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Then you can search for English speakers whose target language is your native language. Once you find some people, contact them to arrange a Skype language exchange at a time that works for both of you. Not interested in spending half of your time teaching another person about your native language?
You can also search for fellow English learners on italki. This way, you can spend your entire conversation speaking in English. You can also find professional English teachers on italki to give you spoken English lessons. These lessons do cost money, but prices are often very reasonable, and are well worth the investment.
When you use English in real life situations, you will of course be face-to-face with other English speakers. Watching English videos is a perfect way to have a similar experience — but from the comfort of your own computer or smartphone. There are hundreds of videos about every aspect of the English language. They aim to teach a neutral, international English, though some lessons focus on specific dialects. Eleven English teachers have made a series of over a thousand video lessons for English learners of every level.
The lessons are sorted by proficiency level, topic, and of course by teacher. Watch a few lessons by each teacher to find the one that you enjoy learning from the most. Then settle in and have fun improving your English skills. Long before the Internet, countless kids and adults! Sesame Street strives to appeal to viewers of all ages. For English audio lessons that you can listen to anywhere, anytime, podcasts are the perfect choice. You can listen to podcasts on your computer or mobile device, and many episodes are only a few minutes long.
Moments like these are the perfect time to squeeze in some studying to help you reach fluency faster. Here is a small sample of some of the better podcasts for teaching English as a foreign language.
There are plenty of free episodes to get you started , and if you like what you hear, I recommend signing up for the paid version that includes flashcards, quizzes, and access to all the lessons. The lessons cover a mind-boggling variety of real-life situations.
The speaking speed is nice and slow, yet the vocabulary and grammar range from beginner to advanced. Do you like to mix things up? The Go Natural English Podcast from my friend Gabby we made a video together here includes lessons on vocabulary and grammar, as well as super useful language study tips. There are at least three new episodes released per week. Keep checking back every week for new episodes. The Internet is bursting with written English, from Wikipedia to news websites, to countless blogs around the world. These are great for intermediate and advanced learners, but not so helpful for beginners.
English reading and writing lessons offer a structured approach. That way, you can learn the basics of English reading and writing, before moving onto the more complex rules of written English. So instead of drowning in the sea of English websites filling the Internet, try the following resources geared specifically to English learners. Currently, Duolingo has English courses for speakers of the following languages:. If you speak any of these languages at at least an intermediate level, you can use Duolingo to learn English grammar and vocabulary through reading, writing and some speaking exercises.
Duolingo has many more courses in the works for speakers of other languages who want to learn English, so check their website often for release dates.
Home News Sport Business. Sesame Street strives to appeal to viewers of all ages. So instead of drowning in the sea of English websites filling the Internet, try the following resources geared specifically to English learners. My favourite website for finding a language exchange partner is italki. Brain Training — Even if you decide to only learn Italian as a hobby, knowing multiple languages will keep your brain healthy and nimble, even in old age.
ReadTheory is a reading comprehension website for upper beginners and higher. With ReadTheory you practise reading passages of English text, then take quizzes about them to see how well you understood. Each worksheet begins with a prompt to guide you about what to write. Others focus on real-life experiences such as sending a letter to a friend or coworker.
There are even a few worksheets that will help you write persuasively. There is no functionality to grade you on your writing ability on this website.
What are your favourite free English language lessons online? Let me know about them in the comments. This post contains affiliate links.
Benny Lewis Founder, Fluent in 3 Months. Fun-loving Irish guy, full-time globe trotter and international bestselling author. Benny believes the best approach to language learning is to speak from day one. Donavan Whyte, vice president of enterprise and education at Rosetta Stone, says: This is far more motivating and realistic. You might be feeling wildly optimistic when you start but aiming to be fluent is not necessarily the best idea.
Phil McGowan, director at Verbmaps, recommends making these goals tangible and specific: It might sound obvious, but recognising exactly why you want to learn a language is really important. Alex Rawlings, a language teacher now learning his 13th language, says: Often the discussion around how to learn a language slides into a debate about so-called traditional v tech approaches. For Aaron Ralby, director of Linguisticator, this debate misses the point: Rather it should be how can we assemble the necessary elements of language for a particular objective, present them in a user-friendly way, and provide a means for students to understand those elements.
When signing up to a particular method or approach, think about the substance behind the style or technology. For many of our panellists, reading was not only great for making progress, but one of the most rewarding aspects of the learning experience.
Memorising lists of vocabulary can be challenging, not to mention potentially dull. Ed Cooke, co-founder and chief executive of Memrise, believes that association is key to retaining new words: You are a monolingual adult: As children we learn languages organically and instinctively; as adults we can learn them systematically.
In this section you'll find resources tailored for students of ESOL (English for Speakers of Other Languages) and ESL (English as a Second Language). Aimed at. David Crystal, world authority on the English language, presents a lively and factual a book for anyone of any nationality concerned with English: teachers, students . 1. Speakers of English in territories where the language has had special relevance or American tourist who travels the world assuming that everyone.
Different approaches may be necessary at different stages of the learning process. Once you have reached a certain level of proficiency and can say quite a bit, fairly accurately, Rebecca Braun, senior lecturer in German studies at Lancaster University, says it is typical to feel a slowing down in progress.