About.com English as 2nd Language

Parallelism - Parallel Structure

Fri, 06 Nov 2009 09:46:52 +0000

Hoping to help you and wanting to provide excellent learning resources, I've put up this new page! This introductory sentence is a perfect example of a parallelism (a participial phrase parallelism to be exact). Not all parallel structures are this complicated, but they can be tricky.

Parallelism - Parallel Structure originally appeared on About.com English as 2nd Language on Friday, November 6th, 2009 at 09:46:52.

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Starting Conversations

Wed, 04 Nov 2009 12:57:08 +0000

This beginning level page focuses on ten common questions used for starting conversations. Each question is then followed by a number of follow-up questions to help keep the conversation going.

Combine this sheet with the following conversation lesson plans to help beginning level students start communicating in English.

Asking Questions
Learning Maze
Guilty!

Starting Conversations originally appeared on About.com English as 2nd Language on Wednesday, November 4th, 2009 at 12:57:08.

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Finding a Job for English Learners

Mon, 02 Nov 2009 08:47:01 +0000

The cover letter should always be included when sending your resume or CV for a possible job interview. This letter of application serves the purpose or introducing you and asking for an interview. Here is an outline to writing a successful cover letter.
Understanding your potential employer can help you get the job you are looking for. This section focuses on developing interviewing skills that will help you prepare for a job interview in an English speaking country.

Finding a Job - Writing a Cover Letter

Writing Your Resume

The Interview: Basics

Example Interview Questions

Useful Job Interview Vocabulary

Finding a Job for English Learners originally appeared on About.com English as 2nd Language on Monday, November 2nd, 2009 at 08:47:01.

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Social Language Key Phrases

Fri, 30 Oct 2009 08:55:54 +0000

English employs many fixed expressions in social situations such as introducing someone, or greetings during the holidays.

Introductions
Greetings
Special Days
Speaking to Strangers
Traveling phrases

Social Language Key Phrases originally appeared on About.com English as 2nd Language on Friday, October 30th, 2009 at 08:55:54.

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Differences between American and British English

Wed, 28 Oct 2009 10:31:18 +0000

"Should I put this in the boot?" - If you ask an American this, you might get an inquisitive look. "Boot" in American English translates as "trunk". British and American English are very similar, but there are important differences. Once you understand these differences, you might want to try the British / American translation tool to see if you know major differences in vocabulary.

Once you understand the differences, test your knowledge of these difference by taking the British or American English quiz.

Differences between American and British English originally appeared on About.com English as 2nd Language on Wednesday, October 28th, 2009 at 10:31:18.

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Ask and Answer Questions

Mon, 26 Oct 2009 10:35:22 +0000

These 50 questions are ideal for beginning English classes and learners. Each question has an appropriate answer or response. They are divided into related categories. Once, you've understood the questions try the 50 basic English questions quiz.

These ask and answer question lesson plans are great for getting students talking about themselves:

Low Level
Upper Level

Ask and Answer Questions originally appeared on About.com English as 2nd Language on Monday, October 26th, 2009 at 10:35:22.

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Silent Letters

Fri, 23 Oct 2009 08:50:48 +0000

Tom talked about his thumb. It seems he had pulled a muscle. In this strange sentence, the L in "talked", B in "thumb" and C in "muscle" are not pronounced. There are many silent letters in English. This silent letters list provides a guide to some of the most common silent letters in English.

Silent Letters originally appeared on About.com English as 2nd Language on Friday, October 23rd, 2009 at 08:50:48.

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Halloween Special

Wed, 21 Oct 2009 07:06:15 +0000

BOO! It's that time of year. Here are some special features for Halloween:

Halloween Matching Monsters Vocabulary Game
Halloween Traditions
Halloween Vocabulary Quiz
"The Raven" by Edgar Allan Poe with special vocabulary section

Halloween Special originally appeared on About.com English as 2nd Language on Wednesday, October 21st, 2009 at 07:06:15.

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Core Vocabulary Sheets

Tue, 20 Oct 2009 07:43:31 +0000

The use of the lexical approach is essential for successful language acquisition in English for Specific Purposes (ESP). However, teachers are often not equipped with the exact English terminology required in very specific trade sectors. For this reason, core vocabulary sheets go a long way in helping teachers provide adequate materials for students with English for Special Purposes needs.

English for Special Purposes Core Vocabulary Lists

English for Advertising
English for Banking and Stocks
English for Book Keeping and Financial Administration
English for Business and Commercial Letters
English for Human Resources
English for the Insurance Industry
English for Legal Purposes
English for Logistics
English for Marketing
English for Production and Manufacturing
English for Sales and Acquisitions

Core Vocabulary Sheets originally appeared on About.com English as 2nd Language on Tuesday, October 20th, 2009 at 07:43:31.

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Visual Tense Charts

Thu, 15 Oct 2009 14:43:59 +0000

Visual clues can really help learners understand tense usage. This resource provides a visual tense chart for each of the major uses of the 14 tenses in English. The visual tense chart also includes a quick overview of each particular usage, as well as structure and example sentences.

Visual Tense Charts originally appeared on About.com English as 2nd Language on Thursday, October 15th, 2009 at 14:43:59.

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