Today, life without knowledge of a foreign language is almost impossible. So courses, schools, etc. are very popular. But they are not always of high quality and provide a good base. But the most interesting thing is that learning English on your own is quite real. The main thing is to start.

Find a teacher

No matter how much you want to do everything on your own, it is better to do the first steps with a teacher. And it is desirable that he be not only a good philologist, but also an excellent teacher, as well as a psychologist. Another selection criterion should be his love of English and psychological compatibility with you.

You can study both in groups, where you can use tests to understand where to start learning English for you, or individually or even via Skype. To find "your" teacher, try to communicate with him in advance, for example, through social networks or the same skype. You can also connect a friend who knows English well to this case (he will help you figure out the level of the teacher and the quality of his lessons). In any case, the first weeks of learning a language should be under the supervision of a master who will give you an incentive for development and tell you how to move forward on your own.

Create your ideal conditions

First of all, decide on the time to study. It is advisable to find it every day and at about the same time of day. But there are a few important rules here:

• It is better to practice daily for 20 minutes than a couple of times a week for a couple of hours;
• You need to do not only at the same time, but also at the ideal time of day for you: if you are an inveterate owl, then evening suits you, if you are a lark, look for time for the tongue in the morning;
• It’s good if you have one hour for a lesson, but do not forget to take a break for 10 minutes during it.

To dive deeper into English, look for a place for lessons where there are no external stimuli and there is perfect silence, as well as a comfortable environment. And it is also important not to embrace the immensity during the study. If you are just starting out, stick to your own pace, and do not cover all topics at once.

Choose the perfect methodology and the perfect textbook

This is exactly what will make learning English from scratch effective. You need a technique that will be pleasant to work with. As for textbooks, it is better to start with publications from Russian-speaking authors. When your level jumps above zero, you can also turn to British publications for help, for example, Language in Use, Headway, True to Life, etc.

In a good manual, there is enough theory and practical exercises. In addition, it should contain all the rules in an informative, understandable and expressive way, and illustrations and tables should facilitate understanding. The manual should equally develop the skills of speech, and reading, and writing.

It's important to know! Learning English on your own has one interesting advantage: you can choose the songs and movies to study on your own. Listen to your favorite performers, translate their lyrics and learn words from songs, memorize your favorite English songs. The same goes for movies, but subtitles are still needed here. Have you ever watched your favorite Harry Potter in the original language? Here is an opportunity for you, and at the same time you will have fun!

Cons of learning English on your own

First of all, any self-education is dangerous because there is no control. Also, motivation is lost. It's simple here: sometimes reward yourself for success.

The difficulty is that it is not easy to develop the skill of speaking. It is not easy to develop such a skill alone. Either a friend will help here, just like you are studying English, or periodic communication with a teacher at least via Skype: he will accurately detect errors and correct them.

How to study on your own

1. Start with reading rules. In order to master them, there are, for example, tables. You can also use an intelligent resource, for example, the site https://www.translate.ru. Transcription is the beginning of the beginning. Clarify the rules of pronunciation. Despite their abundance, many English words are not pronounced according to the rules at all. To deal with this, there are online dictionaries.
2. Build vocabulary. All means are good here, by the way. Start with the most popular topics for you, learn the words that you use most often in your daily life when speaking your native language. So you will be closer to English, and it is clearer why you are learning it. To memorize ten new words or not is up to you. If your memory is weak, memorize a couple of times, and the vocabulary will still be replenished. Pay attention to verbs. You can start with hundreds of the most common words in the language.
3. Take care of grammar. In schools, we were actively stuffed with times and other boredom, which actually interfered with the study of English. The main thing for you is the art of speaking, but you cannot master it without grammar. If textbooks are unbearably boring for you, you can look for teachers' blogs where they explain everything.
4. Watch and listen to the news. You may not understand everything, but it will help you get used to the sound of the language. You can find special resources on the Internet, where there are texts and news for beginners. It is good if each plot is accompanied by its “written” version. Look for new words, memorize. They will help you get used to English speech and podcasts, preferably for beginners.
5. Read. You can even the simplest texts, but read and do it thoughtfully. Visual memory will also help you master English, even if you have never learned it before. You can first listen to the text voiced by a native speaker, and then read it. Don't forget to memorize all the new words.
6. Take care of the applications. If you have a smartphone or tablet, you can study even while driving to work: dive into the reality of lingualeo and study. And here is your stop. But here's what's important. There are really a lot of applications today, so choose a couple of those that are right for you and master their program. And then you can switch to new ones.

Learning English on your own, and even in adulthood, is not as easy as in childhood. But you can challenge yourself. Try to be proud of yourself.

Every year, many Russians are increasingly asking themselves: “Where to start learning English?” Our life realities dictate this necessity. A number of factors contribute to this. English-language cultural products are at the forefront of our day everywhere: literature, goods, cinema, education, and so on. Moreover, today many of our fellow citizens have very real opportunities to travel abroad for tourism purposes, in search of work or for the sake of a change. For such people, the question is sure to arise, where to start learning English? How to achieve good results in the shortest possible time?

Of course, you can go to language courses. There you will be given all the necessary instructions and will guide you throughout the learning process. If, for some reason, this is not for you and you are wondering where to start learning English on your own, then you will surely find some useful tips in this article. So, let's get started.

Of course, with the basics of grammar

First of all, you must master the simplest grammar rules and the most necessary everyday words. How to start learning English should be the same in all systems. Although it is often presented in different forms. First of all, you should stock up on perseverance, because this is a rather lengthy process. At least a few months will pass before you begin to understand a native speaker fluently enough and express yourself on any topic. At the first stage of self-study, you just need to get a beginner's book.

Among the array of such literature, two volumes of "English Step by Step" authorship and the textbook "Cambridge English Grammar" are very solid. They are readily available in both electronic and printed versions. After a month of hard work, you will already be able to recognize all the numbers in English or types of times. As well as many other subtleties like active or By the way, at the first stage of learning words, use word cards. It is very effective for learning English. An old but effective way.

Be sure to use books to learn English

After the first weeks of learning the basics of the language, be sure to take up reading. No, don't worry, you won't have to read complicated texts looking up the translation of almost every word in the dictionary. There are specially adapted texts for this purpose. Such, for example, are books by Ilya Frank. Here, each English-language paragraph is accompanied by a further Russian-language one with a separate translation and analysis. This will help you, after some time, to be quite tolerably oriented in English-language texts without the help of a translator.

And of course, you can't just read.

Remember that the study of any language should be not only visual, but also auditory. To learn to listen to English speech, you need to constantly work on it. At the initial stages, you can use, for example, the lessons of the famous American linguist Jay Hoag. The course is called "Effortless english" and is also freely available on the Internet. At the same time, translate for yourself the texts of your favorite English songs, watch movies with subtitles. Surely, this, in addition to benefits, will also be interesting for you.

Some adults believe that only children can start learning English from scratch. Someone thinks that an adult is ashamed to start from the basics and learn elementary rules and words, someone believes that only children can successfully learn foreign languages, because they have an excellent memory and learning abilities. Both the first and second opinions are wrong. There is nothing shameful in the fact that you start learning a language as an adult, on the contrary: the desire for knowledge always commands respect.

So no matter how old you are, what matters is your desire to learn and your willingness to improve your knowledge. Many people ask themselves: “What is the best way to start learning English?”.

Below are the main 9 steps that should be consistently followed when studying.

1. Learn the rules of reading English

Theater begins with a hanger, and English begins with reading rules. This is a basic piece of knowledge, thanks to which you can learn to read English and pronounce sounds and words correctly.

2. Check how words are pronounced

Even if you know the rules of reading by heart, when learning new words, check how they are pronounced correctly. Tricky English words don't want to be read the way they are spelled. And some of them even refuse to obey any rules of reading. Therefore, we advise you to check the pronunciation of each new word in an online dictionary, for example, Lingvo.ru or on a special site Howjsay.com. Listen to the word a few times and try to pronounce it exactly the same way. At the same time, practice the correct pronunciation.

3. Start building vocabulary

Take visual dictionaries into service, for example, use the Studyfun.ru website. Bright pictures voiced by native speakers and translation into Russian will make it easier for you to learn and memorize new vocabulary.

What words to start learning English? We recommend beginners to focus on the list of words on the site Englishspeak.com. Start with simple words of a general theme, remember which words you use most often in your speech in Russian. In addition, we advise you to devote more time to studying English verbs. It is the verb that makes speech dynamic and natural.

4. Learn grammar

If you imagine speech as a beautiful necklace, then grammar is a thread on which you place word beads in order to end up with a beautiful decoration. Violation of the "rules of the game" of English grammar is punishable by misunderstanding of the interlocutor. And learning these rules is not so difficult, it is enough to study with a good textbook.

We recommend that you take the first book in the Grammarway series of manuals translated into Russian. Do you find textbooks boring? It does not matter, fortunately, there is everything on the Internet, including blogs of English teachers. There you can find a clear explanation of grammatical nuances and get advice from experts in this field.

5. Listen to podcasts at your level

As soon as you started taking the first steps, you immediately need to accustom yourself to the sound of a foreign speech. Start with simple podcasts ranging from 30 seconds to 2 minutes. You can find simple audio recordings with translation into Russian on the Teachpro.ru website.

6. Watch the news in English

Once you've built your basic English vocabulary, it's time to start watching the news. We recommend Newsinlevels.com. News texts for the first level are simple. There is an audio recording for each news, so be sure to listen to how new words sound for you, try to repeat them after the announcer.

7. Read simple texts

While reading, you activate visual memory: new words and phrases will be easy to remember. And if you want to not only read, but also learn new words, improve pronunciation, listen to texts voiced by native speakers, and then read them. You can find simple short texts in textbooks at your level, such as New English File Elementary, or on the Internet.

8. Install helpful apps

How to start learning English from scratch on your own if you have a smartphone or tablet at hand? English learning apps are mini tutorials that you will always have in your pocket. The well-known Lingualeo app is ideal for learning new words: thanks to the spaced repetition technique, new vocabulary will not disappear from your memory after a month. And to study the structure, the principle of the "work" of the language, we recommend installing Duolingo. This application will allow you, in addition to learning new words, to practice grammar and learn how to build sentences in English, and will also help you develop good pronunciation.

9. Study online

If you ask Google how to start learning English on your own, a caring search engine will immediately throw you a couple of hundred sites with various lessons, online exercises, articles about learning the language. An inexperienced student is immediately tempted to bookmark 83 “well, very necessary sites on which I will study every day.”

We want to warn you against this: in the abundance of bookmarks, you will quickly get confused, and you need to study systematically, without jumping from one topic to another. Bookmark 2-3 really good resources that you will study on. This is more than enough. We recommend doing online exercises at Correctenglish.ru or Wonderenglish.com.

Dear friends! So if you want learn English on your own, that is, without a tutor, then most likely you do not know how to do this. Let's try to answer the question how to start learning english and at the same time give some useful tips for beginners.

The most important, it form practice habit(study habits). It won't form right away. This will take 2-3 weeks. During these three weeks you should study English regularly, preferably at the same time. Try to find yourself quiet place(quiet place), where no one will disturb you and you can concentrate. This is where your workers should be kept. class materials(study materials). If you don’t have such a place in your house, just put everything in a bag. Do not put other things in this bag. Thus, you will save your time if you do not look for your materials among other things.

"Everything is difficult before it is easy."

(Everything is difficult at first, and then easy.)

So where to start?

1. Set a goal(set a goal). Let it be a small goal, like reading a story, but if you achieve it, then you have already taken a step forward.

2. Keep your interest(stay motivated). Usually we all start with enthusiasm, but after a while it disappears. Reward yourself, praise yourself! And, of course, visit our site more often. After all, it is here that you will find all the most interesting!

3. Be positive(be positive). To be successful, you need to develop the habit of thinking positively. As soon as negative thoughts start to come into your head, say to yourself:

Today I know more than I knew yesterday. I am studying the language. I want and will know the language.

Today I know more than I did yesterday. I am studying. I want to know English. I shall know English.

So, GO! On the site you will find specially selected materials on different sections:, and, and in our CINEMA you will learn English and at the same time get acquainted with the biography of famous American and English writers, read their works, learn a lot of new and interesting things.

Here are some of the words you learned today. I hope you remember their translation:

1. study habits, quiet place, study materials, be realistic, set a goal, stay motivated, be positive
2. "Everything is difficult before it is easy" (English proverb)

Do not forget to check the PRONUNCIATION of these words in the dictionary that is connected to the site.

So, in this article I tried to explain how to start learning english and how to form a good habit of exercising regularly. Follow my recommendations, learn the words, and you will definitely succeed! Trust my experience.

By the way, if you have already studied English before, then you can REMEMBER it, because our memory is unique! She does not forget anything, just what is temporarily not needed turns out to be somewhere in her depths. A little effort and you will activate these parts of the brain again. Don't believe? Try it! Proceed to independent study of English right now? —

English is one of the languages ​​of international communication. Wherever you are, no matter what continent you fall into, it is this knowledge that will help you establish contact with the locals. Therefore, most people want to know this foreign language, if not ideally, then at least at a conversational level.

Why study English

First, let's identify the main reasons that can serve as excellent motivation for learning English.

1. Education abroad. Almost all foreign universities require knowledge of English from foreign students. One of the conditions for successful admission is the passing of an international language exam, and at least at the Upper-Intermediate level.
2. Internship or work abroad. Many international companies want to see smart, hardworking employees in their ranks, but it is important not only to be a specialist in their profession, but also to speak English at a sufficiently high level.
3. Vacation abroad. Do you want to relax? Then you will also need knowledge of English at least at the Intermediate level. Although you may not be able to fully understand English, you can easily ask how to get to the museum or order a lunch in a cafe.
4. Self-development. You strive to be better and not only physically. Learning English will be a wonderful opportunity not only to expand your horizons, but also to train your memory, thinking, and also get the opportunity to read your favorite books in the original and not wait for the voice acting of a new series of your favorite series.

Who can help in learning the language

Of course, learning English is best in courses or with the help of a tutor. But what if it's not possible? There is not always time for trips to the tutor, and this pleasure is not cheap. In this case, you can try to learn the language yourself.

Friends and acquaintances can help you with this. First of all, find a practicing translator or English teacher. Ask him to help determine your level of language proficiency, as well as find the necessary textbooks and materials for studying. After talking with you and inviting you to take certain tests, he will be able to tell you exactly what you should pay attention to when learning the language, and will reveal your strengths and weaknesses.

Next, you will need a friend or acquaintance who speaks English or is fluent in it. With it, you will develop your speaking skills. It's good if you have a friend who studies English and is ready to communicate with you from time to time, but it's even better if you meet a native speaker on a social network and periodically correspond with him and even call him via Skype.

Learning English on your own

You have decided to start learning English on your own. Then you should familiarize yourself with a number of tips and tricks that will help you not only quickly, but also effectively learn a foreign language.

Study Methods

First of all, it is worth saying a few words about the basic methods and techniques of learning a foreign language. It is on them that textbooks and courses are based.

1. Communicative method, implies active communication with native speakers or with people who study English. Its main task is to teach a person to speak, not to be afraid to communicate in English. At the same time, not only speaking is trained, but the perception of speech by ear, writing.
2. Intensive technique involves the study and development of stable phrases and expressions which are most commonly found in English.
3. Linguistic sociocultural method involves the study of English with immersion in the culture and history of Britain, the study of its traditions.

You may ask how to choose the right method. There is no single answer to this question. Some people prefer one method, others the other. But it's best to use all three, which will help you learn English better.

We find out the level of knowledge

Before you start learning a language, you need to determine the level of knowledge. To do this, you can pass special tests or, as already mentioned, talk with a practicing teacher.

There are six levels of English proficiency:

1. Beginner level or Beginner, involves learning English from scratch.
2. Elementary implies knowledge of simple phrases and individual words.
3. At Intermediate level you know the basic rules of grammar and can form simple sentences.
4. Upper Intermediate- Intermediate level, implies understanding of English speech, the ability to independently build stories and translate texts.
5. Advanced- implies an extensive vocabulary, the ability to speak at the same pace with native speakers.
6. Upper-Advanced- advanced level, which allows you to take international exams for high marks.

Depending on the level of proficiency, you will have to pick up textbooks and additional materials.

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We select textbooks

One of the most important stages in learning English is the choice of a textbook or tutorial.

When choosing a grant, you should pay attention to several important points.

1. The year of publishing. Do not use old textbooks and tutorials from the end of the last century. The newer the textbook, the better. The language is constantly evolving, the rules and vocabulary are changing.
2. Dictionary. Be sure to make sure that at the end of the book there is a dictionary with which you can translate the texts given in the textbook.
3. Answers to the exercises. Another important point. If you intend to learn the language on your own, then you will certainly need to check the completed exercises.
4. Availability of reference schemes and tables.
5. Audio CD to the exercises.
6. Try to find a textbook, each lesson of which covers a new topic.
7. Make sure there are exercises in each topic not only on grammar, but also on phonetics, vocabulary. Try to choose a textbook that uses different types of tasks - translating texts and sentences from English into Russian and vice versa, constructing sentences, inserting missing parts of a sentence, phonetics exercises.
8. A huge plus would be the presence of exercises in the textbook for phraseology.

Of course, the best option would be to purchase textbooks from well-known British publishers specializing in teaching English, such as Oxford University Press or Cambridge University Press.

The set of textbooks from these publishers usually includes: a reading book, a workbook, a grammar book, a CD with audio materials, and a teacher's book in which you can find answers to all tasks. True, such a kit is not cheap, and not everyone will be able to study books in which even tasks are given in English.

We select audio and video aids

Not enough to study from the textbook. It will help you learn only the basic rules and replenish your vocabulary, and the use of audio and video materials will help you improve your skills.

Audio aids can be used when traveling to school or work, listen to them before going to bed. It is best to use a selection of thematic audio lessons.

Watching films in English helps not only to expand vocabulary, but also to learn pronunciation, remember intonation stress in a particular type of phrase.

When using films for education, follow these simple tips:

1. Choose movies with subtitles.
2. Try to find a movie or series that you have already seen. At the same time, focus on your level. It is likely that you will have to start learning the language with children's cartoons or the Extra series.
3. Watch the movie in small portions at first, 10-20 minutes a day.
4. Write down unfamiliar words and expressions in order to translate them.

Use thematic video courses to learn English. These can be video lessons on English phraseology, grammar. Dmitry Petrov's video course "Polyglot" is quite popular, in which the rules of English grammar are explained in a simple and accessible language.

Books to read

To develop vocabulary, as well as improve writing skills, you should read fiction in English. This will help you remember how a particular word is spelled, get acquainted with the construction of phrases and sentences, phraseological units.

For reading, use adapted literature. To write such books, the most frequently used and used words and expressions that you know are used. For most books, the level for which it is intended is indicated. It would be nice if audio versions were attached to them. So you can not only read the book, but also just listen to it, while following the text.

If your level of English is already quite high, then you can try reading your favorite English authors in the original.

It will be a big plus if additional materials are attached to the book, such as a summary of the book, the author's biography, grammar and vocabulary exercises, tests, questions for discussion. Answers must also be given to the exercises.

We create favorable conditions

For successful language learning, you should adhere to the following tips:

1. Be sure to schedule your classes. Lessons must be systematic. Try to set aside three or four days a week for this. Classes should last at least an hour, or even two.
2. Alternate grammar lessons with vocabulary lessons, watching movies. If today you have focused on studying the rule, then next time you will spend most of your time translating the text or compiling dialogues, letters.
3. Study in a quiet, peaceful place. Do not watch TV or listen to music at the same time. Try to make sure that no one distracts you during this time.
4. Take breaks from studying. Practice for 25-30 minutes, then allow yourself a break for 5 minutes.
5. Use different programs and applications for learning English, solve crossword puzzles, play various linguistic games.

The right approach to learning is the key to successful language acquisition

Phonetics

Phonetics implies knowledge of the alphabet and the sound of each of the letters or their combinations. Starting to learn English, you should learn the English alphabet with the pronunciation of each letter.

Given that words in English don't always sound the way they're written, you'll have to devote a lot of time to learning new vocabulary. In this case, it is worth using a dictionary, studying and memorizing the transcription of each word.

When working with a textbook, be sure to perform phonetics exercises. Usually such exercises are voiced on the disk. You will be asked to read and repeat new words or phrases after the speaker. In this case, not only the pronunciation of a particular word will be worked out, but also intonation for various types of phrases.

Reading and vocabulary

You can read texts in English with or without reading comprehension. In the first case, you need a significant vocabulary that you develop over time by reading new texts, doing exercises, listening to audio courses or watching videos.

Reading without understanding means that you can just read the text without understanding its essence. To do this, you will need knowledge of the English alphabet and the correspondence of letters and their combinations to sounds. But even in this case, no one will give you a full guarantee that you will be able to read this or that word correctly. In any case, you will have to resort to a dictionary every now and then, checking yourself.

To replenish vocabulary, you need to read new texts, watch films in the native language. In this case, all unfamiliar words should be written out in a special notebook, and then their transcription and translation should be found.

A big plus will be the creation of special cards. The English word is written on one side of the sheet, and its translation is written on the other. Go through these cards and try to translate words in your free time, and you will quickly replenish your vocabulary.

Grammar

There is an opinion that it is not necessary to have a large vocabulary, the main thing is to know the grammar of the English language. Partly, it is. Knowing the correct construction of a particular construction, you can easily make a sentence or even write a whole text by referring to a dictionary.

The main exercises that will help you master grammar are translating sentences from Russian into English, building phrases and sentences from the proposed set of words, filling in gaps in the text or choosing one of several answer options, opening brackets in which you are asked to put one or another word in the correct form.

Very popular exercises in which you are invited to restructure the sentence, making it an interrogative, affirmative or exclamatory, change the time.

For effective training, all types of exercises should be used.

Letter

Writing is closely related to grammar and vocabulary. During exercises for the development of written speech, not only knowledge of grammar is consolidated, but also vocabulary, the ability to write words correctly, without errors.

The most used exercises for the development of written speech are filling in gaps in words, correcting texts. But the most commonly used method is writing various letters and essays, compiling autobiographies and resumes.

Oral speech

The last component is oral speech. It is worked out by compiling and voicing dialogues, oral answers to the questions posed. To improve oral speech, the method of retelling texts, compiling and memorizing topics is used.

If you are learning English on your own, then it will be enough for you to communicate at least 10-15 minutes a day with a native English speaker or a friend who also learns or speaks English.

Despite the fact that many are sure that it is almost impossible to learn English on your own, this is far from the case. The main thing is the presence of strong motivation, a properly selected textbook and additional materials for it, as well as systematic and diligent learning. Follow our advice and you will definitely succeed.