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Tips For Learning English

Want to learn.

First of all, you must want to learn. If you are not interested in learning English, no class will help you, no book will help you, and no hints will make it easier. If you are not interested, you will find reasons to avoid studying, and whenever you do study, it will be very difficult. So you have to be honest with yourself. Ask yourself, "Do I really want to learn English?" If you can't answer "yes" to this question, it is better for you to set English aside until you're ready and willing to learn.

Identify your motivation.

Next, you need to identify your motivation. Ask yourself, "Why do I want to learn English? Why do I want to improve my English?" Some people want to learn English to get a better job, or to be considered for a promotion. Other people may need to learn English to attend university or school. Still other people may want to learn English so they can enjoy life in America more, by being able to understand movies and TV, and make friends with their American neighbors. Each person is different, so their motivations will be different also. If you have identified your motivation, it will be easier for you to learn English, because it will help to encourage you as you learn English.

Set goals.

Once you have identified your motivation, you can set some goals for learning English. Having goals will help you to remember what areas you want to work on, and it will help you to see your progress.

Ask yourself, "What are my goals? What areas would I like to improve?" Pronunciation? Listening comprehension? Would you like to increase your vocabulary? Do you want to know what to say when you go to the bank, the doctor, shopping? Think about what your goals are, and review once in a while to see that you are making progress toward your goals.

Practice, practice, practice.

After you have set your goals, you have a better idea of what you need to practice. Just like the athlete whose goal is the Olympics must train daily, you as a language learner must practice language every day to make progress toward your goal. We say, "Practice makes perfect." This means the more you practice something, the better you become at it, and the fewer mistakes you will make.

Specific ways to practice:

Speak to Americans as much as possible.
Write, write, write – letters, email, notes, etc.
Make phone calls to practice your English

Expose yourself to English as much as possible.

The more you expose yourself to English, the more you get used to it and the more familiar it becomes to you. You will start to recognize what sounds right and what sounds wrong. You will also start to understand why certain words or phrases are used instead of others, and you will start to use them in your own conversations and writing. English will start to become a habit, and little by little you will find it easier to use English.

Specific ways to increase exposure to English:

Watch TV and movies.
Listen to the radio.
Read as much as possible.

Enlarge your vocabulary.

Having a large vocabulary is basic to learning any language, and it is especially true in English. Reading is a very good way to learn new words. So is doing puzzles or playing different kinds of word games.

Have fun.

Having fun increases your ability to remember, so the more you enjoy yourself as you learn English, the easier it will be to remember. Play games and puzzles. Even simple ones, like ones written for children, provide good experience and practice for English. Comic books and newspaper comic strips are also a good way to have fun, and the pictures make it easier to understand than stories.

Cultivate friendships with Americans.

If you make friends with some Americans, you will find that they can be a very valuable help in your learning English. Having American friends means that you will find yourself in situations where you have no choice but to speak English. Yet since they are your friends, you will be doing things you enjoy together with them. So these situations will probably have little or no stress. Friendships with Americans also means that you'll have someone whom you can ask questions regarding language, culture, the suburbs, and so on.

Make regular study a habit.

Regular study is a key to success in learning a language. It is easier to study a little each day instead of trying to study several hours only one day a week. Also, studying a little each day makes it easier to review what you've learned and remember new things.

Finally, it is important to recognize that you will improve as you study English. Sometimes when you set your goals, they seem very difficult. Progress comes little by little, so it's hard to see if you have grown in your language skills. Think about where you are at today, and where you were last week or last month. Maybe it doesn't seem like you have come very far. But if you stop and think about where you were six months ago, or even a year ago, then you see that you have made progress. You have improved your English, and that is a reason to celebrate your accomplishment. It gives you hope that as you continue to study and work hard at improving your English, you will reach your goal sooner or later!

How To Learn English!

Here are some tips which may help you to master the English Language!

- Speak without Fear -

The biggest problem most people face in learning a new language is their own fear. They worry that they won’t say things correctly or that they will look stupid so they don’t talk at all. Don’t do this. The fastest way to learn anything is to do it – again and again until you get it right. Like anything, learning English requires practice. Don’t let a little fear stop you from getting what you want.

- Use all of your Resources -

Just because you study English at school doesn’t mean you can’t learn outside of class. Using as many different sources, methods and tools as possible, will allow you to learn faster. There are so many different ways you can improve your English don’t limit yourself to only one or two. Explore your opportunities.

- Surround Yourself with English -

The absolute best way to learn English is to surround yourself with it. Take notes in English, put English books around your room, watch English news, movies and television. Speak English with your friends whenever you can. The more English material that you have around you, the faster you will learn and the more likely you will be to begin “thinking in English.” .

- Listen to Native Speakers as Much as Possible -

There are some good English teachers that have had to learn English as a second language before they could teach it. However, there are several reasons why many of the best schools hire only native English speakers. One of the reasons is that native speakers have a natural flow to their speech that students of English should try to imitate. The closer ESL students can get to this rhythm or flow, the more convincing and comfortable they will become.

- Watch English Films and Television -

This is not only a fun way to learn but it is also very effective. By watching English films (especially those with subtitles) you can expand your vocabulary and hear the flow of speech from the actors. If you listen to the news you can also hear different accents.

- Listen to English Music -

Music can be a very effective method of learning English. In fact, it is often used as a way of improving comprehension. The best way to learn though, is to get the lyrics (words) to the songs you are listening to and try to read them as the artist sings. Their are several good internet sites where one can find the words for most songs. This way you can practice your listening and reading at the same time. And if you like to sing, go for it.

- Do Your Homework! -

Yes, often homework is boring and yes, English grammar is not fun. However, if you have followed Tip #1 and you are speaking as much as you can, you are probably making some mistakes. Only by proper studying and doing your exercises, can you fix these errors.

- Take Tests -

Tests are not fun. They make people nervous and they take a lot of time to prepare for. However, by taking tests you accomplish two things. First, you force yourself to study and prepare. Second, you give yourself a benchmark to compare your future tests with. Often, it is by comparing your score on a test you took yesterday with one you took six months ago that you realize just how much you have learned. If you never test yourself, you will never know how much you are progressing.

- Record Yourself -

Nobody likes to hear their own voice on tape but like tests, it is good to compare your tapes from time to time. You may be so impressed with the progress you are making that you may not mind the sound of your voice as much.

- Listen to English -

By this, I mean, speak on the phone or listen to audiobooks or CDs in English. This is different than watching the television or films because you can’t see the person that is speaking to you. Many new English speakers say that speaking on the phone is the most difficult thing that they do and the only way to improve is to practice.

- Have Fun! -

Smile, laugh, have fun while you are learning. I can’t explain why but by having fun with something, you immediately understand it better and learn faster. Try it. You’ll be surprised.