The English language is one of the most widely spoken languages in the world which means that it is easy for English learners like you to find plenty of materials to support your learning. In this article, we list down some of our top tips to improve your English.
Tip 1: Understand why learning English is important
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When you’re learning something new, it is important to know why you’re doing it so that you will be able to find the right motivation to keep improving. So have you ever thought about why learning English is important in our life?
Well, English is used in many universities and businesses as the main medium of communication. Besides that, English allows you to connect with people all over the world and makes travelling easier. Whether you’re in China or Peru, English will most likely be the common language that you share with the people there. On top of that, being fluent in English means that you can access a lot of content out there whether it’s online or offline.
English language skills are something that will benefit you throughout your life. When you keep that in mind, you may find it easier to make yourself practice English as much as you can and follow the other tips below to improve your English.
Tip 2: Immerse yourself in English language entertainment
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Whether it’s watching one of the Marvel movies or listening to Ariana Grande songs, try to immerse yourself in English language entertainment on a regular basis. If you’re already watching English language movies and tv series frequently, do it a little more intentionally. Turn off the subtitles and find out the meanings of words that you don’t understand.
If you’re already singing out loud to your favourite Taylor Swift songs, make sure your pronunciations are correct. Check out this article for more tips on how music can help you improve your English.
Some people also pick up a foreign language by watching videos of their favourite Youtubers. English language content is so easy to find on the internet so make the best use of it. We’re sure that our first tip to improve your English is something that you would enjoy doing!
Tip 3: Make English the default language setting
Many of us have our mobile phones by our side throughout the day, and we probably look at our phone screen a hundred times a day. If you set the default language of your phone to English, this is a way for you to interact with English words more frequently. You can also change the language settings of your social media platforms to English.
On your phone and laptop, you can also turn on the autocorrect function so that it can correct any spelling or grammatical mistakes, which is a helpful tip for you to improve your English.
Tip 4: Read English language content
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English language content is widely available on the internet. Whether you’re looking to read about current affairs or catch up on the latest celebrity gossip, you will be able to find plenty of articles in English. If you’re not sure where to start, you can find articles on newspaper websites such as The Star, BBC and CNN.
Many popular book series are also written in English so make sure you read the original text instead of picking up a translated version. When you come across words you don’t understand, use a dictionary or just google to find out their meaning.
Don’t worry or be discouraged if you find a book difficult to read. Simply start with a simpler book or a short story. Click here for some examples of short stories and books that you can use to improve your English.
Tip 5: Surround yourself with English speakers
Find friends whom you can practise speaking English with or try speaking English at home with your family. You can also speak English with your teachers even if they’re not your English teachers. Explain to them that you’re trying this tip to improve your English.
Besides that, aim to speak English for at least an hour a day. However, if it’s difficult to find people to talk to, surround yourself with English content, as mentioned in one of the tips above to improve your English above.
You can also look for a pen pal or an internet friend whom you can communicate in English with. This could be a native speaker or an English language learner just like you.
Tip 6: Vocabulary book
Once you’re discovering all these new words from reading, listening to music, watching television and talking to others, it can be difficult to remember all of the meanings. So why not write it down and create your own vocabulary book? By doing this, you’ll have a personalised dictionary that you can refer to in the future.
Tip 7: Don’t be afraid of making mistakes
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While this is the last tip on this list, it is not the least important. In fact, this might be one of the most important tips to keep in mind as a language learner. When you’re trying to improve your English, believe that you can do it and don’t be afraid of making mistakes.
Don’t feel ashamed about using it in front of others or let others limit your learning. Instead, find the right people to support your learning. This could be a friend, family member or your teacher.
