What’s the secret to learning English?
How can I learn English quickly?
These are the two questions I get asked most often by students or by people making small talk at a party (back in the old days when we were allowed to socialise, that is. It's still usually one of the first questions in an online class).
We want the cheat code, the short cut to learning a language. We want to jump the frustrating bit and go straight to impressive fluency.
My answer is always the same. There is one tip that works for everyone, no matter your level, needs, talent or skill set. One golden rule is always true. (It may not be what you want to hear, but don't give up. I have another golden rule coming later.)
The more you practise English, the quicker you will improve.
If we look at the two typical examples of quick language learners: babies and immigrants. What do they have in common? Massive exposure to the language they need to learn.
You too would learn quickly if English was slowly repeated into your face, every waking hour. Babies have intensive English classes from the moment they’re born, including songs, books and games. No wonder they learn quickly.
And immigrants suddenly find themselves in a world where every basic need demands some use of another language: taking the bus to work, finding the coffee, finding the toilet, asking for help because the photocopier is on fire.
We learn languages quickly when we use them and are constantly exposed to them.
Unfortunately, most of us are neither babies, nor can we just move to the country whose language we want to learn (thanks Brexit).
We could make up for that immersion if we had private English classes all day, but that’s not realistic because we are busy people. We have relationships, work, babies, hobbies, TV, friends, TV, Instagram, dog, gym, shopping, cleaning, TV, call mum, clean the bathroom, water the plants, watch TV, etc.
However, there is a solution.
We need to remember that less can also be more. This leads me to golden rule #2 of how to learn a language (the silver rule?).
Doing a little every day is better than occasionally doing a lot.
Learning a language is about practice, frequency and habit. Doing 15 - 20 minutes every day will get much better results than sitting down for three hours on a Sunday.
So, if we can find a way to fit short practice sessions into our day, every day, we will improve our English considerably and still have time for all the other important activities. Even Instagram. We’ll have just enough English exposure to keep that part of our brain active, but it will also fit into our normal, busy lives.
There are many, many ways to get this short regular practice. Most Finnish people get it from watching TV or playing video games. However, here are a few more ideas that you might find useful.
The list of suggested activities below need no more than 20 minutes from your day and, if practiced every day, are guaranteed to improve your English level.
I’ve divided them into the different skills areas and tried to add some tips and techniques for how to get the most out of the activities.
Listening – podcasts and music
Listening is great because we can do it whilst commuting, driving, ironing or cleaning the bathroom. The two obvious sources are podcasts and music.
Podcasts: I’m a podcast addict. They are great for vocabulary, particularly the latest buzzwords from specific business areas.
Choose something of interest to you or relevant to the language area you want to develop. There are podcasts on marketing, law, cooking, history, photography; you name it. Find something you want to listen to and it’ll be a lot easier to put in the time.
Music: Again, you can choose the genre you like, as long as it’s in English and it’s something you enjoy listening to.
Here are some tips for getting the most out of your listening time. Remember, these activities can be done for as much time as you have. 10 minutes, 20 minutes. This is not a marathon.
1. Listen for the general meaning. Try not to worry about the specific words or grammar. Just try to keep up with what is being communicated. What’s the idea?
2. Listen again (maybe the following day). Focus on some individual words. If you’re not sure what they mean, look them up.
3. Check the transcripts or lyrics. Many podcasts supply transcripts (such as this one from storycorps) and you can always Google song lyrics. Have a look at them whilst you listen (not whilst walking).
4. Listen to the way the words are pronounced. Listen to the rhythms and stress. Try to copy them.
Reading – blogs
Of course, we can read books and magazines, even subtitles on TV, but another great resource are blogs. They might sound a bit old-fashioned, but like podcasts they are accessible, free, portable and available on pretty much every topic you can imagine.
They are also one of the best sources of the latest, cutting edge, developments in most business areas.
Most companies have their own blog, so that can be a great place to start. Here are a few to get you started:
Patagonia (outdoor sports)
Rosetta Stone (language learning)
Ikea (you know what they do)
Hubspot (marketing)
Fiverr (business tips)
Suunto (outdoor sports)
Featureshoot (photography)
Dittmar (legal)
The most important thing is that you find something you’re interested in.
1. Read for general meaning. Skip the confusing words, just keep going and try to understand the general idea of the piece.
2. Go back and have a look at some of those tricky words.
3. Read it again. Enjoy understanding the detail.
4. Go into work and impress your boss with the latest news you’ve just read in an English language blog.
Speaking - alone
Obviously, being able to meet an English speaker for coffee every day to practice would be best. But we’re trying to think of practical ways to get in some quick practice. So, we may have to talk alone.
Although it may seem strange, it’s a really useful activity. Speaking (alone) will improve your fluency considerably and will also help you identify vocabulary that you don’t yet have.
And remember, 10 minutes is fine. If you find you like the sound of your own voice, great. Keep talking.
1. Use lists of questions to help you talk. This one by IELTS Liz has a range of typical exam questions. But you could also think about typical interview questions.
2. Vary the topic. Don’t just talk about yourself or your hobbies. Talking about subjects that are less familiar will help broaden your vocabulary base. If you talk about work related subjects, you’ll keep the language relevant and useful.
3. Summarise the things you’ve been listening to or reading (see above).
4. Try memorising something. A song lyric, a poem, a quote, or a tongue twister.
5. Record yourself. Listen back and think about the rhythm and pronunciation.
So there you are. We may not be immersed in the language like babies or immigrants, but we are now paddling or wading in it. More like an English language avanto.
Get motivated, get started, get into the habit of regularly practicing a little English, and you’ll soon notice the improvement.
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