Are you looking for English learning tips for beginners? Learning another language aside from your mother tongue can be so exciting. However, it can be daunting as well, especially if you need to start from scratch. So, if you are planning to learn English today, perhaps you may want to check out these ten English learning tips for beginners that can make your ordeal significantly more natural and more enjoyable. Don’t worry; most of the tips below would not require you to spend money!
Start Today with these English Learning Tips for Beginners!
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Identify your goals.
Before everything else, ask yourself this question. Why do you want to learn English? Are you going to an English-speaking country to get your master’s? Or are you planning to migrate for good? Perhaps you need to learn the universal language to boost your career. Regardless of your reason, you have to keep in mind your end goal as it can significantly help you in terms of focus and motivation.
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Perform a vocabulary warm-up.
If you’re engaged in a specific vocabulary unit in your class, activate your brain cells by thinking about something related to the English words at the beginning of each lesson. Let’s say, for instance, the class is about to discuss food vocabulary, get yourself warmed up by thinking about the foods you love to eat or cook.
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Write an English journal.
Writing regularly can help you improve your English skills. Even if you are just a beginner, try writing daily. It could be at least a paragraph that expresses your thought, the things you did that day, the goals you have for the next day. It could also be the lyrics of the song that reflects what you feel. Don’t mind the errors in grammar and spelling, as you would eventually see improvements as days go by.
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Watch English-language movies.
Many beginners claim that this tip is one of the most enjoyable things to do. There is no shortage of beautiful English movies that you can also watch on a daily basis. When you’re starting out, you can put on the subtitles so you can easily follow along. You can also consider watching a movie in your mother tongue and then putting on the subtitles in English. This way, you can work out the translation as you see the words on your screen.
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Read English books.
If you’re not fond of watching movies, then reading English books can be a great alternative. However, be sure to pick a book that is appropriate to your level. It is recommended to start with books that have a simple vocabulary and easy to read. Most English learning tips for adults suggest reading books such as The Hunger Games and Harry Potter. Aside from being highly entertaining, these stories are also written in simple English language.
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Read aloud.
When it comes to improving your pronunciation of the words, reading aloud can help. It can be a poem or a part of a novel you’re finishing. This tip can help you get warmed up for conversations, especially with your English tutor. It can also serve as an exercise for your tongue.
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Always keep a trusty English dictionary.
Since you are just a beginner, you would find yourself encountering words that seem to make no sense at all. You’ll never know what situation you would be in, so make sure to always carry with you a trusty English dictionary. However, you must first try to figure out the meaning of unfamiliar English words with the help of context clues. Furthermore, don’t limit yourself to one vocabulary word. Whenever you’re trying to learn a new word, try to find another word with the same meaning, or what we call synonym. Of course, you should consider finding out the antonyms or the words with opposite meanings.
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Practice your skills with native English speakers.
You can begin trying out your speaking skills with your English tutor. However, as you go along, you can seek help from native English speakers. If you’re feeling shy, tell them beforehand that you are just in the process of learning. Who knows, you might get a new friend who would eventually help you practice for free. Respectfully, you can also ask them to correct your mistakes and learn from them.
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Listen to sound patterns.
Whenever you’re having a conversation with native English speakers, pay attention to how they emphasize the words or the stress-content words. Native speakers usually give more emphasis to content words such as nouns, adjectives, and verbs. Listening intently would help you understand more what the person is trying to say to you. Meanwhile, function words such as determiners, prepositions, auxiliary verbs, and pronouns connect content words and make the sentences grammatically correct.
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Sing English songs.
There are many fun tips for learning English for beginners, and one of these is to practice your singing skills! Yes, even if you are out of tune or you are musically inclined, this tip can help you improve not only your speaking skills but as well as your comprehension. As the experts say, it is easier to learn about something when you put emotions into it.
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Be a selective listener at first.
When you’re learning about something, it’s easy to feel discouraged and overwhelmed. The feeling is the same when you are learning English. You might think that you can never learn the language, especially if you are surrounded by native speakers, and they are blabbing out words that you don’t understand. It’s natural to feel bombarded, but you don’t have to listen to everything they say. According to English learning tips for adults, you have to be a selective listener at the beginning. Focus on the words that are already familiar to you, and try to decode the meaning with the help of context clues and other things such as facial expressions.
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Make the English language a part of your daily routine.
If you really want to learn English, then you must make it a part of your everyday routine. It doesn’t mean that you have to ditch your native language. As long as you are consistent and you keep practicing, you’ll see improvements. Stick to your lessons but be open as well for exploration. Furthermore, you have to be consistent. It’s easy to feel disheartened. But whenever you see yourself at the point of giving up, remind yourself why you started in the first place. The popular notion might be a cliché, but keep on telling yourself to try and try until you succeed.
Top Reasons Why You Must Check out These English Learning Tips for Beginners
If you’re struggling to identify your goals and consistently ask yourself why you need to learn English, then here are some of the reasons that might convince you. Don’t worry, there are many English learning tips for intermediate as well as English learning tips for adults that you can rely on for free!
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English is the official language of international communication.
As per the study conducted by the British Council, by the year 2020, over two billion people worldwide would study English. Why? Although English is not the most spoken language, it has been declared as the official language of over 50 countries. It is used by more than 400 million people worldwide.
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English is the language of a global workforce.
We can’t deny that if you are planning to enter a global workforce, you have to know how to speak and understand English. This language has long dominated business communications, locally and internationally. Many leading companies of today also require their employees to be fluent in English as it helps them compete in the international business scene.
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English can widen your access to entertainment.
Since English is considered the universal language, most of the entertainment-related offerings such as songs, movies, and books are produced or published in English. Even the internet is already dominated by this language. If you know how to speak it and you can understand it, then you would have more options when it comes to entertainment. This skill would not only improve your professional career, but it would also enhance your personal life and enjoyment.
Begin Practicing These English Learning Tips for Beginners!
Learning the English language can be time-consuming and challenging. It can be costly as well, but it all depends on your dedication, determination, and strategies. We hope these English learning tips for beginners can help you unlock many opportunities in the future!