Tips on Studying a Foreign Language

How to Be a Good Student
Study Skills from English-Zone.Com

Tips on Studying a Foreign Language

Learning another language is not easy, but most people can learn a second
language IF they are willing to put in the necessary time. Here are some
practical suggestions for studying effectively, overcoming anxiety, and
learning the grammar and skills necessary for success in foreign language
classes.

1. STUDY EVERY DAY!A foreign language course is different from any
other course you take. Language learning is cumulative: you cannot put it
off until the weekend. Study 1 or 2 hours for every class hour if you want
an A or B.

2. DISTRIBUTE YOUR STUDY TIME in 15- to 30-minute periods throughout
the day. Focus on a different task each time: vocabulary now, grammar next,
etc. Get an overview during the first half hour: spend 10 minutes reviewing
dialog, 10 minutes learning new vocabulary, 10 minutes learning new
grammar...so you'll at least have looked at it all. Approximately 80% of
your study time should be spent in recitation or practice, including
practice in the language lab.

3. ATTEND AND PARTICIPATE IN EVERY CLASS--even if you are not well
prepared. Class time is your best opportunity to practice. Learn the grammar
and vocabulary outside of class in order to make the most of class time.
Spend a few minutes "warming up" before each class by speaking or reading
the language.

4. MAKE YOURSELF COMFORTABLE IN THE CLASSROOM. Get to know your
classmates, so you will feel you are among friends. Visit your instructor
during office hours to get acquainted: explain your goals and fears about
the course to your instructor.

5. LEARN GRAMMAR IF YOU DON'T ALREADY KNOW IT. Grammar is the skeleton
of a language, its basic structure: you must learn it. Review a simplified
English grammar text. Compare new grammatical structures in your foreign
language to their English equivalents.

6. PRACTICE FOR TESTS by doing what you will have to do on the test. If
the test will require you to write, then study by writing--including
spelling and accents. If you will be asked to listen, then practice
listening. Ask for practice questions; make up your own test questions.
Invent variations on patterns and forms. Over-learn: study beyond the point
of recognition to mastery.

7. DEVELOP A GOOD ATTITUDE. Have a clear personal reason for taking the
class. Set personal goals for what you want to learn. Leave perfectionism at
the door; give yourself permission to make mistakes and learn from them.

8. GET HELP IF YOU NEED IT. Talk with your teacher. Form study groups
among class members. Use tutoring services. Don't wait!

READING and WRITING a foreign language are analytical skills. You may be
good at these if you are a logical person who attends to detail. Train
yourself through practice to notice and remember details such as accents and
gender agreement.

READING SKILLS TIPS:

1. First, read the vocabulary list for the assignment. Next, read the
questions about the reading. Then read all the way through a new passage two
or three times, guessing at meaning from context. Avoid word-by-word
translation. It is a waste of time!
2. Isolate new vocabulary and study it separately. DON'T write between
the lines! Make flash cards. Carry them with you and recite them several
times during the day at odd moments. Overlearn them until they are
automatic.
3. Isolate new grammatical forms and study them separately. Write the
pattern on a flash card and memorize it. Write out and label a model
sentence. When you encounter the form while reading, pause and recite the
pattern to recognize the form.

WRITING SKILLS TIPS:

1. Pay attention to detail: notice accents, order of letters, etc.
Compare letter-by-letter different forms (singular, plural, gender, etc.).
Write out conjugations of verbs, declensions of pro-nouns, etc., and check
your endings. Memorize irregular verbs.
2. To master spelling, have a friend dictate 10 words to you. Write
them out and immediately have your friend spell them correctly aloud while
you look carefully and point at each letter. Repeat until you get all the
words right.
3. Write (in your own simple foreign vocabulary words) a story you have
just read.


LISTENING and SPEAKING are performance skills. You may do well at these if
you are naturally outgoing. Students in foreign language classes often have
difficulty hearing and speaking because they are anxious about making
mistakes. It's OK to make mistakes! Have fun trying to speak!

LISTENING SKILLS TIPS:

1. Frequent the language lab. Read the exercises in your book first;
then listen and read together; then listen without looking at the print. Say
aloud/write what you hear.
2. Participate silently in class when others are called on to speak.
Focus on the task; don't worry about how you'll do.
3. If you feel nervous, relax yourself physically by taking a couple of
slow, deep breaths. When called on, pause, relax, and give yourself time to
respond.
4. Listen while a friend dictates to you and write what you hear. Check
for accuracy.
5. Practice: join language clubs, watch foreign TV, listen to foreign
radio.


SPEAKING SKILLS TIPS:

1. Study out loud! Mimic the sounds of the language. Don't mumble.
Although most people feel embarrassed making strange sounds, the language
will soon feel more familiar to you.
2. When called on in class, say something, even it it's wrong: you'll
learn from it. If you need a moment to think, repeat the question. If you
don't know the answer, say in your foreign language, "I don't know" or
"help!"
3. Practice with a foreign student who wants your help to learn English
or with another class member.

SUMMARY: Indeed, Instead (of), Though

SUMMARY: Indeed, Instead (of), Though

And below are the summaries for your perusal .... Just check this out:

1. Indeed

indeed == sebenar2nya

Used when you need to make a stronger statement of something, or for
showing surprise N interest.

indeed (adv) : used when adding more information to emphasize what you
have just said or used to emphasize a statement or answer.

Indeed itu kan artinya "bener2", "pasti" (hampir sama kayak really)

"Indeed" berarti teramat atau sungguh sangat atau sesungguhnya

Indeed is without any question or doubt... meanwhile, instead of is in
place of something; in preference

Indeed: Without a doubt; certainly: very cold indeed; was indeed
grateful.

Indeed: In fact; in reality: said the car would break down, and indeed
it did.

Indeed == It used to emphasis what you just said. British people used it
a lot on conversion. If you listen BBC, the journalist often says
indeed; but American is barely used it. Actually, I never heard American
say indeed.

indeed is used

(1) to introduce a statement that strengthens a previous point
(2) to show that you agree with a previous statement or opinion

contoh :

* he is a good friend indeed
* You are indeed a perfect woman to me.
* They seem to be happy to join the party. Yes, indeed they are.
* A friend in need is a friend indeed (Teman yg slalu ada disaat
kita butuhkan kehadirannya, adalah teman sejati / teman yang
sesungguhnya)
* I really like you indeed. (Saya sunggung benar - beanr
menyukaimu)
* indeed, its hot today.
* He likes to meet you, indeed. - Dia 'sungguh' senang bertemu
dengan anda.
* It is indeed a pleasure to meet you. - 'Sungguh' senang bertemu
dengan anda.
* It is the longest snake that I've ever seen. - Ini 'benar-benar'
ular terpanjang yang pernah saya lihat.
* a friend in need is a friend indeed"
* Hans Gunter Dietrich is indeed more than a husband; he is my
soulmate. (HGD memang lebih dari seorang suami; dia adalah belahan jiwa
saya).
* A Small deed can indeed become a great relief

2. Instead of

When something happent not like it supposed to be, so U have to use
Instead

instead (adv) : instead of something --> if you do one thing instead of
another thing. you choose to do the first and not the second.

instead (of) == bukan-nya / dan bukan , contoh : this table is blue
instead of green as he said.

'instead of' adlh kata pemotongan bisa berupa penjelas dr kalimat
sblmnya.

Instead of itu artinya "sebagai ganti" ato "daripada"

"Instead of" berarti sebagai gantinya

In place of == Preposition; rather than: ordered chicken instead of fish

Contoh:

* I prefer to have a cup of coffee instead of a glass of water
* She wants to go to Bali instead of Jogya (dia jadinya ingin
pergi ke bali daripada ke Jogya)
* I like u to wear a jeans instead of a skirt
* I want to finalize these jobs on Monday instead of Saturday
* It is confirmed that the meeting will be conducting on Tuesday
instead of Monday
* Instead of drinking a cup of coffee every morning, I drink a
glass of milk
* (sebagai ganti minum kopi tiap pagi, saya minum segelas susu)
* The total participant becomes 50 persons, instead of 30 persons.
* (Total peserta menjadi 50 orang, sebagai ganti dari 30 orang)
* Instead of car, we can go by bus..
* Instead of doing his work, he plays game on the computer. -
Alih-alih melakukan pekerjaannya, dia bermain game di computer.
* He comes to see Herlina at the mall instead of visiting his
mother in the hospital. - Dia malah datang menemui Herlina di mall,
alih-alih mengunjungi ibunya di rumah sakit.
* You should buy me food instead of drink
* we would like to choose the brown car instead
* Jan Pieter Nijhoff prefers to have breakfast in a cheap food
stall instead. (JPN lebih suka (Present Tense) sarapan di warung murah
malahan.)

3. Though

though == penegasan "juga","tokh", contoh, the hiking track is difficult
but no one is complaining though

Though itu artinya "meskipun, walaupun" (penggalan kata dari alhough)

Its similar with however

Sometimes we use though instead of although & Even thoiugh is a stronger
form of although

Though == kalo di taruh di akhir kalimat bisa di arti in gitu loh;. For
expample: Subaru is expensive car, but it fast though. Biasanya di
gunakan untuk conversation (american), jarang untuk writing

Contoh:

* Finally she wants to pick him up though she dont know where the
exactly place to get him
* She feels lonely (even) though she lives in a crowded families
* They will continue the game though the rain keeps falling
* Instead of help me, she is going away, though I have asked her
for
* I hit him but he hit me first though

Additional Input from Fransiskus:

ada sebuah buku yang menurut saya cukup baik kita miliki. judulnya,
dictionary of common errors karangan ND Turton dan JB Heaton. di sana
banyak dijelaskan penggunaan kata-kata secara benar yang dalam
prakteknya sering kali dipake secara keliru tidak hanya oleh orang-orang
kayak kita ini tetapi juga native speaker-nya. buku ini bisa dicari di
gramedia (buana ilmu popular)

Whose job is it?

Whose job is it?



This is a story about four people named
Everybody, Somebody, Anybody and Nobody.
There was an important job to be done,
and Everybody was sure that Somebody would do it.
Anybody could have done it, but Nobody did it.
Somebody got angry about that
because it was Everybody's job.
Everybody thought Anybody could do it,
but Nobody realized that Everybody wouldn't do it.
It ended up that Everybody blamed Somebody when Nobody did what Anybody
could have done.