The fastest way to learn English. Learning English from scratch! Making a lesson plan

Good afternoon, dear readers! I’m fulfilling what I promised a long time ago: I’m sharing methods of learning English based on personal experience.

And I won’t start with theory, no! I'll start with such a concept as staging goals And motivation. These are the very things without which even the most capable student of foreign languages ​​will not be able to wrap their head around even a couple of thousand words, and even if they can, it won’t be for long. I have tested all the presented methods on myself, so do not consider the article unfounded, but useful links after the useful text below, enjoy learning!

Where to start learning English (foreign) language

They tried to teach me English since childhood, starting with relatives and ending with courses “by mail” that were fashionable at that time (Eshko, for example). It would seem that a child learns material better than an adult, so why, after going through the same circle several times, did I still have nothing left in my head except a couple of simple phrases and a few words?

I wouldn’t say that I had absolutely no desire to learn English, on the contrary, I did, but these desires boiled down to something vague like “it would be nice to know English, Lena knows, but what am I, a redhead?” knowledge of a foreign language is fashionable,” or when I became older, “knowledge of English is required when applying for a job.” In fact, these are not goals, thoughts of this kind do not create intentions, and the initial fuse is only enough for a couple of activities, which you will exchange for something more attractive at the first opportunity (TV, favorite toys, walks with friends, etc.).

I’ve tried a lot of different methods and courses, and I can say one thing: if you don’t have a clear motivation/goal for why exactly you are going to learn a language, then even if you spend a lot of money on the best teachers, you won’t learn it. That is, you need to sit down, think and answer yourself clearly why I want to know a foreign language. Have you thought about it? And what thoughts came to mind? If it’s something similar to what’s described just above, then don’t waste your time. If this is something more serious, then we try.

Another question arises: how to understand whether it is serious or not. The answer is simple: think about whether you can do without a foreign language, if so, then the goals set are not serious, if not, you can work. It’s always clearer with examples, let’s talk about personal experience.

I started my trips with virtually no knowledge of English; in the first few days, it was enough to exchange basic phrases with the population to show them the way, find a roof over their head, or buy food. If it was really difficult, she explained herself with gestures. I wouldn’t say that the language barrier hindered me; in any case, I got what I needed without even knowing the language, so there was no strong need for it, but with each trip the desire to learn English grew.

The turning point for me was Myanmar; on the way there I met a fellow travel enthusiast, Andrei from Germany, who spoke “bourgeois” easily. While we were traveling around the country, he easily communicated with foreigners and locals, but I, as a lover of communication, was limited in this and could only be jealous. It was then that I finally decided that I would take studying English seriously. Initially I heard about Pimsleur, my present began with him education.

Methods of learning a foreign language

From all that I “dug up” and “shoveled”, I concluded that there are 2 valid methods of learning any language. Which one to choose depends on your mindset and perseverance.

1 way. I would call him child method (or NLP method). Let's remember how exactly young children learn language? They do not memorize words and generally have no idea how to construct a sentence, which is something they are strenuously trying to “cram” into the heads of students in various schools.

A small child simply watches his mom and dad, the people around him, and tries to repeat what they do and say. In this case, live communication with a native speaker or an English tutor via Skype is very suitable.

By the way, a good offer from a personal training program without leaving home. Special for blog readers! And if pay for the package before November 2, 2018 then you will get discount up to 25%!

What if there is no opportunity to communicate with some foreigner? Then watching movies will do. Naturally, the film should not be popular science; cartoons are also not suitable, because there are no real human-type facial expressions and movements.

• it is advisable to choose one that you have already watched in Russian translation,
• good diction of the actors (translated films are not suitable, only the original),
• maximum emotionality of the characters.

When watching a film in a foreign language, we look at the emotions of the actors, and exactly repeat their dialogues along with facial expressions and movements, while it is advisable to turn off the brain altogether, just repeat everything, like children. Such training helps to bring phrases and words directly into the subconscious, and emotions in this case will serve as an anchor for restoring them in memory. After some time you will be able to speak without thinking.

And of course, don’t forget about the regularity of “training”, preferably at least an hour every day. Unfortunately, I have little patience, so this technique did not suit me.

Method 2. The second is not a method, but an integrated approach. That is, this is the use of techniques for different areas of perception, more specifically, it is self-study using a course or lesson that is suitable for you, plus parallel reading of books and watching films. We'll talk about this method in more detail.

Pimsleur courses

To begin with I was very pleased Pimsleur- This polyglot, who developed a system for learning various foreign languages. The course is suitable for learning a language from scratch. Those who already know something will be bored in the first stages, but do not underestimate the basics. I also wanted to skip over the basics as soon as possible, since I knew many of the words. However, I had problems with composing sentences; Pimsleur just teaches words from the basics and composing phrases when communicating.

The course consists of audio tracks - 90 lessons of 30 minutes each, the lessons are composed with a certain amount of pauses designed for proper memorization. Officially, only the first part of 30 lessons was released in Russia, but thanks to enthusiasts, the remaining 60 lessons can be used, even if not of the best quality.

You must study at least 1 time per day, and preferably 2 times (morning and evening), however, listening to 2 lessons in a row is strictly prohibited. Each lesson must be completed as many times as possible until you remember everything (at least twice). And don’t be lazy and skip what you “sort of” know.

After just 30 lessons, you will be able to at least somehow communicate with foreigners, and after the entire course you will feel even more confident. Unfortunately, this will not be enough to communicate fluently in English.

Educational videos

Plus to Pimsleur rate I found a simple series in English on the Internet. At first glance, the video looks like an ordinary youth series (like “Helen and the Guys,” if you remember that one), but in fact it is a training program designed in such a way that many words and phrases can be understood purely subconsciously, since the characters are very emotional and often point to the things they are talking about. The episodes are only 20 minutes long, you can watch them every day, besides, it’s very funny, I recommend it, it’s called ExtraEnglish.

To improve your grammar, I would recommend one more video course, aired on the “Culture” channel under the title "Polyglot. English in 16 hours”. The program is structured like a real lesson: the presenter, as a teacher, on the one hand, and little-known actors in the role of students, on the other.

Various grammar tasks are given right during the “lesson”, and if anything is unclear, it is immediately sorted out. The lessons are 40 minutes long, and since the teacher-leader gives 2-3 days to complete the tasks, they are easy to combine with films like the one described above.

A little about applications for Android systems

I understand that it is very difficult to force myself to do all this, especially if the teacher is “virtual” and cannot give me a “f”. Especially for “lazy people” like me, they created a cool application for smartphones and tablets on Android OS, called exactly the same "Polyglot". Each grammar lesson is based exactly on tasks video lessons, so everything should be clear.

We decided to learn English language? Of course, you made the right choice, because English language- the main language of international communication.

Most likely, you have already encountered the main problem with learning English- a huge number of textbooks and courses on the market, most of which are a waste of time and money. And if we add to this selfeducation and complete lack of initial knowledge language, then all this confuses a person, and he loses the desire to learn English. A wish- the main key to successfully learning any foreign language.

So, what does the site offer you for success? learning English from scratch?

First of all, especially for the entry level in the form online lessons a wonderful self-instruction manual by K. B. Vasiliev “Easy English” was designed (from the second lesson, the first completely from the site). Classes on this tutorial are perfect for children, because the texts are presented from popular English children's fairy tales, such as “Alice in Wonderland”, “Winnie the Pooh and Everything Everything”, etc. Additionally, typos and some inaccuracies were corrected, and added free audio for the entire course. And doing the exercises is not at all difficult, because for this there are special forms for entering text, as well as answer keys. To view the answer, hover your mouse over the key: . You can only peek back after you have completely completed the exercise! If you have any questions, you can ask them under the lesson as a comment.

Please note that there is no need to rush and jump to the next lesson immediately after completing the current one. Move on to the next lesson when you are confident that you have mastered the material in the current lesson. fully.

Further parallel With the study of the audio course above, you can also study the perhaps simpler Assimil audio course. The page with audio courses also contains higher-level courses, as well as an interesting tutorial on how to work with audio.

How have you studied so much information and are still confused about verb tenses? Dont be upset, verb tenses in English- this is the most difficult part of it. After all, there are not 3 of them, as in the Russian language, but as many as 12! Especially for easier understanding and assimilation of tenses, the following section on effective lessons by S.P. Dugin for beginners was created.

Verb tenses can also be studied in the English grammar section. Initially, grammar lessons were intended for intermediate students, but translations have been added to them, and now they can be studied by slightly less advanced students. In this section Very There are many lessons, it will help you find answers to many questions, so don't skip it. Proceed to study it only when you are ready. And in lessons for beginners there will periodically be links to specific grammar lessons from this section.

Have you studied all this already? Well, you give it! Congratulations! What to do next? And then you will have even more self-study. Unfortunately, from an intermediate level it is difficult to build any path for study; build it yourself according to your interests. It takes a lot of practice. Listen to a lot of audio and video materials. Try to talk more. No one? Talk to yourself! Read, write. The site also has video materials. Perhaps there will be more later.

Please note that on the mobile version of the site the right menu collapses to the very bottom screen, and the top menu opens by pressing a button ≡ top right.

What kind of English are we learning? British or American?

Correct answer: both.

On the one hand, British refers to pronunciation rules set many years ago. Almost no one speaks it now, but everyone who studies English or tests pronunciation strives for it, incl. American actors (for example, Will Smith). Also, all textbooks have standard grammar and spelling of words. It turns out that almost everyone is learning British English. American grammar and spelling are slightly, very slightly different from British, so look for some textbooks on American English. very, very stupid.

On the other hand, British English also includes a special intonation that almost no one teaches, and it’s difficult to get used to. These lessons also do not teach intonation. It turns out that no matter how hard we try to pronounce it, we will still end up sounding more American English than British. Besides intonation, our speech apparatus is simply more similar to the American one. The video of the 1st lesson presents pure British English. The audio of the following lessons will sound more like American English. Otherwise, English is standard, there is no need to come up with ridiculous reasons why I should or should not learn these particular lessons. Just learn! I am responsible for quality! (Site author)

Surely you found something interesting on this page. Recommend it to a friend! Better yet, place a link to this page on the Internet, VKontakte, blog, forum, etc. For example:
English language learning

Today I decided to write complete instructions on how to learn English on your own at home from scratch.

By reading it and following all the steps described sequentially, you will definitely be able to learn English as quickly as you can.

• From start to finish. If you have time, I would recommend that you familiarize yourself with all the methods I have given. I will tell you everything in detail, and you yourself will choose the option that best suits you.
• Immediately follow the links below, selecting your level of knowledge (zero or higher) and financial capabilities (their presence/absence), and immediately start reading the specific part of my manual about self-studying English at home.

As you understand, I have prepared material for a wide audience with completely different requests and needs. You'll like it. 🙂

All descriptions will be given using the example of one of the most popular sites for learning English . Why? I will answer this question below, in the chapter “My language learning experience.”

1. Complete zero in English:

2. I know a little English:

What are your expectations from this material?

What efforts will need to be made?

You will learn how to learn effectively yourself, with minimal investment:

— money (or no investment at all!);

— time (but you will have to spend time, because there is no such option as “put the textbook under the pillow and sleep” :)).

What training materials will need to be purchased?

I will fully describe two simple ways to learn English online:

- free (yes, no money spent at all - you don’t even have to buy books!);

— paid (but at the same time very budgetary).

What is the difference between paid options and free ones? In my opinion, the paid programs described will save more time (and I will explain why this is below).

Why did I decide to write this instruction?

I often come across questions from friends about whether it is possible to learn English on my own. And if so, where should I start?

Usually such questions arise after traveling together to a country where they mostly speak English, and my friends see that I can maintain communication, ask questions to foreigners, and communicate with them. Of course, after this they want to acquire a similar skill too.

And at the same time, I was faced with the fact that even if you provide materials or a link to the service to people who want to learn to understand English more, they do not go further than familiarization. Either I’m lazy, or I don’t have enough motivation to study.

That’s why I decided to write detailed instructions on the principle of “go and do this and that,” and then you will learn the language. 🙂

My language learning experience

I won’t describe it for a long time. I'll write briefly. I have a whole long shelf of various English textbooks and several CDs. For quite a long time I started studying and quit.

Of all the available material, the one that helped me best at the beginning of studying was one disc, where little theory was given, but there were a lot of practical exercises in the form of composing dialogues, puzzles and games based on the words I had learned.

I also took English courses in our city. Completed one level. On the one hand, it was interesting at first, but then it became boring, because progress and learning new things was slow. The advantage was that we communicated with each other in English. This helped overcome the language barrier. But in the end, I decided that at home I could study much faster and spend less time.

Somewhere in 2015, I registered on the service, but until last year I didn’t really go there, because I didn’t really understand its advantages, and it was boring for me to just watch random videos. Last year (2016) I started training on it, purchasing a paid subscription at a discount. Although it was possible to study for free, no less diligently.

So, over the course of a year, I have significantly improved my language level. I found it interesting and easy to learn. And I managed to study more regularly, really more effectively and faster than I learned the language on my own from books before.

Select "First Course" and click "Start Training".

You will have access to the first lessons, which you can take for free (however, one lesson per day - this temporary limitation applies specifically in the free mode). For acceleration, as well as for training in the second topic and further, you will need to make a payment.

For example, here is a screenshot from my account, which shows that I completed the first lesson on January 5th and the second lesson is available to me. Since I already know everything that is presented in the first course, for obvious reasons I did not take it further. But the classes are so exciting that I even felt a little sorry that I didn’t start my English studies with these courses))

For children

I’ll tell you in what sequence and how you need to train on it, using its free capabilities.

It is possible to undergo training without registration using a special link, but I will not consider this option, since registration takes a minimum of time and maximum convenience. Therefore, I recommend registering. This way you will see your learning history, be able to bookmark videos and complete practice exercises.

After entering the site, at the top left you will see the sections: “Tasks”, “Games”, “Dictionary”.

Go to the “Tasks” - “Grammar” section.

And below them is a filter for selecting the necessary lessons, as well as a list of all other videos below.

Since your knowledge of English is at zero level, click on “Difficulty” and then select: “For beginners.”

As a result, you will get a list like this:

Your list will look different, since I have already completed lessons hidden here. You will have more of them on the list.

But that's not all. In order not to get lost in the sequence of lessons, but to move by topic, use the “Rubric” filter. When you click on this word, the following list of topics will appear:

Select topics that interest you sequentially, then watch the video and, if desired, complete practical exercises on collecting phrases for each lesson.

You can also watch video tips on how and in what sequence it is recommended to take the lessons:

The free study mode does not limit you in any way in watching videos - you can watch them around the clock. 🙂

There is only one limitation on practice: you can collect up to 20 offers per day. But this is quite enough. If there are a lot of exercises for the lesson, and the limit of available phrases has been exhausted, just complete them the next day.

If you know a little English and have no money for training, you cannot allocate even a thousand rubles for one year for this

Check out the previous section. The instructions from it will suit you. But when choosing the difficulty of tasks, you can choose not only “For Beginners”, but also “Medium Difficulty”.

If the tasks of medium difficulty seem too difficult for you, then go through all the beginner classes for now.

Also check out the “Tasks” - “Video Puzzles” section. It is updated very often and filled with new interesting videos in English with Russian subtitles. Choose tasks with a minimum level of difficulty to start. Look, listen, practice listening comprehension.

It will also be more effective and easier to train your listening comprehension of English speech by using the “Tasks” - “Audio Puzzles” section. You will be able to listen (and check the correctness of what you heard by putting together a sentence from the words provided) 20 phrases per day for free. Believe me, if you do this every day, within a month you will notice how much better you have begun to understand English sentences.

In the games section you can play any one game per day. There are several of them. Choose the one you like the most. And this is the case when the game becomes not only entertainment, but also education.

If you know a little English and can invest a little money to speed up the learning process

In this case, I will describe to you two options for further education, and you will choose the one you like based on the opportunities provided and the cost.

The training methods are as follows: online courses or personal plan. Why are they attractive? A given learning sequence (you won’t have to rack your brains to find materials). I'll tell you about each in more detail.

Online courses

If you already know the alphabet and a little more.

If you know English better, that is, you are familiar with the alphabet and already know how to greet your interlocutor, then pay attention to, starting with the second. Look from the list of courses presented (there are 6 in total, for different levels) which one is best for you, based on your level of knowledge.

When you click on the words “First course”, “Second course” and so on in the table presented, you will see a detailed description of each course and recommendations from the authors about which users and with what level of knowledge this language learning program is suitable.

Here, for example, is a description of the third course:

Select “Get Started” for the course of your choice and complete one or more free lessons first. In the free mode there is a time limit on completion (1 lesson per day). Therefore, if after the first lesson you want to speed up and complete the course faster, you can proceed to payment. Or you can wait, first go through the first topic completely free of charge for several days, and after that decide whether this format of online learning is right for you.

Personal plan

This year Puzzle English launched and tested a great feature that can be purchased separately - the Personal Plan. Before it appeared, I simply studied with a paid subscription (and thus am still learning English, choosing the material myself), but having tried the “Personal Plan”, I appreciated its advantages. And when my subscription expires, I will no longer renew it, but rather purchase classes according to a personal plan (this is cheaper).

To purchase it, you need to register or log in, and then hover over your nickname or name in the upper right corner - a window will pop up with links to select the product. Select “Buy personal plan”.

What functionality and advantages does this product have?

You set your language level, days of the week for studying, as well as the time that you can spend on English lessons according to the plan every day. In accordance with these settings, a daily program will be automatically compiled for you to complete.

For all completed tasks you will be rewarded with “puzzles” (this is what you see now in the example of my account in the picture above in the amount of 190). Then you can use these puzzles to buy any other product in a special store (when you have accumulated the required amount). For example, for just 5 puzzles you can purchase a day of classes with a paid subscription in addition - that is, you can play some game all day, perform an endless number of exercises to collect phrases, and you can also download to your computer or phone those materials that you need liked it.

For example, I now purchased “Personal Plan” for 12 puzzles to clearly show what it all looks like. To get into the compiled schedule, you just need to follow the link at the top next to today's date:

Next, you will see the schedule and what lessons it consists of. There may be video lessons, audio lessons, and games. Opposite to the right it will be indicated how many puzzles you will receive for completing each task, and also below it will be written how much more bonus you will receive for completing the plan for today.

Where are the settings related to the days and times of classes made?

Click on the settings wheel and you will see a window appear - see the screenshot below:

As you can see, my settings now indicate that I want to exercise all days of the week and 60 minutes a day.

You can uncheck those days on which you do not want to study. You can also use the slider to set the time you can allocate per day for learning English. An interval from 20 minutes to 2 hours is possible.

But that's not all. Click the “All plan settings” button and you will see several more flexible settings.

The first is the opportunity to either take a language level test, or set it manually (so that the system understands what level of difficulty of tasks you should select and add to your plan):

Secondly, you can choose which tasks you want to complete according to the plan. For example, you can turn off games if you don't want to play them.

Next are a few more settings where you can specify your interests, your preferred English accents for learning, and also which skill is your priority for training: reading, writing, listening comprehension, speech or vocabulary.

How does a daily plan help with language learning?

Yes, very simple.

You know that you just need to allocate a specific time for training (and you set it in the settings).

After that, you just need to go to the site and do step by step everything that the system suggested (and it suggested all this based on your settings for the types of materials studied and interests).

In addition to the fact that your level of knowledge will increase, you will also have a pleasant feeling of completing a task and replenishing “puzzles” in your personal account, which you can then invest instead of money in your education.

Here is an interesting, simple and exciting opportunity to learn English on your own at home.

Is it difficult to do something like this? In my opinion, it's very simple. 🙂

Surely, after six months of such daily classes, you will need to look into the settings of your plan and select a more difficult language level, or take a test where the level will be determined automatically.

Was there some information missing? Write your feedback and questions below in the comments. Perhaps I’ll add something if necessary.

Did you like the instructions and find them useful? Share it on social networks.

Learning a foreign language can be a real rollercoaster:

Joyful and delightful ups await you.

And falls... And we will help you avoid falls! 🙂

Regardless of whether you are starting to learn English on your own from scratch, or want to improve the knowledge you already have, these simple methods will be useful to everyone!

Moreover, you don’t even have to leave the house - you can sit at home in your pajamas, drink aromatic tea and put into practice what you are now learning... and then smile and be surprised at your results!

7 Simple Ways to Learn English at home on the couch in your pajamas :-)

1. Step one:

Organize your goals.

Determine clearly: what kind of English do you want to learn?

Colloquial? Writing? Or is it very important for you to read it and understand what you read?

If you are going abroad to travel, then you need spoken English. The ability to write in a language like Shakespeare is naturally like a stop signal for a hare :-) [not necessary!]

And if you want to move abroad and find a job there, then you need to be 100% proficient in all 4 aspects of the language: speaking, reading, understanding, and writing.

We all have different goals that are different from others. What is interesting and what exactly do you need?

1. Step two:

Find your favorite tutorial / video course / lessons for distance learning.

Once you have decided on your main goals (see point above), you need to take the bull by the horns. And find the most suitable way for you to study yourself.

The most ass A real lifesaver for learning a language at home is video lessons.

For both adults and children!

Everyone knows that their main and undeniable advantage is that during video lessons we see, hear, read, write and speak English!

Today you can study them both for a fee and for free.

In free access, information is usually “broken”, that is, presented in “pieces”. Like Napoleon cake - you get your 1-2 pieces, but not the whole cake :-)

Paid videos are known for the fact that there you are engaged in a complete, whole system. In good systems, everything is laid out step by step, explained clearly and simply.

That is, here you already get the whole Napoleon :-)

1. Step three:

When learning English from scratch, choose a professional Russian-speaking teacher!

That's right, cool. For those who continue. And the right path to nowhere for beginners.

Hundreds and hundreds of students, wood Fueled by the desire to conquer a foreign language, they immediately plunged headlong into the pool, choosing courses/lessons from a native speaker.

So to speak, we immediately “immersed ourselves in the environment.”

And bitter tears were shed. Or they threw textbooks in anger :-)

“How so?”– you are probably asking.

If you are just starting to learn English and know quite a few words, then you...

Firstly, you simply won’t understand most of what a native speaker will tell you;

He will not be able to explain to you the translations of many words and the peculiarities of grammar. Why is it like this in Russian, but like that in English?

Secondly, due to a complete misunderstanding, your desire to practice will quickly melt like butter in a hot frying pan!

Tested by hundreds of students.

Solution:

Find rus a native-speaking teacher who speaks excellent English and knows how to teach it.

He will be able to explain to you, as a beginner, all the important nuances of the language and will guide you by the hand through the first, basic and most important steps of learning.

Will give you the basics, explaining it easily and simply.

And, of course, in a good video course from a Russian-speaking teacher, you will also find training with native speakers. You will listen to them, answer questions, and ask your own. But this practice will be dosed, appropriate to your level. Immersing you in the language easily and smoothly, effectively and with pleasure.

Watch an English lesson for beginners with Oksana's explanations and training with a native speaker:

1. Step four:

Start processing your “cake”!

So, you've chosen the right video (or maybe audio) course. Great.

It's time to study it.

Like a big, kilogram Napoleon cake, the English course needs to be “processed” little by little.

If you try to swallow it all at once, you may get indigestion! (best case scenario:-))

Of course, of course, you want to master the language here, now and quickly. But!

Spur your horse and decide on your speed.

Do you need to know a language very soon? Time is running out?

Then watch and work through 1 video (hour-long) per day. No more!

Remember, if you immediately start “grabbing everything at once”, the same mess will begin in your head :-)

1. Step five.

Talk to yourself.

Yes, yes, you understood everything correctly :-)

You just need to speak English :)

Your articulatory system must get used to foreign sounds.

By repeating freshly learned words, expressions and constructions out loud, you not only get used to the language, but also remember what you've learned better!

While doing household chores, imagine situations in which you will communicate and say out loud what you would say to your foreign interlocutor!

The effect will surprise you! 🙂

1. Step six:

Train as if tomorrow you will become the President of the USA :-)

Bruce Lee once said: “I'm not afraid of someone who studies 10,000 different strikes. I'm afraid of the one who studies one blow 10,000 times.»

Only by repeating and practicing one topic a hundred times can you become a champion in English.

Take your time to find out and learn everything. Practice each “stroke”, each grammatical topic many times, without fear of repetition. The language is forgotten once or twice, so every word, every topic is brought to automatism.

Many people don't know about this or forget it. And then they have to learn everything again, because they once seriously underlearned something.

Remember this important point, and train each blow, bringing it to automaticity. So that if you are woken up in the middle of the night and asked to translate: “I want ice cream, a handshake with Jason Stetchen, and an apartment in Hollywood.”, you could translate this right away! 🙂

1. Step seven:

The clock is the shepherd of time. Remember him!

Have you noticed how every year time seems to fly faster and faster?

Remember that time will pass. Anyway. 1 year, 5 years, 20 years...

And it depends only on you where you invest your time and what will happen to you in the nth number of years.

Will you remain stagnant without advancing your language skills even a millimeter?

Or will you master it and communicate freely, happy and proud of your results?

The World Cup last summer in Russia once again proved: it’s time to learn a foreign language. How long can you communicate in sign language? But there are dozens of other small problems associated with not learning English at school. Either you have to wait for the translation of a new episode of your favorite show, or checking into a hotel abroad takes an extra half hour.

So, you have finally decided to take a couple of hours a week from your busy schedule and finally learn English. Once and for all. But from which side should we approach? Either pull an old school textbook from the balcony, or sign up for another fashionable course with a “unique” methodology.

MIR 24 decided to collect five effective (and self-tested) ways to quickly learn a language. These tips can be used both instead of studying at an expensive “English school”, and together with it, to consolidate the material.

Method number 1. Good old stickers

Polyglots of the old school learned the language from papers. This is especially true for those who, as it seems at first glance, have no time for classes. The method is simple: buy yourself adhesive stickers, write them in English words and stick them on the corresponding objects in the house.

Let's go cut ourselves a sausage sandwich before going to bed - be sure to note that the refrigerator is marked with a sticker Fridge. You will have to wield an item with a signature Knife, and you can put the finished sandwich on Plate. After a week of repetitions, you will definitely remember.

When your level rises above everyday words, write down all the English words you come across on stickers. From signs, from brand names, and, ultimately, from conversations of foreigners overheard in the subway. Stickers with words and their translations can be hung right at your workplace. So that they catch your eye more often. I got distracted for a second and caught my eye on another word. This is ideal for people with photographic memory. This way you can expand your passive vocabulary even at a computer in the office, or at a lathe in a factory. The main thing is that it doesn’t interfere with work.

Method number 2. Look for associations

Languages, especially European ones, can be untangled like a spider's web. Anyway, in most cases we will end up with Latin or Ancient Greek. But there are still hundreds of borrowed words. From English to Russian or along a more complex path: through French or German. It is possible to find matches even at an initial level of language knowledge.

Word Fruit differs from our “fruit” by just one letter. And is it so difficult to remember Brother with our “brother”? In fact, the deeper you dive into a foreign language, the more similar patterns you find. And now English-language texts are not so scary when in every sentence there is a word form similar to the Russian one.

Method number 3. One on one with carriers

They will tell you about this everywhere. Well, what can you do if this is the case: the best way to learn a language is to constantly communicate with native speakers. If you are still young and not burdened with family expenses and loans, drop everything and go study abroad. Fortunately, in almost every English-speaking country there is a wide system of grants, so you don’t even have to pay.

If you put yourself in a situation where not learning a language is like dooming yourself to starvation, sooner or later the information will begin to creep into your head. And after a couple of months, they no longer babble funny in their own language, but speak the same language as you.

In our age, there is a more budget-friendly option: turn on your computer or smartphone and go to English-language thematic forums. For example, according to "Game of Thrones" or World of Warcraft. Try to spend more time there, but not only read other people’s messages, but also express your own opinion more often. Of course, in English. Believe me, in most cases they won’t say a word to you for bad grammar. And if they do give advice, all you have to do is thank them and listen.

Method number 4. For social phobes

Well, okay, it really happens that the fear of communication transforms into some kind of phobia. And you seem to know what you need to say, but abroad you can’t even squeeze the words out of yourself. I will say right away: someday this barrier will have to be overcome. But you can put this event on hold if you use the method of learning through TV series and films.

It's very simple: watch your favorite "The Walking Dead" or new episodes of "Star Wars" exclusively in the original. For starters, with Russian subtitles. In large cities there are always at least a couple of cinemas that show films in English. Just search on the Internet. There you can easily find subtitles for almost all existing media content: from stand-up shows to new videos of your favorite blogger.

The next step is to watch English-language films with English subtitles. This way you can read what you couldn't hear. Text transcripts of films and TV series can be downloaded on specialized websites, and streaming platforms like Netflix provide subtitles for each video by default. By the way, popular English-speaking bloggers, in connection with the rules YouTube, are also forced to transcribe all their videos.

An alternative option is books. You can start with works with parallel translation (using the method of Ilya Frank) and simple fairy tales, then move on to translations of Russian classics into English, and finally move on to serious literature. The trick is to enjoy the book first, and secondly to perceive reading as language learning.

Method No. 5. English by songs

This is the most difficult option and must be approached with caution. But he can help someone learn English. We all listen to foreign music in one way or another. The President of Russia sings Blueberry Hill, the older generation is enjoying The Beatles And Queen, and those who are younger study complex texts Eminem.

Take your favorite songs and try, without looking at the lyrics, to hear all the words, one after another. And then translate - and remember. Now, when the player will play for the thousandth time Shape of You Ed Sheeran, you can not only sing along, but also synchronously translate the song about love at first sight.

There are downsides. Songs usually have a lot of incorrect grammar - words are rearranged for the sake of rhyme - and the word forms themselves are sometimes too strange. Still, it is worth remembering that lyrics with their metaphors are seriously different from everyday speech.

Whatever method you choose, the main thing in learning English is constant practice. To learn a language as quickly as possible, you need to combine all these methods and use them simultaneously. Good luck on this difficult and long journey!