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Techniques to Learn English
7 years agoHere are some Methods for Improving your English:
1.) Think in English-- you have to think in English. If you think in your native language, you will always be at a loss for English words.
2.) Talk to yourself. I.e. read out loud. Think out loud.
3.) Use a Mirror. A few minutes every day, stand in front of a mirror and just talk in English. Set a timer for 2-3 minutes on a topic you chose before hand. The point is to watch your mouth, face,and body language as you speak. If you get stuck on a word, do not stop talking, just try using different words to explain what you mean.
4.) Focus on Fluency. Not Grammar. When you speak in English, how often do you stop?
The more you stop, the less confident you sound and the less comfortable you become. Try the mirror exercise above, but challenge yourself to speak without stopping or stammering (taking pauses between your words) the entire time.
5.) Tongue Twisters. Tongue twisters are series of words that are difficult to say quickly. One example is: “The thirty-three thieves thought that they thrilled the throne throughout Thursday.” Try saying this a few times! It’s not easy.
Word games like this will help you find the right placement for your mouth and tongue, and can even help your pronunciation.
7.) Listen and Repeat. Do you watch tv or Youtube in English? Use them to improve your fluency. Choose a short part of a show and repeat it line by line. Try to match the tone, speed and even the accent (if you can). It doesn’t matter if you miss a few words, the important thing is to keep talking. Try to sound just like the native speakers on the show.
8.) Pay attention to stressed sounds. English uses stresses in words and sentences. That means you’ll need to stress, or emphasize, certain words and syllables (sounds) to give words and sentences different meanings.
Listen to where native speakers place the emphasis when they speak. Try to repeat it the same way.
This won’t only help you speak well, it might even reduce misunderstandings. Sometimes the placing the stress on the wrong syllable completely changes the word. The word ADdress, for instance, isn’t the same as the word adDRESS. ADdress refers to a physical location where someone lives, and adDRESS means to formally speak to a group of people.
Learn to hear the difference!
9.) Learn your most common sayings. Take some time to really notice how you speak in your native language.What words and phrases do you use the most often?
Learn how to say your most commonly used phrases and words in English. Knowing them in English will help you speak as well in English as you do in your native language.
10.) Prepare for specific situations.
Are you learning English for a specific reason? For example, are you learning English so you can get a job in an English-speaking company? In that case, practice English that would help you in a job interview. Are you learning English so you can make friends in America? Then you would need a different kind of English.
Before you go to a place where you have to speak English, you can practice what you might have to say. If you’re preparing to go to a restaurant, what might conversations in a restaurant sound like? Answer the questions a waiter might ask you. Try talking about food and menus.
You’ll feel more confident if you’re prepared!
If you need more help or have questions. Contact me for a trial lesson. Happy Learning! =)
