Is it easy to learn English language? This question is usually asked by those who are just thinking about how important it is to master foreign speech. There are two answers to this question at once: yes, it’s easy and no, it’s very difficult. It all depends on the person and motivation, how well the chosen method of teaching English suits a particular student, and whether enough time is devoted to classes. However, there are also general principles, which allow you to classify learning English as simple or complex tasks.

Why light?

English can definitely be called easy compared to other languages, and here's why.

1. It is the most widespread on the globe, as it is considered the simplest and most logical in terms of grammar among the languages ​​of Europe.

2. Habitual spelling of letters. The entire language is based on 26 characters, while in Chinese characters more than 80 thousand, some of which consist of 30 strokes.

3. There are a lot of borrowed words in the Russian language. Even a beginner in learning already knows more than one hundred. For example, business, office, football, basketball, jeans, soundtrack and others.

4. Adjectives used together with numerals are not declined for cases, numbers or genders.

5. Nouns can be singular or plural, and are declined in only two cases.

Why complicated?

Like any other foreign language, English takes time. You cannot study it in 3 months and reach a professional level. This period will not be enough even to understand the basics of grammar.

The following factors can also be considered as difficulties.

1. A large number of times compared to Russian: there are 3 main ones, but each of them has 4 aspects, plus a passive voice. As a result, it turns out to be more than 20, while in the native one there are only 3.

2. Articles. There are few of them, but since they are completely absent in Russian, it is quite difficult to understand why they are needed and when they are used.

3. Verb control. These parts of speech in English are used with various prepositions that have different meanings.

4. Complex grammar and the presence of many paradoxes.

The difficulties described are the most common, but there are others: some cannot accurately reproduce certain sounds, and others have difficulty remembering the spelling of certain words. However, as practice shows, the most difficult thing is developing discipline and a responsible approach while learning English.

Make a firm decision, start with the simplest thing and methodically move forward towards your goal, and after a year of painstaking work, answer the question for yourself: is it easy for you to learn English?

Nowadays, ignorance of the English language is turning into a disadvantage that can poison life. Fortunately, fixing it is not that difficult.

Why is it necessary to know English?

Nobel laureate Joseph Brodsky wrote that until 1917, bilingualism was the norm for an educated Russian person. Alas, the social cataclysms of the twentieth century led to the fact that by the beginning of the third millennium only a few could boast of knowing foreign languages. Fortunately, awareness of the deep depravity of this practice has nevertheless come, and at the moment the percentage of people who speak at least English is steadily growing. This is largely due to positive changes in the education system - if previously English was ranked at the level of labor and physical education, now it is one of the main subjects in the school curriculum.

All this means that in the near future a huge number of specialists will enter the market who will not only be young and ambitious, but will also have an excellent command of the language of Shakespeare. Naturally, this will make their resume especially attractive to employers. Experts say that in the near future it will be impossible in principle to get an adequate place without knowing English. This is probably why the sacramental questions “How to learn English in a month?” are increasingly being typed into Internet search engines. And

If you are still not comfortable with “English”, it’s time to close this gap. Fortunately, there are plenty of opportunities these days.

How to do it?

If you are a schoolboy or student, then everything is simple - you just need to gather your willpower and prepare harder for classes. If you have missed too much and cannot understand what the teacher is talking about with such interest, contact him for
individual consultation. Schools and universities are still full of enthusiasts who will happily answer your questions at odd hours, and for free.

If the days of your youth have already passed, it is worth considering the option of courses. There are a huge number of options - for every pocket and any level of training. Somewhere they teach English from scratch, somewhere they purposefully prepare for exams to obtain
certificate or work visa, somewhere they pay priority attention to specialized vocabulary - for example, English courses for IT specialists are now gaining popularity.

How to combine this with work?

As a rule, companies offer a variety of training formats - you can work individually (this will cost more), or in large groups. The second option will be cheaper, and in addition, it will be easier to practice speaking skills in a group. On the other hand, if there are more than 5-6 people in the group, you will rarely speak, and there is also a high probability that there will be an obvious outsider in the group, because of which the teacher will have to spend more time explaining trivial things.

Most companies are ready to adapt to your schedule - there are weekend groups, there are "early" groups, there are "evening" groups.

Is it possible to learn English at home?

Despite the large number of offers, not everyone takes the courses. Some people lack the motivation to do this, others are put off by the price, and others are too embarrassed to expose their lack of knowledge of English to the public.

If you fall into any of these categories, don't despair. Of course, you can learn English on your own. Of course, this option has disadvantages, but there are also many advantages. Firstly, you will solve the problem with "English" completely
free of charge, secondly, you will be able to study according to the most flexible schedule.

There are many examples of how people went from zero to B1 in just a few months - the only question is perseverance, desire and willingness to regularly devote the necessary time to learning the language.

Where to start learning English on your own?

The first important step is to understand that “on your own” does not mean “alone.” The main thing in learning a new language is systematicity. There is always a risk of spending
time for unnecessary things, so at least at the very beginning it is advisable to get advice from a person you trust - a professional teacher or just a friend who knows the language very well. It’s even better if there are several such people. They will suggest literature, websites and what words to learn in English.

Once you've collected your recommendations, you can begin to develop a clear plan. There is nothing more useless in the world than taking on a global project without a clear idea of ​​​​how to implement it. Learning English is just such a global project. Practice shows that people who set such vague goals as “Learn English in a month... or more” rarely achieve success. Much more often, goals are achieved by those who initially divide a large task into several smaller tasks and methodically solve them, smoothly moving from easy to more complex ones.

For example, for the first month you can set yourself the task “Learn 800 words and understand the structure of the verb.”

It is very important to immediately choose for yourself some basic way of learning the language. The options here are, by and large, limited to a textbook or the Internet.

In both cases, it is critical to find the source of information that best suits your needs. There are hundreds of textbooks in bookstores, millions of websites on the Internet, but for some reason not everyone still speaks English. This means that not all of these textbooks and sites are suitable for solving such a complex problem. Meanwhile, there are really high-quality manuals, but finding them is not always easy - that’s why we recommended starting language learning with a consultation. There are many ways to learn English, and a person who teaches the language professionally will probably be able to tell you exactly which one will be most suitable for you.

Having decided on the leading method and drawn up a schedule, start working. At the same time, always remember that a foreign language is akin to a beloved girl who does not forgive betrayal. If you relax and give up working on the language for one or two days, your chances of overall success will drop. The work must be systematic and targeted. You can achieve your goal only if you regularly devote 1-2 hours to the language.

Where can I find time?

Let us immediately anticipate the traditional cry “Where can we get the time?!” Believe me, you have it - just think about how much you spend every day aimlessly surfing the Internet, browsing social networks or talking with colleagues. All this can be replaced with additional English exercises.

On the way to work and back, it’s also not necessarily sad to look out the window - after all, you can have fun looking at your textbook! Or on your phone screen - if this option is closer to you, then it’s worth taking a closer look at the impressive market of applications for language learners. There are many options there - from simple programs in the spirit of “We give you the word, you translate for us,” to full-fledged educational platforms “How to learn English in a month.”

By the way, most of these programs are absolutely free.

Once again about the benefits of reading

Few people can boast of loving monotonous work. As a rule, we are all much more productive by regularly changing our activities. This fully applies to the study foreign language. Yes, you should have some basic way of working in your stash, but it just needs to be combined with others - perhaps more pleasant ones. “Constantly changing activities” is the best answer to the question “How to easily learn English on your own and for free.”

An excellent way to test your achievements in practice and at the same time seriously replenish lexicon is reading in a foreign language. This is where the bookstore and the Internet can come to the rescue again. At a bookstore you can buy books in English, and very often you can find specially adapted books for people who are just starting to learn the language, or who speak it at an intermediate level.

Many stores also sell English-language newspapers and magazines. Of course, when choosing publications you need to start from your own interests - for example, football fan It will be truly interesting to try to read an English-language article on a favorite topic, and the likelihood that he will get bored and put the newspaper down will noticeably decrease.

The Internet is an even more bottomless well of materials. There are a large number of sites offering you adapted texts for reading - of various sizes and based on the most different level preparation. Plus, there are billions of English-language portals on the Internet, including about your favorite band, favorite actor, and favorite sports team. We believe the hint is clear!

It is important that such reading will enrich you not only lexically, but also intellectually.

You can become an expert in English grammar, but what good will it do if no native speaker can understand you? The English language has quite complex phonetics, for working with which there are its own methods and techniques.

Firstly, you should love foreign music. Listening to songs in English is a great way to master pronunciation. Many people who are fluent in English admit that they learned it from the songs of their favorite bands, and not from school classes.

A more difficult, but at the same time more reliable way is to watch films in English. At the same time, forget about Russian subtitles - our brain is tuned to search for the most simple ways, so at some point you'll just start reading the subtitles without paying attention to what the actors are saying. But you can use English subtitles, especially at first - not all actors have Moscow Art Theater articulation, and it will be difficult to understand the intricacies of pronunciation. Text insurance won't hurt. In addition, do not forget that many films are shot in the USA, and American English is a topic for another discussion.

How to learn English in a month? This is impossible. In order to proudly call yourself an English-speaking person, you need to spend years, and then do not forget about practice - without training, language skills disappear very quickly.

Successfully working on a new language begins with motivation.

Many people start learning a language on their own. But only a few actually master the English language and can speak it. The rest give up studying or never achieve results.

In this article I will tell the whole truth about self-study in English.

From the article you will learn:

• In what cases is it better to learn English on your own?
• Difficulties you will have to face;
• 5 tips to make self-study more effective;
• 3 steps to learn grammar on your own.

First, let's look at when it's better to learn English on your own and when it's not worth it.

In what cases is it better to learn English on your own?

All people learning English can be divided into 2 categories:

1. People who don't have a clear goal

For example, a person thinks “everyone needs English.” So he starts learning the language. However, he does not see exactly how he can improve his life with the help of English.

Or a person likes England, he likes the English language, he wants to watch TV series in English, he goes abroad on vacation. He learns the language for his own pleasure as a hobby. But English is not vital for him.

2. People with a clear purpose

Others start learning English because they need it for a specific purpose. Let's look at a few examples.

The programmer wants to find new job with a higher salary. He knows that he needs to know a certain level of English in order to interview for a good position in an international company in six months.

A student is planning to enroll in a foreign university. By the end of the year he needs to know English to pass the entrance exams.

A travel blogger who travels abroad and describes the beautiful and interesting places on your blog. He needs English to communicate with locals, find new places, and feel comfortable abroad. He encounters the English language constantly. It is vital for him to know it.

When is self-study appropriate?

I think you've already noticed the difference between these two categories.

In category 2, people know how English will change their lives. These people usually learn English faster because they need to achieve results in order to achieve their goal. They have no other choice.

Therefore, they are ready to invest time and money in English. If they want quick results, then they take courses.

The first category of people learns English as a hobby or as a reserve. People think that they might need a language in the future, but they don't see how they could change their lives with English right now.

Therefore, they are not ready to spend time and money studying it. Most often, they learn the language on their own.

No matter how you learn English (on your own, in courses, with a teacher), you need to set a clear target, for which you need a language, and move towards it.

Learning a language on your own is much slower than studying in a course or with a teacher. Your desire to learn the language and pursuit of your goal play a very important role here.

If you decide to learn English on your own, you need to know the challenges you will face. This will help you immediately think through ways to solve them.

Let's look at the main ones.

What challenges will you face when learning on your own?

I promised to write you the whole truth.

Therefore, I will honestly answer the most popular question: “Is it possible to learn English on your own?” Can!

However tens of thousands of people every day start learning English on their own, but only a few get results. Why?

Learning a language on your own is very hard work.

If you want to get results and learn to speak the language, you cannot treat learning English as a hobby. This work, which requires self-discipline, effort and time from you.

Let's see what problems people usually face when learning on their own:

1. You will have to change your life.

These are not just words. When you start learning English, you must be prepared to devote a lot of time to it. Self-study, as well as classes with a teacher/courses, requires an investment of time.

To get results, you will have to study the language every day, for at least 1-2 hours (if, of course, you want to learn English).

Therefore, you will have to reconsider your habits and the usual rhythm of life in order to find time to study English.

2. Maintain discipline and motivation

Inserting 1-2 hours into your schedule to study a language is one thing, but sticking to this schedule is another. When you study on your own, it's easy to put off studying.

For example, guests came to you and you decided that nothing bad would happen if you didn’t work out for one day.

So gradually it becomes a habit, and you start doing it only when it’s convenient for you. Over and over again, the time for classes decreases and decreases. And the longer your training stretches out, the weaker your motivation to learn the language becomes.

3. You will have to understand the material yourself

You'll have to to spend so many time to understand all the rules of the English language yourself. And also to find the right material.

There will be no teacher nearby to answer your question and explain the misunderstood material. You yourself will look for answers to all the questions that arise.

4. No one will correct your mistakes.

Of course, when learning English, everyone makes mistakes: someone pronounces a sound incorrectly, someone forgets to add an ending, someone uses a word incorrectly, etc. Mistakes are normal.

However, it is very important to correct these errors in time and get rid of them. Otherwise, you risk getting used to it and constantly making the same mistake.

When learning on your own, it is not easy to correct mistakes. Since there is no one nearby who will point you to them and tell you how to do it correctly.

5. No one to practice speaking skills with

The most common problem with self-study is lack of speaking practice. In most cases, this is due to the fact that people simply have no one to practice their speech with.

Therefore, usually when studying on their own, people read, watch films, listen to audio, study the rules, but do not speak in class. But without speaking practice, you will not be able to speak the language.

What should I do?

As you can see, learning English on your own is not easy. That’s why so many people start studying and quickly give up before reaching the finish line. If you are determined to learn English on your own, I want to give you some tips on how to make your independent language learning more effective.

5 tips for learning English on your own

These tips will help you practice much more effectively and easily than people who don’t know them.

To make your training effective you need:

1. Create a training program

This is one of the most important steps you will face when starting to learn a language. Because you will move on this program during your studies.

You can’t teach topics the way you want: today is past simple, tomorrow present perfect, and the day after tomorrow future continuous. If you do this, you will very quickly get confused and stop understanding anything.

It is especially important to have the right learning program if you are starting to learn a language from scratch.

How to create a program?

In a proper training program, the material should be given gradually: from simple to complex. In this article, we have given you the proper structure for learning tenses. It should be at the core of your program.

2. Make a schedule

Once you have created or taken a ready-made program, you need to distribute it in your schedule. It is best to break down all the topics into lessons for each day.

Don't overload the lesson with grammar. It is much more useful to learn 2 rules in a lesson and learn to use them in your speech (make sentences) than to learn 10 rules and not be able to apply them.

Don't forget that the lesson should include not only grammar rules, but also lists of new words.

Be sure to stick to your schedule and do not skip/postpone classes. Otherwise it will become a habit for you.

3. Include review days in your schedule.

Many people don’t do this, so they forget the material very quickly.

New material will gradually be forgotten. Therefore, it is very important to repeat it. Set aside separate days to review the material. Review the material covered every 4-6 lessons.

4. Evaluate your learning outcome

Remember: the result of each lesson should be visible immediately. You don't have to wait six months, a year to get it.

Taking tests will not only show your progress, but will help you understand which topic you have gaps in. This will help you immediately correct your mistakes and get rid of them.

I will say right away that I do not mean tests for choosing the correct answer, they are useless. Since they do not show a person’s real knowledge of any topic.

In proper tests, you will need to write it yourself, translate it yourself, etc. We talked in detail about the correct tests.

5. Train all 4 skills

Usually when studying on your own English people they read, write, watch, listen a lot, etc., but do not speak.

There is no speaking practice. This main mistake when learning a language. After all, with such training a person will not be able to speak. We talked about this error in detail.

Be sure to include speaking skills training in your classes. Even if you have no one to talk to, then talk out loud to yourself.

Below I will give you 3 steps that will allow you to immediately train your speaking skill while learning the rules.

3 steps to learning English grammar

Most people learn the rules incorrectly, so they quickly forget them. As a result, they drop out of training.

Below I will give you step by step instructions, which will allow you to learn how to immediately use the rule you are learning. Let's look at the diagram:

Please note: this diagram is used every lesson. When learning a rule, the steps must follow one another.

So, let's look at each of the stages using an example study verb to be.

Step 1: Understand when to use and how to construct a sentence

For example, you are learning the verb to be in the present tense. At this stage, you examine the rule itself.

Step Result: You must understand sentences with the studied grammar by ear.

Important: Every lesson you have should be built on this principle. Learn the rule by following these steps and your learning will be much more effective.

Conclusion

You can learn English on your own. The main thing is that you have a clear goal. In any case, it will require persistence, discipline, motivation, strength, energy and time from you. However, if you have the time and desire, you can do it.

If you want to learn English faster and with less effort, then I advise you to go to.

Many of you have probably heard the following phrase: “The English language is very easy to learn to speak, but very difficult to learn to speak well.” But we want to reassure you: this is just a joke. Is there at least some truth in it? Is it difficult to learn English? There are two sides to the coin, so we invite you to find out why English is considered easy and why it is considered difficult. At the end of the article, we will give some interesting facts about the language and tell you how to cope with the difficulties that arise.

Why is English so easy?

Everything is learned by comparison, isn’t it? If we compare English with some other languages, we will realize that it is quite easy. Admire the Chinese or Japanese characters, and Arabic script what is it worth... No, compared to them, English is definitely a very simple language!

When I hear somebody sigh, “Life is hard”, I am always tempted to ask, “Compared to what?”.

When someone sighs: “Life is hard…”, I always want to ask: “Compared to what?”

Now let's move on to the details. Why we think English is easy:

• English is one of the most widely spoken languages ​​in the world. And this is no coincidence, because it is considered one of the simplest and most logical in grammar among European languages.
• Relatively simple lettering, in english alphabet there are only 26 of them. For comparison: in the Chinese language there are more than 80,000 characters, and the number of strokes in one character can reach 30!
• Quite a lot of words have “migrated” from English to Russian. Even those who do not learn English automatically memorize several hundred words that are often encountered in life. For example, we are all familiar with the concepts of “businessman”, “bestseller”, “management”, “price list”, “office”. Some words even seem “our own” to us, Russian.
• Nouns do not agree with adjectives in gender, number, and case. For example: “tall girl” - “tall girl”, “tall girls” - “tall girls”, “tall boy” - “tall boy”. As you can see, the adjective “tall” does not change, despite changing the number or gender of the object.
• A noun has only a singular and plural and two cases. That is, you can say “girl” (girl) and “girls” (girls) - this is one case that names the object.

  The second case is used when you need to say that something belongs to someone, for example: “girl’s doll” (girl’s doll). And if something belongs to many girls, then we move the apostrophe behind the letter “s”: “girls’ dolls” (girls’ dolls).

  In all other cases, the word “girl” does not change. For example, you can give a girl her doll: give a GIRL her doll. You can talk to a girl: talk to the GIRL.

  As you can see, dealing with cases in English is much easier than in Russian.

Why is English so difficult?

There is also the opposite point of view: English is a difficult language, in order to master it well, you need to study it for a long time. You probably have a question: how long does it take to learn it and is it possible to “learn” it? We recommend reading the article “”, it will answer your questions.

English, like any other language, is constantly changing: new idioms, slang expressions, words borrowed from other languages ​​appear, and some vocabulary becomes outdated and disappears from spoken language. However, this is not the worst thing for students. Most students are afraid of grammar. What's so difficult about it?

• Time. It seems that there are a lot of them: as many as 3 tenses and each of them has 4 aspects, and if you also remember about the passive voice... However, it is believed that English grammar is one of the most logical and simplest. Do you know what is the most difficult thing about learning all these subtleties? Stop being afraid of them!
• Articles. It is not always easy for a Russian person to understand why a cat can be both “a cat” and “the cat”. There are no such difficulties in our native language. But it’s okay, you can deal with it!
• Control of verbs. Verbs in English are used with different prepositions in different meaning. Since the control of verbs in Russian and English is not the same, students have to learn them by heart. For example, borrow smth FROM smb – borrow, borrow something for a while U anyone. How do you like such discrepancies: to approve OF smth - to approve something, to depend ON smb/smth - depend FROM someone/something, to be popular WITH smb - to be popular U anyone.
• The English language is full of paradoxes, you can read about some of them in the article “Paradoxes of the English language. Do you think English is easy? "

And to make it easier for you to cope with the most common “difficulties” of English, use our life hack article “”, from it you will learn how to easily get around all the “slippery spots” in English grammar.

How to overcome difficulties in learning English. A few simple tips

• Cast aside fears and doubts. It is the fear of failure that stops us. Millions of people learn English, most often they are not geniuses, not linguists, they have average language abilities. Don't be afraid of mistakes, even native speakers make them. We also don’t always write or speak Russian correctly. However, this does not prevent us from communicating with people and understanding each other. Experience is the son of difficult mistakes, so don’t be afraid to gain this experience.
• Try to find similarities in Russian and English. This will help not only learn new vocabulary, but also broaden your horizons. For example, the word “talk” is very similar to the old Russian “to interpret”, the word “child” is similar in sound to “child”, and the word “brave” is similar to our “brave”. And the word “humor” - “humor”, didn’t it come from the good old word “humor”? And “skate” - “horse”, it’s from the word “to roll down”! Agree, it’s much easier to learn English this way.
• Study not only the textbook, but also fascinating auxiliary materials: videos, audio lessons, songs, films in English. IN social network You can subscribe to news from communities of English lovers. We advise you to pay attention to the blogs of language teachers and linguists, where you can find useful tips and the intricacies of learning English.
• If you have difficulty with any section of grammar, devote as much time to it as possible. possible time, use the studied material in communication with the teacher, classmates, and foreigners. Bring your skills to automaticity.

The most interesting “difficulties” of the English language

To sum it up, we cannot tell you that English is very simple and can be easily learned in 1-2 months. But it is not at all as complicated as it seems at first glance. Yes, it has its own characteristics and pitfalls, but these barriers can be overcome if there is a desire. Good luck with your studies!

Learning English on your own is both challenging and interesting task, especially for those people who are used to achieving their goals in life. If you organize your classes correctly, choose the appropriate methodology and purchase the necessary dictionaries and textbooks, learning will not only be effective, but can also turn into enjoyable entertainment. This is the very case when the goal justifies the means, because along with knowledge of the language a person acquires many more bonuses: expanding his circle of friends, the opportunity to read classics in the original and navigate in an English-speaking country without the help of a translator, as well as many other advantages.

What hinders language learning?

Most people are convinced that it is impossible to learn English on their own or at least make a little progress in its knowledge. And the reason for this is stereotypes. Yes Yes! It is other people’s beliefs that force us to give up our dreams and they sound something like this:

• Learning English on your own is an impossible task.
• The process of learning to a certain level of knowledge (for example, advanced) drags on for years.
• Everyone who studies a language at home does not achieve the desired result.
• To learn English, you need to be immersed in a language environment.

In fact, all these statements are not without foundation and they mean only one thing: learning English on your own is quite difficult and thorny path. And how long it will be depends directly on what goals and means are used in the learning process.

What do you need for those who study English on their own?

English self-teacher- performs an important function - it provides information in a clearly structured form with a sequential presentation from simple material to more complex material. Good tutorial is a textbook that pays attention to every aspect of the language being studied: grammar, reading, pronunciation, listening, writing. An equally important point when choosing an English language self-teacher should be its ease of use and accessibility of presentation, the availability of practical exercises, a phonetic course and additional audio materials. Self-learning English will only give results if the classes are interesting to you, and teaching aids evoke positive emotions.

English-Russian dictionary simply necessary for classes. It is best to have one that explains the meaning of new words in simpler English words. The most popular of them are Longman, Cambridge, Oxford, as well as Webster, Collins and Macmillan, but they are all very similar to each other. Longman has more comparison articles, it is simpler and more convenient, Oxford is bright and memorable, and Cambridge has simple and understandable explanations. Which one you choose for yourself is up to you.

Grammar textbook- this is another aspect without which independent learning of English will simply be incomplete. It belongs to the timeless classics, and therefore replace it with this moment nothing is impossible. Many experts believe that Raymond Murphy's grammar textbook has proven its worth over the years. It is quite functional and easy to understand and still occupies a leading position among educational materials. Murphy's textbook is presented in the form of a grammar reference book with reinforcement exercises. It is absolutely not necessary to study in a certain sequence; you can finish in one place and start from a completely different place.

Without what is it impossible to independently study English?

Interest is important driving force human activity, and it is almost impossible to overestimate its importance in learning English. It is on this aspect that concentration of attention, richness of associations and perception of new material depend, because everything that gives pleasure comes easily and naturally. A person who practices out of inner motivation is able to achieve much greater results than someone who is charged with it.

Desire is the second powerful factor that motivates learning. If it goes in tandem with an interest in the language or with a professional need, it gives very good results.

For a desire to turn into action, you need a clearly formulated goal. First of all, decide for yourself why you need English and how much you need to know it, and also determine for yourself the period during which you will achieve a certain result.

Now imagine what opportunities you have to achieve this goal. These may include travel to English-speaking countries, live or virtual communication with native speakers, new techniques and modern teaching materials.

How to define a goal?

Set a goal by asking yourself guiding questions:

• Why do you need English?
• Do you want to read the classics in the original?
• Do you want to participate in international conferences?
• Maybe you need to correspond with business partners in English?
• Or do you want to communicate via Skype with foreign friends?
• Or maybe you are planning to work abroad?

Determine for yourself the most important principles of self-learning English:

• Motivation (for this you need to really want to learn the language).
• The learning process (depends on the purpose for which knowledge is needed).
• The correct method (you need to choose best option, suitable for your temperament).
• A positive attitude (it just doesn't hurt).

What does it take for independent English learning to be successful?

Reading is the mother of learning

Reading allows you to create a picture in your mind, this activates your brain activity and helps you learn better. educational material. When comprehending what you read, you will have to analyze and understand the author’s point of view, this will allow you to better assimilate the material presented.

Read only those texts that you understand, otherwise you will very quickly lose interest in reading.

Pay attention to new words in the text. A large number of unfamiliar expressions in the text indicates that the level of presentation of the material is too high and perhaps you should choose something simpler.

Try to write down all the new words that appear in the text. Mark them as you read, try to guess their meaning, and at the end of the process, add them to your dictionary.

It is reading that becomes the standard of competent writing. Each text contains the correct structure of expressions and sentence construction, this will allow you to subsequently use them correctly in writing.

Watching movies in English is a good combination of business and pleasure

Everyone knows that watching a movie is a real pleasure. To learn English on your own, try to choose films that are familiar to you. It would be better if they had subtitles. For each of them, get your own dictionary and, as you look through it, add unfamiliar words and expressions to it.

Talk, talk and talk!

First of all, you need to learn to speak the language. The biggest problem that befalls a person learning English is fear. Fear of not working out, fear of not knowing and fear of looking stupid when pronouncing certain things. English words. Therefore, many students, devoting a lot of time to grammar and reading, prefer not to speak English at all. And completely in vain! Any learning is useless without practice, which is why you need to work on your pronunciation every day.

Correct pronunciation is the key to success!

Pronunciation is the main component of any foreign language; it depends on the correct perception of foreign sounds. Any defects in pronunciation make a person’s speech difficult to understand. To learn how to correctly pronounce the sounds of the English language, constant training is necessary during the first months of training. Pronunciation rules can be learned by comparing them with the rules of the Russian language. Special attention requires the pronunciation of the most difficult sounds, but do not forget about the small rules. In English, stress and intonation are important, so don’t forget to pay attention to these aspects.

Don't forget about grammar

English grammar is a whole system, without knowledge of which it is simply impossible to fully master the language. For this, it is most important to know its basics, rather than to superficially become acquainted with many secondary phenomena. Try to understand how and why this or that grammatical rule is used in a sentence, and also remember examples of its use.

What pitfalls await you when learning English on your own?

Almost every one of us dreamed of learning English on our own, but few have achieved success in this field. Why is this happening? The first and most the main problem self-study is a lack of control. Anything can distract you from your studies - a phone call, an interesting movie or an invitation to go for a walk. To prevent this from happening, you will have to create a clear schedule for yourself and strictly follow it, using common sense and willpower.

Another problem with learning English on your own is mistakes that will later become your habits. To learn a language correctly, you need to be very strict and attentive to yourself. When studying with a teacher, you will not be afraid of mistakes, because he will correct you in a timely manner. If you are left alone with the language, then the uncorrected error turns into an incorrect construction, which will gradually take root in your speech and writing. Remember - relearning is much more difficult than learning from scratch!

All in your hands

So, you have firmly decided to master English on your own and are ready to start learning it. One of best practices For successful learning, you need to surround yourself with an English-speaking environment. Read books in the original, take notes in English, listen to English radio, watch movies and news in English. The more material you have around you, the faster and more natural the learning process will be. No less important aspect speaking is what most often lags behind among those who study English on their own. In fact, communication with native speakers and those who learn it is not a problem today. You just need to register on sites where participants practice pronunciation and find people to talk to. Remember that everything depends only on you.