How To Improve Your English

Photo credit: Pixabay

If you know a bit of English but still can’t speak it as you’d like to, then the following tips are for you.

When people say they know English, it’s probably that they understand a whole set of grammatical rules, which make them think that they can speak easily. English is not limited to grammar.

Learning a language is a process, and before you reach complete fluency, you have to press forward. Although people claim that learning a new language is difficult, following the right methods will take you really far in no time.

That’s why we have put together exactly what you need to do to significantly improve your English

 

Reading

Now you know a bit of English, but you still can’t put words together to make complete and accurate sentences. That’s where reading comes in handy. To speak English accurately and fluently, you need to a rich vocabulary as well as many examples where words and tenses are put together or combined to create conversations or to share thoughts.

Not only reading will show you the above, but it will also help get you familiar with the way words are combined to convey ideas. In fact, the more you read, you will see almost exactly the same expressions being used. You can even use these same expressions or sentences in your conversations.

 

Listening

The best way to know how words are pronounced is to listen. Listening is the activity that will take you very far in English. A lot of listening materials are available in English, and they are free. YouTube can be your best friend.

In case you have trouble understanding native speakers – because some of them speak very fast – you can listen to non-native English speakers. This will get you started quickly.

Also, listening will help you know how words are linked together when speaking. As you know, words are written alone, but they are not read alone. Words, used in sentences, react to other words surrounding them (words before or after them). A lot is going on when we speak. Some sounds are ignored (pronounced with low voice), while others are completely removed. For example. the sound /d/ at the end of the word “and” disappears whenever the following word begins with a vowel or a consonant (sometimes). Also, a whole syllable like the “or” of “comfortable”, can disappear.

These are things that you can only know through listening. Listen to native speakers as much as you can when know that your level is improving.

So, listening, coupled with reading, gets you ready for the next tip

 

Speaking

Well, it’s obvious that when reading and listening, you cannot avoid speaking, but you need to also devote a time to speaking.

Speaking helps you practice what you have learned in the previous tips. Human beings speak almost 90% of the day, so you cannot put off speaking. Don’t be afraid of making mistakes. Make sure you learn from them so that you won’t make them anymore. If someone was kind or bold enough to correct your mistakes, be thankful because not everybody likes putting you in an awkward situation. They prefer to try to get your ideas rather than focusing on your mistakes. So, there is nothing to fear.

Speak as much as you can.

 

Think in English

The process of becoming fluent in English may take a little longer, but the end result will be awesome. And it won’t be complete if you don’t add this tip, that is, to think in English. Many English learners complain that they always translate in their mind whatever they want to say. As a beginner, it can be forgivable. But as you evolve in the language, you have to force yourself to think in English. That’s the only way to seriously improve your English.

Think about native English speakers for example, they speak so fast that we have the impression that they don’t think of the words before saying them. As if they have already prepared what to say. No, that’s not the case. To explain this, we can explain what happens when we forget something. At this very moment, our brain takes some time to recollect or retrieve the information from where it has been stored (from other parts of the same brain). After some time, you just remember what you were looking for. Sometimes you will not remember it until you see something or an event related to what you were looking for, then you remember it. The word or expression has been associated with something else or a specific event which makes it easy for you to remember it.

It’s the same process that takes place when native English speakers speak. Their brain processes the information faster and retrieves the right word at the right time.

So, for you to speak English this way, you have to train your brain (mind) to think in English. By doing so, you will quickly improve your English.

 

Learn phrasal verbs

English speakers use phrasal verbs a lot, so should you. Many verbs in English have their phrasal verbs equivalent, and native speakers tend to use their equivalent rather than the verbs themselves.

Some of the most important ones are “turn down” (reject / refuse), “give back” (return), “give up” (quit), “talk over” (discuss), “look up to’ (admire), “set up” (prepare / arrange), “cut in” (interrupt), to state just a few.

Have fun while learning. Don’t take their learning as a burden otherwise, you won’t see how easy they are, and eventually, you will give up learning them.

 

Writing

Last but not least comes writing.

Writing is sometimes overlooked by English learners. This is something you should not do.

Writing helps you practice your spelling. The more you write, the more you know how words are written. This allows you to sound more professional.

Also, writing helps you practice your grammar. It helps you practice tenses and other topics in grammar. You can tell a story or narrate an event in a written form just to maintain a good level of your grammar tenses knowledge.

In addition to that, it helps your brain think in English, too. At first, you will take time getting the right word or expression, but as you write daily, you will write faster and more accurately.

 

Conclusion

To improve your English, you need patience, hard work, and constant practice.

By putting together all these tips in your daily leaning, your hard work will surely pay off, and you will see a tremendous progress in your speaking.