There are really many ways to learn English, and understanding their effectiveness can be difficult. Unfortunately, there is no “magic pill” that is ideal for everyone, because everyone is different. Here are tips on how to find the way to learn English that works best for you.
Warm-up before classes
Just as you need to warm up before playing sports, you also need to warm up before learning a language. Here are some simple exercises:
Stage I: Brush up on your vocabulary
Brush up on your vocabulary by thinking about or briefly describing the topic you are going to study. For example, if this is , think about your last vacation - what you did, what you remember, etc. This simple exercise will help revive your memory of words that you may encounter when working on this topic.
Stage II: Brush up on your grammar
Brush up on your grammar by remembering general outline the desired grammatical area. For example, if you are, try to describe in English what you did last weekend, where you went, etc.. As with vocabulary, this warm-up is necessary to prepare for further study of English grammar.
Stage III: Sing a song
Sing before your English lesson English song. It should be a song that you know and understand well (you will find English-language songs with translations).
This short and easy exercise will help you tune into English language and relax at the same time. Singing also activates the creative activity of the brain, which will help you choose words more creatively when conducting a dialogue or when composing an impromptu story on a given topic.
Step IV: Type a short paragraph in English
If you work on a computer, type a paragraph as a kind of self-tuning plain text in English. You can describe your day, your activities, your friends—anything. This helps activate the kinesthetic activity of the brain, responsible for remembering through physical actions. It's also helpful to type out the rules while learning grammar. Movement will help you consolidate your knowledge.
Stage V: A Thousand Words
There is a saying in English: “A picture is worth a thousand words” (“A picture is worth a thousand words” or “It’s better to see once than to hear a hundred times”). By describing a photograph or drawing, you engage the areas of the brain responsible for creativity. While you're at it, you can brush up on your vocabulary by choosing a picture that's relevant to the topic you'll be studying.
Practice English every day
It is important to practice English every day. However, don't overwork yourself. It's better to exercise for 30 minutes every day than two hours once a week. Short, regular sessions are much more effective than long hours of studying with long breaks. Getting into the habit of studying every day will help keep your language skills active.
Learn English with friends
There is nothing better than learning English in good company. You can do exercises together, conduct dialogues (in English!) and help each other with what is more difficult. If among your friends you do not find like-minded people,...
Learn English in different ways
Don't limit yourself to just one way to learn a language. Use different techniques that use different areas of the brain. For example, when you memorize new words, you can draw a mnemonic map, describe the picture, and type the word you are learning several times. Together, all these methods will help strengthen your knowledge.
Choose topics that interest you
One of the most important parts is to learn English using topics that interest you. This will increase your motivation because while learning English, you will also learn something new about something you like.
By the end of the twentieth century, English had finally secured the status of a language of global importance. In most schools in the world, its study has become compulsory, and teaching methodology has begun to develop by leaps and bounds. Not everyone could afford to attend courses, which provoked the emergence of the first technique self-study in English. Subsequently, many authors have attempted to create a program for effectively learning English on their own, but we will focus on the 8 most popular ones.
Schechter method
In this method of learning English, the basis is not the classical model “from theory to practice”, but the reverse, more natural system perception. It is extremely similar to how we learn native language. The author gives an example of how small children learn to speak - after all, no one explains to them the rules for constructing sentences, cases and parts of speech. In the same way, Igor Yurievich Shekhter suggests learning English.
The essence of modern methods of learning English is that from the first lesson, students are given a certain task, for example, to learn about the profession of their interlocutor. Next, all students act out so-called “studies”, where they try on various roles and try to solve the problem. Due to the fact that communication occurs between people with approximately the same level of language proficiency, the fear of using foreign speech, which occurs when communicating between a teacher and a student, disappears.
This English language technique consists of three stages: at the first, lexical units, words and expressions are given, and only then, at the second and third, the use of grammatical-syntactic structures is corrected. The system has repeatedly confirmed its effectiveness in this moment is one of the most successful from the point of view of educational psychologists.
Pimsleur method
Dr. Paul Pimsler developed a special system of thirty-minute lessons, designed not only for the perception of information, but also for its reproduction. Each lesson is narrated by two people: our compatriot and a native English speaker. Thanks to this, as well as a special memorization technology, any student learns up to a hundred English words and expressions. The essence of the lesson is to sequentially complete tasks that are spoken by speakers.
The undoubted advantages of the technique include its portability - you can perform audio tasks anywhere: standing in a traffic jam, heading to work, on the subway on the way to a date, or lying in bed before going to bed. The downside will be the lack of high-quality pronunciation testing and knowledge acquisition.
Dragunkin method
A feature of Alexander Nikolaevich Dragunkin’s system is its focus on the native Russian language when studying any foreign language. Very boldly calling English simple, the author claims that its roots go back to the Old Russian language, especially the system of grammatical tenses. Students of Dragunkin's course learn new words transcribed in Russian letters, and grammatical structures are divided not into 12 tenses, known to us from school, but into past, present, future and their variations.
Alexander Nikolaevich has his own network of schools where you can take three types of courses: basic, short and conversational. For self-study the book " Small jump into English”, which outlines the linguist’s innovative approach to language learning. Using his system, you can easily understand the use English verbs, remember the rules for using articles and easy to master basic principles constructing sentences. However, Dragunkin’s method has many negative reviews criticizing the pronunciation and the insufficient amount of theoretical knowledge.
Petrov's method
Dmitry Petrov claims that you can learn English in 16 hours. True, the author further clarifies that we are not talking about mastery of the language at the level of a native resident of Great Britain, but about basic knowledge. His lessons are enough to survive in an English-speaking environment, explain your needs and understand the answer.
English language methodology " Polyglot» Petrova has proven its effectiveness in live TV channel "Culture" (since 2010 - "Russia K"). The basis of the technique is artificial immersion in the language environment. From the first lesson, show participants are required to speak a foreign language. To do this, the author provides the necessary lexical minimum on a given topic, as well as models of speech structures. Most of the lesson is devoted to repeated repetition of given structures, their “honing” and, thus, lasting memorization occurs.
Frank method
Ilya Frank is the author of an original method of learning English, based on reading literature adapted in a special way. Small fragments of text are presented with consecutive translation in brackets. So one thing big offer is divided into separate phrases, and as soon as the reader finishes reading the phrase, the translation is immediately given in brackets. In this way, it is possible to compare the original text and the translation and fill in the meaning of those words that were not previously known. After the entire fragment is read in parts with translation, the same text follows, but without the “crutch” - the Russian analogue.
Using Ilya Frank's method, the student learns the meanings of new lexical units subconsciously, as well as ready-made patterns of use and construction of phrases. The main disadvantage of the method is the accumulation of only passive knowledge in English - the adapted texts do not provide exercises for applying the acquired knowledge. It is worth using the methods of learning English according to Ilya Frank as an additional means of increasing vocabulary.
Umin Method
Having published the book " Foreign easily and with pleasure", Evgeniy Aleksandrovich Umin (Umryukhin) on 50 pages outlined the method of motor and auditory engrams of pronouncing and perceiving phrases in English automatically. The author calls engrams “memory traces” that help the brain more easily assimilate information. Based, like Schechter, on the example of speech learning in young children, as well as on his research on the mechanisms of work human brain During his studies, Wuming developed a system of daily classes. According to him, by doing just 15-20 minutes a day, you can achieve significant success in a year. If you increase the duration of classes to 1-1.5 hours, then within a year you can begin to speak English at the same level as a native speaker.
Zamyatkin method
Book " It is impossible to teach you a foreign language"became a revelation for many. In it, Nikolai Fedorovich Zamyatkin reveals the reasons for unsuccessfully learning English at school, and also describes the method of “matrix tai chi”, which actually helps to learn a foreign language. His methods of learning English are based on gradual immersion in the language environment and the formation of an artificial “information hunger” - the brain’s need for new information.
According to the method, first you listen to dialogues, then read books, and then watch English-language films. Each stage is worked out carefully; it takes 3-5 days to listen to one dialogue in order to parse every phoneme and understand every word. By incorporating meditation techniques, you can achieve amazing results. However, the author honestly warns that “there is no miracle” - mastering the language will take a lot of time and a significant level of self-discipline.
Rosetta Stone Method
The last technique on our list will appeal to those who spend most of their time at the computer. A specially developed computer flash program gradually immerses the user in a foreign language environment, just as children are immersed in the world of adults. The stages are designed with a tendency towards gradual complication, the student moves from simple to complex. First, individual items are offered for memorization. simple words, then more complex lexemes are given, then speech structures are introduced, and then syntax and grammar.
Conclusion
The methods of learning English described above can really help you learn English on your own, but only to a certain level. Do not forget that for effective use You need to be able to not only understand text and speech by ear, but also master conversational skills. And it is almost impossible to independently determine how correctly certain words are pronounced. From this it follows that effective learning of English requires at least an interlocutor (who can be found in our conversation club). But it’s best if this interlocutor can not only talk, but also competently explain incomprehensible moments of speech and can act as a mentor, and our English teachers via Skype will cope with this task perfectly.
Our school offers its students a comprehensive approach to language learning. In individual lessons, difficulties with grammar will be successfully resolved. Group classes in the conversation club and webinars will help you develop your English communication skills. The online simulator will help you usefully kill time between classes and review the material you have covered. New vocabulary can be learned from articles on a wide variety of topics, and you can prepare for communication at work or a new place of study in specialized courses.
In any case, the rolling stones gather no moss, so join us soon and you will love English as much as we do.
Big and friendly EnglishDom family
Quick and high-quality results are obtained by the method of studying English in foreign language schools, where they conduct a course of intensive immersion in the speech, culture and traditions of the country. In essence, this is an express teaching method, because... within a limited period of time, students must become imbued with a foreign environment and become true British or Americans.
Fundamental features of the technique:
- Language school - communicative method training. Communication here always takes precedence over reading, writing and grammar. In this case, the emphasis is placed more on spoken language than on formal English.
- The use of cases is actively practiced. They represent game situations and discussions that promote the involvement of each student in the lesson process.
- Knowledge here is taught by a direct native speaker, and students will have to completely forget about such concepts as native speech and translation. All communication is carried out only in a foreign language.
- The student can choose individual training or classes in general groups.
If you do not take into account the financial side of the issue, this method has practically no disadvantages.
Conversational approach (Schechter)
Learning is based on the perception of foreign speech as a native language. That is, the author seeks to develop in the student the ability to use English subconsciously, without thinking about the correct construction of grammatical structures or appropriate vocabulary.
This skill is developed with the help of cases and situational thinking: small sketches are played out in which each student must pronounce his own line. At the same time, the speech of the conversation participants is spontaneous; no one prepares remarks in advance and does not know the topics of the cases.
Such classes are held daily, the lesson duration is 3 hours. The course is divided into 3-4 stages, each of which takes a month to complete. Between stages there is a break to consolidate the acquired knowledge.
Gunnenmark selections
This course for self-study of English is a set of techniques that make it easier to master the basics of the language.
The method is based on the analysis of “speech stamps”, i.e. The author suggests studying only the most important and frequently used rules, phrases and words in communication. Tutorials That’s why they are called “Minigram”, “Minifraz” and “Minilex”. All material is additionally illustrated and voiced by native speakers, so the method is considered an ideal basis for starting to learn English.
Students regulate the duration and frequency of classes independently.
English from films, books and songs
It is worth mentioning such interesting methods of learning English as watching movies, listening to songs and reading books in the original.
Yes, combining personal interests with studies helps develop a passion for studying and become truly passionate about the language. But don’t think that you will turn on your favorite movie and immediately understand all the characters’ lines. In fact, this is very painstaking work.
Even films with subtitles are very difficult to understand, because... You often have to stop playing a file, look for translations of misunderstood words, and write new expressions into your dictionary. The same goes for songs and books in English in the original. Therefore, before embarking on such a technique, sensibly assess your strengths. We would recommend starting such work no earlier than mastering the intermediate level of knowledge (Advanced).
Interactive games and mobile applications
No less useful in learning innovative technologies, which are based on gaming techniques.
Electronic platforms present the material in an accessible form and carefully monitor the consolidation of the information received. For example, if you are gaining vocabulary and learning flashcards, mobile applications will definitely check the assimilation of information in several parameters: listening comprehension, writing and pronunciation.
Among the most popular online services, mobile applications and computer programs it is worth noting:
- Duolingo;
- RosettaStone;
- Lex!;
- Bussuu;
- Lingualeo.
All of them use game methods of teaching modern English. For successful actions, users are rewarded with game points, and errors in answers lead to a decrease in rating and constant repetition of material. By the way, the repetition system is based on a deep analysis of user behavior: the success of memorization and the frequency of occurrence of a given word are taken into account.
Interactive applications are a great help in learning a language, but you cannot rely only on the use of programs. We recommend combining gaming methods with thorough grammar lessons.
How to choose your own method of learning English?
To summarize the analysis of English teaching methodology, it is necessary to choose the best of the presented methods. However, this can only be done on an individual basis. The choice of the right technique depends on you, but we can only recommend the criteria from which to build.
So, when choosing a method of learning English, you should take into account factors such as:
- level of own preparedness;
- the amount of time you are willing to devote to classes;
- financial opportunities;
- own priorities and desires.
We also recommend that you conduct an analysis own feelings perception. You need to understand how it is easier for you to perceive information: by ear, by reading textbooks, by using video tutorials, game form etc. If you choose a method that suits your mindset, character and interests, successful study will happen by itself.
Good luck in learning a foreign language and see you again on the pages of the site!
Knowledge of foreign languages is a useful skill that many people would like to have in their arsenal, but not everyone is ready to fruitfully study English for several years. Therefore, beginner students often look for ways to quickly learn English, and without making much effort. Well, let’s answer right away that, of course, there is no such panacea. But if you work efficiently, then, of course, you can master English in a very short term. To do this, you only need your desire and an effective technique. In today’s material we will talk about methods that help you speak English quickly and easily.
Education foreign languages often associated with various stereotypes. Thus, some people believe that it takes at least 5 years to master English. Others, on the contrary, are confident that they can learn English quickly and will not need even a year. In fact, both assumptions are wrong, and the truth is somewhere in the middle. The length of time you take to learn a language depends on several factors:
- specific purpose;
- available opportunities;
- study methods;
- diligence in studies.
So, if you urgently need English for a business trip that will take place in 2 months, then the short deadlines themselves will motivate you and speed up your learning. You will also progress quickly if you have the opportunity to travel to language school or study with a teacher using the most advanced techniques. The personal interest of students is no less important, because it is impossible to achieve success in a boring and unloved task.
In turn, the lack of goals, meager opportunities, and even more so the reluctance to learn will reduce all efforts to learn English to nothing. Even if you study actively for a whole year, the lessons are unlikely to bring the expected results.
Thus, the question of the time required for training is strictly individual. On average, it will take at least a year to learn English well at the level of everyday communication.
Is it possible to learn English in a month, you probably ask. Yes, but within certain limits and subject to high dedication. This month you will have to work hard and fruitfully. Then, in the end, you will speak English, but you will only be able to express yourself in primitive phrases and on the simplest everyday topics. To improve speech, even at an accelerated pace, it takes from several months to a year.
How important is motivation?
Since learning a foreign language is primarily a mental activity, the correct psychological attitude plays a very important role important role. Therefore, before understanding how to quickly learn English, I would like to dwell in more detail on preparing for classes.
Many consider motivation to be an unnecessary whim, they say, all this psychological tinsel is useless, you can just start studying and that’s it. Indeed, it is possible. One week of classes will pass, maybe even the second... But on the third, you will 100% stop sticking to the lesson schedule and will soon give up learning the language altogether. And this is not because you have weak willpower or lack the ability to study. This is just how our psychology works: it is impossible to engage in any activity for a long time without receiving pleasure from the process and without understanding why we need all this at all.
So first of all, set yourself a clear goal: I will master English in order to... Instead of the ellipsis, substitute your most cherished desire related to English. For example, the following goals are often indicated:
- Study at a foreign university;
- Move for permanent residence abroad;
- To work abroad;
- Go on a trip;
- Understand TV series and books in the original language, etc.
In general, any option is suitable, but it should not be abstract, i.e. you need to understand the reality of your goal. If you learn English, you can really go abroad, go to university, find a job, etc.
The pursuit of a cherished dream will give inspiration and develop interest in the English language, but a system of fines and rewards will help you maintain a strict schedule of classes. Treat yourself to pleasant little things for each lesson you complete, and don’t miss classes. In extreme cases, the lesson can be rescheduled, but not canceled completely.
Thus, only with a clearly defined motivation will familiarization with the English language be effective and very fast.
Another stereotype about foreign languages is that they are difficult to learn. In fact, only some topics are really difficult, and for everything else you just need to find the right approach. In this section we list 10 useful tips that will help you learn English on your own easily and in the shortest possible time.
We learn quickly, but not in a hurry
This is the principle that should accompany your studies. There is no need to push yourself, skip part of a paragraph (unit), underlearn words, complete the exercises as quickly as possible. Such haste will only do harm and will lead to you:
- You won’t work on the topic properly. One half of the information will soon be forgotten, because... was studied in a hurry, and the other will not be learned due to fatigue, insufficient attention, and reluctance to delve deeper into the topic.
- Psychologically put a lot of stress on the body, because... You will be pressured by a large amount of information, responsibility and short study deadlines.
- You won’t recover mentally for the next lesson. This will entail psychological fatigue, which will subsequently accumulate and can lead to stress and even depression.
- As a result, you will not learn English by the deadline and will completely lose faith in your abilities.
Other English topics: Pre-Intermediate level - who is suitable, program, duration of study
As you can see, this approach to studying can be called disastrous in many ways, because it does not give a positive result, and at the same time it is harmful to health and disrupts psychological balance.
Then how can you quickly learn spoken English if you don’t rush, you ask. To do this, you need to know a little secret: it’s not haste that really saves time, but the quality of your classes. It’s better to “slow down” for a while and restore your strength than to rush forward thoughtlessly. So, if you feel tired, take a break for 10-15 minutes. If you understand that you did not understand the material, put it aside, return to it a little later and try to understand it thoroughly.
And, of course, discipline and regularity of classes play a huge role. During lessons, do not allow yourself to be distracted, pay all your attention only to working with the English language. Concentration will allow you to better assimilate the material, and, consequently, learn English faster.
We focus on our topic
Before starting lessons, clearly decide what you need from English. If you are going on a business trip, concentrate on the spoken language and additionally add professional slang. At the same time, to work in the business field, we specifically teach business English, because... Abbreviations and slang are not at all appropriate here.
Travel English is very easy to learn using topical phrasebooks and listening to dialogues. If admission to college is at stake, then you should practice more written speech, study official and scientific styles English, because students complete various reports, research, etc.
So, strictly define your area of interest and study the language within the planned boundaries. At first, it is easier to learn English on your own within strict limits, and it is never too late to expand and improve your knowledge.
Selecting educational materials
Having decided on the direction and purpose of the classes, it is necessary to collect a selection of materials for study. It must include manuals of various formats:
- Textbook;
- Online dictionaries;
- Educational videos and audio materials;
- Collections of exercises;
- Auxiliary programs on PC and mobile applications.
This set will allow you to work through what you are studying from different angles, and a change in activity will contribute to more productive brain function.
- Read here: The best English language textbooks - tutorials, manuals and dictionaries
Making a lesson plan
In such a matter as learning English in a month on your own, you cannot do without planning. A class schedule will help you distribute the workload evenly, monitor your progress, and avoid getting out of the tight rhythm of work.
As an example, let's draw up an approximate study schedule. Let's imagine that we need to learn English in just 1 month. In this case, we will conduct 4 lessons per week, each lasting 1.5-2 hours.
| English in 1 month | ||||
| Lesson | 1 Week | 2 weeks | 3 weeks | 4 weeks |
| №1 | 1) Alphabet 2) Phonetics 3) First vocabulary 4) Introduction to to be and word order in a sentence |
1) Repetition of the alphabet, letter combinations, reading rules 2) Articles and practicing to be 3) Vocabulary dictation 4) New vocabulary |
1) Future Simple (all forms) 2) Exercises on Future Simple 3) Reading, listening, translation of text 4) Vocabulary |
1) Comparison of aspects Present Simple and Continuous 2) Adverbs of place 3) Irregular verbs (top 100) 4) Listening 5) New vocabulary |
| №2 | 1) Repetition of the alphabet 2) New words 3) Practicing to be, personal and possessive pronouns 4) Nouns. Plural |
1) Working with text and listening 2) Exercises Present Simple 3) Introduction to Past Simple (statements) 4) Adverbs of time |
1) Irregular verbs (top 50) 2) Exercises Past simple with irregular verbs 3) Articles and prepositions (special cases) 4) Vocabulary dictation |
1) Composing dialogues 2) Vocabulary dictation 3) Past Continuous 4) Exercises on Present and Past Continuous 5) Vocabulary |
| №3 | 1) Reading rules 2) Popular verbs 3) Present Simple affirmative sentences 4) Nouns. Plural (exceptions) |
1) Past simple (questions and negatives) 2) Exercises for all forms of Past Simple 3) Watch an adapted video 4) New vocabulary |
1) Working with video 2) New vocabulary 3) Exercises on the entire aspect of Simple 4) Adjectives. General information and top 100 words |
1) Video tutorial 2) Exercises on prepositions, articles and adverbs 3) Vocabulary dictation 5) Comparison of the use of Present Perfect, Continuous, Simple |
| №4 | 1) Reading and translation of text 2) Present Simple questions and negatives 3) Exercises for all forms of Present Simple 4) Vocabulary |
1) Exercises on Present and Past Simple 2) Listening (dialogues) 3) Vocabulary dictation 4) Prepositions |
1) Reading and translation 2) Present Continuous (all forms) 3) Degrees of comparison of adjectives 4) Exercises on degrees of comparison |
1) Listening 2) Reading and translation 3) Exercises on the Present Perfect 4) Vocabulary dictation 5) New vocabulary |
You need to make a tablet in approximately this format for the entire planned period of language learning.
We use different techniques
While studying, don’t be lazy to search for the best methods on how to easily learn English. Many experienced teachers have developed special courses that make language learning a breeze. You can get acquainted with some of them at. We recommend choosing even several suitable techniques and successfully alternating them, developing different skills.
A lot of useful advice can be found among the people. On forums and language learning websites you can sometimes find methods that are simply unique in their simplicity and effectiveness. Yes, exactly folk art belongs a quick way to learn irregular verbs using poetry. Comic Russian poems rhymed with three forms of English verbs are memorized right away, making memorization of exceptional cases as simple as possible.
It is also worth paying attention to your type of perception. For visual learners, it’s better to look for graphic design English rules, for logicians, various diagrams and tables are more suitable, and for auditory learners we can advise learning new vocabulary with the help of audio recordings.
We write, listen and retell more
You also need to process the studied information using different means.
Many people are lazy to write vocabulary dictations, compose essays or letters in English. And in vain, because writing is not only the fastest way to remember the spelling of words, but also an effective trainer for working with constructing sentences and formulating thoughts.
In turn, listening to foreign speech develops skills such as:
- Fast and clear perception;
- Understanding grammar;
- Easy memorization of words;
- Formation of your own speech style.
Some of the listed abilities can be improved by retelling memorized poems and songs. In addition to strengthening memory, retelling corrects pronunciation, develops a sense of intonation and contributes to the formation of extensive vocabulary. Thus, each skill makes a valuable contribution to general level language proficiency.
Repetition and self-test
And one more important aspect that beginners miss is MANDATORY and REGULAR repetition of what they have learned.
Yes, on the one hand it seems that repetition is a waste of time and effort. But in fact, on the contrary, it is only by repeating what we have learned that we consolidate our knowledge in long-term memory. Otherwise, unclaimed knowledge is eventually replaced by new information, and students begin to get confused and lost even in the simplest speech situations.
At the same time, it is important to focus not only on repeating the topic, but on repetition with self-testing, i.e. perform practical exercises, conduct vocabulary dictations, etc. This repetition will not take much time: it is enough to allocate 10-15 minutes at the beginning or end of the lesson.
Looking for friends and mentors
« There is safety in numbers“- this proverb fully applies to the study of foreign languages. You can practice pronunciation for a long time in front of a mirror or with a computer simulator, but it is much more effective to develop communication skills with a language partner.
Even if you learn spoken English on your own, with the current development of technology, finding a tutor will not be difficult. For this purpose, special language exchange services have been created, the most popular of which are:
- Italki;
- Speaky;
- HelloTalk;
- Pen4pals;
- Polyglot Club.
On these sites, people from all over the world learn foreign languages and help each other by correcting mistakes in writing and communication. Access to most functions is free, you just need to register and find people with similar interests. And don’t be shy - on the other side of the screen there are users who are just happy to meet people from other countries and learn something new. Therefore, not only you will be in the role of a student: most likely, your interlocutor will not mind learning a couple of Russian phrases with your help.
Recreating the language environment
To quickly learn a language, you need to put yourself in appropriate conditions, i.e. create the need to communicate in English.
Of course, the first lessons are taught almost entirely in your native language. But then gradually the amount of English increases, and the last classes are held almost entirely in a foreign language. To achieve this effect, it is necessary to use more English materials:
- Read books, newspapers, magazines and forums;
- Listen to podcasts;
- Communicate with foreigners on websitesSkype and other instant messengers;
- Play games and applications in English;
- Watch the video in the original language;
- Change the language on your phone and household devices to English;
- Post stickers around the apartment with English names items, etc.
With the help of these tricks, you will quickly get used to the language and begin to perceive it not as someone else’s speech, but in fact as a second native language. And automatic speech perception is the main indicator that you are going in the right direction.
Recreating the language environment is the most effective way to learn English in a limited amount of time. You yourself will be surprised when after a couple of lessons you notice that you no longer need a Russian translation to understand or say something. You are able to immediately understand the meaning of your interlocutor’s phrase and immediately construct a response statement.
We use language in life: we speak and think in English
This point may seem trivial, but in fact it is the culmination of the above recommendations.
Language is a skill that constantly needs practice. Therefore, do not limit yourself to English only within a 2-hour lesson. Listen to English songs, try to understand the lyrics, sing along with the performer. Brag English phrases, aphorisms and quotes among friends. Communicate in language chats, discuss and comment interesting topics on English-language forums. Finally, write reviews and reviews of English films or books.
Writing, speaking, reading or listening in English - any activity will bear fruit, but inaction will have a detrimental effect. Without practice, learned words and rules are forgotten very quickly. So communicate more and don’t be afraid of anything: only those who do nothing make no mistakes.
Good luck in learning the language and see you again!
We often feel confused when we need to make a decision about something new to us. How to choose a good team for repairing an apartment, which school to send your child to, and how to learn English? Everyone around is aggressively imposing their methods - who to believe? To get a complete picture of the issue, you need to study the facts. We want to take the liberty to honestly tell the whole truth about the ways we know of learning English.
We will look at four of the most effective ways classes: independently, in a group, with a private tutor and in an online school. We'll talk about their costs, advantages and disadvantages, and at the end we'll present a summary table so you can make an informed decision.
First, we suggest that you familiarize yourself with our simple scheme for pre-selecting a training format.
Now let's take a closer look at the pros and cons of each method of learning English.
| pros | Minuses |
|---|---|
| Your own pace The ability to 100% adapt to your schedule and individual pace. You are your own teacher and student. | Lack of self-discipline Few people can force themselves to exercise regularly. If you learn English in bursts - once every couple of months for almost 5 hours at a time, then this will not bring any tangible benefit. You need to study systematically, at least 2 times a week for 1 hour. |
| Minimum financial investment | Need for personal contact The online format is not suitable for everyone. For productive classes, some people need the personal presence of a teacher, which provides great emotional support. And that's normal - all people are different. |
| Own learning platform Some schools conduct training via Skype, others use their own developed online classes, in which you can both communicate with the teacher and use text, video and audio materials, and do homework. | |
| Immersion in a communication environment Many schools provide you with the opportunity to communicate in conversation clubs, watch webinars, read blogs, use apps and online simulators - all without interrupting your English skills. Teachers also constantly communicate with colleagues, take exams and improve their qualifications. | |
| Classes with native speakers Many schools provide the opportunity to study with you - you will be able to hone your pronunciation, master the grammar and vocabulary that foreigners actually use. At the same time, methodologists and school managers control the work of speakers, and lessons with them will not turn into conversations for life. |
Who is it suitable for?:
- Lean
Online school is usually more expensive than group courses, but cheaper than private English tutors.
- Time conscious
Something will always require more of your attention, be it work or children. Online school fits your schedule, not the other way around.
Who won't suit it?:
- Small children under 9 years old.
Their restlessness requires the personal presence and attention of the teacher.
- For those who are distrustful of new technologies and prefer traditional ways of learning a language.
Price:
A lesson of 45–50 minutes with a Russian-speaking teacher costs from 500 to 800 rubles, with a native speaker - from 1,200 to 1,400 rubles. Many online schools provide various bonuses and promotions: you can get lessons at a significant discount or even for free.
Where to begin:
You can study
