Improving English Language Skills

Three Easy Ways to Improve English Language Skills

The importance of improving English language skills is urgently needed to be prioritized since one of the most required qualifications in employment is the ability of using English. Even though the curriculum of formal education in Indonesia has placed English as a lesson since at least elementary school, informal learning can help to achieve the goal that English should be fluently spoken by students. However, some students cannot afford to pay English courses or to hire private tutors. Therefore, there are three ways to improve English language skills that can be done easily without spending a lot of money: watching English movies, reading English novels, and practicing English in daily communication.

By watching English movies students will be able to enrich their vocabulary. Because vocabulary mastery is highly needed to conduct whether oral or written communication, students can memorize or make a list of words which they can catch from the movies and listen carefully how to pronounce them. It also enables students’ ability in listening. Getting accustomed to listening native conversation can help students to comprehend English and enable them to speak by replicating their pronunciation. Besides, students also can learn English culture from the movies so that they can learn how to show politeness or impoliteness using English, for example.

The second easy way to improve students’ English language skills is reading English novels. Novels can be means of improving students’ reading skill because the stories can attract students’ interest to keep reading and trying to understand what they talk about. It will be more easily to memorize the structure of sentences, the meaning of words, and phrases written in the novels because students can read them repeatedly.

The last is practicing English in daily communication. Making conversation in English with family and friends can help students to be more confident to use English in their daily activities because they will not be shy if they make mistakes. Practicing English in daily routine can be started by doing simple dialogue such as greeting, making small talk, asking permission, and asking for help. If students are getting used to practice those simple daily conversations, they will try to practice some more difficult conversation such as giving advices and telling stories. Then, they will keep improving their conversation by taking more difficult topics.

In conclusion, there are not only taking expensive courses or hiring expensive private tutors can be done to improve students’ English language skills but also watching English movies, reading English novels and practicing English in daily communication. Therefore, students can improve their ability in using English without paying expensive courses or tutors. 

Pdf File : http://www.academia.edu/18617331/How_to_Improve_English_Language_Skills

The Waking

This is one of Roethke's poems. I made the analysis when I was on my Fifth term of Undergraduate Degree of English Literature for Poetry assignment (Mrs. Eka's order). I love poem, not only reading and analyzing but also making. I was twice appointed to read Javanese Poetry (usually called Geguritan) and once to read Indonesian Poetry (Puisi). - No point to tell that

Talking about Poetry, there was something funny about one of my fellows who plagiarized my paper without asking permission. The above smiley is my face whenever I remember that ludicrous moment. Poor bloke.

  The Waking By Theodore Roethke

I wake to sleep, and take my waking slow.   

I feel my fate in what I cannot fear.   

I learn by going where I have to go.

We think by feeling. What is there to know?   

I hear my being dance from ear to ear.   

I wake to sleep, and take my waking slow.

Of those so close beside me, which are you?   

God bless the Ground!   I shall walk softly there,   

And learn by going where I have to go.

Light takes the Tree; but who can tell us how?   

The lowly worm climbs up a winding stair;   

I wake to sleep, and take my waking slow.

Great Nature has another thing to do   

To you and me; so take the lively air,   

And, lovely, learn by going where to go.

This shaking keeps me steady. I should know.   

What falls away is always. And is near.   

I wake to sleep, and take my waking slow.   

I learn by going where I have to go

a.          Intrinsic Elements

Roethke puts his own view towards this life. He sees that living and death are so close. And that the death is the purpose of the living. I wake to sleep can be assume as the death is the final destination of the living. And take my waking slow can be assumed that we should be careful to spend the time of living in the world. This line I wake to sleep, and take my waking slowly however becomes the main point of this poem because this line is repeated four times. The other line that can be accepted as the point of this poem is I learn by going where I have to go which can be assumed that we have to learn when we have time to live. This line appears in the end of this poem to strengthen the suggestion.

-                Structure

Even tough the last stanza of this poem has different structure that it consists of four lines whereas the others consist of three lines, this poem can be categorized as closed-structure because the last line of this poem functions to strengthen the other line ; the third line of the first stanza.

-                Rhyme

This well-structured poem by Theodore Roethke has also well-structured rhyme. The first and the third lines of each stanza have the same sound in the end of each. Meanwhile in the last stanza, the first, third and the last lines have the same sound in the end. So the rhyme of this poem is ABA, and the of the last stanza is ABAA

-                Theme

This poem describes Roethke's view toward this life. He portrays how to live in this living and how to face the death as the purpose of this living. Both of living and death are so close, so we have to live carefully and learning wherever we can obtain knowledge.

-                Diction

Roethke uses some words to represent natural life such as:

·         Tree : as the natural component in the earth

·         Ground : as the place where everything in this earth in

·         Great nature : as the power of the living and the death

-                Symbol

·       Wake symbolizes the living. The time when humans can learn anything they should learn and take the time carefully to face the death

·         Sleep symbolizes the death. The purpose of human's living.

·         Ground symbolizes the earth where humans walk  and take the time of their living.

·         Tree symbolizes the life. As we know tree provides oxygen for human's breathing need

·         Great nature symbolizes the God. Who has powerful decision about human's fate and destiny

-                Figurative Language

·         Personification : Light takes the Tree ; Great Nature has another thing to do

Academia Analysis

Won't you be the one?

I got the video of the song entitled "You Are The One" by an American singer, Raef Haggag first time from my best friend, Rena. Really, the video is so unique. I searched some information related to this song afterwards. The title of this song is "You Are The One" but I prefer using "Won't You Be The One" as the title of this post to make a "special aim" sense. I am not going to make a paper about this song by analyzing intrinsic and extrinsic elements because I am on holiday from "campus stuff". 

Well, I think I've experienced this beautiful lyric. I thought and wondered over a million times about someone who is destined to be my partner. I didn't know how the ideal figure to be my partner actually looks like. I just thought, "oh maybe him, oh maybe him", but I didn't find someone who really broke my heart or made me desperate for not hearing his voice. 

Once, twice, three, four times or more I just wandered on my "trial". That is not a good path though. 

Thanks to a prominent American Muslim Singer and Songwriter, Raef Haggag anyway. He seems to know all of my feelings about him , I mean my best partner in almost 4 years. When I tried to rewrite the lyric by hand, I knew, I love every single word of the song. 

Lyrics & Melody : Raef Haggag
Arrangement : Maher Zain

You Are The One

I thought of this over a million times

Who would have ever thought that it will be our time?

I just know it,

‘cause you are the one

It ain’t a selfish love, when I’m with you

You remind me of Allah and so I know it’s true

I’ll just say it

You are the one

Chorus

Won’t you be my BFF and ever?

Won’t you be my partner after this world?

We’ll see it, when we believe it together

Dreams are meant to be

‘cause you are the one for me

I never thought that I would feel this way

I ask Allah to bless you every single day

I’ll just say it

‘cause you are the one

And when the times are tough

And we’ve got the world to see

Standing right beside you is where I want to be

I just know it

You are the one

I prayed about this just over a million times

Who would ever thought that I could call you mine?

I just know it

‘cause you are the one

And when there’s gray in our hair

And we’ve not much to do

I want to spend the rest of my days with you

Oh don’t you know it?

You are the one, You are the one

On won’t you be the one?

Forty-five fabulous months with him. Oh, won't you be the one?