Learning a new language can be difficult, but not impossible. Learning any language can be divided into four parts: reading comprehension, writing, listening comprehension and oral fluency. If you want to learn English quickly, start with step 1.
Steps
Part 1 of 3: Fun Techniques
Step 1. Read and don't stop reading
One of the easiest things you can do to learn English quickly is to read as much as you can. Read all the time to improve your vocabulary and learn grammar and jargon.
- Read comics. If you don't want to read children's stories, a good option is to read comics. You can buy a wide variety of comics in English in bookstores or online stores and you can also read comics for free on the internet; the latter are known as webcomics.
- Read books you've read before. If you already have an idea of what is going to happen, it will be easier for you to understand and deduce the meaning of the words.
- Read the newspaper. Newspapers are good for learning the basics of a language, as they usually use correct grammar and are easy to understand thanks to their writing. You can find online versions of many English newspapers, such as the New York Times or The Guardian.
Step 2. Watch movies
Movies can help you improve your English by helping you get used to the sound of the language and learn new words. You can start by watching movies with subtitles, but you will learn more if you remove the subtitles and focus on listening to the words you know and guessing the ones you do not know based on what is happening on the screen.
Step 3. Play MMO games
MMOs (Massively Multiplayer Online Games) are games that you can play online with other people. You can choose the option to play them with people from English-speaking countries, which will allow you to talk and learn from them. Try playing Guild Wars, World of Warcraft, or The Elder Scrolls Online.
Step 4. Find a pen pal on the internet
A pen pal is a person who is learning your language with whom you can exchange letters or emails. In these cases, you should write half of your letter in your mother tongue and the other in English in order to practice. You can talk to him about anything! There are many websites that can help you find penpals.
Step 5. Make friends
You can also make friends with people who speak English online and chat, exchange emails and converse with them on Skype to practice your English. You can make friends online by joining communities of fans or language learners, like Fluentify.
Step 6. Sing
Another way to improve your English is by learning songs and singing them. So you can learn the sounds of English; rhymes, for example, will help you improve your pronunciation. You can also improve your vocabulary. Find a song you like, learn the lyrics, and find out what it means.
Part 2 of 3: Studying Seriously
Step 1. Take a course
An English course will help you learn the most important vocabulary and grammar and make sure you learn everything correctly. The two main ways to take an English course are:
- By Internet. You can take an online course. There are paid and free; paid ones are usually better than free ones, but not always. Some good online programs are LiveMocha and Duolingo.
- At a school. You can take classes at a local university or an English school. These courses cost money, but the help of a teacher will be very important and will help you learn faster than if you do it on your own.
Step 2. Write in a journal
This will make you have to practice your writing and vocabulary. It will also force you to practice forming new sentences rather than repeating the ones you already know. You can keep a record of your day, although it is also a good idea to keep a small journal to write new words that you see or hear.
Step 3. Travel to an English-speaking country
Traveling to a country where everyone speaks English will help you learn a lot quickly. Find a temporary job or take a course abroad. You can also take short trips, but immersing yourself in the language for 3 months or more will help you more than anything else.
Step 4. Learn on your own
Of course, you can also learn English by yourself. The key to learning English quickly on your own is to make it your priority. Take advantage of all your free time to study and use the language as much as you can.
Step 5. Take advantage of online tools
You can find many tools on the internet to help you learn English quickly, from flashcard programs to apps for your phone. Try ANKI (flashcards), Memrise (flashcards and more), or Forvo (pronunciation guide).
Step 6. Immerse yourself in English
Immersion is one of the best ways to learn a language. To do this, you have to study English every day, at least 3 hours a day. An hour a week is not enough to learn. If you can spend at least 6 hours a day listening, writing and speaking in English, nothing will help you more.
Part 3 of 3: Dos and Don'ts
Step 1. Work with small amounts of words
When you're learning new words, don't use a huge list of terms. Learn only a few words at a time, and don't move on to the next group until you've actually learned them.
Step 2. Label everything in your house
Put a label on all the objects in your house to learn their names. This will help you to think in pictures when you see the world, instead of translating everything in your mind.
Step 3. Use "Google Images"
Google Image Search is a great way to learn nouns and other types of words in another language. Search for new words in the image search tool. It will help you a lot to see the images that appear!
Step 4. Don't try to learn with flashcards
In general, it is best not to use flashcards that only contain words (that is, with the English word on one side and the English word on the other). Thus, you will only learn to translate everything in your mind and it will take time to understand what you hear in English. Better try to learn English words with sounds or pictures.
Step 5. Don't focus so much on grammar
Most English speakers do not have perfect grammar, and very few people use it correctly. If you spend all your time trying to learn grammar, you will waste your time. Make a mistake, don't worry! You will find someone to correct you and you will learn. Over time, you will learn what sounds good and you won't even have to think about it too much.
Step 6. Don't be afraid
The most important thing to learn a new language quickly is to start speaking it. Use your new skills as much as you can. Don't worry about making mistakes or speaking badly; not talking will only take longer to learn. Just talk, you can!