6 Basic Tips to Learn English
As one of the foremost languages in the world, English is fairly easy to learn and can be quite fun as well. There are plenty of resources available online and offline for anyone who wants to learn English effectively.
However, there are always ways to make the process easier for yourself so here are a few tips that you can use to learn English a little bit faster.
1. Read – a Lot
There really is no substitute for this one. Reading material is everywhere, from the instructions on the Maggi packet to your Facebook feed to blogs to books and so on. Inhale everything you can – even T-shirt quotes.
If you want, you can start with simple stuff such as children’s books and comics to help you get words in context and make the reading a whole lot of fun. Read your friends’ Facebook and Twitter feeds. Follow the links they post. Read whatever you can get your hands on or lay your eyes on. With the internet everywhere this part is the easiest – which is good considering that it is the most essential.
2. Improve Your Vocabulary
This particular tip is one we have been taught right from first grade if not kindergarten. All our English teachers said the same thing – learn new words. They’re not wrong. Learning more words and improving your vocabulary is the best way to expand and consolidate your command over the English language. Get an e-reader if you can, and you can look up the word you’re stuck on instantly. If you hear a new word or read it somewhere, make a note of it, look it up and then try to use it at the first opportunity.
3. Partner Up
The whole point of any language is to be able to communicate – so do it. Get hold of someone who is also studying the language and become study partners.
Exchange tips, practice your speaking skills and your listening skills and help each other with different topics. Also, try to find teachers who are native speakers and who are willing to help you out and speak to them. Their feedback can be invaluable in improving your communication skills.
4. Listen
Once, this would have meant classics such as Mind Your Language. While that series is still a great (and funny) option, you have a whole world of opportunities to listen.
Open up YouTube and browse through different videos. Listen to TED Talks or Podcasts. Watch movies and the latest series. Take every opportunity you can to listen as much as you can. The aforementioned native speakers can help you out here too.
5. Travel
They say the best way to learn a new language is to immerse yourself in it. What better way to broaden your horizons and learn the language at the same time? Go to cities or countries where English is the lingua franca. There are plenty to choose from. You can look at Australia, Canada, New Zealand, Britain, the United States and plenty of others.
6. Be as Curious as a Cat
It won’t kill you. Chances are that the more familiar you become with the language, the more questions you will have. Don’t keep them to yourself. One of the best ways to learn English is to ask as many questions as possible. If you have joined an institute or a course, ask your trainers. Otherwise, there are plenty of forums online that are more than willing and able to help you out.
It can be intimidating, sometimes, to come out and acknowledge the fact that your English skills need improvement. Don’t give up, though. These days there are a plethora of resources available to you, so make full use of them. Most of all, don’t lose heart. Track your improvement and you’ll see the difference between where you were a few months ago and where you are now.
Image Courtesy: learnenglish.britishcouncil.org
Sid
Sid writes educational content periodically for Wizert and backs it up with extensive research and relevant examples. He's an avid reader and a tech enthusiast at the same time with a little bit of “Arsenal Football Club” thrown in as well. He's got more than 5 years of experience in technical content framing, digital marketing, SEO and graphic designing.
