Topic sentences will help you to identify the main ideas in the text. Remember that a topic sentence may be at the beginning of a paragraph or at the end. If you are summarizing a chapter from a book or an article, the introduction and the conclusion will provide a good overview of the information. When writing a summary you must still record all of the bibliographic details appropriate to the text that you are reviewing.

Summarizing is a very useful tool when you are reviewing large amounts of information. It enables you to record the main points and the supporting information in a shorter and simpler version of the original. Good summaries are an excellent resource when writing or reporting research and when revising and preparing for tests and examinations.

Step 1: Read the text carefully. Be sure you understand what you are reading. You may need a dictionary to clarify some words.

Step 2: As you read make notes which represent the main ideas of the text and the supporting information.

Step 3: Use the notes that you have made to write the summary.

Step 4: Record the bibliographic details of the text.

Step 5: Review the text again and then the summary you have written. Make sure that all of the main ideas have been included and the meaning of the original text has not been changed in any way.

At the beginning of each lesson make sure you are clear about the focus of the lesson; what is the topic or subject that the teacher is going to talk about?  You may need to ask the teacher for clarification on this, but it is important that you know the focus of the lesson and why it is important. This helps to motivate your listening.

Students sitting in classrooms are often distracted. Remove yourself from situations that could distract you. You may be seated under an air-conditioner or next to a window, in both situations external noise can become a problem.  Don’t sit with students who do not want to listen.  Make sure that you can see the teacher. As second language learners you may often find it difficult to hear some words and phrases. If you can see the teacher and the teacher’s mouth word recognition is easier.

Teachers usually speak to a plan or a set of notes. The notes may be printed, listed on a white board, a smart board or presented electronically. Use the notes to help navigate your listening. Make connections between the notes and what you are listening to. This gives the whole listening experience more meaning. You should also use the teachers’ notes to add your own notes. Additional information that you hear should be attached to the notes provided by the teacher. Recording things helps you to remember and reinforces understanding.

Finally it is important to stay focused. This takes personal discipline. Recognizing the importance of listening and understanding that good listening skills can improve your learning will help you to be more disciplined in classroom listening.

There are four steps you should follow towards producing good quality notes.

First RECORD as much information as you can during the class. Make sure that you write  clearly so that the notes are easy to read. Some students choose to use abbreviations as this enables them to record quickly.

As soon as possible after class REFINE the notes that you have taken. Re-write the most important information adding extra details or facts as you remember them. Make sure that your notes are organised. Having a separate note book for each subject is a good idea. All your notes are kept in one place and recorded in order.

The next step is to carefully REVIEW the notes that you have made. This helps you to highlight areas that may need clarification. It also helps you to recognise and remember the key facts and information presented in the class.  Your class notes will be extremely valuable to you when preparing for a test, an examination, or writing an assignment.

REFLECTING on your notes will trigger your own memories of the information. Because you have recoded, refined and reviewed the information you will be able to use the knowledge more effectively and efficiently. Notes should be a regular part of your study time. If you allocate 10 – 15 minutes each day to refining and reviewing class notes you will greatly improve your opportunity for academic success.

There is  however a simple skill which allows students to use the information presented in text without plagiarising. Paraphrasing is a re-statement of meaning using different words. By changing some of the words in the passage you can still present the information you need from the text but it does not constitute copy. You can change nouns for pro-nouns, remove or change adjectives and adverbs or remove conjunctions. You may change the structure of the sentences but you have not changed the meaning of the text. Use a thesaurus or a dictionary to find alternate words that have the same or similar meaning. By making a few simple changes you can still present the appropriate information and retain the accuracy of the grammar and spelling.

Paraphrasing is an important skill for all students to learn.  The penalties for plagiarism are high and in certain situations especially in Universities, students who  copy often find themselves in very serious trouble;  so don’t plagiarise, paraphrase!

Being able to use words with confidence to explain, describe and discuss means you can answer questions with greater accuracy and present more detailed information in your responses. There are several ways of building vocabulary.

It is important that second language learners recognize the need to allow extra time to develop English vocabulary. Reading and listening are two things that you do everyday at school and at home. When you hear or see a word that you are not sure about, or you have not seen before,write it down or record it in a vocabulary book. Check the meaning of the word either with your teacher or a dictionary. Record the meaning of the word as well this will help you to remember it when you see or hear it again.

You can also make lists of technical words that are used in specialist subjects. You may build a list of words for chemistry, physics, biology or geography. Recording these words in a vocabulary book means you remember them better and you can easily check their meaning at any time. Constructing vocabulary trees is another way to extend the number of English words you can use with confidence. Vocabulary trees group associated words  together.  You may build a tree with words associated with cooking; kitchen, spoon, knife, oven, plate etc. grouping words together in this way also helps you to remember them.

Building your English vocabulary is important if you want to achieve the best results throughout your secondary studies. Make it a part of your study routine.

Stirling Education Australia has provided guidelines for English as a Second Language  teachers to assist with programming and assessment. ESL students can also benefit from study notes which review different assessment tasks and study techniques.

All of this information is easily accessible through the Stirling Education website.

First round University offers have been posted and many of you will be looking forward  to the  challenge of university study in 2010. Other students will be looking towards year 12 or year 11 entry in their secondary studies. Whatever your situation, now is the time to refresh your language skills. During the holiday break most students have been spending time with family and close friends which generally means communicating in their first language. This is a welcome break from the constant demands of learning and studying in English but as the new academic year approaches it is a good idea to start listening to more English.

You could establish a reading program over the next few weeks providing an opportunity to refresh and improve your reading skills. When communicating with friends,  speak in English as much as you can. Language skills, like all skills need to be practiced.  Listen to English on the radio or the television.Watch movies in English and read English newspapers or magazines. Spending as little as thirty minutes a day will make a difference.

When you return to school in a few weeks time your English skills will allow you to make a strong start in your secondary studies. Some students choose the holiday period to focus on practice and improvement of their English. Whatever approach you choose you can be sure that your time and effort will be rewarded.  If you know that you have a particular area of weakness allocate some time to work on it. It may be reading or writing; it may be speaking. Remember language is a skill and a skill that responds to practice. Being prepared for the 2010 academic year will give you increased confidence to meet the challenges that a new year of study will bring.

Do the best that you can and have confidence in the efforts that you have put into your studies throughout the year. Hard work will always be rewarded. Keep your focus on the goals you have set for future study or your chosen career path. Above all try and stay calm and as relaxed as possible. Follow a routine through the examination period which allows for study and an appropriate amount of rest.

Make sure that you eat well and if you are feeling really stressed and anxious find time for some exercise. An hour in the gym or a walk will help to alleviate stress and tension.  Taking a common sense approach and being kind to yourself will help your performance in each examination.