The 300-word (essay) challenge

04.08.2011

One of the best ways to learn something is to watch a master at work. William Zinsser is a master. While his books will teach you a lot of what you need to know to write well, his writing will teach you even more. He deserves to be read – and re-read – by anyone who wants to write. This article, reproduced from The American Scholar, is a good lesson in essay writing.

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Something to read – April 2011

04.03.2011

Something to read is a monthly collection of articles and essays for high intermediate and advanced readers. They are more than news, different than fiction – longer, in-depth articles and essays about fascinating people, events, and ideas.

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Too much accent?

03.31.2011

Shortly after I published What about my accent? a Successful English reader asked if too much accent could make it difficult for listeners to understand what he was saying. I told him that could happen. But I also told him that it probably wouldn’t happen very often.

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Better writing, part 2

03.22.2011

Better writing, part 1 emphasized the importance of developing writing competence – a sense, or inner feeling, for what’s right when you write. Writing competence is what guides writers when they write, but it isn’t enough. You also need a reliable process for getting your ideas down on paper or into your computer.

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Something to read – March 2011

03.10.2011

Something to read is a monthly collection of articles and essays for high intermediate and advanced readers. They are more than news, different than fiction – longer, in-depth articles and essays about fascinating people, events, and ideas.

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More than news, different than fiction

03.09.2011

The Oscars: Who calls the shots? Volcano of Rage “I Heard the Shots and Ran Toward the Sound” When Irish Eyes Are Crying America’s Gandhi: Rev. Martin Luther King Jr A Cocktail Party in the Street The Bull on the Mountain The Dancer and the Terrorist These are just a few of the titles you’ll […]

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Better writing, part 1

03.01.2011

What can you do to become a better writer? First, you can improve your knowledge about writing; and second, you can increase your ability to use what you know when you write. This article explains what you need to know and how to acquire it.

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What about my accent?

02.03.2011

Many English learners would like to “sound like a native English speaker.” What about that? Is it necessary? Or is it a good idea to even try? What can, or should, an English learner try to do about accent?

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Looking for something to read?

01.26.2011

Selective reading – and listening – is the key to better English. Selective reading is reading that you select because the topic is interesting and you can understand the text (even if some words are unfamiliar). Looking for something to read? is your monthly guide to outstanding articles from a large variety of sources around the Internet. Come back often!

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MIT – a good source for academic English

01.13.2011

MIT – Massachusetts Institute of Technology – a leading American university, has just introduced a new resource that will help students who want to improve their academic English.

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What makes English difficult?

01.06.2011

A student recently complained to me that English is difficult. “I’ve studied English for eight years,” she said, “and gotten good grades. Why can’t I use it any better?” What would you say to her? Is her problem English, or could it be something else?

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Mr. Mitchell’s writing class

12.15.2010

The best writing teachers are writers who draw you into the worlds they create, worlds filled with the most important writing lessons you’ll ever learn. Joseph Mitchell is that kind of writer and teacher.

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More reading, less looking

12.09.2010

It’s easy to spend more time looking than reading on the Internet. And that can become a major frustration for someone who’s trying to read as much as possible to improve their English. Help has arrived!

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Thoughts from a successful English learner

10.26.2010

Several months ago, I told the story of Adrian, a frustrated Brazilian English-learner who dropped out of his English class. Shortly after that, he discovered that we acquire language in one way – by reading and listening. In a short time – a little more than two years – Adrian became very fluent in English. Later, he used the same method to acquire Spanish. I recently received an e-mail from Adrian that continues the story of his language journey – a story every language learner should read.

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RSS your way to better English

10.14.2010

RSS can help you free up time for the reading and listening that will lead to better English. Today I have some suggestions for using RSS to bring reading and listening material to you automatically so it’s there, waiting for you, when you want to read or listen.

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