Improve your English every day
Speaking from experience, learning a new language is challenging. Learning to speak fluent English has to begin with the basics but once you are living in England there are certain tricks and tips to help you raise your skills from a second language to a fluent or even native level. Here are a few tips to improve your skills every day.
TEACH OTHERS
Science has shown that by teaching a language to other people, your understanding of a second language can improve dramatically. By moving to England and getting a job tutoring people in your language, you will have a better understanding of the working of languages.
You could even do a language exchange for conversational lessons in English. This is an excellent way of improving your skills, as in a one-to-one setting the subtleties of a language will be pointed out to you. Whereas in formal language classes there is an emphasis on grammar and vocabulary, in a one-to one you can improve your sentence structure and pronunciation to develop your fluency.
WATCH, LISTEN, LEARN
If you do not have this opportunity, television and films are an excellent way to improve your skills. Passively watching TV in English is not enough, however. Choose a film you haven't seen before which incorporates a lot of dialogue and use the English subtitles as well. When you come across a word you do not know the meaning of, write it down and look it up. Even though this may not be necessary to understand the general meaning of the film, it is a good way to build new vocabulary.
There are many online resources which can also help you to improve language skills:
Babbel is a free website which allows you to save your points and levels and includes activities and learning exercises as well as a translator.
LiveMocha is a peer review website where you can submit verbal or written exercises which will then be corrected by other users. This allows you to receive personal feedback and help whatever your level – and without having to leave the house!
For use when you're on the move, there are apps for Smartphones which can aid your learning:
Conversation English is an iPhone app which offers 20 full lessons to help you learn expressions and idioms specific to the English Language.
If you need to improve your English skills to be more productive in your job, English At Work is a great app which helps to improve your listening and speaking as well as learning phrases which you can use in the workplace.
LEARN THE BASICS
These tips are useful for those with an advanced level of English, as you can really hone your skills and build your vocabulary. For those with a lower level of English, however, you may first need to get to grips with the basics.
Why not join the thousands of students who come from overseas to study English in London, a city that offers an exciting environment to learn in.
Or if signing up to an English school London has to offer doesn’t sound like your kind of thing, there are many other English schools around the UK, for instance in cities like Bristol and Manchester.
Once you have grasped the basics it is not difficult to move on to the next level and begin to sound fluent in the language, particularly if you are living in the UK.
Resource Box:
English Language Guide
All about the English Language
Interactive activities for English Language learners and teachers
