How to start learning English on your own?

This question can be asked by two categories of people: very, very beginners and those who have some kind of weathered base since school days. So let's immediately separate: beginners - to the left (more precisely, we read further this article), and those who studied - to the right and. Because the recipe will be different for you.

Now for you newbies only: this article is about your route from beginner to elementary. Together with Olga Sinitsyna, Head of the Methodology Department, we described each step in detail and collected all the necessary links. This is the most complete article on the topic. It is for those who want to do everything themselves.

Content of the article: learning English on your own from scratch

1. Alphabet: learn English from scratch on your own and for free

Pay attention to the patterns and differences of the sound system as a whole: there are almost no soft consonants in English, there are long / short and wide / narrow vowels, etc. To deal with all this, .

3. First words: learn English on your own from scratch for free online

Since sounds must be learned as part of a word, at the very first stage you will learn your first English words. You need to start with simple words that are used in everyday life.

6. Learn English grammar for beginners

In parallel with reading and learning whole phrases, you need to deal with grammar. But not in theory, do not delve into it in itself - learn useful English phrases and on their own example, delve into the essence of grammatical rules. How it works, .

Also watch the video on how to learn grammar for a beginner

Let's take a look at what exactly you need to understand and remember at the initial level:

Articles. They are not in Russian at all. The article is a functional word that is used together with a noun:

an apple (apple)

We have used the indefinite article here. an because the word starts with a vowel. If the word begins with a consonant, then the article will be - a.

a dog (dog)

But in addition to the indefinite article, there is also a definite - the. The video will also help you understand the articles:

Plural. Learn the rules of education plural at nouns. This is usually done by adding the -s suffix:

a cat - cats (cat - cats)

Order of words in a sentence. In English, it is strict: first comes the subject, then the predicate, then the other members of the sentence:

I love my job. (I love my job)

In an interrogative sentence, the word order is already different and an auxiliary verb is added:

Do I love my job? (I love my job?)

Understanding these subtleties will help you.

There must be a verb. without a verb English sentence simply cannot exist. And where there is no verb in Russian,.

I am a doctor. (I am a doctor or I there is doctor, literally)

Features of the system of times. There are three tenses in English, like ours: present, past and future. But each tense has four forms, and students are constantly confused in them. You do not need to immediately plunge into this chaos, .

Imperative mood when you tell another person what to do. In English, it is formed simply:

love me! (Love me!) Do it! (Do this one)

And other topics: degrees of comparison of adjectives, correct and Irregular Verbs, turnover there is - there are. The entire list of topics And so you and I will gradually get to elementary.

7. Comprehensively, from all sides: how to learn English on your own from scratch

All this - words, phrases, grammar - needs to be pumped from 4 sides: listening, writing, speaking and reading. We have collected and described for you independent exercises and materials for working on each skill:

– Your level is now zero or beginner. On average, it takes 90-100 hours of practice to reach the next level. Immediately decide how many hours a day you are ready to practice? If by the hour, then in 3 - 3.5 months you should reach the elementary level. If half an hour, then multiply the time by two. So mark this period as a deadline.

– Now break down that huge goal of "achieving elementary level" into specific and very clear goals like "learn to express thoughts in the present tense", "learn the 100 most common words", "read a book in English". Plan these tasks according to specific deadlines.

Be sure to read! Or watch the video:

9. And then what? How to learn English on your own at home from scratch quickly

Learn English on your own online from scratch

Now you have a clear plan of action. All in your hands. If you need simulators for practicing English, then. When registering, we will determine your level of English, together we will choose the goal. And after that, the service will throw up daily classes for practice: vocabulary and grammar training, short stories for reading, video and audio for beginners. Let's break through together. 🙂

According to statistics, English language today it is native to more than 370 million people. English, along with Chinese and Spanish, is consistently in the top three in terms of the number of speakers. In whatever country of the world we go, knowledge of spoken English will definitely not be superfluous. For employees of many facilities located in tourist areas, one of the main requirements for employment is at least a minimum knowledge of English. It is for all of the above reasons that the question of how to learn English on your own has been relevant for many years. And what programs and methods for teaching a foreign language have not been invented today. Many courses promise to achieve simply fantastic results in a short time. For beginners, programs are offered that supposedly allow you to speak English in 3 months no worse than Queen Elizabeth.

Of course, there are no miracles in teaching a foreign language, and you are unlikely to learn how to explain to an American how to get to the subway already in the first lesson. There are people who find English a little easier than others. But everyone has to make some effort in learning.

Learn English on your own or with a tutor - it's up to you, of course. Each person is individual. Some people find it difficult to force themselves to study at home. Such people, no matter whether it comes to sports or a foreign language, choose a mentor for themselves. Some of the students simply do not have the time or opportunity to attend English courses. But, thanks to the Internet, today foreign languages ​​have become available to everyone.

I want to learn English language! Goals and motivation

Let's say you decide to learn English on your own. It starts with setting goals and finding motivation. Children at school are often reluctant to learn English words and get nervous when they are forced to memorize grammar, precisely because they do not understand why they need all this at all. But if schoolchildren can still be motivated by exams and grades, then with adults, unless, of course, we are talking about the faculty of linguistics, such a number is unlikely to work. We need to understand why we are learning a language. Then the process will go much faster and easier.

So, as a rule, an adult enrolls in a foreign language course or decides to learn English on his own for the following reasons:

· travels;
work in an international company;
moving to permanent residence in an English-speaking country.

The choice depends on the purpose for which you study a foreign language. teaching aids and duration of training. For those who just go on a trip to an English-speaking country, sometimes it is enough to take a phrasebook with them. If you have time before the trip, you can buy an English tutorial. In reality, few people master such manuals from cover to cover, but it is quite possible to learn the most necessary colloquial phrases in everyday life on your own. Most of us travel in typical situations: going to museums and souvenir shops, buying food in a supermarket, walking the streets, ordering in a restaurant, taking a taxi and buying plane or train tickets. It is on all of the above topics that it is highly desirable to learn vocabulary before traveling abroad.

However, if you consider yourself an avid traveler and intend to travel half the world, then you need to learn English to at least B1 (Intermediate) level. This will help you make more new friends on your trips and broaden your horizons by communicating with foreigners.

In Russia, many decide to learn English on their own in order to find a better paying job or get a job in an international company. Knowledge of a foreign language is always a competitive advantage in the labor market. Moreover, today it is required to know English at the level of Upper-Intermediate, and even Advanced, from most specialists, not to mention top managers. If you intend to learn foreign language for work, then a systematic approach is indispensable here. Some international companies invite English teachers to their offices so that employees can improve their language skills for free. If the organization does not help you with learning in any way, then you will have to learn English on your own. Of course, in order to achieve Upper-Intermediate level or Advanced will require more than one year of work. Success here will largely depend on the effectiveness of the selected methodological materials.

To move for permanent residence in an English-speaking country, you will have to look for ways to fully immerse yourself in another culture. Fortunately, thanks to the Internet, today this can be done even while in Russia. Books in the original, films and TV programs in English - all this is available to Russian-speaking users. Youtube helps a lot, where there are a lot of interesting channels in English. Try to abandon the usual Russian bloggers in favor of foreign ones. Travel YouTube channels will allow you not only to improve your spoken vocabulary, but also to learn the opinion of the British and Americans about our country. It is absolutely not necessary for a child to start learning English in advance. Having moved to another country for permanent residence, in any case, he will go to school, find himself in an unusual social environment and be able to adapt to the language. But an adult in a new place may not have time to learn English. After all, when you move, you will have to solve many everyday issues: from finding housing and work to placing a child in school and purchasing necessary household items. And without a language, this will be extremely difficult to do.

How to learn English on your own? 4 steps

So, you have decided on your motivation and decided to learn English on your own. What are your next steps? If you have already studied English before (maybe at school or college) and now intend to continue, then first you should take a test in order to determine the level of proficiency. You can do it right on our website:

Perhaps your knowledge is enough to start Intermediate (that is, 3 steps). If you feel that you can barely remember the alphabet, then it is better to start from the first Beginner level. In this case, it is useful to refer to . It offers 5 levels of learning with video tutorials, accessible grammar explanations, lots of interactive exercises and quizzes to reinforce what you've learned.

If you think that one online course will not be enough for you, or you just prefer to follow your own learning system, then you need to be ready for the following 4 steps, which serve as the answer to the question of how to learn English yourself.

Step 1. Search for manuals and books

In a good way, to start learning English you will need 4 textbooks:

· Universal modern manual for beginners or continuing;
· Grammar textbook;
· A guide to pronunciation;
· Benefits with exercises to increase vocabulary.

Quite a lot, right? Nevertheless, having spent a considerable amount of money on educational literature, it is not a fact that you will soon begin to speak English. First, most of the manuals are designed for group work. In such textbooks, almost half of the tasks involve the construction of dialogues and even entire conversations between students. Secondly, many modern manuals for learning English do not contain a word in Russian: in order to start the exercise itself, you first have to translate the tasks. With self-study, this can create some difficulties. And, finally, it has long been proven that living English speech is usually far from those often too formalized phrases that textbooks offer us.

Remember that it is better not to take manuals written more than 20 years ago. Like any language, English is dynamically changing, undergoing constant changes. In old textbooks, you simply will not find many topics that have become relevant only quite recently and have appeared due to the active development of technology.

AT modern world many ardent supporters of progress generally avoid printed publications, preferring them electronic books. For such people, when learning English, online courses will be an excellent alternative to standard textbooks. However, among English learners there are those who are more comfortable working with printed manuals, where you can take your notes. Such students, in addition to textbooks, should also pay attention to the adapted fiction. Books in the original help to enrich vocabulary and broaden your horizons. And learning English from works of literature with a famously twisted plot is much more exciting than from textbooks with dry rules.

Step 2. Choosing a time and place for classes

You can learn English on your own only with total discipline. This is the case where consistency is needed to achieve a good result. First, decide on a place to practice. If you are afraid that household members will interfere with the process, then you can try to study in the office after the end of the working day. Ideally, English should be given 20-30 minutes daily. If this is difficult for you, then you can do at least 2-3 times a week. But in this case, the duration of the lesson should be at least an hour.

Step 3. Communicating with native speakers and English speakers

Any person, studying English, sooner or later faces a psychological barrier. Many who study a foreign language have probably noticed that when it comes to communicating with a native speaker, no matter how savvy we are in vocabulary and grammar, there is a real stupor. The speaker begins to forget the words, to worry and, as a result, cannot build an elementary phrase. You can get rid of this psychological barrier only through communication. Ask those around you who speak the language to speak to you in English as much as possible. It is very useful to make friends among carriers. Daily correspondence in chats and social networks with acquaintances from the USA or the UK will help you expand your vocabulary and adapt to colloquial speech. Those who want to learn how to speak fluently should also try to find an expat from English speaking country. Such a person can be offered a kind of barter. He will help you with English, and you will help him with Russian.

Step 4. Good Habits

If you are puzzled over the question of how to quickly learn English yourself, then you will have to be patient and develop some good habits. In addition to regular classes, you need to learn to practice speaking skills whenever possible. Make it a rule to learn 10-15 new words every day. Some are helped by plates with pictures. When you learn new words, don't forget to practice their pronunciation. It is useful to listen to podcasts in English while traveling by subway or car. Audio recordings can be found, for example, on our website. Most of the podcasts here are accompanied by simultaneous subtitles in Russian and English. You can choose audio based on your own interests and language level.

English-language radio stations also help to get used to English speech. To make the process of learning a foreign language easier, make the language part of your leisure and recreation. Try watching your favorite series and American movies in English. Do you know why in some small countries in Europe people generally have a high level of English? Because Hollywood films and television series are not dubbed, but are shown with subtitles. Constantly hearing the original speech from the screen, people quickly learn English.

How to learn English from movies and TV shows?

Films and series in English help to develop the student's ability to perceive foreign speech by ear. It's no secret that even perfect reading and good knowledge grammars do not guarantee that you will be able to immediately support a conversation started by the British or Americans. It is believed that a person who is not accustomed to English speech absorbs a very tiny percentage of the information communicated orally. Even with an excellent vocabulary, the student picks out only individual words from the flow of speech. Movies and series without translation or with subtitles help to solve this problem.

Series on everyday and everyday topics allow you to feel the live speech of New York, London, Los Angeles. When you start watching such shows, you will immediately understand why many Americans and Britons consider our English to be too bookish.

You will be able to learn English on your own if you frequently watch programs and television shows released in the US or UK. First, it is recommended to watch TV shows with Russian subtitles. After that, you can already switch to English subtitles or completely refuse them. At first, watching programs and films in English will seem difficult. But it is absolutely not necessary to go into the dictionary every time an unfamiliar word is encountered. Learn to guess the meaning of the phrase, focusing on what is happening on the screen.

Still doubting that watching videos in the original language is not difficult? In this case, try to "collect" video puzzles on our website. The essence of this method is simple. First you need to watch any video you like from the catalog (it can be an excerpt from a movie or a music video). For convenience, visual materials are accompanied by subtitles. Further, from the words mixed in a chaotic order, it is necessary to compose the phrases heard in the video in English. Video puzzles in an easy game form help develop the habit of hearing foreign speech and understanding unfamiliar words, focusing on the context.

How can you learn English online?

The Internet today is the main assistant of those who do not know how to quickly learn English. It is recommended to check the pronunciation of each new word using online dictionaries. Youtube will also be useful, where, depending on your interests, you can subscribe to various English-language channels.

To be able to learn English no matter where you are, install learning mobile apps. And do not forget about Skype, where there will always be both teachers giving online foreign language lessons and just interlocutors.

Learn English on your own, or organize personal time

Of course, many of us are concerned about the question of how to learn English without the help of a tutor. Self-study of a foreign language requires self-discipline and conscience. You do not need to look for excuses for your non-performance every time for the teacher. To deceive yourself by coming up with reasons why you failed to learn new words or work out at the right time is completely unprofitable and pointless. Try to create some daily norms for yourself. For example, 10 new words to memorize, 10 pages of an English book, or watching one short episode of an American TV series. At first, you will most likely have to force yourself to comply with these norms. But gradually, daily English lessons will become a habit, and each new achievement will motivate you to take further steps. If you do not approach learning English as a boring cramming and jungle of theory, but switch to live communication, viewing interesting programs, reading books, online tests and simulators for memorizing words, then English will easily become a part of your daily life and an exciting hobby.

Everyone has their own reasons for learning English. Some want to move to another country or go on a tour, others seek to improve their professional and business skills, build a successful career, others learn the language for self-development and broadening their horizons. If you are interested in how to learn English on your own from scratch without teachers without leaving your home, this article will be useful for you.

Article navigation

Today, those who want to master a foreign language at one level or another have more and more opportunities. Linguistic studios, courses and private teachers offer their services. It is possible that it is easier to master all the subtleties and complexities of a foreign language with real professionals. But if you do not have the physical or financial ability to study with qualified teachers, do not despair: you can learn English on your own from scratch at home. Moreover, this method also has unconditional advantages:

Freedom to choose your schedule

You do not need to plan your day based on a strict course schedule. You yourself determine the time and duration of your own classes and can vary them depending on your employment.

Individual program

Despite all the advantages, the programs of courses and studios are still somewhat generalized and designed for the average potential and goals of students. Studying separately, you yourself determine which language aspects you need to pay more attention to, and select materials and methods taking into account your personal training and the peculiarities of acquiring knowledge.

Smart spending

Any language classes involve financial investments, the amount of which depends both on the prestige of the methods and on the duration of the programs. If you decide to study English at home, the cost of studying can be added to the price of the textbooks and online courses you choose - and even then you will notice the benefits.

Comfort

Go to the teacher on the other side of the city rainy autumn evening, go to courses after a working day, when dreams of a cozy chair and a cup of tea overshadow any ambitious plans - all this can significantly reduce motivation. But if you decide to learn English yourself, you can forget about such difficulties. You do not waste time traveling, you do not need to leave the house when there is no mood or weather. You just take a textbook or computer, connect to the Internet and study without leaving your favorite room.

All this is true if you really decide to learn English from scratch on your own, without leaving your home. Without courses, studios, tutors and teachers. Textbooks and online courses can become your mentors - and, as practice shows, self-study can be no less effective.

Note: Having decided to study English on your own, be prepared to show willpower, patience and endurance. One of the keys to successful language acquisition is consistency, so make sure you have an inner readiness for regular practice so you can force yourself not to be lazy.

And one more small warning: there is simply no universal recipe for how to learn English on your own at home from scratch. It all depends on the right teaching materials, the frequency of classes, the ability to perceive information and your personal linguistic inclinations. But if you are determined to try and are sure that you can master the language nuances you need without intermediaries - feel free to start. By the way, you can watch an animated video in which we tried to convey the main theses of the article.

Watch this video and in 3 minutes you will learn how to learn English on your own

How to start learning English: defining skills

Proficiency in English at any level relies on 4 important language skills. Let's take a closer look at what these skills are and what each of them is responsible for.

Reading

The ability to understand what is written, analyze and draw conclusions is especially important now, when there is a huge amount of information around that deserves our attention. Full-fledged mastery of the skill suggests that you can read fiction, journalistic and scientific texts in English practically without a dictionary, you can quickly highlight the main ideas and theses in them and even explain them to someone else in your own words.

Letter

Successfully mastering the skill of writing in English will allow you not only to actively communicate on social networks, but also to conduct business correspondence, which is especially important if you are learning the language for career purposes. The key aspects in this case are impeccable spelling and grammar, the ability to build sentences, and in some cases, knowledge of the basics of business etiquette.

Listening or Listening (Listening)

It is possible to declare that you know a foreign language well only if you can freely perceive speech in it by ear. If you decide to learn English from scratch on your own, you need to pay enough attention to this skill. Listening to audio and video materials will also improve your speaking practice. Good level listening proficiency assumes that you understand at least 65% of what you hear - and, therefore, you can freely communicate with native speakers and perceive important information that they are trying to convey to you.

Speaking

In communication, it is important not only to listen, but also to be able to interact with the interlocutor. A developed speaking skill assumes that you know how to pronounce certain words correctly, build sentences, talk on certain topics and, of course, have sufficient vocabulary. That is, your ability to maintain dialogues is implied.

As in any other language, in English all 4 skills are interdependent and one cannot develop properly without the other. In this case, the answer to the question of how easy it is to learn English is unequivocal: when compiling a lesson program for every day, be sure to include reading, speaking, listening and writing exercises in it.

Note: Not always tasks for 4 skills should be present in equal proportions. If you feel that you lack practice in one of them or you are learning English for very specific purposes (travel, business correspondence, etc.) you can pay more attention to the required skill. But you can’t forget about other aspects either: find for them at least 15 minutes of the total class time.

How to learn English on your own at home: compiling a program

So, you still decided to study English on your own in your favorite room. It remains only to decide where to start. If you really start from scratch, then you will have to start with the most basic - the rules of reading and pronunciation. However, do not stay at this stage for too long, and gradually move on to learning other language aspects.

How to learn the alphabet

There are 26 letters in the English alphabet - 20 consonants and 6 vowels. Starting to learn English from scratch at home, proceed in the following sequence:

• Start with vowels - Aa, Ee, Ii, Oo, Uu, Yy. Be sure to check their sound in transcription - today there is such an opportunity online.
• Move on to letters that are similar in spelling and sound to Russian - Bb, Cc, Dd, Kk, Ll, Mm, Nn, Pp, Ss, Tt. This is the easiest way to learn most of the alphabet - at least you will already know what to rely on when reading.
• Lastly, memorize letters that are not in the Russian alphabet - Ff, Gg, Hh, Jj, Qq, Rr, Vv, Ww, Xx, Zz.

Write down all the letters (both large and small) along with the transcription in a separate notebook and carefully pronounce each of them when writing. This will help to quickly form a visual image of the letters - and, therefore, learn to read in a shorter time.

How to learn sounds

Most letters in the English language have several pronunciations - it all depends on the position of the syllable and the surrounding letter combinations. You can remember all the reading rules using:

• Special tables that you can find in the textbook or online.
• Notebooks where you can write down all the sounds in groups, including diphthongs (complex sounds of two vowels) and triphthongs (complex sounds of three vowels).
• Cards that you can make yourself in any convenient format.

Note: Be sure to find programs that allow you to practice pronunciation aloud - only in this case the rules of reading will be fixed in the shortest possible time, and you will be able to boast of the correct pronunciation.

How to replenish vocabulary

Experts suggest proceeding from the following values. For everyday communication, you will need 1500-2000 words, for a comfortable long stay in the language environment - about 5000 thousand, and if you are planning a professional career, then the minimum bar will be 20-25 thousand words. But the latter is for a more distant future. In the meantime, do any of the following:

• Consistent. Take one topic, select subsections in it and make cards with words and expressions for each. Set yourself a goal - for example, memorize 10 words daily. Stick to your chosen plan. Once a topic is mastered, move on to the next one. Thus, in a year you will master at least 20-25 large lexical sections, which will allow you to communicate quite freely.
• Visual. Hang cards with their names in English on all items in the apartment - the memory will work involuntarily. If you begin to notice that when you see this item, the English equivalent comes to mind by itself - remove the card.
• For audio. If you find it easier to memorize by ear, watch films and TV programs in English (you can turn on subtitles at first), listen to songs and poems, and write down your favorite words and phrases. Special audio courses will also come in handy.
• For book lovers. If you like to read more, then you should immediately start by reading and translating texts. Start with the simplest ones, where a maximum of 5-7 words are of interest to you. Over time, find more complex sources for translation - and you will be surprised how quickly new vocabulary is fixed in memory.

Tip: Try to include at least three verbs in the list of memorized words for the day - they are the basis of the lexical base in English. And do not forget to look into the dictionary at the slightest interest or doubt: for the period of learning the language, it should become your reference book.

English grammar: features and secrets of learning

It is impossible to determine how to quickly learn English if you do not have an idea about the grammatical norms and rules of the language. And it is worth saying a few words about this separately.

English belongs to the analytical type - that is, logical connections between words in a sentence are formed not with the help of endings and suffixes, as in Russian, but due to prepositions, auxiliary and phrasal verbs. Other features of grammar include:

• clear and unchanging word order in sentences;
• the presence of articles;
• the absence of a grammatical category of gender;
• special rules for the use of possessive pronouns;
• a large number of tenses of the verb with a focus on completeness, duration and regularity.

In fact, learning English grammar is easier than it looks - just follow three basic rules:

• Go from simple to complex (for example, from Present Simple to Present Continuous)
• Try to understand, not memorize.
• Practice, practice and more practice.

All the basic grammar rules of English are presented in various tables along with exceptions and examples, so that their memorization will not be difficult with frequent practice. Those who master grammar from the very beginning will appreciate the convenience of tables in the process of learning the language. And if you find a good collection of exercises and devote at least 10-15 minutes a day to them, you will successfully bring knowledge “to automatism”.

How to Learn Spoken English Easily: Useful Techniques

If you need to speak English as soon as possible, but you do not know how to start, just start with the most important thing - what we talked about above. In addition, we offer you some very useful ideas.

• Listen more. Start watching films in English, don't miss clips of your favorite English-speaking bands, add their songs to your playlist, follow the news. So you will not only expand your vocabulary, but also learn the expressions characteristic of the spoken language.
• Reconfigure the mobile phone interface to English - the same goes for the tablet and computer. Choose English-language sites to search for information.
• Look up the meaning of words in English-English dictionary- the benefit will be noticeable very quickly.
• Try to join English-language chats on social networks - and discover something new for yourself every day.

Perhaps, over time, you will also have your own secret techniques for learning English vocabulary. Be sure to use them - the more comfortable the methods, the better the result.

Reading texts: which books to choose for a particular level

Actually initial stage short children's tales are also suitable for you - to get used to literary speech and easily catch the plot. Moving to a higher level of knowledge, you can start reading adapted literature. An example list is below.

Level A-2

• The Fisherman and His Soul (Oscar Wilde);
• Dracula (Bram Stocker);
• Mr. Bean In Town (Richard Curtis).

Level B-1

• 1984 (George Orwell);
• Three Men in a Boat (Jerome K. Jerome);
• Forrest Gump (John Escott).

Level B-2

• Airport (Arthur Hailey);
• Four Weddings and a Funeral (Richard Curtis);
• The Talented Mr. Ripley (Patricia Highsmith).

Level C-1

• Brave New World (Aldous Huxley);
• Jane Eyre (Charlotte Bronte);
• Pride and Prejudice (Jane Austen).

Of course, this list is approximate. You can choose books according to your tastes and level of knowledge. However, do not forget to read them regularly - and if you are familiar with their Russian-language versions, you will be even more interested.

Tip: Do not try to understand the meaning of each word - it is more important to understand the thought. Moreover - in the book you have chosen, you should be familiar with a maximum of 70% of the vocabulary - so that there is where to grow and what to learn.

So, the alphabet and phonetics, the grammar rule, learning new colloquial phrases, a little reading and listening - your lesson should consist of approximately such parts. Evenly distribute time between them - if necessary, you can always adjust your plan.

English self-study methods

For successful learning English from scratch at home, you can use various methods, which will be discussed below. However professional educators it is advised to combine them all - so you can systematically develop all language skills at once.

Books, textbooks, tutorials

Over the past few years, the following textbooks have been most often on the lists of the most effective manuals for self-study of English:

• "English step by step" (N.A. Bonk);
• "16 English lessons" (D. Petrov";
• English Pronunciation in Use (Johnatan Marks);
• English Grammar in Use (Raymond Murphy);
• Speakout (Frances Eales, Steve Oakes).

Each of these manuals has strengths and benefits that make them key to self-study English. And yet, no matter what comprehensive course you choose, do not forget about additional materials(applications, online seminars, chats, etc.) and exercises.

Audio courses, audio lessons

Audio courses are great for those who more effectively perceive information by ear and want to be able to practice English anytime and anywhere. We present to your attention the 5 most useful and comfortable benefits:

• "English in 6 weeks" (E. Smith);
• “So they say in America” (English USA);
• BBC Grammar Challenge.

All audio materials are available for download. Before you download them, you can read detailed description course and determine how it fits your goals and level of preparation.

Online learning

Studying English at home from scratch is not an easy task, so the Internet and related online learning can be called upon to help.

Online English learning services are gaining popularity - and for good reason:

• convenience - training is possible at any time of the day or night, only a computer is required;
• cost - online courses are much cheaper than regular ones, and if you wish, you can find programs available for free;
• individual approach- the service selects a program suitable for the student based on the results of the preliminary test;
• full coverage - online courses are balanced and cover all language aspects, including vocabulary, grammar and pronunciation.

One such popular service was the Lim English online tutorial. A full-fledged learning platform, a simple, intuitive learning algorithm, progress tracking and an extensive lexical base with "live" colloquial units and expressions will allow you to achieve high level knowledge of English in the most exciting way. The service will be useful for all beginners to learn a foreign language.

English for films, series, songs

If you have already reached the basic level, feel free to include films, songs and series in a foreign language in your learning process. This will not only pleasantly diversify your classes, but will also allow you to quickly master live conversational speech.

Another advantage is that the materials can be very different. Educational bbc video tutorials and documentaries, favorite soap operas, songs from childhood pop and rock bands, and even comics - all this will help you immerse yourself in the language environment even deeper.

Tip: Do not forget to write out and repeat interesting vocabulary - you will definitely need it in live communication.

Immersion in the language environment

By immersion in the language environment, linguists mean a complete environment with information sources in English and active interaction with native speakers. For you, this dive may include:

• reading the press - newspapers and magazines - in English;
• watching news, series, TV shows;
• communication with native speakers live, in social networks and chats such as skype or other instant messengers;
• living abroad in English-speaking families;
• switching all home appliances and gadgets to the English interface.

This method can be a little stressful - but its effectiveness cannot be overestimated. Be sure to try this immersion for at least a few days, and you will notice how much freer your speech has become.

Note: When communicating in English, in no case be embarrassed and do not be afraid of mistakes. The Americans and the British are extremely friendly to those who want to learn the language and will definitely support you. Even a short communication with them easily removes the language barrier.

So, we have analyzed the basic methods and rules for building programs for self-study of English. In addition, we have prepared a few more recommendations for you - perhaps they will be useful to you and help you not lose interest in the language:

• Clearly define the duration of the lesson- at least 1 hour daily. Whatever happens, try to stick to the chosen time frame - and even study a little longer.
• Sing! One song in English before the start of classes will relax and allow you to tune in to the positive - and the result.
• Type or write something in English. Even a small paragraph will set up your thinking correctly and help consolidate knowledge.
• Find a soul mate. Try to learn the language with someone else, study in pairs or in a company. This is not only more fun, but also more useful - you can test each other, and the spirit of competition will play its role.
• Make friends with native speakers. Visitors to social networks and online chats are willing to make contact and will definitely help you master the nuances of English.
• Reward yourself. For a week of stable activities, treat yourself to something tasty, going to the movies or other pleasant little things. Encouragement is never too much.

And, of course, the best incentive is a great result. Take small online quizzes regularly, start reading a new book or watch a new movie. Realizing how much your English is improving, you will feel a surge of enthusiasm for further improvement.

A little about children: how to start learning English for a child

Is it possible to teach English to a baby or a preschooler at home? Surprising as it may sound, in some respects it is even simpler. The fact is that a child of 5-6 years old begins the so-called sensitive period - when he is especially susceptible to learning languages ​​and easily remembers not only words, but also grammatical constructions. If you start doing it right now - further education will go like clockwork.

One of the problems in language learning for children is low motivation or its complete absence. If adults study English for a specific purpose, directing volitional efforts to achieve it, then the child most often vaguely understands why he needs it. And if you decide to do children's education at home, then the key to success for you will be an entertaining, playful form.

Various games and competitions help develop the child's interest and captivate him. The most popular methods of learning English for children:

• poems and songs;
• watching your child's favorite cartoons (and then films) in the original;
• online services with games and interesting tasks.

Note: When choosing materials for a child, be guided not only by his age, but also by the relevance of the topic - find stories that he likes. And try not to overload the baby: as soon as you feel that he is losing interest, you can finish the lesson. Usually 30 minutes a day is enough.

As you can see, everyone can learn English on their own at home from scratch. The most important thing is desire, diligence, consistency, system, and, of course, interest. If you manage to find the most suitable and comfortable ways and methods of learning a language for yourself, clearly define your goals and do not deviate from what was planned - in a few months you will be pleasantly pleased with the results. Spend just an hour a day on independent study language to get closer to the cherished goal. And finally: no bees - no honey, no work - no money! Your perfect English is in your hands. Good luck!

2015-11-12

Hello to all readers of my blog!

As you already understood, in this article we will talk about how to learn English. without the help of a teacher. And, although, in my opinion, such a feat can be accomplished only under certain conditions, it is impossible to argue that this is impossible or accessible to a very small number of people.

And if you still decide to take this step, the steps outlined below will help you save energy, time and nerve cells on the way to your cherished goal.

Well, let's start debriefing!

Before reading my advice, let me remind you that there are a lot of resources online now that help you learn the language on your own. I myself use and recommend to everyone the notorious Lingvaleo. There free registration and a lot of valuable materials, besides this, you can buy online course, which is right for you (I advise you to start with this ), and learn the language according to a clear scheme developed by professional teachers.

Where to begin? Where to look and how to learn the material? Am I doing it right?..

All these questions make my head spin at first. But don't panic, friends! In fact, you are capable of much more than you can imagine!

So let's go!

• Desire and motivation

Even the most honored and experienced teacher will not be able to teach you English if you do not want it yourself. After all, while studying with teachers, most of the training is also devoted to independent work. As the famous teacher N.A. Bonk: " A foreign language cannot be taught - it can only be learned».

If you are truly obsessed with learning English, then activities should bring you satisfaction, but it’s not worth raping yourself and trying at all costs to study and cram. Don't waste your time! It is better to postpone training until better times.

Learning English requires great patience, strong will, self-discipline and hard work. " Too many things! You will say, and you will be partly right. Sometimes the most assiduous and patient give up and give up halfway through. The reason for this is no serious motive. So even if you don't have one, invent it! Ready!? Do you want to get a job in a western company? Apply to an English speaking university? Or ? And that will fit.

• From simple to complex

Do not rush to embrace the immensity and learn English as quickly as possible. Believe me, in teaching any foreign language there must be a clear structure, a developed system, otherwise " everything will be mixed up in the Oblonskys' house...”.

Do not spend too long classes at first, learn a lot at once rules or read English-language literature in the original. Start with

1. learning elementary rules and their practice (in my rubric you will find them!)
2. reading protozoa with a dictionary
3. viewing with English subtitles
4. auditions
5. translation simple sentences of two or three words both from English into Russian, and vice versa
6. performing simple practical tasks
7. writing summaries of what has been learned
8. passage on the Internet.

A very effective, in my opinion, method of learning a language for those who want everything on their own is given in the book Ovadenko "English without a tutor" . This manual, coupled with audio accompaniment, will definitely help you at the initial stage.

• Regularity is the key to success

Of course, the hardest thing is to force yourself to exercise regularly. It may be difficult, but this stability is probably one of the most important keys to success. Try to practice every day for at least 15-20 minutes. If the lesson is not long, then try to spend it as intensively as possible. Even if you don't feel well or are too tired, or repeat the words you just learned. If the language is always present in your life, it will become familiar and familiar to you.

• Repetition is the mother of learning

Try to repeat the topics covered, refresh the learned words in your memory, watch a video you already know, listen to an audio recording, or re-read a story you already know. Not only does this undoubtedly help to consolidate the material covered, it is also sometimes useful to feel that you know something well and enjoy the fact that everything is clear to you.

• Variety is good for everyone

Undoubtedly, you have one or two of your favorite ways to learn a language. Someone loves, and someone likes to watch videos or prefers to perceive. Use all the methods available to you: install a training program on your computer, learn the lyrics of your favorite artists and sing along to them, come up with sentences, watch training videos (which are also on my blog), communicate with native speakers via Skype, make flashcards with English subtitles, try to teach yourself a well-studied topic to a friend, wife or children. In short, any activity that forces you to work with English will be useful.

• Choose time and place

Studying at home, where there are a lot of temptations (drinking tea, lying on the couch or not missing your favorite show), is not always effective, so it is useful to visit the library from time to time, where the very atmosphere is conducive to work or try to study right on the way to or from work.

• Communicate in English at any opportunity e

If you are learning a language on your own and you don't have polyglot friends, then use every chance to put your English into practice. Communication in , special meetings and seminars for English learners, tourists you meet by chance, like-minded people you find in social network are all from this area.

• How to memorize words

1. Firstly, it is necessary to remember not only the meaning of the word, but also how it is pronounced correctly. Nowadays, it is much easier to do this - you don’t have to painfully deal with transcription - just drive the word of interest into Google translator, and he will pronounce it and give out a few basic Russian language.
2. Secondly, the word must be written. Get yourself a notebook in which you will write down the words with the translation.
3. Thirdly, do not try to memorize a large number of words at once. It is better to choose from 5 to 10 words, but remember them for sure - how to do it.
4. Fourth Use the learned words as often as possible. Beginners, especially children, memorize words very well using cards or during various competitions.
5. And finally fifth, just improve your memory! Believe me, this is very important when learning a foreign language. Here, I can offer you what I use myself - to improve memorization skills with the help of Brainapps — a cool online platform specializing in this business. Guys, I didn’t know how exciting and effective it could be!

• Work on your pronunciation

Phonetics is also an important part of the English language, because in English speech there are sounds that simply do not exist in Russian. Especially if you are doing it yourself, it brings additional difficulties. Somehow you must hear correct pronunciation one or another word and try to repeat it correctly. and video courses, English songs and films, conversations with native speakers, as well as my materials - will help you on your way to excellence.

• Control your achievements

After a certain period of classes, arrange a mini-exam for yourself:

1. complete tasks on the topics covered
2. learn and retell the text containing the words and rules you already know
3. pass .

In addition, it would be nice to demonstrate the acquired knowledge to a good friend, and even better to a teacher whose level of knowledge of the language is much higher than yours. Such periodic control will become an additional motive and, in addition, will allow you to understand how far you have progressed in learning English.

Finally

In no case do not think that you are not capable of something or cannot cope with something. Be patient, do not give up, believe in yourself, and you will succeed!

Don't be afraid to make a mistake or say something wrong when speaking in English. The roots of the notorious language barrier grow from there. These tips most likely will not help you overnight, but understand and perceive English speech and texts you will definitely become better. An understanding will come that you can achieve a lot, which means there will be strength for further improvement!

Thank you for reading my article to the end - I think it was not in vain :)

In contact with

There are many ways to learn a foreign language from scratch on your own. The first thing to do is to answer the question - why. Knowing the answer to this question is super important. Speech as a communication tool involves regular use - if knowledge and skills are not used, they are forgotten. The human memory is arranged in such a way that it hides unnecessary knowledge as far as possible. Everything that I managed to learn well will quickly be forgotten - then I will have to start everything from scratch.

Before you start cramming the alphabet, it is important to realize the goal:

• communicate with employees of the airport, managers in stores, service personnel during tourist trips and understand the interlocutor well (colloquial variety);
• conduct business negotiations with partners (business variety);
• be able to read scientific (or fiction) literature (technical and literary versions);
• communicate freely with residents of another country (read, write, speak).

Important advice! Motivation is essential to success. With the right goal setting, it is easy to master the necessary knowledge from scratch on your own and for free.

2 main ways in learning

There are two ways to quickly master someone else's way of linguistic communication.

The first is practiced at school: first they learn words, then put them into sentences, from phrases they construct a text. Phrases are built according to the laws of Russian grammar - this is a mistake. For this reason, secondary school graduates know a set of individual nouns and verbs, but it is difficult for them to quickly combine word forms into sentences, they have little experience in free communication.

The second approach teaches that it is better to study a foreign dialect in phrases, and to learn to speak - immediately with full-fledged constructions. The fact is that the word in the context acquires a new meaning - it is impossible to describe all the nuances with a set of strict rules. Any speech is phraseological: the meaning of a separate sentence is not is equal to the sum meanings of individual word forms.