Student Learning Success Guides!

When they're reading, good readers will:

•   Make predictions about thoughts, events, and outcomes.
•   Create mental pictures as they read.
•   Make comparisons to what they already know.
•   Check their understanding and comprehension.
•   Take time to learn the parts they don't know.
•   Use a variety of reading materials such as magazines, newspapers, journals, fiction, non-fiction, and news websites.

After you have written the first draft of your paper, ask yourself some important questions:

Introduction: 

• Are my opening sentences clear and relevant to the importance of the topic? 
• Is my thesis sentence clearly focused? 
• Do I have a clear plan of development?

Body: 

• Do I develop the arguments in the body paragraphs in the order I mentioned in the Introduction? 
• Does each paragraph have a strong topic sentence?
• Do I move smoothly from one idea to the next? 
• Have I used correct citation for each, well-integrated quotation?

Conclusion: 

• Have I restated my thesis statement? 
• Have I summarized each of my supporting arguments? 
• Have I explained the importance of my argument?
• Have I reviewed my writing for grammar and punctuation mistakes?

When you are watching a TV show or listening to an audio clip, try these activities:

• Practice guessing at what comes next in the situation.
• Listen for key words that can be grouped together, and guess what they might be saying.
• Pay attention to "sign post" words or phrases such as "in other words" when a speaker wants to say something in another way.
• Listen for words that give specific details  such as size, shape, colour, or amount.
• As you listen, make guesses about who the speakers are, where they might be, or what the situation could be.

Improve your professional and academic speaking skills every day with a variety of activities: 

• Get lots of feedback from friends and classmates to help you speak more fluently and confidently.
• Take every opportunity to speak English in the classroom with fellow students and instructors, and use English as much as possible at home and in your community.
• Repeat information back to the speaker to make sure you've understood what they've said.
• Make sure to speak up during discussions, group meetings or lessons.
• Write down useful classroom vocabulary and phrases, and don't be shy about asking people to repeat or explain a useful phrase.
• Practice speaking English with friends and classmates who speak your first language.

Increasing your skill with English grammar takes time and effort: 

• Set aside some time each week to learn about the concepts of grammar and to complete some practice exercises. 
• Explore topics such as punctuation, sentence structure, verb tenses, pronouns, and prepositions will help you to become a more confident writer and a more successful student.
• Use online grammar practice exercises that can help you to master the challenges of English grammar in an engaging and enjoyable way.
• Check out some useful grammar books from the library.
• Practice patience with yourself and others in this process. Quality skills take quality time.