60 Things to Consider in Learning English Language

To learn English at language school is one of the most recommended methods an expert can really say as far as methods are concerned. Yet, when the learners get to this foreign language school already, there will really be times when he feel like quitting and not continue to pursue such learning anymore. Various factors seem to pull him down, and as a result, the learning will not be maximized properly.

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These 60 things are enlisted below.

1. Don’t be afraid to make mistakes.
2. Surround yourself in English.
3. Practise every day.
4. Practise the four core skills: reading, writing, speaking and listening. They all need to be worked on for you to improve.
5.  Keep a notebook of new words you learn
6. Memorization of lists is one of the most common ways of learning vocabulary for a test.
7. Use your body clock. If you’re not a morning person, study in the afternoon.
8. You will find words easier to remember if you try to remember an example sentence using that word rather the word on its own.
9.  Plan to take a test. You’ll find that you work harder when you need to study for something.
10.  Give yourself a long term goal. Focus on working towards it.
11.  Give yourself short term goals too and reward yourself when you achieve each one.
12. Create an atmosphere in which you want to learn, not because you have to. You’ll learn more when you’re learning because you want to.
13.   Know what works best for you. Think about what methods have been successful for you in the past and stick with them.
14. Figure out how you learn. It can be by memorizing, reading, speaking, summarizing or other methods.
15.  Get help! If you don’t understand something you’ve got to ask someone.
16.  Review! Review! Review!
17. It’s not a good idea to study on your own for more than 30 minutes at a time. Take regular breaks, get some fresh air and stretch your legs.
18.  Don’t be in such a hurry to move up a level. Concentrate on the level you are at now.
19.  Watch DVDs rather than TV. It’s better to use something that you can watch over again to catch information you might have missed the first time.
20.  Read graded readers. These books are especially written for your level. Read a whole novel. You can do it! You’ll feel great afterwards.
21.  Children’s books have easier words and are a good alternative to graded readers.
22.  Newspapers are a good place to find passive constructs. Read through an article and see if you can find the passive sentences.
23.  Read for the general meaning first. Don’t worry about understanding every word, then go back and look up new words.
24.  For a word you don’t understand in a sentence, look at the other words around it.
25.  Learn root words.
26.  Use English whenever you can. It’s as simple as that!
27.  Don’t translate into English from your own language. Think in English to improve your fluency.
28.   The most natural way to learn grammar is through talking.
29.  Keep an English diary or journal.
30. Why not start an online blog and share your writings with the world?
31. To become a better writer brainstorm as many ideas and thoughts onto paper without worrying about grammar or spelling.
32.  Keep an eye on your punctuation as it can totally change what you’re trying to say.
33. Learn English songs and sing along with them to improve fluency and intonation.
34. Get a penfriend or use chat-rooms, forums and community sites.
35.  Shadow English CDs. Listen to a few sentences then repeat what you heard. Focus on the rhythm and intonation.
36. Have English radio on in your house.
37. Read out loud along with a CD.
38. Dictation. Listen to a CD or friend and write down what you hear.
39. Nobody likes to hear their own voice, but be brave and try it!
40. Use an English/English dictionary as it will help you to keep thinking in English and not translating.
41.  Don’t give up! Stay positive! Enjoy it! We learn more when we are having fun!
42. If you get nervous when speaking, take two deep breaths before you say something. You’ll speak better when you feel relaxed.
43. Keep yourself motivated by looking back at the textbooks and CDs you used in the past.
44. You are never too young or too old to start learning English. Don’t make excuses not to learn. What are you waiting for?
45. To stop procrastinating, it’s important you understand if your procrastinating is to avoid studying, or if it is your bad habit.
46. Use resources which match your level. Don’t use texts/listening exercises which are too difficult or too easy. Use materials which challenge you but don’t frustrate you.
47. Don’t worry about making your accent perfect. It’s an important part of your cultural identity to keep your accent.
48. There are many types of English: British, American, South African and so on. None of these are wrong or not as important. English is English.
49. Carry cue cards with you.
50. Use your intuition.
51. Gather your thoughts.
52. Meet new people.
53.  Be the person to start conversations in English.
54. Debate. Discuss topics in a group.
55. It’s not enough to only learn English words. You still need to have an understanding of grammar.
56. English has many irregular verbs. You should drill yourself on them.
57. Keep it up! If you take a break from speaking English, you will find that your level decreases and all your hard work has been wasted.
58. Don’t be put off by a bad test score.
59. Remember that as long as you have tried your hardest, you have succeeded!
60. Find a comfortable, peaceful place for quiet study. You need somewhere where you can focus 100%.