How to win the language lottery.
Three effective ways to learn to speak English well:
If I told you that I know that you are definitely going to win the lottery would you let me tell you
– when and where to buy the ticket?
– What numbers to choose?
– Which lottery system to use?
Or would you prefer to keep trying your luck? This year I’ll buy random numbers, next year I’ll try my family’s birthday dates and ages, Hey there’s a new lottery on Wednesdays now, let’s try that! Look! I’ll just keep buying a ticket now and again because it’s almost impossible to win. “Sometimes I even forget to check my numbers for ages. You know I never get lucky, other people seem to attract luck”
Do you do the same with your language learning?
Every year do you try something different? But you still haven’t found the best way for you to learn English.
You started with a non-native English teacher who explained everything clearly in your native language.
Have you tried English home study courses?
Have you tried English courses online?
Have you done in company classes?
Maybe it would be better to try another English language school
Have you signed up for courses to take Cambridge English exams?
Maybe you have attempted to find a native English teacher
Perhaps you feel that you need a better English dictionary
Or a more relevant English language text book
Then maybe you bought audio classes or podcast courses
Next summer perhaps you should go away and do an English course abroad
This list could go on and on
Let’s make things very clear:
Everybody can learn a language, we all learn at least one when we are babies.
Everybody can learn two or three or more languages and do it without studying or effort. Yes, language learning without effort
Stop any native English speaker in the street in London, New York, Sydney or wherever and ask them this question:
Excuse me, can you tell what the Present Perfect third person singular of the verb “to know” is?
I can guarantee that most English speakers will not know the answer, are you surprised? English speakers do not need to know what the present continuous or past perfect passive is. They learnt it when they were young children.
So………. What is the best way to learn English? To learn to understand English and to speak English is not a lottery. Every year thousands of people do it and do it well.
There are only three effective ways to learn the English language well.
- Grow up in an English speaking country and go to a school with the teaching in English
- Grow up in a non-English speaking country with native English parents or go to an international school where all the classes are in English
Ooooh! Ooooooh? So if it’s too late for you to be able to do either number one or number two …………. Do not despair, there is another solution.
- Try and copy as many of the daily activities of the people (children) in situation 1 and 2. Only by regular contact with the English language, every week and all year can anyone realistically hope to attain an adequate level that allows communication in English.
In other articles we will talk about specific tasks you can do, and methods you can use to help you effectively improve your level of English in all areas:
Understanding English
Speaking English
Writing English
Reading English
Communicating in English