Stay in touch with English.
Keep connected.
Divide up your time between the following
strategies.
1. Listen to
anything English.
- If you can’t go to the USA, UK, etc..
bring them to you.
- Watch Youtube, Movies, TV
shows
- LIsten with subtitles on.
- Listen with subtitles off.
- Sometimes, just listen, don’t
think. Focus only on the “sound” of English.
- If you’re thinking too much, you’re
not listening.
2.
Read/Listen/Watch children’s books or shows
- There
is no such thing as children English.
- We use
the same English when we are adults.
- This
will help fill in the gaps in your English.
- In every country, acquired language begins with children's stories.
- Suggestion: Start with
the “Curious George” series.
- Also, watch children TV shows and animation.
- 3.
Read aloud. Speak aloud
- Just
read anything aloud. Record yourself.
- Read a
short story or article and say it in your own words WITHOUT LOOKING
AT THE TEXT.
- Use Video or audio and mimic
the people who are talking.
4.
Learn vocabulary in context.
- Do not
use your own language. Write definitions or hints in English.
- Study or memorize
the example sentence from the dictionary.
- Example sentences show not only what the words mean, but how to use them.
- In your
vocabulary notebook or on flashcards, make example sentences that
give an obvious hint of the meaning of the
word.
Example new words –
violent, diabolical, generous
WRONG:
Mark
is a violent man.
Mark
is a diabolical man.
Mark
is a generous man.
RIGHT:
The
violent man often beats his wife and children.
The
diabolical man likes to put cats in fires and watch them
burn.
The
generous man likes to give food and money to the
poor.
5. Spaced Repetition --
keeping what you learn
Research shows that a word
must be repeated 7 to 12 times, spaced out over time, before it
stays in the brain.
Here
are some strategies for spaced repetition:
- Flash
Cards
- Review, Review,
Review. Keep and review books/articles and videos that you've
used before.
- Read
Extensively: Read as much as possible. Don’t use the dictionary
for every word you don’t know, just some few words. The rest, just
guess. The most common words will repeat themselves.
6. Read Read
Read
- Read graded readers such as: Oxford
Bookworms, Oxford Progressive Readers, or Penguin
Readers.
- Start at a level you are
comfortable with.
- From news media or magazines, read Topics of Interest.
People often forget how powerful it is to simply read about things
they are interested in.
- Important words will repeat
themselves throughout your reading experience.
7.
Rewrite or retell an article or short story
- Rewrite using your own words.
- Rewrite verbatim.
- Retell the article to a learning partner in your own words.
- Memorize and recite the story
aloud or with a learning partner. (verbatim)
8. Assess your English level for free
- Can't read and understand children's stories? Your English level is too low.
- Can't read and understand news or magazine articles written for the general audience? Your English level is too low.
- Ask you're favorite AI chatbot to assess your speaking or writing level with this prompt:
- Please rate the following written text according to the CEFR levels of English. Here is the text: [Paste your text here]
CEFR levels of English - A1: Beginner
- A2: High Beginner
- B1: Intermediate
- B2: Upper-intermediate
- C1: Advanced
- C2: Proficient
9.
Start an English learning club
- Get a
learning partner or create/join a small group of three or four
people who are interested in learning
English.
- You
can all study the same article/story, or each person can do a
different article/story.
- Recite verbatim or retell in your own words
the article/story to the group.
- Answer any questions from the
group about the story's meaning or vocabulary.
- Meet once or twice a week for brunch, tea time, coffee time, after work, but stick to the schedule.
- One or two hours per session should be enough.