As an English teacher, I have come across a wide range of types of students. I have had the skeptical ones, those who think a non-native English-speaking teacher can’t help them a lot, to those who don’t mind, to those who can relate to me and find some good advice as to how to learn effectively the language.
The latter type of students are the ones who stick around the longest learning English with us at EnglishLessons.Online. During my lessons, I try to find a way to make them think about their own language and how it differs from English. The strategy is meant to make evident that English has its own rules and it is not necessarily related to the way their native language works.
And this is the reason I asked a group of my advanced students to come up with some advice they would have liked to get when they were starting their English-learning journey. This is what I got from them:
You should have everything in English, just change it. Cell phone, laptop, TV, etc.
Don’t be afraid if you did (make) mistakes. Everything can be a new way to improve your English.
Try to think in English all the time.
If you are going to use a translator, enter the entire sentence with the word you want to know.
Your learning is personal, never compare your progress to others; the most important is learn English.
The most important, be constant and never stop to learn (learning).
-Manuel
Don’t translate everything because in English there are many words which have different meanings and in some other cases, they don’t exist in your native language.
Don’t worry about the pronunciation a lot! Try to do your better (best) but you are not native and you have a different accent.
-Erica
Learning English should be a life-long challenge for you.
You can start with the most common words you need to communicate with people, like asking directions: where can I find?
Then, you can go and try to describe how you feel, happy, angry, sad, hungry, headache.
Then, you can go and describe the games that you play.
-Cyril
Now, which word of advice do you find the most useful?
Did you consider this when you started to learn English?
Leave your comments or more tips to learn English below!
