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5 Super Strategies to Learn Advanced English

Achieving a more advanced level of English takes time and practice. Whether you are an ESL learner that feels like you’ve plateaued, or a beginner that needs some recommendations on how to advance in ESL, here are some suggestions to improve.

Ways to Learn Advanced English

1. Read in English

Read, and read a lot! If you want to learn advanced English, you need to learn how to read well. Read articles, books, fiction, non-fiction, short stories, novels, or whatever it is that interests you.

While you read, find 5-10 words that you aren’t familiar with in the text and highlight these words. Then, find the definitions of these words and add them to your vocabulary notebook.

2. Keep a Vocabulary Notebook

Keep a small notebook with you to write down new vocabulary words. Divide it into grammar sections (e.g., nouns, adjectives, and verbs) or topics (e.g., clothes, food, and weather). It’s a great way to learn advanced English words you didn’t know before.

Write down new words you learn, whether in class, when reading, or when having a conversation with a native English speaker. Review the words every day on your commute to work, before a conversation, or before you go to bed.

3. Speak as Much as You Can

Communicate in English as much as possible. Speaking helps build fluency and confidence. If you are taking English classes, make friends with your classmates and arrange coffee dates so that you can practice English outside of class. If you know any native English speakers, practice with them too.

4. Listen to Native Speakers

While knowing how to hold a conversation in English is key to advancing, being able to listen actively and understand what the speaker is saying is also extremely important. You can’t have a conversation if you don’t know what the person is saying.

The great thing about listening is that you can do it online. Watch television shows, YouTube videos, or news reports to practice your listening comprehension skills.

5. Write in a Journal

Learn advanced English simply by writing in a journal. If you want to improve your English level, write for 10 minutes every day and analyze your progress after one or two months. Check for errors you’ve made, see where you can improve, or change sentences and include words you’ve recently learned.

You might also want to spend some time writing in online forums, chats, or blogs. Writing in order to communicate helps you improve your overall English skills.

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I Want to Learn English: 11 Useful Tips from Teachers

Are you thinking, I want to learn English, but don’t know what to do? There are so many options that it can be difficult to decide where to start. Here are some useful tips from ESL teachers.

1. Know Yourself

Do you enjoy learning by yourself or do you need a teacher? Do you like learning in groups or do you want private lessons? Do you want to learn from textbooks or do you want to learn naturally? Do you want to learn English quickly or do you want to take your time?

It doesn’t matter how you learn English. What matters is that your English learning is the best path for you. Whether you take private lessons, online classes, or study by yourself; just make sure that you study English in a way that makes you the happiest and most successful.

What works best for someone else might not work best for you, and that’s okay!

2. Try a Language Exchange

Are there English speakers in your area? Look at local international magazines or go to an international center to see if there are people looking for language exchanges. It’s a great way to meet new friends and to practice your English.

You shouldn’t pay any money for a language exchange. You teach a thirty-minute lesson in your native language. Then, you receive a thirty-minute lesson in English.

3. Watch Movies and TV Shows

Watching videos can help you speak English more fluently. Plus, movies and TV shows are a great way to learn vocabulary and phrases.

When you watch and listen to a native speaker in the video use English, you learn how to fluently use the language. Over time, you can copy the way the actors speak and develop a more native accent.

There are many techniques to learn English from movies and television shows. Click here for some ideas.

4. Think in English

Try to start thinking in English. For example, when you are driving, think about your actions in English.

“I am driving. I will turn right. There is a store on the left.”

Just thinking in English can help your language skills improve.

5. Look for English Around You

Printed English is everywhere and in every country. For example, you can find English on international food labels and packaging. When you see English, make a point to read it.

You might find that many of the translations are incorrect or contain grammar mistakes. This is wonderful practice! If you can spot errors in English, then that means your English is improving.

6. Make Grammar Fun

Make grammar interesting by playing grammar games. You can find grammar-based games online or try playing board games with friends. Make English fun by trying to use different grammar tenses with friends.

You can learn the basics of English grammar from a book, but you will never be fluent in English until you can use English grammar in the real world. Put away your textbooks every once and a while, and try to use the English you are learning.

7. Keep an English Notebook

It is very important that you take notes about the English you are learning. You can keep a paper notebook or you may prefer to keep a digital notebook. They are both great.

Your notebook should be organized. Try dividing it into categories. For example, you might have sections for grammar, vocabulary, phrases, writing, and questions. Try to keep your notes neat, and don’t be afraid to use colors to keep the information understandable.

Start your notebook with a list titled, “Reasons Why I Want to Learn English.” Then, write 5-10 reasons why you are learning English. Make your list personal and true to your life.

You can write this list in your native language or in English. Re-read this list frequently so you can remember why you are working so hard.

8. Make Mistakes

Your English will never be perfect. No one’s English is perfect. Native speakers make mistakes all the time and so will you. It’s important for you to know and understand that mistakes happen.

Do not feel shy or embarrassed about the mistakes you make. Instead, learn from them and use them to improve.

9. Travel

If you don’t have many opportunities to use English where you live, consider traveling to an English-speaking country. It is an excellent way to practice.

When you have to use English to communicate, you learn a lot faster.

10. Don’t Pressure Yourself

You will feel successful some days and you will feel unsuccessful other days. It’s important to not put pressure on yourself. Avoid being negative about your learning. Instead, try to stay positive and keep working toward your goals.

11. Ask Questions

Never be afraid to ask questions. You are an English language learner, which means English is your second language. It is normal for you to have questions. The important thing is to ask your questions.

Don’t be afraid to post things on English learning websites, to ask your teacher, or to ask an English speaking friend. Getting answers is how you learn, so be sure to ask anytime you have a question.

Learning English successfully is all about staying positive. If you’re saying, I want to learn English, then stay focused and work toward achieving your goals.

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3 Secrets to Successfully Learn English Online

Do you want to learn English online, but don’t know where to start? With so many options, it can be overwhelming to choose the right path. In order to get the most out of your online study, be sure to keep these key points in mind.

How to Learn English Online

1. Create a Routine

To learn English online successfully, you need to create a routine. Decide how often and when you are going to study English. Are you going to study every day? Every other day? Or once a week? Decide when you can fit English study into your daily life and write it on a calendar.

Then, designate a time to study each day. How long can you commit to studying English each day? Whether it is 15 minutes, 30 minutes, or an hour, you need to be realistic. What time will you start and finish? Write it on the calendar.

Look at your calendar and make a promise to yourself to actually study English during the allotted time. If you miss a day, don’t beat yourself up, but try to get back on track as soon as possible.

2. Set Goals

Why do you want to learn English? Is it to get a promotion, study abroad, travel overseas, or some other reason? Think about why you are studying English and then set goals accordingly.

Let’s say you have a month before you are going to an English-speaking country on vacation. You could set a goal to learn different travel vocabulary each week.

  • Week 1: airport vocabulary
  • Week 2: shopping vocabulary
  • Week 3: food vocabulary
  • Week 4: hotel vocabulary

Setting goals can help you stay focused and keep track of your progress.

3. Read in English

With the internet, it’s so easy to read in English online. Reading helps you build your vocabulary because you always find words that you don’t know. Every time you find an unknown word, look it up in the dictionary. Most importantly, keep a vocabulary notebook to write down new words and their definition.

What to read? Read anything that you enjoy reading in your native language, but in English. You can start with blogs, news articles, and short stories.

Whichever method you choose to learn English online, remember to create a routine, set goals, and keep on reading!

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7 Important Reasons to Learn English

So you’re looking for a reason to learn English? Look no further!

There are so many great reasons to study English that it was difficult to narrow the list down to seven. Here you go!

Reasons to Learn English

1. It Opens up Your Travel Opportunities

English is often referred to as a global language. This is because there are more than 50 countries around the world that use English as their primary language.

English makes traveling so much easier! It helps you communicate with people when you travel abroad, so you can visit amazing foreign places.

2. It Qualifies You for More Jobs

Many high-paying jobs require their employees to speak English. Large, international companies must hire people who can communicate with their partners around the world.

The better your English skills are, the more qualified you become for a great position in a company that has clients all over the world. Also, you might learn that your current job offers a raise to people who know English.

3. It Helps You Meet New Friends

Another reason to learn English is that it helps you meet new and interesting people from around the world. Being able to use English well means that you can become friends with many more people.

Having friends with a different cultural background makes for a very fun learning opportunity.

4. You Can Watch Great Movies & TV Shows in Their Original Language

Some of the best movies and television shows are created in English. So being able to enjoy films and TV shows is a great reason to learn English.

It’s just not the same to watch a movie that has been dubbed because the dialogue doesn’t match the lips. Movies are best when you can hear the actor’s original voice.

5. You Will Have More Academic Options

English is not only a global language; it is also the language of academics. If you are a student in school, especially if you are in higher education, you need to do research in English.

Most academic articles and publications are printed in English and many are never translated. Think about all of the information you might miss out on if you don’t learn English.

6. You Can Cruise the Internet Faster

English is the language of the internet. Most social media sites are hosted in English, as are many popular websites that keep you entertained online.

Take a look at forums and comment sections, and you will find that English is usually the primary language. More people will get your messages if you write them in English.

7. It’s an Easy Language to Learn

Almost everything about learning English is easier than other languages. The English alphabet has only 26 letters, and the basic grammar of English is quite direct.

Compared to other languages, English has a smaller vocabulary and most native speakers don’t use a high amount of vocabulary in their day-to-day language usage.

If you need support while learning the language, there are many English as a second language websites to help you practice online. Most of these sites offer online practice and support, so you can improve your language learning by spending very little money.

Conclusion

I’m sure you can think of even more reasons to learn English, but this list will help you get started. Of course, even after reading this list, the number one reason for you to learn English must be that you are ready to learn English.

Learning a new language can be a fun and wonderful challenge. Start learning English now and you will find that there are many amazing opportunities that come from your new language skills.

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5 Tricks to Get the Most out of Your English Lesson

If you’re learning English, it’s likely that you have taken an English lesson at some point in your life. You may have spent years learning English in school; you may even be enrolled in an English course now.

Unfortunately, just being enrolled in an English lesson or going to class once or twice a week isn’t enough to actually learn English. To succeed in your English course, you have to put in work, participate, and be an active learner.

How to Get the Most out of Your English lesson

1. Participate in class

Participating in class means answering the teacher’s questions, sharing an opinion, volunteering to read a paragraph, and so on. Many students don’t like to participate because it makes them nervous: you may say the wrong answer, or you may be afraid of what other students are thinking about you.

However, when you participate in class, you are forced to pay attention to what the teacher is saying and doing, and you must think critically about the topic you’re currently studying. This helps you remember the information more than you would if you were not participating.

Participating in your ESL lessons also enables you to practice speaking English. You’ll probably do speaking exercises with a partner or small group, but when you actively participate, you get extra opportunities to speak.

What’s more, it gives the teacher a chance to listen to you and correct you if you make a mistake.

2. Ask questions

This is important! If you have a question or you don’t understand something the teacher has just explained, ASK him or her to explain it again or clarify. It’s common for students to keep their questions and doubts to themselves; they don’t want to feel silly  or draw attention to themselves.

However, if you don’t understand something, especially if it’s a more basic concept, then you may not understand even more difficult concepts that build up over the course of the lesson. Plus, it’s very likely that if you are confused, other students are also confused. So you’re doing everyone a favor!

3. Read as much as possible

Even if you’re not studying reading specifically, reading is a fantastic way to learn vocabulary, grammar, and more. Read newspaper or magazine articles, blogs, menus, Facebook posts – anything. You don’t have to read a novel; there are plenty of materials out there for beginners too.

Reading about subjects you are passionate about or want to learn more about is an excellent way to improve your English; you’ll be more motivated and invested in the topic. For example, if you love photography, read articles or tutorials about photography in English.

When you read, you’ll be able to see vocabulary and grammar that you’ve studied in your English lessons used in real life, which will clarify or deepen your understanding of it.

4. Help your classmates

All of the students in your English program will be at slightly different skill levels, and everyone will have different strengths and weaknesses.

You may understand spoken English better than your friend, but your friend may be better at grammar. So help each other! If another student is struggling, help him or her. You’re all in this together, and you can take advantage of each other’s strengths.

This is not simply an act of kindness; it’s science. Research has shown that when one person teaches another, the teacher often learns just as much as the student, if not more.

5. Use what you’ve learned outside of class

This is critical. If you only practice English in class, you really hinder your learning. After all, you’re learning English to be able to function in the real world, not just the classroom. Plus, you have unlimited opportunities to learn and use real English.

If you live in an English-speaking country, you can order a coffee, ask for directions, or have a conversation about the weather with the nice woman next to you on the bus.

It may be a little scary at first, but start small and interact with people a little more each day. You’ll build confidence, and your English will improve.

If you don’t live in an English-speaking country, you can still practice. Listen to and read as much English as possible, and try to find opportunities to speak English too.

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The 5 Best Apps to Learn English by Listening

What’s that, you say? You want to improve your English listening skills? Listening is a very important skill to build for several reasons.

For one, you need to be able to understand someone correctly before you can respond. In fact, you can’t communicate with someone very effectively if you can’t comprehend what they’re saying.

Listening also helps acquire correct pronunciation, intonation, and vocabulary. It is a fundamental skill and one that requires a lot of attention.

These days, technology brings huge benefits to language learners, and it’s especially helpful for improving your listening skills.

Television, movies, music, mp3s, and the internet provide a wealth of resources and enable English learners to improve their listening and communication skills from the comfort of their own homes—and their own countries.

Smartphones are extremely useful for those who want to learn a language, largely because of apps. There are hundreds of great apps that can help you learn English, and there are several that focus on listening in particular.

5 Best Apps to Learn English by Listening

1. BBC Learning English

The highly-rated BBC Learning English app helps users improve their English listening, grammar, and speaking. You can listen to simple conversations from BBC Learning English including 6-Minute English, English At Work, and The English We Speak.

Each lesson comes with English audio, a transcript, exercises, and a vocabulary list. Users can also test their English, chat with other English learners, and practice their English speaking with voice recognition.

2. Luke’s English Podcast

Listening to podcasts is a great way to learn English. Luke’s English Podcast is especially helpful because it has a feature that lets users speed up or slow down the playback. The podcasts also have transcripts available.

In addition to slowing down the playback, users can stop, pause, and repeat the podcasts. The app features new podcasts and the full episode archives.

3. LearnEnglish Elementary Podcasts

British Council offers several podcasts for English learners: some help with grammar, some with pronunciation, and several with listening. Their most popular podcast is LearnEnglish Podcasts, which provides over 40 episodes and 20 free hours listening material on a variety of topics.

With each episode there is a moving audio script which is highlighted to help you follow along; there are also comprehension questions. Users can download episodes, listen offline, and delete episodes when they’re finished.

For those interested in learning about UK food and culture and listening to famous stories and poems, check out British Council’s Learn English Audio & Video.

4. Voice of America (VOA)

This award-winning app, available for both iOS and Android, gives users access to one of the world’s largest international news media networks, Voice of America.

This network has a weekly audience of over 200 million people in many different countries. Users can customize the app for over 400 languages and dialects, read stories while they’re listening, download stories and videos for offline listening.

5. English Listening and Speaking

English Listening and Speaking, by Miracle FunBox, is divided into lessons, which are then divided into easy, intermediate, and advanced levels. The audio consists of everyday conversations and short stories. It also provides a list of idioms and phrases used in daily conversation and a table of irregular verbs.

Users can practice what they’ve learned with several vocabulary and sentence-building exercises, as well as listen to and evaluate their pronunciation. What’s more, there are hundreds of listening tests to improve users’ listening and vocabulary skills.

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