Many of my students have had years of English in school, yet they are not confident when it comes to speaking. Here is a success story from one of my current students:
"As anybody who already knows some English but is not able to speak or talk to someone in English, I had dreamed of being able to speak English fluently for a long time.
I was tired of memorizing list of words and feeling like I could not speak confidently.
Jude taught me how well I can apply my own vocabulary, without having a rich vocabulary. Now, I can express myself naturally. I don’t think about how well I speak. I feel much more confident!"
Rezvan
Would you like to be more confident speaking English? Contact us for a free interview and find out how.
“I woke up late and made some breakfast. Then I took a shower, got dressed and relaxed on the sofa. After that I went for a walk. Then I came home, had lunch and watched a movie on Netflix. I stayed home for the rest of the day and started my homework for next week.”
In the above dialogue there 12 verbs. Nine out of those 12 verbs are irregular, meaning that instead of ending in -ed (stayed, relaxed), they have a completely different form (got, ate, went).
While irregular verbs make up only 3 percent of all English verbs, they are used 70 percent of the time in conversation!
That’s why it’s good to memorize them. I use games to help my students get better at using the past tense, my favorite one being "Go Fish". The goal is to get pairs of present and past verbs. We play the game during a few lessons and soon my students can master 88 irregular verbs and talk about the past without hesitation.
These days many people, whether students or adults, are finding it difficult to focus, especially when working from home and not being used to the lack of more structured days. Because I work from home, I thought I would share some strategies that have helped me.
“I can’t focus.”
Saying that you can’t focus is a general statement, like saying you are stressed. In other words, what is causing you to have difficulty focusing? I have found that lack of focus, even in students, is not some kind of disability. It can be a result of things in the environment and within oneself.
Why focus?
Not only does being focused allow us to get the needed work and tasks done, but it also feels good to concentrate. Focusing allows us to come up with bright ideas and to solve problems. It raises our morale.
So here are some questions you can ask yourself to increase your focus. Some of these may be more relevant to you than others, and hopefully you can find a tip here that will help you get back on track.
1. Do you have a good work set-up?
As basic as it may sound, having a workspace that is organized and distraction-free is vital. Before you sit down to work, do you have all the materials you need? If you have not been used to working at home, you may need to create an environment in which you can work. Distraction-free can mean being away from the sound of a blaring TV, turning off Facebook or other notifications, and letting family members know that you need a certain chunk of time to work without major interruptions.
2. Are you being distracted by your body?
A body needs a certain amount of fuel and sleep as well as exercise to function well. If you sit down to work and are hungry or tired, you will drain yourself even further by trying to work. You may think you cannot afford to sleep more or that you don’t have time to eat, but the time of lost concentration or having to redo your work will end up costing you even more time. This is no pitch for exercise but getting some air in your lungs and circulation going is good for your body and soul. If you are not into working out, you can at least take a break and do something physical, even if that means cleaning your house. More on breaks later.
3. Are you being distracted by unfinished tasks?
One thing that I can find very distracting is when I have a lot of things piled up that I need to do. It will give me the feeling that I don’t have enough time and make it really hard to concentrate. How can I focus when I have so much to do? One way to deal with this is to make a list of all of the things, big or small, that are nagging at you and then get a few of them done, especially the ones that are weighing on you. If could be buying a gift for someone’s birthday that's coming up or sending someone a link that you promised. Get as many of the easy ones done as possible and write down when you are going to do some of the others. This can help free up some mental space and therefore help you focus.
4. Are you being distracted by indecision?
When we have things about which we have not decided, it can block all further action. These don’t need to be large things. If someone has asked me whether I can do a job for them and I have not decided, it can stop me from making other plans and hang up my attention. If I say yes or no, I can take it from there. If I find myself unable to focus, I often take a look to see if there are any places where I am holding back from making a decision and list those out. Then I start making decisions where I can. It can be a big relief. Moreover, if you are being hung up by someone who needs to make a decision that involves you, see if it can be resolved so that you can move on. For example, “Are you going to marry me or not?”
5. Are your tasks too general?
If you find yourself saying but not acting upon a task such as I really need to write that blog or I need to work on that project, it may be easier to face if it is broken down into smaller tasks. For example, if I need to write a blog, perhaps the first step is to brainstorm an idea for a blog. Once that is done, perhaps I need to do some freewriting as a second step. To work on the project is vague. Which step of the project should you be doing? Breaking down your tasks and then tackling them one by one can help you be more productive and less overwhelmed.
6. Are you scheduling work and breaks?
If day after day you are sort of working but also not, it will all feel like one long monotonous thing. It would be better to schedule work, even if it is an hour or 45 minutes at a time and then when you take a break, literally walk away from what you are doing and do something else, preferably something that allows you to get some circulation in the body. Reward yourself with a cup of tea or something.
Vi har hørt fra flere forældre og direkte fra nogle af vores elever at det er meget udfordrende når skoleundervisningen skal foregå 100 % online, og så er der tilmed mere hjemmearbejde end normalt. Det kan være hårdt at være online så stor en del af dagen uden en fysisk tilstedeværelse af en lærer, andre elever eller andre omgivelser. Derfor er her nogle gode råd til forældrene til at hjælpe dem med at klare situationen med skolegangen hjemme.
1. Bliv enige om en tidsplan eller et skema.
Hvis du sammen med barnet udarbejder et skema eller en tidsplan for hele dagen og ugen, så kan det hjælpe til at holde orden i aktiviteterne. Hvis I udarbejder planen sammen, er der også bedre chancer for at den bliver overholdt. Det burde være en tidsplan ligesom henne i skolen.
2. ”Klæd dig på” til at gå i skole.
Det betyder faktisk at stå op og gøre sig i stand. En af vores elever sagde at han bare blev i sit nattøj det meste af dagen, man han indså at hvis han klædte sig ordentlig på i stedet for, så ville det sætte ham i bedre humør til lave skolearbejdet. Det betyder naturligvis at vaske sig eller tage bad om morgenen som man ellers ville gøre det.
3. Hold planlagte pauser.
Ligesom der er pauser i skolens skema, skal man også holde pauser når man læser hjemme. Det betyder pauser væk fra skærmen. Når man holder sig fra skærmen et stykke tid, kan det blive nemmere at se på den igen til næste opgave. Man kan holde pause mellem emner eller opgaver eller ved regulære intervaller, fx efter 45 minutter.
4. Prøv at bruge to skærme.
Hvis man både skal læse eller lytte og samtidigt skrive noget, så kan det være svært med én skærm. En måde et løse det på er at have to skærme hvor den ene har opgaven, og den anden computer bruges til at skrive på. Måske har man en iPad og en bærbar. Det gør det også nemmere at tage noter.
5. Find selv på nogle alternative fag.
Man kunne lave noget der ikke var et tvungent skolefag, fx bagning, tegning osv. Hvis man tager sig tid til at arbejde med et andet fag såsom kunst, madlavning, havearbejde, så kunne man lære andre sjove ting og få lidt afveksling. Tal med børnene, og se hvad de har lyst til. Måske der er lidt uventet hjælp at hente.
6. Planlæg ting at se frem til.
Uanset om det er at se en god film eller bage småkager eller lave en hjemmelavet pizza, så planlæg nogle ting man kan glæde sig til at lave i fritiden. Det kan motivere til at få skolearbejdet gjort færdigt.
7. Tag fri i længere perioder.
Hvis barnet holder sit skema og får skolearbejdet gjort hver dag, så skulle det være muligt at holde fri i længere tid et par dage.
8. Pas på dig selv.
Sørg for at børnene får nok søvn, motion og god nærende mad. Det er vigtigt for koncentrationsevnen. Disse ting skal også passes ind i skemaet hver dag.
Skolearbejde hjemme er virkelig en udfordring. Men det er yderst vigtigt at vi sørger for at vi og vores kære er sunde og raske. Vi håber disse råd kan gøre det lidt nemmere. 🙂
The effect that an uncertainty has on people is often overlooked.
Uncertainty in any area of life can cause a person to feel confused, frustrated and anxious about what to do. Lacking a piece of information can even stop a person from acting at all. Let’s say you are going to meet someone and you know what time you are meeting them but you don’t know where. Then it’s difficult to make a plan. When should you leave the house to arrive? How much time will you need? How should you dress? And so on. This unknown fact generates more questions and more uncertainties and can make one feel upset.
The same thing happens in school. When a student doesn’t understand something, they begin to feel confused. This can result in frustration, boredom and even apathy. Those emotions tend to then spread to other subjects and even to life in general. That’s why when you clear up a confusion in one subject, it often results in improvements in other subjects, as well as an overall improvement in attitude.
Parents often comment that when their kids leave FEGU they seem happier and more energetic. This is because they are clearing up confusions and gaining certainty. Instead of hiding their feelings and focusing on the confusion, they are now more confident and active.
Doubt in a subject too often results in self-doubt, which becomes a dwindling spiral. We have found that when you raise learners' certainty about the subject they are studying, you also help raise their certainty about themselves and their ability to do things.
Most primary schools start students on English from the first or second grade. The earlier they start, the better is the philosophy, and for the most part it is true. However, some students have difficulty grasping basic English, and by basic, I mean even the way words are pronounced in English as opposed to Danish.
If a student cannot grasp the sounds of the English alphabet, they have to guess what words mean and they will start doing this, thinking it is what they are supposed to do. Soon they begin reading stories and studying grammar in class while they are still unsure of how to read.
With classes of 20 to 30 students, a teacher may not realize just how much difficulty the student is having or may not have the resources to address it. The student will mistakenly think that English is “hard” or that they are just no good at it.
For over ten years, we have been helping such students get a basic grasp of the English alphabet, which begins with all of the vowel sounds. They learn the difference between how the words “hop” and “hope” or “Dan” and “Dane” are pronounced, along with all of the other sounds in English that can be challenging. Many high school students and adults still have problems pronouncing words with “th”, “v” and “w.”
Our FEGU English program takes the students through basic English sounds so that within two lessons, the student is able to comfortably and confidently read whole sentences and realize that learning English is well within their grasp. From there they learn basic grammar and spelling of hundreds of words. Many students are able to then follow along in class within three months of weekly lessons.
There is no need for your child to struggle with English when we have the tools to help them. Contact us for a free interview and English level test.
Selvom jeg allerede studerede engelsk på universitetsniveau da jeg kom til FEGU, så havde jeg stadig en del usikkerhed omkring engelsk. Det var især udtalen og det med kongruens mellem grundled og udsagnsled. Mit problem begyndte dog allerede i folkeskolen. Dengang havde jeg syv forskellige engelsklærere, og det resulterede i at jeg ikke fangede en hel masse grundlæggende ting, og på en eller anden måde blev nødt til at lære engelsk for mig selv.
I 2016 tog jeg til London i et år, og i begyndelsen var jeg så usikker og genert mht. til at tale engelsk at jeg slet ikke talte med nogen. Så tænkte jeg at det nok var bedre at prøve at sige noget, også selvom det lød forkert. Det var det første skridt i den rigtige retning.
Men jeg var stadig usikker i engelsk, og det er derfor at jeg kom til FEGU. Først var der en samtale hvor jeg kunne sige lige hvad det var jeg behøvede hjælp til, og hvad der blev forventet af mig på universitetet. Så fik jeg et program der var skræddersyet til mit behov. Da jeg var færdig med programmet, var jeg ikke alene i stand til at bestå min eksamen, jeg klarede mig også bedre end jeg havde forventet. Derfor kan jeg varmt anbefale FEGU til andre.
Nu da sommerferien er ved at være forbi, og
det nye skoleår vinker i horisonten, tænker jeg tilbage på det sidste skoleår
og kan kun glæde mig over de præstationer nogle af vores elever udviste. Vi er
meget stolte over at have tre elever fra FEGU der bestod deres
studentereksamen, og som nu er i gang
med deres næste eventyr i livet.
Der stilles store krav til gymnasieleverne. De
får både lange og korte hjemmeopgaver i mange forskellige fag. Noget der nogle
gange mangler, er en udarbejdelse af hvordan de skal opdele deres tid, så de
kan lave deres opgaver færdige til tiden og samtidigt have tid tilovers til rekreative
aktiviteter og familien. Det kan være besværligt.
Det er et stort spring at gå fra grundskolen til gymnasiet. Der er nogle helt andre krav som kan være udfordrende for eleven at indrette sig efter. Det er ikke bare et spørgsmål om IQ, og hvor smart man er. Det er et spørgsmål om at vurdere hvilken indsats der kræves for at udføre opgaven korrekt. Når eleverne kommer til os, så hjælper vi dem naturligvis med at lære de svære ting, men vi giver dem også vejledning om hvad de behøver at gøre for at være i stand til at lave en opgave helt færdig og føle sig godt tilpas med den. Man skal lære selv at vurdere hvilken indsats der er nødvendig. Fx hvis man vil bygge et nyt køkken, så får man en fagmand til at komme og foretage en vurdering af jobbet og se hvilken indsats det kræver: tid, materialer, arbejdstid, pris osv. Det er det samme i skolen. I stedet for at sige hvilken dag de vil begynde på opgaven, så må eleven selv lære at vurdere hvor mange timer det tager og så planlægge udførelsen derefter. Det skal så lige ganges med antallet af fag og andre sociale engagementer, og så får man en ide om hvor meget planlægning der kræves. Det er noget både forældre og elever må overveje her i det nye skoleår.
Lær gode studievaner nu, og året vil forløbe meget glattere, og måske kan vi forhindre panik eller skuffelse ved slutningen af året når det er en uvildig censor der skal vurdere indsatsen.
På
FEGU Studiecenter Odense har vi hjulpet hundredvis af elever med at blive
motiverede til at lære.
I
årenes løb er vi stødt ind i børn der simpelthen ikke har nogen motivation til
at lære noget i skolen. Har du nogensinde kigget på dit barn og undret dig over
om det engang så videbegærlige barn ikke længere synes at ville lære noget?
Hvordan
kan det være at nogle af disse børn ofte klarer sig godt med sport eller andre
aktiviteter? Uanset om man går i skole eller ej, så lærer man hele tiden. Der
er en glæde ved at lære noget, men nogle gange ser glæden ud til at være gået
tabt.
Denne
afvisning af at lære kan opstå fra små nederlag i personens uddannelse. Måske
var der noget eleven ikke forstod, eller noget der var forvirrende. Nu kan
eleven føle sig ude af trit med resten af klassen. Mange gange føler barnet sig
for dum eller ikke god nok til at kunne følge med de andre. Bare nogle få af
dens slags nederlag sammen med en følelse af at være utilstrækkelig, kan knuse
ens motivation. Og der er jo masser af andre ting der kan distrahere de unge
mennesker, og som kan holde deres interesse fanget andre steder.
På
FEGU gør vi mere end bare at hjælpe med lektierne. Vi prøver at finde ud af
grunden til at barnet ikke kan følge med eller ikke kan lave sit hjemmearbejde.
Vi har redskaber til at lave fejlfinding og finde det punkt hvor eleven
begyndte at få nederlag. Det kan så rettes, og vi bygger dem op derfra, så de
kommer op på niveau og samtidigt lærer hvordan man kan lære hvad som helst. Man
skulle ikke tro det, men der er masser af elever der aldrig har fundet ud af at
gå i skole, og hvordan man lærer noget. De har ingen ide om hvad de skal gøre
for at forstå emnerne.
Vi
bruger præcise redskaber til at hjælpe eleverne med at finde ud af hvad der er
forvirrende for dem, og så at slippe af med disse forvirringer. Efterhånden som
de får mere succes inden for et emne, så bliver de gladere og mere sikre på dem
selv. Slutresultatet er en elev der selv kan klare sit skolearbejde, og som er
motiveret til at gøre sit bedste.
Ring
til os for at få en gratis samtale og test.
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Motivation to Learn
Does your child lack motivation to learn?
FEGU Studiecenter Odense has helped hundreds of students get motivated to learn
Over the years we run into kids that simply are not motivated to learn in school. Have you ever looked at your child and wondered how that once curious kid doesn’t seem to want to learn anymore?
Why then do these same kids often excel in sports or avidly participate in other hobbies? Whether we are in school or not, we are always learning. There is a joy in learning, but sometimes it gets lost.
This rejection of learning can come from a small failure in a person’s education. Maybe the student didn’t understand something or got confused. That student now feels out of step with the rest of the class. Often the child will simply think that he or she is stupid and just not good enough to keep up with the others. Just a few of these small failings, along with a feeling that one is not good enough, can crush motivation. And there are plenty of distractions that young people have to keep them interested.
At FEGU we are not here just to help someone get their homework done. We want to know why a kid cannot or won’t get their schoolwork done. We have tools to troubleshoot and pinpoint where the student had failings and build them up so that they can follow along with the class and learn how to actually study. Believe it or not, there are lots of students who never learned how to study and have no idea what to do when they don’t understand something.
We apply specific tools to help students find what they are confused about and get rid of those confusions. As they get more and more success with a subject, they become happier and more confident. The result is a student who can handle school work and is motivated to do his or her best.
