15 Ways to Improve Your English

1. Read as much as possible. 

Research has found that people who read improve their English significantly. You can go to Amazon Kindle and find lots of free downloads.

2. Read the right material. Find something that suits your level (graded readers are good for this). If the material is too difficult you will put it down and not pick it up again.

3. Read websites. BBC, CNN or

Google News are good. Read magazines that are about something you are interested in. Newspapers can be too idiomatic.

4. Listen to a podcast every day. You can do this while you are going to school, or work, or on the bus. You can find things on iTunes or BBC iPlayer and again: listen to things you are interested in.

5. Use English subtitles when you watch something, particularly films or news programs. Don’t worry if you don’t understand every word at first. because you will eventually understand more and more.

6.  Write down useful vocabulary.  

Use the sections in this magazine for writing new vocabulary Remember to include dependent prepositions and collocations. You can also write down the synonym and put the word into a sentence so you know the context.

7. Try to understand words from the context rather than using a dictionary or a translator. When you learn a word from context to are more likely to remember it.

8. Learn phrases used in particular situations. For example: If you have a job interview there are standard phrases you can include in your conversation. Again you can use the sections in this magazine for this.

9. Practice situations in your head. From going to buy something to having a job interview rehearse conversations in your head using the phrases and words you have learned. 

10. Change the language on your phone. This will get you thinking more in English and you will learn new words.

11. Change the language on your computer operating system and your social media. This will also help you to learn more words and think more in English.

12. Learn 5 new words and 2 new phrases every school day. Try to use them when you are with your friends.

13. Mimic native English speakers. Learning English phonetically is very difficult, so try to copy the rhythm and sound of the English language.

14. Be realistic. Learners usually want to progress as quickly as possible but going to a higher level does not mean that you will automatically become better. There is something to learn in any class and knowing the grammar rules does not mean that you are 

accurate or fluent.

15. Don’t worry about making your accent perfect. It’s an important part of your cultural identity to keep your accent. Native English speakers enjoy hearing English spoken with an accent.If native speakers find it difficult to understand you ask your teacher to work on the problem areas of your accent.

Thanks to Snapshots for the cartoon.