Improve Your English

Once you leave formal education, you are in control of your own learning. No one is going to stand over you and make you study. So, you need to organise yourself a bit. Keeping a notebook can help. Make a plan on how, when and where you are going to learn English at the beginning of your notebook, I find that a loose leaf notebook is best, or you can even keep one online (we all make mistakes and this way it's easy to correct them).

Set yourself realistic targets and goals:-

• How often will you study?
• Where will you study?
• When will you study?
• How many new words will you try to learn a week?
• How will you test yourself?
• How will you measure your progress?

In your notebook:-

• Write down the word, for nouns include the plural form, for verbs find out whether it is regular or irregular (if it is irregular write down its different forms).
• Write down any adjectives or adverbs that might help you remember the word, use word tables to help organise your vocabulary.
• Use a picture or diagram that might help you remember the word.
• Write sentences with the word in context, use word association to help you.
• Write the opposite meaning of the word (if appropriate).
• Write out the pronunciation. Knowing the phonetic alphabet can help.

Dog is a noun:-

Dog  (singular=1) Dogs (plural=1+)

Word Tables can be useful to sort your ideas when learning adjectives or verbs:-

Adjectives big small bad good dog brown clever stupid

Verbs walk feed play with the dog groom train

Pictures and diagrams can help you learn, draw them or cut them out from magazines and paste them onto your page

Making meaningful sentences such as "Dogs chase cats" or "Snoopy is a dog", help you to remember the word in context.

Word associations can be added to as you learn more vocabulary

Dog - animal - bark - puppy - bitch - hound - tail - ears - whine

Walk is a noun "I went for a walk." and a regular verb "I walked for hours.":-

As a Noun Adjectives a long walk short country tiring

With verbs take organise a walk enjoy

As a verb Verbs walk / walked / walking walk home walk to work

Adverbs walk quickly walk slowly

"The couple walked hand in hand."
"I walk to work every day."
"Walking is good for you."

Word association: Walk - stroll - ramble

Run is a noun and an irregular verb:-

As a Noun Adjectives a long run short quick tiring

With verbs go for a run organise enjoy

As a verb Verbs run / ran / running run home run to work run away run a race run an errand

Adverbs run quickly run slowly run regularly

Word association: Run - marathon - race

And finally:-

• Avoid writing the translation, if you follow this plan it shouldn't be necessary.
• The more you use your notebook the better.
• Check your notebook often for revision.