This rule might sound strange to many ESL students, but it is one of the most important rules. If you want to pass examinations, then study grammar. However, if you want to become fluent in English, then you should try to learn English without studying the grammar.
Studying grammar will only slow you down and confuse you.
I often ask my native English friends some grammar questions, and only a few of them know the correct answer. However, they are fluent in English and can read, speak, listen, and communicate effectively.
Many students learn vocabulary and try to put many words together to create a proper sentence but unable to create a proper sentence. The reason is because they didn’t study phrases. When children learn a language, they learn both words and phrases together. Likewise, you need to study and learn phrases.
If you know 1000 words, you might not be able to say one correct sentence. But if you know 1 phrase, you can make hundreds of correct sentences. If you know 100 phrases, you will be surprised at how many correct sentences you will be able to say. Finally, when you know only a 1000 phrases, you will be almost a fluent English speaker. .
Don’t translate
When you want to create an English sentence, do not translate the words from your Mother tongue. The order of words is probably completely different and you will be both slow and incorrect by doing this. Instead, learn phrases and sentences so you don’t have to think about the words you are saying. It should be automatic.
Another problem with translating is that you will be trying to incorporate grammar rules that you have learned. Translating and thinking about the grammar to create English sentences is incorrect and should be avoided.
Reading, listening, and speaking are the most important aspects of any language. The same is true for English. However, speaking is the only requirement to be fluent. It is normal for babies and children to learn speaking first, become fluent, then start reading, then writing. So the natural order is listening, speaking, reading, then writing.
First Problem
Isn’t it strange that schools across the world teach reading first, then writing, then listening, and finally speaking learn it. So even though the natural order is listening, speaking, reading, then writing, the order for ESL students is reading, listening, speaking, then writing.
Second Problem
The reason many people can read and listen is because that’s all they practice. But in order to speak English fluently, you need to practice speaking. Don’t stop at the listening portion, and when you study, don’t just listen. Speak out loud the material you are listening to and practice what you hear. Practice speaking out loud until your mouth and brain can do it without any effort. By doing so, you will be able to speak English fluently.
Being able to speak a language is not related to how smart you are. Anyone can learn how to speak any language. This is a proven fact by everyone in the world. Everyone can speak at least one language. Whether you are intelligent, or lacking some brain power, you are able to speak one language.
This was achieved by being around that language at all times. In your country, you hear and speak your language constantly. You will notice that many people who are good English speakers are the ones who studied in an English speaking school. They can speak English not because they went to an English speaking school, but because they had an environment where they can be around English speaking people constantly.
There are also some people who study abroad and learn very little. That is because they went to an English speaking school, but found friends from their own country and didn’t practice English.
You don’t have to go anywhere to become a fluent English speaker. You only need to surround yourself with English. You can do this by making rules with your existing friends that you will only speak English. Submerge yourself in English and you will learn several times faster.
Sejuk hati ibu bapa apabila yang lahir dari bibir anak-anak kita adalah kata-kata cinta kepada Allah swt dan Rasulullah saw, cita-cita untuk menjadi anak yang soleh dan solehah, apatah lagi apabila mereka tahu untuk menghormati ibu bapa dan guru.
Lihatlah si kecil cilik ini, Ikhwan Rayyan Hafiz, 4 tahun dari Little Caliphs.
Pasti takkan jemu ibu bapa yang melayan telatah anak-anak sebegini.
Insyallah, saya mendoakan semua ibu bapa di dunia ini mempunya anak-anak yang soleh dan solehah, dan mengharumkan nama Islam. Amin.
We can't deny, the way our children learn things these days may be far different from how we used to. They live in a time far advanced, filled with all sorts of gadgets and gizmos, and that is undeniably a big part of their education process.
How to see how different ABC can be for them? 😀 Check this out!
Assalamualaikum wbt dear readers.
CREATIVITY... What can we say about it? Well to me, it is a form of self expression, it is a skill of making your own choices, it is the ability to create, as well as a new way of thinking and problem solving.
For children, creativity is important as it helps them develop their individuality and emotions. More importantly for them, the process itself is more important that the finish product.
As parents, here are some ways we can encourage our child's creativity:
1) Give space for your child to express. Listen to their stories and explanation about something attentively without guessing or interrupting.
2) If they make a mess while playing, drawing, painting or making something, it's okay. Try not to make them feel uncomfortable about it. It is part of the creative process and they shall improve with time.
3) Give assistance and little directions but try not to interfere with their activity.
4) Give them frequent opportunities, materials, time and exploration of creative materials.
5) Creative play - let them find new ways to play with something usual to them. Find toys or materials that don't spell out everything for your child. Leave something to their imagination.
These tips are simple, but they go a long way and we often easily let it slip. Insyallah, if our niat is to explore creativity with our children, Allah swt will give us an inspiration to be creative ourselves.
This is an example of very creative parents applying our Fast Reading Technique at home. Yes, parents too can be even more creative than teachers. Masyallah. Shall we call this...the umbrella technique? Haha ;D
Assalamualaikum lovely readers,
May you all have had a fruitful weekend insyallah. Today I'd like to share this cute educational video titled 'Animals Love Quran' with wonderful nasheed you can play to your children while teaching them about the different kinds of animals. It is sang by Dawud Warnsby Ali. He also has many other wonderful nasheed you can benefit from. Have fun listening! 😀
On the other hand, here are some books for your children to read which is written by yours truly, alhamdulillah. 'Little Maryam' and 'Princess Solehah teaches children about their daily sunnah and good examples of what to do when faced with daily challenges. It can be found at a Little Caliphs kindergarten near you, as well as 'Raising Young Caliphs, a Guide to Raising Muslim Children' which every parent should read and may Allah grant us all hidayah in guiding and raising this amanah righteously.
Little Maryam
Princess Solehah
Raising Young Caliphs
These books can also be found at the Fast Reading Technique seminar we usually conduct over the weekends around Malaysia. Do check the schedule we are going to update insyallah so that you may catch one of the last few slots left for this year! Don't miss out!
Jazakumullah khair, wassalam.
Alhamdulillah, our journey for the past 3 months have given us so much of happiness in seeing many parents being able to benefit from what we shared. With the grace of Allah swt we hope our vision and mission spread to every corner of the Muslim world, insyallah. Here are some reviews shared by our teachers and parents who attended the seminar.
If you haven't been to one of our Fast Reading Technique Seminars, here's your final opportunity to catch it for year 2015! Only 2 locations left before we wrap up. Hope to be seeing you soon, insyallah!
Wassalam.
Assalamualaikum pembaca yang dirahmati Allah. Semoga anda berada di dalam iman dan kesihatan yang sebaiknya.
Pada hari ini, saya ingin menyentuh tentang anak, dan amanah Allah kepada kita apabila diberi anugerah yang terindah ini. Setiap ibu bapa atau bakal ibu bapa pasti senantiasa berdoa untuk mendapat zuriat yang sihat, bijak, beriman, baik sahsiahnya, menjadi insan hebat fizikal dan rohaninya, dan dapat menjadi saham yang dibawa ibu bapa selepas meninggalkan dunia yang sementara ini.
Sebagai usaha kita sebagai insan yang daif dan sentiasa bergantung kepada kuasa yang Maha Agung, marilah kita berdoa kepada Allah azzawajal. Dan mulalah berdoa dari sebelum kita menemui jodoh sekalipun, kerana anak yang baik itu datangnya dari individu yang menjadi pasangan yang baik. Ibu bapa yang ingin kebaikan untuk anaknya perlulah menjadi insan yang terbaik dahulu.
Ramai ibu bapa seringkali meletakkan harapan yang tinggi kepada anak yang suci ini tanpa menyedari anak-anak juga mempunya hak dan harapan kepada kita yang boleh dituntut di hadapan Allah swt kelak.
Telah diriwayatkan bahawa Ibn ‘Umar berkata: “Allah telah memanggil mereka abraar (orang yang baik) kerana mereka menghormati (barru) bapa-bapa mereka. Seperti ayah anda ada hak atas anda, begitu juga anak-anak anda ada hak atas anda.
Al-Adab al-Mufrad, 94.
Rasulullah (SAW) bersabda, mengikut satu hadith yang diriwayatkan Abdullah ibn ‘Umar, “… dan anak-anak anda ada hak atas anda.” Muslim, 1159.
Antara hak-hak anak dalam Islam terhadap ibu bapa adalah:-
1) Seorang lelaki perlulah mencari wanita yang baik untuk menjadi ibu yang baik buat anaknya
2) Mengajarkan mereka Al-Quran dan As-Sunnah
3) Diberikan nama yang baik
Jom kita bersama baiki cara-cara kita dalam mendidik anak-anak agar diri kita juga terdidik dengan ilmu yang terbaik untuk membesarkan mereka seperti yang diredhai Allah swt.
Di sini saya kongsikan Carta Perencanaan Anak Soleh yang dikongsikan dari Majalah al-Ustaz isu 09. Semoga ia bermanfaat buat semua, insyaAllah taala. Wassalam.
"With the name of Allah the most gracious and the most merciful.
With the name of Allah that heals.
With the name of Allah that suffices all.
With the name of Allah that provides us good health.
With the name of Allah that no calamity befalls those who takes protection in His name from all evil in the earth or the skies. He is the all hearing and all knowing."
Dear mothers, (or even fathers :D) read this while you cook so that insyaAllah your cooking for your family will be blessed by Allah swt. As the saying goes, we are what we eat, therefore it is important that it gets the barakah from Ya Rahman Ya Rahim Allah. What we consume in time becomes our blood and soul, and it forms the purity of our hearts. Wallahualam bissawab.
"Masak dari hati, masak dengan iman."- Chef Ammar (TV Al-Hijrah)
Assalamualaikum dear readers...
Kasih ibu membawa ke syurga, kasih bapa selamanya... that's the description of parents’ love for their child. Such a short sentence but with deep significant meaning… Recently I was informed of a parent who came back from one of our Fast Reading Technique seminar and made their very own flashcard as how the teachers do at Little Caliphs so that they too can practice with their child at home, subhanallah. Here is what it looks like:
Parents who dedicate a little bit of time in a day to enhance their child’s reading skills will see their child benefitting greatly from it, insyallah. ‘Berkat usaha ibu bapa’ as they say. And if you have successfully attended one of our Fast Reading Technique seminars around Malaysia, insyallah you will know the right how-to that align with the technique used by The Little Caliphs Program which ultimately enables children to read as fast as 4 years old, biiznillah.
Quoting from my own book Raising Young Caliphs, ‘A Guide to Raising Muslim Children’, I mentioned in Chapter 2: Learning by Stages (page 26), at age 4, the ‘questioner’ in your child will awaken. This is why it is the ideal time to ‘feed’ them with as much input to help their mind explore and grow. Therefore, it is of utmost importance that you can firstly, be available: Find frequent, small amounts of time each day to be available to your toddler. Secondly, share books with your toddler often during the day. If your child is upset or cannot settle, or if you’re waiting for an appointment together – share a book!
Another essential point I found from my reading and personal experiences are:
Practice phonics. According to Joelle Brummitt-Yale from K12 Reader, children can’t comprehend what they read unless they are able to identify the sounds making up each word. Practice phonics at home by pointing out letters you and your child see every day, on signs, in books or even on TV. For example, while waiting in line at the grocery store, point out letters in magazines or on signs.
Read their favourite books over and over. According to Brummitt-Yale, repetitive reading allows a child to process a text multiple times. The first time your kindergartener reads a story, he likely focuses on decoding the words without searching for meaning. However, with repetition, he masters the words and begins to make meaning from them. Next comes the understanding that every story has meaning. Therefore, encourage your little one to read favourite books aloud multiple times.
Work with your child’s teacher. Meet with her teacher or at least speak with her over the phone regularly to make sure you are aware of her progress at school.
In summary and in short, here are the simplest of tips that you can follow:
And more importantly,
BE A GOOD ROLE MODEL! READ YOURSELF AND READ OFTEN TO YOUR CHILD.
Wassalam, Allah ma'ak.