| 1. Start your own English language blog. Even | | | | 31. Be realistic about your reading level. Most |
| for people who don't have to write in English, writing | | | | researchers agree that people learn most when |
| can be a great way of properly learning the kind of | | | | reading something they understand almost all of. If |
| vocabulary you need to describe your own life and | | | | there are one or two words per page that you have |
| interests, and of thinking about how to stop making | | | | never seen before, that is about the right level. If there |
| grammar mistakes. The problem most people have is | | | | are three or more on every page, you should switch |
| that they don't know what to write about. One | | | | to something easier and come back later. |
| traditional way to make sure you write every day in | | | | 32. Read graded readers (= easy readers). These |
| English is to write an English diary (journal), and a more | | | | are books that are especially written for language |
| up to date way of doing this is to write a blog. Popular | | | | learners like you, e.g. Penguin Readers. Although it can |
| topics include your language learning experience, your | | | | be difficult to find something as interesting as things |
| experience studying abroad, your local area, your | | | | written in newspapers or on the internet, in terms of |
| language, or translations of your local news into English. | | | | learning the language only people who need to read |
| 2. Write a news diary. Another daily writing | | | | for their work or an exam usually gain more from |
| task that can work for people who would be bored by | | | | reading things written for graded readers. Graded |
| writing about their own routines in a diary is to write | | | | readers of classic books like Charles Dickens also |
| about the news that you read and listen to everyday. | | | | have the benefit of giving you a lot of knowledge |
| If you include your predictions for how you think the | | | | about the literature, and culture more generally, of |
| story will develop (e.g. "I think Hillary will become | | | | English speaking countries in a short time. |
| president"), this can give you a good reason to read | | | | 33. Read the whole thing with no help. Although using |
| old entries another time, at which time you can also | | | | a dictionary has been shown to help with both short |
| correct and mistakes you have made and generally | | | | term and long term learning of vocabulary, the fact |
| improve what you have written. | | | | that using it slows reading down can stop some |
| 3. Sign up for a regular English tip. Some | | | | people reading in English at all. Reading a whole book |
| websites offer a weekly or even daily short English | | | | quickly through just for pleasure from time to time will |
| lesson sent to your email account. If your mobile phone | | | | help you remember how fun reading in another |
| has an e-mail address, it is also possible to have the | | | | language can be. |
| tips sent to your phone to read on the way to work or | | | | 34. Read and learn everything. At the opposite |
| school. Please note, however, that such services are | | | | extreme, it can be hard work but very satisfying to get |
| not usually graded very well to the levels of different | | | | to the end of a book knowing that you have learnt |
| students, and they should be used as a little added | | | | every word in it. See other tips on this page to make |
| extra or revision in your English studies rather than as | | | | sure it is a book that is easy enough to do this with |
| a replacement for something you or your teacher | | | | and to ensure that the vocabulary you learn is useful. |
| have chosen more carefully as what you need to | | | | 35. Watching English children's films or TV |
| learn. | | | | programmes. Although some of the vocabulary you |
| 4. Listen to MP3s. Although buying music on | | | | can learn from things made for children can be a bit |
| the internet is becoming more popular in many | | | | strange (lots of animal names and maybe animal |
| countries, not so many people know that you can | | | | noises, including baby names for things), the fact that |
| download speech radio such as audio books (an actor | | | | not only the language but the structure of the story is |
| reading out a novel) and speech radio. Not only is this | | | | simplified can make it an easy and motivating thing to |
| better practice for your English than listening to English | | | | watch. Like good language learning materials, the same |
| music, from sources like Scientific American, BBC and | | | | language is also often repeated to make it memorable, |
| Australia's ABC Radio it is also free. | | | | and the use of catchy songs etc. can increase this |
| 5. Listen to English music. Even listening to | | | | positive effect on your memory. |
| music while doing something else can help a little for | | | | 36. Read English children's books. This is very similar |
| things like getting used to the natural rhythm and tone | | | | to watching English children's movies, but with the |
| of English speech, although the more time and attention | | | | added advantage of there being more illustrations than |
| you give to a song the more you will learn from | | | | adult books, which both helps you to understand the |
| listening to it again in the future. | | | | story and makes the page brighter and more |
| 6. Read the lyrics to a song. Although just | | | | motivating to read. |
| listening to a song in English can be a good way of | | | | 37. Keep a list of language to learn, e.g. a vocab list. |
| really learning the words of the chorus in an easily | | | | Even if you don't often find time to go though your |
| memorable way, if you want to really get something | | | | vocab list and it keeps on building up, just the act of |
| out of listening to English music you will need to take | | | | choosing which words you need to learn and writing |
| some time to read the lyrics of the song with a | | | | them down on a special list can help you learn them. |
| dictionary. If the lyrics are not given in the CD booklet, | | | | 38. Go through your vocab list several times every |
| you may be able to find them on the internet, but | | | | day. If ticking off words on a vocabulary list on the |
| please note that some lyrics sites deliberately put a | | | | train to work is inconvenient or embarrassing for you, |
| few errors into their lyrics for copyright reasons. Once | | | | you can keep your list of words to learn as an entry in |
| you have read and understood the lyrics, if you then | | | | your electronic dictionary, as a mobile phone to do list |
| listen and read at the same time, this can be a good | | | | or as a text file in your MP3 player (e.g. iPod). Although |
| way of understanding how sounds change in fast, | | | | the time spent transferring the information between |
| natural, informal speech. | | | | different formats like these may seem wasted, in fact |
| 7. Sing karaoke in English. The next stage | | | | any time you spend using the vocabulary like this will |
| after understanding and memorising a song is | | | | help you learn it. |
| obviously to sing it. Although some words have their | | | | 39. Convert your vocab list to English only. One way |
| pronunciation changed completely to fit in with a song, | | | | to stop yourself translating and therefore increase |
| most of the words have the same sounds and | | | | your speed of comprehension and production is to |
| stressed syllables as in normal speech. Remembering | | | | learn all your vocabulary without the use of your own |
| which words rhyme at the end of each line can also | | | | first language. Ways you can write a vocab list in only |
| be a good way of starting to learn English | | | | English include with synonyms (words with the same |
| pronunciation. | | | | meaning, e.g. "tall" and "high"); with opposites ("high" and |
| 8. Write a film, music, hotel or book review. | | | | "low"); with pronunciation factors such as number of |
| Another motivating and easy way to make yourself | | | | syllables (the number of beats, e.g. three for "de- ci- |
| write in English is to write a review for a site such as | | | | sion") and the word stress (the syllable that is |
| Amazon or Internet Movie Database. Many non-native | | | | pronounced louder and longer, e.g. the second syllable |
| speakers write reviews on sites like this, and if you | | | | in "baNAna"); and gapped sentences (e.g. "I am not |
| have some special understanding of the book, music | | | | _________________ in science fiction" for the |
| or film due to your first language or knowing the artist | | | | word "interested"). |
| personally, that would be very interesting for the | | | | 40. Cross out and delete. Crossing out or deleting |
| English speakers who read and write reviews on the | | | | words, sentences or whole pages that you have learnt |
| site. | | | | can be a great motivator, and save your list of things |
| 9. Only search in English. Switching your | | | | to learn becoming too big to handle. |
| search engine to the English language version of msn, | | | | 41. Throw everything away and start again. One of |
| yahoo, Google etc. can not only be a good way of | | | | the things that can put most people off learning is a |
| practising fast reading for specific information in English, | | | | stack of half finished books or a huge list vocabulary |
| but could also give you a wider choice of sites to | | | | waiting to be learnt. Simply getting rid of all that and |
| choose from and give you an idea of what foreigners | | | | starting again with something new from zero can be a |
| are writing about your country and area. | | | | great motivator and get your studies underway again. |
| 10. Read a book you've already read or seen the | | | | 42. Label things in your house or office with post-its. |
| movie of in your own language. Although most | | | | The easiest vocabulary to learn is the vocabulary of |
| language learners under Advanced level would | | | | things you see and use everyday. If you can write the |
| probably learn more from reading a graded reader or | | | | names of things around you on slips of paper and stick |
| something from the internet than they would from | | | | them on the real thing, this is a great way of learning |
| reading an original book written for English speakers, | | | | useful vocabulary. If you can leave them there over |
| for some people reading something like Harry Potter in | | | | the following days and weeks, this is a very easy way |
| the original can be a great motivator to improve their | | | | of revising the vocabulary until it is properly learnt. |
| English. To make this easier for you and make sure | | | | 43. Label a drawing. For people who can't put labels |
| that it motivates you rather than just making your tired, | | | | on real things, the next best option is to take a photo |
| try reading a book that you already know the story of. | | | | of a real place in your life like your office, print it out, |
| This not only makes it easier to understand and guess | | | | and then draw lines to all of the things you can see in |
| vocabulary, but you are also more likely to remember | | | | the picture and label them in English with the help of a |
| the language in it. If you have not read the book | | | | dictionary. You can do the same thing with places you |
| before, reading a plot summary from the internet can | | | | pass through everyday like the station. Because you |
| also help in the same way. | | | | will see the same thing again and again, it should be |
| 11. Read a translation into English. Another way of | | | | easy to really learn the words for those things. |
| making sure books are easier to understand is to | | | | 44. Keep a diary in English. This is a popular method |
| choose a book that was originally translated into | | | | of making sure you use English everyday for people |
| English, preferably from your own language. Even if | | | | who don't often speak English and can't think of things |
| you haven't read the book in your own language, you | | | | to write about. The fact that you are writing about real |
| will find the English is written in a slightly simplified way | | | | things that have happened to you means that any |
| that is more similar to how your own language is | | | | words you look up in the dictionary will be vocabulary |
| written than a book originally written in English would | | | | that is useful for you and easy to learn. |
| be. | | | | 45. Online chat. The closest thing to speaking for |
| 12. Skip the first ten pages. If you have given up with | | | | people who don't have the chance to speak English is |
| a book in English or are reading it very slowly, try | | | | online chat, as you have to think and respond quickly, |
| skimming through the first ten pages or skipping them | | | | and the language is short and informal just like speech. |
| completely. The start of most books tend to be mainly | | | | 46. Listen to the radio news in English. You can |
| description and are therefore full of difficult vocabulary | | | | make this easier by reading the news in English first, or |
| and don't have a clear story line yet to help you | | | | even just by reading or listening to the news in your |
| understand what is happening and to motivate you to | | | | own language. |
| turn the next page. If the book is still too difficult even | | | | 47. Read an English language newspaper. Freebie |
| after the introductionary part is finished, it is probably | | | | newspapers like "Metro" in London are usually the |
| time to give that book up for now and try it again after | | | | easiest to understand, followed by mid-brow titles like |
| you have read some easier things. | | | | "The Daily Express" or "The Daily Mail" in English. |
| 13. Read a book with lots of dialogue. Opening up | | | | Popular newspapers like "The Sun" are more difficult |
| books before you buy one and flicking through them to | | | | because of the idiomatic, slangy use of language and |
| find one with lots of direct dialogue in it has several | | | | the number of jokes in the headlines and articles. |
| advantages. If there is less text on the page due to all | | | | 48. Write fiction in English, e.g. short stories. For |
| the speech marks etc, this can make it easier to read | | | | people who find writing a diary about things that |
| and easier to write translations on. Dialogue is also | | | | happen to them everyday boring, the best thing is to |
| much easier to understand than descriptive parts of a | | | | let your imagination go and write about whatever |
| book, and is much more like the language you will want | | | | comes into your head. The advantage of this is that if |
| to learn in order to be able to speak English. | | | | you can't think of how to say something in English, you |
| 14. Read English language comics. Even more than | | | | can just change the story to something that is easier |
| books with lots of dialogue, comics can be easy to | | | | to explain. Perhaps the easiest way to start writing |
| understand and full of idiomatic language as it is | | | | fiction in English is with a diary, changing any details you |
| actually spoken. There can be difficulties with slang, | | | | like to make it more interesting and adding more and |
| difficult to understand jokes and/ or dialogue written | | | | more fantasy as the weeks go on. |
| how people speak rather than with normal spellings, so | | | | 49. English language exercise videos. This is quite |
| try to choose which comic carefully. Usually, serious or | | | | similar to how babies learn, by listening, watching and |
| adventure comics are easier to understand than funny | | | | copying. It is also good for your health! |
| ones. | | | | 50. Learn a famous speech or poem in English by |
| 15. Read English language entertainment guides. | | | | heart. Although you may never hear or get the chance |
| Nowadays most big cities in the world have an English | | | | to say exactly that line, having one memorable |
| language magazine and/ or online guide to the movies, | | | | example of an English grammatical form in your head |
| plays, exhibitions that are on in the city that week. | | | | can make it much easier to learn other examples of |
| Reading this in English is not only good value, but it | | | | the same grammar as you hear them. It is also |
| could also guide you to places that English speakers | | | | something you can practice over and over without |
| are interested in and where you might hear some | | | | being as boring as grammatical drills. |
| English spoken around you. | | | | 51. Get tipsy (= a little drunk) before speaking English. |
| 16. Read English language magazines. Like books, if | | | | This can not only improve your fluency while you are |
| you can read two versions of the same magazine | | | | drinking, but can also improve your confidence in future |
| (Newsweek in your language and in English, for | | | | days and weeks by showing you that you can |
| example), that could make understanding it much | | | | communicate what you want to say. |
| easier. | | | | 52. Use a dictionary while you are watching a movie. |
| 17. Take a one week intensive course. Although you | | | | Films often have the same words many times, so if |
| cannot expect to come out of a very short course | | | | you look up important words the first or second time |
| speaking much better English than when you started it, | | | | you hear them, you should have learnt them by the |
| if you continue studying a little over the following | | | | end of the film. It is easier to use a dictionary if you |
| weeks and months, the knowledge you gained then | | | | watch with English subtitles. |
| will gradually come out and mean that your level of | | | | 53. Learn and use the phonemic script. Although |
| speaking, listening etc. are better than they would have | | | | there are many sounds in English, there are even more |
| been if you hadn't taken that course. This positive | | | | spellings. By learning the phonemic script and writing |
| effect can still be true up to a year later. | | | | vocabulary down with it, you can both add another |
| 18. Follow your intensive course up with an extensive | | | | stage to your vocabulary learning that should help you |
| course. The more time you can spend studying English | | | | learn it more thoroughly, and improve your |
| the better, but studying periodic intensive courses with | | | | pronunciation. It can also make things easier for you by |
| a few hours of study a week in between is probably | | | | stopping you trying to pronounce different spellings of |
| better value for money than any other system as it | | | | the same pronunciation different ways. |
| gives your brain time to subconsciously learn and start | | | | 54. Learn some spelling rules. Many people think that |
| using the new language you have learnt before you | | | | English spelling is random, but in fact most words follow |
| introduce the next new "chunk" of language. | | | | some kind of rule, e.g. the "magic E" that changes the |
| 19. Supplement your group class with a one to one | | | | pronunciation of "mad" and "made". |
| class. Another good way to combine two different | | | | 55. Record your own voice. For people who don't |
| kinds of classes is to study both in a group class and | | | | have much or any correction of pronunciation from a |
| one to one. Having a one to one teacher, even if just a | | | | teacher, recording yourself and listening back makes it |
| couple of times a month, will mean that you can be | | | | easier to hear whether you are really making the |
| taught exactly the language that you need, that you will | | | | English sounds that you are trying to or not. |
| have more time to speak, and that you can have as | | | | 56. Use computer pronunciation analysis. Although |
| much error correction as you like. | | | | most programmes that claim to tell you when you are |
| 20. Supplement your one to one class with a group | | | | pronouncing correctly or not don't actually do that, |
| class. The benefits of having a group class are often | | | | listening many times and seeing how your voice |
| less clear to students, but they include the fact that | | | | changes as you try to match the sounds and |
| you will learn to deal with several people speaking at | | | | waveform given by a pronunciation CD ROM can be |
| once, have a chance to practice skills such as | | | | good practice and more motivating than just recording |
| interrupting people, and will hear a range of different | | | | your own voice. |
| viewpoints and topics. | | | | 57. Learn as many words as you can of one |
| 21. Teach your children or friends some English. | | | | category, e.g. animal words. Learning similar words |
| Recent research has shown that elder children tend to | | | | together can both expand your overall vocabulary and |
| be a couple of IQ points above their younger siblings, | | | | make them easier to learn by forming links between |
| and the most likely reason is that explaining things to | | | | the words in your brain. |
| their little brothers and sisters gives them an intellectual | | | | 58. Take holidays abroad. This is not only a good |
| boost. In the same way, teaching someone lower level | | | | opportunity to speak English in situations where you |
| than you the English you already know is a great way | | | | really have to make yourself understood in order to |
| of permanently fixing that knowledge in your own brain. | | | | live, but it is also a good motivator to study English |
| 22. Ask your company to start English lessons. Even | | | | seriously in the weeks and months before your trip. If |
| if you don't need to speak English at work, English | | | | possible, also try to use English even when you could |
| lessons can be a fun and reasonably priced way for | | | | use your own language, e.g. when you pick a guided |
| your company to spend their training budget in a | | | | tour of a museum or historic place or when you book |
| popular way. | | | | a flight on the internet, and try to avoid package tours. |
| 23. Have English radio on in the background while | | | | 59. Draw pictures of the words you want to learn. |
| you are doing your housework. Even if you are not | | | | Especially if you are artistic, this can be a better way |
| listening carefully, it will help you get a feel for natural | | | | of learning vocabulary than writing translations or |
| English rhythm and intonation. | | | | example sentences. |
| 24. Play English language learning games on your | | | | 60. Find a foreign boyfriend or girlfriend. No tips on |
| Nintendo DS. Although such games can have quite | | | | how to do this here, but everyone agrees that getting |
| random language and are unlikely to improve your | | | | or even just looking for a date in English can be a |
| ability to speak English on their own, the next time you | | | | great motivator to improve your language skills. |
| hear or read the same language elsewhere it will be | | | | 61. Arrange a conversation exchange. Swapping |
| really fixed in your brain by the fact you have played a | | | | lessons and conversation with someone who wants to |
| game with it in already. It is also a nice way of taking a | | | | learn your language can be a good alternative for |
| break from your other English studies while also doing | | | | those who aren't looking for romance, or can |
| some English. To make sure it really is a break and to | | | | sometimes lead onto dating for those who are! |
| avoid wasting time learning language from the game | | | | 62. Sign up for an English language exam. Even if |
| that is not much used in daily life, don't bother writing | | | | you don't need to take an exam and don't want to or |
| down any new language you see in the game, but just | | | | can't take a special course to study for it, paying to |
| try to learn it from playing the game again. | | | | take an exam like TOEFL, TOEIC, IELTS or FCE can |
| 25. Say or think what you are doing in English as you | | | | really motivate you take your English studies seriously. |
| do your daily tasks. As you are doing your chores, try | | | | 63. Model your accent on one particular actor. e.g. try |
| creating sentences describing what you are doing, e.g. | | | | to speak like Robert De Niro. Students who say they |
| ‘I am unscrewing the ketchup bottle cap'. This gets | | | | want to sound more like a native speaker have the |
| you used to thinking in English without translating, and | | | | problem that native speakers don't sound all that much |
| can be a good way of seeing what simple vocabulary | | | | like each other. Choosing one model can make the |
| that is around you everyday you don't know. yet | | | | task of improving your pronunciation more clear, and is |
| 26. Watch English language films with English | | | | quite fun. Doing an impression of that person also |
| subtitles. For people who can't understand a film | | | | makes a good party trick. |
| without subtitles but find themselves not listening at all | | | | 64. Use an English-English dictionary. Trying to use a |
| when reading subtitles in their own language, this should | | | | bilingual dictionary less and switching to a monolingual |
| be the way of watching a film that you should aim for. | | | | one can help you to stop translating in you head when |
| If it is too difficult to watch the whole film this way, try | | | | you are speaking or listening, and other useful English |
| watching the (usually important) first 10 or 15 minutes of | | | | vocabulary can come up while you are using the |
| the film with subtitles in your own language, switch to | | | | dictionary. |
| English subtitles after that, and only switch back to | | | | 65. Occasionally talk to or e-mail your friends in |
| subtitles in your own language if you get totally lost | | | | English. Many people find this a bit false or |
| following the story of the film. | | | | embarrassing, but if you think of it as a study club and |
| 27. Watch films in your language with English | | | | set a particular time and/ or place, it is no different |
| subtitles. If you are finding English films with English | | | | from studying maths together. |
| subtitles too difficult or you can't find English films with | | | | 66. Go to an English or Irish pub. As well as having a |
| English subtitles in your local video shop, this is a good | | | | menu in English and being a good way of finding out |
| second best option. Looking for local films with English | | | | something about the culture of English speaking |
| subtitles can also sometimes be a good sign of quality, | | | | countries, you might also find there are free English |
| as it means the producers of the film are expecting it | | | | language listings magazines, English language sports on |
| to be popular internationally as well. | | | | the TV and/ or foreign people you can speak to. |
| 28. Watch English films with subtitles in your | | | | 67. Buy a speaking electronic dictionary. Although |
| language. Again, this is not as good practice as English | | | | most electronic dictionaries are not as good as paper |
| language films with English subtitles, but is more | | | | ones for the amount of information they give you |
| relaxing, can be easier to find suitable DVDs for, and is | | | | about each word, some of them have the very useful |
| also possible with VHS. | | | | function of saying the word with the correct |
| 29. Watch the same film or TV episode over and | | | | pronunciation. |
| over again. This can not only save you money on | | | | 68. Learn your electronic dictionary vocabulary list. |
| DVDs, but will mean that you can really learn the | | | | Most electronic dictionaries also have a button which |
| language without having to study it. Some comedies | | | | you can push to see the last 30 or more words you |
| can also get funnier the more you watch them, | | | | looked up. By deleting words you decide are useless |
| especially if you watch them with no subtitles and so | | | | or you have already learnt from this list, you can use it |
| understand a little more each time you watch it. | | | | as a "to do list" of words to learn that you can look at |
| 30. Be realistic about your level. One thing that holds | | | | several times a day in the train etc. |
| many language learners back is actually trying too hard | | | | 69. Switch operating system to English. Changing the |
| and tackling something that their brain is not ready for | | | | operating language of your mobile phone, video |
| yet. Checking your level with a level check test on the | | | | recorder etc. to English can be an easy way of |
| internet, by taking an English language test (FCE, CAE, | | | | making sure you use the language everyday. |
| IELTS, TOEIC, TOEFL etc.), or by taking a free trial | | | | 70. Set goals. Deciding how many hours you want to |
| level check and/ or lesson in a language school will | | | | study, how many words you want to learn or what |
| help you find out what your level is and so choose | | | | score you want to get in a test are all good ways of |
| suitable self-study materials. | | | | making sure you do extra study. |