve your pronunciation.
There are a lot of computer programs to help you whatever you are studying. I have only a few of them, but they are very useful. I like very much BABYLON, an electronic dictionary for PC (Personal Computers) and other dictionary for my PDA (Personal Device Assistant), which has a sound module that can reproduce many words and phrases; it has flashcards, too.
I’ve bought many audio books, especially from OXFORD UNIVERSITY PRESS, which has a collection called “OXFORD BOOKWORMS LIBRARY”, that provide enjoyable reading in English at six language stages, and offers a wide range of fiction, both classic and modern. Stage 3 (1.000 headwords) is the most suitable for me.
Some courses can help us to improve our English level, especially at first. Three years ago, I bought one by ASSIMIL: “EL NUEVO INGLÉS SIN ESFUERZO”, which in English it translated as: “THE NEW EFFORTLESS ENGLISH”. It has four CDs, with the audio of its complete texts. It has 145 lessons and sometimes I like to review some of them. I have not completed the entire course yet, but I shall do so in the next three months.
Actually, my daily routine is to get up early, do some exercises for about half an hour on my static bicycle and study English at the same time. Sometimes, when I don’t want to do any exercises I prefer to have a light breakfast and study for about an hour, doing listening with my mp3 player, or reading some articles in English, doing some English grammar exercises, reading a book, in English, of course, and so forth.
Recently, I’ve been studying a new system to improve my memory and my brain, it called “MIND MAPS”, “mapas mentales” in Spanish. You can use this system in different situations, not only in your studies, in your life as well. Its creator, TONY BUZAN, recommends us ways to improve many different aspects of our lives more effectively:
Ø How to resolve a problem.
Ø How to do a presentation.
Ø How to help our children.
Ø How to be more organized…
All of this easily with this method:
· You can represent any subject from a central idea. First of all, write a representative word (key word) and a little drawing in the middle.
· Then you can draw some branches with a few secondary ideas.
· Use different colours, size of types, codes and symbols, drawings… This can be useful in order to remember easier than before.
· Put your sheet in a horizontal position; it could help you to draw mind maps clearer.
I hope this method can be useful to improve my English studies, too.
The Linguist text:
I don't know if the title of this little essay is correct or not, but I have to express gratitude to all of The Linguist's staff, in a special way to my tutor, Tracey, and, of course, to Steve.
It has been no more than nine months that I have become at The Linguist, but now I have to do other things. The system has helped me to think for myself and to improve a lot in my English skills.
However, I need a rest, or a break, at least for three or four months until next June. Perhaps then I will restart my English studies with renewed courage at The new Linguist System!
My text:
I don't know if the title of this little essay is correct or not, but I have to express gratitude to all of The Linguist's staff, in a special way to my tutor, Tracey, and of course to Steve.
It has been no more than nine months that I have become at The Linguist, but now I have to do another things. The system helps me to think for myself and to improve a lot in my English skills.
However, I need a rest, or a break, at least for three or four months until next June. Perhaps then I will to restart with renewed courage my English studies at The new Linguist System!
The Linguist:
Nowadays, I want to study how to implement mind-maps in our learning skills. I have just read some books and articles about this interesting matter and I think it can be very important for my English studies! In fact, I have just made a little mind-map about The Linguist system. It represents how our system incorporates many methods into one!
My text:
Nowadays, I want to study how to implement mind-maps in our learning skills. I have just read some books and articles about this interesting matter and I think it can be very important for my English Studies! In fact, I have just made a little mind-map about The Linguist System. It drawing represents how our system refunds many methods in only one!
-The Linguist:
What do you think about life after life? I think the afterlife is not just a beautiful idea or a utopia! It can be a marvelous reality! Do you believe in reincarnation? Is it possible to live many times? What do you think about child prodigies? Do you know Dr. Raymond Moody's research? From wikipedia we can read: "He is most famous as an author of books about life after death and near-death experiences, (a term which he coined in 1975). His best selling title is Life After Life."
It is an interesting subject that we can use to answer life's hardest question!
-Original text:
What do you think about life after life? I think afterlife is not only a beautiful idea, or an utopia! It can be a marvelous reality! Do you believe on Reincarnation? Is it possible to live many times? What do you think about Child prodigy? Do you know Dr. Raymond Moody's researches? From wikipedia we can read: "He is most famous as an author of books about life after death and near-death experiences, (a term which he coined in 1975). His best selling title is Life After Life."
It is an interesting subject that we can define how life's hardest question!
Next January, the sixth, in Spain, and I think that in other countries, too, we celebrate The Three Kings' day. That day is named EPIPHANY, by the Catholics. All kids like this period because The Three Kings give them many gifts and presents. It is the same that other typical day: “Santa Claus' day” or if we would consult on Wikipedia: “Santa Claus, Saint Nicholas, Saint Nick, Father Christmas, Kris Kringle, Santy, or simply Santa is a gift-giving figure in various cultures who distributes presents to children, traditionally on Christmas Eve”.
In my country there are many people that like The Three Kings more than Santa Claus (we say “Papa Noel” in Spanish). There are some reasons that could explain this attitude, in special because certain people consider that this product it is not national, and our traditions remember to The Three Kings. Unfortunately, nowadays, all customs are being used to foment consumerism and advertisement and creating in our minds false wishes and fictitious needs. What a pity! Where is the Christmas Message? Love or selfishness? That is the question! How much easier we forgot Jesus Christ's life!
Hi, Paco! It is good to hear you are feeling better. Oh, you've already tried the famous "How to win...."I... read more
on I am a little depressed!