When it comes to studying English, do you have a habit of reading-writing-repeating to memorize new words? This method of learning is actually outdated, passive and boring. There is a proverb that “practice makes perfect”, but to “practice” effectively, you need to learn the right methods. Here are 6 ways to learn English fast, especially suitable for busy people.
1. Mimic native people
Among the 4 skills including Listening – Speaking – Reading – Writing, most learners have difficulty with the Speaking skill. You can easily find a lot of documents to improve the remaining skills, but to practice speaking English successfully, try to imitate the pronunciation and accents of the native speakers.
Do you often listen to the news on news websites such as BBC, CNN, VOA, watch television channels such as Discovery Channel , Cartoon Network, etc, listen to US-UK music or watch British or American TV series? Practice listening to English for at least 10 minutes a day and maintain that habit, while also trying to imitate native speakers who speak a standard accent.
2. Learn vocabulary by topics
When individuals learn vocabulary by subjects, memorizing the vocabulary is guaranteed to be much simpler. This is a particularly great way for officers because when you study vocabulary in your major, you will be able to maximize the usage of the vocabulary, making your conversations with colleagues or foreign partners smoother as well as be able to express more ideas.
In order to improve your English for working at the office, you can start with some common topics such as writing emails, presentations, meetings, working with foreign bosses, etc.
3. Practice speaking English as much as possible
You should practice what you have learned by speaking English regularly. For example, when shopping, try to name the items you want to buy in English, note down the words you do not know then look them up in the dictionary later. In this way, you can naturally learn more vocabularies.
When discussing with a foreign boss or colleague, even if your vocabulary is limited or your grammar ability is not stable, try to express your opinion in simple English words. In addition, you can ask a friend who is good at English to give you advice and suggestions to help you gradually overcome the weaknesses. Allow yourself to make mistakes because English is not your native language. You have the right to become confident as you have the ability to communicate in two different languages.
4. Study through English short stories
You will find lots of interesting English short stories on the Internet with audio to help you practice listening. Then, write down what you heard with the simple past tense, then convert to other tenses such as past perfect, present, or future tenses. You can use the online tool, or ask a friend or a native speaker teacher to check your spelling and grammar. After a short time, make sure your English grammar will make significant strides.
5. Choose the right environment for learning English
One of the fastest ways to learn English is to train yourself in an English speaking environment with the native speakers. According to English experts, the environment is an extremely important factor for language learning. That is why people who study abroad or settle permanently in English communicate fluently and naturally.
When you regularly contact with the standard accent of native speakers, you will gradually correct the mistakes people often make when speaking English such as omitting the ending sounds like “s”, “sh”, “ch” … , or lacking the intonation and stress on the keywords.
To access the ideal English environment, you can join English clubs, or find prestigious English language centers with flexible study hours and qualified native speakers.
6. Subscribe to online radio channels or Youtube channels (in English)
Whether you are interested in any topics, such as music, politics, cooking, etc, you will always be able to find an online radio (podcast) or YouTube channel in that topic for yourself. Subscribe to some of your favorite channels and turn on listening when you are driving, on the car or at break time. Studying English by this listening method will bring learners unexpected results. Although it may be difficult at first to listen to a native’s voice, just keep going and you will begin to understand what you listen as well as learn a lot of new vocabulary from the local person!
7. Study abroad
If there is a way to learn English better and faster than being immersed in the language while living and studying in an English-speaking country, then tell us, we really want to know! It is no secret that English is the most commonly used language in the world, and with a long list of English speaking countries to choose from, you can find your own learning environment. If you have a chance and find yourself have enough financial capacity, going abroad for a period of time is highly recommended. You can choose yourself the learning environment depending on your favorite location, weather, city and culture. Your English will make certain improvements. You can think of a few countries like Australia, New Zealand, England, USA, Canada or South Africa.
6. Do not criticize yourself and give up
When you feel that you are not making progress – which can happen to every student at some point – never say “I can not speak English” or “I will never do something this ”. Please, remove these words from your dictionary! They just make you unaware of your real progress and help convince you that you can not speak English well. Instead, talk to yourself, “I’m learning English and getting better everyday”, “It’s not always easy, but it’s worth it”, “I have improved a lot more than I had 6 months ago” and other sentences to remind yourself of the bigger picture.
With these ways of learning English and the spirit of great perseverance, I believe that soon you will conquer this foreign language! Thank you for reading and see you in the next writing!