Saturday, August 29, 2009 1:23 AM
The most common question we get is "How Can I speak or improve my English ?" What can I do to improve ? Here are some rules for any language. This article was recently published in over 300 Ezines and has become very popular. Feel free to share or post this.
Just Speak – and Don’t worry about your mistakes
The biggest problem most people face in learning a new language is their own fear. They worry that they won’t say things correctly or that they will look stupid so they don’t talk at all. Don’t do this. The fastest way to learn anything is to do it – again and again until you get it right. Like anything, learning English requires practice. Don’t let a little fear stop you from getting what you want.
Read Read Read
It is essential that you spend as much time as you can building your vocabulary. Even if your grammar is off speech requires words, and the more words you know the better ! Studying vocabulary lists may be a bit painful so the best way to learn and become accustomed to the usage of words is by seeing them in Action. So spend time reading.
Surround Yourself with English
The absolute best way to learn English is to surround yourself with it. Take notes in English, put English books around your room, listen to English language radio broadcasts, watch English news, movies and television. Speak English with your friends whenever you can. The more English material that you have around you, the faster you will learn and the more likely it is that you will begin “thinking in English.”
Use all Resources
Even if you study English at a language school it doesn’t mean you can’t learn outside of class. Using as many different sources, people, methods and tools as possible, will allow you to learn faster. There are many different ways you can improve your English, so don’t limit yourself to only one or two. The internet is a fantastic resource for virtually anything, but for the language learner it's perfect.
Watch English Films and Television
This is not only a fun way to learn but it is also very effective. By watching English films (especially those with English subtitles) you can expand your vocabulary and hear the flow of speech from the actors. If you listen to the news you can also hear different accents.
Listen to English Music
Music can be a very effective method of learning English. In fact, it is often used as a way of improving comprehension. The best way to learn though, is to get the lyrics (words) to the songs you are listening to and try to read them as the artist sings. There are several good internet sites where one can find the words for most songs. This way you can practice your listening and reading at the same time. And if you like to sing all the better.
Listen to Native Speakers as Much as Possible
Half the battle at the beginning is catching all the sounds and pronunciation correctly. Native speakers have the correct natural flow to their speech that students of English should try to imitate. The closer ESL / EFL students can get to this rhythm or flow, the more convincing and comfortable they will become.
Test yourself and challenge yourself
Many people think that exercises and tests aren't much fun. However, by completing exercises and taking tests you can really improve your English. One of the best reasons for doing lots of exercises and tests is that they give you a benchmark to compare your future results with. Often, it is by comparing your score on a test you took yesterday with one you took a month or six months ago that you realize just how much you have learned. If you never test yourself, you will never know how much you are progressing. Start now by doing some of the many exercises and tests on this site, and return in a few days to see what you've learned. Keep doing this and you really will make some progress with English.
Record Yourself
Nobody likes to hear their own voice recorded but like tests, however it is good to compare your recordings from time to time. You may be so impressed with the progress you are making that you may not mind the sound of your voice as much.
Finally
Be a bit patient with yourself ! Learning takes time. Don't beat yourself up because you made some mistakes. Just keep working at it each day bit by bit. One day you will find old mistakes are gone, and things you couldn't do, or didn't get are no longer issues. Success takes time so just keep at it.
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Mike, is A recognized ESL expert and has been helping students all over the world for 20 years to learn and master English. To learn more you can visit his free English Learners website www.EnglishInNY.com.