What to read after A Short Guide to Learning English for Study and Professional Purposes?

Is English a second or foreign language for you?

Do you need to improve your English language skills for your current studies or work? Or do you wish to develop your knowledge of English in order to enhance your future academic or career opportunities?

Perhaps you are keen to work on your English independently but are not sure how best to do this. Or maybe you lead a busy life, and therefore need to ensure that you target your learning time and efforts carefully and effectively.

This booklet, written by an experienced teacher of English as a second language, has been produced to help you. It will show you how by following some easy to understand principles and implementing a small number of practices and habits you will be able to see sustained improvement in your English skills. It will show you how your vision to become a more competent and confident user of English can become a reality.

'A Short Guide to Learning English for Study and Professional Purposes' is suitable for all readers with a current level of English of Intermediate or above. Written with readers who want or need to work on their English independently especially in mind, it will also be useful to those who are attending English classes.

Another intended use of this booklet is as a training tool for people who are not English language specialists but work with students or employees who want or need to develop their English Language skills. Thus, it would be of interest to a wide range of personnel who work in a multilingual context where English is used as a link language or language of instruction. This would include, for example: lecturers, tutors, in-company trainers and their managers.

Topics covered include:                                         

§ What there is to learn

§ How to make principles of language learning and memory work for you

§ How to achieve balance in your learning

§ How to exploit texts most effectively

§ How to handle vocabulary, phrases and grammar

§ How to use word frequency information to help you prioritise

§ How to use web-based tools to enhance your learning

§ How to set motivating and realistic plans and goals

§ What habits to develop in order to make sustained progress toward your goals

If you are serious about developing your English skills for study or work purposes, or helping other people to do so, buying and using this book would be a good investment of your time and money. 

Damian Johnstone has a background in ESOL teaching in the UK. He now works primarily in training and teacher education, with a particular focus on language awareness for teachers and the learning of English as a second language.