Hello everyone.
When you are learning a language, not only English; there is a point when you feel that you are no learning anything new or that your level of English can go any farther. Sometimes, you study but you seem being learning nothing new. You think you are speaking at a natural pace and you believe you understand English not only with survival purposes but also with specific goals. Then, we question ourselves, what can I do if I am not improving?.
Well, I think many people has been in this stage and there are plenty of things you can do in order to overcome it and successfuly keep your process of learning English. First at all, you need not to panic, it is normal, chill out...listen to some music or read something you like in English you are doing something you like and your practicing as well. At this moment, you can also going to a movie or watch some television in English good relaxing and entrataining way for learning English.
Second, review those areas and topics you find hard to understand in English. For example even though I have studied the subjunctive in English, some conditionals and phrasal verbs they are still difficult topics for me so...once a while I study those topics that have given me a hard time. It could be related to grammar, pronunciation, vocabulary, or strategies for improving your communicative skills.
Third, you can find a partner for learning. You can set days and topics for practice. As well, you can share activities that both enjoy and speak in English. This give you the opportunity to practice, correct each other's mistakes and have fun while learning.
The idea is to keep practicing and keep your process. I hope you like this blog and I am looking forward to receive your comments and suggestions. Thank you
Comments
Hello.
Harry Jones. You make me remember those classes at collegue when I was studying linguistics and one of my teacher came out with the topic of "The Ideal Speaker/The Ideal Listener" proposed by Noan Chomsky. I bring this to the topic because there is not that in factual life. No body is a truly speaker of any language...nor accent is better than other and the purpose on the communication process is that to communicate an idea, to transmit information, to convince, or to persuade.
Besides, When I was at the university I recall another teacher who told me "English is one, but accents and dialectic variants are several; hence, it doesn't matter if you try to imitate to an American Person or a British person...you will be understood because English is one".
Here I say that we imitate, because that's what I do. When I speak English I have to imitate some sounds because they don't exist in Spanish sooo....English is one and that's why if I speak with a korean person in English I will understand because accent is just a matter of sociological aspects but it doesn't affect the communication.
If American speakers don't speak English...what do they speak? If you go to UK, there are also lots of variants. The English that someone speaks in London is not the same that someone in Leeds would speak; a Scottish never speaks the same as a Welsh and of course someone from Oxford never speaks the same to someone from Liverpool; so, I know that there is something like an Standard English but every region has its own accent and its own way to use the language. Then, I think that saying that Americans don't speak English, would be the same that saying that here in Colombia we don't speak Spanish because we are not Spaniards...
Hello everyone.
I would like to make clear something that maybe was understood wrong. First, I know that if you want to boost your English level 15-20 minutes will not be enough. What I want to suggest is that you need a day where you can have a full toutorial sesson, maybe with a teacher, perhaps on the internet. This must be at least a 2 hour sesson. Then, the other days you can set a little time for reviewing what you have learnt or practicing.
Second, making mistakes is part of the process you don't have to worry about them. I mean, you have to be concern of them and analyze them and be aware of them. But, the most you worry about them, the most you will make them. So I hope making this clear for you and don't worry... I love to see how many replies I have recived, this encorage me to write more.
I really appreciate.
"The better the paddles, the higher the fun" - agree. No matter how will you call it or what kind of metaphor you will use. We learners, all of us, want to speak in fluent. There are many ways to achive this goal - and if you practise well and you enjoy of what you do - there are no bad ways, every one is good. After a while you will notice another level/stage of your language and you will discover other option to learn. Important is to believe that one day the day will come, have fun and keep doing... do you agree?
Dear carlos Mora, Ok, can agree with you, but 10-15minutes per day is not enough to learn foreign language. If you spend 15per day you will never get high level of language
Well, some people say that they can improve their English because they have no time. My piece of advice for this issue is: no matters the amount of time, what it is really important is the quality of time. You can set fifteen minutes a day and you can make significant changes in your English proficiency. You can read some news in English and write down some new vocabulary. You can listen to some podcasts (there are some that only take six minutes) and you can check the vocabulary or the pronunciation. In fifteen minutes you can write a sentence with a special grammar and try to figure out how it works.
The idea is to practice everyday no matter how long but how good.
I also agree with what you said. For me best way to improve my English is speaking on skype or in real with native speaker. If not native it should be someone who speak advance language. Good help is also a longer trip to UK or USA where you can immerse into a real language and everyday conversations. Watching movies or news on BBC or CNN or any other channel is also helpful. And I guess most important, you must love it, it must be your hobby, otherwise if you do it because you have to, it won't work. Problem is a fact that most of us do not have time and don't have and English speaker to practice speaking. As we can see from the post below, most of learners can write, but a lot from us cannot speak. good luck for everyone, keep doing... even if you do mistakes, like me :)
I knew about English 10 years ago. But during secondary school and high school, i just knew how to say "hello", "hi", "thank you" and some simple tenses. That's it!
You know, in Vietnam, we study so many subjects, but we just take the exam with some subjects. In the most important exam in Vietnam - university entrance examination, i just took the exam with Mathematics, Chemistry and Physics. So, i didn't study English seriously.
On the other hand, i was born and studied in a countryside, I didn't have good conditions to study English, about time, money and learning environment
Since i came to my university, i saw how English is important with me, with my career in the future. Thus i'm trying to study it. I have ever joined an English course, but i was fed up with it due to its old method - teacher speaks, students repeat. Now i study English myself by practicing
Now i really enjoy it, even my English is not good, but i'd like to learn it everyday. Thank you for all your ideas, it's very useful for me.
Good luck everyone! :D
---Siro---
great job. general, the people mostly learn english with the main purpose of earning money and getting a good job.. and.. i really hate english in school-old methods.!! after thinking deeply a bout english,.. i think using immersion method.spend alot of time with native speaker is the best way to learn it and reach to your main goal :D:D::DD lols
Thanks a lot for sharing your experience and idea with us. You have mentioned how we can improve our skill in English. It will be really helpful for everybody. Wish you all the best.
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