How quickly can I learn English?
Many students ask this question frequently. How can I learn English quickly? The simple answer is that every language like everything we do takes time. You can accelerate it by practising more. I recommend at least 30 minutes every day studying English. if you can do more, even better. You will learn a lot, but learning a language takes time. Here are some tips and suggestions you can try to make the process faster.
Learn grammar rules
Make sure you learn the grammar rules in the right order. Start by your level. You can do a grammar placement test to find out your level. Next follow each set of grammar rules to reach the next level and keep doing this until you reach C2.
You can study the grammar rules in your language or directly in English. You then need to do lots of exercises as often as you can for each specific grammar rule. Put these into practise by practising on native speakers. Using a good grammar book such as English grammar in use or Oxford will assist you.
Read every day
You can find graded books for each level. Once you know your level, start reading graded books to help you recognise the grammar structures you are studying. Of course, try to read anything you can from short texts to more difficult ones.
This will keep you challenged.. If you find you are not able to understand a lot then it is better to continue with graded books set at different levels until you feel more confident. You can also read books designed for children.
Listen every day
Listening is crucial in learning a language. Think of babies. How do babies learn? They listen then they start to repeat words they hear, then sentences. They are able to put sentences together from what they have heard and then with practise, they start to make their own sentences. Some of these sentences are very simple but they are practising.
Listen to everything you can. tv, radio, listening texts. I recommend audio books without reading the words. It does not matter if sometimes you do not understand everything. It is important to start recognising sounds, words and then eventually, the sentences being used. Set yourself a percentage and the more you listen, you will start to understand more and more.
Practise writing every day
This is usually the easiest. You are probably already doing this. Most people find writing is easier than speaking. This is because you are doing this on a daily basis. You are sending messages, emails to different people from different channels such as social media. Keep doing this. Join forums and chat as much as you can. Respond to questions if you know the answer.
Speak as often as possible
Some people find this is the most difficult as it is not always possible to find native speakers. Offer a language exchange, if you can, have lessons at least once a week. If you can do more, even better. I recommend even having a conversation with yourself and recording it. It is important that you try to speak as often as possible to accelerate the learning process.
Speak to your colleagues. Join live chat forums. Take the opportunity to speak to natives as much as you can. If you think someone English speaking is lost in your city, approach them, help them and most importantly, start a conversation.
Be patient when learning a language
Try not to be in a hurry when learning a language. You need to be patient. You will find it is a gradual process. You will start understanding perhaps a little at the beginning and then with more practise, you will see the results. You will start to understand more and more, and then one day when you start to understand everything you listen to or hear, you will have reached your goal.
You will be in the driving seat and be in control of the language, You will also be able to identify when non-native speakers make mistakes and when you start correcting yourself, thinking and dreaming in the language, that is when you really know a language.
Language learning is never-ending
Unfortunately, it does not stop there. Learning a language is a never-ending process. Native speakers always strive to learn new words, to expand their vocabulary. They do this by reading. They do not check each word they do not know. They guess the meaning from the other words surrounding it. Once you have reached a comfortable level of proficiency, you need to keep it up by reading, speaking, listening and writing every day.