Online English Learning To Aid Independent International Students

English online is a powerful new way for immigrants and international students to master the English language.

A variety of online internet tools makes it possible for students anywhere in the world to learn English from native speakers and connect with other students around the world.

A leader in the English online industry, Effortless English LLC has released a tip sheet for online English learners. The tip sheet describes a number of learning tools available on the internet, including: downloadable mp3 English lessons, native speaker teachers and tutors online, English learning communities, online dictionaries, online software, voice over internet tools, podcasts, forums, chat rooms, and blogs.

The tip sheet also includes a short video presentation on the topic by A.J. Hoge, Director of Effortless English.

Hoge states, "By using all of these tools, English students can learn faster and better than they would in a traditional classroom. Online English students tend to enjoy their learning more. Online learning is fun. Technology has opened up a completely new world for English learners."

The company's learning guide is available at http://effortlessenglishclub.com/learn-english-online

Write a winning CV

Writing a winning CV doesn't just happen, it takes thought and effort.

Now specialist recruiter Robert Half has released a podcast with winning tips for great CVs aimed not just at new entrants to the job market, but also more senior candidates who need to refresh their resumes.

Sarah Kennedy, division manager of Robert Half in Sydney says one of the biggest mistakes candidates can make is to send out a standard CV that has not been customised for the particular role they are applying for.

"You really want to stand out from the rest of the crowd and show that you have done a little bit of background into the role that you are applying for," she says. A non-targeted CV, on the other hand, "sounds like a resume you have read 100 times".

"I see a lot of resumes that are the same and I think you can see that they [candidates] haven't put a lot of effort in."

Applicants can target their CVs by ensuring the skills and achievements they list are directly relevant to the role they are applying for, says Kennedy.

Including too much personal information is another mistake many candidates make, Kennedy says. Information such as photographs, age, race and marital status have no place on a CV, as they can offer a chance to discriminate against the candidate.

"A photo is first and foremost a discriminative thing," she says. "It really isn't necessary; it's not a dating agency."

Even senior candidates need to pay more attention to their CVs and ensure they accurately list their skills and achievements in a way that will make them stand out from the crowd.

"Often we see senior candidates who don't pay a lot of attention to their resume … because they might think that their reputation precedes them," Kennedy says. "But that's not necessarily the case."

The podcast also offers advice on how long a CV should be, what format it should take and how to decide what achievements are relevant depending on how senior you are.

To download the podcast on writing a winning CV, go to http://www.roberthalf.co.nz/ and click on "Podcast series".

"Help! I'm Stuck With Business Writing Tasks And I Can't Spell Dieabotticle!"

Anyone can write. Yeah, right.

We've all been writing since we were in the third grade. So when a brochure needs to be written or a website updated or a newsletter put together, anyone can do it. My third grade teacher, Miss Barkatus, would have put a clothes pin over my lips for saying such an awful thing.

In the pursuit of corporate efficiency and cost-cutting, many non-writers in the business world now have writing responsibilities. They are programmers, but they also write web content. They are marketers, but they also must write sales promotions.

They are independent business owners, but they also must write their own website content. They are corporate graphic designers, but they also write items for the employee newsletter. This philosophy is like saying, "Hey, Chris has three cats at home so he'll know how to handle this other animal, this bear, that's dining at our dumpster."

Asking non-writers to write business communications is a great way to fog up the corporate message. This is why many sales brochures gather more dust than they gather prospects. This is why businesses send out a message and when they follow up with a visit, the customer says, "What message?" And this is why I have published "Leave It To The Prose," a collection of 24 short essays on how to write business communications that will be clear, focused and achieve their intended result.

In this 32-page mini-book, you'll find insights and truths; techniques and strategies that will better enable any business to attract its target audience. These 6-10 sentence essays cover a wide span of marketing, communication, business and writing topics:


Seducing People To Read
Strategy Beats Writing
Diaries and Dictionaries: Our Best Writing
Don't Write Like Shakespeare
How Do You Become Worthy?
The Instant Headline Test
Never Write To Your Target
When Pain Produces

"Words are a business's clothes. Don't go out to your prospects naked," the book's author, Chris Amorosino says. "We don't leave home without combing our hair and brushing our teeth. Our business communications shouldn't leave our office unless they create a great first impression, too."

"Leave It To the Prose" is available through http://www.amorosinowriting.com/ for $6.95. Or order through BHB Mailing Service; P.O. Box 307; Coventry, CT 06238.

Tips on Effective Cover-Letter Writing

Vertrue Incorporated, a leading Internet marketing services company, believes there are still ways to make a good first impression on a job application -- with, for example, a well-written and effective cover letter.

There may be no exact tried-and-true formula to weave an effective cover letter, but Vertrue and its leadership team have some definite ideas on planning and composing these pivotal letters.

Vertrue CEO Gary Johnson, for example, has been recognized for his efforts by major business groups. In 1999, Gary Johnson was the recipient of the Ernst & Young Entrepreneur of the Year Award for Southwest Connecticut/New York Hudson Valley Regions. Accomplishments like that aren't achieved without a certain degree of planning and preparedness, and Vertrue wants to give consumers the inside track on what many employers (and more specifically, hiring managers) look for in effective written communications.

-- Rome wasn't built in a day. Along the lines of that old saying, effective letter writing takes time and planning. Build that cover letter carefully. It can be just as important as a resume or referral. Just think of it as a calling card -- a first impression, really. And like another old saying goes (loosely translated), "Sometimes a first impression can mean everything."

-- Make up their mind for them. A smart hiring manager can spot a cover letter that's simply "mailed in." Don't just slap down a few thoughts that gloss over the general idea: "Here's why it's a good idea to hire me." Instead, think about how personal experience relates directly to the desired job. A carefully thought-out cover letter not only shows that research was done, but that there's also a clear understanding of job responsibilities, expectations and personal (and even organizational) goals. Convince them in the cover letter that their search for the right candidate just got a little easier.

-- Practice those ABCs. A lot of prospective employers won't even look at a cover letter unless it's in a certain form. As always, do that homework, and build the letter in a one-page-long, standard business-letter format. Keep it concise and to the point. Think about indenting paragraphs, but it's not required. (Not indenting them, though, does provide a bit more room on the rest of the page.) Also, leave wide margins (minimum 1 inch) on the left, and let the right margin wrap naturally.

-- Show 'em the one and only. The cover letter needs to come from the candidate; getting someone else to write the cover letter could backfire. Besides, fostering trust with a new potential boss is always a good idea.

Remembering these timely tips could make the job search far simpler and generally more effective, suggests Vertrue Incorporated.

Website: http://www.vertrue.com/

5 Sure-Fire Tips for Great Speeches by Patricia Fripp, CSP, CPAE

1. Come out punching!

Grab your audience's attention. One way is to make a startling statement. For a recent speech to the National Speakers Association, I walked out and immediately started building a word picture: "Columbus, Ohio, December, zero degrees, 2,000 people trudging through the snow to hear four speakers . . ."


Don't waste your audience's time with trivialities. I heard a speaker addressing a San Francisco sales and marketing executives audience, starting with how nice it was to be there, how great the weather was and how he loves its restaurants. Who cares? I didn't race across town to hear him talk about weather and restaurants. I was there to hear about sales and marketing ideas and he was supposed to be an expert.


2. Monitor your "Who cares?" factor

Tape your talks, then listen to them, asking "Who cares?" after every statement or segment of material. If no one really does, don't say it. This is a great way to see if you are saying anything of value.


3. Be funny . . . maybe

Humor can add a lot to your speech, but it must fit you and your topic. If humor is appropriate to your topic, use it -- but go for laughs that grow naturally out of your content. Avoid old, tired jokes that may not be appropriate, or that everyone has heard before.

A friend from AT&T called me late one evening. "My boss is giving a speech tomorrow. He needs a joke."

"Is your boss funny?" I asked.

"Well . . . not really," he replied.

"Then don't try to make him funny," I said. "Get him to be inspiring." I looked through my reference books and found quotes that fit the speaker's points much better than any joke could.

If you decide to risk humor, ask yourself and others: " . . . But am I really funny?" Be brutally honest.


4. Organize with a three-part outline

A good way for both beginning and advanced speakers to organize their material is to use the three-part Alcoholics Anonymous format:

1. This is where I was.
2. This is where I am now.
3. This is how I got from there to here.

It is a great structure because it is so easy for both speaker and audience to remember. A woman in Yuma, Arizona, called me. "I have to give my first speech in three weeks," she said. "Would you send me one of your tapes so I can learn how to do it?"

"It doesn't work quite like that," I told her. "Tell me, what group are you addressing?"

"The Yuma Board of Realtors." she said.

"Why have they invited you to speak?" I asked.

"Because I have been very successful in the real estate industry," she replied. So, I suggested she use the three-part Alcoholics Anonymous outline. (The first two points can be reversed.)

1. This is where I am: "Last year, I sold $18 million dollars in real estate in a slow market."

2. This is where I was: "Eight years ago, when I got my license, I had never sold anything but Girl Scout cookies."

3. This is how I got here: "First, I . . ."


5. Develop your content

Here is the content I suggested to the Yuma real estate women:

-- Advice from her sales manager that worked;

-- What she learned from other agents;

-- What she did well naturally;

-- What she did not know that amazed her once she had learned;

-- Sales she fell into;

-- Sales she almost lost;

-- Sales that were out of the unusual;

-- What she would do differently based her eight years of experience;

-- Anything really entertaining.


I also suggested she keep a pad on her desk so that when ideas came to her she could jot them down. Then, when it came time to sit down and put it all together, it was fine if she lacked some creativity as most of her ideas were written down.

She used the structure and reported later that the talk was a big hit.

Even if you add more sections to your speech, keep your outline simple. You'll remember what you intend to say, and your audience will remember what they heard.

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Executive speech coach and sales presentation skills trainer Patricia Fripp will deliver a two-day speaking school in Redmond, Wash., on Thursday and Friday, November 6 - 7, 2008 - "Power Pitching - Speaking and Presentation Skills School." http://www.fripp.com/speakingschool.html

Author's webite: www.fripp.com

New Business English Lessons with Entrepreneurial Focus

Effortless English, the online English education company, has released new business English lessons titled "Success Business English." The company describes the lessons as business English lessons for freelancers and entrepreneurs. The lessons are designed to help immigrants and internationals learn business English.

A.J. Hoge, Director of Effortless English, said, "We wanted to reach a different kind of business English student. Traditionally, business English lessons focus on English for employees. However, we decided to tailor our new lessons to entrepreneurs and freelancers."

A unique feature of the lessons is their dual curriculum. The English lessons are designed around a course in business development. Students learn marketing, positioning, product development, management, financing, and leadership while simultaneously learning business English.

Hoge, who designed the lessons, states, "Of course I wanted to teach English, but I also wanted to teach useful and practical business skills. I decided to teach the business strategies and tactics that I used to build my own successful company. The lessons are therefore designed as a crash course in business development and English."

In addition to their entrepreneurial focus, the lessons also use a unique language teaching technique called "Listen and Answer Stories." Listen and Answer stories are designed to teach grammar and vocabulary in an intuitive, natural way. The teacher asks a series of very easy questions about a central article, and the student answers as fast as possible.

Hoge states, "In fact, I make the questions super-easy for a reason. If the questions were difficult, students would start to think. They would try to translate. I don't want that. I want them to answer instantly and automatically – without any kind of translation. Another thing I do in the stories is repeat these easy questions in many different ways. I do this to get the vocabulary and grammar structures deep into the student's brain."

Success Business English Lessons sell for $37 and are available on the Effortless English website: Business English Lessons.

World-Leading Software for English Writing

WhiteSmoke has released WhiteSmoke 2009, the latest version of its desktop English writing application. WhiteSmoke 2009 is the premier writing tool for people who need quality written text, offering advanced grammar checking, style checking, and spell checking.

"WhiteSmoke 2009 brings our writing technologies to a new level of sophistication," claims Hilla Ovil-Brenner, WhiteSmoke CEO. "As a result of over 6 months of intensive user testing, we have made important changes to the interface to enhance usability, and incorporated many new algorithms to address writing style issues. WhiteSmoke 2009 is a mature product for accurate proofreading and editing, whether you are a blogger, an at-home writer, or a corporate professional."

New GUI

WhiteSmoke 2009 introduces a new GUI with an improved workflow. Central to the new design is the presentation of WhiteSmoke's suggestions and corrections. Replacing the pop-up menus of WhiteSmoke 2008, the user now receives corrections and suggestions in-line with the text, just like when a text is edited and proofread manually."Our beta group is very pleased with this new development, which brings a more organic and 'real life' feel to the writing and editing experience," notes Liran Brenner, VP R&D at WhiteSmoke .

Style Checker

WhiteSmoke 2009 introduces a new collection of style checking features. The WhiteSmoke Style Checker includes WhiteSmoke's patented Text Enrichment, as well as a range of new features that address overall writing style. Users will be notified of incomplete sentences, use of slang and IM speak, and informal sentence structures. These additional style checking features consolidate the WhiteSmoke mission of creating an "all-in-one" writing tool.

Grammar Checker

WhiteSmoke 2009 introduces new grammar algorithms and updates to existing algorithms. Key new detections include confusions between countable and non-countable nouns (much/many, less/fewer), comparative/superlative mismatches (more nicer, less nicest), and recognition of run-on sentences. Updates to existing grammar algorithms have further improved the precision of WhiteSmoke's corrections over a wider variety of possible sentence constructions.

WhiteSmoke 2009 - An English Writing Tool with Wide Appeal

"WhiteSmoke 2009 represents the next step in the evolution of software to correct and enhance English writing," states Amit Greener, VP Marketing at WhiteSmoke. "With WhiteSmoke 2009, anyone who writes in English has a comprehensive and intuitive tool to aid written communication, a tool that easily integrates with a user's existing applications and preferred methods of working."

For more information, visit WhiteSmoke Software.

The newspaper, as we know it, will eventually disappear

The newspaper as we know it will soon be published just once a week, and will eventually disappear.

Radio reporters will be master multitaskers, filing reports in various forms for their stations' web sites.

And more and more journalists will be entrepreneurs, building their own brand in their own names rather than relying on the lumbering mastodons of the mainstream media.

Those are just a few of the scenarios likely under a bold new world of journalism that a panel of experts foresaw Monday at a forum called "The Changing World of Journalism: From Teletype to Twitter... Where Do We Go From Here?" held at the University of Maryland.

The event was one of the National Press Club's forums on "The First Amendment, Freedom of the Press and the Future of Journalism" the Club is holding around the country to mark its 100th anniversary. At each forum, the Club gathers a panel of leading local journalists to talk about where the news business is going and how to protect its core values.

The forum featured journalists of varying backgrounds and experiences all predicting the same thing: a continuing, and radical, shift away from the once-firewalled worlds of newspapers, television stations and news radio.

Those forms of media all continue to converge on the web, and that convergence will only accelerate as handheld devices become the place where people look for the news, the panelists predicted.

The result, they said, will be a new era of media where the public will have to be careful to ferret out and disregard news sources that are not credible -- but where strong new voices could lead to a new era of great journalism.

"This is a great force for freedom of the press if it's properly harnessed," said Leslie Walker, the former editor of washingtonpost.com and now the Knight visiting professor in digital innovation at the Philip Merrill College of Journalism at the university.

At the same time, though, the panelists indicated that traditional mainstream media outlets would either have to adapt to the Internet era -- or die. Newspapers, for example, will have to transform themselves into a web product, they said.

"Newspapers will not survive in a recognizable form," said Kevin Blackistone, a former Dallas Morning News reporter and current contributor to NPR and ESPN who now holds the Shirley Povich Chair in Sports Journalism at the university. "People will get news from their web, on their mobile devices."

Blackistone predicted that within a few years, some daily newspapers would print paper products only on Sundays, doing the rest of the work on the web.

Meanwhile, Mark Miller, the news director at WBAL Radio in Baltimore, said radio news outlets are already adapting by making themselves the source for the most immediate local news on the web.

He acknowledged, though, that the economic model undergirding Internet journalism remains both uncertain and unprofitable. And as a result, radio stations "are still moving very slowly."

Individual journalists, however, have the opportunity to move fast, and on their own, to establish their own credibility in a variety of media forms, said Amar C. Bakshi, who spent the last year traveling around the world and producing his web series "How the World Sees America," which ran on The Washington Post and Newsweek web sites.

Bakshi said he marketed the idea for his series as a business proposal and that other journalists should do the same, noting that editors are looking for innovative web products such as his series.

Details and highlights of these forums can be found at the National Press Club's Web site: http://www.press.org.

Kalima Invites Americans to Nominate US Literature for Translation into Arabic

Kalima -- an innovative United Arab Emirates-based cultural initiative whose mission is to translate more than 100 works of classic and contemporary titles each year into Arabic -- today launched a program inviting Americans to nominate literature by US authors for translation. With the goal of building understanding between the United States and Arab speakers, Americans are invited to nominate novels, short stories or poetry that reflect American dreams, opportunities and challenges or otherwise embody the "American spirit."

The initiative coincides with Kalima's participation in the National Book Festival, an annual event on the National Mall, sponsored by the Library of Congress and hosted by First Lady Laura Bush. People can submit nominations at www.uae-us.org/kalima. Visitors to the National Book Festival can nominate titles at the Kalima exhibit space in the Let's Read America I pavilion at the National Mall.

Kalima was founded last year by the Abu Dhabi Authority for Culture & Heritage, and is based on a simple premise: Most great works of world literature are currently not available in Arabic, making them inaccessible to most readers in the Arab world. Among last year's international selections for translation were American authors William Faulkner, Alan Greenspan, Frank Herbert, and Thomas Pynchon.

Kalima seeks to widen access to global knowledge by funding the translation, publication, and distribution of quality titles from all genres from other languages into Arabic. Kalima also supports marketing and distribution initiatives by opening up new distribution channels and upgrading existing ones. The initiative supports and promotes the Arabic book industry on the international stage and invests in translation as a profession, to encourage more and better quality translators. Kalima will also become the first marketers of Arabic books on a major scale.

A rigorous procedure is in place to ensure that annual selections are high-quality, include a mix of literature, natural and social sciences as well as other genres such as history, arts, and business books. Titles ultimately selected should add intellectual value to the Arab library. Works by US authors that are nominated during this program will be considered for translation in 2009 and beyond. To date, Kalima has published the following nine titles:

1) A Briefer History of Time by Stephen Hawking (English)

2) Kafka on the Shore by Haruki Murakami (Japanese)

3) The Sign by Umberto Eco (Italian)

4) Charlemagne, Mohammed, and the Arab Roots of Capitalism by Gene Heck (English)

5) The Halo Effect by Phil Rosenzweig (English)

6) The Future of Human Nature by Jurgen Habermas (German)

7) The Age of Turbulence by Alan Greenspan (English)

8) The Fundamentals of Language by Roman Jakobson and Morris Halle (English)

9) The Clash Within Civilizations by Dieter Senghaas (German).

For further information on Kalima, visit: www.kalima.ae/eng.php. More information about the National Book Festival is available at www.loc.gov/bookfest.

How To Write A Farewell Speech by Jennie Amit Gandhi

Good byes are touching. The memory of good byes while taking leave from our relatives after a great get together, a yearly meet with friends, reunion good nights and relocation farewells are all emotional experiences. This is one time, when we regale through all the experiences gained from this outset. Farewell speeches are not a compulsion but a gesture of showing your feelings. Farewell tones go on from Thank you notes, recounting experiences shared, first time meetings and also clarifying misunderstandings.

Formal farewell goodbyes are necessary in office culture. Generally the dress code is formal and the ambiance gives it a ceremonial feel. It is highly necessary to Thank all your peers, colleagues, associates and blue collar profiles too. Keep the list minimum and a long list of thank you notes can render the speech as tedious.

Keep a general line, ' I thank all those people who have stood by me, my associates here and other peripheral support, for the recognition I have gained in these twenty years.' Complete by shaking hands with each person, recognize team effort. Go across to senior colleagues and if you notice that someone is an introvert, make the first move to bid goodbye. This is not the time to harbor old grudges and make up with someone you have not been cordial with.

The photographs, send off gift and citation is a life time award and will always be green in your memory. Office farewells, can also be marked with humorous lines enumerating instances. However, it is best to judge the nature of the gathering and if the atmosphere is congenial to such one liners then one can try this example, ' The first day, I entered office, it was pouring and no one was around. I came in dripping wet with a crumpled umbrella to find Mr., Albert squeezing his socks'. This sure will lighten the atmosphere if it has turned serious with your introduction, ' This is an overwhelming moment for me. As many times I have stood in this podium to deliver speeches and presentations to bag a project, this one is a sentimental expression from me.'

Long years of friendship end when students finish their high school studies. The memories reflect sharing, merits and little meaningless fights. This is the time to go forward to someone whom you have disliked or had a brawl with. If you are appointed to give a farewell speech, write a few lines yourself. Make sure to thank all your teachers and helpers in the school. Appreciate the overall support, the extra help at math and the cultural programs.

Be natural, spontaneous with 'I did not realize that I have grown up enough to leave school. Miss Bridget would be happy today, since she always kept telling me to 'Grow up' whenever I whined at homeworks.' 'I remember the support when I my baseball team lost the match and Coach Edward remarked that he could see the fighting spirit in me which is the mark of a sportsman. Looking in the direction of Mr. Edward you could take a bow and say, 'You have been real special.'

Thank your friends. 'I am wondering if I would get lonely at the graduation college, since am so used to leaning on your shoulders (pointing to your group). The base for honing my personality has been this institution and the continuous support of my all my teachers. (addressing the dean). On behalf of all the students, I thank you.'

For writing any kind of farewell speech, it is necessary to have strong command over English speaking, as English is an international language. You can also check our websites on writing farewell speech and quotes by famous people for more information.

Merriam-Webster's Advanced Learner's English Dictionary

Merriam-Webster has published the Merriam-Webster's Advanced Learner's English Dictionary -- the first advanced learner's dictionary from an American publisher. Created by North America's foremost language experts, this groundbreaking volume is designed to help advanced students of English as a second language master spoken and written English as it is actually used.

Merriam-Webster's Advanced Learner's English Dictionary covers nearly 100,000 words and phrases with more than 3,000 core vocabulary words identified, and features more than 160,000 usage examples -- the most of any learner's dictionary. It explains meanings of thousands of idioms, collocations, and commonly used phrases from both American and British English, and offers expert guidance from Merriam-Webster lexicographers about meanings, connotations, and usage status for more effective communication.

In addition, Merriam-Webster's Advanced Learner's English Dictionary includes a free ebook download and access to a free Web site, Learners Dictionary.com. Features of the new site include "Ask the Editors," (covering such topics as commonly misused words), "My Learner's Dictionary," where users may customize their own growing vocabulary and practice with virtual flashcards, and "Learner's Word of the Day."

Website: http://www.merriam-webster.com/

Free 67-page e-book, 'Improve Your English'

Freelance commercial writer and proofreader Paul Parry has launched a new proofreading service which aims to help students and businesses with their writing.

And to celebrate the introduction of his service, Paul has decided to give away his 67-page e-book, Improve Your English.

"I want people to benefit from my knowledge and experience in as many ways as possible," he says. "I've had great feedback already from those who have taken advantage and downloaded a copy. The consensus is that it's a simple learning tool which covers all the major points of English grammar, punctuation and writing in one portable location."

"As a proofreader," says Paul, "my job is to provide a final quality check of your written text after it has been edited and before it is printed, published or submitted."

"Credibility suffers when your, or your company's, written content is poor. I can help to ensure your readers focus on your message rather than any mistakes."

Paul, who is a member of the Society for Editors and Proofreaders, has helped clients, business partners, associates, family and friends since he began to freelance three years ago.

Although the EnglishLanguageExpert is based in Hertfordshire, England, he is ready to help wherever you are in the world: "The new service is based on email - you can upload documents via my website and are charged according to the length of the document, rather than by the hour."

"This is so people are able to calculate a fixed price for the work. Once I have received a document, I work out a definite price based on the total word count multiplied by my fixed fee per word, which is 0.6 pence, or £6 per thousand words. I don't like nasty surprises, and nor does anyone else."

Proofreaders check all manner of things, including grammar, punctuation and spelling, page- numbering and also that there are no confusing word, column or page breaks.

"I check work for a wide range of media," says Paul, "including websites, advertising, marketing and brochures."

http://www.englishlanguageexpert.com/index.php

Proverbs With Wisdom by Jennie Gandhi

Proverbs come from the Latin word proverbium. It is a phrase that has a lot of meaning metaphorically. So if you want to tell somebody do not sit idle else it may work against you, you can say, "empty mind is a devils workshop" which means if you sit idle you will end up thinking and doing evil things.

If a proverb is distinct from others with good phrasing it can be termed as an aphorism. When a proverb is used to describe a rule of conduct, it can be termed as a maxim. Proverbs were generally derived from different cultures and human experience that came from seniors in the society who knew how a situation and how should it be dealt with.

The books of Proverbs from the Bible and Latin language from the medieval times have played a significant role in spreading proverbs. A few proverbs are mentioned below so you have a thorough understanding of these powerful sentences.

-A friend in need is a friend indeed.

This famous Shakespeare's proverb used in his plays meant if a friend helps you out in your time of difficulty then he or she is truly a good friend.

-A burnt child dreads fire

When a person comes across an accident it changes the person's attitude, fears, likes and dislikes for life.

-First come, first served

This is a very common proverb. Used by retail outlets, as and when offers are given out. Sometimes even at one's home it may be experienced, as the person who comes in first may get served with a dish and the person coming in later may miss it as it is over.

-As you sow, so shall you reap

This proverb is taught to us in schools where we are taught to think right and reap its benefits. A similar proverb is what goes around, comes around.

Some more include:

-A bird in the hand is worth two in the bush

-Between the devil and the deep sea

-Birds of a feather flock together

-A rolling stone gathers no moss

-Every cloud has a silver lining

-Fire is a good servant but a bad master

-All that glitters is not gold.

Just to summarise proverbs are nothing but short sayings or short stories which we have learned in our child hood days just as the nursery rhymes .

How to Improve Your English by Gibson Sims Wilson

The question I am asked the most, maybe 100 times a day is how to study English?

First let me explain my situation. I have been teaching English as Second Language now for 4 years and I guess over that time each and every one of my students has pulled me to one side in the classroom and whispered this line in to my ear.

"Teacher, please help me, I want to improve my English, but I don't know what to do."

Now over time I have suggested many remedies to this student dilemma, such as intensive after class study groups, extra reading, writing, listening lessons and other exercises, but I have found only one true guaranteed method for overall improvement...

So, let me think, you could hire a freelance English Teacher and study 20 hours a day locked away in a classroom. Oh wait better still, you could have one of those new neural implants that connects directly to your speech synaptic nerves, only joking. (Of course !)

Well what is the answer you are thinking..

Simple, sit down with an interesting book and read out load... Or better still sit down with a friend and read together and then discuss what you have read.

I know I know, this is NOT the answer you were waiting for. You were expecting some fantastic, enlightening "bolt from the blue" that would change your life forever, well sorry.

The truth is, read more, talk more, learn more...

If the above fails to improve your English, then I suggest French as an alternative.