Five Ways to Improve Your English Reading Comprehension

Improving your ability to read English quickly and accurately takes a great deal of practice. However, you don’t have to read boring materials that or ones that contain words and concepts you aren’t interested in. Once you know the basic elements of the English language, you can select from a wide variety of reading materials, including different methods of presentation. Here are a few fun ways to improve your English reading comprehension.

PLAY WORD GAMES
Today, crossword puzzles and other types of word game puzzles entertain native and non-native English speakers of all ages. If you’re looking for a way to improve your vocabulary and have fun at the same time, these types of puzzles can be of immense help to you. If this is something that interests you, you might also consider Scrabble, word searches and other similar games.

TAKE A SPEED READING COURSE
If you aren’t interested in word games, you might want to try taking a course in speed reading. These lessons will teach you how to pick key words out of a paragraph and understand the message without having to read each sentence word for word. That said, if you’re having difficulty isolating nouns and verbs, you may need to practice more before you try taking these courses.

TAKE NOTES ON SUBJECTS THAT INTEREST YOU
If you’re reading a book on a topic that you enjoy, take some notes. These can be verbatim samples from the text or you can try putting sections in your own words. As you write, you’ll also have an opportunity to think about the sentence structures and see how ideas are conveyed. This will help you learn to discuss these topics in a way that sounds more natural.

SELECT MATERIALS THAT WILL CHALLENGE YOU
Just like with physical exercise, you need to constantly set new goals for yourself so that you continue to progress and improve. For example, if you’re able to work your way through a 100 page children’s book, it’s time to start tackling a longer book or one on a more difficult topic. Regardless of which subjects interest you the most, you’ll be able to find some books that are harder to comprehend than others. By applying yourself to the ones that are more difficult, you’ll gain increased mastery over written English.

READ MATERIALS FROM MANY DIFFERENT AUTHORS
Considering the number of people that have websites, it’s easy to sample a wide range of English writing styles. This will help you to learn about the flexibility of the English language, as well as the means of expression that most people are comfortable with. If you already know a great deal about a certain topic in your native language, you can use that background to help you read websites in English that focus on similar concepts.

For the most part, once you know the basic elements of the English language, practice and time will be your most valuable teachers. It’s important to spend time reading materials that interest you in as many forms as possible and to spice up your practice with things like word games and speed reading classes. Over time – and with hard work – you’ll see dramatic improvements in your comprehension of written English.




Original Link: http://www.facebook.com/topic.php?uid=119354434780748&topic=97

Five Ways To Improve Your English Writing

1. Improve your vocabulary

In order to express yourself successfully through writing you need words - Lots of words. Learning new words is fantastic; Using them appropriately is even better.
Tip: When you learn a new word, try to also find one synonym and one antonym of that word.

2. Improve your spelling
You must know how to spell those words correctly. Incorrect spelling changes the meaning of your sentence. For example: "bare" and "bear" are pronounced the same but "bare" means naked and "bear" is a large animal. Additionally, incorrect spelling makes it difficult for the reader to understand what you’ve written.
Tip: Practice your spelling!

3. Improve your reading
Reading more English is always useful. It is also a way to help you get an idea of the different styles of writing and see how to use words appropriately. Always choose books or articles with topics that interest you. Learning shouldn’t be boring.

4. Improve your grammar
Grammar is very important because it improves the quality of your writing. Always use the appropriate tense and remember to use punctuation. Punctuation is a great way to make your writing clear and fluent.

5. Write
Writing can be daunting. However, the best way to improve is get a pen and paper or sit in front of your computer and ACTUALLY WRITE. Remember, "Practice makes perfect".

Original Link: http://www.englishtown.com/community/channels/article.aspx?articleName=englishwriting

Five Ways To Make Sure Your Team Understands What You Want

As a business head for one of Gujarat’s leading telecom operators, Rajat Dhawan (name changed) is expected to lead a team of more than 200 people, who together generate revenues of about Rs 200 crore a year. Dhawan briefs his immediate reportees on a regular basis, but sometimes feels the point is not getting across. He tried addressing a larger group, but even after two hours of Powerpoint presentations and strategic discussions, he could feel most employees had no clue on how to carry things forward. All Dhawan needed to do was look within, for if your focus isn’t clear, you may not get what you expect from your team. Mahima Puri lists a few ways to make sure your team understands what you want.

Be Clear About Goals The first step is to be clear about what you expect. If you are addressing your immediate reportees, ensure the listener is in sync with your instructions. Also, you need to make sure your subordinate does not doubt your goal or purpose. If he does, ask him why and explain accordingly. “It is important to avoid vague terms and phrases. Steer clear of feelings. ‘I feel’ and ‘I think’ statements spell vagueness. Instead, state facts,” says Alok Jain, COO & EVP at Aspire Human Capital Management. 


Use Simple Language Corporate and technical jargon may look good in presentations, but humans prefer colloquial communication. “Use language that your co-workers and team members can relate to. Always remember, the purpose of communication is to get a message across and get things done, and not to sound smart or intimidating,” says Jain. 


Say it Straight It is important to put your thoughts across precisely. ‘Please get it done’ will not be understood in the same way as, ‘Please get it done by Friday.’ “In case of urgent matters or if something needs to be done quickly and in a certain way, it’s important to communicate it. Also, guide people well on how exactly you want the work when it is completed. Handhold them if possible in case of critical matters,” says Tejinder Pal Singh, partner at Delhi-based executive search firm Transearch International. 


Avoid Negative Talk Negative comments from bosses are often hard to stomach. “Saying, ‘You are incompetent’ will have a very negative impact,” says Jain. Singh agrees. “Subordinates want to be treated as humans, not machines. They know that to err is human, and expect their bosses to know that too. Speaking too negatively about an employee is likely to make him perform worse than ever. Instead, say, “This is good. But you can certainly do better next time,” he suggests. 


Follow Up Regularly Some people relate better to the written word. Jain suggests following the five Cs in all written communication: correctness, clarity, conciseness, completeness and courtesy. If you do, chances of your being misunderstood are few and far between.

Five Ways To Encourage Your Team to Come Up With Ideas

 The need to outdo competitors and predict the next big thing that consumers will lap up has made companies go in for innovation and incubation centres. Bosses now have to coax their teams to come up with unique ideas, with a rider that they are practical and add to the company’s reserves. Devina Sengupta finds that creative success cannot be measured by mass appeal and success. When it becomes part of the KRA, rest assured, the company has found the metrics to harness the best. 

Ideate Frequently 

At board meetings, people often feel its best to put a firm lid on any suggestions that will lead to a clash of ideas and hurt the hierarchy. Reliance Trends, however, follows the post-it system where members write as many ideas they can think of to solve a problem. The postits are then put on a board and ideas that are similar are clubbed together. Team members vote to find out which can be better and this helps the company to “get every bone to think out of the box and at the same time choose only those that are practical,” says CEO Arun Sirdeshmukh. 

Get The Carrots Out
Incentives can get the best out of the team, and lend a healthy dose of competition. At product services firm Adobe, patent bonuses are doled out, which help in nudging employees to think differently. Events like Ideas Unboxed, or Innovation Day, where the CEO gets a glimpse of the ideas, help foster the right kind of creativity for the firm.

Bring In The Experts
Computer storage and data management company Netapp has hired a team of lawyers who guide innovators in getting the right IP done. The lawyers, from all over the world, assist those in the process of making the right products, says SR Manjunath, HR head.

Don’t Curb Ideas
“You can not ask employees to be creative and then put barriers saying they have to be practical,” says Prateek Srivastava, South head for advertising firm Ogilvy and Mather (O&M). Juniors tend to get burdened if they have to think whether their ideas will get the returns. At O&M, there is a group of seniors whose job is to sift through the ideas and select the appropriate ones. As the lower order rises up the ladder, they will have the responsibility to do the same. “So at first, nine out of ten ideas will not work, but as they become senior they will have the responsibility to get fewer but more relevant ideas,” says Srivastava.

Develop Leadership
A strong group of mentors at every step and act as a sounding board can help companies let employees ideate and get the best out of them, keeping usability in mind, says SKNL’s apparel and retail director, Ashesh Amin. Reliance Trends uses the ‘Ninja technique’, where a leader will be appointed to encourage more to think and channelise ideating sessions.

(The Economic Times, Mumbai, 20-08-2011)

Five Ways To Deal With Back-Biting in Office

 

Typically in his situation, people would be partying. But ever since Arth Saikia got his promotion a month ago, he is sulking. The new AVP in a Kolkata-based manufacturing company was the only one in his team to get promoted. Somehow that didn’t go down well with some of his peers, and he has been facing problems from the time he took charge in his new role. His immediate boss even called him for a chat to discuss if things were fine in his team, but Arth is too shocked to react. Back-stabbing colleagues are common at workplaces, and Shreya Biswas lists some ways to work with them. 

Don’t Tell Them All
Don’t reveal too much about yourself at the workplace. Discussing every detail of your life with ‘office friends’ may someday be used against you. Bragging about your presence in the best party in town, your network of friends or how you are able to sometimes give work a slip; problems with the boss, co-workers or issues at home could be picked up by people who might be uncomfortable with your presence in the company or the position you are in. “Too much of information-sharing might be harmful. It is better to maintain that professional line to avoid unnecessary problems. Don’t give others a chance to show you down or use your information against you,” says Ronesh Puri, MD, Executive Access.

Verify Your Facts
Don’t jump the gun every time you hear anything negative about yourself. Verify the source of your information. If you know that you have a colleague who's talking behind your back, try figuring out the truth behind it. Talk to others to find out. If you go to your boss or initiate a private conversation about the team mate based on hearsay, it could backfire. You could be blamed of spreading negative vibes. Connect the dots, and have solid proof before you speak up.

Focus On Company Goals
Once the personal interest becomes greater, it inevitably gives rise to back-stabbing and politics at the work place. Therefore, it is imperative to remind employees about the values the organisation stands for and encourage them to work together to accomplish the predefined goal. At the time of joining, employees must be told about the organisation’s values and purpose.

Have A Concrete Plan
If there is back-stabbing in your organisation, acknowledge it. Work with HR and have a plan in place to deal with the situation. “A written directive (manual), in a polite tone, focused on improving the workplace, containing rules and policies, should be provided to the employees,” says Sanjay Gupta, global head, HR, EXL Service.

Interact With Employees
One of the most important steps to deal with any interpersonal behavioural problem in an organisation is talking to your employees. “Make strong requests: ask them to show civility to each other, encourage them to help each other, remind and request them to remember the values your organisation stands for, and instill team spirit so that they stand for each other and work for the common goal,” says Gupta.

(The Economic Times, Mumbai, 12-08-11)

Five Ways To Keep Your Ego in Check at Workplace

Many of us spend a majority of our time at the workplace and are in constant touch with our colleagues, bosses and others. In a demanding and competitive work environment, tempers can rise and small issues blown out of proportion. When ego problems crop up at our place of work, we cannot focus on the task at hand, and this could disrupt the entire functioning of an organisation. Moresha Benjamin lists simple steps that one can follow at the workplace to prevent ego-related tussles. 

Be A Team Player
The first thing to remember is that the success of any project we undertake involves team work. In many cases, one see’s projects getting delayed because of ego hassles among team members. This can be very detrimental to an organisation. “The successful completion of a project should be your only focus. Playing the game of one-upmanship or making someone look bad will benefit no one. Sink your differences and learn to be a team player. This is a key component of keeping your ego in check,” says Meenakshi Roy, vice president, human resources, Reliance Broadcast Network.

Reflect On Performance
Take time out to reflect on your professional life regularly, but be honest with yourself while doing so. While it is necessary to be proud of your achievements, don’t let it inflate your ego. At the same time, be honest with yourself if things go wrong in an assignment you are handling due to a mistake you have made. “It is a good lesson for anyone who has earned success, and he needs to remind himself that success is earned and not bestowed,” says Sridhar Maturi, head, HR relations, Mahindra Satyam.

Don’t Get Obsessed
Most of these opinions do not matter. Rather focus on relationships and opinions of people with who you share mutual respect and friendship. This will enhance efficiency and guide your ego in the right direction, says Anuraag Maini, executive VP, HR and training, with DLF Pramerica Life Insurance.

Ask For Help
Even if you’re an extremely experienced professional in your chosen field, you may not be aware of certain developments. “Do not let your ego come in the way of asking a junior colleague for help. Some of the most successful businessmen in the world openly admit to hiring people who are better than they are, when asked about the secret of their organisation’s success,” says Roy.

Be Humble
Hard work, single-minded focus and sincerity can make you a successful professional, adds Maini. But always be humble about your achievements. Ego affirms one’s ability to take charge and keeping a check on it is critical to developing strong organisations, which can achieve sustainable results, says Maturi.

The Next Thirty Days...Day 22 (Thoughts on Communication)

Communication is effective when it has a context, meaning and ability to influence (or change) for something better.

The modern technological inventions (mobile, email, etc.) which were suppose to facilitate and enhance quality of communication are unfortunately reducing the human touch / element which lies at the core of communication.

Communication is all about understanding the meaning and the essence of the message.

Communication is spreading little moments of joy and showing you care.

As a result of technology communication today is like wildfire...by the time you realise there is a fire the damage has already been done.

When was the last time you really listened to song with it true meaning? When was the last time you listened? When was the last time you really understood the meaning of communication?

Five Ways To Foster a Growth Mindset in Your Team

Managers with a growth mindset are more productive than those with a fixed mindset, as is well known. Now that teamwork is becoming commonplace, it is important for leaders to foster the growth mindset so the team can tide over challenges. Writankar Mukherjee lists crucial points that help in this direction. 

Develop Talent
The first thing about creating a growth mindset is to focus on talent and develop people’s skills and abilities. This will give colleagues the confidence that they are an integral part of the team, and will create a growth mindset. Experts say team leaders and managers need to create a work environment and practices that enable employees to develop new skills and learn by working with others.

Rotate Roles
In tandem with talent development, experts say managers should try to develop their team as multi-skilled and capable for multi-tasking. This will give a lot of confidence to team members about their capability. “It is vital for managers to try out the employees across various roles and functions and ultimately keep them in areas where they are able to perform the best. This will increase their confidence,” says headhunter GlobalHunt India director Sunil Goel.

Communicate Growth Plans
Goel adds that managers should clearly communicate the organisation and division’s growth plans and goals to teams. Such transparency will foster a spirit of optimism amongst team members and inspire them to work hard. “The manager should try and synchronise the organisation’s growth plan with the team member’s plan, which will show how the organisation’s growth is dependant on personal growth,” says Goel.

Set Clear KRAs
Transparency is the key. HR experts feel companies and team leaders should make the entire KRA process simple which would show how the employee is contributing to the company’s overall success story. “The line of sight for the employees should be clearly visible. Such a growth story will motivate the employees most and keep them in a growth phase,” says telecom firm MTS India chief of HR, Manish Kharbanda.

Aim for Ambitious Goals
Experts say since people get excited about newer adventures or doing something beyond the ordinary, managers should try and imbibe that in their teams. L’Oreal India director (HR) Mohit James says that if managers can position the opportunities within the company and create a larger-than-life work opportunity for their team, everyone will be excited. “For instance, they can tell their team how they can play a role to beat the competition or launch new initiatives. It will create a sense of purpose that the team members are part of the overall growth agenda,” says James.

(The Economic Times, Mumbai, 05-08-2011)

Five Ways To Rejuvenate Your Enthusiasm (Ralph Marston)

Are you feeling burned out? You won’t get much done in that state. Consider one or more of these techniques to go from being burned out to being passionate and enthusiastic.

1. Re-connect with your natural enthusiasm. 

Ask yourself what you would do if you could do absolutely anything you wanted. Answer honestly, and you’ll remind yourself of things you’re naturally enthusiastic about. Just thinking about those things will raise your level of enthusiasm a little bit. You can take it a couple of steps higher by acting on your desire. You don’t have to completely fulfill that desire. Simply moving in the direction of it will remind you of what it feels like to be enthusiastic. Suppose your answer to above question is that you want to travel to the coast of Oregon to take scenic photos. Though you may not be able to make the trip right now, you could take your camera to a nearby park and shoot photos of wildflowers. Find the enthusiasm hidden in your desires and give it a way to begin flowing.

2. Take a walk. 

Taking a walk for the better part of an hour will do three important things for your enthusiasm. First, it will get you physically active. That in itself moves you to a higher, more positive perspective. Taking a walk will change your perspective in another way—literally—by providing you with an ever-changing set of surroundings as you physically move yourself through the world. In addition, it will give you some time to spend sorting your thoughts. Leave your phone behind or shut it off, so you’ll be able to truly distance yourself from whatever is fueling your burnout.

3. Remind yourself why. 

Whatever it is that has you burned out, there’s a reason why you initially chose to do it. There’s a reason you continue to do it. After all, if there were no reason you’d simply walk away and not look back. But somewhere in there is a reason why. Somewhere there is a connection to a purpose that’s deeply meaningful to you. For example, even if you’re working at a job that you mostly despise, you are getting a paycheck, and that money enables you to support your family, which is of utmost importance to you. Making that connection enables you to feel some degree of gratitude for the situation, to look at it in a more positive light. That’s a foot in the door for enthusiasm and increased effectiveness, even if the enthusiasm is directed toward finding another job.

4. Make a real and meaningful difference in the life of someone else. 

Burnout is fueled by constantly thinking of yourself and your own situation. Expand the awareness of your mind and your heart by seeking to be of service to others. Helping other people with their problems will put your own problems in a whole new, more positive perspective.

5. Take time to enjoy. 

Be happy just because you can. See yourself not as someone who is tired and burned out, but as someone who is positive and enthusiastic. Yes, it can actually be as simple as that. Happiness is a state that you can enter whenever and wherever you choose. You don’t necessarily have to be happy about anything in particular. You don’t necessarily need any person, thing or situation to make you happy. Be happy and enthusiastic just because you can. Be enthusiastic just because it feels so good. Let go of your resistance, and let positive enthusiasm for life flow from your heart.

Author: Ralph Marston

Original Link: http://www.patheos.com/community/inspiration/2011/03/30/five-ways-to-rejuvenate-your-enthusiasm/

Best 5 ways to rejuvenate yourself

Home. Office. Work. Boss. Twitter. Tea. Facebook. Bus. Train. Noodles and Snooze. This is what the timeline of an average day in our lives looks like. With work and Facebook eating up most of our time, we have forgotten what it is to spend time by ourselves or discover the many hidden truths and talents.

How to take a hike from this hectic life? You will be surprised that the gateway to heaven is less than a few miles away from home.

1. Take a weekday off – Sounds like a weird suggestion, but you will learn to observe a lot of things you usually miss when you take a break bang in the middle of the week. Spend the day doing all the things that you have been postponing for quite a while. Try not to go to a movie or mall, which will kill the purpose of this “me time”. Get up late. Make a wholesome and hearty breakfast for yourself and for the first time in many days, enjoy it. Just imagine sitting at the table, eating breakfast and really enjoying it without having to sprint out the door the next minute. Try and do things like cleaning, gardening, organizing your shelf or just sit back and read a book,there is no better friend that a good book. Basically, put your feet up and watch the world go by in slow motion.
2. Pamper yourself – When was the last time you gave your body some much required rest? Do you often find yourself day dreaming about how nice it would feel if you were being massaged? Ha! I do it all the time and the visit to the spa is just jumping dates. Decide on a Saturday evening, give the usual restaurant or pub visit a skip and book yourself an appointment at a spa. Go for a full body massage and for once don’t take a look at the rate card; just give yourself the much needing pampering. Suggested massages:

• Hot Stone Massage
• Aromatherapy Massage
• Deep Tissue Massage
• Reflexology – Foot Massage
• Thai Massage.

3.Take a break – Get away from the city; go to places that are less travelled. Google and you will find a range of options staring you on the face. Do something unusual.  Visit a nearby village and see what it is to live their lives, have a laid back attitude and live life that conventional way. Try your hand at things done in the country side – milk a cow, ride a horse etc. Roam around the village and see the contrasting difference in their way of life.

Give the run of the mill food a break and savor the traditional flavor of the village cuisine.

If in India do not miss the food cooked on wood/coal fired stove, the food is at its flavorful best when cooked this way. Relax, enjoy the village life and get ready to head back to town with some great memories.

4. Spend Time with your family – I am sure you can’t remember the last time you sat and had a proper conversation with your parents or your spouse.  Take a break from work and plan out a day with your loved ones.  Catch up on all that you have missed over traditional home cooked food.

If you are looking for some romantic time with your hubby/wife, go on a long ride, book yourself a couple package at a spa or head to the nearest resort.

Time flies by and before you know it the caretaker seems like you child’s mother.  Give the caretaker a day off and spend the day with your child. Go for a movie, shop for your child, buy a happy meal and at the end of it you will love yourself for being a super dad/mom.

5. Pay the beach a visit- If you live in a city like mine (Mumbai), I am sure you have taken the sea/beach for granted by now. Ever wondered how it would feel to go back, soak your feet in the water, look for shells and make sand castles. Rewind back to childhood and make a trip to the beach. Do all things that would seem crazy at your age, build sand castles, eat cotton candy/ corn on the cob, bathe in the sea water and end you day by soaking in the beauty of the sun set.

Learn to take a break from monotony whenever you feel stressed out, believe me there are more satisfying things that winning a cow on Farmville

Original Link: http://noisypost.com/general/health/best-5-ways-to-rejuvenate-yourself.html
Author: Preetha Iyer

Five Ways To Rejuvenate Your Resume

In a competitive job market, we have to do everything we can to make our resumes more attractive to hiring managers. This can be difficult for older workers, who fear that even if there's no bias (subconscious or conscious) against job seekers on the mature side of 40, a resume may make them look over qualified for the positions they want. 

Here are five ways to make your resume more youthful, so you can score the interview -- and make an impression with your experience and enthusiasm, instead of your assumed birth date.


1. Remove Dates from Your Education
Hiring managers (as well as resume-reading software) may be looking for certain minimum requirements in the area of education. But they likely won't think about dates unless you mention them. If your life followed a typical pattern, the dates of your college degrees are an age indicator. (But education dates are a double-edged sword -- if you got your degree or certification relatively recently, you may seem inexperienced; too long ago, "over the hill.") 


2. Focus on Recent Relevant Experience
Of course you're proud of all your accomplishments -- but the people looking at your resume are interested only in the skills and achievements that relate directly to the position they're trying to fill. Many job seekers (not only those with long work histories) make the mistake of putting too much on their resumes.For example, if you're a 50-year-old marketing professional applying for a management position, the fact that you were congressional page in the late 1970s is interesting -- but probably not relevant. (And the fact that you were, say, a data-entry clerk for eight months in the late 1980s is neither of those things.) Look at the earliest jobs on your resume -- do they say relevant and unique things that will make you more attractive to this particular employer? If not, cut them. 


3. Focus on New Technologies
"Teletype," "DOS," Wite-Out correction fluid: your resume should have none of these things on it. Remove all references to outmoded technology from your resume. If you're a graphic designer, for instance, you know the design program Macromedia xRes is no longer being used -- so why would you waste valuable resume space on touting your xRes skills? List only software programs and technologies that are current in your industry. 


4. Get Online and Get Connected
Like it or not, many jobs now require a familiarity with social media. And almost all job seekers can benefit from the knowing how to navigate Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn and industry-specific online communities. For many hiring managers and recruiters, if you're not online, you don't exist. 


5. Give Your Resume a Personal Voice
Old-fashioned resumes contain a lot of lifeless writing, vague generalities and jargon -- words and phrases that have lost all meaning through overuse: "detail-oriented," "team player," "responsible for" and so on. Instead of saying you're detail-oriented, give an example of how your attention to detail saved a past employer money. Instead of saying you're a team player, tell the hiring manager about how your team worked together to increase profits. And never tell a hiring manager you were "responsible for" something -- tell her what you achieved. Use numbers to quantify those achievements, and use strong verbs.Finally, don't be afraid of "I" statements in your resume -- enthusiastically telling your story as only you can will give your resume more vitality and help it stand out from the pack. 




Author: By Charles Purdy, Monster+HotJobs Senior Editor
Original Link: http://career-advice.monster.com/resumes-cover-letters/resume-writing-tips/rejuvenate-resume-hot-jobs/article.aspx