Effective English Learning Strategies for Students
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Language learning is challenging. While some boast they pick up English fast, others admit they need help to reach fluency despite all their efforts. Besides the motivation both groups need for successful learning, the strategies they choose to master English also matter.
Memorizing grammar rules and doing dozens of one-size-fits-all exercises to remember all those tenses, gerunds, and modal verbs doesn't work. You need strategies activating the brain areas responsible for understanding beyond your comprehensible input.
Below are the six that help boost your English skills and make the language learning process more compelling.
Active Listening
This language-learning strategy is among the top tips teaching experts from customwritings and other educational institutions recommend to ESL students. Active listening is about understanding the ideas behind foreign words you learn.
What does it mean?
When hearing a word (in a movie, a podcast, from a native speaker, etc.), you don't look for its direct translation but try to understand its meaning from the context. So, instead of memorizing individual words and sentences, you learn to understand messages, themes, and cultural nuances.
This strategy encourages learners to think in English and improve their understanding of idioms, which is also critical for speaking and social fluency.
"Productive Language"
Also known as active vocabulary, productive language is the one you use for speaking and writing. In other words, it's language items you "produce," while those you understand when reading or listening are your "receptive" skills.
When you learn English, you develop those receptive skills first. The catch is that understanding the language doesn't equal fluency in expressing yourself through it. (That's why so many students claim they understand English but can't speak it.) For efficient language learning, you should focus on developing and practicing your "productive language."
Speak English every day. Describe what you see outside, share personal stories or impressions in social media posts, write an essay on share market, chat with English-speaking friends, and so on.
Complex Topics
Many learners are too shy to speak English, choosing easy conversations to avoid complex topics or sophisticated words. As a result, they fail to enrich their vocabulary and are stuck at their elementary level, complaining about how difficult English is to learn.
Don't do that.
Instead, accept challenges and push yourself to discuss different topics, even those uncomfortable at first. (You can start with recent news or the latest book you've read.) Don't be afraid of mistakes: They are natural for learners. Thus, you'll stretch your speaking and writing skills (the "productive language" we mentioned earlier).
Daily Practice
The more you use English, the better. It becomes comfortable to hear it, and you feel more confident when speaking it. For the target language to become natural in your environment, take every opportunity to practice it. Think of it as exercising in a gym:
The more you practice, the stronger you become. Incorporate English into your daily life: watch movies, read books, listen to podcasts and songs, and speak English with your family and friends. Practice different contexts to grow vocabulary and speaking confidence: Choose various topics and talk to people with diverse life experiences or professional backgrounds.
Find a language exchange partner to practice English with a native speaker. Thus, you'll learn many interesting conversational words and local expressions that academic textbooks or language courses often miss.
For this strategy to work, it would help if you add a specific time for practicing English to your daily to-do list. Use it to read, listen, speak, or write (try daily journaling) in English; the schedule won't let you procrastinate and "forget" about this task.
PWIM
PWIM is the abbreviation for "Picture Word Inductive Model," one of the most effective techniques language teachers use to practice speaking and writing with students. The picture complexity may vary depending on the grade and knowledge level, but the point remains the same:
Students get an image, brainstorm their knowledge about it (when in school, they work in groups to practice speaking while discussing), share ideas, and describe the image in detail. Students can use sentence stems and frames to practice grammar or expressions.
This strategy also works for individual language learners. Look out the window and describe what you see (in English and out loud). Or, search for a picture online and build a short story based on what you see. You can write it down or tell it to a friend to practice speaking.
Tech Assistants
In today's digital era, it would be strange to ignore language learning apps and online resources. Comfortable to use, they can become your routine to spend 20-30 minutes practicing English. Most such tools and services use a gamification approach, thus making language learning entertaining and compelling for students.
The most popular language-learning apps include Duolingo, Quizlet, iTalki, and Busuu. Use them to practice vocabulary, grammar, and punctuation; communicate with native speakers there and choose an assistant to grow your English skills. The resources offer educational videos, interactive games, and exercises to ease your English learning process.
Takeaways
Language learning is more efficient with the strategies involving a student in the process. Active listening and daily practice are the top ones:
Watching movies, listening to podcasts, reading books in English, and communicating with English-speaking friends will serve you better than countless attempts to memorize grammar rules and word definitions. Don't be afraid of mistakes, and remember:
Practice makes perfect.
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