Learning English is a goal many people have, whether for career advancement, traveling, or enjoying movies and series in their original language. But how to best learn English? In this blog post, you’ll find proven tips and strategies to help you make quicker and more effective progress. You’ll discover the four pillars of effective and sustainable language learning and how to use them to successfully learn English. Please note that I have used these principles to improve my own language skills. I’ve also been tutoring many individuals for years now, and the tips outlined in this article have continuously worked very well for most of my students.
Learning English starts with the right mindset
Your mindset plays a very important role in how well you learn English. A positive attitude based on internal motivation is key. This is easier said than done, so if you struggle with that, try the following little exercise.
Ask yourself the following questions:
- Why do I actually need/want to learn English?
- What personal goals am I pursuing with this?
Knowing your personal reason for learning English makes the process more interesting and relevant. Studies show that we learn better when the material is meaningful to us. For more details about meaningful learning check out this amazing article here.
Avoid compulsory learning
Learning English out of obligation, as is often the case in school, can be frustrating and take away the fun of learning. Instead, you should shape the learning process yourself and tailor it to your needs. This makes learning much more effective.
And don’t forget:
English is much easier than many other languages, for example German!
Many people assume that learning English is difficult, but the opposite can be the case. English has relatively simple grammar compared to German, for example. So don’t be discouraged by initial uncertainties – with the right mindset and some practice, you can make great progress. I’m not saying you won’t have ups and downs, but if you get a tutor, or some other external support, then your chances of success will increase.
Motivation: The Fuel for Your English Learning
While your mindset is the starting point, you need to continuously maintain your motivation. This is the only way to stay on track in the long term and keep your goal in sight. But how can you learn English without losing motivation? Here are a few tips
Set achievable goals
Break your educational journey into small, manageable steps. For example:
- Learn ten new English words in one week
- Listen to (at least) one English podcast per week.
- Practice a short conversation with a native speaker or your tutor
Achieving small goals gives you a sense of accomplishment and motivates you to keep going.
Learn English your way
There are many different ways to learn English – and to boost motivation, you should choose the learning style that suits you best. When learning is fun and doesn’t feel like an obligation, it’s much easier to keep going. And like I said before, there will be times when you don’t feel like learning. That’s when it will be most important to not give up!
The methods for learning English most effectively
Everyone has an individual way of absorbing and processing information. This means that not every learning method works equally well for everyone. When you know how you learn best, you can adjust your learning methods accordingly and make faster and more sustainable progress. To find out how to learn English most effectively, you should try to identify your own learning type:
- Auditory: Learn through listening. Listen to podcasts, audiobooks, or English songs.
- Visual: Learn through seeing. Watch movies or videos with English subtitles.
- Communicative: Learn through conversation. Have dialogues with native speakers or practice with language apps, tutors etc.
- Kinaesthetic: Learn through movement. Combine language exercises with activities like writing or repeating.
I’ve actually written a mini ebook about how to best learn English for my German-speaking audience: Erfolgreich Englisch lernen You will find a detailed explanation of the different learning types and valuable tips on how to identify your own type and learn accordingly. This entire blog post is also available in German here.
The best resources for learning English
The internet offers a vast selection of tools and platforms that can help you improve your English. Whether you’re just starting or already advanced, there are resources for every level. Here are some of the best online resources you can use:
Online-Resources
- YouTube: On my YouTube channel, you’ll find numerous videos to help you learn English. Many of the videos have English subtitles, which will help you better understand what you hear and learn new words. Use this visual and auditory combination to deepen your language skills.
- Apps: Popular apps like Duolingo, Babbel, or Memrise can help you learn systematically.
- Preply: If you want to learn individually with me as your private tutor, I recommend Preply. You can get a 50% discount by signing up and booking a meeting through this link. Note: The discount works for any tutor and any subject for the first trial lesson.
More tips for learning English in everyday life
- Change the language of your smartphone and other devices to English
- Write shopping lists or journal entries in English.
- Have self-talk in English to improve your language skills.
Conclusion: How to best learn English?
The question ‘How to best learn English?’ is easier to answer than you may think. A positive attitude, clear goals, and the right methods are the key to your success. With the wide variety of tools available today, you can personalise the learning process and stay motivated in the long term. I’m not saying that it will be easy and without problems for many people. However, the internet has made the learning process more accessible and more affordable. If you are a total beginner and you want to get started, I’d recommend the following free video course that features the top 1000 words in the English language.
Watch the video multiple times to improve your English for free. If you want to speed up your learning journey, you’ll find numerous professional resources to support you on my Website.
Take the first step and start today – learning English has never been so accessible!
