Transform reading into a richer experience!

by with No Comment Uncategorized

When we read we open windows and doors. The exposure that books grant us, the perspective they help build, the imagination that is enabled, the intellectual caliber that is nurtured is unparalleled. Reading comes with immense benefits; especially when it comes to a child’s development, reading plays a critical role. However in the current era of endless online exposure, books seem to have lost their charm. Instead of reading an actual article, children are relying upon AI tools to summarize information for them. Busy schedules and over whelming academic expectations further add to the agony.  

Here is a list of all that a child is missing out on by not picking up a book to read:

Vocabulary

Parents more than often feel that their kid is not able to express. Instead of using apt words in a sentence, children these days are relying more and more upon crutch words for basic communication. A paragraph would typically be an overdose of crutch words like ‘but’, ‘something’, ‘and’, ‘so’, ‘like’ and more. This is indicative of a weak vocabulary. Researches have proved that kids who are exposed to a language i.e. by way of reading, tend to have a wider vocabulary base. Those who read more, by way of a better developed vocabulary, have an intellectual advantage over their peers.

Expand the horizon

Reading imparts a whole new canvas of creativity. Learning and imagination go hand in hand. Exposure to unknown cultures, societies, traditions and varied characters bolsters the mind.

Writing skills

Reading more has a direct positive impact on the reader’s writing abilities. By stimulating imagination and imbibing details about the correct sentence structure, reading enables writing.

Knowledge & life skills

While the education system focuses largely upon academic – subject driven learning, reading outside the school curriculum, brings with it lessons about the real life. Practicalities of the outside world are introduced by these books. Complicated subjects, that might be otherwise difficult to deal with, can be seamlessly navigated through books.

Learn life through characters

Reading age appropriate books helps these young learners live vivaciously. Challenges faced by the characters helps readers connect with them. Problem solving skills too are developed and there’s an inclination to deal with day to day problems in a pragmatic way.

The CC program reading structure

At Conversation Club we are invested in inculcating reading as a habit. This is a rich experience and only with the help of right ingredients, complete benefits can be absorbed.

We begin with an assessment of areas and topics that spark interest. The passions once identified are nurtured through relevant discussions. Suitable reading material is simultaneously identified and sessions are customized around the subject. Gradually the learning base is expanded to include varied subjects and thus instill learning through a wider curriculum. Furthermore, trainers question the subjects read by the students, they review the paradigm of the material, promote analysis and unlock the content, thereby harnessing the critical thinking skills. A close eye is kept on the subjects being read, which is critical to ensure apt development of these young minds.

Mnemonics for English Vocabulary & Memory Enhancement!

by with No Comment Uncategorized

Don’t we all wish there was a simpler way to retain the information; be it new words or never ending historical facts. Learning English and improving communication skills would be much easier if a memory tool could aid with vocabulary. Well certainly it would be and there are many techniques out there, which have been tried by many including mnemonics.

What is Mnemonics??

The concept, especially in the words of Oxford Dictionary, sounds a bit intimidating. The definition goes like this – the study and development of systems for improving and assisting the memory.

As it seems, mnemonics is some kind of a technique, that needs to be studied and systems have to be developed and implemented … well if it is this complicated, might as well learn the concept as it is.

Let us not allow Oxford to haunt us and let the British be with their fancy nomenclature. How about a simpler version of the stated – mnemonics are simply strategies that help retain information.  There are multiple mnemonic techniques that enable the objective and can be effortlessly comprehended and implemented; for instance songs & music. Advertisers have long been relying on this mnemonic strategy for building a customer base and ensuring long term association. No wonder we are able to hum songs from old movies that we perhaps watched when we were kids.

Learning English with Mnemonics

Well if the technique is so popular and has been used in various other fields, why not try this memory tool to brush up your vocabulary.

Vocabulary or new words in English or for that matter in any language are essential to add depth to the overall communication skills. Being able to remember words and use them in day to day conversations is a skill that we all wish to possess. Amongst the various other exercises, mnemonics can certainly help retain the meaning of new words and thus improve listening. This is in fact the first step towards English vocabulary enhancement. A learner in his / her initial stages, is able to recognize new words and perhaps decipher their meanings. Once the meanings settle in, comes the stage when one is able to use these words. It is a task that demands patience and continual effort and mnemonics can certainly help build the base.

How???

Illustration 1

Wistful – regretful / nostalgic / longing

Mnemonic – full of wish (left unfulfilled)

Illustration 2

Abase – humiliate / degrade

Mnemonic – Push off the base (push somebody down)

In addition to the word associations, rhymes, pictures and more can be used. One can further relate words with their own experiences and circumstances to enable retention. The notion is to get used to a word, to add it to one’s system and let it grind. Once the technique is repeated often enough, the words begin to occupy their special places in your head. The next time you hear the word, it resonates and while you might not remember the exact meaning, you know that the word you just heard, isn’t an alien. The familiarity deepens every time you check the meaning and correlate it with the mnemonic key. Eventually comes the stage when you are able to not just understand the word, but are also able to proficiently use it in your English conversations.

#memory, ##memory, ##memory, ##memory, ##memory, ##memory, ##memory, #

What your kid watches & reads matters!

by with No Comment Uncategorized

We all crave to be part of society and to belong to social groups that adhere to certain standards. Like us, kids too have the impulse to attach themselves to various social groups and thus belong to a space that they feel is safe. But how do they do this?

Psychologists have conducted various studies over the years and research have led to the findings that point towards a child’s tendency to imitate. To feed the essential need of belonging to a system or in other words to coexist, children tend to copy. To this end, while parents play a critical role, peers, role models and quite importantly media acts as a major influencer.

The role of environment

Our brains tend to replicate behavior from an early age. As we grow, we mimic the people we interact with or are exposed to and thus from early childhood years, our personality tends to depend upon the factors that frame our environment.

It is thus of imperative value that from the very beginning we present a nurturing & learning environment. Our young ones rely upon us for their growth and as parents, it is our duty to ensure that the learning progresses in a holistic manner.

Expose them to the environment that harnesses growth

At Conversation Club, an important objective of the communication curriculum is working around a model that inculcates positive reinforcement by way of discussions. The discussions are based on topics that require research and reading. Furthermore, children are encouraged to watch and discuss. The discussions are targeted towards enhanced learning. Moreover, these activities boost creativity and impart them with an expanded vision about various relevant subjects.

Enriched knowledge gained during these sessions also helps them with the academic curriculum. Each session is circled around topics of interest. The involvement of conversation partners, coming from similar age backgrounds, acts as a positive encouragement. Kids when exposed to this healthy environment of learning & discussing, tend to positively imitate their peers and connect over subjects that illuminate.

The communication platform further inculcates the various aspects of learning English and thus acts as a strong education tool. Language experts guide them through the nitty-gritty of the language. Vocabulary, grammar, presentation techniques, sentence structuring and more are paid adequate attention. Alongside reading, watching & narrating, listening to these educated discussions further strengthens the progress. These positive cues encourage participation, which in turn yields the desired results.

Imitation is invariable! Irrespective of the positive or negative nature of influencers, kids will invariably imitate. Studies have proven that it is a human urge to be part of a group and in the case of kids, the groups they chose have a very strong impact on their personalities & thus growth. While you cannot possibly control or supervise your kid at every hour of the day, exposing the child to a positive influence through Conversation Club is certainly a start. Here the discussions are aimed at learning the language and participating in a rich scholarly environment.  

, , , , , , ,

A bridge to the Art of Reading

by with No Comment Uncategorized

Unlock your child’s imagination with reading based discussions

Reading stimulates learning, reduces stress, increases vocabulary and expands thinking and yet it is an art that seems to be getting extinct. Despite the well-known and extensively researched positives of reading, these days we hardly get to see anyone devoting enough time to imbibe the valuable treasures hidden in a book. Gone are the days when people spent their commuting time reading books and magazines. Smart phones have led to an era when reading more than 5-7 lines seems a cumbersome task and people simply move on to the next post. Scrolling through reels, digesting the quote of the day, skimming the headlines and perhaps listening to a podcast pretty much summarizes the content intake routine of any typical human being these days. While the trend is spreading like a virus, younger generations are the most severely impacted.

The purpose of reading

The goal of reading is to comprehend and assimilate the content. Be it for entertainment or educational purposes, unless the reader is able to take in the desired information, reading is a futile task. It is a psychological event, which is critical for a learner of any age and from any background.

When it comes to sharpening communication skills and thus the ability to interact and present oneself in a language of choice, reading text greatly promotes the objective. In fact, reading skills are critical for academic endeavors.

  • Reading can stimulate thinking abilities & mental functioning.
  • Mental stress can be largely relieved by indulging in this activity.
  • Vocabulary and grammar applications of the language can be well assimilated by reading.
  • Books enhance memory and promote insights into varied subjects. The overall knowledge pool expands by reading.
  • Concentration levels too are positively affected by reading.
  • Regular readers are better writers.
  • Books are windows to so many worlds; reading expands horizons.

Discussions @ Conversation Club

The above mentioned benefits of reading work best when the collated information is discussed in a stimulating environment. This is a learning platform where reading based discussions are an integral part of the curriculum. Learning the English language critically motivates learners to spend time with books and magazines. Interesting subject matter is identified and the learners are motivated to invest time and read relevant material. These materials form the basis of discussions in subsequent sessions. The exchange of knowledge, based upon the reading tasks, greatly enhances a learner’s capability to grasp the nuances of the English language and at the same time, enriches the knowledge pool.  

The benefits of these reading based discussions are universal to all age groups and profiles. Young kids develop a habit of spending time with books, which greatly helps their concentration levels and prepares them for academic pursuits. In addition to the stated, knowledge bank helps improve thinking skills and further creates a favorable mindset to gel in social settings.

Amongst adults, reading offers a self-managed pace of learning. The option of viewing and reviewing the information as many times allows a flexible intake pace.  Once the grasping skills are enhanced, reading helps retain and improve concentration skills.

Thus the learning English sessions and communication skill classes at Conversation Club strongly advocate the art of reading. In fact, mentors pick enthralling subjects and thus motivate English language enthusiasts to communicate effectively.

, , , , ,