Weblearn resources..

Today me and my friend who is in the yellow group class, we decided to practice our grammar, vocabulary and reading. We used the weblearn resources.
First site we used is about grammar/spelling exercises. We choose exercise 1, it's about the adjective and adverb. It wasn’t easy, a bit confused. I got 16 out of 24 and my friend got better than me 19 out of 24. Then we also did exercise 2 it was much easier then the first exercise, I got better than my friend 18 out of 22 and my friend got 16 out of 22.
Then we explore to the next site, was about vocabulary. I've choose Academic/general vocabulary. The exercise was matching the formal phrases to the informal phrases. Actually, I didn’t find it useful at all.
Then I've choose reading as one of the areas I'm focusing this month. I used reading exercises (Cambridge Advanced Exam). The first test was caring three parts; the first part is to read an extract from a writer's journal, then answer eight questions multiple choices, it was easy, I got 7 out of 8 right answers. Second part was about an article from a magazine, caring 7 sentences removed from the article, so I choose the suitable sentence from the list, it was a bit confused and took me a time to choose the answer. The third part is read a selection of letters from a magazine, then choose from the people, in this part I got 86%.
This site very beneficial, I found some exercises which helped me to improve my weakness area in English.

Pronunciation Book

I've borrowed an academic pronunciation book from my friend who is studying in the University of reading. This book is very important for me because when I talk to people I want them to understand what I say more clearly.
In this book there are two CD's which I listen and repeat patterns of a pronunciation, and also it's help me learning the phonic alphabet and development.
I like this book it's not just focusing to learn listening and pronounce the words, also the vocabulary focused on in this book to both academic study and my needs. There are many words new to me for example: -Badge –Batch –Scheme –Mesh –Zinc etc.

This book divided to eight sections, every section there are more than three exercises and the end of the book you will find the answers key.
I answered more than ten exercises from different sections and I feel that I done well.

Plagiarism and Referencing

Yesterday I opened Metranet and I decide to learn more about the plagiarism and referencing. I choose the subject area what I'm interest in ((English and American Studies)) I learnt more things and now I know more about plagiarism. And here a bit from what I've learnt and some notes I wrote from the present.
Plagiarism is using the words or ideas from another writer as if it's your own work, make the reader think that the words and ideas belong to you when it's not, that is definitely plagiarism. What I can say this is more than cheating, its crimes that stealing someone else work.
You should create your own work, you can use information from articles, books and internet for you essays, but you should provide a clear reference.
Better students write on their own words, ideas etc its helps to write better essays on the future and to develop their critical thinking skills and also to improve their general study skills.
Actually plagiarism stops you from learning.
People who plagiarism some of them they don’t manage their time or plan, some who didn’t care about the source information, some who didn’t complete the reference etc. Universities are very serious about plagiarism.
There is ways help not to plagiarism:
-Plan a head: Divide the process, "time for reading, thinking, writing, review"
-Key information to record: note down about all sources every time.
-take appropriate notes: the three main reasons to take notes: select, understand and remember.
-Reference correctly: you should make sure your reference correctly.

Business Vocabulary

Two days ago I went to the library of the University; I have chosen two books on Business, first one is "Business English Usage" and the other one is "Business Vocabulary in Practice". Both books designed for who have to use English in their career as it's focusing in important areas of business vocabulary including marketing, finance, sales and customer service. These books are good to improve your ability to understand and use vocabulary in business context. I like these books; I find lots of examples of business words and practice exercises, its help and useful information.

. Ill lists some new vocabulary words that I've learned from those books:
-Ordinary share: are shares in a company that are owned by people who have a right to vote at the company's meeting.
-Preference share: are shares in a company that are owned by people who have the right to received part of the company's profits before before the holders of ordinary shares.
-share price: is the price at which a company's shares are bough and sold.
-Stock: are shares in the ownership of a company, or investment on which a fixed amount of interest will be paid.

Pronunciation

I'm now living in an English speaking country, and attending classes to learn English,
I learned new ways of producing sounds and the way how to prounuce, and it may become my habit when ill speak English.
You have your mind the knowledge and understanding of how to produce every sound in your original language .I add some sounds that are in the British sound system that is not in my own language sounds system. The way how I learn is to record my self reading a brief paragraph then ill listen to the recorder.
Also I'm practicing in front of the mirror, its easy for me to see if I using the correct position. If you can't hear the way the sounds are produced you cannot learn how to produce the sound.

Speaking Practice

There are four key skills to learn a language: listening, speaking, reading and writing. One of those is different from the three it’s the speaking. The other three you can do it alone, you can listen to music alone, read a news paper alone and write a letter alone without anyone else. But you can't speak alone!!
On that way you should find somebody to speak with.
In my country the second language is English. These days you can't get a good job without English certificate. At school you should study English subject.
So when I was at school I practice speaking English with my teacher or with my friends, if the teacher will ask me a question in the class ill answer as much as I can, they teach as to don’t worry about the mistakes. Just speak.
When I went to the University I was studying in Malaysia, so all the subjects in English and I was practicing with my friend no chance to speak with the lecturer, they were busy all the time :p
In the University this days I am not practicing much speaking with my classmates or the teacher, don’t ask me why, but what I feel I just write it down.
I can say that also I am practicing speaking when I go out for shopping, ill ask the person about the products that interest me in the shop even if I don’t want to buy anything, ill just speak.
Sometimes when I am in the mood to listen English songs, ill write the words of the song what am listen to it , then ill play the song again and ill repeat the words as many as possible until they become automatic.
I love to speak, even with people I don’t know them, and ill talk about anything happened around us, it depends to the person, so no anyone ill speak to. Here in London a bit strict, they don’t have time to
I'm not afraid to speak, I know I make lots of mistakes but no one will learn without mistakes. There is a saying my father love to say it to us: "The person who never made a mistake, never made anything".
When I know I have made a mistake I know that I have made a progress.

Vocabulary building and teaching:

I've borrowed an academic English book from my friend who is studying in University of Reading. This vocabulary book gives systematic practice in using words that commonly occur in academic texts. The book provides practice in using key academic words. They give in the first task about Education and health meanings word for example - a – The growing popularity of the subject is evident in the number of students wanting to study it – b – Most physician believe we will derive great benefit from this new form of treatment. I've answered more than three exercises for example matching, the words on the left and the definitions on the right, complete the pairs, and chose the words from the box and complete the sentences etc. It's not difficult to learn new vocabulary what you need is just keep your vocabulary note book and make a record of the new words and how are they used. Try to review the words at the end of the day, then to the end of the week and again after two weeks it will helpful you to learn it easily. I'll list some of the words and see if you can give me a definition of the word:- -Vary –Interpret –Work flow –Welfare –Colony –communist regime –absurd –threaten –bulky – civil war

Preparing for further study: Reading

Professional English in Use " Finance"- This is the name of the book that I borrowed from the library I chose it cause its suitable with the master course that I've chose in it .This book covering all the aspects financial vocabulary from accounting Borrowing and lending, Central banking and many more types. It helps me to use English in a financial environment. I didn’t read the whole book but I know it's allow learners to apply the vocabulary they learn to studies in their own and helps for working lives. Also this book giving learners confidence and ability to function in a financial environment. First ten pages is boring and I didn’t understand what is the book really about, then I chose some topics that’s might help me for the future. Students who are applying for Business course go for this book it will help.

My own language abilities and needs

My weakest is definitely grammar. My strongest would be Speaking and reading. I'm not really good writer and I hate to do it. I'm not organized person to organizing a paper it's really hard for me. In the middle of the night I'll turn my lamp on and I'll start to write it down cause I know myself that what I'm going to write it won't remember it in the morning. I still can't speak English fluently, so that’s one of the reasons why I'm in London now, I planted on going abroad to study the language from the mother itself.
Vocabulary is really interesting that to learn new words. However it's hard but excellent if you have a good teachers, they can make such a difference. I love vocabulary because I find it so interesting, but it is not easy, that’s for sure, just had to work harder.
There are many ways what I'm using it those days to improve my own English language. Writing can be a great way of properly learning. The problem is that I don’t know what to write about, so I decided to change my own routines diary writing from Arabic to English and ill write a news diary about what news that I read and listen every day. Even though I'm listening to English music it may be able to be a good way of learning the words. Also I like to watch movies with English subtitle. Another way is to read the dictionary translator in English. There are lots of ways but this what I'm using it this day.

london Visit

It's my second week in London I would like to visit museums and theatre but still I didn’t get the chance to go. I visit Oxford Street its really nice shopping street I love the place, throng of people walking some of them shopping and some for window shopping and the others staying in coffees shop etc. But the think that I hate it is the dogs everywhere and I'm really afraid. Even though I visit the new big mall "Westfield" it's really amazing. It's interesting to consider the finance of building and running an indoor shopping center. They designed to be accessible for the disabled, lifts, ramps, etc. it's much easier for the wheelchair than going round a normal town for shopping. One thing is missing in this center is the outside view, but it's really much more better than the street shopping.

About Me

My name is .... from .... and I'm ... years old. I graduated from the .......in ...... with a bachelor's degree in Psychology. For a long time now I have been interested in the subject of psychology and I have asked myself why do humans act the way they do? It seems a simple question, but you're as likely to know the answer as you are to learn of the meaning of life.
Psychology has made me realize more than ever how much I want to move my interest in.
After graduated from the University of Specialization Psychology, I planned go unto studies on MIB. I have also always been interested in businesses and how they operate, as well as being fascinated by other languages and cultural differences.
My ultimate goal after the degree and post graduate is to work in the business career to own a lucrative business where I can help my father to improve our own company and help my country by providing a good service, a good products and create jobs but in order to achieve that I might work for number of years as a private sector employee to gain an experience and make good saving so I will start my career working in real estate sector where I can learn the concepts, the methods and the secrets of it.
Business will teach and help me how to manage people, how to make and carry out decisions, and how to assess markets. It is a broad subject, which will develop my ability to think logically and creatively
When I am not filling my spare time with studying , I enjoy spending time with my friends or with my cats,go to the cinema, cock my favourite dish "spaghetti" and participating in a variety of different activities like drawing,partying, going walking in the beach ,I often go to the gym and occasionally go swimming to keep myself fit .