GOOD ENGLISH –
THE KEY TO SUCCESS
Improve your English with our
unique Distance Learning course
TheLanguageSchool is a division of
The Learning Group
Tuition House, 44 Main St, Howick 3290, South AfricaP.O. Box 628 Howick 3290
Tel: +27 (0)33 330-4880 Fax +27 (0)33 330-5195 email:
Web Site:
CONTENTS
2.About the LanguageSchool
3.What this course can do for you
5.The contents of the course
6.The easy way to learn
8.Your Questions Answered
10.Enrolment form
12.Special offer!
Enrolment forms can be faxed or emailed to you, or you can download them
from the internet by going to
The world is changing fast. Never before has communication been so important. And English is the language most spoken internationally.
TheLanguageSchool offers you an opportunity to improve your communicating skills, thereby enhancing your job opportunities and increasing your income.
Don’t be left behind. Aim for and achieve top jobs irrespective of your age, sex or race. Speak the language that is universally accepted as the language of international trade, commerce and travel – NOW!
ABOUT THE SCHOOL
TheLanguageSchool is a division of the Learning Group which also incorporates the WritingSchool. There are branches around the world with major centres not only in South Africa but also in Australia, New Zealand, Singapore and the United States of America.
TheLanguageSchool course in Speaking and Writing Correct English is aimed at those people for whom English has not been learnt as a first language. The course material has been written and prepared by Stan Irwin, B.A., Dip. Ed., T.C., G.D.L.S whose teaching experience has been obtained around the world, notably in England, West Africa, Germany and Australia, together with Jeff Toghill who has spent most of his life as a writer. Jeff is the author of more than 45 books on travel, sport, history and high school studies and lecturing and teaching have been an important part of his career for more than thirty years.
Each one of our tutorial staff is highly qualified in the skills of using correct English. They are fully conversant with the use of the English language, are also skilled in the art of communicating the language to students.
As with all courses run by The Learning Group, each student works directly with a tutor and the level of instruction is graded to meet the student’s needs. The administration staff at The Language School are always available to help any student who has difficulties with any aspect of the course.
I have absolutely no hesitation in recommending this course to anyone who feels that their lack of knowledge in basic English is a stumbling block on the path to success. The benefits of learning to speak and write good English are innumerable. By taking this first step to conquer the English language in a most simple and effective manner, you will have laid the foundation stone to a future, simply laden with opportunities.
Angus Anderson
Principal
WHAT THIS COURSE
CAN DO FOR YOU
There are so many ways in which speaking and writing English correctly will help you that it is hard to know just where to begin to describe them.
In as much as any language can be called universal, English is the world’s most universal language. No matter where you go in the world, English is a part of the scene in some way or another.
In business
English is the language of trade and commerce. Even major industrial nations like Japan use English as the means of business communication when dealing externally. If you have ambitions to be a corporate executive, you will be one jump ahead of your rivals if you can communicate precisely in English. Even if your aims do not extend that far, you will still get the attention of your superiors if you speak and write English better than your fellow workers.
In a profession
Airline pilots must have a good knowledge of English, for almost all civil air traffic communication is carried out in the English language. The same applies to maritime communications, for international shipping use English as the standard language for communication.
If you plan to be a specialist in any field, particularly medicine or engineering, you will most probably study at overseas universities. Most of the major teaching centres are English-speaking countries, and those that are not, still use English extensively in the course of their studies.
At School
Learning to speak and write correct English while you are at school is perhaps one of the most important steps you can take. However, many people have not had this opportunity and this is where The Language School can help you. A good command of the English language will open up innumerable extra career opportunities both with international and with local industries. Instead of being limited to the choice of a few trades, you will find the world is yours for the taking! The scope of potential careers for anyone who can speak English well is far greater than those who only have a passable use of the language.
Take, for example, a secretary’s job. If you want to be a secretary and apply for a job, having little or no knowledge of English, you will be limited to applying only to local firms who have no need for English-speaking staff, and they are few. If you can speak good English, then immediately you can apply to any and every firm that is looking for a secretary. If you also write good English, then more than likely the firms will come looking for you!
There is no better time to learn English than when you are at school. So if you are a school going person, now is the time to enrol with The Language School. Apart from the potential for higher grades and better test results and therefore a greater chance of success, while at school you are in a learning mode and studying English is easy. But, perhaps you are one of those people who
have reached adulthood with only a poor knowledge of English. There is no need for you to let this hamper you any longer. With The Language School, you will find it easy, exciting and fun to learn to speak and write English correctly. Our methods are quick and simple. Right from the start you will be speaking and writing the kind of English you’ve always longed to use and you will be using it correctly.
Travelling
We have already suggested that English is the language of international air traffic. It is also the universal language of the international traveller. No matter where you are, there will always be someone who can speak English and who can offer help if you need it. Intercom announcements, given in the local language, are invariably repeated in English. Directional signs and information booklets also invariably have an English translation, so no matter what your native language, you will always be able to travel safely and securely if you can communicate in English.
Study
With a working knowledge of the English language, your opportunities for study and research will be expanded enormously. Although important literary and technical works are often translated into many different languages, it is not humanly possible to cover every subject to a great depth. For example, the histories of major western nations are all written in English, and only a few would be translated into the less common languages. If you are familiar with English, you don’t need translation, you can read the original version in English. The same applies to scientific and technical journals and papers.
All at a relatively low cost
If you plan to achieve a good lifestyle in today’s modern world, you need to be able to speak and write good English. It is the key to success. Can you afford to be without it?
One successful exam result at school will make the effort worthwhile. A single promotion at work could cover the cost of the entire course. And that is only the beginning. With a firm command of the English language you are virtually guaranteed more successful exams results and more promotions at work. The top of the corporate ladder is within reach when you speak the international language of commerce and business.
This is the easy way
Anyone who speaks English will tell you it is not an easy language to learn by the traditional method. This is why we have developed a much easier and more interesting method of teaching. The best way to illustrate this is by example:
Pronunciation is one of the most difficult aspects of speaking English to master. Even though they may speak English well, few foreign people totally grasp the inflections and subtle distinctions of the language as spoken by those to whom it is their native tongue (first language).
To overcome this, in each lesson we present our students with a recorded passage and challenge them to speak it as well as the tutor on the tape. In the period between sending off worksheets for marking and receiving the next lesson, each student works at it until he or she has assimilated every inflection of the tutor’s speech. Before the course ends we ask students to send us a tape of their voice to check that they have achieved correct pronunciation.
YOUR NO-RISK GUARANTEE
You may examine the course material in the privacy of your own home for 14 days. If you are not satisfied, you may return it within the 14 day free trial period and any money paid by you will be refunded in full. Regrettably no refund will be given after the 14 day free
trial period has expired.
THE CONTENTS OF THE COURSE
PART 1
Lesson 1Simple sentences
Lesson 2Verbs – the doing words
Lesson 3Nouns – the naming words
Lesson 4Pronouns – the useful alternative
Lesson 5Adjectives – describing words
Lesson 6Adverbs – the modifying words
Lesson 7Comparisons – good, better, best
Lesson 8Capitals and punctuation
Lesson 9Spelling is important
Lesson 10Plurals
PART 2
Lesson 11Mid-course test
Lesson 12Compound and complex sentences
Lesson 13Some common errors
Lesson 14More punctuation
Lesson 15More verbs – objects, predicates, complements
Lesson 16Yet more verbs – tense, voice, agreement
Lesson 17Pronunciation
Lesson 18Direct and indirect speech
Lesson 19Contractions
Lesson 20Descriptive writing – paragraphs
THE EASY WAY TO LEARN
When you begin the course you first receive your initial package, containing:
- Your own personal phrase book
- A booklet containing 500 useful adjectives
- A booklet containing 500 useful nouns
- A booklet containing 500 useful verbs and adverbs
- A modern dictionary
- A modern Guide to Better English
- A Guide To English Usage
- An audio tape for each of the first two lessons
- Worksheets for each of the first two lessons
- Spare writing paper
- A binder for your records (worksheets)
- A cassette holder for your audio tapes
TheLanguageSchool reserves the right to add to, amend or improve the range of course materials as detailed in line with tutorial policy.
Each lesson consists of an audio tape and worksheets. The tape runs for about 20-30 minutes, but as it progresses you will be asked by the tutor to shut it off occasionally and refer to your worksheets. It is this combination of explanation by audio tape plus exercises in your worksheets that makes progress through the lessons so easy.
The average student should be able to complete the full lesson in about 2 hours, after which a special exercise in pronunciation is undertaken. A pronunciation exercise is carried out with most lessons so that by the end of the course each student should not only be speaking English well, but also be using correct pronunciation.
ALL YOU NEED TO KNOW ABOUTCOMPLETING THE LESSONS
• The audio tape
First stage of your lesson is to place the audio cassette in a cassette player and switch on. You will need to stop and start the cassette as the lesson proceeds, so a convenient switch should be at hand. Listen carefully to the first part of the tape until you are told to switch off and refer to your worksheets. If you didn’t understand any part of the tape, rewind it and play it again. Repeat this until you have mastered the opening section of the tape.
• The worksheets
At the first break in the tape, you consult the worksheets where you will see exercises on the subject under discussion. Answer these questions to the point where an instruction tells you to return the tape. This procedure is repeated, alternating between tapes and worksheets as required.
• Mailing in your work
When you have completed all but the last question (2 pages) on the worksheets, place them in an envelope and send them to your nearest school mailing address. DO NOT SEND THE LAST TWO PAGES.
• The pronunciation exercise
To ensure that all students learn to speak English correctly from the very start, the last question (2 pages) on each set of worksheets contains a pronunciation exercise. You keep this, and when you have mailed off the remainder of the worksheets, commence your pronunciation exercise by reading the text provided. This may be a piece of prose, some dialogue, or a mixture of both.
Read aloud the text on the last two pages of your worksheets. Then switch on the tape and listen to the pronunciation of the tutor as the same text is read. Switch off the tape and try to emulate the tutor as you read the text again. Repeat this procedure until you have satisfied yourself that your pronunciation is as good as that of the tutor on your tape. Since you do not send this section back with your worksheets, you will have plenty of time to practise this pronunciation exercise before your next lesson arrives.
In lesson 17 you will be tested on your pronunciation.
• The certificate
When you have completed all 20 lessons to your tutor’s satisfaction, and have successfully passed the test in pronunciation, you will qualify for the School’s certificate which will indicate to a prospective employer that you have succeeded in your course and are now speaking and writing good English.
YOUR QUESTIONS ANSWERED
We are always being asked questions about the course, and we are sure you will have some questions you would like answered. This selection covers those we are most frequently asked, so by reading through them you may well find the answers you require. If not, feel free to ask us directly, for we are only too happy to tell you all about us and our constructive English course.
?I can speak English already, so why do I need this course?
If you speak English like an Englishman, then the simple answer is that you don’t need this course! But our experience has shown us that even people who don’t speak English as a second language, do not speak it well, The demands of the workplace (and school) are such these days that you need to be able to do more than just speak English, you need to speak and write it fluently. Given two workers who both “speak English”, the one who has taken the course and added a professional polish to his English language is the one who will get ahead of his associate.
?How much time is involved in the course?
Much obviously depends on the individual, but each lesson in the course should take about two to three hours. Allow for the pronunciation exercises between lessons, say another hour, and you are looking at around three to four hours per lesson.
?How quickly must I return the worksheets?
As quickly or as slowly as you wish. Students have up to two years in which to complete their studies, so you can complete the course and reap the benefits, quickly or take your time - whichever suits you best. Obviously, the faster you return your worksheets the faster you will complete the course and so the faster you will enjoy the benefits of speaking good English.
?How much English must I know before I start?
Just enough to be able to read the instructions. Since you have already read and understood our advertisement, you have sufficient knowledge of English to get started. We pride ourselves on the fact that our course will benefit everyone, whether you already speak quite good English, or whether you are a complete beginner.
?Are there any extra expenses?