How to Expand Your English Vocabulary

I often see students writing long lists of unrelated words in their notebooks as they try desperately to expand their English vocabulary but is this really the best way?
A list of words with a translation is a good start but how many of them will you be able to memorize and then use effectively or correctly?
As you come across new words, a list is good but there are a few things you can do to make your list more effective. Firstly, you should categorize your words. Group your words together in themes or words that have something in common. Once in groups, draw a picture for each word along with a definition and example sentence. Research shows that having a visual cue for a word will increase your memory of that word. It also acts as a good tool for revision when you revisit your list and want to test your knowledge by looking only at the pictures.
You can then extend your lists by finding other words associated with each word. Write your word and add a list of associated words around it. You could even make a picture out of them, again creating a visual. Extend this even further by adding collocations ( words that usually ‘go together’), antonyms and synonyms. Word formation charts can also be used to learn all forms of your new word.
Today there are so many applications on all our devices that we have word games, stories, and word puzzles at our fingertips. We can download a huge variety of books which is the best way to expand vocabulary whether you are a native speaker or ESL student.
I found through my own personal language studies that some cards in my pocket with my new words for the week were a great way to revise set words for class or a test. If you’re sitting at a bus stop, you can easily grab your cards for a quick revision. Labeling things with sticky notes is also a goody but a house covered in labels may not be acceptable to your room mates.
At the end of the day, the best way to learn new words is to read. There are so many texts available to us. Go and get lost in a book. Learning new words can be fun.

“A synonym is a word you use when you can’t spell the other one.”

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12 Writing Tips for Legal English

Here at the Atlei School of English we teach a range of specialist courses in Legal English. I’ve just finished teaching English for Commercial Lawyers course, which includes writing advice and practice, plus language feedback not only from an experienced English language trainer but also from a qualified lawyer from a respected law firm. 

Here are our 12 Top Tips for writing legal English, with thanks to our visiting lawyers and course participants:

1)  As with all writing, think about your audience – writing to another lawyer will be very different to writing to a client who is a layperson.
 
2)   If you’re aiming for clarity in your writing, then the Plain English campaign has two excellent writing guides.  The A to Z of alternative words gives you the ‘plain English’ versions of more formal words.  Of course, this could also help you to formalize your English if it’s too informal.  Again, the key is knowing what’s appropriate:

The A to Z to alternative words (PDF)
More specifically, The A to Z guide to legal phrases (PDF) gives clear definitions of many English legal words and expressions.

3)  Clarity will help you to avoid ambiguity and grey areas.  A funny example of ambiguity from criminal law is the newspaper headline ‘Juvenile court to try shooting defendant’.  In legal 

English ‘try’ means ‘put on trial’, but the meaning in general English is ‘attempt’, which would mean that the court tried to shoot the defendant who was on trial! 

4)  Use layout and punctuation to clarify things, for example in a contract, number each clause and give it an underlined heading.  Use sub-clauses where necessary.

5)  Use the active voice to make it clear who should do what, such as ‘The seller shall deliver the goods’, rather than ‘the goods shall be delivered.’

6)  Be aware of words which have different meanings in general and legal English.  For example, in the sentence above, ‘The seller shall deliver the goods’, ‘shall’ means ‘must’, whereas in general English it’s used to make suggestions, such as ‘Shall we go to the pub?’
 
7)  Be careful with numbers; to avoid confusion, always write them in words as well as figures.  For instance, in English, £100.00 is one hundred pounds, not ten thousand pounds; a difference of nine thousand, nine hundred pounds!

8)  Similarly, dates should be written in words.  This date, 1/4/2015, is 1^st April 2015 in British English but 4^th January in US English.

9)  Don’t (do not) use contractions in formal legal writing.

10)  Legal English still uses a lot of formal adverbs of reference such as ‘herein’ to mean ‘in this document.’  While they can cause difficulties for the lay reader, when used correctly these adverbs help the reader to navigate the text.

11)  Get a good legal dictionary.  I recommend the Oxford Dictionary of Law

12)  Be accurate – a lawyer’s language is their tool.  Use the Spelling and Grammar tool and proofread everything!

I hope this advice is useful and whether you’re a lawyer or a layperson we’d love to hear your comments and tips on writing legal English!

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English as a second or foreign language

English as a second or foreign language is the use of English by speakers with different native languages. Instruction for English-language learners may be known as English as a second language (ESL), English as a foreign language (EFL), English as an additional language (EAL), or English for speakers of other languages (ESOL).

“English as a second or foreign language…” indeed is the use of English by speakers with different native languages. English as a second language (ESL) is often used for non-native English speakers learning English in a country where English is commonly spoken. English as a foreign language (EFL) is used for non-native English speakers learning English in a country where English is not commonly spoken.

The term ESL has been misinterpreted by some to indicate that English would be of secondary importance. However, it simply refers to the order in which the language was learned. The term ESL can be a misnomer for some students who have learned several languages before learning English. The terms English Language Learners (ELL), and more recently English Learners (EL), have been used instead, and the students’ home language and cultures are considered important. (Wright, 2010). Edited

The way English learners are instructed depend on their level of English proficiency and the programs provided in their school or district. In some programs, instructions are taught in both, English and their home language. In other programs, instructions are only in English, but in a manner that is comprehensible to the students (Wright, 2010). Yet, there are other programs in which ELLs are pulled out of the classroom for separate English instruction, or the instruction can also be given in the classroom itself (Wright, 2010).

English as a language has great reach and influence; it is taught all over the world. In English-speaking countries, English language teaching has evolved in two broad directions: instruction for people who intend to live there, and instruction for those who do not. These divisions have grown firmer as the instructors of these two "industries" have used different terminology, followed distinct training qualifications, formed separate professional associations, and so on.

Crucially, these two arms have very different funding structures, public in the former and private in the latter, and to some extent this influences the way schools are established and classes are held. Matters are further complicated by the fact that the United States and the United Kingdom, both major engines of the language, describe these categories in different terms.

Although English is the principal language in both the US and the United Kingdom, it differs between the two countries, primarily in pronunciation and vocabulary. For example, some words and phrases that are inoffensive in the US are offensive in the UK and vice versa. These differences are the butt of many jokes. "We have really everything in common with America nowadays, except, of course, language" (Oscar Wilde, in The Canterville Ghost).

Similarly, Bertrand Russell said: "It is a misfortune for Anglo-American friendship that the two countries are supposed to have a common language." Variations have been misattributed to Winston Churchill, and George Bernard Shaw,[citation needed] that England and America "are two countries [or nations] divided [or separated] by a common language [or tongue]."

Interaction with native speakers

ESL students often have difficulty interacting with native speakers in school. Some ESL students avoid interactions with native speakers because of their frustration or embarrassment at their poor English. Immigrant students often also lack knowledge of popular culture, which limits their conversations with native speakers to academic topics. In classroom group activities with native speakers, ESL students often do not participate, again because of embarrassment about their English, but also because of cultural differences: their native cultures may value silence and individual work at school in preference to social interaction and talking in class. These interactions have been found to extend to teacher–student interactions as well.

In most mainstream classrooms, teacher-led discussion is the most common form of lesson. In this setting, some ESL students will fail to participate, and often have difficulty understanding teachers because they talk too fast, do not use visual aids, or use native colloquialisms. ESL students also have trouble getting involved with extracurricular activities with native speakers for similar reasons. Students fail to join extra-curricular activities because of the language barrier, cultural emphasis of academics over other activities, or failure to understand traditional pastimes in their new country.

Social benefits

Supporters of ESL programs claim they play an important role in the formation of peer networks and adjustment to school and society in their new homes. Having class among other students learning English as a second language relieves the pressure of making mistakes when speaking in class or to peers. ESL programs also allow students to be among others who appreciate their native language and culture, the expression of which is often not supported or encouraged in mainstream settings. ESL programs also allow students to meet and form friendships with other non-native speakers from different cultures, promoting racial tolerance and multiculturalism.

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TOEFL

The Test of English as a Foreign Language, or TOEFL, is a test which measures people’s English language skills to see if they are good enough to take a course at university or graduate school in English-speaking countries. 

It is for people whose native language is not English. It measures how well a person uses listening, reading, speaking and writing skills to perform academic tasks. This test is accepted by more than 7,500 colleges, universities, and agencies in more than 130 countries; which means it is the most widely recognized English test in the world.

The format of the TOEFL test has been changed three times. The first was the PBT (paper-based TOEFL test). It tests listening, reading and grammar skills with a perfect score being 677. Some centers where computers are not available still offer this format. 

The second format is the CBT (computer-based TOEFL test). People are each provided with a computer to take the test. A writing section was added as well as the three sections. The level of listening and grammar skills are automatically changed depending on a person’s English level. The third change is the iBT (Internet-based test) that is being brought in around the world which measures listening, speaking, reading and writing.

There are three procedures that people are following to take the test. First it is decided where and when you are going to take the test because the format of the test could be either iBT or CBT depending on location. 

People need to register 2–3 months in advance to get a place. Second is registration in person, online, by phone, or through email. Online registration is most common and payment will be required to complete the registration. The cost changes depending on what kind of exam is taken.

As more universities and colleges want a TOEFL more people are wanting to do the test. In Korea in 2010, nearly 115,000 people took the test to demonstrate their ability in English. 

This was 20% of the total for people doing the test. It is considered as one of the ways for middle or high school students to apply for the high ranked domestic universities. By studying at such an advanced level, it could help to improve their English skills to get high scores in other English exams.

Test scores

TOEFL iBT Test

• The TOEFL iBT test is scored on a scale of 0 to 120 points.
• Each of the four sections Reading, Listening, Speaking, and Writing) receives a scaled score from 0 to 30. The scaled scores from the four sections are added together to determine the total score.
• Each speaking question is initially given a score of 0 to 4, and each writing question is initially given a score of 0 to 5. These scores are converted to scaled scores of 0 to 30.

Paper-based Test

The final PBT score ranges between 310 and 677 and is based on three subscores: Listening (31–68), Structure (31–68), and Reading (31–67). Unlike the CBT, the score of the Writing component (referred to as the Test of Written English, TWE) is not part of the final score; instead, it is reported separately on a scale of 0–6.

The score test takers receive on the Listening, Structure and Reading parts of the TOEFL test is not the percentage of correct answers. The score is converted to take into account the fact that some tests are more difficult than others. The converted scores correct these differences. Therefore, the converted score is a more accurate reflection of the ability than the raw score is.

Accepted TOEFL Scores

Most colleges use TOEFL scores as only one factor in their admission process, with a college or program within a college often setting a minimum TOEFL score required. The minimum TOEFL iBT scores range from 61 (Bowling Green State University) to 110 (University of Oxford).

ETS has released tables to convert between iBT, CBT and PBT scores.

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Test Preparation

22 hours per week/Eight-week sessions

AREAS OF INSTRUCTION
ESL tests: iBT TOEFL, IELTS
Undergraduate tests: SAT
Graduate test: GRE, GMAT, USMLE

Prerequisites:
Successful completion of all seven levels of AEI's Intensive English Course
or: score higher than Level Seven on AEI's placement test
or: successfully passed professional exams in English
Students must pass Section 1 or show scores of 70 or higher on the actual TOEFL exam, Band 6 for IELTS, 500 for SAT, 150 for GRE or 630 for GMAT before enrolling in Section II

All test preparation courses consist of two sections, the first of which provides the foundation necessary for success in the second advanced section. For best results on the actual exams, it is recommended that students take both sections and both the Verbal and Math sections of the SAT, GRE and GMAT tests.

TOEFL Prep Course

TOEFL I

This is the first of two TOEFL preparation courses developed to prepare students for the TOEFL iBT©. This course is designed for students with no prior experience on the TOEFL iBT and/or with fewer advanced levels of English. It focuses on all four language skills tested on the TOEFL iBT: reading, listening, speaking, and writing. It aims to familiarize students with the exam, introduce basic strategies for tackling questions, and improve test-taking skills. The course also builds the language skills necessary for success on the TOEFL iBT and ultimately in academic settings.

TOEFL II
This is the second of two TOEFL courses developed to prepare students for the TOEFL iBT©. This course is designed for students with some prior familiarity with the TOEFL iBT and/or with more advanced levels of English. It provides extensive practice of all four language skills tested on the TOEFL iBT: reading, listening, speaking, and writing. It emphasizes effective strategies for obtaining a high score on the exam and aims to improve student test-taking skills. The course also helps students master the language skills necessary for success on the TOEFL iBT and ultimately in academic settings.

IELTS Prep Course

IELTS I
This is the first of two IELTS preparation courses developed to prepare students for the IELTS exam©. This course is designed for students with no prior experience on the IELTS and/or with fewer advanced levels of English. It focuses on all four language skills tested on the IELTS : reading, listening, speaking, and writing. It aims to familiarize students with the exam, introduce basic strategies for tackling questions, and improve test-taking skills. The course also builds the language skills necessary for success on the IELTS and ultimately in academic settings.

IELTS II
This is the second of two IELTS courses developed to prepare students for the IELTS exam. This course is designed for students with some prior familiarity with the IELTS and/or with more advanced levels of English. It provides extensive practice of all four language skills tested on the IELTS : reading, listening, speaking, and writing. It emphasizes effective strategies for obtaining a high score on the exam and aims to improve student test-taking skills. The course also helps students master the language skills necessary for success on the IELTS and ultimately in academic settings.

SAT Prep Course

SAT Verbal 1
This is the first of two courses developed to prepare students for the verbal portion of the SAT exam. It is designed for students with no prior experience and/or low test scores on the SAT. It focuses on vocabulary, grammar, writing and reading. It aims to familiarize the students with the exam and provide a strong verbal foundation for success in SAT Verbal 2.

SAT Verbal 2
The last of two courses developed to prepare students for the verbal portion of the SAT exam, this course is designed for students who passed SAT Verbal 1 or scored 500 or higher on the actual exam. It focuses on the specific verbal areas tested on the exam: critical reading, writing, grammar, and writing. Offering extensive practice with authentic SAT questions and guided professional instruction, the course aims to equip students with the skills and strategies necessary for desired results on the test.

SAT Math 1
This is the first of two courses developed to prepare students for the math portion of the SAT exam. It is designed for students with no prior experience and/or low test scores on the SAT. It focuses on familiarizing students with the exam and providing the necessary math foundations for success in SAT Math 2.

SAT Math 2
The last of two courses developed to prepare students for the math portion of the SAT exam, this course is designed for students who passed SAT Math 1 or scored 500 or higher on the actual exam. It focuses on the specific math areas tested on the exam: arithmetic operations, algebra, geometry, statistics, and probability. Offering extensive practice with authentic SAT questions and guided professional instruction, the course aims to equip students with the skills and strategies necessary for desired results on the test.

GRE Prep Course

GRE Verbal I
This is the first of two GRE prep courses developed to prepare the student to be successful on the Verbal Section of the GRE exam. The GRE course encapsulates the principles that are required in order to learn the skills necessary for success. The course covers the principles of Reading Comprehension, Essay Writing involving an Analysis of an Issue and an Analysis on an Argument topic, and sentence grammar with word recognition.

GRE Verbal II
This is the second of two GRE courses developed to prepare the student for success on the Verbal Section of the GRE exam. The course includes extensive use of the principles taught in GRE Verbal I. The course gives ample practice to help master the time conditions required to do the various parts of the writing portion of the test. The Reading Comprehension part of the course will entail all the strategies learned in GRE Verbal I in solving Text Completion and Sentence Equivalence type questions. The student will also do several GRE Verbal practice tests to gauge progress and improve scores on the actual test.

GRE Math 1
This is the first of two GRE prep courses that was developed to prepare the student to be successful on the Math Section of the GRE exam. The course encompasses the principles, properties, theorems and postulates of Arithmetic, Geometry, Algebra, and Numerical Systems. The student will use this information to solve problems and become prepared to enter GRE II.

GRE Math II
This is the second of two courses developed to prepare the students to be successful on the Math Section of the GRE exam. The course encompasses the topics in Math that use the principles, properties, theorems and postulates taught in GRE I. The student will also have the opportunity to take several GRE Math practice tests to gauge progress and improve scores on the actual test.

GMAT Prep Course

GMAT Verbal 1
This is the first of two GMAT preparation courses developed to prepare the student for success on the Verbal Section of the GMAT exam. The course stresses the mastery of principles required in order to learn the skills necessary for successes, including Reading Comprehension, Analysis on an Argument Essay Writing, recognition of the proper grammatical requirements for Sentence Correction, and the basics of Integrated Reasoning.

GMAT Verbal II
The second GMAT Verbal course involves extensive use of and practice with the principles taught in GMAT Verbal I. These include ample Writing practice under the time conditions of various parts of the writing portions of the test, applying test strategies for Reading Comprehension, and answering actual GMAT Verbal type questions relating to Sentence Correction. The course will also instruct the student on the required skills needed to answer any type question on the Integrated Reasoning part of the GMAT test. The student will also take several GMAT Verbal practice tests for diagnosis of progress and improvement of scores on the actual test.

GMAT Math I
This is the first of two GMAT prep courses developed to prepare the student to be successful on the Math Section of the GMAT exam. The course encompasses the principles, properties, theorems and postulates of Arithmetic, Geometry, Algebra, and Numerical Systems. The student will use this information to solve problems and become prepared to enter GMAT Math II.

GMAT Math II
The second GMAT preparation course in the Math series includes extensive practice with the principles, properties, theorems and postulates of Arithmetic, Geometry, Algebra, and Numerical Systems learned in GMAT Math I. The student will also have the opportunity to take several GMAT Math practice tests for diagnosis of progress and improvement of scores on the actual test.

USMLE Prep Course

The United States Medical Licensing Exam (USMLE) Self-Guided Study Program is designed to equip domestic and international medical students and graduates seeking to practice medicine in the United States with the support and resources necessary to independently and effectively prepare for the USMLE (United States Medical Licensing Examination). A wealth of reference and self-study texts are available to our students, as well as online question banks, flash cards, instructional DVDs, and more. Furthermore, USMLE test prep students are supported with dedicated space for group study meetings, volunteer placement assistance in local hospitals, access to AEI Computer and Language Lab; Student Study/Lab; audio/video equipment; counseling services; and more.

Students in the U.S. on an F1 Visa must make normal progress in their studies and are required to meet on-campus attendance requirements.

Students entering their first session of USMLE study are required to pay a fully refundable $200 deposit, at time of tuition payment, for borrowing library books and resources. When a student leaves the school, if all books have been returned on time and in acceptable condition, all deposit moneys are returned.

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Student Life in Atlanta

Experience The Southern United States In Beautiful Atlanta

Over the past twenty years, Atlanta has become the jewel of the South. The growth of the State of Georgia and the City of Atlanta has been phenomenal. Businesses from all over the world have made the city and surrounding communities their home base. Prosperity has sprung up in every community. And with that has come growth in restaurants, international culture, entertainment, recreation, religion, education and more.

Through it all, Atlanta has not lost its southern charm or small-city roots. If you are considering a move in order to study and would like to experience a city which is both large and small, both American and international, with plenty of things to do, then Atlanta is the place!

•     State of Georgia: www.georgia.org/GeorgiaIndustries/Tourism/Pages/default.aspx
•     City of Atlanta: www.atlanta.net/
•     Lake Lanier Islands: www.lakelanierislands.com
•     Theaters: www.accessatlanta.com/s/events/arts-theater/
•     The High Museum: www.high.org/
•     Basketball: www.nba.com/hawks
•     Football: www.atlantafalcons.com
•     Major League Baseball: http://braves.mlb.com
•     Fernbank Museum of Natural History: www.fernbank.edu
•     CNN Headquarters: www.cnn.com/Tour
•     Stone Mountain Park: www.stonemountainpark.com
•     IMAX movies: www.imax.com
•     Shakespeare Theatre: http://www.shakespearetavern.com
•     50 Fun Things to See and Do in Atlanta: www.atlanta.net/50fun/

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