Skill Focus: How to keep up with your English during the Holidays
During the holidays, so many students play around and totally forget how to speak good English, they resume back to school and end up struggling with English language. The English language is permanently evolving and developing constantly as new words are created or adopted from other languages. New expressions and words are coined and existing words change their meanings as society, culture and technology progresses. Words also become fashionable to use and like clothes go in and out of fashion. Keeping up with all the changes can be fun but challenging. Here are ways you can keep up with your English while enjoying the holidays.
- Oral Practice – The best way of keeping up with your English is by practising it often, talking to those you know who speak good English is one way of improving your own. Don’t always engage in speaking vernacular language because you are not in school or because its the holiday season and you feel that you can do anything you want. Practising with your friends (while gisting) who speak well is also another way of improving your knowledge of English. Try to improve on your English and move with people who would help improve your English.
- Reading Widely– WASSCE examiners often remark that they can tell who the best candidates are : they are clearly those whose use of language has improved because they have developed the habit of reading widely. So keep reading!!! Do not neglect your books totally because you are on Holiday. Use your leisure time to read, read stories, literature novels, newspapers e.t.c. Read publications meant for teenagers. Often new, hip words appear first in print dedicated to young audiences. As their usage becomes more established, the words will appear in more generally targeted media. Check out magazines or internet sites on topics which interest you and have a focus toward young readers. Read technology-related stories and publications. A large number of new words start as words to describe a new technology or capability. Staying abreast of trends and developments in the areas of computers, electronics, and science will keep your English on the cutting edge
- Poetry – Looking at some of the poems in your English text and how interesting they are, you would be forgiven for doubting the idea that poetry is supposed to be enjoyable. It is true that many poems are very difficult to understand and that their potential for enjoyment is limited. Indeed, this applies to many of the poems on the literature syllabus. We urge you to see poetry as a source of enjoyment. In the holidays, why not look at some poetry anthologies, and find a poem you really like – and bring it to the next school term for others to share your enjoyment. Why not try writing a poem or two yourself? Any incident, large or small – a kolanut, meeting a friend, an accident, starting or ending a relationship – can trigger a poem.
- Visit Dictionary Sites or Check Your Dictionary – Today, many students have internet enabled phones which can be used to browse the internet or check meanings of words. Most dictionary sites include sections addressing words which were recently added to the dictionary. Check out Internet sites to track new words. Use search terms like “new English words” or “new words” to find words being added to the English language. Also if someone speaks a word you don’t understand or you have never heard of before, get a dictionary and check for the meaning of this word, this way you would have learnt something new.
- Take English Quiz – Take English tests and quizzes. They can be fun and can also improve you. These tests can be found on the internet or in text books.
Common Errors
These verbs are frequently misused.
Request: Do not use ‘for’ after the verb request.
Example: She requested them to stop drinking
Make: The pattern after ‘make’ is object + infinitive, without to.
Example: She made them stop talking
Enable: The pattern is object + to + infinitive
Example: The flight enabled them to get to Lagos early.
Choose the best answer to the following.
1. The hotel receptionist ___ that the airport bus was leaving.
a. tod to us
b. told us
c. told
d. please told us
2. The driver asked ___ our luggage in the boot of the coach
a. to bring them
b. they to put
c. them to put
d. that to put
3. A stewardess requested ___ our tickets
a. us that we should produce
b. please to produce
c. us to produce
d. that we should produce
4. At the airport, we were ordered ___ our luggage immediately at the counter
a. weighing
b. weigh in
c. to weigh in
d. us that we should weigh in
5. The official there advised ___ our hand luggage with us
a. to keep
b. that to keep
c. us to keep
d. us that to keep
