MASTERING ENGLISH FASTER WITHOUT SPENDING MUCH MONEY

This picture was taken from http://conversations.nokia.com/2013/03/08/get-to-grips-with-learn-english-on-nokia-life/

Being able to mastering English is a kind of common dream of many people. Some people achieve mastery by attending an expensive English class or by flying to English-speaking countries to study English, while some people spend no cost at all to be fluent in English—both writing and speaking. If you have to choose, which method will you use?

Flying to an English-speaking country to study English is an expensive dream, although it’s a ‘powerful’ and ‘fast’ way to achieve your goal. But, how if you have no much money, want to be soon mastering English, and expect the same result as studying abroad?

When classroom is impossible, then get out of your shell!

There are several faster ways to be fluent in English. But the most “powerful” way is to speak English loud and often. What thing to be spoken out?

No. 1 rule for mastering English quickly is start communicating with people immediately and often, using known words/phrases/sentences. In brief, speak with the phrases you have learned. If you shy away from trying to speak, so there will be no progress. Do not wait for perfection before you start speaking English. Don’t forget to keep learning new phrases and use them often.

Focus on the most-used words!

You do not need to think about making an English speech—about politics, for example—in front of hundreds of people at the first time of practicing English. English is a daily language, so just speak as you speak in your own mother-tongue language. To be able to communicate (read: speak) effectively, you need to learn the most-used words for daily conversation. Learn and practice simple expression such as directing taxi, asking for phone number, offering help, describing weather, etc. Those expressions are only taking about 100s vocabularies you’ve already known.

Note: avoid memorizing pairs of opposites, although it is a favorite teaching technique of many teachers. Study the common word first, and once you’ve got that down, learn the opposite.

Repetition, repetition, and repetition!

Repetition is important. Much more important than only memorizing 5-10 new words every day. Even the “mastering English in half of time” emphasize on “repetition”. To do this, you can make a set of flashcards—as a help—where you write a word or phrase on one side of the card and the translation on the other (or you can download ready-to-use flashcards from memoteque.com. A few example of EN-ID flashcard can be obtained here). Then take them with you wherever you go and practice your material repeatedly. If you want something easier, you can use audio materials—to help you ‘repeating’ important or most-used phrases—that you can obtain online. To get free audio podcasts, please go to 50languages.com page.

Practice with strangers!

The internet offers wealth opportunities to connect with strangers who’ll speak their native language through chatting channels such as in speaking24.com or other channels. This will be cheaper than “hunting” for tourists in tourists objects, although the “feel” and the “experience” will slightly different.

Social media such as Facebook is also can be used to find friends from English-speaking country and then use Facebook chat as the medium of practicing English. Let the common sense be your guide when connecting with people you do not know.

Note for teachers: you can organize and guide your students to chat in an online-chat channel(s). Do this in computer room. Help your students to start and run a healthy conversation. It’s better for you to build friendship with foreigners first, then ask them whether they can help you to run a chatting class with your students.

If practicing with strangers is still impossible, then you may set drama scenes, build a small English-speaking gang to discus something very new around you, or do a role-play game or activity (if it is possible, involve yourself as an active part of the activity, not only sitting and watching your students).

The video below shows us about several students practicing their English by doing a role-play activity as news text readers and reporter. As their English skill isn’t well developed yet, you may find them speak incorrectly, not so fluent, or looked little bit clumsy.

You can use the same method as in the video to develop your or your students’ skill. You can try to play as manager and secretary, taxi driver and passenger, seller and buyer, etc.

 

This article was freely adapted from: 10 secrets to learning a language without spending a nickel.