10 Things You Should Know About Learning English

Sabrena Doherty Author

IF YOU WANT TO KNOW HOW TO LEARN ENGLISH EFFECTIVELY (& HOW NOT TO LEARN!), READ THESE TIPS.

In this article, I want to tell you 10 things you should know about learning English, and I promise you will feel more motivated and happier about learning English after you read it!

Learning English can be difficult, be it business English or general English, not only because there is so much to learn, but also because there is so much information out there - but not guidance. 

No-one tells you the steps you need to take to learn English in the simplest, most direct way possible. 

Also no one tells you how long it will take, and how much you need to incorporate English into your life. 

As well as all that, learning English can be very boring if you do not have the right approach. After all, who really wants to sit and study grammar and verbs all day! 

In addition, we are bombarded with videos and articles that give us bad advice, for example, that we have to change our accent, we have to know our grammar, and we should move to England if we really want to improve! 

I am here to tell you that learning English does not have to be complicated, and you do not have to move to England to do so. 

1. Your accent is lovely, don´t try to change it! 

But you DO need to work on your pronunciation. Why have a great range of vocabulary & gramm

ar if no-one understands what you say? 

2. Knowing all the grammar in the world will not help you speak English.

Speaking English will help you speak English! 

Sure, knowing grammar and vocabulary are essential tools to speaking English better, but you need to practice speaking in order to improve your fluency. 

3. Listening is one of the best ways of improving your English. 

Listening improves your understanding, bu

t it also improves other areas of your English:

Your speaking - because you are hearing the correct pronunciation, and you repeatedly hear common grammar structures & vocabulary so they come to you more naturally when you are speaking.

Your grammar & vocabulary - again, because you are hearing the grammar & vocabulary in natural settings repeatedly.

Your confidence in your ability - because if you understand better, and you speak better, you will feel better about your English.

4. You need to get out of your comfort zone. 

I know it is difficult to speak to someone in another language, but you need to do this if you want to improve. Go to class, have language exchanges, join activities in English. If you are very shy and you want to practice speaking, talk to yourself, read aloud. Record yourself speaking. But speak, no matter what.

5. No-one cares if you make grammar mistakes.

The whole point of communication is to understand and be understood. If anyone does ridicule or laugh at any mistakes you make, ignore them, they are being completely rude and obnoxious (I would use worse words but I am on a public platform).

6. Learning English is easy! 

The difficult part is being consistent. To learn English, you have to be realistic about how much time you need to speak fluently and understand well. Read more about how to plan your English learning path in this article.

7. Learning English is fun!

I am serious! We always try to have fun in our classes because, well, why not? And we always encourage students to find activities in English that they enjoy in order to practice & improve, not ones that are boring for them. 

8. Immersion is key.

The bad news is that you will NOT improve your English skills enough to have meaningful communication if you are only attending class twice a week and nothing more. You need to add English to your life as much as possible. The good news is that you do not need to move to an English speaking country. Because of the internet and our globalised society, there is no shortage of resources to help you learn English. 

Doing a little every day over time will add up to a lot. And adding English activities to your daily routine will increase your learning much more than just attending class twice a week. 

Having formal learning is important - teachers (should!) correct your mistakes & you can learn & practice new grammar, vocabulary & business English, but it is the little things you do every day in English that will really make the difference to your fluency. 

Listening to the radio in English while you go to work or watching a series in English (even with subtitles!). Reading a book in English & changing all your devices to English language - all of it makes a difference. 

9. You need a goal.

Having objectives will really help you to achieve your goal of speaking English. 

Why do you need or want to learn English? 

What areas specifically do you need to improve? 

This will help you choose the materials you need and what activities you need to do to practice. 

10. Having a deadline will motivate you. 

If you don't have a natural deadline (because you need to reach a certain level of English by a certain date for work or to pass an exam), make one. 

We work harder on tasks if we have to do them within a certain timeframe. 

Use this eBook (with free 3 day challenge) to set your goals, set a realistic deadline (by knowing your level and the level you need to be), and to find which activities you need to do to achieve your goal.

So if you want to improve your English, and enjoy the process, pay attention to these 10 tips above and you will achieve your goal!

No one succeeds without effort... Those who succeed owe their success to perseverance. Ramana Maharshi

If you really want to improve your English this year, check out our Membership Programme. In it you have:

• A roadmap to follow to improve your English step by step.
• Regular events such as weekly conversation practice & monthly masterclasses.
• Monthly challenges to focus on one area of your English.
• Many courses related to business, improving your English, useful grammar and vocabulary.

& much more.

This programme has been developed by Vaughan trained teachers - we have been helping professionals & companies improve their English for 11 years. 

Please contact us if you have any questions:

[email protected]

Categories: Improve Your English