ESL

Includes all blog posts

Punctuation

ESL / By Gerald Tucciarone mister1031 / March 19, 2024

Punctuation – English Vocabulary

Punctuation

(Punctuation)

;

‘

“

(

{

[

–

comma

period

semicolon

colon

exclamation mark, exclamation point

question mark

apostrophe

quotation mark

parenthesis

bracket

square bracket

slash

dash, hyphen

underscore

number sign, pound sign

ampersand

at sign

asterisk

comma

period

semicolon

colon

exclamation mark, exclamation point

question mark

apostrophe

quotation mark

parenthesis

bracket

square bracket

slash

dash, hyphen

underscore

number sign, pound sign

ampersand

at sign

asterisk

Punctuation Read More »

Things that will make learning ESL online easier

ESL / By Gerald Tucciarone mister1031 / February 13, 2024

Selected posts title

Things that will make learning ESL online easier Read More »

Identifying Your ESL Learning Style: Visual, Auditory, or Kinesthetic.

ESL / By Gerald Tucciarone mister1031 / February 13, 2024

Uncovering Your ESL Learning Style Preferences

Learning a new language can be a challenging and rewarding experience. One of the keys to success in language learning is understanding your preferred learning style. There are three main learning styles: visual, auditory, and kinesthetic. Each person has a unique combination of these styles, and identifying your dominant style can help you tailor your study methods to be more effective.

Visual learners prefer to see information in order to process it. They often find it helpful to use visual aids such as charts, diagrams, and videos. Visual learners may also benefit from writing out vocabulary words and phrases, as the act of writing can help reinforce the information in their minds. If you find that you remember information better when it is presented in a visual format, you may be a visual learner.

Auditory learners, on the other hand, learn best by listening. They may find it helpful to listen to language learning podcasts, audio recordings, or to practice speaking with a language partner. Auditory learners often have a good ear for language and may be able to pick up on pronunciation and intonation more easily than other learners. If you find that you remember information better when it is spoken or heard, you may be an auditory learner.

Kinesthetic learners learn best through hands-on experiences. They may find it helpful to use physical objects, such as flashcards or props, to help them remember vocabulary words. Kinesthetic learners may also benefit from acting out dialogues or role-playing scenarios. If you find that you remember information better when you are physically engaged in the learning process, you may be a kinesthetic learner.

It is important to note that most people are not exclusively one type of learner. You may find that you have a dominant learning style, but that you also benefit from using techniques from the other styles. For example, a visual learner may still find it helpful to listen to audio recordings, and an auditory learner may benefit from writing out vocabulary words.

Once you have identified your preferred learning style, you can begin to tailor your study methods to suit your needs. For visual learners, this may mean creating flashcards or using language learning apps that incorporate visual aids. For auditory learners, this may mean finding a language partner to practice speaking with or listening to language learning podcasts. For kinesthetic learners, this may mean using physical objects to help remember vocabulary words or acting out dialogues.

In conclusion, understanding your preferred learning style can help you become a more effective language learner. By identifying whether you are a visual, auditory, or kinesthetic learner, you can tailor your study methods to suit your needs. Remember that most people have a combination of learning styles, so don’t be afraid to experiment with different techniques to find what works best for you. With the right approach, you can make the most of your language learning experience.

Tailoring ESL Study Techniques to Your Learning Style

Uncovering Your ESL Learning Style Preferences

Learning a new language can be a challenging and rewarding experience. For those who are learning English as a second language (ESL), finding the right study techniques can make all the difference in their progress. One of the most important factors in determining the best study methods is understanding your learning style preferences. By tailoring your ESL study techniques to your learning style, you can maximize your learning potential and achieve your language goals more efficiently.

There are several different learning styles, each with its own unique characteristics. Some people are visual learners, meaning they learn best by seeing information presented in a visual format, such as charts, diagrams, or videos. Others are auditory learners, who learn best by hearing information, such as through lectures, podcasts, or audio recordings. Kinesthetic learners, on the other hand, learn best by doing, and benefit from hands-on activities and interactive exercises. Finally, there are those who are reading/writing learners, who learn best by reading and writing information down.

To uncover your ESL learning style preferences, it’s important to pay attention to how you learn best in other areas of your life. Think about how you prefer to receive information, whether it’s through visual aids, listening to someone explain something, or by doing something yourself. You can also take a learning style assessment, which can help you identify your preferred learning style.

Once you have a better understanding of your learning style preferences, you can begin to tailor your ESL study techniques to match. For visual learners, using flashcards, watching videos, or creating mind maps can be effective ways to learn new vocabulary and grammar. Auditory learners may benefit from listening to English language podcasts, repeating phrases out loud, or using language learning apps that focus on listening and speaking. Kinesthetic learners can try role-playing exercises, using physical objects to practice vocabulary, or engaging in interactive games to reinforce language skills. Reading/writing learners can benefit from reading English language books, writing in a journal, or completing written exercises.

It’s also important to remember that most people have a combination of learning styles, and may benefit from using a variety of study techniques. For example, a visual learner may also benefit from listening to audio recordings, while a kinesthetic learner may also enjoy reading and writing exercises. By experimenting with different study methods, you can find the combination that works best for you.

In addition to tailoring your study techniques to your learning style, it’s also important to create a study schedule that works for you. Consistency is key when it comes to language learning, so setting aside regular time each day to practice your English skills is essential. Whether it’s 30 minutes a day or a few hours a week, finding a schedule that fits into your life and allows you to consistently practice your language skills will help you make steady progress.

In conclusion, understanding your ESL learning style preferences is an important step in tailoring your study techniques to maximize your learning potential. By paying attention to how you learn best and experimenting with different study methods, you can find the combination that works best for you. With a consistent study schedule and the right study techniques, you can achieve your language goals and become a confident English speaker.

Identifying Your ESL Learning Style: Visual, Auditory, or Kinesthetic. Read More »

What Is Your ESL Learning Style?

ESL / By Gerald Tucciarone mister1031 / December 25, 2023

Every student has their own unique learning style and finding out what yours is can help you with your English studies. Once you understand how you learn, it is easier to set up your work environment and studying techniques to reflect that, allowing you to get the best out of your ESL lessons.

Where not everyone has a learning style that fits into an easy category, below are five general learning styles that cover most students. If you see one that you obviously fit into, you can use the learning tips we’ve included to help you make the most of your English lessons.

What Is Your ESL Learning Style?

Visual/Spatial

Pictures, images, and spatial understanding are the preferred learning methods of visual learners. Visual learners excel when they can see their lessons come to life and can often found sitting at the front of the class to get a full view of their teacher’s body language and facial expressions but also to avoid potential obstructions between them and the lesson being presented.

Learning Tips

Visual learners are often detailed note takers. You do your thinking in pictures and learn best from visual displays, slide shows, posters, clips, and other visual tools. Simple steps like writing an outline of your most recent lesson on a whiteboard using flash cards or creating workboards filled with evocative images can help complex concepts, like English grammar, stick in your mind.

Auditory/Musical

Unsurprisingly, auditory learners rely primarily on music and sound for their learning. Information is often best acquired through verbal lectures, discussions, and mini-presentations.

Learning Tips

As we have discussed in other ESL posts, listening to music in the language you are trying to learn is an excellent way to picking up speech patterns and pronunciations that might not be immediately obvious in printed learning materials. This is especially true for auditory learners.

Supplement your usual lessons and textbook learning with following along to English music, watching music videos with subtitles in your native language and listening to dual language ELS teachers on streaming media, such as YouTube.

You can also take along recording equipment to record your lessons (ask your instructor for permission first) so you can listen back to them later and strategically integrate audiobooks, songs, and movies into your language learning.

Verbal/Linguistic

Verbal/Linguistic students are those who learn best through words, regardless of whether they are communicated in speech or writing. When learning something new, students who belong to this category prefer hearing a detailed explanation over viewing a physical, visual demonstration.

Learning Tips

Verbal learners excel in a traditional classroom lecture. However, they can also benefit from interpersonal learning opportunities to interact with words and sounds through discussions, asking questions and teaching others.

Try setting up an ESL group outside of lessons where you can meet with others and discuss the areas of English in which you are having difficulty. Blogging and online workboards are also an excellent opportunity to discuss and write about ESL topics.

Physical/ Kinesthetic

Kinesthetic learners prefer using their body, hands, and sense of touch to explore the world. You might have trouble sitting still for long periods of time and would prefer more lessons that involved group activities with a physical element and props.

Learning Tips

Creating a series of physical props that represent parts of language lessons is a great way to engage with a language as a physical learner. Much like the visual learner, creating workboards allows you to like physical actions to concepts and, in a group setting, language games, such as charades, are a great way to combine physical activity and learning.

Logical/Mathematical

Logical and mathematical students prefer using logic and reasoning to understand language. They often excel at concepts like grammar and syntax that have an obvious set of rules that can be identified and followed.

Learning Tips

As a logical learner, you’ll be at your best when you can break languages down into multi-step processes and data collection. Break things like gender and verb conjugations into tables and charts and create worksheets that incorporate things like geometry and money that have a practical ESL application.

The Benefits Of Learning English

The benefits of taking an ESL course are clear. By improving your English skills, you gain better access to education, a better earning potential, greater community integration and even better results from healthcare. We here at Northwest Career College are committed to enhancing our student’s lives, which is why we are proud to offer our ESL courses free of charge to our students and to extend that offer to their families, friends and all members of the community.

What Is Your ESL Learning Style? Read More »

What is Immersion Learning and how does it compare to Total Immersion?

ESL / By Gerald Tucciarone mister1031 / December 25, 2023

Immersion learning refers to a language learning approach where learners are surrounded by the target language in a fully immersive environment. The focus is on exposing learners to the language through constant and authentic use in real-life situations. Immersion learning aims to create a natural language acquisition process similar to how children acquire their native language.

In an immersion learning setting, learners are often placed in an environment where the target language is the primary means of communication. This can be achieved through various methods, such as attending language schools or programs in a foreign country, living with native speakers, participating in language exchange programs, or joining language immersion programs within their own community.

Total immersion, on the other hand, takes the concept of immersion learning to an even more intense level. In a total immersion program, learners are completely immersed in the target language and culture, with little to no exposure to their native language. The goal is to create an environment where learners are forced to use and understand the target language as their sole means of communication.

Total immersion programs often involve intensive language courses, cultural activities, and constant language practice with native speakers. These programs typically require learners to actively engage in listening, speaking, reading, and writing in the target language throughout their day-to-day activities.

While immersion learning and total immersion share the common goal of creating an environment for language acquisition, they differ in terms of the level of exposure and intensity. Immersion learning can be applied in various contexts and can be adapted to individual preferences and circumstances. Total immersion, on the other hand, provides a more extreme approach that may yield faster language progress but can also be more challenging and mentally demanding for learners.

It’s worth noting that total immersion programs may not always be feasible or accessible to everyone due to various factors such as time, cost, and location. However, even without total immersion, learners can still benefit from immersion learning approaches by seeking out opportunities to practice the target language in authentic settings, engaging with native speakers, and creating a language-rich environment through resources like books, movies, music, and online content in the target language.

What is Immersion Learning and how does it compare to Total Immersion? Read More »

What are the main differences between the English and Spanish?

ESL / By Gerald Tucciarone mister1031 / December 25, 2023

English and Spanish are two distinct languages with several important differences. Here are some of the key contrasts:

Phonetics and Pronunciation: English has a complex phonetic system with many vowel and consonant sounds, while Spanish has a more consistent and straightforward phonetic system. Spanish pronunciation is usually more predictable, with fewer exceptions.

Alphabet: English uses the Latin alphabet consisting of 26 letters, while Spanish also uses the Latin alphabet but includes an additional letter, “ñ” (eñe). Spanish does not have some English letters like “w” and “k,” except in loanwords.

Grammar: English and Spanish have different grammatical structures. For example, English uses subject-verb-object (SVO) word order as a basic structure, while Spanish uses subject-object-verb (SOV) word order. Additionally, English relies more on auxiliary verbs for tense and aspect, while Spanish has more inflected verb forms.

Verb Conjugation: Spanish verb conjugation is more complex than English. Spanish verbs have different endings to indicate tense, mood, and person, while English usually relies on auxiliary verbs or word order to convey similar meanings.

Gender and Agreement: Spanish nouns and adjectives are gendered (masculine or feminine), and their endings must agree with the gender and number of the noun they modify. English does not have grammatical gender, so there is no need for this agreement.

Articles: English has only two articles, “the” (definite article) and “a/an” (indefinite articles). In Spanish, there are four articles, “el,” “la,” “los,” and “las,” which vary depending on the gender and number of the noun.

Vocabulary: While English and Spanish share some cognates (words with similar meanings and origins), there are numerous vocabulary differences between the two languages. English has borrowed words from various languages, including Latin, French, and German, whereas Spanish has a more significant influence from Latin and Arabic.

Spelling and Pronunciation Consistency: Spanish has more consistent spelling and pronunciation rules compared to English, where spelling and pronunciation can be more irregular due to historical influences and loanwords from different languages.

Verb Ser vs. Estar: Spanish has two different verbs, “ser” and “estar,” to express the concept of “to be,” which have distinct uses and meanings depending on the context. English, on the other hand, uses only one verb, “to be,” to convey these meanings.

These are just some of the notable differences between English and Spanish. However, it’s important to remember that languages are complex, and there are always exceptions and variations within each language.

What are the main differences between the English and Spanish? Read More »

What are EFL, ESL, and ESOL? How do the differ?

ESL / By Gerald Tucciarone mister1031 / December 25, 2023

In the field of language learning, particularly English, three acronyms often come into play – EFL, ESL, and ESOL. They represent the different approaches and contexts in which English is taught to non-native speakers.

EFL, or English as a Foreign Language, refers to the teaching and learning of English in a non-English speaking country. In an EFL context, English is not the primary language of daily life or communication. The primary motivation for learning English in an EFL setting is often for educational purposes, such as to pass exams, or for professional advancement like working in multinational corporations or travelling internationally. Examples of EFL contexts include countries like Japan, Brazil, or Russia where the primary language is not English.

ESL, or English as a Second Language, is a term often used in English-speaking countries, referring to the teaching and learning of English by individuals who have different first languages. These individuals are typically immigrants, refugees, or international students who need to learn English to integrate into their new environment. English is learned and used as a means of communication in the community or workplace. ESL programs typically focus more on the practical usage of English in everyday life.

ESOL, or English for Speakers of Other Languages, is a term that has become increasingly common in education and immigration policy circles. It is a more inclusive term, covering both the EFL and ESL contexts. It emphasizes the fact that many individuals learning English often already speak several other languages, thus English may not be their ‘second’ language, but perhaps their third or fourth. ESOL programs are often designed to equip students with the English skills necessary to succeed in academic, professional, and social settings in English-speaking contexts.

The differences between EFL, ESL, and ESOL largely lie in the learners’ contexts and needs. While EFL learners need English primarily for educational or professional reasons in a non-English-speaking environment, ESL learners need English for survival and integration into an English-speaking society. ESOL is a more encompassing term, recognizing the diverse language backgrounds of English learners and the various reasons for their study.

Understanding these terms is not only crucial for language educators in designing appropriate curriculum and learning strategies, but also for policy makers in developing effective language policies that cater to the diverse needs of English learners across the globe.

What are EFL, ESL, and ESOL? How do the differ? Read More »

What are cognates and why use them in teaching ESL to Spanish Speakers?

ESL / By Gerald Tucciarone mister1031 / December 25, 2023

What are cognates and why use them in teaching English to Spanish Speakers?

Cognates are words in different languages that have a similar form and meaning because they share a common origin. These words may have evolved differently over time in each language, but their similarities make them recognizable to speakers of both languages. Cognates can be particularly useful when teaching English to Spanish speakers for several reasons:

Vocabulary Expansion: Cognates allow Spanish-speaking learners to quickly expand their English vocabulary. Since many English words have Latin or Greek roots, which are also present in Spanish, learners can easily recognize and understand the meaning of these words without having to memorize them individually.

Comprehension: By recognizing cognates, Spanish-speaking learners can understand written and spoken English more easily. When they encounter cognates in English texts or conversations, they can make educated guesses about the meaning of unfamiliar words based on their knowledge of Spanish.

Confidence Boost: Cognates provide a sense of familiarity and confidence to Spanish-speaking learners as they begin to explore and communicate in English. Recognizing similar words in both languages can make the learning process less daunting and motivate learners to continue expanding their language skills.

Reading and Writing Skills: Cognates can help Spanish speaking learners improve their reading and writing skills in English. By identifying cognates, learners can decipher the meaning of new words in English texts, allowing them to comprehend the content more effectively. Similarly, they can use cognates when writing in English to express ideas with words that are similar to those they already know in Spanish.

Pronunciation and Spelling: Cognates often have similar spelling patterns and pronunciations in both languages. By focusing on cognates, Spanish speaking learners can improve their English pronunciation and spelling skills more efficiently, as they can transfer the knowledge of corresponding sounds and spelling rules from Spanish.

It’s important to note that while cognates can be helpful, not all words that look or sound similar in Spanish and English are true cognates. Some words may have similar forms but have different meanings, so learners should be aware of false cognates (known as “false friends”) and learn to distinguish between them.

Here’s a list of English Spanish cognates that could be taught in an ESL class for Beginners:

Perfect Cognates

Actor Actor

Admirable Admirable

Agenda Agenda

Alcohol Alcohol

Altar Altar

Animal Animal

Area Area

Artificial Artificial

Auto Auto

Balance Balance

Bar Bar

Base Base

Brutal Brutal

Cable Cable

Canal Canal

Cáncer Cancer

Canon Canon

Capital Capital

Carbón Carbon

Cartón Carton

Central Central

Cerebral Cerebral

Cheque Cheque

Chocolate Chocolate

Circular Circular

Civil Civil

Club Club

Collar Collar

Colonial Colonial

Coma Coma

Combustión Combustion

Conclusión Conclusion

Conductor Conductor

Confusión Confusion

Considerable Considerable

Control Control

Cordial Cordial

Criminal Criminal

Crisis Crisis

Cultural Cultural

Debate Debate

Decisión Decision

Diagonal Diagonal

Dimensión Dimension

Director Director

Disco Disco

División Division

Doctor Doctor

Drama Drama

Durable Durable

Editorial Editorial

Electoral Electoral

Elemental Elemental

Enigma Enigma

Error Error

Excursión Excursion

Experimental Experimental

Explosión Explosion

Expulsión Expulsion

Extensión Extension

Exterior Exterior

Factor Factor

Familiar Familiar

Fatal Fatal

Federal Federal

Festival Festival

Final Final

Flexible Flexible

Formal Formal

Fórmula Formula

Frontal Frontal

Fundamental Fundamental

Gala Gala

Gas Gas

General General

Génesis Genesis

Global Global

Grave Grave

Habitual Habitual

Hobby Hobby

Horizontal Horizontal

Horror Horror

Hospital Hospital

Hotel Hotel

Idea Idea

Ideal Ideal

Imperial Imperial

Implacable Implacable

Incursión Incursion

Individual Individual

Industrial Industrial

Inevitable Inevitable

Inferior Inferior

Informal Informal

Inseparable Inseparable

Inspector Inspector

Interminable Interminable

Invasión Invasion

Invisible Invisible

Irregular Irregular

Judicial Judicial

Kilo Kilo

Lateral Lateral

Legal Legal

Liberal Liberal

Literal Literal

Local Local

Macho Macho

Maestro Maestro

Mango Mango

Manía Mania

Manual Manual

Marginal Marginal

Material Material

Matrimonial Matrimonial

Medieval Medieval

Mediocre Mediocre

Melón Melon

Mental Mental

Menú Menu

Metal Metal

Miserable Miserable

Moral Moral

Mortal Mortal

Motel Motel

Motor Motor

Múltiple Multiple

Municipal Municipal

Musical Musical

Natural Natural

Noble Noble

Normal Normal

Nostalgia Nostalgia

Ópera Ópera

Oral Oral

Oriental Oriental

Original Original

Panorama Panorama

Particular Particular

Pasta Pasta

Pastor Pastor

Patio Patio

Patrón Patron

Peculiar Peculiar

Penal Penal

Perfume Perfume

Personal Personal

Peseta Peseta

Piano Piano

Plaza Plaza

Plural Plural

Popular Popular

Pretensión Pretension

Principal Principal

Probable Probable

Propaganda Propaganda

Protector Protector

Provincial Provincial

Radical Radical

Radio Radio

Región Region

Regional Regional

Regular Regular

Religión R eligion

Reunión Reunion

Revisión Revision

Ritual Ritual

Rural Rural

Secular Secular

Sentimental Sentimental

Serial Serial

Sexual Sexual

Similar Similar

Simple Simple

Singular Singular

Social Social

Solar Solar

Solo Solo

Subversión Subversion

Superficial Superficial

Superior Superior

Taxi Taxi

Televisión Television

Terrible Terrible

Terror Terror

Total Total

transcendental Transcendental

Triple Triple

Tropical Tropical

Unión Union

Universal Universal

Usual Usual

Verbal Verbal

Versión Version

Vertical Vertical

Violín Violin

Visible Visible

Visual Visual

Vital Vital

Vulgar Vulgar

Vulnerable Vulnerable

Near perfect Cognates

Here the near perfect cognates are divided into separate lists based on their behavior:

The following near perfect cognates follow the rule for nouns ending ‘tion’ in English can be converted to Spanish by replacing with a ‘ción’.

Abstracción

Abstraction

Acción Action

Acusación Accusation

Adaptación Adaptation

Admiración Admiration

Aplicación Application

Apreciación Appreciation

Asociación Association

Aspiración Aspiration

Atención Attention

Atracción Attraction

Autorización Authorization

Celebración Celebration

Circulación Circulation

Civilización Civilization

Clasificación Classification

Colaboración Collaboration

Colección Collection

Combinación Combination

Compensación Compensation

Composición Composition

Concentración Concentration

Concepción Conception

Condición Condition

Conservación Conservation

Consideración Consideration

Constitución Constitution

Construcción Construction

Exposición Exposition

Ficción Fiction

Formación Formation

Nación Nation

Simplificación Simplification

The following near perfect cognates follow the rule for English nouns ending ‘ary’ can be converted to Spanish by replacing with a ‘ario’.

Adversario Adversary

Aniversario Anniversary

Arbitrario Arbitrary

Comentario Commentary

Complementario Complementary

Contrario Contrary

Diario Diary

Glosario Glossary

Estuario Estuary

Primario Primary

Rosario Rosary

Salario Salary

Secretario Secretary

Solitario Solitary

Vocabulario Vocabulary

Temporario Temporary

The following near perfect cognates follow the rule for English adjectives ending ‘ic’ can be converted to Spanish by replacing with a ‘ico’.

Académico Academic

Alcohólico Alcoholic

Artístico Artistic

Auténtico Authentic

Automático Automatic

Básico Basic

Característico Characteristic

Clásico Classic

Cómico Comic

Democrático Democratic

Dinámico Dynamic

Diplomático Diplomatic

Doméstico Domestic

Dramático Dramatic

Económico Economic

Electrónico Electronic

Erótico Erotic

Exótico Exotic

Fantástico Fantastic

Genérico Generic

Genético Genetic

Geométrico Geometric

Heroico Heroic

Irónico Ironic

Mágico Magic

Médico Medic

Mosaico Mosaic

Orgánico Organic

Pánico Panic

Plástico Plastic

Poético Poetic

Público Public

Romántico Romantic

Sistemático Systematic

Trágico Tragic

The following near perfect cognates follow the rule for English adjectives ending ‘ous’ can be converted to Spanish by replacing with a ‘oso’.

Curioso Curious

Delicioso Delicious

Glorioso Glorious

Misterioso Mysterious

Numeroso Numerous

Precioso Precious

Religioso Religious

Tedioso Tedious

The following near perfect cognates follow the rule for nouns ending ‘ct’ in English can be converted to Spanish by replacing with a ‘cto’.

Abstracto Abstract

Acto Act

Artefacto Artefact

Compacto Compact

Conflicto Conflict

Contacto Contact

Correcto Correct

Exacto Exact

Excepto Except

Insecto Insect

Perfecto Perfect

Producto Product

absolutely absolutamente

accident accidente

accidental accidental

accompany (to) acompañar

acrobatic acrobático(a)

active activo (a)

activities actividades

activity actividad

actor actor/actriz

admire (to) admirar

admit (to) admitir

adopt (to) adoptar

adoption adopción

adult adulto

adventure aventura

advertisement anuncio

african africano

agent agente

air aire

airplane avión

airport aeropuerto

alarm alarma

album álbum

alcohol alcohol

allergic alérgico

ambulance ambulancia

anaconda anaconda

animal animal

announce (to) anunciar

apartment apartamento

appear (to) aparecer

appetite apetito

apple manzana

area área

arithmetic aritmética

art arte

artist artista

association asociación

astronomer astrónomo

atmosphere atmósfera

attention atención

audience audiencia

august agosto

autograph autógrafo

automatic automático/a

automobile automóvil

airplane avión

baby bebé

background fondo

baggage equipaje

balance balance

banana banana

banjo banjo

bank banco

bar bar

base base

baseball béisbol

basket canasta

bath baño

bathroom baño

beach playa

beauty belleza

beer cerveza

bicycle bicicleta

big grande

bike bicicleta

bill factura

biography biografía

biology biología

bird pájaro

birthday cumpleaños

black negro/a

block bloque

blouse blusa

blue azul

board tablero

boat barco

body cuerpo

book libro

boss jefe/a

box caja

boy niño

brain cerebro

break romper

breakfast desayuno

bridge puente

brilliant brillante

brochure folleto

brother hermano

brown marrón

bus autobús

business negocio

button botón

cabin cabina (de teléfono,

cable cable

café café

cafeteria cafetería

calendar calendario

camera cámara

camouflage camuflaje

camp campamento

campaign campaña

campus campus

canyon cañón

capital capital

captain capitán

capture (to) capturar

car coche, carro

career carrera

cartoon dibujo animado

cash efectivo

casual casual

cat gato

catalog catálogo

catastrophe catástrofe

cause causa

celebrate (to) celebrar

cement cemento

center centro

century siglo

ceramic cerámica

cereal cereal

ceremony ceremonia

chair silla

change cambio

character personaje

chart gráfico

cheese queso

chef chef

chemistry química

chess ajedrez

chicken pollo

chimney chimenea

chimpanzee chimpancé

chocolate chocolate

cholera cólera

church iglesia

cinema cine

circle círculo

circular circular

city ciudad

class clase

classic clásico/a

clean limpio/a

clear claro/a

client cliente

climate clima

clinic clínica

clock reloj

close cerrar

club club

coast costa

coffee café

colony colonia

color color

committee comité

common común

compact compacto

company compañía

complete completo(a)

completely completamente

complex complejo

concert concierto

confetti confeti

confusing confuso

confusion confusión

constellation constelación

construction construcción

contagious contagioso(a)

continent continente

continue (to) continuar

contract contrato

contribution contribución

control control

cost costo

coyote coyote

crime crimen

crocodile cocodrilo

cultural cultural

curious curioso(a)

data datos

day día

debate debate

decade década

december diciembre

decibel decibelio

decide (to) decidir

decision decisión

decoration decoración

deficit déficit

delegation delegación

delicate delicado(a)

democracy democracia

demonstration demostración

dentist dentista

depend (to) depender

dependent dependiente

deport (to) deportar

describe (to) describir

desert desierto

design diseño

desire deseo

destroy (to) destruir

detain (to) detener

extraordinary extraordinario(a)

detective detective

determine (to) determinar

development desarrollo

diagram diagrama

diamond diamante

dictator dictador

dictionary diccionario

different diferente

digital digital

dinosaur dinosaurio

direct directo

direction dirección

directions direcciones

directly directamente

director director

disappear (to) desaparecer

disaster desastre

discovery descubrimiento

discrimination discriminación

discuss (to) discutir

disgrace desgracia

disk disco

distance distancia

distribute (to) distribuir

doctor doctor

dollar dólar

double doble

dragon dragón

drama drama

due debido

duration duración

dynamic dinámico

dynamite dinamita

ecology ecología

economy economía

editor editor

education educación

efficiency eficiencia

elastic elástico

electric eléctrico

elephant elefante

elevator elevador

emergency emergencia

emission emisión

emotional emocional

empire imperio

employee empleado

energy energía

engineer ingeniero

enormous enorme

enter (to) entrar

envelope sobre

environment medio ambiente

episode episodio

equal igual

equation ecuación

error error

escape (to) escapar

especially especialmente

essential esencial

event evento

evidence evidencia

evolution evolución

exact exacto

examine (to) examinar

example ejemplo

excellent excelente

exclaim exclamar

exotic exótico

expansion expansión

experience experiencia

experiment experimento

explore explorar

explosion explosión

export exportación

expression expresión

extra extra

extreme extremo

fabric tela

fact hecho

factory fábrica

family familia

famous famoso

fan ventilador

fantastic fantástico

fascinate (to) fascinar

fashion moda

fatal fatal

favorite favorito

federal federal

ferocious feroz

festival festival

fiction ficción

figure figura

film película

final final

finally finalmente

firm firme

fitness aptitud

flavor sabor

flexible flexible

flower flor

focus enfoque

force fuerza

form forma

formal formal

formula fórmula

fortunately afortunadamente

forum foro

forward adelante

frame marco

free libre

frequency frecuencia

fresh fresco

friendship amistad

front frente

fruit fruta

fuel combustible

full lleno

function función

funeral funeral

funny divertido

furious furioso(a)

future futuro

galaxy galaxia

gallery galería

gallon galón

garage garaje

garden jardín

gas gas

gender género

general general

generation generación

genetic genético

genuine genuino

geography geografía

gesture gesto

giant gigante

giraffe jirafa

global global

glorious glorioso(a)

goal gol

gold oro

golf golf

gorilla gorila

government gobierno

gradual gradual

grammar gramática

grand grande

gravity gravedad

group grupo

guide guía

guitar guitarra

habit hábito

habitat hábitat

handle manija

happy feliz

harmony armonía

hazard peligro

health salud

heart corazón

helicopter helicóptero

help ayuda

hero héroe

hippopotamus hipopótamo

historic histórico

history historia

holiday vacaciones

honey miel

honor honor

hope esperanza

horizon horizonte

hospital hospital

host anfitrión

hotel hotel

hour hora

house casa

huge enorme

human humano

humor humor

hypothesis hipótesis

idea idea

identical idéntico

identification identificación

illegal ilegal

imagine (to) imaginar

immediately inmediatamente

immigrants inmigrantes

impact impacto

import importar

importance importancia

important importante

impossible imposible

impressed impresionando(a)

impression impresión

inclusion inclusión

incredible increíble

incurable incurable

independence independencia

index índice

individual individual

information información

innovation innovación

insects insectos

inseparable inseparable

insist (to) insistir

inspection inspección

instant instante

intelligence inteligencia

intelligent inteligente

interesting interesante

international internacional

internet internet

interrupt (to) interrumpir

introduction introducción

introduce (to) introducir

invent (to) inventar

investigate (to) investigar

investigation investigación

invitation invitación

invite (to) invitar

island isla

isolate aislar

issue problema

jacket chaqueta

jam mermelada

jazz jazz

jealous celoso

jet jet

job trabajo

journal diario

journey viaje

joy alegría

judge juez

juice jugo

junior júnior

language lenguaje

leader líder

lemon limón

lens lente

leopard leopardo

lesson lección

lessons lecciones

line línea

lion león

list lista

locate (to) localizar

machine máquina

magic magia

magician mago

magnificent magnífico(a)

manner manera

manual manual

map mapa

march (to) marchar, caminar

march marzo

marionettes marionetas, títeres

material material

maximum máximo

medal medalla

medical medico

medicine medicina

memory memoria

menu menú

metal metal

method método

microscope microscopio

million millón

miniature miniatura

minimum mínimo

minute minuto

minute minute

minutes minutos

moment momento

monument monumento

moutain montana

much mucho

music música

natural natural

nature naturaleza

necessary necesario

necessity necesidad

nectar néctar

nervous nervioso(a)

no no

normal normal

north norte

notice noticia

number número

obedience obediencia

object objeto

observatory observatorio

occasion ocasión

ocean océano

october octubre

office oficina

operation operación

opinion opinion

or o

ordinary ordinario

original original

palace palacio

panic pánico

paper papel

pardon perdón

park parque

part parte

past pasado

patience paciencia

penguin pingüino

perfect perfecto

perfume perfume

period período

permanent permanente

person persona

phone teléfono

photo foto

photograph fotografía

photographer fotógrafo(a)

physical físico

piano piano

pioneer pionero

pirate pirata

planet planeta

planetarium planetario

plans planes

plants plantas

plates platos

police policía

popular popular

position posición

possible posible

practice (to) practicar

practice práctica

prepare (to) preparar

present presente

present (to) presentar

price precio

problem problema

professional profesional

program programa

project proyecto

quality calidad

radio radio

ranch rancho

real real

really realmente

regular regular

repeat repetir

restaurant restaurante

retire (to) retirar

return retorno

reunion reunión

rich rico(a)

rock roca

route ruta

science ciencia

second segundo

secret secreto

section sección

september septiembre

series serie

service servicio

simple simple

situation situación

social social

sofa sofá

solar solar

space espacio

special especial

sport deporte

standard estándar

state estado

station estación

statistics estadística

stomach estómago

story historia

student estudiante

study (to) estudiar

surprise sorpresa

system sistema

Tarantula tarantula

taxi taxi

tea té

telephone teléfono

telescope telescopio

television televisión

terminal terminal

terrible terrible

theater teatro

time tiempo

tomato tomate

total total

totally totalmente

tourist turista

tradition tradición

traffic tráfico

train tren

transport transporte

trap (to) atrapar

triple triple

trumpet trompeta

tube tubo

uniform uniforme

universal universal

university universidad

urban urbano

urgent urgent

use uso

use usar

vacation vacación

value valor

vegetables vegetales

vegetal vegetal

version versión

video video

village villa

vision visión

visit (to) visitar

visit vistar

vocabulary vocabulario

volleyball voleibol

vote (to) votar

weekend fin de semana

world mundo

zone zona

What are cognates and why use them in teaching ESL to Spanish Speakers? Read More »

Top 8 Common Mistakes in English

ESL / By Gerald Tucciarone mister1031 / December 25, 2023

The following covers the most common mistakes in English made by learners. English being a diverse and extensive language, even natives have trouble handling it at times. Follow the list below to identify common mistakes in English that you too might often make, not being aware that they are, in fact, errors at all.

Mixing up Phonemes

While some languages have certain sounds, these may not be present in others. Most learners tend to confuse their pronunciation or fail to map symbols with sounds. The -th sound is often ignored by students in the case of words such as ‘think’ or ‘thought’ which are pronounced as ‘fink’ or ‘sought’.

Dropping the ‘have’ before a past participle

Most learners get into the habit of dropping their ‘have/has’ when conjugating a verb into the past perfect tense. They tend to say ‘I seen’ instead of ‘I’ve seen’ or ‘I been’ instead of ‘I’ve been’. This error usually occurs when learners abbreviate the ‘have/has’ to ‘I’ve’, ‘They’ve’, ‘She’s’ etc. They then relax stressing on the abbreviation, eventually forgetting to use it altogether.

Translating Directly From the Native Tongue

A proper translation of a language takes into account the idioms, verbal phrases and grammatical rules unique to the target language and are absent in the source language. For example, the correct phrase would be to ‘fold the clothes’. The verb ‘fold’ may mean ‘bend’ when directly translated to English from someone else’s mother tongue. So, a learner may say ‘bend the clothes’ instead of applying the more suitable verb ‘fold’. Such common mistakes in English occur when the student is less familiar with the real-life use of the language. It is, therefore, necessarily to speak or write in English instead of learning word to word translations only.

Incorrect Use of Prepositions

Most verbs have prepositions which are expected to follow them: listen to, wait for, based on, believe in, suffer from, etc. Learners tend to forget these prepositions or use one which is not suitable for the verb. As it’s hard to study a list as such, of every verb – preposition pair, learners must often read and use the language in a speech to gradually learn their proper application.

Confusing Subject- Verb Agreement

Students often fail to establish a subject-verb agreement. They either mispronounce the verb or dismiss the distinction between singular and plural verb conjugations. Consider the sentence: ‘She likes to eat apples.’ Learners may present this sentence as ‘She like to eat apples’.

Refraining From Using Varied Tenses

Some learners get comfortable with one tense and use it in every situation. They may say ‘I work now’ instead of ‘I am working now’ or they might say ‘I work here for five years’ while this sentence can be rephrased appropriately to ‘I have been working here for five years’ or to ‘I worked here for five years’.

Omitting Articles or Adding Too Many

Some language users forget their articles or others simply add too many. While one might say ‘This is tree’ or ‘This the is the tree’. In both cases, the correct application of articles would be to say ‘This is a tree’ or ‘This is the tree’, given the context of the sentence.

Mixing Up the Structure of Questions

Forming questions may seem easy, but for English learners, this can be a confusing task. Students tend to pose their questions in a jumble of words that when they wish to ask, ‘What day is it today?’ They might instead say ‘What today is day?’. They might like to ask ‘Where are you going?’ but would pose the question as ‘Where you are going?’ English is not native to most learners of the language. It is, therefore, only natural for students to make these frequent and common mistakes in English. The language can be challenging to even the most fluent native speaker. Constant reading, speaking and exposure to the tongue is the best way to overcome these common mistakes in English. In compiling a list of common mistakes in English it also brings to mind the following:

They’re vs. their vs. there
Affect vs. Effect
Me vs. I
Your vs. you’re
Its vs. It’s
Incomplete comparisons
Dangling modifiers
Passive voice
To refer to an entity or brand as “they.”
Too vs. to
Peak vs. peek vs. pique

Top 8 Common Mistakes in English Read More »

The main 4 skills to learn a language

ESL / By Gerald Tucciarone mister1031 / December 25, 2023

Monica Arellano Updated 03.06.2023

Monica Arellano In this article we go over the 4 main language learning skills to develop: listening, speaking, reading, and writing.

Monica Arellano Updated 03.06.2023

Table of Contents

A long time ago learning a foreign language was just a requisite for getting graduated from high school. In the present time, because of the globalization, speaking a second language, for example, English, has become one of the most important studies to improve people’s curriculums, jobs or even their lives when moving out is necessary. For many years, different investigators have been looking for the best way to make the learning process easy to accomplish. A lot of theories, learning and teaching strategies have been analyzed for teachers in face-to-face or online classrooms to help language learners.

According to my personal experience -10 years teaching at different levels, using different methodologies and strategies- I believe the 4 main language skills should be taught in the following order:

1. Listening

The very first thing you did when you were a kid to learn your native language was just listening to what everybody says! Although, you have to practice, practice and practice to develop your listening skills. It is not enough to have a class with your teacher you must try to watch movies or listen to music in your free time always being aware that the material you choose is appropriate to your level. You could also use subtitles to learn new words. Nowadays, technology offers various kinds of applications or web pages you can use, try to be sure they are from a good source like recommended material from your teacher.

2. Speaking

The second step you did as a kid, you imitated the sounds you heard before. Just try to speak the words!. The key to making progress for speaking is to talk. Talk to other students and to native speakers to understand the cadence and rhythm of the language. You have to be confident in yourself and try to talk as much as you can, it doesn’t matter if you make mistakes actually, you can learn from them. The idea is to push yourself to do it, even if you practice in front of the mirror at first or recording yourself with the cellphone. Another effective strategy is to read out loud to practice pronunciation. Besides, it is very helpful to set up small goals every day such as learning a new expression, idiom or word.

3. Reading

The third thing you did at school, you repeated the vowels and letters. Just follow the letters to make sense! There are some steps you can follow to read more efficiently. First of all, you have to start reading from the title to know what is the reading about. Then, scan the text -reading strategy which means to do a fast reading- to have a general idea about the content. A silent reading it is also recommended to internalize the pronunciation of every word following the pauses according to punctuation. However, at this point, you should take notes about the words you don’t understand to find them in the dictionary. Sometimes, students don’t like to use the dictionary, but it is beneficial in it you can check not just the meaning of the words but the sounds through the phonetic symbols as well as knowing if the word is a verb, an adjective, a noun, among others.

4. Writing

The fourth step we did to learn at school finally, we wrote the words. Just combine everything you have learned and write! However, before writing you have to think about the possible topics to organize your ideas. This skill is in the last spot not because it is less critical, indeed it is a challenge to learn how to write correctly. The first aspect you should consider is to remember the 3 main parts of the texts: introduction, body and conclusion as well as reviewing punctuation which is going to help you with cohesion -how to use punctuation- in your text. On the other hand, at the moment you want to write is better to start with sentences, then small paragraphs and full text, always supporting your grammar and vocabulary with a dictionary.

In conclusion, the learning process is different for all students. You should also revise what your learning style such as visual learner, auditory learner, kinesthetic learner, or tactile learner is -you can find plenty of different learning styles tests online-. Once you know your learning style, it could be easier for you to find materials that match with it.

Taking into account all these strategies you could have a more meaningful lifelong language learning; remember you will never stop learning. Another essential thing to consider is how interested you are in the language you want to learn. This may be the reason why you haven’t learned as much as you need. Motivation is the key for having a successful learning process, analyze deeply why you have to improve the language, how important it is for you and what you can accomplish once you master communication in the target language.

The main 4 skills to learn a language Read More »

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