2. How to learn SPEAKING and pronunciation

• Talk to yourself
  Talk about anything and everything. Do it in the privacy of your own home. If you can't do this at first, try reading out loud until you feel comfortable hearing your own voice in English.
• Record your own voice
  This might feel very uncomfortable, but it will help you find your weak pronunciation points. Listen to yourself a few days later. Which sounds do you have difficulty hearing?
• Use the telephone.
• Participate in class
• Learn common idioms
• Understand the sounds that your language doesn't have
  For example, many languages don't have the "r" sound. These sounds require extra practice.
• Recognize that teachers are trained to understand you
  When you get out into the real world, average people will have a more difficult time understanding you unless you practise speaking slowly and with proper pronunciation.
• Practise minimal pairs
• Study word and sentence stress
• Practice tongue twisters

HOW TO LEARN LISTENING???

1. How to learn LISTENING

• Listen to the radio
  Don't always have a pen in hand. Sometimes it helps to just listen.
• Watch English TV
  Children's programming is very useful for ESL learners.
  Choose programs that you would enjoy in your own language.
  Remember that much of what you hear on TV is slang.
• Call Automated Answering Machine recordings
  You can find these numbers at the front of telephone books in many English-speaking countries. Before you dial, make sure that you are calling the free numbers.
• Watch movies
  Choose ones with subtitles, or one from ESLNotes.com (provides useful notes on popular movies).
• Use Internet listening resources
  Every day there are more and more places to listen to English online.

HOW DO YOU START???

Why do you want to learn English?

Before you begin (or go back to) studying English, ask youself one question. Why do I want to study English? Is it because you want to, or because someone else wants you to? Like every decision in life, studying English must be something you want to do.

Set goals

If you know why you want to study, setting goals is easy. For example, maybe you want to travel to an English-speaking country. Great. Your goal might be to learn "Survival English". Perhaps you already know many useful phrases, but you want to improve your listening skills and pronunciation. Whatever your goals are, write them down.

Make an agenda

How long do you need to study to achieve your goals? This answer is different for every student. The important thing is to be realistic. If you work 60 hours per week, don't plan on spending another 40 hours a week studying English. Start off slow, but study regularly. Use material that is challenging, but not too difficult. Find out what works for you. After you have studied for a few weeks, adjust your study schedule accordingly. Do you study best at night, or on the bus on your way to work? Do you like to study alone in a quiet place, or with friends and background music? Click here for a sample 4 week agenda.

Make a commitment

Learning English requires a lot of motivation. Nobody is going to take your attendance when you aren't in class. If you are sure you are ready to begin studying, make a commitment. Click here to sign a contract with yourself.

Have fun learning English!

The things we do best in life are the things we enjoy doing. If you aren't having fun learning English, you're not studying the right way! You can be a serious student who has fun at the same time. Make up your own rewards program to give yourself incentives to stay on task.

TIPS FOR BEGINNERS

1. You are like a new baby
   Babies learn their language slowly.
   First they learn to listen.
   Then they learn to talk.
   Finally, they can read and write.
2. Listen to English every day
   Listen to English radio.
   Watch English TV.
   Go to English movies.
   Use online lessons.
   
3. Make an English/ESL friend
   Make up conversations.
   Practise dialogues.
   Use beginner textbooks.
   
4. Read English stories
   Start with children's storybooks.
   Try ESL readers.
   Read advertisements, signs and labels.
   Try EnglishClub.com for Young Learners.
5. Write down new words
   Start a vocabulary (new word) notebook.
   Write words in alphabetical order (A...B...C...).
   Make example sentences.
   Always use an English-English dictionary first.
   
6. Keep an English diary
   Start with one sentence.
   How do you feel?
   How is the weather?
   What did you do today?
   Write another sentence tomorrow.
   
7. Visit an English speaking country
   Learn English more quickly.
   Stay with an English family.
   Hear native speakers talk.
   Have a fun experience.

AN EASY EXERCISE FOR YOU!!

My English Learning Contract I, ______________________________ (your name), promise to study English for a minimum of __________ (your realistic number) hours per week, from ________/________/20______ to ________/________/20______. (no more than three months) My #1 goal is to: ___________________________________________ (Example: improve my listening and speaking skills) Other specific goals include: ________________________________________ (Example: learning 100 new words) ________________________________________ (Example: writing an email in English every day) ________________________________________ (Example: improving my pronunciation) I will re-evaluate my study sessions and goals and sign a new contract at the end of this study period. If I keep to the above program and achieve the above goals I will REWARD myself with: ___________________________________________ (Example: new shoes/mini vacation/new dictionary) Signed: ________________________ (your signature) Witness: ________________________ (signature of friend, teacher etc) Dated: ______/______/20____ PLEASE POST ME SOMEWHERE VISIBLE! From How To Learn English (EnglishClub.com)

HOW TO IMPROVE YOUR ENGLISH

My most important piece of advice is: "Do something (anything). If you don't do anything, you won't get anywhere. Make it your hobby, not a chore, but above all have fun!"

Don't be in too much of a hurry. You're setting off on a long journey and there'll be delays and frustrations along the way. Sometimes you'll be in the fast lane and other times you'll be stuck in traffic, but there will also be lots of interesting things and interesting people along the way. Take your time to really enjoy the experience.

There are many ways to improve your level of English, but only you can find the right way for you. Here are a few tips that might help:-

Improve your Learning Skills

Learning is a skill and it can be improved.

Your path to learning effectively is through knowing

• yourself
• your capacity to learn
• processes you have successfully used in the past
• your interest, and knowledge of what you wish to learn

Motivate yourself

If you are not motivated to learn English you will become frustrated and give up. Ask yourself the following questions, and be honest:-

• Why do you need to learn/improve English?
• Where will you need to use English?
• What skills do you need to learn/improve? (Reading/Writing/Listening/Speaking)
• How soon do you need to see results?
• How much time can you afford to devote to learning English.
• How much money can you afford to devote to learning English.
• Do you have a plan or learning strategy?

Set yourself achievable goals

You know how much time you can dedicate to learning English, but a short time each day will produce better, longer-term results than a full day on the weekend and then nothing for two weeks.

Joining a short intensive course could produce better results than joining a course that takes place once a week for six months.

Here are some goals you could set yourself:-

• Join an English course - a virtual one or a real one (and attend regularly).
• Do your homework.
• Read a book or a comic every month.
• Learn a new word every day.
• Visit an English speaking forum every day.
• Read a news article on the net every day.
• Do 10 minutes listening practice every day.
• Watch an English film at least once a month.
• Follow a soap, comedy or radio or TV drama.

A good way to meet your goals is to establish a system of rewards and punishments.

Decide on a reward you will give yourself for fulfilling your goals for a month.

• A bottle of your favourite drink
• A meal out / or a nice meal at home
• A new outfit
• A manicure or massage

Understanding how you learn best may also help you.

There are different ways to learn. Find out what kind of learner you are in order to better understand how to learn more effectively..

• The incredible way you Learn Grammar Without “Rules”: Use English grammar correctly with absolutely no studying of grammar rules.

• The Deep Learning method that helps you use English faster. Remember English words and grammar– and use them in real conversations. Feel strong about your speaking ability.

• The way you learn English in a relaxing way by listening to real English articles about interesting topics. Imagine thinking, smiling, and laughing while learning.

• The way you avoid stress and slow speech. The fun and crazy mini-stories train you to speak and respond faster.

• How the best English speakers learn, how they study,– and how you can learn English faster too. To be successful, copy the most successful people. Learn how you can speak like the best.

• Lessons that help you learn English without boredom- no more textbooks, no more tests, no more “exercises”.

• How you meet other English speakers and talk with them. Meet other friendly Effortless English members just like YOU.