*** Leitner Box system, a terrific manner to learn foreign Languages ***

Learning a foreign language in beginning seems difficult for everyone. In past decades and centuries it was very difficult but now, there are many different and useful methods to learning a foreign language. I as an English learner think that we need a good method to learn each language skill (including listening, structure, reading & writing and speaking). Each language skill need a good method and I think each method is suitable for some persons and there is no method that can be satisfactory for all people to learning a foreign language. For example that’s natural if a way to learning English for children from 8-10 years is different from methods for people from 25-30 years. And also the manners for part time learners is different from full time learners….

But on the basis of my experiences in learning English, I think one of the best ways to learn and memorize English words is the method of Leitner Box that I tried it and I am very satisfied. This method help us to memorize English words in shorter time economize in our time, so it make learning language more enjoyable and easier.

In this system, we use FlashCards. You can see more information about the Leitner system in WikiPedia:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Leitner_system

and you can see more information about FlashCard, too:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Flashcard

But the main point that I didn’t see it in WikiPedia, is that to learn better and more efficient, we should learn Words with their pronunciation and with their different forms. This is what I tried and I’ve got a very nice result. For example, I learnt the word “teach” in such manner:

First I wrote the Word “Teach” and also its pronunciation and kind of the word (that is Verb about this word) on one side. Then I wrote its meaning in Persian on another side. After that, I wrote other forms of this word including: “Teachable”, “Teacher” and “Teaching” each on separate Flash cards, and I write the pronunciation, kind of the word and meaning about each word, like what I did about the main word “Teach” exactly. As a result, I learnt all derivatives from the Word “Teach” and it could help me better to make new sentences. For example, after that, if I need to use an adjective from “teach” in my sentence, I know that “Teachable” is its adjective, and I remember it very soon. And also this manner helped me to memorize the word “teach” better because when we learn a word with its derivatives, in fact, we repeat it for more times, and this help us very much…

Also about the pronunciation, I wrote pronunciation of each word with phonetic alphabet on its flash card, so when I repeated the words, I repeated the pronunciations, too.

But a way that I think is another good manner and unfortunately I didn’t try it yet, is inverse learning! For example, if you are a Persian like me and you read word on flash cards and say their meaning in Persian, after you read all Flash Cards, try to read the Persian side of each Card and say its equivalent word in English with true pronunciation!! If you have extra time, this can be very good to increase your memorize skill. Of course about some words that they have several equivalents in English, you can remember and say other equivalents, too. There is no limitation in it!

Even after that you became skillful in memorize and remembering words, you can use Flash cards on the basis of English to English dictionaries. This can be good for English learners that they study English literature and TOEFL or IELTS is not enough for them!

I think this manner can be useful for learning each language. What do you think? Please write in comments…

*my writing practices for TOEFL _ NO 10*

In continuation of the previous post, I write another of my writing practices:

Writing Practice NO 10:

Subject: at the end of your life, how would you most like to be remembered? Support your response with reasons and examples.

I think life is a very expanded scene that our creator gave us to make changes in the Earth, and also God gave us freedom to choose our manner and enjoy our lives while we reach to some aims that God wants from us. Freedom is the main reason of differentiating between people and their lifestyles. I want to live in a manner that not to damage society and others at all, while I enjoy my life and reach my aims.

Like others, I have freedom and choosing power to choose my manner of life, and I have some big aims that I really want to gain all of them and I think everybody like to reach all of his/her aims in life, but there are some unchangeable things in life that have negative effects on our lives, but if I reach most of my aims during my life, this is very valuable for me…

But about my relations with society and others, I think that Isaac Newton’s third law is also true about life so what we do, we collect its results. So that’s better if I do nice acts and be kind with others, so I will attract nice things and kind friends. I want to help others specially nice and talent persons as possible as I can, and even I don’t have many expectations from helping others, but I think others will help me, too. This is on the basis of my experiences and I enjoy it.

But about my personal life, I think if I don’t harm others, I can live in each way that I want, and I think this is not very important for others, too.

So I want to be remembered as a nice, kind and useful person who make some useful changes.

*my writing practices for TOEFL _ NO 9*

In continuation of the previous post, I write another of my writing practices:

Writing Practice NO 9:

Subject: Some people prefer to marry when they are young, while others prefer to wait until they are older to marry. Discuss the advantages of each position. Then indicate which you think is better and why.

Marriage is one of the most complicated subjects in life. One of the great men says: “marriage is harder than going to global war! ” I think this sentence is true because there are many things like society situation, religion and your personal thoughts that affect on your marriage.

To marry in youth has some advantages like have more energy and more excitement to sex! But there are other and many things that you should define what you want with them, like financial problems, social problems, your family and your other aims in life that You shouldn’t and you can’t ignore them, because even if you think they are not important, they are important and they will influence your life in future. So, if marriage isn’t a prevention for other things in your life, perhaps that’s good for you to marriage, however, your life partner should accept your situation and your thoughts and also there should be a mutual love between both you, if not, some big problems will appear in future. But if you can’t marry in youth, there is no reason for hopelessness because everything isn’t sex! And have a partner in life. You can endeavor to make your life better, and after you reached your other aims, you can marry or engage easily, and you can marry with anyone that accept you and she/he is really your half-lost, who may be your friend from youth or you find him/her recently. Although marriage for girls is different from boys, but I think this is a good way for all and for this statement I have some reasons. My reason is that choose a way to have a perfect life as possible as we can. Most of successful men and women married and they have had very nice, beautiful and happy life and this shows that it’s possible to have your dreamy life only if you think to all things in your life and endeavor to reach best things. I think that another important thing in life is health and remain healthy during life. To remain healthy, you should have less stresses in your life and work, have regular exercises, have nice feeding and have anything that is goos for your health. If you have so, you can enjoy life and sexual enjoyment in each age. I wrote these paragraphs on the basis of what I have seen during my life, and I think as we think the lewdness is dirty and shameful, dirty lives and an ugly life is shameful, too, because it has some bad effects on society, and I think the governments should endeavor to improve people’s personal lives, if not, they shouldn’t expect to have a perfect nation…

But another subject is some relations that they have problem with religions, like having a sharing life without marriage. However it is not lewdness and it’s for love not for money, but some religions count it a big vice, but some persons accept it in a situation that marriage is not possible and the two persons in relation are agreeing and satisfying. As I have seen, such relations sometimes can be good and can resume and finish in a successful marriage, but sometimes are bad. I think it depends on each person that abuse it or not. I think this is a new subject that became important nowadays, and we need to a deep check and a deep conversation with psychologists and sociologists. It’s not an easy decree and perhaps for solving this subject, we should ignore some religion rules and make new rules that be suitable with modern societies. This depends on social situations…

But some people don’t want to marriage at all. I think that the society should respect their believes and also they should respect to society values and they shouldn’t extend lewdness. I myself believe that the best ages for marriage is between 30-40, when some parts of your needs and your problems become solved and also you mind was grown and you are nearer to perfection and have a good chance to marriage…

*my writing practices for TOEFL _ NO 8*

In continuation of the previous post, I write another of my writing practices:

Writing Practice NO 8:

Subject: Do you agree or disagree with the following statement?

“A knowledge of history is absolutely essential”

Use specific reasons and examples to support your response.

I seriously agree with this statement because no one is perfect and no one knows everything. So that’s necessary to read other people’s fates and read about their lifestyles to take lesson from them and don’t repeat the previous mistakes in our lives. For example we can take lesson from their mistakes in social subjects and their wars, so we can solve such problems and prevent from other wars in future. If we don’t pay attention to history, perhaps we repeat the old mistakes so these problems add to other problems and new problems and our situation for life becomes worse and worse. this is awful and make many persons disappointed.

Why we repeat the previous mistakes? This is not logical. So history is the great teacher of all people…

*my writing practices for TOEFL _ NO 7*

In continuation of the previous post, I write another of my writing practices:

Writing Practice NO 7:

Subject: Do you agree or disagree with the following statement?

“Time should never be wasted.”

Use specific reasons and examples to support your response.

I exactly agree with this sentence, because I think each time and each period has its own potential that you can achieve many things for yourself, even if you don’t have the ideal situation at a time, but you can still use the time to improve your life and make better aims to achieve your aims. You can be happy and enjoy your life if you don’t waste time. For example, I don’t have my ideal situation at this time and I have many problems in my life. But now I endeavor to make my life better and make new ways to gain my aims. But that’s not all of it, if I reach my aims in future, I will have other and perhaps different needs that I should endeavor for them. But I think the happiness possible only if I don’t waste time in youth…

*my writing practices for TOEFL _ NO 6*

In continuation of the previous post, I write another of my writing practices:

Writing Practice NO 6:

Subject: Some people work better during the day, while other people work better at night. Which kind of person are you, and why? Use reasons and examples to support your response.

Working during the day or at night depends on different features. For example night workers in mines and some factories are habited to work at night and sleep in the day. While this is unusual but their biologic period time are habited to their work situation. another feature that effect on work better in the day or night is the person’s health. For example if have healthy eyes, that’s easier for you to habit to work at night, however somebody who has weak eyes, can’t work at night very good because darkness and lamps light are bad and sometimes harmful for weak eyes. So I think people who have weak eyes or other sickness or problems (for example problem with sleeping or perhaps it’s a psychological sickness) can work better during the day, while healthy people can adapt easier with work at night or day…

*my writing practices for TOEFL _ NO 5*

In continuation of the previous post, I write another of my writing practices:

Writing Practice NO 5:

Subject: What advice would you give to someone who is just beginning the study of English language? Give reasons and examples to support your response.

I recommend to endeavor hard and being in hopeful mood to learn English. I recommend someone who is beginning the study of English language that focus on grammar and after grammar, focus on listening and writing. Grammar is very very important and is the hardest part of learning English (and also each language), however I think that’s not very hard as much as nobody can learn it.

These days there are many different and useful tools and methods to learn English that I recommend to use each thing that is useful and suitable, and also accessible for you, such as different English story books, different English websites and English online tests and exams that they are often free. Also these days social networks and blogging are very common, so connect with other English learners in the world and share your knowledge with them…

For learning English word, I recommend to use Flash cards and Picture Dictionaries to memorize words better and faster. Flash card is very terrific and useful tool that I have seen to memorize English words with their meanings as quickly as possible. Also you can make these flash cards with surplus papers in your notebooks and in your home. I myself, brought surplus papers and divide them to smaller parts, then I wrote the English word with its pronunciation and also type of word (Verb, Noun, Adverb or adjective or …) in one side and write its meaning in Persian in another side.

Although bilingual dictionaries are very useful, but you should habit to use English to English dictionaries because sometimes you need to know explanation of a word in English and perhaps that word doesn’t have an exact equivalent in your language.

And also I warn not to try unreal and scam tools like “learn English in sleep” because that’s really junk and only empty your pocket! Learning English is hard and need practice but it’s not impossible. And please note that learning English these days is much easier than the past. So use new tools and methods and don’t become hopeless. Just try and practice, practice and practice!

If you do so, you will be successful. There is not any doubt in it.

*my writing practices for TOEFL _ NO 4*

In continuation of the previous post, I write another of my writing practices:

Writing Practice NO 4:

Subject: some people like to visit new and different places, while others prefer to remain in places they know. Which type of person are you? Support your response with reasons and examples.

I’m a person who love to visit new places and see new cultures, because I think that everybody needs to know more about people and cultures, because we live in a world with different people and different cultures. In addition, people from countries and cities will become more connected everyday. So, some traditions in each area become changing because of globalize influence on societies. So we should see different places and different people to have more successful communication with others and as well as we recognize other people, we can introduce our country and our culture to other people and thus every culture can get some positive effects from other cultures and this is a good way to amend human cultures. Also sometimes we need to travel to other areas for other aims like study abroad or for a research, for business, for use more facilities that we need but we don’t have them in our area, and so on. So I love traveling and I think travel and seeing new places is very enjoyable for everyone.

*my writing practices for TOEFL _ NO 3*

In continuation of the previous post, I write another of my writing practices:

Writing Practice NO 3:

Subject: What type of company would you most like to see built in your hometown or city? Give reasons to support your response.

I like to see that a great software company built in my city, because my field of study and my job is Software Engineering.

This is my dream! But I have reasonable idea about companies that are built in my city that is a green city with amazing environmetn. I think those companies that infect the environment like cement and petrochemical industries, should not be built in verdurous and woodsy areas because we need green and healthy places to live and also we can have a great income if we pay attention to attract all tourists to such areas. Pollutant industries can be built in deserts areas and although this can be more expensive, in lieu of it we save our environment and our health. But non-pollutant industries are very useful in each city because help people to have suitable jobs and decrease jobless people in each city...

*my writing practices for TOEFL _ NO 2*

In continuation of the previous post, I write another of my writing practices:

Writing practice NO 2:

Subject (in the Book): Do you agree or disagree with the following statement?

“Patience is the most important characteristic in a boss”

Use specific reasons and examples to support your response.

I agree with this statement, because a boss organize the work, define the way of project process and he/she knows that some aims need more time to be reached and they depend on different situations and other things. So, a boss should be skilled (skillful), smart and perfect, and also a boss should be patient. A good example is Google; when the Google Inc. established, it was a small company with big aims, but it was not possible to process some ideas in those years. But after seven years, Google became a great company and it was the suitable time for Google to take part in other fields such as Email services or social networks. The managers of Google were patient to reach their aims, and Google became successful in the best possible way and now, it is the biggest company in the field of online services. This is a result of a nice and reasonable management, and Google is not only successful in its works, but also it is successful in other things like make a nice and satisfactory office for its employees, and also make a good possibility for its employees to execute their innovative ideas…

*my writing practices for TOEFL _ NO 1*

I’m reading for the TOEFL but not arranged, because I have some other things to do. I started reading for TOEFL from 22 Months ago from Beginner level, and now my English become very better and I hope to get my TOEFL 4 Months later, although if I was read for TOEFL harder and more arranged, I could get it 9 Month ago. I think learning English is not very difficult but it need a high concentration that unfortunately I hadn’t!

Plus a nice English teacher that I have, I read the Book “Longman Complete Course for the TOEFL Test”. This is very useful book and it contains 4 sections in order: Listening, Structure, Reading and Writing. I finished the first 3 sections 5 Months ago then I started writing, but after 4 sessions, I disconnected going to class for about 3 Months! But now I continue my classes and I should reread the book from the first page as soon as possible because I forgot something and I need to remember them.

I think reading and writing in each way can help English learner to improve, and some nice ways are reading English websites and blogs and leave a comment, or make foreign friends online. But today I want to write some of my writing practices here as a memento and also if you want, you can write your opinion or a text that you think it’s better, in the comments. I encourage you to leave a comment!

I write each of my writings with their subjects. If you see any grammatically problem in my writings, please notify me in the comments...

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Now writing practice NO 1:

Subject (in the Book): some students prefer to study alone, while other students prefer to study with others. Discuss the advantages of each type of studying. Then indicate which you prefer and why.

Study needs good concentration, however this depends on what you want to study. For example, Mathematics, Physics and Chemistry need deep concentration because you have to proof many subjects in this type. While others like literature need casual concentration, but it become hard if you don’t have a good concentration and attention.

For a good study, your mind should be free from daily stresses, and there are some ways and techniques to prepare your mind for concentration on study and also increase your concentration for other works. Techniques and manners like relaxation, meditation, Yoga and so on.

But the advantage of study in a group with others is that we can concentrate all minds on the specific subject so you pay less attention to other subjects and stresses when you study in a group. (although perhaps sometimes this can’t help you because you may have a great problem that it make your mind whole busy, but study in group often is better…). This is very useful specially for hard lessons that they need deep concentration and high energy.

I for myself prefer to study with others because what I wrote in previous paragraphs, but if it’s not possible always, I study at least hard lessons with others.

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What you think about this subject? Please write your opinion in comments…