EC Says… Organize your English!
One of the most important principles for students hoping to improve their English is the everyday practice of organization. Whether you plan on taking an internationally recognized English examination or not, all students can benefit from simple organizational techniques, which can help one progress at a rate that is both natural and consistent. Getting Back to Basics Outlined below you will see the ‘TOP’ Student Model, which can help students from all over the world adopt a learning style which is surprisingly basic yet brings fantastic results. Are you a ‘TOP’ Student? T – TAKE DOWN (Be receptive and write down new pieces of language) O – ORGANIZE (Re-arrange and store new language effectively) P – PRACTICE (Use this information. Practic makes perfect!) Let’s start with ‘T’- ‘Take down’. Taking down new information doesn’t have to start in the classroom. There are plenty of resources in the outside world to assist you when learning English. Yes, most of the information you are provided with usually comes from a classroom setting. However, there is nothing stopping you from visiting a library, reading articles online, or picking up a free newspaper. ‘Taking down’ is vital when improving English. You might have the best memory in the world, but you can’t remember everything, nor should you try to. Pens and paper exist for a reason. Never forget that! If you really want to step up your language level, you will need to stay focused, concentrate and write down as much new information as possible. Getting better at something takes time, dedication and energy. As a teacher, I am satisfied if a student feels exhausted after class- this means they have been pushing themselves to work at full capacity. When I look to see how much new language my students have taken-down on paper, … Read more