I’m often asked this question, and my answer comes down to four important things:
- Planning – Know what to study and when. Make a plan to guide you in the right direction.
- Consistency – Practising English regularly is the most important part. Study every day if you can.
- Effort – Work hard and don’t be afraid of making mistakes. Practise using what you learn at every opportunity.
- Motivation – If you really want to improve, you’ll need a positive attitude. Keep going, even when it’s tough.
Planning
First Steps to Success: To get better in English, it’s important to have a good plan for studying. This will be the map you use for your English-learning journey. Choose materials that guide you step-by-step, like the “English File” series from Oxford. Set weekly objectives, or mini-goals, making sure each one pushes you a bit further than the last.
Consistency
Keep Things Interesting: Consistency doesn’t mean you have to do the same thing over and over again. It just means you have to study regularly. You can supplement your textbook studies with varied activities. You could read an English news article (Nick’s News, Engoo Daily News), then write something about what you read. Or you could listen to something in English (BritSpeak, English Like a Native), and then talk about it.
Effort
When you’ve learned something new, it’s time to put it into practice.
One way to do that is by starting a blog or social media account and posting your thoughts in English. If you’re embarrassed, you could…
Be a Character: Create a new name for yourself, e.g. Mr. Baked Bean. Pretend to be your new character and post your English writing on the internet. Do the same with voice recordings. In the future, you can look back on these to see how much progress you’ve made!
Or, instead of just a new name, imagine you are a character from an English movie or book you like. Maybe you could be an adventurer like Indiana Jones or Lara Croft? Or perhaps the rich CEO of a company that makes zippers! This makes learning more fun and helps you think in English.
“Today, I woke up at 3:30am, as usual, and took my pet tiger, Tony, for his morning walk. After that, I went to the gym and ran a marathon on the treadmill. I then came home and did a Zoom call with my staff in the Alabama office before my personal chef, Gloria, made me my favourite pancakes for breakfast.”
Talk a Lot: Try to use your English as much as you can. Talk with friends online on Tandem or maybe a personal tutor on italki. This is where the real magic happens. You can practice everything you’ve learned, and see how well you and other people understand each other.
“But Nick! I don’t have anyone I can talk to.” Yeah, I can imagine it’s difficult. How about finding dialogues in your textbook and recording yourself reading the “A” character in each conversation. Then you can play those videos and practice role-playing the “B” character. All my news lessons have A-B conversations. Maybe you could start with those?
Motivation
Live in English: If you don’t enjoy using English, you’ll lose motivation. So why not use English when doing the things you love? You can watch movies, read books, or listen to music. Pick things that you really like and try to understand and think about them in English. Personally, I like Netflix, YouTube and playing video games. 🙂
Measuring Success
Test Yourself: At the end of each month, try taking an online English test (British Council, Cambridge English, EF SET). You’ll be able to check your progress. This monthly checkpoint is not just about getting a score; it’s a chance to see your improvement and find areas for extra practice. If necessary, adjust your study plan.
If you want to challenge yourself further, or need proof of your English level for studies or work, consider standardized tests like the IELTS or TOEIC.
Celebrate!
Celebrate Small Wins: When you see yourself improving, be proud! Celebrate! Treat yourself to something nice, like an ice cream or a movie rental. 🙂
Getting better at English is a big adventure with ups and downs. But with planning, consistency, effort, and motivation, you’ll not just learn English – you’ll live it. And that’s important. Speaking English is not something you will do in the future, it’s something you can do NOW, even if it’s as simple as saying, “I like coffee.” 😉
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