ESL Blogs

I wrote this blog based on Tara's Practising English Online Challenge. I've added some information and made some amendments from my original blog.

Years ago, I stumbled upon EC when I was looking for an English Chat Room to alleviate my boredom. I met many good friends, but at that time, not many English Teachers or native English Speakers joined the Chat Room. When I re-entered EC somewhere in October last year, EC had changed. I found out many English Teachers and also native English Speakers who were willing enough to chat in the main room.

Learning English through EC is hard. However, I realised that there are many ways for English learners to practice and improve.

English Main Chat Room.

Though I know it must be hard for some of the English Teachers or native English Speakers to correct most of the sentences in the main especially in a crowded room, I found out that they were always willing to answer any questions with regards to English, even some silly questions. If you were lucky enough, you maybe able to ask them some English questions in private message. However, I am only comfortable in doing that after talking to them in the Main Room for a period of times and when I know they are comfortable to help me. Never pushes them to assist you because that is not their obligations.

Blogs

I must admit for the first few months when I re-joined EC, I did nothing except chatted in the Main Room. I was one of the people who said "I don't read blogs. I don't do blogs". But, my friend introduced me to a blog by asking me to read and comment on her article. It took me a while to finally read her article. And it took me much longer to put a comment on her article. At that time, I did not feel comfortable to put my thoughts into words which was ironic since I chatted (text) a lot in the Main Room

Slowly but surely, I started to read blogs from my friends. I only felt comfortable to read and comments on blogs written by my friends that I have chatted in the Main Room. This was because I know that what ever comments that I may write in their blogs, they would surely accept it. At that time, I did not read or comment blogs from "strangers".

Then, out of the blue, I thought to myself, why didn't I write a blog too? I had some ideas, but I was not too sure where to start. After I wrote my first blog, I did not post it immediately. Instead I sent it to my friend and asked her opinion whether my blog was good enough for me to post it. After she assured me that it was good, it took me a much longer time to finally post it in EC. Reading the first comment; even though it was from my friend was really awesome. Then "strangers" started to comment on my blog. The feelings were indescribable. 

By this time, I felt confident enough to put my thoughts into words. Lets just say that I was bitten by the "writing bug". Though no one made any corrections to my blogs, I felt good. When I started writing, it made me re-look at my grammar. I know my grammar was horrendous. I started to pay particular attention to it. It made me take more concerted effort to re-learn it. Once, I told a native English teacher, that it seemed I need to toss away my understanding on the English grammar, he just assured me that what I need was to revise my understanding on them and gave me the link in EC to re-study it. So, my next project in EC is to re-learn my grammar.

And I was really lucky that for last blog, a very helpful English teacher had really put his effort to help me correct all my mistakes. And I hope I learnt from all the mistakes.

Forum

When I did not have too much idea on what to write, I put a topic of discussion in a Forum. I found this was a more effective way of getting members to participate as compared trying to put a topic in a crowded Main Chat Room. I even managed to "force" some unwilling members to write something in my discussion since some of them were not comfortable to write a blog.

Speaking

I must admit I do not like to speak. I was fortunate enough that English is the language of communication in my Company. Thus, I am used to speak in English. However, at the moment, I seldom speaks with other EC members, though I did tried it a few times.

On-line Free Classes

Due to time difference, I never managed to catch an on-line free class offered by one of the most helpful English teacher in the Chat Room. However, he had offered the video recordings of all the classes of which I found out were useful. Hopefully, one of these days, I would be able to join and participate in his class.

Challenges

Participate in all kinds of challenges in EC, be it writing challenge or photo challenge because these challenges required everyone to at least write a simple description. 

Comments

I found out that putting "Comments" in members' blogs, forums and photos was also a good practice in trying to put my thought into words. I may not have any ideas what to write on my own, but reading and trying to understand other members' ideas was a fun way to practice.

Practising English Online is a hard work. I think every learners needs to find a medium in which (s)he is more comfortable, whether it is just chatting in the Main Room, writing blogs, putting a topic of discussion in a forum, speaking with various members, writing comments on others' blogs, forum or photos, or joining online free classes. What ever it is, do not lose focus on the main reason(s) of why (s)he joined EC in the first place. Forget the difference of ideas or ideologies, just try to learn something, from someone out there.

These are the link of all my blogs and forum of discussion that I have written so far.

Blogs :-

1. The Infamous Durian - King of Fruits; 2. Working With Formula One; 3. Rin Tin Tin - My English Hero; 4. Writing Bug; 5. My Virtual Friends - My Journey With ESL/EC; 6. Kathmandu - The Hidden Valley of Himalaya; 7. Writing Challenge : Finish My Sentence; 8. My European Adventure; 9. My Formula One Diary; 10. My Formula One Diary - Day Two; 11. My Formula One Diary - Day Three; 12. My Formula One Diary - Race Day; 13. The Kinabalu Mountain : My Crazy and Outrageous Journey; and 14. My Short Story - How I Wish

Forum

1. If you have to learn a New Skill, What would it be?

2. If You can be anyone for a day, Who are you going to be and Why?

3. What is your National (or your City) symbol? What is the story behind it?

4. Dreams and their meanings in your Society