Helpful Apps: Memrise

Super busy?

Trying to learn English on your own?

Are you in a class, but can’t remember all the new words?

Vocabulary notebook doesn’t seem to work?

There are several websites and apps you can use, and one of my favourites is Memrise.  It can be used on a laptop, tablet, or smartphone, and it’s free. (There are bonus features which cost extra.) I’m using 2 different Spanish courses now to build my vocabulary and help me remember verb conjugations. I like Memrise for two reasons: it’s based on science, and it’s easy to personalise.

You can read more about the science, here. In a nutshell, you create little reminders (Mems) for yourself to help when you have forgotten a new word, and then the app reminds you when to practise.  Each practise session is designed to be short–less than 5 minutes–so you can complete one while waiting for the bus, or waiting for the bank to answer your phone call.

There are 1000s of courses, or you can create your own course to revise important vocabulary that you come across daily. I have made personal Memrise courses for some students, simply adding all the interesting or difficult words that come up in our Skype sessions.

You can also add competition; follow another student on Memrise, or get some friends to take the same course as you. The more you practise and the more right answers you get, the higher your score. You can earn points by creating Mems and when other people use your Mems.

 

Have you found an app that helps you learn?  What makes it so useful?

The trouble with translators

See an English word and don’t know what it means?  A translator can be efficient–you look at the context and choose the best translation.  But going in reverse can be difficult.  Many English words are only used in certain situations, or in set phrases, or in Shakespeare’s time.  I’ve even had students using translators who write essays with words from Scots English–which I don’t speak.

This pictures was on a calendar of funny signs. Can you see the problem with the translation?

A slut is a person who has no sexual morals.  We can also describe this kind of person as cheap, fast, or easy.  These are very negative words for a person.  I’m pretty sure this noodle company doesn’t think their customers are sexually promiscuous.

How did this happen?

A few hundred years ago, a slut was a lazy woman.  I think someone looked up a word in their language that means lazy person, read through the English translations, then chose one that starts with S (to go with Soup).

If only they had taken the time to look it up in an English-English dictionary!  These are available as offline apps for smartphones and tablets, or as websites.  Have a look at a few, and choose one that feels comfortable for you.

Here are some of my favourites:

Learner’s dictionaries have definitions which are easier to understand, and will often give extra information about grammar or collocation.

Cambridge learner’s dictionary. British

Link here

Oxford learner’s dictionary. British

Link here

Wiktionary  

Useful if you’re interested in extra information about a word, like it’s history, or if you want to see how other languages use the same spelling for their own words.  Remember, Wiktionary is edited by volunteers, not experts.  Verify what you read here.

Link here

Mirriam Webster.  American.  

Useful if you use American English, or if you want to compare differences between British and American definitions.

Link here

Don’t be shy!

Many of my students are adults, and they have the same problem. The problem is that they don’t have enough vocabulary and grammar in English to express their thoughts clearly, which makes them feel unintelligent. They are intelligent people with interesting ideas and opinions, but when it’s time to practise speaking, they often talk about very boring things:  what did you eat for dinner yesterday, what are you doing next weekend, who is your favourite footballer…     Not very good for parties.

One way to solve this problem is to learn set phrases.  These are groups of words that are always used together, in certain situations. Another solution is to learn a complex sentence and which words can be taken out. The grammar may be too difficult for you to use all the time, but you can learn to use it in just one type of sentence.

Here is a topic that most people find interesting, with some examples of set phrases and grammar.  You can think about this before you go to a party or social event, maybe even have 2 or 3 photos ready on your phone.  You’ll be able to ask other people about themselves (everyone loves to talk about themselves), and answer questions about your own experience.

Topic:  What country/town/place did you visit recently?

Ideas to think about before you begin talking to someone:

• Why did you go there?
• What did you expect?
• Did it meet your expectations?  How?
• Would you recommend it to someone else?

Phrases:

• I’d been thinking about/planning it for a long time.
• I was expecting/hoping to…  (do something).
• I loved/hated/enjoyed it.  (enjoy is usually used for an experience, but not for a place or sight.)
• I loved/hated/enjoyed every minute of it.
• It was everything I had (ever) dreamed of. (ever makes the sentence a little stronger, like saying it was something you had wanted for a long time.)
• I was pleasantly/happily surprised.  (I didn’t think it was going to be good, but it was!)
• I was really/completely disappointed.
• I would/wouldn’t recommend it.

Grammar:  

• The weather was worse than I expected.  (comparisons, comparing ideas with reality.)
• It looked/felt/smelled like a …

Example:

I went to Norfolk a few weeks ago because I wanted to visit the museum.  I had seen it in a TV program about the Saxons, and it looked interesting.  I was hoping to see some models of how people lived.  I really enjoyed it, the museum has things from about 5000 years of history, and the last room is like a medieval dining hall in a castle.  My favourite part was the toilets–they looked really uncomfortable!  There was a tour of the top of the museum, but I didn’t have time.

I’d recommend it, but I think it’s better to go by train.  Driving in the town is very confusing.  And don’t go on  Sunday, most of the shops and restaurants are closed, so there is nothing to do after the museum.

When you are finished, it’s good manners (and good conversation) to ask the other person questions.

• Have you ever been to this place?  What did you think of it?
• What’s the most interesting place you’ve been recently?
• Where else would you recommend that I visit?  (A really good question if you are new. If you are going to meet people who have just moved to your area, try to have 2 suggestions ready for them.)

Did you notice?  Only a few of these are yes/no questions.  It is more difficult to have an interesting conversation with yes/no answers.

Coping tip:

Ask questions, but not yes/no.  This will encourage other people to tell stories, and give you a minute to think about what you want to say.