English Blog

Today, I went to jl.waru rawamangun which have been known for photocopy center in east jakarta. I was there because i want scan my certificate. I'm not using my scanner because i know my scanner doesn't fit with the paper from certificate. After i arrived, the first thing i thought is a big scanner so my certificate will fit in. Then, the clerk come to me and he said that he could scan my certificate. But, he acctually do the thing that i can do in my home. He only scan my certificate devide 2 parts then he join them together.

But thats not the main point,

My dream is when all photocopy center using linux as well. At least using GIMP, INKSCAPE and OPENOFFICE as main software. From what i've seen. They only using photoshop, coreldraw and Microsoft office. They can be replace with opensource which is free and legal. 

I have dream, when i through jl.waru. The computer full of opensource and linux which is legal. And jalan waru becoming center of designing using linux. 

Friends mean everything for me. We should have friends as many as possible.
Sometimes, make new friends hard to do, whether because of lack of knowledge or lack of opportunity to do that. Here is tips to make new friends :

1. Spend more time around people
   Friends seldom come to your home then hanging out with you only at home. You must go outside from your home then meet new people and spend more time with them.
   
   • Join clubs with people who have common interests with you or not.
   • Use the web / Internet but GET OUT. You can use internet to meet people who have some interests with you. But you still have to get out, meet with them if any land coffee(Kopi Darat) :p.
   • Join Sports Team. We, sometimes think to join sports club should have skill in that sport, but we can join if we don't have skill. The point from sport is fun, game and exercise to get healthy.
     
   • Volunteer. In foundation we can join as volunteer besides we can make friends we can also help poor people.
     
2. Always try and talk about stuff that they like and more about them.
3. Talk to people. Eventhough we have join clubs, being volunteer if we don't talk we can't make friends. Here is tips to talk :
   
   • Make eye-contact
   • Start a conversation
   • Make small talk
4. Introduce yourself in the middle of conversation. You can say "oh, by the way my name is ........".
   
5. Initiate a get-together. You can talk to people, but if you don't open with them maybe you can't get another opportunity to meet them again. So,
   
   • Ask their interest, if you have same interest, you can share or ask about that.
   • Ask them out for lunch or coffee. This way could know them more.
     
   • Don't pressure them being your friend.
6. Be good friend. If you have found your potential friends, remember to do your part (i.e remember birthday, doing some activities, ask how the other person feeling).
   
   • Be Reliable
   • Be Trustworthy
   • Be Good listener
   • Be There
7. Choose your friends wisely. There are so many friends out there, but only few of them who really friends. So, Choose wisely.
8. Start Listening your friends. Everyone wants to feel important and loved. Even just listening what they said.
   

Sometimes, We made mistakes, either words spelling or wrong pronounciation. Those mistakes can be made by accident or not. I wonder, why they made mistakes,while they always talk in english. I collected this picture from http://timesonline.co.uk. I hope from this pics, we could identify correct spelling and not making any mistakes.

Before we talk about tip, The most important need to think is how much your understand of English. Why? Because, Learn a language is not only learn about grammar and the others. But, You must THINK, TALK, SPEAK and READ in english also.

From elementary to collage, You have learnt about sctructure and grammar. But, Why, it's feel so hard? That because We only memorize it but lack of understanding and accustom talk in daily life.

Toefl test needs your skill in listening, sctructure, reading, speaking and writing. I think, you can also improve your ability with your self. Surely, With your basic skill from what you've got in elementary until collage.

I have simple tips to improve your score and i will devide to 4 section :

1. Listening : You have to often watch movie in english (whether in british accent or american accent) without subtitles. Try to find out how much percent your understanding from conversation in that movie.
   
2. Reading : There is no other ways besides , you have to read literature or reading material in english. Not Have to with text book or others, but you can start with light reading material, for example : Magazine, Newspaper and Tutorial in english. Every Time you practice, Do estimation, how much your understanding from that reading material.
   For Vocabulary : You can start with making list words that you don't know from what you've read. After that, Don't open dictionary immediately. Try to guess it first. if you get stumbled, you can open dictionary.
   
3. Structure : Structure or Grammar in english is difficult enough. It is need hard struggle. Because, eventhough we've learned grammar from junior high school to collage. but for part people grammar still difficult. The only thing you need to do is you have to be patient and serious to master it.
   
4. Speaking : Create english day twice a week. But Talking in english is easy and so simple. As long as you are confident in it. You need to make it as as habit, otherwise, you'll never be able to have a good command on english language.
   

Last Tips, You must learn about material test seriously, even from book or enroll to course. Believe me, You should keep learn english although you've already confident with your skill in english.

Before u taking toefl test, You must have good preparation on that. So that, i will give u some tips before u taking toefl test, especially, Institutional paper test. Here is some tips :

1. Learn Grammar
2. Often watching movie or Serial tv without subtitle
3. Every morning read english newspaper
4. Keep practicing
5. Read Cliffs Book

Finally, on that day, you must have prepared well. In addtion, you must not nervous.