Language Learning Tips
Read our language learning tips here.
How Procrastination Affects You
Procrastination is a dangerous concept in modern society, and itâs a Latin term for postponing commitments, the one when your promise yourself to study - only after taking a walk, playing a game, and maybe taking a look at that new episode that aired last night. We...
Elaboration as a Learning Technique
One of the biggest roadblocks you can face during learning is repetition and approaching the material in the same way, every time. There are, however, many techniques you can rely upon to enhance your learning process and break the mold of recycling the same material...
3 Common Mistakes in Language Learning
We make many mistakes that hinder our progress while learning a language and often rely on our intuition. However, when it comes to language learning, intuition can be one of your biggest enemies. What appears intuitively logical can slows you down and cause bad...
What is Technical English and Why Should You Learn It?
Letâs start with defining the term itself. What is âTechnical Englishâ as such? Well, generally there is no predefined term like âTechnical Englishâ. There is no commonly accepted definition of Technical English but in broad terms, Technical English can be...
How to Get the Most Out of Online Learning
Twenty years ago, when Sir Timothy John Berners-Lee launched the world wide web not much was known about the countless possibilities it would offer â shopping from the convenience of your crib, learning a new language or skill while commuting, sending and...
7 Ways To Use English Daily
Use it or lose it! Learning a language means you have to be an active user to do well. It has to be every day. The more you are around English and you put English in your environment (e.g. the more you use and see it), the faster you will improve. The good...
English Conversation Starters
Do you want to speak in English but you donât know how to get started? Youâve made the connections, but it can be difficult to actually start the conversation. Making what is called âsmall talkâ is an excellent way to improve your English...
English Learning Tips for Advanced Students
Once you get to an advanced level it can be tempting to just skate along. After all, at this level, your English is probably very good and you understand grammar in a way that most native speakers canât match. But even at this stage, there is still a lot to learn. 1....
ESL Learning Tips for Intermediate Learners
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....
The Beginnerâs Guide to Learning English
When youâre just starting out learning English, thereâs a lot to learn and the idea of it can be daunting. To make it easier, there are several strategies and tips that can take you from beginner to talking in no time. Set goals for your learning. The purpose of your...
Text and Message Like a Native
These days, most communication comes via technology and social media. This means a lot of texting and messaging! Just like what probably happens in your own language, when sending messages in English, there are lots of slang and shortened ways...
5 Apps That Will Improve Your English
Apps are one of the best ways to help you on your journey of learning English. They are convenient because you can use them on your cell phone, which is something that you always carry with you. Apps are also a lot of fun as many of them are designed like games. Check...
The Best Way to Learn is to Teach
There is a quote that says, âIf you want to master something, teach it.â Learning is great. By now you know a lot about how to learn and different ways and things you can do to help you remember English. Hereâs one more: teach it. Donât for a...
Language Ego: What It Is And What To Do With It
âLanguage Ego is the identity a person develops in reference to the language he or she speaks.â â Alexander Guiora For students who learn English as a second language, learning how to communicate is essential. However, that is not an easy task...
How to Learn Useful Phrases
In English, there is a large number of fixed phrases and expressions that are sometimes not easy to understand, but they are very useful, even necessary. These phrases are a part of the cultural heritage of a nation, present in the speech of...
Mental Translation And Why You Shouldnât Do It
Mental Translation is reprocessing words, phrases or sentences from the language you are trying to acquire into your native language. When learning a foreign language such as English, students tend to get into their own heads too much and try...
4 Things to Remember When Writing an Email
Writing emails is one of the biggest parts of communication in the business world. They are the easiest way to send updates, keep in contact, and have a record of what has happened. If writing emails is a frequent occurrence for you, then keep...
Self-Study from Textbooks
Most people think textbooks are boring. They can be. Generally, textbooks are only used in classrooms but why not use them for self-study? The best way to use textbooks on your own: For new vocabulary Make a note of new vocabulary words and do...
How To Increase Confidence When Presenting
Giving an oral report or a presentation can be stressful. Itâs even more stressful when you need to give it in a language that you arenât 100% comfortable with. Here are some tips to help you with your formal business English and your...
Top Tips for Studying English When You’re Tired
Perhaps you've got a full-time job and study English as a hobby, or you're a student with a million-and-one things to do and don't know when you're going to fit in your study time. If you're struggling to find the energy to keep up your English...
Four Ways to Improve Confidence When Speaking a Foreign Language
Learning a new language is a scary thing, and it's easy to feel nervous, especially if you find yourself making mistakes. If you feel like you're losing confidence as a language learner, check out our top 4 tips for staying confident. 1. Speak...
Four Things Your TEFL Teacher Wishes You Knew
Have you ever wished you could get into the mind of your TEFL teacher and know what they're thinking? Take a look at our list of top things your TEFL teacher wishes you knew. 1. We know when you're lying. Teachers are a bit like parents â we...
How Getting Enough Sleep Will Help You with Studying
Contrary to the belief that the sleeping is a waste of time and that staying up late at night or not sleeping at all the night before the exam will lead to better results, scientific research suggests that the need for a good nightâs rest is...
Habits of Excellent Students Everyone Needs to Acquire
Some are born with the ability to learn things fast, while some need more time and have to work harder. "No pain, no gain," says the old proverb, but some of the best students have habits that help them achieve their success. Developing healthy...
5 Things You Should Do Before an Exam
Studying all night before an exam, overuse of caffeine and similar extreme methods in the last minute will not help you achieve the expected result. As the day of the exam approaches, the tension grows among the students, but there are things...
Effective ESL Studying Techniques Â
It is great if you are studying English, but without effective ESL studying techniques, learning and improving your English language skills might not mean much. Read on to find out how you can use effective study techniques to help you improve...
Taking Advantage of a âBoringâ ESL Class: How to Still Learn Effectively
I am sure we have all been there: an ESL class that can only be described as boring. It is, however, noteworthy to briefly look at why you find the class boring: Is it because it is heavily grammar focused? Is it because the teacher is talking...
Language-Learning Plateau: Tips to Move Past It
At some point in learning EFL, you might feel stuck, as if you are not progressing or learning anything new. This can be very discouraging, but donât give up hope. This tends to happen when you reach the intermediate phase of your EFL studies....
5 Tips to Maintain Your English Fluency
Even if you are (almost) fluent in English as a Foreign Language (EFL), you cannot think that that is the end of the road for you. Any language skills â like soccer skills or piano skills â need upkeeping if you want to stay on top of your...
5 Online Resources for Learning and Improving English: Part 2
In Part 1 of 5 Online Resources for Learning and Improving English (which is here), we looked at 5 websites that can help you practice English. Of course, there are many more online resources to help you, so in this article, you can find...
4 Online Resources for Learning and Improving English: Part 1
With online technology being so widespread and easy to use, you might have looked to see how online resources (aka websites) can help you learn and improve your English. Well, you have come to the right place. In part 1 of this article, you will find 5 online...
Which Accent is the Best?
With so many accents in the English language, how do you decide which one to learn? What if youâve decided to learn an American accent, but you have a British teacher? Hereâs what you need to know about accents and how to deal with them. The...
The Roots of Language
Word origins are a treasure chest of information about English. One of my favourite things to do when I hear a new word is trying to guess its origin. Virtually all European languages come from the same root Indo-European language of ancient...
Language Learning Tips: Local Connections
Are you learning the language of a place where you currently live, or somewhere you hope to go in the future? Either way, getting to know people who speak the language as a mother tongue is one of the best free ways to ramp up your language...
How To Prepare for Total Immersion
Whether itâs already in the works or still just a dream, a total immersion program is an excellent way to learn English. In case this concept is new to you, total immersion usually involves going to and staying in an English speaking country...
Jamming Out: Learning English with Music
Music is one of the best ways to learn a new language. Listening to music activates many parts of the mind simultaneously. This is why you sometimes feel good and sad while listening to sad songs. It is also why music is a therapeutic tool and...
Why Having an Accent Is a Good Thing
You do not have to let go of your accent. As long as you are understood, it can actually help you. I have friends from all over the world and they speak a diversity of languages. Each of them has a different accent when they speak English. One...
Practice Mindfulness and Learn a Language
Meditation can be a huge help in learning to speak English. A language learning blog might be the last place you would expect the advice to meditate. What does meditation have to do with learning English? Meditation has a number of health...
Ways to Remember New Vocabulary
Listening, speaking, grammar, reading, writingâall of the skills and aspects of English require one obvious thing: words. But how can you remember all of them? Different learners have different systems. If you donât have one at all then keep...
Learn English by Telling Stories
Story-telling can help you develop powerful language skills. One of the best ways to train your mind to learn anything is to make a story out of it. Thousands of years ago, tribes would gather around fires to share the myths of their gods,...
Learn English by Going to the Movies
What you watch as you learn English effects how you learn the language. I get the question from many of the people I have tutored in English. What should they watch to make their English better? At first, I cannot think of just one thing that...
Overcoming the Fear of Speaking English
The fear of speaking English can be strong, but there are ways to get around it. The fear of speaking English can be paralyzing. It is the same for language learners and students in general. One thing to remember is that with language, you have...
What to Read When You Are Learning English
What should you read when you are trying to learn English? English. When you are learning English for the first time, everyone has an opinion on what you should read. Some tell you to follow the news. This can be useful for learning new words...
Websites to Help Your Children Practice English at Home
There are a large number of language learners who have spent a long time studying English, but who are too nervous to use English with their children. If you have spent time studying English, share the gift with your children to help them study...
Language Learner Tips: Remembering New Words
When you are learning a new language, you spend a lot of time learning new words. It can be difficult to remember all the new vocabulary you've studied, particularly when you first start learning a language. Here are some top tips to help you...
The 7 Learning Styles and Tips for Using Them
Do you know your learning style? It may be the key to your success in learning a language if you use it! There are 7 types of learning styles. Many people find a combination of two works best for them. Visual Visual learners like to see what...
Language Learner Tips: La La La Language
If you like music, learning through lyrics could be a great way for you to study a new language. Listening to music in a foreign language is a great way to pick up new words and also practice your listening skills. Read our top tips to...
Making a Language Learning Schedule
Learning a language is hard work. It takes a ton of time and effort, as you probably already. One way of organizing how and when you learn is by creating a schedule to follow. The benefit of doing this is that it holds you responsible, helps...
How To Improve Your English: Listen As Much As You Can
English is notorious for being one of the hardest languages to learn. With all the words that sound the same but mean different things, the strange word order that native speakers seem to know intuitively, and then the slang... It can often...
3 Tips for Learning English Vocabulary
While learning new vocabulary is very important in any language, it is not so easy to remember all the new words. In this short article, we will look at three main tips for learning English vocabulary. Tip #1: Read, Read, Read Reading is not...
3 Major Benefits of Learning English
Sometimes when you study day in and day out - maybe for several years now - it can be easy to forget why you are doing it. Even if you know that you need English for work, for school, or just as a hobby, itâs good to remind yourself of some...
Learning with Technology and Games
The rapid development of communication technology greatly simplifies language learning. In the vast majority of cases almost any gadget, any device with settings to adjust, provides at least an operational menu in English. Tip 1: Use a...
4 Quick Tips to Improve Your English Pronunciation
The most important part of learning a language is speaking it. It can be scary until you have built up some confidence, but pronunciation is one of the hardest things to learn in the English language. There are so many different accents to...
Tips for Learning English Grammar: Part 1
When most students hear that they need to study grammar, they cringe. Grammar is connected to feelings of boredom and fear. Grammar does not need to be boring, nor does it need to inspire feelings of fear. Grammar is an important part in...
How to Improve Your English Vocabulary
There are three basic ways to build your English vocabulary: read, watch, and speak. As new English learners, we often struggle to convey what is inside our mind when speaking to other English users because there are not enough âgunsâ (words)...
4 Tips for Learning English Faster
There are many ways to learn a language. Here are four easy tips you can start doing right now to learn that language even faster. Whenever you are learning something new and the process seems too slow, you might wonder how you can speed up the...
Tips for Improving Your English Speaking: Part 1
Speaking a language that is not your mother tongue is not something that comes naturally to most learners. Sometimes, the focus in the learning process is placed on understanding; writing, speaking and reading skills are neglected. In addition...
How To Learn English: Use Your Smartphone
These days our phones can almost do anything: order us a pizza, keep us in touch with friends around the world, and tell us the weather. However, if you use your phone correctly, it can also help you improve your grasp of the English language....
Using Your Learning Style for Language Learning
Do you know your learning style? It may be the key to your success in learning a language if you use it! There are 7 types of learning styles. Many people find a combination of two works best for them. Visual Visual learners like to see what...
Visual Learners: Learning a Language by Reading, Writing, and Watching
When you're learning a language, sometimes just hearing a new word isn't enough. Many people are âvisual learnersâ meaning that they have to see something to be able to really remember it well. What if you learn by listening? Use music to learn...
These 5 Websites Can Help Improve Your English Grammar Online
Good grammar can save you from a lot of misunderstandings and confused looks. However, the English language has A LOT of rules, and learning them can be confusing and frustrating. Here is a list of six English grammar websites that will have...
5 Things You Can Do NOW to Improve Your Language Skills
Classes and books are certainly important, but we can't be actively learning that way all the time. There are lots of little things you can do right away to improve your language skills. Letâs jump right in and learn some handy...
The Importance of Good Pronunciation
Phonetic skills are often ignored by many English learners. Meanwhile, correct and clear pronunciation is as important as, for instance, listening and conversational skills. And Iâll try to explain why. The Importance of Pronunciation It is a...
Language Learning Tips – Little and Often
Do you know the saying 'everything in moderation'? Well, the same applies to language learning. Sitting down with your textbook and cramming for hours may seem like a good way to learn, but if you spend too long studying at once, it is easy to...
Learn a Foreign Language â Living Abroad
Living abroad is without a doubt one of the best ways to learn a foreign language. You see it every day on signposts or in the supermarket and hear it being spoken around you on television or even sitting on the bus. However, some people live in a country for years...
Motivated to Learn: Intrinsic vs. Extrinsic
When it comes to learning, there two apparent types of learnersâ attitudes. Some learners who attend classes for their profound desire to learn, while others simply think that they are being forced to learn rather than just being taught. Surely, both attitudes are the...
How to Improve Your English: Learn Through Music
The key to learning English is to make it as fun as possible. One of the best ways to do this is to listen to English songs and music. There is scientific evidence that shows music helps second language learners gain vocabulary, improve...
Tips for Learning English as a Foreign Language, Part 1
Learning any foreign language does not come naturally to most people, and it requires a lot of hard work, dedication, and perseverance. As a student of learning English, just going to class and learning English for that hour or two per...
Learning English Like a Native Speaker
Learning a language like a native speaker is an example of how children succeed at mastering their mother tongue. Although parents and other close adults may help to "teach" the language in an informal way (like through repetition, games, or made-up dialogues), still...
Language Learning by Association
One of the best ways to learn a foreign language is learning by association, which means using things that are already familiar to you to help you remember new words and phrases. There are several ways to do this. The first, and simplest, is to...
4 Tips for English Pronunciation
We often want to sound sophisticated with a British accent or articulate glamorously with an American accent when learning English, but the most important thing for non-native speakers is a clear pronunciation of the word regardless of your accent....
Why Learn English with Shane?
Find out why you should learn English with Shane English School, one of the world’s premier language learning organisations.
