“If you do not want to learn yourself, no one can help you. If you are determined to learn, no one can stop you.”

When it comes to learning, there is something more fundamental than that, which is more about psychology, self-help, and human motivation than conventional methods.

Today we want to discover the hidden forces in the success of language learners, these forces include personality traits, attitudes and learning habits that go far beyond traditional classroom learning and are of multifaceted interest to all excellent students.

Here are three characteristics of successful learners that are less mentioned:

1. They are inherently motivated to learn.

Successful language learners are very purposeful in what they do. Both subconsciously and consciously, you must have an inner reservoir of motivation. No one but yourself can give you a reason to learn well.

Although it is common to be influenced by external motivations, such as career success, travel, or even the wishes of someone else (such as your parents or principal), good students need to find a way to make the learning process really “important” to them. .

Having a strong intrinsic motivation helps to prioritize learning, going through difficult periods, when you are not feeling well or when it seems boring to you, and allows you to enjoy the learning process.

Remember, we learn better when we have fun!

2. They take responsibility for their own learning

It is great to have an inner motivation to inspire you and make you eager to learn, but if you are not yet ready to take charge of your learning process, this device alone will not get you there.

Accepting the responsibility of learning means recognizing your essential role in the learning process and knowing that no matter what the cost to the teacher or school, no matter how great resources and benefits you have, it is you who must spend time and energy practicing.

Successful language learners do not place this responsibility on others, they do not seek magical solutions (very simple and easy solutions that are not effective in practice), and they do not expect an English course alone to make them fluent. .

Successful language learners evaluate what works for them and what does not, they take control of their processes. As they take responsibility for their own learning, they learn something at every step and enjoy the reward of fluent speaking for a lifetime.

3. They build a support network for themselves

successful learners participate in support networks and to create such networks. These networks are groups of people who support them in achieving fluency. These networks include teachers, successful role models, friends, cheerleaders, and those with whom they practice conversation.

We all know that no matter what we do, we would be more successful if we did it with a group of people who are on the same path as ourselves because we could help each other get to the destination faster. This is especially true of language learning, because the learning system is a communication system and cannot be learned in the same way as other subjects and lessons.

Having a support network not only gives you the opportunity to practice what you learn and emulate the people around you, but also strengthens your learning process with constructive feedback and support from the network.

All of these secret performances for the success of language learning can be summed up in one fact: no one but you can learn a language for you, and no one can be paid to give you these qualities.

Once again, it should be noted that there are many people who have learned the language themselves and have never paid for a teacher or anything else and have reached a good level.

 You have to work on yourself to be a great learner. This is called self-help. Many language learners fail because they believe that all they need to do is pay someone, listen to the instructions, and learn the grammar step by step, while doing all this, ignoring the inner dimension.

When you focus on developing these qualities in the process of learning English, you become more advanced, disciplined and spontaneous not only in learning English but throughout your life.

The post Three characteristics of successful learners appeared first on English Meetups.

There is only one way to learn English and that is to open your mouth and speak English! Talk constantly to make good progress.

Courage is resistance to fear, mastery of fear; not absence of fear. – Mark Twain

You can apologize for not being able to speak and say, for example, that you are embarrassed, but this will take you away from your goal of mastering speaking English. It does not matter at all if you know a word a little or your pronunciation is not good. If you want to make progress, you just have to talk.

Never say you can’t speak English, because repeating it will make you really unable to speak in the near future. If you believe that you can not speak English, you will prevent your mind from trying to learn and you will deprive yourself of the opportunity to progress. The only way to progress is to practice English, no matter how good or bad you are at it.

2) Do not be afraid to make mistakes.

You should not be afraid to make mistakes when speaking English. Mistakes are part of every human being and sooner or later you accept the fact that you are not as perfect as others and you make mistakes. The only way to not make a mistake is to make no effort at all, and if you follow this procedure, you will never make a mistake, but there will be no progress.

Michael Jordan:

I’ve missed more than 9000 shots in my career. I’ve lost almost 300 games. 26 times, I’ve been trusted to take the game winning shot and missed. I’ve failed over and over and over again in my life. And that is why I succeed. – Michael Jordan

This may be a little unexpected, but you have to make mistakes many times, and that means you are speaking English and you are progressing. If you do not make mistakes every day, it means that you do not speak enough English. Of course, you should not make mistakes intentionally, and you should be careful about such mistakes, and as a result, you can learn and improve your skills.

The last thing you need to pay attention to when speaking English is grammar. You do not need to be completely fluent in grammar to want to speak English with someone. English speakers do not care if your grammar is good or bad, they just want to understand what you mean and keep talking.

If you speak clearly and confidently, it does not matter at all whether you say the wrong word or adjective incorrectly or do not follow the order of the sentence.

Many language learning programs place a lot of emphasis on grammar and less on conversation. They believe that you should know all the grammar rules before you start a conversation, and this will reduce your confidence when speaking. This is swimming against the current of the river. You must first learn how to speak in order to gain self-confidence and, after gaining relative mastery, correct your grammar.

Everyone is wrong; Even the English speakers themselves. No one is born fluent in English; acquiring this skill requires a lot of time, effort and practice. Many Americans go to school for 13 years and still cannot speak English properly.

Do not despair after your mistakes, accept them and appreciate them for their useful role in your learning!

3) Do not apologize for your language level.

Some people constantly apologize for their level of English literacy when they speak English, and this behavior is really annoying. One should not be offended by one’s language level, nor should one be upset by the language mistakes of others.

People who apologize for their language level often expect to be better. This reason is a bit plausible, but do not be upset if you do not know more than a certain level. Acquiring language skills is a time-consuming process and you cannot expect to achieve it overnight. If you have been learning English for years or even months, you have tried to reach this level anyway, so do not underestimate yourself.

4) Do not despair of yourself.

Sometimes you may fail to learn English a little and reach a point where you may not be able to speak English as well as you do in your native language, and you may not even be able to use the right words.

Almost everyone who learns English has these problems, which is perfectly normal in the learning process. If you are really immersed in English, this process only takes a few weeks, but if you go to English twice a week, it will take years. The only way to overcome this type of failure is to practice and practice and practice.

Remember that this is not because you are not smart enough or that English is too hard and know that it happens to many people. You can’t escape this temporary defeat, so welcome it to get through this stage as soon as possible.

5) Do not be upset if others do not understand what you mean.

Sometimes when you talk to someone, that person will not understand what you mean. Because there are so many English speakers around the world; So there are different dialects, some of which are difficult to understand, such as the Australian and Irish dialects.

In the case of people who do not interact much with foreigners, such a problem will occur. Because these people have not had a similar experience, they may not understand what you are saying. Know that this is not due to your lack of language skills, but because these people have not spoken to foreigners with different accents.

This can also happen when talking to people who have a lower language level than you. They may not understand much of what you are saying, because you use more advanced vocabulary. Remember that you were at their level one day and no one stops in the learning process at one point.

6) Do not compare yourself with other English speakers

Regardless of your language level, you should try to go higher and be proud of what you have done and not care what others think, because they do not know that you practice for hours. You have reached this level and they do not know how much you have tried.

This also means that you should not compare yourself with others. People are all different; One learns sooner and the other has to spend more time. Maybe a friend of yours can speak English very well because of 3 years of living in London, but that does not mean that your learning process is wrong.

Some people enjoy the failure of others, but you should not care about them. Instead of wasting your time thinking about what they think of you, take the time to progress and practice.

7) If you are fluent in English (or think you are fluent) do not be proud of yourself.

English should be lived, not just a goal.

English is not a small part of your brain, but a learning process that may seem a little difficult and contradictory. When you finally reach the skill level (which can have any meaning and at any level) you should not think that you have already learned English, because this approach will create fundamental problems and limitations. Here are a few:

• With this thinking, you are pretending, because the learning process never stops. It is like knowing yourself as the whole intellect. There is always a higher stage and you have to practice in the current stage.

• With this approach, language learners become lazy. It’s a universal fact about learning that if you do not grow, you will fall behind.

This overconfidence prevents you from being like English speakers.

Cultural Understanding: You may know everything about grammar, but that does not mean you are fluent in the language. You need to have constant access to the language source (ie language culture) because it is this culture that leads you to who you really are.

The post Seven things you need to avoid to speak well appeared first on English Meetups.

Take a closer look at the actors’ mouths while watching the film. Can you imitate these movements and say the same thing?

Another way that can help you in general, is to watch the many videos that are available on the Internet and their job is to train you to pronounce English words correctly.

Pay attention to the movements of your tongue.

The main difference between the “r” and “l” sounds is the location of your tongue. To pronounce the “R” sound, there must be a slight distance between the tip of the tongue and the roof of your mouth, while in the pronunciation of “L”, the tongue sticks to the back of the upper teeth.

For the correct pronunciation of each English phoneme, a simple internet search reveals what the position of the tongue and teeth should be in order for that particular sound to be pronounced correctly. Especially for sounds like / Ɵ / which in some languages ​​do not have an exact equivalent.

“Crush” words into small sounds.

Fragmenting words and trying to identify each vowel within it not only makes it easier for you to pronounce it correctly, but is also a way to learn English phonetics.

Pay attention to the stress of words.

If you are learning English, you probably know that this does not mean stress, anxiety and worry, but parts of words that are usually pronounced louder and harder.

It is amazing to know that stress in English pronunciation is not extra work at all and even inaccuracy in it may change the meaning of the sentence!

Take the word Present, for example. If you put stress on the first part of the word (Present), the Native listener will understand the meaning of “gift” or “right now”, and if you say (Present) what he / she will understand is giving a speech or presenting something in front of others.

Do not worry! In any case, keeping these rules is very time consuming and almost impossible. Instead, divert your thinking to good things, such as listening to podcasts, watching movies, and attending free discussion classes.

Sometimes pronounce some sounds louder.

One of the things I sometimes do in class is pay homage to the Queen of England for language learners! There is definitely some humor and exaggeration in this work and the aim is to acquaint the learners with the differences.

The post some tips about pronunciation appeared first on English Meetups.

There are several options when considering a tutor face to face. You can study in a group class at a private language school or study 1: 1 at home or at the teacher’s place. It may be best to find a tutor close to home as this will make it easier for you to attend classes. Individual training is also preferred in most cases because it saves time and allows you to focus 100% on exactly what you need, not what other students in a group need.

Try online lessons with a local teacher.

In the last decade, e-learning has become a popular option for teaching in the traditional classroom because it has more flexibility and access to teachers. You can now learn lessons from anywhere with a good internet connection with an English teacher via Skype (or another VoIP program). This method of learning English, while saving time and money, allows students more choice.

If you are interested in studying online with a native English teacher, you can ask for advice here.

Multilingual meeting

Search for English-speaking immigrants in your city. This can be done through Google or Facebook as well as through the international group of your local university. Find a native English speaker who is interested in learning your native language and offer them a “language exchange”. Then meet in a cafe every week for 30-60 minutes to practice each language.

The post Take English lessons with an English speaker appeared first on English Meetups.

Try the “Shading” method!

Start by finding a short audio or video clip by a native English speaker – this could be a 30-60 second episode of an audio book or a very short comic strip from Youtube. Listen to or watch it several times until you become familiar with it and understand its meaning. Pay attention to how the speaker uses tone, emphasis and pause. Maybe write down some notes on paper and overwrite the text to have a text image to work with. Now try to repeat the speaker in exactly the same way and with the same pronunciation. You may want to record yourself doing this, so you can compare your version to the original to see where you can make further progress on your next attempt.

choose a national English branch

In terms of vocabulary, pronunciation and even grammar, there can be significant differences between English and American English. Confusion often arises when learners mix different types of English when speaking and writing. To avoid this, consider which type of English you prefer (or which one best suit your needs) and make this the starting point for choosing the right model.

Find a native model or instructor to guide your learning

Having your own English tutor can be a great way to ensure you practice regular speech and correct mistakes. This tutor can act as your native model and reference as well as boost your motivation and interest in the language. If you have access to enough video and audio content, you can choose a model such as a BBC newscaster, a Youtube star or a celebrity. This person should be a native speaker with standard English, but also someone you love and perhaps admire.

your work is endless

Unless you have lived the building blocks of your childhood in most English-speaking countries, it is unlikely that you will ever become 100% native. Set realistic study goals and work towards them over time. Every learner has the ability to acquire fluent English, and some of them even approach native skills.

The post Improve your speaking fluency by copying a native English model appeared first on English Meetups.

When most people think about learning English, they think of a lot of books, memorizing lists, and reading cards. All of these are useful in their own right and should not be overlooked. However, many people forget the active aspect of language learning – or avoid it – exploring, playing, listening and repetition.

Studies show that imitation is one of the best ways to improve your language skills. Listening to others and repeating what they say and how they say it – even the tone, emotion and choice of words – is one of the most powerful and fun ways to progress.

2. Use what you have learned immediately

If there’s one thing your brain enjoys, it’s feeling useful. Our brain hates wasting time with information we do not use. (Maybe that’s why you forget the English words you learned yesterday!)

Here’s a tip: Even if you’re alone in the room, the first thing you should do when you see a new phrase in front of you is read it aloud immediately. Repeat it several times until you can say it without looking at the article. Even better if you can use that new word to write three sentences. This is a milestone you have started English!

3. be an actor

The actors have a mission: to read the text and then convince people that the text is real. They do this by using emotion, exaggeration, repetition and practice. So why not get inspired by your favorite actors and do the same?

This is a game. When you are alone, pick up a piece of paper and write down an English phrase – any phrase you want to learn. Now, try to read it as much as you can without looking at the article. The next step is to try to express this expression with different emotions. Do not be afraid of exaggeration! After a while, you will get used to the sound of the phrase without thinking.

4. Listen to others as much as you talk

Many English learners struggle with speech for three reasons: they are embarrassed by their foreign accent, do not remember keywords when they need them, and cannot really understand that this is when people they respond, leading to unfavorable conditions.

Solution: Expose yourself as much as possible to songs, series, documentaries, accents and conversations. It helps you to understand how English is spoken in different countries and how it is spoken by different people.

Rewards – You will find that many foreigners around the world have accents, but Indigenous people are still easily understood and can communicate effectively. So … why not try? Foreign accent is not the end of the world – it just proves that you were brave enough to learn something new!

5. be visual

Visual learning is powerful – and increasingly popular. Research shows that word-related images help us remember much more efficiently, and that means we can speak fluently.

The next time you want to memorize a new phrase, use one of pictures that you found on the internet to show these words. Choosing your personal pictures for flash card or notebook is the key to remembering these words next time!

6. Know your priorities

Ask anyone, “Why are you learning English?” The answers will vary, but most people will say, “Because I want to get a better job,” “Because I want to go to London,” “Because my partner speaks English,” or “I love English.”

However, do you believe you hear someone say, “I want to speak English because I want to be perfect”? Probably not! Always remember that your priority should be effective communication, not perfection. Focus on conveying your message, and that means talking as soon as possible.

The post six tips to improve speaking English appeared first on English Meetups.

Make time for your English every day and prioritize it

Every time you spend on your English should be considered as an investment for your future. Many small steps will help you to travel a long way. Having a clear idea of ​​exactly why you need English and what you will get as a result of mastering it is important to make it a priority in your busy life. The length of time you choose to invest in English is up to you, but this should be a regular commitment and will directly affect the speed of your mastery.

Actively include more English in your daily routine

Make a conscious effort to inject more English into your normal day. Try the following: Read a BBC news article on your iPad every morning for breakfast, listen to an English audiobook or radio station on your way home, and use a mobile app during your lunch break. , Do a 10-word vocabulary test, write an email to a colleague or foreign friend, watch a 5-minute YouTube video from an English learning channel, read some grammar some nights, a few weeks Take a Skype English class once, schedule an English movie program at home with your friends at least once a month.

Use your mother tongue less

If you spend 99% of your time speaking your native language and only 1% is left in English, improving your fluency is always a difficult endeavor. Are there any conditions where you can use English instead of your native language? This method is called “replacement” and examples may include: changing the language on your mobile phone to English, watching TV in English 50% of the time, or choosing to read a book in English instead of your native language.

Stop thinking about English as just a “textbook topic”

Try to think of English more as a lifestyle and less as a school subject. Any contact with this language will help you to speak English more fluently over time, so why limit yourself to just traditional classes and textbooks? Using a broader perspective will probably make the learning process much more interesting. Native English speakers are in regular contact with the language in a wide range of contexts – you should do the same!

Find some study friends!

Engage those around you in an effort to become more fluent in English. Ask them to help you practice, test vocabulary, or correct writing. Those close to you can play an important role in supporting and maintaining your new “English lifestyle”. However, keep in mind that some may neglect your time in English, so they may try to prevent this positive change.

The post speak fluent English appeared first on English Meetups.

Mastery of any skill, including communication skills, is achieved through practice. By practicing speaking, you can learn from mistakes and build both your vocabulary and your comprehension.

Here are some proven ways to improve your English language skills:

Build the foundation firmly

Fundamentally, learning a language comes from understanding tone, vocabulary, and grammar.

Build your vocabulary: When you are a child, when people point to things, you learn words and teach them what to say. You can take the same approach when learning and developing your English skills. It all starts with words. You can learn a certain number of words daily.

Improve your pronunciation: There are digital tools that say words out loud so you can choose your pronunciation. From YouTube channels to online dictionaries, knowing the pronunciation is important in understanding when speaking.

Learn the natural flow of English: Each language has its own flow and rhythm. When talking in English, knowing abbreviations helps – for example, two words that come together to form a word, such as “I am” becomes “I’m”. Also, you want to know, what syllable is stress. All of this comes from practicing conversation and listening to the natives. Have a nice speech!

The post Some ways to improve your English speaking that you may not know appeared first on English Meetups.

Go to language cafes: There are language cafes all over the world. This is a place where people can get together and practice their languages after forming small groups.

Use of applications: Technology is used to help learn languages. From apps like Duolingo to Busuu that let you speak your native language, to great apps like Rosetta Stone that teach you any language from the ground up using video and audio communication. This way, you can improve your English language skills wherever you go.

Chat with Google or Siri: Do you want to talk to someone at random time of night or simply set reminders on your phone to take advantage of your productivity? Your digital assistant is always there for you.

 Chat with him!

English is the most universal language. The ability to speak English increases your chances of pursuing higher education and career options. It also helps you access some of the best entertainment through the source – Hollywood!

Be sure to practice a lot when increasing your speaking skills. Do not give up. With the help of friends, you can practice yourself or use technology that you feel is right for you.

Learn phrases, not words: By learning longer phrases, you combine words into text. You can also memorize their meaning and pronunciation.

Learn the most common phrases: Start with the conversations you need to say the most. Whether these words are for work or eating in a restaurant, you can start with the specific circumstances of your life.

Debate: If you are interested in a particular topic, talk about it.

The post Practice a lot to improve your English language skills appeared first on English Meetups.

Many people from different countries have incorrect pronunciation because their teacher did not have the correct voice. In many cases, being uniform is better than having a bad tone. The worst-case scenario is when someone goes up and down too much on each word. Another thing to avoid is to go up at the end of the sentence.

To correct the wrong tone, you have to remember to start from the top and go down. You cannot do this any other way. I recommend listening to one of the audio files provided by a native speaker. You will hear the right tone. After listening to the sound, record yourself and listen to it. Does it sound the same? Otherwise, find areas that are not different from each other and make the necessary corrections.

This advice is very trivial, but its tone is relatively easy to correct. You can change your tone with just a little effort. If you have a friend who is a native English speaker, you can usually improve the tone of voice in a few lessons. Recording yourself and listening to yourself can be tedious, but having the right tone can help a lot.

There are many students who have changed their tone of voice after 2 small sessions. The advice was giving them was the same advice given above. That’s the answer, and if you want to speak in the right tone, please follow this advice.

Speed ​​of speaking

A common mistake in people who are fluent in English is to speak fast. Because they do not have a perfect pronunciation, it is difficult to understand people who speak very fast. This is the biggest problem I have seen from people who are confident in speaking.

It is important to have the right speed of speech to improve communication and hear the “sorry” that rarely happens. For confident people, the advice is to slow down and speak clearly. Do not confuse words too much and make sure to pause words for words that are difficult to pronounce.

The post The tone and speed of speaking appeared first on English Meetups.