Looking to help people out in English

[GoldCoinLover]

Hello, my name is Kevin, and I'm 17. I have a passion for teaching. If you know enough english to read this (and even if you don't) I'm determined to help you learn it. It's free, over the internet. I just love teaching and live to far away to experience japan.

I know some japanese, enough to communicate. If you have AIM; or anything, please send me a private message here.

Thanks

[Rayc]

I know no Japanese, but I can also help to teach English.

[-Yu-]

Cool.
Do you think reading Time is a good way to practice your English? plus what do you think about its articles, are they on rather right wings or left wings?

You can avoid answering the second question since it is related to one's policy, but if possible please tell me what you think.

[Sally_Hawn]

I have known so many oriental students who subscribed Time magazine hoping to improve their reading/writing skill, yet none of these people would really take the time to read them. What a waste of money! The stories covered in Time just don’t fall into the interest of an average ESL student. But maybe you are different. I don’t know.

I only subscribed magazines I liked (e.g. Seventeen) even though I probably didn’t learn as many SAT vocabularies from them as I could have learnt from Time. At least I was reading them, and I could still pick up words like boobs, jerks, oxymoron and other words that didn’t usually show up on textbook. As a matter of fact, these words are pretty useful.

Anyway, there're some prominent universities in U.S. and Canada highly recommend the New Yorker magazine for their professional writing courses. They say the writing style of New Yorker magazine have set an example of “Contemporary Standard English.” Erm, personally I am more interested in Fortune, Glamour, Psychology or even People.

For young guys, maybe Detail magazine. Does it still exist?

[lexico]

Originally Posted by -Yu-

what do you think about its articles, are they on rather right wings or left wings?

I don't read a lot of articles, but one article grabbed my attention, the one Newsweek article about the supposed secret nuclear program of N. Korea. I talked to a Time magazine reporter who told me (now this was way back) that Newsweek often publishes rumor without verification as opposed to Time's practices. I'm not exactly promoting one or the other, but if I can trust what he told me, I could say that Newsweek can be more radical, whereas Time can be more conservative. That being said,

What Sally says about people not reading the subscribed magazines applys to me. I usually go for the articles that interest me, not just any to improve my vocab and whatnot. So if you're the kind of person who's picky about what you read, then instead of subscribing, go to the stalls/library to pick up articles that interest you. Or order back issues if you know what you want.That way your money is better spent, and you get to read more while enjoying it.

Also try the used book stores because that way you have a wider stock of articles to choose from. On-line stuff's okay but they often cut down on the full text, pics, charts; they also lack the immediacy like letting you do in-line notes. Beware of local newpapers; they are strewn with misuses and grammar problems on every page. (Nevertheless, they are less forced and sound more natural, so it's not all that bad. You could practice draft writing as you would speak, and there you have a model.)

I enjoyed Omni, National Geographic, Scientific American, PC Mag., and one obscure one called Irreproducible Experiments. Playboy has excellent social commentary stuff. Yes I had that for the articles.
One magazine you should seriously look into is U.S. News & World Report, which is known for its objective articles. Psychology Today has interesting stuff, too.

[Glenn]

To add to the lists given by Sally_Hawn and lexico, I think that Reader's Digest is a good magazine to read. It's well written and there are usually enough articles in there to keep anyone's interest (unless I'm just really wierd). There are jokes, word quizzes, articles on extraordinary events, and also on ordinary events. I think it would be a good magazine for practicing English.

[lexico]

Originally Posted by Glenn

Reader's Digest

Absolutely awesome magazine. Their English is impeccable superb. You can pick up an armful of back isuues for a couple of bucks too. I wish I had collected more when I could. Highly recomended! (And there's also Discover magazine which is decent.)

[Sally_Hawn]

Yeah, I almost forgot Reader's Digest. Very good read for people who believe in miracles!

Back then they had stories like blind people finally could see the light again... stuff like that... ha ha ha.

[Sally_Hawn]

Hmmm... actually whenever I go to Indigo bookstore, the cover of Maxim always catch my eyes.

I think it is http://www.maximonline.com/index.html a popular guy magazine in the U.S. and Canada.

[-Yu-]

Wow, many magazines you recommended, thanks.
I think I'll go to check them even though I don't know they are in a store I frequently go to. Its English reading section is so limited despite the fact there are many Americans who go there.