English is an excellent second language to learn, whether it's for business, travel or personal reasons. Learning any new language requires hard work, commitment and a willingness to make mistakes -- and English is no different. Start with Step 1 below for some helpful advice on how to improve your English skills.
Part 1 of 3: Improving Your Spoken English
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1Speak a little English every day. The absolute best way to learn any new language is just to speak it. It doesn't matter if you only know five English words or if you're practically fluent -- speaking English with another person is the fastest, most effective method of improving.
- Don't wait until you "feel more comfortable" speaking in English -- you probably won't reach that level for a long time, so push yourself outside of your comfort zone and start speaking English today. You' ll be amazed at how quickly your language skills improve.
- Find a native English speaker who is willing to spend some time speaking English with you -- you may be able to offer them a language exchange, where they spend 30 minutes speaking English with you and you spend 30 minutes speaking your native language with them.
- If you live in an English-speaking country, you can practice by starting simple conversations with the people you meet, whether it's saying "hello" to a shopkeeper or asking a stranger for directions.
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2Work on your pronunciation. Even if you have an acceptable grasp of the English language, with good grammar and an extensive vocabulary, native English speakers may find you very difficult to understand if you don't work on your pronunciation.
- Correct, clear pronunciation is essential if you really want to improve your level of English. Listen closely to how native English speakers pronounce certain words and sounds and do your best to copy them.
- Pay particular attention to any sounds that you are unfamiliar with or that do not exist in your native tongue. For example some people have difficulty pronouncing the "r" sound, as it does not exist in their native language, while other people have difficulty with certain consonant clusters, such as the "th" sound.
- Be aware that the pronunciation of certain English words varies greatly depending on the the part of the world it's spoken in. For example, American English is very different from British English. If you intend to travel to or live in an English-speaking country, this is something you should take into account when learning how to pronounce certain words.
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3Expand your vocabulary and use idiomatic phrases. The wider your vocabulary and the more English phrases you learn, the easier speaking English will become.
- Again, spending time with native English speakers will help you to pick up on common vocabulary and phrases in a natural way. Although reading, watching English TV and listening to the news is also beneficial.
- Once you have learned a new word or phrase, you should make an effort to use it in a sentence -- this is the best way to commit it to memory.
- Another easy way to commit new words to memory is to make labels for everyday household items and stick them around your house or apartment. Then every time you use the kettle or look in the mirror, you will see the English word for these items staring back at you.
- You should also start a notebook of idiomatic phrases that English speakers use all the time. Some examples include "it's raining cats and dogs " (raining heavily), to be on "cloud nine" (to be very happy) or saying something is a "piece of cake" (when something is very easy). Sprinkling these kinds of phrases into your conversation will bring your level of English up several notches.
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4Attend an English class or discussion group. Another great way to incorporate some extra English conversation into your weekly routine is to sign up for a class of discussion group.
- Attending an English class is a great way to focus on some of the more formal aspects of speaking English. A class will teach you the grammatically correct way of speaking -- which includes proper sentence structure and verb conjugation and will generally provide a very structured approach to language learning.
- Attending a discussion group is a more informal and relaxed way of learning English, where the emphasis is more on communication and relationship building than on speaking "correct" English. Speaking English in this setting can help you to become more comfortable with speaking in front of other people.
- Both of these language-learning settings have their pros and cons, so it's best to do both if you can!
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5Carry a dictionary. Carrying an English dictionary with you at all times (whether it's an actual book or a phone app) can be very useful.
- Having a dictionary means that you will never be stuck for a word. It can save you a lot of embarrassment if you're having a conversation with an English-speaker and forget a word in the middle of the sentence -- all you have to do is take a second to look it up!
- Aside from saving you awkwardness, looking up the word you need then immediately using it in a sentence will actually help you to commit the this new vocabulary to memory.
- It is also helpful to have a dictionary to peruse throughout the day, during private moments, like when you're sitting on the train, waiting to cross the street or just having a cup of coffee. You could learn an extra 20 to 30 English words per day using this technique!
- As a beginner, you should should start with an English dictionary that provides definitions in your native language. However, once your language skills improve, you should switch to using an English-English dictionary, which provides English definitions for English words.
Part 2 of 3: Improving Your Writing, Reading and Listening Skills
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1Listen to English radio or podcasts. One of the best ways to improve your English listening comprehension is to download English-language podcasts or radio apps on your phone or MP3 player.
- You should then make an effort to listen to the podcasts or radio shows for at least 30 minutes per day. Do it in the gym, on your commute to work, or while you're sitting at your computer.
- Really make an effort to understand what's being said, don't just let the English wash over you. Even if you find it too fast, try to pick out key words and phrases to get a general idea of what the conversation is about.
- If you can, make a note of any words or phrases that you don't understand and look up the translation afterwards. Then listen to the podcast or show again to hear the new words or phrases in context.
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2Watch English movies and TV shows. Another fun way to improve your listening comprehension is to watch English movies and TV shows.
- Try to pick movies or TV shows that you will enjoy -- this will make the exercise feel like less of a chore. If possible, choose movies or shows that you are already familiar with, such as children's cartoons or blockbuster films. If you already know the basic story you will find the language much easier to pick up on.
- However, you should avoid watching movies or television shows with subtitles in your native language -- they will only distract you and make you less inclined to focus on understanding the English, which is the whole point of the exercise.
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3Read an English book, newspaper or magazine. Reading is an essential part of learning a new language, so don't forget to practice!
- Find something you are really interested in -- whether that's a famous English novel, The New York Times or a fashion magazine and start working your way through it. If you find the content boring, you will be less inclined to persevere with it.
- Again, make an active effort to actually understand what you're reading, don't just skim over it. Highlight any words or phrases that you don't understand, then look them up in the dictionary.
- If you're alone, you could also try reading aloud -- this will allow you to improve your reading comprehension while also working on your pronunciation.
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4Keep a diary in English. Aside from reading and listening comprehension, you should also spend some time working on your written English.
- This may be one of the most difficult aspects of your language learning, but it is important nevertheless. Writing in English will help you to work on your sentence structure, grammar and spelling.
- Try keeping an English diary in which you write down a few sentences every day. It doesn't have to be deeply personal -- you could write about the weather, what you ate for dinner or what your plans are for the day.
- If you feel comfortable with it, get a native speaker to look over what you've written and check it for any errors. This will help you to avoid making the same mistakes over and over again.
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5Find an English-speaking pen-pal. Once your written language skills have improved, you could consider getting an English-speaking pen-pal!
- Having an English-speaking pen-pal combines your English writing practice with the excitement of getting a letter or email!
- Your pen pal may be someone who is learning English like you, or they may be a native English speaker who wants to practice their foreign language skills by writing to you in your native tongue.
- Having a pen pal from an English-speaking country (such as the United States, Britain, Canada, Ireland, Australia, New Zealand or South Africa, for example) will also allow you to learn more about the culture and what life is like in that part of the world.
Part 3 of 3: Committing to Your New Language
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1Stay motivated. When learning any new language, it is important to stay motivated and never give up on your goal of fluency.
- Stay committed to your language-learning goal by reminding yourself of how badly you want to achieve it. Think of all of the amazing experiences and opportunities that will be available to you once you've mastered the English language.
- You will be able to converse with English speakers from across the world and develop new and exciting relationships, you will be able to engage with English-speaking culture like never before and potentially further your career as a result of your new language skills.
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2Practice every day. If you want to to gain fluency quickly, you need to commit to practicing every day.
- Learning a new language is based on repetition, so if you wait too long between study sessions, you will forget everything you learned previously and have to start all over again, wasting valuable time.
- However, you shouldn't study so much that you grow sick of English -- try to keep things interesting by completing a different task each day - one day of reading, one day of listening comprehension, one day of writing practice, one day studying grammar, etc.
- However, you should never pass up an opportunity to practice speaking English, as this is the number one most important thing you can do to gain fluency.
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3Train yourself to think in English. One way to make the transition from being very good at English to being fluent is to train your brain to actually think in the English language.
- Constantly translating from your native language into English and back again inside your head consumes time and energy. Every language has its own nuances and peculiarities, which makes it impossible to accurately translate from one language to another in certain instances.
- As a result, your spoken and written English will flow much more naturally and fluently if you can just train your brain to think in English. Think of it like a switch -- when it's time to communicate in English, you need to turn your English brain on and your mother language brain off!
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4Make friends with English speakers. One of the greatest tests of a person's fluency in a second language is to put them in a room with a bunch of native speakers and see if they can follow and contribute to the conversation.
- The best way to achieve this level of fluency is to make some English-speaking friends and hang out with them in a social setting, like in a cafe or bar.
- This way, you will be forced to speak in English if you want to interact with your peers, but it won't feel like work or study because you'll be having so much fun!
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5Don't be afraid to make mistakes. The biggest obstacle that stands in the way of learning a new language is the fear of making mistakes.
- This fear serves no purpose -- it is merely a hindrance that prevents you from reaching your goal of fluency.
- Remember that everyone makes mistakes when they are learning a new language -- it's a right of passage. You will almost certainly have your fair share of awkward or embarrassing moments when you accidentally say something rude or incorrect, but this is all part of the fun.
- Also remember that you are not aiming for perfection when learning to speak English, you are aiming for progress. Making mistakes is all part of the learning process, they will help you to become better, so embrace them!
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Tips
- Learn the phonetic alphabet (pronunciation symbols). This can help you pronounce correctly, and it's necessary to speak with the correct tone if you want to make some friends with native English speakers. This is a big deal for non-native English speakers.
- Dictation is an excellent way to improve your listening and spelling skills. Have a friend read a few paragraphs from a book or a newspaper. Write down what you think you hear. Compare what you have written with the actual text.
- Learn about the cultures of English-speaking countries.
- Take an ESL (English as a Second Language) class at your local community college (if you live in the USA.) Classes are free!
- Find a native individual who not only speaks English, but can teach it. Learn grammar and vocabulary using visual, auditory and spoken methods. Spiral the cycle and keep it interesting.
- Learn all the verb tenses and moods in English. A quick internet search will take you right to them. It is also important to learn correct subject-verb agreement. If you conjugate verbs improperly, it will sound sloppy, as native speakers hardly do so. If you conjugate them correctly, on the other hand, you will impress native speakers of English.
- If you have your sights set on the US, look for literacy programs in your area -- they are often free, learn a trade and do your best to acquire English-speaking friends. Americans like people with an "I can do it!" attitude. In Britain, a useful skill and some modesty are more the key.
