ENGLISH MODUL

A. APOSTROPHE ‘S’

Remember that the apostrophe ‘s’ can be used in two ways:

1. To contract two words (e.g. “it’s” = “it is”, as in, “It’s a lovely day“, or “it has”, as in, “It’s been
great talking to you.”)

2. To indicate possession or ownership (e.g. Lyla is the name of Azimah’s new British shorthair cat.)

B. THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN ‘HEAR’ AND ‘LISTEN’

In the Malay language, both words can be translated as "dengar". So it's understandable why "hear" and
"listen" can be mistaken for one another.

But in English, "hear" is a verb that means to sense a sound with our ears, while "listen" is a verb that
means to actively focus on a particular sound.

Let's imagine you're chatting with a friend in a park. You can hear birds chirping, children playing
around you and your friend talking to you.

However, you focus only on what your friend is saying to you. That means you are listening to her.

Hear = to sense any sound coming to our ears

Listen = to focus on a particular sound coming to our ears

C. PHRASAL VERBS

1. Choose three to five phrasal verbs that you’d like to use at work.
2. Search for three example sentences for each phrasal verb so that you can see how they’re used in
context.
3. Start using them at work or in your daily conversations.
4. Continue reading, listening and speaking in English to learn even more phrasal verbs!

D. GRAMMAR – BREAKING IT DOWN

They're all about grammar:

"Are you going to teach us grammar?"

"Will you teach us the parts of speech?"
"What about tenses? I get confused with them when I write and speak."

We would always reply with, "Learn by reading and listening to English a lot."

Or, "Grammar is the last thing you should worry about because confidence to speak up even when you
make grammar mistakes is the most important step."
 In that sense, we still stand by that idea.

However, we started to do research into teaching grammar so that it becomes meaningful and applicable
for second language learners.

Our obsession became turning grammar lessons into something beyond memorising the parts of speech
and tenses (probably how you learnt it back in school!).

We wanted to make learning grammar into something useful for adults who are confused (or even
traumatised) by grammar. We wanted to break down something that can be overwhelming and stressful
into something useful for you right now as an adult at the workplace.

The end goal is to have learners use proper English at the workplace: for speaking up, presenting, and
writing reports and emails.

Most importantly, to transform you, dear student, into a more proficient and confident
communicator.

Because confidence and mastery of the English language should go hand in hand.

E. THE LEVELS OF ENGLISH (CEFR)

Many international tests such as IELTS, TOEFL and TOEIC are aligned to the CEFR, so I hope this will
be helpful for you.

I've shared this self-assessment through email several times already. So if you've done this before, I
recommend you assess yourself again to see whether you've improved since the last time you did it.

Choose the description that best fits your language abilities:

Basic User (A1)

 I can understand and use familiar everyday expressions and very basic phrases aimed at the
satisfaction of needs of a concrete type.
 I can introduce myself and others and can ask and answer questions about personal details such as
where I live, people I know and things I have.
 I can interact in a simple way provided the other person talks slowly and clearly and is prepared to
help.

Basic User (A2)

 I can understand sentences and frequently used expressions related to areas of most immediate
relevance (e.g. very basic personal and family information, shopping, local geography, employment).
 I can communicate in simple and routine tasks requiring a simple and direct exchange of information
on familiar and routine matters.
 I can describe in simple terms aspects of my background, immediate environment and matters in
areas of immediate need.

Independent User (B1)

 I can understand the main points of clear standard input on familiar matters regularly encountered in
work, school, leisure, etc.
  I can deal with most situations likely to arise whilst travelling in an area where the language is
spoken.
 I can produce simple connected text on topics which are familiar or of personal interest.
 I can describe experiences and events, dreams, hopes and ambitions and briefly give reasons and
explanations for opinions and plans.

Independent User (B2)

 I can understand the main ideas of complex text on both concrete and abstract topics, including
technical discussions in my field and specialisation.
 I can interact with a degree of fluency and spontaneity that makes regular interaction with native
speakers quite possible without strain for either party.
 I can produce clear, detailed text on a wide range of subjects and explain a viewpoint on a topical
issue giving the advantages and disadvantages of various options.

Proficient User (C1)

 I can understand a wide range of demanding, longer texts, and recognise implicit meaning.
 I can express myself fluently and spontaneously without much obvious searching for expressions.
 I can use language flexibly and effectively for social, academic and professional purposes.
 I can produce clear, well-structured, detailed text on complex subjects, showing controlled use of
organisational patterns, connectors and cohesive devices.

Proficient User (C2)

 I can understand with ease virtually everything heard or read.

 I can summarise information from different spoken and written sources, reconstructing arguments and
accounts in a coherent presentation.
 I can express myself spontaneously, very fluently and precisely, differentiating finer shades of
meaning even in more complex situations.

Now, according to the English Language Standards and Quality Council of Malaysia, the target for
graduates is B2.

So if you're a working adult, you should be aiming for B2 so that you can function adequately in
English.

The higher level of C1 is required for those in specific careers such as English language teachers. These
are minimum expectations.

F. IMPROVING THE VOCABULARY

When people say they want to improve their vocabulary, they actually mean they want to improve
their active vocabulary.

There are two types of vocabulary: active and passive.

Your passive vocabulary includes all the words you recognise when reading or listening, but you are unable
to use them confidently on your own.
 Your active vocabulary includes all the words you can comfortably and confidently use when speaking and
writing.

So if you want to expand your vocabulary to speak fluently, focus on turning your passive vocabulary
into active vocabulary.

G. LINKING WORDS

A linking word is a word or phrase that links parts of a sentence, or two sentences together. These words
give structure to your writing. Linking words help you organise your ideas. They also help the
reader understand those ideas.

H. WORD STRESS

Do you have a problem with pronunciation? Did you know that word
stress plays an important role in your pronunciation when you speak
English?

Word stress is when one of the syllables is given more importance

(stress) than the rest.

The stressed syllable can be:

louder
longer
higher pitched

For example:
1. SPEAK (one syllable)
2. SPEAking (two syllables)

So maybe you speak English, but you apply stress on different parts of a
word which makes it difficult for someone to understand you.

I. FEEDBACK

Receiving negative feedback can be hard -- even for people who look
confident and may seem like they have it all together. It's hard for me, too.

Although there's no way to avoid getting negative feedback, there are

ways that you can deal with it better.

J. LAZY TO LEARN ENGLISH?

A few weeks ago, we received this question from a student: "I'm too lazy
to learn English. What should I do?"

Does that sound like you, too?

If it does, you're not alone. I've certainly felt I was too lazy for many
things in my own life.

But instead of telling ourselves we're lazy, we should look at the current
situation or phase of life we are in. Maybe we have a demanding job,
small children, parents to take care of, or something else that demands our
time.

So don't be so hard on yourself.

K. RESPONDING TO DIFFICULT QUESTIONS

 Four situations you may face when you are asked a difficult question:

1. You need time to answer.

2. You don't know the answer.
3. You're not sure of the answer.
4. You don't want to answer.

L. RAMBLING

What is rambling?

Rambling is when you're saying a lot of words, but the words are
confusing and do not make sense to the listener. You may go on and on,
jumping from one point to another. This can confuse your listener, and
you may lose their attention as they get bored.

Some of the reasons people may ramble are:

1. They are nervous, so they just say anything that comes to mind
2. They are very excited or passionate about their topic, so they want
to share everything (without any particular order or framework)
3. They want to make their points clear, so they over-explain.

Many people do not even realise that they ramble!

So if you're quite a talkative person, or your presentations tend to

always go over time, it's good to ask a colleague or friend whether you
ramble or not.

M. PUNCTUATION

The correct use of punctuation is important to ensure that your written

work is easy to understand and looks professional.

Punctuation marks, such as the apostrophe, full stop, comma, and

brackets, are used in writing to separate sentences and to clarify meaning.
You may not even notice these marks in your writing, but the improper
use of punctuation can confuse your readers and make your work look
careless and disorganised.

N. WRITER’S BLOCK
Do you often get writer's block? Picture this:

You're ready to get some writing done. It could be an important email,

article, or the abstract for your thesis.

So, with a steaming mug of coffee in your hands, you sit down in front of
the computer and you're ready to start. You open up a Word document,
your fingers are braced over the keyboard and then... nothing.

Your mind is as blank as the screen on your computer. You don't

know how to start or what to write.

Your coffee is now cold and you have nothing to show for it.

That's what you call writer's block.

Does that sound familiar?

You may understand how frustrating it can be to have the intention to

write, but somehow, nothing comes out.

Now don't worry if this happens to you. You're not alone. In fact, a lot of
writers go through this mental block -- even when writing in
their own language.

And writing in your second language is a totally different challenge.

O. “i.e.” or “e.g.”?
The difference between i.e. and e.g. because it can be confusing among
many people.

This confusion is also common among native English speakers!

Do you use i.e and e.g. in writing? Or do you avoid using them altogether
because you’re afraid of using them wrongly?

If so, let me help clear up this common confusion for you.

I.e. and e.g. are both Latin abbreviations. Yep, they’re not even English.

I.e. stands for id est and means "in other words." It can be used
interchangeably with the words "specifically" or "namely."

E.g. stands for exempli gratia and means "for example."

Now, I have to admit that I often use e.g. but I rarely use i.e. This is
because I share a lot of examples in my writing, so the abbreviated form of
"for example" comes in handy.
However, when it comes to being specific, I prefer to use the word
"specifically" or "namely." It’s just easier for me that way.

P. UNDERSTANDING SPEAKING ENGLISH

Have you ever been in a situation where you’re talking to someone in

English, and the person listening doesn’t understand you?

Well I have, too. And it’s quite normal.

But as a second language learner, this seemingly normal situation can be

quite stressful. It may even be something that you fear. When someone
doesn’t understand your English, you may start to think:

"OMG, my English is so bad that this person doesn’t understand what I’m
saying. I am never going to speak English again."

You just feel like going home and curling up in bed in embarrassment.

Does that sound like you?

If it does, there are other ways you can handle this situation. Because it
happens all the time. Even to people who speak English fluently.

The reason someone does not understand you may not have anything
to do with your English at all!

It could be due to other reasons - maybe you’re speaking too fast, maybe
they need further clarification, or maybe they just need more time to
understand.

Q. AVOID OVEREXPLAINING

"How do I avoid overexplaining something?"

To overexplain is to explain in too much detail -- sharing too much

information that's unimportant. This may bore your listeners, or worse,
confuse them. (I actually can’t decide which one is worse. Boredom or
confusion. I’ll let you decide.)

When we explain something, we want to be concise.

We only want to share what the listeners need to know, or things that
can emphasise our point so that they understand it better.