Improving Your English Language

By Chin Sik Sean ------ SMKSB ENGLISH TEACHER

Learning English is like learning other languages. As an English teacher, I personally believe in using the language as much as possible and at every opportunity available. So students should not be afraid to use English outside class by speaking to every one in English. There is nothing to be shy about making mistakes. Making mistakes is all part of learning, so there is no need to be afraid of making grammatical errors or using bad sentences. If you make a mistake, learn from it and don't repeat it.

Rote learning of grammar rules is not encouraged. What is more important is using those rules in real life conversations. By listening to how good English speakers--not necessarily native speakers--talk, you will learn new sentence structures even before you learn it formally in school. Listen to the news, listen to advertisements, attend seminars, talk to people--these are all part of learning English.

Reading as much English language materials as possible is vital if you want to improve your English faster because this is where you will be exposed to all types of texts, from simple to very academic. Have a good English dictionary in hand each time you read. A good dictionary provides multiple meanings and sample sentences for each word. Avoid getting a bilingual dictionary because you will only learn the translation of words, not how to use those new words in real situations.

Equally important is learning to write. In order to write well, you must have enough vocabulary to construct sentences and string them into interesting paragraphs. This can be achieved by extensive speaking and reading. In addition, to help you in the process of writing, there are books available in shops that contain exercises that show you step-by-step how to write better essays or paragraphs. Most students would immediately jump into the writing topic without first planning what to write. They will end up deviating the topic given.

As you can see, learning English is not only about being excellent in grammar rules. Speaking, reading and writing are all necessary to be good in the language, overall. Attending tuition classes alone is insufficient in improving your English language proficiency. The majority of tutors focus on examination topics and how to score in your exams. Obtaining an "A" in the English paper doesn't mean that you are able to perform well as a user of the English language. Use the language in your daily life and see if you are really able to use the language. Ultimately, your own effort to improve will determine if you will do well in the language.

“READ EXTENSIVELY SO THAT YOU CAN WRITE EXPRESSIVELY”