Here are some top tips from my experience teaching English in person and online to students from different countries.
Be realistic
If you decide to learn English, it’s easy to imagine that you’ll end up studying for hours each week. However, for most people, this is not sustainable as other life commitments such as work and family take over.
I think the best approach is to do it little by little and often. Even just 5 or 10 minutes a day will have an effect, and he’s more likely to stick with it than something unrealistic like 10 hours a week.
Of course, there are some people who can continue studying for long periods of time, but in my experience they are in the minority. Less is more when it comes to new vocabulary 📒
English learners tend to create vocabulary lists and note down new words and terms they see and hear. The list keeps getting longer, but the more words you have in your notes and files, the harder it is to remember them.
Instead of trying to memorize a lot of words and not remembering any of them, it is better to reduce the number of words you are likely to memorize at a time and focus on them.
A good way to retain new vocabulary is to actively use it. You can also try writing example sentences or writing short essays using the new words. If you have to write an email for work, try inserting new terms or text messages. Or, the next time you have a chance to speak in English, consider incorporating new vocabulary into your conversations.
You don’t need to understand 100% of everything you read or hear
This brings me to my final point. Imagine trying to read a book in English. But I want to understand everything completely, so I look up the meaning of every new word on every page of the book. This can add up to 10 new words per page, or 3,000 new words across a 300-page book.
Not only is it unlikely that you will be able to remember many of those 3,000 new words, but it also means that it will take you a very long time to read the book because you will have to look up the meaning of each new word. Reading books is not fun, so you get bored and give up.
Instead of trying to understand everything word for word, focus on the main ideas and don’t get lost in the details. In general, the more you learn English and improve, the more you will gradually understand it.
Avoid large learning gaps
We often hear from new students that they have been learning English for a while but are dissatisfied with their level or are having trouble making progress, but often it takes months or even months of learning. There are often large gaps of several years.
Unfortunately, if you take a big gap, you won’t be able to start from the same spot as before. Learning a language involves not only improving but also maintaining your current knowledge and skills. As the saying goes, “If you don’t use it, you lose it.”
Let’s not compare ourselves to others
I can’t count the number of times students have told me that they are embarrassed to speak English in front of others because their colleagues, friends, partners, etc. speak much better English than they do. Everyone is different, with different strengths and weaknesses, and different life experiences. Maybe your colleague has had the opportunity to live in an English-speaking country. Your friend may have attended an international school where all classes were taught in English.
Focus on your own goals, be positive about what you have accomplished so far, and look to the future and further improvements.
Don’t be afraid of having an accent when speaking English
Everyone has an accent, even native speakers. Your accent is part of you and your identity. The only problem is if the pronunciation is incorrect. Nowadays, there are more people who speak non-native English than native speakers, so there are many different accents.
It might be helpful to review the basics
As learners reach higher levels, they already know the basics and want to focus on learning more complex information in an easy-to-understand manner. However, most intermediate to advanced students make basic mistakes, such as not pronouncing third-person endings or forgetting to use auxiliary verbs (do, does, etc.) in interrogative sentences.
Adult English learners often learned the basics in school so long ago that they often forget some of the content they learned.
Learning a language usually requires a long journey
We often hear from English learners that they want to be fluent in English within a few weeks or months, or that they want to speak perfect English right away. Unfortunately, I don’t think there is a quick solution. Think of a world-class athlete or concert pianist. Her success didn’t happen overnight. It took years of training, practice, and dedication without giving up. Sure, some people are able to pick up a language very easily and quickly, but that doesn’t seem to be the case in general.
There is always more to learn
No one knows English 100% perfectly, even if they are a native speaker. You may come across new words that you have never seen or heard before, and native speakers may also make spelling mistakes.
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