5 top tips to improve your English
All SEDA students know that learning English isn’t an easy task. First of all, you need to have some time and second, it is very important to study hard. However, if you really want to master a new language, the study process can’t be boring. Check out my top 5 tips about how to improve your English in a foreign country.
By Patrícia Silva
TRY A CONVERSATION CLASS… IN A PUB
Do you love to go out with friends and would you like to learn while doing it? If you’re passionate about Dublin nightlife and like to drink the famous Guinness in some pub, you probably already know the mobile app Meet Up.
The application is great for those who want to meet new people with the same interests. There are many groups keen on dance, sports, meditation, arts and, of course, English. It’s possible to find many English conversation classes with native speakers by searching the app. The meetings are held on different days and in various pubs across Dublin.
Do you think that Monday or Wednesday are boring days to be spent at home? If your answer is yes, then now you know what to do – find a conversation class! If you are really shy and don’t like to go out alone, you can invite some friends to go to the meetings with you.
Check out the best English conversation groups, times and places for you here: www.meetup.com.
SING YOUR HEART OUT – IN ENGLISH
Everyone has that special song that they love to sing in the shower. But have you ever thought that you can learn English while singing? The site www.lyricstraining.com offers to teach you English with the help of your favourite music. There are different genres of music you can choose from like heavy metal, pop, hip-hop, reggae, jazz and others.
When you choose your favourite sound, the next step is to select your level of English: beginner, intermediate, advanced or expert. If you choose the beginner level the lyrics are easier.
While you’re listening to the songs you selected, you can follow the lyrics on the screen and you have to fill in the gaps with the missing words. If you want to improve your listening while having loads of fun, then this site will be perfect for you!
Go to www.lyricstraining.com to start learning English by singing your favourite songs.
WATCH MOVIES AND TV SERIES FOR FREE
Many of us have been told that watching movies and TV series in English is a very good way to improve English. The hard part is to find a great site that allows you to do it if you aren’t a Netflix customer, for example.
There are many movie sites on the internet, but in many cases they have a limited selection of films or series. In other cases, when you finally find a good site, it doesn’t work…
So do you want some advice? The site www.itvmovie.eu allows you to watch several films and TV series in English, including new movies for free. And the best thing is that all of the movies have English subtitles!
www.itvmovie.eu has dozens of films and TV series that you can watch for free – with English subtitles.
DON’T BE LAZY – DO SOME EXTRA ACTIVITIES!
Sharing a house with other students can be great, but sometimes it’s a big trouble when you need to study. Learning a new language requires concentration and a quiet atmosphere. If you’re looking for a nice place to study away from distractions, The Central Library located in Ilac Centre, Henry Street, can be a nice place for you.
While you’re there, besides doing your homework, you can sign up for the Rosetta Stone program. It’s a language course which allows you to learn English online. It’s necessary to arrange a date at the library to do the course, but, after two online classes you get a login and password to do the lessons at home if you think it is better.
Reading a newspaper can be a good way to improve your vocabulary in English as well. In the library, you can read the daily newspapers for free. You can also get plenty of books there and if you’re too lazy to walk to Henry Street check out the books at SEDA College’s library!
Head to the Ilac Centre library in Henry Street to do the Rosetta Stone course for free, and check out SEDA’s library too!
DON’T BE AFRAID TO SPEAK!
If you want to learn English you have to speak it in and outside of the classroom. This is what my English teacher at SEDA College, Denise Skelton recommends: “Don’t be afraid to speak and make mistakes. The Irish people understand that you’re learning a new language”, she told me. I think you can improve even more when you have the opportunity to learn from your errors.
Speak as much as you can outside of class and don’t be afraid to learn from your mistakes!
Originally published in SEDA News
