Learning English at home: 10 tips on where to start

English is one of the most widely spoken languages in the world. It is spoken by about 1.5 billion people. Many note that the grammar of this language is distinguished by its simplicity and conciseness. However, even under such conditions, many have difficulties in studying. Yes, you can study on your own for years, but without the participation of a teacher, you won’t get the push you need to reach a conversational level. Under normal conditions, this is easily accomplished by complete immersion in an English-speaking environment. And when studying at home, there is only one way out - to study English via Skype or Zoom with a teacher. This does not replace the need for self-study, but it is the most powerful part of learning.

Why are there difficulties?

Before creating an individual training plan for ourselves, let’s figure out where our fears come from.

How often it happens that we dream and wish more than we do. When learning a foreign language, you simply cannot be lazy.
Diffidence. Unfortunately, uncertainty interferes with many aspects of life.
Permanent employment. If your work schedule is full for the week ahead, then every minute counts. This point can become a constant excuse for why you still can’t get around to reading books or articles in English.
Lack of motivation. In any business you need motivation. Without it, the meaning of work is lost.
Pessimism. There is no need to fall into apathy if something did not work out or was not remembered the first time. Any outcome of events should be perceived as an experience.
The belief that learning a language is very easy for everyone except you. This is an erroneous opinion, because everyone is in equal conditions and also starts from the basics. It’s not easy for everyone, it’s just that not everyone talks about it.

These and many other reasons directly block all attempts to study educational material.

People’s opinions about the complexity of language

Regarding the question “Is English a difficult language?” People’s opinions differ. Of course, there is no clear answer.

On the one hand, the huge number of people who speak this language but are not native speakers suggests that it is quite possible to learn this language. Advantages: logical grammar, simple spelling. At the same time, there is no such thing as case declension, fewer adjectives.

On the other hand, the picture is spoiled by more than 20 tenses in the grammar, the conditions and applications of which are important to know (even if not to use). English grammar is considered logical in European countries, since they draw an analogy with their languages, but it is difficult for Russian-speaking people to perceive it.

The main mistakes when learning a foreign language:

Irrational distribution of time and effort;
Simple memorization;
Lack of practice, i.e. no application of knowledge in everyday life;
Studying “cliché” phrases that turn out to be outdated.

10 tips on where to start

❶ Force yourself to study. Dedicate a consistent 30-60 minutes a day to your homework. Try not to miss classes if you want to get results.

❷ To understand what level your knowledge is, you need to take a grammar test. It can be found on many sites on the Internet. Just type into a search engine “English language proficiency test”. Based on the results, it will be clear where the omissions are.

❸ Set yourself a personal goal. For example, learn 30 new words in a month with translation, pronunciation and practical application, i.e. study 1 new word per day. If learning words in a simple format is too boring for you, you can always download applications where there is no memorization, but a game. This format is interesting because you can listen to the pronunciation of each word, immediately see its translation, and then take a test to see how well you remember the material.

❹ To apply dry theory in practice, you can find simple texts in English. I came across an unknown word - I wrote it down in a dictionary with a translation; an interesting sentence is worth rewriting and remembering. Gradually increase the difficulty.

❺ Focus on modern language, with its phraseological units. It is recommended to watch as many films and TV series with subtitles as possible. Watching will help your ears get used to the correct pronunciation of phrases.

❻ You can find an English-speaking interlocutor. If you think it’s not that easy, you’re wrong. There are a huge number of suitable people on the social networks Instagram (продукт Meta Platforms Inc., компания признана экстремистской организацией, деятельность на территории РФ запрещена) and Twitter. Start lively dialogues that really help you master the language.

❼ Try to speak English. Try to describe the room you are in now, tell an interesting story in English, name each nearby object.

❽ Another unusual learning method is to play computer games without a localizer, in the original language. If you want to reach the logical conclusion of the game, then you will simply need to be familiar with English speech and know the translation of many words.

❾ Solve new tests every month, chart the dynamics of your performance. It will allow you to understand whether your chosen teaching method is of any use.

❿ Useful sites: Englishdom.com, Englex.ru, Lingualeo.com, Duolingo.com, Englishspeak.com; Grammar: Engblog.ru, Learn-english-today.com; Audio and video formats: Eslfast.com, Newsinlevels.com, Agendaweb.org; Websites for learning new words: Quizlet.com, Memrise.com; Texts: Rong-chang.com, Eslfast.com, newsinlevels.com

Conclusion

Whatever the method of learning English, no matter what mistakes you make, never be disappointed in yourself and try to develop further. Let this be a new path for you.