English Language Studying Tips
From ReCom Wiki
 |
This article contains personal views and opinions, thus should be taken as such. Please take statements in this article as general advice, but not as factual references. |
Contents |
General Tips
- Use it - The only way to improve a language is to actually practise it in your daily life. A good starting point is to speak only English to your friends and teachers during English Language class.
- Read it - Read as many English books, academic or non-academics to familiarise yourself with the language. Novels and story books help you improve narrative and descriptive language. News, opinion columns and debates could help in elucidating logical reasoning with precise language. The bottom line is to read anything in subjects you enjoy. It is a positive feedback cycle - the more you enjoy it, the more you will read; and vice versa.
- Check it - Look up dictionary and encyclopaedia when you come across a new word. The worst possible learning method is to use a new vocabulary without learning the context in which its use is appropriate. Also pay attention to the correct preposition.
- E.g. suffer is usually written as "suffer from", not "suffer with" or "suffer of".
- For intensive improvement of vocabulary, try websites like Free Rice. However, as mentioned above, always pay close attention to the precise definition and the appropriate context for the word usage.
Tips for PMR
How to tackle the multiple choice questions:
- If you are facing a dilemma, list down the definition of the four options.
- Ask yourself which of the verbs or nouns can be used within the context.
- Zoom in and select the best answer
Tips for SPM
- Do manage your time well when writing your essays. The essay for the first part (paper 1) should be a short one. Normally, the points given is sufficient for you to score full marks for the content. So, do not waste your time elaborating it by giving examples and short conclusion for each point.
- Avoid grammatical mistakes. If you are not good at grammar, avoid complex sentence structures or unfamiliar tenses. The usage of simple but correct sentences is sufficient in the exams, and this is usually better than complicated but incorrect sentences.
- Use only sentence structures that you are familiar with.
- Do not use a direct translation from your mother tongue. It usually does not work well, and could often result in embarrassing errors.
- For comprehension part, if the passage given is a story, make sure you do not change the sequence of the events that happened when you are writing for your summary. Take your time to draft your summary before writing it out.
- Allocate some time to look for mistakes in both Papers 1 and 2.
Vocabulary
While a good repertoire of vocabulary can only be acquired through good reading habit, the following words can be helpful in creating some variation in your writing.
- If you work hard you would succeed - As you sow, so shall you reap.
- Important - paramount, indispensable to, vital
- Influence from bad friends is one of the paramount factors in the problem of truancy.
- This book is indispensable to students as it provides useful studying tips.
- The presence of Escherichia coli is a vital indicator of water contaminated by faeces.
- Impossible - like putting a quart in a pint pot, like building a castle in the air
- Some say it is like putting a quart in a pint pot to score 100 in the additional mathematics paper.
- In conclusion - In a nutshell, by and large, to sum it up, put shortly
- Not impossible - not too far-fetched
- Worsen - aggravate, exacerbate
Tips for STPM/Matriculation/A Level
Web Sites
Resources for Learning and Teaching English on the Web
Online English Language Centres
- Interesting Things for ESL Students
- The British Council Britain
- E.L. Easton - English Online
- Common Errors in English
- To Learn English > Placement Test-English Grammar
