Maybe you are able to help...

First of all: Hello to everyone reading this entry.

Usually I would not ask, but this time I think I need a little help. Let me explain the situation:

One of my classmates always is failing in English tests. I always get best marks in that subject, because the English level we are teached in is low. Therefore I decided to help her learning English.

At first we tried to use learning cards where she should write down the vocabulary, but it did not work.

Then I let her write the whole vocabulary down (again and again) until she knew it by heart. Unfortunately she was not able to use it in whole sentences.

So I explained grammatical applications. Same result: She knows what it´s all about, but she is not able to use what she has learnt if she has to write sentences.

We even recorded learn cassettes to show her examples for right word order and application.

Today we had to write a test and she failed again. As you probably can imagine she had been pretty down after getting her result. And I am totally out of ideas meanwhile…

Do you know a way how to help that girl learning English language?

rise, thanks for your help to your friend. I will suggest to your friend to start to communicate much in the english language and not to fear when naot certain with the right words to use. as time passes by your friend will get familiarise with some of the words she finds difficult to use likewise in the exams.

it'll be difficult at the begining but you have to try hard..

tell her that she is the teacher, so don't wait for help all the time..she can help herself by practicing and choosing a good way to learn..

Thanks to all the people who answered. I am really happy about your endeavours. Now I am going to answer each of your responses separately. At the end you will find the idea to that you have brought me.

shadoww: She also has problems in using German language especially with grammar, but she understands sentences if they are not too difficult. Language for special purposes or with hypotactic syntax would be too difficult for her, even in German language. :) What about clozes? They could be senseful in order to improve the instinctive feel for English.

setoseti: I guess that´s the biggest problem. She never ever uses English language in real life. I could give her one of my English languaged books, because she reads a lot, but she would lay it away if she after reading the first page, because she could translate the unknown words with a dictionary, but anyway would not understand anything. She is to afraid of making too many mistakes while translating. :) Perhaps she should read an exciting book with easier vocabulary, but I don´t know which to recommend. Books with easier vocabulary mostly haven´t got a exciting plot, another reason for laying away.

Mj2008: She does not like English, because she does not understand anything even if she tries. And she practised very hard for the last test, because she needs a better mark in English. Otherwise she won´t measure up the apprenticeship´s requirements. Usually she has no problem in learning at all, but learning just one English word sometimes takes 1 hour. :) We could try finding a funny way for learning…

saudigirl: I set up that entry, because I want to help her finding a good way to learn. :) Perhaps she should be the teacher next time and try to explain how to use English language and give some examples?

Quorax: Yes, I know the three categories of learning. Nevertheless I guess she is more a practical learner who needs to touch things for real in order to understand them. Unfortunately you can´t touch language with your hands and create something with it on this way. If that would be possible there wouldn´t be a problem anymore. :) We can´t touch words, but nevertheless we can create something with them. I could let her write something own with the vocabulary we have to learn… for example a little story. Hereby she could be creative while learning. It probably may arouse her interest.

Bosche moi! (Oh my god!) If she had internet at home I would recommend her using englishbaby in order to learn. Hehe… I´ve learnt a lot while writing this entry. But what would be the best solution? Or… better said… which would be senseful?