It doesn’t matter what profession you choose and where you live; you need to know English to become successful. A professor uses English when communicating with colleagues from all around the world. Business people also need English language when contacting international clients or partners. If you’re a student, you’ll need this language to locate learning material online. If you’re a traveler, English is the language you can use wherever you go.
It seems like English connects us globally. That’s why you can only benefit from making efforts to improve it. Learning the grammar and writing complete sentences in English may turn out to be easier than the speaking part.
Miles Miller, a language expert from Australianwritings, explains that phenomenon: “When you’re in a situation where you’re expected to use English, it seems like your knowledge of grammar disappears and you’re making mistakes you wouldn’t make in writing. Why does that happen? You don’t have enough practice; that’s why! The good news is that practicing is easy. We have access to many online tools that help us connect with natives and speak English every day.”
The Method: Immersion
There are many different ways of learning and practicing English. Some people prefer online lessons, while others opt for the traditional classroom instead. Some people like Skype sessions with their friends from foreign countries, but others like to travel and meet people in person. There isn’t a universal rule that would help us all master English speaking skills. It’s a rather individual process, which requires some experimenting.Still, there is one technique that works for everyone: immersion. This is a method that teachers use: they make English the exclusive language of communication in the classroom. This doesn’t mean you should stop using your native language in your everyday life. However, it means you need to make English part of your lifestyle. You need to immerse yourself in it.
Tips: How to Make English Part of Your Daily Life
1. Learn vocabulary on specific topicsAre you interested in astronomy, science, make-up, sports, or anything else? Of course you have an interest! You can develop a daily habit of learning few words related to that interest. Pick a theme and start learning few words every single day.
You’ll benefit in two ways when you develop this habit:
- You’ll improve your vocabulary, and…
- You’ll learn a lot about the things you’re interested in, since you’ll be exploring online content in English.
Have you seen recipe videos on YouTube? Well, you can practice a similar technique: speak while preparing your food. For example, a smoothie may contain bananas, strawberries, chokeberries, blueberries, honey, goji berries, coconut oil, and water. You can learn many words when preparing a simple smoothie.
Pretend you’re explaining the recipe in English. If you don’t know how a particular ingredient is called, look it up in the dictionary. Don’t forget to pay attention to the items you use to prepare the food. You have dishes, forks, spoons, a blender, and many other words you can learn. As usual, write down the new words.
3. Name the objects around you
Whenever you have free time on your hands, use it to look around. What do you see? Name the objects in English! It will be easy for you to name some of the items. A chair, table, TV. However, you’ll also notice a radiator, TV remote, curtains, candles, and some things you won’t be able to name. Use your dictionary to find those words. Don’t forget to speak up. Remember: this is a speaking practice.
4. Make sentences with the words you learn
All these habits help you learn new words. However, random words don’t mean anything if you don’t make them part of your vocabulary. That’s why you’ll need to use them in actual sentences. Form sentences related to your interests, the breakfast you’re making, or the objects you see around you. The candle is on the table. I will use a lighter to light the candle. The flame is bright. See? You can form many sentences around a single object, and all those sentences help you learn new words.
5. Learn English through your habits
Here’s the easiest way of making English a daily habit: don’t change your habits.
- Are you listening to music every day? Well, you can listen to music with English lyrics and sing along.
- Do you like reading? Start doing it in English.
- You certainly read the news or celebrity gossip every day. Why don’t you bookmark some websites that provide news in English language?
- You like watching documentaries or TV shows? Choose those with narrative in English.
- Do you exercise in the morning? Find the names of each movement and keep telling them in English as you practice.
The immersion technique can be even more useful when you combine it with the right apps and online tools. Here are few suggestions of tools that can become part of your daily routines:
- Evernote – A tool for taking notes and making to-do list. Whenever you get an idea, write it down in English. If you’re heading out to the store, create a shopping list in English. You have a list for books you want to read or movies you want to see? Update it in English.
- Quizlet – A collection of learning tools that enhance your memory through visual effects. You can create your own flashcards to study anything, and you can do that in English. You can write new words on the flashcards, and find images that grasp the concepts. There is a great collection of flashcards at the website, so you can use them when you don’t have time to create your own. For example, these Crime and Punishment flashcards can help you remember the characters from Dostoevsky’s book.
- YouTube cooking videos – If you’re cooking every day, why don’t you try new recipes? You can watch different videos on YouTube and pick the favorite recipe of the day. These videos are very useful for language learners. You get clear, slow-paced explanations with visual presentation, so you don’t even need a dictionary to understand the new words. When you’re recreating the recipe, don’t forget to recreate the instructions, too.
- Karaokegame – An online tool that gives you the background music of your favorite songs. All you need to do is sing! In English, of course.
Learning English Is a Lifetime Commitment. Turn It Into a Habit!
It’s not that hard to improve your vocabulary when you practice every single day. The tips above show you how to include that practice in your lifestyle. Try some of the tips and tell us how they work for you.
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