In recent years, English has become the lingua franca of the world and it is now practically mandatory to know how to speak it. Start practicing today!
Steps
Method 1 of 4: Where to start
Step 1. Surely you already know a few words and expressions
In fact, Italian has borrowed many words from the English language and certain phrases are in the public domain. Who hasn't heard Hello, Hi, How are you? or the numbers? You probably know a lot more English than you think.
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Learn what you know. Start with the sentences you know to go back to grammar. For example, from How are you? you can take the verb, to be, and learn to conjugate it and form other questions that begin with how.
Examples: How is she? ("How are you?"), How is your father? ("How is your father?"), How are your children? (“How are your children?”), How is the weather? ("What's the weather like?")
- Start memorizing verbs. The fundamental ones are be ("to be"), have ("to have"), do / make ("to do"), say ("to say"), go ("to go"), get / take ("to take") and see ("to see"). With these verbs you will be able to entertain conversations of everyday life.
- English, like Italian, is a language based on the subject-verb-object order (SVO). Subject pronouns are I, you, he / she / it, we, you, they. The complement pronouns are me, you, him / her / it, us, you, them. Learn to construct a few sentences following the SVO order, such as I know her, She makes it, and He takes us.
Step 2. Try to talk and take advantage of every opportunity for conversation
- Start by asking questions with who (“who”), what (“what”), when (“when”), where (“where”), why (“why”) and how (“how”).
- With these basics at your disposal, you can ask questions like What is your name? (“What's your name?”), What do you do? (“What are you doing?”), When is your birthday? (“When is your birthday?”), Where is she? (“Where is she?”), Why do you have it? ("Why do you have it?") And How do you know? ("How do you know?").
Method 2 of 4: Grammar familiarity
Step 1. Learn to combine Present Simple and Present Continuous:
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The Present Simple, which corresponds to our Present Indicative, is used for facts and habits and you need to describe something true or something that happens often.
I go to work every day (“I go to work every day”), She eats breakfast at 7 (“She has breakfast at 7”), China is a big country (“China is a big country”)
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The Present Continuous is formed by joining the Present Simple of to be (“to be”) to the gerund (ending in -ing) and is used to indicate something that is happening at this moment.
You are reading ("You are reading"), I am typing ("I am typing"), He is watching TV ("He is watching TV")
Step 2. Next, learn how to conjugate past and future verbs:
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The Past Simple, corresponding to our Remote Past, indicates an event concluded and happened in the past at a specific time. In most cases, it is formed by adding the ending -ed to the verb stem, while exceptions must be memorized.
I saw that movie last year, She died on a plane, We went to the bank yesterday
- The future can be formed in different ways. Long story short, you can add will to the verb (example: I will go, "I will go") to indicate something you are deciding to do in the future right now. To indicate a scheduled event, you can, instead, use going to (example: I am going to study; it means "I will study", but indicates a planned action, you are not deciding on the moment you will study) or Present Continuous (differs from present based on context and adverbs; examples: They are making a cake tomorrow, "They will make a cake tomorrow", You are leaving in May, "Tu te andrai a maggio", I am going at 6 pm, "I will go at 6 in the afternoon ").
Step 3. Unlike Italian, adjectives must be placed before nouns, always
There are eight basic types of adjectives: opinion, measure, age, shape, color, origin, raw material and purpose. If you have to use more than one, the order will be like this: So, it's a huge, round, metal bowl ("So, it's a big, round metal bowl") or Small, red sleeping bag ("So, it's a big, round metal bowl") or Small, red sleeping bag it's red")
Method 3 of 4: Keep Progress
Step 1. Label all items in your home
Attach some post-its in English so you will learn the vocabulary right away.
- In your mind, call the objects in English.
- Do not write directly on objects: attach a post-it note.
Step 2. Don't neglect pronunciation
When memorizing words, you will also need to memorize how they are pronounced. Unfortunately, there are many exceptions in English. Here are some general rules for not making mistakes:
- First, try to pronounce clearly.
- Think of the phrase I project the project will end soon. The first project, which is the verb, should be pronounced pro-JECT, while the second project, which is a noun, should be pronounced PRO-ject. This rule applies to all verb-noun pairs: as for the verb, the accent goes on the second syllable, as for the noun, the accent goes on the first syllable.
- Although there are many exceptions, most English nouns have the first stressed syllable. Think about the rooms and objects in the house: BED-room, BATH-room, KITCH-en, TA-ble, WIN-dow, SO-fa, WA-ter, JACK-et, TOI-let, etc.
- To speak and understand better, you will have to practice a lot of listening, only in this way you will be able to acquire good pronunciation.
Step 3. There are a number of differences between British, American, or Australian English
Choose the one you prefer or, if you have to move abroad, opt for what you will hear and talk about.
- You will find differences in idioms, vocabulary and pronunciation (in this case, you need to know that there can be multiple correct pronunciations).
- Choose the dictionary for the variant you will study.
Method 4 of 4: Use Your Resources
Step 1. Get a good dictionary
At first, buy a bilingual one. When you have reached a good level, use monolingual more.
You can also get a simple pocket dictionary at first
Step 2. Speak English with the natives
Obviously you need to practice with your fellow students, but chatting with a native is incomparable.
- Hire a tutor or private teacher. Make sure it's native and has the accent you want to acquire. Choose one who has teaching experience.
- He doesn't have to live in your city - you can also hire him online and talk to him on Skype.
- Another possibility is to have a language exchange with an English native speaker eager to learn Italian.
Step 3. On the internet you will find countless resources
In addition to vocabularies and sites dedicated to grammar and tests, you will be able to find pen pals, read everything in English, use your favorite web pages in English, etc.
- You can find several grammar resources at https://simple.wikipedia.org, at https://learnenglish.britishcouncil.org/en/ and at https://www.englishclub.com/learn-english.htm, but these are just a few examples.
- On YouTube you will not only find videos of cats and Rihanna, but also resources for learning the language. Furthermore, you can follow the channels dedicated to your interest in the language.
Step 4. Watch TV, listen to music and read books in English
When you want to see a movie or show, choose the original version. You do not understand anything? Use subtitles (in English if you are already at a good level). This way, you will really put grammar into practice..
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If you don't know anything about English, start with children's books and TV shows: the language is simpler and is spoken more slowly.
- You can also record the programs of your interest and then review them at your own pace.
- Listen to English music, especially ballads - your vocabulary will naturally expand.
Step 5. Think in English, perhaps aloud
Talk to the people around you and also write your diary in the language.
Advice
- Practice daily. If you are constant, half an hour a day will be enough.
- Don't always use vocabulary, try to get the general sense of what you read and hear and use it only if absolutely necessary.
- Learning English takes practice and determination. It will take some time, but consistency will make you achieve excellent results.
- If possible, go to study or work in an English-speaking country. In a month you will make tremendous progress. Pack your bags and go on an adventure. For example, there are many Italians who move to London during the summer months to work and deepen their language skills.