Speed Reading

Speed Reading Facts

• The average person in business reads no faster than people did 100 years ago.
• The average reading speed is 200 to 250 words a minute in non-technical material roughly 2 minutes per page. If you doubt this, test your reading speed - there is a reading speed test elsewhere in this site.
• In technical material, the average reading rate is approx 50 to 75 words a minute roughly 5 to 6 minutes per page.
• Total information is doubling every 9 months.
• Therefore we have to process information faster and faster just to maintain our existing knowledge level.
• 500 000 new titles are published each year in the English language alone.
• However, the average American college graduate only reads 5 books in his/her post-college lifetime.
• We therefore end up knowing more and more about less, and less and less about just about everything else.

• In business, the average person spends 2 hours a day on work-related information management.
• 90% of this information will be acquired through reading.
• 2 hours per day spent reading is 25% of a workday, 25% of a work-year. On a wage package of $100K including benefits, leave, office overheads, this is a $25K a year cost to the company, PER WORKER.
• To expand a business, you either need more resources (increased overheads) or better utilization of existing resources (increased profits).
• By simply DOUBLING the knowledge management reading rate, you free up at least 1 hour a day. 
• These additional man-hours are an asset and can be re-invested in acquiring new skills, investigating new opportunities or in overhead cost management.
• In an hourly-billing organization, 100 additional billable hours per week has a profit-potential of $10 000 per week.
• To train 20 people to DOUBLE their knowledge management reading rate, requires a once-only investment of as little as $7,500.
• In the first year alone, this investment will 'create' an additional 5200 man-hours, a 'saving' of $250 000 in knowledge management time and giving you a very substantial return on your investment.

• In the Military, lives depend on the speed and accuracy of the intelligence cycle - from the analysis of collected intel data to the  risk assessment to the risk product report. 
• Too many intel analysts results in fragmentation of the "big picture". The key is empowering fewer analysts to process larger volumes in intel data.

• At college or university, the average student spends 4 to 5 hours a day reading and studying.
• The cost of a 3-year in-state college degree is approx $40 000.
• The cost of an MBA degree is approx $40 000.
• The cost of failure plus the cost of missed opportunities over a working life-time is considerable.

• For the individual, you ARE what you READ.
• Reading creates knowledge both specialist and general knowledge.
• Knowledge is wisdom the ability to consider and evaluate new information relative to what is already known.
• Reading creates vocabulary and an increased ability to communicate.
• Reading has been described as "vicariously experiencing life through the eyes of another."
• Reading improves writing skills.

Ways to Say I THINK in English

In my opinion...

If you ask me...

The way I see it...

It seems to me...

As far as I am concerned...

I feel...

I honestly believe that...

From my point of view...

I assume...

I consider...

To me...

It is my view...

To my way of thinking...

It’s my belief that...

To my mind...

As far as I can tell...

The way I see things is that...

I believe...

I would say...

I guess...

I consider that...

I esteem that...

I deem that...

I assume that...

I feel that...

If you want my opinion...

Small Talk

Small Talk - Interactive Practice

John: "Hey Bob. What are you doing here?"
Bob: "What's up? I'm meeting up with a friend here."
John: "How have you been Bob?"
Bob: "Not too bad. I'm still in school and having a fun."
John: "How are you enjoying Mr. Peterson's Geography class?"
Bob: "It's very boring."
John: "Tell me more about it. If it wasn't a requirement, I wouldn't have taken it."
Bob: "How about you? What have you been doing these days?"
John: "I finished school last summer. I'm looking for a job now, but I'm slacking off."
Bob: "I heard the job market is not that good right now."
John: "I could always take a low end job, but I'm not that desperate yet."
Bob: "Well, good luck to you."
John: "Thanks. It was good seeing you again."
Bob: "Yeah. I'll catch you later."
John: "Have a good night."




A: "You're Frank right?"
B: "Yes. Oh, you're in my History class right?"
A: "Yeah. I'm Janet."
B: "Well it's good to finally meet you."
A: "How are you enjoying the class?"
B: "I'm not sure. Some days it seems alright, but other days I am totally bored in class."
A: "I know what you mean. Do you know what is happening to the weather these days? I haven't seen the sun in a week."
B: "The weather has been pretty bad recently."
A: "I really hope the weather gets better."
B: "Do you have something coming up?"
A: "To tell you the truth, it's just depressing seeing so much rain."
B: "I don't blame you. It has been pretty gloomy for some time now."
A: "This is my stop. I'll see you later."
B: "I'll see you in class. Bye."

Understand Fast Speech in English - English Comprehension

In this lesson, you can learn how to understand fast speech in English. You’ll see how to understand fast English speakers more easily. You’ll also get a simple, step-by-step plan to improve your ability to understand fast speech in English.

This lesson will help you:

- Learn about different English pronunciation points which can help you understand fast speech in English.
- Know which specific points to focus on to help improve your English comprehension.
- Get four steps to start slow and build up your ability to understand fast speech in English.
- Understand specific ways to understand fast speech and practice useful techniques to improve your listening and comprehension.
- Get helpful tools to practice your English comprehension and listening skills.

Talk to Alexa

If you don't have a partner to practice English, you can always talk to Alexa at any time you want.

English Lesson - Greeting

Interactive Practice

Practice this conversation with a friend. After practicing several times, you will be able to speak as fast as a native.

I
A: "Hi, how are you doing?"
B: "I'm doing great. How about you?"
A: "Not too bad."
B: "Do you come to this restaurant often?"
A: "I've been here a couple of times, but I don't come on a regular basis. What have you been up to?"
B: "I'm pretty busy at work these days, but otherwise, everything is great."
A: "Well, have a good evening."
B: "You too."




II
A: "It's nice to meet you. My name is John."
B: "I'm Steve. It's a pleasure to meet you."
A: "What was your name again?"
B: "Steve."
A: "So Steve, What do you do for a living?"
B: "I work at the public library. How about you?"
A: "I'm a University student."
B: "That's great. It was nice meeting you."
A: "Yeah. It was a pleasure meeting you."




III
A: "Hey John, it's good to see you."
B: "Wow. How long has it been? It seems like more than a year. I'm doing pretty well. How about you?"
A: "Not too bad."
B: "What movie did you come to see?"
A: "I came here to see Matrix Revolution. How about you?"
B: "I'm going to watch Finding Nemo."

Conquer your Fear of English Speaking

Claustrophobia. Acrophobia. Hydrophobia. Most of us are afraid of something or the other. While some of us manage to get rid of our anxieties and fears with time, the rest of us avoid coming face to face with our greatest fears throughout our lives. Surprisingly many of us, whether we accept it or live in denial, are extremely afraid of English. We constantly remain aware of our inability to speak or write well in English and thus keep looking for easy escapes.

How can you conquer your fear of the English language?
The very first step to battle any sort of fear is to first invite it at your doorstep. Why wait for your fear to turn up at your windowpane one morning and sneak into your house? Why not confront it and turn the cards in your favor?

So, no running away! Why would you run away from yourself anyway? The greatest fear lies right in your eyes and if you look closely at your image in the mirror, you shall come to realize that this fear has actually been a mere illusion. It’s needed on your part to come out of the shell woven by illusionary threads and step forward.

English is not only a language but also a way of life in today’s globalized world and must be treated as an integral part of life. After you cross the very first obstacle of confronting your fear, your next step should be to build strategies to eliminate the fear.




“Apart from taking English classes, you also require to spend some time introspecting.”

How essential is learning English for you? 
The moment you answer this question, things begin to fall into place. Do not impose the language upon yourself because that, in the end, shall bring back the fear. Learn to live English. Learn to love English. Allow English to seep into every bit of your existence. Once you accept English as an inseparable part of your life, English shall scare you no more! Listen to some fine English music. Pick any artist of your choice and hum along the lyrics. While you travel in the metro or sit in the office alone for a couple of minutes, flip through the pages of an English newspaper. When you’re tired and need a break at home on a lazy afternoon, download an English movie. The moment you feel the urge to be heard, make pen your weapon and put down your thoughts in English on a piece of paper.

What is important is to nurture English, not as a language but as your very own child. You must learn and grow with it. You must learn and grow through it.

Why fear English? Why not befriend it and turn from foes to best of friends?

English Study - The Right Method

Learn English to Use it!

You will become an expert English speaker!
Many people study English for many years. Even after years of studying, they go to an English speaking country and realize that they cannot say one sentence correctly. This is going to change for people who finish this course. You will be able to speak English in many different situations. This site will give you the foundation you need to communicate effectively in English.

Restaurant Dialogue for Ordering Food

Ordering food in a restaurant is one of the most basic tasks for English learners—after all, eating is essential and so is talking about eating— but it can also be one of the most daunting. This simple lesson is aimed at beginners who are practicing ordering for the very first time. Use this lesson, dialogue, to learn how to order food in a restaurant using basic vocabulary

How to Write an Apology Letter with Sample Letters

While apologizing in person often conveys more sincerity, there are times when a formal, written apology might be your only option or could otherwise be the preferred method. To write an apology letter, you'll need to address your error early in the letter, acknowledge the other party's hurt feelings, and accept full responsibility for your part in the matter. In many cases, you'll also need to offer a solution that will fix any underlying issues related to the original problem. If you want to make sure that your apology is effective and doesn't cause even more hurt, aim for both clarity and sincerity while you write.

Is ASL A Universal Language?

The American Sign Language (ASL) interpreter had just finished her interpreting assignment and was just leaving the building when she was approached by two very curious members of that previous audience. Their question was: Is ASL a universal language?

This is a sincere and frequently asked question by many inquisitive observers, and the answer is: No, ASL is not a universal language nor an international language. For a bit of clarification here are two reasons some observers may think it is:

The Importance of Acknowledgement

How often when we're speaking do we suspect the other person of already formulating their reply? They can barely wait for us to finish before they're coming back with their own comments. In fact they may not even pause for us to stop speaking before they're interrupting.

My English Story

I am not a native of any country whose native language is English, yet I speak, write, and read English fluently without the slightest difficulty. What I am going to write here is how I developed theses skills over time.

English in School

I went to an English medium school and English was the mandatory first language for all students in my school. Everybody in the school had to speak English except during language classes, since it was an English medium school, right from the kindergarten level.

The Importance of English and How It Can Affect Our Lives

English has become a global language and learning it has become extremely necessary for all of us. It is the most widely used language out of the 4,000 to 5,000 live languages spoken in the world. There are a whopping 350 million native speakers of English. The use of English has become important in our day to day life and therefore a strong hold on the English language has become vital for the success of our lives. A fluent English speaker can expect a lot of things in his life. He can imagine of a beautiful foreign girlfriend, a nice car, a lovely house and many more things. Above all, people show a lot of respect to a fluent English speaker.

English is an international language that most of the people are using all over the world. Some of the countries where English is spoken are United States of America, United Kingdom, Canada, India, Australia, Pakistan, Mauritius, Philippines, Singapore, South Africa, Sri Lanka etc. Just imagine how this language can help in communicating with people living in other countries.

5 Tips to Improve English Learning for Engineers

The world of engineering has taken giant strides in the advancement of civilization. From creating new machinery to building new structures, engineering impacts our lives daily. All this progress translates into higher demand for engineers. Many people are of the opinion that engineering is mainly a technical job involving very less communication. They ignore the importance of English in developing their communication skills, thus losing out on valuable career opportunities. If you are an aspiring engineer who wishes to have a great career start or growth, you need to be proficient in both English speaking and writing.

Communication: Is It Important To Approach Others?

If someone was to go camping in the middle of nowhere and they had no food, it would be up to them to find something to eat. Due to where they are, the food that they need is not going to be delivered to them.

In the same way, when someone goes to a social club or at an event, for instance, they will most likely also need to make an effort. This might not be the case if they are extremely attractive or famous.

Why Learning English is important

Learning English is important and people all over the world decide to study it as a second language. Many countries include English as a second language in their school syllabus and children start learning English at a young age.

However, DO YOU KNOW WHY learning English is so important?

Here are ten good reasons to take an English language course.

1. English is the most commonly spoken language in the world. One out of five people can speak or at least understand English!

2. English is the language of science, of aviation, computers, diplomacy, and tourism. Knowing English increases your chances of getting a good job in a multinational company within your home country or of finding work abroad.

3. English is the official language of 53 countries. That is a lot of people to meet and speak to.

4. English is spoken as a first language by around 400 million people around the world.

5. English is the language of the media industry. If you speak English, you won't need to rely on translations and subtitles anymore to enjoy your favourite books, songs, films and TV shows.6. English is also the language of the Internet. Many websites are written in English – you will be able to understand them and to take part in forums and discussions.

7. English is based on a simple alphabet and it is fairly quick and easy to learn compared to other languages.

8. English is not only useful – it gives you a lot of satisfaction. Making progress feels great. You will enjoy learning English, if you remember that every hour you spend gets you closer to perfection.

9. Since English is spoken in so many different countries there are thousands of schools around the world that offer programmes in English. If you speak English, there're lots of opportunities for you to find an appropriate school and course to suit your academic needs.

10. Because it's fun! By learning English, you will also learn about other cultures. Few experiences will make you grow as a person more than learning the values, habits and way of life in a culture that is different from yours.

Source: British Study Centres

Agreement, Partial Agreement And Disagreement.

The ways in which people agree or disagree in a discussion varies in different languages.

Agreeing

It is worth understanding that silence is not to be understood as an agreement. If you agree with someone's opinion or idea, you are required to say so.

Introducing yourself and introducing other people

There are many of ways to introduce yourself and other people.

Introducing yourself:
These are some expressions you can use when introducing yourself:

How to Start a Good Conversation

Starting a conversation with someone is probably one of the hardest parts of communication. You may find that you can talk to some people instantly, while talking to others is like pulling teeth. But don't worry -- there are a few universal tricks that will help you start a good conversation with almost anyone, and a few tips for starting conversations with specific people. If you want to know how to start a good conversation, just follow these steps.

Learning Some Conversation Skills

Method 1. Starting a Conversation

1. Make the person feel like you care. You can turn a total stranger into a friend just by making him feel like you care about what he has to say and that his opinion matters to you. If the person thinks you're talking just to hear your own voice, he'll be turned off immediately. Instead, turn your body and focus toward that person and maintain eye contact without being too intense. Give the person enough personal space, but show that the person has your attention.