Study the CAE or FCE online or through Skype

OSL: The Language Boutique is offering classes to prepare yourself for the Cambridge exams through Skype or online.
This is particularly aimed at those of you who have a work or study timetable that makes it complicated to attend class regularly. The idea is to create a flexible situation where you can learn and improve your English and the techniques to accomplish the exams in your time.
It works like this:

• In the classes by Skype we will practise speaking English, gaining confidence with the use of spoken English in general, in addition to practice of expressions, grammar and vocabulary as well as the parts of the Speaking Paper.

• Grammar exercises will be set for homework: a grammar explanation will be sent out accompanied by grammar exercises, to be done in your free time.

•  By Skype we will go through a review of homework, any problems or doubts about this can be sorted out by questions and answers with an explanation.

• One Writing homework will be done per week, you will be told in advance what will be expected of you in each written paper. The first ones will involve grammar practice, expressions and vocabulary that have been covered in the classes. Nearer the exam, the Writings will be specific exam practice pieces.

• Listening exercises will be sent via email, although it will be expected that you do as much as possible additional listening practice. This will involve listening to the radio, watching the TV in English and downloading various podcasts that are available online.

• In the same way, it is expected that you read as much as possible in English, at your level, to increase your vocabulary and improve your abilities to comprehend English. One problem, especially at the higher levels of the Cambridge exam is the speed at which you need to read, so an ability to read and comprehend quickly is necessary.

• In the 2 month run up to the exam, the classes will be specifically focused on exam preparation and tips for each part of the different papers of the exam: the Reading, Writing, Use of English, Speaking and Listening. The emphasis will be on timing, grammar, expressions, organization and so on. 

If you are interested in taking this opportunity to prepare for the Cambridge exams, please email: briony@onestop-language.com
or check out the website: www.onestop-language.com

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!

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

Listening to improve your speaking skills

 Groan!
This is the usual reaction I get from the class when I suggest that we do a listening activity. It is the part they find most difficult and unanimously dislike about learning English. "But they speak so fast", "I don't understand", "It's too difficult", "They use vocabulary I don't know" they protest.

Well, how are you meant to improve if you don't practise. The only way a spoken language can enter the brain is through the ears, so if you don't practise listening, then spoken English will always be too fast and too difficult and if you don't learn to recognize the sounds of spoken English, you will never understand it. It is really that simple. How do people think they are going to participate in a conversation if they only practise what they want to say, communication is also about listening to what others say too.

Strangely, Spanish schools teach primarily using written grammar exercises rather than spoken or listening exercises. Reading or writing in the form of filling in the blanks or conjugating verbs is the principle way of learning a language. Reading and writing skills are distinctly different from listening and speaking skills, they can help to increase and memorize vocabulary but they are of no help whatsoever for helping speaking skills, which are sorely neglected and so students suffer immensely as after long years of study they find themselves unable to communicate and unable to understand what is being said to them. They can read it but not use and communicate with it. Fortunately, schools nowadays are changing, but still not enough emphasis is put on listening skills as an aid to speaking.

English, unlike Spanish, is not a phonetic language and although there are phonetic sounds, they are rarely taught and moreover, there are so many exceptions that the only way to really become familiar with English pronunciation is by speaking and listening to the language. To familiarize yourself with how the words sound when spoken not simply to recognize them on paper, which in some cases have nothing to do with the construction of letters used. Take the 'ight' combination of letters, which are pronunced to a Spaniard as 'ait' whereas English-speakers would have used 'ite' as a synonymous way of pronouncing those letters, ('might' and 'mite' are pronounced in the same way). However, it is not so simple as we have now come across the phenomenon of the 'silent E'; or the horrible 'ugh' combination which can be pronounced a whole host of ways, such as 'though', 'thought', 'rough', 'bough' and so on. Difficult eh! How would you know how to pronouce those without listening to them first.

There are those people who naturally have a good ear and who can easily pick up languages. Lucky them! But more often than not, those with the best ability to speak and understand English are those who have gone out and practised; as by using it they have learned it. It doesn't have to be in a native-speaking country but of course this does make it easier. Of course, not everyone has the chance to spend time in the UK, for example, to practise but there are other ways to improve your listening and speaking skills.

A good way is by watching TV shows and films in the original version, in English. Most people who do this tend to do it in the wrong way. After a long day in the office or at school or University, they sit down exhausted in front of the TV with the intention of 'studying English' or 'practising listening' while watching TV. After about ten minutes of squinting at the TV straining to understand what is being said, they switch back to Spanish feeling like a complete failure with terrible English as they have not been able to understand the dialogue. They vow to try again tomorrow, but the reality is that English has become something to be endured. Learning English, especially improving listening skills does not have to be a form of punishment. There are umpteen reasons why you could not understand; you were tired, maybe the English was particularly difficult or the accent was an especially difficult one or simply one that you were not familiar with. Many native speakers struggle when listening to an unfamiliar accent and there are a LOT of English accents. In the UK alone, not only are there regional accents with each town often having its own accent but each class also has its own one too (I know it's not fashionable anymore to talk about the class system, but these differing types of accents still exist). In the village where I grew up there were four: the upper-class, middle-class, working-class and farmers' country accents and you could tell a lot about the type of person by how they spoke.

Instead, the best idea is to get into the habit of putting the TV on in English but with Spanish subtitles, for example. That way you can enjoy the programme in a relaxed way whilst reading the subtitles. The important thing to remember is that the ear does two functions: it hears and it listens. Even when the ear is not focused on something - it is not listening - it still hears; so the brain is still working and processing the information.  You are giving the brain a chance to familiarize itself with the language without the stress of making a big effort, you are using a natural process. After a while you will be surprised when suddenly your brain tunes into the English and you can understand things seemingly effortlessly, maybe not a lot at first but it will continue increasing until you find you are relying less and less on the subtitles and more on your own listening skills. It is important to accept that this is a process and it takes time, so patience is necessary but once acquired, these listening skills are not lost so easily especially if the habit of watching TV in the original version is kept up.
But why wouldn't it be kept up? You are not spending a lot of effort.
You cannot teach listening skills, it is a natural ability that you are exercising not something that is acquired.

Another idea is to put on the radio through the internet. Try http://www.bbc.co.uk/radio/ * while you are working, cleaning or relaxing at home. Again, don't listen. Have it on as background noise and focus on whatever else you are doing. Again, you will be surprised at how often you will start tuning in and understanding the language. Primarily, try not to give yourself stress or worry about how long it is taking you to understand. It will happen, everyone has their own time. Of course, it doesn't harm to have those occasions when you do want to practise listening and use the radio or TV as an opportunity to focus on improving your listening skills, just don't do it to the extent that you give up watching/listening to the TV in English.

One thing a lot of people who have good pronunciation and listening skills have in common is a love of music, especially British or American pop songs. Enjoying music is a pleasurable way to practise listening and to learn a great variety of new vocabulary and expressions in a natural context, the music and rhythm are also a great help for pronunciation and intonation.

So, there is a lot that can be done, try to make language learning as pleasurable and relaxing as possible. Listening to a language being spoken does not have to be torture or a highly stressful affair. It is a question of habit forming and most people, once they start watching films in the original version cannot go back. Why do Portuguese people have such good English? One of the reasons is that there is no dubbing done in Portugal, everything is shown in the original version and people get used, at a very young age, to hearing or listening to another language, so it becomes second nature to them. My nephew was over visiting me in Madrid a few weeks ago and I put on some cartoons in English for him with the TV set for the original version, however after a while some French cartoons were shown followed by some Spanish ones, he did not notice at all that the language had changed.
That is the reality; young children notice the images, noises, gestures and intonations rather than listen to the words spoken. They start focussing more on the words as their vocabulary improves so it is not hard for them to watch cartoons in English.
It's true that it is hard at first to get used to reading subtitles, if you have been always used to dubbing, but only for the first ten minutes or so, we quickly adapt so there is no excuse.

* Some BBC Radio recommendations:
Radio 4: in general, specifically 'The Today Programme', 'Woman's Hour', 'A Point of View', 'Any Questions?', 'Book of the Week', 'The Bottom Line'.
Radio 4 extra: for theatre, plays, reenactments, books and dramas.

Interview Techniques

Nowadays with the increase of people in Higher Education getting University degrees and training qualifications, the job interview is even more vitally important as the means to distinguish yourself from everyone else.

It is your opportunity to sell yourself.

Who else is going to do it if you are not prepared to do it?

Therefore, it is essential to get over the mind-block many people have in these situations: you are not being arrogant when you say what you are good at and why they should give you the job. Yet, so many people cannot do it. It's not simply that, many people are not even aware of the need or have considered that it is necessary to do so.

It is vital to think about it - what am I good at? why should they give me the job? why am I the best person for the job?
It is vital to plan for the interview, to prepare what you want to say and practise how to say it.
The biggest mistake in an interview is lack of preparation, which results in a lack of clear, concise thought, so answers become long-winded and meandering, with often the inability to answer the actual question or else the answer becomes lost in the middle of the waffle. This means that you have missed the opportunity to sell yourself.

An interview is essentially an exercise in communication; you are communicating with your potential future employer about why they should hire you.

It is unlikely that you will be the only person they are interviewing and the interview will most certainly have a time-frame, which means that you need to communicate your ideas briefly and succinctly, transmitting your sales-pitch at every opportunity. You need to be very clear about what you want them to know about you and what you want or need to transmit, so you can be flexible about getting this information into an answer from a range of possible questions. The Internet is full of web-pages of interview questions, but you cannot predict which ones are going to be asked. However, there is an underlying trend in a lot of the questions which by looking at them and thinking about your answers you can see. It is essential, also, to be very clear about the brief for the job and to read carefully any correspondance you receive in relation with the interview and the company website, as clues to what type of person and what kind of skills they are looking for will often appear. Therefore, opening the possibility of matching your skills with what is demanded.
You need to practise, practise, practise!

As I mentioned before, there is often a time-frame for the interview so you cannot give long-winded answers. The classic question 'Tell me about yourself' is one of those which causes the most problems. Some people see this as an opportunity to give a long life history. Do they really think the interviewer is interested? No. What the interviewer wants to know are things that are beneficial for the job on offer; academic and work history - but not everything, only that which can be related to the job, and maybe some extra information that can demonstrate concepts such as responsibility, commitment, dedication, initiative and so on, as long as the job requires these qualities. All must be expressed briefly, so again I say, preparation and practise are necessary to weed out unimportant pieces of information, waffling and long-windedness. It will make sure that you actually answer the question that you have been asked. People are nervous in interviews, it is natural, but preparation and a clear idea about what you want to say will help calm the nerves and help maintain the focus on what you are saying and how you are saying it.
Although you might fully answer the question, abet in a convoluted way, the interviewer might not see it that way. The information is clear to you as you are the one who has lived it, but it is often confusing to a person listening and they will be lost in the deluge of relevant and irrelevant information. Clear, succinct answers are necessary to steer the interviewer in the direction you want to take him or her. This takes practise.

Don't forget to sell yourself! People become incredibly modest when faced with interviews and feel uncomfortable about showing themselves in the best light. "Oh, I'm not that kind of person" they say. If you were Head Boy at school, Captain of the basketball team, won a design competition, were congratulated or recognised for a work project, won an award or have any other good qualities or experiences, tell them. If you do not, nobody else will. These are all distinguishing points to help you stand out from the competition. By practising your answers and by being clear about what you want to say, you enable yourself to relax and give yourself the chance to be more natural, yourself in fact, in the interview. Your personality is what will also distinguish you from the rest.

So, to recap:
Preparation: know what you want to say, what the company is wanting, practise answering questions clearly communicating briefly all you need to transmit. Relate your skills, experience and strengths to the job, sell yourself honestly - don't lie!
Practise: get someone to listen and answer critically with constructive feedback about what you have said. Is it clear and concise? Does it match what was asked and what is expected of me? Does it sound convincing? Did I sell myself well? What is the general impression that I transmit? Do I sound like someone you would want to employ? Have I done the best possible job?

At OSL The Language Boutique we have had a lot of success guiding people through interview preparations, making people aware of how they transmit themselves and communicate their ideas, enabling them to demonstrate the best of themselves. We believe that everyone has the answers to how best do the interview within them, but that they do not always know how to best go about demonstrating it or sometimes cannot see the best direction to go. Our aim is to give people the confidence they need to find the way and show themselves at their best.

Check out the webpage: www.entrevistasmadrid.com