Learning from morning till night

The traditional method of learning English in most speaking countries is to live with a host family and attend a language school every day. In the past few years, however, a new way of learning has been growing in popularity: _1_.Instead of going to school the student has individual lessons at home on what is known as a “homestay” course.

This type of course is highly attractive as the student is exposed to English from morning till night. Learning takes place in formal lessons, but there are also additional opportunities for language practice at meal times, _2_.The combination of one-to-one teaching and total immersion means that the students can improve quickly and gain a valuable insight into how English is used naturally. The course can also be a fascinating window onto life and culture in an English speaking country.

What makes a course in a teacher’s home special _3_.They get to know each other well, which can make the course highly enjoyable as well as being helpful in the learning process. Language mistakes made outside lessons can be corrected immediately or _4_.The student has the teacher’s undivided attention and will have little or no contact with other students. As a result, they are unlikely to speak their mother tongue for the duration of the course, quite unlike the experience most students have at a language school.

In spite of their higher cost, homestay courses are attractive to wide range of clients, including business professionals, children and retired people. Clients also included people with disabilities, who find that their needs are more easily met in the home of environment. Normally, courses are for one or two students, although some teachers can accommodate larger groups or families.

Most homestay teachers are aged between 40 and 60. They will have a spacious house or apartment and _5_.

The Guardian Weekly
June 20, 2017.

Ø Pick out from the text the expressions which show that:

1. Homestay teachers are mature professionals.

2. Homestaycoursesareexpensive.

3. Homestay courses are not popular.

 

Ø Are these statements true or false? Justify.

1. In a homestay course, the student lives with a host family and goes to a language school everyday.

2. There are no formal lessons in homestay courses.

3. A homestay course can be attended by more than one student.

 

Ø What do the underlined words in the text refer to?

1 – which:... 2 – their:...

 

Ø Find in the text words or expressions which mean the same as:

1 – Understanding (paragraph 2):...

2 – Experienced (paragraph 5):...

 

VIII. Переведите тексты и письменно дайте дефиниции слов, выделенных курсивом. Используйте англо-английские словари: synonym.comthesaurus.comcollinsdictionary.com

LEARNINGENGLISH

Some people think that English is easier to learn than many other foreign languages because its grammar is not very complicated. Still, it’s a tricky language to learn because English pronunciation is very difficult. There are more exceptions than rules and you have to look up words in the dictionary to check up their pronunciation because you can’t rely on rules.

It’s hard to say exactly which is most important in learning a language: grammar, vocabulary or pronunciation. Of course the main thing in a language is vocabulary. If you don’t know the words, you won’t be able to express your idea even if you know lots of grammar rules. Some students think that being able to communicate is the most important thing and they don’t care that they make many mistakes in speaking. However, grammar and pronunciation are of great importance, too. If you mispronounce some word, the meaning can be different and people won’t be able to understand you. The same thing is with grammar. Of course if you omit “s” at the end of the verb, this won’t make much difference, but if you mix up verb tenses, people will misunderstand you. To make it shorter, all these aspects are very important for successful communication.

Learning English is very enjoyable because while reading you can learn a lot of new things. Besides, it is easier than speaking or listening because you don’t have to concentrate and recollect the necessary words. If you don’t know any word in a book, you can always look it up in the dictionary. What is more, when you read, you learn lots of new words and enlarge your vocabulary. We don’t have lots of opportunities to communicate with native speakers or to listen to an English speech so reading is the best way to stay in touch with the language. Today we have an opportunity to find plenty of interesting English websites and to enjoy this language. By the way, there are a lot of useful learning strategies that can help us improve English.

LEARNING STRATEGIES

Learning strategies or study skills determine the approach for achieving the learning objectives. The strategies are usually tied to your needs and interests to enhance learning and are based on many types of learning styles. Here are some strategies that can help you be successful in your studies.

Set small, achievable goals. Start with small steps to reach higher targets.Setting small targets is much better than setting huge goals that you cannot achieve. Remember that "small drops of water make the mighty ocean".

1. For example, try to learn 5 new English vocabulary items every day.

2. Set a 30 minutes study session every day.

3. Learn the lyrics of an English song every now and then.

4. Read a short English text every day.

Plan your studies. Planning your studies gives meaning to your work. If you know all the steps necessary to achieve a goal and these steps are written down on a piece of paper, it will be easy for you, then, to see the whole picture.

Be motivated. The secret to success is that you should be motivated to learn. Try to avoid boredom by having fun in what you do. Try to find a positive aspect in studying English.Remember, we learn better and fast things we really want to learn.

1. Read about what you are interested in (hobbies, fields of interest...).

2. Watch your favourite films in English.

3. Listen to your favourite English songs and learn the lyrics.

4. Write your diary in English.

5. Read about your favorite stars in...

Manage your time. In order to manage your time successfully, having an awareness of what your goals are will assist you in prioritizing your activities. Time management provides you with the opportunity to create a schedule that works for you, not for others. This personal touch gives you the flexibility to include the things that are most important to you.

Set a reward for yourself. Set a reward for yourself that you can look forward to. For example, when you reach a goal:

1. Watch a movie.

2. Have a delicioussnack.

3. Meetyourfriends.

4. Gotothecafé.

IX. Выберите из текста наиболее подходящие для себя способы совершенствования знаний иностранного языка и прокомментируйте: