My wife needs to become fluent in English

[Cody]

My wife has been in the U.S. for three years, and she has developed the ability to carry out basic conversations in English. However, she decided that she wants to earn a GED and go to college.

 

To achieve this, her English skills will need to improve dramatically. She will need to be able to read and write at a college level. Are there any books, videos, CDs, or online resources that you could recommend?

[Dennis143]

My wife has been in the U.S. for three years, and she has developed the ability to carry out basic conversations in English. However, she decided that she wants to earn a GED and go to college.

 

To achieve this, her English skills will need to improve dramatically. She will need to be able to read and write at a college level. Are there any books, videos, CDs, or online resources that you could recommend?

Many junior colleges have beginning ESL classes geared to advancing into other English college courses. Hopefully, you live in an area where she can have easy access.

[Wendy W]

I used to read english novel, like< La Traviata>. was simple.. and then when in college i read news paper like China Daily and some other english press released. I find it difficult to read news paper. especially those finance and polital related news.

 

and I found watching english Movie helps.. My grammar is very bad and I find it very hard to fix

Edited October 22, 2008 by Dylan's Wendy (see edit history)

[JimS.]

I used to read english novel, like< La Traviata>. was simple.. and then when in college i read news paper like China Daily and some other english press released. I find it difficult to read news paper. especially those finance and polital related news.

 

and I found watching english Movie helps.. My grammar is very bad and I find it very hard to fix

LOL, I've been trying to learn Chinese..I know how you feel.

 

I bought her a Rosetta stone language CD to help and she is going to take a ESL class when she goes home in 3 days.

http://www.rosettastone.com/

[NewDay2006]

I used to read english novel, like< La Traviata>. was simple.. and then when in college i read news paper like China Daily and some other english press released. I find it difficult to read news paper. especially those finance and polital related news.

 

and I found watching english Movie helps.. My grammar is very bad and I find it very hard to fix

I was thinking a while back, that you write english very good. How did you do this or is a translator program?

 

My wife writes well and speaks well(she studied hard), but she seems to have difficulty reading english sometimes... although she understands what I write

Edited October 22, 2008 by NewDay2006 (see edit history)

[dnoblett]

Many junior colleges have beginning ESL classes geared to advancing into other English college courses. Hopefully, you live in an area where she can have easy access.

Exactly, My wife is in her third semester at my community college, took 2 first year ESL classes the first 2 semesters, and is doing ESL 201 this term, also has been doing a marketing, and last term she did a health class, lots of reading and writing.

 

This fall her writing has improved very much, she plans on ENG-101 next term.

 

I got her a very good electronic translator dictionary last spring, it has helped her with pronouncing complex words.

[lostinblue]

If you enroll at a college she would have to pass a test in dealing with an understanding of english. If she cannot pass then she will be required to take ESL before anything else can happen. Yan said forget all her chinese..... Think and learn in english. Yan is taking 2 courses and everything is in english . The teacher talks in english , It enters her brain in english, she spit's out the answer in english. No chinese is involved. She never studied this subject in china. She thinks if she took a course she has had in china (like computers) Her thinking would be in chinese mode. Even if it was taught in english. Kinda strange

[dnoblett]

If you enroll at a college she would have to pass a test in dealing with an understanding of english. If she cannot pass then she will be required to take ESL before anything else can happen. Yan said forget all her chinese..... Think and learn in english. Yan is taking 2 courses and everything is in english . The teacher talks in english , It enters her brain in english, she spit's out the answer in english. No chinese is involved. She never studied this subject in china. She thinks if she took a course she has had in china (like computers) Her thinking would be in chinese mode. Even if it was taught in english. Kinda strange

Exactly!!

 

Eairly this term my Yu gave me a paper to look over, I could clearly see that she wrote her first draft in Chinese, and then translated it literally, I explained that Chinese grammar is different than English grammar, and that she should write it first in English as if speaking, after that the grammar problems for the most part went away.

[Guest ShaQuaNew]

I think one of the best ways to learn any language is to get involved with the people that speak it. Clubs, groups, or even a job. A short time after my wife arrived in the US, she went around to a few of the local malls. She began talking to the owners of a Chinese curio shop, and found that they were looking for someone to help them at the store. It was a great opportunity for her. It helped her meet American people and talk to them about Chinese items for sale, and gave her a great opportunity to strengthen her language and grammar skills in English.

 

Edited October 23, 2008 by ShaQuaNew (see edit history)

[Wendy W]

I think one of the best ways to learn any language is to get involved with the people that speak it. Clubs, groups, or even a job. A short time after my wife arrived in the US, she went around to a few of the local malls. She began talking to the owners of a Chinese curio shop, and found that they were looking for someone to help them at the store. It was a great opportunity for her. It helped her meet American people and talk to them about Chinese items for sale, and gave her a great opportunity to strengthen her language and grammar skills in English.

 

 

 

Grammar is very annoying to me

[Wendy W]

I think one of the best ways to learn any language is to get involved with the people that speak it. Clubs, groups, or even a job. A short time after my wife arrived in the US, she went around to a few of the local malls. She began talking to the owners of a Chinese curio shop, and found that they were looking for someone to help them at the store. It was a great opportunity for her. It helped her meet American people and talk to them about Chinese items for sale, and gave her a great opportunity to strengthen her language and grammar skills in English.

 

 

 

Grammar is very annoying to me

 

I have to double check triple check when I write formal english letter. big joke could happen

[Sebastian]

Hey Cody - are you in a Big City ? Gots a Library Card for the City or County ? Your Library MIGHT be linked in with the electronic ebook / audiobook network - and if so - She can download Pimsleur (sp) and 'check it out' for 3 weeks at a time. FOR FREE.

 

I also have basic 'more english ' technique -

 

1. write out by hand (pencil and paper) 3 articles each day from english newspaper. do that for 2 weeks. Suggest 1 from Front Page, 1 from Sports Section, 1 from International News. This gives a wide sampling of authors' styles and word groupings.

 

2. same as 1, but for weeks 3 and 4, look up the words ya don't know, get the definitions.

 

3. same as 1 and 2, but for weeks 5 and 6, SPEAK the sentences outloud.

 

hth !! and Good Luck !

[Guest ShaQuaNew]

I think one of the best ways to learn any language is to get involved with the people that speak it. Clubs, groups, or even a job. A short time after my wife arrived in the US, she went around to a few of the local malls. She began talking to the owners of a Chinese curio shop, and found that they were looking for someone to help them at the store. It was a great opportunity for her. It helped her meet American people and talk to them about Chinese items for sale, and gave her a great opportunity to strengthen her language and grammar skills in English.

 

 

 

Grammar is very annoying to me

 

Then you're in good company. It is for most people in the US. Most American's aren't much good at it either.

 

[Wendy W]

I think one of the best ways to learn any language is to get involved with the people that speak it. Clubs, groups, or even a job. A short time after my wife arrived in the US, she went around to a few of the local malls. She began talking to the owners of a Chinese curio shop, and found that they were looking for someone to help them at the store. It was a great opportunity for her. It helped her meet American people and talk to them about Chinese items for sale, and gave her a great opportunity to strengthen her language and grammar skills in English.

 

 

 

Grammar is very annoying to me

 

Then you're in good company. It is for most people in the US. Most American's aren't much good at it either.

 

Dylan always say that, instead of I learn better english. He learn chingish..maybe wendylish

Edited October 23, 2008 by Dylan's Wendy (see edit history)

[C4Racer]

My wife has been in the U.S. for three years, and she has developed the ability to carry out basic conversations in English. However, she decided that she wants to earn a GED and go to college.

 

To achieve this, her English skills will need to improve dramatically. She will need to be able to read and write at a college level. Are there any books, videos, CDs, or online resources that you could recommend?

 

If you have the time, ie.. many years, then using videos, books or online resources can be a good way to learn a new language and save some money. It sounds like she wants to do this soon. My wife is in the same situation. She wants to go to massage school which is a college level vocational instruction. She tried ESL classes at the local colleges, but they were only 9 hours of class a week.

The problem is that someone who wants to go to college needs a better than average pronounciation, advanced hearing comprehension and an advanced understanding of English grammer so they can understand the lectures/teachers. This can be confusing even for English speaking people. We bit the bullet so to speak and found her an intensive English Language Program for her to attend. She goes 5 days a week, 4 hours a day. Even then I find myself spending lots of time with her doing homework. It is very expensive 500+ a month, but it is an investment in our future.

I would recommend finding her an intensive ESL class. This is her best way to fast track her abilities in English to a college level as this is exactly what these courses are designed to do. Most of these schools are designed to help foreign students pass the TOEFL exam. This is a test she will need to pass to be able to take college courses since English is her second language.

Here is a link about the test and has some practice areas.

 

http://www.ets.org/portal/site/ets/menuite...00022f95190RCRD

Edited October 23, 2008 by C4Racer (see edit history)