We often use acronyms In English, not just in text messaging, but also in e-mails, documents and almost every form of written communication. Here are a few of the more common ones.                                                     

 ASAP

So, the first one, ASAP – As Soon as Possible.

FYI

FYI – For Your Information

RSVP

RSVP – this is a French word, most native English speakers don’t know what this means in French, but we use it for… to reserve, make a reservation for a party, so, to respond. It means Répondez S’il Vous Plaît.

ETA

ETA means Estimated Time of Arrival

AKA

AKA means Also Known As

FAQ

FAQ means Frequently Asked Questions

ATM

ATM means Automated Teller Machine, but also At the Moment, which is more like Internet speech, or text.

TBA

TBA – To Be Announced

TGIF

TGIF – Thank God it’s Friday

RIP

RIP, what you see on graves at the cemetery is Rest in Peace

P.S.

PS, what you write at the end of letters, Post Script [English. In Latin: Post Scriptum]. You use it when you want to add an afterthought at the end of a letter.

ESL & EFL

ESL, like when you see it with English, English as a Second Language

EFL – English as a Foreign Language

DIY

DIY – Do it Yourself. Like a project that you might do it yourself, without professional help.

ID

ID. It means your Identification. This is what you present when you go to a bar, if you look like you’re underage.

IQ

IQ is your Intelligence Quotient, which is what a lot of intelligence tests will measure.

PC

PC – Personal Computer

PR

PR – Public Relations

SOS

SOS, what you might see if you’re stranded or stuck on a desert island, you might write in the sand SOS – Save Our Souls. This is to get help.

AWOL

AWOL means Absent Without Leave. Leave is to have permission to leave, to be on vacation. So, this comes from the military. You might say this when you have a friend or somebody that’s missing, so that person is AWOL.

MIA

Another way to say the same thing is MIA – Missing in Action.

AD & BC

So, now some historical terms.

So, AD, which means past the year 0, like, we’re in 2014 AD. AD means Anno Domini, which is a Latin word.\

CE & BCE

BC is Before Christ. But nowadays they’re using CE for the modern era, so, we’re in 2014 CE, which is AD, which is secular, not really attached to religion.

And then BCE is Before Common Existence, it’s the same as BC.

i.e.

So, sometimes when you’re writing, or you’re reading, you might see IE, which means in other words. So, in Latin, I’m not going to try to pronounce this, but here it is on the screen.

e.g.

And EG, which means for example, and here it is in Latin. So, you might use those in writing, and you might recognize this when you’re reading something.

DOB

So, DOB means Date of Birth. You might see this on an application.

MD

MD means Medical Doctor.

HR

HR means Human Resources, and DOA means Dead on Arrival. You might hear this in like a police show or something.

So, to finish, I’m going to give you 3 colloquial ones, which I think are pretty interesting, but they’re a little bit more relaxed than the other ones.

BYOB

So, the first one is BYOB. You might see this on an invitation to a party. This means Bring Your Own Beer. Bring Your Own Beer or Bring Your Own Booze, which is another word for alcohol.

Below you will find a list of various hints and tips for learning English.

1.    Expose yourself to as much English Media content as possible. Every little encounter leaves an impression of the language. Luckily, English media contents are almost limitless: podcasts, news sites, radio channels, music, films etc.

2.    Take away the subtitling, unless you can choose English, on your screen, or force yourself to ignore it. Do this preferably with a film you are familiar with.

3.     Download lyrics to your favourite songs and read them while listening to the song. That way – next time you sing in the shower – you will practice real English. Listening to music in the target language helps you develop a flair for the rhythm, melody (intonation) and sound of it. Sing along.

4.    Buy or borrow audio books. You may also search for 'audio books' in general. Many of these web sites offer instant downloads in various digital formats.

5.    Software: Read software instructions in English, and download English versions of games and tools. 

6.    Software gaming: Play online games that require text input – like adventure games. But do keep in mind that the vocabulary you learn from this is often very limited.

7.    Spend some time searching for learning tools on the Internet. Search for words like: interactive exercise, grammar tasks, vocabulary quiz, pronunciation lab.

8.    Make lists of words suitable for various topics – preferably the one you are studying at school right now. Hang the list above your bed or on the refrigerator door. Repetition and learning by heart is a must in the process of learning a language.

9.     Use recording features on your mp3 player or cell phone and listen to yourself speaking/reading.

10.   Find the opportunities in everyday activities like walking to the bus, brushing your teeth and so forth, to think in English about what you do.

11.  Whenever you learn a word, try to come up with a word of the opposite meaning. Then make up a story – the crazier the better – where these words occur. Opposite words are called antonyms.  When you want to learn a set of words, dramatize them in a story or connect them to an existing experience. Use the opportunities everyday life offers.

12.  Repeat and memorize whole sample phrases and sentences which embody grammatical rules: “You are the sun, I am the moon.” (I am, You are, He/She/It is, We are, You are, They are)

13.  Read about news that is familiar to you in English. This will help you understand new words based on the contents. You may do the same thing with instructions in English for things you are already familiar with, like the operating of your cell phone. 

14.   Read novels, cartoons or magazines. Some of these are available online. Reading is a pleasurable activity, but make sure you find something that you are interested in.

For years we have been led to believe that watching television while studying, or instead of studying, will rarely lead to any academic gain. It comes as a delight to some students to know that this belief has been somewhat turned on its head because watching television can assist some students of non-English speaking backgrounds to learn and develop confidence in speaking the English language.

How is this possible?

Because many people want to learn English, television programs offer one way to pick up conversational English skills and new words. However, the process of learning to speak English requires a student to be far more active than simply turning on the TV and watching. Unfortunately, English language will not be automatically added to your vocabulary through passive activity.

It is possible to add new phrases and words to your vocabulary by watching TV. By memorizing, practicing and applying new phrases and words, confidence grows and a person becomes more adept at using words and phrases in context.

Speak, speak, speak…

No matter what method you employ to try to improve your English, it is critical that you put the knowledge and skills into practice by speaking. This means that in order to become a more proficient speaker, you must speak in English as often as possible.

Active and passive vocabulary:

The act of watching television has the potential to assist you to improve your English but rarely will any improvement be noticed until you begin to work on your active and not just your passive vocabulary. It is important to distinguish the difference between active and passive vocabulary:

·         Passive vocabulary is the words you can recognize but have little or no skill in using because you lack practice in using those particular words and phrases.

·         Active vocabulary relates to the range of words you speak and use. These words tend to be used many times over and spoken when engaging in conversations with others.

Although watching television can certainly improve your ability to understand English (passive vocabulary), it will only help with your conversational skills if effort is made to practice the words learned and use them in conversation.

When watching TV:

·         Keep a notepad and pen with you. Write down the words and phrases that you hear and wish to develop confidence in using (no more than 7 per day). Resist the temptation to translate these words into your first language. Doing so can slow your progress and, from a learning perspective, it is far more beneficial to describe or explain them using English words, no matter how simple they may be. It is also important to try to record the context in which a word or phrase was used. This can have numerous advantages when using the word(s) yourself.

·         Consider using the subtitles feature of your television. Of course the idea is not that you will just read the subtitles, but will really listen to the dialogue. The benefit of using subtitles is that they can help you to more quickly understand what is being said, particularly if there is a lot of action occurring in the background. Similarly, slang words and expressions can sometimes make it more difficult to interpret what is being said. If you can do without the subtitles of a particular film or program, keep them off, but if you struggle with the language used and words delivered at a fast pace, subtitles can be helpful.

What to do with these words:

By watching television or a film, you are likely to have acquired a number of new phrases. Experts recommend that you concentrate on learning 7 new phrases per day as slow but thorough expansion of vocabulary tends to have the longest and most successful result. If you practice and repeat these words and phrases out loud each day, you are bound to notice improvements in the ways you use – and your confidence with – the English language.

Can I watch anything?

If you have limited English skills, soap operas are suggested as the most suitable type of program to watch and from which to learn. When a person is more confident and experienced, reality TV shows are a good idea because they feature more colloquial and less formal language delivered at a faster pace.

Television can be an invaluable tool to help students develop their English speaking skills.

Learn English faster by finding your learning style

Not everyone learns in the same way. We all have different learning styles based on our background and personalities, and many scientists have tried to categorize the way we learn into different styles. One of the most popular systems was developed by a man called Neil Fleming and uses the categories below.

Take a look through these learning styles and see which describes you best, then use the tips for your learning style to help you learn English faster.

Visual learners
Do you have a preference for pictures and images? If so, you are a visual learner. Visual learners love using diagrams and graphics to help them understand new concepts or ideas.

If you are a visual learner, use flashcards with bold images on them to remember new vocabulary, and take photos or draw pictures in your notes to help your mind remember what you learn in class. To help understand how tense forms work, look for timelines that will show you how they are used.

Auditory learners
Do you find it easy to understand spoken explanations of things? Do you ever talk to yourself? If so, you are probably an auditory learner.

For auditory learners, listening and speaking (often writing, too) will help you remember new concepts and ideas. Make use of any audio resources such as recorded audio of new vocabulary in dictionaries, and try making your own using the voice recorder in your smartphone. If you are using flashcards, have written descriptions on them rather than pictures.

Kinesthetic learners
Do you find it difficult to sit still in class? Do you prefer actually having a go at doing something rather than listening to someone explaining it? Yes? That means you are likely to be a kinesthetic learner.

Kinesthetic learners learn by doing or by associating knowledge with specific actions. If you are a kinesthetic learner, make the most of your classes by getting involved in any activities and try to find as many situations where you can use English outside of class as possible.

- Source: http://www.englishtown.com