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English learning tips, guides, and news from WELE
Learning Tips
The Past Tense of Feed Is Fed: A Long Vowel Shortened, and Your Ear Misses It
The simple past and past participle of feed are both fed. The two forms differ by only one vowel's length, and that's the first thing to get squeezed out when people talk fast.
Cut's Past Tense Is Still Cut: One Spelling, Three Forms, and How to Hear the Tense
The simple past and past participle of cut are both cut. Since the verb doesn't change form, the tense of the sentence lives entirely in the short words that fast spoken English swallows first.
Began or Begun? The Past Tense of 'Begin' — and the Half That Vanishes When You Speak Fast
The simple past of begin is began, the past participle is begun. The stress falls on the second syllable, so the first half of the word nearly disappears in normal fast speech.
Automotive English: Vocabulary, Learning Path, and Listening Resources
Automotive English vocabulary organized by vehicle system, a three-level learning path for people in the trade, and curated self-study resources, plus a dictation method for long-term retention.
Learning English with AI: Where It Shines, Where It Falls Short, and How to Use It Right
AI is great for unlimited speaking practice and error correction, but understanding real people when they talk takes a different kind of practice that AI can't produce.
Medical English for Working Professionals: Roots, a Learning Path, and Listening Resources
Medical terminology is built from about twenty Latin and Greek roots. Includes a three-stage path for working professionals and medical listening resources with transcripts.
Accounting English: Vocabulary, Study Roadmap, and Self-Study Resources
Accounting vocabulary by topic, easily confused word pairs, a three-stage roadmap for working professionals, and four self-study resources with transcripts for dictation practice.
Logistics English: Vocabulary, Listening Skills, and a Self-Study Path
Logistics vocabulary grouped by real job functions, how to train your ear for abbreviations on calls, plus a three-stage self-study path and resources from people in the industry.
Business English: Vocabulary, a Three-Stage Roadmap, and Self-Study Resources
Business English vocabulary organized by work situation, a three-stage roadmap from contracts to the negotiation table, and self-study resources worth using.
English for Specific Purposes: Vocabulary for 12 Industries and How to Build Your Own Career Roadmap
A definition of English for Specific Purposes, core vocabulary for 12 common industries, and a three-stage formula for building your own roadmap plus how to find learning resources for your field.
The English Alphabet: 26 Letters, How to Say Each One, and How to Spell Things Out on the Phone
Knowing the alphabet from A to Z and knowing how to say each letter's name correctly are two different things — and only the second one saves you when you have to spell out an email over the phone.
IT English: Vocabulary, a Roadmap, and How to Follow Meetings
IT people read English documentation all day, then lose track the moment a standup starts. Vocabulary grouped by job function, a three-stage roadmap, and curated self-study resources.
Daily English Listening Practice: A 20-Minute Routine That Actually Sticks
Listening every day and still stuck in place usually isn't because you haven't listened enough — it's because you're listening in a way that doesn't make your brain work. The 20-minute framework below fixes exactly that.
How to Do English Dictation the Right Way, Step by Step
Most people quit not because the method doesn't suit them, but because they drop the last step. Here's the correct process, plus the specific mistakes Vietnamese ears tend to trip over.
Typing French and German on a QWERTY Keyboard
A French and German typing method for QWERTY keyboards
How Dictation Practice Helps Beginners Overcome English Learning Challenges
I. Introduction Imagine you're sitting in a classroom, surrounded by classmates who seem to pick up English with ease while you struggle to understand even the simplest phrases. This situation is all ...
5 Steps to Effective Dictation Practice
Today I'll suggest a short 5-step process for the most effective listening dictation with WELE Vietnam. Step 1: Listen and Transcribe At this step, you should read the WELE admins' introduction to the...
The Benefits of Dictation Practice for Learning a Foreign Language
1. Fully Supports and Enhances All 4 Skills: Listening, Speaking, Reading, and Writing \- Listening. Because you listen and write at the same time, you'll know the vocabulary precisely, or you'll need...
Common Struggles with English Dictation Practice (Part 1)
When doing dictation practice, do you often run into this situation: (1) Lots of new words you can't hear, (2) The listening passage is long and hard so you get discouraged, (3) You can't listen close...
Common Struggles with Dictation Practice (Part 2)
Continuing on the topic of difficulties in dictation listening, this week I'll share methods for dealing with the remaining 3 difficulties, which are: (3) Not being able to catch every word clearly; (...