“Top 5 Mistakes English Learners Make”
By: AJ Hoge

What are the most common mistakes that English learners make? Which mistakes do most English learners need to correct, in order to learn English much faster?

Here are the top 5 English Learning Mistakes:
1. Focusing On Grammar
This is the biggest, most common, and worst mistake. Research shows that grammar study, in fact, actually hurts English speaking ability. Why? Because English grammar is simply too complex to memorize and use logically…. and real conversation is much too fast.
You don’t have enough time to think, remember hundreds or thousands of grammar rules, choose the correct one, then use it.
Your logical left-brain cannot do it. You must learn grammar intuitively and unconsciously, like a child. You do this by hearing a lot of correct English grammar- and your brain gradually and automatically learns to use English grammar correctly.

2. Forcing Speech
Both English students and teachers try to force speech before the learner is ready. The result is that most students speak English very slowly- with no confidence and no fluency. Forcing speech is a huge mistake. Don’t force speech. Focus on listening and be patient. Speak only when you are ready to speak- when it happens easily and naturally. Until then, never force it.

3. Learning Only Formal Textbook English
Unfortunately, most English students learn only the formal English found in textbooks and schools. The problem is- native speakers don’t use that kind of English in most situations.
When speaking to friends, family, or co-workers, native speakers use casual English that is full of idioms, phrasal verbs, and slang. To communicate with native speakers, you must not rely only on textbooks.. you must learn casual English.

4. Trying To Be Perfect
Students and teachers often focus on mistakes. They worry about mistakes. They correct mistakes. They feel nervous about mistakes. They try to speak perfectly. No one, however, is perfect. Native speakers make mistakes all the time. You will too. Instead of focusing on the negative- focus on communication.
Your goal is not to speak “perfectly”, your goal is to communicate ideas, information, and feelings in a clear and understandable way. Focus on communication,focus on the positive. You will automatically improve your mistakes in time

5. Relying On English Schools
Most English learners rely totally on schools. They think the teacher and the school are responsible for their success. This is never true. You, the English learner, are always responsible. A good teacher can help, but ultimately you must be responsible for your own learning.
You must find lessons and material that are effective. You must listen and read every day. You must manage your emotions and remain motivated and energetic. You must be positive and optimistic. No teacher can make you learn. Only you can do it!
While these mistakes are very common, the good news is that you can correct them. When you stop making these mistakes, you change the way you learn English. You learn faster. Your speaking improves. You enjoy learning English.

Good luck… you can do it!

Checking manuscripts for plagiarism has traditionally been a long, labor-intensive process. But it need not be so any longer, thanks to CrossCheck, a plagiarism-detection tool now available on Manuscript Central, the IEEE’s online manuscript-submission system. Learn more at http://bmsmail3.ieee.org:80/u/15890/1324562

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What Is CrossCheck?

CrossRef and several of its participating member publishers, along with the software firm iParadigms (Turnitin.com), have developed a plagiarism detection service for the publishing industry called CrossCheck. This service will allow publishers to check submitted manuscripts for originality at submission or prior to editorial review or publication.

Essentially, the CrossCheck tool conducts high-speed comparisons of submitted manuscripts against a very large database of published technical papers (as well as over 6.2 billion web pages), with the result that reports will rate all submissions for similarities to previously published works. The publisher can then follow up to isolate and review the high-scoring papers as necessary.

CrossCheck’s significant advantage over all other similar services is that it includes the indexed, full-text content of participating CrossRef members. Plagiarism detection systems are only as effective as the amount and quality of the source content within them. All currently existing plagiarism detection tools are unable to index most scholarly content because those databases are closed to crawlers on the open web, whereas CrossCheck (as a service for member publishers of CrossRef) contains not only iParadigms’ already sizeable content resources but also its members’ invaluable published material. Until now, this content was unavailable because access to it is controlled through subscriptions.

IEEE CrossCheck User’s Guide

IEEE CrossCheck User’s Guide will provide step-by-step instructions for using the CrossCheck detection service. It also will help users to review and interpret CrossCheck similarity reports, and explain what actions to take

IEEE CrossCheck User’s Guide

IEEE CrossCheck User’s Guide (for use with ScholarOne Manuscripts)

CALLFOR PAPERS
2010 Second International Conference on Audio, Language and Image Processing
Shanghai, China / November 23-25, 2010
http://www.icalip2010.cn/

Submission Deadline: March 31, 2010

This conference (the 2nd International Conference on Audio, Language and Image Processing) will provide a unique forum for researchers, engineers and educators interested in audio, language and image processing to learn about recent progresses, to address related challenges and to develop new methods, applications and systems. The conference, to be held on November 23-25, 2010 in Shanghai, the largest city of China , is co-organized by IEEE Shanghai Section, IEEE CIS Shanghai Chapter, IET Shanghai Network, Shanghai University, Tongji University, Tsinghua University and Fudan University. The conference proceedings including all the accepted papers will be published by IEEE (IEEE Catalog Number: CFP1050D-ART and ISBN: 978-1-4244-5858-5) and indexed in both EI and ISTP.Best Paper Awards will be granted to the authors of those outstanding papers determined by the International Program Committee of the conference and also the expanded version of the selected papers will be published in Journal of Applied Sciences.

Papers are solicited for but not limited to the following areas:

* Audio and Music Processing:Compression and Coding, 3D and Surround Sounds, Digital Rights and Watermarking, Music Information Retrieval, Internet Audio, Audio Beam Loudspeaker, Hearing Aids, Echo Cancellation, Binaural Hearing, Crosstalk Cancellation, Voice Processing in Cochlear Implants.
* Language and Speech Processing:Language Acquisition and Reproduction, Human Language Understanding and Learning, Machine Translation, Speech Recognition and Understanding, Speech Enhancement, Spoken Document Retrieval.
* Image Processing:Image Coding, Image Filtering and Enhancement, Image Segmentation and Understanding, Image Representation and Modeling, Feature Extraction and Analysis, Image Storage and Retrieval, Image Authentication and Watermarking, DSP/FPGA Implementations.
* 3DTV:3D Scene Capture and Processing, 3D Scene View Synthesis and Rendering, 3D Video Coding, 3D Video Error Resilience and Concealment, 3D Video Display, 3D Entertainment, 3D Watermarking and other 3D Applications.
* Computer Graphic and Virtual Reality:Computational Geometry, Modeling, Rendering, Visualization, Animation and Simulation, Interactive Environments, Immersive Virtual Reality, Virtual environments, Applications of Virtual Reality.
* Bioinformatics:Biomedical Image Processing & Visualization, Bio-signal Processing and Analysis, Biomedical Engineering, Medical and Biomedical Applications, Health Monitoring Systems, Health Informatics.
* Remote Sensing and GIS: Mobile and Wireless GIS, Geospatial Information Visualization and Service, Multi-dimensional GIS (3D GIS), Indoor and Outdoor Location, Remote Sensing Image Preprocessing, Multisensor and Multisource Data Fusion, GPS Technology, Remote Sensing and GIS Application.
* Multimedia SOC Design:Reconfigurable Processor for Multimedia, Multimedia system-on-a-chip, Multi-core Technology for Multimedia Processing, GPU-based Multimedia Processing, Novel Architecture for Multimedia Computing.

Prospective authors are invited to send full-length manuscripts including figures and references to the conference website “http://www.icalip2010.cn” following the instructions for authors. All papers will be handled and reviewed electronically. Check the conference website for update.

Important Dates:

* Paper submission deadline: March 31, 2010
* Notification of acceptance: June 1, 2010
* Camera-ready copy: July 1, 2010

ICGCS 2010 Extension of Paper Submission Deadline to 1 March 2010
====================================================

2010 International Conference on Green Circuits and Systems
21-23 June, 2010, Shanghai, China
http://www.icgcs.org

Global warming, climate change, and sustainability have profound impacts on our lives. The grand challenge faced by circuits and systems communities is to design green electronic devices and systems that
consume less energy, thus lead to the reduction of global CO2 emission. The annual International Conference on Green Circuits and System (ICGCS) is our response to this grand challenge and aims to address issues in
climate change and limited suppliers. We hope ICGCS will become a major international forum for researchers and engineers to exchange their latest findings in technologies related to green circuits and systems, a
meeting place for scholars, scientists, educators, students, engineers, entrepreneurs, and managers from different disciplinarians to foster collaborations and to solve complex read world problems. The inaugural
conference, ICGCS 2010 (http://www.icgcs.org), will be held in June 2010 in Shanghai, the city hosting World Expo 2010. The participants not only have the opportunities to share their new findings in green circuits and systems but also to witness latest development as showcased in World Expo 2010. The main focus of conference is green techniques for circuits and systems. It covers a wide range of topics including, but not limited to, the followings:

* Green Transistors and Devices
* Low Power Techniques for Analog, Mixed-Signal, Digital Circuits
* Sub-threshold & Self-Powered Circuits and Systems
* Bio-inspired/biomimetic Circuits and Systems
* Analog and Digital Signal Processing Techniques
* Circuits and Systems for Communications
* Visual Signal and Image Processing Techniques and Multimedia Systems
* Optimization Techniques
* Adaptive, Reconfigurable, and Power Aware Circuits and Systems
* Energy Harvesting
* Energy and Power Management
* Green Power Systems and Power Electronic Circuits
* MEMS and Sensors for Energy Management
* Environmental Sensing, Control and Protection
* Circuits and Systems Technologies for Recycling and Pollution Control
* Emerging Technologies for Green Circuits and Systems
* Education in Green Circuits and Systems

Important Dates (New):

Deadline for submission of Papers in Regular Sessions:
Extended to 1 March 2010
Notification of Paper Acceptance: 31 March 2010
Deadline for submission of FINAL Papers: 16 April 2010
Deadline for submission of Special Sessions Proposals: 1 March 2010
Notification of acceptance of Special Sessions Proposals: 8 March 2010
Deadline for submission of papers in Special Sessions: 15 March 2010
Deadline for Author and Early-bird Registration: 16 April 2010

ICGCS is sponsored by the IEEE Circuits and Systems Society and School of Microelectronics of Shanghai Jiao Tong University. For more information, please check the conference website: http://www.icgcs.org.

The IEEE Job Site is hosting a free Virtual Career Fair until 15 March featuring four employers: Argonne National Laboratory, Lockheed Martin, Rockwell Collins, and SRC. Visitors can search for jobs, apply for positions, and chat live with the employers online. Visitors to the virtual fair, cosponsored by IEEE-USA, can also register to attend career webinars that focus on the benefits of working at the sponsoring employers. For more information, visit http://bmsmail3.ieee.org:80/u/15953/1324562

To survive, premature babies require constant monitoring of their vital signs, but it’s a challenge for doctors to analyze the massive amounts of data that result. Making medical decisions fast in such a situation is
especially important in remote areas, where doctors might have to decide whether to transport a baby to a facility with a neonatal intensive care unit. An article in IEEE Women in Engineering Magazine discusses
Member Carolyn McGregor’s work on software that can speed the analysis of large amounts of data. It’s available at http://bmsmail3.ieee.org:80/u/15952/1324562

Improving the electric grid so it will become what’s known collectively as the “smart grid” holds so much promise that the organizers of the 2010 IEEE Transmission and Distribution Conference and Exposition are devoting an entire day to the technology. Read about the conference to be held from 19 to 22 April in New Orleans at http://bmsmail3.ieee.org:80/u/15950/1324562

Thanks to IEEE’s recent agreement to publish more than 5000 archival articles from IBM journals, the IEEE Xplore digital library will soon have a wider selection of technical articles on computer hardware, software, and
information systems. For more information, visit http://bmsmail3.ieee.org:80/u/15947/1324562

German computer engineer Karsten Nohl deciphered the code used to encrypt digital GSM mobile phone calls and then published it online. He says his goal was to expose weaknesses in the 21-year-old GSM algorithm that is supposed to protect the privacy of 80 percent of mobile calls and to spur the mobile phone industry to improve security. The GSM Association, the industry group that developed the algorithm, calls Nohl’s
actions illegal and defends the security of wireless calls. But some security experts warn that extra steps must be taken to protect wireless conversations, just as is done for computer transmissions.

Do you agree with Nohl’s actions? Do you worry that wireless calls are not secure?

Read responses to November’s question, which asked if digital business cards are more useful than traditional paper ones. Some say virtual cards are better because they can hold more information, while others feel that
nothing beats handing out a physical card. Check out what members had to say at http://bmsmail3.ieee.org:80/u/15944/1324562

Do you dread the possibility that “manager” could be added to your job title? Many engineers fear they’re unprepared for the transition from focusing on technical tasks to overseeing other people. To help you
become an effective leader, the IEEE Graduates of the Last Decade group recently sponsored a webinar titled “Geek in the Lead: Growing From Engineer to Manager.” See what you can learn at http://bmsmail3.ieee.org:80/u/15943/1324562