In class, every day you're learning many new things: words, phrases, grammar, different ways to organize and present information in spoken and written English. It can be difficult to remember it all and sometimes it can be overwhelming.
You also study with a number of other students and you are all different: some learn faster, some learn slower, some speak very fluently, some know lots of vocabulary. Everyone benefits from studying with other people but you also need time to slow down and focus just on your needs.
Learning a language is, in some ways, like learning to drive a car. You have a driving instructor who can show you what to do and teach you the road rules, but you can't just sit in the car and watch – you have to do it yourself, practice regularly and slowly you will become more confident and fluent. When you learn a language, you have your teachers to help make things clearer for you and guide you, but you have to be active and positive and take responsibility for your own learning.
This is where Accelerate comes in! You have one hour every day of Accelerate time – use it wisely to focus on what you think is important and what you need.
5 tips to help you get more out of Accelerate:
1. Talk to your teacher in your coursebook-based class and the Accelerate teacher – they can help you understand your strengths and weaknesses and the best way to use your Accelerate time.
2. Be curious and ask questions – when you are doing Accelerate study and you see something new, interesting, difficult or confusing, ask the Accelerate teacher.
3. Try Extensive Reading. Extensive reading means:
• You choose to read something that is interesting to you and is not too difficult to understand. Try to read one Graded Reader from the Accelerate library per week – they're perfect!
• You relax and enjoy what you are reading and learn English at the same time!
• You develop not only your reading skills but also your understanding of vocabulary, grammar and written English.
4. When you watch a DVD from the Accelerate library:
• Watch it at least once with no subtitles and really listen to it!
• Then watch it again with subtitles and check how much you understood.
• Make notes about new, interesting, difficult or confusing language.
• Ask the Accelerate teacher about the new, interesting, difficult or confusing language you wrote down.
5. After you learn some new grammar or vocabulary in Accelerate, use it to chat to other students or the teacher – experiment with it! Maybe you'll make some mistakes, but then the Accelerate teacher can correct you and help you understand it better.
Try these 5 tips and I'm sure you'll really Accelerate your learning! Enjoy Kyle