Learning English has become more popular than ever. At the same time, this task is not an easy one. Many spend whole years doing what other students take at most a few months. Why is it that for one person the task of mastering English turns out to be feasible and quite achievable, while for another this process is associated with some difficulties? And what is the most effective method of learning this really necessary language in our time?

Define goals

One of the best ways to learn English is to decide on the goals for which its knowledge will be required in life. After all, not knowing the final destination of their studies, the student is moving almost nowhere. Many schoolchildren learn English along with other subjects. However, for them, boring lessons in textbooks do not add motivation at all. It cannot be said that the exercises from the school course are an unequivocal "evil". Despite the fact that a large number of different methods of learning English are being promoted at the moment, the grammar-translation method used in schools cannot be called ineffective. After all, the best translators of the Soviet era were trained with its use.

Examples of the correct setting of tasks

However, with regard to motivation, in this respect it can be said unequivocally: a school curriculum alone is not the best way to learn English. After all, the student does not understand in what circumstances all these grammatical difficulties will be useful to him. If he has a goal, then the exercise turns from a boring routine into a tool to achieve it. A few more examples that will allow you to approach the study of English more specifically:

• If a person is an employee of a company in which a foreign language is used for written communication with partners, the best way to learn English is to systematically work on creating an essay. Writing skills training will be the tool with which you can get a promotion, and therefore get a bigger salary. With such motivation, learning a language will be much easier.
• If English is planned to be used while traveling, the best way would be to master special courses, training the basic skills of reading street signs. It is also good to take a conversational course, to overcome the language barrier.
• In the event that a foreign language is required for meetings or conferences at work, the best way to learn English is to work on understanding spoken language, as well as practicing conversational skills.

Create an environment

To do this, you do not need to pack your things and leave for London. Everyone can "surround" themselves with a foreign language - for this you only need a desire. It is believed that creating a language environment is one of the best ways to learn English. Let's look at a few options for how this can be done.

When you need to find some information on the Web, do it not in your native language, but in English. Of course, out of habit, each user fills in queries in their native language into the search engine. Switching to English can seem tedious, but this practice will help you quickly improve your reading skills. To make the task easier, you can install a special online translator on your PC.

Watch news and movies in English. At first, students may not understand even half of what is being said on the screen. However, the human brain has the ability to learn to recognize unfamiliar speech over time. To do this, he needs to be given the opportunity. Even if you watch videos in English for 10 minutes a day, in a year it will only be possible to be surprised at how much the skills of understanding foreign speech have improved.

Regular classes

No matter how many newfangled methods have been invented by which you can learn a foreign language, the best way to learn English is through regular classes. Perhaps this is the most difficult part in the process of learning a foreign language. After all, when a person goes to work, he knows that he must reckon with the established daily routine. Otherwise, claims from management will follow. He can be deprived of bonuses, and sometimes even salaries and positions. If you skip, systematically violate discipline, do not fulfill your duties, you can seriously get in trouble.

And when a person sets himself the goal of learning a foreign language, then there is no “Cerberus” here that would stand over his soul and force him to study. It's always easy to feel sorry for yourself. And therefore, on the difficult path of enlightenment, the student is guarded by a seductive thought at first glance: “Today I am too tired to study. I'd rather surf the social network or watch TV. Tomorrow I'll do twice as much." The result of such self-pity is known: the process of learning a foreign language is delayed. During breaks, what was mastered before is forgotten. You have to re-engage in the work, repeat the material covered and only after that proceed to the new one.

Is it possible to master a foreign language in a short time?

For that matter, there are no quick ways to learn English. The speed of mastering a language always depends on the student himself, on the amount of time and effort that he is willing to invest in this matter. Therefore, do not believe false advertising that promises to master English in two weeks or so. In the study of foreign languages, there is the concept of "magic thousand". It is believed that it takes 1,000 hours to successfully master a new language. Everyone can calculate how many years it will take him to learn English, given the number of hours spent on classes per week.

Ways to make classes regular

What can be done to make the study of English systematic, and therefore effective?

Learning a foreign language on our own

For many students, it is quite possible to start learning a foreign language. After all, the logic of the English language is quite accessible to the domestic layman. It is not recommended to start learning complex languages ​​such as Arabic or Chinese on your own. But as for English, here for adults, most likely, there will be no particular difficulties. The best way to learn English on your own is to find a good manual. In this case, it will be especially important to have additional materials - audio and video recordings. This will initially train the perception of foreign speech.

The need for exercise

The training manual should also include a sufficient number of exercises. If there are few of them, it is unlikely that it will be possible to fully master the material. After all, one of the main ways to learn English is to do exercises. In the process of mastering a language, grammar can be metaphorically compared to a fishing line on which beads are strung - other knowledge. Without understanding the basic rules of the language, progress will be difficult. And after performing a large number of exercises on the topic, the material will become part of active knowledge. Also in the manual should be the keys to the exercises. This will allow you to track the use of erroneous designs in time.

Despite the fact that at school a foreign language is included in the group of compulsory disciplines, few manage to master it within the framework of the school course. Therefore, the question of how to learn English on your own from scratch at home is acute.

You can learn a language at home without outside help. You just need to have a clear motivation and choose the right course of study. This will get you results. I have a collection of tips that I will present to your judgment.

• First of all, determine the goals for which you are learning the language: passing an international exam, employment in a foreign company, communication with residents of other countries, or confidence in foreign travel. The methodology is determined by intentions.
• I recommend starting with learning the basics. Without this, it is impossible to learn the language. Pay attention to the alphabet, reading rules and grammar. The tutorial will help you to cope with the task. Buy it at the bookstore.
• As soon as the initial knowledge becomes stable, choose the contact study option. We are talking about remote courses, a distance learning school or Skype classes. If you are highly motivated and your language learning is progressing well, having an interlocutor will not hurt, since external control is the key to successful learning.
• Mastering the chosen course, pay attention to reading fiction. At first, I recommend using adapted books. In the future, switch to full-fledged texts. As a result, master the technique of speed reading.
• Novels and detective stories are suitable for learning. Even if the chosen book is not a literary masterpiece, it will help to expand the vocabulary with new words and expressions. If unfamiliar vocabulary is encountered while reading, I recommend writing it out, translating and memorizing it. Over time, you will see that an extensive vocabulary array is often repeated in works.
• Watch movies, series and shows in English. At first, even with effective and intensive training, it is problematic to understand something. Over time, get used to foreign speech and be able to understand. Spend half an hour daily watching.

Even if you have recently started learning a language, try to talk more often and do not be afraid of mistakes. Learn to express thoughts, and master the technique of constructing phrases with practice.

Ways to Learn English in the Shortest Time

Continuing the topic of the article, I will share the technique of high-speed learning of the English language. I don’t know for what purpose you are learning the language, but if you ended up on the pages of the site, then you need it.

As practice shows, people get into awkward situations due to poor knowledge of the English language. We have to learn the language as part of the school course, but the knowledge gained at school is not enough for work and communication. Many strive to become better in this matter.

Any foreign language is easier to master in a country whose inhabitants are native speakers. But not everyone can leave the Motherland for such a big goal. How to be?

1. If you can't afford a short trip to the States or England, recreate an English-speaking environment at home.
2. Study phrases in the target language daily. Give preference to complex phrases containing phraseological turns. A proverb or speech of a creative person will do.
3. Lay out each phrase, rewrite it several times, print it out on paper and hang it on the refrigerator door or in another conspicuous place. The studied material is constantly pronounce aloud, making the correct intonation.
4. Surround yourself with English. He must accompany you everywhere. The player will help with this. Listening to music or statements in a foreign language, you will initially understand poorly. Later, learn to catch words that will eventually develop into understandable phrases.
5. Download the English-language series to your computer in the original, but with subtitles. Watch episode by episode before going to bed and discuss with your spouse or child the next day.
6. An electronic book will become an assistant in the rapid development of English speech. Download from the Internet and read English-language works. The e-book provides a dictionary that will help you master complex literature, and the voice function will voice the correct pronunciation.
7. Don't forget about learning English via Skype. Find a teacher on the Internet, agree with him the time of classes and communicate within the lessons. This technique has many advantages. You can independently choose a teacher and agree on cooperation on favorable terms. It will offer a lot of interactive lessons based on an individual approach.

Videos training

The speed of achieving the goal and getting the result depends on perseverance, the level of motivation and the course of study chosen in accordance with the possibilities. Work hard and everything will work out. As a result, you will become smarter and feel free anywhere in the world.

Benefits of learning English

Compatriots are of the opinion that a thorough study of foreign languages ​​is inappropriate. Popular films, literary works and scientific works have long been translated into Russian. For the sake of other spheres, areas and segments, it makes no sense to master a second language.

If you doubt the need to learn foreign languages, read the material and learn about the benefits of learning English. I have been teaching it for three years and I find this skill useful. I read, communicate and perceive live speech. A lot of experience has accumulated over the years.

Having mastered English, you will be able to perceive the world in a different way. This will not happen immediately, but by improving your knowledge and skills, you will gain a generally accepted perception of the world.

Let's take a look at the main benefits.

• Expanding horizons . The English-speaking audience of the World Wide Web is larger than the Russian-speaking part. Outside the information age, where it is considered the key to success not only in business, but also in life, owning a foreign language expands opportunities in terms of development.
• Watching movies in the original . As a result, it will be possible to enjoy the sound of the voice of your favorite actor, and not the translator who voices the roles. The play on English words and original humor will never escape.
• Understanding Music . Popular charts are overflowing with foreign musical compositions. Knowing the language, you can understand the meaning of the song, feel the composition and get to know the personality of the performer.
• Communication with foreigners . Fluency in the language contributes to the unification of cultures. People travel and communicate with residents of other countries. Much nicer and more convenient when you can talk to foreigners. This makes the trip more enjoyable.
• Opening the way to success and wealth . After reading a few books about success, it turns out that not everything comes down to money. At the heart of the success of Western people lies the perception of the world and inner philosophy. You can read the translation of such books, but then you can only understand the essence of the teaching. Only the original helps to absorb knowledge.

Studying a foreign language, you find around you a huge number of foreigners. I like to talk with people who came to Russia from afar. It helps to make friends and makes the world "home". If you don't already know the language, it's never too late to start learning.

Why is English an international language?

I will devote the final part of the article to the factors due to which English has gained the status of an international language. English is the fourth most spoken language in the world. But this does not prevent him from remaining international. What contributed to this, history will tell.

From 1066 until the 14th century, England was ruled by French kings. As a result, the structure of Old English changed. It's about simplifying grammar and adding new words.

Two centuries later, writing rules appeared that have survived to this day. At that time, 6 million people spoke English. Thanks to the English colonies, the number of native speakers increased and the formation of an international language began.

Britain was a maritime nation. After the discovery of America by Columbus, expeditions set off to the South American shores. Researchers were interested in values ​​and treasures, and so that each voyage ended in success, colonies were formed on new lands. The first such settlement was organized in 1607 in Virginia.

After some time, residents of many countries began to migrate to America in search of a better life. Since they spoke their native language, it was impossible to do without an international language, and English speech got its role.

The English, living in the new settlements, brought traditions along with the language. Local residents were forced to speak it. The British colonial policy contributed to the formation of English as an international language.

British imperialism lasted three centuries, and by the 19th century the country's influence had spread to the whole world. The colonies later gained independence, leaving English as their national language. This contributed to the strengthening of the international status.

Today, English is an integral element of the world community, economy, culture, technology and science. Whether you want to become a doctor, police officer, reporter or financier, English will help you succeed.

Knowing the language, you will be able to communicate with foreign friends and colleagues, draw information from an inexhaustible English source.

Every seven year old American child knows English. He did not put in extra effort for this. His intelligence is not higher than yours. This is a fact proving that everyone can speak English. But in order to move towards the goal along the shortest path, you need to choose the right methods. This article is about super techniques that will help you learn English in no time.

The first thing you encounter when you start learning a foreign language is unfamiliar words. A huge number of foreign words to remember. The most common memorization method is cramming, which is also the most tedious and inefficient. There are a couple of techniques for quickly memorizing words. Let's start with them.

Memorization of words. Mnemonics.

Popular wisdom says: "It is better to see once than hear a hundred times." A person quickly and effortlessly remembers bright pictures. Mnemonics teaches us to use this feature of our memory to remember various information: historical dates, numbers, shopping lists, etc. Methods of mnemonics are excellent for memorizing foreign words. They are many times more effective than cramming, because cramming ignores the principles by which human memory works, and mnemonics, on the contrary, uses these principles to ensure the most effective memorization of words.

How does mnemonics work? Young children memorize the order of the colors of the rainbow using a mnemonic phrase:

"Every hunter wants to know where the pheasant sits."

the phrase is easy to remember, especially if you imagine how it will look like - a hunter with a gun to overweight looks at a bright iridescent pheasant sitting on a branch.

In one of Sergei Lukyanenko's novels, the protagonist uses a killer mnemonic phrase as a password to a top-secret computer system:

"Forty-nine monkeys put a banana in their ass."

Such a password cannot be forgotten. Especially if you present a picture of how it happened, it will be remembered from the first time for life.

We are interested in memorizing English words. Here is an example of how this is done using mnemonics. Word

eagle [needle] - eagle

memorize with a phrase "Eagle claws are 10 hellish needles". Imagine an eagle - what a huge powerful bird it is, imagine its feathers, imagine that it is above you and that its claws pierce your shoulder, but instead of claws, the eagle has 10 needles from a syringe, and there is a red cross on its side, imagine the pain that you experience. Represented? Now you remember this word for a long time, you can check it.

Memorization of words. card method.

The card method is very simple. You will need to buy small sheets of paper in the stationery store, about 5 by 5 centimeters in size. Let's say you have prepared 20 words that you need to remember. You do the following:

1. Write the word and transcription on one side of the piece of paper, and the translation on the other. One word - one leaf. You will end up with a stack of 20 cards.
2. Memorize all 20 words using mnemonics.
3. A week after memorization, the words must be repeated. Take a stack and for each card do the following:
   1. look at the word written on the card, try to remember the translation.
   2. Turn over the card and check that you translated it correctly.
   3. If you forgot a word, put the card aside.
4. Similarly, you check the translation of a word from Russian into English.
5. After a while, you will accumulate a whole stack of cards that you have set aside. You need to work with them more carefully, repeat them until you remember.

In addition to the effectiveness of this method, I like that you can always carry a stack of cards with you and repeat words anywhere. There is always something to do in line or on the way to work. A minimum of free time is spent - only on preparing cards.

You ask: "Why is the card method more effective than the usual cramming?" There is a strong scientific explanation for this.

The fact is that a person has two types of memory: short-term and long-term. The characteristic of short-term memory is quick and easy memorization and the same quick forgetting. With long-term memory, the opposite is true - and remembering and forgetting takes a long time.

If we repeatedly retrieve information from short-term memory, then this information gradually begins to move into long-term memory. Cramming is based on this principle. Mnemonics immediately throws information into long-term memory, which is more efficient.

If we repeatedly retrieve information from long-term memory, then this information becomes less prone to forgetting. The card method is based on this principle. Cramming, on the other hand, does not use long-term memory, so it is inefficient for repeating information.

So, the card method will allow you not to forget the words you have already learned and at the same time spend very little time on repetition. Read the detailed description of the method .

Grammar. Milashevich method.

Grammar. Dragunkin method.

Unlike the Milashevich method, which is applicable only to reading English texts, the Dragunkin method is comprehensive, it allows you to understand English grammar in all its diversity. At the same time, the form of material supply differs sharply from traditional methods. The author of the methodology abandoned the outdated, often simply artificial "rules", and gave his own description of English grammar - simple, logical and understandable.

Dragunkin uses his own terminology - functional, clear, absolutely transparent and understandable. It uses many original parallels with Russian grammar and its own transcription, with which any beginner can easily read and learn English words! In addition, the author of the methodology systematized the words-exceptions, solved the "problem" of articles and "irregular" verbs. And what is especially important, the most difficult "times" are mastered according to the Dragunkin method in a couple of days.

If your task is to master English grammar in full in order to write and speak rich English, then the Dragunkin technique will allow you to achieve results in the shortest possible time and without any extra effort. Read the detailed description of the methodology .

Ilya Frank method.

The most expensive English courses are conducted with a trip to English-speaking countries - the USA, Great Britain, Australia. People pay thousands of dollars for language immersion because both words and grammar are memorized by themselves, without effort. There is another affordable way to immerse yourself in the language environment - to read books in English. The method is good, if not for the tiring need to constantly refer to the dictionary.

English is the most widely spoken language in the world today. Independent study of a foreign language online allows you to quickly reach a basic level: read and translate texts, express yourself orally and in writing, understand interlocutors, expand vocabulary and master grammar.

Learn the alphabet

The peculiarity of the English alphabet is in the ratio of letters and sounds: 26 letters and at least 2 times more sounds. Step by step study of sounds will help to avoid confusion in the head. The first step is a detailed analysis of the alphabet. During an interactive lesson with teacher Anastasia Bozhok, beginners get acquainted with the letters of the alphabet and basic sounds.

Learning the Basics

Learning the grammar of a new language is considered difficult and incomprehensible. The myth is dispelled by the teacher of the international center "Hilton". Unlike tutorials that present grammar by topic and section, the video lesson gives the big picture. The author draws a simple figurative scheme of a special English immunity, which differs from Russian in its strict logic. The main thing is to capture the essence, the rest will come and develop over time.

English for dummies

The course consists of thirty-eight useful mini-lessons on simple topics for beginners ( and ). Here you will learn the basics for travel and communication: dating, greetings , dialogues in popular places such as airport, store, bank, hotel, cafes and restaurants.

Transcription in 10 minutes

Transcription is the recording of sounding speech or individual sounds in writing. Mastering transcription makes it much easier to work on pronunciation and reading dictionaries. To denote sounds, symbols are often used that are different from the outline of letters. A lecture with an online tutor will help you master the laws of transcription and pronunciation.

Rules for reading vowels

The English alphabet has only six vowels, which represent 34 sounds. The reading of vowels depends on the type of syllable, position among other letters and stress. The online master class combines charts on reading rules with speech practice and contains many examples of spelling and pronunciation of words. Supplemented with vaults of reading various combinations of vowels.

How to read digraphs

In English, there are so-called digraphs - combinations of several letters denoting one sound. Digraphs make it impossible to read without knowing the rules. Learning to read letter combinations as part of English words will help an online lesson from the Engl Secrets channel (secrets). In the description under the video, there is an opportunity to save the rules in text format as a reminder that will always be in front of your eyes.

Grammar for children and adults

It is impossible to become a perfect expert in a foreign language in a short time. Thanks to video courses in a few lessons, you can master the basic principles that allow you to freely express thoughts and understand colloquial speech. The half-hour lecture is aimed at studying the most important vaults. The author considers only what is necessary in real life without unnecessary details. The material is presented from simple to complex and is well illustrated.

Pronunciation for beginners

Irina Kolosova, online trainer - conducts a lesson on phonetics and correct sound extraction. The main goal of the lesson is to clear the conversation of errors that interfere with understanding speech. The video discusses the most problematic places for beginners. Irina explains in detail the rules for pronunciation of each of them with examples and useful illustrations.

Pronunciation hack

Aishe Borseitova is the author of numerous tips and life hacks. The pronunciation training method proposed in the video is far from traditional. Ayse shows an effective way to learn how to speak well as a British citizen by practicing Russian conversations. Beginners will learn the main differences in communication in countries and learn to speak without an accent.

Conversation practice for beginners

Conversation lessons allow you to train your communication skills and learn new words, common phrases and sentences. A distance lesson with a language school is an alternate reading and pronunciation of English expressions behind the announcer at home. The practice is open to beginners and takes place at a slow, very slow and normal pace. Thanks to the visual range, students will remember the spelling and rules for reading the text.

100 most used words

The Oxford English corpus is the largest collection of English texts, containing two billion words. After analyzing the collection, linguists identified the 100 most frequently used expressions, which make up 50% of the entire written language. The author of the training video suggests learning them by dividing them into groups depending on the part of speech. The unique master class gives all one hundred words with translation, examples of use in sentences and illustrations from films and music videos.

How to understand speech by ear

The perception of sounding foreign speech always causes difficulties for novice polyglots. There are many reasons: fast pronunciation, reduction and swallowing of words, unusual intonation and accent, poor vocabulary and others. Helen Tornado - the creator of the English-tutorial and the founder of the first virtual school - teaches you to speak and understand English well without tedious homework assignments with cramming. In the lecture, Helen shares five effective techniques for adapting hearing to foreign speech.

You will need

• - teaching aids in English;
• - workbook;
• - fountain pen;
• - DVD player;
• - MP3 player;
• - video materials in English;
• - Audiobooks in English.

Instruction

Determine what you need English for. In the process of self-study, you will have to constantly motivate yourself by making time for classes and expending effort, so it is important to find a good reason that will become a universal motivator for you. Depending on your situation, the goal may be a tourist trip, abroad, work in a prestigious foreign company.

Get ready for some serious hard work. The so-called modern technologies of language acquisition offered everywhere, which are supposedly capable of making you speak fluently in a month, instill unnecessary illusions. Learning a language can take several months of focused self-study, and it can take several years to become fluent in a language.

Start learning English with the alphabet and pronunciation. Without knowing this or that letter, it will be difficult to use a dictionary, read an abbreviation, and even just dictate your name on the phone.

Having mastered the alphabet, proceed to memorize words. Be sure to limit yourself to certain time frames. For example, set yourself a minimum goal for a month to learn five hundred new words. This will amount to only 15-20 lexical units per day. Stick to your plan strictly. It is important not only to memorize any words, but to first try to translate into English the speech set that you are used to using daily. This will save you from having to learn those words that you may never need.

For a quick review of the material covered, get yourself a separate notebook-dictionary. Write in your notebook the words you have mastered and the expressions you like. It is important to take notes by hand, as this connects motor memory and contributes to a better assimilation of new material. Another valuable tool for self-study of English can be separate cards, on one side of which a word is written in Russian, and on the back - its English equivalent.

In parallel with the accumulation of vocabulary, start learning the basics of English grammar. This will allow you to correctly build phrases from the learned words. Try to say as much of what you are learning out loud as possible.

To develop foreign speech understanding skills, watch DVD films and video materials in English, without translation. It is advisable to have a notebook and a pen with you. Turn off subtitles and try to listen to individual words and expressions. After pausing the player, do not be too lazy to look up the dictionary to find the meaning of the new word you hear. Periodic listening to English-language radio stations, especially news channels, will also be a good help.

Use the MP3 player to listen to books in English in your spare time. It will also allow you to understand the structure of speech and feel its melody. It is convenient to have a text version of the book on hand for parallel reading. The skill of simultaneous listening and reading will be especially valuable at the initial stage of mastering the language.

Make learning English a priority, and don't be afraid to sacrifice the lesser daily activities for it. When planning time for classes, aim to study for 20-30 minutes, then switch to other things, and then pay attention to the language again. Breaks at work will make learning more effective.