By: Teacher Iris
Friday, June 24, 2016
Wednesday, May 18, 2016
Online English Learning: Myths and Reality
Online
Learning has evolved rapidly for the last ten years, especially English e-learning.
Nowadays you can surf Internet and simply find the most suitable way for
yourself of learning English: Online English schools, English learning apps,
podcasts, websites and etc. It sounds so fascinating and interesting. However
having so many options and choosing the right path to learn might be little a
bit confusing. Teaching English online for about 3 years, I have come across
many myths and stereotypes about this modern E-learning process.
Here
I would like to share with you five the most common Myths and Realities.
1.
Myth:
You can be productive at learning only in a
traditional class.
Reality:
Due to technology progress you have various possibilities. Online learning
gives lots of opportunities for students to interact with each other throughout the
class. Students can email or text their teacher at any time to receive
one-to-one help and additional instruction. Moreover now than ever modern
technology are able to serve every student’s need. As a result, teachers have
more time to spend with students can receive more attention in online learning
courses.
2.
Myth:
Online learning is
only for driven and technology advanced people.
Reality: There is no typical profile of
online learners: everyone can make it. For some people with special health
conditions learning online can be the best educational option. For some people
who move frequently, it can provide a stable educational platform. Online
learning offers individual approach to every student.
3.
Myth:
You don’t have a
possibility to know your teacher well.
Reality: Most of my students admitted that
they get the same level of personalized attention during online class as a
traditional classroom. Different e-learning programs can provide a high level
of interaction and personalization, so people who are shy tend to contribute
more in online environments.
4.
Myth:
Online learning is
easier and not effective.
Reality: As in the traditional class,
quality in online learning will vary based on the teacher. There are plenty of
different teaching methods to involve every student into learning process, and
by that to let everyone to achieve a learning purpose.
5.
Myth:
Online learning
platforms don’t have to meet the same standards “regular schools” do.
Reality: Online schools or centers obey to
the same laws “regular schools” do. Yes, online schools don’t have to
rent an office or pay for a teacher’s transportation, but it requires having
the same professional level as “normal” schools.
From my
personal experience E-learning has many advantages for every person, regardless
of age, gender and race. At the present time I observe massive transition from
traditional method of education to online. For those who are still doubting to
be or not to be, just give a try! New experience of knowing yourself through
education is always rewarding.
Author: Teacher Ekaterina or Kati
More about her:
Thursday, April 28, 2016
Theory of Language: Input Hypothesis
Professor Stephen Krashen is considered an expert in the field of linguistics and language acquisition. He came up with 5 hypotheses that claims to greatly help in improving a learner's understanding of a second language, one of these is called the Input Hypothesis.
Input hypothesis explained
The Input hypothesis (i + 1) suggests that learners progress faster when they receive input (i) that is slightly above their current level (+1). An easy way to explain it would be to take new information (words, expressions, phrases) and include them to already understood concepts. Professor Krashen says that using this method, "both comprehension and acquisition will occur".
Input hypothesis applied
1. Identify if the material you are reviewing is too easy, too hard or just the right difficulty for your current level. There is nothing wrong with reviewing easy English material, but don't expect to improve too much if that is all you read. Always try to learn new things whenever possible.
2. Keep a list of words or phrases that you need to review. You can review them individually, even better if you review them in context (when they are attached to sentences).
3. Find time to be consistent with your English practice. The more you practice, the better you become.
Input hypothesis explained
The Input hypothesis (i + 1) suggests that learners progress faster when they receive input (i) that is slightly above their current level (+1). An easy way to explain it would be to take new information (words, expressions, phrases) and include them to already understood concepts. Professor Krashen says that using this method, "both comprehension and acquisition will occur".
Input hypothesis applied
1. Identify if the material you are reviewing is too easy, too hard or just the right difficulty for your current level. There is nothing wrong with reviewing easy English material, but don't expect to improve too much if that is all you read. Always try to learn new things whenever possible.
2. Keep a list of words or phrases that you need to review. You can review them individually, even better if you review them in context (when they are attached to sentences).
3. Find time to be consistent with your English practice. The more you practice, the better you become.
Monday, April 18, 2016
Thursday, April 14, 2016
Wednesday, April 13, 2016
English and Online Employment
English at a glance.
English is probably one of the most important languages in the world. English is the world’s 3rd largest native language (behind Mandarin and Spanish). English is the official language in around 70 countries, and English-speaking countries are responsible for about 40% of world’s total GNP.
Why study English?
English is so widely spoken, it has often been referred to as a “universal language“. English may not be the most spoken language in the world, but it is the official language in a large number of countries. It is estimated that the number of people in the world that use English to communicate on a regular basis is 2 billion! Many of the world’s top films, books and music are published and produced in English. Therefore by learning English you will have access to a great wealth of entertainment and will be able to have a greater cultural understanding.
It is relatively easy to learn (26 letter alphabet, numerous sources for study, minimal inflections, etc). In the Chinese language, if you make a mistake in your tone, the meaning of the word changes. English is not like that. Words are easier to spell than memorizing at least 2000 Japanese characters.
English is the international language of diplomacy, business, science, technology, banking, computing, medicine, aviation, UN & NATO armed forces, etc.
English and globalization.
English is the most commonly used language in the sciences and general academia. In 1997, the Science Citation Index reported that 95% of its articles were written in English, even though only half of them came from authors in English-speaking countries. English is the dominant business language and it has become almost a necessity for people to speak English if they are to enter a global workforce. Research from all over the world shows that cross-border business communication is most often conducted in English. Its importance in the global market place therefore cannot be understated, learning English can really change your life.
English and online employment.
Since we are at the age of technology, it is natural for some companies to choose the internet as the platform for employment. While some companies allow for the occasional freelancer, others base their business plan on obtaining a workforce of home-based employees. These companies consistently hire for work-at-home jobs. Why? Because it’s much cheaper. They don’t have to pay rent for office spaces and the salaries of their employees are lower.
Some people choose to work online so that they can work at the comfort of their homes. It gives employees more time to focus on other things aside from their job. Imagine being paid while working in your pajamas. That’s good, right? Or if traffic is bad in your area, you would be thankful that you wouldn’t have to go out into the crowded streets.
Online Employment is a growing market and has a very big potential for expansion. There are thousands of online jobs posted in websites such as Upwork.com, Freelancer.com and Elance.com. More and more clients around the world are starting to realize the benefits of hiring people to work for them virtually.
These are the most common online jobs found in ads on the internet:
Personal experience.
I worked in the corporate industry for over 10 years. My last job was in an Australian telecommunications company which was outsourced to the Philippines and I was a senior customer experience analyst there for 7 years. 2 years ago, I finally got pregnant after 4 years of trying and I realized that I wanted to be able to check on my son regularly since it’s really hard to trust other people to take care of him. So I decided to work from home. I can say that it’s one of the best decisions that I’ve made in my life. I get to spend more time with my son and pay my bills.
I have a friend who made $1600 in one month just by writing articles. Would you like that? So if you want to have more career opportunities, I strongly suggest that you learn English. You will eventually see that learning English is very rewarding.
-Iris
English is probably one of the most important languages in the world. English is the world’s 3rd largest native language (behind Mandarin and Spanish). English is the official language in around 70 countries, and English-speaking countries are responsible for about 40% of world’s total GNP.
Why study English?
English is so widely spoken, it has often been referred to as a “universal language“. English may not be the most spoken language in the world, but it is the official language in a large number of countries. It is estimated that the number of people in the world that use English to communicate on a regular basis is 2 billion! Many of the world’s top films, books and music are published and produced in English. Therefore by learning English you will have access to a great wealth of entertainment and will be able to have a greater cultural understanding.
It is relatively easy to learn (26 letter alphabet, numerous sources for study, minimal inflections, etc). In the Chinese language, if you make a mistake in your tone, the meaning of the word changes. English is not like that. Words are easier to spell than memorizing at least 2000 Japanese characters.
English is the international language of diplomacy, business, science, technology, banking, computing, medicine, aviation, UN & NATO armed forces, etc.
English and globalization.
English is the most commonly used language in the sciences and general academia. In 1997, the Science Citation Index reported that 95% of its articles were written in English, even though only half of them came from authors in English-speaking countries. English is the dominant business language and it has become almost a necessity for people to speak English if they are to enter a global workforce. Research from all over the world shows that cross-border business communication is most often conducted in English. Its importance in the global market place therefore cannot be understated, learning English can really change your life.
English and online employment.
Since we are at the age of technology, it is natural for some companies to choose the internet as the platform for employment. While some companies allow for the occasional freelancer, others base their business plan on obtaining a workforce of home-based employees. These companies consistently hire for work-at-home jobs. Why? Because it’s much cheaper. They don’t have to pay rent for office spaces and the salaries of their employees are lower.
Some people choose to work online so that they can work at the comfort of their homes. It gives employees more time to focus on other things aside from their job. Imagine being paid while working in your pajamas. That’s good, right? Or if traffic is bad in your area, you would be thankful that you wouldn’t have to go out into the crowded streets.
Online Employment is a growing market and has a very big potential for expansion. There are thousands of online jobs posted in websites such as Upwork.com, Freelancer.com and Elance.com. More and more clients around the world are starting to realize the benefits of hiring people to work for them virtually.
These are the most common online jobs found in ads on the internet:
- Content Writing (article writing, editing)
- Business Consultancy
- Language Education
- Language Translation
- Transcription
- Software & IT Development
- Graphic Design
- Project Management
- Marketing
- Customer Service
- Data Entry
Personal experience.
I worked in the corporate industry for over 10 years. My last job was in an Australian telecommunications company which was outsourced to the Philippines and I was a senior customer experience analyst there for 7 years. 2 years ago, I finally got pregnant after 4 years of trying and I realized that I wanted to be able to check on my son regularly since it’s really hard to trust other people to take care of him. So I decided to work from home. I can say that it’s one of the best decisions that I’ve made in my life. I get to spend more time with my son and pay my bills.
I have a friend who made $1600 in one month just by writing articles. Would you like that? So if you want to have more career opportunities, I strongly suggest that you learn English. You will eventually see that learning English is very rewarding.
-Iris
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