With access to the Internet, there's no need to spend your money on traditional English classes that often teach you textbook English for years and hinder you from becoming fluent in the language. On the internet, you can find thousands of high-quality resources to help you learn English for free in the comfort of your home, so below I gathered some tips that helped me learn English on my own and I hope it can help you as well!
1. Immerse yourself in the language
Surrounding yourself with English is by far the most useful method when it comes to learning a new language and since you may not live in an English-speaking country, you can create your own English environment at home by doing the following:
- Watching TV shows in English:
This method can be applied differently depending on your English level, so you first need to assess where you are in your learning journey. If you are just starting off I would recommend you watch children's movies and cartoons, on the other hand, if you have been learning this language for quite a while then watch something that has a more robust vocabulary. however, In order to learn while watching it's not only important to listen carefully but also to keep a notebook at your reach so that you can take notes as you watch the tv show.
Pro tip: Make your own sentences using the words you've just learned and put them in flashcards.
- Youtube Videos:
At this point, I'm pretty sure you spend a lot of your time browsing Youtube looking for English-learning videos, if that's the case don't worry you can still learn a great deal from Youtube videos. Youtube is a great platform for language learning so the first step you need to take is to stop watching videos in your native language and start to watch them in English. You can use the same tips that I listed above for Youtube videos, and to make it even more useful you should shadow what the person in the video is saying so that you kill two birds with one stone.
Pro tip: On Youtube, you can change the speed of every video, so if it's difficult to follow along I encourage you to choose a slower speed.
2. Make foreign friends online :
Throughout the time that I was learning the English language, I made a bunch of foreign friends over the internet which enabled me to see how the language is actually used by native speakers in everyday life and also to get comfortable with slang, phrasal verbs, and different accents. For this reason, I will link two apps that I used to make friends from all over the globe:
- HelloTalk: HelloTalk is a free app that connects you with people from around the globe who are either fluent in the language or trying to learn it. You just need to make an account and set your target language.
- Amino: Amino is also a free app that hosts communities about several topics ranging from K-pop to soccer and is very simple to use, you only need to create an account and select your interests. In addition to it, don't forget to switch the language to English.
3. Find online resources:
Now that you have immersed yourself and made foreign friends the next step is to start taking English classes. Hopefully, English is a language that is worldwide used and has thousands of learning resources on the Internet. Therefore you may even get overwhelmed by the number of online resources that you can find, and that's why I will share with you the best websites and Youtube channels to help you master this language:
- Youtube channels:
- Speak English with Tiffany: Her channel is one of my favorites to learn new expressions, vocabulary, and real-life English. What stands out the most in her videos is a "Story Time" at the end of every single lesson, which is when she shares her life stories while using some of the expressions she taught during the lesson.
- Speak English with Vanessa: Every Friday Vanessa uploads a new lesson on her channel that helps English learners speak American English fluently, naturally, and confidently.
- Websites:
- BBC Learning English: On this website, you can find tons of English lessons on grammar, pronunciation, vocabulary, and much more.
- British Council Learn English: This website offers lessons on all of the 4 abilities-speaking, writing, reading, and listening- separated by levels.
4. Conclusion:
The tips and tools shared in this blog are from my personal experience learning English by myself at home and after reading this I hope you feel equipped and motivated to start learning English!
Since you read this blog until now, please share your favorite tip in the comments below.
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