How to Learn English

Sign up for an English class or join a discussion group. Another way to increase English conversation time in daily life is to register for classes and participate in group discussions.

• Studying in class is a way to help you focus on your ability to speak English in a more standard way. Teachers will teach you correct grammar, including sentence structure, verb conjugation, plus they have a clear method to help students acquire the language. But studying in class will not help you improve your speaking fluency because most classes are too focused on dry grammar structures, which will slow down your speaking speed and create a fear of mistakes. Therefore, joining a discussion group is the best way to improve communication skills.
• Participating in discussion groups is a less formal way of learning but creates a relaxing atmosphere, mainly focusing on communication skills and building relationships with classmates, not paying much attention to the “correctness” of the language. . Practicing speaking in group discussions can help you feel more confident when talking to the other person.
• Both learning environments have their strengths and weaknesses, so use both methods where possible. But you should join the discussion group because it will help you communicate more fluently.

Practice speaking a little each day. Obviously, the best way to learn a new foreign language is to speak it, so boldly say it even if you only know five words or are really fluent. Practicing speaking English with people around is the fastest and most effective way to improve your speaking skills. You can also speak by yourself and look at the surrounding objects and model shapes with words you can speak. This will help you to reflect on English, so use this method for 10 minutes every day.

• Don’t wait until it “feels natural” to dare to communicate in English. Since it can be a long time before you reach that level, push yourself out of your comfort zone and start speaking today. You will be amazed at the speed of your progress.
• Find a native who might be willing to chat with you. You can suggest the following language exchange: they will spend 30 minutes talking to you in English, and in return you will help them learn Vietnamese for the next 30 minutes.
• If you live in an English-speaking country, practice communicating with people around you in English, from “hello” to a salesperson to asking a stranger for directions.

Pronouncing practice. Even if you already have a good grasp of English, are good at grammar and have a good vocabulary, it may be difficult for native speakers to understand what you say if you don’t pronounce it correctly.

• Accurate and clear pronunciation is essential if you want to improve your English. Listen carefully to the pronunciation of some words and syllables by native speakers and try to imitate them.
• Pay special attention to any syllables that you are not familiar with or do not exist in your native language. For example, some people have difficulty pronouncing “r” because it is not in their mother tongue, while others have difficulty with groups of consonants, such as “th”. “.
• Remember that some English words have different pronunciations depending on the region of the world. For example, American English is very different from British English. Therefore, if you are going to travel or settle in an English-speaking country, you should learn about this when learning how to pronounce some words.

Expand your vocabulary and use idiomatic phrases. The more vocabulary and idiomatic groups you memorize, the easier it will be for you to speak.

• With that said, practicing speaking with native speakers will help you pick up words and idioms in the most natural way, whether reading books, watching TV or listening to the news in English is very helpful.
• Once you’ve learned a new word or expression, you should find a way to use it in a sentence, this is the best way to remember it.
• Another easy way to memorize new words is to write the English names of household items on small pieces of paper and stick them around the room. Every time you reach for the kettle or look in the mirror, those English words will appear in front of your eyes.
• You should write down familiar idioms that native speakers often use. Some examples are “it’s raining cats and dogs” (it’s raining heavily), “to be on cloud nine” (very happy) or the phrase “piece of cake” (used when saying something very happy) easy to do). Applying these groups of words in everyday conversation will clearly improve your English level.

Bring a dictionary. Always carry a dictionary (book dictionary or mobile app) which can be very helpful for studying.

• Having a dictionary means that you will never be stuck with a word, which can help you feel less embarrassed when talking to a native, or accidentally forgetting a word mid-way. It only takes a few seconds to check it out!
• In addition to avoiding loss of face, looking up the dictionary and then immediately using the word in a sentence will help you remember the new word better.
• Besides, a dictionary is also very useful when you need to scrutinize a word in your spare time alone, like when sitting on the bus, waiting to cross the street, or simply sipping a cup of coffee. . You can learn 20 to 30 extra words a day using this method.
• When you are new to learning, you should use a dictionary that explains into Vietnamese. But when your English level is higher, you should switch to an English-English dictionary, which is a dictionary that explains English words in English.
• If you need to go to the supermarket but think it’s a waste of time to carry around a huge dictionary, you can bring your smartphone/tablet with a dictionary.