Yes, the holiday season has come! But, it does not mean, we should have a break from learning English. On the contrary, sometimes it is the time when we have more time to learn or to plan our learning. So, today, just to start this sunny time productively, a few ideas for you on how to improve your English in small steps.
In order for your language learning strategy to be successful, it needs to be adjusted to your needs and abilities (e.g. finances or time), talents, preferences and interests.
START WITH A PLAN
find a very concrete goal (e.g. I want to be able to read technical documentation of ... in English, or I want to communicate stress-free in English when on holiday abroad)
decide what steps you need to take to achieve your goal (e.g. learn technical vocabulary in the field of ..., or learn basic phrases useful at a restaurant, plane, etc.)
plan those steps (e.g. 5-10 minutes every day, or if you prefer twice a week of 60 minutes)
follow and accomplish your plan
SMALL STEPS METHOD
I recommend a small steps method.
I believe that it is better to do something small in English everyday, rather than plan 1,5 hour of studying twice a week and then resign at the last moment because there is something more urgent to do than learning.
What can you do in 10 minutes? Here are a few ideas:
read an article/a blog post/text/chapter of a book, etc in English
listen to a podcast
➡ watch a short video
check the lyrics of a favourite song
comment English language blogs, social media profiles
➡ join an English speaking FB group and be its active member
record a short statement/message on your phone/dictaphone, e.g. a list of things to do, your shopping list, plan your day, record your stream of consciousness or deliberations (like agent Cooper from Twin Peaks serial - if anybody remembers?)
translate into English the news from the radio while driving (if translating of the whole news is too difficult for you, you can start by translating separate words or phrases or you can listen to the piece of news and then paraphrase it in English/summarise it using simple language)
sing in English the songs you know
learn one new word every day and all its collocations (you can read on collocations here: https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=372250179837530&set=a.141592416236642.1073741827.100011576534080&type=3&theater)➡ fel free to invite me to your BF friends if you want to be in touch or read more of what I write about Englih on my FB profile
make flashcards (small cards with the words or phrases on them) with your own drawings to visualise the word or phrase
Each of these activities will take 10 to 15 minutes a day!
If you make it a habit of yours to do a small exercise like that every day, you will see that you can do something interesting and learn at the same time without devoting so much time to it.
MAKE A PLAN
So now it is time to make a plan for the whole week.
For example:
Monday - I will record my shopping list
Tuesday - I will make a flashcard with the word ...
Wednesday - I will check the lyrics of the new song by ....
Thursday - on my way to work/on a walk/while reading the news on the Internet - I will try to translate aloud one piece of news from the radio or the Internet
Friday - I will talk in English with a friend from .... or I will read a short article/post in English about ...
Saturday/Sunday - weekend- don't get too lazy - watch a film or an episode in English with English subtitles, you can start by watching a film you already know (even if you don't understand something, you will not lose the thread of the story)
So, what are you going to do in English this week?
What is your learning plan for holidays?
If you have any questions, don't hesitate to leave a comment ⬇⬇⬇ or contact me by email info@stanagexpert.com or FB messenger https://www.facebook.com/malgomazurek .
