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Introductory
List of Online Resources
Types of Sentences
Notes on Verbs
The Oxford 3000



Introductory

1. Listening
2. Speaking
3. Reading
4. Writing
5. Grammar


Listening
On the internet resources abound, and I'd say the BBC and the British Council suffice. Neutral British accent is the one that's recommended, but I'd say it's best to listen to various British accents, or even at least the Standard American accent (for the academic: see also Principles of Phonetics, John Laver, Cambridge University Press). The one resource I'd recommend for listening to a variety of accents is the British Library Sounds archives.



Reading
If you're starting with English, my first suggestions would be essayists like A. G. Gardiner and Charles Lamb. Once they're mastered, the student can move on to longer and more complex texts. In this section, here I'll provide critical readings of select texts, which is aimed at providing the learner with skills required on A and AS levels and beyond.

Notes on Reading for IELTS

In English, all sounds/words do not carry the same stress and are not pronounced for the same duration of time.
'Content words', words which carry information about meaning, are given more importance (and so stress) and time.
'Function words', words which carry information about structure, are given less importance (and so stress) and time.
Do not supply your own logic or information:

  1. Never add information.
  2. Never assume any information.
  3. Every language has its own way/style of expressing logical relationships and ideas/information. You have to learn this in addition to learning words and grammar.

Thinking about the meaning of words/phrases
These should be used particularly when you find it difficult to understand the meaning of a sentence.
Do not translate from your own language.
Do not try to make a connection--you will simply be guessing. Instead, spend time on reading as much as you can.
Do not make assumptions about knowledge--either you know something or you do not. Do not waste time over a word/phrase/sentence if you don't understand it. Mark it and move on.
These questions will help you answer any question because that's how all languages...