Read the text and decide T (true)/ F (false) for each statement.

Find native English speakers      In certain areas it’s the hardest thing to do, but it’s the best use of your time. Talking to actual native speakers is the most effective way to improve your English skills, speaking or otherwise. So whether you have to Skype them, call them, or beg them to speak to you, do so. Your progress will be faster this way than any other.

Listen to the music of English    No, not English music, the music of English - its lilt, its prosody, the sing-songy-ness of it. The intonation. Even if you speak perfect English technically, if you speak it like a robot you’re not speaking it the way it’s meant to be spoken.

Slow down    Above all, if you want to be understood, slow down. The more clearly you speak, the better chance your listener has of understanding you. It’s tempting to get nervous and want to speed up to get it all over with, but you can’t do that! Clarity is key - for some native English speakers, too!

Record yourself   Though we hear ourselves all the time, we really don’t know quite what we sound like. So record yourself! What are the weak and strong points you hear in your speech? And then you can concentrate on what you need to work on.

Speak English at home    This is the biggest, easiest mistake to make. You go about your day, you’re on the job working partly in English, you go to your English class, and then you go home and revert back to your native tongue. While you may be making slow improvements, you’ll never get past that dreaded lingual plateau. Make a point to speak it at home, too. Have only English at the dinner table. Stick to English TV at home. Make it as 24/7 as possible.

Talking to actual native speakers is the least effective way to improve your English skills

A. True

B. False

HOW TO IMPROVE ENGLISH COMMUNICATION SKILLS

Find native English speakers

In certain areas it’s the hardest thing to do, but it’s the best use of your time. Talking to actual native speakers is the most effective way to improve your English skills, speaking or otherwise. So whether you have to Skype them, call them, or beg them to speak to you, do so. Your progress will be faster this way than any other.

Listen to the music of English

No, not English music, the music of English - its lilt, its prosody, the sing-songy-ness of it. The intonation. Even if you speak perfect English technically, if you speak it like a robot you’re not speaking it the way it’s meant to be spoken.

Slow down

Above all, if you want to be understood, slow down. The more clearly you speak, the better chance your listener has of understanding you. It’s tempting to get nervous and want to speed up to get it all over with, but you can’t do that! Clarity is key - for some native English speakers, too!

Record yourself

Though we hear ourselves all the time, we really don’t know quite what we sound like. So record yourself! What are the weak and strong points you hear in your speech? And then you can concentrate on what you need to work on.

Speak English at home

This is the biggest, easiest mistake to make. You go about your day, you’re on the job working partly in English, you go to your English class, and then you go home and revert back to your native tongue. While you may be making slow improvements, you’ll never get past that dreaded lingual plateau. Make a point to speak it at home, too. Have only English at the dinner table. Stick to English TV at home. Make it as 24/7 as possible.

Talking to actual native speakers is the least effective way to improve your English skills

A. True

B. False

Exercise 1: Choose the best answer to complete each of the following sentences.

1. Do you think there would be less conflict in the world if all people _________ same language.

  A. spoke                  B. speak                       C. had spoken                  D. will speak

2. If you can give me one good reason for your acting like this, ________ this incident again.

  A. I will never mention                                 B. I never mention

  C. will I never mention                                 D. I don't mention

3. Unless you ________ all of my questions, I can't do anything to help you.

  A. answered             B. answer                    C. would answer             D. are answering

4. Had you told me that this was going to happen, I _________ it.

  A. would have never believed                       B. don't believe

  C. hadn't believed                                          D. can't believe

5. If John _________ to go on the trip, would you have gone?

  A. doesn't agree        B. didn't agree               C. hadn't agreed        D. wouldn't agreed

6. I didn't know you were asleep. Otherwise, I __________ so much noise when I came in.

  A. didn't make         B. wouldn't have made    C. won't make          D. don't make

7. If I ________ the same problem you had as a child, I might not have succeeded in life as well as you have.

  A. have                     B. would have                  C. had had                D. should have

8. I _______ you sooner had someone told me you were in hospital.

  A. would have visited         B. visited              C. had visited                 D. visit

9. ________ then what I know today, I would have saved myself a lot of time and trouble over the years.

  A. Had I known         B. Did I know               C. If I know             D. If I would know

10. The lecturer last night didn't know what he was talking about, but if professor Madison _______, I would have listened carefully.

  A. had been lecturing        B. was lecturing            C. would lecture         D. lectured

HOW TO IMPROVE ENGLISH COMMUNICATION SKILLS

Find native English speakers

In certain areas it’s the hardest thing to do, but it’s the best use of your time. Talking to actual native speakers is the most effective way to improve your English skills, speaking or otherwise. So whether you have to Skype them, call them, or beg them to speak to you, do so. Your progress will be faster this way than any other.

Listen to the music of English

No, not English music, the music of English - its lilt, its prosody, the sing-songy-ness of it. The intonation. Even if you speak perfect English technically, if you speak it like a robot you’re not speaking it the way it’s meant to be spoken.

Slow down

Above all, if you want to be understood, slow down. The more clearly you speak, the better chance your listener has of understanding you. It’s tempting to get nervous and want to speed up to get it all over with, but you can’t do that! Clarity is key - for some native English speakers, too!

Record yourself

Though we hear ourselves all the time, we really don’t know quite what we sound like. So record yourself! What are the weak and strong points you hear in your speech? And then you can concentrate on what you need to work on.

Speak English at home

This is the biggest, easiest mistake to make. You go about your day, you’re on the job working partly in English, you go to your English class, and then you go home and revert back to your native tongue. While you may be making slow improvements, you’ll never get past that dreaded lingual plateau. Make a point to speak it at home, too. Have only English at the dinner table. Stick to English TV at home. Make it as 24/7 as possible.

Speaking English as much as possible is very good for improving English communication skills.

A. True

B. False

There are a number of options when it refers to choosing childcare. These range from child minders and nannies through to Granny or the kind lady across the street. In reality, however, many parents do not have any choice; they have to accept anything they can get. Be prepared! No (1) _____ how good the childcare may be, some children are going to protest wildly if they are left. This is a (2) _____ normal stage of child development. Babies separate well in the first six months, but soon after that they start to get a crush on Mum and close family (3) _____. Make sure that in the first week, you allow plenty of time to help your child settle in. All children are different. Some are independent, while others are more (4) _____ to their mothers. Remember that if you want to do the best for your children, it’s not the quantity of time you spend with  them; it’s the (5) _____ that matters.

Điền vào số 4

A. used

B. attached

C. keen

D. fond

There are a number of options when it refers to choosing childcare. These range from child minders and nannies through to Granny or the kind lady across the street. In reality, however, many parents do not have any choice; they have to accept anything they can get. Be prepared! No (1) _____ how good the childcare may be, some children are going to protest wildly if they are left. This is a (2) _____ normal stage of child development. Babies separate well in the first six months, but soon after that they start to get a crush on Mum and close family (3) _____. Make sure that in the first week, you allow plenty of time to help your child settle in. All children are different. Some are independent, while others are more (4) _____ to their mothers. Remember that if you want to do the best for your children, it’s not the quantity of time you spend with  them; it’s the (5) _____ that matters.

Điền vào số 3

A. people

B. adults

C. members

D. grown-ups

There are a number of options when it refers to choosing childcare. These range from child minders and nannies through to Granny or the kind lady across the street. In reality, however, many parents do not have any choice; they have to accept anything they can get. Be prepared! No (1) _____ how good the childcare may be, some children are going to protest wildly if they are left. This is a (2) _____ normal stage of child development. Babies separate well in the first six months, but soon after that they start to get a crush on Mum and close family (3) _____. Make sure that in the first week, you allow plenty of time to help your child settle in. All children are different. Some are independent, while others are more (4) _____ to their mothers. Remember that if you want to do the best for your children, it’s not the quantity of time you spend with  them; it’s the (5) _____ that matters.

Điền vào số 2

A. perfectly

B. extremely

C. very

D. certainly

There are a number of options when it refers to choosing childcare. These range from child minders and nannies through to Granny or the kind lady across the street. In reality, however, many parents do not have any choice; they have to accept anything they can get. Be prepared! No (1) _____ how good the childcare may be, some children are going to protest wildly if they are left. This is a (2) _____ normal stage of child development. Babies separate well in the first six months, but soon after that they start to get a crush on Mum and close family (3) _____. Make sure that in the first week, you allow plenty of time to help your child settle in. All children are different. Some are independent, while others are more (4) _____ to their mothers. Remember that if you want to do the best for your children, it’s not the quantity of time you spend with  them; it’s the (5) _____ that matters.

Điền vào số 1

A. way

B. matter

C. surprise

D. exception