Hello again and welcome to our latest edition of English Review.

At one time, if you wanted to know the meaning of a word, or how to spell it correctly, you had to look it up in a dictionary – which meant going out and buying one. But now you can use online dictionaries and encyclopaedias for free.

One of my favourites is at www.dictionary.cambridge.org It gives access to the Cambridge Advanced Learners Dictionary and is very simple to use. In addition, the site has Activities, Top 20 Words and Word of the Day.

Another interesting site is that of the Encyclopaedia Britannica at www.britannica.com If you want detailed information about a subject you have to pay and become a member, but entries from the Concise version are free.

Finally, if you want to improve your language skills by reading you could visit www.geo.ed.ac.uk/home/news.html The site provides links to the online versions of many British newspapers, including The Times. There is plenty of news to keep you interested and up-to-date on world affairs.

With all this to try, I hope you’re not too busy to look at our main topic this month – Note Taking. You need to be able to take notes for work as well as for your studies. When, for example, you are:

• attending meetings
• making telephone calls
• writing memos, letters and reports
• attending workshops, seminars and conferences
• listening to talks and presentations
• preparing the minutes of meetings
• passing on messages and instructions to others.

Enjoy reading the tips below and I hope you can incorparate them into your life.

Regards,

Diana.

STUDENT SUCCESSES

Randal Cilia from Malta says:

"Before joining Business Training I worked as an English teacher teaching the elementary classes. When I got the Diploma in Business English with Distinction, I was soon asked to teach students who want to start studying business english. My salary immediately increased by 35%. This was a great achievement for me.

Apart from increasing my salary, I also used this diploma as a reference to Leicester University in England to apply for a distance learning MSc degree. Since I have achieved a distinction in Business English from a renowned college, I considerably increased the chance of being accepted. In fact, I was accepted and this was an important step forward in my life.

The Business English Course, apart from being an extremely interesting course, helps you learn a lot of grammar and also helps you become much more confident when writing essays and assignments. I would like to thank everybody from Mr. E H Metcalfe to all the tutors."

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And Benneth Mpeke from Uganda says:

"I would like to take this opportunity to thank all the staff of BTL, more especially my tutor for making my studies a success. Before joining BTL I was a local politician and worked as a councillor but I could not even address a big gathering fluently. Since I started with BTL I stand up in a council meeting and speak with confidence. I am now regarded as a pillar in my local council and my parliamentary constituency as well. This has been so because of BTL which improved my English language and business skills.

Without the knowledge and business skills of BTL I was working in a hotel as a waiter – now I run a hotel of my own and employ over ten employees. I cannot regret that I joined BTL or the money spent on it. Business Training has taught me a lot of things like good communication in English and I have gained the skills of running a business, motivation and handling my employees as well as my customers.

I will always thank BTL for the good it has done on my side."

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TOP TEN TIPS FOR...

Making Notes.

1. Make sure you note everything that is important – so read or listen carefully.
   
   
2. Only put down the main points. Don’t copy out material word for word – use your own.
   
   
3. Be ruthless in cutting out unnecessary material.
   
   
4. There is no need to worry about correct grammar, spelling, punctuation and sentence structure.
   
   
5. Get into the habit of using your own personal shorthand. Use crs for course, b for be, imp for important, asap for as soon as possible – and any others you can devise.
   
   
6. Use lots of headings, sub-headings and numbered points.
   
   
7. Make sure any names, addresses or figures are written clearly (print them if your handwriting is poor) and spelled correctly.
   
   
8. Write-up your notes as soon as possible to make sure you still understand them.
   
   
9. The important thing is that you understand your notes – no-one else matters.
   
   
10. And remember: for notes to be useful they must be accurate, relevant, brief and organised.