The new year is here! We hope you had a safe and fun celebration. Is improving your English one of your goals this year? We can help!
Many people commit to new goals when the new year arrives. This is called making New Year's resolutions. Resolutions are things you decide to do - or decide to NOT do. For example, many people make a resolution to exercise more, eat more healthy foods, or drink more water. People make a resolution to watch less TV, get more - or less - sleep, call their family more often, or simply to relax.
Here are some useful links to help you think about making resolutions and to practice your English skills.
You can practice listening with subtitles, and do follow-up exercises at this site:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kUgld1OR_vw
Many of us MAKE, KEEP, or BREAK resolutions. You can learn some related vocabulary about making resolutions and new choices at this site:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qf5OC9nPqkM
And treat yourself to this humorous look at resolution vocabulary with "Simon's Cat Guide to Resolutions" video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KNEVjhCXZB4
So...if one of your resolutions is to improve your English, let's talk about one way to do that!
Watching movies is a fun way to work on your English. Thousands of films are available online with just a click!
- One idea is to watch just 10 minutes of the movie - first with the subtitles on, and then repeat those same 10 minutes with the subtitles off. Or do the opposite - watch first without the subtitles and then watch again with them on. You can even watch a third time with them turned off again. This way you are practicing your listening skills.
- Pause the movie to copy down new words into a notebook. Then look those words up in a dictionary. Try to use those words 3 times this week! That will help you remember them.
- After you watch for 10 minutes, say OUT LOUD what happened. Or call a friend on the phone and tell them what happened. Tell them - or yourself! - what you think is going to happen next. Tell them if you are excited to watch more of the movie - and why. If you don't want to finish the whole movie, tell them why you don't like it.
- You can repeat this with the next 10 minutes and then the next. But after about 30 minutes, we suggest you just relax and watch the rest. You need to enjoy yourself while you are learning!
Check back here soon for some more ideas for improving your English. What are your resolutions for 2018? Good luck with them!
Happy New Year 2018!