When your current level of English is keeping you from going towards what you really want in life, it can be difficult to feel that you’re making progress fast enough. Often, small behavior changes that you can easily fit into your day are enough to make a measurable difference in a surprisingly short time. Read on for a few easy to implement hacks that can help you on your way to speaking confident, clear English that feels as natural as breathing.
Prioritize
The materials you choose should be suited to your learning style and your goals. If you don’t mind grammar textbooks with exercises and listening drills, or are preparing for an exam, then by all means feel free to go the traditional route. But if you have a specific goal in mind, for example preparing presentations for work or maybe just wanting to socialize with a wider range of people when travelling, then don’t feel limited by standard study materials. Start with your goal and focus in on what you need to make the fastest and most direct progress in that direction. The rest will fall into place naturally and you’ll have much less frustration the sooner you see results and start using English in real situations.
Chunk up
One way to avoid the trap of thinking in your own language and trying to translate as you go is to learn key phrases in chunks. This is also a great hack for the grammar-phobes among you, because the key phrase will already be grammatically correct. You’ll just memorize them and eventually be able to plug in the same grammar structures with similar sentences in the future. It’s best to prepare your key phrases in advance and practice them until you feel natural and confident saying them. Don’t forget to also practice any responses you may receive, because if you sound really fluent people will assume that you are. You’re likely to receive a rapid-fire response which, if you’re not prepared, will send you into a bit of a panic and shut down your conversation fast. Don’t worry too much if this happens. Most people you encounter will see that you’re making an effort and will slow down to help you. Even if the response isn’t exactly what you expect, you’ll still benefit from being prepared to hear something similar.
Earworming
Music. Much more than mere charms to soothe the savage beast, it can also be one the best language learning tools! It’s easy to find lyrics and just go to town with your favorite music. Any song that you learn the lyrics to in English will probably stay with you for life. How many cheesy power ballads or obnoxious T.V. theme songs can you effortlessly remember? Love it or hate it, once a song becomes an earworm (a song that runs continuously through your mind) in any language, you can count on having it rattle around in your head as you walk down the street for years to come. Your mind has been subjecting you to this your whole life anyway, so why not make it work for you and program some language learning in there?
The most important language learning tool is to loosen up and have fun whenever you can! Enjoying the process will bring positive results almost immediately.
If you are able to read the contents of this post, but still feel unable to speak without feeling self-conscious and hesitant, all you need is a push in the right direction! Feel free to connect with me on facebook or at my website for more free tips and information on how you can become fluent, confident, and like your true self in English.
The instructors at Spoken English Institute are incredibly patient and skilled. They break down complex grammar rules into simple, easy-to-understand steps. I feel more confident in my English speaking abilities after just a few weeks in the program.