Who am I?
Hello, I’m Evie and I’m an English teacher. The number 1 question I get from my students is what learning methods are the best to learn fast and not get bored out of your mind. I’ve put down for you a list of learning tips about how to learn without realising you’re learning.
1. Do whatever you like doing, as long as it’s in English.
Is it better to read a book or listen to English conversations?
Many times my students ask me about what they can do at home to improve their level of English, if it’s better to read a book or listen to a song or maybe study grammar from a grammar book. I say, it depends…on you.
The problem is…we don’t really like studying…
How many times have you promised yourself to start studying hard from a book, maybe you even spent money on books that you’ve never opened? That’s because in the long term, we will not do things we don’t like, even if we try hard. And even if we do, it won’t be very effective as your mind will most likely be drifting somewhere far from what you’re supposed to study.
That’s why I ask my students: “What do you like doing in your own language?”
Do you like reading love stories? Read love stories in English. You like watching Big Brother or real crime TV? Watch it in English on YouTube. Listen to songs, watch TV shows.
There is no better or worse method.
If you like it, then it’s a good method for you. And you’ll learn 3 times faster.
2. Listen to English language in your car.
How much time a day do you spend in a car or other means of transport?
I bet it’s more than half an hour. Most of us travel daily to work, school, some have to pick up their children from school etc. Think of how much time you’re wasting when all you need to do is to put a CD with conversations in the language you want to learn or listen to them on your MP3 player on a bus or underground train.
Again, choose listenings you like.
It might be for example your favourite audio book. The condition is one. You should play the CD every time you’re in the car, not once a week, not twice but every day. In the end you’re only filling the time you need to spend in the vehicle anyway.
3. Yes, watch English films with subtitles in your own language.
Students think watching films in English with subtitles is not a good method to learn.
Many times I hear that someone doesn’t watch films in English for 2 reasons. One: if they watch it in the original language, they don’t understand a thing. And not understanding equals getting bored and turning off the TV. Two: if they watch it with subtitles in their own language, they think they’re not learning English at all. And who told you that?
Our brains are able to memorise things when we don’t even realise we’re listening!
It’s said that under hypnosis we could speak English just because we took a glance at a book in that language once in our lives, without even reading it. Yes, you are learning, yes, you are improving your accent and what’s more, by listening, even passively, you’re improving your speaking skills too. Like a baby who learns to speak. It doesn’t always focus on the language spoken around it, yet, it picks it up anyway. And what’s the best part? You are just watching your favourite film without struggling to understand it.
4. Find an online friend who speaks English.
Search for forums in a language you want to learn where you can discuss your hobbies, meet friends with the same passions as yours. You’ll soon become carried away when sharing your views so much that you’ll forget you’re even speaking in a foreign language.
5. Visit our website regularly and have a laugh at the jokes with an excuse of studying 😉
See, learning can be fun and can become a part of your everyday life without being a burden or an obligation.
