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Blog criado por Bruno Coriolano de Almeida Costa, professor de Língua Inglesa desde 2002. Esse espaço surgiu em 2007 com o objetivo de unir alguns estudiosos e professores desse idioma. Abordamos, de forma rápida e simples, vários aspectos da Língua Inglesa e suas culturas. Agradeço a sua visita.

"Se tivesse perguntado ao cliente o que ele queria, ele teria dito: 'Um cavalo mais rápido!"

terça-feira, 15 de novembro de 2016

The Language Learning Plateau & How to Move Past It

The Language Learning Plateau & How to Move Past It
written by: Vandana Singhal • edited by: Elizabeth Stannard Gromisch • updated: 6/6/2012



When learning a new language, learners often feel stuck. They feel like they have reached a plateau where they see no further significant progress. Read on to find out why this happens and how you can get out of it.

Learning a second language is a long process. It takes years and years to become proficient in a language, even with a native language. However, after learning for some time, most learners feel stuck in a stage of knowledge. In fact, they feel reaching a plateau in their language acquisition. Literally, a plateau is a state of no or little progress. Why does this happen?

What is the Learning Plateau?

A learning plateau is a term that is often used in educational psychology. This is a kind of phenomenon that refers to a situation when the learner in the course of learning, despite all the efforts of learning and practice, seems to make no significant progress. In the beginning of the process, the learning curve is steep, then it gradually starts leveling out. The learning plateau is that flat part of learning curve which comes after rapid progress initially. However, after being in plateau for certain period, the learner will continue to make progress.

The plateau period is sometimes also referred as the "Temporary Fossilization," which is a prelude to permanent fossilization. Fossilization means the rules and linguistic items of the native language of the speaker persist in the inter-language relative to a target language. When compared to fossilization, the plateau is the temporary and reversible stage of language learning.

Why This is a Good Sign

Language learning is not a smooth process. A learner experiences spurts and slow-downs. They reach a plateau in learning because initially, in the early stages of learning, they clearly see their learning progress. They tackle all the hurdles in learning enthusiastically and successfully. However, when it comes to intermediate stage of language learning, they need to consolidate and apply that existing knowledge. It makes it harder for them to know what has to be achieved and recognize the success of knowledge.

Recognizing the Plateau

You can recognize the plateau in language learning by two ways. Evaluate the outcomes of the standardized tests that measure proficiency and achievement in the language you are studying. Secondly, observe the performance of learners at anytime of the learning process. This phenomenon is displayed both in behavior and psychology of the language learners. For instance, you will observe that learners are not showing as much interest in the teacher's instructions as they were previously. Their transition from intermediate to advanced intermediate seems to be frustrating. This situation is seen even after teachers impart new information and knowledge, as learners are not able to use that information. They may start feeling that this new language is too difficult for them to learn. Some may even appear to regress and have difficulty in every part of language learning, such speaking, reading, pronunciation, vocabulary, grammar and understanding.

What to Do

To handle this plateau in language acquisition, teachers should explain the typical learning curve at the start of program. They should help learners understand the intermediate phase, which is for strengthening their knowledge and gaining confidence. This phase is to help the learners become more autonomous as language users.




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segunda-feira, 14 de novembro de 2016

THE 20 HABITS OF EVENTUAL MILLIONAIRES


Number 4 - No excuses



Blaming is draining. Complaining is draining. Explaining is draining. We don’t have enough inner plumbing for all that draining.





PORTAL DA LÍNGUA INGLESA has no responsibility for the persistence or accuracy of URLs for external or third-partly internet websites referred to in this post, and does not guarantee that any context on such websites are, or will remain, accurate or appropriate. 

In some instances, I have been unable to trace the owners of the pictures used here; therefore, I would appreciate any information that would enable me to do so. Thank you very much. 

Is something important missing? Report an error or suggest an improvement. Please, I strive for accuracy and fairness. If you see something that doesn't look right, contact me! 

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Teaching ideas - Modal Verbs

There must be plenty of ideas about how to teach modal verbs. During my fifteen years as an EFL teacher/Professor, I have been dealing with lots of groups in which I was (still am) supposed to teach modal verbs.

Thinking about the many possible ways of introducing this grammar point, I decided to write some entries on how to teach modal verbs in English.

A great deal of teachers introduce such grammatical points, especially when it comes to obligation and permission, by talking about laws, rules, regulations in many different places (countries, cities, etc.).

For example, you can show the students some pictures of schools and just say “you have to stay at school until you are 18” or “You don’t have to go to school after you are 21”.

It is also possible to invent some stories (students love story telling) telling your students to look at the pictures below and create a dialogue or something like that.






A: I think it might be a(n)…
B: No, it is not. It has to be a…



Another possible way of talking about modal verbs in English is by asking students to search for crazy laws in some countries and ask them to describe the laws by using the modal verbs (should, must, have to).








 After that, divide the students into three (or more) groups and ask them to discuss their crazy laws.






PORTAL DA LÍNGUA INGLESA has no responsibility for the persistence or accuracy of URLs for external or third-partly internet websites referred to in this post, and does not guarantee that any context on such websites are, or will remain, accurate or appropriate. 

In some instances, I have been unable to trace the owners of the pictures used here; therefore, I would appreciate any information that would enable me to do so. Thank you very much. 

Is something important missing? Report an error or suggest an improvement. Please, I strive for accuracy and fairness. If you see something that doesn't look right, contact me! 

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sexta-feira, 11 de novembro de 2016

[JOKE] Sex Drive

Sex Drive




Scientists have discovered a food that diminishes a woman's sex drive by 90%. It's called a Wedding Cake.


((ÁUDIO))

Vocabulary Help

  • sex drive - desejo sexual
  • food - comida
  • wedding cake - bolo de casamento

Enviado por: Rubens Queiroz de Almeida






“Everyone loves jokes. They can be an invaluable source of entertainment and an excellent vehicle for presenting language in context and promoting genuine communication while having a laugh. As follows, we describe some useful techniques for exploiting jokes in class. Next, a number of TEFL-appropriate jokes are included and sorted by level.”



How to use jokes in the ESL or ELT Classroom: (Link here)



PORTAL DA LÍNGUA INGLESA has no responsibility for the persistence or accuracy of URLs for external or third-partly internet websites referred to in this post, and does not guarantee that any context on such websites are, or will remain, accurate or appropriate. 

In some instances, I have been unable to trace the owners of the pictures used here; therefore, I would appreciate any information that would enable me to do so. Thank you very much. 

Is something important missing? Report an error or suggest an improvement. Please, I strive for accuracy and fairness. If you see something that doesn't look right, contact me! 

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segunda-feira, 7 de novembro de 2016

[joke] Qualifying for Heaven

Qualifying for Heaven

((( ÁUDIO )))

Recently a teacher, a garbage collector, and a lawyer wound up together at the Pearly Gates. St. Peter informed them that in order to get into Heaven, they would each have to answer one question.

St. Peter addressed the teacher and asked, "What was the name of the ship that crashed into the iceberg? They just made a movie about it."

The teacher answered quickly, "That would be the Titanic." St. Peter let him through the gate.

St. Peter turned to the garbage man and, figuring Heaven didn't *really* need all the odors that this guy would bring with him, decided to make the question a little harder: "How many people died on the ship?"

Fortunately for him, the trash man had just seen the movie. "1,228," he answered.

"That's right! You may enter."

St. Peter turned to the lawyer. "Name them."

Vocabulary Help
  • answer - responder
  • bring (bring, brought, brought) - trazer
  • crash - bater
  • die - morrer
  • garbage collector - lixeiro
  • heaven - paraíso
  • in order to - de forma a
  • lawyer - advogado
  • little harder - mais difícil
  • make (make, made, made) - fazer
  • movie - filme
  • name them - me dê os nomes
  • need - precisar
  • Pearly gates - portais do céu
  • quickly - rapidamente
  • see (see, saw, seen) - ver
  • ship - navio



PORTAL DA LÍNGUA INGLESA has no responsibility for the persistence or accuracy of URLs for external or third-partly internet websites referred to in this post, and does not guarantee that any context on such websites are, or will remain, accurate or appropriate. 

In some instances, I have been unable to trace the owners of the pictures used here; therefore, I would appreciate any information that would enable me to do so. Thank you very much. 

Is something important missing? Report an error or suggest an improvement. Please, I strive for accuracy and fairness. If you see something that doesn't look right, contact me! 

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sábado, 5 de novembro de 2016

THE 20 HABITS OF EVENTUAL MILLIONAIRES

NUMBER 3 – EVERY DAY, AVOID DEATH




You can’t get rich from a hospital bed. Or a grave. Move every day, sleep well, eat well.




PORTAL DA LÍNGUA INGLESA has no responsibility for the persistence or accuracy of URLs for external or third-partly internet websites referred to in this post, and does not guarantee that any context on such websites are, or will remain, accurate or appropriate. 

In some instances, I have been unable to trace the owners of the pictures used here; therefore, I would appreciate any information that would enable me to do so. Thank you very much. 

Is something important missing? Report an error or suggest an improvement. Please, I strive for accuracy and fairness. If you see something that doesn't look right, contact me! 

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quinta-feira, 3 de novembro de 2016

[JOKE?] Want a day off work?

Want a day off work?




So you want a day off. Let's take a look at what you are asking for. There are 365 days per year available for work. There are 52 weeks per year in which you already have 2 days off per week, leaving 261 days available for work. Since you spend 16 hours each day away from work, you have used up 170 days, leaving only 91 days available. You spend 30 minutes each day on coffee break which counts for 23 days each year, leaving only 68 days available. With a 1 hour lunch each day, you used up another 46 days, leaving only 22 days available for work. You normally spend 2 days per year on sick leave. This leaves you only 20 days per year available for work. We are off 5 holidays per year, so your available working time is down to 15 days. We generously give 14 days vacation per year which leaves only 1 day available for work and I'll be darned if you are going to take that day off!


Vocabulary Help

  • available - disponível
  • away from work - fora do trabalho
  • day off - dia de folga
  • sick leave - licença médica
  • spend (spend, spent, spent) - gastar
  • take a look - dar uma olhada

Enviado por: Rubens Queiroz de Almeida


“Everyone loves jokes. They can be an invaluable source of entertainment and an excellent vehicle for presenting language in context and promoting genuine communication while having a laugh. As follows, we describe some useful techniques for exploiting jokes in class. Next, a number of TEFL-appropriate jokes are included and sorted by level.”




How to use jokes in the ESL or ELT Classroom: (Link here)


PORTAL DA LÍNGUA INGLESA has no responsibility for the persistence or accuracy of URLs for external or third-partly internet websites referred to in this post, and does not guarantee that any context on such websites are, or will remain, accurate or appropriate. 

In some instances, I have been unable to trace the owners of the pictures used here; therefore, I would appreciate any information that would enable me to do so. Thank you very much. 

Is something important missing? Report an error or suggest an improvement. Please, I strive for accuracy and fairness. If you see something that doesn't look right, contact me! 

Did you spot a typo?
Do you have any tips or examples to improve this page?
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quarta-feira, 2 de novembro de 2016

THE 20 HABITS OF EVENTUAL MILLIONAIRES

NUMBER 2 – MAKE MISTAKES



Mistakes are the spell books of success. Study them hard. Learn their incantations. When muscles tear they rebuild stronger.




PORTAL DA LÍNGUA INGLESA has no responsibility for the persistence or accuracy of URLs for external or third-partly internet websites referred to in this post, and does not guarantee that any context on such websites are, or will remain, accurate or appropriate. 

In some instances, I have been unable to trace the owners of the pictures used here; therefore, I would appreciate any information that would enable me to do so. Thank you very much. 

Is something important missing? Report an error or suggest an improvement. Please, I strive for accuracy and fairness. If you see something that doesn't look right, contact me! 

Did you spot a typo?
Do you have any tips or examples to improve this page?
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