5 Quick Tips to Make the Most of Your English Classes
In today’s blog post we are going to look at some ways that we can really make the most of our English classes. Unfortunately 1 or 2 hours of English class a week is not enough to fully learn a language. However, there are plenty of things that you can do to really maximize your learning in class!
1. Set Yourself Realistic Goals
This is an important one as having something to work towards can really motivate you. That said, it is very easy to lose focus and drop English completely when you don’t hit your targets. This is why you should ensure that your targets are manageable.
There are plenty of things that you can work towards, for example: “I would like to have a full conversation with somebody in English” or “I would like to be able to watch a film from start to finish in English” or even something simple like “I would like to make an effort to speak English every day.”
2. Watch English Series and Films in Their Original Language
This is an easy one to do as, most likely, you will have access to Netflix or another streaming service. If this is not the case Youtube is another great resource for this.
My recommendation would be to start with something with short episodes like Friends or The Simpsons. If you find that you are really struggling to follow along, try putting on subtitles (in English!). Once you find that you can comfortably sit through an entire episode, move onto something with longer episodes.
… And finally once you can handle that, feel free to jump into some films!
3. Embrace Your Mistakes
One key thing you need to learn a new language is patience and the ability to learn to love your mistakes. This can be quite difficult as it is very easy to feel embarrassed and demoralized whenever you make an error. However, it is important to realize that these mistakes are a necessary part of the process.
Essentially making mistakes is a good thing because they provide you with the opportunity to learn.
4. Regularly Review Vocabulary
Simply Put, you need to make an effort to review whatever vocabulary you have learnt in class each week.
There are plenty of things you can do for this: stick post its with the new vocabulary around the house or get a friend/family member to quiz you. Perhaps the best thing you can do is make an effort to actually use and incorporate these words into your daily life.
5. Listen, Listen, Listen!
This is another easy one as chances are you already probably listen to a fair amount of English music. With bands like The Beatles, Queen and The Police, there are no shortage of bands that you can listen to. To take it a step further you can also download the Lyrics Training app. This app allows you to fill in the lyrics of popular songs providing you with a fun way to learn new vocabulary.
Another thing you can do is listen to podcasts. At Teachify we actually create our own weekly podcasts which review the recent vocabulary and subjects we have studied in class. There are also plenty of great free podcasts which you can listen as well, such as bbc 6 minute English and British Council’s Learn English podcast.
I hope that you found these tips helpful, if you have any questions feel free to leave a comment below!
