Dave's ESL Cafe's Student Discussion Forums

[matsumi23]

Every student wants to know how to learn English fast. I believe that over 90% of student's study time is a waste. Schools teach in the wrong way and they keep doing similar things because it's what they've always done. Change takes a long time. I read a good free PDF ebook about speaking English fluently and learning it quickly and easily. You can get it here and it will be useful for you. http://www.speak-fluent-english.com

[wutwiggy]

Hi,you can use a variety of free tools available online, or invest in some English vocabulary software programs.
First:DVDs,DVD learning is another one of the tools to help learn English fast, and can help you understand English words, phrases and audio pronunciation guides. DVDs can make you fun to learn English fast and build your vocabulary with ease.
Second:Online tutorials,There are a number of different types of online tutorials available and they have some of available tutorials for immediate access or downloading so you can learn the English language at your own pace. This way is easy to build your vocabulary and practice your pronunciation.

[gem08]

I agree with wutwiggy. There are a lot of online tutorials available wherein you can study anytime and anywhere you want as long as you have an internet. It's an easy way to learn the English language. Aside from the fact that you are learning with the guide of an English teacher, it will make your learning progress faster because you are enjoying while talking constantly. Also, most of online tutorials offer a one-on-one class. In that way, the teacher will can focus on the specific needs of the student.

You can easily find different schools and companies that provides English tutorial online. Simply type the keywords: ESL, online English tutorial, learn English online, etc.

[Jitu5]

Here are some tips which may help you to master the English Language!

Speak without Fear:

The biggest problem most people face in learning a new language is their own fear. They worry that they won�t say things correctly or that they will look stupid so they don�t talk at all. Don�t do this. The fastest way to learn anything is to do it � again and again until you get it right. Like anything, learning English requires practice. Don�t let a little fear stop you from getting what you want.

Use all of your Resources:

Even if you study English at a language school it doesn�t mean you can�t learn outside of class. Using as many different sources, methods and tools as possible, will allow you to learn faster. There are many different ways you can improve your English, so don�t limit yourself to only one or two. The internet is a fantastic resource for virtually anything, but for the language learner it's perfect.

Surround Yourself with English:

The absolute best way to learn English is to surround yourself with it. Take notes in English, put English books around your room, listen to English language radio broadcasts, watch English news, movies and television. Speak English with your friends whenever you can. The more English material that you have around you, the faster you will learn and the more likely it is that you will begin �thinking in English.� .

Listen to Native Speakers as Much as Possible:

There are some good English teachers that have had to learn English as a second language before they could teach it. However, there are several reasons why many of the best schools prefer to hire native English speakers. One of the reasons is that native speakers have a natural flow to their speech that students of English should try to imitate.

Watch English Films and Television:

This is not only a fun way to learn but it is also very effective. By watching English films (especially those with English subtitles) you can expand your vocabulary and hear the flow of speech from the actors. If you listen to the news you can also hear different accents.

Listen to English Music:

Music can be a very effective method of learning English. In fact, it is often used as a way of improving comprehension. The best way to learn though, is to get the lyrics (words) to the songs you are listening to and try to read them as the artist sings. There are several good internet sites where one can find the words for most songs. This way you can practice your listening and reading at the same time. And if you like to sing, fine.

Study As Often As Possible!:

Only by studying things like grammar and vocabulary and doing exercises, can you really improve your knowledge of any language.

Do Exercises and Take Tests:

Many people think that exercises and tests aren't much fun. However, by completing exercises and taking tests you can really improve your English. One of the best reasons for doing lots of exercises and tests is that they give you a benchmark to compare your future results with. Often, it is by comparing your score on a test you took yesterday with one you took a month or six months ago that you realize just how much you have learned. If you never test yourself, you will never know how much you are progressing.

Record Yourself:

Nobody likes to hear their own voice on tape but like tests, it is good to compare your tapes from time to time. You may be so impressed with the progress you are making that you may not mind the sound of your voice as much.

Listen to English:

By this, we mean, speak on the phone or listen to radio broadcasts, audiobooks or CDs in English. This is different than watching the television or films because you can�t see the person that is speaking to you. Many learners of English say that speaking on the phone is one of the most difficult things that they do and the only way to improve is to practice.
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Jitu5

www.manuscriptedit.com

[SimpleEnglishBlogger]

I agree with many of the suggestions here given by Jitu5.

However, I would add:

1) If your language's sound system (pronunciation) is quite different from English, find a good teacher with experience and education to teach you pronunciation. They should have studied linguistics. I teach in Osaka and I have students who have a very good vocabulary and grammar, but they can't understand native speakers because they never learned how English pronunciation works. When I teach it to them, they are always surprised at the changes they never knew about. When I teach them how to pronounce something better, they can hear it more easily, too.

2) You do need a LOT of input. Try to do things in English, not just 'study' English. This means that you should find things in English where the content itself is interesting to you. If you like news, read the news in English every day. At first, it may be difficult, but that's ok. Learn five or ten new words a day. In only a few months, you'll be able to understand a lot more. You'll be surprised. Watch TV shows in English INSTEAD of your own language. Rend DVDs. Read blogs. Do as much as you can in English.

3) Input in very important. It's much more important than output. If you just learned a new grammar pattern and you have to think hard to understand it when you hear it, don't worry about be able to say it just yet. Keep reading and listening. Get used to it a little before you try to use it in your speaking and writing. Many students try to produce output when the input hasn't taken hold yet. Be patient and keep getting input. You should listen and read 10 or 20 times more than you speak or listen. At least! Maybe more. Many schools here introduce some new vocabulary and a grammar pattern and they expect the student to be able to use it right away. This is ridiculous. Let it absorb and sink in a bit first. Once you're exposed to a pattern/word five, ten, twenty times and you feel comfortable, then you should use it in your speech and writing.

4) I agree that music is good for comprehension and also may help with pronunciation, but do NOT try to learn grammar from it. Most songs don't make any sense, the grammar is all mixed up, etc. Songwriting is like poetry. It doesn't follow natural grammar at all. Enjoy music and sing along for the pleasure of it, and it will help you with your listening and maybe pronunciation too. But you will never learn to speak from music. Singing along helps you learn to string words together. This is great.

One more thing... I disagree with reading and studying grammar. In my opinion, you should not 'study' grammar. Don't memorize rules. They will only hurt you. Rather, you should refer to grammar books to help you understand what you're reading or listening to. If you hear something and you can't figure out the meaning even though you understand the words, that's a grammar problem. In that case, you can look it up. Otherwise, you should never sit down and study grammar rules. Grammar rules are too rigid and there are waaaaaaaaaay to many to remember. The grammar in my head is not the same as the grammar in a book. There is no book that can teach you exactly when to use two similar words. When do you say "start" and when do you say "begin"??! I don't even know a native speaker that can give a good answer to that. I know a student that is writing a thesis on the subject. That's how complex the rule is. But all native speakers know when to use each word. Why? Input! If you read and listen to as much English as a native speaker does, you will learn how to use each. You won't be able to explain it, but you'll know. Your brain will understand unconsciously all the necessary rules. Your brain puts these rules together automatically. It is impossible to learn to speak well by rules. It can only hurt you. Just use grammar books to refer to when you don't understand something if you don't know. Otherwise the best way to learn "grammar" is by listening and paying attention to how some things are said. Try to notice things like "go to school" but not "go TO home", "come to school" but not "come to home". Just notice these things but don't worry about memorizing them. Repeat them when you hear them. Your brain and mouth will work together to make it a habit to say them correctly. Also, don't worry about 'correct' grammar. Instead, focus on 'natural' grammar. For example, it is wrong, according to grammar rules, to say "where's my keys?" but people say it all the time in real life. On the other hand, you'll never hear anyone ever say "where is my keys?" It's ok to say "where's" with a plural noun, but not "where is". This is how people really speak. The grammar books tell you how a few academics think you 'should' speak. Nobody really cares about them. LOL

Good luck!
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Visit www.sloweasyenglish.com for material to help you with your listening skills!

All of the videos are in SLOW and EASY ENGLISH so they are easy to understand and will help you improve your listening until you can watch regular movies and TV!

[PremiereChris]

I think that it is important to remember that a great learning experience begins with getting a great ESL teacher. If you want to learn English, you need a great guide and there is nothing that can be substituted for a great teacher. Some of the other posts here are excellent and I agree. I have been teaching ESL for 17 years and the philosophy I follow with my English language school is to focus on hiring great teachers. I notice that a lot of people in these forum recommend using Skype for learning English and while I think that can be helpful, keep in mind that some of these online learning services are charging very low prices which means that they cannot pay for really high quality language teachers. I still think that any practice with a native speaker can be helpful but working with a great teacher who is experienced in teaching ESL is always the best solution.

Chris
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Chris

[Corey]

It is extremely difficult to learn a language 1) quickly 2) without a good teacher.

As mentioned above, pronunciation will be difficult and so will idiomatic expressions.
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[Stephanie S]

My experience has been that there is no fast way, and no easy way. Sure, there are people who are just super talented and can pick up languages amazingly quickly just by being around them, but I think such talent is really rare. For most of us, it's a lot of work and a lot of commitment. Of course you can speed things up by spending more time in study, and by putting yourself in an immersive situation, but even then, there's only so much your mind can absorb at one time. Sometimes even after studying hundreds of hours, you still feel you can hardly say anything. I think the only "real" way to learn, is to keep plugging away, analysing your methods periodically for their usefulness, and putting yourself in situations where you are forced to practice. It's a slow road, but it's rewarding. Communication is a wonderful thing.

Stephanie
http://www.elanguest.com

[Buckler]

I believe it is a bit too harsh to say that 90% of student's study time is a waste. Some people need an organized learning setting to be able to make any progress (how many teens can learn a foreign language on their own?)

But if a person is capable of organizing a self-study process that is tailor-made for his needs and abilities, then he can make a faster progress, as compared to a setting, where the learning process has to address the needs of those who are not self-starters.
If you feel you are wasting time, then maybe you are in a wrong crowd, try joining a faster-moving group
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tuneMind.net
Accent reduction involves expanding the range of speech reflexes. You can easily do it if you are aware of the differences in phonetic articulation between your native language and the language you are learning.

[Afra]

How do you learn English very fast?

Every week, I get emails about this topic. Typically, someone writes and wants to know how they can speak fluently in only 2 or 3 months. Usually they are in a hurry because they have a test or an interview coming soon.

Of course, its best not to wait until 2 months before your interview to think about this! icon wink How To Learn English Very Fast

But still, its an interesting question. Is it possible to learn English very very fast? Is it possible to make massive improvements in only 2-3 months?

The answer is yes.

But of course, to make massive improvements requires massive intensity and effort.

So, how can you do it? How can you improve super-fast? What do I recommend for this kind of goal?

Read more... How To Learn English Very Fast
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