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 week is not enough. A lot of extra preparation and work is needed, and even more so as you progress with your English studies. Fully engaging with the language, and practising as often as you can, will lead to results and, at the end, all your hard work will have paid off.
Letās look at three general tips for learning English as a foreign language.
Tip #1: Reason(s) for Learning English
There are many reasons why people want to study English, such as:
- Passing the Cambridge English: First (FCE), Cambridge English: Advanced (CAE) or the International English Language Testing System (IELTS) exams
- Studying abroad
- Getting a promotion (and possibly a salary increase)
- Travelling
It is of utmost importance that students never lose sight of their reason(s) for learning English. It can be a powerful motivator to continue the learning process, especially when learning gets tough.
Tip #2: Practice Daily
As mentioned earlier, it is vital to not only rely onĀ practising and learning English when you are in class; in fact, learning English should be a daily exercise, even if you only spend 10 to 15 minutes reviewing or learning something new every day. You should alternate what you learn and practice, too. For example, spend one day focusing on your listening skills by watching the news or a TV programme in English, the other learning a new word and practising using it as much as possible, and the next reviewing some grammar.
Tip #3: Keep aĀ Journal
Similar to the previous tip, this can be used to practice your writing skills. As you learn more, you can easily go back to previous entries and grade yourself. You can even see how you can improve on a previous piece of writing with the new grammar or vocabulary you have learned, thus reviewing and putting into practice new English skills.
There are many, many more tips for learning English; do you have any that you can add to the list? Let us know on Facebook or Twitter. Also, look out for Part 2 for more general English language learning tips!
About the Author
DenineĀ Walters is currently a freelance writer, editor/proofreader, and ESL teacher. Previously, she taught online English lessons to students from all around the world and, before that, she lived and taught English to young learners in Taiwan.
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