Free English in London

FREE ENGLISH TIPS

First things first

Decide three or four reasons why you want to study English and write them down in positive writing.

(For example: I WANT TO SPEAK ENGLISH TO UNDERSTAND NATIVE SPEAKERS BETTER)

Put the paper where you can see it.

Refer back to this page as often as you can (at least once a day) and keep it in mind when studying gets tough.

Regular study is important. Studying a little each day is a great way of making big progress.

Get a language teacher. Just as you build muscle by getting a personal trainer, build your English language knowledge by getting a trainer. These guys are good.

Some people find it is best to motivate yourself by having a target, such as studying for an exam eg TOEIC, IELTS, CPE, CAE, PET or even spending time in a new country.

Listening

Try watching movies, tv programmes and listening to the radio in English.

Don't be discouraged if you can't understand everything the first time because the more you listen the more you will understand. With movies on DVD, don't try to watch everything at once should you find it difficult; watch a little at a time, checking any new words in your dictionary. You can also use subtitles to help you understand, although try to avoid looking at them all the time.

Download English language radio programmes, listen to them several times. In the UK, Radio 4 and Radio 5 Live are great speech stations.

Listen to songs. Follow the lyric sheet that often comes with a CD. Try to write the lyrics of a song only by listening to it; you'll probably need to listen several times with many pauses.

Speaking

Practice introducing yourself in English. Try and make it more interesting by saying more than your name, age and where you were born as everybody else does this. Add some special hobbies you have or some great things about you.

Prepare a five minute presentation on a subject that is unique to you. Give it to your friends. If they're studying English as well, get them to do the same. Record it, stick it on You Tube, send the link to us and we can review it. Speak to as many English speakers as possible; if you see English speakers in your country, say hello and ask if they need any help. "Do you need any help?" or "You seem lost." is a great conversation starter if people are holding a map. Have an "English Only" party with your friends. Have British food, English beer and English conversation! Invite us if there's free beer.

Reading

**Read newspaper and magazine articles that interest you.**

Subscribe to a British or American newspaper or magazine or read one regularly on the Internet. Paid-for newspapers are great for advanced learners. Free newspapers are good for beginners. In the UK, The Times, The Guardian, The FT and The Independent are filled with interesting articles to help build your vocabulary.

Pick up a book from the bookshop or loan something from the library. Read the English version of a book that you've already read in your own language. Go for a book that will challenge as well as entertain.

When you find new words try to guess their meaning before looking for them in the dictionary.

Practice reading quickly, without re-reading, to see how much you can understand.

Practice different kinds of reading:

Scanning is reading for specific information, eg reading some adverts to find the ones that interest you.
Skimming (or reading for gist) is reading to get the main point of a piece of text, eg you might do this with a newspaper or magazine to decide which articles to read in full.

Writing

Keep a diary. For each day consider the "WH"-questions (what, where, who, when, why, how).

Write reviews of movies you've seen, restaurants you've eaten at etc. Describe them and say what you liked - and didn't like about them. If you're on a blog, Facebook or Twitter then put them on there.

Find some English speaking penpals or email friends to practice real English communication with.

Write letters to newspapers and magazines on subjects that interest you.

Would you like to have your CV, letter, essay, report or other document checked by a graduate native English speaker? Employers and academics hate to read documents with bad spelling, grammar and sentence structure. Ask Unique to help you with your written work at the unbelievably low price of £5 for a CV! It could be the difference between getting or failing to land that job of a lifetime.

Vocabulary

Read newspaper and magazine articles that interest you. Write down any new or difficult words. Try to guess what you think they mean from how they are used. Check the meanings in a dictionary.

Try using an English-English dictionary before looking at the translation of new words.

Write down and check new words or expressions you hear in movies, songs etc.

Do crossword puzzles and other word games.

Set yourself targets for learning new words - try to learn 10 new words a week.

English is famous for its' synonyms. Search a Thesaurus for a few more words that might be used to describe the same thing. Incidentally, there is no synonym for Thesaurus!

Grammar

Most native speakers never learn the rules of grammar.

English grammar rules are complex and have many exceptions. It is best to learn grammar by hearing and reading as much Natural English as you can.

Unique Languages can help you with all of these potential sticking points when learning English or any other language in London and the rest of the UK. If grammar is your weak point, we can give you exercises to help solve any problems. If your vocabulary needs improving, we will help to improve it. Just contact our office for help. Or call 020 8544 2780 right now.

Free English Help London Free English Wimbledon Free English Tips London Free English Tips London English Help London