10 MINUTES A DAY…ENGLISH THE EFFECTIVE WAY.
BY DANIEL MARTIN
I believe that motivation, commitment, perseverance,
consistency and setting reasonable goals are essential tools to make progress
when we learn a foreign language. Coming to class is a great option as well.
After all, as a language teacher, I make a living out of it. But at the end of
the day, it all boils down to what you can do with the language
outside the classroom setting rather than what I, as a teacher, can do
for you in the classroom setting. As my students, you are already familiar with
this, but it wouldn’t hurt to remind you one more time the significant
difference that 10 minutes-at least- of
exposure to the language a day can make in your learning process. It has to be
every day. Not half an hour one day, nothing for the next couple of days. It
won’t work like that. Ten minutes -at least- of exposure to the language every day. Make
that commitment and honour it. The great thing is that you don’t even have to
study. You can find something that you enjoy doing in your own language already
and do it in English. And here’s my top 20 list of things that you can do to
keep your language alive:
1.
1. Read
a graded book or an original book.
2.
2. Find
a newspaper online and scan through the articles.
3.
3.
Listen to English music and be curious enough to look for the lyrics of at
least one song.
4.
4. Have
a look at what you did in class (look at your notes; a class handout;
the textbook…).
5.
5. Chat in English.
6.
6. Have a Skype conversation.
7.
7. Talk to pilgrims.
8.
8.
Interact with friends on Facebook.
9.
9. Send an email.
10.
10. Write in your journal.
11.
11.
Watch The Simpsons (or any other TV show).
12.
12.
Listen to audio material on your way to school.
13.
13. Watch YouTube.
14.
14. Watch CNN.
15.
15.
Access the class blog and interact in it.
16.
16. Read something outloud.
17.
17. Play a computer game.
18.
18.
Watch again at home the video you watched in class.
19.
19. Talk to yourself.
20. 20. Do
homework.
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