Some adults believe that only children can start learning English from scratch. Some people think that it is a shame for an adult to start with the basics and learn basic rules and words, others believe that only children can successfully learn foreign languages, because they have excellent memory and learning abilities. Both the first and second opinions are wrong. There is nothing shameful in the fact that you start learning a language as an adult, quite the contrary: the thirst for knowledge always inspires respect.

So it doesn’t matter how old you are, what matters is your desire to learn and your willingness to improve your knowledge. Many people ask the question: “What is the best way to start learning English?”

Below are the main 9 steps that should be followed consistently when studying.

1. Learn the rules of reading English

Theater begins with a hanger, and the English language begins with reading rules. This is a basic piece of knowledge that will help you learn to read English and pronounce sounds and words correctly.

2. Check how words are pronounced

Even if you know the rules of reading by heart, when learning new words, check how they are pronounced correctly. Tricky English words don't want to be read the way they are written. And some of them completely refuse to obey any reading rules. Therefore, we advise you to check the pronunciation of each new word in an online dictionary, for example, Lingvo.ru or on a special website Howjsay.com. Listen to how the word sounds several times and try to pronounce it exactly the same. At the same time, you will practice correct pronunciation.

3. Start building your vocabulary

Use visual dictionaries, for example, use the website Studyfun.ru. Bright pictures, voiced by native speakers and translation into Russian will make it easier for you to learn and memorize new vocabulary.

What words should you start learning English with? We recommend that beginners refer to the list of words on Englishspeak.com. Start with simple words of a general topic, remember which words you use most often in your speech in Russian. In addition, we advise you to spend more time studying English verbs. It is the verb that makes speech dynamic and natural.

4. Learn grammar

If you imagine speech as a beautiful necklace, then grammar is the thread on which you place word beads to ultimately get a beautiful decoration. Violation of the “rules of the game” of English grammar is punishable by misunderstanding of the interlocutor. But learning these rules is not so difficult; all you need to do is study using a good textbook.

We recommend taking the first book in the Grammarway series of manuals translated into Russian. Do you find textbooks boring? It doesn’t matter, fortunately, you can find everything on the Internet, including blogs from English teachers. There you can find clear explanations of grammatical nuances and get advice from experts in the field.

5. Listen to podcasts at your level

As soon as you start taking your first steps, you immediately need to accustom yourself to the sound of foreign speech. Start with simple podcasts ranging from 30 seconds to 2 minutes. You can find simple audio recordings with translation into Russian on the website Teachpro.ru.

6. Watch the news in English

After you have developed a basic vocabulary in English, it's time to start watching the news. We recommend the resource Newsinlevels.com. News texts for the first level are simple. There is an audio recording for each news, so be sure to listen to how words that are new to you sound and try to repeat them after the announcer.

7. Read simple texts

While reading, you activate your visual memory: new words and phrases will be easy to remember. And if you want not just to read, but also to learn new words, improve pronunciation, listen to texts voiced by native speakers, and then read them. You can find simple short texts in textbooks at your level, such as New English File Elementary, or on the Internet.

8. Install useful apps

How to start learning English from scratch on your own if you have a smartphone or tablet at hand? Applications for learning English are mini-tutorials that will always be in your pocket. The well-known application Lingualeo is ideal for learning new words: thanks to the spaced repetition technique, new vocabulary will not fade from your memory in a month. To study the structure and how the language “works,” we recommend installing Duolingo. This application will allow you, in addition to learning new words, to practice grammar and learn how to build sentences in English, and will also help you develop good pronunciation.

9. Study online

If you ask Google where to start learning English on your own, the caring search engine will immediately give you a couple of hundred sites with various lessons, online exercises, and articles about learning the language. An inexperienced student is immediately tempted to make 83 bookmarks of “well, very necessary sites on which I will study every day.”

We want to warn you against this: with the abundance of bookmarks, you will quickly get confused, but you need to study systematically, without jumping from one topic to another. Bookmark 2-3 really good resources that will help you study. This is more than enough. We recommend doing online exercises on the websites Correctenglish.ru or Wonderenglish.com.

Let's start with the main thing - your capabilities and desires, because they make up the lion's share of success in learning any foreign language! As for opportunities, do not doubt that you have them, and do not console yourself with the fact that they do not exist, because back in 2006, the American scientist Richard Sparks convincingly dispelled the well-known myth that learning foreign languages ​​requires some extraordinary innate abilities, which means that everyone has opportunities! Let's move on to desire. As the well-known wisdom says, “desire is a thousand possibilities, and reluctance is a thousand reasons.” Decide which camp you are in and if there are thousands of possibilities taking over, this article will surely help you realize them.

First person

According to many linguists, learning foreign languages ​​with the help of phrasebooks improves the process of memorizing individual words and general principles of sentence construction. In addition, by memorizing a language with ready-made phrases in the first person, a person not only repeats the narrative, which is typical for traditional retelling of texts, but also subconsciously models a certain situation, imagining himself in one position or another. This method allows you to avoid the impersonality of memorized material, giving you the opportunity to “try on” phrases that may be useful in real life. The “First Person” method is supported by a study conducted by psychologists in a Russian secondary school with in-depth study of the English language. In the experiment, elementary school students were given texts that consisted of half third-person narration and half first-person narration. As a result, it turned out that 98% of schoolchildren were able to almost accurately reproduce the part of the text that consisted of direct speech. According to linguists, the advantage of phrasebooks lies precisely in the characteristic feature of presenting the material in the first person, which allows you to “get used to” the text and makes memorization more effective.

Our advice: carefully choose a phrasebook; Study topics sequentially, while simultaneously learning related words. Spend 2-3 days on each topic.

Formula

Experts have come up with an ideal memorization formula - 30 words a day, 5 of which are verbs. The technique is aimed at busy people who want to master the basics of a new language, learn to understand and speak, without much time investment. According to the formula, words should be chosen by the first letter, changing it daily to the next one - thus, if today you learn words starting with “ A", then tomorrow it should be 30 words starting with “ B". When the full circle of the alphabet has been completed, you return to " A" and so on. The effectiveness of this method lies in the fact that it allows you to create certain rules for yourself, which over time will become a habit and transform into a system.

Our advice: in order to achieve results in learning a foreign language using this method, accept the main rule - you need to learn words every day, without giving yourself days off.

Lyrics

Perhaps the most enjoyable and effective method of learning languages ​​is learning foreign songs in parallel with their translation. This method was discovered by our compatriot, who was able to learn English in 3 months, resorting exclusively to “cramming” and playing English songs. Linguists admit that this method really helps to master a foreign language, especially if the translation is worked out by the student himself, taking into account the grammatical and stylistic features of the text. A huge advantage of the “song” method is excellent pronunciation - the result of repeated repetition of the same text, as well as imitation of the performer - in this case, the student receives a kind of master class. It is worth noting another significant advantage that comes with memorizing songs in a foreign language - the stylistic purity of the language and the beauty of speech patterns that are characteristic of lyrical works. By learning a language through songs, you subconsciously accept the style of presentation of thoughts, get used to it and reproduce it.

Our advice: start with your favorite lyrical works, where the words are chanted. For example, for those who are going to learn Spanish, a great starting song could be « "Besame Mucho" ideal composition for learning and pronunciation - « Megustastu».

Dash – dot

Psychologists studying the problem of foreign language perception have come to the conclusion that the mistake most people make is that they try to “consciously” hear what the announcer on the screen or the voice from the headphones is saying. “However, you should not try to hear every sound - instead, you should catch the general tonality, that is, listen “unconsciously.” This is the secret of adequate perception of a foreign language!” – psychologists say. Scientists draw a parallel with Morse code, where it is almost impossible to count the number of dots and dashes even at extremely low transmission speeds - however, the very tonality of various sequences “settles” in the subconscious and allows you to instantly decipher information. Another striking example is children who, unlike adults, can listen “unconsciously” and therefore learn foreign languages ​​so quickly and effortlessly when they find themselves in another country.

Our advice: all that remains is to relax and listen to foreign speech as often as possible. Try to grasp the melody of the language, frequently repeated words and speech patterns, without going into details. At the same time, learn words and take a classic audio course with text repetitions, memorization of phrases and translation.

On appetite!

One of the most proven and effective ways of learning a foreign language is the famous “immersion method” Berlitz. According to the author, it is necessary to speak the language from the very first day of learning, describing everything that you see around. Thus, students and the teacher “find themselves” in various typical situations, for example, sitting down at the table and acting out a dinner scene. During the conversation, which is conducted exclusively in a foreign language, the participants name and describe in detail tableware and products, and ask each other to pass something on. The main idea of ​​express learning using this method is that the student first memorizes key words and phrases, and only then masters grammar. According to Berlitz himself, with such an algorithm of actions, the grammar of the language comes intuitively, as if “by itself.” Here it is worth returning again to the phenomenon of children's perception of language, when, finding themselves in a foreign environment, a child is able to learn to express his thoughts correctly and grammatically in a short period of time. The Berlitz method, in essence, forces an adult to find himself in the role of a child who hears foreign speech in the context of a certain situation - lunch, going to the store, walking, etc., and takes part in a dialogue that has a specific meaning.

Our advice: If you study the language on your own, spend 30 minutes studying every day! Separate the words thematically (lunch, shop, plane) and pronounce everything that you see or can see around. Feel free to talk to yourself!

When learning languages, do not forget that you are a native speaker of the most beautiful, rich and complex language! This thought will inspire and give confidence, because for you personally, mastering any foreign language is many times easier than learning Russian for a foreigner!

See tips for girls who dream of marrying a foreigner:

8 life hacks for learning a foreign language and mega-useful free sites like easier to learn English + valuable information about the relationship between the brain and a foreign language.

>>>I had two problems in learning English - poor memory and lack of concentration. Only thanks to the free gaming simulator, I can now easily memorize hundreds of words. I recommend it to everyone! Register for FREE and improve your skills >>>

Read on to learn about the positive effects of a foreign language on the brain.

What changes occur in the brain when a person speaks more than one language?

1. Bilingualism affects the structure of the brain. There is an increase in white matter, which is responsible for the speed and quality of information transmission. There is also an increase in gray matter, which is responsible for executive functions: planning, decision-making, problem solving, willpower, analysis.

2. A bilingual's brain processes information more efficiently, remains young and flexible longer, thereby slowing down cognitive diseases/impairments in old age.

3. Learning a foreign language influences cognitive benefits in children. Namely, bilingual children concentrate better and are better able to solve various problems and tasks assigned to them. Therefore, modern science says that mastering a foreign language from an early age provides a great advantage in the development and improvement of cognitive abilities.

see how easy it is for a child to learn English

4. The process of learning a foreign language is important. The very process of learning a language in itself helps to improve cognitive abilities and take them to a new level. And it doesn’t even depend on what age you start learning a foreign language.

In adulthood, learning a language is as useful as in any other age. Why? Because cognitive abilities fade with age and this is where learning a foreign language comes to the rescue.

It can be fun and a great mood lifter, it can diversify your pastime, and also become a useful skill.

How a foreign language is stored in your head depends on how you learn it. What is better - immersion in a language environment or learning a language in a classical way? The best way to learn English is immersion in a language environment. In this case, the foreign language is similar to native speech and learning it is much easier.

8 life hacks to make learning English easier and useful websites

1. Find the most popular words in English on the Internet.

How to learn English words quickly and easily?There are ready-made lists on the Internet of 200 words and 500 words.

• Take these words.
• Highlight the ones you don't know.
• Make up phrases with them or look for ready-made phrases on the Internet.
• Place stickers everywhere (in the bathroom, in the kitchen, above the bed, near your desk).

Words should be taught only in phrases, or better yet, in sentences and phrases.

Top 500 English words with translation and transcription. 500 popular words HERE:

http://en365.ru/top500.htm

2. Watch TV series, movies on YouTube. This is a quick way to learn English even from scratch. You can watch with subtitles. When we look, we perceive information better and see emotions.

A great option is to watch TV series in English with English subtitles on

https://ororo.tv/ru

A large number of videos and everything related to English on the puzzle-English website

3. Listen to radio, podcasts, audio books in English.

Radio in English online:

http://englishtexts.ru/radio

4. Read in English and be sure to read out loud.

5. Talk to a native speaker. This is another way to learn English easier. You can communicate via Skype. The most important thing is to learn to speak quickly, even if it is with mistakes.

The best resources for communicating with foreigners:

interpals.net

mylanguageexchange.com

italki.com

englishbaby.com

How to learn English easier and avoid mistakes when choosing a course

The answer to this most frequently asked question in the video"How to Choose a Good English Course? 7 Main Mistakes"

A very lively girl with clear diction, her video lessons are interesting and incredibly motivating.

About memory types and why you need to know about it when learning English

There are two types of memory: short-term (operative) and long-term. All information that enters our brain is first stored in short-term memory.

And if the brain does not often use this information, then it does not go into long-term memory. All new foreign words enter short-term memory first, and if they are not repeated, they will never move into long-term memory.

To remember the words, phrase, sentences forever, follow the repetition mode. How to do it?

• repeat after you have immediately learned;
• after 20-30 minutes;
• in one day;
• in two to three weeks;
• in two to three months;
• in two or three years.

Periodically, as an option, write down all the words in a notebook and just flip through them periodically, otherwise without practice it will be forgotten.

It is better to study more often, but less. It makes no sense to learn more than 10 words or phrases at a time. Learn 5-10 phrases and don’t load your brain further with new information. This way, what you learn is perceived better and remembered better.

Why is it wrong to learn 100 words a day? Because words learned without context and emotional connection are not used in the future or begin to be used incorrectly.

Use associations. This allows you to forever retain in your memory some image or phrase that you have learned.

Mnemonic dictionary to help - http://www.englspace.com/mnemo/index.php

Learn with interest. What is best remembered is what is at the intersection of useful and pleasant. If you like a song, find and translate it, remember all the combinations of words in it. This will help you enrich your vocabulary.

More useful resources where you can learn English

1. https://www.ted.com/

Here we have collected a lot of videos from conferences organized by TED, on very different interesting topics, naturally in English. It’s convenient that you can turn on subtitles in both Russian and English while watching.

TED, YouTube channel - https://www.youtube.com/user/TEDtalksDirector

2. Texts, audio recordings for them and short exercises. At the intermediate stage on a useful resource:

http://www.listenaminute.com/

3. N but for beginners.

Language from the very beginning, that is, “from scratch,” then you cannot do without help. The initial stage - learning the basics of grammar - is very important, and if you make mistakes at this stage, it will only become more difficult. Therefore, contact a foreign language learning center, or take private lessons. Ten lessons will be enough to get the required minimum, on the basis of which you can, if desired, develop the language on your own.

Develop yourself. If you have already studied a language and decide to improve and develop your knowledge, then you have many ways to do this. For example, you can watch movies with Russian subtitles. At first, it will be a little difficult to move your eyes from the subtitles and concentrate. But over time, you will pay much less attention to subtitles. This method is good for expanding your vocabulary, for immersing yourself in the speech itself, and getting used to its sound. It is also useful to watch English-language channels and listen to radio in English.

Communicate. Communication with native speakers is the best way to learn it. Make acquaintances with residents of England, the USA or any other English-speaking country, for example, through social networks, and start communicating via Skype. Live communication is always better than cramming rules and words. Warn your interlocutor that you are learning a language, try to understand his phrases, and structure yours correctly. The accent of the interlocutor, the structure of his speech, new words and phrases - all this can help you master spoken English in six months.

If you have the financial opportunity to travel to England or the USA, take advantage of it. A month in a native language country - and you can already communicate fluently. In the first week it will be difficult to think and understand people, in the second you will begin to navigate and be able to construct broken phrases, starting from the third week, communication will give you pleasure, and by the end of the month you will be surprised at your knowledge of the language. This practice allows you to naturally integrate into the language, recognize words and construct phrases without errors. Otherwise, no one will understand you.

Learn new words. With any method of learning a language, the main thing is to expand your vocabulary. The most primitive and at the same time the most effective way is to write words on pieces of paper along with their pronunciation, place them in rooms in the house, and gradually learn them. Add five to seven new words a day.

Contact the specialists. Today there are many authors offering language learning courses that they have developed. These are Dragunkin, Poloneichik, Zamyatkin and others. Their books and multimedia courses can be purchased in stores and online. Please note that a combination of the methodology and the above methods of learning the language will give the best result.

Often, when it comes to learning foreign languages, people of the older generation immediately remember school and those languages ​​that they seemed to have studied there for many years, but never learned. If there is no urgent need, then learning a language remains something abstract, and therefore most often desirable, but unattainable. So, how to learn English on your own from scratch? My assistant, a philologist of foreign languages, will tell us about this today. Personally, I learned English on Skype at Skyeng school and eventually started a blog in English.

Almost all more or less literate people will agree: yes, knowledge of languages ​​is a useful skill for any modern person. However, what exactly? Let's look at this issue from the point of view of its benefits for copywriters.

A copywriter who knows how to find the necessary information will always find income. A copywriter who knows how to find unique and high-quality information will never be left without a well-paid job. And knowledge of English significantly expands the possibilities of access to information.

Because English is spoken, written and thought in countries that are currently world leaders in economic and cultural development. And in many areas of applied and theoretical science they set the vector for the further progress of all mankind. Therefore, information from this community is of interest throughout the world. Unlike countries with Chinese and Spanish languages ​​- although in terms of the number of people speaking them, they are ahead of English-speaking speakers, and Chinese is beginning to enjoy increasing interest and demand.

And if we talk about the Internet - the place where millions of journalists, copywriters and text authors make money, then there’s nothing even to compare. Whether we are talking about highly specialized professional resources or those developed by users independently, Russian-language sites are significantly inferior in terms of the volume of available information. To do this, just visit the English and Russian versions of Wikia - specialized encyclopedias for various hobbies.

Just for fun, you can compare similar encyclopedias on role-playing games: here is the Russian one (http://ru.rpg.wikia.com/wiki/Role-Encyclopedia), and here is the English-language one (http://rpg.wikia.com/wiki/RPG). Although the number of articles on both resources differs by only a thousand, on the Russian site you can see on the side that there are many more independent encyclopedias dedicated to various types of role-playing games in English.

Of course, the exception is those areas that are relevant for residents of Russia and the post-Soviet space. However, the demand for texts on the topic of Russian folk traditions and customs is significantly lower than things that are relevant for a single cultural space on the Internet. So, I think it’s good to learn English - a thought that, to varying degrees of relevance, visits every copywriter. And the question of where to learn English also doesn’t seem to be too difficult, when there are a lot of advertisements around about different courses and methods.

However, how can one approach a practical solution to this problem?

Is it possible to learn English at home?

Learning a language is not easy, everyone knows that.

The four basic skills that must be developed in order to understand and speak a foreign language are:

• reading;
• letter;
• hearing;
• speaking.

To successfully develop these skills at least to the simplest level, you need to master:

• alphabet;
• reading rules;
• basic vocabulary;
• basic rules of grammar.

Too nerdy? Ok, let's take a closer look.

In spoken language alone, an ordinary person uses from 2 to 3 thousand words: even if you diligently learn 10-15 words a day, it will take almost a year. However, the matter is not limited to knowing words; you need to somehow connect them into meaningful sentences, for this there are also rules.

Tenses are a serious stumbling block in any foreign language. What in native speech is formed in a conversation without hesitation, in a foreign language becomes a reason for serious thought.

Although in this matter English is quite simple: you only need to learn by heart the irregular verbs of English, the rest can be completed at any time with the help of a few auxiliary words and endings.

Are you going for a walk now? Or did you go yesterday? Or maybe you're going to go tomorrow? The Russian language, among other world languages, is considered quite difficult to learn. “Go-go-go” - can you imagine what difficulties foreigners face? Be glad that English is much simpler and more consistent on this subject!

Declension: they are long and persistently drummed into children at school, but many still do not fully understand that “I am going” and “He is coming” differ in the same way in almost any foreign language. Although in English this matter is simpler, you only have to remember two forms of endings, but knowledge of the theory does not save you from mistakes in practice.

And we have not even come close to complex rules; we have taken the most basic and most common language constructs that are present in all languages. But there are also differences!

Here is the most famous of them: Russian-speaking people who are thinking about learning the most common language in the world are first frightened by the fact that English words are pronounced differently from how they are written. That is why in English dictionaries, in addition to the word and translation, the transcription must be written - how to pronounce this particular word. There’s just one problem: transcription is itself a universal written language with its own symbols for a particular sound. That is, in order to read how a word is pronounced, you need to first learn the transcription icons. So the hesitant ones disappear at this stage.

And there are also accepted phrases that simply cannot be adequately translated, but have their own meaning. In fact, this is the main difficulty of English for foreigners, and not the pronunciation of words. It’s just that few people realize it, except teachers. However, this feature brings many problems when studying. For example, the expression “What is going on?” when directly translated it will turn out to be complete rubbish: “What is going on?” But what it really means is “What’s going on?” So such constructions simply need to be learned by heart - and this is in addition to several thousand words.

Ok, this is what concerns the structure of the language itself. But there is also communication - why, in fact, make titanic efforts to overcome the difficulties described above? And here a person may encounter another unexpected problem: he seems to be able to speak, but there is a problem with understanding.

In hearing, the untrained ear of even one who has mastered basic knowledge of the language perceives on average only 25% of what is heard. For clarity, I will take a paragraph from this text and remove three words out of every four:

...of them... about studying... the world... then... are written... Here... except... written... specifically... here... itself... conditional... other... read... or... before... transcriptions... disappear... stage.

Well, do you understand everything? I won’t be mistaken in assuming that even in your native language it is almost impossible to understand what this fragment is about.

I think that the attentive reader by this point was either despondent - if he was planning to study the language after all - or at a loss as to why all the difficulties are described in such detail. Let's return to the question: “is it possible to learn a language at home”? The answer is: yes, it is possible. However, no one says it will be easy.

Self-study for beginners

I started an Instagram account. I show you the life of a copywriter, I make fun of you in stories, let’s be friends! GO TO INTSAGRAM

The most important condition in mastering any layer of knowledge is consistency and regularity. This is true even for chemistry, even for foreign speech. Under this condition, anyone can learn English on their own.

In Soviet times, the following incident once occurred: at a school Olympiad in four languages, the winner was the same student. Naturally, officials could not believe in such incredible knowledge of a child who, moreover, was not doing well in other subjects. Therefore, he was not awarded any place.

What is this story for? Moreover, even if in those days when it was possible to study a language only from a few textbooks approved by censorship, a child succeeded in this, now, in the era of the World Wide Web, the possibilities are much greater.

Now you can find and purchase many language training courses in any form: playful, rhythmic, rhyming, plot-based or purely practical. There is a suitable textbook or course for every age and taste. Better yet, use several at once. The main thing is not to turn studying into a tedious grind, but to do it with pleasure and interest.

If you are sure that you do not need a team, are disciplined enough for regular and full-fledged classes, and have found everything you need for gradual learning, then you can really learn English at home. Moreover, in the modern world, English words surround us everywhere: on signs, advertising, in educational or feature films. Therefore, many things are acquired passively, manifesting themselves after the start of training.

How to learn the English alphabet

If you have to learn English from the very beginning, then you cannot do without the alphabet. Learning English letters is not particularly difficult, especially for those who studied languages ​​at school - and this has long been one of the compulsory subjects. All European languages ​​are based on the same alphabet, Latin. Depending on the characteristics of a particular language, letters may be dropped or included that convey sounds characteristic of that area or country. However, it migrated to English without the slightest change, only the pronunciation of the letters differs.

To remember, you can simply learn it; it does not pose any special problems for memorization. And for children, a variety of educational songs with the alphabet were invented a long time ago. Want to have a little fun? Why not sing them to remember?

Not confident in your abilities? Hang the letters in the rooms in order and randomly, read and repeat them every time you enter the room. The main thing is to ensure constant practice, and then memorizing, depending on your memory, will take from a couple of days to a week.

In fact, it is not the letters themselves that are difficult, but the various rules for reading letters in different combinations. However, contrary to popular belief, Russian also has reading features, albeit not in such quantities. Ask younger schoolchildren who are scolded by teachers for writing words the way they hear them, they will tell you.

Unlike Russian, reading rules in English mainly depend on vowels or their combinations, and only in some cases on consonants. In addition, these rules are quite consistent, therefore, having mastered them, you can read any unfamiliar texts with virtually no errors. Almost without - because in addition to the rules, there are also exceptions. True, there is still a long way to go from reading to understanding. But everything comes with time spent on learning.

For practical reinforcement, you can use various audio lessons for beginners, which you can either buy or find on the Internet. Simply repeating after the speaker along with reading the same phrases or words will help you quickly learn new reading rules. The effectiveness of this method has been tested in practice by one of my friends, who decided to learn English after studying German at school. Without much effort, repeating simple phrases in between caring for her baby, literally in the very first lessons of the then cassette course, she was able to switch from reading German to English at home for free and on her own.

The main thing is not to be afraid of failure: everyone who speaks a language once started learning English from scratch, you are not the first and not the only one who does this.

How to Learn English Words and Phrases

Having learned the letters in general, the features of their pronunciation in certain words, we move closely to the set of vocabulary.

It has been proven that learning individual words is less effective than memorizing them in whole structures at once. Because it is easier to remember a phrase where this word was used than it is separately, without reference to the situation.

Just as you can’t learn to play classical music or modern music on the piano without repeating scales, you won’t be able to learn a language without mastering simple phrases like: “This is a table, and that’s a chair. The chair is yellow and the table is red” - and stuff like that.

Although some training courses begin with phrases for communication: “Hi, how are you? Great, thanks, what about you?” But without this and without this, knowledge of the language will not be complete. You need to know how to explain to a foreigner that this stump in the middle of the room is actually a designer chair, and not at all a felled tree that has grown through fifteen floors.

To get through this stage quickly, and not snort at the stupidity of the textbook creators, try to immediately visualize the situation: when and where such a phrase will sound appropriate. By the way, elementary school students often laugh when teachers ask them to translate the phrase “Where am I?” - however, you can probably remember several films where the hero, finding himself in a place unknown to him, says exactly this. And this phrase, which seems strange in class, sounds quite natural in such a situation.

At this stage, it is better to decide what you need the language for. If you are planning to travel abroad in the near future, where you will need to ask how to get there or where it is - this is one set of words. If your task is to master the basic level of conversation in order to easily conduct and maintain a simple exchange of common phrases, textbooks for beginners will help with this. And if, ideally, you are going to communicate with native speakers at all levels, from everyday to professional, then it is better to turn to serious, multi-level textbooks.

How to learn spoken English

If the student is not a child under 10 years old and does not live in an English-speaking country, then basic concepts of grammar cannot be avoided. Because no matter how hard you try, you won’t be able to speak in memorized phrases.

I think many people have phrase books in different languages ​​in their home library. And some even used them while traveling. However, I have not yet met a single person who could memorize the entire phrasebook, and for him it was enough at least for constant everyday communication. The reason is precisely that the proposed phrases can be used only in one, or at most two, situations. However, in reality, situations change constantly, the characters too - and that’s it, the phrase is no longer relevant. This is where we need knowledge of grammar in order to easily replace the constituent words of a phrase, adapting it to a similar but slightly different situation.

Grammar is the very checkers with which the Lego word-details in the speech house are held together.

Simple constructions: declarative, interrogative, negative and affirmative sentences in English are built according to a strict pattern, therefore, once you understand their order, then constructing phrases is quite easy. Those who know the names of parts of speech and members of a sentence from school can use translated materials or textbooks by Russian-speaking authors. For those who prefer to master grammar in practice, the textbook “English Grammar in Use” will come to the rescue, where all the rules are explained exclusively with the help of diagrams, numerous examples and pictures. The textbook consists of three voluminous volumes, starting with the simplest and ending with complex grammatical constructions of the conditional mood.

Another good thing about this textbook is that grammar is taught through commonly used colloquial phrases and small dialogues.

Well, we should not forget about understanding speech. Conversational language is not a monologue; here you have to listen to your interlocutor and answer questions. Therefore, you should definitely regularly listen to native speakers - initially adapted, and later natural conversations and texts. Both purchased and downloaded materials from the Internet will help with this.

Learn English online

As you can see, in modern society the Internet is a huge help for those who want to expand their horizons and understand representatives of other countries. You can find everything you need to learn a language online:

• textbooks;
• benefits;
• audio courses;
• movies;
• interlocutors;
• teachers.

In addition, there are very convenient programs for learning languages ​​on the Internet.

One of them is quite popular among users - Duolingo. You can put it on your computer, tablet or phone, and, according to the schedule you set, spend 5 to 20 minutes a day on training. The program sends you reports on your progress by email, reminds you if you forgot to study and, of course, checks for errors during training. This is a common concern for many people who take on self-study: being able to check whether they have learned the material correctly. Training covers all aspects: understanding English phrases, writing words, pronunciation and listening comprehension. So for beginners and intermediates it is a convenient and enjoyable way to learn.

However, you should not stop only at this program if you want to really master the language, and not stroke your ego with the thought that you are developing by devoting only five minutes every day to learning English.

The Internet gives us a unique opportunity: while in our own country, to ensure ourselves a deep immersion in the English-speaking environment - something that was previously only available when traveling. Thanks to this, it is quite possible to quickly learn English.

Many courses will offer you their training programs for a nominal fee. And this is perfect for those who need additional motivation to start using English in everyday speech.

Everyone knows: to speak, you need to speak. Without being embarrassed by mistakes, continue to formulate your thoughts in the language you want to master. Only this will help overcome the psychological barrier that every student faces.

If you think that you need individual training, then this is not a problem: many sites offer help from their teachers who conduct classes via Skype at any time convenient for you. Among them you can find both local specialists and emigrants who have successfully mastered the language, and even native speakers. That's exactly what I did.

In order not to throw money away, at the initial levels it is better to use the services of someone who can explain the very basics to you in an understandable language. But having already mastered the basic knowledge, you can begin classes with English-speaking teachers: they, better than anyone else, will be able to teach you modern conversational trends, help you get used to hearing other people’s speech, and give you an incentive to start talking.

The best way to learn English

We are surrounded by a lot of advertising. Surely you have come across invitations to courses using secret service methods, proprietary methods, and various other methods. However, all these techniques will work only in one case: with desire and effort on the part of the student himself.

The experience of many generations of schoolchildren proves that you can study a language for years, but still end up with a few phrases in your head.

You can bring a calf to water, but you cannot force him to drink.

Eastern proverb

The language must come to life for you - and in what ways you do this is the tenth thing.

However, you should not rush from one textbook or teacher to another - such a haphazard approach will not give the desired result. Because any technique is built on a gradual deepening of knowledge. And by jumping from one technique to another, you risk going through the same material over and over again.

Therefore, if you decide to learn a language on your own, then you need to choose for yourself:

• basic textbook;
• grammar textbook;
• video or audio course;
• several books to read.

What are the principles for choosing a textbook?

Nowadays, our market is widely represented by well-developed textbooks from Cambridge, Oxford and other well-known centers for studying the English language. They consist of several parts: a main book, an exercise book, an audio course, and a teacher's book. They all complement each other, their main task is to allow you to master the spoken language from the basics to the features and nuances.

But since they are still intended for classes in groups, not everyone can master the language using them without outside help. In such cases, there are tutorials that are focused on independent study.

In addition to the exercises presented in them, which are designed to gain vocabulary, you need to work on it yourself in any free time. These could be cards with words, or a list in your pocket - it doesn’t matter. Do it as you feel comfortable, the main thing is to get results.

Grammar is a source of knowledge of English constructions and current times, features and other subtleties of the language. Usually it is explained using simple words, so working with the exercises will not cause any particular difficulties.

It is imperative to listen to English speech - the ear must get used to the peculiarities of pronunciation, and this cannot be achieved with the help of educational texts or dialogues alone. Those words that you easily perceive in an already familiar context may get lost in the flow of speech on another topic.

An excellent base for activating your existing vocabulary and expanding it is reading books. Of course, at first it is better to read adapted books with a given dictionary and explanations. Over time, you can switch to unadapted literature.

Since English literature is widely represented by both classics and modern works, it is not so difficult to find something that suits your taste.

Three hours a day of such immersion in the English-speaking environment will allow you to speak and understand native speakers of this language at a decent level in six months.

How to organize effective lessons yourself

Ok, this section is for those who are confident in their own abilities and have decided to learn English without the help and prodding of teachers.

Selecting a textbook

First of all, decide what kind of English you are going to learn? As everyone knows, the language of the UK and the US are somewhat different. Of course, the British and Americans can understand each other, since the grammar and words are the same with a few exceptions. However, in the colloquial version of both options there are significant differences, since colloquial speech changes quite quickly following the trends of the times.

The biggest differences are in the vocabulary used. Therefore, when choosing a Cambridge or Oxford textbook as a textbook, you should know that you will be mastering the British version of the English language.

Place of study

Next, as we have already said, prepare yourself additional materials. If these are materials in electronic form, create shortcuts for yourself on your computer desktop so that they are always visible, otherwise you risk forgetting about them at the right time. If the textbooks are paper, then place them on the table or bedside table, but do not hide them in the closet, where they will get lost among other books.

Preparation of the workplace is an important factor in the successful performance of work.

Studying time

Determine in advance the time you allocate for classes and include them in your schedule. You should not leave studying for a free five minutes, because there may not be any, and otherwise you will lose the opportunity to advance in learning the language.

Before studying becomes a habit, it is better to plan your studies in advance. This will allow you to properly allocate time and at the same time will be an additional incentive to study: it’s not in vain that you spent time planning.

Spend 20-30 minutes working through each textbook. At first, let there be no more than two of them per day: the textbook itself and the grammar. There is no need to set a goal to cover a certain amount of material in a day, because this may take you longer than you planned, and this will reduce time for other things. This may be a reason to skip class next time. Whereas limiting time for studying can encourage you to work harder in the same time interval.

Video lessons

If you want not only to learn a language, but also to get acquainted with the culture of a country or countries, then it is worth taking time to watch special video lessons, of which there are many now posted online. They tell in simple language about traditions, historical facts, features of England and the USA, and are both educational and interesting.

Immersion in language

And the free minutes can be used for additional immersion in the language environment: a book or audio recording, if you are at work, in transport, on a walk; movie while relaxing at home. As for understanding, at first it will be little like entertainment: to understand English without translation you will need to make an effort. There is no need to force things, let it be five to ten minutes, and then proceed to your usual rest. Over time, as you get used to the pronunciation and gain experience, you will begin to enjoy watching and the original play on words, which is lost even with the best translation.

Videos and books

At the very beginning, choose films and books with fairly simple spoken language. At the first stages, it is advisable to avoid fantasy, historical and detective stories, because their very subject matter involves the use of rather complex vocabulary. Domestic dramas and comedies are best suited, since conversations there revolve mainly around simple everyday things.

It is better to choose books that you have already read in your native language - this will make it easier not to lose the thread of the story. Some people diligently look up every word in the dictionary - this significantly reduces speed and often leads to giving up reading. However, this method is also effective, but not at the initial stage, but when the main database of at least several hundred words has already been formed. Frequent words that are repeated more than five times will soon be remembered during the reading process, and the number of trips to the dictionary will be significantly reduced.

It’s great if you have the opportunity to watch films with English subtitles: this way you will not only listen, but will immediately be able to read what the characters are saying. However, this is good only in the initial stages, and then it is better to give up reading, because it will interfere with full listening comprehension.

If you want to learn to speak without an accent, then while watching, regularly repeat phrases, imitating pronunciation and intonation as much as possible.

Try to use English wherever possible. If you are registered on Facebook, then translate its language into English - there are not many functions there, but they will be constantly visible. If you are a fan of computer games, then re-tune your favorite games to English. This way, informational messages and labels will help you master words without special memorization.

If you have a hobby, then register on English-language thematic forums. You don’t need to rush into the pool right away - at first, just read the correspondence: this way you will master the vocabulary that suits your interests. And then you can join the discussion.

Constant practice is an important part of success, so try not to miss opportunities to practice a little. Even if at first you don’t understand most of what is written or said, it doesn’t matter. Our brain does not forget anything, at some point the quantity of information will turn into quality - and then you may suddenly discover how easy it really is to learn English.

How can a child learn English?

Teaching children a foreign language is a very special skill. Abstract goals don't work very well for a child. While for an adult the thought of traveling to another country may be sufficient motivation, for a child it will be too difficult a task. In addition, the ability to concentrate in children is significantly less than in adults. Therefore, a lesson lasting more than half an hour is too difficult a task even for younger schoolchildren, let alone children from three to six years old?

Therefore, all modern methods of teaching children consist of an unobtrusive and interesting playful way of immersing them in a foreign language environment. Rhymes, songs, games - these are what you can’t do without when teaching kids. In addition, you can use a variety of computer educational programs that pose interesting tasks for children, by completing which they master words and sentences.

Another way that works 100% is immersion in the language environment. Once in the company of peers, the child will begin to seek a common language with them. The smaller the baby, the faster he adapts. Therefore, children who regularly and repeatedly travel to other countries, even for one month a year, speak the language of that country, at least at an elementary level.

But if this is not possible, but you need to learn the language, look for the most interesting ways of learning for your child, if you do not want to turn classes into torture for him and for yourself.

It should be remembered that young children learn best from what their parents do. Therefore, if you decide that it’s time for your child to learn a language, then you should master it yourself. Joint activities or games can greatly facilitate the process of learning unfamiliar words for a child.

How to learn text in English: ways and methods

Until now, the fastest and most effective way to learn words on a certain topic is to memorize the text - or topic, as schoolchildren and students say. For example, a text about a place of residence, a city and its infrastructure will allow you to immediately master and use many words such as “street, square, building, store, apartment, house” and the like. However, how boring and difficult it is to memorize an entire text!

There are some special techniques to easily learn English texts.

1. Based on the existing lexical material, write the text yourself. This is especially true if you have a general text, but you need to talk about yourself - your place of residence, family or other personal information. Sentences that you come up with yourself are much more memorable than those written by someone else. However, in order not to memorize a text with errors, it is better to have it first checked by a teacher or someone more knowledgeable. As a last resort, you can use the proposed constructions - this will help to significantly reduce errors in the text itself.
2. Another way to learn a ready-made text is through the translation method: first you need to independently translate it into your native language and write down the translation, and then translate it back orally.
3. The logical way is to make a plan for the story, and after several readings, try to reproduce the text according to the plan. Provided you know all the necessary words, it will be more like a story than a retelling.
4. The mnemonic technique of spaced repetition involves using the features of memory: you should read and then repeat the text yourself several times - even if you remember less than half of it. Then do the same thing five more times: after 15 minutes, half an hour, two hours, four hours and the next morning. This way you can remember the required amount of information without exhaustion and stress. If you need to keep it in memory for a long time, then it is advisable to repeat the same text at least once a week.

An even better effect will be obtained by using several methods at once.

And we should not forget that if you do not need to memorize and give out some boring report or welcoming speech one time, then the main task of memorizing texts is to master the common words and phrases. Therefore, the result is considered achieved not when you can repeat the entire text word for word, but if you can recall and use the constructions of this text in any order and in other situations.

A few words in conclusion

I hope that after reading this text, the answer to the question of how long it takes to learn English and how to do it does not seem too difficult to you. It all depends on the person himself:

• how strong is his motivation;
• how much time and effort he is willing to devote to learning;
• how comprehensively he decided to approach the process.

And it’s not a matter of age, abilities or material resources. Yes, a person over forty years old will take more time to study than an eighteen-year-old. However, if you compare how quickly someone who spends at least five minutes a day and someone who doesn’t learn at all will learn a language, then the answer is obvious.