Wouldn’t it be great if you could take a magic pill that would make you speak English fluently?
If I could invent a magic English pill, I’m sure I would become a very rich man. But actually, I think it’s a good thing that’s there are no magic English pills, because the actual process of learning a language brings a lot more benefits than just being able to speak. (Besides, if people could just take a pill and be able to speak English, I’d have no job!)
Teachers and learning tools can help you with your English but the only person who can really take control of the language and master it is you. Use these tips to take control and master English your own way.
1. Make your goals public for a bigger commitment
We’ve seen before how important setting goals is for learning a language, but there’s no point in setting goals if you don’t reach them. If only you know about your goals, it’s easy to forget them. If other people know about them too, it’s less likely that you will quit without reaching them. Tell your family, friends, or colleagues about your goals. You can even tell the public about them by writing an English blog or sharing them in the comments below.
2. Give yourself rewards for reaching goals
Are you thinking of buying a new tablet? Maybe you would love to take a trip to a spa? Use your favorite treats as a reward for reaching your goals in English. That way you will be even more motivated to work towards them. Once you reach your goal and buy yourself that tablet, book the visit to the spa or buy yourself your favorite treat, you will reinforce how good it feels to persevere with your studies.
3. Master the basics
You can do a lot more with an excellent understanding of a few basic words and principles than you can with a basic understanding of many increasingly complicated ideas. If you try to learn too much at once, or study complex structures before mastering the simple ones, the language will become difficult and frustrating. If you master the basics, before moving on to advanced language, you’ll find the advanced stuff becomes a lot simpler. Remember the English idiom,you have to learn to walk before you can run.
4. Get your priorities right
Watching TV or meeting up with friends at the weekend is great fun but is it more important than learning English? Think about which activities will bring the biggest benefits to your life when you choose how you are going to spend a day. You could even combine learning English with the activities you do to relax to make the most of your free time.
5. Learn to enjoy learning
This is the most important one of all. Learning a language shouldn’t be a chore. The process of learning a new language is one of the most rewarding things we can do. Discovering a new culture and way of expressing yourself is an amazing experience and one that you should enjoy. Find interesting things to read and write about in English, talk about topics you find useful or exciting and think about how understanding a certain word or grammar point will make your skills better.
Once you enjoy the process of learning, you will be amazed how much time you can find to practise English and how quickly you make progress. If you enjoy learning, studying will never be a chore again!
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