Speaking English
Speak as often and as much as possible! Language is about communication, so the more you communicate, the better. This is the best way to practice your English! This is a reason why many people choose to learn English abroad. Conversation can really help you improve, but to improve a lot you need to be a conscious learner.
Be ready to try new words and expressions. Do not always take the easy route of using language you are comfortable with, you will only develop your language if you continue to challenge yourself and try new language in conversation.
Also, be aware of the language you are using, how easy it is for your conversation partner to understand what you are saying and how they respond to you.
While you can practice reading, writing, and listening on your own, it's obviously better to speak English with someone. The best way to do this is to be in an English-speaking environment. Learning is, of course, the quickest way to learn but if you are not able to travel why not join a live online class at EC Virtual. You can study at home but still benefit from an international class.
This might sound a little strange and embarrassing at first, but record yourself talking and listen to your own pronunciation, talking speed and the flow of your speaking. It will give you a great chance to see the areas you need to work on. Finally, it's fun to sing in English, so learn some English songs and sing your heart out!
Listening
This really is a skill that needs to be practiced regularly. Like speaking, it's better for you to be in a totally English-speaking environment. Full immersion is the best way for you to improve your level. Again, nothing can beat learning at an English language school abroad. Second is having the opportunity to listen during online lessons; interacting with real people in English from the comfort of your own room.
However, you can also practice at home. You can watch TV shows, movies or listen to podcasts in English. To begin with, don't try to listen for too long, and choose something that is interesting for you, it's good to have something you can listen to over and over again and great if you can also have subtitles. When listening to something more than once; try to catch the general meaning, then, listen a second time for more in-depth information. If there is something you cannot understand, see if you can work it out from context and finally, check subtitles, write it down and try to use it in your next conversation. Listen to how the speaker runs words together, listen for where the stress falls on words and in sentences / language chunks, and listen to the intonation. All these things will help you improve your listening skills and your speaking.
It is important to remember that in a conversation a person is not going to repeat something 10 times for you to understand, so as a long term goal, you should focus on improving your listening. Having said that, when you are in a conversation, and you do not know what the other person is saying, asking them to explain and people are generally happy to do so!
Reading English
Reading English is something you can do to help you learn on your own, outside the classroom. When you come across a new word or phrase, try and guess what it means. If you cannot guess, look it up on your phone and make a note. Do not look at the word alone, look at the surrounding words. For example, 'John is taking a test tomorrow' – it is important not just to understand test, but to also understand that the verb 'take' is used with the noun 'test'. Try to use these new words and phrases in conversation, it's a great way to learn.
Always try and read something that is interesting for you. Online newspapers are great, start with the sections that relate to topics you are interested in, or on topics you have read about in your own language. Once you feel more confident, try articles that are more challenging. If you are a lower level, try reading books or articles which have been especially written for English learners. You won't learn much if you choose a book that is too difficult, it will just demotivate you. But if you want to get faster at reading, choose something easy and try timing yourself. Repeat this a few times with the same article and you will soon see an improvement.
Writing English
Remember, writing, like speaking, is about communication. When you start learning a new language, your ability to communicate meaning is more important than accuracy.
Get used to recording your thoughts in writing, start simple – shopping lists, schedules, text messages and social media posts - the sort of things you would write in your own language. If you don’t like writing stories in your own language, do not try in English.
Once you are comfortable using English for day to day purposes you can increase the challenge, try keeping an English diary or journal. Start by writing a few sentences a day, and then get into the habit of writing more. Try out new words, phrases and language points you have learned.
If you need to take an exam in English or you are planning to study or work in English, then you need to think about longer texts. When planning a text, think of as many ideas as you can without worrying about grammar or spelling. Then think about the structure of your text. After that, write your piece. Writing gives you a good chance to review words you have learned in the past, and allows you the time to think about grammar as you write. When you’ve written something in another language, it can be hard to see your own mistakes, so use the review tools in Word – but remember they are not always right!
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