English is the most spoken language on the planet, with over 1 billion people speaking it as a second language. As a result, it’s become the language used in most international businesses, in the travel and tourism industry, in hospitality and is an obligatory part of the education system in many countries. This means that more and more people are asking the question: how can I improve my English as quickly as possible?
The best way to learn English
Arguably the best way to learn to speak English fluently is to practice. Finding yourself a pen pal or language partner to exchange with could boost your language skills, as you will be chatting to a native speaker in natural, flowing conversation, outside the confines of textbooks and classrooms. If you have no idea where to start looking for a pen pal, fear not, you can easily find a language partner on apps such as Tandem and HelloTalk, or make use of social media to meet new people.
How to learn English fast
One of the best ways to learn English is to hire a private tutor online. Online lessons enable you to learn from your own home, meaning no additional commutes, no taking turns in group classes, and no awkward face-to-face meetings. Learning English has never been easier thanks to websites and mobile apps which help you find an English tutor online, according to your criteria and your budget.
Where to find English tutors online?
Some great examples of places to find your own private teacher include LiveXP, Preply, Italki, and Verbling. These platforms let you choose a teacher and book lessons, and from then on you have the flexibility to learn in a way that suits you. Online English tutors are available at a wide range of different prices, and some platforms even allow you to pay directly via their website, with offers and bundles if you buy a pack of lessons. You can select a teacher based on their teaching experience, qualifications, nationality, and accent among other things. You may want a teacher with a specialty relating to your career goals, or you may be interested in a particular teaching style such as conversation-only classes.
How can I learn English abroad?
Another way to progress in a short amount of time is to completely immerse yourself in the language. The first way of doing this is to travel. You can visit an English-speaking country for a vacation or go on a longer trip for studies, work, or volunteering. By speaking only English for the entire duration of your stay, you will gain confidence in speaking, pick up new words and expressions, and adjust your ears to the language, helping you to understand it better.
How can I learn English at home?
Traveling abroad may seem like an extreme method to improve your English, especially for those with busy lives and low budgets, so the second immersive technique requires a little less time and money. You can create your own “English universe” in your own home. Change the language settings on your phone, computer, TV, and other electronic devices to English. That includes virtual assistant technology such as Alexa, Google Assistant, and Siri. Next, you will need to speak only English in your home, read books, magazines, and news articles in English, and only allow yourself to watch TV and movies in English. This immersive experience won’t affect your job or social life, but will drastically improve your listening, reading, and speaking skills.
How to learn English quickly with a journal
Finally, you could keep a journal to enhance your English. When we finish school, the skill that we practice the least is writing. If you need to be able to write in English for your studies or your job, then you should try to practice as much as possible. When we don’t have a teacher assigning writing tasks, it can be hard to come up with an idea on our own, which is why the best way to practice writing is to keep a journal. Writing a diary entry every day means you cannot run out of ideas, you simply write what you have done during the day. It can take as little or as much time as you like, depending on the amount of detail you go into.
