B.ed English_program1.pdf

1 English SECTION A- ENGLISH SPEAKING SKILLS CHAPTER 1 - IMPORTANCE OF THE LANGUAGE CHAPTER 2 – COMMUNICATING CASUALLY Objective: By the end of this section, you will...

1 English SECTION A- ENGLISH SPEAKING SKILLS CHAPTER 1 - IMPORTANCE OF THE LANGUAGE CHAPTER 2 – COMMUNICATING CASUALLY Objective: By the end of this section, you will ❖ know the significance of the English language ❖ know how to employ every-day situations to acquire the target language from the environment. ❖ be able to complete the given worksheets individually thus showcasing your English skills USING USING ENGLISH GRAMMAR SECTION B- UNDERSTANDING AND USEING CHAPTER 3 - ALL ABOUT GRAMMAR AND LEARNING IT CHAPTER 4 – REVISITING BASICS CHAPTER 5 - PRACTISING GRAMMAR Objective: By the end of this section, you will ❖ know the significance of English grammar ❖ know how to employ grammar for every-day situations to communicate. ❖ be able to complete the given worksheets individually thus showcasing grammar skills SECTION C- MASTER ENGLISH VOCABULARY AND NATIVE PHRASES CHAPTER 6- USING PHRASES TO SOUND LIKE A NATIVE CHAPTER 7 - VOCABULARY Objective: By the end of this section, you will  2 ❖ know how to pick up and increase vocabulary and native phrases ❖ know how to employ vocabulary and phrases for every-day situations to communicate. ❖ be able to complete the given worksheets individually thus showcasing grasp over vocabulary and phrases SECTION D- BUILDING CONFIDENCE IN ENGLISH CHAPTER 8 – BEING CONFIDENT IN EXPRESSING YOURSELF Objective: By the end of this section, you will ❖ Be confident about using the English language ❖ know ways to practice express your thoughts and feelings ❖ be able to complete the given worksheets individually SECTION E- DEVELOPING CONVERSATION SKILLS CHAPTER 9 – CONVERSATION SKILLS Objective: By the end of this section, you will ❖ know the ways to start and take forward a conversation in English ❖ know how to employ every-day situations to practice conversation and develop the skill ❖ be able to complete the given worksheets individually SECTION F- IMPROVE YOUR LISTENING ABILITY CHAPTER 10 – ALL ABOUT LISTENING Objective: By the end of this section, you will ❖ know the significance of listening skill ❖ Know how to employ listening ability to acquire the target language from the environment. ❖ be able to complete the given worksheets individually thus showcasing your improved listening skills  3 LEARNING OBJECTIVES To enable learners to communicate effectively and appropriately in real world situation To use English effectively for studying across curriculums To develop interest in and use native phrases in conversations To develop and integrate the use of the Listening and Speaking To revise and reinforce structure already learnt LEARNING OUTCOMES Learners will heighten their awareness of the usage of English grammar in productive skills such as writing and speaking Learners will improve their speaking ability in English both in terms of fluency and comprehensibility Learners will improve their reading fluency skills through extensive reading Learners will enlarge their vocabulary Learners will strengthen their ability to express their thoughts and write essays and summaries using the process approach. (Note for learner/readers - This content is an amalgamation of the most reliable materials already available, including books, journal and websites, so that learners/readers do not find themselves in a situation of information overload considering the amount of information available over the internet and online libraries. The original journals, books and websites can be found in the bibliography at the end of the content so that learners/readers can refer or read the original sources at their convenience.)  4 SECTION A- ENGLISH SPEAKING SKILLS Objective: By the end of this section, you will ❖ know the significance of the English language ❖ know how to employ every-day situations to acquire the target language from the environment. ❖ be able to complete the given worksheets individually thus showcasing your English skills CHAPTER 1 - IMPORTANCE OF THE LANGUAGE There are four literacy skills that we must hone in order to be deemed proficient in any language. These skills are listening, speaking, reading, and writing. Two out of these four skills are sufficient to help you attain a level of language sufficiency wherein you will able to communicate your ideas to other people and subsequently understand other people. These skills are listening and speaking skills. English is often introduced as the medium of learning in most schools, most of the published material is in English. Hence, as a language learner many may be well versed with the reading and writing in the target language (English) however they do not excel in speaking the language. The main reason for this is the fact that writing and reading is personalized and low key as opposed to speaking which is meant to be heard by someone thus exposing the learner. When exposed many people shy away from speaking English, some of these reasons could be: 1. Fear of failure- People fear that when they speak the language, they might utter the words incorrectly and end up being misunderstood. 2. Fear of being judged- People face deep rooted inhibitions before speaking. Most commonly people fear they would be ridiculed for pronouncing the words incorrectly or for making grammatical mistakes. 3. Anxiety- One feels anxious while trying anything new. The anxiety affects the efficiency of language as well. When faced with such barriers while learning the language most learners tend to include the language in their lives in format of some music or other forms of light listening and reading for 15 to 20 minutes a day. Which totals the language exposure to around 92 hours in a year which although is better than zero exposure to the language is not highly effective and takes years to show substantial changes in the learner’s confidence and vocabulary.  5 So, what should be done in order to effectively learn and be able to communicate in English? First, it is important to understand how any language learning process works and then how this can be used with respect to learning to communicate in English. According to Stephen Krashen’s ‘Theory of Second Language Acquisition’ the natural way to learn any language is constituted in the way we learn our L1 (first language/ mother tongue) as a child with the help of the following; 1. Immersion- Young children who are learning to speak are surrounded by adults and caregivers who talk amongst each other in the L1 and also try to talk to the child in the same language, hence though the child makes its first utterance at 12 – 18months of age they have been immersed in the language ever since they were born. L1 is absorbed by the children by merely being present in the environment. Thus, L1 is acquired from the environment in which the person is immersed. 2. Practice- Once the child starts forming small utterances, they are constantly trying to speak and communicate with the others present around them, the parents, siblings, or caregivers. 3. Comprehensible input- When the child utters incorrect words the elders and caregivers around them correct them and try to teach the child how to say those words. This input is easily understood by the child who is able to eventually say the word correctly. This is known as comprehensible input i.e., if the incorrect knowledge that the child already has about the uttered word is ‘i’ then the input provided by the elders/ caregivers is ‘i+1’. This helps improve the language acquired. The best methods are therefore those that supply 'comprehensible input' in low anxiety situations, containing messages that students really want to hear. These methods do not force early production in the second language, but allow students to produce when they are 'ready', recognizing that improvement comes from supplying communicative and comprehensible input, and not from forcing and correcting production. - Steven Krashen Out of the 5 hypotheses given by Stephen Krashen as a part of his theory of second language acquisition the most fundamental and most widely known among linguists and language teachers is the Acquisition-Learning Hypothesis.  6 According to the hypotheses there are two individual systems of second language performance; 1. The acquired system- also known as acquisition is the result of a subconscious process very similar to the language learning process that a child undergoes while learning their L1. It requires communicative practice of target language while immersed in environment of the target language and in presence of comprehensible inputs from speakers of the target language. 2. The learned system- also known as learning is the result of formal instruction/teaching and it makes use of conscious learning process and conscious knowledge about the target language for example the consciously learned grammar rules. (Picture source- https://www.google.co.in/search?q=acquisition+and+learning+distinction&tbm=isch&ved= 2ahUKEwjE1tSXrPnxAhXT4YUKHRs3DnQQ2) The learned system though widely used to teach language suffers a shortage of focus on the effective communication and the acquired system lacks the significance of form and structure. This module will focus on bringing the acquired system and learned system  7 together to achieve all round development of language in terms of both ‘knowledge of forms and structures’ and ‘enhancing communicative abilities.’ It is now impossible to find a country where learning English has not become a norm. While there are some people who would like to stick with their native language and who would prefer not to learn English, the benefits of learning and mastering English go beyond the four corners of one’s own country. English is the most spoken language around the world. 1 out 5 persons understands it. It is estimated that there is are 380 million native speakers and 300 million that utilize English as a second language and an additional 100 million who use it as a foreign language. It is the language of science, of aviation, computers, diplomacy, and tourism. English is the official or co-official language from 45 countries and is spoken extensively in other countries where it does not have official position because is needed in many fields and jobs. Through English, you can discover entertainment from around the world. Many of the most famous movies or songs are written in English. You’ll be able to understand them. If you learn English, you’ll be able to visit most websites. There are so many great books, films and music from many counties around the world. A translation or dub is just not the same as many elements of language simply can’t be translated literally from one language to another. To be able to access the world’s great wealth of literature, music, film and theatre you should do them justice and enjoy them in their original form. Learning English as a foreign language will certainly open your eyes to amazing things. Speaking English is a tremendous asset for your professional career. We also need to learn English especially if we will be working at firms or other companies where English is the medium of communication. Instructions would be clearly understood, and therefore the room for error is minimized. A fundamental element of business is being able to sell a product. Selling is all well and good in your own country, but what happens when it comes to selling in a foreign market? To sell you must understand the values and morals of the people you are selling to. We live in a truly global economy and companies constantly expanding overseas. A more recent development is the globalization of countries from less developed countries, such as China and Thailand, to English speaking countries. These factors create strong demand for English speakers – businesses need you and are willing to pay for you! Despite what career you choose on, or whatever your life aims, it’s obvious that learning English won’t hurt you. The likelihood is that job opportunities would open up to you that wouldn’t have and what’s for sure is that you will have much more earning power. And at the very least, you certainly will stand out against a monolingual job candidate. By learning English, you develop life skills. Learning a foreign language involves different learning skills and helps develop key skills through listening, writing and reading. This in turn will help actually help you improve in other areas too. Your general reading  8 and mental skills improve through studying a language. In fact, if studied from a young age, there will be a very noticeable benefit to cognitive development, such as creativity, problem- solving and reasoning. But in addition to these skills, learning a foreign language will give you important life skills. You will be better able to adapt and cope with changes and to deal with unfamiliar and new situations. You will also find that you are better able to communicate with people from all walks of life. In the case of an emigration, when you move to a different country or region, learning English will help you to communicate and integrate with the local community. Even if many of the locals speak your language, it’s still worth your while learning English. Doing so will demonstrate your interest in and commitment to the new country. At the same time, an immigrant who would try to explain himself to his boss and co-employees would be clearly understood if he could construct his ideas into a single coherent thought. This can only be achieved by learning English seriously. For those immigrants who are in the process of looking for a job, a mastery of the English language would put them at a higher leverage compared to those who don’t. Considering that communication is an essential component in a workplace, persons who are able to communicate well using the English language would always have an advantage over others. Research has shown that having an understanding of English as a foreign language also helps your native language development. It has been found that students can develop better vocabularies and an improved level of literacy all through studying a foreign language. In fact, studies have shown that students’ exam scores have improved year-on- year for every year a foreign language is studied. Also, if you speak English, you may stand out when applying for higher education. Why not combine your studies with travelling and find out about study abroad? The benefits of studying a foreign language in a study overseas program is that you will be practicing all the time – as soon as you step out the classroom you will be putting what you learnt into practice. English is not hard to learn, compared to many other foreign languages. Learn English for the pleasure! Learning a language, especially English, is rewarding when you see you’re improving. Learning English takes time and dedication. The reasons above may help to convince you to take the plunge, if such persuasion is needed. Some reasons are practical, some aspirational, some intellectual and others sentimental, but whatever your reasons, having a clear idea of why you’re learning a language can help to motivate you in your studies. The English language plays an important role in all aspects of society, and therefore learning and mastering it would greatly give advantage to the person concerned. In the following chapters let’s explore few nuances of how to learn and practice English. (WHY IS LEARNING ENGLISH SO BENEFICIAL NOWADAYS? - 2021) Here are some ideas to boost your learning – give them a go today!  9 Don’t get discouraged if you aren’t learning English fast enough. It’s quite common to experience highs and lows rather than improving at a steady pace. Keep your goal in sight and work towards it! Some phrasal verbs have more than one meaning, which can make them tricky to learn. When you spot a new phrasal verb, check the meaning in a dictionary and write it down with an example sentence to help you remember how to use it. Try to practice your English as much as possible in your daily life. Listen to English when you are cooking or doing jobs around the home or read something in English on your way to work or school. When you come across new adjectives, note down the nouns they commonly pair up with. A good dictionary will help you. Example: avant-garde art/cinema/painting (very original or modern). After reading a text in detail, try looking for useful phrases that you would like to remember and underline them. For example, if you have finished reading something to complete some comprehension questions, read it again and underline any new words. Make sure you read different kinds of text in English. Don’t just stick to one. Read stories, poems, instruction manuals, newspapers, and so on. This will help you widen your vocabulary. If learning English seems very challenging, break it down into smaller tasks. For example, don’t try to learn lots of new words in one go. Instead, focus on learning a few new words every week. You will be much more likely to remember them! Try keeping a listening diary and log occasions when you listen to English. Note down any problems you experience and how you helped yourself to listen better. Compare recent entries with older entries to see how well you are progressing. (Cambridgeenglish.org, 2021) Try out these vocabulary and grammar quizzes  10 Choose the correct word. 1. The film was so bored/boring, I nearly fell asleep. 2. The pupils are clearly bored/boring. The lesson isn’t very interesting. 3. I love yoga and always feel relaxed/relaxing after my practice.  11 4. Sara had a very relaxed/relaxing holiday. 5. It’s so tired/tiring to get up at 5.30 every morning. 6. I had lessons until 4 p.m. today. I’m really tired/tiring. Unjumble the words. 1. Sabine OKOT PU the saxophone when she was 17. ______________ 2. Junior UTSEIDD violin at the Juilliard School. ______________ 3. Tina is NLNGIEAR the flute. ______________ 4. Timo AGEV PU the drums when he started college. ______________ 5. Anwar TRAPISCES the piano for 2 hours every day. ______________ Write one word in each gap.  12 One ________ the most memorable things I have ever done ________ whale watching in Maine, USA. I was told that ________ best time to see the giants of the ocean was ________ April, when hungry whales arrive ________ feast on plankton and fish in the coastal waters off Maine. ________ family and I went in late April and joined a whale watching tour in Portland, Maine. 15 minutes ________ setting off we spotted our first whale. It was a magnificent sight and ________ my breath away. I was surprised by ________ close the boat could get to the whale and soon after ________ were several more. In total, we saw seven whales, as well ________ a group of dolphins and lots of seals that day. This is a day I will ________ forget. (You can find the answers below). Answer key  13 Choose the correct word. 1. The film was so boring; I nearly fell asleep. 2. The pupils are clearly bored. The lesson isn’t very interesting. 3. I love yoga and always feel relaxed after my practice. 4. Sara had a very relaxing holiday. 5. It’s so tiring to get up at 5.30 every morning. 6. I had lessons until 4 p.m. today. I’m really tired. Unjumble the words. 1. Sabine TOOK UP the saxophone when she was 17. 2. Junior STUDIED violin at the Juilliard School. 3. Tina is LEARNING the flute. 4. Timo GAVE UP the drums when he started college. 5. Anwar PRACTISES the piano for 2 hours every day.  14 Write one word in each gap. One of the most memorable things I have ever done is/was whale watching in Maine, USA. I was told that the best time to see the giants of the ocean was in April, when hungry whales arrive to/and feast on plankton and fish in the coastal waters off Maine. My family and I went in late April and joined a whale watching tour in Portland, Maine. 15 minutes after setting off we spotted our first whale. It was a magnificent sight and took my breath away. I was surprised by how close the boat could get to the whale and soon after there were several more. In total, we saw seven whales, as well as a group of dolphins and lots of seals that day. This is a day I will never/not forget. CHAPTER 2 – COMMUNICATING CASUALLY Here are some ideas for practicing English regularly without being very conscious of finding time in a busy schedule. Make everyone your teacher: When other people are speaking in English, think about how they say something. Repeat what they said silently in your mind. Then repeat what they said quietly to yourself. First say it slowly and clearly, then say it to yourself at the same speed and rhythm as the person you were listening to. You can do this anytime, anywhere…when you’re with people, while watching a movie, at work, at school…the world is your classroom! Don’t worry if people think you’re crazy, just put on headphones or earbuds while you’re talking to yourself and everyone will think you’re talking on your cell phone.  15 Talk to people. You could talk about: …the weather In the city; it’s OK to talk about the weather every day, and many people do this in almost any situation to open a conversation. We create friendships by suffering together! Snow again, I miss summer! Crazy mosquitoes, we need winter! The neighborhood- Hi, I’m your neighbor, I just moved in last week … (names, etc…) Have you lived in this area for a long time?...(years, etc.) Seems like a friendly area, I like it… …work Do you work close by? What kind of work do you do? …your children, your children's’ school -How old are your kids? What school do they go to? Are you happy with the teachers over there? Ask a workmate to join you for coffee break: Let’s get out for coffee sometime, maybe Friday? People like it when you are interested in them. Ask them about: o their job How long have you worked here? What do you do? o their family Do you have family here? o things they like to do So what’s up for the weekend? o life in your country o your family o your life and goals o your job o your free-time interests. Try to think of questions you would ask someone at work or a new friend you have made related to home and hobbies.  16 Then try to find out what they like or dislike. If you wish to note them down, fine. But better if you could just find them out and think to yourself or maybe talk about them with yourself in the mirror! For example- 17  18 Self-introductions are often necessary but can get difficult. Try this worksheet to make things easier for yourself. (Worksheet source- https://en.islcollective.com/english-esl-worksheets/skill/speaking)  19 Talk to as many people in the class as you can. Ask the questions below or think of your own ideas for the blank boxes. Write sentences about 5 people from the information above. Example: Alice goes shopping on weekends. She likes to look at new fashions.  20 Try opinionating with your friend/partner. Ask a friend/partner what he/she likes or dislikes about the city both live in. Choose from the following or use your own ideas: public transportation, downtown, the coffee shops, the traffic jams, movie theaters, convenience stores, shopping, the restaurants, the universities, the apartments, the supermarkets etc.  21 Make a study group: Meet with other English learners or your friends who are interested in practicing the language with you, once a week to study together. Do exercises from your English classes/materials together or try some of the on-line learning websites. Make an English club: Meet once a week or once a month with other English language learners. You could have a supper club or a movie club. You could go to a park, a museum, or just sit and listen to music together. You could show pictures and talk about your country. Make sure you speak English most of the time, or if you can, all of the time! Challenge yourself at the first meeting to speak only English for 30 minutes, then 60 minutes the next time, then 2 hours the next time. Volunteer: Go to a community center or your children’s school. Ask if you can volunteer. You can be helpful and practice English at the same time. Watch television and movies, listen to the radio and listen to English music. Relax and try to understand the general meaning even if you don’t know every word. Ask your friend/partner these questions- Try these on yourself as well! Record yourself speaking English: Listen to your voice. Do you sound different than a first language speaker? Pretend that you are an actor in a movie and you are speaking English with an Italian accent…now try a Russian accent…a British English accent…now try a Canadian English accent!  22 Speaking in a language you are not confident in does make one intimidated. The above activities and tips aim at balancing that confidence. But connecting through casual conversations is none the less a necessity. Here are some more. Imagine you got to know the man above. Create a story of your first impression of him and how your first impression changed. Follow the time order of the pictures. Then answer the questions below. Show this to a friend/partner and gather his/her opinions on the pictures. Now try to compare the answers. How may are similar/different? You may get into a discussion/debate with your friend/partner regarding your opinions. That would be good!  23 Ask someone the following questions just for a regular conversation- can be your children, partner, friend, co-worker, etc. You could even ask them to ask you back.  24 SECTION B- UNDERSTANDING AND USEING ENGLISH GRAMMAR Objective: By the end of this section, you will ❖ know the significance of English grammar ❖ know how to employ grammar for every-day situations to communicate. ❖ be able to complete the given worksheets individually thus showcasing grammar skills CHAPTER 3- ALL ABOUT GRAMMAR AND LEARNING IT As a world language, it is undeniable that English skills are vital, whether in business or simply when travelling. English can help you to communicate with people from all over the world and can provide new opportunities and open doors to you which were previously closed. Whether it’s the chance to sign a contract with an overseas customer or the chance to make new friends from around the world, English conversation skills are a major advantage. But is there more to using a second language than simply conversation practice? Of course, speaking skills are important and, by extension, it’s vital to increase your vocabulary but an often-neglected skill when learning English is its grammar. Grammar rules are the building blocks of a language and learning and understanding why sentences are constructed in a certain way or how to conjugate verbs, position adverbs and form tenses can help you to achieve fluency in English a lot faster than simply by speaking. If you understand the principles of English, you can apply these principles to any new concepts that you learn, increasing your capacity for independent learning as well as your ability to communicate effectively in English. As with any new skill, it takes practice to master and there are a number of online resources to help you. (Why English grammar is crucial to learning the language effectively., 2021) Grammar is the sound, structure, and meaning system of language. All languages have grammar, and each language has its own grammar. People who speak the same language are able to communicate because they intuitively know the grammar system of that language—that is, the rules of making meaning. Students who are native speakers of English already know English grammar. They recognize the sounds of English words, the meanings of those words, and the different ways of putting words together to make meaningful sentences. However, while students may be effective speakers of English, they need guidance to become effective writers. They need to learn how to transfer their knowledge of grammatical concepts from oral language to written language. In linguistics, grammar is the set of structural rules which influences the composition of clauses, phrases, and words in any given language. It is the systematic study and description of a language,  25 and it helps us to understand how words and their component parts combine to form sentences. Some people think that correct English grammar matters only to teachers and is of no real importance in daily life. This is certainly not true. Grammar, regardless of the country or the language, is the foundation for communication. Grammar rules can help learners develop the habit of thinking logically and clearly. After studying grammar, learners are able to become more accurate when using a language. Without good grammar, clear communication is impossible. Proper grammar keeps you from being misunderstood while expressing your thoughts and ideas. A person with poor grammar skill can form a negative impression on others. First impressions can be lasting, and may hide the true judgment of character. Some people consider good grammar to be a mark of intelligence and education. Don’t allow strangers to form a negative impression of you based on your poor communication skills. Grammar improves the development of fluency. When a person has learned grammar, it will be easier for that person to know how to organize and express the ideas in their mind without difficulty. As a result, they will be able to speak, read and write the language more fluently. It is generally accepted that there are four language skills: Speaking, Listening, Reading and Writing. Learners in foreign language situations need to learn and master the four skills in this order or in another order depending on the objectives and goals of learning for any particular group. For instance, air traffic controllers must possess a very high level of mastery in speaking and listening because these are the most important skills, they need to do their job properly and efficiently; so there should be more focus on the two skills: speaking and listening. Grammar and vocabulary are not language skills. They are language components which are essential to the mastery of all the four skills. You cannot use any language skill without using grammar and vocabulary. Grammar is not an end in itself but it is a means to an end—to improve learners’ proficiency in the four language skills. Grammar is the backbone of language and without it, the produced text, whether it is spoken or written, will be classified with many labels: broken, uneducated, incomprehensible or simply not belonging to the English language. One way to improve your grammar is to read more in English. The more you read, the more you improve your grammar and vocabulary. It may be tiring and difficult to understand everything, but this is one step you cannot skip if you want to get better at grammar. Reading helps you to see how English works and how the grammar works. Grammar is one of the main linguistic disciplines which studies the grammatical system of language. The grammatical system is the whole set of regularities determining the combinations of words in the formation of utterances. The aim of theoretical grammar of a language is to present a theoretical description of its grammatical system. Learning English grammar and using it correctly takes a lot of time, effort, and practice.  26 The nature of grammar is better understood in the light of discriminating the two planes of language — the plane of content and the plane of expression. The two planes are inseparably connected. Grammatical elements of language present a unity of content and expression, or a unity of form and meaning Listening to others who use good English and watching television also helps. It works better if you watch what you are really interested in. Remember that the English spoken in America is different from that spoken in England. Some parts of spelling and grammar are different between the two countries. Make sure you work through all your grammar exercises in your course book regularly. To learn English grammar well, you will need to practice each grammar point until you can easily use it. Look for a book of grammar exercises that also has answers for additional practice. Online activities and quizzes can also help. A person can’t learn a foreign language accurately only through a process of unconscious assimilation. Grammar is a sure ground of reference when linguistic habits fail us. So, grammar is indispensable for the student. But modern language learners have different views and take different approaches. Modern language learners understand that grammar is the glue of language, and modern technology has adapted to this understanding. One example is the Grammar, a convenient grammar checker for your browser that checks your English writing for errors whenever you type anything online. Technology like this shows that we know grammar still matters for clarity, but we also don’t want to have to think about it all the time. (The role of grammar in learning English language, 2021) The Three Principles of Grammar in Modern Language Learning We started our break from traditional learning methods by understanding three general concepts about grammar that shape our approach to learning it the modern way. So how can you learn a new language and its unique grammar? Let’s explore each of those three ideas together. 1. Grammar is a side dish, not the main course Do you remember art class? Glue was important, but it wasn’t the emphasis. Nobody looked at your piece of art and complemented you on how well you used the glue. Glue isn’t spectacular. It’s important because it holds things together. But it’s only supplemental. It’s not the principal component. Modern language learners understand that grammar is the glue of language, and modern technology has adapted to this understanding. One example is the Grammarly app, a convenient grammar checker for your browser that checks your English writing for errors whenever you type anything online. Technology like this shows that we know grammar still matters for clarity, but we also don’t want to have to think about it all the time.  27 Phrases, vocabulary and conversation are the key ingredients in language. Grammar is important. But its function is to hold all the other parts together. No artist would make a piece of art by simply smearing glue all over a canvas. Nor do we modern language learners overwhelm ourselves with the grammar that holds all the pieces of our language learning together. We don’t ignore or overlook it, but we don’t emphasize it above other language learning aspects either. We simply combine all components of language (and use grammar to glue them together) to create a beautiful piece of linguistic art. Modern language learners relax. We emphasize conversation and see grammar as simply a tool to help us accomplish that goal. 2. You don’t have to know it all After you master one element of grammar, another one will pop up. If you learn all the ones that pop up, then the first one you learned will have changed because languages constantly evolve. Modern language learners avoid discouragement by taking it easy and viewing grammar as a journey, not a destination. We learn as we go, make mistakes along the way and try to take a relaxed approach to whatever language we’re learning. This approach makes learning language fun and keeps the stress at bay. The modern way is to do it without the pressure and enjoy the ride. 3. Conversational grammar is still grammar There’s a difference between conversational grammar and academic grammar. Just because something is not grammatically correct in writing, doesn’t mean it’s “wrong” to say it a certain way in conversation. In fact, speaking a language in perfect academic grammatical patterns will give away your “foreigner status” quicker than an accent. The key to learning grammar is to give yourself a break and know that conversational grammar is still an acceptable form of grammar to learn. It’s okay to say things the way natives say them even if writing that way wouldn’t be acceptable. Traditionally, language learners forced grammar lessons on themselves, then tried to speak the way the academic grammar demanded. This makes conversation sound forced and unnatural. Modern language learners relax. We converse with comfort and accept conversational grammar as an acceptable form of grammar to use in daily practice.  28 Now that we’ve looked at the three ideas that shape modern language learners’ approach to learning grammar, we also need to consider the three things modern linguists avoid when learning grammar. Understanding these obstacles and getting beyond them is also essential to transition from the traditional approach to learning grammar to a more modern method. Let’s look at each one of these thoughts together. 3 Ways Modern Learners Approach Grammar 1. We read what we enjoy, not what we’re “supposed” to read Reading exposes us to grammar in its natural context. And yes, reading in a foreign language is difficult. But it’s easier when you read what you love. The key is to read what you would normally read in English. For example, if you like cooking, you can read food magazines in your target language. A relaxed approach is best. So, open the umbrella, stretch out on the lawn chair, get the lemonade and read what you love with the breeze blowing around you. 2. We study in short, frequent intervals, not long and random spurts Six 10-minute sessions of grammar practice are better than one hour straight through. We learn best in short segments. And language is learned by frequent repetition. Efficient language learners’ study in small, frequent intervals for optimal results. This allows you to customize how many minutes per day you want to devote to your language, making it easy to stay on track. 3. We use the grammar we learn in real conversations The best way to learn something is to do it. We learn better by using what we learn than by letting our new information collect dust in our brain cells. A good approach to learning (and remembering grammar) is to use the one grammar concept you last learned in a conversation five times within the next day. Then learn the next concept. Then use it five times in conversation. Keep repeating this process and you’ll program grammatical patterns into your use of the language. This is better than memorizing five concepts, using one, then forgetting four. Instead of learning five then using one, try to learn only one then use it five times. It may be only one. But one concept remembered is better than ten concepts forgotten. The key is to relax. Modern language learning takes the pressure off, focuses on conversation and makes learning languages fun. Modern linguists understand that grammar  29 is important, but it isn’t everything. We don’t have to know it all. And conversational grammar is still grammar. We don’t get overwhelmed with good resources, we don’t focus too much on grammar, and we avoid the get-fluent-in-a-week claims that discourage some learners. As modern language learners, we read what we enjoy, study in short intervals and use what we learn in real conversation. And besides, learning modern grammar in real-life conversation will keep you from sounding like a professor from the 17th century who may not be aware of the fact that language has evolved over the past 500 years. (Fluent-U, 2021) CHAPTER 4 – REVISITING THE BASICS Parts of speech and their functions- 30  31 To be Noted- Answers- 32  33 Reported Speech Reported speech is how we represent the speech of other people or what we ourselves say. There are two main types of reported speech: direct speech and indirect speech. Direct speech repeats the exact words the person used, or how we remember their words: Barbara said, “I didn’t realise it was midnight.” In indirect speech, the original speaker’s words are changed. Barbara said she hadn’t realised it was midnight. In this example, I becomes she and the verb tense reflects the fact that time has passed since the words were spoken: didn’t realise becomes hadn’t realised. Indirect speech focuses more on the content of what someone said rather than their exact words: “I’m sorry,” said Mark. (direct) Mark apologised. (indirect: report of a speech act) In a similar way, we can report what people wrote or thought: ‘I will love you forever,’ he wrote, and then posted the note through Alice’s door. (direct report of what someone wrote) He wrote that he would love her forever, and then posted the note through Alice’s door. (indirect report of what someone wrote) I need a new direction in life, she thought. (direct report of someone’s thoughts) She thought that she needed a new direction in life. (indirect report of someone’s thoughts) Reported speech: reporting and reported clauses Speech reports consist of two parts: the reporting clause and the reported clause. The reporting clause includes a verb such as say, tell, ask, reply, shout, usually in the past simple, and the reported clause includes what the original speaker said. reporting clause reported clause William said, “I need your help.”  34 reporting clause reported clause Then a man shouted, “Get out of there, fast!” The postman said he had a package for us. Clarissa told me she’s thinking of moving to Canada. Reported speech: punctuation Direct speech In direct speech we usually put a comma between the reporting clause and the reported clause. The words of the original speaker are enclosed in inverted commas, either single (‘…’) or double (“…”). If the reported clause comes first, we put the comma inside the inverted commas: “I couldn’t sleep last night,” he said. Rita said, ‘I don’t need you any more.’ If the direct speech is a question or exclamation, we use a question mark or exclamation mark, not a comma: ‘Is there a reason for this?’ she asked. “I hate you!” he shouted. We sometimes use a colon (:) between the reporting clause and the reported clause when the reporting clause is first: The officer replied: ‘It is not possible to see the General. He’s busy.’ Indirect speech Warning: In indirect speech it is more common for the reporting clause to come first. When the reporting clause is first, we don’t put a comma between the reporting clause and the reported clause. When the reporting clause comes after the reported clause, we use a comma to separate the  35 Warning: We don’t use question marks or exclamation marks in indirect reports of questions and exclamations: He asked me why I was so upset. Not: He asked me why I was so upset? Say and tell We can use say and tell to report statements in direct speech, but say is more common. We don’t always mention the person being spoken to with say, but if we do mention them, we use a prepositional phrase with to (to me, to Lorna): ‘I’ll give you a ring tomorrow,’ she said. ‘Try to stay calm,’ she said to us in a low voice. Not: ‘Try to stay calm,’ she said us in a low voice. With tell, we always mention the person being spoken to; we use an indirect object (underlined): ‘Enjoy yourselves,’ he told them. Not: ‘Enjoy yourselves,’ he told. In indirect speech, say and tell are both common as reporting verbs. We don’t use an indirect object with say, but we always use an indirect object (underlined) with tell: He said he was moving to New Zealand. Not: He said me he was moving to New Zealand.  36 He told me he was moving to New Zealand. Not: He told he was moving to New Zealand. We use say, but not tell, to report questions: ‘Are you going now?’ she said. Not: ‘Are you going now?’ she told me. We use say, not tell, to report greetings, congratulations and other wishes: ‘Happy birthday!’ she said. Not: Happy birthday!’ she told me. Everyone said good luck to me as I went into the interview. Not: Everyone told me good luck … Other reporting verbs add comment explain offer state admit complain hint order suggest advise confess inform point out threaten agree confirm insist promise warn announce continue interrupt protest wonder answer cry (= shout) maintain repeat ask demand note reply claim enquire observe shout  37 The reporting verbs in this list are more common in indirect reports, in both speaking and writing: Simon admitted that he had forgotten to email Andrea. Louis always maintains that there is royal blood in his family. The builder pointed out that the roof was in very poor condition. Most of the verbs in the list are used in direct speech reports in written texts such as novels and newspaper reports. In ordinary conversation, we don’t use them in direct speech. The reporting clause usually comes second, but can sometimes come first: ‘Who is that person?’ she asked. ‘It was my fault,’ he confessed. ‘There is no cause for alarm,’ the Minister insisted. Reporting verbs + that-clause Some verbs connected with reporting can be followed by a that-clause acting as the direct object (underlined in the examples): accept decide insist repeat admit discover know reply agree doubt mean say announce expect mention see assume explain notice show believe feel pretend state check find (out) promise suggest  38 claim forget prove suppose comment guess realise think complain hear reckon understand confirm hope remark consider imagine remember Everyone agrees that we have to act quickly. It’s easy to forget that she’s just a child. Recent research proves that global warming is already a reality. We often leave out that after these verbs, especially in informal speaking. This is sometimes called zero-that. This is especially common after guess, think, hope and reckon: I think he’s on holiday this week. I reckon it’s going to be a long, hot summer. CHAPTER 5 – PRACTISING GRAMMAR Let’s Brainstorm!  39 Try to notice which prepositions are used for what. Choose a place from above and create a complaint conversation similar to below. Match the adjectives with the pictures.  40 What about you?  41 Look at these sentences- 1. I often have coffee with my friends. They are really friendly. 2. She’s quite shy when she doesn’t know anyone in her class 3. I’m wearing my new suit. It helps me feel confident. 4. We’re so serious when we’re given an impossible assignment. 5. We’re watching a great movie. It’s so funny. We can’t stop laughing. 6. Everyone is very patient when they wait for the bus. 7. She’s calm even when she has to deal with deadlines, phone calls and urgent messages. 8. When I have free time, I’m an easygoing guy. I just like to kick back in a chair and chilllllllll…. 9. We have quiet lives. We don’t go out much and we spend a lot of time reading. 10. I am so forgetful. I have to put sticky notes everywhere to help me remember my passwords, phone numbers etcetera etcetera. 11. I am a very strict teacher. I always look angry and carry a stick to bang on the desk. 12. Oh my gosh. I’m so hardworking but today I’ve done enough. Can you point out the adverbs and adjectives? Try to frame sentences on your own like these when trying to describe someone or describe an action they do.  42 Try get into a conversation with your partner/friend about how things can get really painful! And don’t forget to make that sound- Ow!!  43 Gerund or Infinitive Fill in the correct form: Gerund or Infinitive (with or without "TO")  44 Modal verbs 45  46 Questions Read the following statements and questions.  47 He will start at ten in the morning. When will he start? They will stay in a hotel near the fort. Where will they stay? Here the statements are the answers to the questions that follow them. Exercise Read the following sentences and frame appropriate questions. 1. Ravi will prepare the draft today itself. 2. The men pulled the animal out using ropes. 3. You will find the keys on the table. 4. The man at the gas station will help you. 5. They will close the shop at 9 pm. 6. We can rely on her promises. 7. I shall write to the manager. 8. You will be treated as a friend. 9. She will invite the CEO as the Chief Guest. 10. They will see the Niagara Falls during their trip to Canada. Answers When will Ravi prepare the draft? / Who will prepare the draft today itself? What did the men pull out using ropes? / How did the men pull the animal out? Where will you find the keys? / What will you find on the table? Who will help you? / What will the man at the gas station do? When will they close the shop? Can we rely on her promises? / On whose promises can we rely? Whom shall I write to? How will you be treated? Whom will she invite as the Chief Guest? What will they see during their trip to Canada? / When will they see the Niagara Falls? 48  49 Phrasal verbs Answers: -  50 Answers: -  51 Phrasal verbs are often used in regular conversations and might get confusing. Try to use simple ones and avoid in case of confusion so that communication does not get difficult. Try using the above phrasal verbs from the next conversation that you have with your friend/partner. (Refer to the Phrasal verb guide along with the study material). Tenses Put the verb in brackets into the correct form. Answer- I come from a very large family and recently my parents have decided (DECIDE) that they had spent (SPEND) long enough living in an overcrowded house in Birmingham. “We are moving (MOVE) to the country”, my father announced (ANNOUNCE) one  52 evening. “I am selling/ am going to sell/will sell (SELL) this house and we will live /will be living / are going to live (LIVE) on a farm”. So last week we loaded (LOAD) all our belongings into two hired vans, and for the last few days we have been trying (TRY) to organize ourselves in our new home. Yesterday, for example, my two brothers and I started (START) painting the upstairs rooms. Unfortunately, while I was mixing (MIX) the paint, one of my brothers opened (OPEN) the door. Nobody told (TELL) him that we were (BE) in the room. So instead of painting the walls, we spent (SPEND) all morning cleaning paint off the floor. But worse things have happened (HAPPEN) since then. This morning, when I woke (WAKE) up, water was dripping (DRIP) through the ceiling next to my bed. We have spent (SPENT) the last five hours repairing the roof. It is not all bad news though. The school in the village nearby closed (CLOSE) down two years ago, and my parents have not found (NOT FIND) another school for us yet.  53 Answers:- o They normally have lunch at two. o Are you working in Paris this week? o You buy new clothes every Saturday! o I played football at school but now I prefer swimming o I have no idea what the book is about. Can you tell me what it’s about? o John is having a difficult time at the university this year o My father knows everything about cars, but nothing about bicycles.  54 o The moon goes round the earth. o Do you see those men at the door? – They are looking at us very strangely o We feel that the contents of this letter should be changed. o They are having lunch at the moment. – You shouldn’t disturb them. o The watch belongs to my grandmother. Answers: - o I saw Sue in town yesterday, but she didn’t see me. She was looking the other way. o I met Tom and Jane at the airport a few weeks ago. They were going to Berlin and I was going to Madrid. We had a chat while we were waiting for our flights.  55 o I was cycling home yesterday when suddenly a man stepped out into the road in front of me. I was going quite fast but luckily I managed to stop in time and didn’t hit him. o Jerry was waiting for me when I arrived. o “What were you doing at this time yesterday”? – “I was asleep.” o “Did you go out last night?” – “No, I was too tired”. o “Was Carol at the party last night?” – “Yes she was wearing a really nice dress.” o How fast were you driving when the accident happened? o John took a photo of me while I was not looking. o We were in a very difficult position. We didn’t know what to do. o I haven’t seen Alan for ages. When I last saw him, he was trying to find a job in Leeds. o I was walking along the street when suddenly I heard footsteps behind me. Somebody was following me. I was frightened and started to run. 56  57 Answers o The earth has been here for billions of years (be). o We have been playing cards for the last few hours (play). o We have been having / have had problems with our new car recently (have) o Have you been working on anything interesting lately ?(you work) o Cuba has been a socialist country since 1959 (be) o I have been taking care of my neighbor’s cats while they are away (take) o I have had my car for three years (have). o Has the boxer ever won an important fight? (the boxer , ever, win) o John and Mary have been quarrelling with each other since the day they got married (quarrel). o It has been raining hard since last night (rain). o I’m tired because I haven’t been feeling well lately. (not feel) o Have your parents always understood your problems? (your parents, always, understand) o The patient has been taking penicillin for several days now. (take) o A big earthquake has not hit San Francisco since 1906. (not hit) o They have been living in San Francisco since they arrived in the USA 20 years ago. (live) o He got ill five weeks ago and has not recovered yet. (not recover) o Everyone in the Middle East has been worrying about the situation for decades (worry). o We have had/ have been having very cold weather this year (have) o Where have you hidden the money? (you, hide) o At last, my favorite team has won against its most important rival. (win)  58 Tenses Fill in the correct form: -  59 Answers: - o What do you think of your new boyfriend (think)? o She has never heard anything about his past yet. (never hear) o We met them at a restaurant last week. (meet) o I will read the contents of the contract tomorrow. (read). o Where did you spend your last holidays? (You spend) o He has just thrown a glass on the floor. (just throw) o In the past two years she has become a very nice person. (become) o The exercise book costs 17 €. (cost) o The used to deal with furniture but now she is dealing with cars. (deal, deal) o He has just done his homework. He can go out now. (Just do) o Our cows have given milder recently. (give) o It was hot yesterday. The children went swimming. (go) o Since his departure to France, I have not heard any news from him. (not hear) o The ball hit me on the head and I went to the ground. (hit) o Please keep on the shirt! I don’t like it. (keep) o She was lying in her bed when the phone rang. (ring) o During the war they shot many people. (shoot) o I will show you my new house sometime next week. (show) o Last night I slept in my bed for the first time. (sleep) o She never speaks about her future. (speak) o My friend hadn’t seen me for many years when I met him last week. (not see, meet) o The sun had set before I went to bed. (set, go) o As soon as he had done his homework, he ran out to play. (run) o Has your dog ever bitten anyone? (Your dog, ever, bite) o Shakespeare wrote a lot of plays and poems. (write)  60 Remembering which tense to use when can be very taxing. But bad news is - there is no way out other than practicing the forms while speaking. (Refer to the tenses table). Try to use the ones that you find easy whenever you practice with your friend/partner. Try this - 1. Take up any you tube video that you like, take up a short one. 2. Try to listen keenly and write down a few sentences from that video. 3. Now find out the tenses. 4. Listen to the video again and note how the tenses are used and in what context. Try to notice the points of time which they are being used for- present, past, future. 5. Now try to use them when you speak, especially in expressing an incident you faced (the incident may or may not be similar to the video). Tip- Always remember that for describing an incident that happened use the narrative tenses; you can always find narrative tenses separately on Google if you browse. (Refer to the pdf shared along with the study material). SECTION C- MASTER ENGLISH VOCABULARY AND NATIVE PHRASES Objective: By the end of this section, you will ❖ know how to pick up and increase vocabulary and native phrases ❖ know how to employ vocabulary and phrases for every-day situations to communicate. ❖ be able to complete the given worksheets individually thus showcasing grasp over vocabulary and phrases  61 CHAPTER 6- USING PHRASES TO SOUND LIKE A NATIVE Let’s look at a few phrases- Common phrases to ask how someone is: What’s up? What’s new? What have you been up to lately? How’s it going? How are things? How’s life? Common phrases to say how you are: I’m fine, thanks. How about you? Pretty good. Same as always. Not so great. Could be better. Can’t complain. Common phrases to say thank you: I really appreciate it. I’m really grateful. That’s so kind of you. I owe you one. (This means you want/need to do a favor for the other person in the future) Common phrases to respond to thank you: No problem. No worries. Don’t mention it. My pleasure. Anytime.  62 Common phrases to end a conversation politely: It was nice chatting with you. Anyway, I should get going. Common phrases to ask for information: Do you have any idea…? Would you happen to know…? (When you’re not sure if the other person has the information.) I don’t suppose you (would) know…? (When you’re not sure if the other person has the information.) Common phrases to say I don’t know: I have no idea/clue. I can’t help you there. (informal) Beats me. I’m not really sure. I’ve been wondering that, too. Common phrases for not having an opinion: I’ve never given it much thought. I don’t have strong feelings either way. It doesn’t make any difference to me. I have no opinion on the matter. Common phrases for agreeing: Exactly. Absolutely. That’s so true. That’s for sure. I agree 100% I couldn’t agree with you more. (informal) Tell me about it! / You’re telling me! (informal) I’ll say! I suppose so. (Use this phrase for weak agreement – you agree, but reluctantly)  63 Common phrases for disagreeing: I’m not so sure about that. That’s not how I see it. Not necessarily Common phrases to respond to great news: That’s great! How wonderful! Awesome! Common phrases to respond to bad news: Oh no… That’s terrible. Poor you. (Use this to respond to bad situations that are not too serious) I’m so sorry to hear that. Common phrases to invite someone somewhere: Are you free… [Saturday night?] Are you doing anything… [Saturday night?]. (informal) Do you want to… [see a movie?] (formal)Would you like to… [join me for dinner?] Common phrases for food: I’m starving! (= I’m very hungry) Let’s grab a bite to eat. How about eating out tonight? (Eat out = eat at a restaurant) I’ll have… (use this phrase for ordering in a restaurant) Common phrases for price: It cost a fortune. It cost an arm and a leg. That’s a rip-off. (= overpriced; far more expensive than it should be) That’s a bit pricey. That’s quite reasonable. (= it’s a good price) That’s a good deal. (= a good value for the amount of money) It was a real bargain.  64 It was dirt cheap. (= extremely inexpensive) Common phrases for weather: It’s a little chilly. It’s freezing. (= extremely cold) Make sure to bundle up. (Bundle up = put on warm clothes for protection against the cold) Common phrases for hot weather: It’s absolutely boiling! (boiling = extremely hot) it scorching hot outside Common phrases for being tired: I’m exhausted. I’m dead tired. I’m beat I can hardly keep my eyes open I’m going to hit the sack. (Hit the sack = go to bed) Try using these from your next conversation! Try to fill in the gaps with these words. clue excuse get have into make over tell tongue up voice 1. Why are you shouting at the top of your ? I'm standing right next to you. 2. He's very nervous. He's been asked to a speech at his nephew's wedding. 3. I didn't the point of what she was saying. Did you understand her? 4. There's so much noise in the room that I can't hear you. Please speak. 5. I'll leave my phone number on the notice board in case you need to in touch with me. 6. It was a difficult subject to explain, but he managed to himself understood very well. 7. Please don't raise your voice to me. I don't want to an argument about this. 8. She's only three years old; she may have a watch but she can't the time yet. 9. I haven't a what the answer to your question is. Maybe Mary can help you.  65 10. Some people find it easy to conversation; I find it quite hard. Select the phrases that you like. Now use them at least 5 times this week.  66 Let’s look at the phrases below: Did you come across them before? When? Where? Perhaps in a movie or in real life? Now that you know them can you spot them when you hear them next? Try to note them down and make a bank for yourself. And last but not the least use them!  67 We all apologize more than a hundred times every day. And the only phrase we use is- “I’m sorry”. Did you know there are several other ways of saying sorry without using the word sorry? Let’s take a look below- I shouldn’t have… So, the next time you want Excuse me for… to apologize or say a sorry It’s all my fault. try one of the phrases from Please, accept my apologies for… I apologize for… the list on the left! Please, forgive me for my… I must apologize for… Ever so sorry That’s my fault. Please don’t be mad at me. How stupid thoughtless of me. Please, accept my apologies for… I’m really ashamed of what I did. I’m really sorry about what I said. That was rude of me. I’m sorry. I hope you’ll forgive me for… I do apologize for… It isn’t always us who needs to say a sorry. Sometime we need to listen a to a sorry or an apology and responding can get a bit difficult. Good news is we have quite a few phrases to begin a response for us- I quite understand. Don’t worry. You’re forgiven! You couldn’t help it. It’s ok. Forget about it. No need to… Don’t worry about it. No harm done. That’s all right. Don’t apologize. It doesn’t matter. Never mind.  68 There’s no need to. It’s all right. Forget about it. I understand. Never mind. I quite understand. There is no need. It’s ok. Sometimes saying “I don’t know’ can get embarrassing. To avoid that and sound like a native you can try one of these- That requires a bit more research first. I’m afraid. I’ve no idea. Beats me. I can’t remember off the top of my head. I don’t know anything about … I don’t have any information about that. I’m going to investigate that further. That’s exactly what I’m seeking to It’s beyond me. answer. It’s a mystery to me. Who knows? That’s a good question, but I don’t know. Let me check on that. I’m not the best person to answer that. I’m not 100% sure on that. That’s a good question, I’II check this. I’II double check and let you know. When saying “I don’t like…” we might hurt someone’s feeling since we sound so direct. Try these in such situations- I’m not into it. I loathe it. it. I can’t stand it. I am sick of it. I am not keen on it. I hate it. I don’t appreciate it. That’s not for me. I’m not a big fan of it. I’m not really fond of it. I am not a big fan of it. I’ve had enough. I’II pass. That’s not my thing. I’m not crazy about it. I am not passionate about I’m disinterested in that.  69 Idioms An idiom is a word or phrase that is used figuratively in common speech to mean something other than its literal definition. We often have a hard time understanding idioms. Picture the idiom in its literal translation – this mental image might seem funny, but it could confuse and overwhelm a person. Try to translate these idioms- Keep an eye on the class while I run this off. Would you mind giving me a hand with my essay? Be a little angel while I’m driving through this jungle. How many times do I have to tell you to simmer down? Don’t pour salt in my wounds! Break a leg in Chorus Line tonight! I don’t want my students to fall through the cracks. A picture is worth a thousand words. She is a real workhorse. She’s tied to her desk. This week has been a roller coaster. I wish I had taken Drama instead of Art. Oh well, the grass is always greener on the other side. Sam found out what you said about him, so watch your back at lunch today (If you don’t know any, try to find them out!) 70  71 Answers: -  72 Idioms using words for weather raining cats and dogs- raining very hard. Wow! Look outside. It's raining cats and dogs. (to be) full of hot air- a person who talks a lot and says things that aren't completely true. He's always talking about how he is going to find gold in the river. I don't believe him. I think he's full of hot air. when it rains it pours- nothing happens and then everything happens. Nobody ever visits my house and then 10 people come. When it rains, it pours. sunny (as an adjective)- happy or pleasant. The new office girl has a very sunny personality. a breeze- easy. That test was a breeze. a fair-weathered friend- a person who is only your friend when everything is good. under the weather- feeling bad. Joan felt under the weather after she failed her history exam. cloud nine- wonderful place or feeling. After I got my dream job I was on cloud nine. weather the storm- survive during difficult times. Even though my father lost his job, we were able to weather the storm. Now everything is better. Now you try... Fill in the blanks with idioms from above. Check your answers by clicking on the arrow t the bottom of the exercise. 1. I am always so happy to see Alexis. She is such a person. 2. Mike always talks about how great he is. I think he is. 3. I don't think you should go outside right now. It's really. 4. I have felt since I lost my job. 5. Janice was so happy when she began dating Jake. She was on. 6. Do you know how to fix a car. Sure, it's. 7. When I had money, Stacy was my friend. Now I'm poor and I realize Stacy is.  73 8. The store was empty for an hour but suddenly a lot of people came.. 9. My family lost our house in an earthquake. It was a very hard time for us but we were able to. A tip – a resource- Memrise Memrise is a popular language learning app that you can use on your desktop computer, as well as your Android or iOS device. Like other language learning apps, Memrise works by teaching you words and expressions and then testing your knowledge at the end of the course. One of the great things about Memrise is the variety of English courses you can choose from. And since users can create their own courses, there are a lot of specific Memrise lessons that you won’t find in other language learning programs. And some of these lessons cover slang and idioms. The best part about learning idioms through Memrise is that you’re always being quizzed over the information you’ve already learned. Along with exercises covering the content in each level, you also get comprehensive reviews that help you remember the older material as well.  74 CHAPTER 7 – VOCABULARY English is an expansive language that can be hard to grasp. An important part of becoming fluent in English is increasing vocabulary. One process for building your English vocabulary is outlined below. 1. Pick a category of words – You could choose to focus on scientific words, musical words, or even slang. 2. Find information – The best ways to learn new vocabulary words within your category is reading and listening. Reading – magazines, newspapers, textbooks, instructions, brochures, flyers, menus Listening – music, telephone calls, radio, lectures Watch movies you like! 3. Tips for memorizing new words Write it down – Jot the new word down in a notebook with the definition beside it. On another line, write a sentence using this word. Context clues – Use context clues to understand the word’s meaning without looking up the definition. Flashcards – Write the word on one side and the definition on the other. Repetition – When someone says a new word, have them slowly repeat it. Then try to correctly say it back to them. 4. Use the word – Writing and speaking help you remember how and when to use the word. Writing – notes, letters, essays, poetry, novels, reminders Speaking – talking with friends and family, delivering a speech, giving directions Remember: Your language learning style is different from others. Try out different styles of learning and find one that fits you. Be patient and keep working! Let us try to learn some vocabulary. Try to complete the activities below. Find out the meanings of any new word that you come across. Add them to your dictionary and use them whenever you can. 75 76 77  78 Answers: - The above image is the answer key for the activity below.  79 Match the words in the left column with their synonyms. 80 81  82 SECTION D- BUILDING CONFIDENCE IN ENGLISH Objective: By the end of this section, you will ❖ Be confident about using the English language ❖ know ways to practice express your thoughts and feelings ❖ be able to complete the given worksheets individually CHAPTER 8 – BEING CONFIDENT IN EXPRESSING YOURSELF Confidence is an interesting thing. Some people just naturally seem to have it, even when they aren’t necessarily the best at something. For the rest of us, though, it’s something we need to develop over time. There are a few shortcuts, though. Here are six unusual ways you can feel more confident speaking English, quickly. Breathe Something that’s easy to forget when you are nervous. Being nervous in natural; people with years of English practice get nervous too! Making sure you have enough oxygen in your blood is vital to feeling confident and speaking a language well. Take a deep breath before you speak to five yourself time to think and help yourself feel more confident. Slow down Most of the best public speakers in English speak slowly. Speaking slower makes you sound more confident and trustworthy and will also have an impact on how you feel. As well as making you feel more confident, it gives you a bit of time to think about what you are going to say next. Smile There have been a number of studies that show smiling has a positive impact on people’s mood, making them feel happier and calmer even when there is no other change in their situation. Use this to your advantage when speaking English to feel happier and more confident. Practice making mistakes One of the biggest barriers to putting new sentence structures and vocabulary into action is the fear of getting it wrong. Even though mistakes are a natural and important part of learning, it can be easy to feel embarrassed or uncomfortable when you make one. So, to overcome that fear, put yourself in a situation where you know you are wrong. For example, go into a hardware store and ask if they sell food. It’s a difficult thing to do, but  83 finding out that people are usually polite and friendly, even when you make an obvious mistake is an important realization to make. Visualize success This is a trick used by many top athletes. Before you speak English, imagine yourself speaking clearly and fluently. By visualizing the most positive outcome of the situation, you’ll feel confident and know what you’re aiming for. Congratulate yourself Make sure to celebrate your strengths. Make a list of the things you can already do well in English and keep it to date. When you look down the list of all the things you are already great at, it will make you feel more confident. Feeling confident, yet? Commit to trying one of these techniques today and see how much more confident it makes you feel. And most of all, try to have goals that are achievable. Being fluent like a native in a language is not an easy task. Breaking the learning and practicing process down to shorter steps and trying to fulfill them one by one is a better idea. Thinking of being fluent in a shat time and then realizing the difficulty can easily get you demotivated. HOW TO EXPRESS YOURSELF MORE PRECISELY IN ENGLISH? Expand Your Vocabulary As a learner, conveying your feelings with accuracy is often a challenge. That being said, expressing your emotions in a way that matches your needs and feelings is a reachable goal. Working to expand your vocabulary will significantly improve your fluency and confidence in English, and also your relationship with others. But you might be wondering: why should I work on building my vocabulary if I could get by with a handful of words? Well, you’ll be able to express how you feel with more ease. Think of the impact that your choice of words will have on the listener. The message you transmit will vary greatly depending on the words you choose. Telling your friend, you’re upset because he called off your plans is not the same as saying you’re furious about it, let alone infuriated. You need to build your vocabulary to diversify the way you communicate feelings and to make sure you’re expressing your true emotions. It’s a matter of linguistic creativity,  84 flexibility and playfulness. Most importantly, and from a learner’s perspective, improving your vocabulary will help you attain higher levels of English fluency and confidence. This is the benefit of having choices! The key point here- if you have plenty of vocabulary to choose from, you’ll express yourself more confidently because you’ll get stuck less often in conversations. Think of it this way: by having more choices, you’ll also have the ability to reformulate and elaborate more on your opinion or explanation if you need to. One technique proposed is to get inspired by how emotions are portrayed in movies and songs. You’ll only need a comfortable place and a notebook! The unique power of music lies in the emotions it evokes: nostalgia, melancholy, sadness, joy, love, and what not! Have you ever thought about why music gives you chills? Probably because artists are great communicators of emotions. And as English learners, we can take advantage of that to express our feelings more accurately. So, what songs move you emotionally? Maybe it’s time to come up with a new playlist for your vocabulary’s sake! Picking words from songs is not only fun, but it’s also helpful because the lyrics generally include common and useful expressions, metaphors, and idioms. You can even sing along as part of your spoken English practice. Is it possible to combine watching movies and learn to express how you feel more precisely in English? Yes, absolutely! We often refer to movies to enrich my vocabulary in a practical and relatable way. Of course, being in love was the perfect excuse for a romantic movie marathon. But my point is: connecting images, words and personal experiences will help you retain what you’re learning. You may think you’re too much of a grown-up for this but, “Inside Out”, the animation movie from Pixar, is a great resource for useful vocabulary. While watching the story of an 11-year-old girl who is having a hard time moving out, you’ll find hundreds of possible expressions you can use to communicate your feelings. If you enjoy reading, we highly recommend movie scripts. The best thing about them is that you get authentic and practical English examples and they’re also fun to read. Regardless of the strategy or the resource you choose, the important thing is to focus on vocabulary that is actually used by English speakers. If you want to double-check that, try searching phrases in the iWebCorpus. You’ll get results based on the frequency of the words or expressions. And you’ll also see real  85 examples of the words you’re learning. And don’t forget to take notes! (How Can I Express How I Feel More Precisely in English? — In English with Love, 2021) Let’s try to practice expressing our thoughts. Find the song “What a wonderful world” by Louis Armstrong (try not to looks at the lyrics). Listen to it. Enjoy the music, feel the music, even move if you want to! Listen to it a second time. This time note down the words he is using to describe and what he is describing. Note them down. Now use those to describe a place you have seen; OR, you could simply sing along and try to recognize each word and then try to explain to your friend/partner what is the message of the song or what you feel listening to it. Next song on the list- “Don’t give up” by Bruno Mars. Listen to it more than once if you want to. Then try to express the message the song has to convey. You can practice the same after watching movies. Such practices daily can increase your vocabulary, provided you note them down, find out the meanings and which part of speech they fall into and use them from time to time. Take a look at the list below. You can watch the movies too if you want, that’d be great. But do make it a point to listen to these songs, at least one song a week. Collect new words or phrases you come across and use them to express your feelings and thoughts. Let it Go – from the movie Frozen. You’ve got a friend in me – from the movie Toy Story. The bare Necessities – from the movie The Jungle Book. Reflection – from the movie Mulan. Poor unfortunate souls - from the movie The Little Mermaid. Sometimes maintaining small diary where you put in what you feel everyday can help you make a long list of words/phrases you can use to express yourself. Of course, you can use a dictionary for a proper maintenance. Listen to the song “Circle of Life” from the very famous Disney film The Lion King and then try to fill in the worksheet below. You can check if you are correct from google, the lyrics are easily available. Now, if you observe, you have a collection of words from the gaps that you filled. Use these words for an entire week regularly while speaking, whenever you can. 86  87 Along with the ability and confidence to express your thoughts you also would need to express your opinions and that too, politely. Here’s a list of expressions you can use to express your opinion, agree and disagree with other people’s opinions. You don’t have to use all of them; choose three or four you feel comfortable using and practice them whenever you can.  88 A short revision - Use a dictionary! 89  90 Fact or opinion? Read the sentences below and state whether it is a fact or an opinion. Also, explain why you think so. You can discuss the answers with someone else; get into a debate or an argument if you want to! That would be a perfect practice!  91 SECTION E- DEVELOPING CONVERSATION SKILLS Objective: By the end of this section, you will ❖ know the ways to start and take forward a conversation in English ❖ know how to employ every-day situations to practice conversation and develop the skill ❖ be able to complete the given worksheets individually CHAPTER 9 – CONVERSATION SKILLS Starting a conversation with Greetings Most conversations in English, and in many languages around the world, begin with a greeting. In English you’ll find formal and informal greetings that can be used in various situations. Formal ways to greet someone include: Hello It’s a pleasure to meet you Good morning/afternoon/evening Some informal greetings: Hi Hey What’s up? – this is an informal way to say: how are you? Questions Questions are an important part of conversational English. It’s polite to ask about another person, to find out more about them, and to get to know them. Generally, when people start a conversation in English with someone, they know it’s polite to enquire about how the other person is. How’s it going? Hi, how are you? How’s your day going? Having a busy day? How’s life? How’s everything? And there are some basic questions that you can ask anyone, anywhere.  92 What’s your name? Where do you live? Where are you from? What do you do? The type of questions you ask someone in a conversation depend on various factors. How well you know the person You would speak more formally to someone you’ve never met, to a work colleague, or to someone older than you. You would speak more casually to a good friend, and to people in your own age group. It’s a good idea to wait until someone speaks casually with you before you speak casually with them. You may find that people will begin to use casual greetings with you over time, as you get to know each other better. Someone you’ve just been introduced to: Nice to meet you! Pleased to meet you! How do you two know each other? So, what do you do for a living? – this means what do you do for a job? How long have you been doing that? Someone you haven’t seen for a while: How are you keeping? What have you been doing lately? How’s your family? Long time no see! Where you are If you meet in the workplace, you may want to talk more formally. If you meet in a more casual environment, like at a party, in a bar, at a concert, or at the theatre you can talk more casually too. Wherever you meet, you can talk about something you have in common. For example, if you’ve met at a party you could ask: How do you know (the host of the party/the person who has introduced you to each other)? Would you like a drink? I love this song – do you like this kind of music?  93 Answers It’s polite to ask a person question about themselves when you meet them, but it’s also important to respond to questions they’ve asked you. This helps to keep the conversation flowing. You can combine your answers with follow-up questions based on information the other person is giving you. For example, if someone mentions they used to live in New York you could say: Oh, you lived in New York? How long did you live there? I’ve never been to New York; did you enjoy living there? I loved visiting New York. Are there things you miss about living there? Mirroring, or repeating some of the things the other person has said to you or asked you is a polite and easy way to respond too. For example: Hi, I’m Anna. It’s nice to meet you Hi, I’m John. It’s nice to meet you too Hi, I’m Anna. Are you enjoying the party? Hi, I’m John. Yeah, it’s been great! Are you enjoying it too? Listening tips Having a conversation outside of your home or with strangers can be more challenging – but don’t give up! The more practice you have in the real world the better, and English speakers will be happy to help you. When you’re listening to someone during a conversation focus on the words you recognize and understand more than the words you don’t. You can practice by listening to conversations native English speakers have with each other on the radio, in interviews online, in movies (already mentioned in details in previous sections, TV shows, YouTube videos and more. Listen out for useful questions and expressions you can use in your own conversations in the future. Let us look at few more conversation starters below: STARTING A CONVERSATION WITH A COLLEAGUE: In the office, you use slightly more formal English, such as these common expressions: ▪ Hi, John. How are you doing?  94 ▪ How’s your day going? ▪ We’re sure having a busy/slow day today. ▪ Have you heard the news about ________? ▪ (on Friday): Have you got any plans for the weekend? ▪ (on Monday): How was your weekend? You can talk about projects you’re working on, or about hobbies you have outside work. Current national and international news is also a good topic of conversation. STARTING A CONVERSATION WITH A FRIEND WHO YOU HAVEN’T SEEN IN A LONG TIME: Here are some common expressions to start a conversation with someone you see after a long separation: ▪ Hi Paula! How have you been? ▪ Long time no see! ▪ So, what have you been up to lately? ▪ How’s your family? ▪ Are you still working at ABC Company? In this case, you can ask about news in your friend’s work, study, family, and hobbies. The friend will probably ask you about recent developments in your own life, too. STARTING A CONVERSATION AT A PARTY OR WEDDING: ▪ I don’t think we’ve met – I’m Shayna. ▪ Are you from New York? ▪ So, how do you know Mary? ▪ Have you tried the chocolate cake? It’s delicious! If you’re at a party or wedding, you can start a conversation by asking how the person knows the host of the party (or the people getting married). You can also comment about the food and drinks, or about the music. STARTING A CONVERSATION AT A CONFERENCE OR WORK EVENT: ▪ I don’t think we’ve met – I’m Shayna. ▪ So, where are you from? ▪ What did you think of the speaker? ▪ That was an excellent workshop – I learned a lot. How about you? The expression “I don’t think we’ve met” can be used in professional situations too. You can ask about the person’s job, what company they are from, and their opinions about the conference events.  95 STARTING A CONVERSATION WITH SOMEONE YOU HAVE JUST BEEN INTRODUCED TO: ▪ Nice to meet you! ▪ How do you two know each other? ▪ So, what do you do for a living? (= what is your job?) ▪ What are you studying? ▪ How long have you been (a journalist / doing yoga / interested in music)? ▪ How did you get into it? Imagine you have a friend, Nora, who introduces you to her friend Ryan. You can ask about how they know each other, and about Ryan’s job. If Nora says Ryan is a student, you can ask about his area of study and what year of college he’s in. If Nora introduces Ryan as a journalist, or a friend from yoga class, or a musician, you can ask about how long he has done that activity, or how he first got interested in it. His answer will then provide material to continue the conversation. STARTING A CONVERSATION WITH SOMEONE YOU MEET OUTSIDE: ▪ It’s a beautiful day, isn’t it? ▪ It looks like it’s going to rain/snow. ▪ Can you believe all this rain/snow we’ve been having? ▪ Sure, is a hot/cold one today! ▪ Your dog is so cute! What’s his name? If you’re in a park, on the street, etc., the most common way to start a conversation is by talking about the weather. STARTING A CONVERSATION WITH A STRANGER IN OTHER SITUATIONS: The secret to starting a conversation with someone you don’t know is to make a comment about the current social context. Here are a few examples of how to do this: ▪ At an art gallery: “That’s an interesting painting. What do you think of it?” ▪ At a bar: “This is a great song – I love Latin music. How about you?” ▪ At a sports game: “Wow, that was a great play! So