Effective Language Learning Techniques and Strategies

1. Learning English 22. dubna 2013 VY_32_INOVACE_150207 Autorem materiálu a všech jeho částí, není-li uvedeno jinak, je Mgr. Zdeňka Hrstková. Slezské gymnázium, Opava, příspěvková organizace. Vzdělávací materiál byl vytvořen v rámci OP VK 1.5 – EU peníze středním školám.

2. Starter Try to make a list of things that may help you learn a foreign language: Put these suggestions in order from the most useful one to the least useful.

3. Listening You are going to listen to 2 people who are discussing things that hepled them learn English. http://elllo.org/english/1151/T1189-Jana-Learning.html Listen and decide whether the following statements are true or false.

4. Peter's teacher was interesting and not very strict. • Peter thought that he would never be able to speak as well as his teacher. • Peter's motivation to read in English was to learn some new words. • Peter hated the idea that there were books he couldn't read in his house. • Jana started learning English because she had a lot of time and needed a new hobby. • Peter used to do English homework for his classmates. • Both Peter and Jana used to have inspiring English teachers. • Peter's English friends refused to speak any other language than English to him to improve his skills. • Jana thinks that talking tonative speakers is the best way of getting better at English.

5. What do you remember? • Can you remember everything that Jana and Peter considered helpful? • Compare their suggestions with yours. How many matches did you get?

6. Vocabulary – match with examples • Simile • Idiom • Phrasal verb • Proverb • Collocation • Synonyms • Opposites • Quotation • Overstatement • Understatement • „To be or not to be, that is the question.“ • Jack is really into football. • As usual, she asked millions of questions. • Nothing is just black and white. • She was on cloud number nine. • John left us yesterday. The funeral is on Friday. • What is your biggest achievement or success? • He was hungry as a wolf. • Let sleeping dogs lie. • Stop making noise and start doing your homework.

7. Can you say the Czech counterparts of these proverbs? • 'Every cloud has a silver lining' • 'Out of the frying pan into the fire' • 'Don't look a gift horse in the mouth' • 'The grass is always greener on the other side‚ • 'Don't cross your bridges before you come to them' • 'Where there's a will, there's a way' • 'The best advice is found on the pillow' • 'You can't judge a book by its cover' • 'Birds of a feather flock together' • 'The way to a man's heart is through his stomach'

8. Can you complete these idioms with one word? • You’ve hit the nail on the .................... . • I think it is time to call it a ........................ . • I am afraid hip-hop isn’t my cup of ............. • Break a ................. in tonight’s performance. • My new car cost me an ............. and a ................ . • He is feeling rather .................... these days. • I decided to tell a ......................... lie. • It’s raining ....................... and ......................... • She had .......................... in her stomach before the job interview. • We need to tighten our ................... and start saving some money. blue – head – belts – arm – tea – leg – leg – white – butterflies – dogs – day – cats

9. Speaking • How do you learn English vocabulary? • What is the most difficult thing about English grammar? • Is a good teacher necessary to get you interested in a subject? • Do you try to read in English? • Do you have any foreign friends? • Which English-speaking country would you choose for work or studies? Why?