Comments

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  Nguyen Thu Trang March 1, 2010 14:38

  Thank you for your useful advices, I will try to improve my English skill day by day, step by step. I really respect you for your work and your heart.
  I wish you all the bests.
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  Bill the English Teacher February 28, 2010 19:58

  I am afraid that many English teachers who are not native teachers do not learn good pronunciation, themselves. So students hear and learn an English that has a strong non-English accent of the teacher. The problem is that native English speakers or teachers usually want a lot of money to teach you or give you individual feedback. However, anything less than that will not be as good in helping you pronounce well. I don’t charge any money for my teaching as I am totally a volunteer now.
  These less-than-perfect options are to listen to audio tapes, English-speaking radio, TV, movies etc. This can help an English-learner pick up (acquire) a better pronunciation. But you need to really do this a lot. And if you cannot get feedback from a native English-speaker , perhaps you can find a way to record your voice on a computer and play back the recording. You may be able to hear how different the recording is from native English pronunciation.
  Some people are gifted with the ability to hear the details of how they pronounce when they hear themselves speak and others are not. This feedback from the recording can tell you how well you pronounce.
  I also do not like to use Skype as the technology is not yet good enough. The sound is distorted and does not allow good teaching to occur. Face to face in real life is better.
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  Bill the English Teacher February 27, 2010 18:11

  Your story is very familiar. I hear the same story from many people. The truth is that until we are immersed into a society that speaks English, we cannot really know it in a practical manner. I am a teacher of immigrants who come to the USA. My method is not just academic, but highly practical. They need English that works for them in the market place, the doctor’s office, everyday conversations. I am currently teaching a man from Korea who is very educated and goes to one of our universities. He was so shocked to find that his excellent academic English failed to prepare him for the real English we use every day. Nobody in his classes could understand his pronunciation. His words were too academic and he was very frustrated. He felt alone and isolated from everyone here. I have been tutoring him for several months and his pronunciation is excellent now and he is learning how to put real English sentences together that make sense. This is the sad truth have to say. I think it would be nice to live in a foreign country and teach English well to my students. But I guess I am more of value teaching here where people really need to learn practical English in order to live their lives.
  So many English club members ask me a very broad question when they meet me here. They say how can I improve my English language quickly because I have to take an important English exam. I think to myself, it is too late already. If you have not been dedicated to English, it will take a long time and a lot of work to learn it well. But I do not want to leave you with a negative view of this. In truth, if a person works hard and has a native English speaker to help them, that person can learn much faster. I wish you success in improving your English. It does require hard work, a lot of time and dedication to truly learn it.
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  Bill the English Teacher February 26, 2010 20:53

  Hi,
  I hope you like English club. How long have you studied English? Do you get a chance to use it in Vietnam? I have had several Vietnamese students in the past.