LEARNING ENGLISH 1. HOW DO YOU LEARN BEST? The first step in learning to study successfully is to know as much as possible about yourself as a learner. Not everyone learns in the same way; it is important to know what helps you to succeed and what makes learning difficult for you. TASK 1.1 Think about your preferred learning strategies and habits and discuss them with your partner. You may consider the following factors: - planning (keeping to plans, dropping them, etc.) - the time of the day/ night - intensity (how many hours per day) - the media used (notes, books, CDs, the Internet, etc.) - school / home environment - individual / group learning - special diet?☺ Do you think you could improve your studying skills? What effective strategies can be employed in learning English or other languages? TASK 1.2 Look at the “successful studying recipe”. Fill in the missing numbers. TASK 1.3 It is also very useful to determine the purpose of your learning. Write down why you are taking this course in as much detail as possible. Here are some general reasons that you may include or expand. - to pass an exam - to improve your speaking skills - to revise the grammar you already know - to learn sports terminology - to overcome your fear of language learning - to learn new information - to get a better job 2. STUDY SKILLS listening speaking reading writing “Study skills” are the techniques you need for studying successfully. They are the ways of thinking and behaving that people use in order to learn any academic subject effectively. TASK 2.1 Look at the list of study skills. Which of them do you feel are the most important for your own study? Which do you feel are the least important? Feel free to add more to the list. Talk to your partner. Where do you think are your strong and weak points?