While learning English brings many challenges, there are several techniques to facilitate learning. Find out how to study consistently and become more fluent in general by practicing both oral and written languages.
Steps
Part 1 of 3: General Tips
Step 1. Set goals
Establish the level you want to reach and small goals to help you get there gradually.
- Taking one small step at a time is easier. Does learning 40 words a month seem impossible to you? Aim to learn 10 a week. It's easier to work towards a small milestone.
- Change your goals as needed. If the current ones seem too stressful and difficult to satisfy, you will only be discouraged and consequently leave the studio. On the other hand, if your current goals don't challenge you enough, you risk getting bored and dropping out of school due to lack of stimulus.
Step 2. Plan your daily study
Practice speaking (listening / speaking) and writing (reading / writing) every day. Plan your day to always study at the same time and make a commitment to do so.
Talk to a teacher, classmate, friend or relative and ask them to check your progress. If you fear the consequences of inconstancy, you will feel more motivated to follow the study plan responsibly
Step 3. Study with other people
Take an English course or find a small group of students to practice with. Sharing the study helps to learn from other people and at the same time teach them something.
- Taking a structured English course is effective as it is organized by a teacher. Trust him. Don't be afraid to make mistakes or ask questions - it's part of their job to correct you and answer your doubts.
- When taking a class, try to prefer small groups to large ones, so that you feel more comfortable and less embarrassed.
Step 4. Believe in yourself
Don't be afraid to make mistakes while learning. If you stop exercising because you find your current level low and feel insecure, you won't be able to improve.
When you feel unsure, consider the progress you have already made. Realizing that you have already reaped a lot of fruit, you may feel encouraged to continue and improve
Step 5. Reward yourself
Learning English can be a reward in itself, but if you have a hard time motivating yourself, look for other ways to reward yourself as you reach short-term learning goals.
The award can be related to the study, even if it is not necessary. For example, after reaching an important goal, you could reward yourself by going to an international festival or other event that attracts English-speaking people. After reaching a small goal, you may want to reward yourself by buying your favorite dessert or by going to eat at your favorite restaurant
Step 6. Gradually improve your grammar
At the beginning of the path you have to learn the basics of grammar to express yourself and understand the meaning of the words. Once you have mastered speaking and maintaining a conversation, commit to studying the more advanced rules.
Don't initially worry about memorizing grammar rules and using each of them in every conversation or text you write. If you try to apply every single grammar rule, your English risks sounding stiff and unnatural. Thinking about grammar as you try to communicate will also prevent you from instantly conveying your thoughts
Step 7. Keep practicing
Be patient. Learning English with ease doesn't mean learning it at lightning speed. Take your time to understand the language instead of trying to speed up the learning process.
- Practice consistently. If you don't study or review your lessons regularly, you risk forgetting the information you have learned. Regular exercise is the only way to fix the notions in long-term memory.
- Don't be put off by the length of the process. Unable to speak or write fluently in English after a few months of study. You will likely have to study for at least a year or two before you can hold conversations, perhaps longer to speak it fluently and naturally.
Part 2 of 3: Listening and Dialogue Skills
Step 1. Listen to music in English
Look for songs you like and keep listening until you understand their meaning.
If you don't know where to find English music, look for a radio station that plays online. Check out YouTube and other similar sites for videos. Find out who are the most famous musicians in your favorite genre (pop, rock, etc.) and search for some songs
Step 2. Watch videos, TV shows and films in English
Observe the actions of the characters to understand the context of the dialogues. You can also turn on Italian subtitles to help you follow the speech, but turn them off if they prevent you from concentrating on listening to English.
- Listen to podcasts in English, especially those designed for foreign students or whose second language is English.
- Watch popular English-language videos on YouTube and other similar sites.
- Visit sites that legally publish free episodes of English TV shows and watch a few. Try to understand who the characters and the content of the program are.
Step 3. Talk to yourself
Practice when you are alone. Try recording yourself speaking in English and listen to yourself again.
- You can also practice singing in English or reading short paragraphs in the language aloud.
- Speaking English more often can help you improve your pronunciation. Registering allows you to listen to yourself again and compare your progress.
- Choose a text that you have read and recorded, then speak to someone who speaks good English and ask if you can record it as they read it. Listen to his audio, listen to yours again and compare the pronunciation.
Step 4. Listen to native speakers
Go to the places where they congregate. Listen to them and try to understand the conversations.
- Visiting an English-speaking country will give you more opportunities to hear conversations in English. But if that's not possible, try going to a place in your area where expats or English-speaking tourists congregate.
- Be polite. Do not stare or make people you listen to uncomfortable, also try not to try to grasp every single detail. Make an effort to identify the general topic of each conversation and choose several unfamiliar words to search for later.
Step 5. Talk to native speakers
Find an excuse to chat with English-speaking people or people who are still learning the language.
- Look for new opportunities to speak English. For example, if you meet a lost English-speaking tourist, try giving them directions in English.
- If possible, look for friends who speak English and don't use Italian among you. You will be forced to use English every time you approach them.
- Make friends with other students. They will support and encourage each other during the learning process.
Part 3 of 3: Reading and Writing Skills
Step 1. Read stories in English
Choose short stories and books based on your interests and current level of knowledge.
- At first try to read children's books or specific materials for beginners. The English of these texts is simpler and fairly easy to understand.
- Choose materials that interest you. If you enjoy the experience, it will be easier to learn.
- Read a text, try to summarize the events in your own words. Identify the characters, what happened and why, where the story took place and when.
Step 2. Write and read in English online
Visit and browse websites in languages without translating them into Italian. Also join forums and other communities on the internet that allow you to interact with people.
- Look for friends who speak English on social networks (Facebook, Twitter, Tumblr, etc.). Visit their profiles every day and try to interact based on their content.
- Join online forums and communities. Choose topics that interest you and read some conversations for two or three weeks. At that point you can begin to intervene in discussions or propose new ones.
Step 3. Search for English words everywhere, such as advertisements, newspapers, and other written materials
Try to understand the meaning of each text and consult a dictionary to learn words you don't recognize.
If you see an image next to the text, use it to help you identify the context of the words. Also look for terms in Italian to help you understand the context
Step 4. Translate into English
Search for a short text in Italian and translate it into English. Try to do this by avoiding as much as possible using the dictionary: take it only once you have translated almost all the text to look up some words.
Show the translation to a person who is fluent in English and ask them to correct it. If the translation is accurate, you should be able to summarize it accurately in Italian. If the original sense has been lost, try to understand where you made mistakes and improve
Step 5. Start writing a daily journal to record thoughts and events from your daily life
Write as much as possible without looking up the words in the dictionary, use it only when you do not know the correct word to express a certain idea.
- Start by writing one sentence a day to talk about how you feel, what you've done, or the climate.
- As you master the language you will be able to start writing longer and more elaborate texts.
