A Study Plan to Help You Improve Your English and Learn about Life in the United States The California Distance Learning Project (CDLP) is a very good web site to use to improve your English and learn about life in the U.S. It has more than 300 stories about working, law and government, family, school, health and safety, housing, money, science and technology, services, going places, and nature. The most important thing you can do to improve your English is to read and listen to as much easy-to-understand English as possible. When you do, you will acquire (absorb, or pick up) more vocabulary, ideas about grammar, ideas about writing, etc. This plan will show you how to use the CDLP web site to improve your English. If you follow the instructions, I am sure that your English will improve and you will discover a lot of interesting information about life in the U.S. What You Will Find on the CDLP Web Site The CDLP web site has more than 300 stories on many different topics (subjects). Each story has two or three versions (a copy of something that has been changed so it is different) and an Activities page. Here are the different versions: Basic Story - a story to read and listen to with easy vocabulary and short sentences. The difficulty is similar to the ESL Podcast and VOA Special English. Full Story - a story to read and listen to; written for native-English speakers (people who learned American English when they were children). Video - a video story from an American television station [some stories]. [Look at a picture of a Basic Story page.]

A Study Plan to Help You Improve Your English and
Learn about Life in the United States
The California Distance Learning Project (CDLP) is a very good web site to use to improve your English and learn about life in the U.S. It has more than 300 stories about working, law and government, family, school, health and safety, housing, money, science and technology, services, going places, and nature.
The most important thing you can do to improve your English is to read and listen to as much easy-to-understand English as possible. When you do, you will acquire (absorb, or pick up) more vocabulary, ideas about grammar, ideas about writing, etc.
This plan will show you how to use the CDLP web site to improve your English. If you follow the instructions, I am sure that your English will improve and you will discover a lot of interesting information about life in the U.S.
What You Will Find on the CDLP Web Site
The CDLP web site has more than 300 stories on many different topics (subjects). Each story has two or three versions (a copy of something that has been changed so it is different) and an Activities page. Here are the different versions:
•Basic Story - a story to read and listen to with easy vocabulary and short sentences. The difficulty is similar to the ESL Podcast and VOA Special English.
•Full Story - a story to read and listen to; written for native-English speakers (people who learned American English when they were children).
•Video - a video story from an American television station [some stories].
[Look at a picture of a Basic Story page.]

6. After you finish the Basic Story, go to the Activities page.
[Look at a picture of an Activities page.]
7.Click on Pick an Answer. Answer the questions about the story. If you get most or all of the answers correct, you know that you understood the story. Congratulations!
8.Continue to read Basic Stories until you become very comfortable with them and you can always answer most of the questions.
•Move to Full Stories
9.When you are comfortable with the Basic Stories and you can answer most of the Pick an Answer questions, begin to read and listen to the Full Stories.
10.After you finish a Full Story, go to the Activities page and answer the What Did You Learn questions. If you get most of the answers correct, you understood the story. Congratulations!
11.Continue to read and listen to Full Stories. I hope you enjoy them!
•Write me
Did you try this lesson plan? If you did, I would like to hear from you. Please send your questions or comments to warren@successfulenglish.com. Thank you!

Here are the instructions from the video:
1.Go to the Activities page.
2.Click on Learn More at Other Web Sites.
3.Copy the address of one of the web sites on the Learn More at Other Web Sites page. Right-click on the name of the web site and choose Copy Link (Mac) or Copy Shortcut (Windows).
4.Go to www.babelfish.altavista.com and paste the address you copied into the Translate a Web page space (Before you do, delete http:// from the space.).
5.Choose the languages you want : English to Your Language.
6.Click on the Translate button.
[Look at a picture of the AltaVista translation page.]
7.In a short time, the web page will appear in your language. Read the article on the web page. When your finish, return to the Basic Story. It should be easier for you to understand after you read about the same subject, or topic, in your language.

How to Use the CDLP Web Site
Remember, your goal is to read and listen to as much easy-understand English as possible. Here is a good way to do that.
•Begin with Basic Stories
1.Begin on the home page (The top of the home page looks like the top of this page.). Choose a topic, or subject, that you are interested in, like family, money, or science and technology. Click the button for that topic.
2.Choose a story that looks interesting to you and click on the title (name) of the story.
3.The first story page is the Basic Story. If you know most of the words (90-95%), read it and listen to it. If you have a little trouble understanding it, read and listen to it two or three times. Each time it will be easier to understand, and you will acquire (absorb or pick up) more English.
4.If the Basic Story is too easy for you, go to Move to Full Stories (below).
5.If you try to read the Basic Story two or three times, and it is still too difficult for you to read, watch this video:

Video: Use Your Language to Understand a Basic Story