The most popular language for learning is English, as it is international and is able to bring people together from all over the world. Each language has its own rules - it is not enough just to memorize words and fixed expressions (of course, this is also important), special attention should be paid to grammar, syntactic rules, speech patterns, etc.
For beginners and those who are already familiar with the basics of effectively learning English, the rules are different, but we tried to combine them together. We hope the article will be useful for both the first and second categories of people.
Rule # 1: Learn the alphabet and memorize individual phrases
It's hard to imagine learning English without knowing the alphabet. First, remember how the letters sound: for example, A is ei, similar to the Russian "hey", and B - bi, reads "bi". Also remember what the small and large letters look like. After that, you can already move on to the next stage.
In English, there are fixed expressions, for example, come home, which means to be at home. Memorize phrases, not individual words, it is much more effective, words are memorized faster in context. According to the works of some researchers, learning English by memorizing phrases increases the speed of its mastery by 5 times!
Rule # 2: Learn Grammar
You cannot master English without grammar rules. To do this, you need to find good tutorials for beginners.
We recommend the following books:
- Grammar. Collection of exercises edited by Golitsynsky Yu.B.
- Practical English grammar with exercises and keys edited by K.N.Kachalova
These books, according to teachers, will help students build a solid foundation that will further help them learn English. The editions contain theoretical and practical aspects - after learning the rules, you will consolidate them by doing light exercises. Regular classes will help you master the grammatical structures of a foreign language over time.
At first, you may not understand why English phrases are translated “wrong”. In fact, for the English, everything is so, but we translate the words as it is more convenient for us. The British think the same when the "strange" translation of English words into Russian. You can read about this, as well as about other important grammatical points in the textbooks for beginners.
Rule # 3: Listen and Remember
Schools and colleges focus on memorizing words and mastering grammar, but if you only read English words, but do not hear them pronounced, you will never master English. You just won't be able to catch most of the foreigner's words. Therefore, our advice is - instead of reading the text, listen to the audio. Better yet - both combined!
Best YouTube Channels for Learning English:
- English Show - the channel's videos are beautifully designed and dubbed, so watching them causes a lot of positive emotions;
- Learn English With Misterduncan - English subtitles simplify the language learning process, one video is about 7 minutes long;
- English from films - on this channel you can read subtitles, listen to how they sound, and memorize the translation;
- English. Double subtitles. - on this channel you will know how phrases sound in English and look in writing, as well as memorize the translation of words.
Advice: in order to make the process of learning English easier and more fun, choose a YouTube channel with a topic that interests you. Maybe you are interested in cooking or movies? Great, then look for these channels.
Rule # 4: Delay in the subconscious
Many people make one mistake - they write out words in a column, and then they repeat them for memorization. This is the wrong approach - how to remember the multiplication table, but not know why 5 × 5 = 25. Learning words is not enough; it is important to know how to use them. Most phrases have different meanings than the individual words they might be composed of.
The secret to mastering spoken English easily and fluently is to deeply memorize words in phrases. They should be embedded in your subconscious. Repeated repetition of lessons, texts, audio will allow you to speak English fluently and easily in the future. Focus not on speed, but on quality.
Advice: Returning to rule number 6, I want to add - watch the same video on YouTube several times until you have a clear understanding of why the phrase is translated this way and not otherwise. The grammar textbooks from point 7 will help you understand.
Rule # 5: Master the tenses in the language
It's worth starting with the present simple - present simple tense. We know about 3 tenses: present, past, future, but in English there are 12. Questions about the times will automatically disappear when you master the basic rules for constructing temporary forms and learn to automatically determine which group the situation belongs to.
Examples of the present simple:
- he works at the factory;
- it often snows in winter - it snows a lot in winter;
- Julia is an artist. She paints beautiful pictures - Julia is an artist. She draws very beautiful pictures.
First of all, master the present simple tense, when something is asserted: "he is doing", "the drink is invigorating", "it is snowing the second day", etc. Remember - interrogative and negative sentences are built differently - pay special attention to this. Having analyzed all these nuances, you can proceed to the next stage.
Rule # 6: Listen and Answer
Most of the video and audio lessons are structured in such a way that students listen and remember - this is good at the beginning, but we need to move forward. If you do not have a live foreign interlocutor, it does not matter, it may well be replaced by an announcer from the video material. Just press the video to pause and reply to it in the same time phrase.
For example, the question was asked: "Do you speak English?" (do you speak english?) pause and answer: “Yes, I do. I speak English "(yes, it is. I speak English.) All teachers advise:" Get more practice ", and they do it right. Only by practicing, speaking, memorizing, can you progress in mastering English.
Advice: be sure to use this rule - it almost completely compensates for real practice with a live interlocutor. Apply it in every class you do.
Rule # 7: Use a holistic approach
It is not enough just to memorize words or read them in English. If you seriously decide to master the language, then you need an integrated approach to learning.
An integrated approach includes:
- Listening - exercises, video and audio materials;
- Reading - exercises and texts;
- Grammar - learning the rules;
- Speaking is an independent exercise;
- Writing is an independent exercise.
Do not undertake to memorize complex words like "superficial", "falsification", etc., memorize how the basic phrases on which the initial communication is based are translated. These words include: "How are you?" (how are you?) "It's cold today", etc. It is recommended to memorize fixed expressions.
If you find yourself in an unfamiliar country and you have to ask someone: "Where is the hotel?" you will not look for how each word is translated - a sentence can be built incorrectly this way. It is better to remember phrases in advance that may be useful to you in everyday life. By the way, "Where is the hotel located?" translates "Where is the hotel situated?" There is already one stable phrase for you!
Rule # 8: Exercise Regularly
This item could not but complete the list of rules. Perhaps you think that the rule is not so important, but, as practice shows, the more often a person practices, speaks English, performs exercises, the more effectively he is trained and, of course, he shows good results faster.
Remember how we learned to speak as children. At first we heard incomprehensible words, gradually repeated them, memorized them, learned to build phrases and communicate. Now we speak so well and understand each other only through regular practice. If you want to study a language for years, you can study English whenever you like.
But if you want to achieve good results, train yourself to regularly practice English for at least 30-40 minutes a day. Over time, you will praise yourself for your efforts.
Advice: psychologists advise rewarding yourself for work - this way, you will be motivated to do something. After your English lessons, do what you enjoy doing: watch TV, draw, or just surf the Internet. When you miss lessons, scold yourself and do not indulge. This will train yourself to discipline, which is very important when you want to achieve something.