by A specialist with 12 years of experience is sure that both adults and children will master the language. -vyuchit-anglijskij-45a14ca.jpg” alt=”7 tips to help you learn English quickly” />
Anastasia Ekushevskaya Academic director of English at the Skysmart online school for children and teenagers.
1. Clearly define the goal and do not get distracted by unnecessary things
If your goal is to quickly speak English, cut off difficult grammatical topics and unnecessary vocabulary. Here's what's important to learn at the very beginning:
- Verb to be.
- Auxiliary verbs to do, to have, will and modal would, should, can.
- Three forms of tense: Present Simple, Past Simple, Future Simple. And also how to make negative and interrogative sentences in them.
And if, for example, you have exams ahead, then the lesson plan will be different. Here are a few points from it:
- Understand the format of exams.
- Learn more complex grammatical structures. Conditionals, passive voice, and good knowledge of articles will come in handy here.
- Learn to write competent and structured essays.
But the goal of the classes is point B, and you must not forget about point A. It is important to determine your initial level and the expected result of the classes, and only then draw up a plan. Experienced teachers or regular tests will help with this – we will talk about them below.
2. Use free language apps
With their help, you can practice the language anywhere and anytime. There was a free minute in the subway, during lunch, in line – launch the application and learn. It's easier than sitting down at your desk, opening your workbook and finding the right page in your textbook. And children often perceive such applications as just another game for a smartphone. As a result, the child has fun, and progress is noticeable.
Here are some great sites and applications:
- Wordle game – to memorize a new English word every day. And if you prefer mobile apps, try the iOS and Android options, the meaning is the same.
- Skyeng app for iOS or Android – to learn and repeat English words.
- Semantris game – to quickly type and select the necessary associations in English.
- Tandem – to communicate with foreigners.
- Brain exercises in English – to train memory, logic and attention, and at the same time improve knowledge of the language.
3. Enroll your child in classes, and study together
If both parents and children need to learn English, but there are not enough resources, enroll your child in an online school and study with him. Usually, such courses provide a solid foundation, and in this way you will learn the language step by step with the whole family.
Or vice versa, connect the child to your homework. Learn words together, speak English, listen to audio. Yes, the topic of investments is unlikely to interest a fifth-grader, but he will definitely be happy to talk about hobbies, character traits, travels.
4. Add game mechanics to training
The game helps to quickly learn a foreign language – both adults and children. The easiest option is to take the ball and start passing it to each other, while remembering English words on a specific topic: “Food”, “Weather”, “Animals”. Those who didn't remember the word with the ball in their hands lost.
Here are a couple more ideas:
- “Edible – inedible”. The parent throws the ball and says any word in English. If the item can be eaten, the child catches the ball. If it's not possible, he beats him off.
- “Who wants to be a millionaire.”The facilitator asks a question (in what language – depends on the level of participants) and offers four answers in English. And the participants need to choose the right one from them. This will help you remember new words faster. And if you ask questions out loud in English, you can practice listening at the same time.
5. Surround yourself with English
Finishing a lesson and forgetting about English for the next week is not the best approach. It is important to surround yourself with language:
- Review your favorite cartoons and films in the original with the whole family – for starters, you can do this with subtitles. Also try to repeat phrases aloud after the characters.
- Read fairy tales in the original – you can by roles.
- Try to practice basic everyday dialogue using new words.
- Translate all your gadgets into English – it will be difficult at first, then you will get used to it.
- Name every object you see in English: on a walk , at a concert, at home.
- Read English-language blogs or websites. For example, translator extensions that can be installed in the browser will help you with this.
6. Try to form a habit
Yes, the advice is obvious, but we cannot ignore it either. Regularity is the queen of progress, and it has its own arithmetic. In the case of a foreign language, doing 15-20 minutes every day is even more effective than 1.5 hours once a week.
Here's how to tune in to English and make learning a habit:
- Use the five-second rule. If you feel like working out but are anxious or bored, count from 5 to 1. When you get to one, take action.
- Set micro goals.A massive challenge like “learning to speak like a native speaker” is motivating in the long run, but unsettling if you need to sit down to English right now. But the goal of “understanding everything they say in this 3-minute video” no longer looks so daunting. And when you reach those goals, it's easier to believe in yourself and go back to school the next day.
- Repeat.“Learned once and then forgotten” is not our option. You will better absorb the information if you return to it. The first time – immediately after class, then – a few hours later and the next day. And to consolidate your knowledge, return to what you learned after 2 weeks – then the important thing will definitely be stored in your memory.
- Pause.Worked out for 5 minutes, and then realized that you were tired? It's OK. Perhaps it's time to take a break, and tomorrow you will return to English with renewed vigor. And yes, in this scenario, the chance to continue classes is higher than in the opposite situation – when you or the child are so overextended that now they are not ready to do anything for another month.
7. Track progress and pay attention to motivation
Small rewards, praise, and even the usual High five (“Give five!”) Are important points for any training. They really help to achieve progress faster.
And most clearly, technology helps with its assessment. Imagine a fitness bracelet that shows steps, activity, and calories burned. The same goes for studying.
When a student sees the number of lessons completed, homework completed, words learned, he better understands which path has already been taken and how many steps are left to the next level.
How to track progress yourself:
- Ask your teacher directly. For example: “How many mistakes does the child (I) on average make (make) in this topic?”, “What rules need to be repeated to make the process go faster?”.
- Take tests on knowledge of the language. For the purity of the experiment, you can even perform the same tasks every couple of months. For example, Skysmart, Puzzle English, English Dom tests.
- Create a progress scale for your child and yourself. For example, “The first step is to communicate with the seller in the store in English”, “ The second step is to tell about yourself. Be sure to encourage each other for moving to the next level.
- Visualize. For example, make a table of basic skills for yourself, write down successes and difficulties.
