Observations of a Cambridge examiner 2013

The exam season is over!
Well, it finished at the end of June and I've been having a well-earned break over summer. So, now is the time to look back over the Cambridge exam season and give my ideas and observations.

To be honest, it's almost a total blur of getting up early everyday for over two months, checking out the timetables and routes to get to the schools and then being sure that I am going to the right school at the right time on the right day with the right examiner Speaking packs and with the right Examiner Booklet to do four straight hours or more of Oral exams or Written exam invigilation.

The nerves of the students and teachers, the stress of it all! The end of two years preparing and studying by each candidate and the same amount of time of preparation and teaching by the teachers who have the additional pressure of having to justify the results of the students to the schools and the parents. The annual pressure by the schools to justify their status as a Bilingual School. The expectations are high.

Adhering to the Cambridge exam critieria helps the smooth running on the day of the exams. The main complaint as an examiner is usually the schools themselves. There are schools which have been doing the Cambridge exams for years now and they know the ropes, they understand the specific rules laid down by Cambridge and are prepared when we arrive - bliss!! This means we can just walk in, the exam rooms have been set up to the Cambridge specifications and we can calmly start the exams. This is not just good for us, although it certainly makes our lives easier, but it is also much better for the students who are already nervous and are calmed by the smooth running of things and the smiles on the faces of the teachers and examiners.
The opposite is the case in some of the schools we go to where the teachers are adverse to the strict Cambridge criteria and on a few occasions are openly antagonistic to the examiners and the Cambridge way of doing things, which unfortunately leads to stress and pressure and, whether they like it or not, certain regulations must be followed. The stressful and confusing environment ends up affecting the kids more than anyone as this rubs off on the nerves they already have. They need calm before the exams, time to quieten their minds and relax a little - we all do better when we are calm.

Preparing the students well before the exam is very important. Do Mock exams or walk the students step by step through each part of the exam beforehand. I would certainly recommend it as the kids who know the ropes, know what to expect, what is happening and going to happen are the most relaxed and perform better in the exams. It is easy to see which schools have done this and which haven't. Some kids are so mystified by the whole experience that they have no opportunity to think about what they want to say, they are running on adrenalin trying to deal with what is thrown at them next, that they don't have the opportunity to really demonstrate their best English capabilities.
A lot of the questions on the Cambridge Speaking exams are quite strange, the pictures that the candidates must talk about are not the most interesting, we the examiners know that. The kids who know what they are doing, calmly set off describing the pictures or answering the questions related to the pictures as best they can and are aware of what is being expected of them - those that don't, usually end up spluttering along, running out of ideas, speaking without structure, sense or coherence with mystified looks on their faces. It really is quite heart-breaking for the examiners as we completely understand that they don't know what to expect - it hasn't been explained to them - but we can only base our marks on what is produced in the exam, we can't suppose someone has better English than they demonstrate in the exam.

Don't suppose that because the children are studying other subjects in English, they will have no problems with the cambridge exam format. This is particular relevant in Bilingual Schools where the students often study other subjects in English and so have quite a good base of English comprehension. However, the Cambridge exams are focussed on certain skills and abilities, on certain vocabulary and grammar structures depending on the level of the exam. We, as examiners, are looking and listening out for these. Often, the schools suppose that as the students study in English, they do not need specific preparation for the exams. Big mistake! - as it leads to what I have mentioned above; complete confusion on the part of the student.

Performing the tasks Cambridge has set out. On the other hand, there are certain schools famous to the examiners for their 'over' preparation of students, this is particularly noticeable in the lower level exams: YLE/KET/PET. When I say 'over-prepared', I mean that the kids come in and like parrots repeat the same formulaic sentence structures and expressions. I've had 7 years old saying to me "In my picture, there is a table WHEREAS in your picture there's a chair". Which native 7 year old would ever use the word 'whereas' or 'on the other hand'? You are amazed with the first one, but by the fifth you realise that the kids have been drilled with these expressions.

But the important thing to remember is that there is nothing wrong with that! The kids are fulfilling the tasks set by Cambridge perfectly. They are doing their job well and it is clear that the teachers know what is expected by Cambridge and have done their jobs well too by preparing the kids so well that these expressions have been learnt by heart and are produced on order. Top marks!!!

Obviously, the higher up the Cambridge exam levels you go the less you can do this, but really the less this is needed. Students have a greater mastery of the language, a greater flexibility of expression and are, or should be, more comfortable with using the language themselves that they don't need these set formulas.

The information teachers need to know about the Cambridge exams is on the Cambridge website. It is not difficult to find a vocabulary list and an explanation about what is expected in each exam. Teachers need to check this out and practise it with their students throughout the year, drilling the younger ones with the answers helps the students feel more comfortable about what they have to say and will give them a clear idea of what is expected from them. With the older ones, or the ones doing higher level exams, plenty of exam practise and a particular focus on practising the grammar and sentence structures both speaking and in written English will help the candidates feel more comfortable about using these forms of English.

Kids are kids and will always be kids, they do the best that they can with the tools that have been provided for them. If they do badly in exams, unfortunately it is usually because they haven't been prepared well enough or have been entered to exams which they are not ready for. Although, there has been a general improvement in the level of English, particularly at the lower levels which I put down to greater preparation and organisation and better teaching.

Cambridge recommends two years of preparation between each exam. There is also a tendency now for the schools to rush through the exams, in some schools doing a different Cambridge exam each year, which is usually too much for a lot of the students. The Communidad de Madrid has been putting additional pressure on schools to submit a certain number of candidates for each exam each year, which means there are often candidates sitting the exams who really shouldn't be there. Sometimes, they are lucky and they pass - scrap a pass or maybe they even have a middling pass. The trouble is they are not often ready for the next level and they are sent on as if on a conveyer belt on a production line to English which is more difficult, structures which are more complicated and vocabulary and expressions which they don't understand and wouldn't use in their own language. Unfortunately, depending on the person, they usually arrive at the point where they spectacularly fail the exam as it is too rushed for them.  

I really would recommend the two years of preparation between exams; it is better to enter the exam with the English you need under control. Students can often get away with it on KET and PET, less so on FCE and certainly by CAE you really need to have a good control over what you are doing.

The CAE has become the most important exam - it used to be FCE that everyone needed for work, university and so on. However, due to the numbers of people looking for work the demand for CAE has increased: teachers need it to teach in Bilingual Schools, I've heard stories of people being employed purely because they have the CAE certificate and not on their teaching record, I've also heard of teachers being fired as they don't have the CAE. Companies now insist in the CAE as a means of sifting through the piles of job applications, it used to be enough just to put on your CV that you had an advanced level of English, now proof is expected and frequently the interview process is now done in English by people who can speak English and really know how good your English is. More and more people are taking the CAE exam. It has been noticable that a fair number of people are taking the exam without having taken any other of the previous Cambridge exams and without the two years of preparation - I have had a number of students this year who have come to me a couple of months or less before the exam demanding exam preparation. This is not enough time!

Performing the Cambridge way. As with all the Cambridge exams, in the CAE it's not just a matter of being able to get by speaking English, it's a matter of being able to perform the way Cambridge would like you to perform; to demonstrate all the skills of reading, writing, use of english, listening and speaking to an advanced level by using advanced grammar structures, vocabulary and expressions with flexibility. It is necessary to be able to understand spoken native English with many different accents and ways of expression and by being able to demonstrate a rich and varied advanced English both written and orally in a clear and organised way as well as being able to extract information from written pieces and comprehend advanced meaning within a tight time-frame, moreover you need to be able to recognise grammar, structures and vocabulary and be able to express them in alternative forms. This is not easy. You need more than a few months to master these techiques as well as the vocabulary and grammar.

Organisation, preparation, practise, understanding the Cambridge techniques and what each exam entails......and more practise!

If you follow all of the points mentioned above you will have a greater success in the forthcoming Cambridge exams. These are just some observations which I have noticed throughout the year, there are others but I think these are the most important and will go along way to making life for the students and candidates much easier, as well as life for the teacher as there will be a greater chance of passing the exams.
The Cambridge University website has a lot of helpful information about the exams and ways of preparing for the exams: http://www.cambridgeenglish.org/exams-and-qualifications/ Please take advantage of the facilities that are on offer.
For Mock exams: http://www.cambridgemadrid.com/simulacro-de-examen
For intensive exam preparation: http://www.cambridgemadrid.com/
For general information and exam preparation help: http://onestop-language.com/index_Spanish.html

Good Grammar means greater success in the workplace?

Could good grammar get you better success at work?
The answer is Yes!

I was recently reading an interesting article about an informal study of LinkedIn profiles, it was specifically focused on the consumer products industry but it is quite relevant in general to jobs and the attitude perceived of people using good or bad grammar. It found that those with fewer grammatical errors had a higher level of professional achievement. It said:

 "Professionals with one to four promotions over their 10-year careers made 45 percent more grammar errors than those with six to nine promotions in the same time frame."

Could it be that a better grasp of language means a higher level of critical thinking and better attention to detail?
It would seem that as you climb the professional ladder you need to do more management than actual hands-on 'work' which requires a better level of effective and clear communication skills. It follows that those people who write and speak better will express organized thoughts better and so are more likely to have the skills needed in order to advance in their jobs. There really is nothing worse than a boss who cannot explain to you what he wants you to do or his specific vision for the direction of the company. Clear writing skills reflect clear and logical thinking and expression in general.

Of course, the importance of having perfect grammar really does vary and depends on which industry you work in or want to work in, but many younger people these days tend to forget that having even the slightest error in a covering letter or CV can potentially mean losing an opportunity to get the job they want. This is particularly relevant these days when there is more competition between people for far fewer jobs.
One reason cited for the problem of errors is the increased tendency to communicate by text, Whatsapp and other messages which by their very nature inhibit good communication skills by increasing the need for speed, abbreviations or short-cuts in grammar. Whereas in the work field, communication with customers in particular necessitates good clear communication and writing skills. Using the correct language and appropriate style of language gives the person you are communicating with more confidence in your ability to understand, explain and thereby assist them in the matter at hand. This sense of trust in one's ability also reflects well on the company you are working for. Therefore employers take grammar and spelling mistakes in job application letters very seriously as your work will resonate back on them.

However, even those with a good grasp of grammar can fall victim to mistakes in important business correspondence. There are a lot of commonly-made errors of easily confused words, or it could simply be that these are mistakes which people make out of carelessness such as 'your' and 'you're,' 'its' and 'it's'. If it's the case that you are not sure which is right then it's necessary to check the dictionary or the spell-checker and if it's a case of carelessness then people should get into the habit of checking through what they write first before they send a mail or a chat.

Then there are the mistakes which are clearly a lack of grammar knowledge. 'He would of come' instead of 'He would have come' for instance. As with mixing up the use of further and farther, as in 'If you want farther information please call....'. The correct use is 'further' meaning in this case 'more'. Farther describes physical distance, and further describes a distance metaphorically. The best way to remember this distinction is simply that "farther" has the word "far" in it.

It is always best to show yourself in the best light and when writing is the primary means of communication do not just rely on the content; effort is needed to consider the best way to express, organize and package the content.

Grammar counts and grammar can improve your chances of success at work!

Teaching British people to speak standard English

English, as everyone knows is the International language of business. English is one of the official languages of the European Union despite the lack of enthusiastic participation of the UK and most international meetings, conferences or seminars are held in English.

One thing that I constantly hear mentioned by people here in Spain is that when they do business abroad or have an international event in English, they don't have such a problem communicating with people from other countries. However, what will make them very nervous is when people from the UK are present or the event is held in the UK. Dealing with native speakers puts the fear of god in them.

The fact that English is used in these meetings and for International business as a whole should not simply be looked at as an advantage for us. In this time of economic crisis with announcements this week of a dramatic fall in exports, it is essential for British businesses that they can maintain the channels of communication open to foreign businesses. Relying purely on the benefit of business being conducted in our language, without being conscious of the communication problems connected with it, is a surefire way of making the task more difficult for ourselves. There should not be problems of communication and Europeans should not hate dealing with people from the UK.

Why is that? Are people from the UK particularly fearsome or intimidating?
No! But the problem is British people's way of communicating and they are having trouble making themselves understood. It's not because Europeans have particular problems with speaking English, many people speak excellent English, it's just that the type of English that is spoken internationally and the type of English spoken by natives is not the same. People from Latin countries, of course, have a similar base of language and will usually choose English vocabulary of a Latin root as it is more similar to the vocabulary of their own languages, so can communicate in English between themselves more comfortably that way. In fact, even between people in general in Europe, a standardized English has developed, primarily for business purposes, which has been influenced by the direct Americanized way of speaking; perfect for business and perfect for communicating clearly between people who are using a second language to varying degrees of proficiency.

The problem with a lot of people in Britain is that we think English is our language, we are from England of course, but we don't have an absolute right over that language especially if we want to communicate abroad using that language. We need to start thinking of English in the international context as a means of communication, not as our language. We need to communicate in the best and clearest way, thereby using the standardized international form of our language which other people us.

Part of the problem is how we learn our language: we start as young children learning phrases such as 'sit down', 'stand up' or even 'shut up', those who know your grammar will recognise these as phrasal verbs (the bane of any English-learner's life). We then progress to a more colloquial or standard English, mixing it freely with phrasal verbs and then if we continue up to higher education we are introduced to the more formal Latin-based vocabulary. However, nowadays, the more formal, educated way of speaking is becoming less and less common due to it either being considered posh or because of our more rapid and casual way of communicating via technology. On the other hand, non-native speakers of English, particularly those from Latin countries will first learn and use the more formal English, as mentioned before, as it is more similar to their own vocabulary. To a native English speaker, this will be perceived as if the person has a high level of education and therefore a good command of English, not realising that they could well not understand any other, more natural (to the British) form of English. This is where the problem lies, non-natives will understand formal English but often little else, especially if the native speaker has a complicated accent or does not speak clearly.

So, what can British people do to help communication?
Well, without over-complicating the argument and talking about how English is taught in schools, the general attitude of acceptance of 'bad' English and the necessity of learning another language, one way we can do that in International situations is by being aware of the type of English that is spoken by non-natives abroad, being aware of our colloquial use of our language and by trying to start using the standardized International form of English. Instead of littering our speech with phrasal verbs we should choose standard, easily understood vocabulary.
Notice the difference between these questions: 'What time shall we kick off the meeting?' and 'What time does the meeting start?' or 'Shall we call it a day?' and 'Shall we finish now?'
The latter of each of these would be easily understood whilst the former ones would only be understood by someone with a very high level of English.

So, why do we insist on using the the former style? Exactly because we are unaware of how difficult it is for non-native speakers. In our defence, there are a lot of non-native people living in the UK, these people have gotten used to the way we speak English, understand it and use it themselves. Most British people come in connect with these people and are used to the fact that non-natives speak 'natural' British English very well. The thing we forget is that not all non-native English speakers live in the UK and not all of them have had the type of first-hand intensive contact with our language that residents have. People learn English at school and from books, which is not always the best way to get a handling on our form of English. So, if we want to communicate abroad we need to adapt to how English is used there.

Simplify your English use, standardize your language and do not use phrasal verbs, specific UK cultural references or jokes. Awareness of the problems works wonders.
A manager from Ernst & Young was making a presentation at an International Conference in Madrid and had come over with a presentation which he had used often in the UK. During a conversation he mentioned that he did not enjoy giving presentations abroad as the reaction or lack of reaction to what he is saying was unsettling. So, I suggested that he ran through the presentation with me to see if I could give him any ideas about why this might be.
Well, where shall I start?
Not only was the presentation full of phrasal verbs and colloquial language, but there were also many cultural references and jokes - the excuse was that these would make the presentation more enjoyable and more light-hearted, especially with such a heavy subject-matter. This would be probably true in the UK where people understand the references and get the jokes, but not for non-British non-native speakers. The problem was obvious, he was used to the reactions of people back in the UK; they relaxed and laughed at his jokes, tension was released and a heavy meeting became far more laid-back. However, he was not expecting the complete lack of any reaction abroad due to the fact that they just did not understand what he was saying. We went through the presentation, changed the phrasal verbs to more standard verbs, cut the British cultural references and UK-specific jokes, worked a bit on ensuring that his delivery and pronunciation was clear and the improvement was astonishing. Never before had he received such a positive reaction to a presentation that he had given abroad. People responded to his ideas, participated, asked questions and gave very positive feedback. It was an outright success and not only was he pleased with the result but also his boss back home when he won a new contract with a Madrid-based company.

The point of this is to highlight that the essential message of his presentation was the same in both occasions, the difference was in the way he delivered the message and his way of communicating. One received blank stares and no feedback, the other received an enthusiastic response. One was successful and the other not.

Which one would you like to receive the next time you do business abroad?

Pronuncation as a means to Effective Communication

Are you interested in improving your pronunciation?

For Spanish people in general, improving their pronunciation is a common goal. 

There are particular difficulties between the two languages; English speakers equally have as many difficulties with Spanish pronunciation and accent as Spanish speakers do with English. However, due to the phonetic way of reading and pronouncing Spanish words, Spanish tends to be easier than English with its groups of strangely pronounced sounds – take the horrible combination of ‘ough’ which is pronounced umpteen different ways depending on the word!

For Spanish speakers in Spain there is a strong sense of importance and emphasis on the correct pronunciation and accent in Spanish, which is carried over into their desire to speak English equally correctly. For English speakers, however, this is less important; knowing and accepting that there are many correct accents and ways of pronouncing words; I was told recently that in London alone there are five distinct accents, let alone in the rest of the UK, the United States, Australia, New Zealand, South Africa and even India where English is the national language. All are accept as correct.

Many non-native speakers, not just Spanish speakers, look for accent modification/accent reduction training as a way to learn strategies that will help them to improve their pronunciation. The ideal way, obviously, would be with a specialised trainer but there are also many self-help training programs available. Nevertheless, unfortunately this does not provide you with feedback on how they are doing is an essential way of learning what your mistakes are and what to do to improve them so doing this alone is really not the best way to go about improving. There are many software programs out there, but you have to be careful that they have the ability to identify subtle stress and intonation patterns which are essential features to address in accent modification. I have had my own personal problems with software programs. Taking a course on teaching English via an online program, we were expected to understand the program both from the teachers’ side and as well as the students’ so as to understand any potential problems they might be facing whilst using the program. This entailed doing the pronunciation exercises online; I failed all of them and I have to say that my British accent is pretty good! It’s not just English language programs. While I was trying to learn French recently, the software stated that I was incapable of pronouncing anything correctly which was very disheartened. When my French teacher also had an equally bad score, I realised that it was not necessarily my bad accent but rather the software program. Though, that does not excuse my French accent, it still is pretty bad!

Here are some ways to either get started, supplement the training you might currently be taking, or brush up on your skills:


1.   Find a speech role model
Find someone who speaks in a way you like, that you can identify with and is pleasant to your ear. It does not matter who this is, it could be a radio or TV personality, a family member, friend or colleague. Do you like the tone, rate of speech, resonant quality or way of phrasing? Try to imitate those features you consider to be desirable in your own communication.

2.   Get a professional’s opinion
It is difficult to change aspects of your speech if you don’t know what problems are affecting the effectiveness of your communication. It could be a good idea to find a specialist who can help you identify areas that may need improvement, if you really consider that you have problems.

3.   Video or audio-record yourself
Despite the fact that many people are intimidated by this, it is actually very helpful to hear and see how you may present yourself to others. It really does not matter how low or high-tech it is. Consider how you look - fidgeting, playing with your hair (my particular tendency), wringing your hands, moving about nervously), how you sound (monotone, too fast, nasal, too quiet), and how you speak (using professional language or too much slang, rambling, long-winded or concise)?

4.   Ask for feedback from those you trust
If you feel as though your communication may be holding you back at work, ask your manager, colleagues, and others for honest feedback. People who interact with you frequently and in a variety of settings such as on the phone, in meetings, during formal presentations, and so on are best.

5.   Project your voice
Take deep abdominal breaths and speak as you exhale; do not waste any air.  Keep your mouth open and relaxed. Look in the direction you want your voice to go and imagine your breath stream floating along the air towards your target (this would be a person or an object far away from you). Take replenishing breaths as needed so the end of your sentence sounds as loud and strong as the beginning. It is best to stand up when speaking.
 
6.   Pronounce your sounds clearly
It is always a good idea to make sure that your word sounds are accurate and clear, especially at the ends of words. Always finish the words properly so that you say “thinking” instead of “thinkin',” and “biggest,” not “bigges-.” One of my personal annoyances is when people learn contracted expressions such as ‘gonna’, ‘wanna’ or ‘dunna’ when they are young at school as a way of learning authentic speech. I personally feel that authentic speech will come naturally when people are familiar and comfortable about speaking in another language, but it is essential for clear, easily understood speech if you know what the correct ‘un’contracted version is so that you can use it correctly in appropriate situations.

7.   Speak at a slightly slower rate
When people are nervous, they tend to speak too fast. Some people think that speaking fast is a sign that they can speak the language well. However, slightly reducing your speaking rate by stretching out the vowels and pausing where a comma or full-stop would occur infinitely increases your ability to communicate clearly an well. Chunk information into manageable groupings, and then take a breath before continuing. Try to speak at the same rate as the person with whom you are speaking (assuming they are not racing themselves!) This is a way of inducing rapport, empathy and a sense of connection which enables people to listen and understand better.

8.   Use appropriate intonation
Try to speak with a natural, varied inflection pattern. Stress the last important word in a thought group. This will make it stand out and be remembered.
Stress the word by slightly raising your pitch, speaking slightly louder, and lengthening your vowels.
If you just use a louder voice, you may sound angry. 
Smile to infuse a little more energy and/or personality in your voice.

9.  Practice idiosyncratic stress rules when reading
Everywhere you look, you will see proper nouns (business cards); compound nouns (grocery store circulars); numbers (appointment books), and other written references to pronunciation rules. Use every opportunity to read aloud practicing your newly learned techniques for proper stress and intonation. 

10.  Practice whenever, wherever, and with whomever you can
Use every speaking situation as an opportunity to practice your best speech techniques. Practise makes perfect! Listen and observe the reactions/responses to your speech from all you encounter. 

And most importantly, enjoy it in the best way you can and do not worry about how long it takes, all effort is good effort and it will eventually come.

At One Stop Language we can help you with improving your pronunciation as well as developing effective communication techniques.www.onestop-language.comwww.onestop-language.com

Motivational Tips for Language Learning

We've all been there......you know you should do your homework, study and practise a bit, but we fall out of the habit and routine and then we get busy and then, and then......and then we have completely lost touch with our language learning. It does help if you live in the country of the language you are learning, but not everyone has the opportunity to do that, and to be honest it only helps until a certain point. Unfortunately, you're not going to learn by osmosis, so, well,  that means that time and effort and hard graft is needed to learn.

So, sit down and organize yourself to get yourself back on track and motivated.


1. Think and rethink about why your are learning the language....

.... Is it for work? To study at a foreign University? Will it help you get on in life? Is it to travel, Make friends? Or is it just a hobby to keep your mind active? Knowing why you are studying makes it a lot easier to actually study - we all need a good reason to make us motivated. The better and more directly the reason is connected to us and our needs, the easier and quicker we become motivated and enthusiastic to learn (or do anything we want for that matter!)


2. Set a goal...

...... and then decide how much time will be necessary to reach your aim and then work out how much study will it take each week .


3. If you live in your home country have a ‘foreign language’ day once in a while, or better still have one once a week!.....

...... It's important and fun to immerse yourself in the culture of the language you are learning: watch a foreign movie or TV show in the original language, there's so much available on the Internet these days, listen to songs, or cook a typical foreign meal. All of this helps you to get into the frame of mind of learning and more interested in what is behind the language.


4. A great way to keep in touch with the language and culture of the language you are learning is to read the newspaper.....

....... this is a form of current language which is alive and represents what is happening daily, it will help you keep your interest peaked. Pick out an interesting topic and write a review about it. Your desire to express your opinion will give you extra motivation!


5. Something that a friend of mine does is to make a list of your favourite words and expressions.......

........ this is a constant source of fascination for her, and her English is now great! She loves trying to find the opportunity of popping one of these expressions into a conversation. Whenever you come across a word or expression you find particularly interesting, write it down and create a list of your favourite words from the language you are learning.


6. It goes without saying that talking to native speakers .....

 ........ is a great way of keeping up your language and friendships are a wonderful way to help stay motivated – It’s an essential part of learning. There are so many language exchange groups and clubs to join and make friends. Of course, starting a relationship with someone from that culture is a sure-fire way of keeping up motivation and improving your language skills :-)


7. Even have conversations with yourself in your head......

........ you feel crazy doing this at first, but believe me it works! Especially at the beginning when it takes time for you to form sentences and you worry about fluency and your mistakes. Well, this way if you make mistakes, only you will know! And, before you know it, you'll be smoothly forming sentences and creating dialogues in another language, so that when you take the next step of actually speaking all this out loud will come so much more quickly and easily. Take a walk when you do this, get some fresh air and go with a notebook to make notes of your translations later. If there’s something you can’t remember, look it up when you get home!


8. A popular way is filling your home with post-its .......

...... of course this does depend on who you are living with, but it's a great way to stay motivated and help other people along too. Every time you want to remember a phrase or word pop it on a post-it and stick it to the doors of your home! Make sure you get into the habit of seeing if you remember the words on leaving each room. How about putting letters on the fridge door and creating messages and notes in the other language there, such as, things to remind yourself to do each day.


9. Everyone's downfall is confidence or lack of it, so be brave!

....... Everybody makes mistakes when learning a foreign language, so take a deep breath and jump in, correct other people's language and they will correct yours. Smile and enjoy it!


10. Don’t stress, have fun!......

...... Remember that it is all about your learning experience. Here’s the key: the fun you have during the learning process and the confidence you will acquire will make it all worth it!


And don't forget to keep your eye on your goal and reminding yourself of the great benefits you'll get by carrying on.