Learn to speak and understand English with these 7 tips. As an international student, I found learning the language to be one of the most difficult aspects of studying abroad. Fortunately, there are plenty of ways to learn and practice English with a little bit of effort.
- Make sure you are studying English
This is the most important thing to do before even beginning. You will want to take English lessons on top of your existing studies, and not just in English-speaking countries. There are plenty of opportunities to study the language with English speakers, either online or in-person.
- Take advantage of English speaking friends
Make sure that you have a number of English speaking friends while you are abroad. You can use them as a language exchange partner or just a sounding board for your mistakes. They will also be able to help you out by correcting your mistakes when you make them.
- Read about the culture
This goes hand in hand with making sure that you are studying English. You should be doing this anyway, but you can also get more from it if you study about the culture in which you are studying. You can read magazines like The Economist or National Geographic. You can also read books about the culture of the country where you study.
- Keep a journal
If you’re interested in learning how to speak and understand English, you’ll want to keep a journal. This is your opportunity to practice and write down what you have learned. It is easy to forget things, so you’ll want to make sure you write them down. You can use a simple notebook or your phone’s notes app.
- Talk about it
Once you have started taking language lessons and practicing, you’ll want to talk about it with your friends. You can also find groups on Facebook that will help you with this. They will usually be made up of people who are in your situation. They will be able to help you with the struggles you will face as well as give you advice.
- Learn to listen
There are many people who can talk about the culture, but not many who can actually live and experience it. You will want to learn how to listen and how to understand people when they speak English. You can do this by watching movies, listening to podcasts, or reading books.
- Join a club
If you would like to join a club while you are abroad, you can find a number of them online. There are plenty of clubs and groups where you can get together with people who are studying the same language. It is a great way to practice your English while making friends.