Tips for ESL Students

by A Guest Author

Learning English is hard. Make it as easy on yourself as you can with these tips for learning English as a second language:

  1. Find a class. Most cities in the United States offer free or low-cost adult education. To find a class, use Google or another search engine on the computer. Type the name of your city and add free ESL classes. Choose a class from the Adult Basic Education site.
  2. Attend class as often as possible. These free classes will help you learn English more quickly and easily than you can on your own. They are paid for with tax money that supports public education.
  3. If you must miss a class, let the teacher know. Ask for work you can do on your own to keep up with the other students.
  4. Get to know other students. Choose at least one other student in the class and set up times to practice what you have learned. This will help you to make progress much more quickly.
  5. Use social media. When not in class or working, use the computer to expand your knowledge. Even watching You Tube videos in English will help you to learn new words and keep moving ahead. If you make a page on a social media site, practice writing short paragraphs in English.
  6. Listen to English programs on the radio or TV. The more you hear English spoken, the easier it will be to speak the language yourself.
  7. Talk, talk, talk. The more you speak English, the faster you will learn it. Don’t worry about making mistakes. That is just part of learning a new language. Laughing with friends about mistakes with the new language helps you remember the right way to say things in English.
  8. Read the newspaper and get books from the public library to read. Even if you don’t understand everything, you will still be learning how to make sentences and spell words in English.
  9. Write down new words you are learning and use them as often as possible.
  10. Avoid using your own language when speaking English. If you get stuck on a new word or expression, try to find a way to get the idea across without speaking your native language.
  11. Ask for help. Most people are willing to help when they know you are trying hard to learn to speak English. A few people will not be polite. Just be polite yourself and find someone else to help you.
  12. Challenge yourself. It’s tempting to stick with the lessons and words you have already learned. Push yourself to keep learning new things, and you will make progress much more quickly.
  13. Don’t let yourself get discouraged. English is a hard language to learn, but it is not impossible. Take it in small steps and practice as often as you can. Instead of comparing your ability with other students, think about how far you have come.
  14. Give yourself a break. When you’re tired or discouraged, take a little time to do something you especially enjoy. Talk with a friend, watch a movie in your own language or go to a park and walk around. When you are rested and relaxed, get back to work.

Learning English takes a lot of time, practice and hard work. Taking it in small bites, attending free classes regularly, and getting as much practice as possible will help you learn much faster. The key to better English is to use all of the opportunities for learning and practice you can.

About the Post

This tips are written on behalf of The English School of Canada, the quickest, easiest way to learn english in Toronto.

This post was written by A Guest Author

This post was written by a guest author. If you have high quality, useful information to share with students, send us an email or click Write For Us to learn more. And in case you're wondering - yes, you can promote yourself in this fancy author byline.

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