Effective language learning is possible by applying several principles. Following these principles is particularly important when learning English independently.
The first principle
The first principle is to plan your actions and carry them out systematically. Once you decide to learn, you need to plan it very carefully. In learning, just as in everyday life, things that we do not plan precisely very rarely work out. In addition, creating an individual plan makes it possible to monitor your skills and return to less comprehensible material. Creating a plan also means scheduling activities related to learning a foreign language. It is a good idea to set goals, both smaller ones and one main goal, which, as we know, will be mastering English. Dividing the plan into smaller goals will bring greater satisfaction with the results. Satisfaction from achieving a small goal will provide the motivation to pursue the main goal. Regular contact with the language and systematic learning are the way to achieve satisfactory results.
The second principle
The second principle concerns the importance of a variety of stimuli when learning English. The brain should be engaged through all the senses: hearing and sight are important, but touch and even smell can also matter. The more stimuli the mind receives, the greater the chance of success. Ideally, there should be as much English as possible in your surroundings. If you watch films, choose those in English or with an English voice-over. If you listen to music, choose songs in English. Read daily news on your favourite website in its English-language version. Instead of Polish radio stations, listen to an English-language station. Talk to friends on Skype in English as often as possible. If you do not have friends who speak the language, you can always use special websites that enable people who want to learn a particular language to meet one another. To this extensive list of ideas for surrounding yourself with English, I would also add reading blogs, visiting English-language forums and browsing social media in English. Active participation in online discussion groups, whose members come from different cultures, is highly beneficial.
The third principle
The third principle concerns using programmes and courses for learning English that are available on websites. According to this principle, it is worth using all materials available online if they make learning easier. Choosing the right application is an individual matter. By following the third principle, you can learn practically anywhere you are, as long as you have internet access. You can study at a time and in circumstances that suit you.
The fourth principle
The fourth principle says that learning English should not be an unpleasant obligation; instead, it should ideally be combined with enjoyable activities. It is not worth learning a language under stress, because learning will be less effective at such a time. Therefore, English can be learned through English-language online games or discussions—in English, of course—on all kinds of specialist forums. Learning English is not just boringly sitting over a dictionary. By independently searching the internet for language-related topics that interest us, we can achieve more than by spending many hours poring over a traditional language textbook.
The fifth principle
The fifth and final principle worth putting into practice when seeking to learn English effectively is that suitable conditions are essential for learning. Being able to study in a place where we feel comfortable and safe brings significant benefits when it comes to absorbing material. Using online applications creates the conditions for learning in the place where we feel most comfortable. Learning online allows us to choose with whom and at what pace we want to study. Making such decisions ourselves gives us a sense of calm and comfort, which in turn leads to a good command of the material being covered. Sometimes, because of the nature of our professional work, we can study only at certain hours. While traditional courses require us to adapt to the hours set by the organisers, self-directed online learning allows us to adjust study hours to our work schedule, even when our job involves shifts. By taking advantage of the facilities provided by the internet, we can talk to the best native speakers regardless of where we live.
Following these principles is a way to learn English effectively and enjoyably.
Author: Preply.com, a platform offering English learning in the Lower Silesian Voivodeship.
More at https://preply.com/pl/wroclaw/korepetycje-z-angielskiego and at https://di.com.pl/6-zasad-efektywnej-nauki-angielskiego
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