Learn English

[Chriss]

I want to learn english better, to be fluent...

How did you learn it ? What resources did you used ?

 

Thank you !

Edited May 27, 2017 by Chriss

[KipIngram]

Chriss, I don't know how to help you with that, but I do want to wish you the best of luck. I've thought at times about learning French (which I had two years of in high school but didn't retain enough of to do me any real good) or German, so I'm going to watch this spot to see if you get any good tips. I have always thought English might be a harder language to learn than some others that have a more logical structure.

 

So, anyway, good luck!

[fiveworlds]

I've thought at times about learning French (which I had two years of in high school but didn't retain enough of to do me any real good) or German,​

 

 

I had six years of french and german in high school and I can still barely speak the basics despite having gone to France and Germany and I'm always watching subtitled japanese anime and I can't speak japanese at all.

[KipIngram]

My dad told me that in graduate school he learned enough German to be able to read German papers on organic chemistry. But he never seemed to exhibit any real working knowledge of the language during the time I knew him (he passed away in 1999). So apparently learning a language to some extent and retaining that knowledge are two entirely different things.

[StringJunky]

I want to learn english better, to be fluent...

How did you learn it ? What resources did you used ?

 

Thank you !

If you want to be fluent at it, think in it. Perhaps pick a role model for using as an example for speaking and one for writing; analyse and then emulate them.

Edited May 28, 2017 by StringJunky

[iNow]

Immersion.

 

Surround yourself with others who speak English, and nothing but English. All books, discussion, everything in that language and no other.

 

Immersion.

[Raider5678]

Immersion.

 

Surround yourself with others who speak English, and nothing but English. All books, discussion, everything in that language and no other.

 

Immersion.

This works.

I went to Brazil once, and in 11 days I was able to hold a basic conversation with someone, and still can.

I can also describe a lot of things, and ask what the word for it is.

[DrKrettin]

This works.

I went to Brazil once, and in 11 days I was able to hold a basic conversation with someone, and still can.

I can also describe a lot of things, and ask what the word for it is.

 

I'm impressed, because Brazil is perhaps not the best place to learn English.

[iNow]

Lol

[Dino]

I am also not good in english but for example writing small texts or reading a lot of texts (for example a newspaper) improves your language skills.

By seeing it multiple times, you will automatically remember the words and hopefully use them correctly in practice.

 

I want to learn english better, to be fluent...

How did you learn it ? What resources did you used ?

 

Thank you !

Edited May 28, 2017 by Dino

[Chriss]

Immersion.

 

Surround yourself with others who speak English, and nothing but English. All books, discussion, everything in that language and no other.

 

Immersion.

I am not in a medium with english speakers. I have searched a lot for real discussions between people; that I think it will be the best source but I can't find.

[Manticore]

I learned to read enough French in a couple of months to pass my pilot's exam first time. I couldn't really speak it at all until about 2 years later.

[Code42]

Step 1: Get born to English-speaking parents in the United States.

 

Step 2: Get raised in the English-speaking world.

 

Step 3: Done!

 

No, but seriously, I have no advice. My mind can't even fathom the concept of conjugating verbs in Spanish, so I'll stick with English. Learning a new language requires more brain plasticity than I've got.

[NimrodTheGoat]

English is a difficult language ya know. ( ͡° ͜ʖ ͡°)

 

If you can, try watching t.v news stations with subtitles on. You can follow along hearing and reading. The subtitles really help, and when I was trying to perfect my Spanish I turned to a mexican news station.

 

Where do you live Chriss? Perhaps colleges in your country have English as a class option.

[Delta1212]

An in person class or tutor is very helpful.

 

The most important factor is consistency. 1 hour every day of practice is going to be more valuable than 7 hours one day a week even though it's the same amount of time.

 

I try to set aside time to read news in another language, and watch/listen to news in it daily. And listening to music, obviously. First just to get used to the sound of the language but as you progress it's important to listen actively and try to pick out words or eventually just understand as much of what you are hearing as possible.

 

If you can find an online discussion forum that you can participate in, especially in an area of interest, that is very helpful. Try to make a friend or two with native speakers and encourage them to critique your use of the language.

 

And there are plenty of online resources, too.

 

I've found Memrise good for drilling vocabulary, and I personally find Duolingo fun, and a very good refresher if you'be ever had some exposure to a language and need to get the rust off and expand on your skills a bit in order to start engaging in more practical usage. Starting a language from scratch with it is a bit trickier unless you're really dedicated, but I have done it personally and enjoyed it.