Once youâve moved up to an Intermediate English level, this is where the complexity of the language becomes clear. At this stage of your learning, you need more advanced strategies to help you overcome your more complicated learning issues.
Talk to native speakers.
Chances are that you will start learning English from someone who speaks the same native language as you. This type of learning can be valuable, but it can also create problems. One of the biggest complaints of native English speaking ESL teachers is that their students have learned how to pronounce things incorrectly. And once youâve picked up bad pronunciation habits theyâre very hard to break. So make sure you talk to native speakers and pay attention to how they say things.
Find your weaknesses.
Everyone has strengths and weaknesses when it comes to learning. You might struggle with listening tasks, spelling or grammar, and discovering these weaknesses gives you the chance to work on them. Once you start doing that, youâll really see your understanding grow and your English test results improve.
Change it up.
If your skills arenât advancing it might be because you havenât upgraded or changed your learning materials regularly. So if you usually only read school books, find a novel in English. If you only watch movies, try watching the news in English. The more English youâre exposed to, the more your brain will learn.
Focus on context.
Learning grammar or vocabulary out of a book doesnât really help you use it. At this stage, you need to use your language in a natural context. So if youâre learning to talk about food, go to a restaurant or watch an English cooking show. You want to be able to use the grammar and vocabulary without having to think about the rules because you use them naturally. This will only happen when you completely understand how theyâre used in real life.
Expect setbacks.
Some people learn English for years and then get to a point where they canât seem to get any further. It can be tempting to give up at this stage, but if you do then all the work youâve done will be forgotten and wasted. If youâre really struggling, try to find another way to learn, but whatever you do, donât give up.
About the Author
Iâm an ESL teacher and a dedicated traveller. Iâve taught in Fuzhou, China and Hanoi and much prefer smaller cities to the larger options. When Iâm not on the road, I live in Perth, Australia. I write about education, ESL teaching specifically, and you can view more examples of my work at www.gayleaggiss.com.
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