selfstud.htm

Don't forget that you're in England, so don't spend all your time locked in your room looking at grammar books (you can do that in your country). Try and mix as much as possible with other people: this is by far the best way to improve your speaking and listening. Don't worry too much if they're not native English speakers. If you use English in the future it's very likely that you'll be communicating with people who aren't from the UK or any other English speaking country.Go to social events! Join a society or club!

Don't spend all your time with students from your country speaking your native language!

Do as much reading as you can. It doesn't have to be academic books: you can learn a lot, for example, from magazines that deal with your hobbies and interests.

A good monolingual (English to English) dictionary is essential. Bilingual dictionaries can be useful up to a point, but can often be misleading if words are not put into a context. For this reason we usually recommend the Collins Cobuild dictionary, as it gives examples of words used in authentic contexts. All the following dictionaries are good, however. Prices are approximate.

A very important aspect of language is what is known as "collocation". This refers to how words interact with each other; how sometimes words can go together, but sometimes not.(For example, you can say "a big town" or " a large town"; you can say "a big problem", but you can't say "a large problem".) For this reason we do not recommend using a thesaurus, as words are listed out of context. However, you can buy what is essentially a combined dictionary and thesaurus. Below are examples of this type of book.

Research-It this is intended as a "one-stop" site of research tools and includes dictionaries (English, Computing, Pronunciation); thesauruses; language translators; acronyms; people searches; quotations and some business information such as stock markets reports. Good idea in theory, but in practice it can be a bit slow and limited.

Don't get obsessed by grammar: it is not the be all and end all of language, but a tool which allows you to express your ideas and thoughts. In your university writing, it is these ideas and thoughts which are of paramount importance and some grammar errors will be tolerated. The problem arises when the errors are so bad that communication is impeded, or when there are so many that they put a strain on the reader. If that's the case, then you do need to take some action. A major problem with grammar books is that they tend to become very mechanical. The fashionable format at the moment is for one page of rules, explanations and examples followed by a page of exercises. The exercises, however, very rarely have enough context to make them useful. In fact, I'm sure it would be possible to do some of the exercises without understanding a word. The Swan/Walter recommendation is a step in the right direction; the Murphy is a very popular book and might be useful in small doses. The first recommendation 'Practical English Usage' is the best of the three, but there are no exercises included.

Apart from this site (which is still in its infancy!),there are plenty of others on the Internet which deal with grammar. These include:

Grammar SafariSomething a bit different. Use the search engines to scour the web for authentic examples of grammar in action and then use what you've found in different activities. You do need to have a fairly good knowledge of using the Internet but the instructions are clear. Recommended.

Web Concordancer from Hong Kong. Type in a bit of grammar and the concordancer will show you the language in action from a number of corpora (language databases).

If you are having problems and are not quite sure where you're going wrong, come and see us in E219 and we'll be happy to analyse some of your writing and put together a plan of action with you.

A lot of tutors say that a wide and appropriate vocabulary is more important than correct grammar. You do, therefore, need to make an effort to enrich your range of vocabulary, and not be content with the words and expressions you use now, which are probably adequate for day to day spoken communication, but may not be sufficient for your written assignments. Here are some more of those hot tips on how to do this:

Pay attention while you're reading: your academic books are one of the best sources of vocabulary.

Try and be systematic. Start a vocabulary book or a database for the new words you come across and think will be useful. Use a system which works for you, but always include the word in as much context as possible. Translating into your language can be useful, but be careful. Putting words and expressions into groups (e.g. words which have a similar meaning to 'say'; types of weather; connecting words etc) is very useful.

Try and use the new vocabulary in your writing and when you're speaking (but don't forget the differences between formal and informal English).

The best (and only) way to improve your speaking and pronunciation is ... by speaking! This is of course easier said than done, particularly if you have a lot of friends who speak your native language and if you've found UK students difficult to get to know. You do need to make an effort though, and remember that speaking with other international students can be just as useful as speaking with home students. Some other advice:

Don't be afraid of making mistakes when you speak. We do it all the time, and usually they're not important. People can always ask you to repeat what you said. Bad pronunciation is more of a problem, but you're only going to improve that by speaking.

If you are worried about your pronunciation, we do have some self-study materials you can use in E219.

As with any language skill, the only way you can improve it is by actually getting practice in it. So be patient and listen carefully when people are speaking to you or when you're listening to the radio or TV.

The Internet is being used more and more for audio broadcasts (see radio guide above)

Reading is one of the best ways of improving your English, particularly your writing skills and vocabulary range. You will of course have ample course reading to do, but any sort of reading will help you, be it newspapers, magazines, football programmes or the latest Barbara Cartland epic. You should find something of interest in any newsagents; the two main bookshops in Birmingham, Dillons (at the bottom of the ramp to New Street station) and Waterstones (at the end of New Street near the Pavilions shopping arcade) are both very good (Dillons is probably best for English Language books); and you can even find reading material on the Internet. Here are some on-line magazines and newspapers which you might find useful:

An excellent on-line version of The Daily Telegraph with lots of links to sites related to news stories. You have to register, but it's free.

The Guardian's site has recently been improved and enlarged; now very comprehensive. There is also a dedicated news site at NewsUnlimited

Free trial, but then you have to pay for each article you access from the archives (well, it is The Economist!).

You might also try The Bangkok Post! They have a very good site for learners (and teachers) of English.

The BBC online news includes audio and video (also news in different languages). Great site.

Updated very regularly and also includes audio and video. Claims to be 'interactive', but it's not really.

Here are some on-line versions of magazines dealing with particular interests:

There is a wealth of material which can help you with your writing. If you're having problems or need some advice, the first thing to do is come to see us in E219 or check out the advice we give on these pages. We can arrange a series of 1:1 sessions concentrating on your particular needs, direct you towards the best self study materials or check over any work you've done. Please note, however, that we do not offer a free proof-reading service, but instead work with you to help you improve your writing.

If simple proof-reading is all you want, we can direct you to professional proof-readers who will correct your work. Expect to pay around £10-12 an hour for the service.

The Internet is a much better source of writing aids than traditional books. The advice given is usually more up-to-date and therefore more relevant to student needs. Most of it at the moment is from American universities, but is still by and large appropriate for the UK.. Here are some of the best Academic Writing sites:

Purdue University Perhaps the best site; certainly one of the most comprehensive. 130 'handouts' on a full range of writing topics.

Rensselaer University Handouts from their writing centre. Mainly scientific writing.

Fun links

Here are some links to a few other less academic sites which might help you with your English. Let me know if you come across any other good ones.

steve.gould@bcu.ac.uk

Tel: (331) 5707

Edge 219, Perry Barr