Learning any language is a tough task for most of us. Whether it is English, German, French, or Spanish, we live in a world right now, where knowing more than one language is advantageous in many ways. However, English is universal in its appeal, and understanding the language can help you get by in most places on the planet.
While the best way to learn the nuances of English is by taking a course, a student must continue to improve and review what they have learned, regularly. One of the biggest mistakes a person learning a language can make is to leave it alone. Unfortunately, learning English is not like riding a bike. Unless you continue educating yourself, you will most likely forget the language.
However, there are a few tricks that any person can use to solidify the language they are learning. Following them frequently can help keep you stay in touch with the language and also improve it over time.
Speak
The ideal way to continue learning English outside of a classroom is to speak it. Find a friend or a family member who knows English and begin talking to them for a few minutes every day. Thanks to modern technology, in case you have no one around, call up someone through the internet, and talk to them. The important part is that you speak with a person who knows the language. This way, they can correct you when you go wrong.
Watch
Many people have learned languages only by watching TV or films. It is undoubtedly a great way to force the brain to understand a foreign language. Luckily, there are English programs available around the world, so watching them is not a problem. Moreover, it is a good idea to watch films that comprise of characters who speak in different dialects and accents. One of our favourite films to watch in the office is Rocky. In fact, just the other day we were all indulging in the movie by playing scratch cards, and the Rocky scratch card at Mansion, reminded us of the quote, “Life’s not about how hard of a hit you can give… it’s about how many you can take, and still keep moving forward.” It’s a reminder that learning English can be hard at times. Maybe someone will even make fun of you. But one must never give up and continue learning to prove them wrong.
Write
Writing in a foreign language takes a lot more effort, but it is also the quickest way of learning it. By writing things, we emphasize what we are thinking and thus understand it better. Writing a little every day should be a part of a plan to study English on your own. It doesn’t have to be paragraphs or long chapters. Instead, start with small sentences and then shift to fun things like writing a letter to a friend or family. The aim of all this is to get in the habit of writing, which will prove to be fruitful in the long run.
Don’t Be Lazy
In the age smartphones and chats, it is easy to slip up and start writing a language in text form. That is probably the biggest mistake any English learner can make. Make it a point that even if you are sending a long text to a friend, you use complete words and don’t shorten them in any way. If you start shrinking them, it will harm how you write and as a result, how you speak English.
Author: Lisa Golden
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