If you are just starting to learn English, if you want to start over for a long time and postponed despite having a previous learning experience, if you say ”I want to learn English but where should I start”, English for Beginners article is for you!
Sometimes it can be really difficult to start something, especially to start learning a new language. We all know this very well. But if you’re here, congratulations! It means that you have left behind all kinds of obstacles, excuses, laziness, dreams that one day a chip would be invented and placed in our brains and we could speak every language automatically and took a step to achieve your language learning goals!
In this article, I will share with you some suggestions about where to start learning English, how to make a program to learn English, how to spend time learning English.
Are you ready? So let’s get started 🙂
Are your notebooks and pens ready?
If you think notebooks are too old-fashioned, then you can turn on your computers and word files instead. As a big notebook and pen enthusiast, I still study by writing but you find the best method for yourself.
First of all, we need to set a goal. Of course, our goal is to learn English, but let’s write down how soon we want to learn, why we want to learn, how we should study, how much time we should spend etc.
For example; You should start by writing your goals such as I want to learn English because I want to move abroad, I want to find a better job, my boyfriend is a foreigner, I want to make foreign friends or I should simply learn because it’s just good to know.
It is very important to have a purpose and find something that motivates you. Every time you give up, every time you get lazy, remember why you want to learn English.
Make sure you give yourself a deadline and write down how much time you give yourself to learn. Having a deadline will always motivate you. For example; I want to be able speak English after 6 months, or after 12 months I want to speak a English enough to understand movies without subtitles. You can even write some dates.
You can set not only a long term goal, but also short term goals. For example, if I study English during the planned hours this week, I will treat myself to the concert of my favorite band, or I will go to my favorite restaurant and have a nice evening with my friends or I will buy myself that bag that I like. Don’t forget to set yourself goals to stay motivated!
I will leave a placement test here. If you wish, you can repeat this exam both before you start to study and from time to time and you can follow your process: English Level Test
What are the Best Sources to Learn English?
Of course, we will make use of many different sources while learning a language. But basically it is necessary to rely on a few main sources. My advice is to go through the following resources:
1- An application like Duolingo or busuu
These and similar applications have a system that can teach languages as if teaching to a baby by using images and not focusing on grammar rules. You can start with these applications and learn daily conversation, numbers, months, days, seasons and some basic words easily and with fun. I recommend that you study with these applications for a minimum of 10 minutes a day.
2- Grammar Book
There are many grammar books you can find on the internet, you can either download as pdf or purchase them. As I don’t like working on pdf, I usually try to buy the books. If you are like me, there is a series that I can recommend to you.
English Grammar in Use, which teaches the most basic beginner grammar rules and reinforces them with exercises. I leave the link below.
Essential Grammar in Use, the second book of the series, you can use at the intermediate level. This one below.
Below is the last book of the series, Advanced Grammar in Use, an advanced grammar book.
You can start with the first book of the series and continue with other books as your level progresses.
3- Web Pages like BBC Learn English or British Council Learn English
I’m really a fan of BBC Learn English. The lessons are both free and quite fun. They have videos, stories, podcasts, grammar lessons, quizzes and so on. They have an application as well if you want to download it on your phone. Likewise, the British Council has a good website to learn English. If you wish, you can follow the free lessons, or you can follow the plan created for you for a monthly fee.
4- Story books
There is an excellent application called Beelinguapp that you can download to your phone and read stories. You can also see the translations of the stories in the language of your choice through the application. You can also simply buy some story books for children or read them online.
5- English songs
I think this might be one of the most enjoyable ways to learn English. Open your favorite English song and its lyrics. While singing, try to memorize the lyrics and pronounce them as in the song. Then look at the translation of the lyrics and find out the meanings.
In fact, there is a great website called lyricstraining. You can learn the the lyrics by playing games. It’s quite entertaining, you should have a look.
6- Podcasts or news channels
You can go on Youtube and find thousands of podcasts that you might like. You can take a look at the podcasts of English Class 101, they mostly have educational broadcasts. If you prefer conversational podcasts then check out Learn English With Teacher Luke or To Fluency. You can also play channels such as BCC or CNN in the background throughout the day and try to get familiar with the language.
7- Movies and TV series
There is a channel like this on Youtube: Learn English With TV Series. They teach English through the most popular TV shows. But of course, this might become like studying after a while. In order to take a break from studying mode, you can watch a movie with subtitles in your language on Netflix so you can still learn something while resting. You can then move on to the next step by watching the same movie but this time with English subtitles.
8- Flashcard application such as Lexilize or Ankiweb
I use Lexilize, and my husband Stefano, is a true Anki fan. I love Lexilize for its colorful interface and the ability to play games with the words we learn. Stefano loves Anki for its simple interface, easy and purposeful memorization method. The choice is yours, but we vouch for both!
9- Diary
Open your phone’s notes app, your notebook or a word document on your computer. Even if not every day, at least one day a week, you can write about your week, what you did, how you felt etc. Keeping a journal is one of the best English learning methods you can think of. It’s both effortless and enjoyable!
It’s time to plan!
If we have written our goals, now it is time to plan. It is very important to be organized. Would you like to make a schedule like the one below?
| Day | Program | |
|---|---|---|
| Monday | Practice with Duolingo or Busuu for 15 minutes Study a topic or listen to a story on the BBC or British Council Website Save the new words you’ve learned to Lexilize or Anki | |
| Tuesday | Practice with Duolingo or Busuu for 15 minutes Read a page from the storybook Save the new words you’ve learned to Lexilize or Anki | |
| Wednesday | Practice with Duolingo or Busuu for 15 minutes Listen to English songs and translate the lyrics Save the new words you’ve learned to Lexilize or Anki | |
| Thursday | Practice with Duolingo or Busuu for 15 minutes Listen to podcasts (even if you don’t understand) Save the new words you’ve learned to Lexilize or Anki | |
| Friday | Practice with Duolingo or Busuu for 15 minutes Read a page from the storybook Save the new words you’ve learned to Lexilize or Anki | |
| Saturday | Practice with Duolingo or Busuu for 15 minutes Learn a topic from the grammar book Save the new words you’ve learned to Lexilize or Anki Watch English movies or TV series with subtitles | |
| Sunday | Practice with Duolingo or Busuu for 15 minutes Study a topic or listen to a story on the BBC or British Council Website Listen to English songs and translate the lyrics Save the new words you’ve learned to Lexilize or Anki Keep a diary |
Of course, you might not be able to follow this plan all the time. But if you have a goal, you can feel responsible and feel an incredible desire to study your lessons like any responsible individual haha. For example, you can set one or two days of the week as a holiday. But even on your holiday, be sure to spend those 10-15 minutes on Duolingo (or whatever app you use). You will see the benefit of even those 10 minutes.
Good Luck!
For other articles about learning English, read: English
If you want to have a look at other languages, check out here: Language
What are your methods? Let’s meet in the comments!
