Learning English

[Cody]

My so speaks very little English, and I am trying to find the best way to teach her. Does anyone have any suggestions on the best way for her to learn? Any advice would be appreciated. Thanks!

[rogerluli]

When my SO was still in China we had a tutor for her and I brought a series of books and workbooks on learning English that I bought from ESL. Now that she is here she is taking an ESL class at our local tech college. It only meets for 2 hours twice a week though while her friend in Seattle is able to go for 5 hours 4 times a week. I thought I would be able to teach her at home more but there never sems to be enough time. Maybe when things settle down in the fall we will do more home schooling.

[Guest Gene]

My so speaks very little English, and I am trying to find the best way to teach her.  Does anyone have any suggestions on the best way for her to learn?  Any advice would be appreciated.  Thanks!

The main problem I ran into was learning the language myself, I have been working on it for over 40 years and still have trouble Seriously though check community centers, churches, community colleges, Librarys, alot of places offer free classes

[skibum]

My wife went to classes sponsored by the local college but she says she did not get much out of it. She learned more by herself with her pocket translator. She would fill many sheets of paper with English words as she practiced writing them. She wanted to get proficient quickly so she could enter college.

[frank1538]

A lot of community colleges and technical schools offer ESL classes. KK, my step daughter did remarkably well and after only three semesters is almost fluent. The classes also taught some things that we take for granted, like how to use a checkbook, how to use a phone directory, etc. In Atlanta, ESL is a great way to keep from being bored - classes are 5 days a week, usually 9 a.m. - 2 p.m. It also offered a great opportunity to meet others and to learn a little about the city.

[Mick]

Classes are fine and I would certainly recommend that. However, as an adjunct I would suggest reading, watching tv and just plain old face to face conversation. Tutors can also be helpful, but most helpful if they happen to speak Chinese as well.

 

Li was an English teacher in China, so her English was and is excellent. However, in preparation for living in the states, I wrote up the draft of a book of idioms and slang expressions, complete with example dialogues and vocabulary drills. It helped her quite a bit.

 

Everyday English is loaded with slang and idiomatic expressions and it really makes things tough for folks trying to figure out what we are talking about.

 

A former Candle member, R2D2, had a great time for awhile posting cowboy idioms and then having Li question me for hours about what he meant.

 

Still have that book I wrote in fact. If enough folks are interested, I'll try to dust it off and polish it up a bit and make it available to Candle members.

[markndannie]

Classes are fine and I would certainly recommend that. However, as an adjunct I would suggest reading, watching tv and just plain old face to face conversation. Tutors can also be helpful, but most helpful if they happen to speak Chinese as well.

 

Li was an English teacher in China, so her English was and is excellent. However, in preparation for living in the states, I wrote up the draft of a book of idioms and slang expressions, complete with example dialogues and vocabulary drills. It helped her quite a bit.

 

Everyday English is loaded with slang and idiomatic expressions and it really makes things tough for folks trying to figure out what we are talking about.

 

A former Candle member, R2D2, had a great time for awhile posting cowboy idioms and then having Li question me for hours about what he meant.

 

Still have that book I wrote in fact. If enough folks are interested, I'll try to dust it off and polish it up a bit and make it available to Candle members.

hi Mick,

My wife is also an english teacher but the book sounds great. We use so much slang here that makes it difficult for a new immigrant to understand. I for one would be interested.

Mark

[Trigg]

Dishnet has Chinese tv stations. There is one that teaches English from Mandarin everyday for an hour. My wife has been learning from this and I am amazed how much she can and does say. All day, all night yak yak yak--Hmmmm, maybe you are better off with status quo!!!!!!!

[Dan R]

So Fang is already trilingual?

[yuehan123]

Still have that book I wrote in fact. If enough folks are interested, I'll try to dust it off and polish it up a bit and make it available to Candle members.

Yes. We are interested in the book. thanks

[tonado]

Watch American TV while enabling closed caption (CC).

[James]

My wife is still in China. I got a book called "Grammar for the TOEFL" to prepare her for the Test of English as a Foreign Language which she may have to take in order to enter college here. (I've heard conflicting reports on whether she will have to.) Online I found a list of common TOEFL vocabulary words. So each day I make up a list of 10 to 20 vocabulary words either from the grammar book or the online list, and have her write a sentence using each. Then I type in some of the grammar exercises. She does the lesson and I correct it and send it back to her. It seems to be helping a lot. Of course, this is a directed approach for someone looking to go to school -- she needs a lot of academic vocabulary. For every day work life, one needs something more conversational. I would probably try an English conversation at a college, and watching lots of movies with the closed captioning enabled. My wife also watches a lot of movies that way at night and almost every day she tries out a new slang expression on me. She may not remember it a week later, but at least she will have been exposed to it and be more likely to remember it if she hears someone use it in the future.

[LeeFisher3]

You might try the Pimsleur ESL program of CD's. I’ve started on their Mandarin and sent her the beginning set for English, mainly to see if this would work for her and she loves it. This program works on pronunciation and builds on itself nicely.

 

To check it out go to: http://www.simonsays.com/content/index.cfm?sid=128

 

If you want to send her the “Pimsleur Quick and Simple English for Mandarin Speakers” you can get this for $10-$20, a 4 CD set, 8 – 30 minute lessons. Check Amazon for good pricing.

( this is the first 4 CD's of the Comprehensive program)

 

Now if you want to go on to the Comprehensive program the best price I have found is:

http://www.cheappimsleur.com at $154 for the 30 CD set, and a $100 buy back offer when you are done. Really beats the retail price.

 

I’m using the Mandarin series and it’s starting to sink in too.

[CR1togo]

Local high school may be a good starting point. Generally Free or LOW cost, and about 4-5 hours a day if wanted- i.e., also had U.S. History for the Citizenship test. This can vary by city OR even by the teacher. Prior experience in CA.- had to raise HE!! with the school admin. on the second level ESL class as the teacher was very fond of displaying her Spanish skills despite having orientals, mid eastern people in class. Ex said there was MORE Spanish as a FIRST language than English as a second. acw

[Mick]

Classes are fine and I would certainly recommend that. However, as an adjunct I would suggest reading, watching tv and just plain old face to face conversation. Tutors can also be helpful, but most helpful if they happen to speak Chinese as well.

 

Li was an English teacher in China, so her English was and is excellent. However, in preparation for living in the states, I wrote up the draft of a book of idioms and slang expressions, complete with example dialogues and vocabulary drills. It helped her quite a bit.

 

Everyday English is loaded with slang and idiomatic expressions and it really makes things tough for folks trying to figure out what we are talking about.

 

A former Candle member, R2D2, had a great time for awhile posting cowboy idioms and then having Li question me for hours about what he meant.

 

Still have that book I wrote in fact. If enough folks are interested, I'll try to dust it off and polish it up a bit and make it available to Candle members.

I always liked "worthless as chicken poop on a pump handle".

Ah yes! Those were the days Don.Those were the days. Wonder whatever happened to R2?