TIPS FOR STUDYING ENGLISH

15 essential (and super easy) tips for mastering English

As you’re likely well aware, the English language poses one of the most complex collection of challenges for learners. However, by following our 15 super easy tips for mastering English – the international language of commerce free from brain strain and stress.

1. Talk without fear of making mistakes

First and foremost you should let go of your fear of making mistakes. The process of learning, by definition, is acquiring knowledge through study, experience, or being taught. What this definition leaves out is that learning is, at the most basic level, an exercise of trial and error. So speak freely and write without worrying about whether you’ve gotten it right the first time around, or whether it’ll take a further 30 attempts.

2. Get to grips with the basics

Focussing in on the basic cornerstones of English will stand you on firm footing when attempting the more complex of elements. So get started on key words and begin learning core grammar rules (such as Possessive Nouns, Pronouns, ‘Be’ Verbs, Action Verbs and Adjectives).

3. Be inquisitive

Question everything and always be inquisitive. The English language is full of exceptions and often (more often than not, in fact) spoken English bucks the stringent rules that define the language.

4. Immerse yourself within English culture

Being amongst English culture truly provides meat to the bare bones that is the language without first-hand experience. So immerse yourself within theatre, literature, films and tourist attractions and surround yourself with those who speak English as their mother tongue.

5. Put it into practice

As the English idiom goes ‘practice makes perfect’, so continually recap all that you’ve learnt and put it into practice within the real world.

6. Read, a lot!

The human brain has an inexplicable power for processing information and making sense of what is placed before it, and reading is a truly effective way of helping your brain make those vital connections that achieve fluency.
Begin your efforts with newspapers, magazines and illustrated books, where imagery can aid information processing.

7. Indulge in trash TV

English Soap operas make for compelling viewing, where not a week goes by without a grisly murder or a cheating spouse who’s uncovered. These aren’t only entertaining, but they also provide for drastically differing dictions, from the dulcet tones of the Yorkshire Dales in Emmerdale, to the unique Cockney vocabulary in EastEnders.

8. Add to your vocabulary every day

Aim to learn and master at least one new word each and every day; why not work your way through the newest additions to the Oxford English Dictionary for vocab that’s culturally on-point.

9. Retrain your brain to think in English

This particular tip is one that is going to take some practice as you’ll be in a real habit of thinking in your mother tongue. You can help yourself out a little by placing Post-It notes upon the key items within your home with the item described in English.

10. Put your ears through their paces

Listening to videos, podcasts and music can all help your ears adapt and adopt the English language in all of its varied glory.

11. Talk to yourself out loud

Talking to yourself is key to perfecting your spoken English, so go ahead and talk yourself through your daily routine and pick up upon the sounds that you struggle over.

12. Repeat after me: Repeat, repeat, repeat

There’s no escaping it, there are few as effective a way of learning a language than repeating written tasks and spoken words over and over and over again.

13. Learn English, but enjoy doing so

Learning shouldn’t be a dull experience of monotonous exercises, nor should it be something that you simply dread. Any respectable English course provider (such as our good selves) will make the learning process a fun one, rather than boring you to death with cue cards and pointless PowerPoints.

14. Set yourself goals

Goal setting is essential for keeping you on track with your learning, so go ahead and set yourself a series of challenges.

15. Finally – after all of that hard work, take a break!

Taking a break and giving your brain a much needed period of recuperation is essential for allowing all of those words, sounds and grammar rules to sink in.

We hope these 15 tips for mastering English will help you get closer to your aim for language excellence. Best of luck!

Source: THE ENGLISH STUDIO. Available in English at: https://englishstudio.com/blog/15-essential-super-easy-tips-mastering-english/, and in Portuguese at: https://englishstudio.com/pt-br/blog/15-dicas-especiais-e-super-faceis-para-dominar-o-ingles/. Accessed on October 6, 2020.