Welcome to AMES. We are happy to have you as a student here and we hope you improve your English in a short time. There are some tips that we would like you to know in order to improve your learning.
In Australia, students learn in groups. Teachers don’t keep talking all the time. They allow students time to answer questions on their own and talk to other students in English.
Coming to school every time you have a class is a good thing to do. If you have an important appointment with your doctor or anybody else, you can ask that person to have the appointment outside class time.
Respect other students who come to class and respect your teacher. Use polite language in class. This will make everyone happy about coming to class.
Practise your English at home. You can study English at home on a computer or you can borrow one or two resources from the ILC at AMES. Remember that you are allowed to borrow two items for two weeks only. You can not borrow three items at any given time.
Watch TV in English. This will help you learn about Australia as well. If you don’t understand everything that is said on TV, don’t be afraid. After a few weeks, you will see that your English has improved a lot.
Make use of your class time. If your class runs for four hours, it is not a good idea to go home after the break. You will spend about six months at AMES. Six months is not a long period and it can be hard to learn the language in a short time. Your teacher will need many years to learn your language.
Come to class on time. If you come late, your teacher will not be able to explain what you have missed in great detail. You may find it difficult to understand what the teacher has already covered. When you come on time, you show your teacher and others that you are a good learner.
Have a meal before you come to class. If you feel hungry in class, you will not be able to concentrate. You will always have a break and you can have something to eat quickly during that time. Don’t bring food that has a very strong smell.
Use a dictionary to look up new words. Most students now have smart phones. There are dictionaries on these phones that students can use to look up new words. You don’t need to buy a digital dictionary because it will cost you a lot of money. If you are very rich, go ahead and buy one for yourself.
Talk to your friends in class in English only. If there are some students who come from your country, it is a good idea to talk to them in English and not in your own language. If you use your own language, it will be hard for you to learn English. You will need a lot of practice to learn English. You need to practise English with your teacher and with other students in class too.
Don’t be afraid to make mistakes. Everyone makes mistakes. When your teacher points out these mistakes, you will not make them again in the future. Making mistakes is part of the learning.
Have a student card. You will need to pay one dollar and have your picture taken at the ILC before you have your card. When you have a library card, you will be able to borrow items from the library. We may have some books in English and in your language that will make it easy for you to learn the language.
Talk to your teacher if you have a problem. Don’t go to the manager directly. You need to talk to the teacher first and he or she will do their best to help you solve the problem. If they can’t help you, they may find someone else who can help. They can direct you in the right way.
Get telephone numbers and email addresses of your friends in class. Coming to class is not all about learning. It is about making friends and enjoying your time at AMES.
