How many times have you said, “I’m going to learn English”? Times have changed, and mastering English is increasingly important, whether you want to advance professionally or take a trip for fun.
Not knowing this language can close many doors and limit our lives and dreams.
Some people find it easier to learn English, but what can those of us who find it a little harder do?
Here are a few tips you can put into practice to start learning English in a more fun and natural way. Not everyone has the time or money to invest in an English course, so my tips are very simple and will take only a few minutes a day. Of course, if you have more time, that’s even better.
5 tips for learning English
I won’t take up any more of your time rambling—let’s get straight to it!
Think, feel, imagine and create in English
The best way to learn or improve your English is to make it part of your everyday life. If you decide to take English classes but forget all about it as soon as you leave, your learning is unlikely to be effective. Theory is no use if you never put it into practice.
Little by little, make what you learn part of your life. For example, if you’re learning kitchen vocabulary, look at the objects and name them in English, in your head and out loud. When you’re about to pick up a cup, for instance, think “cup” and make simple sentences such as “My cup is pretty.” You’ll learn vocabulary faster, especially if you use it in phrases and sentences.
Talk to yourself about your day in English: “I am very happy because today I went to the cinema and I saw the movie that I had expected so much.”
Easy English learning apps for your phone
It all depends on your level of English. There’s a big difference between someone who knows nothing, someone who knows the basics and someone who simply needs to practise.
Download an English learning app on your phone. Why on your phone? Because you have it with you all the time, whereas your computer isn’t always at hand. You can practise while waiting for transport, when you’re bored somewhere or before going to bed, without having to turn on your computer. I used the “Duolingo” app and, in my opinion, it’s one of the best: effective, fun and interactive.
Be consistent with your app and use extra learning materials, such as short videos, series you enjoy or find easy to understand, books in English, and so on.
For example, this app offers several ways to practise, from 5 minutes to around 15. It depends on how much time and effort you can put in, but everyone can spare 5 minutes.
Practise with what you enjoy
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If something is fun or interesting to us, we’re more likely to get something valuable out of it. English is no exception.
You probably have a favourite artist who sings in English, and you may listen to their songs without paying attention to the lyrics. Change that and start listening closely. Look up the lyrics online and translate them, listen to the pronunciation and sing along—it’ll be much more fun.
TV series are another great option. You probably have a series you know by heart, so turn off the dubbing and watch it in its original language. Since you already know the episodes, it’s easier to follow along: watching in English with English subtitles helps you work out the meaning of the sentences from context. To start with, watch the episodes with English subtitles, then try watching without them.
This will help you understand conversations faster and faster. Pay more attention to phrases than to individual words.
Find a practice partner
While the tips above will help you learn English, you’ll need to practise. Ask a friend to learn English with you, or if you have a friend who is already fluent, tell them you’d like to practise with them and have simple conversations as you learn.
If you’re shy and don’t feel ready to do that yet, find an online practice partner. There are various websites with forums, chat rooms and even video calls where you can practise with a stranger. You have nothing to worry about—they don’t know you. Go for it!
Be consistent and persistent
Without a doubt, this is the most important thing. There’s no point doing it for a week and then giving up. It’s important to practise every day and stay persistent and committed. Make it a goal, and even set yourself short-term objectives.
For example: this week, I need to learn the vocabulary for the kitchen, bedroom and living room, or I need to know how to form at least 5 questions; or this week, I’ll speak English with someone at least two days a week.
Setting short-term objectives will make it easier to reach your bigger goal: mastering English.
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A few extra tips for learning English
- I once saw a tip on a video site: carry a notebook with you and write each new English word you learn in a sentence, then review and study the sentence. Your brain will understand the words better when you put them into sentences you can use in everyday life, rather than memorising them out of context and in isolation.
- Read in English—online articles, poetry and children’s stories—and gradually move on to more challenging material as you learn.
- Practise for at least 5 minutes a day.
- Don’t be embarrassed. Nothing holds us back more than feeling embarrassed about trying something new. If you feel self-conscious about learning, you’ll hold yourself back from practising in real life when you get the chance to talk to a native speaker or someone else who’s interested. Your friends, family or other people may laugh at you, but that’s something people often do when someone is trying to improve themselves. Think: what are they doing to improve? And give yourself credit for taking the first step.
Put these tips into practice and you’ll see how, before long, you can start learning another language more easily and effectively.
