Parenting Guide

5 Ways To Improve Your English

Published by SchoolAdvisor | Jan 13, 2016

It’s not uncommon for people to be afraid of the unknown, one of them being language. Not being proficient in a language can be a problem for some, especially if you are placed in a position where you would have to use the language to communicate on a daily basis.

For instance, students from public schools who will be attending a private or international school might feel inadequate at his inefficiency in English seeing that most private and international schools use English as their main medium of instruction. In such situation, improving your English is crucial for your survival in a new environment.

Here are some tips on improving your English:

1. Use English Reading Materials

Pick up an English newspaper every day! Instilling a habit of reading English materials will definitely expand your vocabulary and improve your pronunciation. You will also keep yourself up to date on the latest happenings in the country and give yourself an insight into how formal reporting language is used.

You might want to opt for online articles if you’re a tech savvy person. You can even choose to read pieces on a topic of your interest such as sports or fashion.

2. Choose English Entertainment

Improving your English doesn’t have to be boring. Don’t be afraid to indulge in English movies and TV series to make your learning process a lot more fun! Subtitles can be used to help you understand certain words and phrases that you might have trouble recognizing.

This way, if you don’t understand a word or if the characters are speaking too quickly for you to follow, you can fall back on the subtitles to learn the new vocabulary or get familiar with pronunciations. Eventually, you will be able to follow the how without subtitles.

Listening to English songs can also be beneficial for you. You can find out the meaning of song lyrics and even try to decipher the meaning of your favourite songs which can prove to be quite entertaining! (Bohemian Rhapsody anyone?)

3. Learn English Idioms and Phrases

If you’re looking out to improve your writing and speaking skills, learning idioms will put you right on track. Try reading English books of all genres to familiarize yourself with phrases and expressions that are exclusive to certain people, culturally and geographically. You can even try using them in essays and conversations to have a better understanding of how they work.

Learn the meaning of a phrase every week or two and try to use it in your everyday conversation. You might impress yourself with how different you sound!

4. Write In English

One of the best ways to learn English is to actually write in English. You can read hundreds of books but without a proper outlet you won’t be able to put the language to good use. You can keep a journal and write a few hundred words about your day every evening. This is also a good way to keep track of your progress and improvement in the language.

You don’t need to necessarily show what you’ve written to others but asking for comments and criticisms on your work might help you improve faster so don’t be shy.

5. Practice Whenever You Can

You can read all the books in the world and watch all the movies ever produced but if you don’t practice what you’ve learned then you won’t know where to shift your focus in order to become more proficient.

Speaking in front of a mirror can be a good option for you if you feel that you are not ready to start conversations with people. If you are from a non-English speaking household, set aside a few hours everyday where everyone speaks only in English to each other.

Practicing the language can help improve your pronunciation, grammar and help you become more verbally accurate so you can be an effective communicator in the future.