Downloadable resources & useful links |
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Rules of comma usageA comprehensive guide to comma usage in English. Originally taken from an academic website in Australia.
Now no longer available from their updated website - but nonetheless a useful and relevant document with many detailed examples. |
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The Great Preposition Mystery - Lin LougheedAn entertaining way to practice your verb-preposition pairing. Fill in the gaps as you read through a crime story.
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Inside the mind of a master procrastinator:
An amusing and insightful talk on how we procrastinate, why it is sometimes good, and also some very good advice on why we are well advised to break the habit.
www.englishpage.com
A useful free resource for improving or refreshing knowledge of English grammar. Witten for teachers of English as a foreign language, it offers many multiple-choice exercises of increasing difficulty to make sure you have the concept firmly understood.
Academic Phrasebank
A very useful resource from the University of Manchester: Articulate phrases in English for all academic purposes: Expressing doubt; comparing and contrasting; being critical and many other typical academic needs. https://www.phrasebank.manchester.ac.uk
English Conversation Clubs
Please note : these conversation groups are not endorsed personally by me. For most, I have merely sourced them on the internet. However, if you are looking to improve your fluency by talking to native-speakers via social media, Zoom etc. they can be a useful place to start.
Important: If meeting live and in person, please use all the usual care and discernment you would normally use when meeting strangers - meet in a public place with plenty of other people about, at a normal time of day or evening. Tell a friend where you are going, who you are meeting and where and when you expect to be back, etc.
https://www.toytowngermany.com/berlin/
Expat English-speaking social meet-up and conversation club - This is one I have tried, albeit about 12 years ago.
At the time, they were friendly and welcoming to newcomers.
https://theberlinlife.com/best-berlin-meetup-groups-for-meeting-new-people/
https://www.meetup.com/de-DE/englishconversationclubberlin/
Important: If meeting live and in person, please use all the usual care and discernment you would normally use when meeting strangers - meet in a public place with plenty of other people about, at a normal time of day or evening. Tell a friend where you are going, who you are meeting and where and when you expect to be back, etc.
https://www.toytowngermany.com/berlin/
Expat English-speaking social meet-up and conversation club - This is one I have tried, albeit about 12 years ago.
At the time, they were friendly and welcoming to newcomers.
https://theberlinlife.com/best-berlin-meetup-groups-for-meeting-new-people/
https://www.meetup.com/de-DE/englishconversationclubberlin/
Great Academic & Scientific Communicators in English
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Maggie Aderin-Pocock– Astronomy /Physics/ Careers in Science https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bzKe8BdWAOEcience Marcus Du Sotoy – Mathematics / History of Mathematics https://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=marcus+du+sautoy+the+story+of+maths Howard Goodall – History of Music / Music Theory https://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=howard+goodall+history+of+music Nina Banks – Sociology / Economics https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ne2IYTjF7ko Brian Cox – Astronomy / Physics https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fCyJR14YGyo&ab_channel=CosmicLife Richard Feynman –Astronomy /Quantum Physics https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P1ww1IXRfTA&ab_channel=ChristopherSykes David Attenborough – Natural History / Earth Sciences https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JkaxUblCGz0&ab_channel=Netflix Aoibhinn Ní Shúilleabháin – STEM, Marine Biology, Science spokesperson https://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=Aoibhinn+N%C3%AD+Shuilleabh%C3%A1in |
Question and Answer...
1. Is there a framework or a more structured approach that you know of, to practice the replacement of the words 'Important' 'Interesting' and especially 'should' , 'could' 'might' and 'may'?
It is not so much a framework as an attitude. Important and Interesting you can easily deal with by asking IMPORTANT, HOW? IMPORTANT, WHY? IMPORTANT TO WHOM?
The technique for removing the conditional tense varies: but the essence of the technique is to be more precise with what you are saying:
'should'... Do you really mean 'can be expected to be' ? or 'The standard approach is to...' or 'under normal circumstances, we regard this as....
'could'/may/might: Find other ways to express it: 'There is a strong possibility that...' Our observations to date support the theory that'... 'Some researchers attribute this to... (cite the research) ' A probable cause is...'
2. I feel like my English is already on a somewhat advanced level, and trying to progress further feels like hitting a glass ceiling – do you have any advice on how to increase proficiency (focusing mainly on pronunciation and idioms/everyday English) even more?
Yes - this plateau effect is challenging to get past. For improvement of pronunciation and familiarity with idiom, I would recommend
https://www.bbc.com/audio/schedules/bbc_radio_fourfm
Go here and click through the schedule for radio 4, NOT JUST THE NEWS! listen to audio plays, listen to comedy shows, listen to reportage - it is almost all well written and will gradually help you get under the skin of English culture, which will automatically improve your accurate and appropriate usage of idiom and colloquialisms.
Try and make it a regular practice every day for 10 minutes or so (maybe on the way into the uni on the U-bahn or some other such regular slot in your day).
Best wishes for breaking through the glass ceiling,
Mark
It is not so much a framework as an attitude. Important and Interesting you can easily deal with by asking IMPORTANT, HOW? IMPORTANT, WHY? IMPORTANT TO WHOM?
The technique for removing the conditional tense varies: but the essence of the technique is to be more precise with what you are saying:
'should'... Do you really mean 'can be expected to be' ? or 'The standard approach is to...' or 'under normal circumstances, we regard this as....
'could'/may/might: Find other ways to express it: 'There is a strong possibility that...' Our observations to date support the theory that'... 'Some researchers attribute this to... (cite the research) ' A probable cause is...'
2. I feel like my English is already on a somewhat advanced level, and trying to progress further feels like hitting a glass ceiling – do you have any advice on how to increase proficiency (focusing mainly on pronunciation and idioms/everyday English) even more?
Yes - this plateau effect is challenging to get past. For improvement of pronunciation and familiarity with idiom, I would recommend
https://www.bbc.com/audio/schedules/bbc_radio_fourfm
Go here and click through the schedule for radio 4, NOT JUST THE NEWS! listen to audio plays, listen to comedy shows, listen to reportage - it is almost all well written and will gradually help you get under the skin of English culture, which will automatically improve your accurate and appropriate usage of idiom and colloquialisms.
Try and make it a regular practice every day for 10 minutes or so (maybe on the way into the uni on the U-bahn or some other such regular slot in your day).
Best wishes for breaking through the glass ceiling,
Mark
