Showing posts with label Reading. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Reading. Show all posts
Wednesday, January 20, 2016
Mi Literatura
Escribo mis libros favoritos como los no tanto así compartir mi experiencia con ustedes.
1 Cien años de Soledad, Gabriel García Marqués
2 El Diario de Maya, Isabel Allende
3 En Llamas, Suzanne Collins
4 MP3, Pablo Illanes
5 Crepúsculo (Twilight), Stephenie Meyer
6 Sobredosis, Alberto Fuguet
7 El Diario de Ana Frank, Anonimo
8 El Peregrino (Diario de un Mago), Paulo Coelho
9 Veronika decide morir, Paulo Coelho
10 Demian, Hermann Hesse
Etiquetas:
Autores,
Leer,
Libros,
lista,
literatura,
Mis Libros,
Reading
Sunday, October 12, 2014
Music To Relax - Playlist II
61. Amazonics - I Wanna Be Your Boyfriend (2:46)
62. Groove Da Praia - Hung Up (3:36)
63. Antonio Vivaldi - Spring (10:30)
64. Edvard Grieg - Morning (3:35)
65. Richard Wagner - Ride of the Valkyries (5:26)
66. Sir Edward Elgar - Pomp and Circumstance March No. 1 (6:11)
67. BNB - Fernando (5:02)
68. Keith Jarrett - The Journey Home (10:31)
69. Miles Davis - Saeta (5:04)
70. Kenny G - Songbird (4:00)
71. Jim Brickman - Catching Twilight (3:32)
72. Kitaro - Wings (5:19)
73. Yanni - Acroyali / Standing In Motion [Medley] (8:51)
74. Morcheeba - Be Yourself (3:15)
75. Shakira - Te Necesito (4:00)
76. Laura Story - Your Name Will Be Praised (3:40)
77. She & Him - Over It Over Again (3:29)
78. Sweet Little Band - antología (3:57)
79. Sweet Little Band - la isla bonita (2:58)
80. Sweet Little Band - Thank You For The Music (2:54)
81. Sweet Little Band - God Put A Smile Upon Your Face (2:49)
82. Julieta Venegas - Ilusion (Con Marisa Montes) (3:48)
83. Rodrigo Y Gabriela - Foc (5:39)
84. Sierra Hull - Bombshell (3:22)
85. Gotan Project - Triptico (8:25)
86. vengaboys - to the rhythm (6:13)
87. Moby - Porcelain (3:58)
88. Air - Playground Love (3:31)
89. Deva Premal - Shyam! (Prabhu Mix) (6:35)
90. Jim Brickman - 'Til I See You Again (3:26)
91. Jingo - Lucky Star (2:53)
92. Groove Da Praia - I Wanna Be Sedated (3:56)
93. Parov Stelar - Spygame (6:11)
94. Return To Forever - The Romantic Warrior (10:52)
95. John Coltrane - I'm Old Fashioned (7:57)
96. Miles Davis - Sanctuary (11:00)
97. JAZZAMOR - Space Cowboy (3:00)
98. Pink Martini - Donde Estas, Yolanda? (3:25)
99. Cirque Du Soleil - Water Bowl (Awakening) (5:23)
100. Afro Celt Sound System - My Secret Bliss (7:04)
101. Enigma - Mea Culpa (5:03)
102. Brian Eno - Becalmed (3:56)
103. Philip Glass - Choosing Life (4:01)
104. Dario Marianelli - Your Hands Are Cold (5:25)
105. Joss Stone - Don't Cha Wanna Ride (3:31)
106. Diana Krall - The Boy From Ipanema (4:54)
107. Eliane Elias - Falsa Baiana (4:01)
108. João Gilberto - Da cor do pecado (2:31)
109. Pink Martini - Brazil (5:20)
110. Morcheeba - Sao Paulo (4:28)
111. Pat Metheny Group - Dream of the Return (5:26)
112. Dan Gibson - Brazil (7:26)
113. Moby - I'm not Worried At All (4:11)
114. John Powell - To The Roof (5:34)
115. Brian Eno - Spirits Drifting (2:51)
116. John Williams - Theme From Schindler's List (4:15)
117. Era - Don't Go Away (4:24)
118. The Benedictine Monks Of Santo Domingo De Silos - Kyrie Fons Bonitatis - Trope (Modo III) (4:00)
119. Sade - King Of Sorrow (4:54)
120. Frank Sinatra - Nothing But the Best (3:00)
121. Nina Simone - Beautiful Land (1:57)
122. Steven Halpern - 1st Chakra: Keynote C - Chakra Suite (2:58)
123. Steven Halpern - 2nd Chakra: Keynote D - Chakra Suite (3:14)
124. Steven Halpern - 3rd Chakra: Keynote E - Chakra Suite (2:58)
125. Steven Halpern - 4th Chakra: Keynote F - Chakra Suite (3:13)
126. Steven Halpern - 5th Chakra: Keynote G - Chakra Suite (3:07)
127. Steven Halpern - 6th Chakra: Keynote A - Chakra Suite (3:43)
128. Steven Halpern - 7th Chakra: Keynote B - Chakra Suite (4:43)
129. Adama Dramé - abounaye (8:44)
130. Bond - Oceanic (6:44)
131. The Royal Philharmonic Orchestra - I Have A Dream (4:42)
132. Johann Sebastian bach - Brandenburg Concerto No. 3 Allegro (3:23)
133. Snatam Kaur - Feeling Good Today! (4:19)
134. Yanni - Nostalgia (4:35)
135. Dan Gibson - Western Chorus Frog, Marbled Godwit, Canada Goose, Yellow-Headed ... (3:12)
136. Madeleine Peyroux - Don't Wait Too Long (3:12)
137. Eliane Elias - Photograph (fotografia) (3:46)
138. Michael Bublé - The Best Is Yet To Come (3:05)
139. Air - All I Need (4:28)
140. Bonobo - Dinosaurs (3:57)
141. Boards of Canada - Zoetrope (5:18)
142. Massive Attack - Risingson (4:58)
143. Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky - Piano Concerto No. 1 in B-flat minor, Op. 23: I. Allegro non troppo e molto maestoso - Allegro con spirito (19:43)
144. Claude Debussy - Nocturnes: Sirenes (12:41)
145. Johann Sebastian bach - Violin Concerto In A Minor (Allegro) (4:10)
146. Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart - Flute and Harp Concerto: Andantino (8:58)
147. Ludovico Einaudi - Fly (4:39)
148. Yann Tiersen - La Noyee (2:25)
149. Cristina Branco - Anclao En Paris (2:01)
150. Alison Krauss & Union Station - When You Say Nothing At All (4:20)
Etiquetas:
2014,
Armonía,
Chakra,
Creatividad,
Electronic,
Instrumental,
Jazz,
Lounge,
Música,
New Age,
Playlist,
Reading,
Relax
Thursday, May 8, 2014
Structure and Content (TOEIC)
Of the four major language skill areas (listening comprehension, reading comprehension, speaking, and writing), TOEIC only evaluates two: reading and listening comprehension.
Section | Parts | Númber of Questions | Time |
Listening Comprehension | Scene-sentence matching |
10
|
45 minutes (100 questions) |
Questions-Response |
30
|
||
Short Conversations |
30
|
||
Short Talks |
30
|
||
Reading Comprehension | Sentence Completion |
40
|
75 minutes (100 questions) |
Text Completion |
12
|
||
Comprehension Textos |
48
|
Score descriptors
TOEIC Listening and Reading test questions are based on a variety of real-world settings and situations:
- Corporate Development — research, product development
- Dining Out — business lunches, banquets, receptions, reservations
- Entertainment — cinema, theater, music, art, exhibitions, museums, media
- Finance and Budgeting — banking, investments, taxes, accounting, billing
- General Business — contracts, negotiations, mergers, marketing, sales, warranties, business planning, conferences, labor relations
- Health Care — medical insurance, visits to doctors, dentists, clinics and hospitals
- Housing/Corporate Property — construction, specifications, buying and renting, electric and gas services
- Human Resources — recruiting, hiring, retiring, promoting, job applications, job advertisements, salaries, pensions, awards
- Manufacturing — assembly lines, plant management, quality control
- The Office — procedures, board meetings, committees, letters, memos, telephone, fax and email messages, equipment
- Purchasing — shopping, ordering supplies, shipping, invoicing
- Technical Areas — electronics, technology, computers, laboratories and related equipment, technical specifications
- Travel — trains, airplanes, taxis, buses, ships, ferries, tickets, schedules, station and airport announcements, car rentals, hotels, reservations, delays and cancellations
Tuesday, May 6, 2014
Friday, January 24, 2014
Common reference levels (Wikipedia)
The Common European Framework divides learners into three broad divisions that can be divided into six levels:
- A Basic User
- A1 Breakthrough or beginner
- A2 Waystage or elementary
- B Independent User
- B1 Threshold or intermediate
- B2 Vantage or upper intermediate
- C Proficient User
- C1 Effective Operational Proficiency or advanced
- C2 Mastery or proficiency
The CEFR describes what a learner is supposed to be able to do in reading, listening, speaking and writing at each level.
level group | A | |||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
level group name | Basic User | |||||
level | A1 | A2 | ||||
level name | Breakthrough or beginner | Waystage or elementary | ||||
description |
|
|
B | |||
---|---|---|---|
Independent User | |||
B1 | B2 | ||
Threshold or intermediate | Vantage or upper intermediate | ||
|
|
C | |
---|---|
Proficient User | |
C1 | |
Effective Operational Proficiency or advanced | |
|
C2 |
---|
Mastery or proficiency |
|
These descriptors can apply to any of the languages spoken in Europe, and there are translations in many languages.
Deutsche Welle
suggests A1 is reached with about 75 hours of German tuition, A2.1 with
about 150 hours, A2.2 with about 225 hours, B1.1 with about 300 hours,
and B1.2 with about 400 hours.[5]
Cambridge ESOL said that each level is reached with the following
guided learning hours: A2, 180–200; B1, 350–400; B2, 500–600; C1,
700–800, and C2, 1,000–1,200.[6]
Alliance Française has stated students can expect to reach CEFR
levels after the following cumulative hours of instruction: A1 60–100,
A2 160–200, B1 360–400, B2 560–650, C1 810–950, C2 1060–1200.[7]
Etiquetas:
Advanced,
Basic User,
Beginner,
Coherent,
Elementary,
English,
Independent User,
Intermediate,
Levels,
Listening,
Proficiency,
Reading,
Speaking,
Spontaneously,
Summarise,
Upper Intermediate,
Wikipedia,
Writing
Sunday, January 19, 2014
I Learned to Speak Four Languages in a Few Years: Here's How (lifehacker.com)
Lifehacker
reader Gabriel Wyner was tasked with learning four languages in the
past few years for his career as an opera singer, and in the process
landed on "a pretty damn good method for language learning that you can
do in limited amounts of spare time." Here's the four-step method that
you can use, too (and you don't have to invest hundreds in a language
course like Rosetta Stone).
This is the method I've used to learn four languages (Italian, German, French and now Russian); it's the method that got me to C1 fluency in French in about 5 months, and I'm currently using it with Russian (and plan on reaching C1 equivalent fluency by September).
I go in
four stages. The stages will take different amounts of time for
different languages and depend on how much time you have available per
day, naturally. The US Foreign Service Institute makes estimates for language difficulties
for native English speakers, and they seem to be spot on in terms of
comparative difficulty—Russian seems to be taking twice as long as
French did for me, and they estimate languages like Chinese to take
twice as long as Russian. That being said, let's say we're talking about
a language like French, and you have 30-60 minutes a day to spend on
it, I've included estimates for how long each stage might take.
Stage 1: Learn the correct pronunciation of the language.
Time: 1-2 weeks (or longer for languages that have a new alphabet that will take some time to get comfortable with)
Starting
with pronunciation first does a few things—because I'm first and
foremost learning how to hear that language's sounds, my listening
comprehension gets an immediate boost before I even start traditional
language learning. Once I start vocabulary training, I retain it better
because I'm familiar with how words should sound and how they should be
spelled. (Correct spellings in French, for example, are much easier to
remember when there's a connection between the spelling and the sound),
and once I finally start speaking to native speakers, they don't switch
to English for me or dumb down their language, which is awesome sauce.
If you're
learning a language with a different alphabet, this is where you learn
the phonetic alphabet(s) (Kana, for Japanese or Pinyin for Chinese, for
example).
How do you learn pronunciation?
There are a
few routes here, and a lot of excellent online and in-print resources
(Pronunciation guides with CDs or mp3s are usually very good).
Personally, I think it's worth the (short) time to learn the
International Phonetic Alphabet (IPA) for the English language first (Wikipedia / some video tutorials I've been producing),
and then see what sounds are different in your target language. In the
process of learning IPA, you learn the components of each vowel and
consonant and you'll really understand what makes a French word sound
French, and a Chinese word Chinese.
Stage 2: Vocabulary and grammar acquisition, no English allowed.
Time:
About 3 months. This stage involves two different time commitments:
building your vocabulary and grammar flashcards and reviewing the deck.
This stage takes advantage of a few valuable tricks:
First, I'm using Anki,
a wonderful, free flashcard program that runs on smartphones and every
computer platform. Anki is a spaced repetition system, which schedules
reviews of flash cards based upon how often you've successfully
remembered a card. In the end, it helps you put a huge number of facts
in to your long-term memory very rapidly—you can typically learn 20-30
new words a day in about 30 minutes on your smartphone.
Second, I use a modified version of Middlebury College's famous language pledge—No
English allowed! I use pictures and whatever limited vocabulary I have
to build the rest of my vocabulary. By skipping the English, I'm
practicing thinking in the language directly, and not translating every
time I try to think of a word. This results in quicker learning and
better vocabulary retention over time, and a much faster transition to
comfortable fluency in the language.
Third, I'm
using frequency lists to guide my vocabulary acquisition. These lists
show the most common words in a given language, and learning those words
first will be the best use of your time—after 1000 words, you'll know
70% of the words in any average text, and 2,000 words provides you with
80% text coverage. It's not enough for fluency, but it's a pretty
phenomenal base!
Since I'm starting out with zero words, I have to go in a few steps:
- To save time, I start with a basic list of 400 words that are common in English and extremely easy to picture - things like man and woman, dog and cat, to run and to cook, etc. I find good (!) translations of these and put them in my Anki deck without any English - just the word and its picture.
- After those, I grab a frequency list and mark off any remaining words I can portray with pictures alone (basic nouns and verbs), and put them in my Anki deck. Once I have some words to play with, I start putting them together. I use Google translate (Exception to no English rule - just be careful there's no English in your Anki deck) and a grammar book to start making sentences, then get everything double-checked at lang-8.com before putting them into my Anki deck. Fill-in-the-blank flashcards let you drill your grammar and connecting words, and you can usually just type these straight into Anki from your grammar book.
- As vocab and grammar grow, I eventually move to monolingual (French - French, for example) dictionaries and writing my own definitions for more abstract words (again doublechecked at lang-8.com). This builds on itself; the more vocab and grammar you get, the more vocab and grammar concepts you can describe in the target language. Eventually you can cover all the words in a 2000 word frequency list as a foundation and add any specific vocab you need for your own interests.
- Most people's eventual goals (by, say, the end of stage 4) will be ~2000-6000 words, plus around 1000 grammar cards, depending on how far you want to go (Here, we're talking about words that are in your Anki deck - you'll pick up a bigger passive vocabulary from reading). As a very rough estimate, if you end up with ~5000 cards, it will take you a bit less than 6 months to learn them with Anki if you're doing 30 minutes a day (half that if you do 60 minutes/day).
Stage 3: Listening, writing and reading work
Time:
This stage overlaps quite a bit with stage 2 and 4. Once you're
comfortable reading or writing anything, usually a month or two into
stage 2, you can start stage 3. Stages 3 and 4, the immersion part,
combined took me about 7 fairly insane weeks where I spent any free time
reading, watching TV, and writing.
Once I have
a decent vocabulary and familiarity with grammar, I start writing
essays, watching TV shows and reading books, and talking (at least to
myself!) about the stuff I see and do. Every writing correction gets
added to the Anki deck, which continues to build my vocab and grammar.
You should
read and watch anything that's enjoyable to you—it's more about quantity
than anything; I'm a big fan of the Harry Potter series in translation,
and dubbed versions of the TV series 24 are insanely addictive and not
that difficult to follow after the first few hours—you can literally
spend all day in front of the TV, and it's actually productive! As for
writing, you can (and should) write whatever you want—journals,
opinions, what you did today, your grocery list, anything. The goal is
to get something down on a page that you can submit to lang-8.com, get a
correction, and put that correction into your Anki deck.
Stage 4: Speech
At the
point where I can more or less talk (haltingly, but without too many
grammar or vocab holes) and write about most familiar things, I find
some place to immerse in the language and speak all the time
(literally). No English allowed or else you won't learn the skill you're
trying to learn, which is adapting to holes in your grammar or
vocabulary by going around them rapidly and automatically without having
to think about it). I prefer Middlebury college,
but if you don't have 7 solid weeks where you can cut ties to the rest
of the world and just speak the language, you'll still get a lot from
even a couple of weeks in your target country as long as you stick to
your target language and spend as much time as you can talking. There
are internet exchanges and Skype videochats that will absolutely help
you practice speaking, and if you surround yourself with foreign
language TV and movies, read books and videochat with people frequently,
you can sort of simulate the immersion experience on your own.
The more
intense you can make it, the faster your brain will adapt and learn how
to put all the info you learned in stages 1-3 together quickly enough to
turn into comfortable, fluent speech.
Etiquetas:
200 Words,
5 Months,
Alphabet,
Blog,
Comfortable,
Flashcards,
Fluent,
French,
Grammar,
Language,
Learn,
Listening,
Pronunciation,
Reading,
Tricks,
Vocabulary,
Watch,
Words,
Writing
Saturday, March 16, 2013
Tips Preparación TOEFL
Reading
Para tu preparación en el área de Reading del examen TOEFL, Seeking English te recomienda:
Lee textos en inglés como un buen hábito. Lee revistas, noticias en línea, y también textos de educación. Tienes una amplia variedad de temas como ciencias, historia, tecnología, finanzas, etc. Leer muchos temas, te ayudará a alimentar tu vocabulario.
Practica encontrar la idea principal del texto, qué es lo que se quiere comunicar en esta lectura. Generalmente, puedes encontrarla en el párrafo de introducción, que es el más importante de todo el contenido.
Mientras lees, vas a encontrar palabras que no te sean familiares. Crea una lista de vocabulario, para referencia. Organiza tu lista por temas para un mejor resultado.
Leer sobre temas variados permitirá que crees una lista más nutrida. Un consejo, elabora tarjetas para ayudarte a aprender estas palabras.
En el momento del examen, es probable que te encuentres con alguna palabra que no conozcas. Si praticas leer textos en Inglés, desarrollarás la habilidad de entender el significado de una palabra, por el contexto. Esto lo lograrás con mucha práctica y sin hacer trampa. Saca tus inferencias y luego verifica con el diccionario.
Lee textos en inglés como un buen hábito. Lee revistas, noticias en línea, y también textos de educación. Tienes una amplia variedad de temas como ciencias, historia, tecnología, finanzas, etc. Leer muchos temas, te ayudará a alimentar tu vocabulario.
Practica encontrar la idea principal del texto, qué es lo que se quiere comunicar en esta lectura. Generalmente, puedes encontrarla en el párrafo de introducción, que es el más importante de todo el contenido.
Mientras lees, vas a encontrar palabras que no te sean familiares. Crea una lista de vocabulario, para referencia. Organiza tu lista por temas para un mejor resultado.
Leer sobre temas variados permitirá que crees una lista más nutrida. Un consejo, elabora tarjetas para ayudarte a aprender estas palabras.
En el momento del examen, es probable que te encuentres con alguna palabra que no conozcas. Si praticas leer textos en Inglés, desarrollarás la habilidad de entender el significado de una palabra, por el contexto. Esto lo lograrás con mucha práctica y sin hacer trampa. Saca tus inferencias y luego verifica con el diccionario.
Writing
La sección de Writing del examen TOEFL iBT demanda mucha práctica, Seeking English te sugiere:
Practica tu escritura utilizando un teclado de computadora, ya que para rendir el TOEFL iBT deberás usar este dispositivo. Si no eres muy hábil con el teclado debes practicar para poder desarrollar tu examen sin problemas.
Utiliza un amplio vocabulario y estructuras gramaticales, no temas usar palabras y patrones gramaticales nuevos, ésa es una excelente manera de aprenderlos y de utilizarlos apropiadamente.
En el examen TOEFL iBT se te solicitará escribir un ensayo. Sigue la estructura meticulosamente durante tus prácticas y durante el test real. El ensayo tiene 3 componentes: introducción, cuerpo y conclusión. Cada componente tiene sus aspectos de importancia.
Organiza tu escritura. Antes de empezar tu respuesta escrita, utiliza de 2 a 5 minutos para hacer un resumen de tu ensayo. No te preocupes por el tiempo que está transcurriendo, un buen resumen te ahorrará muchos problemas al momento de escribir. El resumen del ensayo debería incluir las ideas importantes para los párrafos en 2 ó 3 frases importantes por párrafos, así como también ejemplos y detalles que respalden lo aseverado.
Practica tu escritura utilizando un teclado de computadora, ya que para rendir el TOEFL iBT deberás usar este dispositivo. Si no eres muy hábil con el teclado debes practicar para poder desarrollar tu examen sin problemas.
Utiliza un amplio vocabulario y estructuras gramaticales, no temas usar palabras y patrones gramaticales nuevos, ésa es una excelente manera de aprenderlos y de utilizarlos apropiadamente.
En el examen TOEFL iBT se te solicitará escribir un ensayo. Sigue la estructura meticulosamente durante tus prácticas y durante el test real. El ensayo tiene 3 componentes: introducción, cuerpo y conclusión. Cada componente tiene sus aspectos de importancia.
Organiza tu escritura. Antes de empezar tu respuesta escrita, utiliza de 2 a 5 minutos para hacer un resumen de tu ensayo. No te preocupes por el tiempo que está transcurriendo, un buen resumen te ahorrará muchos problemas al momento de escribir. El resumen del ensayo debería incluir las ideas importantes para los párrafos en 2 ó 3 frases importantes por párrafos, así como también ejemplos y detalles que respalden lo aseverado.
Speaking
Speaking
es una de las secciones más complicadas para la mayoría de los
estudiantes, para que realices una práctica efectiva previa a tu examen,
Seeking English te recomienda:
Actualiza tu vocabulario. Elabora una lista de palabras nuevas y dedica tiempo a aprenderlas e inclúyelas en tus conversaciones y en tu escritura. Eso nutrirá tu vocabulario de manera que cuando tengas una conversación en Inglés, no te quedes sin qué decir.
Practica. Habla y no temas a los errores durante tu práctica, solo trata de corregirlos la próxima vez que hables. Pensar en voz alta también es una buena estrategia, dale una voz a tus pensamientos y reprodúcelos en inglés.
Repite en voz alta contenido académico. Toma unos audífonos y repite, así desarrolarás tu fluidez y la correcta entonación que debes emplear durante un diálogo en Inglés.
Estudia las expresiones idiomáticas, en su significado y cuándo se emplean. Usar las expresiones idiomáticas en inglés es signo de fluidez, pero si no lo haces correctamente, tendrás el efecto contrario.
Actualiza tu vocabulario. Elabora una lista de palabras nuevas y dedica tiempo a aprenderlas e inclúyelas en tus conversaciones y en tu escritura. Eso nutrirá tu vocabulario de manera que cuando tengas una conversación en Inglés, no te quedes sin qué decir.
Practica. Habla y no temas a los errores durante tu práctica, solo trata de corregirlos la próxima vez que hables. Pensar en voz alta también es una buena estrategia, dale una voz a tus pensamientos y reprodúcelos en inglés.
Repite en voz alta contenido académico. Toma unos audífonos y repite, así desarrolarás tu fluidez y la correcta entonación que debes emplear durante un diálogo en Inglés.
Estudia las expresiones idiomáticas, en su significado y cuándo se emplean. Usar las expresiones idiomáticas en inglés es signo de fluidez, pero si no lo haces correctamente, tendrás el efecto contrario.
Listening
Procura escuchar conversaciones en Inglés de todas las fuentes que puedas. Escucha música en Inglés, mira películas y series en Inglés (sin subtítulos), escucha radio en Inglés, etc. Tu práctica se volverá mucho más beneficiosa si escuchas contenido académico, que al mismo tiempo que te proporciona importante información, te familiarizará con la terminología usada en el TOEFL iBT. Mientras más practiques tu Listening, mejor te volverás en esa área.
Durante tu práctica, escucharás palabras que no conozcas. Primero trata de inferir su significado a través del contexto. Y luego verifica cuál es su significado en el diccionario, y cómo se escribe correctamente. Y agrégala a tu lista de vocabulario.
Mientras escuchas, trata de hallar la idea principal del contenido. Por lo general, la encontrarás al inicio del audio, mientras que los detalles los escucharás más adelante en la reproducción del audio.
Escucha conversaciones con varios acentos: En el TOEFL iBT te encontrarás con conversaciones desarrolladas con una variedad de acentos. Por esta razón debes practicar escuchando a personas con diferentes acentos y patrones de pronunciación.
Advanced Level - Confident Communicative Skills
Speaking
Advanced level English learners feel comfortable participating in
most everyday conversations and can express themselves with ease and
provide detail. They may feel challenged in situations where they are
called upon to speak in public, but feel capable of doing so. At work,
they can easily participate in every aspect of meetings, conference
calls, etc. Their pronunciation only rarely gets in the way of
comprehension.
Writing
English leaners at this level feel comfortable writing extended letters and e-mails, as well as writing business reports
and shorter essays. They may still need proof-reading help from time to
time, but are capable of complex structures and use a wide range of
linking language.
Reading
Learners at the advanced level enjoy reading extensively in their own
interests areas, and will sometimes read books in English for their own
pleasure. When they come across challenging vocabulary, they have
little problem in understanding the contextual meaning.
Listening
Learners can comprehend almost any conversation or entertainment
format. They only rarely have problems when listening to very topic
specific areas in which have little competence. They have no problem
understanding others in both one to one conversations, and in more
complex situations such as dinner with a number of friends, or business
meetings.
Friday, February 15, 2013
Upper Intermediate Level - Increased Understanding and Communicative Competence
Speaking
Upper intermediate level English learners have gained more confidence
and can deal with a wide range of speaking situations. They generally
have begun to become extremely proficient in expressing their opinions
on topics they find interesting, or when speaking about their work. They
can generally express their opinions on most topics, and ask more
detailed questions when engaged in conversation. At work, they feel
confident in their abilities to contribute to the conversation.
Pronunciation only occasionally causes comprehension difficulties for
others.
Writing
English learners at this level can perform most basic tasks with
confidence. They have begun to use more complex structures and
appropriate linking language in more extended passages. In academic and
work situations, they are able to write more extended passages such as
short essays, or one page memos.
Reading
Learners at the upper intermediate level begin to explore their own
interests in more extended reading passages, or even in short stories
and novels. They still need to use a dictionary from time to time, but
can increasingly learn new vocabulary through context. They are
proficient at skimming and scanning, and perform well in most
comprehension activities.
Listening
Learners feel more comfortable with longer listening periods, even if
they do not understand every word or phrase. Their grasp of the gist of
most conversations help them understand longer formats such as movies,
longer interviews etc. They have very few difficulties understanding and
participating in one to one conversations.
Etiquetas:
Basic Task,
Comfortable,
Confidence,
Conversation,
Dictionary,
English,
Essay,
Intermediate,
Listening,
Movies,
Novels,
Opinion,
Reading,
Scanning,
Skimming,
Speaking,
Stories,
Topic,
Words,
Writing
Lower Intermediate Level - Increasing Communicative Skills
Speaking
Lower intermediate level learners can use their English to complete
most simple daily tasks such as asking for more information in shops,
asking for recommendations in restaurants, asking for assistance in a
hotel, etc. At work, English learners can provide basic information
about tasks as well as ask for clarification. Learners still have
difficulties in expressing extended opinions or using a wide range of
vocabulary and structures to dig further into specifics. Pronunciation
does not cause incomprehension, but can still provide difficult for
interlocutors.
Writing
Learners at this level can write simple letters and e-mails
explaining their current situations, as well as describe past events.
Tense usage, while still not fluent, is generally clear in terms of
past, present and future. Lower intermediate level learners can write
some more extended passages, for example asking details about a certain
topic, but will use only basic linking language in their written
communications.
Reading
Learners at this level can read simple texts, understand gist of
newspaper or magazine articles, but still have difficulties with detail.
They can understand most service sector texts such as menus, bus and
train schedules, brochures, etc. without much difficulty. They have
begun to read more extended materials, but still have difficulties with
vocabulary and deeper comprehension.
Listening
English learners at this level can deal with most basic situations
such as asking for directions, responding to simple questions at work,
etc. without having to ask for much repetition. In these common
situations, they expect certain vocabulary and phrases and are familiar
with usage. They still experience difficulties when listening to the
radio or watching TV, but generally can understand the gist of the
topics discussed in these formats.
Etiquetas:
Basic Information,
Clarification,
Daily,
English,
Fluent,
Intermediate,
Language,
Listening,
Magazine,
Newspaper,
Present and Future,
Radio,
Reading,
Skills,
Speaking,
Topic,
TV,
Writing
Beginning Level Basic Communicative Skills
Speaking
English learners at this level can performs simple tasks in English
such as ordering food in a restaurant with the help of visual aids, as
well as complete simple transactions in shops. Learners can also provide
basic explanations about themselves such as stating where they are
from, their marital status, their current employment status, etc.
Learners at this level can respond in many basic situations, but find
difficulty in expressing and / or inquiring about further detail.
Learners have noticeable pronunciation difficulties that can at times
hinder their ability to be understood by others.
Writing
Learners at this level can fill in basic forms and complete simple
written tasks such as writing a description of their daily routines, or
completing a simple e-mail requesting or providing basic information
such as meeting place, time, etc. Learners at this level tend to use
simple sentences that lack complex structures such as clauses, generally
with a lack of linking language. They also tend to make basic mistakes
in tense usage even in basic narrations.
Reading
Learners at this level can scan for specific information such as TV
schedule times, use bus schedules, etc. Learners have difficulties
reading extended texts, but can generally understand the gist of very
simple reading tasks.
Listening
English learners at this level still have great difficulty in
understanding anything more than specific information such as time,
location and topic. They can understand simple conversations and
listening selections after multiple repetition to complete in-class
tasks.
Etiquetas:
Basic,
Basic Mistake,
Detail,
Elementary,
English,
Explanation,
Expressing,
Learner,
Levels,
Listening,
Pronunciation,
Reading,
Schedules,
Situations,
Speaking,
Time,
Topic,
Understand,
Visual Aids,
Writing
Monday, October 15, 2012
10 Easy Ways To Get More Reading Done
Books are the quietest and most constant of
friends; they are the most accessible and wisest of counselors, and the
most patient of teachers.
- Charles W. Eliot
“I really should read more books,” you tell yourself.
There’s all this information you want to acquire, all these skills you want to learn.
You’re excited about reading more so that you can become a better parent, friend, employee, boss, writer or entrepreneur.
You want to immerse yourself in a captivating story and learn to see the world from a brand new perspective.
You know there’s plenty to gain from reading more books.
But when you get home after a long day, you give in to temptation.
You turn on the TV and lie on the couch. You login to Facebook and start watching YouTube videos.
Before you know it, it’s bedtime. No time left in the day to read.
If this describes you, you’re not alone. This poll reveals that half the adults in America read five books or fewer over the past year.
But it doesn’t have to be this way. I’ve discovered 10 easy ways to read more books, and I’d like to share them with you.
These 10 tips have helped me to read more than 170 books over the past four years, so I promise that they work.
- 1. Always have a book with you.
When you carry a book around with you all the time, it’s less likely
that you’ll play with your phone or daydream whenever you’re caught
waiting for something.
If you use your waiting time to read, you’ll be able to finish many more books in the long run.
- 2. Set aside time to read every night before you go to bed.
10 or 15 minutes of reading before you go to bed is a good way to unwind.
- 3. Get enough sleep.
This might sound like a tip that belongs in a different article, so allow me to explain.
Many people want to read on the bus or subway ride to work, but
because they’re sleep-deprived, they decide to take a nap instead.
If you’re well-rested, you can use your commute to do some valuable reading.
- 4. Use your finger or a pen as a guide when you’re reading.
When you do this, you force your eyes not to “jump” around or skip
back over the words that you’ve already read, which is the natural
tendency of your eyes.
This tip alone will greatly improve your reading efficiency.
- 5. Use an e-reader.
I was initially hesitant about buying an e-reader (I use a Kindle),
because I enjoy reading books in their physical form. But I was quickly
won over by the convenience of doing all of my reading on the Kindle.
The font sizes are adjustable; you can share one book with multiple
devices; you can highlight text and make notes; you can use one hand to
navigate all of the Kindle’s functions (this is especially useful for me
when I find myself holding on to the handlebar of a crowded bus with
one hand, and using my Kindle with the other).
- 6. Buy audio books.
If you prefer to do your “reading” by listening, this option will work well for you.
- 7. Read one book at a time.
It’s tempting to read multiple books at once, but when you focus on
finishing one book at a time, you’ll get more out of each book that you
read.
- 8. Read while sitting on the “throne.”
It’s not recommended that you spend too much time sitting on the
toilet, but since you’re going to be there for five minutes or so, why
not do some reading? Five minutes of extra reading a day does add up.
- 9. Keep a list of books that you’ve read.
It’s exciting to see the list growing as time goes by, which will further encourage you to read more.
- 10. Keep a list of books that you want to read.
This list represents all the knowledge that you’d like to gain in the
future. Referring to this list and updating it regularly will help you
stay motivated to keep reading!
In closing…
Reading a book is like undergoing a chemical reaction.
You’ll never be exactly the same when you finish a book, because
every book has the power to teach you, encourage you and shape you.
I hope these 10 tips enable you to be changed for the better through the power of reading many more good books.
Sunday, September 30, 2012
Benefits of Reading
Benefits of Reading
With the popularity of computers and video games in recent times,
habit of reading has taken a backseat. Most parents and children are so
occupied in watching movies, television and addicted to computer games
that they find little or no time for reading. However those who have
developed reading as a hobby are aware of the countless advantages
associated with it. Reading broadens the thinking horizon of a person,
improves vocabulary and cultivates sensitivity towards people of
different cultures.
Benefits associated with reading
1.Exercises your mind.
Reading bends loosens and supple the mind. It helps in keeping the muscles of the brain in good shape.
2.Gives satisfaction
Reading gives immense satisfaction to a person. Nothing can be more satisfying than to sit with your child and read him a story book, or to see him grow with the fairy tales.
3.Expands the imagination
Reading expands the imagination of a person. One becomes more confident, self assured of his ability to understand and appreciate the various aspects of life. The mind is channelized to think about the different aspects and then questions and derives conclusions about them.
4.Enhances the ability to focus
The mind of a reader is more concentrated and focused about various aspects of life. When the mind is focused it has the capability to be more attentive in practical situations of life. As a result the body and mind of such people remain calm; they look at the problem objectively and are better decision makers.
5.Improves knowledge
Reading improves a person’s knowledge about various fields of life. This
knowledge base helps a person to make correct decisions in different
situations of life.
6.Helps to achieve goals in life
People who develop reading habit since childhood are better able to decide their goals in life. Reading also helps them in achieving these goals because once a person gets in love with books it is easier for him to just switch over from general reading to their course books.
7.Produces efficient orators
Only those who know something of quality can speak and gains respect and recognition from people. People with scarce knowledge about a subject cannot be good orators.
8.Teaches the art of living
Reading biographies of legendary individuals help the reader to learn the art of living.
9.Helps to accept other cultures and religions.
Just having information about other cultures might create misconceptions about their traditions and mythologies. A thorough reading gives clarity about the fundamentals of other religions. This helps the person to accept them in a better and overwhelming manner.
So instead of killing long hours watching television and playing
games on computer spend some time in reading so that you not only
refresh you mind but also develop a good hobby which you will later on
transfer to your children.
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