A lot of people are always asking, "How do I
improve my English?" There are many possible answers, but here are just
a few pieces of advice.
Be responsible for your own learning
Sure you have teachers, reading materials, and websites to help you
with your English, but who is really responsible for making sure you
learn English well? Nobody but you. Make sure you are the one who is
taking charge of your own learning. There is a good article about the
subject on the 5 Minute English website. It's at
www.5minuteenglish.com/articles. Check it out.
Immerse yourself in English as much as
possible
Immerse means to be surrounded by something. If you are
immersed in English, it is all around you. Of course this isn't always
possible, but you can do some things to surround yourself in English
from time to time.
Listen to the radio in English. If there are no English
radio stations where you live, listen to one on the internet.
Watch TV and movies in English. If you have English
channels on your TV, watch them. If they have subtitles (the words
written in your language) underneath the picture, see if they can be
turned off. Some people even tape paper across the bottom of the
screen so they can't see the words. Most DVD's are great because you
can choose the language you want to hear.
Speak English to your friends. Get a conversation buddy
(friend) and speak in English as much as possible. If it is a person
whose native language is the same as your own, you may feel silly
speaking in English at first. But don't worry. Continue to do it and
it will become more natural to you. Finding friends whose native
language is English is even better. Ask your friend to correct you
when needed.
Study or travel to an English-speaking country. Of course
the best way to immerse yourself in the English language is to live in
an all English environment. You'll find yourself surrounded with the
language everywhere you turn. It can be a more difficult and
expensive choice, but you may find it to be a very valuable and
helpful experience.
Other ideas. Take an English class, join an English group,
find a tutor, read English magazines. Do whatever you can to immerse
yourself in the language.
Monitor yourself
This means to pay attention to how you use English. Think (a little)
about how you are going to say something before it comes out of your
mouth. But don't think about all of the problems you have in English at
the same time. Just choose something your know you are having
difficulty with and work on using it correctly. For example, if you
know that you have problems remembering to use a, an, and
the, spend a few days trying to put them into sentences as you
speak. Don't worry about anything else. Concentrate on that. When you
feel that you are improving, choose something else to work on. Just
keep trying and little by little, your English will get better everyday.
