How to improve your English
It’s the new year and a new decade. It’s the time when many people think about ways to improve a skill or to change a habit. Why not make this year be the year when you really improve your use of English. It makes no difference whether it’s your reading, listening, writing or speaking, there are always new ways and methods to try to get better. So if one method didn’t work in the past, don’t give up, have a look below and think about trying some of these methods.
When not in your English language classes you will find lots of other possibilities for improving your language skills. Being in an English speaking country gives you a wonderful opportunity to immerse yourself in the language. Here are some suggestions as to what you could do:
- Go to the cinema. There won’t be any subtitles so you’ll need to concentrate that bit harder when listening.
- Read (paper) junk mail. This literature has lots of very common everyday words and expressions.
- Try to talk to as many people as possible, whether you are in a shop, at the pub, with your host family, at a party, asking for directions etc.
- Watch the news on TV, on the Internet or listen to it on the radio. Knowing what is happening around you will always help with your English.
- Visit places of interest, whether they be museums, galleries, parks, or other places of cultural interest.
- If you have the time, visit other parts of the country so that you come across different accents.
- Take notice of signs for pedestrians, advertising boards, even the wording on food packaging! All of these things have useful, everyday language written on them.
There are some more tips here from Hugo: