There are really many ways to learn English, and understanding their effectiveness can be difficult. Unfortunately, " magic pill“There is no such thing as a perfect fit for everyone, because all people are different. Here are tips on how to find the way to learn English that works best for you.
Warm-up before classes
Just as you need to warm up before playing sports, you also need to warm up before learning a language. Here are some simple exercises:
Stage I: Brush up on your vocabulary
Brush up on your vocabulary by thinking about or briefly describing the topic you are going to study. For example, if this is , think about your last vacation - what you did, what you remember, etc. This simple exercise will help revive your memory of words that you may encounter when working on this topic.
Stage II: Brush up on your grammar
Brush up on your grammar by remembering general outline the desired grammatical area. For example, if you are, try to describe in English what you did last weekend, where you went, etc.. As with vocabulary, this warm-up is necessary to prepare for further study of English grammar.
Stage III: Sing a song
Before your English lesson, sing an English song. It should be a song that you know and understand well (you will find English-language songs with translations).
This short and easy exercise will help you tune into English language and relax at the same time. Singing also activates the creative activity of the brain, which will help you choose words more creatively when conducting a dialogue or when composing an impromptu story on a given topic.
Step IV: Type a short paragraph in English
If you work on a computer, as a kind of self-tuning, type a paragraph of simple text in English. You can describe your day, your activities, your friends—anything. This helps activate the kinesthetic activity of the brain, responsible for remembering through physical actions. It's also helpful to type out the rules while learning grammar. Movement will help you consolidate your knowledge.
Stage V: A Thousand Words
There is a saying in English: “A picture is worth a thousand words” (“A picture is worth a thousand words” or “It’s better to see once than to hear a hundred times”). By describing a photograph or drawing, you engage the areas of the brain responsible for creativity. While you're at it, you can brush up on your vocabulary by choosing a picture that's relevant to the topic you'll be studying.
Practice English every day
It is important to practice English every day. However, don't overwork yourself. It's better to exercise for 30 minutes every day than two hours once a week. Short, regular sessions are much more effective than long hours of studying with long breaks. Getting into the habit of studying every day will help keep your language skills active.
Learn English with friends
There is nothing better than learning English in good company. You can do exercises together, conduct dialogues (in English!) and help each other with what is more difficult. If among your friends you do not find like-minded people,...
Learn English in different ways
Don't limit yourself to just one way to learn a language. Use a variety of methods that involve different areas brain For example, when you memorize new words, you can draw a mnemonic map, describe the picture, and type the word you are learning several times. Together, all these methods will help strengthen your knowledge.
Choose topics that interest you
One of the most important parts is to learn English using topics that interest you. This will increase your motivation because while learning English, you will also learn something new about something you like.
1. Learn with interest
Any teacher will confirm: abstract learning of a language is more difficult than mastering a language for a specific purpose. Therefore, at first, learn things that will be useful to you in your work. Another option is to read the resources at foreign language concerning yours.
2. Remember only the words you need
There are more than a million words in the English language, but at best a few thousand are used in everyday speech. Therefore, even modest vocabulary you will have enough to talk with a foreigner, read online publications, watch news and TV series.
3. Post stickers at home
This effective way expand your vocabulary. Look around the room and see which objects you don't know the names of. Translate the name of each subject into English, French, German - whatever language you want to learn. And put these stickers around the room. New words will gradually be stored in memory, and this will not require any additional effort.
4. Repeat
The technique of spaced repetition allows you to better remember new words and concepts. To do this, review the studied material at certain intervals: first, repeat the learned words often, then return to them after a few days, and after a month, reinforce the material again.
5. Use new technologies
6. Set realistic goals
Be careful with the load and don't overwork yourself. Especially at the beginning, so as not to lose interest. Teachers advise starting small: first learn 50 new words, try to apply them in life, and only then take on the grammar rules.
– Where to start learning English on your own?
This question can be asked by two categories of people: very, very newbies and those who have some kind of weathered base from their school days. So let's immediately separate: newcomers - to the left (more precisely, read on in this article), and those who have studied - to the right and . Because the recipe will be different for you.
Now I’m addressing only you, beginners: this article is dedicated to your route from beginner to elementary level. Together with Olga Sinitsyna, head of the methodology department, we described each step in detail and collected all the necessary links. This is the most complete article on the topic. Precisely for those who want to do everything themselves.
Contents of the article: teaching English independently from scratch
1. Alphabet: learn English from scratch on your own and for free
Pay attention to the patterns and differences of the sound system as a whole: in English there are almost no soft consonants, there are long/short and wide/narrow vowels, etc. To understand all this, .
3. First words: learn English on your own from scratch for free online
Since sounds need to be learned as part of a word, at the very first stage you will learn your first English words. You need to start with simple words that are used in everyday life.
6. Learn English grammar for beginners
In parallel with reading and studying entire phrases, you need to understand grammar. But not in theory, don’t delve into it by itself - learn useful English phrases and using their example, delve into the essence of grammatical rules. How it works, .
Also watch the video on how to properly teach grammar to a beginner
Let's look at what exactly needs to be understood and remembered at the initial level:
Articles. They are not in the Russian language at all. An article is a function word that is used together with a noun:
an apple (apple)
Here we have used the indefinite article an, because the word begins with a vowel. If a word begins with a consonant, then the article will be - a.
a dog (dog)
But in addition to the indefinite article, there is also a definite article - the. This video will help you understand articles:
Plural. Learn the rules of education plural in nouns. This is usually done by adding the suffix -s:
a cat – cats (cat – cats)
Order of words in a sentence. In English it is strict: the subject comes first, then the predicate, then the other parts of the sentence:
I love my job. (I love my job)
In an interrogative sentence, the word order is different and an auxiliary verb is added:
Do I love my job? (I love my job?)
It will help you deal with these subtleties.
There must be a verb. Without a verb English sentence it simply cannot exist. And where there is no verb in Russian, .
I am a doctor. (I am a doctor or I There is doctor, literally)
Features of the time system. The English language has three tenses, just like ours: present, past and future. But each time has four forms, and those who study them are constantly confused. You don't need to immediately plunge into this chaos.
Imperative mood – when you tell another person what to do. In English it is formed simply:
Love me! (Love me!) Do it! (Make it this one)
And other topics: degrees of comparison of adjectives, regular and Irregular Verbs, turnover there is – there are. Full list of topics. And so you and I will gradually get to elementary.
7. Comprehensively, from all sides: how to learn English on your own from scratch
All this - words, phrases, grammar - needs to be improved from 4 sides: listening, writing, speaking and reading. We have collected and described for you independent exercises and materials for working on each skill:
– Your level now is zero or beginner. On average, it takes 90-100 hours of study to reach the next level. Decide right away how many hours a day you are willing to study? If it’s an hour, then in 3 – 3.5 months you should reach the elementary level. If it’s half an hour, then multiply the time by two. So set this period as a deadline for yourself.
– Now break down this huge goal of “reaching the elementary level” into specific and very clear tasks like “learn to express thoughts in the present tense”, “learn the 100 most common words”, “read a book in English”. Also plan these tasks according to specific deadlines.
Be sure to read it! Or watch the video:
9. What then? How to learn English on your own at home from scratch quickly
Learn English on your own online from scratch
Now you have a clear action plan. All in your hands. If you need simulators to practice English, then. When registering, we will determine your English level and choose a goal together. And after that, the service will provide daily activities for practice: vocabulary and grammar training, short stories for reading, video and audio for beginners. Let's break through together. 🙂
We decided to learn English language? Of course you did right choice, after all English language - main language international communication.
Most likely, you have already encountered main problem at learning English- a huge number of textbooks and courses on the market, most of which are a waste of time and money. And if we add to this selfeducation and complete lack of initial knowledge language, then all this confuses a person, and he loses the desire to learn English. A wish- the main key to successfully learning any foreign language.
So, what does the site offer you for success? learning English from scratch?
First of all, especially for entry level as online lessons a wonderful self-instruction manual by K. B. Vasiliev was prepared " Easy English" (from the second lesson, the first completely from the site). Lessons on this tutorial are perfect for children, because the texts are presented from popular English children's fairy tales, such as “Alice in Wonderland”, “Winnie the Pooh and Everything Everything”, etc. Additionally, typos and some inaccuracies were corrected, and added free audio for the entire course. And doing the exercises is not at all difficult, because for this there are special forms for entering text, as well as answer keys. To view the answer, hover your mouse over the key: . You can only peek back after you have completely completed the exercise! If you have any questions, you can ask them under the lesson as a comment.
Please note that there is no need to rush and jump to the next lesson immediately after completing the current one. Move on to the next lesson when you are confident that you have mastered the material in the current lesson. fully.
Further parallel With the study of the audio course above, you can also study the perhaps simpler Assimil audio course. On the page with audio courses there are also courses for more high level, as well as an interesting tutorial on how to work with audio.
How have you studied so much information and are still confused about verb tenses? Dont be upset, verb tenses in English- this is the most difficult part of it. After all, there are not 3 of them, as in the Russian language, but as many as 12! Especially for easier understanding and assimilation of tenses, the following section on effective lessons by S.P. Dugin for beginners was created.
Verb tenses can also be studied in the English grammar section. Initially, grammar lessons were intended for intermediate students, but translations have been added to them, and now they can be studied by slightly less advanced students. In this section Very There are many lessons, it will help you find answers to many questions, so don't skip it. Proceed to study it only when you are ready. And in lessons for beginners there will periodically be links to specific grammar lessons from this section.
Have you studied all this already? Well, you give it! Congratulations! What to do next? And then you will have even more self-study . Unfortunately, from an intermediate level it is difficult to build any path for study; build it yourself according to your interests. It takes a lot of practice. Listen to a lot of audio and video materials. Try to talk more. No one? Talk to yourself! Read, write. The site also has video materials. Perhaps there will be more later.
Please note that on mobile version site right menu crashes to the very bottom screen, and the top menu opens by pressing a button ≡ top right.
What kind of English are we learning? British or American?
Correct answer: both.
On the one hand, British refers to pronunciation rules set many years ago. Almost no one speaks it now, but everyone who studies English or tests pronunciation strives for it, incl. American actors (for example, Will Smith). Also, all textbooks have standard grammar and spelling of words. It turns out that almost everyone is learning British English. American grammar and spelling are slightly, very slightly different from British, so look for some textbooks on American English. very, very stupid.
On the other hand, British English also includes a special intonation that almost no one teaches, and it’s difficult to get used to. These lessons also do not teach intonation. It turns out that no matter how hard we try to pronounce it, we will still end up sounding more American English than British. Besides intonation, our speech apparatus is simply more similar to the American one. The video of the 1st lesson presents pure British English. The audio of the following lessons will sound more like American English. Otherwise, English is standard, there is no need to come up with ridiculous reasons why I should or should not learn these particular lessons. Just learn! I am responsible for quality! (Site author)
Surely you found something interesting on this page. Recommend it to a friend! Better yet, place a link to this page on the Internet, VKontakte, blog, forum, etc. For example:
English language learning
So, you have decided to start learning English. Congratulations! The first step has been taken. But where to start?
Step 1. Determine the purpose of the study
First of all, you need to determine why you are going to learn English. There may be several options:
- For work
- For study
- For traveling
- For overseas business trips
- For reading English literature and translating texts
- To pass the international English language exam
- For yourself (for self-development)
Your choice will depend on what your goal is. teaching aids and the approximate amount of time you need to spend to reach the required level. For example, if you just want to learn basic communication while on vacation, 100-150 hours of lessons will be enough for you. If you want to read and translate serious scientific texts or fiction in the original, this is already 300-400 hours.
Step 2. Determine the lesson format
You need to decide how exactly you will practice. There are also several options here:
- In Group
- Individually
- Via Skype
- On one's own
Of course, each of these lesson formats has its pros and cons. For example, individual lessons are more expensive, but the teacher’s full attention will be given only to you.
similar to individual ones, but cheaper; however, technical difficulties or discomfort may arise from the lack of personal communication with the teacher.
It’s also cheaper compared to individual lessons, plus in a group it’s very good to learn communication and practice speaking – in pairs or as a group. However, group classes follow a fixed schedule, which may not be convenient for everyone.
Self-learning a language requires the least financial investment, but the most effort and patience; The disadvantage of this method of learning is the absence of a teacher with whom you can consult if you have any difficulties or questions.
It is also worth deciding which teacher you want to study with - a Russian speaker or a native speaker. There is no consensus as to who is better, but we advise you to work with a Russian-speaking teacher at the initial stage, and a little later, starting around the end of level A2 (Elementary) or the beginning of level B1 (Pre-Intermediate) to start studying with an English-speaking teacher.
Step 3. Prepare for regular work
Be prepared for the fact that learning a language will require time and effort. It is impossible to learn English (or any other language) without making any effort. To get results you must follow these simple rules:
- Exercise regularly, preferably 2-3 times a week
- Be sure to follow homework if you are studying with a teacher
On average, you should devote approximately 6-8 hours a week to classes at a relaxed pace of study and 12-15 hours at an intensive pace.
There is one little secret to learning a language: remember that language is not knowledge, language is a skill. The more a dancer trains, the better his results. It's the same with language: the more you practice, the faster you can achieve your goals. Some students make a common mistake: they start learning all the grammar in a row and vocabulary from the dictionary in alphabetical order, starting with the letter A. Unfortunately, this is a completely unproductive way of working, since it will not teach you the most important thing - to communicate in the language
Step 4. Try to surround yourself with English
For example, change the language to mobile phone, tablet or computer into English, listen daily English speech or read adapted literature. There is one very important point: The level of any additional material you use should be appropriate to your current level of knowledge. For example, if you have already reached Elementary level, you shouldn’t take very simple texts for beginners to read, but you also shouldn’t try to read Dickens in the original: the abundance of unfamiliar vocabulary and complex grammatical structures will not allow you to perceive the meaning, and in the worst case, it may discourage you from continuing to study the language. Choose those books that indicate your current level.
Step 5. Learn vocabulary
Of course, you can’t do without vocabulary. Some students make a common mistake: they start cramming vocabulary from the dictionary in alphabetical order, starting with the letter A. Unfortunately, this is not a productive way of working at all, because not all the most necessary and frequently used words begin with the letter A. So how to expand your vocabulary?
Step 6. Study grammar
Another misconception among beginners is the belief that if you learn all the grammatical rules, you will be able to immediately speak the language and apply them easily. In fact, this is not so, because if you have not practiced the learned grammatical rule in speech (written or oral), then the chance of remembering it well and using it regularly is extremely small. What to do?
- Learn grammar gradually. To do this, you can use textbooks such as “Basic Grammar in Use”, “Round Up 1” or “Oxford English Grammar Course: Basic”. These textbooks were published specifically for beginners and are equipped with detailed explanations and keys.
- As in the case of vocabulary, try to compose sentences, and later texts, using the grammar you have learned.
- Try to apply the learned grammar in oral speech. Once you realize that you can easily use what you have already covered, you can move on to more complex structures.
And finally: as the proverb says, “Practice makes perfect” - “Repetition is the mother of learning.” Regularly review the material you have covered, take mini-tests and track your progress - this way you will understand what you have already learned and what still needs to be worked on.