Tested tips to improve your language

Tested Tips to Improve your English 2013
1 | P a g e
Tested Tips to Improve your
English
Written By:
Eng. Mejdal Al-qahtani
Teacher Assistant at King Saud University
01-07-2013

2 | P a g e
This is my brief, concerning my personal research experience for learning the English
language from an Arabic perspective. I wish to share my findings with the members of this
group. I find many students ask about how I was able to improve my language skills, pass the
TOFEL and be admitted to Graduate School. I want to help everyone and pass along my solid
information on how to improve your language skills.
I wrote this brief in English instead of Arabic, in order for readers to practice their
English language skills, while they are reading. My wish is for everyone to achieve their goals
and use my research and experience to help on their journey.

3 | P a g e
First of all, acknowledge this irrefutable fact; by working on learning a second language
(English), you are preparing yourself to possess a rare set of skills. Therefore, you will be one of
the few people in the world who speak two languages. For your information, only 8.3 % of the
total world populations are able to speak a second language, a total of 571 Million people in
2013. The ability to speak both Arabic and English is becoming highly prized in the world, with
the effect of globalization. In other words, you will now have the ability to communicate with
over one third of the world's population; people who speak either English or Arabic. Take pride
in improving your ability to communicate with more of the world.

4 | P a g e
Another crucial point to consider is that you must enjoy the material you study. Thereby,
in studying materials that are useful, you will escalate the efficiency of your knowledge. In
reflecting back on my English language studies, I came to this conclusion: the study materials I
chose for myself had much more influence on my overall English language skills than the
assignments I received from my English teachers. So, create your own assignments.
Third, the best way to improve your language is to read as much as possible. You have to
choose subjects you love to read and this is well-worth the efforts. The libraries carry books and
tapes on many interesting subjects, with many well-known Arab authors translated into English.
For me, I like to browse the news about my home country every morning.

5 | P a g e
By reading this news, I can keep in touch with my home, Saudi Arabia, and improve my
academic reading and writing significantly. There are two useful websites which report a wide
range of Saudi news. The style of writing and familiarity of news are the key factors in grabbing
both your interest and giving you consistency in daily reading .This method will also increase
your bank of vocabulary words and knowledge of the grammar structure.
 These below are recommended websites:
1- http://www.arabnews.com/
2- http://www.saudigazette.com.sa/
Moreover, there are free applications for both Apple and Android systems. So, develop
as your daily routine this tested and useful habit.

6 | P a g e
Fourth, use your note application in your smart phone, to collect new words, expressions
and idioms every day. You can write the definition of these words and find the synonyms. The
data in this list could come from your teachers, classmates, articles you read, or news you listen
to.
Try to review this list every morning until you are able to incorporate these words in
your daily conversion. So, begin your own methods to search and compile your list of important
words.
This picture has been captured from my personal I-phone

7 | P a g e
Fifth, take advantage of being in a country that speaks English as the first language. This
means you have to find out how to practice your English language skills every day. One idea is
to choose a homestay living situation, where you can practice your English language skills on a
daily basis. If you cannot find a homestay, try to find an English tutor and work with them daily
to improve your skills. One very important technique used for learning any language is to speak
your native language, Arabic, as little as possible. Keep in mind; many Saudis maintain the same
habits as they had in Saudi Arabia. As a result, they do not practice enough their English skills.
With low English skills, they only use English if they are in their classroom, where most of the
students are also Saudis. Without practice, they make little progress and blame others for their
lack of tangible results. So, create your own community of friends, in which English is the
spoken language and be outgoing and interact with other people.
 Here is the recommended website to find homestay:
www.craigslist.org/

8 | P a g e
Sixth, writing skills are very important. One technique I used was free writing. Once a
day, I would write without worrying about spelling, structure, anything. I would just write from
my heart about my home, my experiences and anything that came to mind. I found that this
method helped me to significantly improve my writing ability and scores. So, don’t let your pen
dry out, get it busy and do it now.
Another idea is to find an issue or a topic you are interested in and write an essay. Show
your paper to your teacher or tutor and ask them to critique it.

9 | P a g e
For your information, there are some websites of academic teachers who are willing to
look over your essay and provide correction and feedback.
 Here is an economic recommended website used for beginning English students, up to the
Master and Ph.D. level research paper evaluation:
- www.customessaystation.com/
Seventh, enhance your word bank of vocabulary. This definitely will develop your
overall English skills. I found two helpful books which collect the most important academic
words in English. These books are:
1- Essential Words for the TOEFL.

10 | P a g e
2- 400 Must-Have Words for the TOEFL.
Additionally, there are also two websites with their own applications, the first called
(Anki), which uses flashcards to review new words.
The second one is Quizlet, which also uses flashcards to help you to become familiar
with new vocabularies, spelling and pronunciation. You can also download the two mentioned
books in this application.

11 | P a g e
Moreover, English Central is a helpful website, with learning new English pronunciation,
words and listening skills.
So, increase your vocabulary, review the new words that you just learned until they stick
in your mind, and find ways to use them in daily conversations.
 Here are my previous recommended websites addresses:
1- http://ankisrs.net/
2- http://quizlet.com/
3- http://www.englishcentral.com/

12 | P a g e
Last but not least, there is very common question. This question is which are the best ways to
prepare very well for TOEFEL, IELTS, GRE or GMAT tests? Also, which books will be the
most useful and have a direct effect on your studies?
I bought numerous books that outline the best strategies for exams and this helped me
tremendously. Hence, whatever you find either a book, website or video, try it out. You will find
which ones have the best methods for your learning style and grab your interest. Do not hesitate
and let’s get started.
From my personal strategy, I discovered that I just needed to briefly understand each test’s
strategies in either book, YouTube or certain website. I found it best not to spend a lot of time on
the details and immediately jumped into the practice tests. Thereby, I was able to practice many
exams, until I was able to master all the various methods that I learned from my research.

13 | P a g e
I noticed that this method prepared me very well in different areas, as each test has
strengths and weaknesses. This way is very effective and it gives direct and tangible results and
it will prepare you comprehensively for the coming test. So, as many exams you practice, the
better score you will get.
This is the recommended book for IELTS test:
1- Cambridge IELTS 8 Student's Book with Answers: Official Examination Papers from
University of Cambridge.

14 | P a g e
In this book, you will find 4 completed tests with the exact style of the actual exam. For
your information, make sure you get the version that comes with 2 CDs, in order to benefit from
the listening section. I selected this book because it is written from the same source who
publishes the IELTS exams. For the speaking section, try to find native speakers to practice with.
Also, from time to time record yourself, and you will be able to see how much progress you have
achieved. Many students find themselves in endless trap, taking tests and getting the same score
over and over. As time goes by, you still have not achieved your target score.
One important cause is making the same mistakes again and again. This could be from
not knowing the correct answers and without receiving any feedback from the examiners. This
book has the correct answers to show you where your weaknesses are. Thereby, this will allow
you to correct and learn from your mistakes and cure your weak areas. Moreover, this book is the
current version and the most up to date. One good idea is when you complete this book, you can

15 | P a g e
order the previous one which will includes different tests. So, practice IELTS tests until you
master them.
 This is also a recommended website that you can find more practice tests:
http://www.ielts-exam.net/practice_tests/
 These are videos for writing strategies:
http://www.youtube.com/user/EnglishRyan
 These are recommended book for TOEFL test:
1- Cambridge Preparation for the TOEFL® Test Student CD-ROM .

16 | P a g e
As you will see, this book contains 7 different practice tests on CD-ROM. It is very
helpful and you will be able to find the right answers for self-correction as well. It is well-worth
the effort and time, as you will find it very similar to the real test. So, be more diligent and
escalate your skills.
 Here are many helpful websites:
1- For the writing and speaking sections, these videos are very effective :
http://www.youtube.com/user/NoteFulldotcom?feature=watch
2- To Improve your typing skills, try one of these websites:
- http://www.freetypinggame.net/free-typing-test.asp (Free and highly
recommended, I personally used this website for thirty minutes a day and quickly
raised my typing abilities.)
- http://www.typingtest.com/

17 | P a g e
These are recommended books for GRE/GMAT test:
In these books, there are both many efficient strategies and a bank of math problems. One
crucial point that makes them essential is that they teach you techniques on how to use your time
efficiently during the test. They also discuss activating your critical thinking, so you can give the
right answer, using the shortest path possible. I also discovered that they have a very useful
website, in which you can select your test exam and become familiar with the given questions.
So, book your exam and get ready to reach your goals.

18 | P a g e
 Here is the recommended website for GRE/GMAT test:
http://www.kaptest.com/
They have two different types of courses, both which are approved by the Saudi Culture
Mission (SCAM). The first one I recommend for students with a good math background; such as
engineers and accountants. In this course, you will take only 8 sessions and then you have to
practice by yourself. This is a lost self-study course, where you are working at your own pace.
The second course is for beginners and you will be studying for three months on intensive
coursework. So, find the nearest branch to your location by clicking on your zip code. So, find
additional information on their website and contact them.
By working on these steps, you will find that you will easily reach the targeted scores.

19 | P a g e
Keep in mind; by only targeting high scores for these tests, you will limit your overall
learning. When you limit your goals, you will have anxiety and pressure, placing a great deal of
tension on yourself. When you feel this type of pressure, it will cause test anxiety, resulting in a
sharp drop in your English scores efficiency.
On the other hand, if your goal is to acquire an important language, this knowledge will
now open the door to new exposure and your influence in the world. Also, know the acquisition
of English language skills is now considered a crucial requirement for making significant change
in the world. Thereby, you will discover that you feel more satisfied in living in an English-
speaking country and naturally improve your English test scores.

20 | P a g e
As an expected result, your overall English skills will increase dramatically and
consequently you will become fluent in English.
I hope these tips will prove to be useful and effective, as they had a dramatic influence on
my own English ability. I do believe that the institution where you attend to learn English; can
contribute only 20% to your overall learning. With this in mind, you need to harness the other
80% of the learning process by your own efforts. So, 80% of learning is your own responsibility
and if you fail, 80% is your own fault not anyone else. However, I found that with
determination and hard work, you will overcome your obstacles and achieve your goals.

21 | P a g e
keep in mind that the outcomes of mastering two popular languages are worth the efforts
and time. With these efforts, you will substantially increase your power and influence in the
world.
Lastly, enjoy yourself in this interesting journey.

22 | P a g e
This brief was written by Mejdal Al-qahtani. Don’t miss me from your Doua. May Allah
bless you on your journey and fulfill your hopes and dreams.
 For any further question, these are my personal contacts:
Facebook: Mejdal Al-qahtani
Tweeter: @Mejdalalqahtani
Insistagram: mejdal_alqahtani

Tested tips to improve your language

Recommended

Recommended

More Related Content

What's hot

What's hot (20)

Viewers also liked

Viewers also liked (7)

Similar to Tested tips to improve your language

Similar to Tested tips to improve your language (20)

Recently uploaded

Recently uploaded (20)

Tested tips to improve your language