English Fluency Tips, Vocabulary Chunks, and More!

Organic English Gazette Growing Language Skills Naturally

​ Hi, it’s Charlie! I hope you are well. I'm excited to bring you another edition of the newsletter, full of helpful tips, interesting ideas, and resources to support your English language learning journey. In this newsletter: Latest videos. How to speak more fluently. Mini-lesson - language chunks - fixed phrases with "at" Quiz ​ 1 - Latest videos. I have been making videos about vocabulary recently. Here is one that explains the difference between “good” and “well” and how to use them correctly. ​ There's more at my channel if you find it useful. Subscribe on YouTube ​ 2 - How to speak more fluently. There are many possible reasons why you hesitate and feel stuck when trying to speak English. You can make one change right now. Learn vocabulary in CHUNKS! That means learning and practicing words in phrases and not as individual words from a word list. For example - the word: ​ We now know what the word means. That's step one. Step two is to look at ways it is commonly used, or what words does it regularly partner with. One very common example: I need to make a decision by tomorrow. The chunk is - "make a decision". Learn this chunk of language and with practise you will be able to use it in a sentence without hesitating. ​ The advantages of Learning vocabulary in chunks: 1. Better Fluency: Chunks help you speak more naturally and smoothly. 2. Better Accuracy: Chunks provide context-specific usage. For instance, instead of using "do an exam," you can use the chunk "take an exam" 3. Better Retention: Chunks are easier to remember making. They are easier to recall and use in the right contexts. ​ 2 - Mini lesson - language chunks - fixed phrases with "at" There are nine very common words in English that are very small, but are very important. They are some of the most difficult words to learn and use correctly. They are the prepositions: ‘with’, ‘at’, ‘by’, ‘to’, ‘in’, ‘for’, ‘from’, ‘of’, ‘on’. I can’t really explain why we use them the way we do and My kids never learned prepositions individually at school. All native speakers acquire them by hearing them and repeating them in the context of fixed phrases. I recommend you learn them like that too. Here are some common fixed phrases with 'at' with examples sentences. • At present: now. There are no job openings here at present. • At random: by chance, or without any organization or plan. The winning entry will be selected at random by computer. • At an advantage - in a better position to succeed. Being proficient at English put her at an advantage in the job market. • At a disadvantage - in a situation where you are less likely to succeed. Anyone not familiar with the latest AI tools is at a serious disadvantage. ​ 3 - Quiz time Time to review. Put the correct phrase in the gap. Scroll all the way down for the answers. ​ ​ The student who studied diligently was ______________ in the exam. ______________, the weather is sunny and warm. I picked a book from the shelf ______________ and started reading it. Without their best player the team is ______________ in the game. ​ To stay up to date with the latest news and resources from the Organic English Insider, be sure to follow on our social media profiles. You can find me on Facebook and Youtube. Thank you for your continued support, and we look forward to helping you achieve your English language learning goals. See you next time! ​ ANSWERS 1 at an advantage 2 at present 3 at random 4 at a disadvantage